「突然、ごめん」 (Totsuzen, Gomen) “Sorry for Surprising You”
Okay, apparently this wasn’t the last episode! Good, good. My information was incorrect, so I was a bit perturbed leading up to this, but it looks like the concluding arc will have room to breathe after all. Which means it’s time to set aside the final impressions I had brewing, and talk about what went down instead.
The truth is, this episode (and I suspect, next episode as well) are what I was hoping for from Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai for a while. Things are happening now, baby, we’re not all stalled out while emotions percolate. The complexion of the love tangle is also different than I had expected during the start of the season, with Kaoru’s attention actually focused on Mitsuyoshi (not as a love interest for Alec), while it’s the snarl between Teresa / Charles / Alec / Mitsuyoshi that’s fueling most of the drama. The important thing is that it’s all moving now, with big reveals (for the characters) in this episode and a big conclusion promised for next. And who knows how it will turn out.
Which is great! That’s why I love covering (and watching) original series, because we don’t know how it will turn out. We can read the tea leaves, but it’s difficult with this series precisely because it hasn’t been firing on all cylinders. Compare it to last season’s Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho—and get used to me making reference to YoriMoi, it’s entered my collection of go-to examples and will be dredged up often … you know you love it—which was well put-together and adroitly told, which made it predictable on the one hand and devastatingly powerful on the other. Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai sagged in the middle, and it’s unclear exactly what it’s ultimate message is trying to be. Is it duty? Is it sacrifice? Is it happiness? Is it a balance of several of these, and more? It hasn’t been clear enough in its thematic thoroughfare, so I’m not sure. I’d probably put my money on duty, with Teresa and Mitsuyoshi parting ways, but only barely. I could see sacrifice too (Charles’, to be specific), and won’t be surprised if that’s the way it goes. Or something entirely different. That’s what makes it fun!
As for the actual going-ons of this episode, I like that secrets are finally being revealed. The truth of Teresa’s identity as princess of Larsenburg was expected, but Teresa finding out about Alec’s feelings for Charles was appreciated. This is the time for the series to lay it all on the table, and it is. With these few characters, at least.
I also quite like that Rachel’s relationship with Mitsuyoshi’s grandfather is that of a former coworker. No lost love, no sister he hasn’t seen in a while, nothing like that. It reminds me of The Last Jedi, and how sometimes the less satisfying answer is the correct one. She was in the story to connect Teresa and Alec to the crew in Japan initially, and to connect Mitsuyoshi back to Teresa now. Anything more overwrought than that would have been distracting.
Mostly though, I like how focused this episode was, and how it tees up the big questions for answering in the finale. Hopefully Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai can live up to the hype in its final arc and end the series with a bang.
My SECOND novel, Freelance Heroics, is available now! (Now in print!) (Also available: Firesign #1 Wage Slave Rebellion.) Sign up for my email list for updates. At stephenwgee.com, the latest post: Risk Tolerance in the Creative Life.
「いってらっしゃいませ 立派な漫画家さまたち」 (Itterasshaimase Rippa na Mangaka-sama-tachi) “Farewell, You Wonderful Manga Artists”
The end is near for Comic Girls, and the final episode makes the most of the time it has to cut as deep as it can. Much like the rest of the series, Episode 12 thrives in tinkering with the characters’ emotions as Kaos’ vulnerabilities are laid bare while she finishes her two-part guest appearance alone. Since her dorm-mates are all leaving early for the months leading up to the Spring semester, Kaos is left by herself as her loneliness and lack of faith in her own talents hinders her ability to finish writing and illustrating her chapters. She had gotten so used to rejection, that by the time she got to the point where her editor is happy with her output, she still internalizes that her work is terrible, especially since her last bit of praise was from the extra help she got from her friends with the background art they handled. With the motivation of her friends, Ririka, and her mother, she was able to cheer up enough to get back into the right mindset to finish her two-parter, and wrap up the show on a lighter note with her two-parter working out perfectly, and the new semester starting with her friends in the newly renovated dorm.
How the final episode frames and animates Kaos’ internal tug-of-war was impressive as she switches between sobbing from the lacking confidence she has in herself and the bouts of happiness she would have as she gets further motivated. The oppressive feeling of the empty dorm rooms make it all the more agonizing for Kaos to face off against her draft without Rukki, Tsubasa, or Koyume to help her out. And it is a testament to how natural the shifting tones feel as Kaos finds herself bouncing out of her worst depressive states through being aware of how well she’s been doing things by her own accord or using the encouragement she gets from her friends and loved ones to charge through her mood switches. It does help though that her mother is amazing by supporting her to the point that she is outwardly promoting her work to those around her shop.
There were many moments with Kaos that were tear-jerkers, but I choked up a little during the epilogue scene on the train. She’s heading back home when she gets a text from her friends, who sent her a group photo of everyone together. As she begins crying from seeing them all together, it puts into perspective how far Kaos had come from then. She went from being absolutely frightened to open up to anybody around her and fearing any bullying she might face to feeling far more comfortable with their company in her life. It’s poignantly presented as you can imagine the position Kaos must be in, reflecting on the positive growth she made in the series, and how her effort to take herself out of her comfort zone to make vaulable friends who love and care for her was just what she needed to become the best Kaos she can be.
