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dereksmcgrath · 3 years

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Nosu Koshu’s return combines the Black Mercy from Superman with a Dragon Quest isekai plot that doesn’t really deliver much in the way of innovative gags and, in terms of plot, only perpetuates vague hints at larger schemes by Uneras. But maybe Ren’s sister Rin is going to get to be more relevant, so that’s good.

“Nosu Koshu of Illusions,” Magu-chan: God of Destruction, Chapter 56

By Kei Kamiki, translation by Christine Dashiell, lettering by Erika Terriquez

Available from Viz

Spoiler Warning for the Dragon Quest animated film.

Nosu Koshu, the dream god, is like the Black Mercy from Superman mythos. First appearing in the comic “For the Man Who Has Everything” by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, then adapted for Justice League Unlimited and Supergirl, it is an alien being that lets you dream of your most ardent desires–but usually with some catch, not just that, to remove the Mercy from yourself is to lose that perfect dream, but because even within that dream, like any utopia, there is always some dark side behind it. When Nosu Koshu popped up first in Magu-chan, she gave Ruru the dream of being reunited with her dead father, at the cost of being with Magu and living a healthier life of coping with loss and finding new opportunities despite that loss.

Nosu Koshu gave Magu-chan the best arc it has had up to this point–so bringing her back now for a parody of Dragon Quest and isekai storylines is tiresome. Hell, I hated that Dragon Quest animated film for its twist at the end regarding isekai stuff, so unfortunately that example tainted my appreciation for where this chapter was going.

I’m not being entirely fair to this chapter: there were details I liked. I admit some of those details were gags that I should have seen coming: Magu being reduced to a Dragon Quest Slime monster, or Uneras being shown as the final boss (which, as I’ll talk about in a moment, is potential foreshadowing to her being the Big Bad all along for this series). And I laugh heartedly when Ruru said they’ll just skip the maze level and thanks Muscar for the warning; as repetitive as their dynamic is, I do like the groove the series has set, Muscar struggling to be fearsome and intimidating and Ruru, not out of simpleness but kindheartedness, looking on the bright side and taking Muscar’s remarks as helpful rather than intimidating.

But isekai storylines have been done to death. “Magic technology goes out of wack” like Uneras putting Izuma to sleep, then having magic eyemasks to put the others into Izuma’s dream, are plot details I expect from some of the worst manga that repeatedly persist with that trope. If I want the mad scientist who keeps making magic-like objects that cause wacky hijinks, I’d get back to writing Mei Hatsume fanfiction, not sitting through G-rated To Love-Ru.

I’m trying to judge the series by its own previous examples: if you’re going to invoke a certain type of video game, even if it is an RPG, I am stuck comparing how this same series handled the fighting game tropes, offering a funny version of Smash Bros while also having more clever gags that invoke the invitation envelope from that franchise as well as even designing a bulkier headband-wearing Magu to look like Ryu from Street Fighter.

But even still, I think how another series would handle this kind of plotline about Dragon Quest-style RPGs and isekai plotlines–because I’ve seen Gintama do it, not only to parody the same content but to do the exact same plot, that being to get into someone’s body (more specifically for Magu-chan, someone’s mind) to help them through a health-related problem. And when there are so many isekai stories out there, it is ripe for parody–and there have been enough of such parodies in other series, or even isekai that are parodying their own genre and undermining their own narrative conventions.

The gags in this chapter also felt less impressive than those in previous chapters. The problem the series has had since depowering Muscar has been Uneras, and I hate saying that when she is, for better or worse, a character who resonates for manga and anime fans like us, someone portrayed as ostensibly a Western fan whose fixation on the tropes of Japanese comics and animation shows an outsider’s perspective that just gets details wrong and invokes cringe. Maybe it is naive for me to think this is all innocent: as a fan in the United States, who is going to misread cultural aspects of works that are created in cultural contexts outside of where I am, I really try to be aware and not make claims I cannot support.

So, maybe Uneras is a warning for people who think they are being reasonable and having good intentions but whose misreadings are doing actual harm. It’s not that difficult a way to measure her, given her other problematic behavior: her reaction in this chapter of thinking “hawt” upon seeing Izuma oppose her, after the series has already presented Uneras as a pseudo-maternal figure to Izuma, is all kinds of Oedipal squick that, no, ew, stop, please.

When you keep making Uneras’s behavior the instigation for the plot–creating the problems for the characters to solve–her role as the trouble-maker, as the troll, lacks the same complexities we saw earlier. When she first appeared, her antics inadvertently caused problems: if she had told Ruru that the cookies she ate would make her too powerful, then Ruru would not have accidentally blasted Izuma and Magu. In her subsequent appearances, she was carefully placed in alternative positions, sometimes purposefully trolling the characters, sometimes unintentionally causing problems that thankfully were harmless enough to be corrected by story’s end with minimal ramifications and no malice. Then she depowered Muscar, bringing the story back to square one in terms of giving him a potential redemption arc, and invoking colonialist imagery that shows her cultural ignorance is not necessarily amusing but dangerous.

