me & you & the son we used to have [from nov/2023]

second image is based on this fanfic by snap which you should totally go read

Some Anime I Just Finished

Before I start with this stuff, I also finished Nyan Koi, but honestly, don’t watch it. There are no points of this show that I’d recommend. I watched it on a whim. I regret it. It wasn’t bad enough to really make me sit and go have an crisis about what I watched and why I like anime and why I was born, but let’s just say, I should stop watching anime because there are some seiyuu I know in it. But hey, if generic harem ecchi stuff is your thing, there’s something.

Ballroom e Youkoso

That was a lot of hype for a mediocre show. Let’s just say... it was alright and standard with a unique concept that got everyone excited. It took a really unique concept for a sports anime, but the cast wasn’t all that likeable or memorable. The story was generic sports anime stuff, but it was still pretty good. The art was really good. I don’t get the criticism that their necks were too long. We’re watching anime where the waists are tiny, the eyes are huge, and the boobs take up over half the body. Get a grip.

Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis and Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul

This anime is a clusterfuck (and so is whatever I’m writing about it because I have a donkey brain right now). It made me laugh at times when it wasn’t supposed to, but I was entertained. I think I was searching for something to fill that SKET Dance-shaped hole, and this... was not it. This was fast-forwarded on my watch list because of the seiyuu, but I was going to watch it some time in the future anyway. Genesis (what I would count as the first season) and Virgin Soul (what I would count as the second) are completely different. I’ve heard of people who watched VS independently, and while you can, it makes far less sense if you do it that way. Not saying that you should watch this anime because it’s really... something else. If you know what you’re getting into, you’ll have a good time. Otherwise, you will not. I also watched this anime because I heard it was based off a card game and went, “YU-GI-OH? AS IF THEY CAN MAKE AN ANIME OUT OF A CARD GAME!” And in that respect, they did impress me. I was judging this series as an anime and not as a “oh, I made this on a dare.” I’m not familiar with the source material. 

Overall: 6.5/10 (Both Seasons)

(SPOILERS AHEAD - but who’s going to commit to 36 episodes? …Besides this idiot right here, aka me)

The characters here are honestly nothing that people haven’t seen before. Uh, this anime has an afro bandit, a knight with a mullet, a zombie, and some white-haired demon that everyone in Tumblr thirsts for because he looks like he’s straight out of that demon dating sim. You’ve probably seen these types of characters before. Multiple times. Rumour has it that you can find a cast of this caliber at your local Walmart or gas station. Season one introduced me to a small cast of characters, so by the end, I was like, “Alright, this is fine. If you give me another season, I can totally get behind these Mary/Murray Sue’s. Maybe.” I look up the cast list for VS and went, “Why are all of them either labelled as supporting or are gone?” VS brings out a whole slew of new characters you know nothing about.  

We had to give up this character? Seriously? Season two at what cost?

VS′s villain’s motives made no sense. His mom was killed by the monster, so he wants to bring forth the monster to defeat it even though it’s literally the doomsday bringer... alright. He even sacrificed his eye and went, “I can still do this. I can end that monster.” Meanwhile, he’s killing and alienating people who would’ve been able to help him. This is even worse considering that VS had 24 episodes to get me into whatever the heck this king was on about. Actually, I can only remember one character that was voiced by Yuuichirou Umehara that made remotely any sense, and this is out of at least 5 characters. Force that character with the main girl in that Romeo and Juliet kind of stuff, and you’ve got a new cast. All your favourite characters from season one are sidelined. You were main character last season? Pssh, that’s water under the bridge. Nobody cares that you saved the world once, it’s up to some kid who can turn into a dragon when she sees a hot guy. I wish I was making this shit up. She really fell for a guy who is ready to kill her. We’ve got more side characters no one knows about. Also, they just had to kill off a character from the first season for funsies and no other reason. They killed him in such a stupid way, and if that wasn’t enough, they brought him back as an even more hideous zombie. I didn’t even like his original design, but even I know they did him dirty. I feel like they should’ve focused on the main cast with maybe some additional characters, but when you add everything at once, nothing is going to work out. This show also really screwed up the ending in a way that I don’t know how. They closed loose ends, but were there any reasons for this buildup? No. Did I enjoy the ending? No. Would I recommend this to my friends? No.

The visuals try to save this anime, but it cut some corners to get here. Alas, MAPPA is MAPPA, so some of that fight choreography was great (but most of the “hype” only came from season one for me). The sound was alright. Good voice acting. It was even great at times. Kenshou Ono played a bastardly idiot in season two which had me really liking his performance because of how much I hated that character. Hiroyuki Yoshino plays another guy like that. Sumire Morohoshi played a 17-year-old in season two, and she was practically 17 when this was produced, so it’s one of the few times that people actually cast someone who’s the same age as the character. I haven’t actually heard Risa Shimizu in main role before, but she did not disappoint. I was disappointed when she didn’t come back for season two. I haven’t seen Gou Inoue play a main character in an anime I watched either. He’s actually pretty good. Maaya Sakamoto and Miyuki Sawashiro appeared as well. Miyuki Sawashiro played a pivotal character actually. I happened to like her character too. Megumi Han sounded badass in this anime too. 

(She looks like Robin from Fire Emblem, the plot is like FE Awakening, and she had so much more to do in the series than what she did in season one. The series would’ve been more interesting if they brought her back. In fact, the whole season season could go under some form of an edit.)

Characters from your local secondhand “lightly used” vegetable sales bin with a story fried at that old McDonalds with the semi-rancid oil thrown together with some chips that you left open the night before that were supposed to be “character development”. It’s passable. Edible. Scrap that together, but now throw out whatever good things you had in there. Throw in that fuzzy tomato that isn’t even red anymore, shady stuff found behind the fridge, and some ranch, and voila, you’ve got yourself this subpar anime. It’s plated nicely with nice visuals and some form of a facade that this anime is going well, and if you’re into guilty pleasure anime like that, there you go. I still enjoyed myself despite all that I said, but I have no intentions of recommending this. It was also really hard to access in my country too. 

So. As a newbie to kitaro who has only watched the 2018 anime so far and plans to watch Hakaba kitaro next, do you have some insight on how they compare to each other? I think I'd get whiplash otherwise djdjjdjdjdj they seem like very... different iterations. (Also the TV tropes page says "With how corrupt Kitaro gets and how tragic things become; this isn't the easiest story to get into, especially if you are more used to the more widely known version of Kitaro" so like. I'm scared dnfbxjb X'D)

Well, comparing Hakaba Kitaro to 2018/Sawashiro Kitaro is almost sad for me because…well, I like Sawashiro-Kitaro but I also find him to be the most boring iteration of the character yet. I have a love-hate relationship with the 2018 series and recently dropped it. I might pick it back up again later because it’s not like there’s many episodes left to run, but like many of my buddies I’ve burned out of this version. He can even go as far as being out of character for any Kitaro I know. I mean, what Kitaro doesn’t like sweets? Kitaro loves chocolate and would die for it, that’s my standard. A woman making him cookies would send him over the moon with happiness.

Since you want to ask about Hakaba though, I’ll give you a rundown on what makes him different, in fact I already started. I love Hakaba Kitaro with all my heart, so do note my biases. Hakaba Kitaro is a lot like his manga counterpart when it comes to food. He’s the happiest little toad whenever somebody gives him a meal and would die for them even if they’re a corrupt politician because he loves cake more than his own rights (or in the Hakaba anime, mashed potatoes and gravy). Also yes, he does make the same facial expression when eating every single time. He revels that much when he gets to eat food. His pigheadedness is often because he’s a hungry, growing boy.

GeGeGe no Kitaro (the manga) is a different beast from the anime iterations, at least when you talk about his attitude (which changes depending on what fits the the story). Kitaro’s Night Tales is another example that’s more like Shigeru Mizuki’s original Hakaba Kitaro with a change in art style. Hakaba Kitaro is only six years old at the start of his series, which is different from any iteration of GeGeGe no Kitaro. He has powers granted to him by his ancestors, but he’s truly a little child and can’t hold his own in a fight (unless you count Takeuichi Kanko’s Hakaba Kitaro, but he’s no longer Shigeru Mizuki’s Hakaba Kitaro). A lot of his power is incidental and he’s not a fighter in the slightest. Most of the time he’s too weak from hunger to even accomplish much.

