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Monster Hunter 10th Anniversary Community Game-Along Roundup

May 5, 2014, 4:24 am
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If you've been following my monthly Community Game-Alongs, you may remember that way back in March we celebrated Monster Hunter's 10th anniversary by playing all kinds of hunting games. There was a ton of multiplayer fun to be had, which was a first for the monthly game-alongs, and we saw lots of fun tweets from people enjoying their games and writeups from both new and old hunters. Though it's long overdue, here's a roundup of some of the contributions from the month!

Gorgeous anniversary art by Sarah O'Donnell! (source)
First, of course Japan has to show up the rest of the world with a slew of awesome Monster Hunter-related events and goods throughout the year. I compiled a few of my favorites in a Japan Envy post, but the most envious of them all is the "Monster Hunter the REAL" exhibit at Universal Studios Japan!

I was happy to see Monster Hunter fan and delightfully grouchy game critic Brad Gallaway briefly chat about Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on PSP for #MonMonth in an update over at his blog. He wrote about a phenomenon that goes unnamed, but any hunter knows all too well: the dreaded desire sensor. "Desire sensor" is a term players use to refer to the fact that the game seems to inexplicably know when you're after a specific item and proceed to give you everything but said item. Hope you eventually got those fangs, Brad!

Over at USGamer, Peter Davison expands on an interview with Monster Huntercreator and producer Ryozo Tsujimoto that is a must-read for fans of the series. While the game has a massive following in Japan, in its 10 year history popularity has eluded it in the west. Definitely read the interview if you'd like to hear how the series came to be and how the creator feels about its reception outside of Japan.


Of course, there are more hunting games besides the series that started it all. Brian Clark over at One Million Power starts the month off with a great in-depth look at the original Soul Sacrifice, and follows up with a similarly thorough piece on Soul Sacrifice Delta, the not-quite-sequel that is currently only available in Japan. His piece on Soul Sacrifice does a great job at highlighting why the game should not be considered a clone, but rather a unique title that has some similarities to Monster Hunter but sets itself apart in a number of ways. I love that he urges hunting fans to not choose one over the other, but to play and appreciate both series for their different qualities.

It goes without saying that Brian's piece on Soul Sacrifice Delta is a great way for English-speaking fans to gain more information on the currently Japan-only title. While the game is more of an expansion than a full sequel, Brian asserts that it has plenty of new content to make it worth the asking price, or a great entry point for those who never played the original.


Finally, @Chozobill imported Monster Hunter 4 and wrote up his impressions after playing 11 hours of the game. He discusses the new weapon, the insect glaive, Felyne companions, the farm trader, and a number of other new features. If you can't get enough Monster Hunter 4 info before 4U is released in English early next year, be sure to check out what he thought! 

Oh, and a huge thanks to Elliot Gay for making a thread for this game-along over on NeoGAF! We got a ton of participants and there were some great discussions that wouldn't have been able to happen on Twitter. Speaking of which, there's always #MonMonth if you want to read more about what people were up to during the month. It sounds like everyone had fun! I know I did.

If you'd like to participate in this month's Community Game-Along, we're celebrating all things Metroidvania. Head over to the main post for some great game ideas!
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Chic Pixel YouTube Channel Update

May 9, 2014, 2:17 pm
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Most of you are probably aware by now, but in case you're not... I have a YouTube channel! I've always found it much easier to express myself in text versus standing up in front of people or, in this case, on camera, making starting a YouTube channel perhaps the scariest online endeavor I've undertaken yet. But as they say, practice makes perfect, the show must go on, and video is a whole new world just waiting to be explored!

This is the face of someone who loves what she does
In the future, I'd like to do a post here every time I upload a new YouTube video, but I've been rather slack about it lately, so I thought now would be a good opportunity to remind everyone that I'd like to think of the channel as an extension of the Chic Pixel site, but by no means a replacement. If you like the kind of things I post here, I'm sure you'd enjoy the videos I have to offer! But if video isn't your thing, don't worry, I'll still be writing regularly, and the vast majority of my content will continue to be written. I'm not going to beat around the bush, though – the views on my videos are painfully low at the moment, so do please consider checking them out!

The main series I'm focusing on at the moment is "Apricotsushi Samples," where I try all manner of exotic Japanese treats and film my (sometimes) hilarious reactions on camera. And since I love Japanese packaging, you can be sure there are lots of gratuitous "packshots," too! My latest episode is a weird one indeed:


I just love that someone thought to themselves one day, "You know what would be cool? A toy toilet bowl that kids can drink out of!" I actually still have my pink toilet sitting on my shelf, currently occupied by a little plastic Sylveon. I might actually do what the package suggests and plant something in it at some point!

Now, back in March I received an OyatsuBox Japanese snack subscription which was packed full of Japanese snacks and candy. After reviewing it, I did what any sane person would do – sample every single thing in the box! If you're curious to see what was good and not so good, this episode of Apricotsushi Samples is for you:


Finally, you may remember how I was swooning over the Japan-only Hatsune Miku lottery that Family Mart did during the month of March. My host mother was kind enough to enter the lottery a few times for me, and I recently received the fruits of her labor. If you're curious to see what the Hatsune Miku lottery items look like up close or what a typical package from my host mom looks like, it's all here:


With that, I think we're just about up to date! My goal is to get into a regular routine where I upload a new episode of Apricotsushi Samples a week, and any other videos as the opportunities arise. I'm having a lot of fun filming and editing them, but it's a lot of work I'm not accustomed to, so if you have any comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

Finally, there's the little issue of nomenclature. I can't decide if I should brand the channel with the Chic Pixel name, or use some variation of "apricotsushi" (the user name I go by on social media) in the title. What do you think? Do you have any fun channel name ideas I might have overlooked? Let me know!
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Japan Envy: Pokémon Trainer Red Nendoroid

May 10, 2014, 2:26 am
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There's nothing like an out-of-blue announcement to really get the blood pumping, eh? I'd say that's exactly what happened when Nintendo put up the shocking reveal trailer for the Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire remakes, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire for the 3DS just the other day. Following that Pokémon announcement, a Japanese Twitter user tweeted a photo of a Pokémon Center poster that is sure to delight all the Nendoroid fans out there: 


That's right, the original Pokémon trainer Red has been Nendoroid-ified! His design is based on the Pokemon Origins TV special that aired last year, and will be limited to Pokémon Centers and Amazon.jp's Pokémon Center store, meaning it will sadly be rather tough for anyone outside of Japan to purchase him. 


While these are the only pictures of Red released so far, we do know from the poster that he will come with the three facial expressions shown, four different arm parts, five hand parts, and three leg parts. Three is a rather odd number of legs, but I assume that means one might be bent? 

Even more exciting, however, is the fact that he comes with all three original starter Pokémon, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander, along with a Pokéball, Master Ball, Pokédex, and his backpack. Think of all the posing possibilities! 

Preorders open on May 24th and will be available until June 29th, and he will retail for ¥4,500. He releases on September 27th, but only those with preorders will be able to get their hands on one at retail price, and you can bet resellers will attempt to gouge unlucky potential buyers soon after. Overseas fans looking to order him will have to rely on a friend to go to a physical Pokémon Center or using a proxy service to order him from Amazon.jp, as they unfortunately will not ship figures outside of Japan. If you're at a loss of where to look for a proxy service, White Rabbit Japan is a great option. 

So, how about it? Are you a big enough Pokémon fan to pick this one up, or would you prefer a different trainer? I'm not particularly interested in Red himself, but those starter Pokémon are very tempting... 
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10 Places I Have to Visit when I'm in Tokyo

May 12, 2014, 7:19 pm
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It's often said that one can either be a fan of Tokyo or Osaka, but not both. Well, I'm a certified Osaka girl, so while I've been to Japan numerous times, I've only actually been to Tokyo once for two days nearly 12 years ago. Blasphemy, I know! Luckily, I have the very unique opportunity to attend a popular Japanese media workshop at the University of Tokyo for two weeks in July, so I'll finally get the Tokyo fix I never knew I needed.

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I say "never knew I needed" because after hearing the wonderful news that I had been accepted into said program, I promptly hit up Google to see exactly what sights I'd been missing out on in the pop culture mecca of Japan. As expected, there are a lot of exciting things to see and do in Tokyo, and my planner is quickly filling up with places to go and things to eat!

Since a lot of folks were asking what exactly was making my "must see" list for Tokyo, I thought it'd be fun to compile a top 10 list of places I'm going to make sure I hit up this July. Hopefully this way I can hold myself accountable and report back in two months with how each place actually stacked up! I'm not going to include vague general destinations like Harajuku or Akihabara that are on every "must see in Tokyo" list, though, but rather very specific things that folks like me who enjoy all things nerdy and cute will probably appreciate...

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Kit Kat Chocolatory 

Everyone knows that Japan is a haven for all kinds of amazing Kit Kat flavors, from the innocuous matcha to stranger oddities such as wasabi. In fact, Kit Kats are so popular in Japan that Nestle opted to erect the world's first dedicated Kit Kat store, known as the Kit Kat Chocolatory, in the Seibu department store in Ikebukuro, Tokyo! The Ikebukuro store opened this past January and has teamed up with patissier Yasumasa Takagi to sell three exclusive flavors: sublime bitter, special sakura green tea, and special chilli.*

While it's a little disappointing that the store doesn't sell all of the various regional Japanese Kit Kat flavors (as far as I can tell), there is no way I'm going to turn down the chance to visit the world's only Kit Kat shop! And buy a pack of each exclusive flavor, of course.

*Side note: Apparently Yasumasa Takagi made some kind of deal with Nestle, as he also appears in this bakable Kit Kat promotional video.

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Animate cafés

I'm cheating a little by not specifying a single store here, but hear me out. Animate is a chain of anime merchandise stores located Japan-wide, but certain branches have cafés that frequently feature anime tie-in menus and special decor. There are two located in Tokyo, one in Ikebukuro that caters to a female audience, and another in Akihabara that has recently teamed up with Good Smile Company (it only just opened on April 25th!) to offer some extra goodies for the figure-loving crowd.

While I'd definitely love to visit both, I'll probably prioritize going to the one that is doing a tie-in with a series I'm more interested in. Since the Good Smile x Animate cafe is doing a Love Live! collaboration until July 30th, I'll probably go with the Ikebukuro branch. However, I hear there may be some Good Smile figures that can only be purchased at the Akihabara store, so I may have to visit that one as well. Oh, decisions!


Ghibli Museum

The Ghibli Museum, designed by visionary Hayao Miyazaki himself, is the ultimate mecca for fans of Ghibli films and Japanese animation, so of course it would be high on my "must see" list! Not only do you get to see exclusive animation shorts that are only shown at the museum, but there is also a yearly rotating exhibit that can't be seen anywhere else. This year's exhibit has just been revealed (flier pictured above), and the theme is The Nutcracker! As someone who attended The Nutcracker ballet every year at Christmas as a kid, I can't wait to see Ghibli's interpretation of the children's ballet classic.

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Of course, another highlight of the Ghibli Museum is the Straw Hat Café! Not only is the decor to die for, all of the food is served on gorgeous Ghibli-themed plates, and if you order a coffee drink you'll be treated with an adorable Ghibli design drawn in the foam. I've heard the wait can be an hour long, so it's important to get there early!

Related: I also have to try these Totoro cream puffs I wrote about two years ago! I couldn't bring myself to allow two Ghibli-related stops positions on this list, but you can bet your puffs I'll be making my way to this adorable (Ghibli-supported!) patisserie come July.

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Usagi no Ehon

There are two things I love very much in life – rabbits and books. Combine the two and you've got pretty much a winning combination for me! That's why Usagi no Ehon, or Rabbit Picture Book, immediately caught my eye. I've always been a fan of cat cafés, but I've yet to visit a rabbit café, and one that combines adorable rabbit-themed decor with quiet atmosphere and all kinds of picture books crowding the cafe shelves sounds too good to be true! While I might end up swapping out Usagi no Ehon for another rabbit café if it happens to be more convenient, I may just opt to make a special trip to sit with the bunnies and read some Japanese picture books. Did you know that rabbits are illegal to keep as pets in Queensland? Yeah, it's horrible. I need my rabbit fix!

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Otome Road

I'll tell you right now – Otome Road has always been the one major reason why I've been wistful to visit Tokyo. The single street in Ikebukuro is home to shops full of all a fujoshi's favorite things, meaning it very well could the the one-stop destination for all my needs when I'm in Tokyo. So, if you're like me and swoon over cute anime boys romancing each other or games where you play a girl who romances cute anime boys, Otome Road should not be missed! If I'm not mistaken, the Animate café in Ikebukuro is located in or around Otome Road, making them easy to see in the same trip. But knowing me, I'm sure I'll visit Otome Road much more than once during my stay!

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Capcom x Pasela Entertainment Bar

While nearly all of the themed eating establishments I've seen call themselves "cafés," I find it interesting that Capcom has opted for the more mature "bar." Virtually all themed cafés sell alcoholic drinks anyway, but I guess Capcom wanted a slightly different angle. Not only can you eat strange Capcom-themed delicacies here such as Resident Evil zombie brains (don't worry, it's a cake), but the staff apparently put on a little skits from the games when they bring out your food. While I'll sadly be missing the special Monster Hunter 10th anniversary menu, I'm sure there will be plenty of interesting food items to try and Felyne goods to buy.

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Nakano Broadway

First, I must give a huge thanks to @Richmond_Lee for providing this suggestion. Everyone always says any video game/anime nerd has to hit up Akihabara while you're in Tokyo, but there's just so much to see! Where would you even start? Of course, if you have days to kill, it's fine to wander around and find all of the hidden gems for yourself, but when you're on a tight schedule like me, it's much more helpful to have a few specific destinations in mind.

Well, Nakano Broadway looks to be the perfect place to get my otaku shopping fix – it's a three-story indoor market filled to the brim with rare toys, electronics, anime, manga, figures... and practically anything else a Japanese pop culture nerd could want! I like how Danny Choo describes it as an indoor Akihabara with "a lot less maids, eroge, and computer parts stores." Sounds like my kind of place! I'm definitely going to head here for some toy, manga, and game hunting.

These are all fake! (source)
Ganso Shokuhin Sanpuru-ya

You know what's just as awesome as eating amazing-looking food? Looking at amazing-looking food. Ganso Shokuhin is a company that has been making those plastic food samples many Japanese cafés and restaurants put in their front windows for nearly 100 years, and they've opened a shop near Tokyo Skytree where you can look at all of their amazing creations. On top of that, they have a shop for souvenirs and kits to make your own, and demonstrations so you can learn how the pros do it! It's worth mentioning that they have a branch located in the Tokyo Solamachi, a mall beneath the Tokyo Skytree that is the perfect place to shop for souvenirs, so I'll probably have to take a day to visit the Skytree and get my shopping on!


Artnia Square Enix café

It's no secret that I love nerdy themed cafés, so of course the Square Enix cafe, Artnia, would make this list. The café itself features a futuristic layout within a dome-shaped building and sells all manner of Square Enix merchandise (some that can be bought only here, of course!) in addition to the usual cafe fare. While it'd be great if Artnia is having a special menu when I'm there, I'll be happy just to try the adorable Moogle cappuccino pictured above along with a tasty pancake set.

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Kiddy Land Harajuku 

Kiddy Land's flagship store is five floors of so-sweet-you'll-get-a-cavity cuteness, so of course I have to go there! I've been to Kiddy Land in Osaka before, but I'm sure everything else pales in comparison to the official Harajuku store. If you're a fan of Hello Kitty, Rilakkuma, Disney, or virtually anything else sparkly and kawaii, this is a dangerous stop for your wallet! I think I'm going to need a shopping list and a strict budget for this one, or else I'll end up with a suitcase full of tiny adorable merchandise. It's a given that I'll have a suitcase full of amazing purchases by the end of my trip, but it'll be hard to pace myself with all the cute there is to take in at Kiddy Land Harajuku! If you're interested in being overwhelmed by all the cute, I definitely recommend checking out Japan Lover and Danny Choo's great photos of Kiddy Land.

There you have it – 10 wonderful destinations in Tokyo hand-picked by yours truly! Of course there are many more things I want to see and do while I'm there, but this is just a tiny slice of what I hope to experience. What would your #1 place to visit in Tokyo be? If you have any suggestions/things you'd like to see me cover during my trip, let me know in the comments!
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The Princess of Tennis Book Now Available for Preorder

May 15, 2014, 3:31 am
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Have you ever wanted to know what it's really like working as a manga artist in Japan? Artist Jamie Lynn Lano had the extremely unique opportunity to work as an assistant on The Prince of Tennis and has recounted her experiences on her blog, Living Tall in Japan, and has decided to compile them into a book in order to share her story. Preorders are now open for the book, titled The Princess of Tennis: Working as an Assistant on The Prince of Tennis. As an avid follower of Jamie's blog, this is a very exciting announcement indeed!


It's often very difficult to get information on what goes on behind the scenes in the Japanese manga industry, especially outside of Japan, which makes Jamie's book an invaluable resources for those interested in learning more about how the manga industry works, and what it's like being a foreigner living and working in a Japanese-dominated field. If you'd like to get an idea of her writing style and what kind of content will be in the book, her whole story has been compiled in a series of blog posts available to read for free on her website. Even if you're not sure you want to commit to buying the book, I highly suggest checking them out!

Jamie hard at work (source)
Preorders for The Princess of Tennis will only be available for a limited time, and for only $20 you can grab yourself a copy of the book (approx. 250 pages), postcard with Jamie's original art, personalized message in the book (if desired), digital copy of the book on the day of release, and free shipping worldwide. That's a pretty super deal, so it's definitely worth putting your order in early!
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Chic Pixel Plus Episode 19 – Sailor Moon Extravaganza

May 19, 2014, 5:49 am
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In honor of the massive Sailor Moon resurgence that is occurring this year, I sat down (virtually) with repeat guest Janine Hawkins to chat about the shojo giant of our youth. In this episode, we cover everything from the manga and anime to merchandise and musicals. Nothing Sailor Moon-related is safe!


Please keep in mind that this was recorded about two weeks ago before the announcement that Viz will be re-releasing the original uncut anime in English on Hulu, DVD, and Blu-ray. I like to think we called it, somehow!

Opening ♫ - Sailor Moon Theme
Closing ♫ - Sailor Moon transformation



[DOWNLOAD] [ITUNES] [RSS]
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XSEED is all for equal-opportunity ogling in Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed

May 19, 2014, 6:38 pm
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When it comes to changes made or not made in game localizations, the most topical issue that comes to mind is Nintendo's recent refusal to add the ability for Mii's to have same-sex relationships in its upcoming release, Tomodachi Life. While Nintendo originally said there was no intent to make "social commentary" with the game (as if that somehow exempts it from social commentary), they later amended that statement, saying they were sorry for alienating their gay and lesbian fans but could not add the option this close to the game's release and would strongly consider it for future titles. 

#Miiquality logo

The issue of same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life and how Nintendo has handled responding to fans isn't what I'd like to focus on today, however (please read this great piece by Christian Nutt if you want to know more!). Instead, I'd like to highlight a company that went above and beyond to make a game inclusive during the localization process. In contrast to the inability/unwillingness of Nintendo to address the wants and needs of its western audience, XSEED Games has announced that they have been working with developer Acquire to make the experience in the vampire-stripping open world brawler Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed more appealing for those who'd like to see some male eye candy. The official statement is as follows: 
"An additional feature being newly added for the North American release – set for summer 2014 – is the inclusion of illustrated 'strip portraits' for all prominent male side characters, providing equivalent gender balance alongside the game’s existing female portraits. Once these have been viewed during normal gameplay, players may also use them as wallpapers for their in-game smartphones." 
What amazes me about this reveal is that XSEED is going to the effort to get the developer to add new content to their game so that everyone, male and female, gay and straight, will feel included in the game's (presumably abundant) fanservice. Not only that, but they took their own initiative to do so without being persuaded by a large number of fan requests, as far as I'm aware. Considering the relatively large backlash the breast-laden Senran Kagura Burst had leading up to and past its release, perhaps they wanted to make a conscious effort to not look like a company that only caters toward a specific audience?

Akiba's Trip promotional art showing high school girl in Tokyo holding cell phone and skirt

Honestly, whatever the reason, XSEED's decision to add additional "manservice" to Akiba's Trip has increased my interest in the game tenfold. While the media surrounding the Japanese release of the game was most definitely aimed at a heterosexual male audience, making it seem like the content of the game itself was skewed that way, it's extremely refreshing to see a western publisher take the initiative to make a game more inclusive. Even though XSEED is a niche publisher and Akiba's Trip an even more niche release,* gaming giant Nintendo could learn a thing or two about inclusion and localization from the fine folks at XSEED.

Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed is a localization of Akiba's Trip 2, and will be released on PS3 and PS Vita this summer.

*I understand that the inclusion of the male strip portraits along with the fact that XSEED is also recording English voiceovers for the game is an attempt to have it appeal to a wide audience, but I have a hard time viewing Akiba's Trip as anything more than a niche otaku game. I hope they prove me wrong!
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Apricotsushi Reviews: Little Witch Academia Blu-ray

May 21, 2014, 4:55 am
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Way back in August of last year, I wrote about an anime short called Little Witch Academia and how it brought back memories of some of my favorite magical girl series from my youth. With its gorgeous animation, great cast of female characters, and charming story, I immediately knew it was something I wanted to see more of. I highly suggest reading the above article for more of my impressions of the episode, as today I'm not going to focus on the merits of Little Witch Academia itself (suffice it to say, I think it's wonderful!), but rather the lovely Blu-ray release now available from Studio Trigger's online store.


When my copy of the Blu-ray arrived courtesy of acttil, I was immediately impressed by the quality of the packaging. Not only does it come with the main event, the 26 minute episode of Little Witch Academia itself, but it also includes a documentary, soundtrack CD, and a separate book full of illustrations, storyboards, interviews, and more!

Back cover of the book

The official booklet's cover has the title embossed in gold text, which is a lovely touch. Though it's a paperback, the detail put into the cover on its own reveals that it is by no means a cheap extra. In fact, the book itself is 112 pages long! Let's take a look inside:



Two pages from the "story & commentary" section
Approximately one third of the book is in full color, which includes the gorgeous two-page spread shown above, illustrations of the main characters, an "image board" that consists of some backgrounds and environmental items, an overview of the story with commentary, and a color storyboard. The full color pages look great, but I wish there were a few more of them. Luckily, the rest of the book is still chock-full of amazing sketches and information.


There are a number of color glossy pages dedicated to specific animators, but since the images are all sketches, it seems like a waste to put them on the "nicer" paper at the beginning when there are full color stills that do not get the benefit of similar nice paper later on in the book (see images below). This is a very nitpicky critique, though, as the animator-specific sections and associated interviews provide a lot of interesting insight and it's nice that Studio Trigger decided to highlight them by putting them towards the front of the book.





The rest of the book is printed on slightly lower quality paper using a limited color palette (lots of purple, pink, and blue). It's difficult to think of a western equivalent, but it reminds me a lot of the monthly manga "phone books," except on slightly thicker paper. The character sheets and background sections are definitely my favorite, as they get much deeper into all of the designs used in the episode than the color section does at the beginning. The full script is also included, along with samples from the storyboard, and there are more interviews to close out the book. As I mentioned earlier, the interviews in this section include images that have been reduced to a limited color palette, which is an interesting design choice but a bit of a shame for those who might prefer the original, full color versions. 

Before I move on to the Blu-ray and soundtrack, I wanted to mention that though I did not receive one, all orders of the Blu-ray set from Studio Trigger's online store will include an extra "special booklet" that consists of English translations for all of the Japanese text, such as interviews, in the official booklet. 



Next up is the "book" that houses the Blu-ray and soundtrack CD. I am honestly really impressed by the packaging on both this and the booklet! The Blu-ray case has a hard cover, but unlike normal Blu-ray cases it's a heavy cardboard-like material, so be careful not to spill water on it! When you open it up, there's a rather shocking color choice: 


It's so pink! I love how psychedelic it is. The Blu-ray itself is self-explanatory, but the bonus production documentary "How the Magic was Created" is definitely worth mentioning. It includes English subtitles and clocks in at a whopping 66 minutes, and is an eye-opening glimpse at what work in a Japanese animation studio is like.

The soundtrack CD consists of 13 songs, making it 18 minutes of full orchestral music. It's not often that I even notice the music in an anime, so the fact that I listen to this soundtrack when I'm not watching Little Witch Academia is pretty high praise. One of my favorite tracks is Shiny Chariot's Theme – it has a great sense of grandeur and wonder that I feel encompasses my feelings for the show as a whole.

Honestly, I can't believe this Little Witch Academia Blu-ray set is only ¥6,171 (approx. $60)! It's an amazing package and it really does the episode justice. While the Kickstarter for Little Witch Academia episode two has already been funded, I'd definitely recommend supporting the series by purchasing the episode one Blu-ray. You won't regret it!
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Kitty Godzilla, Apricotsushi Samples: Pokésnacks, and a Giveaway!

May 24, 2014, 4:16 am
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Hello lovelies! It's Saturday here in Australia, and I've just gotten back from seeing the new Hollywood reboot of Godzilla. Believe it or not, I've never actually seen a Godzilla movie (shock! horror!), but I am definitely familiar with the Godzilla mythos/legacy, and I must say I was really impressed with the film. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and I highly suggest anyone with even a passing Godzilla fancy to check it out! I'm also excited to hear that the director has confirmed he's working on two follow-up movies, which will hopefully explore new directions/monsters.

via @Richmond_Lee
More importantly, I've been introduced to what may be the best kaiju on the planet: Negora! As far as I can tell, Negora is a kitty Godzilla spoof that has its own toy line. I may not really understand it, but I can definitely see the appeal. The creator, Konatsu, has her own Negora blog, which I highly recommend checking out if you find the above image at all intriguing. Negora is so popular that it even has its own set of LINE stamps in Japan! I have a feeling I'm going to have to seek out some Negora figures when I'm in Tokyo...


If you're at a loss of things to do this weekend, why not check out the latest episode of Apricotsushi Samples? It's all about Pokémon food! I try Pokémon curry, a Pokémon chocolate wafer, and "evolving" Pokémon gummies. All can be purchased through my affiliates, Oyatsu Café and Jlist, so if any of those sound like something you might want to try, please do consider supporting Chic Pixel by buying them there! Of course, you may want to wait and see what I actually think of the snacks before purchasing them for yourself...

Also, if you're a Pokémon fan, be sure to watch this episode of Apricotsushi Samples to the end for details on my latest giveaway! It's super easy to enter, and open worldwide. You only have until May 31st to enter, though, so don't put it off!

Finally, I'm always thinking of ways to improve Chic Pixel, and am considering doing a little "miscellaneous" post every Saturday where I talk about a couple things that might not be big enough to merit their own post. But what shall I name this wee new column? I'll have to pin that down before next weekend...
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Japan Envy: The GUEST x Little Twin Stars Café Collaboration

May 27, 2014, 6:19 pm
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Since I'm creeping closer and closer to my July trip to Tokyo, I figured I wouldn't be doing many Japan Envy posts, considering I'll likely be able to experience many of the things I generally write about in this column when I'm there. Fortunately for you and unfortunately for me, however, one of the café collaborations I'm currently pining over is scheduled to finish on July 7th (five days before I arrive!), which means we can sigh at the loveliness we'll never get to experience together!

the GUEST cafe Kiki and Lala Little Twin Stars display
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The adorable duo Kiki and Lala of Little Twin Stars were never really on my radar as a Hello Kitty-loving adolescent, but now that I'm older and really into pastels for some inexplicable reason, I think it's safe to say that the Little Twin Stars are my favorite Sanrio characters. Thus, when I saw that The GUEST café & diner in Tokyo would be doing a Little Twin Stars collaboration, I was utterly thrilled! While I've always been a huge fan of café collaborations, I think The GUEST takes the idea to the next level with its attention to detail and presentation!

the GUEST cafe Kiki and Lala Little Twin Stars statue
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There is even a statue of Kiki and Lala to take photos with upon entering the café, and apparently the staff are happy to take your photo for you if you ask. Since I'll never get to experience this lovely café, I'm very thankful for the numerous posts filled with awesome photos from people who have gone themselves!

Little Twin Stars limited edition coasters in five designs
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At your table, you'll be treated to a Kiki and Lala placemat that you can take home after you're finished your meal. If you get it dirty, you can just ask for a replacement and they're happy to provide one. In addition to the placemat, you can score one of five original coasters (pictured above) with any drink order. I don't think I'd be able to bring myself to use them!

Little Twin Stars fruit crepes with special mug
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But really, we're all here for the food, right? And it certainly doesn't disappoint! This fruit crepe looks both cute and extremely delicious.

Little Twin Stars mini pink and blue burgers
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I also love the look of this mini burger set. I wonder what a pink star bun tastes like?

Kiki and Lala lattes in pink and blue
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And of course there are themed lattes! Not only are designs on the drink adorable, but check out the phrase on the mug: "All you need is love & coffee"! Sounds about right to me!

Kiki and Lala Little Twin Stars nail art on cafe manager
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The manager even has Little Twin Stars-themed nails! Honestly, everything about the presentation of this café is irresistible. There's lots more to see that I haven't included, so definitely go check out Matcha and Tokyo Otaku Mode for more images and details about the café! Of course they're also selling numerous exclusive Little Twin Stars merchandise that I'm sure I'd have to buy all of if I were actually able to attend this collaboration event. Even though they won't be having this event while I'm in Tokyo, I think I'll still stop by The GUEST café & diner to see how it stacks up!
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XSEED to publish latest Harvest Moon as Story of Seasons

May 29, 2014, 1:04 am
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I don't always cover news news here at Chic Pixel, but this announcement is one that really caught my eye: XSEED Games has acquired the rights to the latest Harvest Moon title and will be releasing it under the title of... Story of Seasons? From what I understand, Harvest Moon is Natsume's bread and butter, so this was quite the surprise announcement indeed!

story of seasons logo

This may be sad news for Natsume and fans of the "Harvest Moon" name, but when you factor in the fact that XSEED Games is a subsidiary of Story of Seasons developer Marvelous AQL, it all begins to make sense. What I'm wondering is, will Story of Seasons act as series' new title going forward? According to XSEED's official announcement, Story of Seasons is described as a "new IP," so I guess the answer to that question would be yes. It will be interesting to see how the brand develops, but given XSEED's history of providing high-quality localizations for various Rune Factory titles, I'm sure they will do a superb job with Story of Seasons.

story of seasons title art
As for the game itself, I must admit that I'm sorely out of the loop when it comes to Story of Seasons (Japanese name Bokujo Monogatari: Tsunagaru Shintenchi). I still have a copy of Harvest Moon: A New Beginning that I've barely touched, though I always thoroughly enjoy the Harvest Moon games. A whole slew of new animals will be in the game, as well as wildlife safari, and you can keep dogs, cats, and horses as pets. Plus, there is a whole new range of suitors for your male or female avatar to woo and eventually wed, though unfortunately there is still no same-sex marriage option. Since XSEED was able to convince developer of Akiba's Trip to add a male fanservice option to their game, perhaps same-sex marriage in future Story of Seasons titles isn't completely out of the question? 

story of seasons english screenshot
My castle indeed! 
Other new features include some beefed up StreetPass and online connectivity options – you can now visit your friend's farms and trade items and receive player data via StreetPass. Nintendo even put their own special touch on the game, with decorative items such as the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower and Super Star appearing in the series for the first time.

While I have to admit that this announcement makes me a little uneasy for Natsume considering Harvest Moon was probably their best-known franchise, I'm happy to hear that the series is in XSEED's capable hands. It may be difficult, however, to promote the game to less internet-savvy potential customers who might grab a game with the name "Harvest Moon" on it on the shelf but aren't aware that Story of Seasons is the same series. In fact, XSEED only used the Japanese title, Bokujo Monogatari, in their initial announcement, and I'm just not sure how many people outside diehard fans will connect the dots!

I'm sure XSEED Games will have their work cut out for them promoting the game at E3, as they have confirmed Story of Seasons will be at their booth. If someone in attendance wanted to pick up some swag for me, I sure wouldn't complain...!
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Swooning Over Kira Miku Lesson and Animal Food Stationery

May 30, 2014, 6:22 am
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I have many eccentric hobbies, but I don't think I've ever quite let on about just how obsessed with stationery I am. My theory is that for someone who likes cute things from Japan, stationery is one of the cheapest and most easily accessible ways to get your kawaii fix. Whether you're into character good such as Sanrio or a popular anime series, there's no end to the notebooks, stickers, and other paper-based goods available! 

Kira Miku Lesson stationery series

It's no secret that I've been a little bit obsessed with Hatsune Miku/Vocaliods recently, so when I saw the above stationery series, I knew I needed one of everything. The Kira Miku Lesson series marries Miku and her Vocaloid pals with a lovely pastel palette, rabbits and bears, and a variety of musical instruments. All of my favorite things!

Kira Miku Lesson clear file folder

First up is this adorable Hatsune Miku clear folder. I don't even want to get into how many of these folders I have, and the sad fact is that I barely ever use them. But you can't deny how cute this one is! Sometimes I just display them on my wall when I don't know what else to do with them. 

Kira Miku Lesson clear file folder back detail

The back is plain aside from this fun little electric guitar. I love all the little details like the bow on its handle!

Kira Miku Lesson Hatsune Miku notebook

One can never have too many notebooks though, right? As you can see, this has the same central Miku design as the folder above, but for some reason I had to have it. It's a bit of a shame that aside from the cardboard design attached to the band that goes around the notebook, it's actually pretty plain.

Kira Miku Lesson Hatsune Miku notebook inside page design 1

Kira Miku Lesson Hatsune Miku notebook inside page design 2

But wait, the pages inside have two different Vocaloid designs on them! That totally redeems this notebook in my eyes. There's nothing I hate more than a notebook with a cute design on the outside that just has plain pages on the inside. Of course, though, that makes me not want to write in it for fear of "ruining" it...

Kira Miku Lesson Miku and Luka sticky notes with fish

Now, sticky notes aren't nearly as common as notebooks and folders, so this was a really fun addition to my Miku stationery shopping spree. I'll tell you right now, out of all the available sticky note designs, I chose this one solely because of the fish. I'm not sure why they stuck the smaller sticky notes to the larger ones, as if/when I want to actually use them, I'll ruin the first pink sheet featuring Miku and Luka when I go to remove the fish ones. A small caveat, but it's still a shame!

Kira Miku Lesson Vocaloid friends squishy stickers

Finally, who doesn't love a good sticker? These stickers are especially fun they're "squishy," which basically means I have absolutely no idea what to put them on.

Kira Miku Lesson Vocaloid friends squishy sticker closeup

If you're anything like the crafter Frainyxo, though, you might use these stickers to create resin charms! I hate the idea of "wasting" cute stickers like these, so when I saw she made an adorable heart-shaped charm featuring the dancing Miku at the top left of the sticker sheet, I knew I had to have it. Now I can stick these stickers on various things to my heart's content and sleep soundly knowing I'll have at least one of them for the long-term.

Japanese animal food stickers

Next up are these utterly amazing food animal stickers I got in Japan last June but never got around to writing about! And you can bet your betting object of choice that, nearly a year later, not a single sticker is out of place. It's sad, really, the life of a collector...

Japanese animal food McDog stickers hamburger dog

The great thing about having a scanner in this modern age, though, is being able to scan in things like stickers and save them forever. Am I starting to sound creepy yet? Seriously, for unique things like these, I can't bring myself to actually use them until I've "catalogued" them in some way. The idea of sticking one on something and "ruining" it forever is too much to bear!

More importantly, though, how awesome are these stickers?!

Japanese animal food Bird 32 ice cream parakeet stickers

Bird ice cream! I love how each series is a spoof on different famous fast food chains. Can you guess them all?

Japanese animal food MOF burger cat hamburger stickers

Japanese animal food bunny donut stickers

If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be the Bird 32 Ice Cream, but the bunny donuts are also great! Who am I kidding, they're all adorable. And would you believe each sheet was only $1? Talk about a steal!




I'm curious, do you like seeing pictures of my stationery? I certainly have a ton of it, so if that's something people would like to see more of, I can certainly oblige! It would definitely be the motivation I need to scan in more of my collection...
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Catch-up Corner: Aoba Seragaki figure re-release, #PuzzleMonth, and some site maintenance

May 31, 2014, 11:14 pm
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Here it is, the first weekend of my new "bits and bobs" series, Catch-up Corner! Since I often find there are a lot of things I want to talk about but don't have enough to say to quite fill up a regular post, these weekly posts will be a place for me to touch on some little tidbits I've found interesting or keep you updated with what I'm up to. I hope you enjoy it!


The biggest news of my week has got to be the announcement that Max Factory will be re-releasing their scaled figure of Aoba Seragaki from the BL visual novel DRAMAtical Murder! They've been teasing this one for a long time, and since he was released before I got into figure collecting and is currently fetching prices of $300+, there was simply no way I would have been able to purchase him before. Granted, even his first release retailed at ¥14,095 (about $140), so the likelihood that I will break down and buy the re-release is probably nearly as low, but I like to dream that I might be able to get my hands on him someday. Maybe I should set my sights on something a little more affordable, like the Free! or Uta no Prince-sama boys...


Next, an embarrassing admission: it's already June 1st here in Australia and I haven't done an official announcement for June's Community Game-Along theme! For those of you who like to get started right away, here it is: puzzles! Be sure #PuzzleMonth to share your experiences and chat with other participants on your favorite social medial of choice. If you're at a loss to what game you should play, a post will be going up tomorrow with a handful of suggestions along with the usual Game-Along guidelines. And if you want to plan even further ahead, mark your calendar for #JRPGJuly!


I'd also like to let everyone know that Chic Pixel is going through a little bit of a move at the moment, and as a result there may be some hiccups over the next week. If you find any broken links, have troubles with the podcast, or have any other issues you notice, please let me know by leaving a comment here or messaging me on Twitter! If all goes well, you shouldn't even notice anything. Fingers crossed!
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Introducing the Puzzle Game Community Game-Along (with Giveaway!)

June 2, 2014, 12:35 am
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I can't believe it's already June – not only does that mean we're halfway through 2014, but it also means we've successfully held a whopping five Community Game-Alongs, and we're still going strong! But June is generally a busy month due to E3 excitement, schools finishing up for the year, and the usual new game releases, so I was a little stumped for a theme that would allow folks to pick up and play for short bursts when they have time during the month.

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But who doesn't love a good puzzle game? While you could argue puzzle games aren't at all niche – in fact, one of the most-played games of all time is undoubtedly Tetris, there are still so many puzzle games out there that haven't had their chance in the spotlight. As such, in the "pick up and play" spirit of June, I would like to dedicate the month to all manner of puzzle games, from Professor Layton to Puyo Puyo!

To participate in June's Community Game-Along, all you need to do is play a game that fits the theme and talk about your experiences using #PuzzleMonth on your favorite social media application of choice. I especially love to see blog posts, podcasts, or other types of long-form discussion, but recent months have seen a bit of a lull in participation outside of short-form social media venues... So get writing and send me your contributions so we can get the word out about Puzzle Month! You could talk about your favorite puzzle game, an under-appreciated gem, or even record yourself playing your pick for the month – there are tons of possibilities!

I know how hard it can be to make a decision when faced with so much choice, so here are a few puzzle games you may want to check out:


subaku (iOS) – So, you're one of those people who thinks they've played everything, eh? Well, let me tell you, I can almost guarantee you've overlooked this little iOS gem. In this number matching game, you tap a number to decrease it by one, which causes the value of the adjacent numbers to increase by one. The goal is to match three in a row to clear the board in as few moves as possible. Created by Eric Koizol, it's the perfect puzzle game in that it's easy to learn but always keeps you on your toes, and there's even a free trial version in the app store for you to try before you buy. Or, if you'd like to score yourself a copy, simply comment on this post with your favorite puzzle game to win a code! I'll give them away to the first five people to comment, so be quick!



Pushmo series (3DS, Wii U) – I love scheduling a monthly Game-Along theme that coincides with a new release, but in the case of the upcoming Pushmo World, it was completely on accident! Pushmo and its sequel Crashmo were previously only available on the Nintendo 3DS, but the brand-new Pushmo World will be making its way to the Wii U on June 19th. In anticipation of its release, both Pushmo and Crashmo will be on sale in the eShop for a short period, so now's a great time to pick up one or both if you haven't had a chance to play them!


Mr. Driller series (various) – I'll readily admit that I'm just including Mr. Driller on this list because I love the series and want to see more people play it! The art is adorable, gameplay addictive, and music amazingly catchy. It's such a shame that we haven't seen a good new Mr. Driller game in quite some time. If you're looking to play it, it's available for almost every system, but many would recommend the Dreamcast or PSone versions as the pinnacle of the series. You could always try the iOS version for $1.29, but, uh, don't say I didn't warn you if it isn't any good. Just play Mr. Driller!


Touch Detective series (DS, 3DS, Android/iOS) – There are two reasons I wanted to highlight the Touch Detective series this month: 1. The 3rd entry was just released for the 3DS in Japan, and we still don't have a localization announcement (c'mon E3!) and 2. The series is a great example of games with puzzle elements that might be closer to traditional adventure/point and click games, which are also fair game this month. Since Atlus was responsible for bringing over the past two games in the series, we need to make some noise and let them know that we'd like to see the third in English, as well! While the puzzles themselves may not be the real highlight of these games depending on who you ask, they're certainly worth checking out if you want a quirky new experience.

Honorable import mentions: Guru Logi Champ, Airou de Puzzle, Osawari Tantei Nameko Daihanshoku (Touch Detective: Funghi's Big Breed)... The options are limitless! I really encourage you to pick up some Japanese puzzle games you might not have tried otherwise, as they're one of the few types of import titles that don't really require any knowledge of the language to play.


While I could go back and pick up my copy of Picross DS or finally sit down and play some of the Professor Layton games I've never touched, I'm going to try something totally off the hook this month – Tetris with CardCaptor Sakura: Eternal Heart! That's right, Tetris mixed with CardCaptor Sakura... What could be better? I can't wait to try it out and share my experiences with everyone!
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Apricotsushi Reviews: Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA f

June 4, 2014, 6:17 am
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Hatsune Miku and her Vocaloid friends are relatively unknown outside of their homeland of Japan, but have a steadily growing western fanbase that even counts Lady Gaga in their ranks. For those who aren't familiar, Vocaloids are a series of Japanese voice banks created from actual singers that can be used to create completely original music and vocals from scratch. Each Vocaloid voice bank is represented by a unique character, with Hatsune Miku undoubtedly being the most famous due to her iconic turquoise twin tails and vibrant, youthful voice.

The communal aspect of Vocaloids is one of the reasons why they're so interesting – what songs become hits are entirely up to the fans, and even what Hastune Miku wears in her music videos is conceived by fans. So, while the Vocaloid rhythm game series Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA is ultimately developed and published by Sega, the songs included are all created and popularized by the fans themselves!


Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA f for the Vita and its companion, Project DIVA F for the PS3 are the first entries in the series to see an English release. Eager to support the localization, I picked up Project DVIA F when it first came out, but found it difficult to get into on the PS3. I love rhythm games, but ultimately find them much more satisfying on handhelds, which is why I was thrilled when Sega announced that they would be bringing over the Vita version a few months later.

Project Diva f on the Vita is everything I love about rhythm games and more. Though I can understand the idea of listening to music sung by a computer program might be off-putting at first for some, I personally found the vast majority of songs toe-tappingly fun, and I highly suggest checking out a few of YouTube to get a taste of the range of musical styles represented by Vocaloid songs.


Of course, catchy songs are only half of what it takes to make a good rhythm game. Luckily, Sega has married a quality Vocaloid song library with precise mechanics and just the right difficulty curve to keep me wanting to reply songs to achieve higher scores and perfect tougher difficulties. The easiest mode has players tapping only the O button in time with on-screen prompts, but more buttons are used with each difficulty increase until all face buttons need to be utilized at break-neck speed in order to pass a song. The harder difficulties definitely aren't for the faint of heart, and the colorful, frantic music videos that play for each song make it easy to get distracted and miss a beat, but even the most rhtyhm-inept players should be able to enjoy the easiest difficulty.

In addition to the face button prompts and special colored arrows that indicate to the player to press both the directional button face button of the corresponding color simultaneously, there are also star notes that require players to quickly swipe the front or back touch screen with a finger. While this may sound easy in theory, the Project DIVA series is known for its dynamic positioning of button prompts that dance across the screen as the song plays, meaning concentration is extremely vital to following the note trajectory.


While the core of Project DIVA f is undoubtedly the rhythm gameplay, there is a huge amount of peripheral content in the form of customizable outfits and rooms, a song editor, and AR photo booth that will appeal to Vocaloid fans as well as those who enjoy customizing their game experiences. I never spent much time interacting with the five Vocaloids in their Diva Rooms, which acts as a mini simulation game that requires you to give your Vocaloids presents and "pet" them Nintendogs-style to increase their affection for you, but it's a nice touch that can act as a nice break from the rhythm game aspect of Project DIVA f for those that want it.

Despite the lavish praise, I do have a few niggling annoyances with the game. The loading screens are too long and annoyingly frequent, and it always feels like it takes a few clicks too many to get to the selection I want in the menus. Since the PS3 version came out first with more songs, it's a shame that the whole track list isn't included in the initial price of the Vita version, but since the game only sets you back $30 and the DLC costs $10, it still ends up being $10 less than the retail price of the PS3 version (though, keep in mind, the Vita version is PSN-only). Finally, I couldn't help but notice that the game isn't running on the Vita's native resolution, at least in the menus, as the character models look undoubtedly fuzzy when compared with the PS3 version. Thankfully, however, this isn't noticeable during actual gameplay.

At least there are a ton of adorable loading screens – and you can use them as
wallpapers!
In all honesty, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA f is one of my favorite Vita games to date. It's not without some imperfections, but it looks and plays wonderfully on the handheld, and is a must-have for any Vita-owning rhythm  game fan. I'm thrilled that the PS3 version did well enough for Sega to bring over its handheld counterpart, as it really is where this series thrives. Even better is the fact that they've already announced localizations of the PS3 and Vita versions of Project DIVA f 2nd for later this year, making the mid-year slump a great time to dive into the series in preparation for the sequel. I guarantee that if you give it a try, you'll get at least one of the songs stuck in your head for days!  


Disclaimer: A code of Project Diva f was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review. 
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Catch-Up Corner: Regional Hello Kitty Blendy Stick Flavors, Yowamushi Pedal, and Website Woes

June 8, 2014, 6:33 am
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Ah, there's nothing quite like a long weekend after a endlessly stressful week! This Monday is the Queen's Birthday public holiday here in Queensland (though apparently her actual birthday isn't in June at all), and while I don't feel any particular fondness for the monarchy even though I live in a Commonwealth nation now, I tip my proverbial hat at Her Majesty for the day off. 

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There are two other things you could say I have quite the fondness for, however: Japanese collaboration campaigns and regional merchandise. That makes this new Blendy stick x Hello Kitty series is a real double whammy for me. Not only is the Blendy stick instant coffee/tea brand teaming up with Hello Kitty, but their new series of drinks are regional flavors only available in certain areas! Isn't the packaging fabulous?

Unfortunately from the looks of the official shop listing, these may be rather hard to find depending on where in Japan you visit. There's only one shop in Tokyo that carries any of these, and it's the bottom middle Tochiotome Strawberry Café au Lait! The Tochiotome strawberry is a specialty of Tochigi prefecture, where the Tochiotome Blendy sticks will be primarily sold. The other flavors will be featured in other popular Japanese tourist destinations – check out the company's website for the complete list.

via @acosmos
I don't always talk about what anime I'm currently watching, but I'm going to try to remedy that! Hopefully this new weekend column will be the perfect opportunity to write a paragraph or two about whatever's currently caught my fancy.

This week, I started Yowamushi Pedal, a shōnen bicycle anime currently at episode 34 of a 38-episode season. From what I understand, it's pretty popular in Japan, and has already been renewed for a second season. Like many male sports anime, it also happens to have a large female fanbase, many of whom like to pair up the male characters with one another in fan-written dōjinshi... I must admit, that aspect of the series is one of the reasons why I was initially drawn to it, as I'm always looking for new things that I can relate to my thesis (not that I'm running out of stuff to cover...).

The first two episodes hooked me right away, I really like the relatively slow build the series takes to get the main character interested in the sport we all know he ultimately becomes obsessed with. The main character, Onoda, is also an otaku, and unlike the vast majority of media that depicts male otaku as moe-obsessed creeps, he is an extremely loveable protagonist who comes across as a very genuine shy teenager that I personally relate to pretty strongly. For me to relate to a character in a series that's 90% about boys and sports is a pretty amazing feat! That said, I was a little disappointed to see the show fall into fairly stereotypical plot and character tropes as it developed. Since I'm only on episode 7, I hope it surprises me again sooner rather than later! I know quite a people who think pretty highly of it, so I'm willing to stick with it a while longer.
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If you're reading this, you already know that Chic Pixel is back to residing at chicpixel.blogspot.com temporarily, but I just wanted to give another update on the situation: since chic-pixel.com is down, the podcast feed is no longer working, either. It looks like everything will likely be offline until the 12th as the domain is being transfered to a new host (long story). Disqus is also broken, which means all previous comments aren't showing up right now, but I think once I start up the redirect again I should be able to fix it so they all reappear. Fingers crossed that my Google ranking and whatnot won't be totally ruined by the time the site is back. Thanks for sticking with me through the move!

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Apricotsushi Reviews: rainblocks

June 10, 2014, 4:49 pm
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Every once in a while, I write about the occasional mobile game. The time I actually spend playing games on my iPhone or Android tablet, however, is actually even less. The main reason for this is that I have a wealth of quality titles for my dedicated handheld gaming devices, and I hardly ever find a game worthy enough of putting similar hours into on a mobile device.

While I tend toward playing otome games on mobile devices since that's where they seem to be most easily available these days, I've never really felt that they fit the hardware. I find the kinds of experiences that excel best on mobile devices are bite-sized yet polished titles that can be picked up while waiting for a friend at the bus stop or microwaving your lunch and be put away after a couple of minutes just as easily. Eric Koziol, developer of subaku and the upcoming rainblocks, really gets this, and that's why his games remain some of my favorites to play on my phone.


rainblocks is a cute little sliding puzzle game that takes place on a three-by-three grid filled with eight colored tiles. Essentially, all you need to do is match the two tiles corresponding with whichever one is currently shown at the top of the screen by tapping tiles one at a time to slide them around the board. There's a timer constantly ticking down, and it's your goal to get as high a score as possible before it runs out, with various helpful and detrimental icons appearing on the board as you play.

Admittedly, rainblocks takes a little getting used to. After cruising through the tutorial and learning about the weather-inspired status effects, mud and ice, that make it more difficult to move tiles on the board and the handy rainbow icon that will completely clear the board of pesky intrusions, I jumped straight into my first game. My immediate intuition was to match tiles willy nilly (which doesn't do anything), and swipe the blocks instead of tapping them, which, while slightly more satisfying from a hands-on perspective, was actually slowing me down. After a few rounds, I finally began to find my rhythm, and soon I was even thinking ahead to making combos, as the game cycles through the ROY G BIV rainbow color spectrum for tile matchups, making it possible to plan ahead and rack up points by clearing multiple colors in one go.


