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scaramoon · 3 years

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hello hello lore!! we back at it again!! <33 i’m very much excited and i’m once again typing this in real time~

OKAY SO!! it’s finally starting!! with only one hour delay :’) you probably have other anons telling you all about it by now and you probably saw it on twt but i said i’d do it so i will!! feel free to delete it if you deem necessary 😽

okay so it’s a “normal” stream again featuring the voice actors (with face cams this time!!); this time with the voices of amber, barbara, kaeya, jean, aether and lumine!!

now they’re playing the first trailer; YAE IS THE FIRST ONE WE SEE HDJSJDJD…YO THAT ONE SHRINE THAT LOOKS LIKE A SHELL?? KOKOMI <3 GONNA BUST- SIGNORA IS BAACKKK!! WEEKLY BOSS TYPE BEAT?! KOKOMI IS GETTING INTRODUCED AAAAH- PAUSE WAS KAZUHA FIGHTING THE SHOGUN?! WHAT??? BAAL INTRODUCTION NOW- SCARA SCARA DCARA SCARA SCARA DCARA SCARA IM GONNA CRY SCARA SCARA SCARA-

FIRST CODE: DSPVUN2BKH5M

now they’re talking about the liyue festival!! the moonchase festival!! we’ve seen keqing, ningguang and xiangling!! the whole harbour will be decorated again!! there’s an event story quest called “moonlight merriment” featuring keqing and xiangling and it’s about finding the meaning of the moonchase festival!! there are 3 event games; and the fish claymore is one of the event rewards and refinement materials can be bought with event points in the event shop!!

for the one year anniversary they’re bringing back the passage of clouds and stars login event (up to 10 intertwined wishes can be claimed) and they’re restoring the double up crystal shop (when you buy crystals for the first time you get double the amount; and they’re restoring it for everyone!!)

act 3 of chapter 2 will be coming as well! in the new act we will apparently be learning more about the shogun and scaramouche will be finally appearing!! la signora obviously as well,,,and we’ll get to find out scara’s backstory during the quest!! i’m gonna cry i love him sm

now they’re talking about the upcoming characters; baal is first! next is kokomi <33 i love her sm :(( <33 and sara is the last to be introduced…she has crow feathers!! whoa :o we’ll also get baal’s and kokomi’s character stories~ baal and sara banners are first, kokomi is second

we’re getting 2 new areas as well; watatsumi island (home of the resistance, looks like a shell, very much pastel and pretty!! it’s a mermaid dream i’m gonna cry) and seirai island (it’s constantly enveloped by storms and is very gloomy and dark; full of abandoned shrines AND WE’RE GETTING A TALKING CAT!! SHE’S A PRIESTESS!! AAAAH)

now onto the new enemies; electro oceanid, hydro cube and la signora as a new weekly boss!! la signora transforms from cryo to pyro~

SECOND CODE: CB7UU6KT2H59

we’re getting a fishing system! you can craft different types of bait and the fishing system is kinda similar to stardew valley if that tells you anything!! we can use the fishes for cooking or we can exchange them for rewards at the fishing association- we can also catch special fish called “ornamental fish”, which can be raised by the travellers if they’re caught! there will be a fishing challenge~

another event; “hyakunin ikki” which is a fighting challenge; players can make 6 teams of 2 characters each using their own characters or trial characters - it’s like a relay fight club!!

system changes; duplicates in the tea pot that are in the same area (room/same outside area) will get their load value reduced!

THIRD CODE: NTPVU7JTJYPD

there will be a web event called “engraved wishes” where players can submit their messages for the one year anniversary; some of them will be engraved into actual paimon blocks and a 6 foot paimon statue will be made out of 50,000 of those paimon blocks!! there will be an online concert featuring classical musicians from belgium, the us and south korea. they’re showing a live recording of the tokyo synphonic theatre performing some the inazuma soundtrack and the goosebumps are unreal i’m-

now they’re talking about aloy! she looks really cool, her animations are so sick!! everyone will get her, although playstation players will get her with 2.1, other players will receive her 2.2 via in-game mail.

the va’s are playing some cute games now; one was “guess the correct va” and the other one was never have i ever genshin edition. they’re ending the game with a video from players talking about their experience (two girls talked about how they celebrated lunar new year in genshin since they couldn’t meet irl due to the pandemic and that shot made me TEAR UPPPP) with the game!! it’s very cute it’s making me emotional bye-

yeah, that’s about it!! it was fun even though the one hour delay caused me a lot of emotional distress 😿

forgive me for the shorter reply i’m so mf sleepy

TY FOR THE CODES IM PRIMOGEM POOR </3 i saw like a clip or two of scara but honestly other than that i’ve not heard anything, so thank you hehe. i’m really excited for scaramouche though omg, if he’s gonna have a banner now would be a good time so i’m manifesting it for the whole genshin community idc idc.

the fishing game does sound fun though omg. gonna catch a paimon pt 2 <3 OMG AND A TALKING CAT :(( she and the dogs are besties, i said so <3

are those all the islands though?? i knew the three we have now weren’t all of them but i don’t know how many is gonna be there in the end WJNCDB

i haven’t seen a lot of stuff about aloy but what i did see was p cool. i think it’s neat that they’re giving a free five star, i know a few ppl have mentioned not having any apart from traveler :(

#ONCE AGAIN TY ILYSM LOML #lore.txt #msg: error

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castyourpodtothewind · 6 years

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CYPTTW Review #3 - King Falls AM

Who the hell are you?! Hi! I’m Taylor and I recently dived headfirst into podcasts! I have since binged on several of them and decided to make reviews of the ones that really stood out. These are not going to be big, professional reviews (I’m lazy) but they should hopefully contain information to help you get into some great new listens!

Where do you listen to your podcasts? My personal recommendation for listening to podcasts is the Pocket Casts app, available for Android or iPhone. It costs $3.99 to buy, but I think it's super worth it, since it has a lot of great features and zero in-app ads, which to me is worth every penny. But if you like free apps or just don't have the scratch right now, my runner up is Podcast Addict. It's free and has some (but not all) of the features Pocket Casts has, plus you have to deal with the ads. But if you don't like either of those, do some searching! There's lots of options out there.

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Name of Podcast: King Falls AM

Creators of Podcast: The Make Believe Picture Company

Genre(s): Humor, Talk/Radio Show, Horror, Suspense

Start and End Date of Podcast: May 1st, 2015 - May 1st, 2018 (On Hiatus, will return later this year)

Number of Episodes: 75 (plus various bonuses and minisodes)

Release Schedule: On Hiatus, will return “later this year/before 2019”

Where Can I Find It: http://www.kingfallsam.com/ (website not up-to date, complete episode list can be found here: http://podbay.fm/show/1016760065) or visit their official Tumblr page at @kingfallsam

Donation/Patreon?: https://www.patreon.com/KingFallsAM

Age Rating: This show contains profanity, sexual humor, occasional violence and is known for some pretty serious horror at times. PG-13.

Where I Am Now: Caught Up

Official Summary: (I couldn’t find an official summary, so here’s my own) Former DJ “Shotgun” Sammy Stevens moves to the small mountain town of King Falls, where he and Ben Arnold host King Falls AM, a late night AM talk show. They cover all the normal events of a small town, take calls from the residents, and also discuss and discover the many paranormal happenings that the townspeople have accepted as business as usual.

Representation?: This show has multiple canon LGBT characters and is extremely queer positive.

Transcripts?: No official transcripts exist, but fan made ones are available. Sadly, they are not current.

Trigger Warnings?: Body Horror, Abusive Relationships, Gaslighting, Animal Violence/Death, Homophobia (Greg Frickard could be a walking trigger warning on his own, I swear)

How Long To Listen Before Giving Up?: I was drawn into this show pretty much instantly, but the first 7 episodes seem a lot like it’s trying to emulate WTNV. After that point it definitely grows the beard and becomes its own unique thing, so I’d recommend listening until at least episode 10.

Anything Else I Should Know?: This show has a behind the scenes podcast called “Beyond the Falls” that occasionally comes out for free, but is otherwise a Patreon perk. I don’t have it, but everyone I hear talk about it says it’s worth it. Occasionally they’ll release an episode of it to the public, especially if they’re talking about something majorly relevant to the show.

