Sekijitsu - せきじつ

[First Impressions] Rejects

Vivi — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:10:56 +0000

These three shows and Recorder to Randoseru, which Renn has already bravely reviewed here, were the shows absolutely none of us at Sekijitsu didn’t want to touch with a twenty-foot pole. Papa no Iukoto o Kikinasai (PapaKiki) for the creepy lolicon factor, High School DxD for its typical crappy harem-style fanservice, and Gokujyo- for thrusting boobs & butts into your face. But is that all to these shows? Is there actually a diamond in the rough somewhere? Perhaps we were too quick to turn our noses up like the pretentious animu snobs we are… or were we simply wisely following what our experience with harem anime over the years have taught us? (PS. it’s mostly the latter.)

Papa no Iukoto o Kikinasai (Listen to Me, Girls. I am Your Father!)

This was incredibly boring, and halfway through it was less creepy than I thought it’d be, but definitely tough to get through in one sitting. It took me a few days, honestly, stopping and going off to do other things, out of sheer boredom. It’s very slow. I’m not even sure I can remember what happened, other than he meets a strange sight-seeing club, and hits it off with his senpai – which is a good sign, that’s there’s another girl in the mix, other than a bunch of lolis. But by the later half of the episode, the lolis (fresh from the bath…) start invading.

Turns out, the niece likes older men (we have something in common I see…), specifically her uncle! Later, that said uncle triggers the “walk-in-while-she’s-changing” flag! That sort of thing doesn’t really appeal to my sense of humor, so overall, in my opinion, nothing worth noting really happened. The good thing is that it’s less creepy and pervy than I expected, so the chances of this show being a heartfelt, happy-family show isn’t too far-fetched, but the nature of certain characters (the mooching roommate, the niece with the crush) and the harem genre in general tells me that there will probably be more fanservice, in the form of big-boobs & no-boobs, with a tiny bit of of “aaw look at this we’re a family” to keep it going. PapaIcky is better than I expected, but there’s nothing really persuasive about this. You think babies would be a cute enough incentive but this three-year-old toddler’s big-ass head creeps me out even more than loli fanservice.

Overall Thoughts: I don’t remember what happened at all except that it was really boring and the little girl whining about how fat she was pissed me off

High School DxD

99cm/39in boobs, 58cm/23inch waists?! Is this school full of Christina Hendricks-like high school girls?! ~~If they are all Christina Hendricks, please sign me up.~~ I won’t start ranting about women and weight and measurements and feminism, because you guys probably don’t want to hear a bitter diet warrior’s annoying body woes, but– wait… is… is this someone’s v-va-va-vag— uuuh. I have no idea what I’m looking at here, but I think it’s some crazy sort of pubic hair. And what’s up with all these girls, no one wears proper bras in this show–! All of their nipples are showing through their clothing! ∑(゜Д゜;) Is it that cold?! How thin are their bras?! WHAT

As you have probably noticed, I haven’t exactly made any intelligent comments regarding this show (though most of my comments aren’t exactly intelligent), but there isn’t anything to say. Even if High School DxD does have some semblance of a plot, it all leads to boobs & butts, even more than Gokujyo-. If you’re a nipple type of guy or girl, a person who likes big, BIG boobs on characters with some sort of personality to fap to, then this is it. Even better, it at least has some humor shoved into it somewhere. But the nipples are too distracting for me. This is why I would want to marry Namor, because he has no nipples. MILK COMES OUT OF NIPPLES aaAaaAaaaaaAAaaaAaaaaaaaHhHHH

Overall Thoughts: Rob Liefeld would like these girls

Gokujyo-

For the first two I would rather sit around and do nothing than watch. For the third, I’m pretty okay with it. Actually, I’ll admit it outloud – I found it kind of funny, and I’ll move on to watch the second episode! Ah, for some reason it’s embarrassing to admit… (つд｀) But, perhaps it’s the over-the-top acting, or wanting to watch such a shallow person make a fool of herself, that makes me want to watch it. She drags her nice, sweet childhood friend into the embarrassment, but it’s okay because the childhood friend got something nice out of it too (?). The “peanut” part was hilarious – funny enough, the only thing High School DxD censored was the “peanut” (I think?), while they openly showed nipples and boobs and v-jay-jays.

Supposedly Gokujyo-’s debut was pushed back due to it being too risky, but it’s nothing compared to High School DxD. Obvious publicity stunt, but while there are a lot of boobs and butt in this episode, it’s all in a funny manner rather than a fanservice-y manner – or maybe it’s just because of the atmosphere, or because they’re not drawn as “plumply” as the DxD girls. Either way, it’s not as fanservice-centric as High School DxD, despite the constantly flashing and unbuttoned top, but it’s not the most hilarious thing in the world. Just a time-killer.

Overall Thoughts: haha peanut

Inu X Boku SS 04

Tofu — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:20:26 +0000

Here’s episode 4 of Inu X Boku SS titled “Ayakashi Kan Walk Rally”. Hope you enjoy!

Besides the introduction of the two new characters in episode 4, we’re also starting to see development in romance between Ririchiyo and Soushi. At first I was wondering if they were rushing things considering it’s only the 4th episode but now that I think about it, Ririchiyo mistaking it as an irregular heartbeat will help develop the romance at a steadier pace with future episodes poking at Ririchiyo’s love. I haven’t seen Kimi ni Todoke but I hear that the characters do like each other but don’t get together till the end right? That will most likely happen in Inu X Boku as well. For someone who hasn’t felt what ‘love’ is, it’s both sad but understandable how she’d mistaken what’s obvious to us but oblivious to her.

Watanuki definitely has potential to be tsundere with his rough attitude and a hidden affection for Karuta which I completely ship these two together! These two are just so cute when he gave her some treats but also his affection that led him to train in order to protect our ‘fragile’ Karuta (even though she’s much stronger than him) was nothing less than adorable. Even his youkai form is cute being a raccoon and all, which is why Watanuki didn’t have such a… happy childhood with his childhood mates: Soushi and (his current SS agent) Natsume. The intriguing yet scary thing about Natsume is how he can see into the hearts of people and will be Ririchiyo’s love realisation once she asks him the question she so desires to be answered. I can see it happening in the next episode or the one after that which is why I’m putting my bets on a Kimi ni Todoke scenario. If I am misunderstanding how Kimi ni Todoke plays out then I do apologize as I’ve not seen it at all.

The choice of an Ayakashi Walk Rally competition really helped enlightened and give us the opportunity to learn more about the supporting characters in the mansion. Inu X Boku is really handling its pacing and character development exceptionally well with another character introduction in the next episode guessing from the last scene in episode 4. I know who he is already because I looked up MAL and might I say that his presence in the mansion will Shake. Things. Up! Joutarou or Jou (Joe if you’re viewing HorribleSubs) has been sighted at times throughout the episodes but man, seeing him interact with Ririchiyo is great. He’s got a cool attitude to him while being corrected all the time by his son Kotarou, might I also say that even the rest of the ‘unique’ staff members were likable in their own ways, adding to the comedy of the show.

