BLEND-S

I think this is the final show i can cram into 2017.

Blend-s Is a show in the comedy work place show much like Working.
Infact... it's a lot like working in general... more on that later.

The gimmick to this show is that in order to get enough money to study abroad Maika looks for part tim work. the problem is she has a scary face and no one will hire her... that is until a blond haired italian ex-pat asks her to play a sadistic character in his themed cafe.

Unfortunately the overall theme gets lost really early on and it becomes more about making Maika accidentally Sadistic when she's trying to be nice... or just putting the workers in cute/fanservicy situations. Nothing is too "omg they are just doing this for the fanservice"... but in the end it really just feels like it's all for the fanservice.

Had i not seen working before hand maybe i would have enjoyed this more... but Working does everything in this show a million times better. the characters are quirkier (mostly because unlike this cast thats who they are instead of just playing characters to their strengths), The relationships are far more believable and in the end even though it is an episodic show it does have an arc... it's also three season long verses 1 so i can't fault blend-s too much for that.

Granted even if this got another seasons (and it probably will) I don't think I enjoyed this season enough to continue on. It's cute and has funny moments but i just don't really care in the end. these last few episodes were a bit of a slog to be honest. they weren't bad but the only reason I powered through was because i was so close to the end.

HOWEVER, if you enjoy working or service x service or shows like that and you haven't had anything close to that lately then give this show a try, you may enjoy it more then i did.

You can watch it on Crunchyroll (warnign the intro will get stuck in your head so... enjoy that)
http://www.crunchyroll.com/blend-s

Edit: thinking about it i think i know why this show doesn't work for me.

Everyone (except the manager and maika) are extremely meta savy.... if one character (the author or the idol) had been save of tropes and meta things that would have been fine... btu since EVERYONE is save about all the tropes it kinda falls flat.

Our love has always been 10 centimeters apart.

I'll admit, I love fluffy shojo funtimes.
And these honeyworks anime have all been utterly adorable. Predictable as hell but fun and sweet and that can be a nice change of pace from.... well the normal soul ripping shit I watch.

This story has the same setting as the other two honeyworks films except it's a 6 episode show (which is the perfect length for something like this)

We follow the story of Miou and Haruki as they fail to close this 10 cm gap between them despite how much they care for each other.
With their dreams seeming to pull them in different directions and random soapopra-ish tragedy plaguing them will they ever manage to hold holds?

It's cute and fluffy and sure there is little to no substance i still really enjoyed it. Do i want more Honey works film or anime? sure! will it make the top 10 anime of the past year? doubtful. but it's still cute and i enjoyed it.

you can watch all the Honey works shows over on crunchyroll and if you want some cute fluff it's perfect for that
I've always lover you: http://www.crunchyroll.com/ive-always-liked-you/ive-always-liked-you-ive-always-liked-you-confess-your-love-committee-721425
The moment you fall in love: http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-moment-you-fall-in-love/the-moment-you-fall-in-love-the-moment-you-fall-in-love-738219
and finally
Our love has always been 10cm apart: http://www.crunchyroll.com/our-love-has-always-been-10-centimeters-apart

Kino's Journey -the Beautiful World- (2017)

Many years ago I remember watching (at least partially) the original version of this show.

Now I should mention my memory is a pile of garbage... however one episode really stuck with me.
If you've seen the show... yeah "that" episode.

well I thought this was more episodes (like a second season... btu one that assumes you haven't sene the first so it doesn't leave anything out)... I didn't realize it was a retellign this "that" episode.... so that was fun.

Still while this show overall had little to no "point" and very little in the way of an arch I still enjoyed it. It's very pretty, the music is good and even though most of the stories end up just being "oh boy look how awful people can be based on their upbringing and rules" I still ended up watching the whole show.

The good:
Animation, music, the stories as a series of one shots that have little to nothing to do with each others (except a few episodes which also have little to nothing to do with Kino)

The meh:
Kino is extremely monotone and that can be a bit grating.
if you want a plot or purpose then this isn't the show for you... it's episodic to a fault... you could watch any episode with just kino completely out of order and nothing would change.
Short, it kinda teases that maybe there is more but at the same time it's like "this is the end... but it could be the beginning"

In the end I did like it, I don't think I'd recommend it but I did like it.
Anyways tryign to power through some shows since the end of the year is tomorrow and... well i've got some top 10 lists to write.

Elegant Yokai Apartment

Yushi ends up needing a place to stay when his school dorms end up being damaged... however being an orphan he doesn't really want to ask his adoptive family for anythings else (be it living accommodations or cash)
Luckily he happens to find an amazing deal on a cute little apartment complex...
the only downside seems to be that it's mostly full of yokai.

This show had some potential to be a cute little maison ikoku style show with a yokai twist, however the final result is a show that is fine but overall is just wasted potential.

The show never quite figures out what it's about.

Is it about a boy who feels like an inconvenience to everyone and is just trying to find his place in the world? sometimes.... when it feels like it.... but not really.
Is it about dealing with learning new things about the world that change how you view it and how that can change you as a person? a little fore like...3 episodes.
Is it about the variety of people that can all inhabit the same space in some kind of odd properity? not as much as you would think.
Is it about a magic book that has the power of the major arcana? kinda but said book isn't introduced till like.... episode 10 or 11?
Is it about how to deal with people who's world views are different then yours? only on the barest surface.
Is it a study on the human condition as well as manipulation techniques involving mob mentality? again for like 3 episodes yes...
Is it about rich people getting away with everything..... probably yeah... i mean it's the longest ongoing theme.
is it a cooking anime? at times.
is it about strengthening yourself through training... i guess for a bit in the middle..

It's all these things and more and because of that it just becomes a mesh of themes that in the end feels both rushed and pointless.
Had they just focused on a few things... like.... oh i dunno
dealing with the fact that he's an orphan.... dealing with living with all kinds of different people and awakening to a new power that you had no clue even existed..... if it had just been that this could have been a really cute little show.

Instead yushi does everything in his power to avoid the biggest main theme... this book he inherits near the midpoint of the series.
a book that i may add has little to no point... except for the last two episodes.

But if it's such a mess why did i stick with it? cause it was fine... it was never so dull that i wanted to do something else but it was never so exciting that i just had to figure out what happens next...

it's fine... nothing more nothing less.
I can't recommend it, but i don't begrudge watching it. However you can give it a try, it's all over on crunchyroll.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie

I'll be honest.
After the utter disappointment "GAMERS!!" was after episode 6 I almost didn't want to give this show a chance.
However all that changed about 2 seconds into the intro song.
I knew immediately that not only would i love this show... it would be one of my favs of the season and probably in my top 5 of the year.

We follow Morioka Moriko, a woman in her late 30s who recently left her job so she could become a NEET (or as she puts it... Elite NEET).
The previous MMO she played however shut down so she looks for something new to fill the void.
Wanting a change from real life she chooses a male avatar and works hard to get the hang of this new game "Fruit du Mer".
She's utterly terrible until she bumps into a healer named Lily.
Together they go on adventures and over the course of the show we see hoe much the online world and real world are connected.

This show is sweet, sincere and overall just a joy to watch. The smaller cast allows for some interesting meet ups and I cannot even begin to describe how nice it is to see older gamers not portrayed as awful lazy slobs.

It's funny, it has just the perfect amount of MMO referencing and my only complaint is that as of right now it's only 10 episodes + 1 OVA.
Considering how popular the show has become though... I wouldn't be surprised if we got another season down the road... because even though the story has a wonderful finish there is always more to tell.

I do think people who have never touched an MMO would still get a kick out of a series like this since overall the show focuses more on the real life then the game and i think in the end thats why this succeeds where GAMERS!! utterly failed.

I hope the manga also gets licensed eventually because I would love to read it.

Also I was watching quite a bit this season so these may end up being a little rapid fire..... man this years top 10 is going to be hard (other then number 1 which i already know and if you know me.... well you know my number 1 as well...)

Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection

Also known as Zwei 2.... which yeah is pretty redundant.

Anways This game is about Ragna Valentine after he crash lands on Ilvard and is saved by making a blood contract with a Vampire Alwen du Moonbria.
two two decide to team up inorder to get Alwen's castle back so she will break their contract.

