Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D Impressions

After spending a week writing about vampire manga for the vampire Manga Movable Feast, I think it’s high time I went back to video games! In honor of Halloween I thought it’d be appropriate to post some long overdue impressions of an overlooked 3DS title, Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D.

Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D is part of a series that began on WiiWare with Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove: Monster Mix. Since then, the series has also seen an iOS release with Gabrielle’s Monster Match, which is a puzzle game, but, as the “groove” in the other titles suggests, both Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove: Monster Mix and Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D are rhythm games.

I’ll readily admit that the only reason I bought Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D was because of its downright adorable art style. I love the Halloween-y theme, and everything about the game just screams “cute Japanese things that Anne loves,” so it basically had my name written all over it. That said, I did go into it knowing that Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove: Monster Mix did not receive extremely favorable reviews, so I was prepared to have the aesthetics be the only positive aspect of the game.

Unfortunately, my expectations weren’t very far from the reality. Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D features gameplay similar to Elite Beat Agents and Theatrhythm, but it is clearly intended for a younger audience, as it’s not only extremely easy, but not very varied. Suffice it to say, this won’t be a rhythm game enthusiasts will be clamoring to play. On top of that, the developers apparently couldn’t afford to put licensed tracks in the game, so all of the songs are sad renditions of classical tunes or made-up tracks specifically for the game. Since rhythm games are essentially all about the music, the lack of good songs is really detrimental to the whole experience.

But while Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D pretty much fails in the gameplay department, it has some compelling aspects that I can’t ignore. For one, the game actually has a story: Gabrielle unwittingly sneezes out her spirit one day, causing her to have an “out of body” experience while her actual body is in what appears to be a coma in the real world. She then sets out with her talking cat to find a way to return to her body, and runs into all manner of traditional monster characters, such as Vlad the vampire and a friendly yet dim-witted Frankie. Though the story is basically fluff, the characters and their interactions are quite fun to watch.

There’s also a significant wardrobe and makeup customization system for Gabrielle. Getting good grades on songs will unlock new items, and since you can watch Gabrielle dance different routines to each song as you play them (as I said, it’s very easy, so it’s not hard to watch the top screen and tap along on the bottom) and it will show the costume changes you’ve made, making it a lot of fun to play with different coordinates and hairstyles. In a game this cute, that’s definitely a bonus!

All in all, Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D won’t win any awards for outstanding gameplay, but if you’re at all like me, you’ll be willing to look past some forgetful rhythm sequences and see it for the adorable experience it is. It would also be a good pick for people who have difficulty with rhythm games, or are looking for a light entry into the genre.

Then again, instead of spending $20 on a mediocre game, you could always download these free Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove papercrafts to make yourself this Halloween and get almost the same expereience! If only I had a color printer… (Bonus trivia: Did you know Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove is called Monstro in Japan? It’s a mashup of monster and maestro… I love it!)

Vampire MMF Roundup: Part Four

Surprise! Well, either I’m a little messed up with the time zone differences, I missed a lot of submissions, or people got theirs in just after the deadline, but the moral of the story is there are quite a few submissions to the vampire MMF that didn’t get covered in the last roundup – enough that I felt they merited their own roundup! So, without further ado, here is (I promise) the last vampire MMF roundup post:

Lori posted a review for Vampire Knight volumes 12 and 14 over at Manga Village much earlier in the week, and I’m embarrassed to say that I missed it in my previous roundup posts (sorry, Lori!). I love how she is candid about not really liking the series, though I’m sure that statement might offend not a few fans. Personally, I never really could get into the series aside from its gorgeous art and a few drool-worthy male characters… Well, do volumes 12 and 14 renew her interest in the series? Head over to her review to find out!

Kate wrote a lovely piece called “The Manga Critic’s Guide to Vampires” over at The Manga Critic. She’s compiled all the vampire-related manga she’s personally reviewed over the years, breaking them down by “the story,” “the low-down,” “demographic,” and “recommended for.” She covers everything from popular titles such as Blood+, Hellsing, Trinity Blood, and Vampire Knight to lesser-known series such as Lament of the Lamb and some single-volume titles like Cowa!, Crimson Cross, and How to Seduce a Vampire. It’s definitely a must-read for anyone looking for a quick vampire manga suggestions.

