Anime Reviews #6: The Tatami Galaxy

Ever wanted to see a pseudo-sentimental comedy-and-drama hybrid show set in a vibrant and colourful world with a phenomenal plot?
Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei a.k.a The Tatami Galaxy is one of the shows you might want to see, if not THE one fitting the aforementioned profiles.
Set in modern Japan, the show primarily details the relentless yet naive and hilariously juvenille efforts of a nameless protagonist to spend his college life with an all-time-romantic partner, after he ends up having a 'challenge' thrust at him through a "god" in a desolated ramen shop.
Each of the episodes highlight the many 'possibilities' of him having joined multiple "circles" in the college to find a "raven-haired maiden" of his fantasies. He and his youkai-faced friend/enemy both try to hit it off with multiple females, and always end up embarassing themselves at their repititive failures. To top it off, the protagonist has a female under classmen he's interested in, but always misses the "oppurtunity" to get in a relationship.
Think of the show as a non-playable visual novel in which almost every episode will present the protagonist with a typical "bad end", save for one.
There's one word that could be used to describe the show: Surrealism. Surreal from the start to the end.
 Due to the repitition in the episodes' plot, it tends to get slightly predictable and CAN give an incentive to drop it for a few. However, each of the 11 episodes are packed with some unadulterated humour; one way or the other, which keep 9/1O of the people hooked to see what becomes of the protagonist's quest to get his "rose-coloured campus life". That said, this is not an all-ages show. There are horrendously suggestive terms and scenes that your mainstream teenager should not bear witness to, making this not one of those "can-watch-in-front-of-family" shows.
..That's it for the first impression stuff. On to the review:
STORY[ 9.5/1O]:
This isn't even Tatami Galaxy's strongest point, and yet it shines majestically in it. For what it was made, TTG serves a top-notch plot with moderate progression[putting aside the fact that some minor parts are predictable], leaving no room for censures about lack of comedy. All the sentimental humour seems completely devoide of drama, but it gets there["when" will be a spoiler].
Lastly,the engimatic plot keeps its promise with a satisfying, NOT rushed ending.
ANIMATION[ 1O/1O]:
THIS is Tatami Galaxy's strongest point. Not that the unique-ly surreal visuals can not be putting off for some. It's the CGI that makes it superior. Mediocre-ly rendered 3D graphics merged with 2D chopping, colourful visuals.
In full 6O frames per second. Even though more than a good half of them are black-and-white.
The characters' expressions' changes are, at times, gradual and at others, drastic. We still have the weird gestures typical of comedy shows in this one, though. Not that it's bad at all; it's characteristic after all.
OST[ 8/1O]:
A sentimental humour and drama hybrid just wouldn't be "sentimental" without some equally stunning OST. It blends in perfectly with the environment, and a slow one playing just before the opening sequences adds to the excitement of the viewer. That said, TTG's terribly short on tracks. The ones it does have are amazing, but it could've used a wider catalogue. Any noticable change in the BGM occurs just around the last 3 episodes.
That said, the opening and the ending songs are the prime of TTG.
VERDICT[ 9/1O]:
All the aforementioned aspects make Tatami Galaxy look, feel, and sound unique, special, and engaging.
Albeit the perverse aspects are still there. Of course, nothin's perfect. For what it was meant, however, the show delivers pure awesomeness.
All the aspects that speak in favour of TTG can actually be putting off for some others. Nevertheless, to each his own.
In the end, if you're looking for something unique and NOT infamous, TTG's not a bad choice at all.

Anime(Movie) Reviews # 5: Persona 3 The Movie: Spring Of Birth

Soooooo I took the time out of hectic schedule (I'll just assume 24 pending games make for a "hectic" routine) to give this a try. Even though I was skeptic about this doing any good even remotely close to the game. And I couldn't have gone more wrong.
Persona 3's first movie highlights the events of 1/3rd of the entire story( with respect to the game) within a flimsy total of 1 hour and 38 minutes, and it doesn't cease to surprise in regards to ANYTHING; the animations, the skills, the battle stances, all were VERY beautifully executed. The only possible objection I could see coming was that the protagonist was made to look like too much of a satirical badass who didn't give two shits about anything unless he heard the word "DIE" (I won't be going too much into this as I risk spoiling some minor plot points).
With that said, let's take a look at the aspects in which Persona 3's movie shone:
ANIMATION( 8/10):Now, let me get this clear: Here, I'm referring to how the battles, and the environmental destruction were carried out with fluidity and NOT as to how the characters looked( and if you must know, the team this time around didn't really do a great job at correctly capturing their facial features as in the game. Just compare the game Yukari and the movie Yukari and you'll realize in an instant. Not that it was bad at all though).
So here's the gist of it: EXCELLENT.
The evoker's (apparent) explosions, the personas' awakenings, the Agi, Bufu, and Zio skills, and not to mention the characters' fighting stances AND moves; Just.Pure.Excellence.
As one whose played an finished the game, I'll state that the the animations were flawless. Flawless, as in, if you're willing to look past the meek Persona physical attacks. While the magical skills the movie refers to as "Fire, Ice" etc WERE portrayed very well, the physical attacks (notably Orpheus' 'Bash'; it kinda looked like an explosion at one time, and a chop at the other). So there's the 8/10 for this one, IMO.
STORY(7/10):

I know this is kind of a low score considering this is Persona we're talking about here, but do keep in mind this is ONLY in reference to THIS movie specifically, and not to the entire catalog of P3 movies(which isn't even complete yet). So yes, bluntly giving it a 9.5/10 just because the story catches up to greatness a LOT faster later on would be unfair, biased, and quite senseless.
I don't have much to say about this, really. It's all too complicated. There's less action than you'd expect from a Shounnen-Seinen hybrid( I hope I didn't confuse my demographics), and more noir-ish themes.

Nothing suggestive( unlike the game). Nothing even MILDLY suggestive.
There IS a point where you encounter a half-stripped Priestess Arcana shadow, but....that's it.
Though I'd personally advise against going into this with the mindset that it's going to pack a lot of mindless action and no proper plot; it's the exact opposite. Those who're familiar with the franchise might know where I'm coming from. The movie will run this by you again if you're still skeptical about something.
MUSIC(9.5/10):This is where this movie OVERkills every single show in regards to western vocal BGMs that astoundingly played during the battles and/or the school events. Now, I HATE it when an anime/movie incorporates the same OST in it as was used in the source. And I'd be talking about how bad it was to totally use the game's OST for the movie( which'd actually make it seem even LESS original), were it not for some extra tracks that WERE included in exclusively for the movie. And they're not bad at all.
The opening's the extended version of 'Burn My Dread!' from the original Persona 3 on the PS2, and you'd be compelled to listen it to the end. I'll bet Igor's entire Persona haven for this. Haven't googled the name of the ending song yet.
VERDICT(8/10):Well, I did say "excellence" above, but the score might speak against it now.
Anyways, the only thing you'd possibly want to know about right now is that there ARE a lot of discrepancies between the movie and the game( can't go into them for spoiler's sake). And in case you're thinking those'd break the show; no. Hell no. They're MORE epic than the game's. You heard me right; the order of events in the movie are better than how it followed in the game. And you probably won't even get the differences unless you're paying your undivided attention to the movie( provided you aren't awestruck by the opening).
All in all, this was worth a watch. This was VERY worth a watch. Then again, I wouldn't recommend this to those who aren't even remotely familiar to the franchise. You might go in with the mindset that it'd pack a lot of action and come out disappointed. But that wouldn't mean the show's any less great.
I'm anxiously awaiting P3's second movie. Excuse me while I see if I can get Persona 3's battle theme to play in Persona 4 Golden on my Vita now.

