Author: Anne

Japan Envy: Super Mario x Parco Collaboration Item Fair

The Japanese shopping center chain Parco is teaming up with Nintendo for a massive Super Mario collaboration! First, around 60 stores are participating in the Item Collaboration Fair, which starts on July 1st, offering a range of exclusive Super Mario crossover merch (over 300 items total!). Then, Nintendo will be expanding it’s official Nintendo Store locations from its flagship Shibuya Parco location to other Parco centers in cities across Japan in a limited series of pop up shops over the next few months, allowing people who haven’t been able to go to the Shibuya location a chance to shop a range of great Nintendo products.

Finally, there’s Parco Grand Bazaar, which as far as I can tell is a regular Parco summer sale running from June 25 to July 11 with some Super Mario branding (the poster on the left in the image above).

I love when nerdy things cross over into fashion, so it’s really fun to see how all of the different bands are using the Super Mario brand for the giant Collaboration Item Fair starting on July 1. I was tipped off to this fun event by Thymine on Twitter, who posted about this amazing Angelic Pretty Princess Peach dress, complete with crown!

As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to check out what other collaboration items were available! I personally love how this lolita dress blurs the line between fashion and cosplay.

While Angelic Pretty doesn’t have any other clothing in the Super Mario collab, it is releasing a number of accessories: star and Boo-themed necklaces, rings, and earings. You know, I would proudly rock a sparkly Boo necklace.

I’m also a fan of the brand Samantha Thavasa, which often does collaborations with different pop culture media such as Sailor Moon. Both Samantha Thavasa and the spinoff brand Samantha Thavasa Petit Choice have Super Mario handbag and wallet designs, but the short and long wallets below are my favorites.

Finally, the kimono brand Kimono by Nadeshiko has a range of summer yukata with Super Mario designs! Check these out:

How cool are they?! The line comes with Super Mario obi (the sash you tie around kimono/yukata) as well as the yukata themselves, so you could style the Mario obi with a plain kimono for lots of fun looks such as the light blue yukata example above. I really like the black yukata, which looks like it’s depicting Mario in a castle or underground area (sorry I’m not a Mario expert). It’s not quite as flashy as the first bright blue example, and the M logos on the chest are reminiscent of the hakama Mario design!

There are tons more items in the Super Mario x Parco Item Collaboration Fair such as business ties, purses, and underwear, but these are some of the main standouts for me. You can view the whole list of participating stores and items on the official website. If you want to try to score any of these items outside of Japan, try to hit up the online stores on July 1. Make sure you have a proxy service set up!

MARS RED: Edge of the Nightmare Review

MARS RED is a multimedia vampire narrative set in Taisho Era Japan originally conceived as a stage play by Bun-O Fujisawa performed in 2015. The story focuses on a secret vampire military unit of vampire hunters known as Code Zero and is currently in a rather delayed renaissance with the release of a manga in 2020, followed by an anime and a video game adaptation released in English for mobile phones on May 20, 2021. The game, titled MARS RED: Edge of the Nightmare, features an all-new storyline written by Bun-O Fujisawa and stars a character absent from the anime named Yatsufusa Yuki.

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Tokyo Onmyoji BL Game and My Dear Frankenstein Localizations Announced

Moonchime Studios announced today that they are localizing two new Japanese indie games for PC, the 18+ BL title Tokyo Onmyoji -The Tale of Rei Tengenjibashi- (Japanese title 東京陰陽師) and the point and click adventure game My Dear Frankenstein (Japanese title 愛しのフランケンシュタイン). Tokyo Onmyoji is scheduled to release for PC on JAST USA and other unannounced platforms in Q4 2021, and My Dear Frankenstein will release for PC and Mac on Steam this summer (winter if you’re in the southern hemisphere).

Both titles look really fun, but I’m particularly excited to see another publisher releasing BL games in English, and this is Moonchime‘s first foray into the genre after their first localization, the otome game I Love You!, released for PC for free in late 2020. Tokyo Onmyoji by Holicworks was originally released in Japan in 2014 and centers on Rei Tengenjibashi, an onmyoji for hire who exterminates demons. There are four romanceable characters, gorgeous art by Akira Sakamoto and fully-voiced characters. For more information on the story and cast, see Moonchime’s official announcement.

My Dear Frankenstein has a lovely fairytale-like art style and features a story inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Players control Adam, a newly-created monster who must explore the City of Shipberry for pieces of his heart that were scattered throughout. Players who like point-and-click adventure games and moving narratives should keep an eye out for a release date in the upcoming months! You can read more about My Dear Frankenstein on Moonchime’s announcement page.

Both of these games look right up my alley, so I’m really excited to check them out when they’re released! Moonchime Studios is shaping up to be a publisher to follow closely if you like visual novels and alternative indie Japanese games. I can’t wait to see what titles get added to their lineup in the future!

Café Enchanté Review

Café Enchanté is the latest in a growing list of otome game localizations for the Nintendo Switch by Aksys Games, and right off the bat, it had me hook, line, and sinker. Coffee? Check. Monster boys? Check. Stellar development team? Check. With gorgeous art by Yuuya (Cupid Parasite), a scenario by staff who also worked on Code Realize, and a narrative centering around a quaint cafe with other-worldly patrons, I had high hopes for this one right off the bat. Read on for my full, spoiler-free review!

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DRAMAtical Murder Review

DRAMAtical Murder may very well be the most well-known BL (boys’ love) game in Japan – it’s even inspired an anime adaptation and stage play! The third game from developer Nitro+CHiRAL, DRAMAtical Murder was originally released in 2012 and received a fan disc as well as a PS Vita port that removed the graphic 18+ content. Now, the game is finally available to purchase in English thanks to JAST BLUE as part of their ongoing endeavor to localize Nitro+CHiRAL’s complete game catalog.

Since I’d never played the Japanese release beyond the first few hours of the PS Vita version, I couldn’t wait to see if DRAMAtical Murder lived up to all of the praise! 

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Handheld Console Enamel Pin – 2D Boys Machine Kickstarter

It’s been a while since I just wrote something, but I just had to share this adorable pin Kickstarter by the super cool chottomatte.nini aka Gabs from Instagram! The design is for anyone who wants to rep their love for the underappreciated PS Vita and all the otome games released for it!

The Kickstarter reached its goal in just 8 days, which means you’re guaranteed to receive a pin if you back it now! The pin is 2.5 inches with rose gold plating and lovely pastel colors, and you can pledge at £12 to receive a “flawed” B-grade pin. Unfortunately, there aren’t any of the flawless/A grade tier left, but more may be added if pledges increase.

Gabs also has an awesome Etsy store that she has been running for just half a year, but already has nearly 500 sales! And it’s not hard to see why – in addition to a sticker version of the 2D Boys Machine design, she also has a range of super cute sticker sheets, keychains, washi tape and more.

acrylic charms from chottomattenini’s shop

If you like otome games, journaling, or just cute things in general, Gabs is definitely someone to keep an eye on! Now, I think I need to get back to playing some otome games on my Vita!