The controls are fairly simple.
Ragna fights with an anchor gear, this can slash or spin and later on in can even grab and glide (honestly gliding was wasily my fav)
Alwen fights with Magic... each spell had a different attack pattern... my favs were force arrow (yeah the very first one you get) and Holy Lance (it's a lit like force arrow just much horter range and stays where you fire it.
as you got through dungeons you get new abilities which allow you to explore more dungeons and so on.
The leveling system is the real unique bit because you level by eating food. I like this concept in theory... in practice enemies do not drop near enough food and even with quite a bit of grinding i was still two levels short for the final boss.

Overall the story is good... nothing amazing but it's sweet and funny and really well written and acted (even if the music often overpowered the voices in cutscenes.... even though I lowered it....)

The music is fantastic and fits the feel of the game perfectly (but this is falcom so of course the music is good)

Finally the art direction is lovely... i kinda wish falcom would make more games that look like this (don't get me wrong Ys 8 is beautiful but i'm always a sucker for more stylized games) and now that i have seen the sprite work for Zwei 1..... yeah i really wish ore falcom games looked like this... it's just so pretty.

Is it one of my altime fav Falcom franchises now?
no
Do i hope that eventuall we may see zwei 3?
hell yes... I mean it'll never happen but if it did i'd be right there.

I have no idea why this game did poorly in japan... it's really really enjoyable and at about 20 hours isn't too bad as far as length is concerned. I will probably go back and try to tackle those lv 99 dungeons (which should be super fun at level 27 : D )
but for now i'm just glad i got to finish out the year with this sweet little game.

You can get it on Steam and GoG and it ran perfectly fine on the highest setting on my computer that is pushing 6 years old.

and now to wait for Tokyo Xanadu Ex+.... it came otu dec 8th but VGP hasn't shipped it yet : ( may not see it till the new year....)

A silent voice

I saw this a while back in theater and forgot to write a ramble.... my bad!

I went into this having read the manga. Seeing how the interpreted some things so flawlessly in animation was a treat.
This film is a wonderful visual representation of dealing with anxiety, ptsd and seeing how people treat those who don't quite fit into the norm.
at times it feels like kyo ani is just trying to be like "how pretty can we make the scenery" but unlike a few of their latest shows i didn't find it too distracting.

it's a sweet film that will probably make you cry... i'm glad they cut out what they did since it helps the flow. I hope to own it on dvd sometime in the future.

Persona 5 (spoiler free)

Took me a little longer then most to beat this game but now that I have it's time to talk about it... without spoilers of course.

I guess it's best to start with my history/bias towards this series.
Back in high school all my friends were talking about Persona 3 and how it's the best thing ever. I had never heard of it but when they told me the FES edition just released that there was never a better time to jump in.

I remember looking at the back of the box and thinking "80 hours? yeah OK I doubt it"
120 hours later.... i was hooked.

I love the characters, the art, the music, the life sim aspect... it was all so new and different.

Eventually persona 4 came out.... and i played the shit out of that (until i got one shot in a dungeon and lost all my progress for that day [enemies shouldn't have insta kill attacks when the main character can't be revived by friends]... and then i put the game down till... well till i got the vita versions....) And i loved this even more. the deceptively lighter tone, the same and yet better music, art, dungeon design and gameplay... it was all so wonderful and i was sad when it ended.

So that pretty much gets us to the present right?
well not exactly.
I have tried to play both person 1 and 2... and while i did like the latter a bit more i didn't get far in either. apparently I'm not a fan of first person grid based dungeon crawlers.... who knew.
So now... having loved half the series and..... experienced the other half how was persona 5 going to fare in my eyes.

Well right off the bat I loved it. It came out at the worst time for me because I was literally going on a trip to japan for three weeks shortly after it came out... but still I played what I could and knew I'd get back to it when I returned.

However besides that one little hiccup I was in love. this game oozes style, the music fits perfectly and the art makes me want to push myself as an artist. Hell I even enjoyed the "stealth" mechanic and the only thing I hate more then first person grid based dungeon crawlers it's stealth... The battles had a few more kinds of attacks and the dungeons were so much more interesting then the previous two titles.

So then why did I find it so hard to sit myself down and just beat it?
Why did i end up taking it out of my ps4 for other games.... why did other older titles keep beating it out of my currently playing slot (ok obvious answer is they were all falcom games and falcom wins every time for me)
As I got further and further in I felt there was one truth about this game that I couldn't ignore.

I didn't like the theme.
Or more accurately... the theme of persona 4 resonated with me so much that the fact this theme didn't hook me made it hard to get into the game.

Persona 4 deals with that ugly voice that sometimes pops up that we try to ignore or deny... it's something that is universal... we have all had thoughts like that... and we all have the capacity to be better people despite our occasionally ugly nature.

Persona 5 deal with Corruption... a very real corruption that I think everyone is seeing in the day to day life of the world...  and while the game has a message of hope... it's hard to feel like you have any power in the situation... in the end I'm just one voice...

I want to say the theme rings a bit hollow to me but that is not accurate, more like "I wish there was more I could do to see a similar outcome" and perhaps that is the point... to spur people to do what they can to show that corruption can't win.

still I did love the game... well most of it.
Remember that I mentioned I didn't mind the stealth in this game... yeah about 3/4th through the game I realized "no i still hate stealth" and by the end of a certain dungeon i was just wanting it all to be over.
Also the fact that the dungeons are no longer procedurally generated (excluding mementos) led to some awesome puzzles and set pieces..... on the other hand it made the dungeons incredibly long do to the fact that a lot of the puzzles involve backtracking which just feels like padding for an already long game. (my play though was around 95 hours)

Still I did enjoy it... I know I'm being harsh but trust me I really did love it and I got emotional more then once.

Is it my game of the year? probably not but I can see why so many others say it is.
I may do a newgame plus run of it... see what trophies I need and try to platinum... no promises though since it is a bit of a beast.
If you haven't picked it up yet and you were curious or you loved any other persona or SMT titles then yeah i would say give it a try.
Nothing is done poorly and all my criticism is 100% due to things I like or dislike in games.

Still I do wish other games had even 1/8th the amount of style this game has. you could teach a course on the menu design alone.

Alright that is enough rambling for now... time to figure out what to play next! (probably tokyo Xanadu ex + since that comes out in a few weeks.)

First Impressions: Fall 2017

We are well into October and yet the weather thinks we are still in the dead of summer. Still new anime has started to air and here are my first impressions...

But first!

Ground rules

1. I will TRY to give every show on Crunchyroll a chance but that doesn't mean i am obligated to watch a full episode. If i stop early i will give a time stamp and reason for stopping. I will not be looking at shows on Netflix or Amazon's anime Strike because the former won't simulcast and the latter Is just too much of a pain and expense to set up.

2. No shows that are under 20 minutes in length, i don't like waiting a whole week for a 3 min gag. there are some exceptions but it's rare.

3. No shows with Brother, Sister, Father or Mother in the title... too often it goes into incest... which i really do not like.

4. If the show is a second season of a show i didn't watch before I'm not going to talk about it here.

5. No card game shows, i may give them a chance but they really aren't my thing.

6. All opinions are my own and based solely on what i have seen. I tend to go into these shows completely blind. If i don't enjoy the show after 1 episode or even quit out of an episode early I'm not saying the show is bad... just that i didn't enjoy it.

Returning Shows.

Elegant Yokai Apartment

Ok I'll admit this show took like... 3/4 of last season to figure out what it's about... but i still enjoy it. not as good as another show with yokai that i miss terribly but I'm still having fun with it.

Mr. Osomatsu

so about a year and a half ago i watched this show and just fell in love... it's so stupid and i should hate it but it's really funny. Still i never heard anyone talking about it so i figured it didn't do well.
Then i went to japan in May... these Sextuplets were EVERYWHERE. Apparently it's one of the highest grossing shows all time in japan. And honestly I'm not surprised because again the show is so funny. It took quite a long time to get another season but I'm looking forward to this.
and for those wondering my fav matsus are Choromatsu (i mean hiroshi kamiya) and Ichimatsu (whom i identify with far more then i am comfortable admitting)... the others are great but when the story focuses on these two i just get so happy.

