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The Basic Hololive JP dictionary for newcomers!
INTRODUCTION (can be skipped) So a over a week ago i started thinking about how many Japanese expressions i was learning from wasting months spending so much time here watching streams despite not having learnt formally a bit of Japanese. I ended up gathering all the terms, inside jokes i read and heard a lot in the streams to make idk some starter pack meme or test to post lol. But then i thought that maybe it would be more useful to make it a more in deep dictionary. We have many new people coming from the EN side or translated clips and some of them are understandably thrown off or scared on watching something which is 99% in a language you don't know. This isn't the first time someone has tried to do this, there was a very complete post 3 months ago (https://www.reddit.com/Hololive/comments/icgxaq/a_guide_to_basic_written_hololive_japanese/) but from that time till now we have 3x more subscribers and this was more focused on written posts. Mine is different. The focus of this one is mostly two things: That you learn enough things to get a tiny tiny grasp on what's going on streams if there isn't enough translation and than you can get and join in in most inside jokes even if you aren't into the weaboo culture stuff. HOW TO USE Trying to study this is a pointless endeavour. Just look it over with CTRL+F (too lazy to order it alphabetically now) when you hear some term you want an explanation on or some inside term that you don't get fully. The first word is how the word is in romanji (latin alphabet) and then how is written in Japanese (normally hiragana) in case you want to use it. The dictionary divided into 3 sections for ease of use. This isn't a complete rundown of all the Hololive lingo because it would be waay too long and or a Japanese language course because it goes over my knowledge and as a language is way too nuanced and contextual to teach in one post. But i'm open for submissions and corrections from japanese speakers, i only did the work to research every term from others! If you need a more complex translation althrough it's far from perfect, it's always recommended that you use DeepL (https://www.deepl.com/en/translator) DICTIONARY: Basic Japanese expressions:
Ohayo (おはよう): “Good morning”. Casual form of “Ohayo gozaimasu” (おはようございます)
Konnichiwa (こんにちは): “Good afternoon”
Konbanwa (こんばんは): “Good evening”
Oyasumi (おやすみ): “Good night”. Casual form of Oyasuminasai (おやすみなさい)
Hontouni? (本当に): “Really?”. Also it's used in the same way as "really x" in English to emphasize something.
Arigatou (ありがとう): “Thank you”. Casual form of Arigatou gozaimasu (ありがとうございます)
Omedetou! (おめでとう): Congratulations! Casual form of Omedetou gozaimasu (おめでとうございます)
Otsukaresama (お疲れ様): A good translation would be "Thank you for your hard work", more like a common generic expression to say goodbye to co-workers and friends after a work day or meeting. Check out the entry on "otsu-" in the Hololive section to see how they transform the word as a goodbye in their streams.
Tadaima (ただいま): A popular expression you tell someone when you come back home. Here they use it when after they had to leave the stream.
Okaeri (おかえり): What you reply when someone says "Tadaima".
Gommenasai (ごめんなさい): "I'm sorry". The short casual form "Gomen" (ごめん) is really common.
Sumimasen (すみません): Another polite way of saying "I'm sorry" but can be more versatile like the English "Excuse me"
Kudasai (下さい), Onegaishimasu (お願いします) : The two main ways to say "please" in Japanese. You will find them mostly at the end of a phrase to 'soften' the blow. Ex: "Yamete Kudasai" = "Please stop". Onegaishimasu is considered a bit more formal and polite but both are used often.
Yamete (やめて): One form of pleading someone to stop something, usually as part of やめてください (yamete kudasai) which is a bit more polite. Also you hear sometimes Yamero (やめろ) which is the more imperative serious form. As with many expressions in Japanese the more commanding and absolute expressions are used more often between men while the softer more polite forms are used more often between women. [That's one of the reasons japanese natives can usually detect if you have been taught mostly by a male/female teacher] In my experience watching streams they do use Yamero often though.
