Legal High (2012) - Review

Today I'm reviewing one of my favorite jdramas, called Legal High. It came out in Japan in 2012 as Rigaru Hai. Jdramas, or Japanese dramas, are tv series made in Japan with Japanese actors. You can easily find them online with English subtitles or import DVDs of them, also with English subtitles. I've gotten into jdramas thanks to the videogame Judgment, which features the Japanese actor Takuya Kimura in the leading role, both in motion capture and voice acting. I thought his character was played brilliantly, so I had a look online and found a completely unexpected world.

Basic plot

The official poster doesn't actually reflect
how the series feels, to be honest.

For various reasons, young lawyer Mayuzumi-sensei (sensei in this case refers to her being a lawyer) comes to work at Komikado-sensei's law firm. Komikado-sensei is famous as the lawyer who never lost a trial, but his methods aren't always what you would expect from a professional lawyer. Mayuzumi-sensei, instead, has a strong sense of justice and doesn't care about winning a trial if it makes the situation worse. These differences make them amusingly clash every time because they must work together despite everything. Still, in some way, they can team up successfully to win each trial. 

Characters
The characters are one of the reasons that make this series exceptionally great. 

Komikado-sensei, the attorney who never lost a single trial, surprises you with his witty and fast speech, and even if sometimes he comes across as incredibly rude, what he says often ends up being wholly or partially true. He can be extremely mean and cruel towards everyone and everything. His mannerism is also hilarious and makes him unique and entertaining to watch. What surprises me the most is the character's backstory. I do not intend to spoil it.

Mayuzumi-sensei, the Asadora Heroine, as Komikado-sensei calls her, is truly a heroine. 

The two protagonists

[From Wikipedia: Renzoku Terebi Shōsetsu (連続テレビ小説, "serial TV novel"), also known as asadora (朝ドラ, "Morning Drama"), is a serialized Japanese television drama program series broadcast in the mornings by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. Virtually all of the storylines center on the life of a female heroine who faces challenges while working to achieve her dreams.] She is always trying to put justice above everything else, and it's primarily thanks to her that the customers are happy in the end. She is also as stubborn as Komikado. This fact makes them continuously clash in amusing ways. It was interesting seeing her growth as an attorney and as a person during the series. I think she's the one that delivered the most profound values in the show. She is also adorable, which is the exact contrary of Komikado.

The main antagonist, the Miki Law Firm, is a particular one. The mannerism of the people in this firm makes it feel like an exclusive club, which you belong to only if you keep being successful. What makes the audience laugh is how defeat is handled. It's a common occurrence for the firm's lawyers because they're against that one attorney that is never going to lose. The boss, Miki-sensei, is always trying to beat Komikado with his own employees and is also always acting exaggeratedly angrily when he loses. His secretary Sawachi is probably the most mysterious character in the show. She is often shown massaging Miki-sensei to calm him down. She was probably put at Miki-sensei's side with her calm attitude to counter his negative traits, like Mayuzumi for Komikado.

Episodes storylines
They're all equally amusing, and you can never guess how they will end, even if the point of the show is supposed to be Komikado-sensei, never failing to win. They become more unexpected as the show progresses. It's never so easy to win. The only real problem is that Komikado-sensei always wins and the Miki Law Firm always loses, so unpredictability has a limit, but it's more interesting to see how the two protagonists manage to win than seeing them win.

I love how sometimes Komikado-sensei is right about a lot of things, despite being unnecessarily rude. He shows that not everything is how it seems and that being excessively naive can hurt you in the long run. You might think you're helping others while in reality, you're just temporarily consoling them and leaving nothing done. It's interesting how you get to see things differently from the usual good-character view, and that makes this drama unique. 

Music
Lastly, the ost is a good one, especially the phrase "Legal High!" used in the most glorious moments of the show and at the end of the episode. I can't really describe how, but its rock feel really fits the tone of the show. The rest of the soundtrack is generally good and fits the atmosphere.

There would be a lot more things to talk about, but long story short, watch this. It won't disappoint you.