Rating: I’ve decided to give this episode 7 out of 10. Comparing the progression and pacing with the anime’s in season, Inu X Boku is definitely one of the few that have kept it at a constant level; entertaining with their usual brilliance of character development and humour. Shoot me down if you’d like but I will confess that I find myself laughing more at Inu X Boku’s comedy than Danshi Koukousei’s. Other than that, we’re getting some real development in the romance department which I’m definitely looking forward to how both Ririchiyo and Soushi will interact together in the future. Natsume is the most suspicious and sly; having a carefree personality while as very mischievous personality. I really do wonder what will happen between Soushi and Natsume if things get out of hand considering Soushi will try to “keep Natsume from saying too much”.

Till next time minna-san!

Black Rock Shooter [First Impressions]

Tofu — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:25:26 +0000

Here’s my first impression on Black Rock Shooter titled “How much louder do I have to shout?”. Hope you enjoy!

Black Rock Shooter

Having reviewed the Black Rock Shooter OVA (being the first post I did when I started blogging), it really feels nostalgic somewhat yet different with the tweaking and character designs here and there in the first episode of BRS. For those who’ve read my BRS OVA post, you would know I loved it to bits. I’ve never seen a circle narrative but I felt BRS did it quite well. Of course, that’s just me being bias. The anime however, does not (or hasn’t yet) hinted the use of circle narrative which would’ve been confusing for the first episode if it was implemented. If it was a circle narrative then some parts might not fit in like the constant comparison of Mato’s world with Rock’s world. An example would be the scene with Mato and Kagari whereas Kagari picked on Mato with the dolls and macaroons. She was (as we saw it) hurt badly by Kagari’s dark presence around her. This was represented by Rock approaching Dead Master but is then ‘beaten’ up by Chariot; depicting the pain and suffering she was feeling up against Kagari in the real world.

The anime is much different to the OVA most of us have seen (and come to hate… besides me and a handful of people). It showed a sadder and darker side with more characters in place and considering it’s a series, I’m sure it will use the amount of time it has to build up on character development. “The anime doesn’t represent its original ‘song’ format” or “How can they turn a mere song into an anime?” is what you’re thinking right? Well I personally believe that it’s fine to get a bit ‘off topic’. BRS was originally a picture and anything can serve as a inspiration to create something else. If you think of the animation as another alternate interpretation of the picture alongside the song and the OVA then isn’t that fine? Basically, it’s good to see more freedom in the anime or else if they try to constantly link back to the song, an anime would be impossible. I’m definitely open to discussion so don’t be shy to object my judgement.

I’m very intrigued by what Kagari meant by “I got it from Yomi” when the camera decided to focus on her legs. My guess is that Yomi must have done something to get Kagari into that wheelchair and Kagari has somehow used it to put a leash on Yomi; keeping her friend to herself and no one else. Something else that still falls out of place when I test my theory on Rock’s world representing the emotions and situations in the real world is the presence of Black Gold Saw herself. Gold didn’t represent anyone from the real world in the OVA, which made all of us curious as to who she really is. Hopefully this will be revealed later on in the episodes but the question is. If Rock’s world does represent Mato’s world as she lives it then what did the fight between Rock and Gold represent in the real world? Does anyone have any ideas?

Before watching the first episode, I was worried with how they were going to use CG in their battles considering they didn’t use it in the OVA and it looked awesome! Fortunately, my worries were wiped away. Personally I enjoyed watching the first episode and how it tells a different perspective than the OVA. As for the last scene with Rock, Chariot and Dead Master (even Gold Saw if you include her eye in the sky), I liked how it showed Rock getting hurt by Chariot while Dead Master stands back, covered in chains; also holding down Rock in chains as well. What I felt the chains represented was confinement for Yomi with her current situation with Kagari while as being the one person Mato will fight on to become her friend and show her happiness than isolation. As much as it’s like a suicide mission, it portrayed determination and persistence. As for that festival, I really do wonder what will Kagari scheme next for Mato. There’s no way she’ll sit back and watch the two friends play merrily together and as for Mato’s friend (Yu), we’ll most likely see a ‘continuation’ from the OVA during her arc in the anime so get prepared to feel some jealousy from her guys!

Should you watch it? I would recommend you watch it, even if you were one of the many who didn’t like the OVA, at least give the anime a try. It does view things in a different perspective and if you’re worried about it being rushed then don’t be. An anime length will hopefully tackle pacing better than the OVA did. I personally enjoyed it being a slight fan for BRS and will definitely be watching it from start to end. As for blogging however, I want to know what you guys feel about my insight into BRS and whether or not you’ll enjoy my coverage on BRS more so than my Inu X Boku SS. Please do vote in the poll down below and I shall reflect in the results.

Till next time minna-san!

~Pic Spam~

Show ▼

Take Our Poll

Inu X Boku SS 03

Tofu — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:46:38 +0000

Here’s episode 3 of Inu X Boku SS titled “The Real Contract”. Hope you enjoy!

Now with 1080p, Inu X Boku looks splendid than ever with the comedy we’re all accustomed too as well as adding those extra elements in making that dramatic scene we all love even more powerful! Okay, maybe I’m ranting too much about 1080p but it’s definitely great considering I’ll be able to get my hands on higher quality screen caps for you guys so expect much richer quality in my future posts! Let’s not waste any more time than we already have because episode three didn’t offer us that action pack episode 2 we enjoyed but a more deeper and dramatic development between our adorable Ririchiyo and Soushi.

Having played Little Busters, I was reminded of the sister relationship between Haruka and Kanata when we saw an insight into Ririchiyo’s past. Might I say that I’ve seen both sides of the coin and I can’t blame the father for hitting Ririchiyo due to the fact that I know how Ririchiyo’s twin would feel being the ‘nobody’ of the family household. Of course, I emphasize with both sides and yes, hitting another person is never correct but in Little Busters, Haruka lives with the burden of being the ‘extra baggage’ in her household while Kanata lives with the burden of ‘royalty’ (being the heir to the household) and that is the same with both Ririchiyo and her twin sister. I would really like to see more of the twin sister in the future and how her presence in the anime will affect the way Ririchiyo lives – offering another great character development for the show.

The twins identity is... YAMADA from Working'!! :O :O :O

Within the first two episodes, I really thought Ririchiyo chose to leave everything to live in the Ayakashi mansion but it seems I was partially wrong as she still attends school. At least this proves she’s actually trying to get rid of her tsun habit the correct way than isolating herself in the mansion. Sadly, she’s already being shunned on, leaving her feeling dreadful towards her goal. Having Karuta being Ririchiyo’s classmate was probably one of the best ideas since it will really help boost Ririchiyo’s development with the cast and also the relief of knowing someone else amongst the many strangers at school is always great… even though I totally thought Karuta looked young but wasn’t young. Shouldn’t stereotype how anime makes everyone look younger than they actually are all the time should I?