Yabai (やばい): Literally means "risky/dangerous" but it used in the meaning of "dangerously too much of something". It can be used both with positive or negative connotations, like something that is overwhelmingly well-done, a situation in a horror game that is so scary that makes you panic or a youtube thumbnail that is way too spicy to be allowed without banning the stream. It's a common casual term between young Japanese people, not something to be used in a formal context. As with other words ending in -ai the pronuntiation got slurred to -e resulting in “Yabe”. More recently some in chat are writing it like “Yab”.
Naruhodo (なるほど): "I see!", "I get it now!"
Wakatta (わかった): "I understood!" Sometimes they don't wakatta at all, though.
kuso (くそ): It means "shit" and it used in this context exactly the same way you would use it English, like "damn" or "fuck".
Ureshii (嬉しい): “I’m glad”/”That makes me happy”
Bikkurishita (びっくりした): “That surprised/scared me”
Mou ikkai (もう一回): “One more!”, as in “one more try”/”one last game” …
Oishii (美味しい) : “Delicious/Tasty”. Men may use more often Umai (うまい) which is considered more crude and slangy as a term. Umai can also mean “good [at doing something]/skilled at”
Ojisan (おじさん): Literally “Uncle” but frequently used as “middle-age man/mister”. In Hololive (at least) it’s implied this person is some kind of creepy pervert with younger girls when used as adjective for one of their members. Ex: “Watame Oji-san” = “Wata-oji”
Totemo (とても ) : “Very”. Really used generic word but native speakers may prefer more nuanced words depending on the context in the same way you don’t use “very” all the time.
Meccha (めっちゃ): An informal adverb used to do a superlative version of “very” like “supeextremely”. It comes from youth slang in the Kansai region that got popular with the general youth (probably thanks to TV comedians). Other popular words for this adverb are “chou” (チョー) and “sugoku” (すごく)
Mecha kucha (めっちゃくっちゃ): Something that is really: a mess, absurd, all over the place... It could be the origin of Meccha (めっちゃ)
Ikuzo! (行くぞ): “Let’s go!”/”Let’s do it!”
Saikou (最高): “The highest/maximum”
Minna (みんな): “Everyone”, as in everyone in the chat. Minna is the casual form of the word that get used among groups of friends. The polite version when you need a more formal address to an audience is Mina-san (皆さん)
Daijobu (大丈夫 ) : “It’s ok/fine”. You can hear them asking this in question form (something like “Is everything okay?/Are you okay?”) to the chat whenever something (audio, video, connection, missing something important in a game) seems wrong or the chat starts being too agitated.
Nani? (なに): "What?" Also the appropiate way to reply when you get to know you're already dead.
Doko? (どこ?) : “Where?”
Sasuga (さすが ): “As expected of...” In the overseas chat it’s used both as praise of someone’s abilities (as in “You’re great as playing this game (as we all knew already!)” so you’re impressed even knowing their previous reputation) or to mock ironically flaws in character (affectionally). In native Japanese I’m not so sure if this second meaning it’s used as much but Sasuga itself is pretty more nuanced as an expression.
Kawaii (かわいい): “Cute”
Kowai (こわい): “Scary”
Kakkoii (かっこいい): “Cool”
Itai (痛い) : Literally "Painful, hurt" but used as an onomatopoeia of "Ouch!"
Uta (歌): “Song”. A stream dedicated to singing is called "utawaku" (歌枠)
Ganbatte! (がんばって): “You can do it!”, a way to root/cheer for the success of someone
Chotto matte (ちょっと待って): "Wait a minute/ a moment". Chotto is an small amount(ちょっと) and Matte (まって) is "to wait"
Urusai (うるさい): Literally "[Too] Noisy/Loud", in practice it means "Shut up!"
Senpai ( 先輩): Your senior. In Japanese and other Asian cultures this is really important because respecting, serving and being loyal to your seniors (both elders and work/school seniors) is still a fundamental part of the social etiquette. Nowadays though it has been losing some relevance over a westernized meritocratic system so it has opened itself to a more superficial relationship in some places. You will see Kiryu Coco talk about “Paisen” (ぱいせん) which how you call your senpais when you’re really close together.