Pros

Fun and witty characters

Amusing scenes

Unusual plotlines

Interesting methods to win

Cons

In the end, you know the protagonist will always win and the antagonist will always lose

Grade
Story: 9.0
Acting/Cast: 10
Music: 9.5
Rewatch Value: 8.0

Overall: 9.5

Piofiore: Fated Memories - Review

It could have been a nice idea to include
beauty products in the limited edition :)

Hi folks, today I bring you my first Otome game review. For the ones who didn't know, Otome is a genre of visual novels focused on love stories with male bachelors. I've found out about them thanks to Hakuoki Kyoto Winds, which was recommended to me as one of the best visual novels on Ps Vita.

Piofiore: Fated Memories is an Otome visual novel, which came out in Japanese in 2018 as Piofiore No Banshou, and in English in October 2020.

Basic Plot

The game is set in Burlone, a fictional town in the south of Italy, in 1925. This town is ruled by the Mafia, and the unique characteristic of the game is that your bachelors are (almost) all from the Mafia. You play as a girl raised by the church who is now helping the church by attending orphan children. Her life seems normal and calm, but suddenly she finds herself in the center of a mysterious situation, as for some reason everyone in the three Mafia families in town is looking for her... But why?

Music

I really loved the jazzy music in this game, especially the track called "Esplanade." The jazzy music was just perfect for this game and its location. It sounded laid-back and relaxed but could thrill you in the tight moments. Each of the three families' residences has its own theme that reflects their fundamental differences. I would definitely recommend the most laid-back tracks for studying if they were actually easy to find. Right now, they're only on SoundCloud as Piofiore No Banshou OST, but they could disappear anytime soon :).

Those exquisite additions

The game contains a few actual Latin sentences taken from various authors, which appear in various places for different reasons. This one here is a sentence that appears in the background in some scenes:

"Calamitas virtutis occasio est. Audentem forsque venusque iuvat. Audendo magnus tegitur timor. Certa amittimus dum incerta petimus. Mors certa, hora incerta." which means "Calamity is an occasion for virtue. Luck and beauty help the bold. A great fear is dismissed by being bold. We leave aside certain things while we ask for uncertain ones. Death is certain, the hour uncertain."

This quote was made by mixing various quotes. I really love these sorts of things as I'm studying Classical Languages / Humanities at university. 

There are plenty of other ones, and I would bore you if I translated them all, so I'll tell you my favorite: "Dum spiro, spero" which translates to: "As long as I'm alive, I'm hopeful." This quote is found at the end of all normal endings, which are not as good as the good endings and not as tragic as the tragic ones, so it fits the situation. Right now, things couldn't be in their best state, but they might still improve. 

Now, the routes:

Nicola Francesca

Nicola Francesca

He's your cute womanizer type. He can be nasty sometimes, though. Nicola's good ending was perhaps too unrealistic Mafia wise, but really cute. The normal ending was more realistic and probably even happier than the good one, in my opinion, but since not everything goes well, it was regarded as the second-best one in the game. The tragic ending was so twisted that, oh my, can Nicola even get so far? I am honestly worried about the protagonist.

Yang

Yang

He is absolutely not my type of boyfriend. The route was still cute, though. At least according to a Yakuza series fan, what is interesting here was that it delved more into Mafia-related themes, even the darkest ones. It might not be a route for everyone (they really do talk about drug abuse), yet it was probably the most relevant one. The normal ending was extremely and unnecessarily sad but enjoyable. The tragic ending was also extremely and unnecessarily tragic, but I loved the scenes in which they quoted Shakespeare. They were so poetic that they should have been in the good ending too, such a waste. 

Dante Falzone

Dante Falzone

His route was the one that really started to delve into Piofiore's lore, and it was excellent. Obviously, we got a massive amount of cuteness (this game is really half cute, half tragic), even though the character appears to be really cold at the beginning of the story. He really isn't, in reality. He's one of those characters you can easily sympathize with. The tragic ending was, of course, really dark, and something horrible happens to Dante. Poor him, and poor hearts of us. This route was my second favorite. 