For me, the games I choose to play in my free time are nearly as much about appealing aesthetics as they are compelling gameplay, which is another reason why I'm so smitten on rainblocks. I just love the simple, yet colorful pixelated art style, and the music, composed by Manami Matsumae of Mega Man fame is both catchy and soothing at the same time. As the timer runs out, the sun slowly sets in the background landscape, which is another great touch that really sums up the quaint, straightforward nature of this puzzle game.

rainblocks is equal parts solid gameplay and quirky, loveable aesthetics, and is a great way to brighten your day on your iOS device of choice. It can be a relaxing or hectic experience depending on how serious you get about topping the leaderboards, and it's the perfect style of game to pick up and fiddle with for a few minutes before returning your phone to your pocket/bag (though you may need to make ample use of the pause button in that scenario). Even better is the fact that the game will be available to try for free when it launches on June 12th, with a single in-app purchase of $0.99 offering the option to remove ads and change the difficulty level for those that want it. If you need a new game to play for June's puzzle-themed Community Game-Along, perhaps you should give it a shot!



An advance code for rainblocks was provided by the developer for the purpose of this review
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Japan Envy: Ikemen Beauty Salon

June 11, 2014, 1:21 am
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Time and time again, Japan proves that they know how to market products to an extremely wide range of consumers. Call me gullible, but I am almost always on board with whatever weird collaborative campaign or new marketing tactic Japanese companies come up with (yes, even Mister Donut x MOS Burger). Today in "awesome things you'll only find in Japan," drug store chain Matsumoto Kiyoshi has teamed up with voice actor Tomokazu Sugita to offer... an otome drama web series?


In Ikemen Beauty Salon, every single guy (pictured above) is voiced by none other than Tomokazu Sugita, who you may know as "that guy in every anime and otome game ever." But these aren't just any guys – they're "cleansing sommelier" specialists, and their number one job is to help you with your daily cleansing routine!* While at first glance, Ikemen Beauty Salon appears to be a otome drama CD series, it's actually a web-based audio experience that can only be listened to if you buy the product that corresponds to your Sugita guy of choice. 



For example, Nao Yoshino here recommends this Mandom Bifesta cleansing lotion. In order to listen to Nao's lotion-applying tips, you need to go to a Matsumoto Kiyoshi store and pick up the product. When you purchase one or more of the designated products, you'll be granted with a QR code and special passcode to input on the site on your receipt. I can't imagine any of the character scenarios are that long, but it certainly seems like a fun way to get otome fans to try out some of these beauty products! I know I'm definitely going to pick up at least one of them so I can see what kind of audio I'll be treated to when I'm in Japan. 

What do you think? Have I completely lost it, or is this a neat idea? 


*"Cleansing sommelier" is the exact phrase used on the Ikemen Beauty Salon website, but a little research tells me "sommelier" generally refers to a waiter who is an expert on wine? Though apparently in Japan it's common to use "sommelier" to refer to an expert of a variety of things. There are even vegetable sommeliers! The more you know. 
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Apricotsushi Reviews: The Man of Tango

June 11, 2014, 8:19 pm
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When I first saw the cover of Man of Tango, I was sure it had to be bara, or gei comi, a genre of manga distinct from boys' love (hereafter BL) due to it usually targeting a gay male audience rather than women. The author, Tetuzoh Okadaya, however, is most definitely a woman, and more importantly, she was explicitly approached by an editor to write a BL story, which resulted in The Man of Tango. I'm always excited to see BL that shakes up the genre (that's what I'm writing my thesis on, after all!), so her unique style combined with her comments about being inspired by bara visionary Gengoroh Tagame had me very excited to see what The Man of Tango had to offer.


The Man of Tango is a one-shot manga about the life of tango aficionado Angie, a man that despite his deep passion for dance has never been able to awaken his true spirit, nor find a life partner. But since this is BL, all that changes when he meets Hiro, a nondescript half-Latin, half-Japanese businessman who soon finds himself drawn in by Angie's charms. Angie reminds Hiro of his home and youth, but not all of his memories are positive. Hiro soon finds himself opening up to Angie in more ways than one, simultaneously being drawn into the mystical world of tango and gay romance.


First, I have to point out that The Man of Tango does a lot of great things that you don't see in BL very often. Aside from the love-it-or-hate-it art style, it's one of the few BL stories I've read that prominently features a female character who isn't being used as a catalyst for disaster between the male couple (usually in the form of a third love interest, jealous ex, etc.). Instead, Angie's tango partner and roommate Bene is a warm, appealing female supporting character, which is most welcome as a breath of fresh air in the otherwise male-dominated BL genre.


Of course, the other major draw of The Man of Tango is in the subject matter. It's clear that Tetuzoh Okadaya appreciates the art of tango, and I felt like even I learned something about the art, or at least had a greater appreciation for it, by the end of the story. I also loved the fact that both of the male protagonists are older, with Angie being in his late thirties and even sporting some facial hair (though I suppose you could say that's a Latin stereotype). The story is also appropriately mature, though it borders on dark, especially when delving into Hiro's childhood, so those looking for a happy-go-lucky romance may find it too heavy. Personally, however, I really enjoyed the more mature themes.


It's the fact that The Man of Tango does so much well that makes the areas where it stumbles all the more frustrating. I am never a fan of the "but I'm not gay!" line appearing in BL, but The Man of Tango takes it to an extreme by also having Angie take advantage of Hiro when he is drunk (see above image), making Hiro's subsequent revelation that he has feelings for Angie and has already engaged in X-rated activities with him not romantic in the least. Not only did Angie's sexual advances on Hiro when he is inebriated make me dislike him, but Hiro's constant "I'm not gay, but I like you!" admissions felt especially juvenile when compared to the other issues the story tackles, which made me dislike him, too. So, in the end, while I enjoyed a number of the overarching themes of the story, both male protagonists were obnoxious and the story did not convey the feeling of a great, timeless romance by having a relationship building out of a non-consentual first sexual encounter. I'm not saying that non-consentual sex has no place in a mature storyline, but in this case, it just wasn't handled in a satisfactory manner (in fact, it wasn't even regarded as non-consentual by any of the characters).

The Man of Tango may not be for everyone, but I still think it does a lot of interesting things and I hope to see more from Tetuzoh Okadaya in the future. Most importantly, let's see more older protagonists, mature themes, female side-characters, and interesting art in BL! I just hope we can move past non-consentual sex and "only gay for you" shenanigans sooner rather than later.


Disclaimer: A copy of the manga was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review
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Shop Spotlight: BeagleCakes Art & Illustration

June 14, 2014, 5:59 am
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I'm always excited to find a new artist or crafter, so I was thrilled to learn about Maggie Tsou and her adorable brand BeagleCakes! 


What I love about Maggie's style is it's unique while at the same time having a definite kawaii Japanese-inspired aesthetic. She specializes in illustration, but her Etsy shop stocks everything from super cute stickers to miniature acrylic sweets accessories.


Maggie was kind enough to send me a sample selection of some of her hand-cut stickers, which you can see above. All of them are really adorable, but I especially like the band-aid, chubby brown cat, and ghost cat on the right! I can't wait to stick them all over my stuff. 


The stickers arrived surprisingly quickly – though I was given an estimate of 3 weeks for them to arrive, they came within a week and a half! Maggie was really pleasant to communicate with, which is always a bonus when shopping at a small business, in my opinion. Her prices are very reasonable, too, with a stack of 12-15 stickers of various designs running only a few dollars. Needless to say, I highly recommend her Etsy store! Here are a few of my favorite items:

Puppy and bunny cupcake stickers!
Alpaca stickers! 
Painted wooden kitty keychain!
She has many more items available, such as sketch and illustration commissions, tons of adorable stickers (including Sailor Moon ones!), and lots more. Be sure to follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr to stay updated on her new products! She has stores on both Etsy and Storenvy.
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