If You Like This, You Might Also Like: The Ghost Radio Project, Limetown, Alice Isn’t Dead, Welcome to Night Vale

Pros

The voice acting in this show is KILLER, as well as a full cast with lots of unique voices - lots of them done by the same VA, which is impressive as hell

This show can go from hilarious to depressing to terrifying in the blink of an eye, and it tells a story that you’re eager to hear more details about.

MUSICAL. CHRISTMAS. EPISODE. With a soundtrack so good you’ll want to listen to it all year ‘round. ‘Nuff said.

If you like foreshadowing and podcasts with a ton of re-listen value, look no further. Episode 68 turns the ENTIRE premise of the show upside down and I was absolutely stunned by everything hinted at even from the beginning, but I won’t dare spoil it for you here.

Cons

The pacing with certain plots can be quite slow, unfortunately. My biggest complaint about this show is how it took until episode 75 to resolve a plot that began in episode 2, though the show has been good about dropping new details and developments to keep you interested.

The show is unfortunately on a hiatus, but the crew has made it clear it is only to make more episodes while not suffering total burnout, so the show is not going to disappear. While no official return date has been set, the crew has promised us that the show will return “later in the year/before 2019.”

MY RATING: 8/10 RAINBOW LIGHTS - This is one of the best podcasts I’ve listened to in a long time. I found it on several lists of podcast recs and gave it a chance, and from the very first episode I just could not stop listening. I finished all 60-odd episodes in around two weeks, and I’ve been suffering through the hiatus just like the rest. The cast and crew of this show are so talented and need way more recognition than they get. Please give this podcast a shot.

#King Falls AM #podcast #podcasts #KFAM #King Falls #Sammy Stevens #Ben Arnold #Emily Potter #Greg Frickard #The Make Believe Picture Company #Podcast Recommendations #Podcast Recs #Podcast Reviews #reviews #no spoilers #CYPTTW #Cast Your Pod to the Wind

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tubbotums · 6 years

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I want you to imagine a situation for a sec, so close your eyes and imagine

It’s late March, two months away from your high school graduation. You’ve been a part of a friend group in high school that you’ve cherished for three years, and now you’re faced with the fact that you’re all going to pretty much be going your separate ways. You’ll see each other, but it’ll never be the daily after school hang outs again. Not only that, your relationship with a girl who had basically been by your side for your hardest moments in the past year, someone who defended you and loved you, just ended, and now that relationship along with various others have just ended in the rockiest fashion possible despite you trying your best. Along with all of that, you got yourself with a fandom that’s basically spit you out and kicked you around, called your ideas garbage and basically made you feel like shit because of your race, gender and sexuality. All of this you have to deal with as you also face the possibility of moving out of your apartment, the place you’ve called home for 17 and a half years because your mom wants a change of scenery and onset depression that’s quickly becoming more and more severe by the day.

That was me a year ago, and truth be told I had never felt more alone and lower than at time. I had come to this site to try and escape that, and it worked for the most part, but really it was just something that was always nagging and there, and no matter what I did I just couldn’t escape it. I didn’t wanna get out of bed, my personal health and hygiene dropped, and I was really a shell of myself. I couldn’t do anything right it felt like, and I felt like there was no one to really help me. I started escaping more to anime, music and video games as a result, and a lot of old insecurities popped up and just left me a mess.

Then, one day after school with my friends I accidentally dug up my old PS Vita, the white one that you got if you got the Assassin’s Creed bundle. I made a remark that I hadn’t played it in years, and a friend of mine who had graduated the year before said he knew some good games, and literally the first thing that came out of his mouth was Persona 4 Golden. I had heard of Persona, but I never actually knew what it was or anything. It seemed so foreign and just out there that it had never came up on my radar, so he immediately dragged me on a 15 minute walk to the nearest GameStop and grabbed the one copy of P4 Golden that they had in stock. He even went out of his way to buy it for me, a $40 game for a dead console. Now I wouldn’t really make a big deal out of this stuff, but this was one of my friends who never really had a lot of money on him. He was always saving his money up, so the fact that he was willing to shell out the money for me like that meant he was serious. So, we went back to my place, and I put in the game.

The opening title played, Shadow World, and that colorful opening played. I always make it a thing to watch the opening on my first playthrough when I play a game, and this game was no exception. I remember liking the visuals, but there was one person that caught my interest right off the bat. There was a person who was doing a little dance with a trash can, and at the time I thought that was really funny. I read his name, and it just said Yosuke. I looked on the cover for him, and I said to my friend “He kinda looks like me”, and that ensued a bunch of jokes and a short nickname for a while. Anyways, I remember because of this I was really interested to learn more about him, and going into this game knowing nothing I didn’t know when I’d meet him. Luckily for me, he was the first person I met in the game (or at least one of the first). I remember him crashing into that trash can and just Yu not helping, and him getting kicked in the balls by Chie after not returning her ‘Trial of the Dragon’ in one piece. I thought this was really funny, since the dude was kind of a down on his luck dork who meant well, and it was something I could really relate to.

However, as I got further into those first few hours of the tutorial and everything, I learned more about him. His full name was Yosuke Hanamura, and he was the son of the man who owned the big chain mall in town, Junes, the one the MC’s character sings the jingle to whenever it’s on T.V. He was voiced by Yuri Lowenthal, the same VA who voiced Simon the Digger in Gurren Lagann, a favorite of mine, and he had a crush on a cute girl named Saki. However, his crush ended up being the first victim in what would become a string of murders in Inaba, and he wanted to find out the truth of what happened to his dearly beloved. So into the TV World they go, and there Yosuke finds out that not only did Saki not like him back, but she outright hated him and resented him since his father’s business stole business away from her own family’s. He hears her talk about her hatred toward him, and also has to come face to face with his Shadow, his true self. We find out that he’s actually depressed and hates life for the most part. He moved to Inaba not too long ago, and he felt alone and isolated because he was from the city. He wanted people to like him, and he tried his damnest to feel like an equal to people, including the person who would become his best friend in the MC. But, there he was, hating life and always feeling like a burden to those around him and wanting to isolate himself from others because he didn’t feel like an equal.

I’m not a man of god or anything really, but this felt like a sign or something. I never had related so hard to a character in my life before, and it was enough that I actually found myself crying at the end of learning about him and the two of you agreeing to solve the murders.

So I went on and played the rest of the game, with Yosuke being the first social link that I finished in the game. I saw him try and come to terms with his depression, realize that he now had a group of friends around him who accepted him, and that he’d always be considered an equal with his bro and partner. As I’m writing this, I’m still thinking about the raw emotion I felt seeing all of this for the first time and just tearing up about it. For a long time I changed my profile pic on Facebook to a picture of him, he was the character that really made me want to cosplay, something I had never even thought of before, and I ended up deciding to make him my face claim, something I still keep up to this very day. I remember I tried to get my hands on any type of merch for him, though I didn’t really find much until later on (like a partial yaoi manga with him and Yu, something I’ve read time and time again with no regrets~). Despite all of that, my love for Yosuke had ran deep at that point, so when I finished the game in the middle of August I cried once more. My time with him was done, and I would never really get that same feeling back like the first time I met him.

That now meant I had two weeks to play Persona 5, the first game I got on my PS4 after I rebought it due to selling it to get the Switch. I went into this game with high expectations, since everyone told me it was amazing. However, I still had my biases, like the fact that there wasn’t Yosuke in this game. So I sat down and decided that I was going to basically speed run this game for two weeks, trying my best to finish it before I went off to college. I worked basically from 7 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon, and the second I got home I’d basically play it until 2 in the morning. For two weeks, I went to work at a summer camp with five year olds in the blazing hot sun on five hours of sleep a night. It was an experience to say the least, one that kinda made me realize too how much I didn’t want to work there again, but I digress.

So I sat down and played this game for two weeks, got about 72 or so hours in and had to stop right at the final palace before I went to college. That being said, once more I was blown away by this game and it’s characters, but again someone had captured my heart, this time the lovely model Ann Takamaki. I could go on about how much I love her, but I’ve done that enough on here so you guys get the point. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts felt like a group of friends that I was a part of, and it just made me feel... so special. I can’t explain that feeling, but I felt like they were there with me all the time, and that no matter where I went or what I did they were going to support me with all their hearts, just like they had done for all of their friends in game too. It was a shame that my journey with them had to be on pause for four months, but regardless that feeling of belonging helped me fit into a new friend group at my university, ones that shared similar interests, treated me like an equal, and yes, even loved Persona as much as I did.