Orlok

Orlok

His route also delved deeper into the lore and was fascinating story-wise as it followed Yang's gang a bit, which is not really seen in all other routes apart from Yang's. I like Yang in this route way more than in his own route because he kept saying brilliant things. Did love blind him? We'll never know. The good ending was nice, as it suggested a continuation of the peace at the beginning. The normal ending puts them on the run. The tragic ending reveals an interesting secret ignored in all other routes, which is really sad because many ignore the tragic endings. Still, this is not a tragic ending which you should take lightly, as it can be really disturbing at the end.

Gilbert Redford

Gilbert Redford

His route was definitely my favorite! He's a hilarious and good guy, as he really loves Burlone's people and truly wishes for their own well-being. This one was also more mafia-related, as it contained a trial for economic reasons. I really had a lot of fun during this one. It's the one I would definitely read again soon. The normal ending finds you not knowing the complete truth behind the facts surrounding the trial. The tragic one is unnecessarily tragic, and I almost cried, as it was really heartbreaking. Don't be mean to him folks, opt for the good ending :).

The Finale (it's a route)

I have mixed feelings about it. The whole route partially follows Gilbert's, but then, at a certain point, you go into this one (huge waste). It's nice per sé if we consider the ending without the new love interest, as the route splits into two endings. It's nice to see all the characters working together, but you sadly don't get a love interest. Even if you do get one, it is so rushed and forced that it was definitely better without it. 

The main character

All together :)

Liliana Adornato (her default name) is surely one of the smartest main characters I've seen in an otome. She's also really determined as she can survive all kinds of deadly situations without dying. She also deeply cares for others, which shows in her relationships with the character and kind of makes sense with the Finale's love interest.

Overall, play this game. It's amazing. It took me about 30 hours to 100% it (and yes, I used a guide, lol). You can find it on a website called Otomekitten.

Before you leave: a character in the game suggests milk plus cinnamon and honey when you're sad. It's terrific how much it works. Try it!

Pros

Unusual story for an otome game

Brilliant characters

Little exquisite touches that make the game nice to look at

Cons

The Finale route is a bit lackluster in both its endings

A few typos here and there

Grade

8,5

The World Ends With You Final Remix - Review

Hello folks, today I'll review one of the best games that I've ever played, The World Ends With You Final Remix on Nintendo Switch. This game was an exceptional ride, as it seemed not so exciting initially, but it increased its pace as I played. I actually tried the Nintendo DS version about 2 years ago, but it didn't feel like continuing, so I left it there. Then I found out that there was a version on the Nintendo Switch too, so I decided to give it a try. I bought it this summer along with Astral Chain (for Nintendo Switch), and I can say that it was a good idea to get them.

Need more candy cane - it's an
the actual line in Twister, a song in
this game.

Basic Plot

The game starts with a Japanese teenager, Neku, finding himself lying on the ground in Shibuya Scramble Crossing, with no memories of his past. Suddenly he gets a message: he has to complete a certain mission, or he'll face erasure. This happened because he was thrown in a deadly game without him knowing, and now he must find a way out with the help of the other players, or they will all be erased. The plot might seem clichè, but this is just what you see on the surface.

Gameplay

The gameplay sometimes raises questions, as it's not so precise. It's touch screen based. You collect pins, each one with a different skill, equip them in combat, and use them by making a specific gesture on the screen. Too bad that sometimes the game doesn't really understand which pin you're trying to activate. This happens because a lot of them have a similar activation gesture. Consequently, you cannot equip pins with similar gestures together. The game already prevents you from equipping pins with the same exact activation gesture, luckily.

I recommend equipping pins with very different activation methods. My set was composed of a pin that was activated by swiping on an enemy, one by tapping on an enemy, one by drawing a circle on the screen, and one that needed to be tapped to heal Neku. It's pretty fun anyway because you literally cause havoc by tapping and swiping around. There is also a mode that requires the use of detached Joy-Cons, but I haven't tried it.

Music

The music of this game is immensely outstanding, as it is incredibly catchy and hip hop. It's probably the best ost I've ever heard in a videogame (no offense to To Zanarkand from Final Fantasy X, which is one of the best songs you can find in a videogame). My favorite track is obviously Twister (Original Mix). And I need more candy cane. I recommend you listen to a few songs of the ost because they'll make you feel the game's atmosphere. I'm not joking. In the game, you can buy all the songs in the ost to replace your menu music. Try to guess what I set mine to.