Because I love seeing Ririchiyo and Soushi together with what they have to offer to the show, I was definitely wrenched when these two separated in the episode. It was so tragic and sad for the both of them and even for me to witness such an event. Ririchiyo’s tsun mode really ruffled the moment so when we’re faced with someone as fragile as her – who has been isolated from society – you can’t help but feel a tug at your heart when these two fight. Even at the social get-together, the atmosphere was definitely heavy but this all changed soon after witnessing one of the most heart touching moments in the season. I loved every bit of the last 5 minutes of the episode. Soushi standing up for Ririchiyo and seeing Ririchiyo finally show the emotions she wanted Soushi to accept was nothing less than beautiful.

Although I didn’t bawl my eyes out like Miyu over at Metanorn, I can definitely relate to how she felt. A simple “thank you” was all it took for us to understand the situation. That little moment was Ririchiyo’s true emotions put into two words. The emotions she’s always wanted let Soushi know and the relief of knowing that there is someone out there who wants to understand her, who wants to care for her, who wishes for her happiness and who loves her cannot be interpreted into words alone. Call me an over thinker, call me naïve if you wish but this is how I felt when I watched the last 5 minutes. I love character development and this was done exceptionally well. The moment the two finally made up only added more fuel to the emotions already surfaced within my soul. It was sweet, it was cute, it was adorable and it’s nothing less than that. Have my thoughts given this episode justice? Absolutely not because there’s much more to it than what I’ve said in here!

Rating: I’ve decided to give this episode 8 out of 10. It was close to getting a 9 but if you truly wish to know the reason than it’s more properly elaborated up top than in this puny, little paragraph. Even so, this episode brought another aspect to the show and that was the drama. Although there was a slight dramatic aspect in episode one, both episode one and two also incorporated action while as episode three did not. Maybe you might think it wouldn’t be that great for those who STILL haven’t seen Inu X Boku but the choice of purely focusing on the drama in this episode was a magnificent idea. Around this time of the season, many of us hope to see more story progression after interpreting our impressions in the first two episodes (before we drop any) and Inu X Boku knows how to satisfy its audience. It handles story progressions and character development as one so well that it’s admirable. As well as incorporating comedy to the show, Inu X Boku is definitely one of the greats of the season. The way they handle Ririchiyo’s development as a character fitting in with society helped open up opportunities for development and progression in other aspects of the show. As of now, I hold no negative feelings to anything in the series and hope that I don’t in the future.

Till next time minna-san!

Aquarion EVOL 03

Renn — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:23:55 +0000

Oh, Aquarion EVOL. How can your production values produce this:

While your script dishes out this:

I’d say it’s a shame, but it’s one of the things I like most about this show. Who wouldn’t kill for this team? The concept and mecha are designed by Shoji Kawamori, the man behind the Macross franchise. The director is Yusuke Yamamoto, the director of Welcome to the NHK. The writer is Mari Okada, the scriptwriter of pretty much everything that aired last year (with the exception of two great anime by Urobuchi Gen). And there’s no shortage of production values. This is a team that can make, and has made, a grand stage.

And what do these guys do? They make a mockery of that grand stage with the dumbest premise, the tackiest-looking mecha, and the cheesiest script. Even the story behind this show is a giant joke. No lie. I think it’s hilarious.

And I really like that these guys are industry veterans because I really like their meta-trolling. They take every crappy anime cliche and dump it into the plot. Powering up by the power of love? Check. Shouting what’s happening during the fight when everyone can see what’s happening in the fight? Check. Recognizing that sibling=soul mate in anime? Check.

Not blood-related? You never stood a chance.

As for the actual episode, it’s a mix of school antics and exposition. If this had been any other grand-scale action show, I’d be complaining, but it’s a good episode for Aquarion EVOL. The exposition works because the setting is clever. The digger is named Andy W Hol. Boys and girls are separated by the Berlin Wall. Nothing is sacred in Aquarion EVOL. Not just the symbolism, which demeans some pretty important events and people, but the act of symbolism, since said symbolism is so obvious and so ridiculous.

And the school antics scenario works because of the premise. In a show where mecha are powered by sex, what better than a cast of sex-starved teenagers? And I’m warming up to these teenagers. They’re just stereotypes so far: the loser lead, the gruff soldier, the pervert, the useless female, the evil redhead (sadly male). But if you give stereotypes enough good lines, they start to become charming.

Mikono has an uphill crime, but Amata showed up the similarly-voiced Oh My Shoe in one episode. Not only did he have gay sex–I mean, complete a Union with his male classmates, but he reaffirmed his raging heterosexuality–I mean, apologized like a man to Mikono, at the same time.

In most mecha, heroes are blessed with the power of determination and hope. Amata thrives on stamina.

And I’ve really warmed up to the mecha. Sure, it couldn’t be less tasteful if it were a zebra-print sofa, but how cool is a move like this?

Nice going, lover bot.

If you’re tired of seeing praise for this show, you could look up any other Aquarion EVOL post on the web. Or you could come back tomorrow when I talk about episode 4. Long story short: it wasn’t my favorite episode.

But what did you think of this one?

Thanks for reading!

]]>

Aquarion EVOL 01-02

Renn — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:59:16 +0000

Thanks to all who voted in the “What should Renn blog?” poll! I’m sorry I’m not blogging the winner, Mouretsu Pirates. I tried to write a post, but all I could come up with was … Yes, “…” It hurts my ego to say this, but please be relieved I’m not blogging Mouretsu Pirates.

What also hurts my ego is I’ve lost my pristine taste in shows. Alright, I never had pristine taste, but we’re in a season so terrible, it’s blinded me not just to good taste but to common sense. I’m watching High School DxD, a terribad harem show, and I… I enjoyed the latest episode of Guilty Crown. Not ironically. And it was a school festival episode.

And to top it off, I’m blogging Aquarion EVOL, the anime of cheesy, overdesigned sex machines. For three reasons. One, it was the runner-up in the poll. Two, it’s easier to blog about than Mouretsu Pirates, which has a lot of names and terms I have to remember. Three, at this point, I like it more than Mouretsu Pirates. There, I said it. I really like Aquarion EVOL! Not ironically. And it’s about cheesy, overdesigned sex machines.

It’s tough to talk about Aquarion EVOL without talking about its staff. The creator, Shoji Kawamori, is the man behind Aquarion, Escaflowne, and the Macross franchise, one of the biggest mecha franchises in Japan. Kawamori’s also an executive director at Statelight, the animation studio in charge of the recent Macross installments and now Aquarion EVOL (along with Studio 8-Bit).

I can’t speak for all the Macross titles, but just a few days ago, I finished Macross Frontier. It’s a splendidly cheesy mecha anime where pop idols bring galactic peace with their song. I loved it. If I drop a bunch of shows this season, the Macross franchise is what I’m dropping them for.