When December came and I was home for winter recess, I immediately picked back up Persona 5 to finish it. By now, I had gained new friends, especially a ton on here that had helped me a lot more with my own issues, and that meant I was ready to pick up and catch up with my other friends in Persona 5. I spent another 30 or so hours finishing up the game, and I remember finishing the game at 1 in the morning a few days after New Years Day. As I watched the credits role, I ended up crying even harder than I did with Persona 4. The entire journey was over, and it felt like I was saying goodbye to all of these friends I had made over the past few months, and that I wouldn’t see them again. Of course I would, but much like with Yosuke I wouldn’t have that same feeling. I sobbed in the middle of the night over nine characters and their friends leaving me, and I felt a pain in my heart that I seriously don’t feel all that much. It was so surreal to feel that type of way about pixels on a screen, but I felt it nonetheless.

And now, as I listen to the soundtracks of the two games that I played for days on end, I find myself thinking back on all of this. I can’t express what this series has meant to me, and how much it has contributed to me making friends, improving as a person and just really getting my life back on track. I know people probably don’t wanna read this, but I wanted to share it with all of you, because really I think it’s important. I hope you guys have something you all can gush about like I do, because it’s just super wonderful. Thanks to this series for just... everything. I seriously can’t express how much it’s played a part of my life for the past year.

Now, sad boy hours are over, and I’m going to grab a snack. I hope everyone’s having a wonderful night and are happy right now. I’m spreading some of my positive vibes toward all of you~ <3

#we gonna go under the tag for this so I can avoid making people's feeds too long

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tarenko · 6 years

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Taren’s Games of the Year!

Another year, another set of amazing games and holy shit did 2017 have some knockouts! Please keep in mind this is based only on games I was able to play and there were a few I missed!

Best Art Direction - Persona 5

Persona 5 is a game that bleeds A E S T H E T I C from every single piece of its body. The games use of a red and black color pallet for the menus as well as incredibly smooth animations and a jazzy, upbeat score make it an incredible sight to behold and a joy to hear. The gameplay is the best yet in the Persona series with the reintroduction to demon negotiation as well as a plethora of abilities unlocked through your confidants. It’s an incredible tight package with a good storyline (though I still prefer 3′s overall story). If you are a fan of RPG’s pick this game up. You will not regret it.

Best Soundtrack - Nier Automata

I need to put a lot more time into Nier Automata than I have. This game has 26 endings and I’ve only scratched the surface so far. What I’ve played has been pretty good and I can tell there’s far more to the story. Combat and visuals look and feel great thanks to Platinum Games compared to the original Nier albeit somewhat simplistic compared to something like a Devil May Cry game. Where Automata has truly stood out to me though is in the music. Every single track in this game has been incredible. One specific track that began to play after the conclusion of a side quest has stuck with me ever since and I’ve begun playing it regularly out of how incredibly beautiful it is. Nier Automata is well worth anyone’s time and is sure to touch your robotic heart.

Best Fighting Game - Tekken 7

Tekken 7 is a beautiful looking fighting game with plenty of content and more on the way. The story mode is silly but fun to go through, there’s an arcade mode, online is tight, and THERE’S BOWLING. Did I mention GEESE HOWARD IS IN THIS FUCKING GAME WHAT THE HELL. Pick this up if you have any sort of love for fighting games. Honorable mention goes to Injustice 2 which I did not get the chance to play but since launch is adding Hellboy AND the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the roster.

Best Shooty Game - Splatoon 2

Splatoon 2 is more Splatoon with more content. More maps, more weapons, more missions, more game modes, more character styles and customization. More EVERYTHING. Updates are free and the game is still as fun as the original with many different ways to play and a great twist on shooting games as a whole where your primary target is the map rather than the enemies. Honorable mention goes to Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus which I did not get the chance to play yet but I’ve heard many good things about. You get to shoot nazis so it gets an A in my book.

Best Racing Game - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

This is kinda cheating as it’s sorta a rerelease of MK8 but Deluxe adds a proper battle mode now as well as a few new characters and all dlc included so I’m counting it anyway. This game is excellent. I have had so much fun with this game and being able to take my Switch to a friend’s place and both of us use a Joycon to have a few rounds is a total blast. Every single course is beautiful and fun as hell and the music for some stages is incredible. If you enjoy playing racing games with friends, don’t pass up this one.

Best 2D Platformer - Sonic Mania

Holy fuck. Sonic Mania is so good. From the visuals, to the music, to the gameplay, everything about it is tight and a blast from start to finish. The game is an excellent return to form for Sonic and the team of fans behind this have shown the world that Sonic can still go fast.

Best 3D Platformer - Mario Odyssey

HERE WE GO. OFF THE RAILS. DON’T YOU KNOW IT’S TIME TO RAISE OUR SAILS. IT’S FREEDOM LIKE YOU NEVER KNEW. Mario Odyssey is my first 3D Mario game ever and I have to say, It’s p good guys. Platforming is incredibly tight, levels are super varied and interesting, exploration is greatly rewarded, and there are so many different abilities at your disposal. The base story of the game can be fairly short depending on how you play through it but the game has hundreds of challenges for you ranging from reaching areas, solving puzzles, racing RC cars, to so much more. It’s a game that screams fun and becomes an incredibly enjoyable challenge once you start searching for those harder moons. Honorable Mention goes to A Hat in Time, a game that looks so incredibly cute and I’ve heard nothing but good things about from friends.

Best Game I Played this Year that Came Out Last Year - VA-11 HALL-A

Va-11 Hall-a. If anyone ever asks me what my aesthetic is I just need to point to this game. The music, the art style, the characters, the setting, everything about this game clicks with me on a personal level that I adore. The premise is fairly simple: you live in a cyberpunk future under a shitty government. You aren’t here to cause a big change in this world but rather to serve drinks for the people who live in it. As you do you’ll learn more about your patrons, the world, and even your player character, Jill. The gameplay isn’t too involved but can have some interesting effects on the story which is the main star of this Visual Novel. The main story and sub stories of this game are some of the most relatable and enjoyable ones I’ve seen in a while from a game and I loved every single one. It requires you to pay attention and remember certain conversations to see how people connect to each other and understand each person’s motivations. There was never a dull point in this game and I can not recommend it enough. Please buy VA-11 HALL-A. It’s time to mix drinks and change lives.

Best Game of the Year - Gravity Rush/The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Okay I’ve been stuck with this decision for the entire year and I still can’t decide between these two. They are both masterpieces and deserve high praise, so let’s go over them both.

Gravity Rush 2 is the sequel to the original Gravity Rush and improves on it in every possible way. The world is beautiful with a cel shaded sort of art style and strong use of color to give each area a different feeling. Music throughout the game is absolutely incredible and the story gives an excellent conclusion to what began in the first game. Combat and maneuvering are greatly improved and the game is simply fun to explore and experiment different ways of using your powers. The characters in Gravity Rush 2 are top notch and found myself loving each one for their unique personalities. Kat is an excellent protagonist and the feeling of flying between buildings, hopping from place to place gracefully is incredible. I can not recommend Gravity Rush 2 enough and think it is a must have for any PS4 owner.

Breath of the Wild is my first ever Zelda game and holy shit am I hooked. This game feels so incredible to play and the world is incredibly beautiful and fleshed out. There’s insane amounts of detail to all the different ways you can approach problems and the feeling of experiencing a world that both you and your character know nothing about and have no requirement to go a specific direction at the start is an incredible feeling. The game rewards exploration and experimentation and tells a story through recovered memories that tie into the present day beautifully. The soundtrack is understated and usually small piano melodies but when things get intense turns into these wild mixtures of techno and classical music. I loved every moment of learning my way through the world and discovering new challenges and quests. If you own a switch or wii u buy this game. It is incredible.