Anna at Manga Report took a look at Record of a Fallen Vampire volumes 1-3, and though she felt that it wasn’t quite as good as some of her other favorite vampire manga, she thinks “inexhaustible vampire manga fans” would probably enjoy the series. She does have a request to anyone who’s read past volume 3 to let her know if it “gets better,” so if you are familiar with the series, do head over to her review and share your thoughts!

Lori was quite busy this week – she also reviewed two Chibi Vampire spinoff volumes, Airmail and Bites, at Manga Xandu. As a big fan of the Chibi Vampire manga, she wanted to see if these side-stories were up to snuff. It sounds like Airmail is pretty close to being a must-read for fans, and while her reaction to Bites was a little less positive, she still would recommend it to those who’ve read the original series.

Michelle and Karen got together to chat about CMX’s 90’s shojo series Canon over at Soliloquy in Blue, and I’m oh so glad they did! Their lengthy chat does contain some spoilers for those who haven’t yet read the four-volume series, but even if you haven’t read the series yet, definitely go have have a look at the first couple of paragraphs – their enthusiasm will certainly make you want to put this on your to-read list! Michelle also announces their intention to start a monthly feature called “The CMX Project” in January 2013, where they’ll be covering some lesser-known gems from the CMX library.

Last but not least, Johanna reviewed Twilight: The Graphic Novel Collector’s Edition at Comics Worth Reading (can’t have a proper vampire discussion without Twilight in there somewhere!). The recently-released hardcover contains both previously-released volumes of the graphic novel, but we’re going to count in the vampire MMF since it was drawn by a Korean artist (meaning we can fudge and call it manhwa, right?). Johanna notes that though she doesn’t like Stephenie Meyer’s story, she felt that “[t]here’s something very seductive about the idea of a super-powerful, perfect lover whose only weakness is how much he adores an otherwise normal girl.” You have to admit, that does sound compelling!

Well, I dare say that’s the last of the submissions! I was really surprised to see so many come in towards the end, and I’m really happy we got so many varied posts! Thank you everyone for your submissions, and remember, if you have something I’ve missed, please do let me know via Twitter, email, or in the comments of this post and I’ll be sure to add it. Hope you enjoyed the feast!

Remember, be sure to check out the archive for some great older reviews and links to all previous roundup posts!

Vampire MMF Roundup: Part Three

The last couple of days of the vampire Manga Movable Feast saw some really interesting and varied submissions!

Tony from Manga Therapy took a look at a slightly different kind of vampire that first make their appearance in volume 14 of Gantz. These nanomachine-infused humans are Vampires in that they are both weak to UV radiation and need to drink blood to survive, but they also have emotional “vampiric” qualities. Manga Therapy writes, “When asked about the creation of the Vampires in an old interview, Hiroya Oku said he wanted human enemies and that the “vampire” character exists naturally.” What an interesting spin on traditional vampire lore!

Lori over at Manga Xandu has another review, this time for volume 2 of Dracula Everlasting, an OEL title published by Seven Seas. She writes: “I was under the impression that Nick was to be the protagonist, but this volume proves that isn’t the case. Cate and to some extent Jill are the ones to really move the story” and appreciates the strong female characters, but laments that she still expected the story to go in a slightly different direction. She does note that “it’s nice to have a ‘prince in distress’ for a change,” so perhaps new readers going into the three volume series with the knowledge that Nick is not the main character will have different initial impressions?

Laura from Heart of Manga also took a look at Dracula Everlasting, covering both volumes one and two in her review. She mentions that “the short length of the story keeps the characters from being well developed,” and feels that Dracula, the antagonist who seeks to gain full possession of Nick, is the most interesting. She notes what a long wait it will be until the final volume is published in September 2013, so even though the characters may feel a little sub-par, the whole package looks intriguing enough to stick with it until the conclusion.

