[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
KLab Inc. announced that its head-to-head football simulation game Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team would receive a major update and begin the 1000 Days Since the Launch Campaign, which is currently underway! More details on this cool event can be found below. If you haven't done so, be sure to download this exciting title on either iOS or Android!
Event Period: Friday, March 6 to Friday, March 27 (UTC+9)
Day 1000 Achievement Login Bonus
Event Period: Monday, March 9 to Friday, March 13 (UTC+9)
In commemoration of the Day 1000 Achievement, all players will receive 100 Dreamballs and 10,000,000 Coins just for logging in! Be sure to log in during the event period and get these fantastic rewards!
Day 1000 Celebration Login Bonus
Event Period: Friday, March 6 to Friday, March 27 (UTC+9)
Receive fabulous rewards every day just for logging in, such as SSR Transfer Tickets and a Legendary Drill. Don’t forget to log in every day to receive all these rewards!
Day 1000 Celebration Daily Free 10-Player Transfer
Part 1 - Japanese Player Event Period: Saturday, March 7 to Monday, March 16 (UTC+9)
Part 2 - Non-Japanese Player Event Period: Tuesday, March 17 to Thursday, March 26 (UTC+9)
Every day during the event period, players can do one 10-Player Transfer for free! The first part of the Daily Free 10-Player Transfer event exclusively features Japanese players, and the second part will offer non-Japanese players!
*Limited players from Dream Festival and Dream Collection are not available in these Transfers.
Day 1000 Celebration Transfer
Event Period: Friday, March 6 to Friday, March 27 (UTC+9)
Now is your chance to get Roberto Hongo during his active era. On top of that, Genzo Wakabayashi in the Hamburg, German club team, will also appear as a new player!
If you perform the 10-Player Transfer three times, you get one more 10-Player Transfer free! Also, for every 10-Player Transfer you perform, you will receive a SSR Black Ball exclusively for Roberto Hongo or Genzo Wakabayashi!
Transfer Player Information:
Roberto Hongo (Sao Paulo) Dream Written in the Sky
Genzo Wakabayashi (Hamburg Youth) Indomitable Samurai Keeper
Day 1000 Celebration Story Mode
Event Period: Friday, March 6 to Friday, March 27 (UTC+9)
Clear the scenarios and earn medals! Players can exchange medals for items such as SSR Transfer Tickets, UR All-Purpose Coach MAX, and UR Roberto’s Notebook MAX at the exchange shop!
Day 1000 Celebration Event Missions
Event Period: Friday, March 6 to Friday, March 27 (UTC+9)
During the event period, players who participate and complete Event Mission can earn items such as Dreamballs, SSR Black Balls, and Legendary Drills! Clear all the missions to get fabulous rewards!
[balloon_speech align="left" text="Whoa, soooo many perks! Why wouldn't you take advantage of this!?" image="bee-happy1"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="I know right? There's no reason not to receive all of these bonuses!" image="honey-happy1"]
If you’re at all an otaku or even just a gamer, then you know that Final Fantasy VII is about to get a remake that fans have been asking for for years. Around the world, fans are getting excited for its (hopefully) April release, and in Japan, the hype and anticipation are palpable. With advertisements everywhere and people of all ages talking about FFVII, it’s no surprise that collaborations and special events have started to pop up as well.
One of these special events just started at Tokyo Skytree, the tallest structure in Japan and the tallest tower in the world. At 634 metres tall (2,080 feet), Tokyo Skytree is viewable from all over the city. And now, it’s hosting a limited-time event in collaboration with the release of Final Fantasy VII called Skytree in Midgar that features exhibitions, a cafe, special merchandise, and even unique lighting on the tower for a very limited time.
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Skytree in Midgar Info
Location
Address
1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida City, Tokyo 131-0045
Nearest train line(s)
“Oshiage Station (SKYTREE)” - Asakusa Line, Hanzomon Line, Oshiage Line, Tobu Skytree Line, Keisei Narita Skyaccess Line
“Tokyo Skytree Station” - Nikko-Kunagawa Line, Ryomo Line, Shimotsuke-Kirifuri Line, Tobu Skytree Line
Cost of Admission
Cost of Admission
¥1800 Tembo Deck, ¥1800 Tembo Corridor
Hours of Operation
There are several different areas that make up the Skytree in Midgar special event. Most of it is happening over 450 meters above the ground, beginning February 6th and running through April 22nd, 2020. The first of these exhibitions is the Final Fantasy VII Premium Round Theatre on the Tembo Deck. The video screens are above the windows on a 360-degree deck, playing the latest videos of the FFVII Remake along with a history of FFVII. You can experience the sound and video all around you for a totally immersive experience (not to mention the view out the windows is incredible too!).
Next, you can head up to the Liberation Strategy in the Tembo Corridor, which has been robbed by ShinRa Electric Power Company! It’s up to you to get the materia back. Travel up in the Midgar-themed lifts to the Control Room, and you can help to return the stolen materia. There’s also a photo spot with life-size versions of the most memorable FFVII characters along with a full-size buster sword. There’s also a special photo zone where you can take a photo with Midgar in the background and a choice of your favourite character superimposed into the image with you! (This service costs ¥1,800). Finally, there’s an art exhibition with concept work from the FFVII Remake along with art from the entire Final Fantasy series.
In addition to these main exhibition floors, the usual Skytree Cafe has been transformed into 340th Heaven Cafe (after Tifa’s bar Seventh Heaven in the game). There are plenty of exclusive themed menu items that come with a random character coaster. And if you haven’t had enough yet, there’s also a special Skytree in Midgar shop featuring exclusive merchandise for the event like pins, tote bags, file folders, t-shirts and more. Many of the items are printed with the name of the exhibition, making them once-in-a-lifetime fan goods to add to your collection!
Though it’s over now, on February 6th, and again on the 8th-12th, Skytree’s traditional lighting was replaced by a bluish-green light that was inspired by the colour of mako reactors! People all around Tokyo could see and experience that small piece of FFVII even from across the city anywhere that Skytree was visible.
There are a lot of shops on the sixth floor of Shibuya Parco for the discerning otaku. Two of the biggest ones are the Nintendo Store and the Shibuya Pokemon Centre. The Nintendo Store is the first of its kind in Japan with displays for all of Nintendo’s biggest franchises. From Animal Crossing to Mario and everything in between, there’s a lot of merchandise available to peruse. You can even buy a Nintendo Switch! If you aren’t easily embarrassed, you can also play Switch games on a big TV screen against the shop staff. The Shibuya Pokemon Centre is right next door with a life-size, “breathing” Mewtwo right at the entrance. The Pokemon Centre is sleek and black with a lot of Mew and Mewtwo goods along with everything else that the shop has to offer. There’s also a lot of Pokemon and Mario collaboration goods available at both of these stores.
Additional info
Skytree in Midgar is spread across two different areas of Tokyo Skytree, the Tembo Deck and Tembo Galleria. They both require separate tickets, so you will need to be sure to purchase both if you want to enjoy the entire event. In addition to the FFVII exhibition, you can also enjoy the awesome scenery from these viewpoints, too! On clear days, you can even see Mt. Fuji. The cost may be a bit high, but you can enjoy the FFVII event and also the highest perspective in the entire city. Keep in mind that the photo opportunity, cafe, and goods shop are also all additional costs.
If you aren’t looking to spend extra money or have already blown it all at the FFVII exhibition, Tokyo Solamachi is a huge shopping mall attached to the base of Skytree. In addition to a huge variety of restaurants and regular shops, there’s also a Pokemon Centre and a Shonen Jump Shop for any additional otaku shopping needs you may have. Tokyo Skytree is also a short train (or a very nice walk) away from Asakusa, Tokyo’s most traditional neighbourhood. If you want to experience some Japanese history firsthand and pick up some other great souvenirs, it’s easy to make a day of visiting the FFVII exhibition along with Asakusa. You can see the old and new culture of Japan in one day!
Final Thoughts
Final Fantasy VII fans young and old are riding the hype train in Tokyo, and the game’s exhibition at Tokyo Skytree just goes to show how popular and beloved it truly is. Not just anything gets to have its own event hosted at the tallest building in Japan, but not just anything has the beloved reputation that FFVII boasts. We can’t wait to see what other special events may happen leading up to the anticipated release of the FFVII Remake, but we hope that Tokyo Skytree will just be the beginning!
Did you make it to the special FFVII exhibition at Tokyo Skytree? Do you have any questions about it? What part do you really wish you could see? Drop us a comment or question below!
Samurai 8: Hachimaru Den has returned to a drama focus and to be honest, this series needed it. Goku and Hachimaru continue to butt heads due to Hachimaru’s disdain for how close he’s getting to Ann. Hachimaru tries to show he’s a better samurai by challenging him to a duel but quickly loses to—as Daruma states—not seeing his true opponent. Ann tries to help Hachimaru out by healing him but an annoyed Hachimaru lashes out at her and thus begins the chapter’s issues between princess and samurai.
Throughout the entire 38th chapter, Hachimaru continues to avoid Ann and the latter does the same. Goku keeps showing all these great tricks and abilities he has which just pushes Hachimaru to even further anger. When both Hachimaru and Ann meet with others on the ship they learn that they need to talk it out before things get worse.
Ann and Hachimaru meet up in the hallway of the ship and this is where the emotion comes pouring out from the duo. Hachimaru apologizes knowing Goku is the reason things have been different but Ann quickly tells our young samurai the true reality. Ann likes Hachimaru but doesn’t want him to only see what she can offer as a princess. Ann wants Hachimaru to know what she’s about and see her like her brother did which confuses our samurai and concludes the chapter on a rather curious note. Does Ann like Hachimaru like a brother or…something more? Find out in chapter 39 but until then let’s talk more about Samurai 8: Hachimaru Den chapter 38!
Why You Should Read Samurai 8: Hachimaru Den (Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru) Chapter 38
Hachimaru has already shown a disdain for Goku—as he seems to have everything Hachimaru doesn’t—so it was inevitable the two would duel one another. We’d love to say it was an epic fight but Hachimaru lost in a rather quick manner. Hachimaru needs to truly stop dwelling on what Goku has over him otherwise he may lose more than a duel.
