[Arch.] Saya No Uta (10/1/2011)

I used to be part of a crew that called themselves "AugReal". Back then when had a little thing we liked to call "Augtober Fest"... basically a parody on the name October Fest. I did a review of the horror visual novel Saya no Uta (song of saya). It was a game that thoroughly creeped me out while causing nightmares for a good week. After I got over this week long period, I thought back at how incredibly good the game was. ). Anyways! Here's the review I did for AugReal back in the day... maybe if I ever play the game again I'll write up a new one....

WARNING: Augmented Reality is somewhat of a family friendly blog but this entry specifically is not for kids. I am reviewing a hentai game even though I played a version that had the sex scenes censored. So I am not responsible if any kids read this because I did put a warning.

October is a month to scare people and dress up as what ever you'd like (slut-tastic versions of your favorite characters included). It's also a month to be extremely grossed out. While I'm no fan of horror films, one thing I am a fan of is a little something called guro, not to be confused with ero-guro. Over here in the states, guro has been incorrectly used to mean gore when in all actuality it's a term that implies malformation, unnatural or horrific situations. A lot of guro that has come out recently is pornographic, but I'm a fan of ones that aren't and a few that are (Tokyo Akazukin for example). For today's review, I'll be going over a visual novel called Saya no Uta (Song of Saya) that was recently acquired by Jast USA for a north America localization. I played a fan translation of the game... only to be unable to sleep for a few days due to my dumb self choosing to play the uncensored version, but I'll go over that in a bit.

Saya no Uta was created by Nitro+ based on Lovecraftian horror elements, which makes sense when you think about how Japanese like their hentai- with tentacles. The game itself isn't really for your average H-game (adult visual novels with hentai scenes) player because it is a game that is hard to stomach due to the main characters "meat vision". I shouldn't have even played this game. It ended up making me stay up for a few nights without sleep or food because of how gruesome the backgrounds are >.> but I could more than likely stomach it now.

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Specs:
Studio- Nitro+
Platform- PC
Release Date- December 2003 (Japanese)
Rating- 18+
Mode- single player
Genre- horror
Synopsis-
Fuminori Sakisaka is a young medical student, whose life is changed when he gets in a traffic accident which kills his parents and leaves him heavily injured. Fuminori undergoes experimental brain surgery to save his life, but the surgery has an unintended side-effect - it creates a form of agnosia, causing his senses to become "warped". He perceives the world as a hellish nightmare with a black sky and buildings covered in pulsating flesh, where all the streets and building interiors are splattered with blood, giant organs and cartilage. Ordinary people appear to him as grotesque, giant grub-like monsters with a hideous stench, and even food that he used to like now tastes utterly disgusting. [wiki]
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I had planned on making this a review, but it'll probably be more of me ranting about how creepy yet endearing this game is. Almost every review you will read online will say what I need to say in regards to if it is a worth playing game or not so here is a review I'd recommend if you need some internet word of mouth to decide if it is a game you should play.

You may be wondering what this "meat vision" I spoke of earlier was. WELL you see that picture of Saya? Ya, the background is how you would see the world if you had the form of agnosia the main character has due to that surgery he had; this is what I call "meat vision." I can only imagine how horrifying seeing the world in such a way would be. Heck, just playing the game made me depressed enough to be unable to eat and sleep for a few days. If I could actually feel the world as he did (you know, walls pulsating being all slimy. my good friends smelling like rotting flesh), I'd probably have committed suicide or gone back to the hospital and said "check me into a psych ward." Now I'm not the main character, and he didn't check himself back into a hospital 'cause of one thing- Saya.

While other humans appear as slimy monsters to the main character, Saya appears as an innocent little girl- the only one who looks human in this world of pulsating flesh, organs and a sense that the world will never be the same again. Saya is pretty much the only thing keeping the main character "sane," if that's what you could call it considering Saya isn't who she appears to be; her mysterious identity is the driving premise for this game and it is one creepy premise at that. Nitro+ is known for making creepy games (they made Chaos;HEAD which has an anime adaptation that I really love) and they didn't hold back with this one.

