Clephas

Having a story with a beginning and an ending is a big plus, from a Japanese perspective, and the more series a company puts out, the more side-goods they can sell (this is where most of the non-advert profits come from). This is one of the big reasons why it is rare for a big ongoing series to get started over there. One Piece, Fairy Tale, Bleach, and Naruto are exceptions to the rule, because of this business model.

Sanzen Sekai Yuugi, an otome game I've been keeping an eye on, just got a nice download release (it was low on my purchasing list, so my actual copy isn't scheduled to get here until sometime in May, lol). So, I'll be adding that to my list of games played from December's releases. For those interested in otome games, I'll give my usual set of comments on its quality and what audience would be able to appreciate it best.

That's true. American TV and comics are all about making profit, once they become popular (usually because they've been sold by the original artist/writer). As such, letting them have an ending is an unforgivable sin, from a business perspective, if they are still popular.

Understand, in the US, what makes it onto visual media has to have very, very wide appeal. When niche stuff does make it onto the screens, it usually doesn't do very well, both because it doesn't get much advertising and because people don't take it seriously. Example: the sci-fi movie Serenity. Easily one of the better science fiction movies I've ever seen in the West, but because it has a really weird setting (for one thing, America didn't dominate the universe) and it doesn't strive to explain every aspect of the technology, it was ignored entirely by everyone except fans of Firefly, the TV series it was related to. This is fairly typical of this kind of material in visual mediums in the US.

With actual straight fantasy, our books are better than theirs (straight literature). Fantasy and sci-fi were first established as real genres here, after all. Though, we build our characters differently, mostly because we think of human nature in a significantly different manner, and our political socialization is radically different. If you want something intellectual with really interesting ideas in science fiction, I suggest reading CJ Cherryh's Foreigner series, and for chuuni-style fantasy, the Night Angel series by Brent Weeks is pretty good. For high fantasy, though this series is one of those you either love or hate, the Malazan Book of the Fallen by Stephen Erikson is a great series to try. For something closer to the chuuni ideal in science fiction, the Kris Longknife series by Mike Shepherd is a great choice. To be blunt, there are lots of great books out there that could be considered chuuni in the fantasy/sci-fi areas... it is just our animation and movies that are way behind on that. As the Dungeons and Dragons movie before the turn of the century demonstrates, directors and screenwriters here have a lot of trouble taking fantasy seriously enough to create something that holds that odd combination of absurd versions of reality and melodrama into a non-comedy film. The Game of Thrones TV series is an example of America's favored attitude when it comes to fantasy: a gritty realism that does away with the kind of over the top melodrama you see in chuuni while trying to retain the fantasy feeling. Edit: It is the 'taking the over-the-top aspects seriously' part of things that people here have trouble doing the most. The era of action heroes kind of killed Americans on the idea of stuff like that.

One of American action cartoons' greatest flaws is that their writers don't even try to take the story seriously. Instead, they spend all their time trying to bludgeon the watchers with moral lessons or with a story where people mysteriously don't die even though things are blowing up all over the place (my first TV show was Tour of Duty, a seriously brutal show about the Vietnam War, so GI Joe seriously disappointed the bloodthirsty toddler I was). That perception that animation is only for kids is the main reason why there is no large corresponding production mechanism for producing the same kind of material you see in Japan here in the west. I imagine that will change as the people who lived through the late eighties as young adults die off, but that is still a long way away.

Also 'shallow' isn't really the right word for it. A 'shallow' story is one where the process of progression from beginning to end is not believable ('within the setting' being the subtext here) or is overly simplistic. Very few chuuni stories fail at that very basic level, though by definition they tend to have settings that have nothing to do with reality in a lot of cases. The important issue is for the progression of events to make sense, along with the motivations of the characters. There are shallow chuuni stories... but shallow chuuni is rarely interesting (Aion Garden, a VN I played years ago, is a great example of this). The more involved and well thought out the setting is, the better the game/anime/vn/manga tends to be, as long as the writer has the basic skills necessary to provide a proper cause and effect relationship between the various events of the story.

Actually, the 'awaken my sleeping powers and save everyone' or 'somehow work hard and fix everything through some reckless action' cliche is pretty much universal to all otaku media, save for a few hard-core series and games amongst those that actually have a story. It was born of raising an entire generation on that idea that everyone has infinite possibilities, an illusion that was impressed into my generation as well from a very young age. In fact, the remnants of that type of education is a large part of why so many people fall into that state of obsession with personal greatness and melodrama around that age. It is actually worse here, in some ways, because we don't have as much of a social consciousness (because it has a bad habit of turning into amoral opportunism and hyperindividualism as people get older in our society). And personally, I think even the most shallow rehashing of an old philosophical theme or trope has value, if only to make you look at it again, possibly in a way you personally can't hold to. If nothing else, if no one asks the question, no one will ever try to think of the nonexistent answer (which makes for a boring world). Also, displaying the idea that people are capable of 'settling' for an answer to that kind of impossible question shows off how scary people can be sometimes... something we tend to skip around a lot as we get older. We prefer to think people are reasonable, after all. I mean, Kiritsugu, if you look at him objectively, is a frigging scary guy. He settled for an answer to one of those impossible questions and pursues his interpretation ruthlessly and without hesitation, after all. Last of all... yes, chuuni is junk-food for those who occasionally want to get drunk on themselves or watch others do so. Also, nothing is better for lifting you out of everyday life, lol. I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs... so this kind of stuff takes the place of the human need for pleasure in me. Well, that and ice cream and sushi.