2. Like!?
Our 38th chapter wraps up with Ann and Hachimaru having a deep talk about their issues but we learn that Ann has more in her heart to confess then our samurai. Apparently, Ann wants to be seen more than just a princess and admits to Hachimaru she likes him! Does this mean she has feelings for our young samurai or does she like him like a brother?
Final Thoughts
Samurai 8: Hachimaru Den 38 was more drama oriented this week and we appreciate that from this series. Does Hachimaru have a possible love interest in Ann or are the two destined to be nothing but princess/samurai or even worse…just friends! We don’t know what will happen next week but we’re excited to see it! Make sure to keep with us here at Honey’s Anime for even more Samurai 8: Hachimaru Den chapter reviews and to keep discussing what you love/hate about this series!
Manga has come a long way in the US as anime became also quite more popular. However, comic books seemed to never have the chance at being dethroned—not that we want this to happen as we love comics—which meant the two mediums ultimately became rivals. On one hand, you have manga and the other comic books, both great forms of reading and both made by passionate creators from different walks of life. Recently though, we’ve noticed an interesting trend. More and more comic bookstores have begun selling manga and their comic catalogs seem to go on sale often. This made us wonder, Will Manga Ever Succeed Comic Books?
Why It Could Happen: Rising Sales
Popularity means a lot for the sales of any medium. You can have anime being incredibly popular but that doesn’t necessarily mean anime sales will increase. We scoured the internet and found several websites showing increasing manga sales from January 2019 to May—such as statista and Yahoo! Finance—saying that manga sales last year were up 16%! That might not seem like a lot to everyone but in less than a few months that growth is pretty impressive. We’re still too early in 2020 but we can bet the sales will only increase even more.
Why It Could Happen: Decline in Comic Book Sales
On the flip side, comic book sales—while not decreasing as noted by sites like Publisherweekly—have only gone up 2% for comics and 4% for graphic novels. Compare that to the manga growth and you can clearly see comics aren’t gaining as much fame as they once did before. Forbes even mentions that comic book readers are leaving their beloved heroes behind. This can be noticed in comic book sales and the appearance of buyers in comic book focused stores.
Why It Won’t Happen: Movies Rule
If you notice Avengers: End Game ended up beating all movies—not just superhero movies mind you—in terms of money made and that was a truly incredible feat. Obviously, fans will have known about the heroes from their colorful on page counterparts but it also led to new fans being made. We’ve been to numerous conventions where the comic book fandom still beats truly—like Comic-Con—and that shows us superhero movies will always reign and help comic books sell for those die-hard fans.
Why It May or May Not Happen: The Market for Both
We could spend the entire article crunching numbers and doing research on Will Manga Ever Succeed Comic Books but there’s a variable we can never predict, the market for both. As any fandom knows, trends exist for a reason. Sometimes a popular series doesn’t mean a boon for the source material a perfect example can be seen from George R. R. Martin—creator of Game of Thrones—who stated in an interview with Yahoo Finance that his fourth book—titled The Armageddon Rag—didn’t do well sales-wise and that was during the TV shows run. Basically, just because the show was popular didn’t mean that popularity helped his original creation. No matter what fans think sometimes some mediums have their good years and bad. All it takes is one bad year to hurt the industry and that can happen with either comic books or manga.
Comic books will never truly die out as long as there are passionate fans out there willing to invest in them. Manga might be rising in the US—as evidenced by the sale figures on numerous sites—but that doesn’t mean they can usurp a medium that has been around before many of us were even alive on this planet. However, this is our thought on the matter we’d love to now hear yours! Do you think manga will ever outsell comic books and possibly dethrone them entirely? Let us know via the comments below! For even more thought-provoking articles keep stuck to our amazing hive here at Honey’s Anime!
Event: STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION 1st LIVE “STEREO DIVE”
Date: Sunday, February 16, 2020
Location: Shibuya WWW, Tokyo
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Intro: Emotional Tunes
STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION—the sound-making project by R.O.N that released the single "Daisy" in November 2013. Overflowing with a variety of sounds ranging from rockin’ tunes to emotional instrumentals, SDF recently held the first gig of their six year career in February 2020.
Despite the rainy weather, the Shibuya WWW live house was packed with customers eagerly waiting for SDF to take the stage.
[balloon_speech align="right" text="R.O.N hair style and stage presence is very attractive" image="honey-happy3"]
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Performance: Driving Everyone into a Fever Pitch
Cheers erupted as the first chords of #1, STEREO DIVE’s opening number, filled the air. Up next was the edgy, electric dance tune "PULSE", another leading album song that drove the excited crowd into a frenzy. As one, everyone began singing along together. This was followed by "Renegade", which drew another cheer from the crowd, and "Genesis", during which everyone began clapping along to the beat.
At this point, R.O.N took the guitar from show.yanai and began playing the heavy groove "No Replacement". His intense guitar riffs completely blew the audience away and seemed to compete against the strong beat of Nozomu Kitamura’s base. Then, during "AXIS", the band’s electric rock sounds combined with the singing voices on the floor to drive everyone into a fever pitch.
After a few words from the MC illustrating the band’s strong bonds, R.O.N responded to the audience’s calls to “play the piano.” Sitting down at the piano in the center of the stage, his fingers danced across the keys and into the song "Chronos". Their first single in 3 years and 9 months, "Chronos" is an emotional tune colored by beautiful yet aggressive notes on the piano. Afterwards, he played "Linde", another album song, and then smoothly transitioned into "Sprinkle", an impactful song that allows listeners feel the passage of time.
After using this song to change the mood on the floor, he followed with "Two Divided Rainbow". This song has a light, cheerful melody that seems to chase the clouds away. The crowd began waving their arms to and fro in time to music, creating a feel-good atmosphere. Next up was "Handling", a lively, jazzy number with such a powerful sound that you wouldn’t think it possible with only a four-man band. This gave way to Don’t let me down, a light pop tune from the album. The audience began singing along to this colorful melody, and it felt like SDF and its fans were making the music together.
After a fun interlude with the MC, SDF began playing "Spiral", a dramatic song from the album that makes you feel the light. This was followed by the expressive instrumental "PRISM FLAVOR", a tale of contrasts with both calm and dynamism, and "Dropping Melodies", which lived up to its name. After that, the audience enjoyed the beautiful melody of the feel-good song Yellow, which was released c/w the "Chronos" single.
Following the languorous "Yellow" was the instrumental "Fabiana", during which, to our surprise, recording was allowed! This was apparently R.O.N’s way of saying “thank you” to everyone who came to the gig. So, as R.O.N made the music, everyone else made memories, and the lights of countless cellphones illuminated the stage.
Those sounds and moments were recorded not only in the fan’s phones but also in their hearts. The concert then moved to a light dance beat with the lively "ODSD", followed by a mellow spring sky with the instrumental "Push me into circles", featuring a near-futuristic beat with guitar and piano work that made you feel the percussion. This was followed by a dramatic change of atmosphere as "Blackout"’s heavy rock sound swept through the venue.
R.O.N then took a moment to declare his intentions for SDF: “I’ve been working behind the scenes as a writer, but once I awoke to my role as a frontman, I realized just how many people were supporting SDF. I want to do more to meet the expectations of those fans, and I’ll be doing my best going forward.” This pronouncement was met with enthusiastic applause from everyone in WWW.
SDF then played their laidback debut single "Daisy". Each line of this lyrical and emotional song was carefully enunciated as if being passed from singer to audience. Afterwards, SDF finished with "Coda" to the thunderous applause of the crowd. A sense of happy satisfaction filled WWW as the main part of the live show came to an end.
[balloon_speech align="left" text="I like this band very much. Powerful guitar riffs, crazy electronic sounds, then suddenly a piano, and emotional vocals! It has it all!" image="bee-smirk"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="Their dynamics playing or talking on stage are very fun to watch. I laughed everytime they talked to each other, ha ha ha!" image="honey-happy4"]
Outro: No More Songs to Play
Having sung his full repertoire of songs, R.O.N responded to calls for an encore with a self-cover of "oneXone", the theme song of the Autumn Troupe from the game A3!, and another round of the opening song, "PULSE". In total, they played 23 songs during their first concert. I’m sure fans will never forget this special night and will treasure the photos and videos taken during "Fabiana".
[balloon_speech align="left" text="I hope R.O.N. keeps making more music with SDF, this project has big potential" image="bee-angry1"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="I can't stop listening to PULSE again and again... and again" image="honey-music"]
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
What if one day you woke up and discovered you were a Pokémon? In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX game, which is now available for the Nintendo Switch family of systems, you wake up to find yourself in that exact predicament. Journey as a Pokémon through a world filled with mysterious dungeons and recruit a rescue team of Pokémon friends with personalities of their own. Explore watercolor-inspired environments while pursuing an enthralling quest to make the world of Pokémon a safer place, and try to unravel the strange mystery behind your sudden awakening as a Pokémon.
This enhanced reimagining of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team game for the Game Boy Advance system and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team for the Nintendo DS system features more than 400 Pokémon, including Mega Evolved versions of fan favorites such as Venusaur, Charizard, Gengar, Sableye, Altaria and Gardevoir. In addition to revamped visuals and the addition of more Pokémon, the game also features Auto mode in dungeons, useful capabilities known as rare qualities and many other surprises to discover.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX features a fun story with many mysteries to uncover, including the legend of Ninetales, a Pokémon that is rumored to have tails imbued with psychic power. It’s been said that those foolish enough to touch one of its tails would be cursed for a thousand years. Is there any truth to these folktales passed on since long ago?
In addition to unraveling various mysteries, you’ll also meet Legendary Pokémon during your adventure, including Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres. Mythical Pokémon such as Celebi and Jirachi will also appear! Your encounters with these Pokémon could inspire legends of their own.
