I’ve been holding off on watching Netflix’s live-action One Piece series because I was afraid they would ruin another of my favorite anime. As a long-time fan, I needed this series to be good. I can forgive Netflix for a lot of the garbage they put out, but I could never forgive them for ruining One Piece. That said, I did my best to come into the series as open-minded and unbiased as possible. I didn’t rewatch the anime, stayed away from spoilers and news, and didn’t even watch the trailers. I wanted to go into this series as removed from the source material as possible because I didn’t want my experience to be affected by nostalgia or fandom. After sitting through the series, my only complaint is that I didn’t start it sooner. If you haven’t watched it yet, you need to do so now!
The series covers the events through the Coco Village arc. This is a condensed version of the events, but the changes made are appropriate and appreciated. For those unfamiliar with the source material, Luffy dreams of being king of the pirates and sets off to find the crew that will help him find Gol D. Roger’s infamous treasure, the one piece. But the sea is a dangerous place, full of pirates, marines, and monsters. Despite having the powers of the Gum-Gum Fruit, Luffy has a lot to learn before he can be king of the pirates.
I love how faithful of an adaptation this series is. The attention to detail is astounding. The costumes, the sets, the characters, and the story are a perfect interpretation of the source material. I can’t believe how good of a conversion Netflix is capable of, especially after all the garbage I’ve sat through. As a fan, even though I haven’t seen the first season in a while, it made me giddy to catch the subtlest of references.
But you don’t have to like anime to enjoy this series. It has a fantastic cast that shares excellent chemistry, fun and exciting action scenes, and a well-written and tight season. I was afraid they would drag this out like streaming services tend to do, but One Piece gets to the point and leaves viewers wanting more.
I can spend hours talking about the series, comparing the versions, and overanalyzing the plot, characters, etcetera, but I’ll leave you with this: Go watch it now! If you are a fan of the series, this is the adaptation you didn’t know you wanted. It makes me hopeful for Avatar the Last Air Bender live-action series Netflix is also working on. If you’ve never seen One Piece, or even know what it is, this series is going to make you watch the anime. I know it made me restart it all from the beginning. If you do start watching the anime, I recommend you skip the filler episodes. One Piece isn’t as bad as others when it comes to filler, nor are they bad episodes, but when a series is this long, it’s nice to get to the point. I love the live-action and can’t wait for there to be more!
High Score Girl is one of the cutest animes I’ve watched on Netflix
High Score Girl is an adorable anime you should be watching if you have a Netflix subscription. It has a great protagonist and a cute romantic story, and it will make you feel a series of emotions you aren’t ready for. At the very least, this series should be on your watch list.
Hasuo is a hardcore gamer with a one-track mind. He obsesses over video games and spends all his time and money playing them. Ono is a quiet girl who comes into his life as the first challenger to beat him at a fighting game. From that moment, Hasuo makes it his goal to beat her. He spends the following years perfecting his technique to prove he is the better gamer. But what draws Hasuo to Ono isn’t a simple rivalry, it is something much deeper. Will Hasuo ever come to terms with his true feelings, or will they be lost in the chaotic sounds of the arcade?
What I like most about this series is Hasuo as the main character. He is a bit clueless, and that cluelessness can be frustrating at times, but it is a flaw that he works on actively to fix. By the end of the series, Hasuo isn’t the same clueless kid obsessed with gaming, and it is a delight to watch him grow to that point. I don’t want to overshare because I don’t want to ruin the experience, but it’s a very cute love story and I am ready to watch it again.
The cast is full of fun and colorful characters with terrific voice actors who help Hasuo on his journey. I loved watching how his relationship with the people around him evolved the older he got. Watching the impact others make on Hosuo and vice versa makes this anime incredibly charming.
I loved how video games are used to emphasize emotions and important moments in Hasuo’s journey. Hasuo understands the world through the lens of video games, and it is interesting how the story meshes the video game world with important character moments. As he grows, his relationship with video games changes, and it is interesting to see how that affects this view of the world. The tone of the series is a little over the top for a slice-of-life anime, but I believe it does a wonderful job of emulating the loud and colorful vibe of a classic arcade.
One thing to note before watching is that High Score Girl makes a lot of references to classic-era gaming. You don’t need to know anything about gaming to understand the story, but you’ll appreciate the references if you do. The series will often stop to explain important references, so you shouldn’t feel lost. Aside from being a cute love story, High Score Girl is a proper love letter to an era of gaming that is slowly disappearing.
High Score Girl is a fantastic anime to throw on if you want something comforting and cute to watch. The animation may be a bit wonky, but it gives the series its charm. It has great characters, fantastic voice actors, and the cutest story you’ll ever sit through. Go stream it now on Netflix, but make sure you grab something to cry into when you do.
Persona 5 Tactica, a cute strategy game coming this November!
Persona 5 Tactica is coming to consoles and PCs on November 17, 2023. The Phantom Thieves find themselves in a strange realm surrounded by Legionnaires. Now they must help the revolutionaries and find a way back home. Do you have what it takes to get the Phantom Thieves back home safely?
I love the art style of this game. If you are a fan of Persona or just want a new strategy game to hop into, this might be worth looking into. It certainly gives me Mario vs. Rabbids vibes, and I love Mario vs. Rabbids.
Persona 5 Tactica will have a skill tree to unlock for each character, unique combos you can perform, and a reserve unit system that I am dying to try. You are able to change the difficulty after you start the game, which is an amazing feature for people like me who aren’t very good at strategy games but still want to enjoy the experience.
I’ll be picking up a copy when it comes out, but am still deciding which version. I am not convinced the digital deluxe version is worth getting if I am only getting two additional characters.
Preorder your copy today!
Xbox: Regular ($59.99)/ Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99)
PS5: Regular ($59.99)/ Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99)
PS4: Regular ($59.99)/ Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99)
Switch: Regular ($59.99)/ Digital Deluxe Edition Price Not Available
Steam: Regular ($59.99)/ Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99)
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Blue Period: The stressful and inspiring anime about getting into art school
I just watched Blue Period on Netflix and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It can be a bit pretensions and cheesy when it comes to its obsession with the artistic method, but the themes it deals with and the story it tells make up for it. If you enjoy slice-of-life anime and enjoy art even a little, this is a great series to get into.
Yamaguchi is a rough character who is good at school but feels unfulfilled by his lack of ambitions. He discovers his love for art almost by accident when he is made to join the art club. For the first time in his life, he feels the threads of ambition forming within him. He sets his eyes on one of the hardest art programs in Japan and puts all his time and efforts toward making it happen. But the path to art school won’t be easy. Yamaguchi has never taken art seriously and must learn the skills many have taken years to perfect in a shorter amount of time. Will Yamaguchi’s hard work and passion be enough to get him into art school?
Blue Period is a stressful anime that will often deal with themes of depression, anxiety, and suicide. Consider how big of a trigger these themes are for you before watching this anime. Blue Period handles these themes respectfully and successfully captures the mounting stress of trying to get into a very competitive field. By the end of the series, I felt relief that the whole process was over, even though I wasn’t the one taking the test or trying to get into art school. This is a clear testament to how good the storytelling is.
Watching the physical, mental, and emotional toll the process is on the characters makes this anime hard to watch at times. The close the characters get to the exam, the darker the anime gets. This anime can be draining, but it is also inspiring to watch Yamaguchi grow through the process.
What I love most about this anime is that Yamaguchi isn’t a genius at the start of the anime. He has to learn skills that people either have naturally or have had years to learn. He will fail at times, but always learns and grows from these failures. Despite how tough he may seem about everything else, he has low self-esteem in his art. Most of the tension that exists in this series is from Yamaguchi’s apprehension. Is he really good enough for art school when there are so many talented people? What makes him more qualified than any of the other applicants? Watching Yamaguchi live with this anxiety and depression is hard, but it makes his growth inspiring to watch.
If you are looking for new anime to watch, Blue Period is a solid one to get into. The story is cool, the characters are memorable, and it makes getting into art school seem exciting. It is a little too stressful to watch if you are just trying to relax on your day off, but the journey is worth it. Go check out this short series on Netflix.
There is English dubbing available, but I could only find the Japanese trailer. The English dub is solid.
Mobile Suite Gundam U.C. Engage is coming to Android and IOS. Preregister today!
Preregistration for the mobile game Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage is now open for Android and IOS devices. This Gotcha game brings over 200 classic characters and mobile suits to a tactical game that might be pretty cool if you are a Gundam fan. I’ve already seen a few characters I will be chasing at launch.
The game looks like an auto battler, as most Gotcha games often are, but you have control over where your Gundam are placed on the field each round. The animation isn’t the most exciting I’ve seen in a Gundam game, but I’ll take what I can get. Most of the strategy I assume will come down to what suit and pilot you have on your team, their level, and the gear have. RNG is always most of the fun for these games, and I can only hope that the pull rates aren’t predatory and the story is good. This game promises a unique story set in the universe, and it seems to have some solid voice acting. I’ll have to try the game out first, but I have seen enough to spark some interest.
I am still looking for a Gotcha game that will replace Dragalia Lost. This is coming to me at a time when I am super into Gundam. I have a couple of Gunpla kits I am working on and have been slowly making my way through The Witch From Mercury. Go check it out on YouTube if you already haven’t.
I’m excited to try out anything that will give me Gundam, especially if it is free. I’ve already registered and will be playing at launch. Stay tuned for my full review then. Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage is scheduled for release on October 25th.
There is currently a preregistration event going on, so make sure you sign up to earn some pretty cool perks at launch. 100,000 preregistrations will score users with a UR Gundam and 3,000 diamonds, enough to pull 10 times from the Unit Assembly.
- 10,000 preregistrations: 100 diamonds
- 30,000 preregistrations: 200 diamonds
- 50,000 preregistrations: 400 diamonds
- 80,000 preregistrations: 800 diamonds
Based on the picture and all the promotional videos, I can assume it is the RX 78-2 Gundam is the SR unit we’ll be getting.
Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage will be available on both Android and IOS devices. Don’t forget to follow them on Facebook to stay up on all the news.
Romantic Killer: The cute reverse harem that I didn’t plan on loving
If you haven’t watched Romantic Killer on Netflix, I strongly recommend you do so now. This series should at the very least be on your watch list, especially if you like anime. Romantic Killer is a cute anime with a lot of heart and exactly what you need if you are looking for comforting anime.
Anzu is a girl obsessed with video games with no intentions or time to find love. Unfortunately for her, a wizard appears and uses their powers to make her life into a dating sim. Anzu suddenly finds herself surrounded by hot guys and forced into situations that will decide her romantic future. Will this wizard succeed in their mission to help Anzu find love, or is she really as incapable of falling in love as she believes she is?
This series was originally intended as background noise as I built my gunpla kit. But my gunpla went unfinished as I quickly became absorbed into Romantic Killer’s silly and quirky plot. This series has a delightfully charming story with fun characters and a vibrant art style. I love how resistant Anzu is to the situation, but she is still willing to learn and grow from it. I love the awkward and hilarious situations the wizard puts her in. The only thing I don’t like about this series is that there isn’t an end yet, and I need to know what happens. I don’t want to get too detailed with this review because there is a bit of mystery to the plot that leads to its heartwarming resolution. The resolution and how all the pieces of the narrative connect is what makes this series special. I’ll admit that some of the plot points are a little forced, but it doesn’t matter when the result is this cute. I should go without saying that I love this anime.
Regardless of what you think of anime, you should watch Romantic Killer at least once. It is cute, dumb, and very entertaining. It can be slow, especially during setup, but it is worth the journey. If you have Netflix and need something fun and comforting to watch, this is your answer.
I couldn’t find the trailer in English, but there is English dubbing and it is solid.
Pokemon Presents Recap: August 8th
Pokemon Presents showcase had a few exciting announcements for games, anime, and the upcoming championship in Yokohama this weekend. I’ll go over the highlights I am most excited about in case you missed it, but you should watch the whole thing if you have the time. There were a few announcements for the gotcha games and Pokemon Go that I won’t be going over because I don’t play those.
Pokemon Worlds Championship
The Pokemon Worlds Championship is this weekend, and it marks an exciting week in the world of Pokemon. The tournament will run from August 11-13, so make sure you tune in on Twitch to watch some exciting competition. Check out the official page for the complete schedule.
- Pokemon TCG: Twitch.tv/PokemonTCG
- Pokemon VGC: Twitch.tv/Pokemon
- Pokemon Go: Twitch.tv/PokemonGO
- Pokemon Unite: Twitch.tv/PokemonUNITE
The week will also be full of cool Pokemon related events around Yokohama that you should definitely check out if you are heading to worlds. Check out the official page for full details, but here’s a map to get you excited:
And if you are going to Worlds, don’t forget to reserve your slot to shop at the Pokemon Center. There will be a lot of cute and exclusive items that are going to go want to get your hands on, like this cute little Pikachu that is only available at worlds.
I’ll probably be watching some of the Pokemon TCG coverage, but I might just watch a little bit of everything. Good luck to the folks competing, and hope everyone going has a blast!
Path To the Peak Premiere
Worlds will also make the premier of a short animated series, Path to the Peak. The first episode will have a special screening at Worlds, but you can watch it on the official Pokemon YouTube channel on August 11.