One thing this game does very well (besides some very tight knit writing) is with music. Some of the songs are painful to listen too while not playing the game, and almost as painful while playing. They create this sense of trying to survive in this messed up world as well as the innocence of Saya who if it wasn't for you wouldn't really have a companion to call her own. SCHIZOPHRENIA in particular has that fingernails on a chalkboard effect on the ears, and it's used very appropriately during the game. On the opposite side of the musical spectrum is SABBATH which creates a calming feeling as opposed to that creepy one SCHIZOPHERINA created. Shoes of Glass in particular is one of my personal favorites.

Saya no Uta can easily be played through in as little as 5 hours, which was really cool in my opinion considering I'm still trying to get through Fate/Stay Night... but that's a topic for another blog entry down the line.

While Saya no Uta is possibly the creepiest visual novel I've ever played through, it's still sweet and endearing in the end. While this VN has a medical theme like almost all tragic VNs, it isn't about some teenage girls getting a disease and dieing- it's about a male protagonist being given a warped view on the world and how a little girl named Saya helped him deal with it.

There are 3 endings, two of which could be considered bad ends so this game does lead itself to being replayed. I only got one of the endings and YouTubed the others as I didn't feel like making myself more depressed than I was. This is not a game for everyone. The gore content alone is reason enough not to play this game, but there is an option to blur out the content so it won't look as gorey so if that's the only reason you don't want to play this one I recommended using the bluring option because it is a great game. It has a really good linear story and is well worth the read so please give it a chance!

[AOW] #100 SPECIAL (1/26-2/1/2013)

I can't believe I've been doing this AOW series for about 6 years now... time flew right on by! Technically there should be more than 100 at this point but as you all know life gets in the way sometimes. There have been weeks I had to skip due to being at conventions, being in school, and many other reasons. Thanks for those who have been here since the beginning and all you new fans (I don't have many right now but I appreciate you all). Here's to 100 more~ and getting more fans. I am thinking about after this 100th special reformatting how this little series here works :3 Instead of featuring just ONE anime this week I decided to feature some of my all time favorite series that I haven't really hyped up but should.

Bartender follows the nightlife of Ryū Sasakura, a bartending prodigy who is said to mix the best cocktails anyone has ever tasted. Sasakura bides his time in a bar named Eden Hall, hidden in a nook of the Ginza district in downtown Tokyo. It is said that normal people cannot simply find and enter Eden Hall, but they must be invited in by the host. Over the course of the anime, various figures of high and low stature, all of whom share unusual troubles and heavy burdens, are "invited" into Eden Hall and are treated to Sasakura's fine drinks, which, with guidance from the young bartender, lead the customers to reflect upon their lives and decide on a course of action to tackle their problems.

Sato Yo is a high school boy who likes SEGA games. One day, he enters a grocery store to buy some food for dinner. When he tries to take a bento box, he loses consciousness. He comes around to find all the bento sold out. He notices there is a war game going on at grocery stores and players called "Wolves" compete for the half-priced bento. Yarizui Sen, the leader of the Half-Pricer Club, forces Yo to join the club and he enters the bento war.

In the city where Shiki lives, something triggers a spate of mysterious schoolgirl suicides. The connection between the girls who leapt to their deaths is unclear, although all of them have jumped from the Fujou Building, a skyscraper scheduled to be demolished. Meanwhile, Mikiya, after having gone near the Fujou Building, has fallen into a coma. Shiki heads to the Fujou Building herself to save Mikiya. And waiting for her there…is Kirie Fujou. The girls' suicides and Mikiya's coma were all caused by Kirie. Terminal illness had left her bedridden and immobile in a hospital, but one day, she acquires a spiritual body, a separate entity from herself.

[AOW] rainbow nisha rokubou no shichinin (1/12-18/2013)

                                                                                      [Previous AOWs][Akia's MAL page]

I watched the first episode of this series back when it was coming out... I ended up not watching more at the time simply because the first episode was a little much for me to handle. Since then I have watch a lot more mature anime, and have been able to handle much more than what this anime can throw at you. About two weeks ago I decided it was time to give this anime another chance thanks to the lovely crew over at Anime World Order for reminding me this anime is suppose to be really good (being about 7 episodes in now I have to whole heartily agree. If it wasn't for my being in an anime slump I probably would have marathoned this one until I finished watching all of it). Also you can't go wrong with an anime with such an epic opening theme...