Anime Reviews #4: Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

Tokyo Magnitude's excellence lies in one and one sole aspect that it unprecedentedly managed to portray in utmost perfection: Realism. 

The story's a fictional work made after extensive research about the 70% probability of an apocalypse comprised of an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 or more striking the Tokyo area in the next 30 years. Let's just leave that part to the researchers.

 The anime primarily focuses on a dramatising a tragical state of affairs of a young girl and his brother, who went on a fare to pass the time, and got entangled into the fray of an earthquake which shook the land and rose fires from the deepest pits of the ground. The children meet their princess charming; a lady, which helps them reach their home without fail amidst the turmoil and the urgency of her own personal situations. 

As already stated, the anime's main objective was to portray the common childish angst amongst the unpredictable atrocities of life and nature's gruelling trials, when presented to a 12 year old girl and her 9 year old brother.

The anime outshines most of the mainstream "feelsy" anime, noticeably Clannad, even though its just a flimsy total of 11 episodes.

The downright melancholic situation strikes right off the bat and brings home the pinching reality of the powerlessness of mortals against the laws of nature. 

ANIMATION(8/10):

Good grief; this isn't 2001. We've had enough of crispy art styles in the current anime and the detailed portraits in the 90's classics. 

Tokyo Magnitude, however, has an animation style unique of all; and it doesn't cease to impress throughout the entire anime. The ruination of the buildings and the environment, the fluid pace of the structures collapsing; hell, the entire wreckage AFTER being destroyed looks extremely realistic! 

The characters' facial expressions were done in a way completely different than what you'd expect from an anime of 2009. This stands out as one of the most beautiful pieces of art ever.

STORY(9.5/10):

This is where Tokyo Magnitude baffles the audience and makes it to the excellence awards by the US. 

As aforementioned, the only fascination in the anime is derived from one, and only one thing: Realism. It's one of the top-notch shows with a solid plot and doesn't cease to amaze even the self-proclaimed "most hardened veterans" of the drama and tragedy genre. 

While this may not make rivers of tears flow down from your eyes due to its extremely solid story telling in the most realistic situation possible, it will certainly give you that teensy bit of surge through your heart and wake your dormant humanity. 

Stating anything else will just be an indirect spoiler and would be blasphemous against this masterpiece.

OST(9/10):

With a fluid animation and a top-notch story to boot, one wouldn't really expect an extremely suitable OST.

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 has even that. 

The melancholic moments all follow with an equivalently melancholic background music that doesn't fail to add to the flare and/or the lament of the moment. 

Were it not for its mesmerising OsT, TM 8.0 might not have stood out as much as it has.

Oh, it's nothing especially audiogasmic, neither is it full of jerky music that'd horrify the audience instead of leaving a long lasting impact; its quite the opposite. The BGM boasts of intensifying the quality of the moment, and that is it. 

It fits SO perfectly, however, that you can't help but be amazed.

Verdict(8.5/10):

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is one of the best anime in existence. It's special, unique, realistic, and amazing. 

This one totally deserves your money. 

Comparison #1; Fate/ , When They Cry, Steins;Gate.

Since "reviews all the time" doctrine's getting rather primitive....

Here's the first comparison list for  the media of two franchises and a single series:

1-The Fate/ franchise.

2-The When They Cry franchise.

3-The Steins;Gate series.

As already aforementioned, it is reiterated that this article will deal with the comparisons of the "media" of the three; their anime, their games( which all three of them have), and their mangas( the ones available). 

Let's get down to business.

1-The Fate/ franchise:

Before I even begin the comparison, here's the list of anime/shows/games in the entire franchise in a chronological order:

1-Fate/Zero( light novel, anime) 

2-Fate/Stay Night( visual novel, three OVAs).

3-Fate/Hollow Ataraxia( visual novel only).

The above follow a general route for their story. The franchise also has a spin-off anime, and two other games:

1-Fate/Kaleid Prismer Illya( spinoff anime)

2-Fate/Extra( game with an alternate world to F/SN. Available exclusively on PlayStation Portable).

Sequel:Fate/Extra CCC( PSP exclusive; hasn't touched the US shores yet, contrary to its predecessor)

3-Fate/Unlimited Codes( fighting game for Fate/Stay Night, available on PlayStation 2{Japanese only} and PlayStation Portable{In English})

4-Crucis Fatal Fake( doujin game available on PC; doesn't follow any story).

The franchise started off with the release of Fate/Stay Night's visual novel in 2004, and has gone upto 2013 with Fate/Extra CCC. 

Note:The ACTUAL canon story's probably ended by Fate/Hollow Ataraxia for all we'd know. Unless Type Moon announces another canonical entry in the Fate/ franchise later on.

So let's start the comparison.

As every self-proclaimed Fate/ aficionado knows, Fate/Zero's events take place prior to F/SN. The light novel came out way before the anime did, and succeeded supremely. 

Then, the anime struck the airing shores in 2011 and ended with 2 seasons. There's the notion that Fate/Zero is THE best entry in the entire Fate/ franchise; coming from those who've only restricted themselves to watching F/SN's OVAs, F/Z's anime, and bluntly assuming that the franchise ended there. 

That is actually very wrong; Fate/Stay Night came out way before Fate/Zero was even thought of by Type Moon. And by Fate/Stay Night here, I mean its visual novel, which was released in 2004( and was completely translated by 2008). F/SN's visual novel highlights not only the events of F/SN itself, but also foreshadows the various outcomes of an alternate F/Z ending and ends up spoiling the original F/Z ending. In DETAIL. 

The visual novel's almost 40-50 hours long and is an eroge( has 18+ scenes). Fate/Zero was written with the assumption that fans will definitely have read the visual novel beforehand, and won't have trouble following the events. 

Contrary to developers' expectations, many didn't even know that such a thing existed. Therefore, they went with the route of watching both entries' anime. Fate/Zero was substantially limited by what the visual novel did, and so, couldn't really explain all the details that were originally supposed to be made clear/made mention of at the very least, in F/Z itself. So yes, while the notion that Fate/Stay Night's OVA/anime isn't as good as Fate/Zero's anime, the biased opinion that F/Z as a WHOLE is better than F/SN is an overstatement and downright meaningless. A 16-18 hours long show cannot possibly hope to compare to something that is 40-50 hours long, AND is in much more detail.

Moving on, about Fate/Hollow Ataraxia..

It is actually the TRUE sequel to Fate/Stay Night, and came out in 2005 as a visual novel as well( the same year in which Fate/Zero's light novel came out).

The translation for this VN was completed only a month or two ago, and the English patch is yet to come, if I'm correctly informed. The setting is in the days of the Holy Grail war in F/SN; days which are kept repeating endlessly. Like its predecessor, it shares the eroge roots, and UNLIKE it, doesn't have an option to remove the 18+ scenes. As for its value, VNDB still hasn't made any mention of its score. Fate/Stay Night stays on top with an 8.99~9 rating. 

As far as the spin off anime Fate/Kaleid Prismer Illya is concerned, it was a blasphemous act against one of the minor female leads in Fate/Stay Night, and was met with extreme criticism against some Fate/fanatics, while on the other hand it was welcomed warmly by thirsty Lolita-complex-Otakus for the miniature "fan service" it offered. Overall, it's just a poorly animated spin off. 

Now for the Fate/Extra sub-franchise. As already stated, it is set in an alternate world than Fate/Stay Night in an inter-galactic setting and an illusionary pseudo-post apocalyptic world, in who h some of the Fate/Stay Night characters( notable Rin Tohsaka, Sakura Matou, and Shinii Matou) make reappearances. There is a wide array of new characters unknown to the entire Fate/ franchise. The servants' outfits( and some of their attributes) are altered, as well as the primary rules for the entire "game": Contrary to the "kill-or-be-killed" in an open world devoid of any rules or time limits premise in Fate/Stay Night, there is a time limit in this game: a week. After which you face a Master and their Servant in a coliseum. 

As far as its..."ranking" goes in the franchise, its average. Nothing too good, but not bad at all. The story aside, the OST was the absolute point in the game.

The sequel, Fate/Extra CCC hasn't been out in the US yet( and it won't be a surprise if it doesn't; considering the PSP's  Current state of affairs. A fan translation is likely in that case), but from what I saw after finishing it, it's got a LOT more potential than what F/E originally boasted about. There are 4 servants classes to choose from for the game, a "secret garden", and of course, a new, twisted, and surreal plot. 

Fate/Unlimited Codes stands out as one of the best fighting game adaptations out there, primarily for its solid gameplay, and secondarily, for its OST and its adherence to the original F/SN storyline. 

So that does it for the entire Fate/ franchise. If I were to do a preference comparison, its be as follows: 

Fate/Stay Night>Fate/Extra CCC>Fate/Zero>Fate/Extra> Fate/Unlimited Codes> Fate/Kaleid Prismer Illya.

Fate/Hollow Ataraxia hasn't been included as its yet to be played by me, AND isn't still out in English for that matter. 

2-The When They Cry franchise:

Ryukishhi 07's first big. Started out with Higurashi Ni Naku Koro Ni's sound/visual novel in 2002( yes, 2002. And you watched the anime probably in...2010? And that was nowhere NEARLY as good as the VN), and ended with Umineko Ni Naku Koro Ni's last fandisc in 2011 as of yet. 

A new When They Cry's slated for a release in this year's summer, or so the rumours said. Of course, it'd be a visual novel release and all of its(predicted) 8 "games/episodes/chapters" will be finished by a year or two. And we'll probably get an anime 2-3 years AFTER the novel's complete finalisation. Which I'm not looking forward to at all. 

So the franchise to this day, basically has this:

1-Higurashi Ni Naku Koro Ni( visual novel, anime, manga).

2-Umineko Ni Naku Koro Ni( visual novel, anime( incomplete due to poor sales{due to lameness}) , manga( incomplete as well; dozen times better than the anime though),

Higurashi's sound novel( out in 2002) was what made Ryukishhi's works famous in Japan and 7th expansion( the developing team) gained popularity. Umineko's sound novel(out in 2007) intensified that a gazillion times; getting PERFECT reviews(9-10/10), and the anime screwing up due to Studio Deen's incapability to reproduce the story even remotely as impressively as the visual novel. It faced extreme criticism by the fans, and as a result of poor sales, was only half-finished(poorly at that, too). 

Let's discuss Higurashi first. 

I'm quite sure a lot of people are already familiar with the anime and have nonchalantly dubbed it as a messed up murder story in a desolated village. 

And that DOES pretty much sums up...the first season of the anime. The second season was the "solution" to all the riddles the first season presented. And the visual novel didn't depict any sort of gore; it was a psychological thriller. The visual novel's first four "episodes" were adopted into 26 episodes of the visual novel, and the four episodes of the "Kai" arc were adopted into another 26 episodes. 

The anime was completed solely for the reason that it did a VERY good job at detailing the events if the story, though still not as good as the Visual Novel "explained" them. 

The only downfall was that the anime gave everybody the impression that Higurashi was a crazy murder story, and nothing else. The visual novel wasn't particularly pleasant with the experiences, but it gave the player a broader outlook on the story AND a desire to actually sniff out the culprit before the person's identity is revealed( just a random pointer; I succeeded in guessing the culprit's identity at the second episode of the visual novel, and with solid reason).

There was a bit of controversy as to.."which" visual novel was better, however. The one on the PC, or the one on the PS2. The latter had MUCH superior visuals and outshines the former in environmental detail, as well. However, the..."horror" was almost non-existent in the latter. The characters' expressions seem more grave in the former, old school VN that came out on PC in 2002. The choice is upto others as well for this, of course. As for the OST, the anime contains slightly toned down tunes used in the VN, and this has...inferior OST, sadly.

As for the manga, its almos incomplete. I mean, you can't expect it to actually explain the entire story of an episode in just 8-9 chapters. 

All in all, Higurashi's anime loses to its VN by a margin NOT too big, but not so smal either. 

Now, for Umineko. Just like its predecessor, Umineko had two arcs/games; each comprised of four episodes for a total of roundabout 70-80 hours.

You could probably consider this Ryukishhi's personal blockbuster. This shook the entire visual novel genre by beating EVERY single visual novel in OST and the story. The OST was simply THE best in the gaming history to date. And the story was unprecedentedly EXCELLENT. The anime, however, brought everything back to square one. Or zero. It was a horrendously poor animation lacking in almost everything: characters' expressions' details, the OsT,  and the rushed pace. As a resut of which, it couldn't thrive much and was left unfinished. The next batch of the 26 episodes for Umineko's "Chiru" arc was, therefore, not aired. 

The anime was left an incomplete clusterfuck of juvenile garbage with just a single fugly season to account for it. 

The manga is..not bad at all. It is complete uptil the 5th episode l, but after that, it's behaviour was surreal. The mangas of the 7th and 8th episode were published, and yet, the 6th episodes's manga wasn't completed! This is true for all the mangas that came out AFTER the 5th episode's manga was finished. 

With this, the When They Cry's series comparison ends. As is plainly visible, Umineko beats Higurashi by a long shot; not just because it has more solid mystery elements to it, but a dozen of other aspects including the OST and the art style.

Both have incomplete mangas, yet, Umineko has a fairly better manga adaptation than Higurashi( 25 chapters for every Umineko episodes' manga{excluding the last three}).

So overall..

Umineko Ni Naku Koro Ni>>>>Higurashi Ni Naku Koro Ni.

3-The Steins;Gate series:

The acclaimed science adventure everybody loved, due to its futuristic sci-if setting and plain explanation of alot of scientific aspects unprecedented of its genre. 

The series had a sequel named Chaos;Head, but we'll be leaving that aside. This is a comparison for Steins;Gate anime, visual novel, and the manga.

The anime is comprised of 25 episodes and focuses primarily on the "Makise Kurisu" route of the visual novel; the true ending of Steins;Gate as accepted by many fans, which is not true. There is an actual  "True End" for Steins;Gate, but that is only available if you're willing to give the visual novel a shot.

The anime did a very good job with the sales and the show was superb, if not entirely excellent.

Oh, the visual novel actually came out in...2008? And 2009, and 2011..for various platforms. You can imagine its popularity; the same thing being released multiple times for various platforms. Why? Because the sales of the original Visual Novel were incredibly high, that's why! 

The visual novel primarily focuses on Okabe's efforts that seem to alter depending upon the "phone call/message" you choose to answer, and how( the iOS version of Steins;Gate had a built in browser in Okabe's phone in which you can access the Internet!!). 

Depending upon your choices, you'll be hurled at a bad end, or a character's route. It could be the cheerful Mayuri, the shy Lukako, the happy-go-lucky Faris, and the pseudo-sadistic  Suzuha. 

Or even the "sane" scientist Makise Kurisu. OR, the ultimate "true" end. 

The vast amount of possibilities you can get around to by just merely answering phone calls and messing up the timelines in the game simply outweigh what the anime even allows. 

Then again, a compression between a game and a show is quite frivolous( which makes the entire article pointless :I ). But, eh.

As for the manga, it was...mediocre. 

Not too good a medium than the anime, and obviously not even close to the visual novel.

In any case, for Steins;Gate:

The visual Novel>>Anime>Manga.

And the "anime" includes the S;G movie that came out. And the aforementioned sequel to S;G is also a visual novel. 

So...this is it.

I'll be writing more comparisons like this in the future.

Though, liking back on this, it doesn't seem like a "comparison" , but rather an article to portray Visual Novels' superiority. -_-

Manga Reviews #1: Higanbana No Saku Yoro Ni

When it comes to Ryukishhi07, mystery and thrill is the first and the foremost priority he cares to keep in his mind for his works. Right after the acclaimed big-hits Higurashi and Umineko, came Higanbana No Saku Yoro Ni. Contrary to its predecessors' origins, HNSYN started off as a 12 chapter manga and got a visual novel later. This isn't what you'd term as Ryukishhi's "next big" {that position's been occupied by Rose Gun Days' visual novel(s)}, as this is just another extremely minuscule( if you compare it to Higurashi and Umineko; which were 60 and 80+ hours long respectively) entry in his works, and not the start and/or a part of a particular series.

As already stated, Ryukishhi's works were primarily based on mystery, and 90% mystery( even though Higurashi had its share of jump scares and cataclysmic ally horrendous moments), amongst other things. There was the premise of "there isn't any supernatural entity and all of this is the work of a human" in them. Contrary to both, in HNSYN, Ryukishhi didn't bluntly disregard fantasy but neither did he fail to incorporate it perfectly with the norms of a student's everyday academic routines. 

Higanbana's about a girl who is constantly bullied by her classmates and is molested on an almost regular basis by her teacher. She comes to seek help from a supernatural identity; the personification of one of the institution's feared "seven mysteries" to help her release herself from her cruel fate and put her teacher and the bullying students' to a brutal end; and how far she's willing to go with the said task.

The theme of "why people bully" is said to be present in the story, however, I've personally failed to find that( yet to play the visual novel too. Probably the theme's there, since VNs ARE a hundred times more detailed than mangas).

The main genre is horror, and mystery is almost non-existent if you compare it to Ryukishhi's earlier writings.

ART(8/10):

Nothing quite specially spectacular or extremely lame, yet not within the spiral of mediocrity either. The author was extremely bad with the drawings( as was apparent from Higurashi and Umineko's visual novels, and is from Higanbana's VN too), however, Higanbana's manga's art isn't bad at all( there's a different illustrator after all) if not good. The absolute perfection which the art attained in was the characters'( and the fantasy creatures') facial expressions in times of their respective atrocities. The potentially "horror" scenes' disturbance adds to the "elegance" of Higanbana, and its all thanks to the illustrator. 

STORY(9/10):

Higanbana shines in the story, as would be expected from Ryukishii. The author had shortcomings in drawings, but not at all in the story. He didn't attain the perfection he did in Umineko in Higanbana, but he pulled off one hell of a narrative masterpiece. 

The blend of a not-so-normal school life, a victim of hypertension's delusions, and the mystical and horrifyingly disturbing creatures dubbed as the "seven mysteries" promises a rich experience for the horror/thriller + perverse slice of life in a school setting aficionados. 

VERDICT(8/10):

This isn't nearly as disturbing as Saya No Uta or Kara No Shoujo, yet it's got it's share of creepy and surreal appearances and a perverse touch to the story. 

I have yet to play the visual novel for the perfect final impressions about Higanbana( there's an English translation available for the VN; if you'd go for the series, I'd day go with both the manga and the VN).

Anime Reviews #3: Shingeki No Kyojin

Army trifles? Check.

Myocardial Infarction inducing events? Check.

Perverse environments? Check.

Huge muscular naked abnormally-enlarged, surreal faced goblins...check.

All of the aforementioned combined; you have Shingeki No Kyojin a.k.a Attack On Titan.

With the recent hype about the series( to an abnormal extent for starters, considering the original media for the "show" was the manga which made its debut in 2009) the show's actually gotten cliche in the eyes of people who wouldn't adhere to the mainstream tastes. And that, infant, is very wrong.

The series has occasionally been labeled as Sword Art Online's right hand man in overrated-ism; if not its father. That's one more false allegation. SAO has no bearing on SnK, and while this show IS overrated, that doesn't take any value from its elements.

SnK is no doubt ONE of the masterpieces out there and is NOT totally undeserving of its score( even though taking into account the biases of the fans who personally nonchalantly rated it in 9s and 10s over the web), and yet, is not without its flaws either( and there aren't that many flaws, mind you). 

SnK is set in a prior-to-post-apocalyptic-world. The "goblins" mentioned earlier, the Titans, are out for humanity's crimson blood and have made the latter confine themselves to the stalwart interior of three walls to escape from the former's undirected wrath. 

NOTE: This review covers the first season    . The STORY section is most likely subject to change with the release of the second season. This review is made counting the anime's current episodes( which are in twenties), and not the manga.

ANIMATION(9/10):

One of the absolutely strong points about SnK is its animation style. It's unique, fluent, crispy, and beautiful in its own accord. It's not even comparable to most of the anime; it's utterly and obviously superior. The characters' horrified, delighted and/or horrendous facial expressions have been depicted on pure excellence. Even the Titans' art was done  masterfully. The series deserve each ad every single praise it can get under its belt for its animation. 

STORY{7/10(subject to change later)}:

The story so far in the series has made but one thing very clear: This isn't going to be ANYTHING like Sword Art Online. It being overrated aside, the frantic struggles of frail humans against the horde of brutal and voraciously carnivores termed as Titans in the ambiance of military combined with teenage angst is too good to be just dismissed as some folks would do. The enjoyment in the series' story lies in two directions; Enjoying the battles between clothes and armed humans AND brutally overpowered and senseless Titans, or enjoying the atmosphere surrounding the characters: The laments, atrocities, and adverse circumstances of a war with a lot of ordinance(yet almost useless except for one single weapon), the realistic approach towards losses that cannot be accounted for forever, and the "brotherhood" and brilliant teamwork amongst the squads, and their occasional squabbles. Whatever you chose to go with, it promises a straightforward enjoyment with no ulterior breakdowns in the story. Plot twists, utterly unexpected turn of events, betrayal, prejudice; you name 'emit got 'em. 

OST(9/10):

The second most strong point of SnK is its OST. A lot for artists put in their heart and soul composing the various songs, and the non-vocal and/or instrumental songs aren't bad at all. The OST blends with the battles/camp events perfectly. The anime's first opening is absolutely amazing, and even though the second one's nearly not as good as the former, it's got it's share of promise. The ending songs are mediocre. 

VERDICT(7.510):

Shingeki No Kyojin is by far one of the best shows in existence of the "Action/Drama/Mature" genres, speaking from an unprejudiced and unbiased perspective. Those who haven't tried it out and are with the notion that since it is overrated, it naturally sucks should really decide to give it a single shot for once. 

Anime Reviews #2: Fate/Zero

Fate/Zero; the potential prequel to Type Moon's second franchise; the Fate/ series, was originally a light novel. The anime roots sprung from the light novel and made the show a profound display of a magical war in a world unchained from the laws of common mortals and norms, as it turned after the "servants" arrival.

Like its predecessor Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Zero shows the events of yet another Holy Grail War prior to the war in Fate/Stay Night. However, as is not known by many, Fate/Stay  Night was originally a visual novel and considerably limited Fate/Zero's story telling as a result of that. The poor anime adaptation of F/SN doesn't show that much of promise and due to this, people consider F/Z better than F/SN; while the opposite holds true in actuality. 

ANIMATION(8/10):

The anime's art style resembles why F/SN(the anime) had and doesn't really add too much eye candy to boast either. The characters' grave and melancholic expressions, however, are one of the things that the developers didn't fail to attain excellence in. In spite of that, the mediocre amount of screen play some of the characters got was con for sure( cannot reveal the identity of whom as there is a potential spoiler threat).

OST(7/10):

Type Moon saw through it to get a beautiful AND horrendous remix of songs for their first entry in the series; Fate/Stay Night, and the anime didn't let any of that go to good. F/Z kinds of follows the same trend as well; the soundtrack isn't as engaging as most folks term it. This is from the perspective of one who has gone through something visually and audibly superior than F/Z in the same franchise, so others might find this ridiculous. The OST really wasn't anything particularly "special". Just your usual run-off-the-mill battle and occasional sad BGMs.

STORY(8.5/10):

This is where Fate/Zero basically shines ,and could shine much, MUCH more, were it not for the hellishly detailed Fate/Stay Night's visual novel that came years before it. Just like its predecessor, there's a horde of servants and masters on each others' necks to attain the Holy Grail and to get a single wish granted. The main factor making the story superior to F/SN's "ANIME" is the intensity of the battles and sly tactics in F/Z, that F/SN clearly didn't portrait. The cast in F/Z is also much more likeable and the story's got a premise to begin with. However, as already stated, Fate/Stay Night's visual novel limited what F/Z could achieve. You can practically get 50% of F/Z's plot outline( AND the ending; in detail even more than F/Z itself!) were you to go with F/SN's visual novel itself, and NOT the anime.  

VERDICT( 8/10):

All in all, Fate/Zero is a fine and likeable experience through the warring world of the magi and their greeds, desires, wishes; and the servants to fulfil them by attaining the Holy Grail for their masters. You're bound to run into confusions and questions if you just nonchalantly start the anime. Fate/Zero was made with the presumption that people will have read/played Fate/Stay Night's visual novel and so will not feel lost at the most parts. Do note that a LOT of plot of Fate/Zero shall be revealed if you decide to go with the visual novel of Stay Night beforehand. However, that's how it's actually meant to be done, and also how Type Moon believed it would go. And no, reading Fate/Zero's light novel instead of the anime will not do you too much good, either. In the end, it's up to you how you decide to go with the franchise. 

Visual Novel Reviews #5: Umineko When They Cry

Umineko When They Cry( When The Seagulls Cry) is the second entry in the acclaimed 'When They Cry' franchise, right after Higurashi When They Cry, and is possibly the best entry in the mysteryXfantasy genre from the animated world's side. The series got two visual novel(arcs), an anime adaptation, a manga adaptation, a booklet, two fan discs( one of them explain a certain character from the VN), and a fighting games series dubbed as Ougon Musou Kyouko. 

The VN has a lot of premise to begin with, and the insane amount of detail utterly NOT expected from a mystery is enough to blow off even the most avid of the avid mystery aficionados.

The story revolves around a groups of siblings, their father and their children in a western mansion. Every year, a family conference takes place in the majestic and prodigious Ushiromiya mansion on a desolated island. In 1986, however, right after the first day of the guests' arrival, a typhoon strikes and cuts off the island from the rest of the world; making any means of communication worthless. A series of bizarre murders start to take place in the mansion's whereabouts right after the first day's end. The characters find themselves amidst the trap of an eccentric murderer whose out killing people according to a box are epitaph, and is dubbed by everyone insane enough to believe in occult as "The Golden Witch: Beatrice". (mystery part)

---

...And after the entire terrific mass slaughter ends, the main character, Battler, engages within a battle of Logic VS magic with "Beatrice" in the metaphysical world and continues to deny her. The two have their battle as a chess battle, so the "checkmate" pops up quite often from the incompetent Battler's loud mouth. Eventually, he gets entangled up in a much more complicated state of affairs, and takes it upon himself to find out Beatrice's "heart" and the truth. There are a lot appearances in the story, partly which make sense an which do not; and yet, in the end, everyone's roles seem significant. (Fantasy part)

That does it for the synopsis. All you mystery fanatics would probably have notes that this entire mystery setting resembles some other story a lot. You'd be right; Umineko drew inspiration from Agatha Christie's best selling mystery novel: "And Then There Were None", along with a couple of other stories to boot. The "fantasy" part is there by Ryukishhi07 so that those who aren't really into crime stories can enjoy Umineko nonetheless. Though the true meaning of Umineko lies in seeing through the mass-hysteria of the illusions the "fantasy" aspect throws at you, and find out the truth yourself.

Like it's predecessor, Umineko's composed of two arcs, each having four "games" ( or episodes as Umineko terms them), making for a grand total of 8 episodes and a playtime worth 70+ hours.

STORY( 10/10):

The first and the foremost thing a VN is supposed to specialise in is the story. This is where Umineko outshines almost any other Japanese fantasy-mystery story, and even the famous western matey novels are utterly put in the shade by the sheer perfection and decisiveness of the story. It's been a trend( and still is) for mystery novels to reveal the culprit's identity at the end, and shock the readers( or make them yawn); thus putting an end to every single question. Umineko avoids that. Ryukishhi07 wanted his readers to think, think, and think. Which is precisely why the 'game' part of the visual novel kicked in fairly quickly; right after the first episode, unlike Higurashi, which had it coming at the last episode( the culprit's identity was also revealed in Higurashi contrary to Umineko). The author went with the "THINK!" theme in Umineko right off the bat. And as aforementioned, even in the end, nothing about the mystery's core is revealed, and yet, the clues are all there for those who think. It wouldn't be quite smart to create an unsolvable mystery now would it? And sadly enough, the anime adaptation ruined Umineko's fame. It sold bad enough and the 'Chiru' arc wasn't aired by Studio Deen as a result of their blowing up their budget. In any case, the story at first glance seems to be a lunatic's errand; what with a guy denying the existence of witches with a witch right in front of him. It eventually goes in much deeper than that; the "fantasy" aspect of the story. The constant and the irrefutable fact, the "red truth", is made use of to reach the truth/deny the false assumptions and allegations. The "chess battle scenes" seem like a shortened rip off from the Phoenix Wright Court scenes; what with there being a "witch side" and a "human side"; the former trying to prove their existence , and the latter to deny it by presenting how the murders were possible by a human. The fantasy aspect kicks in all the time, and the mystery is never laid low upon in the story. The story has its share of humour, teen angst, an elegant ambiance, and murderous ulterior motives' presentation. There is deception from the start and till the end. Just when you think everything's settled down even momentarily, it'll be your bad.  ANIMATION(4-9/10):

Ignoring the surreal rating for the moment, the truth is that Umineko's art is...well, THE worst. For the PC version, that is. Ryukishii07's excellence with mystery is just about equal to his incapability to draw finely. Even though the art's just about fine from an unbiased perspective, it doesn't change the fact that hand look like gloves. The PS3 version of Umineko had the art redone by Alchemist, has voices, AND that is worth a hundred applauses. That's why the rating is 4-9; if we're talking about the PC version's art, it's lame. If we're taking about the PS3 art, then it's another perfection. Although, the characters' horrendous expressions are much masterfully depicted in the PS3 art, yet the PC art has its share of grotesque uniqueness and sublimity, albeit very low. Post Script: It is possible to incorporate the PS3 art style into the PC version through various methods. You'll then have the complete Umineko experience on the PC. Also, the voice acting isn't less than too notch, either.