The series will follow Ava as she rises in the ranks in the world of competitive Pokemon TCG. This is probably the announcement that has me that got me the most excited. I love the animation and art style, and the story seems super cute. I like that this series comes at a time where I am super into Pokemon TCG, but I am probably no where near as good as Ava. Check out the sneak peak below and tune in on Friday!
Pokemon Horizons
We also got to see a sneak peak for the new Pokemon Horizons Series with the new protagonist and I can’t put to words how excited I am. The animation and art style are amazing, and the world is unique and beautiful. I can only hope that this series doesn’t feel as rushed as Ultimate Journeys did. I hadn’t decided on watching it until I saw the preview. I’ve got the time stamp below for your convenience. There is no date revealed yet for the English dub yet, but I am excited either way!
Paldea Winds
We also got the announcement for Paldea Winds, another webseries coming to us on September 6, 2023. You can watch it on the official Pokemon YouTube, so make sure you follow to say up to date. Paldea Winds follows three students, Ohara, Aliquis, and Hohma, on their adventures through Paldea. It looks pretty cool at least from the trailer, I just hope its better they don’t mess it up like the Digimon web novel.
Scarlet and Violet DLC
If you’ve been playing Scarlet and Violet, there were a few announcements you should be aware of. Most importantly, make sure you go claim your Mew using code:
GETY0URMEW
The Get Mew and Mewtwo event is live now until September 18th. Players can add Mew to their team with the special code GETY0URMEW in the mystery gift menu. Players will also be able to challenge Mewtwo in a special Tera Raid Battle event that will run from August 31 – September 17th. Make sure you don’t miss out on these exclusive Pokemon because they look sick!
We also got to see the first part the upcoming DLC, The Teal Mask, coming out on September 13. The area will bring with it a new area with a new school, characters, and Pokemon. There will also be new story where they investigate the mysteries behind an old Kitakami folktale. I have Violet, but never got around to play it. It might be a great time to for my first play through as I get ready for the DLC.
Final thoughts and Misc. Announcents
This was a very exciting showcase. I can’t wait for the anime to drop, and I might come around to play some of the games. Don’t forget that the Obsidian Flames expansion comes out on August 10th. Its release is certainly shaking up the meta, and there are some cards I wouldn’t mind chasing. The new season of ranked starts on Pokemon TCG live, so make sure you finish up your battle pass and make your last minute climb. I just filled up my battle pass yesterday and love the full art cards I was able to pull. If you have a Switch, you will also be able to play Pokemon Stadium 2 and the Pokemon Trading Card Game on the virtual console if you have a subscription. If you’ve been enjoying these updates, don’t forget to do the things!
I was wrong about Krzyżacy: The Knights of the Cross, the game was rather disappointing
I was sent Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross is a pixel art deck builder based on a book of the same name. Unfortunately, the English localization is bad. I stopped reading the story early on because the effort isn’t worth it. The source material might be worth reading, but this adaptation isn’t. With only gameplay left, there wasn’t much reason for me to keep playing once the novelty wore off. Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross becomes a boring grind with cute pixel art, but you can find a better game elsewhere.
Like most deck builders, you start the game with a basic deck and slowly build a stronger one as you progress through the campaign. What makes this deck builder unique is that you can recruit units to help you in battles. These units will perform actions based on the combination of cards you play during a turn. This creates an interesting dynamic where you are trying to create combos from your hand that synergizes with your companions. The problem I have with this system is that if you don’t meet the basic requirements for an action, the unit sits idle. This game is not forgiving when it comes to the action economy, and wasted turns result in more unnecessary grind.
I recommend you look up guides or build toward a two-color deck early on to make sure you play efficiently. The amount of gold and xp you earn and the global healing you can do is limited. These limits are standard in the genre. The problem is that you can get stuck in the campaign if you haven’t been using your gold wisely. Most deck builders let you easily redo the run, but Krzyżacy forces you to sit through the cut scenes and restart from zero. This is great if you are good at these games and love the strategy, but bad for the casual players. There are global perks you can earn by playing the game that alleviate some of this grind, but it stops being worth the trouble. The game is short enough that the reset isn’t a huge issue, but I couldn’t find the motivation for a second one.
Don’t get me wrong. I like that this game offers difficult choices to its players and rewards efficiency, but I wish the story was better and it was easier to reset the run. I kept hitting a point where I didn’t have money to buy companions, cards, or heals, and my deck wasn’t strong enough to get through the story, and I couldn’t justify going through the grind.