Kouhai (後輩): Your Junior. In Asiatic cultures the Senpais also have some duties over treating their kouhai according to the social etiquette which includes things like taking care of them as emotional support of to take them under their wings to show them all the ropes of the job.
Sensei (先生): "Teacheprofessor"
Tensai (天才): "Genius". Or at least they claim to be for comical effect.
Sugoi (すごい): Almost always you’ll hear it, it means “Awesome!” or “Impressive!” but hilariously enough it can mean the exact opposite too: “Horrible, Awful”. This is because it’s nuanced in the same way that “Awesome” is: something so overwhelmingly impressive that causes awe, good or bad.
Tanoshii(楽しい): “Fun”, “Pleasant”
Chigau (違う) : “Wrong”, “different”
Tadashi (正しい): “Correct”, “right”
Kimoi (キモイ): Slang for "Gross/creepy/disgusting", literally "bad feeling".
Kimochi (きもち): "feeling". Its most known variation, for reasons, is kimochii which means "good feeling" which includes the particle -ii to mean "good".
Baka (ばか): "Stupid/Fool/Idiot". The king of the swearwords. Shiranui Flare, Tsunomaki Watame and Shirakami Fubuki are self-named as the "Bakatare [stupid, idiotic] trio" due to their antics while playing games in collabs
Daisuki (大好き): "I like you a lot" with suki (好き) meaning "i like you"
Aishiteru (愛している) : "I love you" but in real life it's like a really really strong "i love you". Stories tell that even some married couples doubt on using this, so it's more rare to use in Japan than in overseas. Shouldn't have to remind everyone, but for both this and "daisuki" don't take them too seriously when they use them in streams, they like to play with them hyperbolically or to make a comedy bit.
Muzukashii (むずかしい): "Difficult/Hard". For example Haachama wrote once "English muzukashi OMG"
Hazukashii (はずかしい): "Embarrased/shy"
Mite! (見て!): "Look!"
Yokatta (よかった): Can be used as the past form of being good (so "It was good") but you're going to hear it with the meaning of "I'm glad to hear that", "What a relief [to know that now]"
Are? (あれ?): "Huh?"
Yatta! (ヤッタ!): "I did it, yay!"
Yoroshiku (よろしく): You hear it mostly is the form of Yoroshiku onegaishimasu (よろしくおねがいします) A natural translation would be like "Please treat me well/be kind to me" and it's a custom you say whenever you introduce yourself to other people to express your hope to start with a good relationship. In formal business japanese this phrase is used really really often not only in introductions but after asking for favors.
Japanese Internet and popular culture expressions:
Gachi Koi (ガチ恋): An expression from idol culture. Literally means "serious love" but a better translation would probably be "super obsessive fan" as you can guess from the first translation. With time the expression has soften and is used many times in a exaggerated/joking context. I think it's used more often by male fans.
Gap Moe: Moe is used very often in anime/otaky culture and is some specifics aspects of a character that makes them cute and really, deeply attractive to you (Althrough the word has to a surprinsingly complex meaning with some nuances and has expanded to general hobbies). Gap here means the difference between different aspects of the personality of someone. So putting both together, it means the stark contrast of different personalities of someone that makes them really attractive to you. For example, the anime "yandere" archetype of a sweet girl that is a psychopath when she get jealous, or a clumsy character that is a pro at some game.
Seiso (清楚): Literally means "pure, wholesome, uncorrupted (of knowing sexual and other adult stuff)" and it refers to some archetype of idols that used to be the ideal expected from of them. Nowadays many fans still take this seriously but it's more often a running joke. For example in Hololive is common for a streamer to say something perverted and when the chat points it out them saying they aren't perverts but seiso idols. If you ask me, modern "seiso" idols are a bit more more about attitude (agency) than purity, a way they chose to act after they look at the abyss (of degenerancy) rather than being some virginal person. In that meaning you can actually be both seiso and degenerate at different times.
wwwwwwwww : In Japanese "warai" means "to laugh".. Writing a w is faster than that, specially in a western keyboard and that's how it came to be in online culture. So it's their way to say "hahahaha". You can see it as a final "w" at the end of many messages if you were confused before. I guess there it means more like "lol".
