Chocolate Underground

It's a really simple, short show so I'm going to do a really simple, short write up. The whole show (which is 13 episodes long) only takes about an hour to get through. Each episode runs roughly 5 minutes. So if you've got an hour to kill, I recommend it, because it's very cute and fun. Watching them individually, the story feels a little choppy as there isn't enough time in a single episode to really cover a lot of ground. Watching them all together should remedy this. It's not the most fantastic show, but it's a decent watch.

In Chocolate Underground, a political faction called the Good For You party has taken over. I'm not sure how they managed to get voted into power to begin with, but it's kind of irrelevant. The Good For You party has outlawed chocolate, and basically anything that isn't strictly health food. They've replaced it with government sanctioned recipes and food items. To hunt down law breakers, they have built giant robotic sensor machines called CACAO. They can detect chocolate (but not its raw ingredients), and they also serve as weapons when needed. The two main characters, Huntley and Smudger, love chocolate and want to bring it back to their home town. They believe that chocolate brings happiness and kindness into the world. With the help of their friends Louise and Blades they form an underground chocolate ring (sort of like underground bars during prohibition in the '20s in the US) and attempt to uncover the secrets of the Good For You party and expose the corrupt government to the world.

Told you it'd be a quick look. I've been working hard on my Fable 2 Pub Games to get all the goodies I can before the game hits next week. But I've also been watching a lot of stuff on the Funimation channels, which I would love to tell you all about once I've seen some more episodes. Also I'm just about through with the summer season, and I'm starting to get episodes together to decide what I'll be watching this fall. A few are a sure thing (Clannad After Story, Skip Beat, Vampire Knight Guilty, Nodame Paris Chapter), but the rest is all up in the air right now until I see some episodes.

Oh, and just for reference, CU is from Production I.G. It's based on a manga by Aiji Yamakawa, which was itself based on a children's novel by Alex Shearer.

Fable 2's Dog

I for one am pretty excited about the little pooch. I think it's a fantastic idea; it reminds me a lot of The Bard's Tale. Even in death that dog was all about helping you kick ass and digging up treasure for you. But maybe you don't like dogs. Maybe you don't want that adorable, loyal friend tagging along with you all over Albion. Well, that's fine. But you can't just turn him off. What you can do is leave him injured, whimpering and limping behind you. If you don't feed him doggy treats to heal him, he'll stay injured, which will slow him down. So he'll still be following you, but he'll be very far behind. And when he does catch up with you, you'll find him still injured, and still limping around, loyal to the end even if you abandon him, you cruel, heartless bastard.

Visit Kotaku to see Molyneux call you a big meanie.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of Fable 2, online co-op WILL be available at launch after all. It seems they're managing to get it out on time. I guess they just panicked before and didn't want to delay the game disc in case it wasn't quite ready. So when you pop the game in on launch day, it should immediately prompt you to download the patch.

Phoenix Wright Manga vol. 1

It's proper title is Official Casebook Vol. 1: The Phoenix Wright Files.

First of all, I don't recommend reading it if you're not a fan of the game. The jokes and references will go way over your head, and a lot of it will be meaningless. It might still be a good read regardless, but it's meant to be a companion to the video game series. What this book is, is a compilation of short stories and 4-panel gag strips that are drawn and written by various artists. Basically, each story has a different artist. Some are better than others, but they each have their own charm. The book was released here by Del Rey manga, for $14.95. It's actually two books; I'm not sure where the split would be, but it was published as two separate volumes in Japan, and one here. The second US volume will be an Edgeworth volume, so it seems Del Rey will publish them as character collections, which is good. I don't recognize any of the artists' names myself (and some of them are probably pen names anyway, and many are likely doujin artists), but I'll see if I can't find some links to go along with it.
Fans will be delighted to discover that a broad range of the characters are presented in the book, though many only make brief cameos (or just appear somewhere in the background). Phoenix, Maya, Pearl, Mia, Larry, Edgeworth, and Gumshoe all make plenty of appearances, along with the Judge, Oldbag, Godot, Ms. Von Karma, Mr. Grossberg and even Mr. Armstrong.