Aquarion EVOL takes Macross Frontier a step further. It has many of the Macross Frontier staples–a glorious budget, fantastic-looking mecha, Yoko Kanno’s pop compositions, horrendously smelly cheese–and amplifies them. It’s an anime where mechas are not powered with song but by sexual impulses. It’s an anime where we get precious lines like these:

Like Guilty Crown, Aquarion EVOL has terrible lines. The difference? Aquarion EVOL knows these are terrible lines, relishes in its terrible writing, and hopes you’ll have some fun with it, too.

Not everyone is going to find these lines funny. Comedy is the most subjective art. But these are jokes. This anime does not take itself seriously except in how un-seriously it takes itself. Every line in the script and every detail in the setting is a punchline.

Now, I’ll agree Aquarion EVOL doesn’t take itself seriously enough. It surpasses Macross Frontier in absurdity, but it falls short of the mecha musical because (1) it doesn’t care about making a lick of sense, and (2) it neglects its characters. Even when the plot gets outlandish in Macross Frontier, the show cares about its cast. It grounds those who are larger-than-life (and still lets them be larger-than-life) and gives depth to who could be dismissed as stock fanservice.

Aquarion EVOL takes every terrible anime trope–the loser lead, the useless female, the evil redhead (sadly male), the incestuo–I mean, overprotective onii-chan–and slaps them into the narrative. All these characters have done is accentuate that Aquarion EVOL is a campy mecha homage-parody. There is no reason to grow attached to them because the characters are just means to an end, not an end in-and-of-themselves. That can change, but this is an anime about cheesy, overdesigned sex machines. I’m not holding my breath.

That said, this season, crap characters are the least of my problems. Aquarion EVOL is self-aware, well-animated, well-directed, campy, fabulous, and hey, I think it’s funny. Soaring full-speed ahead with the flying love attacks!

Where do you stand on Aquarion EVOL?

Thanks for reading! Will be back with the recent episodes before next Sunday!

]]>

Thermae Romae 02

Renn — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:45:21 +0000

Thanks to everyone who voted in the “What should Renn blog poll?” Unfortunately, I will not blog the winner, Mouretsu Pirates. After watching the third episode, I’ve decided the show is too high-maintenance to blog. Lots of world-building, lots of character names, and not a lot of plot. In short, a lot to remember, but not a lot to discuss. I may blog Aquarion EVOL, the runner-up. There’s not much to discuss, but not much to remember either.

Speaking of low maintenance blogging material, let’s talk Thermae Romae. “Low-maintenance” is just one of the many reasons why this is one of the best shows of the season. You need more reasons? Here’s six:

1. The best ending song of the season. And it’s done in Flash. Man, this season sucks.

2. Fanservice. Old, naked homosexuals for the girls and hot historians for the guys. What, you don’t think this sensei is hot? Would you rather learn about Rome from that dweeb, Machiavelli? Though if I want to pass my classes, I should get back to Machiavelli’s musings on Rome. Only slightly more relevant than this season’s crap anime.

3. Racism. Man, this season sucks if that’s a point in favor. There were a few screenshots I could have put here. I could have put the receptionist’s image of Italians (skeezy, suited pizza delivery men, to those who skipped the episode), or I could have put another caption about those “flat-faced” Asian people (at least he didn’t comment on the eyes). But the really racist part is putting in the ass squirter toilet device. We all know the Japanese can be a bit bizarre. No need to rub it in.

…I’ve heard from friends that squirter things really is fabulous. I kind of want to try one.

4. Character development. Lucius has gone from a struggling bath designer to the designer darling of Rome. Although he has retained his humble, bath-loving core, his thoughts towards those flat-faced slaves has gone from disdain to respect. Lucius is the best-developed character this season, and he’s done it in two episodes, naked.

5. Romance. For those who like that sort of thing.

6. Man, this season sucks. And Thermae Romae has the fanboys, technophiles, historians, and fujoshi covered. There’s no competition.

Yeah, I mentioned in that roundup post that I’m tsundere for this season, right? Should have waited two episodes. Tsun-tsun all the way!

So, what shows are better than Thermae Romae? What do you think of Thermae Romae? Should I blog Aquarion EVOL?

Thanks for reading!

]]>

Inu X Boku SS 02

Tofu — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:41:35 +0000

Episode 2 of Inu X Boku SS titled “A Lonely Dog”. Hope you enjoy!

Totally not creepy at all...

I’ve really taken a liking into Ririchiyo and this episode did justice for me because now I really love Ririchiyo. No it’s not for the fan service, rather, her tsundere habit and that… that youkai form is just so awesome! *ahem* Before I get over my head, let’s get back on topic shall we? As much as Soushi is like a golden retriever or an American cocker spaniel, he’s comedic value is commendable. I find myself laughing at little things such as Shoshi wanting to accompany Ririchiyo to the females’ toilet and even just the usual excessive loyalty he has for Ririchiyo is funny as well. I didn’t know how to react to the background characters in the Ayakashi mansion but I sure was laughing at how ridiculous the ‘statue’ like guy looked standing there with decoration all over his body. Needless to say, I really like Chino whose Yui-like personality is so sweet yet nostalgic and to top it off, Chino is actually voiced by the same seiyuu: Toyosaki Aki! Can this show get any better!?

Maybe you folks might not like tsundere’s but like I mentioned in my First Impressions for Inu X Boku, Ririchiyo is a different kind of tsundere we’re usually familiar with. I love seeing her honest side to the things she really wants to express gratitude for as it’s not something other tsundere’s are like. Of course, the habit of being a ‘tsun’ adds a lot to the comedy in the show and also Ririchoyo’s development as a character. I wasn’t sure what she meant by ‘overcoming her habit by choosing to move into the Ayakashi complex’ in episode 1 considering if you wish to improve socially, you have to be socially active but everything makes sense as the Ayakashi complex offers refuge for people with youkai blood, thus allows Ririchiyo to warm up to people who share that common trait amongst the other members who reside in the mansion. In a way it’s ironic considering Ririchiyo looks quite the same as Yamada from Working’!! (considering they were both drawn by the same artist) so it’s fun imagining how Yamada would be like in Ririchiyo’s shoes and vice versa.

Sorino’s becoming a much more likable character in my opinion as he takes on the ‘big brother’ act in this episode. He’s the one person who knows about Ririchiyo’s habit of being tsun so for him being the big brother is a perfect combination for these two neighbours. Might I also say that Nobara continues to make me laugh at her perverted fantasies she has while being voiced by the lovely Hikasa Yoko. If you were to ask me what characters I don’t like in Inu X Boku, the answer to that would be none so far. Each character is lovable for just being who they are but I won’t say that they’re all likable characters for everyone. I can see heaps of character development happening as the show progresses which is great (as long as there’s not too many plot holes) considering character development is one of the most important aspects in a show of any kind. Ririchiyo’s way of texting to combat her tsun habit towards the one she wants to be grateful to (Shoshi) is nothing less than adorable how she stresses over how embarrassing it is, but hey, that’s why I personally think she’s a great tsundere model for future tsundere’s to come.