PS: The image used here has the PS3 art sprites. You know what to expect now. 

MUSIC(12/10):

This is probably THE strongest hold Umineko has to the grounds of perfection, before or after the story is up to you to decide. The music isn't simply "one" of the best, it's probably THE best out there. It perfectly, I repeat, PERFECTLY matches the situation in the VN and some BGMs leave an enormous emotional impact on the reader. It's a bleeding shame that there was no separate OsT CD released for Umineko. The musics' were done by a number of artists, and include everything from low/high techno tunes to emotional, royal and prestigiously musics, not to mention, a good deal of eargasmic vocal tracks, too. If you would wish for a comparison, then Chrono Trigger and Symphony Of The Night's OST, along with the infamous Final Fantasy OSTs pale in comparison to this. They LITERALLY pale in comparison. And this isn't an exaggeration at all. If it were not for its OST, Umineko wouldn't have been on the top of every unprejudiced-against-japanese mystery fan's favourites list, either.

VERDICT(10/10):

All in all, Umineko is a unique blend of a western mystery setting, and an incorporated fantasy setting brimming with the promises of a uniquely royal experience. With all this said, it wouldn't be fair for me to award this masterpiece anything than the perfect score. Anything I have seen/played concerning the Japanese animations doesn't match this. I have yet to come across anything superior. The answer's never made clear, the clues are all there, AND we have the two famous detective rule sets I.e Knox and Van Dine's commandments that were made way back in the 1940's applicable to this! By keeping all the rules, the red truths, the players/readers are to tackle the mystery themselves, seeing past the many illusions the storey throws in the form of magical scenes and the metaphysical perspectives. There are many theories over the net( more like assumptions) and it's been left for us to decide which one we'll follow and reach the truth ourselves. Yes, a google search for Umineko's truth won't help. You'll see after you finish it. 

Addendum: It should be noted that the anime that was composed of 24 episodes only, covers only the first arc; that is the first four episodes of the Visual Novel. The "Chiru" answer arc wasn't aired, and the anime lacks in details a LOT. It has extremely poor sales to boot(this being the primary reason for its sudden and abrupt halt at airing), so plead don't let that crapshow dissuade you from the visual novel. The manga issues aren't complete yet either, and God knows when they will be. The visual novel is the best and the most feasible bet if you want to get into Umineko. There are some cameo..."sentences" from Higurashi, plus a track as well. Those who've played Higurashi shoulld note that this is nothing similar to Higurashi and is much, MUCH more complicated. 

Anime Reviews #1: Monster

Mix up crime fiction with the not-exceedingly-boisterous 90's setting, and add a few characters that would seem to possess supernatural powers at the first glance, and you'll get Monster. 

If there's one thing about a crime fiction I absolutely adore, it's how the perpetrator is exposed in the end, and all mysteries are brought to light in just mere moments. Monster, however, doesn't follow that trend. 

The anime begins in the lively Dusseldorf, home to the protagonist, a happy-go-lucky surgeon working in one of the hospitals in the area, going by the name of Kenzo Tenma. Life seems to be going well; a brag-worthy status as a surgeon, blessed with a ridiculous amount of experience at a young age, and a fiancé whose almost head over heels for him. Then, one day, our doctor nonchalantly decides to abandon a major operation in order to save a child's life. 

That's where everything goes utterly wrong. The doctor finds himself entangle into a serious of crimes, being labelled as the prime suspect by the police. He goes around almost everywhere, trying to avoid the resilient and misguided forces of law, and in order to vanquish something he himself started, and, to bring light to all the crimes that have been going around. 

That's the gist of it. In a sense, this isn't really a crime fiction. 

The culprit's not hard to guess at all. Heck, it's as if the anime is literally screaming at you to accept the culprit, and watch as their past is revealed, and as they carry on their mindless, unbound slaughter. The anime's story doesn't really offer too much "mystery" pertaining to the crimes, so to speak. It's just a depiction of a gruesome environment painted red by the hands of a single person, and the other person, in his brisk endeavours to prove that, comes to know a dangerously large amount of people, and gets mixed up in their affairs, at well. 

Doesn't sound like a crime fiction at all, eh? It was probably a mistake labelling it as such. In a nutshell, this is how it goes:

Fame-Deserting-Rebellion-Acquaintance-Mutual co-operation-Distrust-Deceptions-The finale. 

That's it. All the 74 episodes can be depicted just through those 8 words. Of course, this isn't going to paint a clear picture of the plot in your mind. Let's ditch the plot discussion and move in to the other aspects for now, shall we?

As far as the animation style goes, if you're a connoisseur of the 90's anime art style, you're most likely to love this one. It isn't rabidly colourful as the current anime industry's art, neither hellishly detailed as the 90's( although it deviates a bit towards that side) ; a good spot among the spiral of mediocrity. It perfectly paints the gloomy and dark ambiance the anime intends to present. Perfectly fine in my books. 

Next, for the OST. Alright I can't say that it's really non-existent, but the constant repetitions of a few tracks the entire anime is kind of unsettling. They could have decide to add a few more tracks to dramatize the situations further. Also, the "creepy" BGMs don't do an especially good job at making the spectator move to tears or fear( at the sudden jump scares) quite well. If there's going to be one down point about the anime, it's the music. 

Next, as I'm sure every anime fanatic is aware of, you call the anime that manage to retain a solid plot even with extensive episodes, and a ridiculously large number of then at that, "amazing", right? Monster's one of those anime that tends to maintain a steady balance at all times; deviating a LOT from the presently delirious circumstances, but not at all shifting the story towards another direction COMPLETELY. The moment you think it's gotten boring, brave yourselves, for that will be the moment the truly unexpected events will rear their heads. Though yes, it'll be a pain to bear with the starting episodes a bit, as they're only thrilling to 1/8th of the anime, and immediately, the anime deviates slightly. That is enough to unnerve you to leave the show altogether, and I'll be honest, I even decided once to do that. But if you can bear with it for 6-7 episodes, you'll eventually get hooked up. So it's not a no-no. 

The story is okay in the start, gets slow midway, picks up a sudden pace to move, and by the end, the conclusion will shock you. Or it's supposed to.

In the end, Monster isn't really an excellent anime, but far superior to a LOT of them out there. It's great, if not excellent, and if you're a fan of the old anime, this is sure to intrigue you. The characters are quite likeable, though some of the cast might out you off for their interference with the main cast, and their sudden blow-outs out of the story. 

My verdict will be 8/10.

Pros:

-Interesting storyline( a bit slow though).

-A good cast of characters.

-No unnecessary amount of fan service or anything of the sort.

-Good art direction.

Cons:

-The OST could've used a bit of refinement.