If we don’t want to read something deeper behind Uneras’s behavior, within the plot of the manga itself, there is an easier understanding for why she is trolling people, tricking them, and now pulling such a dangerous Black Mercy god like Nosu Koshu into her ranks–and it’s been obvious since Uneras’s first introduction. When she premiered in unlucky Chapter 13, she made it clear that she is playing the humans and gods against each other, that she sided with the humans against her own kind to keep the gods in check. She is not the traditional notion of a hero, she is not a good-hearted cliche like Ruru: she is a puppetmaster, and that opens up more potential for what to do with her in this manga, and I tense up either because she will emerge as an antagonist in this story or because I am now attached to this idea and will feel disappointed if my prediction does not pan out that way (which, seeing as I am wanting to see every tiny cute creature as a potential villain–e.g., Nezu in My Hero Academia–may be my problem and not that of the stories’: “When you’re a hammer, and everything looks like a nail…”).

That leaves us with what the story does with Nosu Koshu. Since her introduction, she has been a passive character, fitting for a god whose ability puts people to sleep in the dream that best serves the reality they want to enter. That power gave Magu-chan the kind of storyline even the goofiest gag manga needs, one that showed how Ruru has mourned her father’s death and gave joke characters like Naputaaku a chance to rise to the occasion. But now that Nosu Koshu’s threat has been diminished, the manga is trying to figure out where to position her–and the conclusion they reach is to give Ren another god to look after. I had enjoyed how Magu-chan added more gods but made sure to give those gods their own human Pokemon trainer, so introducing Nosu Koshu but not giving her her own unique human is retreading whatever characterization we could get from Ren without developing a currently present human or a new human character we could add. It’s like when Transformers Prime introduced Smokescreen and gave him Jack as his human partner: Jack already has Arcee, and that choice diminished opportunities to give Arcee the spotlight, as her storyline faded more and more into the background while Smokescreen’s role got larger and larger. Diminishing the only woman-coded Autobot to the background didn’t help either.

But speaking of sidelining women characters, if we are going to have Nosu Koshu at the Fujisawa restaurant–and, as they do have a beach stand, it does make sense to apply this god’s talents there after Mother Fujisawa exhausted herself in an earlier chapter–pair Nosu Koshu with Ren’s sister Rin. While I have enjoyed Rin’s dynamic with Naputaaku, he is already Ren’s god partner, and Rin’s schtick has been rather stale: in the beach stand chapter, we did learn she desires to rise to the occasion to run the family business, belying her slacker demeanor. But if we’re going to move beyond the tiresome slacker schtick, having her be the partner to a literal sleepyhead like Nosu Koshu makes sense and could help both characters, contrasting how Rin’s passivity differs from Nosu Koshu’s, and showing that Rin has actual dreams she is trying to reach in her own way while Nosu Koshu has been content to force other people to literally dream without having any goal of her own. Like I just said, I tend to write ideas that I hope a story will take, then I feel disappointed when they don’t go there, and that unfairly influences my reviews. But I hope I got this one right, because after the previous chapter and now this one, it feels like Magu-chan needs an emotionally impactful chapter to give more direction to where the gags should go.

#magu chan: god of destruction #manga review

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superlazygeek · 4 years

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The Dark Blooded Paladin/A dungeons and dragons story

Episode 1 The reckless knight Daniel had many different nightmares only this one was almost in his control. He found himself in his old town of dimcrest as it was being burnt down and attacked by vampires of one of the dark guilds. Even though he was a child in this dream his anger gave him the strength of a warrior as he struck down many vampires in his path with single blow. After clearing a path daniel fell on one knee and started breathing heavily while griping the sword in his right hand. He suddenly heard a loud hissing noise behind and turned his head to find that it was another vampire in the form of a woman staring savagely at daniel with her glowing red eyes and bright white fangs. As his anger sparked up again daniel turned toward the vampire, leaped into the air, raised his sword and swung it down toward the vampire woman. Before his sword could reach her form of the vampire woman transformed into someone else. The expression on his turned from anger to shock as was about to strike down his adoptive sister arlena. The illusion of his sister quickly disappeared before his sword could reach strike the ground with a large clank. The illusion of his sister was behind in a knights uniform staring away from daniel. Daniel then grinded his teeth before muttering the words: “why...did you betray me? You taught me how to survive, you showed me how to be strong. If this was all just a game then what was i really fighting for?!”. After daniel turned backward the illusion of his sister disappeared again. He looked up to the smoke filled sky as he heard a stretching roar becoming louder as it drawing closer to him. And of the fiery mist came large monstrous bat slamming it’s clawed wings on the ground and growling it’s blood stained fangs. The monstrous bat charged at daniel with his mouth wide open. With no chance of attacking daniel held his sword up to his face and closed his eyes hoping that this position would defend himself.