Rating: I’ve decided to give this episode 7 out of 10. During the time Inu X Boku only had a synopsis (and a manga) for people to understand what it was, Inu X Boku piqued my interest to the point that I believed it might even be one of those surprises of the season (in a good way). Already into episode 2, I realized I’ve begun to fall in love with not just the characters but the whole show itself. The constant change of genres in the episode is surprisingly well done. I won’t say it’s perfect but it does choose the right times to either get serious or throw in another gag. The whole complex is filled with a vast amount of unique background characters that (although they only offer their presence) it does offer a livelier atmosphere to the mansion. I love Ririchiyo’s youkai form considering I was really looking forward to it after episode 1 hinted she also carried youkai blood. Definitely looking forward to episode 3 and if you haven’t given this anime a try yet, I suggest you do because (ignoring the fan service) it’s a very sweet show overall.

Till next time minna-san!

Another 02

Bass — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:37:50 +0000

Another week, another post. Much like its debut, the thing that stood out immediately was the music, but really, you gotta listen to it yourself to experience it. But we already know that, so let’s start exploring the finer details of the episode.

As expected, everything is still pretty jumbled up at this point. There are a few things that were revealed but not to the extent where we can start piecing things together just yet. I do like how the episode is neatly structured and divided up into three main sections though: firstly concerning Kou’s fellow classmates, the little investigation with the nurse and finally the visit to the doll shop, Studio M.

To start things off, let’s look at the classmate events. Not long into the episode, it was explicitly stated that the classmates firmly believe that they are stuck in a cursed class. This probably contributes greatly to the overall somber outlook of the class seeing as it’s a pretty huge downer to have such an imposing legend linger literally around the corner. While it affects each student differently, it’s clearly weighing heavily in their minds as evidenced in the talk with sporty/male Ohana dude, Teshigawara, and artsy/emo Mochizuki kid. The extent is still unknown and at the moment, all I can see is just the psychological burden and not really much of a physical one. I still think there is something untold here, perhaps some sort of bullying incident leading to this “other Misaki’s” death but I’ll speculate on that during the nurse’s section.

And while it wasn’t intended to be as such, I found it comical that the class also has a designated countermeasure leader, which really shows how serious of a myth Misaki really is. As always, Kou seems to be out of the loop here, as if the entire class is colluding against him. Akazawa was really cryptic and distant throughout their interaction and nothing specific was revealed other than the fact that the class has a special task force for the issue. I have no idea why Kou is singled out by the group and, judging by Akazawa’s insistence that she had seen him in the past, it seems to stem from the fact that Kou’s last visit (whether conscious or subconsciously) had a major affect on the present. Perhaps this plays into the idea that there is “another” person out there pulling the strings, which isn’t much to speculate on, given the ambiguous details.

As for this “other” person, Kou’s visit to the hospital both in the previous and current episode is really starting to make me think there is weight to this theory. Misaki hinted to her “other” side last week and now that the nurse, Mizuno, has revealed that another junior high student called “Misaki” died recently due to eye implications, it doesn’t take much to see a connection here. Misaki also started to drop not-so-subtle hints in the doll shop about having another half, as she commented on the two “calm” dolls that were intertwined together. Interestingly enough, she comments on how peaceful these dolls are, even though they were tangled as one. If that’s not a clue as to how she feels while missing her other half, I don’t know what is.

This episode also introduces a new character into the mix, the creepy librarian, Chibiki Tatsuji, who has been working at the school long enough for Kou’s aunt to comment on his longevity. Much like the hot teacher, Mikami, he too appears to be pretty jaded and distant towards the students, a seemingly common trait among the adults working in the school. What role these adults play is still a mystery but it looks as though Chibiki is able to sense Misaki’s presence, perhaps having the ability to see her as well. Regardless of these two, Mizuno, the nurse is going to play a very important role, as the key informant to Kou in the development of the recently deceased “Misaki”. Unlike the other adults, she is very cheerful though that trait may only be exclusive to the school faculty itself. How long she’ll manage to keep up that outlook, however, is up in the air, since she seems to have stumbled upon some very telling news, if the abrupt end of her phone call is any indication.

The episode ends on yet another well-placed cliff hanger, this time leaving us to speculate as to what really lies underneath Misaki’s eyepatch. Personally, I think that it’s just a farce and that she has a futuristic, cyborg eye in place of her left one, but it doesn’t really fit the mood, huh? Perhaps it’s just another synthetic doll eye of some kind, which would make sense, given the huge doll motif in the show. Rest assured, it’s going to be awesome to finally see what’s underneath it. It better not be just another sharingan, that’s for sure.

(Images from Random Curiosity)

Little Busters! [Review]

Tofu — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:02:35 +0000

Hello minna-san! I’ve decided to tackle something I’ve never tried before to mix things up at Sekijitsu and that is to provide you dear readers a visual novel review on Little Busters! Considering this is my first time the structure of the post might be very… all over the place so bear with me guys. Also, if you do spot anything that I could improve on, please do comment down below. I will provide an insight on what a visual novel is within my understanding, a brief synopsis on the story and to wrap things up, I will also provide my overall thoughts on Little Busters as a whole, accompanied by a rating of course. The review could contain spoilers, read at your own risk and if you wish to play the game, I can provide links to both the download site and a walkthrough. With that being said, let’s start!

What is a visual novel?

First off, a visual novel is like those old-fashion books where you get to choose how the story progresses through your choices (which leads you to a different page) but with animated visuals. There are heaps of visual novels out there which target different audiences. Some visual novels contain 18+ content (eroge), some visual novels don’t have that, some are directed to guys, some are directed to girls (otome games) but all in all, a visual novel allows you to follow the life of a male/female protagonist, playing as that character while choosing different choices throughout the novel with each choice affecting the story in its own way; leading to either a bad end or a good end depending on the choices you make. There are usually several male or female characters in the story that you can chose to complete their route. It is up to you whether or not you want to complete every characters route or just that one favourite you have.

Story

Little Busters is a visual novel aimed at the male audience due to the fact that you play as a male protagonist (of course females are welcome to play it as well, there’s no boundaries) but take note that it’s not an eroge as well so there are no sex scenes. The visual novel was produced by KEY with Jun Maeda (who is famous for Clannad, Air, Kanon and Angel Beats) being the main composer and a contributing scenario writer for Rin’s route. Of course, there’s no way we could leave out mentioning Jun Maeda’s brilliant contribution to the music composition in Little Busters which I always love hearing from him. As for a short synopsis, we follow the life of Naoe Riki who had lost both his parents in the past. Living with a pain in his heart like no other, four kids who referrers themselves as the Little Busters welcomed Riki into their circle and soon after dispelled the pain in his heart. Now in the second year of high school the gang continue to fight and live together and enjoy their school life. Throughout each of the individual females you can complete in the game, the story revolves around the Little Busters having the urge to play baseball which leads you to recruiting members (thus the girls you can complete are the girls you recruit) while enjoying the anime school-life you lead in the game amongst your friends. When you complete everyone’s routes, you will unlock the final route called Refrain (which is a continuation of Rin’s route so it’s advisable to leave Rin to last).

Character Routes

SaigusaHaruka

Show ▼

KamikitaKomari

Show ▼

The funny thing with Komari (who is voiced by Natsumi Yanase) is that out of all the girls, I cared the least for Komari with Mio following after that. Sure she’s the sweet and happy girl who loves eating junk food but she wasn’t a person I was interested in tackling in a romantic way. That’s what I thought at the start that is. I will be honest that in the game, there is a scene where Komari would ask you for your favourite donut and depending on your choice, it will lead to a different CG displayed later on in her route. At first I didn’t know (no one would unless they were told) so I went for ‘light strawberry’ and turns out, there’s a scene where you accidentally walk into Komari who was in the middle of taking off her leggings. In other words you get a panty shot and depending on the donut choice, the panty changes. Yeah I know, it’s ecchi, it’s fan service but I wouldn’t consider Little Busters as an eroge because there’s only 2 or 3 CG’s that could be interpreted as fan service. If you do wish to play an eroge version of Little Busters then I would suggest you wait for Little Busters” Ecstasy (does contain sex scenes). As for the other fan service CG’s I can only think of the bath scene where you see both Rin and Komari in (censored of course). This CG is unlocked after you complete refrain so if you wish to view it then you’ll have to go through Komari’s route again. Enough about the fan service stuff, let’s talk about Komari’s route shall we?

Yuto Tonokawa does a great job in portraying how the sweet, innocent Komari (who loves all living things) break when confronted by blood and death. Seeing Komari in a state of shock from remembering about her deceased older brother was nothing less than tragic. I didn’t want to see Komari traumatized with all life in her eyes gone, it was almost too much for me to continue playing. What I couldn’t agree with was Naoe Riki choosing to ‘act’ as Komari’s brother as a replacement for the deceased. Of course, the decision he made was proven to be wrong later on. We come to the conclusion that her brother tried to preserve Komari’s happiness but the actions he took with the handmade story didn’t work out the way he wanted. In fact, it had the opposite effect. This leaves the only choice Riki has to releasing Komari from her trauma, and that is making another picture book. A picture book filled with the emotions and a meaning Komari’s older brother wasn’t able to put in. Riki’s determination was something I admired and how he brought Komari back to the reality she loved was the definition of happiness and acceptance. It was beautiful seeing Komari smiling once again. I was so touched by her smile. That smile held such a powerful emotion which we all missed and I can truly say that this is a great example of “not knowing how much something truly means until it’s actually lost”. At first I didn’t care much for Komari but after finishing her route, I take it all back.

NishizonoMio

Show ▼

Mio Nishizono (who is voiced by Shiho Kawaragi) is quite the peculiar one because she’s got a very monotone voice to her which I found to be a bit conflicting with the atmosphere at times (but it’s to be expected since she’s the very calm and isolated type). Not that I hated it since I got used to it later on but what was also conflicting in my opinion (which most likely made be enjoy Mio’s route less than the others) was the fact that Mio has a ‘other self’ whom they both play as twin sisters. I played through Haruka and that was about twin sisters and now I’m exposed to something very similar to another twin sister route. It was because of that realization I might not have enjoyed Mio’s route as much as the rest because it didn’t have that wow factor Leo Kashida wanted his players to feel. I know for the fact that technically they aren’t twins but more of a shadow and body relationship (which explains why Mio didn’t have her own shadow when Midori was present). Midori (Mio’s other half) is Mio’s shadow who was given form by Mio’s will when she was a child. Feeling pity for Midori who can’t be seen by others except her, that’s how the route unfolds: the story of Midori ‘becoming’ the Mio everyone knows at school while as Mio herself becomes the shadow that cannot be seen.

I can understand how she would feel for Midori, seeing as Midori was forgotten about – even by Mio herself – for years but it definitely not the correct decision. Considering Riki is the only person who still remembers the real Mio, it’s tough seeing him battling against forgetting Mio while at the same time, pull Mio back into reality. As much as it’s tough, Riki’s determination for the person he loves is admirable. Mio sub-consciously wishes to stay with Riki since she also loves him too but feeling pity for Midori, she throws these emotions away. A saddening and tragic romance spin took form and I can say that it worked well. We all view Midori as the evil villain but in fact, she’s not a villain at all which is why you get this mix of sadness and happiness when Midori departs from reality; returning to the place she belongs: as Mio’s shadow. It is true that Little Busters also incorporates the supernatural so don’t be too surprised. What I found really enjoyable during Mio’s route was the poetry competition. Each Little Buster member has several lines and the order of the lines also plays a part in the end result you get. When you think about it, there are heaps of different combinations you can come up with and all of them are uniquely funny how ridiculous they can get. Overall, I had a very fun time playing Mio’s route with a few personal dislikes here and there but they were very minor. But if you were to ask me what route I found the lest enjoyment from, I’d have to say Kurugaya’s.

NoumiKudryavka

Show ▼

Kudryavka (or Kud for short who is voiced by Miyako Suzuta) is an adorable dog lover who is a bit dim-witted and naïve most of the times (which adds points to her cute, innocent side) but Kud’s route is most likely the darkest route out of the rest in Little Busters in my opinion. Although she has the least amount of choices to be made in her route (which is most likely the reason why I was able to finish her route with enough time to start Kurugaya’s at night) the less amount of time she gets from the rest is compensated for what Chika Shirokiri had install for us. I can only generalize due to a very hazy memory that Kud was part of a family working in the space department which some accident happens and the whole city goes into a riot. So at this point, I was given two choices ‘let her go to the chaotic town to see her family’ and ‘don’t let her go because it’s dangerous’. Call me a cheater but I do use a walkthrough so the first option was the good end option. Even so, I always want to see both sides of the coin so I went with the bad end first. Let me just say that if you were watching your own mother on the news being executed, you would most likely fall into complete shock and that was what had happened. It was devastating for me as well how the change of atmosphere and Kud’s emotions affected not only Riki but you as a player. It truly was a bad end but enough about that, let’s talk about the good end.

Loading my save point, I decided to let Kud go and boy did I start to think my worst fears were becoming a reality. It’s great how they don’t change perspectives from Riki to Kud and explain everything that’s happening but giving you hints and letting you think yourself how bad it was over there through the text messages and calls Kud and Riki makes to each other. The use of imagination definitely worked in Paranormal Activity and it works just as great in Kud’s situation being in another country. It was dark and worrying following Riki’s life as Kud was exposed to a dangerous place and let me tell you, the choice of using a bad reception during a phone call might be ‘cliché’ but it worked brilliantly for Kud’s kidnapping. This is where it gets a bit supernatural where the strong love and bond both Riki and Kud share allows the two to communicate through their sub-conscious from different sides of the world, strong enough to even send items across. Now before you think this is all too ridiculous that it’s shit, it wasn’t shit at all. In fact, I loved that abnormality which was touching in its own aspect and the choice of briefly letting the two meet once more at the end was a befitting ending to a new beginning. What I liked most in Kud’s route was the tribal body painting which held heaps of powerful emotions between the two, it really was a way of spiritually connecting one person to the other (which explains the abnormality) and overall I very much loved playing Kud’s route… even if her ‘freedom’ CG (after escaping from being confined) was ridiculously funny.