Visual Novel Reviews #4: When The Cicadas Cry

Higurashi: When They Cry, also known as Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, is a mystery doujin soft novel series started by 7th expasnsion. Higurashi is the first entry in the series, followed by another entry entitled Umineko: When They Cry. The series has had its share of appeal; having been made into an anime adaptation, OVA, and a manga of its own. The VN still stands out as the best medium to tell the tale out of all of them to this day, however.\
It's kinda wrong to label it as a true VN, as it merely consists of art, music, and expressions.
You do not make choices as in other visual novels. You just sit back, and watch the truth unfold. In that sense, it's not a 'game' at all, to some people.  However, it depends upon how you take the challenge. You're provided the necessary pieces episode by episode in your private quest to figure out the truth, and the 'game' part kicks in when you try to make sense of the things. The faster you do it, the more precise your guess is, the more entertaining, the story  will get. Which is, I dare say, top notch and NOT predictable in the slightest. This is one of the prime examples which go to show what only art and music can accomplish by themselves, without moving animations or anything of the sort, as I'll be detailing in the review.
Higurashi was the one that got me into the When They Cry series in the first place. First of all, let's lay down the setting. This basically going to be similar to a synopsis of the story, so you don't need to worry about being spoiled.
The story is basically divided into two arcs: A question arc, and an answer arc.
The games; or "episodes", as they've been termed, for both are four. The first arc, that is the question arc, has been named "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni". It's comprised of four gruesome episodes that puzzle the player, or the 'reader' in this case, through their setting. I won't go into that here, as they're bound to spoil some critical plot points. The second arc, "Higurashi no Nak Koro ni", is the answer arc for the various 'riddles' you've been put through. In a way, THIS is the arc in which the 'game' part of the sound novel will kick in. You'll be told whether your guesses and theories about the mysteries to that point have been right on the track, spurious, or utterly frivolous.
You're put into the shoes of Maebara Keichhi; a boy who just recently transferred to an isolated village called Hinamizawa. You're engulfed in the series of mysterious murders that have took place in the past in the village, and need to disclose the truth.
As for the story, I'll reiterate that it's top notch, albeit it might seem surreal at times. The constant hallucinations the protagonist faces in the question arc, and the feeling of deception and utter helplessness might tick off some people. But keep it to the end, and you'll see what's coming to you.
Pro-tip: If you require even a single chance to get CLOSE to the mystery in the question arc, you'll need to pay undivided and unadulterated attention to the dialogues. The characters' tongues DO slip, but so can your eyes wink at that precise moment you could have gotten a lead.
The art style is well....depends upon which version of the game you'll be playing. If it's the PS2 version, which isn't out in the US and only in Japanese, it's got the right and the fluid art style. If it's the translated versions we're talking about here, that is, the PC, Android, and the iOS versions, then you're in for THIS: http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashiliepc1.jpg
And that is just the PC version. The iOS and the Android version possess far worse art styles, albeit the same direction as the aforementioned one. Luckily, the PC version has a "patch" from the PS2 version, that is capable of undergoing metamorphosis from the above screen to this one: http://daverost.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/higurashilieps22.jpg
Pretty neat, huh? I won't be going into how to patch your PC copy or anything here. Do the homework yourself.
The soundtrack is just superbly befitting. The developers KNEW what to do to intensify, depress, or exhilarate the player's moods with the right track at the right moment. Aside from it mixing with the atmosphere perfectly, the cry of cicadas also makes the player aware of an approaching omen, or other phenomena quite well. There are only a few tracks in the entire OST, but their constant repetition isn't annoying at all. Though the 'club activities' can get a bit boring.
This probably doesn't need to be said, but if you've watched the anime and are expecting gut-wrenching gore and bloodshed from this too, then you might want to look somewhere else. The sound novel is completely devoid of the sheer insanity and gore the anime was teeming with. Though it does promises to shake you psychologically, even if its for a second or two.
In short, Higurashi: When They Cry is probably one of the examples of the novels that were, well, done exactly right. There aren't any particularly diminishing flaws in the story, nor in the OST. This is what I would call everything done right.
Also, here's something extra. While the patch DOES add much more refined visuals, it takes away half the 'horror' vibe of the series. The 'ancient' feel to the original, 2OO2 art style adds to the psychological thriller aspect of the novel, in my honest opinion. So, if you're going to get around to playing this, I'd recommend you to play the first arc WITHOUT the patch, as that is the arc where things get from bad to worse and stuff, and the second arc WITH the patch. In this way, you wouldn't get too unnecessarily spooked OR happy, either.
My verdict for this will be no less than a 9/1O.
Pros:
-Great story.
-Great OST.
-Good art style[ provided you're playing the PS2 version OR have applied the patch to the PC version]
-Not predictable in the slightest.
-Not full of unnecessary details.
Cons:
-The club activity scenes can get a bit tiring.
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Visual Novel Reviews #3: Hakuoki: Demon Of The Fleeting Blossom

Hakuoki: Demon Of The Fleeting Blossom.

Rating: 17+ ( vulgarity, suggestive themes).

This is one of the million otome games which made a place amongst the many dating sims out there. It stands out not just story and character wise, but also OST wise.

As you already know, otome games are originally intended for the female gender. If you find yourself NOT liking them despite their "beauty", then it's perfectly normal. You're not supposed to tread near them, anyway. 

Those who've watched Hakuoki's anime can testify to the game's uniqueness at first glance, as well. 

This is not one of those dating sims which are full of kisses and sighs until the very end. The game harbours a mature and very, VERY confusing story, if you're unfamiliar with the Japanese history and the various eras which called for the rule of another parties, etc.

First off, the game's set in the early primitive years of the Japanese history, back when the Shogunate was in war with the other powers in cahoots with one another. You take the role of a female protagonist, who, while helping out the soldiers thorough out their daily lives, needs to stay alive till the end and...hook up with one of the men, to put it bluntly.

The idea kind of seems frivolous.

( It's Idea Factory involved with this game though; no wonder).

However as stated earlier, the game's story revolves more around the eras and the historical battles of the Japanese and the Shogunate, and very less around the romance genre. There's barely any erotic scene into the game. I don't get why it was rated 17+, either. Must be due to the use of some extreme language, but that's too mild for today's standards. Anyways, we're supposed to be privy to such baseless debates. About the art direction, it's beautiful. The visuals were one of the plus points about the game that kept me going, alongside the desire to learn more about the Japanese history indirectly through a game. The men are clad in typical archaic uniforms casually, and formally, the Shinsengumi uniform that was hauled at that time.

About the OST, it's just average. You don't seem to really immerse yourself into the game through the OST. It'll be either the story that captivates you, or...*sigh* the men. I sincerely hope it's the former. 

It's not memorable, either. It just kind of seems to blend with the environment and the situations, but that's just about it, I wager.

Lastly, the "horror" in the game is non-existent. The whole concept of bloody furies and stuff had me under the impression that this was going to be one hell of a gory VN. It was quite the contrary. Clean as hell.

All in all, this was a mediocre effort by Akays games and Idea Factory. This had potential, and actually manages to live up to it, but not in all it's mesmerising glory , I dare say. My verdict is a 6/10.

Average.

Play if you happen to be bored out of your mind, or you crave a sick desire to search for a partner amongst the flames of war( virtually of course).

Pros:

-Good Story.

-Mediocre OST.

Cons:

-Minor jump scares which actually fail to "scare".

-Unnecessarily exaggerated amount of ramblings about some things.

