G-Review : Recettear

You know those role-playing game item shop owners that perpetually sit at the cash register and wait for your adventurers to come in ? In Recettear: An Item Shop's tale, the tables are spun around. Instead of intermittently ducking your head into a shop to snatch up better gear and items, you're running the establishment. That may sound kind of dull at first. After all, what does an item-shop owner typically do in RPGs aside from sit and wait? Perpetually practice the only three lines of dialogue they'll ever say? Re-read that magazine on the counter that's always open to the same page? Brood about the lack of return business once adventurers find higher quality stock in the shop beyond that creepy cave to the west? As it turns out in Recettear, there's much more to the process than that. The entertainment value of the gameplay formula takes a dive once you learn how it all works, but it's still a fun ride.

Regarding the awkward sounding title, something that's actually mocked within the game, Recettear is a combination of the two main characters' names. Tear, a fairy, tracks down Recette, a hopelessly optimistic girl that gets stiffed with her dad's loan payments. Tear's there to make sure the money is repaid in a timely fashion, and the item shop is the way Recette raises the necessary funds.

Though the game is presented in a colorful, cutesy anime style, and Recette's as oblivious and innocent as can be, this isn't a simple game. There's a high degree of difficulty, and quite a bit to learn. At the beginning you're given a calendar and a weekly loan payment goal. Initially it's a small sum, but by the later weeks on the first playthrough you'll likely be tearing at your hair wondering how it'll ever be possible to meet a 200,000 or 500,000 deadline of pix, the game's currency. Should you fail, the game restarts at the first week -- thankfully keeping character progress when it loops to make the second try a little easier. The key is getting the most out of your limited time, and understanding that this game is more about the process of buying low and selling high than anything else.

Each day in Recettear is broken up into four parts, and it's your call how to best spend each segment of time. Opening the shop brings in customers, who then mill around and make requests. Exiting the shop opens up access to other vendors that'll sell weapons, armor, and upgrades that help you turn a profit. If you want to invest the time, you can dungeon crawl, though Recette and Tear don't directly attack. Adventurers met throughout the course of the game will offer their services to the pair of heroines, letting them tag along as the different adventurer types attack foes with daggers, magic, arrows, swords and more. The gameplay in the dungeons is a very simple formula of attack and avoid. The adventurers have different statistics and slightly varying attack types, some up close and some at range, but there's never much depth regardless of which one is being used. Considering the size of some of the later levels, the combat can become wearyingly repetitive in later stages as the same encounters are recycled, but they do serve a purpose. Though adventurers will level as they kill, you'll fight bosses, and new areas will be opened, the main benefit of adventuring will be the treasure that enemies drop . The key is balancing the time it takes to head into a dungeon – nearly an entire in-game day – with the needs of keeping your shop open for business.

When you finally decide to open for business, a number of factors must be considered. Individual items must be physically placed upon display cases within the store, and at the windows is where you'll want to place key items. This can be useful in attracting business and triggering rushes of customers, such as women in search of food items or adventurers looking for blades. When everything's in place, the doors can be opened and the ensuing

Review : Spice and Wolf

let's make a sweet memories, horo..... <3

STORY : 7/10

If there's any one physical setting that can catch me hook, line, and sinker just about every time, it would have to be romanticized medieval fantasy. While it may not be the most eccentric of preferences, I find such works (anime or not) to be boundlessly fascinating; yet, while Spice and Wolf proved certainly no exception, it managed to exceed my expectations quite profoundly. However, while most similar anime within the genre tend to focus on the caustic militaristic trends of the era, Spice and Wolf does anything but. Instead, its core story elements revolve around the day-to-day travels of a roaming merchant and his companion, which means most conflict comes in the form of economic disputes and not swordfights. This premise, while simple, emerged as surprisingly effective, as it allowed the series to flaunt a very strong sense of character development in lieu of an ordinarily frail story.

Fortunately, Spice and Wolf's lack of an exceedingly complex story was not a negative. At its conception, the story begins when Lawrence arrives in a rural farming village at the time of its harvest. After bartering some of his goods away, he comes into possession of a bundle of wheat which happens to be enchanted by the village's guardian spirit, a wolf goddess named Horo. With the village's increasing desire to distance itself from its old traditions regarding her, Horo decides to accompany Lawrence on his travels as she journeys to return to her home in the northern forests. From there on out, both Lawrence and Horo discover just how lonely their respective lives have been, and despite distinctly different personalities, begin to confide in one another's company.

horo : can we go to the mars?
lauren : hell no.

And this certainly is what makes Spice and Wolf shine as much as it does. Both Lawrence and Horo are absolutely fantastic characters, and their interactions with one another are both endearing and authentic; the series' pacing allows their story to flow very naturally, and lacks any noticeable lapses in quality. Though the romance only really starts to develop by the time the last episode rolls around, I didn't really find this an inherent flaw, as for the entire duration of the series their relationship is steadily developed. Initially Horo views Lawrence as little more than a traveling companion and a source for her personal amusement, but his kindness slowly seeps under her skin, and she begins to desire his company in a manner deeper than that of mere friendship. Ultimately, by relying on each other's respective strengths and covering for each other's weaknesses, they pull themselves through a number of dangerous circumstances, resulting in the development of a very hardened bond between them.

Thus, for those looking for an action-packed thriller, stay as far away from Spice and Wolf as possible. Its very leisurely pace is slow but cumulative in nature, creating a very serene, relaxing watch that guides the viewer through the story with a graceful hand. While they are indeed a couple "action" scenes scattered throughout, they tend to lack much intensity, and are designed more as story elements than eye candy. At its heart, the story revolves around the communal bond between Lawrence and Horo and not so much the external strife that plagued the era.

it's embarrasing....
(hu'uh...:D)

ANIMATION : 8.5/10

who is dare to stole my panties?

The animation captures the medieval setting perfectly. From flowing fields of wheat to bustling market squares, the world comes across as surprisingly immersive, and the attention to color and lighting really enhances this. For example, particular attention is paid to clothing colors indicative of the times; most characters wear browns, grays, and whites, yet Horo is dressed in more regal purples, blues, and reds. These small, but cumulatively noticeable details, along with the music, provide for an enormously potent atmospheric feel, much in the same manner as series like Seirei no Moribito or Haibane Renmei. All in all, while not the most astounding of quality, the animation more than suits the series, and I can't think of a single instance of it appearing awkward or out of place.

SOUND : 7.5/10

VIP services : just $100 for one night

Both Horo's and Lawrence's voice actors are splendid, and each captures the subtleties in his or her respective character magnificently. Given Horo's keen disposition for mixing emotional undertones in many of her more serious speeches, this further served to exemplify her character's strengths and insecurities as being hand-in-hand. Tack on a soundtrack awash with tunes composed with fiddles and other instruments of the times, and it's certainly easy to feel quite at home within Spice and Wolf's world.

CHARACTER : 9.5/10

horo : this isn't my aple, right?
...who knows?...

If nothing else, Horo is the incarnation of every guy's dream girl: she's strong and confident, yet simultaneously both charming and feminine. This duality in her personality functions on a number of levels, and unlike most anime romances which have somewhat brazen females, Horo is much more human and believable (odd, since in actuality she is a wolf.) Despite her constant attempts to deny her affections, she finds herself continually flattered by Lawrence's chivalry-driven personality, and finds it increasingly more difficult to deny how happy she finds herself when in his presence. In fact, at many points throughout the series she becomes angry with him simply because he sacrifices so much of his own happiness for hers. Come the end, her goal of returning home seems to trail off toward the back of her mind, and her desire to continue her travels with him and further develop their relationship takes priority.

i am already 18 now.... let's beer!!!