While exploring dungeons, you’ll occasionally encounter particularly strong foes, which are marked with crown symbols over their heads. Sometimes these strong foes can even be rare Shiny Pokémon. Will you have the skills necessary to recruit one to your team? Even if your rescue team members faint in battle against a foe, you’ll still have options to help your buddies in trouble. You can send requests for another player to come rescue you through the friendly Pelipper Post Office. When your team is rescued, they can continue their adventure from the floor where they fainted.
If you’re feeling courageous yourself, you’ll also have the option to help those in need by fulfilling their requests too. Rescue requests can be sent and received online* or through an in-game password system. You can receive items, Poké (the currency used in shops) or rescue points for your rescue team rank as a reward for helping others. A good deed is its own reward, but these fun bonuses certainly sweeten the deal. So get out there and form your rescue team today!
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is now available at a suggested retail price of $59.99. There’s also a free demo in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch for those who want to try the game before purchasing it. Save data from the demo version will carry over to the full version of the game, once purchased.
[balloon_speech align="left" text="My favorite Pokemon title is BACK! The memories are coming back!" image="bee-love"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="All of the Pokemon look so cute in this one!" image="honey-happy2"]
Ascendance of a Bookworm is a role model for contemporary isekai. By taking the convenience out of convention, Bookworm applies convention as a necessity--an integral part of its story.
Despite its laid back atmosphere, Ascendance of a Bookworm addresses critiques on its subgenre with its strong execution. By establishing a premise and a core structure, Bookworm pushes the core idea of isekai, one’s fantasy made reality, without sacrificing a connection with its characters and themes.
Ascendance of a Bookworm has a knack for structure. With its purposeful writing, it crafts a story well-aware of its contemporaries. By doing so, Bookworm addresses a common critique: “isekai are self-gratifying and self-fulfilling.”
Before we address how Bookworm handles this, we must first understand this argument. In the previous article, it was stated that isekai protagonists are often given multiple blessings.
However, that hallmark of isekai, the blessing, can prevent proper character development. By giving a character what they want, authors lose an opportunity to show it’s not what a character needs. A chance to develop a character flaw is lost purely by convention. Furthermore, too many blessings have another problem. When a character is given too much power, it becomes difficult to write tension into a story.
Without tension, a story can feel inevitable--characters are simply destined to win. If that’s the case, then no obstacle will ever feel real. In fiction, adversity should not be just a plot point. To do so ignores how it creates a believable story.
Addressing the Critique: Bringing Reality into Fantasy
Making a believable story does have its challenges. Luckily, one of isekai’s greatest assets is that it self-references. If a character comes from Earth, then that invokes a mental image, a familiar setting. It sets up our expectations of a character and their mindset. With Earth as a reference, the author can allude towards real (believable) technology, history, and social concerns.
The Witch of Tata, a light novel that won the Dengeki Taisho award, does exactly that. By transferring an entire class into a new world and creating a documentary-styled story, The Witch of Tata changes the subgenre’s focus from a protagonist to a group.
This enables its critique on the Japanese education system and how it treats creativity--by crushing it. Without going too far into detail, The Witch of Tata takes another hallmark of isekai, people disillusioned with their lives, and implements it gracefully.
As you may have noticed, a common thread found in successful isekai is their awareness and purposeful use of convention. At times, this can lead to a strong message, as is the case with The Witch of Tata.
However, not all stories need a moral, and not all isekai require a message. What is required is a strong premise. In The Anatomy of Story by John Truby, he states that the premise is “your story stated in one sentence. It is the simplest combination of character and plot.” In order to have a proper direction, an author must know their premise.
In The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri, the author states “You… should not write anything you do not believe. The premise should be a conviction of your own, so that you may prove it wholeheartedly. Perhaps it is a preposterous premise to me--it must not be so to you… the audience must know what the message is. And whatever it is, you must prove it.”
If a strong premise is a strong conviction, then one could say a strong premise gives a strong purpose. With a strong purpose, the question isn’t whether you believe in your work; it’s whether your audience believes in your work.
To make your audience believe, you must capture the truth. Your characters must be believable, your story immersive, your message proven. Good fiction must reflect reality, regardless of its genre. Even in fantasy there must be reality. Isekai is no exception.
Thus, Ascendance of a Bookworm has a simple premise: a girl goes to another world and learns, not the value of books, but the value of friends and family.
And now it must prove it.
The Poignant Question
Myne is special. Unlike any child, she’s able to best experts at their trade, out whimsy veteran businessmen. She’s created new types of paper, used techniques unseen before, and created popular accessories with original tools. The current Myne is an impossibility: no child could be who she is.
That’s a fact we’ve known since the beginning. Myne has been living in a world unlike her own, and as she’s repeatedly tried (but failed) to live out her own fantasy. In most isekai, the fantasy is in the setting and within the character. Characters want to become the best versions of themselves--to truly be reborn.
However, in Ascendance of a Bookworm, that’s not a reality. It’s the question. If Myne cannot fulfill her desires, if she cannot live a fulfilling life, then what’s the point of her being reborn? She must find out the answer to her question. If not, then her life will just be a lie. If not, then the relationship she’s known was simply a fairy tale.
What is Real: Family, Friends, and Our Emotions
In episode 8, the show tests the extent of Myne and Lutz’s relationship. Lutz asks Myne if she’s an imposter, and she answers, “I don’t mind giving her back, but it’d be better if I did it back home...Because I’m pretty sure only a corpse will remain after I’m gone.” As if giving up, she responds without energy. Lutz’s voice shakes. He questions further, “You mean she’s gone forever? She’s never coming back?!”
“I think so,” she says, her head lowering. Like a sucker-punch, the next shot is from below. The scene continues with Lutz clutching his chest, his emotional pain becoming physical. “Answer me this: did you devour Myne with your fever?”
In contrast to his emotion, she responds almost coldly, “That’s half-right and half wrong. I believe that the real Myne was consumed by her fever, too. But I am not the cause of the fever.”
The next shot has both in the picture: Lutz facing forward and Myne facing down. Without this shot, her contrasting responses could seem apathetic. However, when we see Myne in this scene, her gaze never looks upwards. Her eyes never meet Lutz. Without her body language, we might not understand. With her body language, we start to see that she does feel. However, the problem is Lutz doesn’t see this.
In film, if an audience cannot see a character, it becomes difficult to relate to them. Not seeing a person denies empathy and understanding, and this directing technique is used to influence a viewer’s perception of a character.
Similarly, this strategy can be applied to characters within a story. Lutz and Myne’s perspectives are not aligning. If characters cannot physically see eye-to-eye physically, then it’s impossible for them to see eye-to-eye metaphorically.
After all, to understand and empathize with someone is to see, not who you think they are, but who they truly are. Thus far, that is the ultimate question of the scene and show: who is Myne?
She grips the edge of her dress, “Hell, it’s eating away at me, too” she states. This time, Lutz grips her shoulders and shakes her. “What does that mean?!” By shaking her, Lutz creates eye contact for the first time in this scene, but despite this, he still continues to blame her.
“Didn’t Myne disappear because of you?!” He accuses her, and we see Myne’s eyes widen. “Tell me I’m right!” He probes further. The camera zooms into her eye, and it’s unshaking. She finally reveals her emotion, “It’s not like I wanted to be Myne!” Lutz is taken aback. “I lived and died in a different world, but suddenly I found I’d become some child! If I had the choice, I’d never have picked such a sickly body!”
The music stops. It starts to dawn on Lutz, “You didn’t want to take Myne’s place?” he says. Myne responds, “Would you want to? Her body is so frail, just walking a little leaves it bedridden the next day.” The music starts once more, and Lutz releases his grip--a sign that both the physical and emotional tension has lessened.
Now, Lutz asks a question, not about the original Myne, but about her, “Is that fever gonna eat you alive, just like Myne?” She answers, “Yeah, probably. So if you want me gone, just say so.” Shocked, he questions why she’d say that.
With this, Myne affirms something we’ve known, “I would have been long gone if it wasn’t for you. I fell sick after Mom used my wood tablets as firewood, remember? At that time, I didn’t mind if the fever swallowed me whole. Try as I might, I was never getting my books, so I didn’t care anymore… But then, I saw your face, remembered the promise I made to you, and came back to myself… to introduce you to Otto… I fulfilled my promise… if you want me gone, I’m okay with that.”
Lutz backs down, but a different tension emerges. The camera shifts to his hand as he closes it into a fist. “Since when have you been Myne?” he asks. For about a year is the answer. His head sinks, “The family hasn’t realized?”
“They have noticed that I’m weird, but I don’t think they’ve ever considered that I might not be Myne. Besides, Dad was saying he was happy just seeing how active I’d become.”
“I see,” Lutz responds, turning his back on Myne. He walks a few steps before stating, “I don’t think it’s my place to decide. It should be Myne’s family.” Surprised, Myne answers back, “Are you saying things can stay like this for now? And you’re okay with that… Are you sure you don’t want me gone… I’m not the real Myne.”
The shot switches to her hand. It trembles, barely holding onto his shirt. Noticing this, he turns halfway. “It’s fine,” he says. “It’s not like Myne will come back once you’re gone. Besides… most of my memories with ‘Myne’ are actually of you.”
Aptly, the scene cuts to a flashback of their time together then back to Lutz. He’s no longer half-turned. For the first time in the scene, he sees Myne for who she is. He meets her eye-to-eye and says, “You can still be Myne to me.”
All doubt fades away. Lutz’s words affirm Myne’s place in the world, relinquishing her greatest fear--perhaps the very reason she dove into books in her original life. From this point onwards, her development starts anew. She will learn the value of something more desirable than even her dying wish.
It’s not often that isekai protagonists are rejected. Most isekai rely heavily on its protagonist, and by gifting them immense power, they shift the world as if the world was made for them.
However, by focusing too heavily on the protagonist, the supporting cast is neglected. Support characters are more than pieces within a story. With proper interaction, characters leave relationships having learned more than before. Ascendance of a Bookworm understands the value of relationships and turns it into a fundamental part of its writing.
For the past thirty years, Mario has been Nintendo’s mascot and has starred in numerous installments and spin-offs. But how was he created? Who created him? Why was he created? That’s what today’s Editorial Tuesday will answer.
