Latest Update: 10/12/19: Seasonal Anime Checkup OVA Episode #148 - Resident Evil: Revelations 2
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) breakdown two games they’ve been patiently waiting for. First, Jared talks about the recently released in Japan, Love Live! School Idol Festival All Stars and how much it differs from the original School Idol Festival. After that, we discuss Kotaro Uchikoshi’s latest game, AI: The Somnium Files and how it might be his best game to date.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) honk a lot as we discuss the new hit game where you get to be a goose. We talk about the fun and calming nature behind Untitled Goose Game and afterward AL got scared a lot as we check out what’s up with Resident Evil: Revelations.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) decided to play through two games that aren’t completely out yet. We first breakdown the Trails of Cold Steel III demo which gives a brief glimpse into what that game is going to be like. Following that, we talk about the four episodes that are out currently for Life is Strange 2 and discuss our choices and the ways that game just goes for it politically.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) got very excited about the recent Nintendo Direct so we talk about all the ridiculous announcements from it. We also talked about some of the new endings in Catherine: Full Body and our time fighting physics and puzzles in Human: Fall Flat.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) dive into a spooky mystery in World End Syndrome. We breakdown the story as a whole, all of the different routes you go through to get there, and how it’s very similar to 7’Scarlet. We also briefly talk about Final Fantasy VIII Remastered and give our incredibly accurate predictions for the latest Nintendo Direct.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) return to the land of otome as AL discusses the latest big mobile otome release in Mr. Love. She breaks down the multiple features the game has, it’s ridiculous story, and then looks up some future releases for the game and is baffled.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) dive deep into multiple anime series! AL discusses Anohana and Violet Evergarden, where she liked one and disliked the other. We both discuss Kaguya-sama: Love Is War and the wild and wacky ways of that series. Finally, Jared finished up all 220 episodes of Naruto so he talks about that for a bit.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) return to the world of Zero Escape as we discuss the final game in the trilogy. We breakdown each team, the wild ways this game ties into the previous ones, complex motives, and memes.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) tactically came together to see what’s up with the new Fire Emblem game. We discuss the one route we went through, the story, characters, and how AL really feels about the new game plus. Perhaps the one differing opinion on the game you will have heard thus far!
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) see what happens when you need to change animation on a scene very close to the episode airing.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) see what happens when the anime characters you’re creating just decide to show up to a meeting about them.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) kick off Season 4 of Jared and AL Watch by beginning an anime about making anime. We discuss the first episode and meet a very large cast of characters.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) reach the end of their K-ON! watch as we discuss the follow up movie that is another take on the television finale. We talk about how the trip to London goes, the wild shenanigans, and what we think of K-ON! as a whole.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) reach the final of the television series of K-ON!! as the third years graduate and give Azusa a gift as they depart.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) sees how the Light Music Club spends a whole day at school just roaming around and drinking tea as they relax a bit before graduation happens.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) see how Yui attempts to try and get her yearbook photo changed, a mystery in the class photo is revealed, and the Light Music Club are just plain weirdos in the beginning.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) see how the seniors handle their university entrance exams while Azusa struggles to figure out when to give them chocolates.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) sees what happens when the Light Music Club tries to create a new recruitment video for the club.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) see how Yui goes through a bad time when she tries to change up her hairstyle for the yearbook photo and things go horribly wrong.
It's the twenty-second episode of your favorite quarterly podcast, the Seasonal Anime Checkup! We look back at what was happening in the Spring season and look ahead to the Summer season.
Shows discussed in this episode: Senryu Girl, Josei Kausei, Fruits Basket, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Midnight Occult Civil Servants, Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu, Naruto, Wise Man’s Grandchild, Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie Over The Rainbow
It's the twenty-first episode of your favorite quarterly podcast, the Seasonal Anime Checkup! We look back at what was happening in the Winter season and look ahead to the Spring season.
Shows discussed in this episode: Ace Attorney, Kaguya-sama: Love is War, Mob Psycho 100 II, Run With The Wind, Naruto
It's the twentieth episode of your favorite quarterly podcast, the Seasonal Anime Checkup! We look back at what was happening in the Fall season and look ahead to the Winter season.
Shows discussed in this episode: Ace Attorney, Conception, Golden Kamuy, RErideD, Run With The Wind, Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san, Tsurune, ZOMBIE LAND SAGA
It's the nineteenth episode of your favorite quarterly podcast, the Seasonal Anime Checkup! We look back at what was happening in the Summer season and look ahead to the Fall season.
Shows discussed in this episode: HANEBADO!, Hi-Score Girl, My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia)
It's the eighteenth episode of your favorite quarterly podcast, the Seasonal Anime Checkup! We look back at what was happening in the Spring season and look ahead to the Summer season.
Shows discussed in this episode: Caligula, MEGALOBOX, My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia), Persona 5 The Animation, Steins;Gate 0
It's the seventeenth episode of your favorite quarterly podcast, the Seasonal Anime Checkup! We look back at what was happening in the Winter season and look ahead to the Spring season.