Type: Manga Adaptation

# of Episodes: 26

Synopsis:

Seven teenagers in 1955 have to learn to live together in the same hold in the reformatory of Shio. Confined in a hall where suffering and humiliation are daily, they are waiting for a ray of hope in a dark, incarcerating world. The story follows their life together and how they move on afterwards.

[AOW] Marmalade Boy (12/22-28/2013)

[Previous AOWs][Akia's MAL page]

I thought for one of the last 2 AOWs in 2013 I'd go to some classics I don't think many people know about. The Marmalade Boy manga was released in English back when Tokyopop still published a lot of manga (most manga published at the time were from them). It's a shoujo love series with a pretty interesting twist. 

Type: manga adaptation

# of Episodes: 76

Synopsis:

Miki Koishikawa's ordinary life as a high school sophomore is turned upside down when her parents suddenly announce that they are getting divorced in order to swap partners with a couple they met in Hawaii. They seek her approval of the shocking change, and at a dinner where Miki meets the other couple as well as their son Yuu, who is about her age, she reluctantly agrees to the arrangement. Yuu, while at first a jerk who takes every opportunity to make fun of Miki, turns out to be fun and attractive, and Miki finds herself falling for him. Little by little, she accepts her new family arrangement and opens up to Yuu as they become friends.

Miki and Yuu's relationship starts to become complicated because of the previous relationships that they had and developed with other characters. These include Miki's long time classmate and former crush, Ginta Suou, and Yuu's former girlfriend, Arimi Suzuki. A secondary subplot develops when Miki's best friend, Meiko Akizuki, herself starts to have her own problems because of the relationship she has gotten into with one of the teachers, Namura Shin'ichi.

Throughout the series, Miki and Yuu's relationship is further developed and tried, influenced by other characters around them and the relationships that they develop with these characters.

Miki Koishikawa lived a normal life - until her parents tell her they'll get divorced.. She doesn't agree, until she meets Yuu Matsuura... the handsome son of another couple, with whom her parents are switching spouses. They all live together now in an enormous house, and Miki and Yuu find themselves falling in love. They'll have to struggle with their own feelings, other people who want to be with them, and whatever Lady Luck and Fate throws in their ways...
Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/334/Marmalade_Boy#zC3qXqWBBFRezmCt.99

[AOW] Garden of Words (12/8-14/2013)

[Previous AOWs][Akia's MAL page]

Shinkai is the only anime movie director other than Satoshi Kon and Miyazaki that have managed to continually make really good anime films that can appeal to even a hard core otaku such as myself. This time around though Shinkai went back to making a much shorter film- clocking in at only 45mins (of which the time includes credits). Most full length anime can't even make me feel the sadness this film managed to do in only 45 mins. Shinkai is really good at this considering Voices of a Distant Star is even shorter, yet managed to make me tear up as well.

Type: manga adaptation

Synopsis:

One morning commuting to school during the rainy season, Takao opts to skip his first class and head to the park to sketch shoe designs, and encounters Yukari Yukino, a well-dressed young woman drinking beer in the early morning drizzle. They do not speak to one another, but as the rain clears she notes the school crest on his vest and decides to bid him farewell with a tanka, leaving Takao puzzled as to its origin and meaning. The two continue to encounter each other in the park on rainy mornings and grow closer in each other's company, but never formally introduce themselves to one another. When Yukari expresses an interest in Takao's shoemaking, he decides to make a pair of shoes in her size. As her foot is being measured, Yukari admits that she needs to learn how to walk on her own, hinting at her deep personal troubles. The rainy season ends, and whilst Takao and Yukari tell themselves that it's better for the other to go back to their normal lives, both sincerely wish that it would rain so that they could meet again.

We have met, for each of us to walk forward.