Mario made his debut in 1981 in Donkey Kong for the arcade. However, his name wasn’t Mario nor was he a plumber. As most of you hardcore fans know, his original name was Jumpman and he was initially portrayed as a carpenter since the levels resembled construction sites. When Shigeru Miyamoto conceived the character, he created him in a manner that he wanted to use him in a good majority of his future games in the same token that Alfred Hitchcock would cameo in his films, and the success of Donkey Kong paved way for that.
In its initial development, his name was Mr. Video and as it progressed, Miyamoto came to the realization it wouldn’t stick. The name Jumpman was used because he jumped and a good number of products at the time were using the man suffix such as Pac-Man and the Sony Walkman. He was eventually given the name Mario in tribute to Mario Segale, the landlord of a Seattle warehouse Nintendo was using at the time after he fiercely demanded overdue rent from Nintendo of Japan.
As for Donkey Kong’s conception, Nintendo originally wanted to make a game based on the classic Popeye cartoon but they were unable to secure the rights. The concept of a hero trying to save a girl from a villain was simply modified to what Donkey Kong is now. Mario, or Jumpman, is a substitute for Popeye as Donkey Kong and Pauline is a substitute for Bluto and Olive Oyl. The game offered unique obstacles, distinct graphics, and intricate designs for its time. Due to the technological limits of the early-1980s, Miyamoto designed the character in a manner that would be easy for players to see, which is why he gave him red overalls, a blue undershirt, and a mustache. As for why he gave him a hat, he didn’t want to bother doing animations for hair so he thought it was convenient to give him one.
The name Donkey Kong itself is a simple story of using Donkey to represent something stupid or silly, while Kong is obviously a nod to King Kong (which resulted in a lawsuit filed by Universal that favored Nintendo), and was a Japanese slang term for a gorilla at the time. While Miyamoto worked on the artistic aspects of the game, Gunpei Yokoi worked on the technical side of things and taught Miyamoto the ins and outs of game design. Upon release, it was an instant hit and was ported to the Game & Watch, the Atari 2600, the Apple II, the Commodore 64, and would eventually get an NES/Famicom release.
In 1983, Nintendo released Mario Bros., which was the debut of Luigi, and offered two-player co-op. As opposed to Donkey Kong where if Mario fell he would lose a life, at the recommendation of Yokoi, Mario would freely jump in this game. Instead of saving Pauline from Donkey Kong, Mario and Luigi would fight various turtle-like enemies (who would later come back in Super Mario Bros.) in the sewers. As a result, Mario was retconned as a plumber. While most Mario games allow players to have him jump on most enemies, this isn’t the case in the first Mario titled game. As opposed to jumping on them, if they are on a platform above Mario or Luigi, the plumber brothers can jump from below and have enemies land on their back. Before a downed enemy can regain position, the player can then kick them off the stage.
Despite being released in the US nearly around the same time as the video game crash of 1983, it managed to find success in American arcades. Since then, many elements of this game would carry over to later Mario games such as the coins, POW blocks in Super Mario Bros. 3, and its use of Mozart’s compositions in Mario DDR and Smash Brothers.
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Super Mario Bros. and the Nintendo Entertainment System
If any game solidified Mario to what it is today, it is without a doubt, Super Mario Bros for the NES. It took some foundations from its predecessors such as the character, his jumping abilities, exploring pipes, and saving a girl, and dialed it to over 9000. It introduced the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser, Goombas, mushrooms, one-ups, fireballs, and invincibility stars. In addition, the first level of the game was designed for gamers to learn as they play along and still offer unlimited fun. While Mario is usually positioned near the middle, the level begins with him on the left side of the screen and by offering so much space on the right, it gives players the impression they just simply have to move him right.
Last, it introduced its iconic theme song composed by Koji Kondo, along with a lot of other enjoyable tracks that are still with the franchise to this day. This was the game that became the standard for not just the NES or Mario, but to 8-bit platform games as a whole in terms of playability, design, and sound. The game defined what the Nintendo could do and made it a must-have for every child in every territory the console was available in.
It was only natural that the game would be followed up with a sequel but the US and Japan had different notions of what it should be. Japan’s Super Mario 2 was pretty much Super Mario 1 but with harder obstacles such as the introduction of poison mushrooms, wind resistance, and level warps that can send you back! The officials at Nintendo of America thought the game was too complicated and instead, modified another Japanese Famicom Disk title, Doki Doki Panic, as the American Super Mario Bros. 2. In turn, the North American Super Mario Bros. 2 would later be released in Japan as Super Mario USA. The Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 would eventually get a US release through the Super Mario All-Stars pack on the Super Nintendo as The Lost Levels in 1993.
The US Super Mario Bros. 2 offered players the option to play as Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool (who would later be re-named as Peach), who each had their own distinct abilities. For example, Princess Toadstool had limited floating for her to leap across huge gaps. The game provided many qualities that were fresh such as lifting enemies and/or objects and throwing them, which would be carried over to future installments, and it also introduced other iconic villains such as the Bob-ombs and Shy Guys.
Mario became popular to the point that he was a multimedia icon. He had his own cereal, manga series, an animated show, and a live action movie. The 1980’s animated program, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, used elements from the first two Mario games in terms of design, soundtrack, and villains. Many episodes spoofed classic children’s literature such as Jack and the Beanstalk, as well as the movies of the 1980’s like Robocop. Original broadcasts would also play insert songs such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins, but would, unfortunately, be removed from the DVD releases.
Wrestling legend Captain Lou Albano was the voice of Mario while former Jeffersons actor Danny Wells voiced Luigi. Not only did they provide their voices, they portrayed the characters in live action segments where they would have celebrities of the times guest star. In addition to Captain Lou’s wrestling friends such as Sgt. Slaughter and Roddy Piper having guest roles, Wonder Years’ Danica McKellar, NBA legend Magic Johnson, and Cyndi Lauper (Captain Lou actually portrayed her father in the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun music video) were also respectable guests on the show.
When it came to Super Mario Bros. 3, which was delayed at the end of the eighties, Nintendo of America thought it would be a good idea to first promote it through a movie after Tom Pollack of Universal Studios approached the company on making a movie about some of Nintendo’s hit competitions. Despite Nintendo and Universal’s legal history in regards to Donkey Kong just earlier in the decade, both companies put that aside to make a road trip movie called The Wizard, starring Fred Savage, Christian Slater, and Beau Bridges.
While it is obvious that The Wizard was a glorified commercial for Nintendo (especially for the Power Glove, it’s so bad), it was the West’s introduction to Super Mario Bros. 3, which wouldn’t be released until the following year. The movie even showed audiences how to find the first warp before they could get it (keep in mind this is a bit before the age of the internet)! While the movie is still a cult hit to gamers of that generation, it was their first taste of Super Mario Bros. 3 and it helped pave way for its hype and success. But the game wasn’t successful because of The Wizard, it was successful for just being an awesome game. Other than making Mario big or shoot fireballs, he could finally fly, swim, or turn into a statue. These new abilities added new ideas in overcoming the game’s obstacles.
And we can’t ignore the controversial 1993 live-action film co-starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo. While many Mario fans and even Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo were critical of the movie, the 20th-anniversary issue of Nintendo Power felt it deserves some acknowledgement showing that it was proof of Mario’s impact on pop culture. Miyamoto has also expressed a more forgiving attitude in regards to the movie by saying that despite getting everything wrong, the people put all they got into the movie. And after over 25 years, Universal and Illumination are once again going to make a Mario movie but as a CG movie with the expectations that it will accurately reflect the franchise.
After the NES, Mario continued to be the face of Nintendo’s next generation of consoles and break new milestones. Super Mario World finally introduced Yoshi, who was conceived as far back as the first game but wasn’t possible due to the NES’ hardware limitations. Just like how the original Super Mario Bros. game was used to showcase the power of the NES, Super Mario World did the same for the Super NES by demonstrating its bright color sprites and unique sound effects.
The Super NES console would also be the start of one of Mario’s biggest spin-offs, Super Mario Kart. While Mario had some previous spin-off games such as Mario Golf and Dr. Mario, Super Mario Kart took the franchise to new heights. Along with F-Zero, Super Mario Kart would be one of the first games to showcase the system’s Mode 7 graphics features by allowing fast-paced vertical scaling, which was necessary for a racing game like Mario Kart. Beyond being your standard racing game, it used gimmicks appropriate to the Mario franchise such as using mushrooms for boost, invincibility stars, and turtle shells to attack other racers. All of these features continue to be in use to this day through its sequels. Then towards the end of the Super NES’ prime, it would feature Mario in his first RPG, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, which would help expose Western gamers to Japanese style RPGs prior to Final Fantasy VII popularized it. Many gamers and reviewers loved its original story and its unique humor.
As for Mario as he is today, all of that is thanks to Super Mario 64, the first ever 3D Mario game. Not only was he in 3D in style, but in substance. It was one of the first games with analog controls meaning if you slightly press the joystick, Mario would simply walk but push it all the way forward, he would run. The game introduced new kinds of physics with Mario’s triple jump, his flying, his atomic butt drop in mid-air, and his long jump. Plus, the game allowed players to modify its camera through the c-buttons for players to easily see and navigate. Just like how Mario was the long standard for 2D between the eras of the NES and Super NES, it once again became a standard for 3D. Just like how the Super NES was the debut console for Mario Kart, the N64 was also the debut for another long-running Mario spin-off, Mario Party, which also continues to this very day.
New Super Mario Bros. sort of takes Mario back to his roots as an old-school platform but as a 3D side-scroller. Naturally, it takes the game to new and yet, fun exaggerations about how big Mario can grow and introduce new physics that play a part in the game to keep it fresh. It provided a balance between new and old players alike to enjoy. Then with Mario Maker, it allowed fans to design their own levels and share them online. Some have been creative, others that pay homage to other old-school platform games such as Mega Man, and some are just simply not safe for work or for households that have children. In addition to designing the levels, players can decide where to place the enemies, coins, power-ups and so on. It simply allowed players to just make their own Mario game as they explore it from a creative perspective.