Shows discussed in this episode: A Place Further Than The Universe (Sora Yorimo Tōi Basho), Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card, Skilled Teaser Takagi-San (Karakai Jozu no Takagi-San), Laid Back Camp (Yuru Camp), March Comes in like A Lion Season 2 (3 gatsu no lion), Pop Team Epic
It's the sixteenth episode of your favorite quarterly podcast, the Seasonal Anime Checkup! We look back at what was happening in the Fall season 2017 and look ahead to the Winter 2018 season. Plus, the best anime of 2017!
Shows discussed in this episode: Code Realize, Love Live Sunshine Season 2, Just Because, March Comes in like A Lion Season 2 (3 gatsu no lion)
It's the fifteenth episode of your favorite quarterly podcast, the Seasonal Anime Checkup! We look back at what was happening in the Summer season and look ahead to the Fall season.
Shows discussed in this episode: My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia), Convenience Store Boyfriends (Konbini Kareshi), Sakura Quest
It's the fourteenth episode of your favorite quarterly podcast, the Seasonal Anime Checkup! We look back at what was happening in the Spring season and look ahead to the Summer season. Remember we are on twitter now, @animecheckup!
Shows discussed in this episode: Anonymous Noise (Fukumenkei Noise), My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia), Sakura Quest, Tiger Mask W, Tsukigakirei
It's the thirteenth episode of your favorite quarterly podcast, the Seasonal Anime Checkup! We look back at what was happening in the Winter season and look ahead to the Spring season. Remember we are on twitter now, @animecheckup!
Shows discussed in this episode: All Out, Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, Fuuka, March Comes In Like A Lion, Masamune-kun's Revenge, Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club, Mobile Suit Gundam; Iron Blooded Orphans, Piacevole, Tiger Mask W
Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie Over the Rainbow concludes the story of Aqours, but falters in its first half. When the film attempts to create a villain for Aqours to overcome, this subplot is brushed away before it ever can get started. Why is that? What does the movie fail to do when trying to create this villain? What could it have done better? Click through to learn more about one of the film’s biggest missteps.
Kyoto Animation are known for their brilliant work in animation, but the way they are able to utilize the original soundtrack of a production is also one of their strong points. Case in point, a less than three minute scene from Tsurune that captures the feeling of relief and adulation, but quickly becomes one of heartbreak and dread. How are they able to pull off that quick and sudden change so swiftly? Click through to learn more!
A simple trip to Tokyo is at first seen as a big opportunity for Aqours, but becomes the biggest turning point of Love Live! Sunshine!!. How are Aqours able to come back from the brink of failure and how were they set up to fail from the beginning? Clickthrough to see why this arc is where the series really kicks off.
Ayano Hanesaki has been through the ringer during her journey in HANEBADO!, but how does her journey end? Does the match with Nagisa end up helping or hurting her in the long run? Will she finally break free of her mother’s chains or does the show fumble that encounter? Clickthrough to see exactly what I thought about how HANEBADO! wraps up.
The debate between subs and dubs will rage on until we are long gone. In reality, it is an absolutely silly fight as you should watch which version you are more comfortable with and will enjoy better. When I decided to get back into anime in 2013, one show I constantly saw gifs of on Tumblr was of the 2009-2010 series, K-ON!. For whatever reason, I decided upon the Sentai Filmworks English dub of the series (not to be confused with the other English dub that preceded Sentai) and breezed through both seasons and the movie. The performances of the cast are good on their own and accentuated the show for me in many ways. Looking at the cast of the dub today, it is clear that the K-ON! dub should be viewed as an all-star cast and perhaps one of the best dubs of the 2010s.
Today we have announced that the Seasonal Anime Checkup OVA podcast is now becoming a Patreon-supported podcast. As I am sure there are questions involved with such an announcement, I am writing this to try and clear the air and be as transparent as possible in regards to what is happening. First and foremost, nothing about the podcast will change in regards to how it is edited, recorded, worked on, released, or distributed.
Professional wrestling is at times bad, amazing, fun, ridiculous, or intense. Within this year alone, there have been all time classic matches in multiple organizations, an empty arena match inside the Tokyo Dome, and the tragic loss of Daryl the cat. Yet, with everything that has happened in wrestling over the past year, my favorite thing has been a wrestling anime of all things. Tiger Mask W hit the airwaves in October of 2016 as a sequel to the original Tiger Mask series.
Back in 2015, I wrote about how Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team has aged well and still holds up today. With the recent release of a new Bluray of the series, there isn’t really much to discuss regarding the series again, but rather another piece that is included in that package, the compilation film, Miller’s Report. The movie, which was released on August 1, 1998 as a double feature that included a Christmas favorite, Gundam Wing Endless Waltz, serves as a way to bridge missing story elements from the end of episode 6 to the beginning of episode 9.
