Norn9: Var Commons releases for Nintendo Switch on March 30th, and I couldn’t be more excited! Of course, a localized otome game release is always cause for celebration, but this time I’m extra excited because I worked on the game!! Read on for more info and lots of news and fun to celebrate the launch this week!
Read More
A new episode of Pixel x Pixel is here, and not a minute too soon! We recorded before the excitement of TGS kicked off and during the unfortunate heat dome that had Marcus and other Californians watching their electricity use, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t bring our usual cheer! Marcus talks about his new Checking the Score article on the Cult of the Lamb soundtrack, and Anne talks about the nitty gritty of freelance localization. Then, it’s time for not one, but two new movies, and some exciting otome game and shojo manga-related announcements!
Please note that this episode was recorded over a week before it was posted, so some of our discussions may be a little out of date.
15:00 – Media Minutes: Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, Silent Hill 2 Enhanced Edition, Cloverfield, DragonBall Super: Super Hero
36:00 – Notable News: Rose of Versailles movie announced, Otomate Parade 2022 announcements, GrimGrimoire OnceMore English version coming 2023, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak PSA
♫ “Willie Lomans,” “5 minutes pleasure,” and “6 pence and moon” from Alphabet Planet by Hiroki Kikuta
It’s time for a spicy new episode of Pixel x Pixel, chock-full of Anime Expo game announcements! But before getting to the news, Anne shares her exciting adventures at a local Sydney anime convention and a new game site she’s been helping with. Marcus gushes about the Neon White soundtrack, the subject of his latest Checking the Score article, and both have been watching Netflix’s new home improvement TV show, How to Build a Sex Room. Plus, it’s time for some impressions of Idea Factory International’s latest otome game, Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei!
12:00 – Media Minutes: How to Build a Sex Room, Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei
31:00 – Notable News: Mighty Bowser LEGO, Anime Expo game announcements (Shuuen no Virche, Radiant Tale, Norn9: Var Commons and the Norn9 fan disc, Last Era, Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II, Tokyo Necro, INYOCHU: INSECTS OF INSEMINATION, GORE. SCREAMING. SHOW., Lkyt), Nintendo Japan recognizes same-sex marriages in benefits, Bayonetta 3 launches October 28
♫ “Willie Lomans,” “5 minutes pleasure,” and “6 pence and moon” from Alphabet Planet by Hiroki Kikuta
Aksys Games hosted a panel today at Anime Expo, and while unfortunately it wasn’t live streamed, a ton of game localization announcements were made! Of course, there were a few otome titles that I’m especially excited for, but there are a number of other awesome titles too. Read on for the full list!
Read More
It’s the big live one! If you didn’t catch us live and in full color on Twitch, you can view the unedited recording here. Or if audio podcasts are still your thing, listen on! But even live, it’s the same old Pixel x Pixel you know and love. Marcus has started going through the WarioWare series as part of his Checking the Score column, tries and fails to play an online game with a friend, and he shocks everyone by picking up an anime series to watch. Meanwhile, Anne regales the tale of her All Aksys stream appearance and how she is now an artiste. Plus, we hear what news our viewers are most interested in, and answer a question from the live chat!
24:00 – Media Minutes: Back 4 Blood, Cooking with Paris, Paranoia Agent, It, Highlander, Speed, Phone Booth, Genshin Impact
1:04:00 – Notable News: Sony acquires Crunchyroll, Seven Seas licenses 3 danmei novels by MXTX, Touken Ranbu Musou announced, El Shaddai coming to PC September 1
♫ “Willie Lomans,” “5 minutes pleasure,” and “6 pence and moon” from Alphabet Planet by Hiroki Kikuta
The All Aksys stream this past Friday was chock full of exciting news for otome game fans! Aksys Games was kind enough to invite me to record a segment about the games to air during the stream, so I’ve been sitting on this news for a little while now… I could hardly contain myself! Anyway, if you missed the livestream, Aksys announced that they will be localizing four additional Otomate games, bringing their upcoming otome lineup to seven!
The new titles announced are Lover Pretend, Paradigm Paradox, Kimi wa yukima ni koinegau, and Piofiore: Episodio 1926, the sequel to Piofiore: Fated Memories. Plus, the upcoming three previously-announced otome games, Olympia Soirée, Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani, and Variable Barricade each now have a special Aksys store bonus soundtrack CD version available for preorder for an additional $10. Olympia Soirée is coming out very soon on September 9, so there’s not long to wait for more otome game goodness!