And indeed, while Horo is charming, Lawrence is no stranger to the trait himself. Though his lifestyle of solitude leaves him somewhat oblivious to the subtleties of courtship, his constant care and concern for Horo's well being make him a very respectable lead. While he finds himself relying on Horo's wolf form for physical protection, he cultivates her emotional needs, which creates a heartwarming quid pro quo between the two. With so many male leads that tend to flop when placed in such a circumstance, Lawrence's character was enormously refreshing; he maintained his dignity and logic without deteriorating into an emotionally numb idiot. From the get-go he's able to clearly recognize that he has affections for Horo and she him, ruling out any form of unnecessary drama.

OVERALL : 9.0/10

do you wanna pick a fight with me, old man?

For a series centered around the merchant dealings of a medieval trader, Spice and Wolf confirms that even the most ordinary and plain of story ideas can be transformed into a splendid piece of work. I must admit that when first choosing to watch this title, I wanted to prove to myself that much of the credit given Horo's character was mere admiration of the fact that she's a cute wolf girl; once more, however, I've confirmed my initial conceptions wrong. Through her coupling with Lawrence, Horo highlights Spice and Wolf as one of the more exemplary titles of the winter season; I easily recommend this to anyone looking for a series that wistfully and brilliantly explores the complexities of the romantic interaction between two individuals - this is definitely not one to be missed.

horo :i have been naked for two days, you know!
...that's good for you...

Review : Angel Beats!

boy : who are you?
girl : i am ex-Al-Qaeda...

Before someone flames: [spoiler alert]. Damn straight. Angel Beats! was a decent watch in the little time that it lasted, but if there was any moral we learnt from Maeda’s latest outing, it’s how budget and timing can certainly screw around with what could have been a timeless series.

i do love fireworks.....yaay....

First and foremost, a synopsis: our lead Yuzuru Otonashi (voiced by the ever-so-excellent Kamiya Hiroishi) wakes up in a high school without his memories. Turns out this is some sort of afterlife for people who’ve died young and unsatisfied by their circumstances. He quickly enlists into Class 3S, a rag-tag band of weird and colourful personalities whose sole purpose is to defeat Tenshi, the school president…

dont do such a perverted things in the school yard....!!!

Probably what kept everyone watching were the great assortment of characters in this afterlife. Of course, everyone’s favourite is Tenshi. Seriously, if you hate Tenshi, you must seriously hate the world. I personally enjoyed TK. He’s so badass, and anyone who can dance Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal in an anime series seriously gets my thumbs up.

uuwaaaa.....! i am no virgin anymore...hiks..

However, the characterisation here is ironically one of the major weaknesses that pretty much eat away at Angel Beats!. We have SUCH an assortment of characters, and yet, we only get development in six, namely Yui, Otonashi, Yuri, Hinata, Naoi and Tenshi. What happened to the other characters?!

boy : let's hardcore
girl : nooo...! it's hurt...!

While I felt Otonashi and Tenshi’s developements were expertly done and paced, Yuri’s past seemed really off-putting and angsty. Also, the way she’s suddenly pals and bff’s with Tenshi is equally wanktarded. Ideally ALL the characters should have had at least one episode. The series just BEGS for 24 episodes at least. 13 episodes simply did NOT deliver.

i prefer the girl rather than the cat....oww so cute. my type.

Onto animation. Overall, this series is a very pretty one at that. Animation is especially great whenever we see Tenshi’s sweet moves, and the character models are definitely appealling. The concerts (yes, CONCERTS) were a surprising, yet awesome addition. Thankyou P.A. Works.

this soup make me wanna take a poop

Comedy is often what gets a lot of rewatchability in many anime series, and Angel Beats! had a pretty decent sense of slapstick. Heck, almost half of it is comedy. There’s no other series that makes fun of death like Angel Beats! does. However, many of the jokes you’ll find end up repeating each other. No Takeyama. We will not fucking call you Christ. In addition, there are some points in the series which are just plain stupid, such as when Otonashi discovers Tenshi is just like the other members of Class 3S near the end. Just stupid really.

we are the Indo-Boys Band...!