When I booted up Yakuza 5 for the first time earlier this week, I expected features that were already widely known. Being able to go into a Club Sega and play Virtua Fighter 2 was one that the game features unlike most other open-world games in the genre. It is also a sad commentary that this might be the last time we see a Virtua Fighter game in a Sega release ever, but that’s a different story for another time. One fact of Yakuza 5 that I certainly wasn’t expecting was it for to have the licenses for numerous popular magazines in Japan. Immediately I was drawn to seeing Weekly Famitsu, the popular video game magazine that was once notorious for the strict reviews it gave games. Another magazine that caught my eye, especially its cover, was of Weekly Shonen Magazine. On the in-game cover is a big feature on Fairy Tail, but in the corner I spied what looked like Baby Steps’ Eiichiro and Natsu.
Two shorter ideas for a column combined into one where I talk about different variations of production and why they can be frustrating to viewers.
2018 was a year full of personal growth and new opportunities, but still not great for society. It’s very hard to come off a banger of a year like 2017, so it’s no surprise this year was slightly weird for games and not as impactful. Even with that, there was A LOT of video games released this year and here are some of my favorites. Like most years, there might be spoilers scattered throughout, so if you haven’t played through something I write about, be forewarned.
Boy, 2017 sure was bad. Video games were one of the few bright spots of the year. As per previous years, there will be supplemental awards first before we dive into the Top 10. There will be spoilers so please beware as you read.
It’s no secret there is a divide within the entirety of the Persona franchise. A large and vocal majority came with the releases of Persona 3 and Persona 4, with even more coming in after the recent release of Persona 5. Of course, as the names of those games suggest, they are not the beginning of the series. For that, you have to go back all the way to September and November of 1996 to the release of Revelations: Persona in different regions. Both versions of Persona 2 would come even later with Innocent Sin coming in June 1999 for Japan and Eternal Punishment in June and December 2000 for Japan and America. One of the big reasons that people have a hard time going back to the first three games is that they are different than the games that would come later. The battles, demon negotiating, dungeons, and lack of social links make the split in the series a large divide. If you were like me and somewhat disappointed with Persona 5, perhaps now is the time to take a look back and see exactly what makes up the earlier games and in particular, Persona 2 Eternal Punishment.
Back on the Seasonal Anime Checkup OVA Episode #18, I mentioned how Persona 5 was currently my least favorite game in the series. That statement might lessen when I decide to attempt a second English (third overall if we’re counting the Japanese version) playthrough, but as of now, and with other facets surrounding the game, it remains that I am disappointed with the game. The game does have good aspects, like revamping the battle mechanics and a good majority of the cooperation/confidant social link characters are great and some of the best in the series. However, Persona 5 is by no means perfect or the greatest game ever made. It may in fact be your game of the year for 2017 and I cannot dispute that as opinions are subjective, but the game is not infallible to criticism like some people might think it is.
Man. 2016 was an awful year for a lot of life, but video games were actually the best they've been in years and this was perhaps the hardest Game of the Year list I have put together to date since starting in 2012. Easily the hardest choice for number one. Anyways, there are some supplemental awards to give out first before the top ten. Oh and SPOILER WARNING as there might be spoilers here and there.
Square Enix’s mainline games in the Final Fantasy series are usually not prone to taking significant risks. It’s what fans of the franchise want. They are very adamant about having the numbered games play a certain way. The few times that Square has decided to take things in a different or weird direction for a Final Fantasy branded game; it usually is met with a mixed reaction at best. For two games specifically, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Final Fantasy X-2, Square goes fully into being weird.
When it was originally announced as Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem in January of 2013 via a Nintendo Direct, the now aforementioned Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE gave fans a different expectation than the finished product. When pictured together, the Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem franchises invoke simple ideas of how the themes or gameplay merged together would be. Most thought that the game would be a strategy RPG in the vein of Fire Emblem with either a grim post-apocalyptic setting like the SMT series, or just characters from both franchises mixed together. Three and a half years later, what ended up hitting store shelves is more of a mashup between Atlus’ other big franchise Persona, any mahou shoujo or magical girl series like Sailor Moon, and a J-Pop idol series ala Love Live! School Idol Project.
Crowdfunding has become a popular way of reviving old video game franchises or bringing spiritual successors to life. Given the way the market tends to skew towards this idea when a game has any sort of trouble, it is a surprise that Zero Time Dilemma was never given a crowdfunding campaign. It is also surprising that the game made it to store shelves given the rocky and tumultuous development it had.
We are almost two months through 2016 and as subjective as saying this is, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth could be one of the biggest surprises of the year. With ten months left in 2016, that opinion more than likely will change, but I can’t understate how much my expectations were shattered in a good way.
Compared to last year, 2015 was one of the best years for games that we have seen in a while. Finally out of the funk of 2014, it was good to see a lot of games come out that were a blast to play. I painstakingly brought my list of 30-40 games I played this year to the ten best games you should play. Ordered lists are kind of silly nowadays, but regardless of ranking, these are ten games that everyone should check out. First though, let’s give out some awards to games that did not make the list.
Jared and Anne Ladyem (anneladyem.com) get prepped for spooks as we talk about the sequel to Resident Evil: Revelations. We breakdown some literature, spooky children that point, Claire being the dumbest protagonist, and some less than stellar co-op.