When Key/Visual Arts announced back in spring of 2012 that JC Staff would be animating Little Busters, some fans didn’t like the idea. With the second season concluding earlier this week, how do the prequel and the sequel stacks up? (Image Source)
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Reviews
The Best and Disappointing Japanese Video Games of 2013
As we approach the end of 2013, I want to focus on the top 5 best games that released this year, which I got to play. As always, this list will only have games that are made by Japanese companies. (Image Source)
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Kyoukai no Kanata – Final Review
For a while now, Kyoto Animation has been focusing on their in-house intellectual properties. With that, they finally adapt Kyokai no Kanata (境界の彼方, Beyond the Boundary) as their fourth show in their new effort. Does it live up to expectations? Let’s find out! (Image Source)
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Tales of Hearts R – Final Review
To me, I felt that 2013 is the year of remakes in Japan since Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;birth1, New Atelier Rorona, and Tales of Hearts R got released this year for the Playstation Vita. With that, I decided to pick up my first Tales game that never made it out of Japan, which received a remake. That game is Tales of Hearts R. (Image Source)
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Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;birth1 – First Impressions
Back in 2010, Compile Heart created a roleplaying game based on the console wars with video game consoles personified as cute girls in a game called Hyperdimension Neptunia (超次元ゲイムネプチューヌ). While it was an interesting concept, Idea Factory managed to mess it up. The first game shows this with obvious gamebreaking bugs, poor graphics for a PS3 game, difficulties trying to heal your characters among other things. They eventually realized how unfinished the first game was, so they remade it for the Vita. Since I received the game three weeks ago, I want to share my first impressions. (Image Source)
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Pokémon The Origin – Final Review
During my childhood, I used to watch the Pokémon Anime. It was enjoyable seeing Ash/Satoshi use his Pikachu to defeat an Onix. Eventually, I lost interest in the show since it has a lot of filler episodes and for the fact that it’s loosely based off the games, especially when Ash/Satoshi’s Pikachu lost to a freaking Surskit in a recent episode!
On the other hand, Gamefreak decided to make short Anime special based off the original games titled Pokémon The Origin staring Red and Blue (named Green in this Anime). With this new take on the Pokémon Games, will it live up to its name? Perhaps. (Image Source)
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Pokemon Y – Final Review
It’s have been a long time since I reviewed a Pokémon Game. When I got a Japanese version of Pokémon Black 2 back in June of last year, although I enjoyed it, I felt that it didn’t add much in terms of gameplay besides finishing what the prequels started. Not only that, even though I spent 380+ in the Generation V games, I didn’t like the fact that none of my favorites (e.g. Eevee) was in the first game and that it took power creep to another level. Generation V was a pretty big mess, especially considering permanent Sunny Day or Rain Dance. This is why I hardly did any wifi battles. With that, perhaps Game Freak finally realized the monster they just created and decided to fix that with Pokémon X and Y with its transition to full 3D. (Image Source)
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Pokémon X and Y – First Impressions
Last Saturday, Pokémon X and Y has finally released everywhere. While I didn’t look at most of the press releases on some of the new features in this game, I was certainly excited. After playing the game for 24 hours, I would like to share my first impressions on the things I liked and disliked.(Image Source)
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Hyperdimension Neptunia the Animation – Final Review
Back in the 80s and 90s, there was a heated console war between Sega and Nintendo with Sony and eventually Microsoft joining in the fray. In 2009, Compile Heart decided a game called Hyperdimension Neptunia (超次元ゲームネプチューヌ) that personified each console (Sega Neptune, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360) as cute girls. When they announced an Anime from the two games, I decided to take a look.
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Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya – Final Review
I admit that I have a soft spot for magical girl shows. When I figured out that there was a magical girl show, which had characters from the Fate series, I decided to take a look. (Image Source)
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Atelier Escha & Logy – Alchemists of the Dusky Sky – First Impressions
In the second round of video game impressions, I’m going to share my first impression thoughts on Atelier Escha & Logy since I will probably won’t be able to finish my first play through when summer break ends the next week. (Image Source)
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Hyperdimension Idol Neptunia PP – Final Review
As the long summer break comes to an end, I want to focus on giving a review and first impressions of the two games I played. Today, I’m focusing on Hyperdimension Idol Neptunia PP (神次元 アイドルネプテューヌPP), which is basically an idol raising simulator spin-off for the Playstation Vita.