#gravity rush #botw #mario odyssey #sonic mania #persona 5 #nier automata #video games #goty #va-11 hall-a

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sillyfudgemonkeys · 6 years

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what're your thoughts on Nier/Nier Automata? i figured you'd love that game since...well... everybody loves that game

you ever played Nier? I hear it has better writing then P5.

@tehsharkster why didn’t you want Nier to win anything? I thought you liked it o3o;; (At least liked it more than P5)

Sorry I wanted to wait on answering these questions after I had played the PS3!Nier and after I had finished my finals (still have one more to go but hey procrastination is my middle name, and it’s 4 am so it’s time to make bad decisions I’m gonna regret as soon as I wake up haha 8U). Anyway since I broke one rule for myself might as well break the other, since I haven’t played the PS3!Nier yet (our copy got sold before I could get it ;w;). Haha.... (also sorry Tehsharkster I’ve been meaning to reply, again wanted to wait to play OG!Nier I just didn’t think it’d take this long to get a copy).

So as for PS3!Nier (which I’ll just call Nier from now on, and Automata for Nier Automata)......I want to play it. I didn’t even realize Automata was even coming out when I finally came across Nier (for a Laura Bailey video). In all honesty if I didn’t see Laura Bailey cursing up a storm I probs wouldn’t have even cared to want to try it tbh. So yeah....I plan on playing this.

As for Automata....haha.....oh.......yeah no I hated it. Go ahead, burn me at the stake....... Trust me I “got it” but I didn’t like what I got (well more like I didn’t like how it was handled). No it’s not too zany for me (I loooooooove Suda51 and I like Metal Gear Solid, or at least of the games I’ve played so far....slowly making my way through that series ;w;). The reason why I wanted to wait to say this is cause......I’m judging the game as a standalone game. Like if when I first played P4 back in 2009 before playing the other games.....because everyone kept saying “Oh you don’t need to play the original Nier to understand Automata, some of the cameos might go over your head but that’s ok!” And no.....no it’s not.....it’s not ok. The reason why Persona fans can say “oh yeah if it’s a mainline game you can jump in anywhere. Tho I recommend playing P1 before P2 and P2IS before P2EP but you know it’s not like it won’t kill you if you don’t.” it’s because it’s true. Automata? For me it felt like I was missing a lot of key information that I possibly could’ve gotten from Nier....and from what I’ve spoiled for myself that seems to be the case..... It also doesn’t help that apparently this is a sequel to a play we never got so whatever I guess. >.>

As for Automata vs P5.............I dunno.....I think I dislike P5 more, but it doesn’t mean that I like Automata. P5 had a really good first arc with Kamoshida.....and Automata’s route A was a good opening......but it’s what follows after those two that it just......does a nose dive. I think Automata.......tried more (they seem to be more consistent with their philosophy....even tho they shoved it down your throat every 5 seconds iirc).....They just didn’t do enough.....it felt vacant of content..... P5 it felt like they just didn’t care and were just going to go with whatever they wanted regardless of structure or consistency.....but it feels more fuller than Automata did (which is kinda bad since I think P5 is pretty vacant for a Persona game)..... It’s just they have different pros and cons. With both games....cons outweighed any and all pros I guess......

I will say this. I liked Ending E a lot. Do I think the game deserves it? No. It’s like how I feel with the DR3 anime ending. Good ending, bad journey. The journey didn’t deserve the ending. (tho for DR3 Chiaki should’ve totally been alive and the actual mastermind and the DR2 kids should’ve been more mutilated you know add some dark stuff to that happy ending but all in all even with that it’s still happy but whatever DR3 was a mess so I dunno what I was expecting anyway that’s besides the point. 8V actually if someone has a good fanfic of the DR3 anime where they fix all the issues with both sides I’d be happy to read it). Also the ending music is leaps and bounds better than P5′s ending song, the rest of the soundtrack was “yeah that’s pretty” but there were only a few songs I liked. I’d rather have given Cuphead Best Soundtrack of the Year (cause I just didn’t want either Automata or P5 getting any awards), but Automata def deserves it more than P5′s soundtrack so I’m chill with Automata winning it. (also I didn’t hate it right off the bat, I was fine with it till route B and was livid by route C......so....yeah.....)

So yeah......Also another reason I want to play Nier is cause I heard from some people who didn’t like Automata (I KNOW! I was surprised too *insert M&Ms commercial “They do exist” gif), they said that Nier had a better story....worse gameplay tho of course (but hey if it’s serviceable, which is what I’ve heard, I’m not too picky)....so.....*shrugs*

Also, question, I can’t for the life of me figure out why on earth 2B has Kaine’s(? Laura Bailey’s character?) costume for the DLC....... Isn’t A2 based off Kaine?????? I thought she had Kaine’s memories implanted into her (unless the wiki is lying to me). I mean yeah A2 is the prototype model for 2B iirc.....but.......A2 has Kaine’s memories I thought............WHY???? WHY IS IT LIKE THIS???? ;W; (I’d also complain about why A2 doesn’t have Kaine’s VA in either English or Japanese, but I mean Labrys doesn’t have Rei’s voice in either English or Japanese.......but that’s cause Labrys was based off Rei when she was a little girl and Rei we see in PQ is grown up and has lost the accent so I get it..... And I could buy the same for A2 if she was based of little!Kaine but.........that’s only if Little!Kaine isn’t voiced by Laura Bailey too in Nier and kalsfda;nfdkal I guess I’ll just find out but it’s been ticking me off...... ;w;)

Sorry if this is a messy ramble......I don’t want to go too in depth cause I want to judge it as a sequel which means waiting till I get Nier (and also cause it’s 4 am)...but.....sigh....Didn’t even have any hopes up and yet still came out disappointed.......On the bright side I didn’t have to pay (or really I got a refund since I finished it in 7 days) and I got a plat so it all works out I suppose.....

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thenichibro · 7 years

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Fall 2017 Anime First Impressions

And so here I am again, three weeks late because I can never keep up. Fall 2017 thus far doesn’t seem too, too bad, but I’m sure that will change, considering the multiple original shows on my watching list. Luckily there’s plenty of cute girls doing cute things shows, which is all I need, really. As usual, here’s what I’m watching, with MAL links and original shows marked: Osake wa Fuufu (MAL) Starting off with a short show this time. Osake wa Fuufu follows a wife, Chisato, and her husband, Sora. Sora likes making drinks, and Chisato likes drinking. Match made in heaven, if you ask me. The show even includes drink recipes depending on the featured drink, and a food pairing with it. It's a three minute show about a cute, drunk wife. What's not to like?

URAHARA (MAL) Taking a sharp departure from the calmness of Osake wa Fuufu, URAHARA involves three fashion-loving Harajuku girls saving the planet from aliens. This show is Harajuku personified. Everything from the character design to the OP explodes with a bubbly, colorful atmosphere, wrapped up in a beautiful watercolor aesthetic. ORESAMA's fantastic brand of electropop is the exact cherry on top the art style needed. Rito is the skateboarding, soft-spoken girl with demon horns, Kotoko is the peppy blonde kemonomimi, and Mari is the twintailed idol who also owns the clothes shop the girls work at. After aliens sucking up cultural landmarks appear, an American girl wearing a talking fried shrimp shows up, gives them "physical manifestations of imagination," and they promptly transform into magical girls and fight the aliens, making them explode and turn into donuts. Sure, that made no sense at all, but everything's so colorful. Capped off by a similarly bubbly ED, this show is just outright fun. If it stays about three cute girls happily fighting fashion-stealing aliens, I'm in.

Dies Irae (MAL) Just as an FYI, Dies Irae aired an episode zero prequel, but I've waited until the formal episode one before doing any impressions, seeing as the prequel was a complete clusterfuck anyway. Now then, after the prequel involving Nazi supermen, Dies Irae's main series cuts to the future and the protagonist Ren, a solemn oft-hospitalized teen. Plenty of mysteries abound - a sudden murder, a strange vision at a museum, a runaway friend, a girl calling him Cagliostrio in a dream - interspersed throughout an otherwise thoroughly boring slice of life. Following that, the episode alos teases plenty of the insane bullshit the prequel was few of. In one line, one character drops 5 proper nouns we have had zero interaction with, with the off mention of one name from the prequel episode. Foreshadowing is fine; introducing three characters in the span of 15 seconds and then talking about 5+ more of them is a bit much. The art is nothing special, and the orchestral soundtrack is unique enough, but if the prequel was any indication, this show is going to get insane, really fast. And not insane like the fun, rollercoaster ride kind. More like the trying-too-hard, unnecesarily edgy, impossible to actually follow kind.