Art style

The game's dialogues are in visual novel format but are styled like a comic. It really feels like you're reading an actual comic. So your eyes can be amazed while your ears listen to the great music. It makes for a wonderful experience, and I'm not exaggerating. The art style is similar to Kingdom Hearts's because it was made by the same people. This actually made me want to try Kingdom Hearts. I will do it eventually.

Characters

The character development in this game is great. I'm not going to spoil anything because I'd like you to play the game. After a bit, you already start to feel attached to the protagonists, and I can feel fellow fans that had to wait 13 years for a sequel. It's coming this summer, and we really need to see how these characters do. It's incredible how they manage to improve themselves in this nasty environment.

Neku feels obnoxious at first, but this changes quickly. Nothing is how it seems. My favorite character is Sanae Hanekoma, and I'll tell you why below because it's a spoiler. It's a really heavy spoiler, so I suggest you read it after reading the game's Secret Reports.

Storyline

Lastly, the storyline is pretty complex, and all the secrets that aren't explained in the main game get completely unfolded in post-game, so it might not completely make sense at first. However, it's an amazing one. Be aware, because it doesn't look like it at first. You'll learn to broaden your boundaries because The World Ends With You, and many more. I think it's one of those experiences that everyone should have, as seeing the characters grow and the story enrich makes you realize things you would have had trouble understanding before. I know this happens in many games, but there's an amazing example in this game, in the form of the protagonist.

I think it's also interesting how I played Shin Megami Tensei Devil Survivor 2 on Nintendo 3DS before this game, as they share some similarities that I cannot spoil. If you've played it, you'll understand.

Pros:

Rich storyline

Relatable characters that grow during the story

Catchy music

Interesting graphic choices

Cons:

The gameplay isn't always precise enough, which limits the pin sets players can choose

Final Grade:

9

⚠

⚠

⚠

SPOILERS HERE, READ AFTER ALL THE SECRET REPORTS

⚠

⚠

⚠

My favorite character is Sanae Hanekoma, also known as both Mr. H and Cat. I loved how he was a fatherly figure to Neku and the others and helped them during their quest. He assisted them even if he isn't a human, especially when it looks like he has no gain in the players surviving the games. By progressing the story you understand why outstanding humans are important to him and his job.

He reminds me of Auron from Final Fantasy X. Considering they're all made by Square Enix, it makes sense. It was terrible how Neku kept thinking he was the Composer, but I can say that I trusted Mr. H more than the main character did. He logically couldn't have been the Composer, as he was helping them too much in counterproductive ways for the game and the villain team.

END OF SPOILERS

About this blog

Hello folks, and welcome to my blog. My name is Bliss Cast, but you can also call me Eugi (basically my shortened name). I go by the pronouns she/her. As of the time of writing this blog, I'm 19. 

This blog will mostly be about videogames, with some occasional content about anime, manga, and jdrama.

Blisscast comes from Bliss, my online nickname, and Dreamcast, the one console that, in my opinion, symbolizes what videogames mean to me: a catalyst of hopes and dreams, and things you wouldn't know in other ways, that can change your life.

I've been into videogames since I was a child, with my first game being Animal Crossing Wild World on Nintendo DS in late 2008. My first console was a black ds lite, which I still own. I played almost only Pokémon games for a while, then started to get into other series as I grew up. Until 2 years ago, I used to play only on Nintendo consoles, then I started getting pre-owned Playstation consoles as series I wanted to play weren't available on Nintendo consoles. And that's when I really started gaming seriously. I also recently got an Xbox 360, although I haven't really done anything interesting with it.