Finally, Ash of Experiments in Manga reviewed Yashakiden: The Demon Princess volume 3, and though it’s not a manga, but a series of illustrated vampire novels, I think it’s close enough to include in the feast! Unfortunately, Ash finds the series frustrating, as he writes: “Although Kikuchi has a ton of great ideas, and I continue to love Demon City Shinjuku as a setting, he hasn’t been able to pull everything together into a cohesive whole quite yet.” The original series was intended to end at volume 4 (which is included in volume 3 of the English release, as it is an omnibus edition), Ash mentions that it actually extends to eight volumes, meaning he’s just reached the midway point. Though the narrative feels unfocused to him, he’s going to try to stick with it for at least a little while longer. I think, at the very least, it says something good about the premise if Ash has been willing to stick with a disappointing narrative for four whole volumes!

Well, this marks the end of the vampire Manga Movable Feast. I want to give a huge thanks to everyone who sent in submissions over the course of the week. I admit I was a little nervous, given this was my first time hosting, but everyone was very helpful. I hope I did an okay job – do drop a comment and let me know if you have any suggestions for how I could manage it better in the future! Finally, if anyone has any late submissions they’d like included, I’m happy to update this post to include them over the next few days, so keep sending them in!

[Update] There were so many extra submissions that I went ahead and made a forth roundup post! 
Remember, be sure to check out the archive for some great older reviews and links to all previous roundup posts!

Vampire MMF Roundup: Part Two

The reviews continue to come in for the vampire Manga Movable Feast! I’m happy to see all the shojo titles, but where’s some of the shonen love? I hope we see a Hellsing post or two before it’s all over, because I’ve never read it!

Ash over at Experiments in Manga returns to Vampire Hunter D, volume 1 especially for this month’s feast (thanks, Ash!). He writes, “While I wasn’t overly impressed by Vampire Hunter D, volume 1 when I read it for the first time, the manga has grown on me after subsequent readings.” It’s even inspired to possibly go back and read the novels, which I’d definitely say is a tick in the manga’s favor! 

Lori published a great review of Digital Manga Publishing’s Moon and Blood volumes 1-2 at The School Library Journal (Good Comics for Kids), summarizing her feelings as follows: “Moon and Blood is a supernatural romance that avoids a lot of the pitfalls commonly seen in this now popular genre.” Though she found the male character’s back story more interesting than the romance, which may be disappointing for some, it’s great to see a shojo manga that features such a compelling male lead.

Anna at The Manga Report also reviewed Jiu Jiu volume 2, which doesn’t actually center around vampires, but it features a vampire character as well as a whole host of other supernatural beings. She notes that the series “…flashes back and forth from scenes exploring emotional abandonment to more typical shojo manga staples like trips to the beach.” Sounds like it does a good job of not being too emotionally heavy, but not straying too far into the realm of pure fluff, either!

Finally, I posted a Call for Localization for two vampire shojo manga that are currently only available in Japanese, Poe no Ichizoku and Kuro Bara Alice. If I had to pick between the two, I’d definitely say publishers should go for Poe no Ichizoku first, as it’s a classic that everyone should have a chance to read, but Kuro Bara Alice is likely to be the more easily-accessible of the two. If either should get licensed, I expect full credit! 

I’d like to give a huge thanks to everyone whose contributed so far. I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s post, and I hope you have, too! There are only a couple of days left in the feast, but that’s still plenty of time to get your submissions in!

Call for Localization: Poe no Ichizoku, Kuro Bara Alice

There can never be enough manga in English, so in honor of this week’s vampire Manga Movable Feast, I’ve picked two vampire titles that I’d love to see released out west some day… And yes, they’re both shojo manga!

Poe no Ichizoku (The Poe Clan)
Poe no Ichizoku is an extremely influential manga series by Moto Hagio that was serialized in Japan from 1972-1976. What makes Poe no Ichizoku particularly interesting is how it deals with themes of guilt and love, as there is a very clear love “triangle between” Edgar, Allen, and Edgar’s sister Marybelle, as well as the isolation they face as immortal vampires. The double-negative of this series being nine volumes long and “old” means that it’s likely to be very low on publishers’ lists, but if Fantagraphics can localize Hagio’s Heart of Thomas, then I say someone should give Poe no Ichizoku a shot! I could definitely see this series being on a college course syllabus someday.

If you don’t mind the fact that it’s an academic essay, I highly suggest reading “Everlasting Life, Everlasting loneliness: The Genealogy of The Poe Clan” by Satoko Kan, which can be found in volume 38 of the US-Japan Women’s Journal. 

Kuro Bara Alice (Black Rose Alice)
I was surprised to find that this series is already licensed in France and Germany, so I wonder why an North American publisher hasn’t picked it up yet. Kuro Bara Alice is an ongoing shojo series by Setona Mizushiro, a prolific manga artist who has previously only had her one-volume work X-Day published in English. The overarching premise sounds something like a reverse harem in that an all-male group of vampires, called a “nest,” require a female to give “birth” to their successors. Alice has been selected to be one such female, but she has a choice between one of four of the vampire men to fall in love with… Okay, it does sound a little, hrm, interesting, but it seems to be doing fairly well in Japan, and it looks like a great, more “mature” alternative to the likes of Vampire Knight.

Are there any vampire manga you wish were localized into English? Share them in the comments!

Japan Envy: TokiMemo Girl’s Side Credit Card and Exclusive Events

I have to say, this is going to be my favorite Japan Envy posts in a while. Why? Because it’s about Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side-themed VISA credit cards!

official website

Of course, there’re credit cards for virtually everything these days, but this is the first time I’ve seen a credit card game tie-in before (feel free to point out others in the comments, if you know of any). And this isn’t just any game tie-in, but an otome game tie-in!

The perks of this card are that once you collect a certain number of points, you’ll be rewarded with various exclusive merchandise. The lowest revealed tier contains stickers featuring characters from the three games, and there’s also a 800-point option that gets you a signed illustration.

But most interestingly, only cardholders will be able to attend a certain upcoming event being held in celebration of the series’ 10th anniversary. On March 9th and 10th, cardholders will have the chance to go on a “live 2.5D” date with one of the series’ 32 different characters:

It’s still early, so there aren’t many details available on the website, but it will take place at Tokyo Disneyland and there’ll be all sorts of exciting things for fans going on, such as appearances from the voice actors and special exclusive goods for sale. 
But who cares about that –– this date thing is what’s got me really interested! Apparently, it will consist of some kind of animation sequence that actually changes depending on the things you say. Along those lines, the website is touting that it’s an event where you’re not merely watching, but actually actively participating in. I’m not sure how they’re going to go about achieving any of that without having everyone just playing copies of the various games, though… 
So, if there was a credit card available for your favorite game franchise or company (Nintendo VISA, perhaps?), would you want one? What kind of perks would you want it to have? I’ll be completely honest and admit that even though I probably wouldn’t actually attend the date event, I’d want a TokiMemo credit card solely because of the fact that it’s so adorable! 
For more information on Tokimeki Memorial: Girl’s Side, head over to my Otome Game Primer post!

Vampire MMF Roundup: Part One

The first couple of days of the vampire Manga Moveable Feast have gotten to a bit of a slow start, but I’m confident things will get busier as we hit the middle of the week! Let’s take a look at some of the contributions so far:

Ash over at Experiments in Manga kicks off the feast with a vampire-themed Week in Manga post. In it, he covers volumes 1-4 of Blood Sucker: Legend of Zipangu, Devil, volumes 13-16 of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Phathos volumes 1-2, Until the Full Moon volumes 1-2, and volumes 2-5 of Vampire Hunter D. With everything from the hardcore shonen title Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure to BL offerings of Phathos and Until the Full Moon, I’d say he’s got quite the selection!

Next, Manga Xandu takes a look at the Blood Alone omnibus, which contains volumes 1-3 of the series. Lori says: “Blood Alone isn’t the typical vampire series with a lot of angst and melodrama. Instead, it is populated with rich, interesting characters and a story that is a mix of slice of life and murder mystery with a sprinkling of vampires.” Sounds like it might be worth checking out!

Finally, I wrote a shojo-centric introduction to vampire manga here at Chic Pixel, which will hopefully provide a few good titles to start from for shojo fans looking to have some vampires with a side (or perhaps a heaping plate) of romance.

Keep those submissions coming! The vampire MMF will continue through to the 27th. You can email submissions to me directly, or leave a link here in the comments.