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!
Thursday, 28 September 2017
Tuesday, 26 September 2017
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
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
Sunday, 24 September 2017
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)
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)
Monday, 18 September 2017
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
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
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