Sound was probably the crowning glory of this series. GirlsDeMo was a hit and while I never really caught on with their songs, I knew a serious amount of effort had been put to compose the various singles that appeared in Angel Beats!. For that, I must pay serious respect to Maeda. While I also initially didn’t like the ED (retardedly named The Brave Song) I ended up really loving it’s tranquility.

aaahhh...yes...it is feels good..
(glurp...glurp...)

If you haven’t got the point yet, I will reiterate again: Angel Beats! was TOO DAMN SHORT. This lead to really stupid pacing in the series, which flimmed and flammed through semi-fillers and proper plot. There were some pretty lame and stupid moments, like when Naoi, after butchering all of Class 3S, becomes ‘good’ after Otonashi’s sloppy manhug necessarily accompanied by mantears and mancrying. Seriously. Get some balls. Big events in this series end up finishing pretty damn quickly, and I was left wanting a little more development.

However, I must admit, there were some very poignant moments in the series. My favourite is BY FAR when Hinata is about to catch the ball and disappear. The tension and emotion in those seconds were what we were expecting from Maeda. Contrary to many viewers out there, I actually enjoyed the ending a lot. I really wanted Otonashi and Kanade to be together, and well, what do you expect: the usual miracle from Maeda. Also the way the weaved the power of love into this series, namely the shades arc, was fantastically and credibly done. It wasn’t soppy!

Overall, while I can bitch and whine all I want regarding how short Angel Beats! was, I still end up liking the series a lot. It saddens me when I realise that I won’t be tuning in every Friday/Saturday to my weekly TK fix. Let’s hope Maeda’s next work is bigger and better than this one~

Animation: 8.5/10

Sound: 9.5/10

Story: 7.5/10

Characters: 7.5/10

Enjoyment: 8/10

Overall: 8.2/10

Review : Arakawa Under the Bridge

i feel something so soft on my head...<

Arakawa Under the Bridge is a crazy gag comedy directed by Shaft. It depicts how a young and successful prodigy, Ichinomiya Kou, ends up living with a bunch of homeless and, frankly, crazy people under the bridge. The jokes in the show are indeed hilarious and it’s unlikely you’ll end up laughing not once or twice. However, at the same time, this anime never really attempts at doing anything else with its characters other and gags, and despite introducing a serious side never really attempts to finish it. So, it kind of depends on what you want, if you are perfectly okay with a barely advancing story and a lot of crazy gags, then, yeah, definitely check Arakawa out. If you are looking for a solid story - look elsewhere.

hiks..hiks.. i had been rejected

Originally drawn as manga by Nakamura Hikaru and later adapted to anime form by Shinbou Akiyuki (Bakemonogatari) Arakawa Under the Bridge is a gag anime picturing Ichinomiya Kou, a young prodigy as well as a director of one of the most wealthy companies in the world, attempting to start a new life under a bridge together with a bunch of really eccentric (on a mental level) people. As far as I could tell the show doesn’t have a consecutive storyline and though there are a few attempts to make the series more serious they are rendered completely futile by the fact that the show is in essence unfinished (though it appears part 2 is on its way). However, at least I can guarantee one thing - it’s funny.

and now, i had been rejected for a second

Arakawa Under the Bridge while not a particularly exceptional show is still one of the best things that aired this season. It’s certainly too bad that none of the, otherwise original and interesting characters, get a backdrop and that the serious potential of the story is never fulfilled, but the show is still genuinely funny. Animation is quirky do to the Shaft’ish direction and music, while not outstanding, is fit well offering plenty of audio pleasure. Overall it really depends on what you want to see in your shows, if you are alright with barely advancing plot and a lot of relatively high level original gags - Arakawa Under the Bridge is what you want to see. If you want a solid, thought-provoking storyline - go search elsewhere. There are actually some thought-provoking prose like sequences at the beginning of each of the later episodes, but, frankly, I have no idea whatsoever what any of these had to do with the actual plot or characters of the show. They are expressed in a very cool way though, as it’s, well, Shaft, you know.

guuwwaaaahh..... my business is bankrupt...!

Animation: 3

I must say that the animation of Arakawa Under the Bridge is surprisingly simple for a show made by Shaft. Of course, it still offers plenty of these.. artistic details, Shaft is usually full off, but still, they are certainly toned down when compared to, let’s say, Bakemonogatari. Nonetheless, Arakawa Under the Bridge might as well possess the best visual direction of the season, but given it has Shaft’s name on it, it was a given. Since the whole show kind of happens under the bridge, the number of backgrounds isn’t that varied, not to mention that detail is really unstable. Sometimes you get a few short shots at some really breathtaking well detailed greenery under the bridge and the next moment all you see is green color for lawn and blue color for sky with barely anything painted on them. Nonetheless, the overall feel of instability is, again, used in an artistic way by Shaft, so rather than making looking at things uncomfortable it actually works for the betterment of the atmosphere. Anyway, the detailed backgrounds are really nice, and the less detailed ones don’t even matter because you’ll be looking elsewhere anyway during those moments.

While Shaft can’t brag about careful detail in their character designs, everyone in the cast still looks plenty distinctive (likely because some of them have stars or metal blocks for heads) and quite attractive.. at least the ones that have human form that is. The only thing, which is really done well in this part of animation department is the expressions, as they are used very well to express various comedy elements. Otherwise, you’ll probably wont be either impressed or disappointed with your character shapes… Nonetheless, they blend in the backgrounds considerably well and look relatively nice in the combined affair of things. That being said, the show has barely any action in it so movement animation isn’t particularly important, and given it’s Shaft, it isn’t particularly impressive either. You can notice choppy movements everywhere and inbetweens are considerably scarce in number as more than half of the episodes usually pass jumping from one still frame to another. Nonetheless, the show never feels distorted or anything, and still frames only help to imbue Shaft’s peculiar style. So while you might not be particularly impressed by Arakawa no Bridge’s animation, it certainly wont interfere with your watching pleasure and will probably even help you get immersed in the show most of the time.

kyaaaa....!!! Nino-chan...please marry me....!
XD

Sound: 3

While OP has a lot of quirky things in its animation, the song itself is hardly worth a mention. It kind of gets old after you listen to it for a few times and I was kind of getting urges to skip it around getting past episode six. ED Sakasama Bridge by Suneohair on the other hand while offering no particularly exceptional animation is simply a nice relaxing song to listen to after the show passes through. So, yeah, ED’s nice, if not impressive. Background music composed by Yokoyama Masaru (KimiKiss Pure Rouge), on the other hand, is plenty impressive. Or rather, a few tracks, which usually play on the previously mentioned prose-like sequences of the show are OST getting level outstanding. Given the anime’s gag nature, however, it couldn’t use its serious sounding themes for too much, so most of the time you’ll actually be hearing funny one-rhythm music which helps with the jokes, but is kind of useless acoustic wise. There are a few nice themes mixed in it, but none of them really achieve the level of the serious ones which play through these, hardly having anything to do with the actual scenario, skits. Anyway, the overall stage of the music, after you sum all the pluses and minuses, ends up quite nice. It’s unlikely you’ll be particularly impressed, but you’ll definitely find one or two songs to like.

Arakawa Under the Bridge’s voice scene is completely dominated by Kamiya Hiroshi, as his performance of Kou is likely the best role he had this season (out of the four that I know of). Nonetheless, other stars like Koyasu Takehito, Sugita Tomokazu and Koyama Rikiya support the stage very well as well, giving the show a really memorable feel voice-work wise. Female cast doesn’t stand out as much, but none of the performances are half bad. Newcomer Omigawa Chiaki, particularly, has a really distinctive and fresh voice. Sakamoto Maaya doesn’t sound half-bad as Nino either.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Story: 3

Arakawa Under the Bridge is set in your everyday Japan… but most of the story actually happens under the bridge of some rural place where a lot of weirdos gather. While about nine-tenths of the show is pure slapstick comedy and absurd situations (made possible by the really quirky cast) Arakawa has a serious side as well, which depicts Kou’s and his father’s relationship. Anyway, while the serious part is kind of left hanging in the air with the end of this season, funny side of the show is certainly expressed well.

I was hooked by the jokes from episode one and hardly got tired of them until the very end of the show (though I might if this show will repeat the same pattern in the second season). Nonetheless, even though I indeed liked the jokes I found it unfortunate that the only serious part of the show was Kou’s story. I mean, the cast under the bridge is full of such eccentric weirdos… Most of them could have had one hell of a backdrop and mental problems… It’s really too bad that the show as well as discards all of their serious potential and only jumps from one gag to another. Anyway, if you are up for a some episodic comedy which very slightly advances hardly visible romance story and also works as a coming of age story of sorts, you have your show. Arakawa, though a slightly silly anime, is still one of the best works of the season, and likely the funniest.

why wont you sleep with me tonight?

Characters: 3

Kou is a young and successful genius who lived all of his life relying on his family’s saying “one shouldn’t make debts to others”. He is so obsessed with not making any debts that he actually goes at extreme lengths to evade something as simple as having his eraser picked up by someone; and even if his life depends on it, he will never ask for anyone’s help. Oh yeah, and it appears he has a strong allergy to making debts as well, having troubles breathing if fallen into a situation where he is indebted and can’t think of a way to return it. Nonetheless, apart from this quite extraordinary condition he is still the most ordinary person under the bridge; and about the only one to ever raise a weak voice of reason when conversations start bordering insanity.

Apart from Kou, we have Nina, his supposed lover, who thinks she actually came to earth from the planet of Venus. And to tell the truth, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was true, as not only she has absolutely no common sense or knowledge of human society, she hardly ever shows any human emotion through the whole show. We also have a self-proclaimed “Kappa” in the show who for some reason is the elder of that weirdo society. It seems he genuinely believes he is not human and he, kind of, reacts to all of the most craziest of stuff as if it was a common occurrence, making him quite freaky to say the least. Hoshi is a person who, kind of, wears a star mask on his head all of the time and is just, well, abnormal in every single thing he does. He appears to be in love with Nino and thinks of himself as Kou’s love rival. You will also meet an illegal immigrant expert of combat who works as a nun under the bridge and also his step-daughter who has monster strength and megalomaniac tendencies despite being less than ten years old. Let’s not forget the sadistic Maria, all of whose words end up completely raping the head of one of the listening parties, and Shiro who couldn’t come back home for over four years because he can only walk on white lines… and there were none leading to where he lives. There are even more weirdos under the bridge, even some who appear only once or twice through the whole show, but there is little point in introducing them all.

Anyway, while characters certainly exceed both in charm and comedic potential, none of them (apart from Kou) ever get any sort of backdrop or development. Even after watching this first season of the show, all you will ever know is their attitude… which is indeed an interesting thing to know, but you will certainly end up urging for more. As a whole, characteristics of the characters work perfectly to develop many absurdly funny situations, but it’s kind of hard to feel anything for them when you, in essence, barely know them. And, damn, Nino, Hoshi and many others could have had one of a hell of backdrop given their set up… I mean, unless they are really aliens, they must have had one hell of a past to become the way they ended being now.

Conclusion: Rated for 13 year olds and older Arakawa Under the Bridge is a genuinely funny gag show which might stay in your head for a few months before fading away as all of the other works of art which while being good, are not particularly outstanding do. We might expect to see the serious part of the story developed better in the season two, but I wouldn’t bet on that. Either way, if you want something funny - watch Arakawa Under the Bridge. While it’s not really a must-watch, it’s at least a pleasurable ride from the beginning to an end. If you are interested in comedy you might as well check Fullmetal Panic? Fumoffu! and Bobobo out, both of which I deem as being funnier than Arakawa. Oh yeah, and Gintama’s relatively nice too.