<\/p>\n","post_title":"Nihon Box November 2021 Review","post_excerpt":"The Fall bonds","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"nihon-box-november-2021-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-10-08 20:33:39","post_modified_gmt":"2022-10-08 19:33:39","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207322","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207314,"post_author":"11","post_date":"2021-12-14 15:08:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-14 15:08:12","post_content":"Developer:<\/strong>\u00a0Elden Pixels<\/span>\r\n\r\nPlatforms:<\/strong>\u00a0PC, PS4, PS5 (Reviewed), Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nGenre:<\/strong>\u00a0Adventure<\/span>\r\n\r\nPublisher:<\/strong> Elden Pixels, Clear River Games\r\n<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAlwa's Legacy is a modern update of the classic dungeon crawler games of the 90s. It's a mix of action, platformer, puzzles and tonnes of action too. It would fall into the Metroidvanias genre, a mixture of Metroid and Castlevania. You can expect a beautifully pixelated world that you must explore to uncover every secret and become the best version of yourself. It does have a classic retro feel too.<\/span>\r\n\r\n Wish Upon A Star<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Well hello again and welcome back for another So Kawaii subscription box review. Each month I take a look into what has been included in the most recent of Japanese anime subscription boxes from both So Kawaii and Nihon Box. Today's entry is none other than November's edition of So Kawaii, which ran with the theme of \u201cWish Upon A Star\u201d. A theme that included such fan favorite franchises, including Cardcaptor Sakura, Pokemon, Sanrio and Sumikkogurashi. So before we begin looking at what was inside, let\u2019s just do a recap on the company that makes these addictive boxes.<\/span><\/p>\n For those of you that don\u2019t know \u2013 So Kawaii is a company based in Japan, home of practically everything kawaii (the Japanese word for cute). They create monthly subscription boxes, jam packed with 100% licensed products from brands such as Hello Kitty, Pok\u00e9mon, Sanrio, Studio Ghibli and more. The items range from plushies to Gachapon, little figures, stationary, lifestyle, kitchenware and more. The staff at So Kawaii handpicks 5 to 7 cute & useful items exclusive to Japan, packs them up in a very decorative box and sends it straight to your doorstep each month. You can also check out their Instagram for even more info and insights into what is currently trending in Japanese arcades and stores. As well as sneak peeks into what they could be including in next month\u2019s box. They also listen to what you would like to be included in future boxes, by asking across their social media accounts. So make sure to have your opinions heard over on their social media posts, particularly their Instagram one \u2013 <\/span>https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sokawaii\/<\/a><\/p>\n So let\u2019s start off with our first item this month, which comes straight from Sanrio with this adorable Little Twin Stars 'cosme case\u2019. Designed in the shape of a star, with images of Kiki & Lala riding on a magical unicorn with their castle floating on a cloud behind them. This decorative storage box is ideal to help declutter your desk or make-up table, whilst also adding a splash or kawaii to the room.<\/span><\/p>\n Next up are two items from the San-X brand - Sumikkogurashi. The one on our left is a squishy Ebifurai no Shippo, who is a leftover tail of fried shrimp. This item is incredibly pleasing to just squish in between your hands, I can fully understand now why people have come to be fascinated with items such as this. It also has a rather pleasing scent to it, I am still unsure what exactly it is but I think it\u2019s something like vanilla pudding. This item was one of many characters that were available at random in every box last month, that either came as a squishy bread or a candy pouch.<\/span><\/p>\n Our second Sumikkogurashi item is this wooden bookmark which was also entirely made in Japan according to the leaflet. With four character duo designs available at random, I was happy to see that Ebifurai no Shippo returned once again but was featured sitting on top of her friend Tonkatsu. Now I adore books and have gathered quite a collection of bookmarks over the years, from ordering online and in stores. However I must say this one is quite adorable, never have I owned a wooden bookmark before.<\/span><\/p>\n Moving on, we have our Pok\u00e9mon item in this latest Re-Ment \u201cStarrium\u201d Season 2 collection. This series has a total of six designs to collect, of which I received the Pikachu and Eevee duo sitting upon a cloud with a starry night sky behind them. It\u2019s almost a shame that you only get one of the designs in every box, as these Re-Ment figures are so addictive to collect as you will always crave a complete set once you see the various designs. This one in particular has now been added to my now full shelf of other Re-Ment figures from various other series including Pok\u00e9mon, Kirby and San-X.