If you’d like to watch the recording of my appearance on the All Aksys stream and learn more about the titles, you can do so below! I’d recommend checking out the trailers over on the Aksys Games YouTube channel first so you can visualize the titles as Sami and I chat about them.
Since I already did a pretty summary of each title in the video, I’ll refrain from doing the complete overview again here. But since I didn’t really share my personal thoughts on the stream, I’d say I’m most excited for Lover Pretend, since it looks like a really fun romcom with gorgeous art and bright colors. Plus, it has Tomoaki Maeno, who plays Lupin in Code: Realize along with a lot of other great characters! Visual-Novel.Info has a great overview of the VAs in each announced title plus other otome/joseimuke roles they’ve had if you’d like more info (the site is in German but can be translated at the top left).
Paradigm Paradox also looks amazing because of the magical girl theme and the gender-bending aspect: each of the eight guys transforms into a magical girl! I don’t think that’s something I’ve seen in an otome game before (though as soon as I post this someone will probably remind me of one I’m forgetting) and I’m really excited to see how it plays out in the game. KimiYuki also looks great, though it’s a more series story and a historical setting, which is not always my favorite. But it has a killer voice actor cast and great art by the artist behind Clock Zero, so it’s shaping up to be really good, as well!
Of course, Piofiore: Episodio 1926 is a wonderful announcement for all of the fans of the first game. I haven’t played beyond the common route yet, so I need to get on it ASAP! What title are you looking forward to most? Let me know in the comments!
Idea Factory International, the international branch of Otomate’s parent company Idea Factory, recently had a summer event stream where they announced not one, but two otome game localizations, and teased a third! Cupid Parasite was announced fall 2021 release (for those in the Northern Hemisphere), and a Birushana Senki: Genpei Hika Musou localization was confirmed without a release window specified.
This news is especially exciting as it marks IFI’s return to otome game localization! While Idea Factory is Otomate’s parent company, IFI hasn’t published any English otome games in quite a while. Previously, they took over the Hakuoki series from Aksys Games and put out Amnesia: Memories on PC and PSP, but there’s been nothing from them since then. And personally, Cupid Parasite is an otome game I’ve had on my wishlist for a while, so I’ll definitely be picking it up when it comes out! In fact, there’s even a limited edition available to preorder, though the contents haven’t been revealed yet.
Cupid Parasite follows a top bridal advisor for a company that specializes in finding the perfect match for their clients, but the secret to her success is that she’s actually the goddess of love, Cupid! She’s been tasked to find love for the company’s five most difficult clients, so she comes up with a plan to host a reality sharehouse-style TV show starring the five men.
I love the vibrant art in this game, which is done by Café Enchanté artist Yuuya. The scenario writer is Ririka Yoshimura, who also worked on Café Enchanté and the very well-regarded Ken ga Kimi. In terms of voice actors, if you enjoyed Shiraishi in Collar X Malice or Nicola in Piofiore, you’ll be pleased to know that their voice actor, Makoto Furukawa, plays the role of Allan Melville! Not only that, but Allan is an incubus who works in a luxury pillow store… No, I’m not making this up!
Other notable voice actors include KENN, voice of Shelby Snail (yup), who you probably know from at least half a dozen other anime and video games. He features as Limbo in the recent English otome game release Bustafellows, and plays Urianger in Final Fantasy XIV. Junya Enoki plays the fashion designer Ryuki F Keisaiin – you might know him from OZMAFIA!! as Hansel or Yuji from Jujitsu Kaisen. I could go on, but then we’d be here all day!
As for Birushana Senki, I’ll admit I haven’t followed that one as closely due to the fact that I’m not always that keen on historical dramas, but I know a lot of folks who have very good things to say about it, and the art is certainly gorgeous! This one takes place during the Heian period and features a heroine who is raised as a man to fight in the Genpei War after her father is killed.
Makoto Furukawa also features in Birushana as Minamoto no Yorimoto, and if you’ve played NEKOPARA – Catboys Paradise, you’ll recognise Sage’s VA Yuichiro Umehara as Benkei Musashibo! Taira no Shigehara is played by frequent otome game and anime voice actor Jun Fukuyama, who is also Mozu in Bustafellows, Tokiwa in the upcoming Aksys Games otome game Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani, and perhaps most famously, Lelouch in Code Geass.
As for that final, mystery game… Who can say? I’d love to hear your guesses in the comments! I’m still holding out hope that Otomate will give Moujuutsukai to Oujisama a second chance after its failed Kickstarter a few years back, but I’m not counting on it…