Instead of Sawashiro-Kitaro’s mere cold fish expression, Hakaba Kitaro has that and an attempt at a duping smirk (I say attempt because he uses a lot of half truths rather than outright lies). He cackles often, both in mean spirited ways and out of habit, which can lead to some goofy moments. It’s a release for Hakaba to laugh, which is something that the franchise as a whole held onto for years. Sometimes the franchise is called “Cackling Kitaro” in English, for example. This is a staple for any Kitaro, really; he giggles sadistically and likes observing the peculiarities of the human ego (or the helplessness of any yokai he’s fighting if we’re talking about GeGeGe). Hakaba doesn’t understand all there is to the world and is at first too bitter to initiate, but becomes increasingly curious and lighthearted as he ages and mingles with humans (mostly from a scheming standpoint as he is often one to flex his own ego by competing with Nezumi-Otoko, who is a more scholarly type than depicted in 2018). The Hakaba Kitaro anime is not as graphic as some of the scenes in GeGeGe no Kitaro 2018, forfeiting blood and so on, but there is suicide imagery within. Maybe not as potent as scenes with Mana early on, but make sure you’re in a good place mentally when going in because Kitaro’s attitude can be jarring if you look at it from a psychological/moral perspective rather than a spiritual (rebirth) one. Other times his attitude is refreshing because instead of acting as if he knows everything a human is going to do and condemning them for it, he watches because he doesn’t know. He gets surprised often and that’s what inspires him to observe the way he does. He gives his “victims” a way out, a choice to make, and will let them go if they keep their promises to him.A lot of Hakaba Kitaro is spiritual/political social commentary designed from 60′s Japan, so it can be either a boring watch or a fascinating one if you happen to enjoy dissecting some Buddhist ideals as well as period-typical sociological struggles. In Hakaba’s case, twisted Buddhist ideals that he doesn’t necessarily live up to (I would argue that Neko more or less became the figure for those ideals, hence her tragedy). His slice of life is not happy and he acts out often, some of which the anime reframes to become more palatable to the audience.

I don’t find Hakaba Kitaro to be scary, despite his willingness to commit darker acts that don’t discriminate; human or yokai, it’s not a good idea to try and get in this kid’s way. Nonetheless, he’s not stupid but he’s not wise either. He’s always in over his head while stubbornly acting as if he’s some master manipulator (he’s not, he’s the most unskilled liar ever), but as Nezumi-Otoko and other yokai often say, “he’s a pushover.”As the show moves on, Kitaro has a fascination with girls and women that becomes quite uncomfortable to witness. He’s very much implied to be a creep, especially around Neko. At least after that arc, unlike Sawashiro-Kitaro, he didn’t just nod his head when some woman was in danger of being taken advantage of. Umibozu took Sekiyo and announced he would make her his pet and Sawashiro-Kitaro was totally okay with it simply because he found her troublesome, enabling Nezumi-Otoko and Umibozu. Hakaba Kitaro actually did something different for the sake of the woman of Nezumi-Otoko’s interests even though he owed a debt to him and another monster. Kitaro warned her of the dangerous men that were after her and being proud of himself for it, as if he was growing as a person. Only a little though. He still has some period-typical sexism internalized, likely from his role models (Medama-Oyaji and Nezumi-Otoko).The tragedy of Hakaba Kitaro is that of his upbringing. The anime doesn’t show it off as brutally as the manga does, but Kitaro’s eye loss could be triggering to some. Also the way Medama-Oyaji herds his son by using a rope like a leash, how Kitaro licks Mizuki’s hand like an affectionate puppy despite what he did to him, etc. Kitaro is implied to have a kindhearted nature. All of this makes his corruption very hard to watch if you’re not in the mood or if you sympathize with him too much. However…I didn’t find it as hard as watching 2018 Kitaro get slapped by Neko for not trusting her enough (really cheapened his angst for me) or Neko being creepy instead with her weird crush and the double standard of how that’s played as attractive/tsundere. At least for the majority of the show’s run. I love Neko’s prowess but I don’t love when she’s watered down into a moody tsundere.Some describe Hakaba Kitaro as joyless, and they’re entitled to their opinions of course. It’s largely a thematic and prototypical work. However, I find a lot of joy in watching Kitaro do his best while also being a little shit at the same time. He’s a gremlin boy in every sense; cute, mischievous, and dangerous. He has a lot of character quirks that have been lost to time that I miss, and he’s sometimes regarded as “The Best” version of Kitaro by some of my friends (the other “best” version is 1996/Matsuoka-Kitaro). It’s my opinion that Hakaba Kitaro’s rep as difficult to get through isn’t because it is scary, it is because it’s a different genre. It’s a satirical slice of life tragic comedy with a folkloric horror aesthetic, not necessarily one that appeals to children too much. There are cultural as well as political boundaries there and little fan service to speak of. Kitaro isn’t heroic, can’t usually hold his own, and even gets whiny if he’s hit in the head a lot (he’s very ashamed and embarrassed of this).

A lot of other fans find him to be adorable (and pinchable), especially because of his buck teeth and whiny but ambitious attitude. Rather than compare him to a rat, I adore when people draw him with bunny eared hats. I’m guilty of calling him a little bastard a lot of the time but I do appreciate him as more than a trickster stereotype. He’s just as capable of being sweet and kind, because he’s superficially intelligent; but in actuality he’s more trusting and gullible than he appears. 

Anime Highlights of 2018 (SO FAR!)

I haven’t watched all of this year’s anime because I have a ton of other stuff on the “watch later” list, but I wanted to get my two cents in. I know it’s just the start of 2019 (when I started this post, it was 2018).

If you don’t see a show on here that could’ve been on the list, scroll to the bottom and click “Keep Reading” because it might be included in the shows I didn’t get around to watching!

For this list, I will be ranking the shows into categories:

Raisin Cookie: Low-Tier

Sugar Cookie: Mid-Tier

Chocolate Chip Cookie: Top-Tier

No sequels allowed! No shows that are continuing from the previous year.

Honestly, there were a lot of good shows this year. Even this summer (which was considered the weakest by many) still got a lot of good shows in. 

This video covers a lot of this year’s good anime.

Raisin Cookie:

Conception 

Read the synopsis. Do I really need to say why? I watched one episode, cried on the inside, then asked why I was even born. 

Goblin Slayer

The first episode was gruesome and horrifying. It was seeping with edge, but I couldn’t figure out why they would make that the first episode if the rest of the anime was just an ecchi harem. We knew this would be a disappointment, but we didn’t know it would be a disappointment because of that.

Bakumatsu

I watched the first episode and wondered why I even tried watching this. You can’t carry a show with just voice casting and arguable fujoshi-baiting. 

Mahou Shoujo Site

This rivals Goblin Slayer’s edge. Mahou Shoujo Ore takes the magical girl genre and makes fun of it through comedy. This makes fun of it through gore. Think of it as an extremely poorly done, awfully written, badly executed attempt of trying to recreate a show like Madoka Magica.

Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes 

For a mystery show, this show was sure full of bullcrap and nonsense. I watched the first few episodes and found myself disliking this anime.

Kitsune no Koe 

I watched nine episodes before giving up. The music is subpar. The acting is subpar because the story and script are so poorly done. I would even argue the casting is all wrong.

Akkun to Kanojo

I just don’t like relationships where people are overly tsundere. I get the whole getting flustered thing, but resorting to violence and bullying over it is not my thing. This guy is so mean to his girlfriend, and sure, some people might enjoy it (which is why it’s the top of the trash pile), but I didn’t enjoy it at all.

Sugar Cookie:

Mahou Shoujo Ore

This show was supposed to be stupid. That’s the point. But the jokes get overused and stale after a while, and I found myself wanting it to be over near the end. It got me to laugh once every couple of episodes, but that’s about it.

Devils Line

This was a cringy vampire romance. That about sums it up in a nutshell. Miyuki Sawashiro deserved a more badass character, and so did Yui Ishikawa. Still better than Twilight.

Satsuriku no Tenshi

This was edgy like Mahou Shoujo Site and Goblin Slayer, but this show didn’t take itself as seriously. For the video game fans, they pretty much followed the story of the game. There were little to no discrepancies. But if you are only watching the anime, you’ll find this show so cringy and awful. Kudos to Nobuhiko Okamoto who took on this role knowing that it would strain his vocal cords.

Ani ni Tsukeru Kusuri wa Nai! 2

The charm of the first season was just lost. They had a lot of hit-and-miss episodes where I was either going to like it or think it was a waste of time. I want more sibling antics and fewer love triangles, but it was still a solid season.

3D Kanojo: Real Girl 

I watched three episodes of this, and as much as I wouldn’t mind watching more, I couldn’t build attachment to any of these characters. I felt nothing for the story either. Okay, so a pretty misunderstood girl gets into a relationship with an otaku... what else?

Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai

I watched this because the OP was so darn good, the art looked nice, and it gave off the same vibes as Gekkan Shoujo, but it ultimately disappointed me with the ending and the whirlwind of “Wait... what just happened?” The relationships were not developed enough and came out of nowhere like the truck in Zombieland Saga.

Phantom in the Twilight

Giving this the benefit of the doubt... this didn’t make it past this category because the art was so poorly done that I found myself wondering what the budget even was. The story wasn’t even as poorly done as other otome game adaptations (actually, this one is an original I think?) A Kana Hanazawa lead bumps this show up a notch though.

Nil Admirari no Tenbin

This is probably right beside the previous entry, but this one had better character designs. It was another otome game adaptations... why do I even try? It was okay. It’s more episodic than one would think because you have a “guy of the week” or something. It was just meh... but I’m saying this as someone who doesn’t like guys all that much.

Sugar Cookies With Icing:

Dame x Prince Anime Caravan 

This is separated from the other two otome anime because this one made fun of itself. It was openly wondering what the heck happened to itself, and it was a lot more fun to watch because of that. It was kind of like Konosuba in a way because none of these guys were all that desirable. Picking “best guy” would be tough with a cast like this. It was a lot more enjoyable than the others because I found this cast more likeable because they were so over-the-top.

Gakuen Babysitters

I don’t like kids. This show... tried to change my opinion. I still don’t like kids.

Pop Team Epic

Yeah, you’re probably wondering “WHAT THE--??” That’s normal. It's basically parodying with famous voice actors. You won’t like it as much if you have a normal sense of humour. This anime is really strange, and like a lot of comedy, it will be hit and miss.

Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet

This show was okay. It was well-animated, and I liked the cast a little. Okay, I liked Hasuki. Besides that, you are basically watching the whole “Romeo and Juliet” stuff again with anime cliches. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie:

Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens

This was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting this show to be good, and the art was subpar, but the cast (despite a huge lack of female characters) found itself being oddly good. It’s crafty and gives off the same vibes as Durarara but with hitmen. Who will hit the hitmen next?

Grand Blue

Let’s ignore the romance elements. This is a comedy, and while this is a bit ecchi, I found myself tolerating that part. This show had me laughing at least once per episode, but if you were looking for a diving anime, you have to look somewhere else.

Banana Fish 

I watched the first six episodes of this one, and I found myself liking the cast. It was pretty good. The animation is great, the voice acting is good too, and the story is riveting. I just jump around series a lot.

Asobi Asobase

Same with this one. Six episodes have been watched. It has a very odd sense of humour, and it gives off the vibe that “this is going to be a cutesy anime” with its opening then screws you over with their antics. I found this anime oddly charming despite me not being so excited about its art style and watercolour palette. 

Hataraku Saibou

I never thought that the least questionable ship out of the summer 2018 anime I watched would be between two fricking cells. This anime was great, it was cute, and it was educationally entertaining! It was a very solid series. Plus, a Kana Hanazawa lead is always a bonus!

SSSS.Gridman

This is an amazingly animated series by Studio Trigger that can excite even non-mecha fans like me. I just started it, but it’s turning out great! This might even go all the way to triple cookie status by the time I reach the end.

Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san

I never thought a skull face bookseller could be so entertaining, but it is. This series is charming, and even though it didn’t have the greatest animation budget, it uses it in all the right ways. The relatability that retail workers will feel is astounding, and even non-retail workers like me can find this enjoyable.

Violet Evergarden

Kyoto Animation can make anything look good, and they made this look amazing. This story is oddly touching, and a lot of people got emotional. I wasn’t really one of them, and I found them reaching a bit too much sometimes. I feel like I was supposed to feel stuff, but I didn’t. That’s kind of my fault though. This series is stunning and beautiful visually. The soundtrack was well-written, but it was sometimes misused by the sound director. The stories are pretty solid, but I found the development a little rushed at times. I would recommend it still though.

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii

The otaku jokes resonated a lot with me, and I found this story to be cheesy in the best of ways. The cast is so likeable and pure, and I found myself looking forward to a new episode every week.

Hinamatsuri

This anime had be laughing so hard to the point where I couldn’t watch it around other people, and I had to conceal my laughter as I watched it during the middle of the night. I never thought such a wholesome father-daughter relationship would occur between an OP esper and a yakuza. If you like Mob Psycho 100, you will like this one and vice-versa. This, to me, was the best comedy of the year.

Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai 

This anime was so darn misleading. I was about to skip this because I thought it was going to be some tasteless edgy show, but I found this to be a weirdly pleasant show to binge-watch, and it was a much more easy and arguably better take on the Monogatari series and whatever genre that is. The girls are likeable, there isn’t a lot of fanservice that is shoved in your face, and the writing got me attached to a lot of the characters.

Zombieland Saga

This anime sounded so stupid at first, but after watching a couple of episodes, I started really liking the cast. These are all relatively new seiyuu minus Mamoru and Risa Taneda. Honestly, words cannot describe this show besides surprisingly amazing. You thought this would be a stupid idol anime? Instead, we go an intriguing, touching, and oddly inspirational anime with great music, art, and everything.

Let’s announce the stuff that I’m excited to watch later! 

These are the amazing shows that I’ve heard about that I haven’t gotten around to watching.

Sora yori mo Tooi Basho (Winter)

Also called “A Place Beyond the Universe”, this anime is about this group of girls taking the journey across Antarctica. I heard it’s a lot of fun.

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san (Winter)

Her forehead is as big as her face. I’ve heard this is funny, and I’ve watched clips of it. Rie Takahashi and Yuuki Kaji have the main roles in this anime, and they do a fantastic job playing the trickster and her victim.

Megalo Box (Spring)

This one is probably one of the biggest things I’m missing out on. If it weren’t for one of my anxiety triggers being sports, I would’ve jumped on this. Yoshimasa Hosoya does an amazing job as the protagonist in this well-animated boxing series.

Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken (Autumn)

I’ve watched one episode, and yes, tsundere dragon is the best girl. Besides that, it just looks like a lot of fun for a show that sounds so weird.

Yuru Camp△ (Winter)

Cute girls doing cute things while camping. That’s pretty much what this is about. Whether you like that kind of show will determine whether it’s worth watching for you.

Golden Kamuy (Spring)

This another big thing I’m missing out on. It already got a second season, and it looks like a fun action series. Minus the bad CG, it looks good. I heard the lead sounds just like Hosoya, but Hosoya is in the show too! Along with a new score composer with a lot of new series under his name, I’m excited about this one too!

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru (Autumn)

I’d be more excited about this series, but I haven’t finished Haikyuu yet, and I have a really bad history with track and field.

Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara (Autumn)

This series looks beautifully animated, and this is one of Kaori Ishihara’s big roles besides Aladdin from Magi which was years ago. 

NOTE: This review is SPOILER FREE.

7’SCARLET

Release Date: May 25, 2018 (North America) Developers:  Toybox Inc, Otomate Publishers:  Idea Factory, Aksys Games Platforms:  PS Vita ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

As the second title released by Aksys Games for their Summer Mystery Bundle, 7’scarlet offers one gripping mystery-solving game play amplified with a cute touch of romance.

Walkthroughs:

Hino Kagutsuchi Isora Amari Toa Kushinada Sosuke Tatehira Yuzuki Murakumo True Route & Final Character

  Read the game’s synopsis here.

  FIRST IMPRESSIONS Otome Visual Novels are either a hit or a miss when it comes to it’s story narratives. Just like Collar x Malice, 7’scarlet did one hell of a job foregoing a very intriguing mystery-type plot line while having a few romantic events as an additive to its overarching deep story. Like a really good book or a TV series, it was so hard to brush off the game’s story build-up as it became curiously engaging in each chapter you progress.

With the help of it’s unique visuals and animations, playing 7’scarlet was close to watching your favorite anime series.

  ART One of the things I really enjoyed while playing 7’scarlet was seeing its astonishing BG images. It’s just so pretty, it’s like wallpaper material, no kidding! (giggle)

. The game’s artist was non other than, Kurahana Chinatsu an illustrator who’s also famous for her other popular works such as the character designs for Uta no Prince-Sama, Lamento (Beyond the Void), and Togainu no Chi.

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Looking at these lovely BG images reminded me of browsing through expensive art catalogs!

  SOUNDTRACK AND VOICE ACTING There are two opening themes, “World’s End Syndrome” and “LOVESICK”, you can unlock the latter after finishing a certain route in the game. The BGMs are good too, some are rather simple but very fitting for the game’s setting and story transitions. Heck, I ended up buying the whole 7’scarlet soundtrack in iTunes.

And like any other game, there will always be that one song you’ll end up getting stuck with, even after completing  the game. Dat-one-song that gave you so much FEELS. In 7’scarlet, mine would have to be the song “Starry”.

  Voice Acting

Nobunaga Shimazaki “Hino“ – Napoleon (Ikevamp), Kurogane Naoto (BlazBlue), Mitsuhide (Sengoku Nightblood)

Tetsuya Kakihara “Isora“ – Shin (Amnesia), Victor Frankenstein (Code Realize), Karasuba (Pyschedelica BB), Toki Tanba (Charming Empire)

Showtaro Morikubo “Toa“ – Impey (Code Realize), Reiji (Uta no Prince-sama), Okita (Hakuoki)

Chiharu Sawashiro “Sosuke“ – Shila (Snow White and the Red hair), Hero (Caligula Effect)

Shinichirou Miki “Yuzuki“ – Hijikata (Hakuoki), Nesso Galland (Black Wolves Saga), Bucket-Sensei (Bad Apple Wars)

Sanae Kobayashi “Yuki“ – Sara Nome (Macross Zero), Nagisa (Maid Sama)

Hiroki Yasumoto “Mr. Karasuma“ – Azrael (BlazBlue), Nidai Nekomaru (Danganropa V3), Hyuga (KLAP)

Hiroki Takahashi “Kagura Tsukuyomi“ – Rayne (Neo Angelique Abyss), Otohiko (Kamisama Kiss), Koujaku (DRAMAtical Murder)

Daisuke Kishio “Yasu“ – Azusa (Diabolik Lovers), Mizushima Arata (Kiniro no Corda: Bluesky), Kuzuryuu (Danganropa V3)

Chiwa Saito “Yua“ – Aoi Asahina (Danganropa V3), Taokaka (BlazBlue), Domina (Period Cube), Fate (Caster)

  MAIN CHARACTERS (SPOILER FREE)

Recommended play order:

1)Hino 2)Isora 3)Toa – only unlocks after finishing Hino and Isora’s good ending 4)Sosuke – only unlocks after finishing Toa’s good ending 5)Yuzuki – only unlocks after finishing all of the character’s good ending

  Hino Kagutsuchi

Childhood friend

Sporty

Dork

Hino’s story was cute. It had very few spoilers regarding the game’s overarching plot but his route did a good job catering as a story build-up for the oncoming routes you’ll get in to after finishing the first two recommended ones (his and Isora’s). I enjoyed the fact that Hino was physically a jock on the outside but covertly the biggest dork on the inside

(the guy fangirls on ‘kawaii’ things! Awww). His romance ventured more into the friendship-type-love rather than a mature one. His route wasn’t my favorite, but it was definitely a good start, nevertheless.

  Isora Amari

Best Chef

Hot tempered

Jealous

Yandere

Just like Hino’s route, Isora’s story offers very few spoilers of the game’s underlying plot but was well written enough to create a very mysterious atmosphere of the town, Okunezato. Isora’s character depth was also deeper than I expected and I wished the writers expounded more on the justification of this character’s actions rather than just throwing it on the spot. Despite this, I love Isora Amari’s story. It had great pacing, enough to give you that creep factor you seek in every mystery-themed visual novel. His romance, on the other hand may or may not suit everyone’s preferences. Although I personally enjoyed it, I can understand how it may not work for some. ┐(︶▽︶)┌

  Toa Kushinada

Cat mom

Clumsy af

Color blind

such a sweet boi!

So my first impression with Toa was: “Really?! I have to romance this clumsy nerd, seriously, game?”. Then I started playing his route just to get it over with and oh my goodness! I did not expected the sudden turn of events! 

As I’ve probably mentioned repeatedly on my previous reviews… I absolutely love it when a game catches you off guard, and this route takes the cake! I was left speechless.  I couldn’t talk more about his story without going into spoiler territory so I’ll leave it at this: Toa was such a great character and he deserves all the love in the world! Best boy (imo), one that’s definitely unforgettable.

  Sosuke Tatehira

Smart

Neat freak!

Best Doctor

OC!

If there was one route that got me at the edge of my seat in 7’scarlet ~ it was definitely Sosuke’s. His story had great pacing where it started off very light and warm then surprisingly escalated into a few bemusing affairs. His route also introduced a more definitive and deeper story regarding the mysteries surrounding the town of Okunezato. While the suspense was a little overwhelming in this route, I wanted to commend on how the romance never took a back seat in Sosuke’s story. His relationship with the heroine felt genuinely real and I love both his and Ichiko’s character development. I also loved the fact that Sosuke was such a neat freak and becomes very obsessive-compulsive about something so simple such as a goldfish scooping game! The perfect husbando, if you ask me! (chuckles)

  Yuzuki Murakumo

Jerk Boss

Hot!!!

Intense

Tsundere

While the suspense was building up in Sosuke’s previous route, Yuzuki’s story on the other hand was a power house of thrill and drama coupled with a few action packed scenes and romantic events… And although it happened so fast, all at the same time, I’ve got to say it was paced really well that it didn’t came out too forced nor too overwhelming with information. I personally love Yuzuki’s character. He’s cold and irritable on the outside but inside his icy personality is one very warm fluffy husbando! 

 His story was probably the most compelling as far as solving the mysteries of Okunezato goes.

  Ichiko Hanamaki (You)

amnesiac heroine (explained in ??? ‘s route)

hates strawberries (explained in ??? ‘s route)

can’t swim (explained in ??? ‘s route)

Despite the the main protagonist’s naivety and recklessness to a point where you’d clearly have to question this heroine’s sense of danger 

 (laughs), Ichiko Hanamaki had a couple of good points up her sleeve such as her strong will and determination to look for her disappeared older brother in spite of being absolutely clueless on where to begin. Another enjoyable aspect, was how this heroine sometimes gets shamelessly clumsy in declaring her love to the gentleman of her liking. She had a couple of funny moments that got me all “wtf lol” ~ so it was never a dull moment playing her as the MC. 

    And it gets better… So the story doesn’t really end there. After finishing Hino, Isora, Toa, Sosuke, and Yuzuki’s route. Two more routes unlocks in this game.

Who is the culprit?

Another factor why this game was so entertaining to me was that it reminded me of playing Mafiascum; where each player gets to accuse anybody as the culprit and the accused needs to present alibis to which another player/s confirms it to prove his innocence.

As someone who’s been playing mafiascum online for a long time, the game’s conclusion was somewhat predictable but I’ve got to admit, it was one gripping read and the “True Ending” was painfully heartbreaking.

  TRAILER

  OVERALL THOUGHTS?

7’scarlet is a very well written mystery themed visual novel. While the story appeared so simple, the events where paced so good that the rise and fall of tension as you unravel the mysteries remained suspenseful enough to keep you wanting for more.

I had a couple of moments where I really couldn’t put down the game for a second just to eat or sleep because I had to know, I NEEED to know what will happen next!

Truth be told, I had never expected I’d get so emotionally attached to this game. It’s really one gripping read. It’s one of those titles that’s hard to get over with even after finishing the game play. I think an overall rating of 4.5/5 is an appropriate mark for 7’scarlet. The rest of the .05 completing the perfect score is just me wishing they could’ve done more with the last secret route as I did felt it to be a little lacking as far as how the story concluded.

I would say the animation and movie clips were an additional plus points. Although without it, the game still excels as one of the most compelling stories an otome game has to offer. Do I recommend this game? YESSSS! If you’re looking for a good mystery-romance themed visual novel with great art, music, animation and one unforgettable story that will rob you of words, 7’scarlet is the perfect choice. All your money’s worth it too.

            Romance and Folklore – 7’scarlet Review NOTE: This review is SPOILER FREE. 7'SCARLET Release Date: May 25, 2018 (North America) Developers:  Toybox Inc, Otomate…

Milky Holmes' Rise to Fall, or How to Find Hope in Troubled Times

Milky Holmes reminds me of Žižek. And while it might seem quite nonsensical to tie this sentence together, it’s also something that gives us light about the times we’re facing.

Milky GODS

Always controversial, the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek does have some interesting things to say. But even though he’s mostly known for his approach of leftist politics, the analysis of his that has stuck with me the most doesn’t relate to politics, or at least not directly. It’s his commentary about the animated film Kung Fu Panda, produced by Dreamworks. He has referred to the film a couple of times while highlighting something that has now become sort of a recurrent topic of his mythos. The idea of faith. This idea, also explained by him in the form of an anecdote about a scientist (Niels Bohr) who didn’t believe in charms, yet used to put one in his house just because he was told “it would work, even if he didn’t believe in it”, is essential to Kung Fu Panda and to Dreamworks as a whole (even if Žižek doesn’t directly acknowledge it). While the film works as a parody of Chinese martial arts films, and spends part of its runtime satirizing Chinese philosophy, in the end these principles are embraced, as Po’s wu wei defeats Tai Lung’s ambition (and we can say the same about the way Shrek and Megamind relate to fairy tales and superhero fantasy, just to cite other examples). 

But what does any of this have to do with Milky Holmes? What is this Milky Holmes, even? And as many of you might not be familiar with this long running multimedia franchise, it wouldn’t do harm to recapitulate its history. To understand Milky Holmes, we must first understand its seeds, which are in Broccoli and Bushiroad, two Japanese companies which were both founded by a single man, named Takaaki Kidani. Kidani started Broccoli in the late ‘90s, which first worked as a doujin management company for events, then expanding itself through Gamers, a goods store directed towards the otaku market. Gamers was immortalized and popularized through the Di Gi Charat franchise, produced by Broccoli and extremely massive through the late 90s and early 2000s. Spanning various anime adaptations, numerous manga, and lots of merchandise, the now classic characters were a boom within this same otaku market, and part of this success even crossed overseas, as you might see if you venture into old anime archives.

This really handsome dude is Takaaki Kidani

Now the success of Di Gi Charat probably wasn’t just because of the mascot made designs, though of course that had a part in its popularity. Aside from the already obvious fact, the Di Gi Charat franchise, at least in its first animated adaptation, had a pretty good sense of humor and irony. In a way, it was mocking the very own otaku it was targeted towards, and while it sure wasn’t the first to do so, this style of self-deprecating and sometimes grotesque or even infantile humor the series subjected its viewers to was something special. And while Di Gi Charat had quite the acid tone, it wasn’t without its share of tame and even heartwarming moments. It was moe, marketable of course, but there was something else as well. This series had a heart.

The heart of the show has a name and it’s Puchiko

It’s this spirit that Milky Holmes, more than 10 years after the creation of Di Gi Charat, held as its foundation as one of the star projects of the then recently started Bushiroad, founded after Kidani left Broccoli. Learning from his success in Broccoli’s projects such as the aforementioned Di Gi Charat, and also the media franchise Galaxy Angel, Milky Holmes was thought of as a multimedia project from the start. In the case of Milky Holmes, radio dramas, a manga, a PSP video game, an anime adaptation, and, perhaps most importantly, a seiyuu/idol unit were launched. I say most importantly because it was the disbandment of this unit that signaled the end of the franchise as a whole. In January’s 28th of 2019, Milky Holmes gave their final live performance at the Budokan, in fact ending the decade old franchise.

The end of Milky Holmes

On the anime side of things, the last installment was Psycho no Aisatsu, a crossover special episode featuring the main character of the Cardfight!! Vanguard franchise, a trading card game series for kids that was also created by Bushiroad. It was the symbolic pass on the torch to a younger, still profitable franchise in Bushi, that hopefully might keep the spirit of the Milkies alive. But we must not be sad for what has ended, as this franchise will always stay there to be revisited, even for people who never got to experience it when it was still active.

And it’s because of this that I have not forgotten about Milky Holmes, even though it has been years since it ended. I feel especially partial to the anime, particularly its first two seasons, and the 2016 movie: Milky Holmes' Counterattack (and what a movie is that one). One common thing about these three is that all of them feature Makoto Moriwaki as a director. And I feel she’s the one who better captures the spirit I mentioned above when talking about Di Gi Charat. It isn’t the only way to understand the series: there’s the video games, that might be seen as the source material; the Alternative OVAs, that are a closer adaptation of the games; and the two other anime seasons, which are completely different to anything else (and most people don’t seem to like); but Morikawi’s interpretation is the most interesting one, at least to me.

Now, you might be tired of so much anticipation and context, but it’s important to understand the background of this director to realize what she brought to the franchise (because yes, it’s a she) to, as I believe, perfect it. Makoto Moriwaki has mostly made a career out of directing children’s anime, more specifically anime for girls. Series such as the Sanrio based My Melody and PriPara have been directed by her, along with some Jewelpet seasons and even some Doraemon episodes. But a sort of black sheep among all that family friendly content is the raunchy adult comedy Ebichu, which, in spite of its cutesy visuals reminiscent of Hamtaro, is a series mostly targeted towards older women, full of jokes about adult life that, of course, involve a lot of sex.

it means a dirty word, if you didn’t realize

The Milky Holmes directed by Moriwaki is a middle ground between those two poles. On one hand, the cynicism, irony, and hidden sexual references in an outwardly kids friendly series, and on the other, the fantasy and the hopeful nature of magical girls and idol anime. And this dichotomy is also highlighted when we understand the target of this series. Despite its looks, Milky Holmes is not directed towards children. It’s not a kids show, but rather, a completely otaku business. It was broadcasted as shinya anime at 11 pm, it has its share of adult humor, and of course, the moe characters are exactly that, there’s no ambiguity there. It’s made to sell merchandise, discs and BDs to fat weirdos. But it’s quite interesting how the show treats its own audience, because if we’re to take Milky Holmes as an otaku product, it isn’t simply cynical.

Yes, that there is a ****plug

We have talked about Milky Holmes as a product and as a media franchise, but let’s review the series itself. To those who don’t know, Milky Holmes is set in a fantastical time and space called the Age of Great Detectives. In this world, Great Detectives and their eternal rivals, Gentlemen Thieves, are in constant struggle. They’re aided by their Toys, special powers whose name might be an irony on Bushiroad’s own status as a company.

A fascinating part of the Milky Holmes franchise for any crime or detective fiction freak is that most of the character names are taken from legendary detectives and criminals. There’s the 4 Milky Holmes members, which are respectively: Sherlock “Sheryl” Shellingford, the always energetic and optimistic leader (named after the most famous detective of all); Nero Yurizaki, a greedy, egotistical bokukko (named after the gluttonous Nero Wolfe); Hercule “Elly” Burton, a shy girl who has the most awareness inside the Milkies (named after Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot); and Cordelia Glauca, the shoujo-esque dramatic and delusional member of the crew (named after Cordelia Gray, the only character of the four that is originally female).

From left to right, unlike your Japanese mangos

They battle constantly against the Gentlemen Thief Empire, led by the intense and prideful Arsene (after Arsène Lupin, the French gentleman thief also recalled by the Monkey Punch character); and completed with Twenty, a narcissistic nudist that weaponizes his erect nipples (based on Menso Nijuu, a villain from the Ranpo Edogawa canon); Stone River, a prude warrior with a samurai pride (based on Goemon Ishikawa, the outlaw hero from Japanese folklore, also referenced by Lupin III); and Rat, who’s victim of everyone’s forgetfulness (based on Kozo Nezumi, a folk hero from the Edo period).

Twenty, Arsene, Stone River, and Rat

There’s also a third party in discord, that can either work as ally or enemy depending on circumstance (much like in your typical detective story) which is of course formed by the cops. The G4 is the “elite” patrol of law enforcement whose effectiveness also depends on plot convenience, and their leader (and child genius with infinite amounts of IQ) Kokoro-chan’s (named after Kogoro Akechi, the famous Ranpo Edogawa detective) mood. The other members are Tsugiko Zenigata (after Heiji Zenigata, a Japanese legend), a somewhat tomboyish girl voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro; Hirano Hasegawa (after Heizo Hasegawa, from the Onihei Hankacho novels), a traditional Japanese girl who is a master of combat; and Saku Toyama (after Kagemoto Toyama, a historic character made legend), the technological expert of the gang.

She just keeps it going up

Don’t call her Kokoro-chan, she’ll get angry

However, the main source of conflict (and comedy) in the series is that, despite being quite powerful and capable as detectives with the aid of their toys, the Milkies are pretty much nothing without them. Dame dame (useless), is something they’ll often have to hear, as they constantly struggle with the loss of their toys at the start of almost every new installment (save for Futari wa and TD, in which they weren’t the main characters because of this exact reason). Nonetheless, in spite of how hard they might fall, how much they can be humiliated and degraded (and they sure will), and basically turn into dumb slapstick cartoons, they will always stand up again, never losing hope even when taking a detour, or when they’re becoming farmers instead.

Milky farmers

In this acknowledgment of the cyclical and absurd nature of their misfortunes, made explicit in the movie by the (unintentional) use of words by Sheryl: “it’s rise to fall”, the philosophical implications of the series are unlocked, at least from the Moriwaki iteration of it. It’s an absurd reality, in which no matter how high one can be, one can always fall to the lowest of the low. Yet, when you have fallen, there’s nothing else you can do but go up, try and hope for the best, never giving in to life no matter how discouraging or absurd it might become.

It’s existential philosophy, right inside a moe anime, and one can’t be anything but thankful of someone who is giving such messages inside a work that could conform to just offering a product for profit. Instead, what Milky Holmes is doing is to tell its audience that no matter how hard their lives might get, no matter how repeatedly they might hear that they’re useless, that they’re dumb or hopeless, they must never give up. It’s quite beautiful, even more so when you’re aware of the darker sides of the otaku and the stigma and social alienation a lot of these people face in their country. And so, Milky Holmes might be a ray of light amidst a rabbit hole of isolation, which can be relatable to most of us as we face the current pandemic. A sign that even if we can’t see it, there’s hope at the end of the tunnel.

Yes, she’s saying that when they’re in prison

Closing on a hopeful note, I’ll let you in on a cool fact. Do you know who directed the Milky Holmes movie alongside Moriwaki? I will give you some lines to guess, if you think you’re smart detectives.

… 

… 

… 

… 

… 

… 

… 

… 

Yes! It was Hiroaki Sakurai, who, coincidentally (or not), was the series director for most of the Di Gi Charat anime versions since its first installment in 1999. It’s really cool how everything circles back to a now almost prehistoric franchise, but it also circles back in a less symbolic way. 2021 seems to be a new year for Di Gi Charat, as the franchise is getting a revival as “Di Gi Charat Reiwa”, a new generation of the series which contemplates lots of merchandise and, most importantly, a new anime series, helmed by no other than the same Hiroaki Sakurai. Here’s hoping for a revitalization of this lively spirit, a hopeful affirmation of the disgusting manchildren we all have inside.

Promotional image for this era’s own Charat

Salvador González Turrientes

Links and additional sources of information:

Žižek on Kung Fu Panda 

The Milky Holmes article from the English Wikipedia 

Wikipedia list of the Milky Holmes characters (in English)

Takaaki Kidani's article (in English)

Takaaki Kidani’s article (in Japanese)

Di Gi Charat's Wikipedia (in English)  

Hiroaki Sakurai's (in English) 

Makoto Moriwaki's article (in English as well) 

The news of the Di Gi Charat Reiwa anime (from ANN) 

(purupurupuru) (purupurupuru) (click!) (coo!) (coo!)

 Happy! Happy Monday, minna-san! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. The big 20 has so many fun stuff for OP this year so you know the drill. First off, last week’s chapter sure got everyone on their edge of the seats to see lots of Luffy clones munching and crunching on the wedding cake. No crumb or at least a smudge of frosting left. With everyone doing their part to sabotage the plan, Big Mom can’t help, but get angry with the situation. At the end, Jinbei finally stands up to her, and declares himself as the new member of the Mugiwara crew! YAY! Congrats, and welcome the new 10th member! Also, just when things are going sentimental, CRACK! A fake Luffy destroyed the portrait of Mother Caramel. AH! Who is the culprit?! Guess we’ll see this week. There will be no chapter next week due to Golden Week so be patient. Next, this past weekend’s episode sure was erotic. Luffy’s life was saved by Sanji’s alluring sister, Reige. Giving the smoochy woochy mouth-to-mouth to suck all the poison out. Lucky guy! Poor Brook can’t help but watch. Too bad he has no skin to get her wet lips on his. Ha ha ha ha! At the end, Luffy thanks Reige for saving his life, and demands that they let Sanji go. The Vinsmoke siblings only say that they never crossed paths, and continued on to their journey. Next week, we finally get to meet Pudding, and the sweet tooth Yonkou, Big Mom. Get ready to hear her song, “Bloody Party.” AH! Couldn’t Oda-sensei picked a better title for it?! That sounds too scary like a Halloween song, but gory. HA! Now on with the goods! (DING!) (DONG!) Ah! Doorbell, I’ll get it. GUA! If it isn’t Tongari-san, our tower mascot. Come in! Boys! Tea and sweets, hurry! Here you go, my friend. Ok, boys, get your pencils ready. So, what’s so important that you can’t wait to tell us? Tongari-san says that oodles of fun stuff is gonna happen at the tower. First off, this Saturday, the tower will re-open with awesome new attractions and live show. As you all know, the tower will be celebrating 20 year of OP by having a manga exhibition. Next, the popular rock band, GREEEEN provided the opening song for the 3rd live show, and Oda-san has designed the new character that will be part of the show. The girl’s name is Anne. It seems that she will be important in the story. The show will begin this Saturday. Next, the tower will continue to have a stamp rally, and same as always, you must complete 3 games to receive a free button. This time, they will give away buttons of the Straw Hats. To participate, you can purchase a Tongari passport book at the 3rd floor in Tongari’s store. Moving on, the tower will also celebrate Luffy’s birthday, and they will sell this cute button of him in his kid form. They will also sell a birthday button of Rayleigh. His birthday is on May 13th. Next, The Mugiwara Café will now accept take-out orders including their pizza menu. If you like order some food, simply request the waiters that you like a take-out instead of eating inside the café. Next, the tower will be selling some new goods at the Mugiwara store such as these cute mechanical pencils, plush cleaners of Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, Law, and Cora-san, a new bag of gum gum fruit candy, three luck charms of Ace, Robin, and Cora-san, and this double-side folder. GUA! Opening and loads of new goods. Birthday buttons will be released next month, and the other goods will be released this weekend. The manga exhibition will end in late July. Next, here is the new cover of log collection of Dressrosa which will have the crazy fan, Bartolomeo. If you order this DVD set, you will receive a double-side folder that will have him and Cavendish as a present. However, if you purchase this from Amazon, you will receive another present which is this acrylic stand of Bartolomeo. DVD will be released on July 27th. Next, coming soon in Shanghai, China, an OP live stage show will be shown. Details on tickets will be released soon. Next, the OP app game, Thousand Storm, is having an anniversary campaign which will have lots of new cool attire and characters including stamps you can get. If you have a smartphone, check your app store, and download it. It’s also in English too. Next, DURALEX, a pottery company from France, has created this clear, orange mugs that has Luffy and Ace. It will be available at Mugiwara stores in June, but if you can’t make the trip here, you can order it. We will leave a link for more details. Moving on, next month, the Mugiwara stores will be giving out free bookmarks of OP kids such as Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Ace, Sabo, Brook, Franky, Chopper, Ussop, and Law. You must purchase goods over 1000 yen to receive it. It’s kid’s day event on May 5th. Moving on, in the next few weeks, JUMP will be holding a contest where you can win an autographed card from the great mangaka himself, Oda-sensei. The JUMP comics will include a ticket entry so you can fill it out, and mail it. The winner will also get this OP comic book shelf. Last day for entry will be accepted until June 12th. You can find JUMP comics at book stores or convenience stores. Next, Sanji’s restaurant event at USJ has posted the menu that will be served. For appetizers, you will be served a fish marinade dish with delicious salad including with heart cherry tomatoes. For entrée, you can choose either Hancock’s love hurricane sirloin steak with some nutritious veggies, and heart croquette with some wine sauce. Or you can orther Shirahoshi’s lovely tear fish cuisine including with nutritious veggies with also a heart croquette with wine sauce. For kids menu, they will serve Sanji’s special plate that will have a hamburger steak with some veggies, noodles with a tomato heart, and some french fries. For dessert, you will be served a Mademoiselle vanilla parfait with raspberry jelly along with some orange sweet sauce. They will also sell some cocktail beverages. #1 is smooch drink with some fruits and ice cream on top. #2 is Rose for lovely lady sparkling strawberry wine. These two are alcoholic drinks. #3 is a My heart is yours berry cocktail with some sprinkles and berry foam. #4 is an All-blue berry cocktail with some blueberries. These two are non-alcoholic beverages. If you order either of these beverages, you will receive a free silver spoon of any of the Mugiwara. Last, but not least, the restaurant will be selling a take-out dessert of Sanji’s mellorine fruit cake that will have a special message card from Sanji. This can only be purchased at the restaurant. USJ OP original goods will be released soon. Next, Figure Arts and POP Maximum will released new figurines of Hancock and Luffy in gear 4. Both will be released in September. Link to pre-order will be released later on. Hobby stores or Mugiwara stores will also take in pre-orders as well. Detail will be announced later. Last, but not least, as you all know, the lovely Sawashiro Miyuki is the lucky gal to portray the double face Ms. Pudding. Also, it has been announced that great seiyuu veteran, Koyama Mayu will be the one to portray Big Mom from now on. She is known for her popular role as Arale-chan from Dr.Slump. N-CHA! That is so my fave phrase from her. GUA! Congrats to these two ladies, and let’s see how they’ll do their roles as devious pirates. PHEW! UGH! That sure was a lot of info, but we got through every one of it. Well, that’s all for now, tune in next week for more news on goods and upcoming events. Special thanks to Tongari-san. We’ll see you on Saturday for the grand re-opening! Kikko! Momon! let’s get some shut eye!

 Sanji’s restaurant: http://www.usj.co.jp/jump/onepiece/summer2017/sanji/

Mugs: https://hkds.tokyo/category/ONEPIECEDURALEX/

Dino Watches Anime (Jan 13)

With the snow outside and cancellations everywhere, I have more time to kick back, relax, and not do anything. Seriously, playing out in the snow and being an absolute bum is my specialty.

Dropped

Darwin's Game 

It just seemed like Mirai Nikki but updated to smartphones instead of flip phones and with a new interface and system. Seriously, it’s like someone watched Mirai Nikki and went “I can remake this and rake in the money”. The animation wasn’t good (according to our local sakuga geek, there were less than 10 animators who worked on the 40 min premiere because of the inhumane conditions of the studio which adds to the yikes), the soundtrack was great (but I won’t watch a show just for the soundtrack/seiyuu cast), and overall, I felt like I didn’t want to put myself through a show like this.

Uta no Prince-sama

I couldn’t do it fam. I watched two episodes and nearly cried on the inside because it felt like Kiniro no Corda but with a new bland face with new bland characters. I never watched either of these fully. I tried to watch just for the seiyuu (*ahem* Miyuki Sawashiro), but imagine having your life hobbies made into an absolute joke by a character who can’t even read music and is in the composition department while her main song of choice is “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and the ikemen around her and swooning over it and writing their own songs for her. The guys all have the same faces too! They’re triangle heads that can only be differentiated by colour palette. I’m telling the difference based on voices at this point. I don’t want the ikemen, but I would like people to be into my music too ya know! You may think that I’m dropping this anime purely out of spite for the story and characters, and you’re damn right I am. 

Seasonal Stuff

Pet

This is this close to being dropped, and I don’t mean for the strong BL vibes. It’s a little cringy but not that bad (I’ve watched a lot of cringe straight romance and to me it’s all the same). It just feels so poorly constructed right now. The universe just hangs by a thread with characters I feel ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for. Everything in this anime feels so cheap. I’m giving this one more week before I give it the axe.

Rikei ga Koi ni Ochita no de Shoumei shitemita 

Okay, this anime is stupid, but we all went in knowing it was going to be very stupid. You’ve seen the screencaps. You’ve seen the cliches. Now get ready to have a pretentious science spin on it as if you haven’t seen these scenes a million times before elsewhere, and the characters (at least one of them) know it. The art... it’s present. I mean, character designs are giving the guys of Reddit what they want (especially with Sora Amamiya being really popular and singing the OP along with voicing the main character). Yuuma Uchida is also there. Nothing really worth noting here except “stay in school kids so you can become a pretentious science kid with no people skills!”

Dorohedoro

I might just watch this anime in place of “Pet” because this anime has a much brighter outlook and despite being CG genuinely looks better anyway. It’s the horror that I wanted to fill the void with (since Pet genuinely isn’t scary or innovative). Everything was pretty good with the first episode! I’m looking forward to seeing more!

From here on out, the rest of the seasonal list are the ones I look forward to the most! Get that head lizardman!

Runway de Waratte 

At first, this doesn’t seem like something that would come out of Shonen Weekly, but it inspires a good message about being who you want to be even with limitations if front of you. You have a girl too short to be considered a model and a guy who designs fashion without having the money to pursue it further. I know nothing about style, but I do know things about being short! Maybe that’s why I have such a soft spot for it...

ID:Invaded

This anime gets more interesting as we go along. I’m all into murder mysteries and things like that, and with the sci-fi mixed it, I checked to make sure I was up-to-date with this one. Each episode gives a new mystery with more details outline our jaded and imprisoned detective’s motives and backstory. I wasn’t sold on the character designs at first, but once you get over that hurdle, it’s all good. I like the psychological aspects of it too!

Kyokou Suiri 

Ever wish you had a female protagonist who was upfront about her romantic motives? Ever wanted to watch a show involving youkai? Here’s the show for you! Plus, her character design is so cute. Mamo sang the ED for this anime too. The animation is great, the story looks amazing (read ahead a few chapters in the manga), and this is one of my most highest anticipated anime for the season!

Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun

Here’s one of my favourite pilot episodes! This anime left such a strong impression on me that I went straight to my non-otaku friends going, “You’ve gotta see this guys”. The art style is consistent with the manga, and according to the not-so-quiet manga readers, we’re in for a really good anime. 

All the characters in this anime are also adorable and really simple-minded on the surface. Hanako-kun being a boy is a really funny twist on the local urban legend (I’m one of those kids who never dared to say “Bloody Mary” in the washroom so what can I say?)

Recently Completed

Hana to Alice: Satsujin Jiken

Remember Aku no Hana? This is what happens when rotoscoping has a bit more budget. This anime was slow, a little cringy, but it felt really real. The voices felt real, the characters felt real, and the story felt... mostly real. I don’t regret watching this movie art style and all because I think it captures a bit of the exaggerations of being a teenager (rumours blow up like balloons)

Sennen Joyuu

Satoshi Kon really has a certain way of telling stories. I’ve watched Perfect Blue, Paranoia Agent, and Tokyo Godfathers, and while this didn’t have as strong of a punch as the latter, this film was still strong. It shows a story of a young maiden’s resilience, perseverance, and undying love... all things I can’t relate to... but it was good!

Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo

This show was a trip. You thought it was a fanservice anime until things got really heavy. This anime was funny, it made me feel things with the themes it took on, and it made me remember that the best girl doesn’t always have to win to be a good anime. The art was cute and sweet, the voice acting was so fricking funny (according to the cast, the improv wasn’t always included but the ones that were left along with the dialogue were pure gold), and the story was exceptional for an anime which seemed to have no base whatsoever. And plus, this had something a lot of anime don’t... A CONCLUSIVE ENDING. Give this anime a watch if you haven’t. It’s melodramatic comedic romantic teen drama at its finest.

Orange

Speaking of melodramatic romantic teen dramas, here’s another one that fits that bill! Minus the comedy, more suicide, and far less cohesive plot. Imagine throwing letters into the Bermuda Triangle and having your 16-year-old selves really reading those letters. I was wondering how they were going to explain sending their letters to the past, but they should’ve come up with better BS than that. Aside from really bad plot holes, this anime was alright. It was slow... really slow. I finished this whole 13 episodes plus the movie in about 2.5 hours after trimming the slow recaps. 

The art was alright. The story was slow, but near the end (excluding the last episode and the movie) it got really heavy. It hit close to home. I struggled with suicide for years, and I felt what this character felt. Certain lines of that dialogue just hit hard. It was depicted in a way that didn’t feel as romanticized. He wasn’t saved by just one person, his trauma didn’t go away just like that, it took a group of friends and planning to help him realize that there was more to life then just regrets.

Would I recommend this? I mean, it was recommended to me, but I’m not forcing this anime on anyone... not because of the themes but because it was darn boring and cliche 70% of the time.

Still Watching

Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha

Same things apply as previous entries

Hunter x Hunter (2011)

My brother expected me to finish this a while ago but I put it on the back-burner because the number of episodes seemed daunting. Everything else is good though.