KurugayaYuiko

Show ▼

Besides being the most erotic and ‘developed’ heroine out of the rest, I did enjoy Kurugaya’s route somewhat but not to my expectations. Her personality is very much like Rika when it comes to being perverted but is more refined and evil when bringing those sexual jokes out (which is most likely why I found this character fun and interesting). Her presence throughout the game makes a daily high-school life fun (for herself mainly) but she also holds a very adorable side to her when she’s confronted by an overload of ‘cuteness’ usually by the hands of Komari calling her “yui-chan”. Kurugaya’s (voiced by Ryoko Tanaka) route offered a more ‘realistic’ and plain approach to the romantic side in Little Busters; being more comedic than series like the rest of the girls you can complete. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find the ‘love love hunters’ matchmaking mission hilarious. Even so, that realistic approach to ‘helping a friend hook up with a girl’ didn’t offer the impact I thought Kurugaya’s route deserved.

Surprisingly near the end, everything takes a supernatural turn of events where – I believe – Kurugaya forgets what she and Riki did in the past few days along with everyone else besides Riki forgetting things like the two of them getting together. Everything took a tragic romance ending which I was all too familiar with only after completing Ef – A Tale of Memories 2 weeks before I started playing Kurugaya’s route. I sub-consciously compared the two girls; having the (somewhat) same memory lost spin to the romance. How this ruined my ideal expectations was that I came to the conclusion that Ef did a better job at unfolding and concluding Chihiro’s route in the anime than Kurugaya’s route in Little Busters. I did end up replaying Kurugaya’s route after unlocking her True End upon completion of Refrain but even if it did offer that ‘happy ending’; it still wasn’t as impacting as the other routes I’ve played. I can honestly say that Yuto Tonokawa did a better job in Komari’s route than Kurugaya’s.

NatsumeRin

Show ▼

Let me first state that Rin’s route is divided into two halves (Rin1 and Rin2) which if you wish to play Rin2, you would need to complete everyone else’s routes (including Rin1) for it to unlock. Only after you finish Rin2 does Refrain become unlocked It’s for this reason that if you wish to enjoy Rin’s route to the fullest, you should leave it to last. Rin (who is voiced by Tomoe Tamiyasu) is Kyousuke’s younger sister who has a very shy side to her when it comes to strangers. Still, she’s a major cat lover and even acts as a cat (which I find adorable how much love she has for her cats). Through Rin1, we’re exposed to a ‘mysterious person’ who continues to offer Rin objectives to complete so she could ‘find the secret to the world’ but in fact, it was all a strategy to decrease the shyness she holds for strangers so that – in the future – she can become more independent. I certainly had fun distributing cafeteria food (another small mini-game) but what I liked most about Rin’s route was how it flowed with the main story much better than the rest of the girls routes (even though it’s a given).

Even though Rin’s way of dating Riki was very sudden and ‘out there’, it was still touching and sweet seeing the two of them interact with each other throughout the story. Sad as it was that Rin had to be sent off to a sister school but it really did add a lot of character development between Rin and Riki. The constant text messages she kept sending back about how she can’t stand being their; isolated from everyone else was nothing less than sad and depressing. It had the same effect as what happened in Kud’s route – using imagination to bring forth an image of what might be happening. The scary thing is that, I felt really sad for Rin for having to put up with the sister school (which even rejects her existence in the school) for the sake of cheering up depressed students. This left Riki with a reckless but meaningful choice of running away from town with Rin to save her from breaking down. I won’t comment on whether or not it was the correct choice since it does add to character development and makes sense when you play through Refrain. Living a peaceful life for a few weeks or so, Riki and Rin were caught and taken back. Thus Refrain begins after Riki vows to become stronger so he could protect Rin.

Refrain

Show ▼

At first I was wondering why the days were reset back to the start and why it felt more like I was replaying the story than continuing from where I left off at Rin2 near the start, but this was later explained as I played on. Riki seems to have forgotten what he did in Rin1 and Rin2 besides the rest of the gang but I will talk about this later on. First off, the story does continue from Rin2 due to the fact that after the incident of being caught, Rin has developed an even worst complex when it comes to strangers that she has to attend a nursery school (that’s what it looks like to me). What was different from Refrain to the normal playthroughs is that we take a darker twist than what we’re usually familiar with. Still, it was great seeing Riki being more independent; trying to take care of Rin while at the same time trying to find a way to cure her shyness. The solution: reform the Little Busters with him as the leader. What I really liked in Refrain was how we get to see each of the main members of the Little Buster’s individual perspectives towards Riki’s idea of reforming Little Busters and why they choose not to because of the incident involving Rin in the Rin2 route. But in the end, Riki was able to win back each of their hearts in forming the Little Busters.

Masato’s being first, his perception of the world filled with Masato’s was a very interesting twist to the story and through seeing the world through his understanding, we learnt not only about his past but the formation of Little Busters. As well as Kengo’s, both of these two held a sad past; burdened by their expertise with Masato being too strong for everyone causing isolation and Kengo’s caged freedom as a kendo fighter. It was Kyousuke that brought happiness to the two in the past, but now it’s Riki’s turn to take on the same role he admired Kyousuke for and I’ll tell you now, it was done superbly well. For the last member to join the re-formed Little Busters, Kyosuke gives us a bigger insight on the link between Rin2 and Refrain while also explain the confusion I had in the beginning. Not only that, Kyosuke was the one behind all the objectives written to Rin for the sake of improving not only hers but Riki’s independence for the future. Why? The world which Riki and Rin have come to understand as reality is just a manifestation of the Littler Busters wishes. Being satisfied with the development in Riki and Rin, the team departs one by one from the world in the saddest but touching departure I’ve ever seen. Masato’s farewell moment got me teary because at that point, I realized something was wrong.

The realization of the world Riki and Rin came to know as reality was shattered in a very heartbroken way. In reality, the Little Busters gang was part of a bus accident during one of their field trips and with the only survivors capable of escaping before it blows up were Rin and Riki. It was sad, it was tragically sad to the point I began to cry that everyone has to die besides Rin and Riki. At that moment, I was so into the story, I felt like I was Riki from top to bottom. The emotions he went through as I played were affecting me wholly. I couldn’t stop crying when it was Kyousuke’s turn to depart from Rin and Riki. Even if he wanted to live on with them, he knew that the only thing he could to for them, was making them more independent. That devastation no one wanted to accept was utterly heartbreaking. I didn’t want to accept what was coming but I continued the game. Having to choose the option of ‘escape’ instead of ‘save the rest’ when Rin and Riki awake in the real world was something I didn’t want to admit doing. To escape and leave your friends to die, you can tell how much pain I was going through but you know what? When I thought everything was going to end with Rin and Riki accepting to be together for the sake of the others, it didn’t. Jun Maeda, you are a troll. You are a complete troll whom I love so much because I was given the option to make a miraculous trip back into the past and cure Riki’s narcolepsy. With this, I was able to go back to the bus scene and save everyone from the explosion alongside Rin. As much as it’s extremely extraordinary the way I explain it, it really worked in executing that ‘happy ending’ Jun Maeda wanted to show us all and damn did he do a fucken good job at it!