Kusa, Big 草 : 草 (kusa) is a kanji for grass. As the story goes (that has been explained sooo many times in this subreddit lol) for japanese users the "wwwww" look like blades of grass, hence 草 ended up as a short hand for that so it means something like lol/lmao. It's something you always see in Hololive JP streams' chats. Big 草 is a beautiful example of cross-cultural interactions, like japanglish.
KSZK (くそざこ): Acronym of “kuso zako”. Literally “shitty noob”. Someone who does something pathetically really amateur (unprofessional). For example, oversleeping a scheduled stream or having their stream disconnected due to shitty internet connection. Coco has a recurring segment of this in Asacoco but please don’t take it too seriously, it’s mostly a way to poke fun at her work pals. The majority of the audience are more amused by these problems than angry.
Kaigai niki (海外ニキ): Comes from “Kaigai aniki”, literally “overseas [elder] brothers” = "overseas bros". It means the worldwide community of fans outside of Japan. The japanese fanbase is the "nihon-niki". For the female fanbase the word is "neki" and for the specific fanbase of both men and women they use both like "nekiniki/nikineki"
RTA: Literally means “Real Time Attack” and is what the Japanese use to talk about speedruns.
Haishin (配信): “Stream/Broadcast”. Also used, “Housou” (放送)
888888: Used as sort of onomatopoeia of clapping. Also, it’s a pun between “Pachi”, which means clapping and “Hachi”, which means 8.
Batsu game (罰ゲーム): A punishment you do for losing to someone or failing to do something. If you have watched Japanese variety TV before you will know this is almost its own genre of entertainment. For Vtubers, it’s mostly just playing horror games or eating spicy food.
Taikyuu (耐久): “Endurance”. In this context it’s used to talk about “endurance streams” which are stream that won’t end until some (hard) goal/milestone gets completed like beating a game in one go or winning an online match of some battle royale game.
Zatsudan (雑談): "Free chat/Idle chat". What you know as "Just chatting" if you come from Twitch culture. Exactly what it says in the tin, the streamer talks about things that has happened to them or plan to happen and interact for a bit with the chat. A stream with zatsudan is a zatsudanwaku (雑談枠).
Doki Doki (ドキドキ): Onomatopoeia of a beating heart. So you can guess it get used to emphasize nerve-wracking situations or romantic interactions in a goofy way.
Guru guru (ぐるぐる): A sound of something that goes around in circles. They use this to talk about the emoji for loading/buffering in a stream.
Hololive-related expressions and inside jokes:
Mama, papa: That's "mom" and "dad" in Spanish, in case you didn't know. They aren't talking about their biological fathers but instead the ones who designed their character Live2D avatar and the person who rigged the animations. Vtubers have a really grateful, supportive relation with the artists that made them come to life. Other words are used for this like mamma/mammy/mamman or the japanese equivalents hahaue (母上) / chichiue (父上).
FAQ: A way to pronounce "fuck you" (the q sounds similar). When you are so elite as Sakura Miko, you discover it's a really flexible word to react, greet each other, confess your love, apologize...
10Q: "Thank you."
Yubi Yubi: One catchphrase of many of our doggo Inugami Korone. Korone has a fascination with the criminal underworld customs and vocabulary (In fact, she used to have a section in Asacoco about this very thing). Yubi means finger and in yakuza (Japanese mafia) culture it is the one thing you get chopped off when you commit a grave mistake. In Korone's first stream this started as a joke she found funny. The gag evolved into her being an insecure doggo making a collection that wants to take your fingers as a safe deposit to ensure you stay watching all the stream (which can be really long) before her giving your fingers back. The fate of your fingers is decided in the sketch at the end of most streams which is some sort of improvised and hilarious bizarre short story to see if you get them back. Spoiler: You usually get them back but not in the best state. And then you explode and die for some reason.