Sousei no Onmyouji

I only watched the first episode.

Boku no Hero Academia Season Four

Same things apply as previous entries. It seems like the Overhaul arc will end in the next episode or two (depending on how much they milk this).

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

Groundhog Day but isekai. Seriously, this is a pretty big staple in terms of big isekai. Everyone’s fighting over who’s the best girl meanwhile Subaru is trying his best not to die every five minutes. Seriously, Subaru is a champ and what I’d want out of a Mary Sue isekai protagonist. Get em Subaru. Prove to me you’re not a car.

This will be me for the next few days because it’s getting colder where I am so watch me slip on the ice and die!

Just curious. Since you seem to have watched all if not most episodes of the previous generations of Gegege no Kitaro (including Hakaba), what are your opinions about each generation of Gegege no Kitaro, also Hakaba Kitato? Which iteration/series is your most favorite? If it's gonna be long post, it's alright! I want to know about your opinion so I will be happy to read what you think about it!

  I’ll clarify firstly that I have only completely watched 2007 and Hakaba, because they were “my” generation. I was a child back then so that was what made me stick with them before any other when I first discovered the franchise years ago. It’s not even that 2007 is my favorite. I like it’s world-building immensely and how some of the adaptations fit with the times, but it doesn’t feel that spectacular in animation style. Some of the redesigns that aren’t the main cast are needlessly fetishized when their original designs were perfect as they were.  It has some neat updates and whenever Kitaro interacts with humans it’s wholesome. I mean, c’mon, this is the show where Medama-Oyaji dragged EVERYONE into his fandom and had them cosplay as firefighters and quote his favorite foreign drama. 2007 has such funny slice of life moments.  I don’t like the episodes where Kitaro’s latest crush is the focus of the adapted plot, though. I find those annoying and forced. While it had it’s purpose in Hakaba Kitaro’s storytelling, it really doesn’t give off a good experience when it’s crammed into the main series.  That’s not to say Hakaba Kitaro is a romantic story, or that the romantic subplots were good romance per se, it’s that they served a purpose for highlighting Kitaro’s later corruption. It’s outdated and comes across as quite sexist, but I give it a pass for the purpose of it’s satire and the source material itself. Shigeru Mizuki’s voice isn’t really something that covers issues like sexism or sexual harassment very respectfully, but the Hakaba Kitaro anime at least puts these sequences together in a way that can make the viewer understand why a child like Kitaro would behave the way he does.   Anyways, 2007 was cancelled so saying that I only completed the last gen is kind of funny. I have watched a majority of the 80′s series. Something about it gets me really pumped. I guess that’s because other than Hakaba, Toda is the most hot blooded of all of the iterations of Kitaro. That said, I can’t say I watched the 80′s series as much as I did for him and his pining for his mother. No, I mostly watched for Neko. She carried the whole series on her shoulders in my opinion, even though she wasn’t a powerful character, she was just enjoyable. I didn’t like sitting through any of the episodes without her.  Other than episodes I can count on my hand, though, I don’t really like the 80′s series that much. I would normally say I hate it, but I can’t bring myself to. I never could. I couldn’t even make fun of it. I will explain why I don’t like it though; the biggest reason is because for example, Kitaro is put into these situations that gross me out. Like that Mujina episode where the badger inflates his ball sack as a last-ditch effort to beat Kitaro. It’s just really nasty stuff that maybe I would have laughed at if I were a ten year old, but I’m an adult now so seeing that absolutely ticks me off.  There are other series that play off Kitaro’s sexual harassment for comedy, and those episodes (or moments in the episodes) make me uncomfortable too, but that one from the 80′s series affects me the most. I don’t like how in the 90′s series, when Kitaro is cross dressing, he gets the upskirt, but I really loathe how in the recent series his shirikodama was stolen by the kappa. I know this is common in anime but it doesn’t change that this isn’t what I like about anime in general. I really dislike when underage characters are put through that for the sake of some cheap laugh.  I don’t talk much about the current-running series because I don’t really have much else to add that isn’t already abuzz somewhere else most likely. However, I will say that it is another mixed bag for me like the 80′s series. I like Sawashiro-Kitaro himself, but he doesn’t always feel like KITARO to me. This series has a similar thing going on that 2007 did with it’s art direction, except the change appears to pander less to Kitaro fans and more to otaku fans in general.  I don’t dislike it for changing Neko’s design. For me, Neko’s design has always been all over the place with each generation so I don’t see her as any less of a character for it. I will say I openly love/hate Kitaro’s design. He’s adorable, yes, but after seeing the direction of his character I can’t say any of it feels like Kitaro. It brings me back to my point; it’s like he’s Kurapika from Hunter X Hunter, if he were in a GeGeGe no Kitaro AU. I like Kurapika as a character, but there’s something lost in 2018′s Kitaro. He’s not the oafish, cackling observer that I’m used to. At all. I don’t hate this, as he can be a very special Kitaro for this generation of kids and teens, but he hasn’t even laughed sadistically once.  Sure, his unforgiving, tired stare is pretty cool, but a purely nonchalant observer doesn’t make for as fun a role. Not all the time anyway. I understand why his character has gone in this direction, sort of, since he’s always been a mediator between humans and yokai, but him emoting is always a real treat. I end up missing Takayama-Kitaro’s tired but easygoing personality, since Sawashiro-Kitaro cranked that up beyond eleven. Now “depression nap” Kitaro has been dethroned in terms of sleepy levels. It’s played to be cute in one episode, which I can appreciate.  However, back on track to what it’s missing. Nezumi-Otoko was Shigeru Mizuki’s mouthpiece for example, since his Hakaba Kitaro was discarded over a disagreement. Here, Nezumi-Otoko is extremely annoying and fans of him don’t like him as much as other iterations at all. I am one of those people that doesn’t like him this run. He has some neat moments, sure, but they’re nothing without Kitaro himself there. It’s all about his relationship with the protagonist. I like moments with Nezumi-Otoko, but there are times he overstays his welcome. I won’t say he’s as bad as he was in the 80′s version, though.  2018′s Kitaro has some mediocre episodes, but also those that really are emotional hits. This makes it so much better than the 80′s series, but it’s still largely influenced by the 80′s series. You can tell in that the cast hit the same notes, and that similarly the moral of the episodes can be missing or weak. I won’t say they come across as feeble as it’s predecessor, but I digress.  I have yet to talk about the 90′s series. I know very little Japanese, so I watch at a pace where I can research the episode I’m watching, if it hits any different notes that the other series have missed out on, etc. I do this for a lot of episodes because when talking about this franchise, it’s largely a discussion of which series adapted which episode (or story arc) in a more enjoyable way. The 90′s series is one of those I have to say has deliberate pacing that the 60′s and 70′s lacks. It feels much slower, but also more driven. I can’t really give it too much criticism because it captivates me too much. I’ll never forget that moment where Medama-Oyaji pours his heart out to Kitaro after he’s transformed into the Gyuki. Sure, it’s missing a body horror scene, but it’s so heartfelt…  I have a similar outlook of the 60′s/70′s series. I don’t separate these two because one is the prequel to the other. There are some that bemoan the loss of the black and white style, that there’s something lost when adding color, but I disagree so much. Like the 90′s series, the 70′s series is very captivating (especially for it’s time)!  I feel like people talk about the 90′s series so much (which is a good thing), so I like to go on and on about how beautiful the color is in the 70′s one. One thing that really sets apart the 70′s series from it’s prequel and all the others is the boldness of it’s line art, as well. It gives me a feeling that each of those lines a love letter to the manga’s art style, if only a bit. It pops so well with the additional color, and it’s not like it doesn’t have some brutally ironic moments that are staple for it’s predecessor.   Speaking of the 60′s series, though, it may not give us a wholly mean spirited Kitaro, but it shares the strange vibes that Hakaba Kitaro’s storytelling gives off, just even more sympathetic. Kitaro is still quite a creepy boy, but he’s so much himself or the core of what that character represents to every generation afterwards. There’s something so satisfying about seeing him try to strangle Nezumi-Otoko after the man taunts that he’s too soft to do something to his friends. Contrast that with today’s Kitaro…  Anyway, I love to draw during my free time. It’s my favorite hobby, so my favorite series to watch are Hakaba Kitaro and the first two Gegege no Kitaro series, and the 90′s series of course. The direction of the shows I mentioned are what give me the strongest impressions out of all of them. Not to mention the movies! There’s a really pretty scene in the 80′s movie too, for instance!