Final Deliberation

I’ve decided to give Little Busters 9 out of 10

In the past, I was waiting eagerly for Little Busters to be fully subbed into English along with others around the aniblog sphere. My expectations were majorly high due to the fact that Jun Maeda (who was the mastermind behind CLANNAD) scripted the main route (Rin’s route including Refrain) for Little Busters. Also to mention, Jun Maeda’s music is nothing less than beautiful; having the ability to sway your heart with his talented music composition and piano skills, you will fall in love (or admire) most of his works along with the majority in the aniblog-sphere already within that circle. Yet that’s not all, Jun Maeda also announced personally that Little Busters is his best work yet and boy did he mean it. After completing the game (I always strive to get that 100% completion) I can proudly say that Little Busters did more than surpass my expectations and prove Jun Maeda’s statement to be true. My knowledge on visual novels is of a toddler to others who have experience in visual novels as I’ve only played 3 so far (Fate/Stay Night, G Senjou no Maou and Little Busters!) but out of the 3, Little Busters is my favourite. As for the reason, that is exactly why we’ve all gathered here now isn’t it so?

Show ▼

Since my first run ever, I’ve really enjoyed the battle matches within the game alongside with the baseball batting practice, battle rankings and other mini-game stuff. What’s great with the battle matches is that you get to assign a random nickname to the person who lost and the names the game comes up with can get ridiculously hilarious. There’s a certain part in the game where you have to throw Rin up to her classroom which is on the 2nd floor from the courtyard. Depending on the amount of power you choose, she can either get tossed too high, too low or misdirected. I found that quite funny seeing how Little Busters was the first visual novel I’ve played with so many interactions that make it ever more entertaining. I’m not sure if there are other visual novels out there that includes all these fun mini-games and interactions but they definitely work. Of course, why it worked so well with Little Busters is the fact that LB is a comedy, romance, school-life visual novel and even the comedy you don’t have a hand in (like Kyousuke’s imaginative aphorisms mainly formed from Masato’s stupidity) is greatly humorous. And that’s just one example out of the vast amounts within the game.

There are 3 extra contents within the game with 2 of them you can complete in all routes. The other extra content is called ‘Muscle Sensation’ which is filled with ridiculous comedy revolving around Masato’s muscles and world domination (yeah you heard me right). You can only access ‘Muscle Sensation’ if you haven’t finished Kud’s route. As for the other two, there is one where you need to meet the required conditions in order for a new fighter named ‘Mask the Saito’ to appear in the battle rankings. Upon defeating him, you will gain his mask (which is the strongest item you can get in the game) but also uncover his true identity (Hint: It’s someone you know). The last extra content – which is also related to battling – is called ‘Unkown Lifeform’. It doesn’t offer any rewards so whether or not you wish to complete this, it’s up to you. As for me, I got a bit of fun from defeating them. All three of these extra contents I’ve witnessed firsthand were rewarding individually in the sense that I found heaps of enjoyment from them all (to the point that I sub-consciously try to play them again even though I don’t have to). The ‘Muscle sensation’ route gave birth to a new catchphrase which I found to be hilarious even in the present. Telling you that phrase would ruin the surprise so if you want to know it, go play the game!

Reading up on all the character routes up top, you can tell I really enjoyed playing Little Busters overall. Favourite route is of course Rin’s route which the scenario was done by Jun Maeda and also because her route carries into Refrain which really made me “cry like a bitch” (as Baku would put it). It’s definitely been a while since I’ve continuously cried tears that continued to drip down onto my shirt. This is definitely a rare event because I’ve never felt so moved before! Even K-On didn’t make me cry as much and that’s saying something because I definitely cried a fair bit during the endings. I have to give credit to all the scenario writers part of Little Busters for their individually brilliant way of telling a story filled with all sort of emotions but biggest credits to Jun Maeda. The art and character designs really fitted in well with the school-life comedy aspect of the game and what’s brilliant is that the art also worked well with the more tragic and darker moments. Sure there were little tiny things I didn’t like at times in LB concerning art. Examples is Mio’s ‘flat’ face in the first CG you see with her parasol and also Kengo’s posture when you see him wear the school uniform but these are just nit-picking so it wasn’t anything I couldn’t turn a blind eye to.

The only thing I couldn’t turn a blind eye to was Naoe Riki’s (the protagonist you play as) voice actor who sounds so much like a girl. The first time you hear your own protagonist say something is during a baseball match. Yeah I got used to it after a while but I didn’t stop disliking it. To be honest I accidentally mistaken Riki’s voice for Rin’s once because – at the time – she was the only female on the field until I checked carefully. As for the other voice actors, I have no gripe over any of them what-so-ever but I will say that each voice suited the character’s personality really well in depicting everything the character was going through. As for the music, I truly love Maeda’s piano composition but of course, Maeda isn’t the only person behind the music in Little Busters. Even if my favourite is Maeda’s, everyone’s composition and the choices made to specifically put that certain composition in place was nothing less than astonishing in bringing out the characters emotions they hold inside.

During Refrain, the ‘final departure’ scene was utmost sad. The timing of each BGM is brilliant and when it needs to increase its crescendo’s, it will increase at the right amount that your whole body will feel the impact. I know that we choose how fast the text goes; affecting the story progression speed, but the great thing about the BGM’s in Little Busters is that it’s impacting from the start till the end of the track. The word amazing is an understatement with what Maeda and the rest of the team came up with for the music in Little Busters. Everything fitted into the correct slots; creating whatever atmosphere, emotions, plots, pacing or flow it wanted to achieve. To sum it all up, Little Busters is a great visual novel and definitely succeeded in achieving those very emotions it wanted us players to feel.

Should you play it? Do. I. Have. To. Even. Say? Yes! This is a visual novel that must be given a try before knocked off the list. Maybe it might be too repetitive for you considering you have to go through 6 playthroughs to reach Refrain. Maybe you don’t like comedy, school-life visual novels and prefer something more dark and grotesque like what Innocent Grey produces. But for those who love comedy in their visual novels, those who love the school-life genre with romance mixed in and those who doesn’t mind repetition then this visual novel is a must play for you guys. Personally I hate repetition, but Little Busters was entertaining enough that I was able to play through the whole thing, achieving hidden CG’s; getting that 100% completion. You’ll want to hear Jun Maeda’s music. You’ll want to play Rin’s route because Jun Maeda is behind it and when you reach Refrain, I guarantee even those with a heart of a stone will at least tear up throughout the game at least once. If you wish to play the game but can’t find out where to download it or the walkthrough for it, I can provide links to both if you so desire it in the comments section.

Till next time minna-san!

Poll

Take Our Poll