I'm also interested in modding consoles. I really love the feeling of being able to make the console do what you want, such as applying a Yakuza theme on a Nintendo 2ds (which is hugely satisfying) or importing a digital game savefile on a retail cartridge (which is useful). Plus, I love the modding itself. It's like an adventure because research after research, you manage to unveil the console's secrets. I've also learned a lot about technology while researching these things. Modding makes my PSP do wonders, as it loads games much faster and doesn't make annoying disc noises. Trust me, it's fantastic. That's why playing my copy of Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII took 17 hours and not 30. I haven't modded my PS4 or Switch, though, because that unnecessarily complicates things.

Now, onto my favorite series. I'll list them in alphabetical order.

Animal Crossing

My first game was from this series, Wild World. I've been emotionally attached to this series since the very beginning, starting from the moment in which I realized that without saving, I'd have to rebuild my town every time I turned the game on. I actually played Let's Go To The City (called City Folk in the US) the most in my childhood. I found the fishing to be very charming and would spend hours doing it.

I didn't extremely like New Leaf, although it's currently the game I've played the most. It made me have a love-hate relationship with the series. I deleted my first town in that game and created another one, which didn't end up really well. Then in this year (2020) a new game came out, and oh boy, it fixed everything. I can now have a social life and still manage a charming island while actually enjoying the game. It's currently sitting as my 2nd most played game, and I think you can imagine why. I'll surely write about my island soon.

Final Fantasy

I've found out about it thanks to Cloud coming to Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS. At first, I wasn't really interested in trying it, then I played a free jrpg called Gacha World on mobile (which you should absolutely try), and I guessed that if I loved that game, I could as well have loved Final Fantasy too. I tried Final Fantasy 1 on GBA, which was the wrong choice, but I thought that starting from number 1 was a smart thing to do.

Then after getting a PSP and looking for interesting games to play, I saw Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII, which seemed absolutely badass. I decided to try it, and I fell in love with it. So I played Final Fantasy X on Switch and fell in love with that one too. Especially Auron. Auron fans out there, you know why he's so amazing. Anyway, after those, I played XV on PS4, which was kinda nice, and XII on Switch, which has an interesting gameplay that not many people liked. I still need to play more Final Fantasy games.

Fire Emblem

I've found about this one thanks to Super Smash Bros too. I wanted to get Awakening on 3DS, but I couldn't seem to find it, so I ignored it for a couple of years. Then I found it, and I absolutely loved it. I also started playing Fire Emblem Heroes almost on the same day. I also really liked Echoes but didn't enjoy Fates, although I can assure you that I tried. Luckily Fire Emblem Warriors was really nice. I haven't played Three Houses yet, actually. Lately, I've been less interested in this series, to be honest. I also uninstalled Heroes as it was filling up my phone storage too quickly.

Pokémon

I'll try to be short here. Pokémon White was my first one. I fell in love with the series, and it really filled up my late childhood. I honestly haven't completed so many games, but I loved Heartgold and Soulsilver. I loved the series because I could catch my favorite creatures and have wonderful adventures with them. My current favorite Pokémon is a Latias called Candy, which I have caught in White 2 and transferred to many games after that. My biggest meme here is that I started Diamond in 2012, then never finished it, although I'm almost at the end of the game.

Pokémon Black & White

I'll be honest, I have barely played after Ultra Sun and Moon. What killed my interest was the latest games not being interesting anymore and finding better stuff to play. I still remember these times with joy, as Pokémon made me the gamer that I am right now, one that loves looking at what's behind her favorite games.

I'm currently almost only following the Glitches scene, which is definitely the most satisfying of them all. Glitches are something amazing to me, as they can unveil what creates the games you love. In other games, they're mostly uninteresting (Animal Crossing has some pretty interesting ones, though), but I can assure you that in Pokémon they are really complex and fascinating. The Glitches scene is having a few issues right now, but I'd love to contribute to it someday. I also met one of my dearest friends through Glitches, so you can imagine how this is special to me.

Saints Row

My character in Saints Row IV

I've found the series thanks to a list of recommended games to play because I liked Yakuza 0. It sounded fun, so I decided to try it. I decided to try Saints Row The Third on PS3 and found it extremely cheap at Gamestop, and I honestly couldn't believe it would have been so amazing. Before you ask, you can pretty much start from the third one.