Net-juu no Susume (MAL) Ah, the MMO spin on the isekai genre. Net-juu follows Moriko, a NEET woman living alone who devotes her time to playing a guy (Hayashi) in an MMO. She meets with an amazingly cute girl, Lily (who later we see to be a guy IRL), and they start adventuring together. Cut to 70-odd levels of grinding, joining a guild, and an upgraded PC later, Moriko/Hayashi has settled in just fine. First off, Lily's VA is the fucking cutest, holy shit. My reactions about echoed Moriko's anytime she was being cute. Other than that, the first episode was surprisingly sincere. Relatively light on the "MY REAL LIFE IS ON THE INTERNET!!" in favor of Moriko just being more of an awkward, lazy video game nerd. Using video games to not have to deal with real life is nothing new, but the heart with which Hayashi/Lily meet and grow in just one episode impressed me. This could go either way, and I'm hoping it stays a interesting vignette on the trials and tribulations of the two lives Moriko lives.

[ORIG] Just Because! (MAL) Next up, Just Because sees Eita Izumi returning after four years to his locale's high-school, reuniting with people he lost touch with. The first episode sees a wonderful moment of return, as Eita practices with an old baseball friend, leading the practicing band to strike up into the chorus they played at games, seeminginly on their own. The trumpets flowing into the full orchestral matches the rising tone perfectly. Juxatposed with a Photography Club facing termination and a former class prez buried in obligations, a web of connections lies in wait, ready to reaccept Eita. The art is quite muted, and even with complaints about the hot weather, the sun is behind clouds and the cityscape is grey, as opposed to the beating sun we often see. Just Because's first episode, while not telling much, showed plenty, and indicated what the main issues would be and who would be involved, and that's exactly what a first episode should do. If an original work is showing that early on, maybe it has more direction than most - and that's a very good thing.

[ORIG] Two Car (MAL) Sidecar racing is something I haven't seen, for sure. The island of Miyakejima, with its uncontrolled speed limits, is home to famous sidecar racing, or "kneeler racing" competitions, and the show follows the endlessly arguing but amazingly similar local team of Yuri and Megami. A bouncy pop soundtrack plays over the high-speed racing, creating a light yet competitive tone that perfectly fits the colored visuals, featuring the same artist/production company as Masamune-kun no Revenge from a few seasons ago. Discord has cropped up between Yuri and Megumi due to their beloved coach leaving for greener courses and the feelings they had for him as he left. The cuts between the high-speed raising and the melancholic, reflective flashbacks does quite well in explaining their movements throughout the race - catching us up to speed, so to speak. The tone of the show comes across perfectly as the episode closes, backed up by the fantastic soundtrack and beautifully done OP and ED. You just feel this show is time spent on an island, split between relaxing and racing. It's wonderfully done. It remains to be seen if this show will echo others like Minami Kamakura and Bakuon and go really into the mechanical aspect of sidecar racing. However, this show is a surprisingly emotionally-based piece where emotions are expressed on the race course - and I'm interested in more.

[ORIG] Animegataris (MAL) Minoa is our orange-haired, ahoge-sporting protag, called out by the school princess Kamiigusa to talk about anime, of all things. Go figure. Coming off the trash that was Gamers last season, the blonde perfect girl actually being a huge nerd is already tiring. Minoa is looking for the name of an anime that moved her as a kid, and to do it suggests to get the anime club back in action, then promptly gets roped into leading it. Her endless optimism isn't original but it's always refreshing, and the use of anime to let Minoa see "more of Kamiigusa's faces" is a bit better than just having the red face of a normally "perfect" girl besmirched by the recognition she likes anime. Also there's a huge-headed cat and a somehow magical beret, which came out of the blue just a bit. We get a sneak peak of the future members, ranging across all archetypes and social cliques, and then the magical beret comes back and the cat now talks. Interested to see where the hell any of that goes, but if this stays more comedy and less Gamers romance-misunderstanding bullshit, I'll be satisfied. Also, both the OP and ED (especially the OP - GARNiDELiA is so good) are great. Some very strange plot choices, especially worrying in an original work, but if they pay off this will be enjoyable. Let's just hope they do.

Mahoutsukai no Yome (MAL) Backing off the slice of life, Mahoutsukai imagines a modern day world intertwined with fantasy - beastmen, magic, and the few humans who can see it - one of them being Chise Hatori, ostracized for her power until she is bought at an auction by a legendary mage, Elias, who aims to make her his apprentice. Chise is actually a "Sleigh Beggy," a rare being that attracts "faries and mysteries," whatever that will eventually entail. Mahoutsukai thus far gives off a kind of Uchouten Kazoku vibe as Chise moves into Elias' tranquil house. An ostensibly normal-looking environment inhabited by mystical beings, and a duality of calmness and turbulent themes below echo Uchouten's politics. The juxtaposition of the forcible buying of Chise versus the welcoming environment she is brought in creates an interesting dynamic that I'm interested in seeing played out. The animation is beautiful, and the small switches to a more chibi style aren't disruptive in the least. Aside from some confusion about the initial setup of the world, if this show becomes a magical slice-of-life with even a fraction of the heart of Uchouten, I'm in.

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou (MAL) Two girls in old-school fatigues, cruising around a cold, apocalyptic, industrial wasteland. Sounds cool to me. Chito is the collected, tired foil to Yuuri's galavanting, charismatic self. The animation is a bit divergent, in that while the landscapes are detailed in their greyness, the art of the two girls echoes something like Hidamari in its style. While initially strange, it didn't become anything more than just "noticeable." The muscial backdrop is a flowing, airy tone that fits well with the girls having fun praticing shooting or walking around looking for supplies.The music and the attitudes of Chi and Yuu create an atmosphere to the point that doesn't feel like a depressing, sober look at war. Seeing it through the eyes of two children also puts the concepts of war and conflict in eerily simple terms, providing a new look at a concept done to death, so to speak. There's a strangely relaxed feel despite the landscape and color scheme. It remains to be seen if this will go the route of Made in Abyss, especially with an out of place scene at the end of the episode, but while MiA was fucking phenomenal, I could do with less bawling two seasons in a row. This is a strange one, but the simple story of Chi and Yuu trudging across the snowy landscape is appealing.

Konohana Kitan (MAL) Cute fox girls working at a traditional Japanese hot spring hotel? I'm in. Yuzu is the nervous newbie, Kiri is the charismatic head attendant, Natsume is spunky and atheletic, Satsuki is responsible to a fault, Ren is the doll-like one whose personality doesn't match her cute exterior, and there's the diminutive, quiet Sakura. The personalities of the girls are varied and interplay nicely, and I look forward to seeing how Yuzu fits in. Moreover, the art is fantastic. The character designs echo perfectly the individual personalities, and the landscapes of cherry blossoms are stunning. I personally love the traditional Japanese aesthetic the inn and surrounding town embody, and it obviously fits well with the fact that the girls are all kitsunes. Konohana seems to me like a slightly less energetic/comedic Urara Meirochou, which is a good thing. The aesthetic is great, the girls are cute - this is a show for healing, and I need it.

Blend-S (MAL) Maika, a perpetual job hunter with her naturally scary eyes, finds her home at a cafe where all the waitresses are archetypes, as the sadistic one. Blend-S is almost like a more overt version of the varied personalities in Working!, with all comedy and less romance. I quite like the juxtaposition of the girls' normal personalities when talking to each other and their work personalities (especially when the line blurs). While usually its a cute girl who's actually evil or something and used as boring shock value, being the point of the show pivots the concept into a new way I enjoy. Even moreso, Maika especially has plenty of quirks that bely her role as the "normal" main character. The art is clean and sharp, and the girls have great character designs - I really like the facial designs. The OP, by the VAs (which is always a plus), is fantastic both in design and music, and compliments the more relaxed ED (which is also by the VAs). Overall, this show is friendly and the girls are cute. Sounds good to me.