<\/span><\/p>\n Our largest item this month came in the form of this Kuromi plush from Sanrio. Now you would normally expect to see Kuromi in her iconic black and white colors, even a dark shade of purple would be understandable. However in this month's box, Kuromi has been transformed into this pastel rainbow plush, much like a large TsumTsum. Rather unusual and certainly out of character for the mischievous punk rabbit. However this item is rather unique, as it was made by Sanrio especially for this very box - so you won\u2019t find this anywhere else in the World.<\/span><\/p>\n Our final item for this rather special So Kawaii box comes from the one and only Cardcaptor Sakura. A franchise that is very close to my own heart, so I am always delighted to see it being included in boxes from time to time. This item however is a tad lacking though, as it is simply two clear zip lock bags. This is a two piece set, which includes a small and medium sized document pocket as I would see it. Now the designs printed on them are adorable as heck, both featuring original images from the Clear Card anime. They can be used to hold your important papers whilst travelling, or maybe even your make up. End of the day, they are just resealable pouch pockets with cute images on the front and back.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"alwaslegacy1\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/alwaslegacy1.jpg\")
\r\n\r\nFirst impressions of the game were a bright and mystical world full of secrets. The main character has no idea where they are or what's going. The story starts from a point where you must figure out why Alwa is here and you; begin your journey. You must explore numerous dungeons to figure out your place in the world. As you move through each level, you find new characters, powerups, spells, and the story unravels. It's an adventure that isn't linear and will require you to traverse, teleport and find secrets in every nook and cranny. As new areas become unlocked, there is some retracing of your steps. I loved the interconnectivity of the world and how there are multiple ways to access different; areas in a deep rich map.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"alwaslegacy2\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/alwaslegacy2.jpg\")
\r\n\r\nAlwa's Legacy gets a lot of things right from gameplay, visuals, sound, level design, and just that it's a fun game. Like any action-adventure game, there is, levelling and finding new powers along your journey. It does a great job of being flexible, and you can power up as you see fit. I enjoyed the variety between action, platform and puzzle mechanics in the game. I never got bored; the story, while nothing helps push forward your existence in the world. World and level design are superb the world; consists of a maze of interconnected dungeons with new creatures in new areas of the world. The retro pixelated style gives the game a real glossy and nostalgic feel. It's a superbly developed game that gets all the game mechanics just right and feels great to play.<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"alwaslegacy3\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/alwaslegacy3.jpg\")
\r\n\r\nAlwa's Legacy was partly funded by a Kickstarter too. The game is also a sequel to Alwa's Awakening.<\/span>\r\n\r\nAlwa's Legacy is a Metroidvania game that does a great job in combining; a wonderful world and fantastic action with solid game mechanics. The game has tonnes of items and levels to uncover. It's a throwback to retro pixel games but updated for today with smoother gameplay and superb design too. It was a thoroughly fun and engrossing game I couldn't put down.<\/span>\r\n\r\nOverall:<\/strong>\u00a08.5\/10<\/span>","post_title":"Alwa's Legacy Review","post_excerpt":"Modern update","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"alwas-legacy-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:29:53","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:29:53","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207314","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207309,"post_author":"5","post_date":"2021-12-13 15:17:06","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-13 15:17:06","post_content":"Created By: <\/strong>Mao Nanami<\/span>\n\nDirected By:<\/strong> Taskashi Naoya<\/span>\n\nStudio:<\/strong> Hoods Entertainment<\/span>\n\nEpisode Count:<\/strong> 1 - 24<\/span>\n\nClassification:<\/strong> 15 (BBFC)<\/span>\n\nAudio:<\/strong> Japanese, English<\/span>\n\nSubtitles:<\/strong> English<\/span>\n\nFormat:<\/strong> Collector\u2019s Edition BluRay, Standard Edition BluRay<\/span>\n\nLicensed By:<\/strong> MVM Entertainment<\/span>\n\nRelease Date:<\/strong> Available now<\/span>\n\nHikari Tsutsui is a teenage otaku, in his final year of high school. Although he has some decent grades, he is disliked by fellow students for his otaku interests. Although he is a recluse, his only friend in the World is his classmate Y\u00fato It\u00f3 who is a bit of an oddball himself. These two boys have resigned themselves to believing they could never get a 3-D girlfriend and have instead dedicated themselves to anime. However, by pure chance one day, Tsutsui is late to class and is sentenced to pool cleaning duty. He is not alone however, as he is paired up with the beautiful but the schools most talked about girl - Iroha Igarashi. Through just this single interaction, their lives become intertwined forever as the love story behind Real Girl<\/em> begins.<\/span>\n\nOkay okay, I wasn\u2019t expecting much out of this show at the beginning but wow! It hit me right in the feels in the last couple of episodes! This high school romance had its ups and downs, its misunderstandings and surprises, it\u2019s far from your typical rom-com anime series. This show had deapt, so I can only imagine how good the source material was in the manga. Tsutsui is your classic teenage otaku, who prefers his own company and is incredibly awkward when it comes to interacting with \u2018real people\u2019. He does however have a best friend in It\u00f3, who has his own unique interests. It\u2019s no wonder these two had become social outcasts in high schools. However high school kids can be incredibly harsh, as all these characters are in and around 18 years old. It\u2019s not only the \u2018nerds\u2019 being bullied, but even the gorgeous Iroha who has been labelled as the \u2018school slut\u2019. The pairing is almost unimaginable, but it really works. Both Tsutsui and Iroha take their new found relationship very seriously and it changes them both for the better.<\/span>\n\nHowever there is always a catch, Iroha announces to Tsutsui that she only has another six months in this school before she transfers. They make the most of their time together, Tsutsui has difficulty expressing and understanding emotions so there are the odd misunderstandings. Iroha does all she can to improve Tsutsui\u2019s impression of himself and build his self confidence, which has a number of setbacks due to him not entirely believing her words at times. And like all great shows, there is just another massive plot twist near the end of the show. One that was utterly heartbreaking, yet with all that happens, the character development, actions, emotions - it was all utterly believable. I have to admit though, I did shead the odd tear or two during the finale episode!<\/span>\n\n\u2018Real Girl\u2019 (Riaru G\u00e1ru) first began as a sh\u00f3jo manga series by mangaka Mao Nanami back in 2011. Having completed with a total of 12 volumes in 2016, it has been published in English by Kodansha comics. However I have only been able to find the first six volumes in print, the entire series however is available to buy digitally.<\/span>\n\nIt wasn\u2019t until the manga series had ended for quite some time, was this 24 episode anime adaption released in 2018 from studio - Hoods Entertainment. This animation studio is still rather new having founded in 2009, but have since done a number of animes including Mysterious Girlfriend X and Drifters, under the name Hoods Drifters Studio. If that wasn\u2019t enough, there was also a live action film adaption released in 2018 under the name \u201c3D Kanojo Riaru G\u0101ru\u201d<\/span>\n\nBonus Features Include:<\/span>\n\n \t
![\"planeeffect1\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/planeeffect1.jpg\")
\r\n\r\nGameplay is a mix of platformer and puzzles to solve. Primarily, you can run, walk, jump and use items. The use item action varies depending on the puzzle you are solving and items available in each area; this is environment-dependent. There are issues in certain sections of the game where you must backtrack for items which can be tedious at times. You may find the puzzles trickier than they first seem too. The game does have a mix of random events where the player; ends up being transported to different environments, which can be jarring at times. It does, however, add a nice break to regular gameplay and is novel at first.<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"planeeffect2\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/planeeffect2.jpg\")
\r\n\r\nThe game has three modes: normal, narrative hint and guided. Normal mode gives no prompts or assistance when trying to solve puzzles. It's all up to you to figure how to navigate each area. The narrative hint mode gives prompts as to what needs to be done next, usually in the form of an icon above the player. The guided mode provides an indicator that will mark the next puzzle to solve in the form of a line that directs you. You can change the mode type in-game if you get stuck or if you want more of a challenge. I primarily played the normal mode, which does require patience and for the player to discover every part of each level.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"planeeffect3\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/planeeffect3.jpg\")