Daniel then woke up screaming as he lifted his upper body from his bed and started breathing heavily. Once he caught his breath he pushed the covers away and placed his feet on floor on the left side of the bed. He placed both his hands on the sides of his head and said in a low voice: “arlena why did you do it?”. Suddenly was alarmed by a knock at his door followed by a man’s voice saying: “daniel my boy are you awake?”. Daniel then sat up from his bed to stretch out his arms and walked slowly to the door with eyes half shut. Upon opening the door he yawned while covering his mouth, rubbed his eyes and said: “yes captain i’m awake”. “Come on son theirs no need to address me like that were not even on duty yet” said the man who daniel called captain. “Oh right sorry” said daniel. Thomas eudon was captain of the unit C knights and the adoptive father of daniel renoldus. He has been known to be friendly man who connects well with his unit members but has also been rumored to have an angry side but rarely shows it. Even though he looks after all his unit members his duties as a father always come first. “Well you better get ready because the unit is heading to the food hall don’t want to miss out on the grub do ya” said captain eudon. Daniel chuckled a bit before saying: “sure don’t”. “Also we need to talk about something important so please hurry up” said captain eudon. “Yes sir” said daniel as he closed the door. And so daniel slide open his closet and reached for his uniform of a white long sleeved shirt with the paladin symbol on both shoulders and black pants. After putting his uniform on his locked the door to his room and proceeded to the food hall.

The headquarters of knights guild was a castle in the center of the city of ebonbarrow, it is comprised of six food halls with tall windows and is surrounded by a stone barricade with black iron gates and four towers on each corner where the archers stood guard, the middle was comprised of different rooms that were included for training and rest. The six separate halls is where each unit would go to receive orders from head commander gunterius and socialize with a warm cooked meal. “My boy you made it!” Shounted captain eudon in friendly tone siting at the end of the table “come sit alongside your old man!”. Daniel sighed and proceeded to the table. Each unit had forty members in total but it’s been rumored that the church council plans to increase that number due to the war efforts. Ever since the vampires invaded five of the noble houses the council has been trying to get as many recruits. The noble houses were the first families of paladins who’s descendants would become oathbound crusaders of justice due to their loyalty to Shereus the god of creation. But ever since the great tragedy many family members died thus the kingdoms defenses were at an all time low. But in the midst of that tragedy some members of each family survived but only one would represent the house and thus the council was born. Since the noble houses were destroyed the council would recruit peasants to become the next line of defense in their war against vampires. Their are six units in every guild but only two of them are the support groups know as the clerics. Although both paladins and cleric’s are gifted with holy magic the clerics were more adaptable with their deities power. Before war was declared on the vampires they were teachers of the scriptures that defended the land from evil spirits and healed the sick. But now they aid the paladins on the battlefield healing their wounds and using their attack spells as their own fire power. Each member of the guild has been isolated from the rest of the world, it was decided by the council as they couldn’t afford any losses in hopes of outnumbering the vampires.

Although daniel received a warm welcome from his father the other unit member weren’t to fond of his presence as they stared at him with the most cold hearted look before continuing to eat their breakfast. Daniel felt uneasy but as the unit members turned their heads, he let it go with a miserable sigh and proceeded to eat his meal. “Daniel iv’e received your results in leading the new recruits for the guild and i hate to say it but i’m quite disappointed son” said captain eudon “Do you know why?”. Daniel briefly looked at his father before staring at his food with a gloomy look on his face and said: “because i lack any leadership skills?”. Captain eudon nodded his head in disagreement while saying: “no it’s because you have been carrying on this lone crusade for far too long”. Daniel’s face jumped with surprise before placing his right hand on his brow with his elbow touching the table. “Daniel the reason why you became one of my lieutenant’s isn’t because your my son it’s because you have proved that you can fight for our cause” said captain eudon “but you can’t go on your own personal vendetta with the vampires while endangering those who also wish to fight”. “I know it’s just that…” said daniel as he struggled with his speech “ever since we were notified that the vampires are getting stronger in numbers i thought that meant our efforts in defeating them were futile. I know it was wrong for getting the new recruits involved but i felt like i needed to do something to make sure we weren’t anywhere close to losing this war”. Captain eudon took a big sigh of grief while closing eye’s and said: “i understand your fear in losing this war son believe me i am too but do you remember the three basic steps to winning any war?”. “Who wouldn’t forget” answered daniel “we are to remember the power that’s been given to us, know our enemies power as well as their flaws and strike them down once those flaws are exposed to us”. Captain eudon smiled before saying: “it’s good that you still remember just try using that method the next time your called for battle. Because if you continue with this reckless strategy your bound to end up dead”.

While continuing to eat his meal daniel could see from the corner of his left eye in the distance that the entrance door of the food hall was slowly opening. As he turned his full attention he saw that it was Ridon one of the messengers for the guild wearing a light armor uniform and a scroll in his hands. These messengers are peasants employed by the guild to carry out messages across the guild due to the size of their headquarters. If needed they would also spread messages to the other guilds across the land in case if they needed to allie for certain occupations. They have also been given limited amount of sword training to defend themselves against physical attacks and have been taught a sacred healing spell by the celtics. “Attention unit C!” shouted ridon “since units A, B, D and E are soon to return this shall be your last mission on the sidelines. And now i shall read you the orders from the head commander guntious!”. Ridon unrolled the scroll and took a deep breath before shouting: “Unit C your last quest on the sidelines is that of a rescue mission for far south lies a town known as clerville that has been invaded by goblins holding many of our people hostage. But since the numbers of goblin has increased taking it back will be too much of risk. Therefore unit F shall draw the goblins out of the town and into the woods. Once the town has been cleared you shall enter in, rescue the remaining survivors and take them to the assigned village where they will be under your full protection. Your horses and carriages have been prepared in the south gate. Be bold and may the divine creator be with you all!”.

