Swooning Over: Musketeer, Pokémon Merchandise, and More

6 / 11 / 16

It’s been ages since I did a haul post! Today I’d like to share some items I ordered from Amazon Japan via Tenso. Ever since I started using the Tenso forwarding service last year, I’ve been completely hooked on ordering obscure items from Amazon Japan! But since the cost can add up very quickly, I have to save my purchases for special orders. But enough talk, here’s what I got!

I’ve recently become rather obsessed with Morikubo Showtaro, who is the voice behind one of my favorite anime characters in recent years, Makishima Yuusuke from Yowamushi Pedal. After I found he also voiced Impey from otome game Code: Realize, who also happens to be another personal favorite, I decided it would be my personal mission to seek out other things he’s been involved in.

My latest acquisition is this drama CD from the Nade Nade CD series, which features none other than Morikubo Showtaro. I don’t actually know much about this series aside from the fact that it doesn’t actually feature guys playing with cats – rather, the “nade nade” refers to the listener being comforted by the character in a similar manner to a cat being petted. I’m still game for that!

(Note that CDs can generally be shipped internationally from Amazon Japan without a forwarding service, but some are restricted to Japan only or only available through third party sellers that don’t ship outside of Japan. What a pain!)

Next we have an otome game, because I can never have too many games in my backlog! Musketeer is, as the title suggests, based on The Three Musketeers, except in this version d’Artagnan is a girl. Of course, that means lots of opportunities to romance handsome dudes! I just couldn’t resist the gorgeous art, and second hand copies only cost about $15.

I’m pretty sure I can’t do a haul post without including at least one Pokémon item! Well, this time around I have a whopping three Pokémon items, the first of which being this Pokémon Time melamine plate that is only available through Pokémon Centers. I have a small nerdy melamine plate collection going, and they happen to make great backdrops for photos, and I just couldn’t resist this adorable pattern! More Pokémon Time merchandise, please!

Next is this drop dead adorable plush Sylveon keychain from the PokéNeco Dolce series. I think this series pretty much perfectly hits all of my favorite aesthetic notes: pink, frilly, and cute! For such a small plush, this has really amazing detail. Here’s a closer look:

Those lashes! That striped bow detail! I die!

Finally, after extensive pining, I added just one more item from the PokéNeko Dolce series to my Amazon Japan Tenso order: this masking tape set. I just love using masking tape to decorate my notebooks and letters, so I can pretty much never have too many! I didn’t expect one of the tapes to be thicker than the other, but it was a welcome surprise since I don’t have any other tapes in the same size.

Well, there you have it, my latest Amazon Japan (via Tenso) haul! Let me know if you like these kind of haul posts so I know to do more in the future!

Otome Game Taisho Alice is Coming to PC in English! [UPDATE]

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It seems like May is turning out to be an interesting month for surprise game localization announcments! First, we got Kuma Tomo coming out as Teddy Together in Europe, and now we have a very stealth announcement for an upcoming otome game release, Taisho Alice!

The news was unceremoniously unveiled back on May 7th by way of a Facebook post from publisher E2 Gaming, who announced they had secured the rights to a new theme song by Mardelas for the game. The post included an image with a brief description of Taisho Alice, and E2 confirmed in the comments that they were indeed localizing the game. They later elaborated in another Facebook comment that they are currently looking at a PC release, though the game is also slated to release on Vita next month in Japan.

Kyoukai no Shirayuki Scenario and Supporting Character Bio Translations

3 / 8 / 163 / 9 / 16

I’m finally back with some new translations! Featuring Gatchaman Crowds artist Kinako’s distinctive art and character designs, Kyoukai no Shirayuki is a dark twist on the tale of Snow White, where protagonist Mashiro Akagami finds herself entangled in the fates of eight young men and their twisted mirror world selves.

Today I’m going to be sharing translations of scenarios for three of the romance-able men, Kaine, Nazuki, and Yura, as well as winter outfits for all eight male characters, info on the four supporting characters, and the first installment in the Shuffle Talk dialogue series featuring Kaine and Yori.

For detailed plot information and main character bios, please head over my translations of the announcement trailer and the previous two B’s Log features, as this post will only cover information new to the January 2016 issue of B’s Log.

New Otome Game Kickstarter Coming from Otomate and Gloczus, Inc.

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Exciting news for otome game fans! Otomate World announced today on their Facebook page that they are teaming up with Gloczus, Inc. for an upcoming Kickstarter to localize one of their otome games into English. Though the title is still a secret, it will be “a hugely popular otome title which was previously released exclusively in Japan.” So, what could it be? It’s time to get speculating!

Previously, Gloczus, Inc. has been in charge of English iOS/Android versions of Hakuoki and Amnesia: Memories, while Aksys Games and Idea Factory International were in charge of the original English Vita releases. Following this logic, it would make sense that the Kickstarter would be for the English localization of an Otomate game currently available or slated to release on mobile platforms.

Looking at Otomate’s Japanese mobile game portal, there have been numerous ports of Amnesia and Hakuoki titles, but given their official statement, I would be very surprised if the Kickstarter were for a fan disc for a series already available in English. Similarly, though Norn9: Var Commons has an iOS/Android port, we’ve already seen the game come out in English for the Vita. Hiiro no Kakera has already been released in English on iOS/Android as part of NTT Solmare’s Shall We Date? series, under the title Scarlet Fate. [Update: The English Scarlet Fate is Hiiro no Kakera 4. Thanks Aunna for the clarification!] That leaves us with…

Moujuutsukai to Oujisama ~Flower and Snow~! This is the only title in Otomate’s current mobile game lineup that fits the “never released before in English” bill. On top of that, the Japanese iOS/Android release was only just announced for this winter, so it would make a lot of sense for Glozcus, Inc. to do a corresponding English Kickstarter. If I were a betting woman, I’d put my money on Moujuutsukai! Of course, if Glozcus, Inc. is actually planning a Vita release or an all new mobile port for the Kickstarter, than all bets are off (though it’ll probably be the immensely popular Diabolic Lovers, if that’s the case!).

Keep an eye on the Otomate World Facebook page for the Kickstarter launch in the next few days, and we’ll see if my guess is correct! [Update: I was right! The Beastmaster and Prince – Flower and Snow – Kickstarter is now live, though it will be a PC release instead of mobile. Go check it out for all the details!]

Who is Your Matsu Match?! Osomatsu-san Character Quiz Translation

1 / 27 / 161 / 31 / 16

I’m sure I wasn’t the only person who was floored when otome game publisher Otomate announced they would be making a game adaptation of the popular Osomatsu-san anime. Whether or not the actual game will be a full-fledged otome game that lets you date each of the brothers, it’s undeniable that the series has amassed a huge female fanbase!

In acknowledgement of this, the latest issue of Dengeki Girl’s Style, a magazine dedicated to otome games and related media, has a whole four page article dedicated to the Osomatsu-san anime. In it is an amazing Matsu flowchart reminiscent of teen magazines that I thought was too fun not to share:

Surprised Otomate is making an Osomatsu-san game? Dengeki Girl’s Style has a quiz to find your Matsu match XD pic.twitter.com/BSnK6hoZnJ

— Anne Fujosushi Lee (@apricotsushi) January 26, 2016

Since some folks were interested to know what the chart says, I’ve gone ahead and made a translated version! So, who’s your Matsu love match?

Osomatsu-san character match flow chart — Click to expand!

Feel free to share, but please make sure to credit Chic Pixel! If you haven’t yet watched Osomatsu-san, be sure to check out the hilarious anime at Crunchyroll. If you enjoyed this translation, support Chic Pixel by purchasing your favorite Osomatsu-san merchandise at CDJapan!

Code: Realize and Norn9 Dating Sim Giveaway!

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To celebrate the Dating Sim Community Game-Along this January, I’ve teamed up with Aksys Games to offer not one, but two awesome otome games to one lucky winner! For a chance to win digital PS Vita copies of both Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ and Norn9: Var Commons, enter using the widget below by midnight, January 20th Pacific Time. Entering is easy, and you can exponentially increase your chances the more actions you complete, so go crazy!

Code: Realize is a romance visual novel set in a steampunk version of England, where protagonist Cardia is desperate to uncover the secret behind a mysterious disease that rots anything she touches. It also happens to be my favorite otome game of 2015! Norn9, on the other hand, is a sci-fi romance featuring three different protagonists and a whopping 9 romance-able characters. Be sure to check out the anime adaptation currently airing in Japan and simulcasting on Hulu!

Giveaway is open worldwide, and the winner will have their choice of NA or EU PSN codes. Update: I have been notified that some people are abusing the referral link option by not notifying people that they are entering the giveaway via a referral. Referral links must be shared through the social media/email options within the widget or clearly state that they are referral links. Any extra entries gained through referrals by other means will be disqualified.

Code: Realize and Norn9 Dating Sim Giveaway

January 2016 Community Game-Along: Dating Sims

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The first Community Game-Along theme of 2016 is the return of an old personal favorite, dating sims! For this month’s theme, any games where pursuing romance is an integral part of the experience are eligible. That means whether you want to play Dragon Age or Amnesia: Memories, it counts for the Game-Along!

If you’re new to Community Game-Alongs, simply play any game that fits the theme and share your experiences on your own blog, YouTube channel, social media, or wherever else you’d like to talk about it. Just be sure to tag it with #DatingSimonth so everyone else can see it! If you don’t know what to play, check out the suggestions I gave the first time I ran the dating sim Community Game-Along, or try one of these: