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Kotaku East
How I Wooed a Virtual Girl in Just 74 Days
Last week I asked your help in deciding which of the three possible romantic foils in Japanese dating sim New Love Plus+ I should try dating. The winner by a landside was fighting gamer Rinko Kobayakawa. But before I could get to the dating part of the game, I had to first successfully woo her.…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 25, 2014 -
Kotaku East
It’s a Lot of Fun Watching a Little Girl Take over the World
World Conquest Zvezda Plot is an anime with a quirky premise: Watch as a little girl and her evil generals try to take over modern day Japan. It’s exactly as fun as it sounds. Good – Team Rocket Protagonists In classic superhero anime, there is always some kind of evil organization trying to take over…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 25, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Project Diva F 2nd is More of the Same (And That’s Not a Bad Thing)
It’s no exaggeration to say that Hatsune Miku is the most popular virtual idol in the world; so it’s not surprising that a new iteration of Project Diva was recently released in Japan. And while Project Diva F 2nd isn’t vastly different from its predecessors, it is a welcome addition for anyone who enjoys music…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 22, 2014 -
Kotaku East
If You Like X-Men, You’ll Probably Like Hamatora
They live among us. People born with special powers, but they look just like you and me. But no, this isn’t the story of the X-Men, it’s an anime called Hamatora Good – Fun Mutant Powers Hamatora is the story of a group of mutants (or “minimum holders” as they are called) who have opened…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 22, 2014 -
Kotaku EastDating Sims Improved My Japanese
When I announced my intention to date a virtual girl in the newest iteration of Love Plus by asking all of you to help me choose which romantic foil to go after, I noted that it would not be my first dating sim. Moreover, I mentioned that dating sims are the best tool I know…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 22, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Help Me Choose Which Virtual Girl to Date
Dear readers, I am about to embark on an experience unlike any other in my 30 years of life: I’m going to date a virtual girl in New Love Plus+, the newest game in the (in)famous Japanese dating-sim series. But even before I start, I find myself at an impasse. Which of the game’s romantic…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 18, 2014 -
Kotaku East
I Have a Real Love/Hate Relationship with Noragami
I have never reacted to an anime quite the way I reacted to modern fantasy Noragami: I either loved it or hated it with never a feeling in between. Good – A World of Gods and Ghosts Noragami is a modern Japanese fantasy with roots in the Shinto religion. There are two layers to the…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 18, 2014 -
Kotaku EastWatch Hatsune Miku Sing Frozen‘s “Let it Go”
Ever wanted to see virtual idol Hatsune Miku sing the iconic, Academy Award-winning song from Frozen? Two years back, I tried out the song editor in Project Diva Extend for the PSP by making a custom level with Hatsune Miku singing “Call Me Maybe.” But while Miku in my video did sing and dance, its…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 18, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Silver Spoon Is an Amazing Slice-of-Life Tale That Transcends Its Genre
I generally hate slice-of-life stories. I find them meandering and pointless. But Silver Spoon stands at the pinnacle of the genre and weaves a tale so full of life lessons, deep characters, and thematic exploration that even I can’t help but love it. [*Note: This is a review of the second season of Silver Spoon…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 15, 2014 -
Kotaku East
The Enemy Robots in This Anime Have Giant Penis Guns
Daimidaler: Prince vs. Penguin Empire is the story of a boy who finds that by doing perverted things—i.e., groping women—he can power and pilot a giant robot. And with a premise like that, is it any surprise the enemy robots have giant penis guns? [*Note: This article contains content some readers might find objectionable.] These…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 15, 2014 -
Kotaku EastCheck Out the 20 New Songs in Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd
The newest music game filled with the songs of Hatsune Miku and her Vocaloid pals hit shelves in Japan a few weeks back. And as you would expect, Project Diva F 2nd comes with a load of songs—20 of which are new to the games. So let’s give them a listen. Akatsuki Arrival – Last…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 15, 2014 -
Kotaku East
The Winter 2014 Anime Season in Gaming Gifs
Anime and games go hand in hand. So now that the winter anime season has come to an end, let’s take a look back at some of its gaming moments in glorious gif format. Super Sonico Sakura Trick Noragami Inari Konkon D-Frag Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions -Ren- Kotaku East is your slice of Asian…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Nagi no Asukara is Emotionally Heart-wrenching and Thematically Deep
When I heard there was another anime by the creator of Anohana called Nagi no Asukara in the works, I braced for another round of emotional masochism. But while still a story of loss and love, I was treated to a world under the sea that was as beautiful as it was thematically deep. Good…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 11, 2014 -
Kotaku EastFans Take Steins;Gate Audio Drama and Turn It into a Movie
I love the time travel adventure Steins;Gate in all its forms and am always left wanting more. Luckily for me, there are plenty of spin-off games, manga, and light novels out there. There are also several audio dramas—one of which has been turned into an hour-long movie by fans. Fan translation group Tempus Edax Rerum…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 11, 2014 -
Kotaku EastYour Complete Spring 2014 Anime Guide
Spring means we get rain, flowers, warmer weather and, more importantly, a new anime season. But with 60 new anime in the pipeline, how do you know which ones to watch? Check out the trailers and brief blurbs about each to see which of them catches your interest. [*Note: Series are grouped loosely by genre]…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 8, 2014 -
ReviewsSteins;Gate: The Kotaku Review
I love time travel stories. They are my favorite type of science fiction. But even in a world with Back to the Future and Star Trek IV, I’d still say the most interesting, complex, and utterly captivating time travel narrative I have ever encountered is the visual novel Steins;Gate Steins;Gate is the story of Rintarou…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 8, 2014 -
Kotaku East
The Avengers (and other Marvel Heroes) in Their Official Anime Forms
Earlier this week, the new anime Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers started airing in Japan. And while it is the first Avengers anime series, it is not the first time that many of these iconic Marvel superheroes have appeared in an anime. Iron Man (Disk Wars) (Marvel Anime Iron Man) (Iron Man: Rise of Technovore)…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 4, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Kill la Kill Is a Rare Breed of Anime
Kill la Kill is a rare breed of anime. It perfectly mixes comedy and action while reveling in taking everything to the extreme. And the fact that it has now ended leaves each week looking a little less bright. [Note: This is a review of the second half of Kill la Kill and thus contains…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 4, 2014 -
Kotaku East
J-Stars Victory VS Gets Real Old Real Fast
Goku and Naruto. Luffy and Ichigo. Jojo and Kenshiro. It’s hard not to be excited about a game where all your favorite Shonen Jump heroes battle it out. Unfortunately, while it does deliver on the fanservice, the novelty wears off painfully fast. Good – All Your Favorite Characters The Shonen Jump magazine has been churning…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 4, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Sakura Trick is My Favorite Anime of the Winter Season
The 2014 winter anime season was full of over-the-top action, tongue-in-cheek comedy, and interesting thought experiments. But even with all those possibilities, the anime I most looked forward to wasn’t one of those, but rather the lesbian romantic comedy Sakura Trick. Here’s why. A Real Love Story All too often, TV, books, movies, and especially…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 1, 2014
Richard Eisenbeis
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