\r\n\r\nThe art style and the isometric gameplay view is unique. I can't fault the visuals, the sound effects and general level design. The art style and level design are gorgeous. There is a huge variety of environments to keep the game fresh. While the game mechanics seem straightforward, they change depending on the items available in each section. Depending on your game mode, your experience will vary greatly. Normal is for the people who want a challenge and want to figure it all out for themselves. Narrative hints and guidance makes the game much easier to navigate. I did enjoy the game, but I did feel some events were repetitive at times. At times you must backtrack for clues and to pick up items which can be tedious at times. I did like playing a puzzle focus with very few cues to assist. The game is about discovery and exploration in a beautiful dystopian world. It's an enjoyable puzzle\/platformer.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nOverall:<\/strong>\u00a07.5\/10<\/span>","post_title":"The Plane Effect Review","post_excerpt":"Isometric surreal platformer puzzle","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-plane-effect-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:30:15","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:30:15","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207302","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207296,"post_author":"11","post_date":"2021-12-09 15:31:13","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-09 15:31:13","post_content":"Developer:<\/strong>\u00a0Monokel<\/span>\r\n\r\nPlatforms:<\/strong>\u00a0PC, PS5, Xbox Series X (Reviewed)|S\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nGenre:<\/strong>\u00a0Action, Adventure<\/span>\r\n\r\nPublisher:\u00a0<\/strong>Thunderful Publishing, Mixtvision<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhite Shadows is a puzzle-platformer made by indie developer Monokel. In White Shadows, you assume the role of a Ravengirl (half human and half bird). White Shadows is based; in a dystopian future where society has distinct classes, and you are in the underclass. Ravengirl's existence is a difficult predicament, and you see the world from her eyes.<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"whiteshadows2\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/whiteshadows2.jpg\")
\r\n\r\nWhite Shadows is just an astonishingly beautiful game; from the first scene to the final scene, the mix of cinematic, monochrome and steampunk is present throughout. It somehow manages to combine all these styles into a super slick game. Superb use of lighting, sound and controller feedback makes the game even more immersive. The first time I felt controller feedback stood out which, doesn't usually happen. Even with the lack of colour - black and white in various shades, the world; is illustrated in amazing detail. The game would not be out of place as a film. It's deep and disturbing in parts, the use of sound effects and voices give an extra eerie atmosphere. Visually and presentation-wise, I can't say a bad word; the world feels superb.<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"whiteshadows3\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/whiteshadows3.jpg\")
\r\n\r\nThe story does speak about the ills of society, equality, and exploitation just, to name a few themes. It reminds me of Animal Farm in terms of the story, and it echoes throughout the game for me. The themes are ubiquitous and pushed throughout each level. The story and world are dark, and the developers use the environment and light in; such an impressive way. Light helps provide a break in the dark world, and game mechanics revolve around it depending on the scenario.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe game is a classic platformer and puzzle game where the player, without any hints and suggestions, must figure out how to navigate each section. While the game is technically a 2D platformer, the clever use of environment, level design, sound and controller feedback give an immersive 3D feel to the game.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"whiteshadows4\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/whiteshadows4.jpg\")
\r\n\r\nWhen I saw the trailers for the game, I was intrigued by how it would turn out. It did have an eerie and dark atmospheric appearance. The art style is stunning, which is further complemented by using lighting. The developers have managed to merge a fantastic story, great gaming mechanics, fantastic level design and intriguing gameplay into this wonderful. One of my favourite games of the year.<\/span>\r\n\r\nOverall:\u00a0<\/strong>9\/10<\/span>","post_title":"White Shadows Review","post_excerpt":"Puzzle-platformer","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"white-shadows-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:30:39","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:30:39","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=207296","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":207287,"post_author":"5","post_date":"2021-12-07 19:38:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-12-07 19:38:12","post_content":"![\"sokawaiinov2021_1\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/sokawaiinov2021_1-768x1024.jpg\")
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