If any game served as a true sequel to Mario 64, it would certainly be the two installments to Super Mario Galaxy where Mario explores various planets. Beyond its unique presentation, many hardcore fans responded well to newly introduced Rosalina who felt like a breath of fresh air, and its upbeat orchestral soundtrack that Kondo felt captured its outer space setting. Galaxy 2 took it to a new level of creativity by not only reintroducing Yoshi but also giving Mario unique power-ups that suit the gimmick of that aspect of the franchise such as drilling from one end of the planet to another.
Final Thoughts
Upon uploading of this Editorial Tuesday, the latest release of Mario is Mario Odyssey for Nintendo’s present console, the Switch. Its main feature is Mario’s possessed hat, Cappy, which allows him to possess his enemies and guide him through the level. In addition to being the standard 3D, it has some 2D gimmick levels that are a throwback to its NES roots. Not only is it a tribute to its predecessors, it still manages to offer something fresh, which is why the series continues to endure.
The fact that Miyamoto found success with his initial intentions shows that he played his cards right. Mario isn’t just the face of Nintendo, he’s the face of modern gaming itself. It’s a franchise that not only defines longevity but leaps of improvement for each release. Beyond being just your typical hero who has to save the princess, he can also be a doctor, a golfer, a tennis player, a go-kart racer, a boxing referee, or an Olympic athlete. Not only has Mario gotten his own personal spin-offs, other characters such as Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, his evil counterpart Wario, all have games where they are playable as main characters as well.
Just like how Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Superman, and Spider-Man have endured generation after generation since their debuts for animation and comics, Mario has done the same for video games. He’s now just as recognizable as these mentioned characters to a majority of people around the world. While Mario Odyssey introduces a level that represents something akin to urban New York, what is the next step Mario can take? We probably won’t know for a while, but all we can hope is that it will be something new, creative, and fun.
It wasn’t a question of “if” but rather a question of “when” Final Fantasy VII: Remake would be featured at the Square Enix Cafe—and that time is now. With just over a month to go before the game’s highly anticipated release (hopefully!), people are getting more hyped than ever. So, of course, that means plenty of collaboration events! And no popular upcoming title would be complete without a collaboration menu somewhere. Luckily for FFVII, it can be hosted right at Square Enix’s own concept cafe in the heart of the otaku neighbourhood of Akihabara, Tokyo.
The Square Enix Cafe has hosted many Final Fantasy collaborations over the past few years since it first opened its doors, including several for Final Fantasy XV, and some for Final Fantasy: Dissidia and Final Fantasy’s 30th Anniversary. The cafe just opened a brand new venue with more space than ever, and Final Fantasy VII: Remake is the first Final Fantasy theme to be hosted there. There’s no better title than this one to christen the new building, though, considering the love FFVII has all around the world and spanning several generations of players.
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Final Fantasy VII: Remake Cafe Info
Location
Address
1-6-1 Akihabara, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0025
Nearest train line(s)
“Akihabara Station” - JR Yamanote Line, JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, JR Chuo-Sobu Line, Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, Tsukuba Express
The Final Fantasy VII: Remake Cafe has several different main dishes, desserts, and drinks themed after the game’s most popular characters. A few of the savoury dishes include a salad decorated with flowers from Aerith’s church, tomato risotto in the colour or Reno’s bright red hair, or a combination of eggs, potatoes, and chilli beans from Seventh Heaven. The cutest dessert is mousse in the shape of a moogle’s face! And don’t forget the drinks; there’s glowing green apple soda to represent mako energy, coffee with ShinRa’s company logo for latte art, and drinks with Sephiroth or Cloud’s swords garnishing the top. And that’s just a few things on the menu, so be sure to check out the website for more.
With every drink order, you get a free random character coaster that you can take home with you. Most of the main dishes also come with a mini-poster that you receive when you pay. In addition to these free gifts, there is also a Square Enix shop attached to the cafe with goods from a lot of games owned by the company. What is most exciting, though, is the exclusive goods for Final Fantasy VII: Remake! There are file folders iron-on patches, clothes, figures, and more that you can also pick up if just having food and drinks hasn’t been enough to satisfy your FFVII cravings.
Additional info
It’s very hard to get a seat at the Square Enix Cafe, especially for events like this one. If possible, your best bet is to get an online reservation via the cafe’s website, but be aware that it’s only available in Japanese. However, if you can grab a reservation on there, head to the nearest convenience store within 24 hours to pay your ¥1000 reservation fee, which includes your first (non-themed) drink when you arrive at the cafe. If you don’t pay this fee, your reservation will be lost!
For those of us who don’t get a chance to make a reservation, there is still hope! A few more seats are often available in each session every day and are given first-come, first-served that day. Your best chance to get one of these tables is to arrive in the morning and queue before the cafe opens and reserve your spot that way. Square Enix Cafe usually posts on their Twitter every morning which seatings still have space, too. Finally, the last session of the night almost always accepts walk-ins on weekdays, which is perfect if you don’t mind having a very late dinner and don’t want to wake up early in the morning to queue.
Final Thoughts
With special main dishes, desserts, and drinks all inspired by the upcoming Final Fantasy VII: Remake, the Square Enix Cafe is feeding (quite literally) everyone’s anticipation for the game. And with free gifts with nearly everything on the menu and the chance to buy limited merchandise, well, it’s easy to see why it’s so hard to get a reservation!
Final Fantasy VII has so many fans from around the world that it unites otaku gamers across age, gender, and even nationality. Hopefully they will host another FFVII-related cafe soon for all the fans that didn’t get a chance to make it to this one!
Did you make it to the Final Fantasy VII: Remake cafe in Akihabara? What did you think of it? What would you order if you could go, or what special merchandise would you love to get your hands on? Drop us a comment or question below!
Oh shit, February is almost over and we still haven’t made a top 5 hentai anime list for January! Don’t worry, we’re back to our senses after getting wasted from the holidays. We’ll definitely miss the booze, the migraines, the wonderful things we saw through our beer goggles, and that wonderful long break from work… So anyways, 2020 is definitely here and it’s time to check out the hentai titles that came out in January. There are the usual suspects—shitty ones, and good ones that unfortunately got the short end of the stick (i.e. got animated by studio Queen Bee). But other than that, we got some wonderful titles in January and Honey’s Anime is more than happy to share these with you.
And yes, we will continue beating the fucking dead horse that is studio Queen Bee until they get their shit together and make some actual “animation” for once. Let’s get started!
The cute and adorable Chii-chan loves her uncle very much and she wants to marry him when she grows up… Which was a bad mistake in retrospect because our dear nameless uncle took her marriage proposal very seriously. Years later, Chii-chan has grown into a beautiful girl and she hates her uncle now. Oof! What a plot twist. But hey, hentai finds a way, so our dear uncle isn’t giving up and he will make Chii-chan his woman one way or the other.
There’s honestly nothing much else to say about Chii-chan Kaihatsu Nikki because it’s your standard ugly fat fuck who never bathed in his life raping a high school girl. With that said though, Chii-chan Kaihatsu Nikki is animated by studio T-Rex, so the sex scenes are very detailed and well-animated. If you’re looking for a quick fap with minimal fuss, Chii-chan Kaihatsu Nikki is perfect for you. No, seriously, there’s literally nothing much else to talk about this anime other than the sex looks great. A good fap is still a good fap no matter what kind of kinky shit you jack off to. Oh and we highly recommend you also check out Kowaremono: Risa The Animation. It has a better story, a lovelier girl, and less odor from the fat ugly uncle.
Sudou Kazushi gets home to his humble apartment and finds his little sisters already inside chillin’. Sisters Shirakawa Ayane and Shirakawa Kotone aren’t exactly Kazushi’s sisters, but the three are very close since childhood. Now that the three have reached their teens, things escalate when Kazushi taunts Ayane and Kotone to join him in the tub. And oh boy, things escalated faster than you can say “it’s not incest!”
Overflow is one of those anime shows with various versions—the three minute ones are the stripped down, safe for work version and the seven minute ones are the full versions, complete with the sex scenes. The complete version is obviously the best and Overflow delivers with beautifully animated vanilla sex scenes with each episode alternating between the two sisters. If only Overflow is longer per episode, though. Regardless, Overflow is so far a cute little package and it’s one of the best things to have come out in January 2020. And this begs the question: Why didn’t we cover similar anime in our past hentai lists? Uhm, just pretend we didn’t intentionally ignore them.
Anette-san, a beautiful girl with dark skin and silver hair has moved into our hero’s apartment complex and our hero (yeah he’s nameless) wastes no time expressing his affection towards his new exotic neighbor.
Studio Seven kind of went crazy with this one and it’s either a good or a bad thing. Yeah, we get it, studio Seven doing exaggerated animations and proportions are their thing, but the style might turn off some people who want a hentai adaptation to look like the original. But then again, only a handful of people have read the original, so the style isn’t a big complaint and this is just an excuse to pad out this entry. Right then!
Tonari no Ie no Anette-san The Animation is nothing but nonstop sex and covers a few fetishes one may like. The real complaint is there is no real story and clear context to speak off. The hero (uh, we think he has a name, but forgot about it) and Anette just got together at the very first few seconds into the anime and proceed to the fucking. Oh yes, fuck the bases and go for the fucking homerun, you horny stud! Hero asks Anette to show her chocolate hills, Anette reluctantly agrees, and then they fuck, and fuck, and fuck, and fuck like Energizer rabbits. There’s nothing wrong with hentai without context, but if you want character building and brown-skinned girls, then you might want to check out last year’s Wagaya no Liliana-san The Animation. Both shows are from the same author and the adaptation is handled better Tonari no Ie no Anette-san The Animation.