As the messenger left the food hall daniel suddenly felt he’s head burning as the order he just received triggered the same memory from his dreams. Sweat ran across his brow as he tried to bring him back to the present day by closing his eyes and placing both hands on his head. He griped his hair and grinded his teeth as the screams in his head grew louder and louder. But then a distant but familiar voice called out his name and then daniel opened his eyes as he found himself lying against the table while captain eudon kept shrugging his shoulder to wake him up. “Daniel daniel wake up!” Shouted captain eudon. Daniel had opened his eyes and turned his left and right as he noticed that all the unit members were gone “Are you alright son?” said captain eudon “Y--yeah i'm alright i didn’t get a lot of sleep last night” said daniel as rubbed his eyes. “Well you better wake up fast because the rest of the unit is already ahead of you” said captain eudon while pointing the open entrance door with his thumb. “Oh crap i almost forgot!” shouted daniel as he quickly arose from his seat “i left my armor and sword with the blacksmith i’ll be at the south gate as soon as i can!”. Daniel then dashed out of the food hall leaving one of the doors half open and his adoptive father to grieve over his forgetfulness. “Idiot kid” sighed captain eudon while crossing his arms.

Daniel had made it to the blacksmiths workshop where both the paladins and the clerics received their armor and weaponry. He was accurately quite fond of this place as he was raised by blacksmiths himself. Before his parents were taken away they would often tell him stories of the paladins who seeked their help in crafting their weaponry and how their weaponry aided them in many heroic battles. Daniel was so astonished by these stories that he believed he was destined to aid the paladins as well for they were his heroes. But even though he became a paladin for the guild he never thought of himself as hero. Due to his personal quest for vengeance his methods for bringing justice was effective but also quite reckless, as his constant mistakes have earned him a bad reputation among the guild and it’s members. After putting on his armor and attaching his sword and scabbard to his waist he noticed a picture siting on the table. He picked it up noticed that it was an old photo of him and his sister after their victory in the swordsmanship tournament. The photo contained daniel and arlena in their late teen and wearing gold and white student informs, arlena had her left arm wrapped around daniels shoulders while smiling. Daniel had his right behind her back grabbing her right shoulder, he was smiling in the photo as well only he had a wooden practice sword in his left hand. After staring at the photo for five seconds he folded the photo in two and slipped it into his right gauntlet. He then exited the blacksmith shop into the hallway where he found captain eudon laying his back against the wall with his back against the wall and his arms crossed.

“You know i’m actually quite surprised” said captain eudon “even though their are five blacksmith shops here in the guild you haven’t joined a single one why is that?”. Daniel had natural talent natural for blacksmithing only has skills have remained dormant due to his current duty as a paladin. “Times change i guess” answered daniel while shrugging his shoulders. Captain eudon got off the wall and said: “come on son don’t me that crap. Were all born with different talents it’s just a shame that you choose to waste it”. Daniel looked at the blacksmith shop and said: “In that case can i ask you something?”. “What is it?” answered captain eudon. “Do you think i’ll ever be as good of a fighter as arlena or am i better off crafting weapons here” asked daniel. Captain eudon sighed before saying: “I may have trained her well but she wasn’t without her flaws too. So don’t go comparing yourself to my daughter daniel i find it rather insulting”. “Sorry dad i know that i can’t measure up to her level of skill and power but i want to do my best in filling in her shoes especially after...what she did” said while looking to the side. Captain eudon placed his left hand on his right shoulder and said: “We will find her daniel. As soon as this war is over our family will be reunited once more. Now come on were already late for our departure”. And so the two of them proceeded through the caste halls leading to the south gate where the rest of unit C awaited them.

As they got their ten rows of horses that were facing toward the south gate, each row had a pattern where one horse is attached to a wagon for carrying the hostages and another horse to be ridden by single knight to protect the wagons. “Captain eudon!” Shouted a male knight while carrying two swords in his arms “Everything is ready for departure, everyone has their horse, all the wagons are in tack and everyone has a strategy map and here’s your map captain” The knight stretched out his arms toward them give them their swords. “Thank you for the report private sirloin and for the map you are dismissed” said captain eudon. “Your welcome captain thank” said private sirlon while saluting the captain by crossing his right arm across his chest. For a brief second private sirlon looked over to daniel and gave him the same angry cold hearted look before turning his back on him and marching away. Daniel has always been a lone wolf but he never thought it would effect his reputation as a paladin, now he feared that it has gotten worse since the other unit members don’t seem to trust him. “You’ve really made a name for yourself daniel although i wouldn’t really consider that to be a good thing” said captain eudon. “Yeah at this rate i’ll never be qualified for any leadership positions” said daniel while crossing his arms. Captain eudon suddenly slapped him on the back startling him. “Save it for the books son now come on let’s find your horse” said captain eudon. Daniel had found his horse in one of rows in the middle and climbed up the saddle on it’s back and gently rubbed it’s neck with his right hand.