Boku no Kanojo ga Majimesugiru Sho-bitch na Ken (MAL) Adaptations with stock character protagonists and plenty of overt fanservice. Yay. I'm amazed this isn't from an LN, because it is exactly that kind of show. Shobitch begins with our MC Shinozaki confessing to Kosaka, which she accepts. Then she learns "how to be a good girlfriend," which far more often than not involves plenty of fanservice. Also, despite him having a girlfriend, there's a whole variety of other girls interested in him - the childhood friend and imouto get ticked off the list int he first six minutes. On the bright side, the art is great. Character designs aside from the protag are varied and well-drawn. Kosaka's earnestness with which she wants to be a good girlfriend is endearing in itself, but the 100% focus on sexual themes is just a bit tiring. Sort of like how Kuzu no Honkai went from seriously emotional to reducing any character motivation to "the only way I can be loved is physically." Regardless, you know exactly what you're getting into with a title like this show. There are some genuine emotional moments, but they are few and very far between. Otherwise, Shobitch is a well-drawn yet bland ecchi definitely-not-LN adaptation.

Inuyashiki (MAL) Last but not least, adding to the limited action slate I'm watching this season, we have Inuyashiki. Inuyashiki is, for lack of a better term, strange. It begins with nearly all CG, but then transitions to a mix of normal animation and CG for the rest of the episode. The first half of episode one is one of the most solemn, depressing sequences I've seen, and that's blown away by a whirlwind of aliens, body-swapping, and mechanical bodies. While the tonal shift is quite jarring, the change wasn't anything completely incomprehensible. The problem will be where this will go, now that Ichiro, our man with months to live, is now equipped with alien technology. I'm hoping that within the mix of action there will be a sense that Ichiro, now unshackled by sickness, can make concrete steps to make his life better. While the action shots were nice-looking, and the CG actually doesn't look half bad, with how emotionally powerful the first half of episode one is I want to see more of that as well. Either way, Inuyashiki has my attention, and I'm eager to see where Ichiro goes.

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shadyb00ts · 7 years

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Persona 5 - A Review

I should probably preface this by saying that the screenshots I’m using for this review are not my own, since Atlus has extremely strict policies about sharing footage of this game; PS4 Share features are completely unusable. The ones I do have, I got off of Google.

I should also probably mention that this is my first Persona game; I never played the previous titles, so I’m not biased towards the franchise in any way and I had no idea what to expect going into it.

I was originally pretty iffy about getting this game, despite my love for JRPGs. I think I was a little worried about the micromanaging aspects and the deadline system. After Lightning Returns, I sorta avoided games with deadlines and limited time since I didn’t want to deal with the anxiety that comes with it. I like playing games at my own pace, and I also like to completely see EVERYTHING a game has to offer, and games with a limited time system obviously means you’ll have to miss out on certain things unless you follow a strict point-by-point guide that somehow lets you do all the things. From what I saw of this game, it seemed like it would be stressful having to manage social stats, relationships with people, a school life, etc, all while being a magical thief that literally steals hearts.

So yeah, this game was definitely an impulse buy for me and, truth be told, I don’t regret it for a second. I got totally taken for a ride.

The first thing you should know if you plan on playing this game is that you need to have a lot of free time on your hands. This game is such a time sink that I basically lost track of the days. Once you’re in, you are IN. You immediately become attached to these characters and basically live out your life as this unnamed protagonist, raising various social stats such as knowledge and charm to name a few, maintaining strong bonds with the people around you, tackling high school life including getting pop quizzes and doing exams. It can be pretty overwhelming the first time around, at least probably if you’re a newcomer to the franchise like me. I even got a game over very early in the game cause I procrastinated too much and was met with the deadline. I overestimated how much time I actually had to do the stuff I wanted to. It takes a while to get into the groove of this game, but once you know where everything is, you start planning what you want to do, which skills you wanna develop and people you want to spend time with. It can be a lot to deal with, but it does feel rewarding when you max things out and learn to become more efficient.

The story, for a JRPG, is pretty impressive. You play a regular young Joe Shmoe who got unfairly tried for standing up to a shady powerful man and is now labeled a delinquent. He gets sent under the care of a cafe owner for probation and becomes a student in Shujin Academy where he ends up stumbling upon some weird shit, forms friendships with various other young misfits and they form the Phantom Thieves, a group of kids who seek to change the hearts of criminals and horrible adults so they’ll grow a conscience, own up to their horribleness and redeem themselves. That’s all I want to say about the story since I don’t want Atlus to sue me for posting spoilers. But like I said, I was extremely impressed by the story in this game, especially being a JRPG. I say that because, let’s be honest, JRPG stories are normally very predictable and endlessly cheesy. Of course, this game has those moments where it’s so clear how Japanese and Anime the game is from how the characters speak and whatnot, but there were a lot of points in the story where I genuinely had no idea what to expect and certain plot twists I didn’t see coming.

Not to mention pretty much all the characters were very interesting and likable that it’s so easy to form attachments to each of them. Well, except for the protagonist, of course. I’m not sure what it is with JRPGs but it’s very often in games like this where the protagonist is completely mute and not even the slightest bit interesting. Maybe it’s so that it makes it easy for you to put yourself in their shoes, but I was never a fan of that. I prefer protagonists that have their own voice and distinct personality, so I personally wouldn’t mind if more Japanese games started taking a page from Western games when it comes to this kind of stuff rather than just have milquetoast, blank protagonists. That’s one gripe I have in regards to the story elements. Another big one is how empty and meaningless a lot of the dialogue choices really are. Oftentimes you’d see two or three options that basically consist of different versions of saying the same thing. And as far as I can tell, the options don’t really have any lasting effects either. If you’re a dick to somebody, they won’t remember you were a dick. A lot of the options also give you the illusion of choice; the game makes you think that there’s a decision to be made when really there’s only one outcome anyway. These things are basically my biggest problems with the game; it lacked weight when it came to the protagonist and the dialogue system. (Oh yeah, you also can’t be gay, which I was a little salty about but eh, I guess I’ll let it slide. It probably would’ve been too much to expect anyways.)

But enough of that, let’s get to the good part; the combat system. You have no idea how much I adore turn-based combat in JRPGs. I haven’t had this much fun with a JRPG since World of Final Fantasy and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, which are pretty similar to Persona 5 now that I think about it. I loved the hell out of the combat in this game and also the Persona collecting and creating. It did a great job of teaching you how everything worked and letting you differentiate between the skill types, Persona types, etc. Unlike the real-world aspects of the game that overwhelmed me, I was able to digest the combat system pretty quickly. Fusing Personas to create new, more powerful ones is also a lot of fun, I find. I could spend an hour or two just in the Velvet Room alone fusing and strengthening Personas, filling up the Persona Compendium (gotta catch ‘em all, after all). So yeah, honestly I don’t think I have anything bad to say about the combat system. It’s extremely enjoyable and easy to get used to.

By the way, I have to say that this game is one of the most visually intriguing games I’ve ever played. Stylish is honestly the perfect word to describe it as a whole. Everything is constantly moving and the transitions between battles especially are just cool as fuck. The dungeon designs and especially the Persona designs are something to behold. It all just looks sooooo damn good. I’m always so excited when making new Personas cause I can’t wait to see what they look like. I also get very excited whenever it’s time to go to a new dungeon--or Palaces, as they’re called in-game. Each one has its own unique setting and theme depending on the person in charge of it. It was all just so.... cool. I know I sound lame right now, but I swear to god I don’t know what else to say about it, I was just so thoroughly impressed by this game’s style and aesthetic.

Oh yeah, and I rarely talk about the music in games, but the soundtrack meshes perfectly with the overall look and feel of the game. I found myself humming and singing along to the songs after a while, and they got stuck in my head afterward. As far as the English voice acting goes, I also liked it for the most part. Of course there are some cringey parts, that comes with the territory, but overall I think the VAs did really well. I think I recognized a couple of their voices, too.

I spent around 80 hours in my first playthrough of the game, and with all the stuff that carries over from that save data to a New Game+, my experience with this game is far from over cause there’s still so much I haven’t seen from it even despite the amount of time I’ve spent on it. It is a HUUUGE game with a lot of content, so you definitely have to keep that in mind before buying.