Progress Toward Tomorrow, by Tamako Yamauchi
Turnabout Inference, by Kei Nisemura
Turnabout Illusions, by Seventh Gear
A Small Case in a Small Office, by Wataru Yamasaki
Kind Lies, by Tsubaki Mikage (seems to be a doujin artist, mostly BL I think)
Turnabout Misunderstanding, by Kaname Uchimura
Motive Power, by Naruzou (doujin artist, likely)
Turnabout Day Off, by Yuya Kurogami
Turnabout Kitten, by Natsu Otono (possibly)
Spirit Medium or Bust!, by Kaoru Osada
It's Not Easy Being a Defense Lawyer, by DAIGO
A Turnabout Day Together, by Masao Aona
Turnabout? Food Fight, by Yorozu
Car Life, My Life, by Tamako Yamauchi
Ball Search Team, Head Out!, by Tomo
The Legendary Defense Attorney, by Kikuchiyo Anko (likely doujin artist)
Maya's Blue Skies, by Wataru Yamasaki
The Mystery of the Missing Manju, by Tsukapon
Encounter with the Unknown, by Rin Hashiba (maybe)
Turnabout Big Turnaround, by Shinosuke
Four-Panel Comic Strips, by Kikuchiyo Anko, Aira Kanou, Kiyono Shimanda

I enjoyed all of them for the most part. The art styles vary pretty drastically, and the only one I really had any sort of problem with was Kei Nisemura's piece, because the characters all looked like they were constipated through the whole story. There were a couple of bizarre stories, and the language/writing/translation was really off on one or two of them. The characters are captured exceptionally well though, and the stories are a lot of fun (though there are one or two that are a little on the serious side). The stories range from ghostly clients and lost kittens to quests for food and missing toy balls. If you like the games, and if you're like me and are always left wanting more stories when they're over, then it's worth picking up.

Fable 2 LCE not so Collectible

Via Kotaku

If you pre-ordered the limited collector's edition of Fable 2, go get back 10 of your precious dollars, and watch your snazzy collectible items vanish. Due to "supply chain issues," whatever the hell that means, you will now be out the tin box, the awesome Hobbe figure, and the beautiful printed fate cards. Now I could understand problems with the figures (as it's happened to other companies before), but the cards and the box? Geez, Lionhead (though I guess it's really Microsoft's fault). First no online co-op at launch and now this? I half expect the game to come out with an apology along the lines of "Due to 'development issues' this game only includes one town and one dungeon, and will only take you about 10 hours to play. The only thing we promised you that you're going to get is the dog."

To clarify, what you will still be getting with the limited edition is the making-of bonus DVD (whoopty-freakin-doo), bonus in-game content with LIVE (unclarified), what I guess is an extra dungeon, an extra weapon, and the Halo Master Chief Fable-fied armor set.

Oh, and an update came as I was working on this. It appears that the cards aren't out entirely. You'll be able to download them as a pdf file and print them out on your own. So...they're made but they won't take the time to print them out on some card stock? Good gracious.... That just seems lazy, really.

The DLC might become general DLC eventually, so...not really seeing a reason to even bother with the LCE now. The price is dropping 10 bucks, but it's still 10 bucks more than the regular edition. The only thing I could see not going to general DLC is the Spartan armor, and maybe the sword. And if the making-of DVD is just a compilation of the developmental diaries that you can download for free online or on LIVE...what's the point? This has seriously killed a good part of my excitement for the game and leaves me really worried about what the finished product will be.

Not cool, Microsoft. Not. Cool.

Update:
It's Friday and now there's more news of even MORE things being cut.
Now both the developer diary and soundtrack are being removed from the bonus disc.
With just a few weeks left until the game hits shelves, I wonder what else is going to be removed. Hopefully it will come with the game, at the very least.