lol, ya, that anime is about chuunibyou. It both makes fun of it and portays it with some accuracy... I was like a quieter Dekomori when I was eleven. Edit: Incidentally, my fondness for this genre is reflected by my dislike for protagonists who are helpless, stupid, or generally incompetent. I can stand a foolish protagonist, if he has a redeeming quality (such as being really talented in one area, even while being as stupid as a stump), but completely average or simply stupid protags piss me off, lol.

My favorite genre, as most of you probably know, is chuuni. Chuuni is a genre where the protagonist is generally at the center of events, able to effect those events, and the story is generally filled with melodramatic plot and spoken lines, meant to be taken absolutely seriously. An example of chuuni anime, for example, would be Fate/Zero or Code Geass (to give you an idea of what to look for). Chuuni comes from the word 'chuunibyou', which is a common stage of development for teenagers, when they desperately want to believe they are more than they are and sometimes even convince themselves they are more than they are. Many people who get addicted to fantasy and science fiction tend to get addicted during this stage of their lives, and it is also a stage of life that people generally look back on with embarrassment once they get over it. This is the reason why the Japanese stuck 'byou' onto the end of the word, which has the same kanji as the one for disease, lol. For those who simply enjoy fantasy and melodrama for the wild ride it can give, chuuni is pretty much the ultimate genre. Chuuni also tends to tackle philosophical issues that get left by the roadside as people mature, simply because people start thinking that it is somehow embarrassing or pretentious to consider such issues as if they were the first person to do so ever. Not to mention that many of the best writers in the otaku industry write chuuni VNs, light novels, and manga. This is because it is a genre, similar to the ero genre, which simply has none of the limits that other genres tend to put on themselves. That said, here I am going to put down a list of chuuni VNs, both translated and untranslated, for the reference of fanboys. Translated Muv-luv Alternative Fate/stay Night Tsukihime Comyu (partly translated) Eien no Aselia Yumina Kagetsu Tooya Phantom of Inferno Demonbane G-Senjou no Maou (yes, it is chuuni, and even though I don't personally like this game, it is nonetheless a technically good game) Sharin no Kuni Sekien no Inganock Rewrite (yes, it is chuuni... it was deliberately written to be chuuni) Umineko no Naku Koro ni Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Shikkoku no Sharnoth Soul Link Grisaia no Kajitsu Cross Channel Koihime Musou Ayakashibito Understand, I'm mostly listing all of these to give you a sense of just how wide the chuuni genre is. While games like Comyu, Tsukihime, and FSN are most commonly labeled as such, games such as Sharin no Kuni and G-Senjou can be included for their degrees of melodrama, complex plot twists and turn-arounds, and attempts at hedge philosophy. This should also tell you that a lot of translators are hidden chuuni fans, to one degree or another. If nothing else, chuuni games are full of content that is well-considered and thought out, which tends to attract those with the passion and interest for translation. To an extent, games like Hoshizora no Memoria also have chuuni elements, albeit not strongly enough to consider them primarily as chuuni games. Untranslated Evolimit Bullet Butlers Chrono Belt Devils Devel Concept Dies Irae Draculius Eden* Abyss- Homicide Club Futagoza no Paradox Hapymaher Ikusa Megami Zero Jingai Makyou Sinclient Ruitomo Soukoku no Arterial Soukou Akki Muramasa Sousei Kitan Aerial Tiny Dungeon (entire series) Tokyo Babel (non-ero, for those who prefer things that way) Vermillion Bind of Blood Yurikago Yori Tenshi made Bloody Rondo Boku ga Tenshi ni Natta Wake (avoid this if you are scared of utsuge) Danzai no Maria Electro Arms Gleam Garden no Shoujo Gekkou no Carnevale Gurenka Hello,good-bye Legend Seven Owaru Sekai to Birthday Para-sol Shinigami no Testament Shinjisougeki Carnival Shuumatsu Shoujo Gensou Alicematic Soranica Ele '&' Sora no Mukou de Sakimasu you ni Trouble@Vampire Tsubasa wo Kudasai Bloody Call Gensou no Idea Shin Koihime Musou ExE Gothic Delusion Fortissimo (every version) Heliotrope - Sora wa Shi ni Itaru Kami no Ai (this one is both an utsuge and has a sort-of hetare protag, so it is an acquired taste) Innocent Bullet Jesus 13th Kajiri Kamui Kagura Kouyoku no Soleil Noel Secret Game/Killer Queen (the entire series) Seinarukana (Aselia sequel) 11eyes Shoujo Shin'iki 3 Days Tokeijikake no Leyline Yatohime Zankikou Zero Infinity Izuna Zanshinken 8/13/2014 edit Hello, Lady Bradyon Veda Soushuu Senshinkan Gakuen Hachimyoujin Houkago no Futekikakusha There are a few genres that chuuni is almost completely incompatible with, such as 'original' or pure moege, but to make a good story, with decent drama, it is almost impossible to avoid putting something with chuuni elements in it. The truest sign of chuuni influence is melodrama, after all. Even the nakige genre has chuuni influences, as can be seen in Clannad and Air, (the reincarnation issues in Air, and the general melodramatic emotion-pulling that made Clannad so popular). For the fun of it, try picking up chuuni elements in your favorite anime and video games. Don't bother with jrpgs though, since those things are mostly straight chuuni, lol.