Blood Blockade battlefront & Beyond

....
i mean i did watch season one.... i should probably give this one episode...
even though i didn't like the first season...
It's so hard to believe this is the same creator as Trigun... trigun had heart and charm and interest and this.... really doesn't.
And now it doesn't even have bump of chicken...
Yeah sorry this is a pass for me... i can't do another 12 episodes of this show.

March come in like a Lion

YAY! I'm so happy this show is back.
This show is as visually stunning and heartfelt as the first season and i really look forward to more.

New Shows!

THE IDOLM@STER Side M

The hit game but with male idols instead of female ones?
look i haven't really been able to get into idol anime cause... honestly the whole Idol thing kinda creeps me out. at first i thought it was just cute and innocent and people were having fun but yeah.. i think the culture around it really gives me the creeps.
This show seems to be addressing some of the less desirable aspects of Idol culture BUT... it also seems to have a lot of info from the Original IdolM@ster anime which i haven't seen so yeah lots is just going over my head.
I will give it props for relying more on drawing the guys dancing over freak CG models (they are used but not as much as a sow like Love Live season 1 used em)
Still probably not going to watch but who knows, we will see.

Black Clover

Crunchyroll is pushing this show hard... so lets see if it's any good or if it's just typical desaturated shonen crap.
I want to enjoy this... but wow Asta has the most annoying voice ever. it's cause he's constantly shout growling and ugh... just stop... please i am hoping this is a good show and you are giving me a headache.
So the plot. In this world magic is everything and everyone can use it.
Well almost everyone.
Yuno and Asta were orphaned in front of a church, 15 years pass and one is a magical genius while the other one can't even seem to use it. However when Grimoires are being passed out it's expected something will awaken inside. Only no one could have predicted this outcome.
Other then Asta's shouting it's an interesting enough concept that I'm willing to give a few more episodes till i make up my mind... honestly not the strongest first episode... maybe if what happens at the end happened at the midway point it would be a different story? still I'm curious.... i just hope there isn't a tournament arc.

JINO TAISEN: ZODIAC WAR

This is a battle royal animal where all the killers have a zodiac animal attached to them.
It's got really fluid animation... but it seems like more of a hyper violent gore fest. All the combatants swallow poison and it will kill them in a day, if the retrieve all the zodiac gems then they win and get to make one wish.
This kind of show has never been my cup of tea cause more often then not all the participants are terrible.
So i'll pass.

SENGOKU NIGHT BLOOD

Idea factory? so... I'm guessing cell phone game or Otome title--- *first male characters show up* otome... for sure
Oh and it's a nobunaga story to boot.. as well as being warped to another world.
i mean... I know Otome titles can be full of cliches but this is like it's trying to get them all at once... it's kinda impressive.
Anyways i hate to admit it but I'm a sucker for these pretty reverse harems... even though it ends up hurting me in the end more often then not I'm sure... uh... *looks up name* . . . uh... female protagonist (i shit you not that's the best they could do) will be... full of interesting character or something....
 ...
ok yeah probably not... she's barely even giving a shit that she's in another world.
but hey, a supernatural boy (yeah i forgot to mention that they are werewolves and vampires right?) where there is a decent amount of blood and violence in what is essentially a dating sim for girls? yeah sure lets give this another episode.

Love is Like a Cocktail

It's a 3 min gag show about alcohol.
Though I will say when someone says "I'm not good with alcohol" and you say drink up... yeah that's a really shitty thing to do.
granted alcohol culture in japan is different then here... i still wish people would respect boundaries.
but yeah pass.

KONOHANA KITAN

Do you want to see cute girls work at an Ryokan? Was Hanasaku Iroha lacking in animal ears? then this show may be for you. Also ugh the whole "i can bath myself" sexual harassment thing is so old and can we not? Overall the show is cute but it is a bit too much for me to stomach. I prefer a show like Hanasaku Iroha where there was a bit of weight to why she was at the inn. this is just too cute for me.

URAHARA

uhhhhh
um...
Ok so.... harajuku.... and uh... aliens and... um...
maybe this is all just a fever dream? I mean every season has at least one show like this but yeah... it's uh..... very unique.
Oddly it seems to fall into the cute girls doing nothing trope as well as possibly magical girls? but yeah this just isn't my cup of tea but if you like batshit crazy give it a try.

TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION

More idol anime.
Corrention - More CG idol anime... the cg looks better then I've seen but still.... yeah it's not good. At least they are using the models in order to utilize the freedom the camera has?
Hell when they are far away it looks good just... no close ups please.
for being idols that seem to be gaining popularity they seem to have a ton of free time.
This is a... docomo ad? i mean... anything is possible with anime but you would think Docomo wouldn't need it...
It's literally like "oh look how perfect we are but we are troubled by pressure here's a song... now ad time... song... oh man shower montage.
like at least the other idol story had a plot... at least more then "we are pretty but troubled"
oh wait no... we find out why they are troubled and they all make peace with it... so yeah... no plot.
the music is good but yeah... I prefer a bit more plot.

King's Game

At first i thought it was a battle royal type situation but instead it's more like it's title implies.
If you've seen Persona 4's anime you've see a kings game, people draw straws, one person is the king and they tell two other numbers to do something, the two holding those numbers then have to do the thing. Though in this case it's more like some absolute being that always gets to be king... and if you don't do the thing in question you are killed.
to what end or what the reward is for surviving the game hasn't been made clear.
Also (this could just be fore the start of the game) the orders seem innocent but probably difficult for a high school student to do.
I have a feeling this show is a neat concept that will have a lacklustre or non-existent conclusion. I may watch more but it's really gory so if you have a weak stomach stay away.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie

normally I'd be dreading a show like this... but the title of the episode has me intrigued. Also the intro song is really good. The ending is also really good... anyways synopsis time!
After dropping out of Cor-porate life Morioka Morito declares herself an Elite Neet and stays at home playing an MMO since the last one she was on closed it's servers.
After creating a male character in game she's off to do quests and... well she's terrible at it, constantly dying.
Eventually an adorable white mage takes pity oh the poor swordsman and the two become fast friends.
Of course all the characters are in decently close proximity to eat other but since none of them are like their characters they never seem to figure it out. It's a fairly cute show and i look forward to giving it a few more epiosdes... i hope it continues to charm and well... hopefully it doesn't pull a gamers and lose it's plot 6 episodes in.
Yeah I'm still not thrilled about that.

Dies Irae

The main art on the poster looks like a show i already watched an episode of a few seasons ago....
Coincidence but yeah it just looks so familiar.
Ok... well this is easily one of the worst shows i have seen in a while.
being all over the place with no real plot is problem enough... but you know this piece of shit couldn't stop there.
No it had to go be set in 39.... from the perspective of a certain group that is making a lot of noise lately.  it seems like it'll just be this episode that focuses on them but yeah that is a shit first impression to make. I mean none of the characters on the poster showed up so who knows... but yeah not sticking around to find out.
So yeah... in short i hope this show completely fails... I'm sad Junichi Suwabe is connected with it but yeah will not be watching.

Kino's Journey

I mean technically this should be in returning? anyways it's going here cause it's been like at least a decade (probably more) since i saw the older anime.... and i remember loving it (even if a certain episode destroyed me.
Still i am REALLY looking forward to this show.
And it doesn't disappoint.
Kino is a traveller, he spends three days in each new place... no more no less.
it's a hard life but he can stop at any time... for now him and his talking motorcycle travel.
the show is episodic and absolutely stunning and i can't wait for more.

Anime-Gataris

Ever have something you watched as a child stick with you though you can't remember what it is? well that is the starting point of this show. after talking about this anime she can't remember to a friend the blond hair princesstype girl takes an interest in her as a fellow anime fan... too bad the main girl barely knows anything about anime. Still together they work to set up the anime club...
but also talking cat and mind control beret? I think if this was just a show about an anime club it could be good but this extra magical/supernatural layer seems.... unnecessary?
Oh boy second episode goes full on Haruhi Suzumiya... similar music and everything.
but anyways based on first episode there isn't enough there... luckily the second episode is out so maybe that'll make it more interesting.