It's one of those games that are the definition of exhilarating. The game is far from serious, and this is what makes it memorable. You have a fantastic character creator, and you can create a pretty unique character. You can even determine your character's personality by choosing from many options. My favorite is the female voice 1. Cyberpunk 2077's female V is kinda similar to that voice, to be honest. I also played Saints Row IV Reelected on PS4, and I loved that one even more. I still have to play numbers 2 and 1.

Shin Megami Tensei / Persona

I've just started playing these games, and I already cannot live without them. I actually tried a game called Tokyo Mirage Sessions #Fe on Wii U a few years ago because it was a crossover that featured Fire Emblem, and I liked Fire Emblem. But what I didn't know was that it also featured the Shin Megami Tensei series, also known as Megaten. I didn't really play that game in the end. After a few years, I saw Persona 5 on PS4 for cheap and decided to get it because it seemed cool. Too bad that I had basically only been playing Yakuza at the time, so it fell under the radar again.

After a while, my good friend suggested I get Persona 4 Golden on my newly acquired Ps Vita. Since it was basically the best game on the console, I decided to give it a try. And what a ride, folks. What a ride. It was so amazing, so deep, so fun that I finally decided I had to play these games. So I played more of them, and I'm planning to expand the list. What I love about these games is that they are pretty strategic, and when you win, you feel so smart. But what's even more impressive is the storylines: they are deep, fascinating, and relatable. You shouldn't ignore the two Persona 2 games as they are darker than the latest entries but still great.

Super Smash Bros

I've found this series thanks to a Wii and DS magazine featuring how to unlock characters in Super Smash Bros Brawl on Wii. I didn't get it, though, as I got the Wii U version as my first instead. I thought I wouldn't have liked it so much, but it was so fun and stress relieving that I ended up playing it a lot. And seeing all these fantastic characters made me want to try their games, hence the famous sentence "I've found about it in Super Smash Bros."

I had problems with my Wii U, so I had to stop playing it, and I was really heartbroken. I tried to get the other games (apart from the one on Nintendo 64 because I don't own one yet), but none felt as good as the Wii U one (I hear the voices of the Melee people).

Luckily Super Smash Bros Ultimate on Switch came out, and that was the perfect chance to get it along with its themed Switch. So I did it. The game felt pretty amazing. I played it a lot, still not as much as the Wii U one, though. In the end, I managed to fix my Wii U and got my save file back, but I honestly couldn't get to play it again. That's how life goes. I still owe a lot to these games and sometimes play the game on Switch. 

The World Ends With You

It's not technically a series as of writing this, but a sequel is coming in summer 2020, so I can consider it a series. I had tried the game on DS, but for some reason, I decided it wasn't interesting enough, so I didn't play it. Then I found out about the HD version on Switch, so I guessed I could give it a try again. And it was totally worth it.

The gameplay sometimes raises some questions, but the story, characters, music, and setting are so outstanding. It's now sitting in the list of my favorite games ever, which I'll show you in a future blog. I'm looking forward to the anime adaptation and the sequel!

Yakuza

Partial collection

Yakuza is one of those series I honestly didn't think I'd ever like. I thought that it being called Yakuza (which, I must note, is different from the Japanese name, Ryu Ga Gotoku = Like a Dragon) meant that it just wasn't my genre. Because, I mean, I think you can guess what comes to mind when you look at it. But oh boy, I was so wrong.

I found this one because a classmate of mine dressed up as Yakuza 0's Majima for Carnival. He said he was dressed up as a character from a game called Yakuza. So yeah, I was prejudiced and ignored the series. Time travel to a few months after, and my good friend (always the same good friend) suggests I should try Yakuza 0 out. But this time, he shows me footage from the game and convinces me to play it.

So I bought Yakuza 0 (that Playstation Hits copy with the red bar still haunts me in my sleep, but it was the cheapest), and it was true love. The series is actually really serious, talks about morals and honor, and so on. You can't absolutely condense it in the name Yakuza. It's a lot more. If you're going to start playing these games, begin at 0. You shouldn't also ignore Judgment, which is Yakuza but from a detective's view and an interesting storyline that is a lot relevant to 2020.