Nyahello: The standard greeting of elite shrine maiden Sakura Miko. Also written sometimes as "nyahallo". A reference to the greeting "Yahallo!" from Oregairu (Abbreviation of the name of light novel/manga/anime "Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru", known in English as "My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected") character Yui Yuigahama. This is because Tanaka Yuuichi was both the character designer of Oregairu and Miko herself originally (but not currently).
Peko Peko Peko: A catchphrase of mischievous rabbit Usada Pekora. In anime some characters have some finish particles to their phrases like "-desu" or "-aru" that never happens in real life but for Japanese natives it makes them sound cuter. For Pekora the particle is "-peko". In her lore (please don't take it seriously) this is because she comes from the country of Pekoland. There they speak Pekolandish in which somehow every word is "peko". Pekora uses this expression often to laugh before doing some mischievous plan or to mock them after they lose to her. Sometimes wrote with arrows [PE↗️ KO↘️ PE↗️ KO↘️ PE↗️ KO↘️ PE ↗️ KO↘️] to represent the very characteristic changes of pitch she does while saying it. Once you hear it you will never forget it.
Asacoco: Really early morning show (in JST) hosted by dragon Kiryu Coco in her channel 3 days per week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays). In the show Coco talks about Hololive related news from announcements or milestones to funny moments of the previous days. Asacoco is also the name of some undescribed ficticious drug Coco sells in many forms in ads during the show. It's implicit the very same show somehow is the drug too so when you don't watch it, you feel withdrawal symptoms if you don’t get more doses.
Tee Tee (ていてい/てぇてぇ): It's used to describe pure, cute, heartwarming, affectionate moments between 2 or more vtubers. It’s an internet variation of toutoi (尊い) which means “precious”.
Otsu- (korone, nomaki…): In Japanese a common way to say goodbye/hello in the job or other contexts is お疲れ様 (otsukaresama, a crude translation is "Thanks for your hard work, you must be tired") In Hololive [and other vtubers] many make it cutesy by changing -karesama for their name or some expression to say goodbye to the audience and for the audience to say goodbye to them. There's too many to put here but for example Inugami Korone says "Otsukorone", Tsunomaki Watame says "Otsunomaki", Pekora says "Ostupeko", Tokoyami Towa says "Otsuyappi"... Some other do use completely different expressions, check out Hololive fan wikis for that.
Gaming onion: The head of Minato Aqua's first Live2D model looks like a purple onion. Aqua is also a really good hard-working gamer. Both together are a affectionate way to poke fun at her. Recently, she complained after watching a clip of Hololive EN Amelia Watson mentioning her as a "certain vegetable senpai"; which could lead in the future to the nickname "yasai senpai" as yasai means vegetable in japanese and it has some rhythm to it.
Crazy comedian rabbit: A way for overseas fans to refer jokingly to Usada Pekora because of her comedy hijinks and blessed comedic timing. Also how they reply when Pekora says she's an idol. Hey, she can still be your favorite crazy comedian rabbit idol!
Akipella: A portmanteau of Aki + a capella due to the habit of accidentally muting the BGM of Aki Rosenthal during her singing streams. Her fans are pretty creative about adding Aki- to some other words.
HAACHAMA CHAMA~!: Catchy greeting of Haachama (aka Akai Haato). Haachama used to be like some alter personality of Haato which is crazier and almost supernatural but recently Akai Haato is dead because Haachama killed her (at least that’s what she says). In her videos she uses this greeting very very often, sometimes in the middle of songs she sings in some sort of deranged brainwashing chant way to get her viewers insane and to subscribe to her. In my personal experience, it works.
Kitsuneko (キツネコ). In Japanese "kitsune" is "fox" and neko is "cat". This portmanteau means "foxcat". Our friend and wholesome meme queen Shirakami Fubuki is based on an original mythological arctic fox. Her name in fact can be read as "White god Blizzard" (foxes are a common trope in JP mythology). The thing is that the audience doesn't always agree, they think she's cat. She plays into it by saying so many times that "she isn't a cat but a fox" or doing random cat noises. So her public thinks now maybe she has been a kitsuneko all along.
TMT: Acronym for “Towa Maji Tenshi” which means “Towa is really an Angel”. Tokoyami Towa tries really hard to show she’s a true evil demon but her continuous acts of kindness and inability to do evil things make her fans think otherwise. This acronym usually gets spammed whenever Towa appears or get mentioned on a stream.
PPTenshi: Hololive resident angel Amane Kanata did her debut livestream using Powerpoint (PPT). “Tenshi” means “angel”. Over time the meaning became a backcronym because there are many words that could fit like “Perfect Pitch”,”Poor Precious”, “Pure Power”…
Watamelon: Fluffy sheep Tsunomaki Watame + watermelon = Watamelon. She was made aware of this pun and she started wearing a watermelon helmet for a few streams and even released a (silly) mini song about having a “watamelon head”. Other related puns: “Watamelody”, “sheep-posting”, ”membersheep”.
Haato Basic: Overseas nickname for Akai Haato (Haachama) due to her cooking streams and videos being comparably as cursed as comedy youtuber HowToBasic.
Piki Piki Piiman: Cutey expression for someone who is being pissed off/salty/frustrated at some task, like at a videogame. Piiman means “green pepper”. That’s why Korone has a pepper in her coffee during her streams.
スーパーチャットタイム : In romanji it's "suppa chatto time". The other show Kiryu Coco does is a weekly meme review of this very subreddit with Hololive guests, which is a fun way of bridging the language gap between both communities and to make the Hololivers bond a bit more with their overseas fanbases since Japan has a totally different meme culture and you never know how they would react (althrough you end up discovering meme humor is universal). Anyways, in the show Coco translates the memes to Japanese and doesn't like when someone adds a shitty google-translate Japanese translation or random japanglish but the guests usually love this kind of awkward dorky japanese. One of the shitty japanese that stuck was this one and is used as some sort of call by viewers to send waves of donations.
量子チキンスープグラ ス ビッグチュングス: It doesn't mean anything. Really. It's an intentionally meaningless expression only made with the purpose of pissing off Coco after she scold the overseas community over shitty Japanese translations.
Shuba Shuba Shuba: Quirky catchphrase of Oozora Subaru when she’s excited, it somehow sounds like a duck. Subaru originally doesn’t have anything to do with ducks but the meme caught up when she did an unintentional Donald Duck imitation in an ASMR stream (really) and from there she likes to use duck drawings in her streams. She has acknowledged that she took inspiration of “Peko Peko Peko” when looking for a catchphrase.
Ahoy~! : Greeting of pirate captain [cosplayer] Houshou Marine and by extension chat spam whenever something related to pirates appear in a stream.
Kensetsu (建設): “Construction” as in “Construction company”. This is a normal word but I didn’t know where to put it lol. In Hololive’s Minecraft server they love their big building/art/automation projects, with their main builders having their own made-up construction company and “employees” sometimes helping out. The ones building the most for now are Aqua, Pekora, Haachama and Subaru.
AKUKIN: Alter ego of Minato Aqua which is an affectionate parody of really popular Japanese Youtuber HikakinTV and comes with the meme sunglasses. Currently the CEO of AKUKIN Kensetsu.
[]-chou (-長) [Kaichou, Senchou, Danchou....]: The relevant meaning of the root kanji chou 長 for this definition is "chief/head/leader" and is used to mark many profession are the boss of others. In Hololive, this trend caught like wildfire and now many members use this as some sort of nickname.
---- For example: Houshou Marine is the Senchou (船長) or "Ship Captain", Shirogane Noel is the Danchou (団長) or ----"[Military] Party Leader", Kiryu Coco is the Kaichou (会長) or "Chairman of a Company/association [in this instance ----it's implied the association is a criminal one]", Takanashi Kiara is the Tenchou (店長) or "Store Manager" [of her ----made-up business KFP], some others claim to be the Sachou (社長) or "CEO/President of a company"...