Humans and demi-humans have coexisted and society has never been better, especially if you’re a guy with an orc-sized dick. In recent years, though, birth rates of elves have decreased and action needs to be taken in order to solve this very serious issue. Elves are an all-female race and they rely on other races to reproduce, and to make things socially acceptable, because, you know, Twitter keyboard warriors love drama and crave for that 15-minute fame, the human-demi-human society is implementing the “assistance system”, where males from various races are screened for healthy genes and match them with female elves through a matchmaking system. The princess of the elves, Iris Thea Eaderlindt, is a candidate for breeding and her teacher, the hero of the story, is her sperm donor.
Fans of the original doujinshi series may be disappointed at the hentai adaptation for changing a few things and the inferior art style, but Enjo Kouhai The Animation is still great with attractive female characters, decent animation, a simple-but-easy-to-follow story, and wonderfully done sex scenes. Yeah, we get it, crossbreeding stories and elves portrayed as an all-female race and they reproduce by crossbreeding are cliched and there are better offerings like Youkoso! Sukebe Elf no Mori e, but if you’ve already seen Youkoso! Sukebe Elf no Mori e, or want a more vanilla experience, Enjo Kouhai The Animation is highly recommended. And speaking of elves… “Tasogare no Shou Elf The Animation” and/or “Yuukyuu no Shou Elf The Animation” by studio T-Rex when?
Homura, Mia, Yachika, Rikana, Seijirou, and Kippei are clueless teenagers who trapped inside a mysterious dilapidated mansion and in order to get out its maze-like corridors, they need to find this elusive Professor Yamanobe, who was last seen inside the spooky abode. These intrepid teenagers must act fast, or otherwise they’ll be consumed by an unspeakable evil lurking behind the shadows.
Fukai ni Nemuru Oujo no Abaddon focuses more on advancing the story rather than drowning everything out with sex scenes, so it offers a surprisingly fresh pace compared to the other hentai anime we’ve gotten used to seeing. At its heart, Fukai ni Nemuru Oujo no Abaddon is a horror mystery hentai anime with decent enough pace to keep for the viewers interested. As for the sex scenes, well, there is technically one and it’s a full-length lesbian sex scene. The other two sex scenes are very short lasting around a minute each—one is the girl getting raped and then ripped apart by a tentacle monster and the other is more of a teaser for the next episode.
Surprisingly, the lesbian sex scene is the best part of the anime and not only the scene looks good and sounds good, it also provided the only decent character development of a side character. If lesbian sex isn’t your thing, you should probably look forward to the next episode because hentai anime in general is geared towards the male power fantasy, so these girls will be raped by the tentacle monster eventually. But who knows? Maybe love will prevail in the end and get a decent yuri ending in a non-yuri hentai for a change.
And there you go! Hentai anime in 2020 is off to a good start with titles from January 2020 that are diverse enough to cater to a wide audience. Fat and smelly asshole raping girls? There’s a show to self-insert ourselves to! Monster sex? Sure! Vanilla sex? Why not! Dark-skinned girls? Lovely! Elves? Fuck yeah!
So what do you think of January’s list of titles? We definitely read your comments and we like to know what you think! All you have to do is leave your thoughts in the comments section below. You can’t miss it!
Event: GACKT 20th ANNIVERSARY LIVE TOUR 2020 KHAOS
Date: Friday February 14th, 2020
Location: Tokyo International Forum (Hall A), Tokyo
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Intro: Koi no Friday
Valentine’s day on a Friday, how very fitting for a man with a song called ‘Love’s Friday’. An 80%-20% ratio of girls to boys filled the Tokyo International Forum Hall A well before the doors even opened at 6 pm. Special decorations and cardboard cut-outs decked the inside of the hall and there was a constant line in front of the merchandise tables. The more regular items included a couple of tour shirts, a towel, posters, head accessories, and special Velcro decorations to adorn the KHAOS hat. These decorations (aside from the date and concert venue) could only be obtained from a gacha so eager attendees found themselves back in line several times hoping to get the item(s) of their choice. Due to the huge number of passionate fans, it was important to arrive early to make sure certain goods wouldn’t be sold out before one’s chance to buy them, like the small sizes of both tour shirts before even 4 pm.
The cold day forced most people to stay inside while others ventured out for quick snacks while waiting the hours before the concert. For fan club members, special cardboard cut-outs of GACKT’s various appearances provided a fun photo op that consistently had a long line. Diamond and Platinum ticket holders queued up first for their photo with GACKT himself and to grab their seats closer to the stage. Once everyone else was allowed in, staff handed out free light sticks for attendees to use both to set the mood and to act as drumsticks for the applicable songs. People quickly found their seats and turned their eyes to the screen onstage filled with anticipation.
[balloon_speech align="left" text="I wonder what songs he chose for the 20th Anniversary Live. How do you narrow down 20 years’ worth of music?" image="bee-wink"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="I just have a really good feeling WooHa Baby!! Is happening~ I can’t wait to air-drum along!" image="honey-happy4"]
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Performance: 20 Years of Good and Bad Times
The concert opened in a surprising way with footage of several catastrophic events that had happened all over the world with images of GACKT fading in and out. As the movie ended, the full stage came into view with its massive prop wings and pillars and GACKT walked out to the center in a shiny black outfit giving him the look of something like a sorcerer or evil lord. He and his backup dancers all held their own light wands and the familiar drumbeat of WooHa Baby!! began to play. Starting with such an energetic, sexy song that has a lot of audience participation seemed like an odd choice having just ended such a somber video but attendees were quick to leap to action. The videogame-like screen for the song started to play and everyone followed along with the prompts to air-drum. The next song also utilized a similar format for a surprising combo of Graffiti and Jounetsu no Inazuma. Instead of a taiko drum game-like video, something like Just Dance allowed attendees to dance in unison even without previously being familiar with it.
A well-timed video started which allowed the audience to rest after their surprise energy expenditure. It was a Kamui Gakuen skit with of course GACKT as the president/Kaichou. He asked his members/students to design for him a concert outfit and those who did poorly would have to eat something horrible like a scorpion or cockroach. Even with such high stakes, Baru designed just goose-looking shorts and was first to be punished. The other members didn’t fare much better with mecha bikinis and other such nonsense and were forced to eat thing fried lizards and bugs. GACKT did end up with a cool new outfit though and as the video ended, he reappeared on stage in a trilby and white waistcoat similar to what he wore in his Ever music video.
Ever really got the crowd going again with many people singing along to the important message of never giving up. Another World was similarly fast-paced and hyped but with scenes from Moon Child playing in the background showing some of the character’s deaths, it seemed a bit disconnected. GACKT addressed the audience that even during painful times he would be there for them and sang Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume. After another brief video of Kamui Gakuen, it was time for the cats. Surprisingly, there was no U+K. Instead, He had his dancers in these giant cat mascot outfits dancing to Ghost, one of his more intense dance numbers.
Turning his attention back to the audience, GACKT told them how he hoped that if people felt like they couldn’t be themselves normally, they could find their voice here with him. He said he would sing until his voice fades away and then had everyone scream his name over and over. Next was Mirror and GACKT had the audience sing together a few lines. Before finishing, he rallied the audience again calling for first boys, then girls to scream. They would scream together until their voices died. Everyone screamed together so long that it was a shock when GACKT properly finished Mirror.
His half-naked, guitar-wielding-self collapsed on stage and all the members ran on to surround him. They helped towel him off and get a new shirt on while GACKT’s ragged breathing seemed to shake the hall. Even still, he stood again and demanded the audience scream with him. Tired themselves but moved to see GACKT fighting so hard, they obliged. For a long while, GACKT screamed with all his might and nearly fell over each time, the waiting arms of his staff ready to catch him should he fall. Everyone felt his determination and screamed their voices raw.
Finally content, GACKT spoke kindly to his fans, assuring them that even through the most painful and lonely times, he would be there. No matter what hardships come, GACKT wouldn’t give up and would keep on singing. “Even if it costs us our lives, let’s smile together.” More than just music, this was him sharing his way of life with everyone. GACKT thanked his fans profusely, again citing them as the reason for his ability to keep fighting. He yelled out that he loved everyone and they screamed back the same. As he made his way back to the center of the stage with fumbling steps, the curtains closed and the show was over.
[balloon_speech align="left" text="My voice is raw and I can barely move my arms but somehow… it feels good." image="bee-unacceptable"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="I know what you mean! I really feel like I was a part of something instead of just watching a live!" image="honey-happy5"]
Outro: Surprises of the Night
Sampling Smooth Criminal and adopting some Michael Jackson moves for his song Lu:na was quite a surprise but was well-received. It was easy to pick out Thriller moves which were a nice compliment to a song about dancing on corpses. It was good to see the edgy, dark GACKT make an appearance in such a new way.
Playing a few older but fun songs led him to a speech about how, while there were many great times, there were many sad things he overcame. These past 20 years were not easy for GACKT as he had lost several dear friends and mourned a hurting world. He told his fans how there were times his tears wouldn’t stop but he wasn’t able to take a break himself. It was because they kept cheering GACKT on that he was able to lift his head and continue and he thanked them profusely. In a shaking voice, he started Kimi Dake no Boku de Iru Kara which caused a lot of people to shed tears. Most of the concert had been so fun and uplifting but it was a good reminder that there are things that must be done even in painful moments.
Once the show was over, there was one more surprise for fans. Different locations and days had special themed gifts and as it was Valentine’s Day, what could be more appropriate than chocolate! On their way out, fans could pick up a small box of chocolate and cute GACKT sticker of him looking like a smug little cherub. You could truly feel the romance!
By interweaving sadness and laughter and fun and loss, GACKT gave his audience an experience similar to life. There will be times when something great will seemed tarnished by something sad and times when you feel that you can’t embrace the good things because of all the painful things in your way. Life must be taken as it comes. If you must cry, cry and move forward. Take the loss and look for the next opportunity to love. If you do, you can keep going even through those hard times, and GACKT will be with you.
[balloon_speech align="left" text="His music is gonna mean even more to me after tonight. I think I really felt his message!" image="bee-music"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="I can’t believe we got Valentine’s chocolate from GACKT!! Best
Valentine’s Day ever!!" image="honey-love"]
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
Imagine waking up in the morning, you've made your favorite warm beverage, snuggled into bed to catch up on anime news and then suddenly you get hit with another shocker..We're sure that's what a lot of fans of Re:Zero felt as last night here in Japan, it was announced that Re:Zero 2nd Season, which was scheduled to release this spring, has now been postponed to summer due to...you guessed it..Coronavirus.