Apparently, Compile Heart knows that idols are very popular in Japan and since they have some capable singers, then why not? But then again, will it live up to the other popular idol simulator, The Idolmaster? Not really. (Image Source)
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Photo Kano – Final Review
In the sea of dating sim game adaptations, Photo Kano (Photo Girlfriend) takes the mundane concept of a typical male lead hanging out with a bunch of cute girls and throwing photography into the mix. Some say that Photo Kano is the spiritual successor for Amagami, but does this show live up to that reputation? Not really. (Image Source)
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Suisei no Gargantia – Final Review
In the past, I didn’t really care for shows containing humongous robots fighting each other. However, when Gen Urobutchi revealed that he is working on a new anime original called Suisei no Gargantia, Based on his previous works, I decided to take a look. (Image Source)
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Ore no Imouto 2 – Final Review
After spending about 11 and a half days relaxing on vacation in Chicago and Wisconsin, it finally came to an end this afternoon. So, I’m catching up with everything and hopefully I’ll be back on track by end of this week. With that, I want to share my thoughts about Ore no Imouto 2, which has been one of the most anticipated sequel for the Spring 2013 season. However, this sequel disappointed a good amount of people for various reasons. (Image Source)
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Red Data Girl – Final Review
I tend to like some shows that PA Works makes because their animation quality now rivals Kyoto Animation. However, the execution aspect for some of their shows feels like a mixed bag as seen with Hanasaku Iroha or Another. Despite this, I was impressed with Tari Tari as it was a very enjoyable show without the things that tugged me in the wrong way such as the unnecessary cross-dressing. With Red Data Girl, will I have a similar experience?
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Tamayura ~Hitotose~ – Final Review
Nearly three years ago, the makers of Aria made an original animation adaptation of another Iyasashikei Anime called Tamayura. Although it was short, it had a very light-hearted feeling as the girls focus on their hobbies and of course, making and capturing memories.
A year later, this show finally got a full season, which introduced a few more characters and developed the existing ones further. But, will this be a second coming of Aria?
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Tamako Market – Final Review
Kyoto Animation currently holds a reputation for creating faithful adaptations. However, they are usually weak when it comes to original stories. Although Munto, their first original production wasn’t well received, they didn’t make another one until last winter when they aired Tamako Market, a slice of life story involving one girl, a talking bird and a family ran mochi shop. (Image Source)
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Atelier Meruru Plus – The Alchemist of Arland 3 – Final Review
You might be asking, “if you have the English version of Atelier Meruru, why would you buy it again on the Vita, but in Japanese?” The answer is that I find the game addictive, but I want to play it on the go. This is where the Plus version comes in as it brings the full game with the DLC included, costumes and extra scenes. Since I use my Vita mainly to practice my Japanese skills, it’s one of the main reasons I bought this game. (Image Source)
Note: Like with all the Arland games, the Plus versions were rereleased on the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch as DX on September 20, 2018. As with the Plus version, the review will cover the DX versions as well.
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Genkai Totsuki Monster Monpiece – First Impressions – A Cute and Fanservicy Monster Girl Trading Card Game
For a while now, there has been a good amount of criticism surrounding Idea Factory/Compile Heart games. They have a bad reputation of having overly complicated gameplay, needless grinding among other things. While the first Neptunia game had a lot of bugs, at least I heard that they improved the gameplay in the sequels. Now with the Playstation Vita, I think they kind of learned their lesson with Genkai Totsuki Monster Monpiece (限界凸騎モンスターモンピース, lit: Unlikely Knight: Monster Monpiece), which sold over 50,000 in retail and download. With that, I would like to share some experiences of playing it after getting through the first Chapter and a part of the next one. (Image Source)
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Thoughts about Tales of Series and Tales of Hearts Demo
In the past, I have played various Japanese RPGs such as Final Fantasy and Pokémon (excluding the Atelier games I played recently). Of course, there is one other RPG series that is popular with the Anime fandom and it’s the Tales of Series. (Image Source)
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Atelier Totori Plus – Final Review
As released back in 2010, Atelier Totori made numerous improvements to the gameplay from Rorona after Gust made their first entry to the Playstation 3 such as the art style and game mechanics. Now, that is now made into a Playstation Vita game that only got a release in Japan. (Image Source)
Note: Like with all the Arland games, the Plus versions were rereleased on the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch as DX on September 20, 2018. As with the Plus version, the review will cover the DX versions as well.
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Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai – Final Review
Back in 2011, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai was popular, but I didn’t get a chance to see it. With that, I finished watching the first season and really enjoyed it. (Image Source)
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Experiences with Playstation Vita – A Self-Study Japanese Learner’s Paradise
Besides blogging about anime, I am a big gamer as I played video games since my childhood. In the past, I was a big Nintendo fan and I’m still am. However, when I started learning Japanese since 2011, I find that playing Japanese Games can be a good way to practice what you learn while discovering new vocabulary and Kanji. Of course, the Playstation Vita made that all possible when I got one on my birthday. Since I have played with it for almost five months, I want to share my experiences. (Image Source)
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