If you are looking for a fun deck builder, there are better options. The art is cool and it introduces interesting mechanics, but as is, this game isn’t worth buying into. The localization of the story isn’t good, and the gameplay isn’t fun enough to justify the price. You can get it on Steam for $14.99, but I suggest you hold off for a sale or some major updates.
Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross: The beautiful pixel art deck builder coming to steam July 20th!
If you’ve been following my blog since the beginning or have seen the recent state of my blog, it is no secret that I love card games. I’ve spent way too much money on trading cards and am always looking for a new deck builder to add to my collection. The latest to catch my eye is a little game called Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross, coming to Steam on July 20, 2023.
Play as a knight who must help his people defeat the Teutonic Knights. The game is based on an award-winning story of the same name that covers the conflict between the Polish-Lithuanian people and the Teutonic Knights in the 15th century. I haven’t read the book, but I hope that means the story is good. I also hope the game is an accurate adaptation because I love learning about history.
As the knight, you travel the real collecting companions to fight with you and cards to make your deck stronger. There are 30 characters you can collect and level, and the freedom to build a deck that fits your playstyle. The combat looks like a strait forward deck builder but with a story and some RPG elements that might help it stand out against the genre. The game has seven chapters, 200 side quests, and a roguelite mode for hours of gameplay. That probably means this game is going to take me forever to complete.
What excites me most about this game is the art style. I love pixel art, and the design for Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross is amazing! The sprites are cute, the characters are cool, and the animation looks fun. There is a bit of fan service, but I don’t mind it. I’ve seen a lot worse, and the characters are too cool for it to matter.
I just received my review code for this game, and am super excited to try it out. I haven’t started the game, but I am also under embargo so I won’t be able to share my thoughts on the game just yet. I’ll get my review out as soon as I am able, so make sure you’re subscribed. Until then, make sure you add Krzyżacy – The Knights of the Cross to your wishlist.
My experience with Smilegate’s Gotcha game, Outerplane, hasn’t been the best
I’ve written about Outerplane in a previous post and even voiced my excitement. I enjoy gotcha games and have been looking for a game to fill the void Dragalia Lost left behind. I’ve been playing Outerplane since launch, but today I decided to uninstall it. After running out of the free energy you get for starting the game, it becomes a grind I wasn’t enjoying.
Outerplane is an anime-themed gotcha game for Android and iOS devices. The game has a story, but it is a generic and poorly written isakai anime that doesn’t matter. I gave up on reading it pretty early on. The only real draw this game has is the art style. If you like anime and don’t mind the fan service, this game will have something worth collecting. The problem is that the grind is dull, and you will eventually come to a point where you will need to spend money to get the characters you want. There are probably guides out there to make the grind more manageable and efficient; I suggest you look into those before starting this game. The pull rates for the banners are bad, but that is to be expected for the genre. I can’t tell you how predatory the cash shop is, but there are $30 skin packs which feel steep for me. I am not shaming anyone who buys skins for games. I’ve spent a lot of money on skins over the years. If you think this game gives you a $30 value and the skin pack makes you enjoy the game more, go for it, but I don’t think Outerplanes is worth $30 in its current state.
I found the gameplay to be too simple. The voice acting and animation are fantastic until the novelty wears off, and you realize the game is rather shallow. I encountered some frame drops and stutters in the beginning and while the performance got better over time, there were still noticeable visual issues. None of the issues were game-breaking, but they are worth mentioning. I played on an iPad Pro and iPhone 12 and encountered the same issues on both.
As far are the combat goes, Outerplane gives the illusion of strategy with its gear, facilities, combo, special attacks, and type advantage systems, but this is all just stuff you’ll need to grind for. If you grind long enough, the strategy doesn’t matter unless you’re doing hardcore endgame content, but good luck getting to that point. I will commend the game for having a nice battery-saving auto battler mode to make the grind more manageable, but it still felt like a job to get the materials I needed to move to the next piece of content. I needed to punch in daily and let my phone idle as my team completed dailies, story missions, and farmed for materials before running out of energy and waiting to do it all over again later. I am sure that spending money makes the grind a little easier, but this game wasn’t fun enough to spend money on. I don’t spend money on Gotcha games. I’m just addicted to the thrill of pulling for a digital character and the disappointment that comes after when I don’t get it.
Outerplane is made with a specific audience in mind, but I am not included in that group. The game isn’t fun, the story is bad, and the grind is worth the time you put into it. I suggest you skip it because there are better gotcha games out there. You can download the game for Android and iOS devices, but make sure you look up guides. The key to success in any gotcha game is efficiency.