This thing is seriously starting to become more of a nuisance as more and more anime continue to receive the "postponed" announcement, and seeing as this trend hasn't stopped yet we can imagine more down the line at some point...
For all of those who planned their spring anime watch-list, we feel your pain, as now we have to wait until the scorching hot months of summer to watch our beloved Rem..The full announcement can be found on the official website (JPN only)
[balloon_speech align="left" text="Why do the good ones always have to go first?..." image="bee-sad"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="My heart dropped real hard on this one." image="honey-happy1"]
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
The year was 1996, March 9th, and fans around the world were mesmerized as Nintendo released Super Mario RPG on the Super Nintendo (Super Famicom in Japan). This isometric-RPG was developed by then Square and published by Nintendo, and was the first RPG in the Mario franchise, cementing it as an historical time for Nintendo fans.
It was the first ever Mario title to immerse players in a 3D environment, with a ton of inspiration being drawn from Square's much beloved RPG franchises, combined with the action style that Mario games have been iconic for.
What makes Super Mario RPG one of the greatest games of all time is that it still stands the test of time, but more so, it was well beyond its time. Super Mario RPG (known fully as Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars) demonstrated just how powerful the Super Nintendo was from a graphical and hardware standpoint, shortly before Nintendo released the highly anticipated Nintendo 64 just months later. It was the perfect closing for a system that defined an era, giving players a glimpse of what was to come in the following months and even years in the gaming world.
If it weren't for Super Mario RPG paving the way we wouldn't have such great titles like Paper Mario and the quirky Mario & Luigi series as spiritual successors. If anything, it seemed all planned, at least looking back in retrospect, since Super Mario 64 debuted months later, and that game too cemented itself as one of the greatest games to ever grace this Earth.
For now, all we can do is bask in the glory that is Super Mario RPG for its beautiful composition by Yoko Shimomura and humor, that still makes us laugh to this day. A huge HOORAH to you Super Mario RPG, continue to shine on! Oh, let's not forget Genos!
[balloon_speech align="left" text="A timeless classic indeed." image="bee-blushing"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="Definitely one of the greatest of all time!" image="honey-happy1"]
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
Alright, so let's be honest, the past few months haven't really been so great, mostly due to the chaos ensuing regarding the Coronavirus. By this point, this virus should now become a sinister villain in a comic book, or perhaps a brand new anime (too soon?) for fans to point the finger at.
All jokes aside, the Coronavirus is clearly running amok in the anime community, and it doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Fortunately for those in the manga community however, it seems like there's a light at the end of this murky, and congested Coronvirus infested tunnel, as many giant Japanese publishers are now offering free-to-read manga online for those who decide to stay inside to thwart off the evil mist.
According to the tweet above from Livedoor News, a lot of free editions are currently available from (websites are found next to the publisher):
● Weekly Shonen Jump (Shonen Jump+)
● Weekly Shonen Sunday (Sunday Webly)
● Kokoro Comic, Kokoro Ichiban (Kokoro Online)
● Betsu Comi, Sho-Comi, Cheese!, Ciao Deluxe, Petit Comic, Monthly Flowers (Shogakukan e-Comic Store)
● Ribbon, Bessatsu Margaret, Koko Hana, The Margaret (Margaret Bookstore)
● Weekly Shonen Champion (Manga Cross)
● Hana to Yume, The Hana to Yume Shin, LaLa, LaLaDX
In addition to this already large catalog, other publishers are granting fans access to their best-sellers vault, allowing manga junkies to dive into and revist a large catalog of long-running titles. More notably, the Sunday Webly is giving fans some very iconic titles to check out for free, such as Ranma 1/2, Major, and Psyche Mata Shite mo (these have been released as of March 8). All volumes are free, just in case you need a reminder and you think we're crazy. Other notable titles include: The Law of Ueki, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, and Miyuki, which will launch on March 15th.
Ushio and Tora and Libero Revolution make the list as well, which will arrive March 22nd, which puts the total number of volumes at around 392. These are just the volumes mind you, as an intelligent being would know that each volume contains a plethora of chapters to indulge in.
Now add in apps like Comic Days, Dragon Zakura Note, Manga Mee, and Book Walker, who are also throwing out freebies, and you're looking at more than 400 in total. These apps are giving away titles such as: Space Brothers, Hozuki’s Coolheadedness, and Crayon Shin-chan, just to name a few.
So while you're at home praying for this Coronavirus to dissipate from existence, why not just take some pressure of your mind and catch up on some manga will you? Create your own little makeshift manga cafe in the comfort of your own home!
[balloon_speech align="left" text="You had me at free." image="bee-prev"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="Damn, 450? That'll last me until 2022 at least!" image="honey-happy1"]
It’s said work can kill you and for Azusa Aizawa that is exactly what happened. The thirty-something office lady dies suddenly in the middle of her office from overwork. A god, or angle, or some other supernatural being stands before her floating soul and tells her that she will be reincarnated into a new world. The ethereal asks her if there is anything she wants in the next life? Azusa's list is short and simple, to be immortal, have a home and self-sustaining farm. The supernatural being also adds, "Oh! I'm sure you would prefer to be a young girl too! Personally, I think seventeen is the perfect age!” Azusa life of simple pursuits begins in a home in the highland, where she can take naps, read, tend the soil and kill slimes for spending money. A life that goes very, very well for 300 years until its discovered that all that slime killing maxed out her levels. She is now one of the most powerful witches in the land and when that gets out her life gets a bit more complicated as adventures, dragons, and even children complicate her peaceful existence.
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Discussion Time
The story feels a bit different than other isekai stories set in a fantasy world. You have adventurers, monsters, and magical power but the main pursuit of the overpowered protagonist is to do nothing. Azuza would rather spend time at home with her family than travel to distant lands on a quest. The slice of life fantasy mix gives the reader warm fuzzy feelings as they see the various stories unfold.
Why You Should Read Slime Taoshite 300-nen, Shiranai Uchi ni Level Max ni Nattemashita (I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level.)
The manga, with a fourth coming anime on the horizon, is filled with cute expressive drawings. Azusa facial expressions alone just make you scream “how kawaii.” You get 183 pages of some serious moe artwork. The fantasy world easily lends itself to characters in cute Lolita or peasant-style dresses that will have your heart go doki-doki.
2.Sweet Enough to Give You Sugar Shock
2. A story that is as sweet as any slice of life. Azusa, despite being a formerly overworked salary worker, is extremely kind. She didn’t live in the highlands to be a hermit only to help ensure her slow pace of life. An example of that is one of the first things she does after arriving in the new world is walk to the nearest village and get to know her neighbors. She then devotes a lot of her time to apothecarial work creating potions and medicines for the villagers.
3.A Subtle and Important Message
A subtle message of a sustainable life. Azusa could have asked the supernatural being for riches or to be nobility, but she just asked for a simple life. She wanted a house and land that let her live a sustainable life. She never took from the world more than she needed. She even only killed slimes when she needed cash and only as many as necessary. We think is a subtle message but a good one we all should take to heart.
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Why You Should Skip Slime Taoshite 300-nen, Shiranai Uchi ni Level Max ni Nattemashita (I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level.)
1.Witches, Dragons, Adventurers, and Tea
You won't like the manga if you want a serious adventure. The whole story fits in with the same genre as Dragon Maid. You have fantasy but no real life and death struggles. The hero is overpowered and so are many of her companions and they could take on anyone in battle on favorable terms but they would prefer to be your friend and have tea than fight.
2.No Romance, No Problem
No romance. You’ve got a hot immortal 300-year-old witch and she, to her own admission, has never had a romantic partner. You couldn’t help but wish that she would. You’d love to see this very cute heroine get flustered in love, in a straight or yuri relationship.
3.Brought to You by the Letter "G".
No Ecchi. You have a lot of chances for things to get a little naughty, they don’t. You get no panty shots and no gratuitous boob pictures. You just get a lot of “G-rated” cute.
Final Thoughts
I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level is like visual Prozac guaranteed to lift your spirits on a gloomy day. You will be soothed by the kindness that Azusa shows even the people that frustrate and annoy her. The tension that makes your neck painfully stiff after a long day at the office will dissipate as if you had a nice warm slime draped over your shoulders. We all need a pick me up now and then and the story and Azusa's growing family and their daily adventures are sure to remind you people can be good to each other even if only in another world.
Mangaka : Rifujin na Magonote (Story), Yuka Fujikawa (Art)
Publisher : Seven Seas
Genre : Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Seinen, Ecchi
Published : May 2014
Introduction
Irony can be a b*tch. You make it 34 years in this world and look back at your life and resolve to do it better and try to do a good deed when you should have been looking at the oncoming truck that kills you. We also guess god or gods listen to us occasionally because after you do an impression of a bug on a windshield you wake up cold and wet in a new world, not because he was dropped in a pond, but because you were born, born with all his memories of your old life.
The baby known as Rudeus Grayrat had all the knowledge and personality of the 34-year-old NEET who had been run over by a truck. He also had the resolve to do his life better this time. He was no longer a loner, but the son of a beautiful woman and skilled knight where he learned magic from a cute teacher and by the age of 10 had the skill and power of a master mage. We follow Rudeus the prodigy as he grows up in a dangerous fantasy world filled with magic, monsters, and lots of cute girls.
[signSpoiler]
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Discussion Time
We all have or will have that moment in our lives that call for introspection and we steal our resolve to change something about ourselves. Yet, few of us can follow through on that self-imposed change. The NEET in this story gets the not so subtle encouragement to be better by actually starting over. He realizes that to do so he has to let go of some of the things that made him NEET in the first place, like reclusiveness. He does, however, hold on to a few mature attitudes that make a 34-year-old in a child’s body fun to watch- if you get our drift.
Why You Should Read Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu (Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.)