“Father since this is our last mission on the sidelines will our unit be returning to the frontlines again” asked daniel. “Don’t know it hasn’t been discussed by the head commander yet but it’s a possibility. Only i don’t think were gonna be active in the war for awhile since the other units are taking down one of the vampires top generals” answered captain eudon while stroking his chin. “So if one their generals is taken down than that means we’ll have the upper hand again” said daniel. “Not just that my boy it also means will finally have peace...for a little while at least” said captain eudon “why don’t the two of us take father and son trip to (place) their might some cute girls who could take an interest in you”. Daniel’s face jumped with shock as his fathers words made him feel embarrassed as he said: “uh aren’t we forribidon from leaving the city unauthorized because i’m pretty sure that town is away from ebonbarrow”. Captain eudon chuckled before saying: “just messing with ya boy but i am serious though. This war has taken a toll on both of us ya know so i only think it’s fair that we take a break from all this. So how about we start with a drink at one of the city taverns my treat”. Daniel sighed with a smile and answered with: “sure dad sounds great”. “Then it’s settled also were on duty lieutenant so you start referring to me as captain now” said captain eudon as climbed on his horse and moved toward the gate. “Uh yes fath-i mean captain”.

Even after losing his wife and daughter daniel had always wondered how he could be so thick skin as the shield on his back. For captain thomas was truly an honorable warrior and a loyal friend. With his experience in leadership and strategy he has lead unit C to many victories. While he has been rumored to be quite fearsome when angered it doesn’t shy away from the fact that he has become a father and a friend to all with his encouraging wisdom and his willingness to help others. Even when he is off duty he’s always trying to find something to do whether it’s drinking at the tavern, competing in sword duals, and showing off in front of the ladies. He was indeed a man of action. “Atteeeeeention!” Shouted captain eudon catching the whole units attention as he was about to give his routine speech. “The orders from head commander gunterius has been put very clear. The yellow squadron are to serve as a distraction while we free the survivors right from under their noses. Some of you may think that goblins are just simple little pests but don’t underestimate them. They may act on their impulses but that's what them makes so fierce in battle. So remember protect these people at all costs and show these bastards no mercy.” Captain eudon then faced his horse at the iron gate and looked up at the archers on top of the wall and shouted: “Open the gate!” One archer ran down the stairs on top of the wall to pass on the message to the gate keepers while two other archers sounded the horns for the people of ebonbarrow. As the sound echoed through every ear in the south region of the city the people knew they had to clear a path as it was an occasional routine for them. The black iron gate slowly started to rise from the dry ground as the horses started breathing heavily and as the knights stared blankly at the path ahead. When the gate was fully opened the knights wiped the horses with the saddle straps and charged through the gate like a stampede. The people of ebonbarrow started to cheer them on as they were on another mission to protect the kingdom, the hooves of the horses started to hit the concrete road as they made their way through the town. When they made it out through the outer gate they followed another concrete road leading away from their headquarters and toward their destination.

#Writing stories Dungeons and dragons

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thevideogamestudies-blog · 5 years

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Enchantment? Enchantment!

The Dragon Age series is definitely in my list of favorites, I have replayed the latest edition to the series, Inquisition, an embarrassing amount of times. Bioware did a pretty good job with adding lore and history from the other games into Inquisition, but not making it completely confusing and unplayable for those who have never touched the previous games. There is enough dialogue, writing, etc. that keeps new players in the loop, but if somebody doesn’t need any prior knowledge of the series to play Inquisition then why bother?

*** under the cut includes violence and blood of fictional characters and fictional creatures ***

Synopsis

Dragon Age: Origins takes place in fictional Ferelden during the 5th blight, “a period when darkspawn find and corrupt one of the Old Gods, which is transformed into an Archdemon and leads the horde to attack the surface world,” (Dragon Age Wiki). Your character is recruited by the Grey Wardens, guardians trained to kill darkspawn. After an attack on the Grey Wardens, the main character and his/her allies, Alistair, a Grey Warden, and Morrigan, an apostate mage, are searching for an army to help defeat the Archdemon and end the blight.

Character Creation

Players have a smaller selection of classes and races to pick in Origins compared to other RPGs. There are only 3 classes: mage, warrior, rogue, and only 3 races: elves, humans, and dwarves. Starting off your character will have general skills but learn more talents and specializations throughout the game from other characters or the menu. Each race has two different backgrounds to choose from, making each playthrough unique. Jeff Haynes observed in his playthrough, “Dragon Age provides a ton of customization without a level cap, so it's possible to take two characters with the exact same background and develop them in completely different ways.” Haynes later criticized this feature, “The largest issue that I had with the Origin feature is that some of the background elements fade away too easily as the game progresses, becoming little more than an afterthought. Simply tossing these endemic problems aside without any attempted mediation or resolution seems unrealistic and forced, and insults the plot of the game...a portion of the game revolves around uniting Ferelden against the Darkspawn, it would seem like you'd have to address these issues of racism somehow, especially if you happen to be an elven character. Simply tossing these endemic problems aside without any attempted mediation or resolution seems unrealistic and forced, and insults the plot of the game.”