I think I’ll give this game a solid 8/10. Next to World of Final Fantasy, I think this is the best JRPG I’ve played in a long while. I do have some problems with it, and it probably isn’t for everyone; if you’re not really a fan of JRPGs then I’m not sure how much you’d enjoy it. It’s not as action-oriented as, say, Final Fantasy XV, so if you’re looking for something more FFXV-ish then it would probably be wise not to get this game. But if you love turn-based combat, monster collecting and micromanaging the life of a high-schooler, this is right up your alley. All I can say is that this won’t be my last Persona game, that’s for sure.

#persona 5 #game review #jrpg #ps4 #review #jrpg games #persona

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hawk-in-a-jazzy-hat · 7 years

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Anime Review: Eureka Seven, and Why Anime was Better in the Olden Days

In a constantly shifting world, people are clinging to life as best they can, despite tectonic shifts and mysterious Desperation Disease making life hard. Still, the people cling to hope in this weird world; hope for the military, for the rebel group Gekko-State, and hope brought about by the hero of the people, Adroc Thurston. Hope that the world will someday be healed.

So we meet Adroc’s son, Renton Thurston, who lives with his mechanic grandfather and dreams of a life where he can freely lift through the sky. Then his life changes as a giant robot crashes through his roof, and he meets a mysterious young girl named Eureka, as well as the Gekko-State leader himself, Holland. Given a powerful device called the Amita Drive by his grandfather, which is able to power a famous robot known as the Nirvash, or Type/Zero, Renton rushes off in pursuit of Eureka, and a new life aboard the Gekko-State. But ominous rumblings are brewing in the military and the very core of the world itself, and the carefree life that Renton thought he was getting into may just be the greatest test he’s ever faced...

Oh yeah, I’m going there. And I’m finally gonna explain why.

The golden age of anime, or of media in general, is an incredibly subjective thing. It depends on your tastes, the things you grew up with, and the things thrust at you as you stumble through life. As such, I cannot in any way say “anime was better at this time that it has ever been since”, because that’s just my opinion. And I would always respect otherwise. But still, for me, film, music and anime were all better in the olden days.

Of course, “the olden days” itself is relative. In my case the golden generation would be the one before me; say the mid-80s to the mid-90s for music and film. Anime is slightly more recent, given that the industry is actually slightly behind western animation on the timeline (so much so that the first ‘anime’ series, as it were, Astro Boy, was based off of classic Disney cartoons). That means the ‘golden age’ of anime for me actually spans from the late 90s to exactly 2007. And yes, as with everything, of course there was a load of crap that came out in that time period, and yes there have been better shows come out since (two of my favourite shows are from 2010 and 2011 respectively). But, in general, I feel anime was at its best during that period, for a few reasons.

So where does that leave Eureka Seven? It came out in 2006 as an original story from Bones, and is now considered one of the classic mech shows along with Evangelion and Gurren Lagann. So how exactly is it? And what is it that makes it so firmly a product of the golden age of anime?

Let’s start with the animation. The absolutely phenomenally awesome animation. Oh yeah, Studio Bones, baby. Immediately that puts this in the classic category; I know nowadays there are a tonne of awesome studios out there, both veterans and newcomers, but back in the day when you saw the Bones logo you knew that the show was going to look stunning. Wolf’s Rain, both FullMetal Alchemists, Soul Eater, Darker than Black, and even in the recent years they haven’t let up with shows like Blood Battlefront Blockade, My Hero Academia and Mob Psycho 100. For the longest time they were the epitamy of quality animation, and they don’t drop the ball here. Eureka Seven looks absolutely wonderful. The character animation is amazing and never devolves into emoticon slapstick, the backgrounds are wonderful, as are the colours, and the show has probably some of the best aerial battles I’ve ever seen. Eureka Seven has the unique style of having giant robots surfing through the sky, and whether or not it’s a silly concept, you can totally buy it with some of the most wonderful flying and falling moments I’ve ever seen. The only time Eureka Seven looks less than stellar is just on occasion, where they’re obviously holding back a little budget and some of the faces get a little squash-and-stretchy. But honestly, it doesn’t matter one bit. Having every frame be perfect is nowhere near as important as having the truly important moments be special.

The animation truly is excellent, but honestly I was far more blown away by the score to this show. The composer was Naoki Satō, and honestly I’ve only heard his work once before in Assassination Classroom, although for the life of me I can’t really remember a single track. Here is a different story though, as the entire score to Eureka Seven just blew me away. From wonderfully emotional opening themes to bittersweet endings to great sweeping strings and horns to some actually epic trance and techno pieces; the whole score is full of standouts both long and short, and it’s probably the only anime soundtrack I’ve listened to in full while I’ve been working (aside from Baccano). The music belongs to the show, and it is the show. Without it, it wouldn’t be the same. I’ve heard some people say over the years that soundtracks aren’t really important, and there seems to be a rising case of that in many modern blockbusters. But as these old series, and heck, even older films can testify, the soundtrack is important. In fact, essential. Decisive Battle. Goodnight Julia. The friggin’ Team Rocket theme. And among films, The Raider’s March. He’s a Pirate. Binary Sunset. I don’t even need to have the music clips and you’re probably already humming them in your head. The music of your favourite things will stick with you until the very end of time. That is how important the soundtrack is. Again, anime was better in the olden days.

While I can’t lavish as much praise onto the dub as I can the music, I can say it grew on me an awful lot. This is, I believe, an early Bang Zoom! effort, a company who would later go on to do good work with Madoka and Kill la Kill. It still has the old dub flavours though, with a few very recognisable actors and a few actors who don’t really act very well? I don’t know; as older dubs go it’s not as fluently fitting as GTO but it’s nowhere near as flat as Elfen Lied or Soul Eater so it sort of balances out. And for the most part the actors do a great job; Johnny Young Bosch and Crispin Freeman perform really nicely as Renton and Holland respectively, as you’d expect; Kate Higgins is a standout as Talho, and while Stephanie Sheh as Eureka takes some time to get into the role, she’s definitely nailing it by the end. In fact most of the Gekko-State, the recurring villains and even a few one-off characters really nail the voices, with the exception of Woz’s actor, who always sounds like he’s questioning everything he says, and Ken-Goh’s VA in the second half of the series, Kyle Hebert. He isn’t terrible, but after the original actor Bob Papenbrook sadly passed away in 2007, the change is very noticeable.

If there is a problem with the dub it lies a little more with the script than the actors. While most of it is very well handled and feels natural, there are definitely a few monologue-y moments where the actors are clearly just standing on a soapbox. But still, as a dub it works well. Very well. And I’m not convinced that the monologue-y moments are really the fault of the ADR team, at least, not completely. But I’ll get to that a little bit later.

You may have been slightly confused with the plot synopsis, and all the weird and wonderful terms and things going on. This is understandable; this is not a simple series, with alien worlds, political and military turmoil, and a huge cast of characters. There is a lot of lore, and a lot of stuff going on in the background that even I couldn’t always follow. Much like Outlaw Star, this is a world of...well...worldbuilding. And yet despite not being simple, it is far from inaccessible. I’d even go so far as to see this would be a very good introductory series for anime newcomers; certainly a better introductory mecha series than either Evangelion or Gurren Lagann.

(Partly because it’s kinda not really a mecha series. I mean, it is, and the mechas are a very important part, but halfway through it sorta turns out to be Trigun in disguise, in more ways than one).

There’s a reason for this, and again it goes into why I prefer the older style of series; despite the fact that all this stuff is going on, the focus is constantly on the main characters. The central point of the series, for the whole 50 episodes, are the relationships aboard the Gekko-State. Romantic, platonic, and familial. Renton’s growing relationship with Eureka and Hollands strained relationship with Talho. And the characters interact with each other, and no interaction is the same. There’s no simple ‘oh I respect this guy and I’m utterly loyal to him’. There’s a lot of back talking, and a lot of abuse being flung around. There’s blood, there’re tears, and fights, and some of it can be downright unpleasant to watch. But guess what; that’s a family! Even when Renton is being at his most annoying-teenager, or Holland is at his most annoying-manchild, or heck, the three kids who are constantly annoying, it still feels natural. They are inherently relatable characters, even if we don’t always like them.