In the News 9-30-08

The biggest news obviously is OMG America's economy OMG. But as I'm a complete dunce when it comes to money and the economy, I can't really comment. I have NO idea what's going on, or how it should be fixed, or if what they're doing will fix it or not, etc. I wish we could let the banks fold, because they put themselves in that situation, willingly, knowingly, by handing out loans that they knew would not be repaid, for their own greed. If they wouldn't bring the entire nation down with them (or possibly the world), I'd say let them implode.

Now on to far less serious things.

A rumor about a new DS unit, complete with camera and music player, has surfaced. Nintendo essentially has no comment, but anyone who pays attention to Nintendo knows that that's usually the response they give for...anything. Something along the lines of "We're always developing new things." On the other hand, anyone who pays attention to Nintendo also knows that they have stated on several occasions that they would not bring out a new version of the DS until the current DS Lite slows in sales...which it has not. Sales of the DS Lite are still going strong, and several new colors are being released soon. I'm of the opinion that the rumor is pretty much bogus, and since the original report cites no sources, and indeed never even talked with Nintendo, I'm willing to believe that I'm right.

For Fable 2 fans, I have some slightly disappointing news. Despite Molyneux's comments at E3 that Fable 2 was finished, and another comment a week or two ago from Molyxneux that Fable 2 had "gone gold," the game will not launch online co-op ready. One of the top marketing points of the game is the ability to play the game online with another player, so it's rather odd that this won't be available on launch day, especially since it's not due out for another month and yet is "complete." They have stated, however, that an update will be released within a week of the US launch that will put this back into the game. I don't really understand how a game that is still a month from launch won't be a complete game, but, well, it's hard to complain when it will arrive almost immediately anyway.

Did you throw a party on September 25th? Did anyone you know mysteriously start rejoicing on that day? Well, they had good reason. On September 25th, 2008, anti-game lawyer Jack Thompson was officially disbarred by the Florida Supreme Court. Now, it doesn't take effect until the end of October, but once it does, Thompson cannot practice law and will not be allowed to apply for reinstatement.

Do you like Gears of War? Do you like to play shooter games on your PC? Too bad these two things will never go hand in hand for you. Gears 2 will never come to the PC. The reason? Apparently any person who is good enough with computers to upgrade their unit to the specs required is also good enough with computers to know how to torrent games, and would therefore simply download the game illegally rather than buy it. It's so nice how PC gamers get treated like criminals on a regular basis.

Love Google? Think it's the best thing ever? Well now you can have a Google phone! Called the Android, Google's iPhone-esque phone will launch with T-Mobile in October at about $180USD.

ADV has announced that they have acquired a Clannad license, though I don't believe there is any confirmation on whether this is for the movie or either of the TV series. Still, any Clannad is still Clannad, and one version could lead to the others if it does well.

Well, that's it for today. The all new Phoenix Wright manga is out, and I'll be picking up my copy later this week when I go to get my comics. Expect a review of that. I've read good things so far, so I have high hopes that I'll enjoy it.

Have a good week!

Cromartie High School

Sakigake! Cromartie High! Cromartie High from Production I.G. and Bandai Visual, released domestically by ADV Films. A 26 episodes series on 4 discs. Don't let that fool you though; each episode only runs about 10 minutes. But that's all you really need. Extras include: clean credits, official Japanese trailers, inventive DVD menus, and some excellent cultural notes provided by ADV. You'll need them if you want to understand the jokes fully.

Which, I would say, is the only problem with Cromartie. The series relies very heavily on Japanese culture jokes, baseball references (for character names and school names), and American pop culture for its time (2003 I think). That doesn't mean it won't be funny even if you don't know the references. When every episode of a show opens up with the main character nonchalantly informing you not to repeat actions you see in the show, as the characters are all delinquents and you could end up in jail, you know it's going to be amusing at least. Throw in a gorilla, Freddie Mercury, and a robot (or two) as normal students attending high school, and this high school comedy is sure to elicit some laughs.