Storyline

Dragon Age: Origins has an overwhelming amount of positive reviews about the story. Dave Snider commented in his review, “BioWare officially started calling Dragon Age: Origins the "spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate II," you could almost hear a large sigh being let out from the role-playing contingent who worshipped that seminal game and have been disappointed time and time again by similar claims over the years,” Snider quickly eases the fanbase’s worries by adding, “After spending some 60 hours with Dragon Age, the only bit of soothing calm I can offer towards that worry is that this game is not only the deepest, most story-focused title yet from BioWare, but one you will instantly want to replay.” Origins has similarities to Bioware’s previous titles, such as a traditional fantasy setting populated by dwarfs, elves and humans with stereotypical fantasy lore and archetypes, “But just because it's familiar in spots doesn't mean that it's poorly executed. There are a lot of subtle touches--like the way humans from the neighboring state of the Orlesian Empire speak with a French-tinged accent--that help make the world work,” (Snider). Kevin VanOrd commented on the traditional setting as well, “Ferelden is a colorful and fascinating kingdom that takes enough cues from well-known fantasy tropes to be familiar, but bends enough conventions to feel original. Dragon Age features dwarves, but their caste-based society and the social paragons that rise above it twist the norms enough to keep you intrigued. Mages remain under the constant watch of templars, a restriction that doesn't sit well with those who view such policing as virtual slavery. The role of religion in human circles is of particular note. Chantries provide refuge to those worshiping the all-powerful Maker, and chanters recite the holy word near their houses of prayer.” “Dragon Age brilliantly combines the genre’s old-school conventions with a few modern twists to create one of the most addictive and expansive RPGs of its kind. Attempting to summarize the experience of Dragon Age in a few paragraphs is almost ridiculous given the depth of the game’s content,”stated another reporter, Joe Juba.

However Jeff Haynes, IGN author, had a different take commenting, “The plot of Dragon Age is extremely rich with details that unfold over dozens of hours of play...The biggest issue that arises with the storyline of Dragon Age is that plot elements suffer from repetitiveness. Even though different cities house unique quest events, they all incorporate similar motivating factors – assassination, betrayal or murder. Even though the results of your actions vary, it can become a bit stale. Not every single city needs Macbeth, King Lear or other Shakespearean styled machinations to drive the action forward.”

Characters

The memorable companions and unique backgrounds and their witty remarks are what make Origins so great. There are many compilations of every sidekick’s banter on Youtube. “Characters are generally complex, defying the unrealistically simplistic labels of "good" and "evil," and the game is the better for it,” expressed Gerald Villora (sic). Nicolas Tan added in his review, “The side conversations between characters are also hilarious enough to make you stop in your tracks and listen, offering a welcome change of pace to the serious and grave task of slaughter and world-saving.”

Combat

My personal take on the combat style was: “meh”. This was my first time experiencing this kind of combat in video games, and I am not that big of a fan, so I just keep the game on easy mode. Dave Snider observed, “You'll probably spend a good portion of time in pause mode, manually issuing commands to your entire group, especially if you're working with more than one mage or if you're the type to obsess over the survival of each party member,” he later added, “The combat in Dragon Age is where the game feels closest to its computer RPG roots. This is a classic "pause-and-command" type of game, and it comes with all of the difficulty and micromanagement...the game's boss fights, in particular, get extremely tough and require proper mana management, some well-timed potion-chugging, and a keen eye to watch out for scripted events.”

In The End

Dragon Age: Origins may look a little ugly due to age and awkward animations, and the combat may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the intriguing storyline, with interesting politics and debates within the world, and memorable characters who provide endless amounts of laughter makes the game well worth it in my book. Definitely put this game on your “to play next” list.

Works Cited

Haynes, Jeff. “Dragon Age: Origins Review - IGN.” N.p., 3 Nov. 2009. Web.

https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/11/04/dragon-age-origins-review

Juba, Joe. “Dragon Age Review: BioWare’s Return To Classic Form - Game Informer.” N.p., 5

Oct. 2009. Web. https://www.gameinformer.com/games/dragon_age_origins/b/pc/archive/2009/10/05/review.aspx

Snider, Dave. “Dragon Age: Origins Review - Giant Bomb.” N.p., 3 Nov. 2009. Web.

https://www.giantbomb.com/reviews/dragon-age-origins-review/1900-223/

Tan, Nicholas. “Dragon Age: Origins Review - GameRevolution.” N.p., 18 Nov. 2009. Web.

https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/44937-dragon-age-origins-review

VanOrd, Kevin. “Dragon Age: Origins Review - GameSpot.” N.p., 3 Nov. 2009. Web.

https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/dragon-age-origins-review/1900-6238631/

Villoria, Gerald. “GameSpy: The Consensus: Dragon Age: Origins Review - Page 1.” N.p., 3

Nov. 2009. Web. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/dragon-age/1041838p1.html

#college assignment #dragon age #dao #dragon age origins #da:o #dragon age: origins #rpgs #bioware

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The Crunchyroll 2017 Holiday Gift Guide

Hello everyone and Season’s Greetings. My name is Peter Fobian, Associate Features Editor. We here at Crunchyroll know how hard it is to plan out holiday shopping for your friends, family, and loved ones, so we wanted to put together a handy gift guide for the anime-inclined! We’ve separated the gifts into several different sections for varying types of anime fans and included options for different budgets. Whether the person you’re shopping for loves Attack on Titan or Sailor Moon, we’ve got something for them on this list. Light up the fireplace, pour yourself a mug of good nog, and enjoy the Crunchyroll 2017 Holiday Gift Guide!