And that’s just the main four; the rest of the Gekko-State are wonderful to watch as well, and heck, even members of the military. Despite the fact that not all of them go through a character arc, even the less prominent ones like Woz and Joves still feel like real people. And I say that not all of them go through an arc, but there’s a lot of really sneaky development here across the board. The shouty military commander Jurgens spends the beginning as a shouty commander, but he reveals a few hidden depths later in the series. Moondoggie (yeah, I know, but just roll with the names) is constantly fighting against feelings of his own inadequacy. Stoner is trying to find his own way to fight, being very pacifistic. Ray and Charles, despite a limited screentime, still manage to be some of the best written characters in the cast. Even among the children, there is Maurice, whose story I found utterly heartbreaking, not just for the obvious reasons, but for the build-up throughout the series and how much the final...reveal...hit close to home. These are real people. We spend the series following real people making real decisions, and some of them are very bad decisions. They make mistakes, they scream and shout. Some of them never recover, whereas others must try to deal with the consequences. And occasionally...just occasionally...some of them find their redemption. And let me tell you, they may make for the most glorious scenes of the show.

That’s the thing. Not every character needs to go through a deep epiphany, or come out on top, or even have a real purpose in the story. You could easily write out half the members of Gekko-State, but the show would suffer greatly for it. In most modern shows of this kind, every character needs a purpose. They must have their moment in the spotlight, and their own character arc. But the thing is, we already have a story, that being, Renton and Eureka’s relationship. Some of the other characters will have stories tying into it, but this is their show. We are seeing things unravel through their eyes, and sometimes, the main character needs a constant they can lean on. That’s when you need the Winrys, the Meryl Stryfes, and the Gekko-States. Back in the day, characters were exactly that. Characters. Characters in their own right, whose paths would cross with those of the mains. Not constructs. As wonderfully crafted as shows like Hunter X Hunter and FMA Brotherhood can be, the side characters too often steal the focus away from where it needs to be. The show does not need to pull you out of the main character arc to show you another one; it should be able to just show you through the eyes of the main. I don’t need to know Shoot’s or Ikalgo’s or Ling’s motivations absolutely word-for-word; I should be able to work it out for myself.

And that’s the point (which I’ve finally gotten back round to); when I see a good modern anime, or a good modern film, or hear a good modern song, I see and hear something that is perfect. Something that has been crafted beautifully and exquisitely to be utterly flawless. And, as weird as it sounds...that’s not how art works. Art needs to have flaws; that is one of the fundamental aspects. You cannot have art that is objectively perfect, since part of the reason it exists as it does is the fact that it is subjective to the creator. It cannot be objectively perfect, therefore, it must have flaws. Every show, every film, every song out there has flaws. And that’s what makes things beautiful.

Eureka Seven has flaws. Oh boy, does it have flaws. Way too much technobabble and monologuing in parts. Some of the dialogue feels incredibly forced and preachy. Some really, really unpleasant scenes in places where even if it fits with the characters it’s just not nice to watch. The pacing can be very off, especially in parts where there are multiple things going on at once. Little things scattered throughout the series, and heck, I like it. There are people out there who are going to hate this show for the choices it makes.

But the flaws make Eureka Seven what it is, just as they do for every show. But more and more nowadays, I see films and shows that have to be utterly perfect in everything they do. The plot has to have the right timing and the right number of twists, and be split into nice neat little arcs. The characters need to have a distinct character arc that finishes in the correct place, and heaven forbid we let any characters make mistakes. Nothing is allowed to be their fault. As technically great as things such as Civil War or Frozen are, I hate the fact that there has to be a villain. There has to be somebody you can point at and say “I can support the good guys in everything because it’s all their fault.” Direction and music fit everything to a tee, to the point where the soundtrack can just be plucked from a massive backlog in order to fit the mood perfectly. In songs, it’s always the same beats, and the same chord structures, and the same computed synthetic backings, in order to show how the singer has such perfect control over their voice even though they’re not saying anything. And NOTHING is allowed to have flaws anymore. The moment a show goes into the very slightest of heavier material, suddenly it’s problematic and sending a bad message. The general public are far too critical of everything nowadays, constantly pointing out plot-holes and every single mistake a film makes, so much so that you fail to see the good. We live in a culture that will judge everything we see before we’ve even seen it, and we will praise the technically flawless as the very best without accepting that people could possibly, possibly like something else more. And believe me, I’m among them. I went through a period of being so critical that I was willing to criticise the technicals of a joke in a kid’s play. It’s not a good look, and it’s not a good feeling when you look back and realise that sometimes you just need to sit back and enjoy something for a change.

Does it go for everything nowadays? Of course it doesn’t, and of course not everything in the olden days was better. We’ve kept the good stuff and wisely decided to leave the crap behind. Even in anime. Too much studio meddling, too little effort going into the story or animation, often way too much filler, and sometimes so needlessly dark that you end up with a Berserk or an Elfen Lied.

And the very reason that so much modern anime is so technically great is that the industry is in a fantastic place. More series are being made every season, with a variety of lengths, new techniques and new studios. Just last year Studio Mappa made a massive hit with Yuri!! On Ice; a unique sports show that was funny, charming, had some gorgeous skating scenes and finally gave a great representation of a gay couple in an anime, in a mainstream hit. It had its issues with the animation and the ending (and I’ll admit, I haven’t seen the whole show so I can’t give my own opinion) but honestly that’s what made it such a hit. It’s going to stick, whether people love it, hate it, think it’s over or underrated or just think it’s meh.

And in every medium, that is the art that will stick. I can think of two areas which are better now than have ever been before. One is kids’ shows and films, which are finally being taken seriously as a legitimate art form and are having more effort put into them than ever before (Lego Movie, Zootopia, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Inside Out, and every Laika film, among many). The other is things that are entirely creator-driven, which was what made the classics what they were. More and more people have more freedom to create the thing they want to make. Over in the west, people like Guillermo del Toro, George Miller and Neil Gaiman, or again with the kids shows, people like Rebecca Sugar, Pendleton Ward, Daron Nefcy, Ben Bocquelet and Alex Hirsch. Netflix and Amazon are bringing more unique and wonderful shows and adaptations to more and more people. And in the anime world, there are creators like Gen Urobuchi, Kunihiko Ikuhara, Jun Maeda and ONE, as well as new and upcoming studios like Shuka, 3Hz and of course Studio Mappa. The talent is out there. The people who care are out there. And I have no doubt that in another few years we’re going to see a new renaissance of media as people like this – people like you and me - take the technology and the dedication we now have, sit down, and make the story they want to make. Flaws and all.

Anime was better in the olden days. Film was better in the olden days. Music was better in the olden days. Not because it had more talent or technique behind it, though we have sadly lost several geniuses over the past few years. It was better, because the people who made it cared. They didn’t care about it being perfect, or being good for people. The things that were good were so good because people picked up the camera, or the pen, or the instrument, and they wanted to make something. They wanted to make their very own piece of art, and nobody was going to stop them.

And we got Empire Strikes Back, and Blues Brothers, and Terminator 2, Labyrinth, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ghostbusters, Lion King, Gremlins, Jurassic Park and Beetlejuice. We got Take On Me, Living On a Prayer, I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That), Heaven is a Place On Earth, Under Pressure, Tunnel of Love and Dry County. And we got Cowboy Bebop, FullMetal Alchemist, Wolf’s Rain, Gunslinger Girl, Baccano, Bokurano, Clannad, Princess Tutu and Welcome to the NHK.

And we got so, so many wonderful things. Not one of them perfect. But all of them forever wonderful.

Eureka Seven is a deeply flawed show, and yet I absolutely love it. It impressed me in all the right ways, with relatable characters, an exciting world, an inspiring story and an absolutely gorgeous presentation. It is every bit a product of the heart and love of Dai Satō, Naoki Satō, and every member of Studio Bones who worked on it. Not everybody will like everything about it, but personally, I found it a true classic. It made my top 20 in an instant and I would recommend it to anybody interested, and in fact, if you live in the good old UK like myself, the whole series is available completely free and legally on Viewster. Go for it. See the stories that came out over a decade ago. Because let me tell you, it’s going to be a little while before we see anything like their kind again.

My score: 9/10

#eureka seven #studio bones #anime 2006 #sorry not sorry

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catharinewiegand-blog · 7 years

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