Various thoughts on a variety of topics.
Some students begin investigating an old folktale with curious similarities to the popular Ao Oni franchise and uncover a dark secret lurking beneath their school in the process.
A standard horror movie featuring simplistic 3DCG animation. It has no similarities with the short web series of the same name beyond the inclusion of the blue monster.
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Four students enter a deserted mansion and find themselves locked inside with a large blue monster.
An absurdist comedy that plays common horror tropes/situations for laughs. Each episode has a random theme and features either some or all of the students getting killed/eaten, then everything gets reset the next episode.
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After being killed in a car accident Keika You discovers that he’s become a ghost. Making matters worse, due to circumstances beyond his control he ends up forced to make a contract with an exorcist to help fight evil spirits.
A mixed-genre series that’s weighted heavily toward comedy, with a style of humor heavy on facial/body deformation.
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Lilith’s grimoire turns into a young girl after Arata touches it and awakens the White Demon Lord, an artificial demon lord who desires to become a real one by defeating Arata.
An adaptation of one of the light novels, this movie takes place an indeterminable amount of time after the TV series (which there’s a brief recap of) and features a similar mix of ecchi comedy and action. Perhaps weighted a bit more toward action.
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A game I tried on a whim that ended up reminding me of a previous game I tried out on a whim.
This is more of an arcade-like beat-’em-up/hack&slash though. Basically you run around killing hoards of monsters on your way to one objective or another while collecting the equipment or instant power-ups they drop. There isn’t anything to craft here and upgrades occur automatically as you and your summons level up. Combat on the face of things is pretty simple:
You have a weak attack, a strong attack, a special attack, and a dodge. Combos can be made from weak->strong, weak x2->strong, and weak x3->strong, each ending in a different type of maneuver. Where the complexity comes in is that these combos change depending on which weapon type you have equipped (there are ultimately four) and eventually you gain the ability to switch weapons during combos. There’s also the transformation ability which lets you assume a powerful half-demon form with its own attack set, and of course the summoning system.
The summoning system is also pretty simple at first glance. You have four servants you can ‘equip’ at a time, each with their own attacks and experience/stat values. You can summon any/all of these during battle and they’ll stay summoned until they either get knocked out or the battle ends. So why not just summon them all immediately? Because each performs a different type of ability when it gets summoned, meaning it’s often a good idea to wait until that ability will help you out. These servants will move/attack on their own, but you can give them general orders (attack any, attack my target, heal yourself) as well as make them use a specific ‘Burst’ special ability when necessary.
So there’s a lot going on during battle, which is a good thing since the game revolves around combat. The bad part about the combat system is that it’s timed. You get 15 minutes to clear an area after you leave the safe zone; if you don’t you’re automatically teleported out. Boss fights at least aren’t timed, but still… timed anything is bullshit.
That timer, combined with lack of things to collect, combined with the hack&slash nature of the game all adds up to an experience that just doesn’t grab me or make me want to keep playing.
While rummaging through his grandfather’s stored things for something to pawn, Hikaru ends up possessed by the ghost of a Go instructor from the Heian period. Soon enough Hikaru becomes interested in the game as well and starts trying to become a better player.
Unlike many of this sort of series, this one doesn’t really have any comedy to speak of. It treats the game as deathly serious and even the school life portions focus on darker topics such as bullying and jealousy.
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Waking from a bad dream Maze find her room a mess and her memory in shambles. Worse, it seems she’s been transported to some sort of fantasy world. There she becomes entangled with a princess on the run and develops strange powers… not least being the uncontrollable ability to transform into a completely different person at night.
An action comedy whose comedy comes from silly faces and harem antics. Two things to be aware of are that the romantic attractions here are remarkably varied, with there being all sorts of pairings (though girl<->girl is the most prominent), and a little ways past the midpoint it begins to acquire a distinct focus on an incestuous relationship.
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Natsume’s everyday life continues as he meets new youkai of all kinds, from malicious to benevolent to mischievous.
A mostly episodic addition to the Natsume franchise which can serve as an entry point for new viewers. In comparison to the previous season, there’s less direct conflict here with nearly all the stories featuring longing of some form.
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Yuma works as a shrine maiden, hoping to one day awaken special powers like her ancestors had. Her friend Matoi on the other hand just wants to live a normal everyday life, a desire that ends up further away than ever after she accidentally gains the power to merge with a god.
A comedy with periodic bursts of action and a small streak of drama. What most stands out about it is the way Yuma and Matoi seem to be drawn/animated differently than the other characters.
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Yuzuka’s everyday life goes on as she continues to try to find any use at all for the magical powers she’s been given, while Mafuyu is happy just to have another magical girl to talk to.
A daily life comedy with reaction-based and slapstick humor. As a result of Mafuyu and Daiya’s larger presence it ends up having more of an ensemble approach than the first season.
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