*gives the moe a dress made of elemental fire, which promptly devours her as an unworthy owner* Welcome to Fuwa.

Welcome to Fuwa...

I've mostly been marathoning games by Gesen. I finished Sangoku Hime 3, Sengoku Hime 4, and Sengoku Hime 5 in the last week and a half. The former-most was awful, with a horrible game balance, a choppy story (even for a conquest strategy/vn) and lots of really annoying features. Sengoku Hime 4 was excellent (from a simple and straightforward is best perspective) from a game perspective but had a weak story. However, Sengoku Hime 5 strikes a good balance between plot and game, providing a real story that is fun to read for all the factions you can start with, as well as the gameplay seen in Sengoku Hime 4. I played the Oda, Shikoku, and Ashikaga routes for 5... and amongst those Oda had the best story, with Shikoku having the least interesting story (as well as the highest difficulty). The downside to Oda is that the entire playthrough is scripted in terms of where you can invade and in what order, whereas Shikoku opens up completely after you conquer that island, and Ashikaga pretty much lets you conquer everything except the Oda and Tokugawa lands after a certain point. However, the upside to Oda is that it is basically a what-if story for if Nobunaga failed to kill Imagawa at Dengaku Hazama, which changes a lot of things to create a really unique and interesting progression of events. (I will say that Cao Cao's ending to Sangoku Hime 3 was cry-worthy, but the sheer lack of story past a certain point, with the ending all of the sudden slammed into your face after fifteen hours of repetitive conquest and leveling up generals - AFTER that cut off point for the story.) Update: Timepiece Ensemble is a pretty high quality romance moege so far. It has two returning characters from 1/2 Summer by Alcot Honeycomb, both of whom are like walking spoilers for that game. So, I seriously suggest you consider playing that game before this one. Boukoku no Kishidan just got a release on Anime-sharing, so I'll be starting that immediately after this, bringing a close to the games I planned on playing from December's releases.

http://vndb.org/v12983 Just finished this. It is a pretty decent cutesy moege by Whirlpool, a prolific moege company that produces ones that range from the cute and average to the adorable and great (though most of their games end up somewhere in between). It is based in the same world as and at least a little bit later than the events in Magus Tale, and I'm pretty sure it is based on the true end of that one. The protagonist in this game is a young mage who loves to fly on his broom who finds a talking one in a ruin after crashing. This creates the basis for a typical Whirlpool story, where an average-quality plot is combined with their typically good visuals and generic music to create a high-quality moege. For those looking for the comfort food of cute girls, a mild fantasy setting, and a protagonist who is mysteriously popular with bishoujo, this is a good choice. Though, it is not a contender for game of the month, naturally. Edit: Moving on to Timepiece Ensemble. I'd like to get Boukoku no Kishidan, but my actual copy of the game won't arrive until sometime in February (my supplier forgot to preorder it, and there were no extra copies at the stores he frequented) and it has yet to be posted anywhere that I've noticed.

Welcome to Fuwa.

Welcome to Fuwa.

lol, you know I would never miss those. Those are two of my favorite companies, after all.

I just tried to play Love Replica, a new moege that showed some promise by having a sci-fi setting and a protagonist who sounded like he might be capable... but after forging through a thousand lines of text, I had to give up. First, the protag is so shallow, stupid, and donkan (without the cliche redeeming value of being kind/gentle), and it sort of felt like what would happen if a dumber Sunohara were to be made a protagonist without Tomoya to make him viable as a character. Second, rather than getting into what seemed like an interesting setting (genetically-altered clones created for the purpose of providing healthy organs immune to a deadly disease), they instead had the protagonist gathering people for a band, with him only seeming to be more of an idiot with every word that came out of his mouth. Even if the game picks up later, I don't think it is worth plowing through the mountain of junk lines that make up the beginning of the story.

Good luck with that... now all we need is a Tsukihime Day, as that game had as much influence in its own area as Kanon did...

Welcome to Fuwa *hands him an adorable android girl with eyes that melt people on sight to speak for him in cases like this*

Welcome to Fuwa.

Welcome to Fuwa. *is too tired to do anything dramatic*

Talk to me when you are ready for the untranslated, lol.

Decent AI heroines are hard to find...

*begins dancing the dance of welcome, ignoring the way the ground turns black, plants wilt, and man-eating monsters emerge from thin air in reaction* Welcome to Fuwa.