Okay, so I am uncertain if this latest article series will go any further than this months installment, I would like you all to bear with me for just a while. I generally don’t have as much time on my hands as I did in the past, therefore most of the time I set aside for this site I dedicate to playing and watching new releases…. but I want this to change, as in order to appreciate future titles it is important to appreciate past releases.
Therefore in order to encourage myself, and hopefully others to empty out their anime/game cases and pop them in the DVD player or games console, once a month I hope to post up a title from each category I will aim at making the time to enjoy – if only for a short time.
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For the video game I have chosen…. Eternal Sonata!
Reviewed in: March 2009
Console: Playstation 3 (Reviewed On) / XBox360
Overall Score: 90%
While not produced by the same development team, with Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch out, I felt it would be great to check out another RPG not necessarily with the same gameplay mechanics or aesthetic appeal…. but the same “feel” to it, creative world building and more. Eternal Sonata follows the adventure of real life pianist and composer Frederic Chopin who succumbed to tuberculosis at a relatively young age.
In his final hours, Chopin finds himself in a dream world where magic is granted only to those who are sick – and upon meeting with one of this worlds residents “Polka”, decides to lend her his assistance. While this begins as a simple quest to find out why a medical treatment known as “Mineral Powder” is so cheap (In lieu of “Floral Powder”), it goes into a grander adventure which proves to be pretty interesting.
Featuring a sizable character cast (All of whom asides from Chopin are named after musical terms / beats), some great visuals and music as well as some challenging end-game dungeons the game offers quite a lot. The gameplay while creative is short and relatively easy for the main storyline – which in turn makes it a quicker and easier RPG for me to replay although may not necessarily appeal to those who prefer a more challenging experience.
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For the anime I have chosen… Princess Tutu!
Reviewed in: July 2011
Format: DVD
Availability: Yes
Overall Score: B+
Darkness hid the pieces of her beloved’s shattered heart, and time is running out for Princess Tutu to find them. Her dream of becoming a human girl has come true. However, peril lurks in the unseen shadows. Using the power of an enchanted amulet, she must unravel a dark and twisted mystery to keep her Prince and herself alive.
I had three titles on my mind for the series I would like to watch this month… Welcome to the NHK and Welcome to Irabu’s Office from Siren Visual were two on my mind, but I have decided to go for the 26-episode anime series Princess Tutu which is still available from Madman Entertainment for $49.99.
Despite the title and initial sounding premise, it took me a while to contemplate picking up the title, and despite the first half being average at best (Following a more episodic course of plot progression) it definitely becomes a more mature series in the second half. It is an interesting series more than it is an enjoyable one, and I look forward to making my way through the plot again. As well, given I will not need to write up a review of this title again, I look forward to spending more time on the extras provided by ADV Films encompassing everything from outtakes to cast interviews on every one of the six discs.