Takao, who is training to become a shoemaker, skipped school and is sketching shoes in a Japanese-style garden. He meets a mysterious woman, Yukino, who is older than him. Then, without arranging the times, the two start to see each other again and again, but only on rainy days. They deepen their relationship and open up to each other. But the end of the rainy season soon approaches...
Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/16782/Kotonoha_no_Niwa#Vh5iEphHlm1HbuPj.99

[MB] The Mature Ed (December 2013)

WELCOME Nettaversers to my newest series~ dedicated to bringing you the best in manga (IMO) entertainment. :D Y'all get an anime every week and now you'll get anywhere from 3-5 manga (or manwha which is the Korean name) a month. Instead of doing this series weekly, I've decided to do it at least monthly with the possibility of bonus entries throughout the month. The main entry will feature at least one manga for girls, one for boys and a third for both. Sometimes there will be 5- one for young girls, one for 20+ gals, one for young boys, one for 21+ guys and one for all. For this month, I'm going to feature some of my all time favorite series~ LET'S GOOOO!

Wellllllllllllllllllllll, This would not be a list of my favorites without featuring the manga that got me into the *cough* smut *cough* Josei subsection of manga which is primarily aimed at older readers who want more than sparkly typical romance found in girls manga. I was debating between featuring this one or Midnight Secretary since I read them both around the same time (as well as Love Bird but that one wasn't all that great- you can check out a video review I made about the first 16 chapters here). buuuuuuuuuuut this one wins simply because it was the first and still holds a remembered place in my heart. Unfortunately this series was never released with an official English translation so the only way to read it is online. Oh, and I also made a video about the series back when I was part of Itadakimasu Studios. Check it out here!

Desire Climax // 欲情©MAX (Yokujo©MAX)

# of Chapters: 48

Where to Read: [1][2]

Status: complete as of 2006

Genres: Drama, Romance, Shojo, Smut, Josei

Synopsis: 

The Omori are a poor family.Mio Omori's father died when she was young, and her mother has been hospitalized for some time with an unspecified illness. She lives alone with her little brother Hinata, doing a number of part-time jobs to get by. One night, when going home after work, she encounters upon a violent young man who throws money at her, saying he'll 'buy her', after stealing her first kiss.

The next day her mother tells Mio that their landlord, who happens to be among her father's closest friends, has offered her a job as a maid at their mansion. Eager to help the family, he feels that it will be safer at night that way, and her mother agrees to this despite her daughter's opposition. To her horror, Mio finds out that the violent man who stole her kiss is none other than Shoei Jinnai, the son of their landlord and the most popular and high-achieving student at her high school; so much so that he is widely known as 'Prince Jinnai'

In his own strange way, the Prince starts to treat her as his girlfriend, going so far as to tell Mio he loves her. When they finally start dating, Mio's brother Hinata becomes extremely jealous and tries to interfere with their relationship. When Mio catches them kissing, she runs home, but the next morning their house is demolished on the Prince's order.

While this one is primarily written for the dudes, I really enjoyed the drama aspect of it. While most Seinen manga are meant to be a little more pervy, this one didn't really give off that vibe. Seinen manga is actually aimed at older business men who in a way get part of their sexual needs meet by reading comics... at least that's what a lot of websites have said. I can't really vouch for that since the only Seinen I've read is this and a few other series such as Sun Ken Rock (i really wanted to feature that series as well but I can't feature two for the older guys! Sadface.jpg).

Bitter Virgin // ビターバージン

# of Chapters: 32

Where to Read: [1]

Status: complete as of 2008

Genres: Drama, Romance, School, Seinen

Synopsis:

As a junior high school student, Hinako was sexually abused by her stepfather and became pregnant. Her mother learned of the pregnancy when Hinako miscarried, but did nothing. As a result, the abuse continued, and Hinako soon became pregnant again. She was told that the pregnancy may make her incapable of bearing children again, but since the doctors felt an abortion at that point would be dangerous, she carried the baby to term and her mother had it put up for adoption immediately after birth without Hinako ever seeing the child.

Hinako ends by saying that although she never wanted the child and was relieved to have it adopted, and had never seen him, she wonders whether it would be all right if she at least celebrated his birthday, which is today. As she breaks down in tears, a stunned Daisuke, desperate for a proper answer, assures her that she has the support of God. This manages to calm Hinako down, and she thanks him and leaves.