Epilogue:
Final Impressions:
There isn’t enough praise to give to Comic Girls, and the envelopes it pushed to present a cute, relatable, and meaningful anime about the trials and tribulations of creatives in high school. It was well-crafted to translate the adorable visuals and comedic timing of the 4-koma manga into a 23 minute anime series with aplomb as the content it adapted did justice to its run time and each segment worked perfectly in tandem with one another. The background scenery and character designs were detailed, expressive, and fit the mood of the show to a T, bringing out the humor in the characters optimistically and pessimistically marching towards their deadlines. For a comedic series, the direction behind some of the scenes was beyond impressive with timing and framing that gave the show’s dramatic moments heft, depth, and nuance. Specific scenes like when Rukki is getting her hair ready for her first autograph session, when Mayu building up the courage to leave a message on Kaos’ phone to encourage her to keep being a mangaka, and Koyume’s conversation with Tsubasa on the ferris wheel were presented in a consequential manner, creating a deeper impact on the audience to empathize and understand what the characters were going through.
With any comedic slice-of-life, the characters are the foundation of the narrative, and can turn a seemingly average premise into a memorable and enjoyable experience. This is especially true with the cast of Comic Girls as each character is well-utilized in playing significant roles in the series, are endearing enough that they all steal the show at some point, and aren’t cast off to the side once their development is complete. Kaos as the unofficial lead of Comic Girls is a blast as she comes into her own, remedying her intense anxiety with the lewd thoughts she indulges in, allowing herself to relax by basking in the warmth of her perverted imagination. Koyume is a nice foil to Kaos, offering her motivation and peppy encouragement to off-set Kaos’ skiddish personality, and yet provides enough depth to explore the worries she has about accurately portraying romance in her shoujo manga without any experience. Her infatuation with Tsubasa is a fascinating side of Comic Girls as the characters are open-minded and happy to help Koyume possibly be the one to build an everlasting bond with Tsubasa beyond friendship. Tsubasa herself is also intriguing as the author many of us aspire to be who is in love with the work she does to the point of emulating the hero she created, but has issues with how her point-of-view as a workaholic clashes with her family’s lofty goals for her and contributes to the lack of sleep she gets. Finally, we have Rukki, who is level-headed and mature, yet has to learn to fall in love with the work she does as her ecchi manga was the furthest genre from the goals she had to draw cuter artwork, and had been a source of her insecurities up until she had the chance to meet women who loved her work.
The side characters of Comic Girls are equally appealing as they are funny and developed enough to be full-fledged characters of their own. As the dorm mother, Ririka takes on a mentorship role with the girls, enjoys relaxing with her old friends from the dorm who went onto different ventures, and encourages everyone to let loose as she did when she wrote yuri manga. Mayu turned out to be far more than your standard adversarial editor for Kaos as she felt bad for the consequences that her criticism might have on Kaos’ enthusiasm, and works to improve her relationship with her by giving her more constructive feedback on her drafts. Nijino-sensei has been consistently funny as a secret otaku who is obsessed with Tsubasa’s manga and tries her hardest to hide her past as a yaoi mangaka. One character I wound up getting the biggest kick out of was Fuura, the horror mangaka who enthusiastically scares those around her, but has a normal side to her that comes out as Kaos carries on conversations with her.
Comic Girls took me by surprise for all the right reasons. It could’ve been another gag comedy or rely solely on assigned character shticks, but the anime went above and beyond to humanize its cast and have us build a deeper emotional connection with everyone as they band together to face the obstacles in their path. It is one of those shows that cuts to the heart of what many older teens and younger adults are going through as we battle our insecurities, anxiety, and the roles that are thrust upon us as productive members of society. Comic Girls definitely tickles this with how easy it is to empathize with the feeling of being on the same boat as the girls while they grapple with uncertainty, doubt, and nervousness. With an engaging cast, superb direction, well-crafted drama, and a cute, goofy sense of humor, Comic Girls is one comedy this season that knocks it out of the park.
The tissue connecting last week"s episode and this week"s is fairly weak up front. This isn"t the first time that all the Magic Knight squad captains have arrived in unison to save the day, and they continue to lack the heft that the desired beat requires. So few of them are interesting beyond how strong we"re told they are. On top of that, I still feel weird that last week"s cliffhanger downgraded us from Licht himself to his henchmen, no matter how much stronger they"re supposed to be.
The latter issue is alleviated some by the fact that Licht is not completely out of the game; he just needed to call in reinforcements so he could take a breather and get his groove back. The former problem is still prevalent (especially since Fuegoleon is still missing in action) but the show tries to give the squad captains more personality by making fun of Noelle"s asshat brother"s hair and revealing that Charlotte Roselei has a tsundere crush on Yami. The staggering number of lovestruck women in this series continues to be alarming. It"s so aggressive.