There's not a whole lot to be said about the show, as it's mostly nonsensical in nature, and there isn't a really firm plot line. There are a couple of themes that pop up in multiple episodes, like Cromartie leader Takenouchi's motion sickness, the fact that no one seems to realize that fellow student Mechazawa is actually a robot, Destrade school leader Yamaguchi's quest for the perfect joke, and the fact that Hokuto's Lackey doesn't have any other name other than Hokuto's Lackey.

Still not convinced? How about noting that the Japanese voice for Mechazawa is Norio Wakamoto? If you don't recognize the name, you'll definitely recognize his fantastic voice. How about an episode where all of the characters suddenly become females? A gorilla that makes and serves sushi? Incompetent delinquents who always manage to make a 10 minute journey take more like 10 hours (even when they're in a hurry to save poor, abduction prone Maeda)?

The animation is pretty crude, but it works to great effect. A mohawk with a mind of its own, an afro that grows larger as time passes, nose hairs that jump from one nostril to another. Simple effects, but they work. There is one other problem with the series, along with the occasional obscure reference; there are some instances where the show refers you to the manga it is based on for certain background information. Don't let that be a deterrent, however, as it's really not necessary for the enjoyment of the show. And that's really all there is to it: the show is entertaining and very funny. One other thing I'll add, and that is that while the English dub is decent enough, the show is somehow funnier in it's original Japanese. The timing is a little better, I think, and the voices just work better as well. They talk pretty fast, but the subtitles aren't too hard to keep up with.

Check this one out. It looks strange and sounds totally bizarre, and it is. So if you want a show you don't really have to think about, and you just want to be entertained, then this is a good choice.

Summer Anime '08 - At a Glance

Now that the summer anime season is wrapping up, I can look back on the shows I decided to stick with and give a better (or worse) perspective on them.

Let's start with Natsu no Sora, the anime from the creator of Someday's Dreamers about young magicians studying magic. First of all, it's loads better than Someday's Dreamers (which you may recall I quite hated). I rather enjoyed it. It was very sweet and adorable. The pace is rather slow, but it's actually kind of calming, and it's something different from the other shows out there. It does have a serious side, as characters cope with either having a difficult time casting their magic (like Gouta), or with the motivations of their clients (like Kuroda).

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu ended up being very cute, but had little substance. The "we're together but not really together" relationship between the two main characters was rather annoying, as was the addition of a rather pointless love triangle. But it was very, very cute, and funny. Haruka's journey to become comfortable with her secret anime addiction has its ups and downs, as she deals with her father's reaction to her hobby and struggles with allowing Yuuto to continue covering for her and occasionally taking the fall for her.

I did not continue with Koihime Musou as I had too many other shows I felt were far better that I wanted to continue watching. Plus I had trouble getting over the fact that they were just female adaptations of male characters.

I ended up really enjoying Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo (or Ryoko's Case File). I'd say it was my favorite of the summer shows. It's very well done, the characters stay interesting, the story keeps you on edge. Once it's completed, I recommend checking it out. Hopefully this one will get picked up in the states.

Didn't bother with Strike Witches, either. Again, I felt there were better uses of that time, watching better shows. And whatever story there might have been was shadowed by all the ecchi and fan service.

Antique Bakery ended up being a LOT better than I thought it would be. It was very amusing. And when it wasn't being totally ridiculous, though very funny, (which it was about 60% of the time), it was fairly serious. In between the ridiculous antics of a group of pretty boys running a high class bakery (complete with an openly gay character making eyes at everyone), there were some serious story lines. Child kidnappings (a story line which ties together with the main character being kidnapped when he was a child), abusive relationships, sexual bigotry, and professional boxers dealing with threatening injuries. It's still a pretty boy/boys love anime, so if that's not to your taste then you probably shouldn't watch it. Though I will say the boys love themes are rather subdued for the most part, with the exception of a few episodes where it plays a large role.

I still intend on writing up reviews of Chocolate Underground, Natsume Yuujinchou, and Telepathy Shojou Ran from the summer season once they're finished, and some shows from the spring which are now wrapping up. So stay tuned!