That's it.

Visual Novel Reviews #2 Tears To Tiara

Tears To Tiara.
Rating: 18+[ is yet another VN of the eroge genre]
Ever heard of a Visual Novel and RPG hybrid? These gems are rare to come by, but most of them don't have the story to back them off. Fortunately, Tears To Tiara stands out as one of those games in the detested eroge genre which has a mediocre gameplay, a good story, and enthralling OST to back it off. Yes, this isn't another random hentai fap material teeming with s** scenes and nothing else. It's partly a Turn-Based RPG too, albeit that was kind of surreal of Leaf to add, in my opinion.
Those who've watched/played Utawarerumono might have a bell ringing in their head at this moment. That's right; this is the same Leaf behind Utawarerumono's game we're talking about here. If you've played that, you should have an idea about how this'll turn out[ gameplay wise, of course; there are no plot elements continuing in either series].
So, while I was craving for some 'colourful' animations to keep me occupied for a long time, I stumbled upon this. And boy, was I wrong with the first impression.
This is NOT as colourful as it looks like.
It's got an intriguing story which progresses at a satisfying rate[ if you're going to put aside the fact that the role-playing elements CAN get infuriating at times, and that there is no way to skip them either].
First of all, let's talk about the settings. It's set in an almost medieval setting, quite typically in the same fashion as most of the 'royal' shows are set. The concept of king, slaves, henchmen; it's all there. Still, there's pretty much a lack of enough bloodshed to account for the era, so you can expect a cleanly wonderful experience if you're not comfortable with gore and stuff.
Now, the actual game.
It's not actually made up of the same elements as most visual novels are. There are no choices to branch the story towards different endings. However, the RPG system accounts for that sufficiently. Dare I say, it's quite an addition, even if it's kinda surreal, as I've aforementioned.
Here's a screenshot depicting the visual novel part of the game:
http://fuwanovel.org/assets/images/vn/111/screen03.jpg
Well?
See that slightly blurry sprite behind the two easily visible sprites?
The characters in the role playing mode will be like that.
In order to simplify things more, here's an example screenshot for the RPG mode:
http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo294/megavikingroar/untitled.jpg
The gameplay aside from the VN part's pretty different to those typical old-school RPGs that did NOT let you wander around the entire world with one click, which this one bails.
You go around navigating in various towns, buy weapons, man up, go kick some ass[ or get your ass kicked in the process], come back, keep pressing space, save, quit, get on with your life.
...I guess I disclosed a little too much there.
Now, about the OST. It's quite good, to be honest. Not to mention that it perfectly matches with the surrounding atmospheres, but most of the BGMs spark that virtual flare in you to just...."do" something.
You'll get what I'm insinuating once you decide to take this one on.
Now, about the eroge side of the game.
If you have a PC and it's located in a room which everyone visits frequently, then you're better off skipping this game[ unless you're up for loosing a tooth or two by being sucker punched by your family for treading close to such an erotic material]. Although it's censored a bit, s** scenes appear out of the blue. Literally. You get NO indication whatsoever at times, and spontaneously, you'll see two people *beep* *beep*
...You get the gist of it, right? It's pretty unreliable to play it on PC, or so I believe. I had a notebook, so I easily took care of this one on it. There is no patch to remove the ero-scenes, nor can they be skipped altogether. Not even on a second playthrough. Nice move, Leaf.
With all that under consideration, I guess I can give out the verdict now.
7/1O.
Not shabby at all, but still not close to being "great".
Pros:
-Good visuals.
-Good story.
-Great OST.
Cons:
-Too much role playing elements unnecessary for a Visual Novel.
-Erotic scenes can't be skipped, and they seem to be forcefully inserted into the game.
That's it.
Oh, and this game is also available on PSP, aside from PC.
But the PSP version is in Japanese, and is a Strategy-Role Playing Game, almost devoid of any visual novel elements. I suggest you go for the PC version if you're going to play this. The requirements are minuscule, so you should be able to run this without any problem.

Visual Novel Reviews # 1:Shikkoku No Sharnoth

Shikkoku No Sharnoth.
Rating: Adult[ 18+; has some erotic and suggestive scenes].
Despite the cheesy vibe the cover holds, the novel's theme is eccentrically dark and tragic.
If you're one of those conformists who would judge a book[ taking into consideration that this is just a figure of speech, and the "novel" in question isn't one] by it's cover, then you'll probably shift your gears after gazing at the cover art, as it's one of those Visual Novels that seem like they'll have a hopeless romantic start and end.
Thinking outside the box, let's talk about the setting of the novel.
It's set in a steampunk era, where the technological power we now claim to harness, was not available. However, the game doesn't depict a primitive theme in that regard. The game's a unique archaic horror story, with an effeminate touch of mystery to it.
There's plenty of 'machinery' to get you hooked up if you're unnecessarily too much into mechanical stuff. Not to mention, the game seems to have a bit too much unnecessary "pollution" to back it's name off.
But I digress.
You're basically put into the shoes of a female protagonist, who's seemingly not your typically-spoiled-from-the-start princess, and is actually considerate.
For spoiler's sake, I can't disclose much information pertaining to the story, so I guess that's it for the know-hows.
Oh, and the story picks up it's pace really, REALLY slow.
If you're thinking of going into this one, I suggest you to work on your imaginative skills. Otherwise, you won't be able to cope up with the frustrating confusions the game seems to randomly hurl upon you at various intervals.
There are a lot of appearances of real life characters you've heard or read about in one of those famous detective stories, one prime example being Sherlock Holmes.
The art direction is....well, see for yourself:
http://calamitousintents.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/capture_001_22032012_172510.jpg
Exquisite, right?
Oh, you haven't seen the last of it yet. The game's full of archaic outifts that are just simply too captivating, in my honest opinion. It totally seems like the old English days in the game. That being one of the reason this VN seems to tick some people off; what with their likings regarding the current, 'fashionable' clothings being absent. I concur that I have a soft spot for archaic outfits, so I might be sounding a bit biased regarding the review, but this is just my take on the game as one of those players who relished the environment and the characters.
Now then, let's talk about the characters.
The main character's got a pretty adorable personality if you look at it from one of the character's perspective. I obviously won't be stating who, though.
There are random introductions of some minor characters who don't really play a big role in the story, and are there just for presence's sake. However, each and every one of them completely blend with the dark and gloomy environment, albeit with a bit of condescending attitudes.
The game also features mini-games where the main character has to "escape" from a certain group of enemies.
These can be skipped altogether if you don't want to encounter them, as they DO tend to get frustrating when the story gets interesting, and you're suddenly bombarded with one of them. But they're actually fun, and you might miss some minor plot points[ which aren't really "minor" considering the elusive nature of the game]  should you choose to skip them. I won't post any screens here.
Now that everything else is dealt with, let's talk about the soundtrack.
It's....above mediocre, if not good. I can't really say it's too befitting for the situations everytime, and the constant repeating of merely 11-13 tracks in the entire game can become a bit boring for some people.
However, in my case, it worked out perfectly well. The OST was just okay.
With all said, my final verdict for this will be a 7.5/1O.
Pros:
-Good story[ provided you're willing to use your head. A lot.]
-Good Art Style.
-'Okay' OST.
Cons:
-Unnecessary encounters.
-Slow pace with which the events occur.
That's it.
This is by far one of the good visual novels I've come across to this day, in all honesty. I don't know how you'll find this, but do give it a try.