BLEND-S

What do you do when you are looking for work but you happen to have a really nasty look in your eye? work at a Cafe that has you playing a sadistic character if course.
So yeah it's a comedy show like working except it's in a Cafe and they are playing these characters for the customers. I think it'll be a fun time.

Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~

I actually know this is based off an Otome game... I'm surprised how many of these we are getting in a season... most of the time we are lucky to get even one.
Well she has a name so that is immediately an improvement over most otome adaptations.
Cardia lives alone in a mansion due to the fact everything she touches with bare skin disintegrates thanks to a poison of some kind. The British Army have come to steal her away but Gentleman Arsene Lupin steals her from them. Now she'll live in a mansion with all these pretty boys as the gentleman theif tries to steal her heart.
It's got a nice steam punk feel to it and again... a otome game where the characters aren't just blank slates... they have base names and personalities are so much better in my opinion.
The art is odd in some places... oddly saturated in shadows and things like that but hey I'm a sucker for reverse harems so I'll be giving this a shot.

TWOCAR

It's Moe racing... like... that seems to be it based on the way the show opens.
I'm sure there are other characters (at least at this point i have no clue who the mains are) but this is just not for me at all.

A Sister's all you need.

I know my rule, i just was thinking "maybe my rule is unfair"
so i clicked this.... and the first thing you see is a guy fantasizing about a littler sister waking him up in the morning, sitting on top of him naked.
Now it's obviously a dream sequence (or i should say i hope it's a dream sequence cause i immediately closed the episode) but seriously this is why no shows with sister in the title.
seriously japan get your shit together and bury this awful trope.

EVIL OR LIVE

Internet bad... so is this show... it's just trying so hard to be artsy and yeah this is a quick pass..

The Ancient Magus' Bride

I actually saw the first three episodes in theatre and have known i was going to enjoy this show for a while. Stunning to look at, interesting concept i am so curious to see where it goes. We follow a young girl who is being trained by one of the last remaining magus... he plans to make her his bride. but first we need to learn more about the magical world... so yeah this could possibly be my fav of the season... we will see.

and that is it, this is a season with a lot of stuff to enjoy.

So it looks like I'll be watching

Elegant Yokai Apartment
Mr. Osomatsu 2
The Ancient Magus' Bride
Black clover (tentative)
King's Game (tentative)
Recovery of an MMO Junkie
Kino's Journey
Blend-S
Code: Realize
March Comes in like a Lion

More then I've gotten in the past few seasons so looking forward to it.
what shows are you looking forward to?

Danganronpa V3 (spoiler free)

So... uh... this will be short.

I have always enjoyed the Danganronpa series. Personally I like Spike Chunsofts other series "Zero Escape" a bit more but the style and themes of the Danganronpa series was always interesting.

It's been a long journey over these 7 years.
some games.... a spinoff (that I admittedly never played) and even an anime that you need to watch in the most convoluted order (coming from someone who like the original airing order of Haruhi Suzimiya) and now we have arrive at Danganronpa V3
It's everything you've come to know and love from the other games.... plus even more.
and after finally beating it I think I only have a few things to say.

This game is really good, if you liked the other games you'll probably like this one.

If you wanna get into this series then start from Game 1, trust me it's worth it (though I honestly don't think the spinoff is 100% necessary)

And last but not least.

F*ck Danganronpa

GAMERS!

When the first episode of this show aired i dreaded watching it. Looking like typical male harem nerds are actually cool despite their simple design bullshit design.
Still there are reasons I try to give every show at least a chance... because sometimes I am surprised with how good they are.
This is one of those surprises. This shows is far better then a show called "Gamers" has any right to be.

We follow Keita, a gamer in a store buying the latest harem game full of blond characters. Suddenly the most popular girl in his school (who is also blond) speaks to him. It's like a dream but poor awkward Keita just can't handle talking to a girl without falling into fanboying.
Still the girl doens't seem to mind and in fact invited him to a club she set up just for gamers.
Hilarity ensues.

This 6 episode season is full of gaming references interspersed with rom com goodness that never feels like it's over staying it's welcome and then ending is a perfect release from all that build up.
Whats that you say? It's a 12 episode season?
...
Look can't you let me dream.

Ok I have some explaining to do.
The first 6 episodes of this show are great. Perfect balance and as I mentioned before a great conclusion that easily could (read as: should have been) the ending.
While there is one story element that was added after episode six that I did like it goes nowhere and really adds nothing.
Also past episode we lose the balance between gaming goodness and Rom com funtime... it becomes all rom "com" all the time...
except the final episode which is just 24 minutes of Meta-bitching
I mean it's bitching I agree with but seriously framing it over such pathetic pandering fanservicy bullshit..... let's just say for a season finale it was weak.

The music is good, the characters (up to episode 6) are good and the story is sweet with a dash of nerdyness.
Just.... stop halfway through... the other episodes aren't bad but episode 6 is really the best part of the whole damn show and I think had it been saved till episode 12 I would be a little kinder to this series.

Granted.... I wouldn't be surprised if this got another season... I just don't know where they can go with it from here... the main story has been told (it was done by the halfway point of this season for crying out loud)

However no need to take my word for it
You can watch it all over on Crunchyroll! 

New Game!!

When New game! released a while back i enjoyed the first episode but put it on hold cause i didn't think i'd enjoy that much moe week to week.
Then i forgot about it..... by the time i decided to give it a chance it was already 10 episodes into season 2.... so this will be able both seasons.

As always i'll mention my bias, I can't stand when shows use the cuteness of characters as their only plot/character development.... so i was worried this show was like that...
Luckily it isn't.

New Game follows Aoba who is fresh out of highschool and joining a game department as an artist. It follows her successes and failures as she tries to fulfill her dream of being a character designer.

The first season focuses on her learning a new medium while season two deals more with finding her place in the company. As an artist and because of my own job this really resonated with me.

At first i was worried that the comedy bits that were played for laughs rarely had any consequences (best example i can think of is this bit with a receipt where they get the wrong type for petty cash purposes but it doesn't matter cause the person was using personal money anyways... it serves nothing to the plot and it just supposed to be funny) but as the show went on and you see them fail, or realize that their success means others fail it became very human and i like that.

The fanservice was always unnecessary and i think the show would be better if it was cut entirely but for the most part it was never the focus... the focus was on creating something from beginning to end. The music is also annoyingly catchy but these cuter shows always tend to have that issue.

I hope there is another season but i wont be surprised if that isn't the case (though they do have a perfect set up for it) for now i'll just enjoy what we got.

You can watch both season of New Game over on crunchryroll

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (PS4)

Spoiler Free ramble time!

First off, as always it's time to explain my bias towards this series.
I adore Falcom titles, I may love some more then others but I always give them a chance.
In the case of Ys despite a rocky start (read as: do not play Ys 1&2 on DS) I quickly fell in love with the series and every time a game was localised I would get it as soon as possible.

Because I know how much i love this series I know i may be more forgiving if it has flaws. So keep that in mind... this is me rambling about how much i love this game... if it's not your cup of tea that is fine but this title will forevermore have a special place in my heart.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana takes place sometime between Ys 5 (Sand of Kefin/not localised yet) and Ys 6 (ark of napishtim). Adol is off to Greek for another adventure when his ship is attacked and everyone ends up shipwrecked on the mythical island of Seiren which no one has ever escaped alive.

Most people would be disheartened by this bleak situation, most people aren't Adol Cristin.
Together with the other castaways Adol used his cartography skills to map the Island and hopefully find a way to escape.

However almost every time Adol has a dream it's about this girl from the past named Dana. What part will she play in his destiny as they travel this island untouched by time.

Before this game I would waffle on which one is my favourite. Depending on the day you I would say 3... or 4... or maybe 7.... although origins is good too. I don't need to waffle anymore.

This is my favourite.
The controls are perfect, the play styles are interesting and varied enough that everyone should find a character that clicks with them.
Flash moves and guards have the right feel to them. Bosses are a lot of fun even if some are really hard (I'll touch on this later)
and there are many varied modes of play..... assuming you are playing the PS4 version.

See as of late Falcom has been doing this thing were they release on a less powerful system (almost always the vita) and then later do a ps4 version with more content.