But once we get past the so-so content early in this episode, we do come back around to the good stuff. It turns out the Midnight Sun arc ends the way all conflicts must in this show: Asta hits the bad guy with his anti-magic sword and they lose. The End. As predictable as this show"s formula is becoming, the end of this fight is satisfying as all hell. Asta emerges in the middle of the chaos while everybody else is preoccupied, targeting Licht with his new Ki-sensing abilities while staying under the radar thanks to his lack of magic. This sequence is the animation highlight of the past couple episodes, and it"s fun to see everybody, good and bad guys alike, be shocked that Asta was even still in this fight at all. "Everybody" excluding Yami, of course, because he had faith in Asta this whole time.
The major intrigue that gets raised as we finally exit the arc is a question of how Asta"s grimoire and swords are connected to Licht and his people. Licht"s a pretty chill guy, so it"s neat to see him get riled up at the thought of a magic-less kid having weapons that supposedly belonged to his master. There"s an evil power that goes beyond Licht and his cronies, but Asta"s the one reaping its rewards for some reason. I"ve gotten so accustomed to the fact that Asta has the five-leaf clover that I forgot that was even supposed to be big picture story behind it. Asta"s a good guy using the powers of a demon, but that concept has fallen to the wayside for most of the story so far. I hope we get more information on that sooner rather than later.
While I"m not in love with any of the B-tier heroes and villains that make up the bulk of this episode, they do a good job keeping the story busy as we build up to the stronger moments where we finally get to lay the smack down. And even then, beating the final boss only seems to make our heroes" problems worse. Asta hitting Licht with his sword doesn"t kill or maim him, but rather opens him up and makes his magic more dangerous and uncontrollable. If Licht"s going to be sticking around as the main villain then it makes sense that he"d be reserving his power to become an even worse threat later. He can"t keep fighting as he is now, so he and his friends run away to pick a fight with the Clover Kingdom another day.
With the Eye of the Midnight Sun being our primary antagonists, we haven"t yet had an arc where we truly beat them to our satisfaction. Arcs usually end with them running away in defeat, which both teases the audience too much about what"s to come and undermines the Midnight Sun as a threat. That said, I"m growing increasingly interested in the greater lore surrounding the group and how they"re connected to Gauche and Asta. There"s plenty of room for the baddies to bulk up and get stronger, and the mysteries that promise to do just that are curious enough to keep me watching. Out of the completed story arcs we"ve seen so far, I can now safely say this has been the most thoroughly enjoyable one yet.
Rating: B
Black Clover is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
Sam Leach records about One Piece for The One Piece Podcast and you can find him on Twitter @LuckyChainsaw
The short-form anime Space Battleship Tiramisu is weird, to say the least. The story stars mecha pilot Subaru who is loves nothing more than to be nestled in the cockpit of his giant robot Durandal. Much of the show"s humor centers around the strange situations Subaru finds himself in while fighting opposing forces in space, including, to summarize it briefly, being able to talk to his own stray pubic hair by tapping into a higher universal consciousness.
When Subaru discovers he can talk to this particular pubic hair, he decides to save it by keeping inside a breath mint tin.
All of this is context for the series" strange event announcement. The story is getting its own stage play, including a newly announced performance in Gifu. This version of the play will have unique character appearances, including the aforementioned pubic hair.
Staff haven"t announced who will embody the sentient pube on stage. The Gifu performances are scheduled for August 4 and 5 only and tickets are on sale now for 5,900 yen (US$54). Jouji Nakata voices the hair in the anime version.
The stage play will open in Tokyo on July 25 to July 31, although it doesn"t appear there"s a cast member playing "the under hair" in that version or the Osaka version from August 11 to 12.
The science fiction gag comedy follows the everyday life of Subaru Ichinose, the ace pilot of the space battleship "Tiramisu." Since he cannot get used to being surrounded by older pilots, Subaru shuts himself in the cockpit of his personal ship "Durandal."
Writer Miyakawa (Haha o Nakushita Toki, Boku wa Ikotsu o Tabetai to Omotta.) and artist Itō launched the ongoing manga on Shinchosha"s Kurage Bunch website in October 2015.
The anime premiered on April 2. Crunchyroll is streaming the series as it airs in Japan, and Funimation is streaming an English dub. The series will have 13 television episodes and three unaired episodes. The first home video release in Japan will include episodes 1-6 and two unaired episodes while the second home video release will include episodes 7-13 and one unaired episode.
Hiroshi Ikehata (Robot Girls Z, Seiyu"s Life!) is directing the anime, Yū Satō is handing the series composition, and Ai Yokoyama (Bayonetta: Bloody Fate) is designing the characters. Studio GONZO is providing the animation.
From CoMix Wave Films, the creative visionaries behind the international phenomenon Your Name, comes Netflix’s new anime feature film Flavors of Youth. Told in three chapters in three cities, Flavors of Youth explores the simple joys of life through sensual memories and how the beating heart of love cannot be defeated by the flow of time.
The world premiere screening of Flavors of Youth will be at Anime Expo in Los Angeles on July 6, 2018 at the LA Convention Center in Hall B at 11:30AM. Both Director Yoshitaka Takeuchi and Producer Noritaka Kawaguchi will attend the event and participate in a moderated Q&A following the screening. Audience members will need to have an official Anime Expo badge which can be purchased online and attendance is first come, first served.