Gifts for the Shonen Fan

Martial arts, powerful psychic abilities, and Earth-shattering fight scenes—if the person you’re buying gifts for loves these things, here’s the section for you! Here are gifts for the people in your life who love shonen.

For fans of Dragon Ball Super, My Hero Academia, Yu Yu Hakusho

$:Dragon Ball VIZBIG Vol 1

Akira Toriyama’s groundbreaking manga set the stage for modern shonen and the international megahit Dragonball Z. A more light-hearted, simpler look at Goku's adventures with Bulma as a child. The VIZBIG editions of the series offer a lot for your dollar, collecting several volumes in omnibus with plus-size pages!

$$:Kakashi Military Hoodie

Perfect for running with your arms out behind you, the Kakashi Military Hoodie is great for the Naruto fan in your life who has cold arms. This type of gear is my favorite since it can be worn casually or as lowkey cosplay and acts as a conversation starter for fellow fans.

$$$:One Punch Man

Here we have the collected edition of one of the most popular shonen anime of the past few years, including all 12 episodes and 6 OVAs. One Punch Man’s comedy-heavy take on the superhero genre and amazing fight scenes demand blu-ray quality viewing as we all wait for season 2.

Gifts for the Shojo Fan

For fans of Sailor Moon, Blue Spring Ride, Glass Mask

Do you know someone who loves nothing more than love triangles and flurries of cherry blossoms? Does the sight of magical girl transformations make their heart flutter? Well we’ve got the perfect gifts for you to buy them!

$:Sailor Moon Socks

By the power of the moon, these socks will keep your toes warm during the winter. A perfect accessory for Usagi fans and a great way of buying someone socks for the holidays without the usual accompanying disappointment. With several different patterns, no one will be able to accuse you of using the same socks every day.

$$:CardCaptor Sakura Figure

With the approach of the Clear Card arc after nearly two decades of hiatus, it’s time to start gearing back up with Cardcaptor Sakura merchandise. Although the series is known for its myriad outfits courtesy of Sakura's best friend Tomoyo, nothing look is more iconic than Sakura in her trademark rollerblades.

$$$:Revolutionary Girl Utena

A genre-defining shojo title whose influence has reached well beyond the anime fandom. Revolutionary Girl Utena broke new ground when it aired in the late ’90s, and our friends at Nozomi are giving it a gorgeous box set fit for a prince. This gift is great for diehard fans, people who you know will fall in love with the series (everyone), and the rings make it perfect for finding your own rose bride.

Gifts for the Manga Reader

“Well, the anime was pretty good, but have you read the manga?” Here are some excellent gift choices for people who have always, always read the manga before watching the anime.

For fans who are reading a ton of manga that still haven't gotten anime adaptation.

$:The Promised Neverland

Although The Promised Neverland has been running in Weekly Shonen Jump for over a year, the first volume just made it to print in the United States this month. I won't ruin the twist, but there is more to this cute-looking series than meets the eye. If I had to provide one common title to compare it to I'd maybe say... 20th Century Boys?

$$:Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

An influential manga classic, this series was written and illustrated by Hayao Miyazaki himself. The Ghibli movie of the same name only gave you a taste of the greater story which has been collected in this beautiful 2-volume hardback box set. A seminal work and a must-have for manga collectors.

$$$:One Piece volume 1-23 box set

One of the most popular comics in the world, for good reason. One Piece has been running strong for 20 years and just keeps getting better! A perfect balance of action, hijinks, and some of the highest emotional highs of the genre. This set contains the first 23(!!!) volumes of the series and is a great starter pack for anyone looking to build out their collection. More of a briefcase than a box set, it's even got a carrying handle.

Gifts for the Anime Newbie

Anime is more popular than ever before, which means you probably know someone who is just getting started down the rabbit hole of anime fandom. Here are some presents to help you foster the growing anime fan in your life!

For fans who are dipping their toes in

$: Crunchyroll Membership

Is there any greater gift in the entire world than a Crunchyroll Premium membership? Access to one of the largest anime libraries in the Western hemisphere ad-free and a ton of digital manga—it’s never been easier to get into anime!

$$:Ghibli Bundle - Spirited Away/Princess Mononoke

Ghibli movies are some of the most well known anime to mainstream moviegoers and are responsible for bringing in more than their fair share of dedicated fans. Most of the people I talk to today got their start with either Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away. Now it's easy and affordable to buy them together!

$$$:Your name

Speaking of anime films that made it into the mainstream, Your name has become a global phenomenon and one of the most successful anime features of all time. The opus of science fiction romanticist, Makoto Shinkai is a perfect starting point for blossoming anime fans.