In Tokyo Xanadu's case that seems like just a little more story and a few more playable characters.

However in Ys VIII..... I can't even imagine this game without the content that the ps4 version adds in.

So there are (at random times) Interception battles where you have to rush back to the village to protect it from monsters.... honestly i dislike this mode but still it helps spice things up.
However in the PS4 version you also have suppression battles where you have to light torches, destroy nests and bosses in order to stop an area from being destroyed.
Also exclusive to the PS4 version are Night dungeons. You essentially go to certain areas at night and have different monsters and challenges.... and stealth seems to be a bit more of a focus (i mean i still ran through killing everything but i like EXP)

So ok two new modes... no big deal right?

Well not exactly.
This is a game with two main characters... Dana plays far more like classic Adol, no party and no changing types......
unless you have the PS4 version and then it gets a little crazy how much they added.
Faries, new forms for Dana (which makes her feel similar to how Adol plays in Ark of Napishtim), an entire Dungeon, New characters and stories.... damn near everything except the main story goals is PS4 exclusive and considering that explains everything about Dana's story i really can't imagine the game without those things.

There's also a post game dungeon that isn't in the ps4 version. Falcom really went all out.... so if i haven't been clear you really want to play the PS4 game if possible cause there is so much more to do.

But yeah I love this game, I don't tend to worry about platinum trophies but I'm over 80% there so why not? It is my fav of the series (I don't see myself changing my mind on this because it just did so much i really enjoyed and the story was really enjoyable)
I love how alive the world feels... I buy that there was an ancient civilization here and that bits of their influence are still all around. I buy that this isn't the first shipwreck that the island has seen and i buy that Dinosaurs can roam around like they own the place.

any flaws?
Yes... a big one actually
So the Blacksmiths name is Kathleen... when you listen in Japanese she says it very clearly (the clearest I've ever heard my name spoken in Japanese actually)
NISA localised this to Cathrine (which i know when you look at Katakana yeah i see what it happened)
I understand why, i get it.... but I'm still calling her Kathleen and no one can change my mind on this (probably being stubborn since it's.... you know... my name... and I'm a big fan and really happy it's in my fav game)

Other then that the game is really good.
Will it be my number one of the year? *looks at Trails in the sky the 3rd, Tokyo Xanadu and any other Falcom titles that may release soon* well we will see.... but it'll definitely be up there. fighting for that number one spot.

NOW I'm going to treat myself by looking through the artbook and maybe drawing some art for it.

See you on the next adventure. (enjoy some old art of little Adol)

Restaurant to Another World

Every seventh day a restaurant to another world opens up. This show is about the patrons who visit that restaurant.

I really enjoyed this show, sure it has little to no overarching plot. but the stories in each episode are interesting enough to make it all worth while. Plus the food is lovingly animated and it's always fun to see them put so much effort into the detail.
Before my trip i may have thought the reactions were over the top but honestly... I get it.

Unfortunately due to the simple concept of the show there isn't much to tell so i'll just say if you want to watch something very relaxing then it's the perfect show to unwind.

Just don't watch on an empty stomach.

You can watch it all on Crunchyroll: http://www.crunchyroll.com/restaurant-to-another-world

In This Corner of the World

Doing a little catching up on these, sorry that this isn't right after having seen the film.

In This corner of the world takes place in Hiroshima and Kure between 1933-1945.

I shouldn't need to say much more then that... we pretty much all know what happens in those time stamps in that place... however this film isn't really about that.

We follow Suzu from being an airheaded child who enjoys drawing and the occasional sweet to being an airheaded adult.  She ends up marrying a gentleman in the next town over and despite not being what is considered traditional wife material she does her best even though as the war drags on the rations get smaller.

Now i can't really talk about this film without spoilers... even though it's not really a spoiler since it's history... either way i'm just going to be frank about everything. If you want my opinion and nothing more then i enjoyed it, it's a cute bubbly film with some truly depressing undertones.

Possibly my favourite aspect of this film is the animation, the best word i can think to describe it is bubbly and happy.
These people are living their day to day life and dealing with a situation that for the most part is out of their control. Showing how they deal with Air raids the first time versus the tenth time is interesting. seeing how they made do with little to no supplies is interesting. seeing how these characters change from children without a care to adults dealing with a constant war is interesting. The whole theme of the film is no matter what life goes on.

However in the theater there was this constant feeling of dread as we go closer and closer to August 1945.
So when it happens... and the tone of the film only changes minorly... that's when i was personally thrown a bit off.
It treats the fact that the main character has pretty much lost all her family as a somber note but even just compared to something that happens earlier in the film it's not nearly as sad.
It shows her friend whom we know are dying of radiation poisoning as just a throw away line.
and then the last thing is does is both a complete 180 in tone that is like whiplash followed immediately by another 180 so we just go back to the happy bubbly stuff.

Now... I really did enjoy this film, but I certainly wasn't expecting a happy romp.

But in the end this isn't about the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it's about life going on and as far as that goes it is a really well made film.

I know it's still playing in theaters around me, I also know in the showing i saw there were only 8 people.... and 5 of us were a group of friends so... yeah maybe go support anime in cinema if you have the ability.

But yeah I enjoyed it even if it was not what I expected.

Fractale

I finished this a while ago but I was very sick and didn't feel up to writing a ramble.

So fractale is about a world where humans are free to live their existences through personas called Dopples. Clain however is a young boy who would rather play around with older tech and refuses to use a Dopple. One day during the daily prayer he spots a young nun running from some Sky bandits. After helping her escape he spends the day with her and is given a bead before she runs off. This bead contains a dopple who can not only interact with the real world but also distort the tech around her. Thanks to this Clain's life is thrown into chaos and he ends up being one of the most important people in deciding the fate of the world.

This show reminds me of a much happier/lighter version of Last Exile. Though unlike last exile it takes more of a middle ground route which i think helps it in some regards and hurts it in others. I almost wish it was two cours instead of one just so things like dopples, data drug, the church could be explained because once we get into the story those things exist but are not the main focus (well the church is kinda sorta)

Also if you do plan on watching the show don't look at the promotional art... there is one major detail difference between the promo art and show and i think it's to hide a spoiler.

The good:
Art, animation and music are all really well done, the intro song is still stuck in my head.

The not so good:
Pacing is a bit slow which is disappointing considering how much goes unexplained.

The bad:
The conclusion left something to be desired for me but the rest of the show is worth a watch.

You can watch Fractale over on Chrunchyroll! 

Alright i have a few movies i have to write about and another show and then its back to doing these right after i finish the thing in question!

First Impressions: Summer 2017

As the temperature begins to climb it's time for yet another new season of anime.

So lets start this song and dance and hopefully there will be some good shows to talk about.
but first.

Ground rules

1. I will TRY to give every show on Crunchyroll and Daisuki (which actually announced it would be closing down come september so that is a little disappointing) a chance but that doesn't mean i am obligated to watch a full episode. If i stop early i will give a time stamp and reason for stopping. I will not be looking at shows on Netflix or Amazon's anime Strike because the former won't simulcast and the latter doesn't understand that 16 bucks a month for anime is ridiculous.

2. No shows that are under 20 minutes in length, i don't like waiting a whole week for a 3 min gag. there are some exceptions but it's rare.

3. No shows with Brother, Sister, Father or Mother in the title... too often it goes into incest... which i really do not like.

4. If the show is a second season of a show i didn't watch before I'm not going to talk about it here.

5. No card game shows, i may give them a chance but they really aren't my thing.

6. All opinions are my own and based solely on what i have seen. I tend to go into these shows completely blind. If i don't enjoy the show after 1 episode or even quit out of an episode early I'm not saying the show is bad... just that i didn't enjoy it.

Returning Shows.

My Hero Academia

The second season continues as we follow the fledgling heroes on their internships. I am glad the tournament arc was short and sweet since it's my least favourite aspect of Shonen anime. This show continues to be wonderful and I'm looking forward to more and hoping it doesn't get stupid down the road.

New Shows

Hina Logic - from Luck & Logic

I swear there was another show called "Luck & Logic" I honestly have no idea if the two are connected but based on the title i assume they are?
According to MAL they are... it's like a spin off or something?
Yeah it seems like your typical Moe school show with magical powers of some sort, i don't remember what luck and logic was about but i know i watched an episode... I'm not wasting my time on this cutesy fluff that seems to insist on it's establishing shots being at skirt level.

Fox Spirit Matchmaker

UH... so it's a gag anime about reincarnation with really choppy animation.... I was hoping this would be the one to get me to watch something by this company but i don't think I can stomach it.

A Centaur's Life

....
*it opens on a centaur kissing a succubus devil girl person*
Maybe I'm just too old for this shit?
Ok but seriously... we are thrown in with nothing.... just here are two humanoid monster girls kissing cause a guy demon dude tricked the centaur into doing it.
Who are these people? why am i supposed to give a shit. apparently he was the one supposed to be kissed but even then I'm supposed to find this sexual harassment funny?
In the end, it's just another moe show (though with monster people and yuri themes i guess) and I'm going to have to pass...
Please let the season get better from here....

Restaurant to Another World

Well this one starts with suwabe so.. it can't be that bad. (also once again knowing it's him right away makes me so happy... i practised a long time to be able to pick out his voice.)
You want to see food animated in stunning quality? this show is for you.
the first half was a bit... plot less but the second half was intriguing enough where i think I'll give it a few more episodes.
It'll probably continue to be an episodic show about creatures from another world enjoying this restaurant and the demon girl working part time.
but yeah you know all those anime girls eating food gifs that have been around? this will possibly add more (even though the way they are eating isn't too over the top.... well the dragon licking stew out of a big pot was a bit over the top by i digress)
Enjoyed what i saw, we'll see if it continued to be good.

SAIYUKI RELOAD BLAST

I guess this may be more accurate to put in the Returning shows section? but I'm putting it here.... cause even though i saw a lot (maybe even all?) of the original runs of Saiyuki.... i don't remember a damn thing about it
well other then the little dragon... it can turn into a jeep....
yeah the rest is a haze... though i remember enjoying it enough i guess?
I will say i really hate this trend of using camera techniques in anime... extremely shallow depth of field, focus atmospheric perspective... it's just unnatural looking when animated.
everything else is fine, it's just a very bloody time but at least they seem to me on thier way? (i think it's an ongoing joke that they will never actually make it?) but yeah i'll probably keep watching since i don't think i'll have much to watch this season at this rate.

Knight's & Magic

*twitches at the title*
Horrible grammar aside... this is yet another story of a young nerd dying and being sent to a magical fantasy world....
only so far unlike the others it doesn't seem like he was sent back as himself but instead as a young boy..... and so far no harm of loli girls so.... maybe they will actually be good.
Anyways ignoring the fact that he has essentially killed the consciousness of the soul of the child that was in that body before he vows to grow up and becom a knight runner (the closest thing the nerd could ever do to becoming a mach pilot)
I will say that this one episode has like... half a seasons worth of plot... still i think it could be an interesting sit. Ernesti, despite his new consciousness loving Robots/Knights he is simply too small to pilot one.... while advancing through the grades faster then any student he can't help his physical limitation and works hard to change how the knights are made.
I hope it continues to be entertaining.

Katsugeki TOUKEN RANBU

Another anime based off that mobile game?
well i couldn't get into the other one (hanamura) cause it was so damn cutesy and pointless but this one looks a bit darker (both actually darker and metaphorically darker) so lets see.
The plot seems the same. there is an army trying to re-write history, these personifies weapons go to stop them.
The animation is odd.... like it's mostly 3d but you'll have the occasional 2d image and they just don't mesh... that or it's all 3d and some bit are just far flatter then others.
Either way this show still seems like a glorified history lesson with very pretty character design.... but i still don't care so pass.

Clean Freak! Aoyama-kun

It's a soccer anime about a clean freak... cause when i think soccer i think clean... not grass stains and slides and sweat... (actually i think about the first time i played soccer how badly i twisted my ankle... but i digress)
This reminds me of that sakamoto anime where the dude was perfect... I don't get the appeal of these kinds of shows.
And i'm sorry someone with his level of Germaphobia wouldn't leave the house... let alone play a team sport. (had the pickes something solitary like Track maybe I would have bought it but this is just insufferable)

Elegant Yokai Apartment Life

It's like Maison Ikoku but all the tenants are yokai (minus the main)
needless to say this was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it so far. I hope it continues to be a fun cute episodic show about living with yokai in harmony...
Also i watched the second episode and we learn that the ordinary human may not be so ordinary after all... I think i'm going to have a good time.

Tsuredure Children

Hmm... children isn't one of my banned words...
oh it's only 12 mins long so i think i'll be able to pass this one. It doesn't seem like a bad show, just dealing with highschool drama type things... but I don't like waiting week to week for half a show.

AHO-GIRL

oh thank god this is another 12 min show... i don't know if i could stand a show litterally called Idiot girl.
Like she's stupid... and eats bananas..... thats the joke...

Netsuzou Trap -NTR-

a show that isn't behind a paywall for a week?
well it's only 9 minutes and literally starts with a girl trying to reach up another girls skirt despite her being uncomfortable.
Japan.... seriously... get your shit together.

Fastest Finger First

It's an anime about quizzes....
like not the sit down in class type of quiz... the how much random bullshit do you just happen to know kind of quiz.
So yeah it's a sports anime about quizes... it seems fine but it's not really what i enjoy.

Convenience Store Boy Friends

Do... convenient stores in japan need advertising? Cause all the ones i went to were doing really well...
Anyways it's a story about highschool drama (mostly concerning relationships) but the convenience store is like a focal point since everyone passes it on the way to school.
The character design is realyl nice but the animation is stiff and flat... and in the first episode they didn't focus enough to try and make me care about the characters they introduced... hell half of them are montages. perhaps it could be good but right now it just seems like shoujo fluff trying to convince people that convenience stores are just the best.... and to be fair they are a life saver in japan so i don't get why they have a show focusing on that.... i was kinda hoping it would be like "WORKING!" but no... these are just students who happen to pass by this place a few times a day.

18if

apparently this is based off a game.
... the dude is wearing a speedo that talks out of the crotch.....
well.... at least i can pinpoint that this is the WTF show of the season cause... seriously wtf.
Also i can't complain about the last show having flat stiff animation cause this one is far far worse.
I would love to give a summary of what it's about but uh.... dreams? and witches i guess? witches dreaming?
Look if this show isn't trying make sense i'm not going to try and validate it.

CHRONOS RULER

CG in anime has come a long way..... it still looks pretty strange but hey... it's getting better I guess?
So it's a serious anime about humans making contracts with demons and having their time stolen... those demons are fought by two men who can control the flow of time. they can't go back into the past or into the future but they can change the current flow.
and for some reason they are the comic relif?
I think this is a really cool concept but it just kinda falls flat... it's not like sad situations can't be done well with humor... Crono Crusade did a decent job of it (at least i remember it working despite the incredibly sad undertone of the story... perhaps this is just trying to hard? I may give it another episode but something tell me i'm done.

Angel's 3Piece!

*looks at the promo art* . . . i don't wanna...
no you don't understand.... the whole Moe girl band thing leaves such a sour taste in my mouth... but lets try to not judge a book by it's cover right?
Shut in youtube musician gets called out by someone claiming to like his music... only it's 3 ten year old orphans... they want his help putting on a concert in the church they live in.
At first i was like "hey this isn't bad... it's a fairly innocent in it's concept"
but then the shit started to pile up.
1. for whatever reason the anime wanted to frame these 10 year old girls in skirt length shots and close ups of their lips. eventually they added knee camera shots as well.... not uncommon for anime but really fucking creepy when the characters are literally 10.
2. he goes to the church and these girls just happen to have/know how to play some expensive vintage musical equipment. first off lets forget that these instruments are sized for adults and not freakishly small people... where the hell did they learn how to do all that?
3. literally the last line of the show is "if you help us out I'll let you touch me a little"
JAPAN..... wtf.... like i get that next episode she'll probably clarify to say "I'll let you pat me on the head" (or at least that's what i hope cause dammit japan that is gross) but considering the sexual nature this show is framing these children in it's really fucking creepy...
this is just a new low... just so incredibly gross.
at one episode i think this is one of the worst anime i have ever seen... right up there with school days and amnesia.

In Another World With My Smartphone

Another show where i dude is killed and sent to another world... but this one is different because he has a smartphone... sure he can't call people from his original world but he can talk to god on it...
no seriously.
and unlike the other died and sent to another world anime this season... this one has a harem of moe same faced girls with only different eyes colour and hair to tell them apart... (even has twins and a walleyed girl)
Ok it's a little funny that this kind damn near literally has god-mode enabled.... still the titular smartphone has barely been used.
It's a sent to another world show with a comedy spin (and a harem) so if that sounds like a good time then you'll probably enjoy this... I've seen worse.
I wont be continuing personally.

MAGICAL CIRCLE GURU-GURU

wait this is a new show? when crunchy announced it i thought it was a catalogue title...
I'm getting a... Kadocha vibe... like there is no actually connection (as far as i can see) but the feeling is there.
I did find out that is is based off an older show (not surprising at all.)
I am loving the mix of game would and anime.... or how the characters randomly go 8 bit.
It's very cute but it's a little too goofy for me. still seems like a fun and cute spoof on the child heroes in so many JRPGS

Classroom of the Elite

A school with 100% employment and college entrance rate is truly a prized things. To attend this school of the Elite students must follow certain rules.
1. they must live in the dorm.
2. they will not have much contact with the outside world but this school provides everything on campus from food to clothing to entertainment.
3. They will have no money but instead be allotted 100 000 points at the start of each month (a point is equivalent to 1 yen)
This government run facility seems almost too good to be true.
so no surprise when that's exactly the case.
It's a neat concept... i was almost expecting a more... danganronpa approach but i think that may have been too obvious... my biggest issue is that none of the characters are like able yet
the main character's trait is that he is dull and melancholy... may give it another episode but honestly not very impressed with this first one.

My First Girlfriend is a Gal

Starting off with a censored panty shot.... classy
Look you wanna watch a good show featuring "Gals" Super Gals is pretty darn good.
This is just a bunch of busty women providing fanservice... the first episode is called "my first time begging for it" it's just... a little gross and a whole lot of objectifying.
Also.... I doubt there's that much PDA in japanese high schools.... theres not even that much in North american ones...
it's not like the main character likes anyone... he just wants to lose his virginity... and considering how 'Gals' are viewed in japan... yeah this show is just all kinds of gross. Pass pass pass. (not to mention as i was closing the viewer they were talking about forcing themselves on the character that looks like a child simply because she looked young.... )

The Irresponsible Galaxy Tylor

oh good it's a 3 minute show... It's a spinoff of Irresponsible Captain tylor... a show i haven't seen but have heard good things about (it's quite old)
anyways i avoid three minute shows... though i will note this seems to be getting a lot of hate in the comments and on MAL... seems like the show ended on a cliffhanger and this is not what people were hoping for.

Ikemen Sengoku: Bromances Across Time

....bromances....
bro... mances....
oh thank god it's a short show...
it's also fully CG and perma chibi... except the into... I'm guessing they are based off a game or something.

Nora, Princess, and Stray Cat

Short Gag show about a human turned into cat by princess of the underworld... but yeah pass since it's only 3 mins. (a min of that is intro song too)

GAMERS!

What do you do when the most popular pretty perfect girl in school talks to you, a normal average nerd who enjoys the company of 2d characters a bit too much, in the middle of a game store.
Why you freak out of course...
And when that same pretty perfect girl tells you she's revived the gaming club and wants you to be a member?
Freak out more!
SO this is a rom com about a gaming club.... and honestly when i saw the title i was dreading it a little. However it was incredibly sweet AND it's really refreshing seeing characters who are nerd be portrayed as fairly normal... they aren't slobs and they aren't being gross towards others... they are just gaming and trying to share that passion with each other.
I'm hoping to keep up with this one as it got a few big laughs out of me.

The Reflection

It's a story where people suddenly gained super powers. some becoming heroes... some villains... The unique thing about it is how it's animated. Because the lines are think and the colouring is fairly flat it gives the appearance of a moving comic book (not nearly as detailed as some current comic books but if you saw you would understand what i mean. The use of colour is interesting and because the animation is 'simplistic' in rendering you get some really neat angle and fluid fight scenes.
However... this first episode was really boring so no matter how cool the art style is i don't think I'll continue.... I like the almost simple rotoscoped style but not enough to continue. I'm seeing a lot of people mentioning it looks cheap, it does but i think it's an interested attempt at something new.
....... Stan lee does the narration for the next episode bit.... ok didn't expect that.....
but yeah not a bad show just not my cup of tea.

And yeah... looks like 4 weeks into the new season that's all I'm going to get my hands on.

I would love to watch the shows on amazon but.... IBM not paying that ridiculous price for a handful of shows i may or may not like.

I think this season is going to be pretty good, My hero Academia is really enjoyable and the surprise of Gamers is a pleasant one.

With Sony having purchased a large portion of funimation hopefully this gives them the power to stop amazon and netflix from scooping all the hyped up shows (especially since the latter wont even simulcast) and i just hope we continue to have access to some great anime.

Also sorry this took so long to post, i was waiting for crunchyroll to announce any stragglers but they haven't so i figured this is the best time to post.

What are the shows you are enjoying this season? or perhaps there are some backlog shows you are catching up on (mine right now is Fractale). Let me know in the comments!

Tokyo Xanadu (Vita)

Originally I wasn't going to beat this version... I only got it so i could get the Limited edition (cause no matter how much I like falcom 200 bucks (cad) is too much for a game I have little to no history with.

Still in the end i'm really glad I did play through it... even if the bulk of why i'm glad is so i can hold Aksys accountable for the things that are off in this game.

This ramble will be spoiler free (though i will mention a few things that happened in my playthrough near the end game... still no spoilers.)

Tokyo Xanadu is the latest in the Xanadu series which is a offshoot of the Dragon slayer series. To date I have only played Xanadu next (which i haven't beaten yet). We follow Kou Tokisaka, a Second year student who seems to be the only part time work available in the entire town. One day after a particularily late shift at a cafe he sees his class present Asuka Hiiragi being followed by some thugs. He follows them to make sure she is okay when suddenly they all get transported to another world.
Luckily Asuka seems more then capable of handling herself and gets them all other of this hellish labyrinth. Wanting to be helpful Kou forces his way into help Asuka on her mission to stop these Gates from appearing and keeping the Greeds inside at bay.

They are joined by some unlikely companions as they try to figure out how to stop another potential disaster.

The combat is fast and fluid, every character feels very different so no matter what you'll find a play style that works with you. Dungeons are very short (longest one I was in too about 18 minutes and it was only that long cause i suck at platforming).

The lag doesn't get too bad until late game where i swear some cut scenes run at 1 frame every few seconds.... luckily only one or two fights was it painful due to lag.

Still if you have a ps4 I would say wait for that version, it most likely will have improvements in both graphics and translation.

SO.... lets talk about the translation shall we? Normally I don't harp on about this cause as long as intent in intact i'm pretty happy.
However there are some things that I will be seriously disappointed if Aksys doesn't patch/fix in time for the next game.

Quality control issues I noticed:

Sometimes characters have random Us at the end of their name. (like in one scene you'll see them be called both their name with and without a U.... i can't say the name sorry)
When you cook for some reason it said CPreperations complete
when you are at a save stone in dungeons is says "Strengthen Greed" when it means "Strengthen Grid"
Also on the save stones there is "Change Element" but it's supposed to be "Exchange element"
Two of the cookbooks you read gives you a completely different recipe then what they say they will give you (don't remember which one)
TYPOS EVERYWHERE
SPACING ISSUES EVERYWHERE
there is an entire scene where after every apostrophe there is a space. ex. i' m going to hope that they' ve fixed these things soon.
one time the word naïve is spelled like na  ï  ve
Speech bubbles will come out of the wrong characters mouth.