Netflix will also host a NETFLIX❤ANIME panel on July 5, 2018 at 5:00PM at the LA Convention Center Petree Hall for expo attendees. The panel will highlight Netflix’s upcoming anime series slate and feature LeSean Thomas, creator of Cannon Busters and Adi Shankar, showrunner of Castlevania. Flavors of Youth will stream globally on Netflix on August 4, 2018.
Source: Official Press Released
Trailer
Another reason to grab Netflix! Wooo more anime!
And this one is made by Haoliners and CoMix Wave Films!
Filed under Darling in the Franxx, First Impressions by Pancakes | 1 Comment
「大好きなあなたのために」 (Daisukina Anata no Tame ni) “For You, My Love”
Boy it’s all coming out now isn’t it? After throwing the lid off of Pandora’s Box of Trigger world ending alien invasions and last shot humanity survival attempts, Franxx decided to floor it by giving us answers for our new mysterious alien nemesis and some parasite quirks long left lacking a good explanation. Talking, info dumps, vague promises of bigger (well, worse) things to come? Darling please, we all know what’s front and centre in the final weeks to come.
After fully indulging in the usual alien invasion hijinks before, you have to hand it to Trigger (and A1) for knowing how to keep their running theme fresh. A psychic hive mind intent on assimilating filthy xenos naïve and ignorant lifeforms into a greater plane of existence in true Borg fashion is about as unique an enemy as you get for these stories, and that’s before we go full into the Warhammer 40k Chaos similarities. The Virm’s special identity has the added benefit of answering both their infiltration via APE and heavy focus on the Star Entity: these psychic crazies probably wanted to assimilate humanity from the start and decided to prepare for it while simultaneously eliminating a serious threat to other mortals chained to a life of sorrows (read: assimilation targets). There’s a reason killing two birds with one stone is always the recommended strategy.
Particularly intriguing for me, however, is the klaxo sapiens’ own origins. As if a psychic gestalt consciousness wasn’t fun enough, we also have an advanced prehistory Earth reptilian civilization which in its decayed and eradicated ruins just so happened to turn into the primary fuel source for modern humanity. Extinction level asteroid impact wiping out the dinosaurs and leaving behind petrochemicals? Well, in a way. Did I also mention how incredibly ironic this scenario gets when you realize some researchers are actually considering such a possibility? Oh yeah we’re going places no ordinary alien invasion story has gone before. What this final reveal does though is raise the question how Franxx intends on wrapping this story up. With the klaxo sapiens being unable to fight off the Virm even after collectively sacrificing body and soul to the purpose, there’s no apparent means for one princess and a rag-tag group of parasites (and Zero Two clones) to suddenly do the same. The Star Entity is supposedly enough for the task, but can it beat off the Virm for good, or just merely hold them back? Our Chaos friends made off with another superweapon (in all likelihood) in the klaxosaur composed Hringhorni after all, it’s not unlikely it or something else will be the Virm’s solution for this situation.
The answer for Hiro and friends of course probably comes down to whatever happened to Zero Two and the klaxosaur princess. Death is obviously going to be at the forefront of every mind with that ending, but it’s not impossible darling’s favourite dino has simply merged with her blue parent and become one with the machine. Or in other words, done what every other non-princess klaxo has seemingly done before. The answer to this will determine whether Franxx goes out with a bang or a whimper (or sets up some surprise sequel announcement), because Star Entity and finding strength in unison has more or less become the means for everyone left standing to win this fight; if Zero Two is actually dead, it’s hard seeing a good way out of this mess once the Virm come knocking again given some of Squad 13 are rapidly reaching the end of the line. One way or another Hiro’s uniqueness (which is looking increasingly like him being the last male klaxo sapien) just became very important, and with it the future of man and dino both.
The final fight is upon us boys and girls, and for the sake of a happy ending which may or may not include some happy family formation and marriage ceremonies, you better hope the original darling is ready to rise to the occasion.
Today at 6:28 pm
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Filed under First Impressions, Steins;Gate by Guardian Enzo | 3 Comments
「存在証明のパンドラ」 (Sonzai Shōmei no Pandora) “Pandora of Provable Existence: Forbidden Cubicle”
If there’s one single element that makes Steins;Gate 0 different from the original series, I think it’s Okabe. Hououin Kyouma is nowhere to be seen here – in many respects the character is almost unrecognizable from the first series (at least in the the first 20 or so episodes of it). Okarin has always seemed older than his years, but ironically in a very different way then from now – it was his brash confidence and assuredness that made him seem that way once. Now it’s his world-weary and beaten visage and demeanor – this is a man who’s seen way more than any man his age should have to.
But the other major change isn’t an existing character, but a new one. Maho is quite an important part of “0″ – has been from the beginning, but never more so than this week. She’s the focus of this episode for most of its length, starting with the “Salieri” metaphor. Clearly she sees herself as the less brilliant and overshadowed craftsman lost in the blinding glare of genius from a colleague and rival. In her case her feelings for Kurisu seem less conflicted than Salieri’s towards Mozart – though they’re still conflicted, and movie Salieri (who’s the one that really matters more than the real one in this context) did admire and even love Mozart in his psychotic way.
It’s pretty obvious when we see Maho put a laptop into a locker in Akihabara that this is an important moment – and whose laptop it is. We don’t know who the “trustworthy” expert she has analyzing it is, but it’s a good bet that they’re not trustworthy – and neither is Leskinen, who continues to play the affable clown role a little too well. Poor Okabe – this is really just another reminder of how Sisyphean his task is. No matter how he tries to keep things from unraveling, the world goes where it wants to go – every time he heads off one potential disaster at the pass, another leak opens up somewhere else and the boulder rolls back to the bottom of the hill.
Maho is certainly an interesting sort, though I still see no real evidence that Okarin feels for her in the same way she does for him. Her dream Akiba is the old school one, the disappearing labyrinth of tech parts junkyards and swap shops that once dominated the neighborhood. She’s delighted when Okabe shows her this side of Akihabara, and she’s quite the slob too – she and Moeka are certainly doing a number on Feyris’ condo. I could have done without all those scenes at the condo – that sort of otaku pandering is the most tiresome side of Steins;Gate. But it is nice to gain some insight into who Maho is as a person.
The dynamic here is odd as hell – an A.I. based on Okabe’s true love trying to play matchmaker between he and the best friend who was obsessed with her. Okabe may talk of “moving on” but I’m skeptical that his continuing relationship with Amadeus is the way to do it. Maho doesn’t realize it, but in lumping herself in with Mayuri she’s making an ominous statement about her own chances. The thing is, I think she’s right – she’s perceptive to be certain. She’s seen the pain Okabe is carrying (“Why do you look so sad all the time?” sums up this Okabe about as well as anything could), and to him, Maho is like Mayuri – someone to be protected. But not, sadly, someone to be loved the way he loved Kurisu.
Today at 2:03 am
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Two worlds are colliding in a joint collaboration between Final Fantasy XIV and Monster Hunter: World. CAPCOM announced both games are trading monsters this summer. Behemoth from Final Fantasy XIV Online will show its fury within Monster Hunter: World, a first for the Monster Hunter franchise. The game series has not previously featured a monster from any other title. You can catch a glimpse of Behemoth in the teaser below.
Meanwhile, players in the world of Hydaelyn can face the Monster Hunter: World creature Rathalos.
The collaboration was announced at this year"s E3 conference during Square Enix"s live-stream. Both monsters will make their respective appearances in each game this summer.
The most recent episode of the Hugtto! Precure television anime series is causing a stir among Japanese fans for discussing gender issues with its characters. The anime"s episode 19, titled "Waku Waku! Akogare no Runway Debut!?," premiered on Sunday. The theme of the episode is that anyone can do or be anything they want, and key dialogue in the episode said, "Even boys can become princesses!"
The story of the episode revolves around a fashion show. After an invite from male figure skater Henri Wakamiya, who is also modeling in the show, Hana"s classmate Emiru Aisaki decides to participate. Emiru is a girl who likes to play electric guitar and wants to be a hero, but her older brother Masato discourages her. The theme of the fashion show is "Girls too can become heroes!"
During preparations, Masato appears and says, ""Hero" is a word for boys." He calls Emiru"s appearance in the show "inappropriate" and tries to take her away. Henri then appears in a dress and stands up to Masato, who says to Henri, "You"re a guy, aren"t you?" Henri responds, "I"ll have the appearance that I myself want. People set limits in their own hearts. That"s a waste of time and life."
Protagonist Hana also chimes in and says, "Everyone has a hero in their heart!" Later, Masato becomes a monster, captures Henri, and holds him in the air. Henri says, "I ended up in the position of a princess, didn"t I?" Hana then replies, "It"s okay! Even boys can become princesses!"
It seems that the characters" words of support not only reached their fellow characters in the episode, but also touched the real-world audience. Many net commenters responded in support of the episode"s message that encourages children to be who they want to be, regardless of their gender or how other people may respond. Some commenters noted that the words and messages in the episode may help children with worries that arise as they grow and develop into adults. Some viewers also emphasized that the message of "anyone can do or become anything" is applicable to people of all ages.
The anime premiered in February, and it airs on Japan"s ABC, TV Asahi, and affiliated stations on Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
An episode of Kirakira ☆ Precure a la Mode previously caused a stir among fans in November, when speculation spread that the first male Precure could be about to appear.
Thanks to Kimiko for the tip.
Sources: Anime! Anime! (Kōtarō Nakase), The Huffington Post Japan (Shino Tanaka)
Filed under First Impressions, Uma Musume Pretty Derby by Choya | 6 Comments
「夢の舞台」 (Yume no Butai) “Stage of Dreams”
If you read up on the results of the 1999 Tokyo Cup race, or watched it online, you probably had a general idea of who was going to win this one. Much like Suzuka’s injury or Pasa’s victories/defeats, real life does act as a spoiler to many of the results of Uma Musume‘s recent races. However, it doesn’t discount the emotional impact of the race as the episodes before this were all setting the stage for Special Week to go from a diamond in the rough to an impressive runner, fighting the odds to be able to shake off France’s very own Broye.