1.Isekai done right (at least in the writer’s opinion).
NEET (no actual name given) is actually reborn in another life. He isn’t transported. He doesn’t wake up one day in the body of a teenager. He is born naked and cold and despite having the life experience of a 34-year-old. He has to learn the language, the magic, and everything else, he simply has the advantage of being mentally older, so he advances at a blistering pace.
2.The world isn’t perfect, and neither is his life.
Rudeus has some great parents that love him. He is given a nurturing environment and the best education his family can afford. But we quickly see that there are some cracks in the façade of the happy life of the beautiful noble and the handsome knight. He quickly understands that parents aren’t perfect and may have issues but still love us unconditionally.
3.Ecchi.
We don’t get gratuitous panty shots or sex scenes. Yet we do get a glimpse at what a mature man is thinking when he is cup close and personal with women who let their guard down because they view him as a child.
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Why You Should Skip Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu (Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.)
1.The Length of Arcs
The long length of some arcs can be tedious. We often read manga because they move fast. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation takes some time to speed up to the point where the adventure begins. You have to get through 3 volumes before a magical calamity and the struggle begins.
2.A Harem Wasted on the Young
A harem as a 10-year-old, yes, but none of the benefits. We hear him talk the talk. We just don’t seem him walk the walk in the woman category. Rudeus gradually is surrounded by cute and sexy girls but he takes us right up to the ecchi/sexy line but doesn’t cross it. We know that a general audience is their target. It just that the book can be such a tease sometimes.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation gives some of us what we’ve asked for a reincarnated into another world that is actually a reincarnation story. We also get a lot of well fleshed out characters with real backstories that contribute our understanding of their behavior. The world that Rifujin na Magonote creates is not ideal and that makes it easier to get invested in as a reader because of the things, like discrimination, we see in own. You should take some time to pick up volume one and see if it can inspire you to make a change for the better in your own life.
Japan is a country famous for food, otaku culture, and strange commercials. So, what happens when all three of those things overlap? Well, it looks like the magical result is Maid Made Omurice, a new product that just launched a very interesting marketing campaign in Japan this February to promote their new product. The commercial itself is enough to catch the eye and make you curious, and the special contest advertised to get people interested just adds to that.
So what is Maid Made Omurice? Why is this product even a thing? What is going on in the commercial? Be sure to give the advertisement a watch and then join us for a simple explanation below!
Maid Made Omurice
Understanding the Context
Most seasoned otaku know at least a little bit about the concept of maid cafes in Japan, but let’s back things up a little and provide some context for understanding Maid Made Omurice. Maid Cafes are basically exactly what they sound like—they are restaurants where the servers are all dressed as maids and do their best to make you feel comfortable and special. Maid cafes have been a staple in otaku culture for years now and while there are a plethora of them across Japan (and increasingly, the world!), they are especially prominent in otaku neighbourhoods like Akihabara in Tokyo and Den Den Town in Osaka. While maid cafes’ main demographic is men, they are happy to host customers of all genders and ages.
There are a few different kinds of maid cafes in Japan but we will briefly just look at the most popular two. The first and most traditional is the “moe moe” style, which heavily emphasises kawaii-style through cute food and girls in shorter skirts who are likely to sing and dance, draw hearts on your food, and adorn customers with cat ears. The second kind of maid cafe is a more mature and classy style with the maids dressed in Victorian-era maid uniforms and with a laidback, calmer atmosphere.
Both of these cafes usually have similar foods, most of which are seen as Japanese comfort foods that a lot of people like and associate with eating at their home. That’s where the omurice comes in!
Omurice (short for “omelette rice”) is a Japanese dish consisting of rice inside or under an omelette, typically with chicken, mushrooms, or other vegetables cooked inside the rice. The most popular topping for omurice is ketchup. Many maid cafes will bring the omurice to the table and allow the customer to choose what the maid draws or writes on the dish, a quintessential part of the maid cafe experience. Customers often ask for hearts, cute animals, or how the maid feels about them.
About the Product
So that brings us to Maid Made Omurice made by Nippon Ham. Its real name is Fukuro no Mama Dekiru Omurice, which translates to “Omurice You Can Make in a Bag” (though we like the Maid Made Omurice name from the campaign!). It’s a microwavable version of omurice that anyone can enjoy at home. The advertisement that has caught the attention of otaku around the world is part of the marketing campaign Nippon Ham is using to draw attention to their new product. The main actress in the advertisement is a well-known cosplayer and gravure model Moe Iori.
In the advertisement, Iori plays the role of a maid cafe-style maid delivering omurice to many people at work, in their homes, on the baseball field, and more with a bright yellow microwave strapped to her back. She visits a lot of famous sites in Japan and even traverses through snow and mountainous terrain on her campaign to bring omurice to everyone! When she delivers the omurice, Iori and the lucky person say “moe moe chin” together, which is a play on the popular phrase “moe moe kyun” usually said in maid cafes. This time, the “chin” is a Japanese onomatopoeia for the chime of a microwave.
While this is already an interesting advertisement on its own, Nippon Ham has also announced a special campaign alongside the ad. Applications are currently being accepted on their website to have a maid delivery service come right to their house. You can check it out here - https://ebx.jp/nh_omurice/ ) but keep in mind the contest is only open to people with a Japanese address. Five lucky people announced on March 20th-22nd will win this special prize. Fukuro no Mama Dekiru Omurice hit the shelves in Japan on February 20th for around $2.50 USD.
Final Thoughts
There you have it - the Japanese public can now enjoy maid cafe-style omurice in the comfort of their own homes with Maid Made Omurice! And a few very lucky otaku will get the once-in-a-lifetime experience of having a real-life maid cafe maid serve them in their actual home! Will this product appeal to people outside of the otaku community? Maybe not. But has it grabbed the attention of people nonetheless while subsequently making the mouths of the Japan’s otaku populace water? You can count on it!
Did you watch the Maid Made Omurice advertisement? Would you like to try it? How would you feel if you won the contest? Have you ever been to a real maid cafe before, or would you like to go? Be sure to leave a comment or question below!
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
Sentai announced today that it acquired rights to Non Non Biyori Movie: Vacation, the theatrical follow-up to the charming, smile-inducing series Non Non Biyori, for release in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa.
Produced by studio Silver Link. (Mitsuboshi Colors, Chivalry of a Failed Knight), Non Non Biyori Movie: Vacation is directed by Shinya Kawatsura (Non Non Biyori, Tanaka-kun is Always Listless), and its theme song is composed by ZAQ (FLIP FLAPPERS, Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions) and nano.RIPE (Food Wars! The Second Plate, Humanity Has Declined). The movie stars Kotori Koiwai (Real Girl, Gatchaman Crowds) as Renge Miyauchi, Rie Murakawa (Pastel Memories, Tsuredure Children) as Hotaru Ichijou, Ayane Sakura (Kase-san and Morning Glories, BanG Dream! 2nd Season) as Natsumi Koshigaya and Kana Asumi (Kämpfer, Maid Sama!) as Komari Koshigaya.
Summer vacation might be coming to a close, but the adorable cast of Non Non Biyori is headed to Okinawa for some fun in the sun and a visit to the beach! The students of the super rural Asahigaoka branch school, all five of them, are eager to end their summer on a high note, making new friends and going on new adventures with the unbridled joy and adorable antics they’re known for. It’s a theatrical event that both newcomers and longtime Non Non Biyori fans won’t want to miss!
Non Non Biyori Movie: Vacation will be released on home video and select digital outlets.
[balloon_speech align="left" text="One of the best slice of life ever made!" image="bee-happy1"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="100% agree on that!" image="honey-happy1"]
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
Kimetsu no Yaiba, better known as Demon Slayer in the west, continues to slice its competitors off the Oricon weekly comic charts, as the month of February shows that Tanjirou and Nezuko own the throne once again. Not just the throne but the entire castle as each slot is taken by the dynamic duo.
Before the end of February, Demon Slayer had already maintained its dominance in the comic charts, being the first series to completely secure all 10 spots for a consecutive 3 weeks, since Oricon started tracking data back in 2008. It's also the first to wrap its arms around all 19 spots, a remarkable feat for Koyoharu Gotouge and his beloved franchise.
This monumentus lead has sprinkled through February 24 - March 1, with volume 19 unsurprisingly seating itself comfortably in the #1 slot, with the remaining sections being left to the peas--we mean other notable manga.
In addition to its dominance on the charts manga-wise, its light-novel variants are starting to reap some benefits as well, with both the #1 and #2 spots taken for both Katahane no Chou and Shiawase no Hana respectively.
[balloon_speech align="left" text="Incredible news! Gotouge-san must be smiling from ear to ear!" image="bee-happy1"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="I know I would be! Congrats on the huge success!" image="honey-love"]
[en]What You Need to Know: [/en][es]Lo que necesitas saber: [/es]
News is erupting all over the social media universe that iconic game expo E3 2020, is looking to close its doors this year due to the continuous spread of the Coronavirus. We've heard of real evil gaming villains before (which you can read here), but nothing truly comes close to the mess the Coronavirus has left behind.
Week after week there seems to be another event cancellation due to the Coronavirus and now, one of the biggest gaming events of the year, if not THE biggest, is reportedly shutting its doors due to the scare.
While no official word has been mentioned by E3 2020 officials, many who are very close to the source say that an announcement may take place tomorrow. It seems very certain however, considering all of the other major events that have succumbed to the insurmountable power that is the Coronavirus, with Anime Japan being a notable one (we covered that too by the way). E3 has been an ongoing event since 1996, and this is the first time the giant gaming expo has shut down due to a virus..If fear had a cousin, Coronavirus would be that ugly cousin..
For now, all we can do is pray that people stay safe in this time of uncertainty but this tweet from Devolver Digital pretty much sums up Twitter right now...
[balloon_speech align="left" text="Well damn..with the way this is going I might as well cancel TGS.." image="bee-sad"]
[balloon_speech align="right" text="Please no...Not TGS!!" image="honey-sad"]
Event Period: Friday, March 6 to Friday, March 27 (UTC+9)
