Category: Video Games

Ongoing Investigations: Case #019

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I finished off most of the Monaco Cup arc of Yakitate!! Japan with books 13 and 14. As always the over the top, sometimes multiple-chapter, reaction gags from the judges are the high point of the series. The character comedy is secondary but still enjoyable. The actual bread is almost secondary, too. So far we have had a bread that gives someone a glimpse of heaven and a bread that lets you travel back in time to cap off the other arcs. I am curious what will be the ultimate bread that end the next arc to one up the crazy reactions shots we have had so far.

Recently got around to reading the Moribito Guardian of the Spirit novel. I found it enjoyable but felt it could have used another 50 to 100 pages to flesh out the characters and plot a bit more. The characters were certainly engaging enough for this to be done. Plus more Shuga, star-reader, would have been greatly appreciated! Also from seeing the start of the anime, it certainly introduces more fight scenes as the novel essentially has one near the beginning and one big one at the end. Though I am aware that this is a decently long series, Scholastic has made no indication of whether or not anymore in the series will be released. Considering the amount of money spent on the printing of this book (beautiful cover, embossed stamping on the spine, super nice paper and blue ink throughout!), I have to wonder if later books would receive such stellar treatment.

I finished Fate/Stay Night and have to say I am quite content. I was a little disturbed that I noticed a lot of myself in Sakura which possibly explains much of my attitude toward her. I liked all three paths but my Saber prejudice means that I must declare Fate my favorite path. Unlimited Blade Works drags at points but it is balanced out by the sheer awesome of other parts. Heaven’s Feel wraps things up nicely and plays rather differently than the other two paths. I definitely enjoyed the little bonus section you get when you unlock everything. It gives you some interesting insights into the creation of the game. I guess my only option now is either become proficient in Japanese or wait for someone to translate Fate/Hollow Ataraxia. I could also go out and search for the new scenes they threw in Realta Nua but that is more icing than anything else.

Voices of Love was my first leap into Aurora publishing more adult josei line of manga. I picked this one for a number of reasons. One, it was a short story collection so that meant lots of different characters and plots. Secondly, one of those plots was teacher x student. And finally the Aurora website lets you sample 11 pages or so and I was able to establish semi-good art and not a myriad of love scene after love scene. Of the five stories, there was only one that I really didn’t like. I was pleasantly surprised to find an older male character as the lead in one of the stories. Though I felt most of the female characters were not particularly strong. The love scenes mostly come at the end and are a tad graphic, but they were short most spanning 2 to 4 pages. They also have some of the most awkward dialogue in the book but that is easily overlooked. I will probably pick up another title in this line if the story interests me.

I finally got around to finishing Armored Trooper Votoms. I decided to just buy part 4 off ebay. I liked this series but since I am not watching it with anyone I watch it at my own unique pace. Stage 3 is Deadworld Sunsa and it can be divided into two separate parts. We have the first  where Chirico and Fyana are trapped on a warship going through hostile space and are forced to fight people trying to stop the ship. The second is after the ship crash lands on Sunsa and Chircio has his final confrontation with Ypsilon. I enjoyed Fyana having to take care of business when Chircio was injured. It was good to see her actually act like the Perfect Solider she is while still growing as a non-combatant. Chircio has a weird path of character development. Chircio himself has been growing and changing due to the extreme nature of his life. Overall though the growth is slow and easy to miss over short periods of time but easy to see when looking at the entirety of the show. The odd thing is everyone else seem to constantly either mention that he has changed radically or not changed at all. I just find that disconnect rather funny.

Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro was gotten on a bit of luck. I happened to answer a trivia question right at Yen Press’s Haruhi Day in Kinokuniya and won this little book as the prize. It is a very funny and cute series about a haphazard group of travelers headed up by the mysterious coffin carrying, oft mistaken for a boy, black clad, fake named girl going by Kuro. She along with a lot of bats and one snarky one in particular, Sen, pick up two little cat girls along the way. Where they are headed is still a mystery though they do seem to be looking for someone. It has a melancholy undertone but it is balanced out by the adorable art style and banter between characters. The printing is also nice with many color pages to enjoy. I will have to pick up the next volume indeed.

Our new feature! Pic of the week:

nagi, hayate the combat butler, code geass, parody

Ongoing Investigations: Case #018

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So I have been watching Toradora! and got up to episode 5. So far I have enjoyed all them as much as the first. Taiga is still amusing, Ryuji is still girl fantasy fodder, and I have been surprised by the fact that Yusaku has not been clueless. I have to agree with Narutaki’s assessment that Toradora! seems more like a gender neutral romantic comedy rather than the shonen romance it clearly is. I know Narutaki was shocked when Ami Kawashima turned out not to be in love with Ryuji. I imagined him doing a doubletake when I informed him this was the case. I am interested in reading the light novels if they ever get licensed. People who have read them seem to love talking about how much better they are.

Finally volume 4 of Hissing has hit shelves! I really appreciate Yen Press continuing many of Ice Kunion’s manhwa titles. We are really getting into the thick of things as Sun-Nam finally realizes he has a connection to Da-Eh’s family. That could complicate things for these recent love birds. Ta-Jun still dominates as my favorite though I seriously doubt he will win the girl. He will be a bit of a monkey wrench in it all I suspect. Hissing is one of the better manhwa being released state side and continues to be funny and charming. The 5th book is coming out later this month and just one more volume to go after that!

Mirror Moon has completed their fan translation of Fate/Stay Night. So, this means I have started the third and final path, Heaven’s Feel. I personally find Sakura the weakest of the heroines but I hardly dislike her as a character. She is so mild compared to the rest of the cast. It is also the most disturbing of the Fate/Stay Night scenarios. With penis worms, rape, and re-grafted chopped off limbs it goes out of its way to be a unsettling. But it is still good to get a little deeper insight into the mechanics of the Fate/Stay Night world. Also more Rider equals more love. But then again Saber gets the short end of the stick in this path which is not fun. One of the high points is the Tiger dojo’s when you die. Loliburuma Panzer Corp. sums it up quite nicely. It also makes me wonder why there are not more Taiga figures.

Three of my favorite shojo manga-ka are starting new series within a couple of months of each other! Arina Tanemura who is best known for Full Moon wo Sagashite starts her new adventure and romance series titled Sakura-Hime Kaden in December. Nana Haruta, who’s work has not been licensed in the U.S., starts a new serial in January. And Maki Yoko, you may know her series Aishiteruze Baby, will start a new work in February. All of this is happening in Ribon, which is why it remains my favorite monthly manga magazine! All of these writers tend to write shorter series, in the under 10 books range, which I really like. I will report back when I can get my hands on these works!

I sampled the first episode of Baccano! on Funimation’s web site. I have been interested after hearing about its unique setting (1930’s America) and unusual storytelling techniques. A young girl named Carol is trying to piece together how a strange series on seemingly unrelated mysterious incidents are related. Her boss and her trade theories which leads to us cutting back and forth between stories. So far I can’t say that any one story stood out as great but I am interested to see how they all connect. There is also an obviously supernatural element to the story. It was considerably less violent than I had been lead to believe. There is violence and bloodshed but I guess I have become desensitized because nothing in the first episode phased me.

Let me just say, “Thank you Shonen Jump USA!” The past two months of it have been some good chapters for Bleach. Just finished chapters 224-226. We are in a slight break from the impending Hecto Mundo arc. Visoreds with Ichigo have been dominating the pages, whoo-hoo! As well as some Urahara (you clearly know I can’t ever be disappointed with that), Chad training, and Ishida reappeared! Oh the joy! Not sure when this streak will end but I am happy with what I have gotten for the moment.

Despite owning it for quite a while, I got to reading The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Wind. It was a good read although nowhere near as epic as the first Twelve Kingdoms novel. The first book was a girl surviving in a fantasy kingdom and eventually gaining the throne. This book is the story of Taiki and him learning who he really is and taking the responsibility of being the guardian animal of a Kingdom. I know Narutaki was super happy about there being more delicious Keiki in this book and him getting more screen time. This story is set before the first book which can make several things quite confusing especially when people are only referred to by their position. I only knew about it becuase I looked it up for Narutaki when he was reading the book.

Ongoing Investigations: Case #014

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I picked a DVD of the first 11 episodes of the Cyborg 009 TV series from 2001. It is fun and certainly exudes the action combined with gag comedy dynamic popular in the 60’s and 70’s. It makes me long to see the myriad of other animated iterations it has had. It also had an ad card in it for the TokyoPop release of the manga. Which is seriously out of print. 70’s is probably my favorite era for character designs so it makes me sad how little it is appreciated.

I finally started the second GaoGaiGar box set. It start off with the finale of the Four Healy Kings arc. Of course this means the Four Kings finally enact their dastardly final plan and actually take to the battlefield in person as is giant robot tradition. In fact, I would go as far as to say this is giant robot law. They send Go Nagai to your studio to Rocket Punch your staff in the face if you do not adhere to this sacred law. It’s good classic fun and I can’t wait to see what they pull out after this. I am sure it will involve guts and courage on the behalf of the Gutsy Geoid Guard. Also on a side note my roommate has a bizarre crush on Pizza. Which is very odd but what can you do but accept it and move on.

Watched Chocolate Underground up to 12. They have been starting to skip parts of the story, and it takes a little time to get oriented to it. I still like the satirical nature of the story and its portrayal of authority as stupid. Certainly keeps the feel of a young adult novel. But as we near the end, it is getting too rushed.

I’m not sure what my favorite anime podcast is, but I can easily tell you that my least favorite anime podcast is the Weeaboobies. I saw a link to their site off of Destroy All Podcasts DX. Since I enjoy DX I figured if they took the time to post the Weeaboobies podcast it was hopefully tolerable. I was slightly wary with the name Weeaboobies but I had hopes that they were an interesting all girl podcast despite their 4chan-like name. This was not the case. They are an extremely annoying all girl podcast. After their review of The Story of Saiunkoku I knew they were this blog’s eternal enemy. They are free to dislike The Story of Saiunkoku as long as they defend their opinion in an intelligent and thoughtful manner. The review of Saiunkoku seriously made me wonder if we watched the same anime based on the amount they misinterpreted the show or blatantly got facts about it wrong. The rest of the podcast was not nearly as annoying but it was still grating on my soul. I just have a feeling that an all girl podcast will catch on and the Weeaboobies will be Internet celebrities and special guests at cons or on other good podcasts. That is the day the Internet dies a little bit more (than it already has done dozens times before).

I normally stay away from talking about things I don’t like because I don’t want to draw attention to it. But I think in order to understand how bad this Weeaboobies podcast is one must listen though I did not make it to the end. I don’t expect intense research necessarily for all reviews but I dont think I’m asking too much to get the amount of episodes correct. I find it doubly necessary that the reviewer have actually watched the show to give me an opinion on. Shurei goes to the castle to encourage the king to take his responsibilites more seriously. She did not go to be a slut and get pregnant. Funnily enough Shurei and Ryuuki share maybe a handful of kisses in the entire first season. Shurei also wanted to be a court official from the moment we meet her, it did not happen all of a sudden after episode 9. It seemed like they set out to not like the show anyway so I’m not sure why they bothered watching it.

Time Hollow is a fun but very short puzzle adventure game. I beat it with casual playing over the course of a single week (which did include a round trip bus ride from New York to Providence). I feel it almost plays and feels like a visual novel more than an adventure game but there are distinct puzzles that separate it. They Americanized all the character names in the port so I know that will turn off some purists but it was not unforgivable. It’s mostly a fun time manipulation adventure with a psychotic serial killer thrown into the mix. It was a good game for someone who does not want mind-wracking or super obscure puzzles. I never was stuck for too long at any point but I also feel that it will turn off anyone look for a real challenge. They also sprinkle a good deal of short little animated sequences by AIC throughout the story.

Watched my friend play some Y’s Book I from TurboGrafx16. Do you know how you kill monsters in that game? By running into them . . .a lot. It was very amusing. Though the production values for art and music are pretty high for an old title like this. Which makes me wonder if they just ran out of money to make the guy look like he was swinging a sword while running over those creatures. Has anyone watched the anime of this franchise? I know there at least 3 OVA series of it.