Everything that Spe-chan, her friends, her mentors, and her loved ones had done up to this point all culminated to this, and the anime spares no expense to make her win at the Tokyo Cup as momentous as can be for her and those around her. The emotional weight of Spe-chan’s journey to pulling off a victory against Broye could be felt across the stadium as crowds roared, the girls of her academy cheered her on, the Trainer and Toujou rooting for her in unison, and her foster mother shedding tears all the way through as she shared Spe-chan’s proudest accomplishment yet with her late friend. Silence Suzuka’s happiness and her encouragement for her friend to keep on trucking despite feeling winded helped Spe-chan during the final stretch.
They also did a great job with the friendly rivalry going on between Spe-chan and Broye. Thanks to Pasa’s ill-guided attempt at getting Spe-chan to tell her and her fellow racers off in French, they had a good way to rile up the crowd and create a tense yet cordial relationship between her and the rest of the racers. Add that on top of Broye kissing her cheek as a greeting to get her flustered, and the unintentional mind-game Spe-chan played with Pasa’s one French phrase set the stage for a race where the two were both on competitive terms. Her fellow races did take the French term for “don’t get too cocky” much more seriously as they were temporary elated by the idea of putting Spe-chan in her place, but Broye took both her phrasing and the defeat by her hands with stride as she repeated the phrase Spe-chan used with a wink and a smile. Although Broye was set up to be the strong adversary for Spe-chan to win against, she was a very pleasant rival as we saw her prep up with a last-minute workout at her hotel and make press runs before she faced off in the Tokyo Cup. It was a treat to see how they handled the French language too with the admirable job her seiyuu does at speaking French.
Though it was easy to see where it was going, it still made for a thrilling episode that was emotionally impactful and rewarding for Special Week as her victory cements her position as the racer she aspired to be. It might’ve been the most cinematic way to end the series, but Uma Musume has one more trick up its sleeve with the next race being a dream match between the girls at Spica and the more popular members of the cast.
ED4 Sequence
Today at 12:38 pm
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「決戦の地へ」 (Kessen no Chi e) “To the Final Battleground”
I’m not a manga reader. Not for this series, at any rate. So I can’t say for certain, but. Doesn’t this seem rather fast? Maybe that’s how it was in the source material. It’d be smart if so, to be honest; none of the intervening events probably needed to be elucidated, at least not until after the fact. But there was also some serious rush on in this episode. Or maybe that was the beers I had before getting home to watch it, who can say. Life is a mystery, and then we shokugeki.
My MVP for this episode is undoubtedly Alice. Others were good! Especially Isshiki! More on him soon. But Alice is the hero the other students needed right here. She threw the necessary tantrum, she marched everyone to the stadium, she is the one who made sure her friends and her cousin had their support crew on hand. Hisako wasn’t going to do it, no one else was going to do it, but Alice did. Good on her! We all need an Alice in our lives, sometimes.
Souma pulling Soba was great! A great laugh line, but also an opportunity to show his philosophy off in real time. To be honest, this entire first round seems like it’s all set up for the protagonists to win: The ousted Elite Ten members prove their mettle, and Yukihira surmounts impossible odds in a very Souma way. It’s the people who come next that will have troubles, I’d guess—strong competitors fail, current (named) Elite Ten members run amok, things get dire. I could be wrong! The show certainly seems to be setting Isshiki-sempai, at least, up for a victory. He’s always been silly in a super funny and awesome way, the kind of silly you can only be when you’re that damn good. I look forward to him showing further just how good he is. Crush this boring blondie, Isshiki-sempai. Do it for Polar Star!
As for Souma, him inflecting himself into the dish, and making one that really represents who he is, is the right tack to take. He doesn’t know how to make soba as well as Nene; if he fights her in her realm, he will lose. He knows how to be Souma better than anyway else, though. If he cooks soba like Souma, better than he ever has before… Maybe. Maybe he can pull that off. If anyone can, it’d be him, certainly!
My SECOND novel, Freelance Heroics, is available now! (Now in print!) (Also available: Firesign #1 Wage Slave Rebellion.) Sign up for my email list for updates. At stephenwgee.com, the latest post: Risk Tolerance in the Creative Life.
KOEI Tecmo Games revealed during Sony"s E3 2018 press conference on Mondayu that it is developing Nioh 2, a sequel to its Nioh action game. The trailer did not reveal the game"s release date or its supported platforms.
The first game launched for the PlayStation 4 in North America, Europe, and Japan in February 2017. KOEI Tecmo America released the game on the PC with its DLC expansions with the title Nioh: Complete Edition last November.
KOEI Tecmo Games Europe describes the game:
In the dark, fantasy action RPG Nioh, players will traverse war-torn Japan as William, a blonde-haired swordsman whose background as a fierce warrior and seasoned knowledge of the blade allows him to survive in the demon-plagued land of the samurai. Players will face off against other samurai in epic sword battles and intense, multi-target engagements offering a level of difficulty that will truly test even the most hardened samurai"s skills, patience, and strategy.
Team Ninja (Dead or Alive series, Dissidia Final Fantasy arcade) developed the game.
Kojima Productions revealed a new trailer for Hideo Kojima"s Death Stranding PlayStation 4 game during Sony"s E3 2018 press conference on Monday. The trailer unveiled the full name of Norman Reedus" character as Sam Bridges, and also revealed Léa Seydoux and Lindsay Wagner as part of the game"s cast.
Kojima revealed three new pieces of key art for the game, showing the character Sam Bridges, as well as the characters played by Seydoux and Wagner.
The video also contains a description for the game:
Besieged by death"s tide at every turn, Sam Bridges must brave a world utterly transformed by the Death Stranding. Carrying the stranded remnants of the future in his hands, Sam embarks on a journey to reunite the shattered world one step at a time. What is the mystery of the Death Stranding? What will Sam discover on the road ahead? A genre defining gameplay experience holds these answers and more.
Kojima Productions, Kojima"s own development studio, is developing Death Stranding, and it will star Norman Reedus. Kojima previously said the game will show "a different side of Reedus than fans of The Walking Dead might expect." Kojima Productions is developing the game using Guerilla Games" Decima Engine.
A trailer for the game debuted in December 2016, and it features character models based on director Guillermo del Toro and actor Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal, Doctor Strange, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). Kojima asked del Toro to be a character in the game.
The game will be an action game, and will have open-world elements with "some degree of freedom." Kojima stated the game"s name originates from the phenomenon of cetacean stranding, where dolphins and whales wash up on land and die. While other games offer elements analogous to "sticks" for gameplay, Death Stranding will also offer "ropes" to tie and link players together.
Kojima stated earlier that the game will have online gameplay, but it will also be fully playable in single player.
Yoji Shinkawa, the character and mechanical designer for the Metal Gear Solid game series, hinted that he wanted to see mechs in the game. Shinkawa is currently working on the game alongside Kojima.
Sources: Official PlayStation YouTube channel, Hideo Kojima"s Twitter account
A fast paced and visually impactful side-scrolling thrill ride.
Game Info
System: Nintendo Switch
Publisher: X.D. Network
Developer: FantaBlade Network
Release Date: May 31, 2018
Icey Switch launch trailer
Whether you like it or not, it’s very evident that indie titles are truly becoming part of the framework that makes up the illustrious game industry. For the last 10-15 years, indie games were few and far between when you compare them to the vast amount of celebrated titles that controlled the marketplace. Let alone indie games from China, a country that only, as of late, has really started to churn the wheels of influence to become a recognized name in the scene. The days of the colossal names being the center of attention are slowly starting to diminish, while the number of indie companies sprouting up from beneath the ground is growing exponentially as time passes. Take ICEY for example, the latest side-scrolling action game from FantaBlade Network, which demonstrates not only the technical prowess of the Chinese gaming scene but its ability to take an existing genre and create a game that’s totally fresh and invigorating in its visual and gameplay aesthetic. While the formula may remain in tact, ICEY is a game that takes various inspirations from games like Devil May Cry, Mega Man, and other iconic titles and creates a unique fusion of them all which brings out its charm. Role playing elements are also part of the package which create even more excitement as you traverse through the game.
Anyone who loves 2D side scrollers will certainly find ICEY to be an exciting title full of wicked combos, air dashing, and special finishers that all come together to generate a total package of action and entertainment. Despite its very short length in comparison to other side scrollers, ICEY still remains cool in its approach and delivers in a remarkable way, with a few little hiccups along the way. Those hiccups, however, are seldom seen and once you start to recognize just how awesome the game is, you start to forget about them eventually. For now, let’s look into what to expect before diving into the gameplay.
When we say that ICEY is a unique game, we’re not just talking about its visual and gameplay mechanics. We’re talking about all the things that are squeezed in between. For example, on the game over screen, you’ll notice that every time you die several times, the screen will say “You Die Again”, but another N will be added which becomes sort of like your death counter. If you keep dying, it eventually gives up trying and you gets a new message along the lines of. “You Can Never Remember.” This little subtle addition to the gameplay really just adds so much value because oftentimes we overlook the simplicities and merely focus on the bigger picture of the games we play.
Another example is how the game takes place within a programming software, and the developer (the developer in the game, not the actual developer) is the one guiding you through his creation as it all unfolds. So there are moments where you’ll run through the game and unexpectedly come across an unfinished level, with the developer comically stating that he had no time to finish it and so, he teleports you back into the actual game. It may sound a little confusing as you read it, but it’s essentially a game within a game and to execute that well within a title takes a lot of work, but also some deep creative thinking.
All levels are well detailed with enemies providing you with enough challenge to keep you coming back for more. As you unlock more flash, which is essentially your power meter, more abilities will be unveiled which also help to open up new areas in the game that you may not have been able to traverse to prior. Boss battles are engaging and require that you always come up with new ways to strike them down, avoiding falling into pattern and dying. ICEY is still linear in its overall approach but still allows you the freedom to tackle enemy obstacles in the way you see fit, and use your accumulated funds to purchase the powerups you desire most.
As we mentioned earlier, ICEY is still a 2D side scrolling action game on the surface, but once you dive into its sci-fi futuristic inspired world you’ll start to notice a lot of creative directions FantaBlade Network took with the game. Some of them we already explained briefly earlier, with regards to the ‘developer’ somewhat guiding you through his own game and providing you with a narrative with how ICEY is going to take down the evil enemy named Judas. We don’t know much about Judas other than that he’s a big jerk and ICEY wants him removed from existence so that the world can finally settle down and relax again. Of course ICEY is the protagonist, who wields a cool looking sword which sort of reminded us of Vergil’s Yamato, since much of your acrobatic moves look similar to his.
This, of course, is the inspiration we mentioned earlier and it really suits the playstyle of the main protagonist who’s very cold, calculated and ruthless in her approach, similar to the Devil May Cry counterpart. At the beginning of the game, you’re given a brief tutorial of how to play and execute moves based on simple yet quick button presses, which have a very hack and slash appeal to them. By pressing Y>Y>Y>Y, you’ll generate a 4 hit slash attack that puts enemies into stun, and over time, you’ll be able to upgrade that move to make it stronger and increase its stun. Other moves will require you to press both the Y and X buttons in quick succession to pull off other powerful moves not only on the ground, but also in the air which look incredible as it all unfolds on the Nintendo Switch screen.
Character animations are fluid and don’t cause any sort of interference, with enemies moving in their own unique way to cause you trouble. One unique aspect of ICEY that we should mention is how you actually go about choosing the difficulty before diving in. The game starts off by throwing you a curveball and makes you think the game is broken in some way, by repeating parts several times and then going into an error screen. Once you get past all that, you enter a room where you’re required to use the ZL or ZR buttons to answer questions that pop up on screen. Depending on what you answer, the game’s difficulty will be set and from then on it’s up to you to tackle what’s ahead. We ended going with the hard difficulty which actually gave the game more life because the enemies came in waves, which forced us to really be on our toes and create openings to unleash big damage. Regarding big damage, dashing through enemies in a well timed manner will initiate a button sequence where, by pressing let’s say the A button would result in performing a high level finishing blow and you collect special orbs. You’ll be able to unlock more options as you progress but your finishing blow stays with you the entire time. The orbs we mentioned can also be used is a powerful launcher attack by holding down the Y button to absorb them, and then dishing out the pain to enemies who get caught in the whirlwind.
The cool aspect of it all is how attacks can be chained and cancelled at any time, with very little lag in between giving you a ton of freedom to really create your own combo loops. You could easily start off with a ground combo then uppercut the enemy into the air, and keep them in the air for good chunk of time, before knocking them back down and starting over again. 40-50 hit combos or more can easily be executed if you’re well timed in your attacks and make good use of the air dash technique. Enemies will gradually get harder and so, learning how to execute custom combos can become an integral part in finishing them off to move forward.
In the end, ICEY is totally well worth the $9.99/7.99£ and despite its short length, it’s a totally sweet experience that’s worth every penny. We ran into some framerate issues where too much was happening on screen and the game slowed down tremendously, but once all the special effects wore off, the game went right back to its normal ways. There were some sections in the game where you could take part in a sort of survival mode where you’d take on waves of enemies and your score would be logged into the games memory. Sadly, it doesn’t log into an online directory, but nevertheless, it’s a good way to actually get a better feel for how the combo system works, but also how to better predict enemy patterns. On an audio level, ICEY is actually quite stimulating and you can really hear all of the effects in the game, which only add more appeal to the already enticing experience. Playing with headphones is actually recommended within the game and we totally can understand why after playing through. FantaBlade Network is a newcomer to the scene, but created a title that would certainly place them in the category of notable names due to the uniquely crafted gameplay, and stylistic appeal that you’ll only find in ICEY. Hats off to them!
So will you be picking up ICEY? Let us know in the comments below and share your thoughts on what you feel about the game. With E3 currently underway and so many more games coming down the pipeline, we’re excited to see more content and ready to tackle whatever comes our way. Big shoutouts to FantaBlade Network as well as X.D. Network for providing us with a copy of ICEY, and letting us experience their unique take on the 2D side-scrolling genre. Be sure to follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest gaming news, and of course, follow us on Twitch to catch us playing your favorite games live!
As always, for all things sweet, with news straight from Japan, be sure to keep it locked here on Honey’s Anime.
Editor/Writer
Author: Rob "NualphaJPN" B.
A passionate fan of gaming, writing, journalism, anime, and philosophy. I"ve lived in Japan for many years and consider this place to be my permanent home. I love to travel around Japan and learn about the history and culture! Leave a comment if you enjoy my articles and watch me play on twitch.tv/honeysgaming ! Take care!
The tissue connecting last week"s episode and this week"s is fairly weak up front. This isn"t the first time that all the Magic Knight squad captains have arrived in unison to save the day, and they continue to lack the heft that the desired beat requires. So few of them are interesting beyond how strong we"re told they are. On top of that, I still feel weird that last week"s cliffhanger downgraded us from Licht himself to his henchmen, no matter how much stronger they"re supposed to be.
The video also contains a description for the game:
