Blog, Blog, Bloq

 Recently I saw a post on a show that I did not know existed. For a series that I had only just recently became aware of in name, but not in context. That show is the anime adaptation for Flowers of Evil by Shuzo Oshimi. The adaptation was animated by the studio Zexcs. Zexcs has a wide catalogue of Battle and School Life series, while also handling the Shadowverse franchise. There aren't any series aside from Shadowverse that are as notable as Flowers of Evil. Just looking at these other series, I can say that Flowers of Evil is unique and special among their works.  The story in Flowers of Evil revolves around Takao Kasuga and his relationship with Sawa Nakamura. While Takao is a typical nerd in middle school who loves to read, Sawa is a pariah. She is crass toward everyone and is genuinely unlikable. Her unstable mannerisms are clear signs of someone dealing with mental health issues. These issues are more or less seen as someone just acting out. There are sentiments to be h...

 It is time play to games fast once again. Awesome Games Done Quick is currently underway and there have already been some entertaining runs. Jet Set Radio Future Any% (Xbox) ran by Yomsa with 7thace and Twinkachu on commentary showcased some really sick movement and a secret boss that was only discovered in the past couple of years. The Cult Classic Horror game Clock Tower (Super Famicom) S Ending was ran by Ecdycis and portrayed a great use of Text Box and Item manipulation that allowed for many long sequences to be bypassed while getting the game's coveted secret ending. Not to mention the treat that was the Glitched D ending incentive that was utilizing the same tech in order to beat the game in under three minutes while showing how you can save all your friends in the process.  These are just two of the many runs that have already gone on through the first day and part of the second day. And that train is not gonna stop for the rest of the week either. While I love doing ...

 My game of the year for 2023 is undeniably The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. I played and beat many games this year, but I only ended up finishing a couple of titles that released in 2023. So, my choice boiled down to Tears of the Kingdom, Mortal Kombat 1, or World of Horror. Two large budget projects and a phenomenal Indie game. While I loved Mortal Kombat 1 and World of Horror, they didn't hit like TOTK. A game that had massive hype and anticipation going in and managed to over deliver in the process.  I finished Breath of the Wild a bit before TOTK in anticipation because I wanted to be ready for the follow-up on release. I was so captivated by the Hyrule Kingdom in BOTW that I wanted to know, "where do we go from here?" How do you expand on a world with a numerous amount of mystery? The easiest answer was to just expand. The game world went from exploring all of Hyrule to discovering the wonders of the Sky  and the underlying Horrors of the Depths. Three sea...

 As I am still waiting to finish my choice for Game of the Year. I have decided to write about one of my favorite games of the past few years. Muse Dash, a rhythm game from Pero Pero Games, is a title that I periodically come back to. The music choices are pretty expansive and I find this intensity and adrenaline rush that comes from playing songs. The flow of the game is dependent on the track chosen, and the experience has really made me appreciate music and timing based actions in games more and more.  For me, rhythm games are not really my style. I was into Guitar Hero when those were popular in the late 2000s and early 2010s, yet I could never apply myself as much as I needed to play Hard or Expert difficulty. Perfection was too embedded in my mindset that it was genuinely difficult to imagine not getting a full combo. I would say that I still struggle in that regard, but I have been better about it as of recently. And I think that Muse Dash has helped me quite a bit in w...

 We are once again back on our Fatal Frame bullshit. But this time we are brought into the world of Fatal Frame III: The Tormented. I would put this title on par with Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly in terms of combat. However, I think that Fatal Frame III succeeds the most with the main character's arc. Rei Kurosawa is easily my favorite of the protagonists thus far. It's the little details that set her apart from the likes of Miku or Mio. One of those reasons for me is that Rei does not feel like she could be replaced by another character. The game is about her for the most part and not about chasing a sibling into a ghost house or town like a darker Luigi's Mansion. Rei is the Tormented. The game opens with Rei Kurosawa involved in a car accident that killed her fiancé, Yuu Asou. This event is the main catalyst for the game as Rei tries to figure out how to live without Yuu. The story to me was just as engaging as the previous titles. But seeing a character deal with t...

 Before I get into my thoughts on Akane-banashi from Yuuki Suenaga (Story) and Takamasa Moue (Art). I would like to note that this is my first experience with Rakugo. I haven't seen or heard of it prior to reading through the current amount of chapters from this story. So don't expect an analysis into the medium itself. I know just as much as any newcomer. With that out of the way, I am going to delve into some light spoilers in order to give a proper take on Akane-banashi.  My knowledge on Akane-banashi prior to reading it, was through testimonies from people that have read the manga and random internet comments recommending it. I assumed that I was in for a treat without realizing that those recommending it weren't going hard enough. Akane-banashi is the real deal. The characters and scene depiction are so well done that it makes me interested in Rakugo itself. As far as the current titles in Shonen Jump go, Akane-banashi sits near the top of the list for me. I think that...

 Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly handles it's narrative in a way that makes me reflect on the characters in this game that is reminiscent of the original Fatal Frame. All God's Village is stuck in a loop caused by a calamity much like Fatal Frame's Himuro Mansion. A tragedy caused by the malicious traditions of elders sacrificing the younger people and children to appease malevolent forces. There is a big difference that separates All God's Village from the Himuro Mansion group.  This distinction involves the utilization of Twins born in the village. The idea being that they are one soul split between two people. And having one of the Twins kill the other would combine them and appease the Hellish Abyss. This tradition persisted until Sae Kurosawa and the Kusabi (Rope Man) returned from the Hellish Abyss and enacted the Repentance. Wiping the village off the map and causing the events of the game to be set into motion.  You play as Mio Amakura, a young girl who has wa...