At first, Daisuke cannot believe Hinako's story. However, the next day a baby carriage's brakes slip, and it begins to roll down on its own. While Daisuke instinctively jumps to protect Hinako and manages to stop the carriage, both of them are knocked to the ground. In the process, Hinako's skirt gets hitched up, revealing a scar on her stomach which Daisuke recognizes as a Caesarean-section scar, similar to one he saw on his mother's stomach as a child.

With Hinako's story proven true, Daisuke realizes that her ordeal was the cause of her aversion to men. Unable to get her out of his mind and worried for her well-being, he resolves to keep her secret safe and to help her in any way he can, and soon finds himself falling in love with her.

#1 recommendation for the month!

I KNOW I already featured two manga for older audiences.... but this one is the only manga that even made straight up a waterfall of tears fall from my eyes. A lot of anime fans (well the ones in my age group) tend to recommend the anime version of this but they haven't read the manga which is far superior. Normally reading something, even if I feel sad, won't make me cry but I can't read this series without a few tears forming no matter how many times I read it. Everyone I've asked has said the same thing. While this manga does have a very slow, gorey start- don't let that off set you from reading it. Out of all the manga I'm featuring here this one is my number one recommendation for the month. Hands down the best manga I've ever read overall (it does take reading the whole series to get the full feel because it does start out seeming like it's just going to be fanservicy and gore filled without  any real pay out).

  

Elfen Lied // エルフェンリート

# of Chapters:107

Where to Read: [1]

Status: complete as of 2005

Genres: Action, Drama, Romance, Supernatural, Seinen

Synopsis:

Elfen Lied takes place in Kamakura, Japan, focusing on a new strain of the human race, Diclonius, similar to human beings with invisible arms called vectors but different at the genetic level and notable due to physical abnormalities, particularly a pair of short horn-like protrusions. One such Diclonius, Lucy, is the main character of the series: Initially held in a facility built for experimentation, located off the coast of Kamakura, she manages to escape and wreak havoc, but is injured in the process, an event which causes her to develop a secondary, childlike personality known as Nyu.
Lucy is found by two locals, Kohta, who studies at the local university, and his cousin Yuka. They take her in, and become involved with the numerous, often brutal, attempts to recapture her by a Special Assault Team and a number of other Diclonius, who shift frequently from oblivious to murderous.

 

[AOW] Kill la Kill (12/1-7/2013)

[Previous AOWs][Akia's MAL page]

Nothing like featuring an anime that's about crazy amounts of action and fan service to start off December. ANYWAYS, I am really late to the game with this one because I've been spending too much of my time trying to finish the story mode on Persona 4 Arena and lots League of Legends in between looking for a new job or two as well as getting through finals (I really want this semester of college to be over). This has resulted in a service lack of my watching anime. During this time, Kill la Kill has been the have to watch anime this season. It's pretty much as crazy as Panty and Stocking; no surprise considering a good chunk of the staff that worked on P&S is working on this anime as well.

Type: I'm not really sure how to classify this since this manga has been coming out since around the same time the anime started... this could be the same thing that happened with Evangelion

# of Episodes: 25

Synopsis:

Ryuuko Matoi carries a large weapon shaped like half of a pair of scissors. She's looking for the woman with the other half, who killed her father. Satsuki Kiryuuin, student council president of Honnouji Academy, is said to know the woman's identity, so Ryuuko transfers there. Those who arrive at the school receive a special "goku uniform," and Satsuki has used that power to rule the school in fear.

The story is set on a high school that the student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin rules by force. Wielding a giant Basami scissors sword, the wandering transfer student Ryuuko Matoi brings about upheaval on the campus. Ryuuko searches for the mysterious figure who caused her father's death, but confronting her are the student council's "four divine kings." Fortunately, Ryuuko is aided by a talking sailor uniform who tells her, "Wear me. When I am worn by you, this power will become manifest."
Read more at http://myanimelist.net/anime/18679/Kill_la_Kill#XrYEVjwEJmOlD23V.99