Tag: Twin Spica

Ongoing Investigations: Case #113

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I jumped into the Incredible Change-Bots series with a copy of book two. From what I can tell the first book ends the series but was popular enough that they made a sequel. Since this is a comedy it was no too hard to find a silly reason for new silly events to occur with the Change-Bots. The story itself is unabashedly a Transformers: Generation 1 parody down to having Autobot and Decepticon analogs with its own version of Optimus Prime and Megatron as well as most of the other well know Transformers. It takes the overall silliness of the original Transformers cartoon and pushes it to its logical comedic extreme. The humor often very dry even if the jokes themselves are rather goofy. There is humor beyond being a transformers parody but the Transformers parody is a framework that is omnipresent an inescapable.  I think overall the series would work a bit better as a page a week web comic so that the joke does not wear out its welcome. As it stands I found myself losing interest about half way through the book. It was never bad but it just could not sustain my interest. The art is rather of crude but it adds a whimsy to the story that an extremely detailed art style would have prevented. I can clearly see the appeal that a book but I never really got into it. Then again I never liked Adventure Time so maybe I just have a broken sense of humor.

Incredible Change-Bots Two doesn’t have such a complex story that you can’t pick it without having read the first; you probably could have guessed that from the title. What I didn’t realize was that it wasn’t just a funny robot series, it is a Transformers parody without trying to hide it in the least. This is most apparent in its opening recap of their history from the war on “Electronocybercircuitron” between the “Awesomebots” and the “Fantasticons” to their landing on earth and continued rivalry. Sadly, those first six pages are the best part of the entire book. They are funny enough to make you giggle as any parody should but the rest isn’t nearly as amusing. This may stem from it not pulling as obviously from Transformers as the opening sequence did; I wonder if the first book is different in that respect. Or perhaps it is just my personal taste about how long a joke can go on. I have rarely seen a parody that didn’t wear out its welcome in about 60-seconds. I agree with Hisui that I could see this as a weekly one-page comic worth tuning-in for because once again its major downfall was length. I really enjoyed the art-style which can be kind of elaborate on the splash pages but most of the time feels like high-level crayon drawings; it added nicely to what humor was there. P.S. I don’t know why Hisui doesn’t like Adventure Time!

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Ongoing Investigations: Case #104

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I have happily been engrossed in the latest Professor Layton game the Unwound Future for the last week. The plot is the most fun and lively yet and we even get to learn a bit about Layton’s past and relationships plus see a (gasp) top hat-less Layton! This is also the most personal and emotional installment yet, which makes sense since it is the end of trilogy. Still I was pleased to see myself tearing up at the ending of the events. The puzzles were about the same difficulty level as the second game, which means that overall they are tricky but not overly hard. I still admit to missing the really challenging puzzles that appeared at the end of the first game. In this case even the end puzzles, worth a lot of picarts, were mostly harder versions of puzzles you had already conquered earlier in the game. But my true reason for playing the game is plot, plot, plot so I was indubitably pleased with how it came together. My only complaint is the constant hand holding that started with the second game and only seems to have escalated in the third. There is a journal that I can read if I forget anything, there is a mystery section that I can review, and when I turn on my continued game it reminds me of where I left off. Those things are all fine, what I don’t need is the game to prevent me from wandering and a plot recap every couple of chapters. These things don’t make the game less fun it just takes a bit of mystery solving out of it.

hisuiconProfessor Layton and the Unwound Future is a delightful capping off of the 1st Professor Layton trilogy. As with most the previous games we start with an odd event that spirals into a larger adventure with Layton discovering the grand conspiracy behind everything as he solves puzzles. I did notice some recycling of older puzzles beyond using some of the work horse types of puzzles that are in all three games. But they change them enough that they don’t feel like you are replaying an older game with a new story. I am never usually one to comment on voice acting but the new woman who does Flora is quite awful especially considering how good everyone else has been. I don’t know what circumstances prevented them from using the original Flora but they need to get rid of this lady and fast. The ending of the game was bombastic where is need to be and in contrast heartfelt, touching, and a bit melancholy where it needed to be as well. I will say the giant robot at the end of the Eternal Diva is much more inline with the series now that I played this game. I look forward to the adaption of the prequel trilogy as well as the Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney game.  With all the new material taking place before this trilogy one wonders when they will get to that letter and the end of this game.

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Ongoing Investigations: Case #090

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We received a copy of Twin Spica 2 at the last Vertical Vednesday, or should I say I zealously grabbed for it because I was just that eager to read more of the story. A minor amount of time has passed between the conclusion of the first volume and the events starting in the second. As Asumi has overcome her first big challenge (actually being accepted to the space academy) her excitement is palpable but she doesn’t become complacent realizing there are tougher roads ahead. Her spirit and energy is quite infectious, as a reader I always believe in her and admire her hard-work. Asumi has taken up residence in a small out of the way dorm with few other tenants. Of course the many personalities we met during her first test are back as students in the school and once again we are confronted with the slow build of friendship between them, especially that of Marika and Kei with Asumi. The first book has some emotionally gripping moments that pulled you into the story almost immediately, this time around they keep you emotionally focused as more history is revealed. I was also surprised to see such direct villain in the series, it was almost cliche, but I want to see how it further develops before making a call and the motive behind him is highly intriguing. Twin Spica is a must-read, if you were foolishly not reading it already.

hisuicon Asumi is settling in after being accepted to the Tokyo Space Academy. She is excelling both physically and mentally while getting closer to all the students she met during the entrance exam. We have our first clear villain of the story although so far he has been utterly nasty in a completely realistic fashion. His grudge manifests itself in petty but powerful bits of acidic behavior. So far this has mostly been set up for the school life and the dynamics of the relationships the characters will have at school. While the confrontation between Sano and Asumi is the climax of the book, there are many story seeds planted in the volume that will surely pop up throughout the series. After the main story are two bonus stories set during Asumi’s childhood. The first story gives us a more insight into Yuko Suzunari and Mr. Lion. The second story further shows how much the Lion incident has effected the lives of Asumi and her father. I will admit that I openly teared up on the subway when I finished the last story. It was rather powerful and moving if a bit more on the fantastical. But all the flash back stories tend to lean toward the fantastical whenever Mr. Lion is prominent. I do find it worth noting that Asumi’s hard work does not make her the best but it does make her stand out if only slightly. This combination makes both Asumi and Twin Spica stand out in my mind. A solid follow up to the spectacular first book that will leave you anticipating the release of the third.

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