The translation itself seems decent, My japanese isn't the best but there wasn't any point where I felt like they had blatantly changed a line. But seriously the quality control has me so bummed I find it hard to describe. Everything I mentioned could have possibly been fixed with another pass at the script.... like spacing issues are no big deal I know Falcom is kinda notorious for them but spelling errors and inconsistent translations (or just outright miss translations of functions) are just kind of inexcusable. 

On the other hand I think It's a testament to this game on how hard it was for me to put down... I wasn't going to play at all but i'm glad I did and I really look forward to playing on ps4 (on a higher difficulty cause why not) 

The story was good, the voice acting is really good (though all in japanese so consider that a warning) there are only 3 scenes with no translation (two songs and a bit before the final fight.... I wish companies would remember that just cause there not a space for subtitles doesn't mean we'll suddenly understand) The music (while a little closer to a persona sound then other titles) is still Falcom JDK Sound Team at their finest. 
The only thing holding the game back are a few sloppy translations. 

Well that and a few bugs. 
Maybe I just got unlucky near the end...
First I soft locked the game, I used a smash attack near a curved wall and ended up in the void.... which is solid so I had fun walking around before realizing "uh oh i can't get back in bounds" and having to reset. 
Then after beating the final boss the credits started to play with no sound... I don't know how I triggered the sound to stop working (I was just going through the dialogue normally) but yeah it just cut out and I had to watch the credits on youtube cause that final fight is probably the most challenging in the game.... and I didn't want to replay it only to have the same hiccup happen. 

I am looking forward to EX+, apparently there are more playable characters, more story and better framerate so already i'm sold (no seriously I bought my ps4 preorder at the same time as the Vita LE preorder) I just seriously hope Aksys does a quick pass, fixes some typos and makes the entire thing cohesive. 

I really want this game to do well and I hope that by some miracle we get Tokyo Xanadu 2 sometime in the future (cause there are hints)
I am also looking forward to comparing the two versions... also replaying while knowing what I know now is always a good time. 

SO in case it isn't clear I really did love this game, just maybe wait for the ps4 version (unless you only have a vita then get that as it's another excellent title for the ignored handheld) 

First Impression: Tokyo Xanadu

For whatever reason the place I ordered this from set it WAY early... So i figured i would give my impression of the first chapter spoiler free.
Also i'm going to talk about the special edition.

Tokyo Xanadu is a new entry in Falcom's Xanadu's series (which apparently is a spin off from Dragon slayer)
You play Kou, an average student who prefers to do part time work instead of club activities.
One day after work he spots his class rep being tailed by some thugs and he worries about leaving her alone. This action changes how he'll perceive the world from now on.
He gets dragged into another world full of monsters that his class rep is able to fight off.
From now on he gets dragged into helping his class rep stop these "eclipses" from growing in size or number.

The gameplay in town is so Persona-esque i'm actually surprised falcom didn't get in trouble.... even the music has a kind of atlus sound to it... it's a bit odd.
HOWEVER.... the dungeons are very unique and the combat system while a bit complex is really really fun.
It's 3rd person dungeon crawler over the shoulder (Think trails of cold steel) with action based combat with enemies that have weaknesses to certain types of attack (Think Ys Seven or Memories of Celceta) and you can change party members on the fly but only one of you can be seen at a time (this seems similar to how Ys 8 is but i can't comfortably make the comparison as i haven't played that yet)
The lock on system could use some work but i have a feeling i'll get used to it.

However... for now at least i'm not playing anymore.
See i'm Canadian... and the special edition for the PS4 version of this game (which has more content and better graphics) is 200 dollars.
So instead i bought the special edition for Vita and the vanilla version for PS4.... in the end it cost be 160....
I wanted the special edition partially cause i like artbooks and cds BUT mostly because it came with the game Blade which can be played in cold steel.
I was really excited for these cards.

Then I opened them up.
I don't know who approved the proofs of these but... maybe you should have looked a little harder.
The back and front of the cards are incredibly low res. it's like they took a tiny image and tried to make it bigger... had it been apparently that they were going for a pixelated look maybe i could forgive it... but the borders are smooth and the promo art cards look fine.
It's still a playable game but wow it's disappointing.... they also weren't punches out very well and feel extremely cheap.
The other special edition goodies are fine, the plus toy is tiny but incredibly soft. the cd didn't have nay info so having to manually input all the information sucked but a minor gripe.

I am going to have a blast with this game and if you have a vita and want to play something this is a great option.

HOWEVER
if you also have a PS4 just wait for that... it's the complete version of the game.

Also the voice acting is really good (japanese only so be warned) and the translation seems ok so far... i look forward to continuing later on this year. (or i may just cafe and play the game twice... depends on how long it is i guess?)

Eccentric Family 2

This show is hard to describe but i'll do my best... also i'll be posting more trip pictures at the end!

Eccentric family is about the balance between Tanuki, Tengu and Humans.

The second season has a slightly different focus then the first but all the pieces are there.

Yasaburo is still causing trouble because of his fool's blood.
The Friday club is still having a year end Tanuki hotpot.
The question of who will help lead Tanuki is still up in the air.
Akadama is still pining for the Half-tengu Benten.

However there are quite a few new characters that create an interesting dynamic.

The show can be goofy at times but I adore it's heart warming nature and it's ability to make me cry.

I'm sad that it's over but a small part of me is hopeful for even more of yasaburo's foolish adventures.

Both Season are on Crunchyroll and I highly recommend them.

Now for pictures!
While i was in Japan there was an eccentric family Cafe~ it was really yummy and super cute so here are some pictures.

The whole cafe (which was in a really nice mall across from Tokyo Station) was themed around the show. I had the Curry and 'frog in a well' Latte (which was just a green tea latte) and it was absolutely delicious.
My friend had the Gyuudon and Benten cocktail (which i believe was hibisucus from what she let me try)
I also ended up buying and acrylic stand of Yasaburo, a book with loose papers that apparently you are supposed to bring to different shrines to have stamped... I also got something else but I seem to be forgetting it at the moment.

After that we actually in Kyoto and because that is where the show is set i'll show some locations~

Unfortunately I didn't take many picture in town because it was pretty Rainy and miserable every time we were there but I hope you enjoy these Kiyomizu-dera and Inari Shrine pictures.

I will say considering Kiyomizudera was a location showed shortly after i got back i can't wait to rewatch the show and see what other landmarks i witnessed in person.

So yeah go enjoy this show!

RDG: Red Data Girl

Recently Crynchyroll added a ton of stuff to their catalog and I had heard about this show so i figured why not give it a try.

What i got was an interesting premise with little to no payoff.

RDG: Red data girl Is about a young girl named Izumiko. Her entire life she hasn't been able to use any kind of technology since it will just break in her hands. Apparently she is one of the last humans to possess 'true power' and is destined to become a Hime-gami who has the power to destroy the world.
After being pared up with a mountain monk who is her age they transfer to a new school in Tokyo in order to learn more about the Hime-gami as well stop the destruction of the world.

only thats not what it's about at all

They transfer to the school and theres a power struggle between the two top students. One an omnioji (a kind of diviner though thats not completely accurate) and one who has a relationship with a divine spirit.
Somehow or for some reason one of them will be picked as the "world heritage person" by judges who are all secret and Izumiko picking a side will effect the world or something....

I think the main problem with the Anime is that when you try to cram 6 novels (or what i'm assumign is a portion of 6 novels) into 12 episodes you are going to make things feel rushed and/or unexplained.
Most of the main plot points are said as if we are just supposed to automatically know what on earth is going on.
Worst of all the ending doesn't tie off any plot threads introduced (my guess is that they planned for 2 season but only [as of June 21 2017] 1 season has been made. )

The other disappointment is that a main plot thread, her inability to use technology, is only touched on a handful of times but it's a main character trait so it was just disappointing... as well as her red glasses and braids which are apparently important until they suddenly aren't.

It's not all bad, the show is animated by PA works and they did a lovely job. It's nice seeing a PA works show that attempts to have a bit of plot. the characters are all distinct enough and again the baseline concept is interesting it just feels like this adaptation focuses on the wrong thing. The main character feels like a side character most of the time. So it's just a little disappointing.

All that said if they made another season i'd watch, I may check out the manga if possible to see if that adaptation explains things a little better.

At least i don't feel like my time was wasted i just feel like it was all cut short.