Gifts for the Arthouse Buff

We all have that one friend. You know the one: that person who has an encyclopedic knowledge of anime directors and a top 10 list of shows you’ve never heard of. Well I am that friend, so these gifts are objectively good choices for the arthouse buff in your life!

For fans of Bakemonogatari, The Tatami Galaxy, Yuri Kuma Arashi

$:In This Corner of the World

I'm gonna keep talking about anime films... While it didn’t make the bang that Your name did, In This Corner of the World was one of the best anime films of the same year. A painstakingly researched historic drama five years in the making from industry legend and Santa Claus of anime Masao Maruyama, anyone who loves anime or cinema in general should see this film.

$$:Only Yesterday

Isao Takahata is often overlooked in favor of Hayao Miyazaki, but his directorial work for Ghibli is just as important! Takahata’s 1991 film is a sensitive portrait of a young woman that reaches an impressive level of realism and depth.

$$$:Mob Psycho 100 Limited Edition

From the creator of One Punch Man, Mob Psycho is the Studio BONES given free reign to go wild over the visual medium. This series reached into the far corners of the medium trying out downright experimental animation techniques. It even comes with a spoon to practice your psychic abilities!

Gifts for the Horror Lover

Halloween may be months past, but it’s never a bad time for horror! While these gifts might not be for the faint-of-heart, anyone with a fondness for all things scary will be sure to love them!

For fans of Another, Shiki, Ghost-type Pokémon

$:Happiness

From Suzo Oshimi, the author of Flowers of Evil and Inside Mari, comes a vampire manga that is as horrific as it is beautiful. Tokyo Ghoul fans will find a familiar premise taken in a much darker and introspective direction.

$$:Tomie

Junji Ito’s works are being collected into beautiful black and white hardback editions and Tomie is one of his most famous, spawning a series of live-action films. This collected edition tells the story of its eponymous character, a mysterious and monstrous beauty.

$$$:When they Cry

Spread across three seasons, When They Cry is a master class in how to do horror right in anime. Suspense and body horror both used to their fullest for the entire series run is now available in one convenient package.

Gifts for the Figure Collector

Anime figures are one of the easiest ways to show your love for a favorite character! This year has seen plenty of great new collectibles, and here are three that are sure to delight the figure fan in your life!

For fans of Figmas, Nendoroids, and everything in between

$:My Hero Academia Pop! Vinyl Figure

Everyone’s favorite heroes in training plus the symbol of Piece, All-Might, available in Funko Pop! form! Cute, affordable, and, above all else, HEROIC. PLUS ULTRA!!

$$:Breath of the Wild Link Nendoroid

The newest entry in the Legend of Zelda series was hailed by critics and fans as the game of the year when it was first released, and now this version of Link is available as a Nendoroid! Be sure it check out the store page since nendroid never skimps on customizability and accessories!

$$$:Viktor Nikiforov

Yuri’s coach is immortalized in this beautifully realized figure! Viktor’s known for always surprising his fans and your loved one opening a gift to find this figure within will be no exception. A must-have for Yuri!!! on ICE fans. There's also a Yuri version to recreate their duet.

Gifts for the Gamer

There are anime fans and there are video game fans, but what to buy those who occupy the middle segment of this particular Venn Diagram? Don’t you worry, we’ve got you covered with these gifts that are sure to put please any anime-inclined gamers!

$:Battle Chef Brigade

Recent digital release for Windows and Nintendo Switch perfect for fans of everything from Food Wars! to Avatar: The Last Airbender. This charming game combines side-scrolling combat with a novel Puzzle Fighter-like cooking system. Hunt monsters and and use their parts to win cooking battles!

$$:Persona 5

One of the greatest videogames of what has turned out to be a stacked year for gaming. Persona 5 did a rare thing by living up to its own hype, delivering one of the most stylish games in recent history, including a great story with attractive characters and fun gameplay.

$$$:Dark Souls the Board Game

It’s the Dark Souls of board games! FROM may be finished with the franchise, but you can invade your friends homes to take on dangerous bosses as a group. It’s all the soul-crushing difficulty of the game except you’ve got a team at your back.

Gifs for the Fashionable Friend

$:All-Might Socks

Your feet are fine now. Why? BECAUSE I’M HERE. AHAHAHAHAHA.

...

Anyways these All-Might socks are really good.

$$:Yuri Katsuki sweatpants

Do you know someone who wants to dress like a professional figure skater while simultaneously harboring a passion for loungewear? These Yuri Katsuki Sweatpants would make a great gift for them! Perfect for lounging around the house and eating pork cutlet bowls.

$$$:Subaru Hoodie

This hoodie is perfect for the person in your life who is willing to try and fail and try again! It’s a gift your loved ones can enjoy again and again… and again… and again...

The holidays are drawing closer but there's still plenty of time to find the perfect gift. As a self-described anime and gift-giving expert, I'm confident this list has just what you need to end the year with a bang and cause the recipients of your gifts to spontaneously start conversations with others about what a great person you are when you're not around. Until next year, good shopping, good buying, and goodbye-ing...

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Peter Fobian is an Associate Features Editor for Crunchyroll, author of Monthly Mangaka Spotlight, writer for Anime Academy, and contributor at Anime Feminist. You can follow him on Twitter @PeterFobian.

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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