Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd Review

11 / 20 / 144 / 20 / 18

Back when SEGA released Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F last August, I was amazed to hear that a Vocaloid game would finally be coming out in English. SEGA only brought over the PlayStation 3 version initially, but six months later the PS Vita version followed due to the popularity of the PS3 release. Now, however, the digital idol Hatsune Miku is literally everywhere, from opening for Lady Gaga to performing on Letterman, so it makes much more sense to see Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd in English only eight months after the Japanese release. And this time, buyers have the option to choose between the PS3 and PS Vita versions at launch!

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Review

11 / 16 / 144 / 20 / 18

Earlier this year, adventure game/visual novel Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc quickly wormed its way into my heart for being one of the most fun and interesting titles I’ve played in recent memory, let alone this year. While NIS America announced from the get-go that they would release the sequel before the year was out, I had my doubts that it could be anywhere near as good as the original, let alone better, as many assured me. How exactly do you follow up a game that throws fifteen elite high school students into a situation where the only way they can escape is by killing one of their classmates and not getting caught?

Betoyo Bento Subscription Box Review

10 / 6 / 144 / 20 / 18

When it comes to Japan-related subscription services, there is no shortage of options in the candy/snack department, but if you want to venture into the realm of collectables and other knickknacks, there are considerably fewer services available. Luckily, the folks at Betoyo Bento seek to fill that void by offering monthly boxes of toys, candies, and any other “Japanese pop culture items” they come across!

Ali Baba 1/7 Scale Figure by empty Review

9 / 10 / 144 / 20 / 18

This is it, folks. I’ve finally fallen into the deep, money-swallowing hole that is scale figures. I don’t know whether I should be relieved that I lasted a whole year since I bought my first Nendoroid, or if I should be disappointed that I only managed to keep myself away from them for so long. Either way, I’m in it now, and there’s no better way to celebrate the occasion than with a review!

MIKUCOLOR: Kei’s Hatsune Miku Illustration Works Review

8 / 26 / 144 / 20 / 18

I may be new to the world of Hatsune Miku art books, but Udon Entertainment certainly isn’t. In fact, MIKUCOLOR: Kei’s Hatsune Miku Illustration Works is the fifth release in the company’s Hatsune Miku art book series! What sets it apart from previews volumes, however, is the fact that MIKUCOLOR is exclusively dedicated to the works of official Vocaloid artist Kei, covering his illustration work for DVD jackets to magazine covers. It’s a great opportunity to see so much of Kei’s work all in one place, especially considering how difficult it is to source many of the products his work appears on outside of Japan!

When Marnie Was There Review

8 / 12 / 144 / 20 / 18

When I realized I would be in Japan while the latest Studio Ghibli film, When Marnie Was There (Omoide no Maanii), was in theaters, I was thrilled. The last time I saw a Ghibli film in Japan was Ponyo, which was gorgeously animated but ultimately a little disappointing for me, so I wanted to see if Ghibli could outdo some of their more recent mediocre affairs. While When Marnie Was There‘s premise of a young sick girl who goes out to the country and becomes friends with another, rather mysterious, girl didn’t seem all that enticing from a plot synopsis point of view, I went in hopeful that I would be getting another dose of Ghibli’s magic on the big screen, well before the film aired in the rest of the world.

Insert Coin Clothing Review

7 / 10 / 144 / 23 / 18

I don’t always wear gaming-themed clothing, but when I do, I like to do it in style! I kid, but when it comes to gaming threads, there’s a fine line between “wink nod” game references on trendy clothing and obnoxiously obvious tees that proclaim your love for all things nerdy for the world to see.