I started 2020 with my fourth 12in12 list in as many years, and my goal was to experience the best from my backlog, curating my list to only include GotY-level games. And it has worked, as I had a stellar gaming year (the only good thing about Covid-19 being the additional gaming time). I had my best completion rate ever, with 17 games completed out of 20 (it also helped that I ditched the month/genre requirements), and 97 games completed overall. Funnily, only 4 games from my original "GotY list" ended up in my top ten, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, and strap in for a very long post.
Stats
123 games played (up from 70 last year)
1389 hours played (26.7 hours per week) which seems insane to me, a statistic best kept from my employer in these times of working from home (up from 900 hours, a 50% increase!).
97 games finished (8 of which were DLC, 2 replays, up from 55)
15 games abandoned, my most ever, 10 at the hour mark, and only 2 I had specifically bought
11 unfinished games I'm still hoping to go back to at some point
Not counting games added to the backlog anymore
288€ spent for games (up from 244€)
Here is the spreadsheet if you're interested, with some graphs.
Trends of the year
Ever-expanding backlog This year, the backlog was again assaulted from all sides (on PC): Epic gave away games like candy, itchio made the biggest bundle ever, and Game Pass solidified itself as the best subscription service around, with critically-acclaimed and recent titles added on a regular basis. I was able to take advantage of all these titles thanks to my new laptop. Plugging it into the TV made it easier for me to properly get into the games, making PC titles a greater part than ever of my playtime. Crucially, this also allowed to have a shot at games I would not have taken a risk on otherwise, shorter (Observation, A Mortician's Tale), weirder (Yoku's Island Express, Hidden Folks), flawed or just plain games (Sunset Overdrive, Steamworld Dig 2). This provided a vital breather in between more ambitious and long-winded games (Yakuza 0, The Last of Us Part II). Those AAA were generally of a very high quality, but it was still disappointing to see the same design trends pop up everywhere: loot, RPG mechanics, collectibles, and generally way too long running times, all these factors diluting the experience of their respective games, even in series that didn't have those before (God of War, Assassin's Creed Origins). Platform usage Most of these AAA were played on PS4, but the Switch has also found its place. I didn't play it much last year, and I was afraid it would go the way of the Vita (i.e. rarely played outside of holidays), but I've been playing it a lot inside the house, most notably when my wife is watching TV. It's been helped in no small part by the instant suspend/resume feature and by Slay the Spire, the infinitely replayable turn-based deckbuilder, enjoyable for any length of time, without audio or even one handed with the touchscreen. All this contributed to make other platforms irrelevant: I didn't play any PS3, PSVita or Android games this year. Variety of games I'm very happy with my progress this year (no shit). I finally experienced revered classics, old and new (Half Life, Dark Souls, Breath of the Wild, Into the Breach, Celeste), completed some of my longstanding backlog titles (Undertale, The Witcher 2, Left 4 Dead), kept up to date with some of the latest releases (The Last of Us Part II, Paradise Killer), and found the time for some lovable indies (A Short Hike, Ape Out, Night in the Woods). I kept coming back to a couple of games during the second part of the year (Slay the Spire and Rocket League), but for the first time, I did not feel like it was a bad thing: I had a good time, and it didn't prevent me from experiencing new games either. Purchasing habits I noticed I paid very little for all the games I played this year (less than 3€ per game): in fact the only purchases I made were a couple of highly anticipated releases for PS4 (The Last of Us Part II, Spelunky 2), games I intended to play coop with my wife (A Way Out, Overcooked 2), additions to my Switch library to prepare for holidays (Mario & Rabbids, Ashen) or extensions/sequels of games I already knew (Control DLC, Yakuza 6). Everything else came from my backlog and the aforementioned trifecta of Game Pass (a whopping 24 completed games, 6 abandoned ones), itchio bundle (12 completed, 2 abandoned), and Epic giveaways (3 completed, 1 abandoned). In fact, I'm now very reluctant to buy any new game, except my most anticipated games, games I intend to play on the Switch, or if they're exclusive to console. Thanks Game Pass. Youtube on the rise Even with all the time dedicated to playing, I have also found the time to watch a lot of gaming-related Youtube this year. I was already watching reviews and game design videos (IGN, GMTK, Errant Signal, Super Bunnyhop, No Clip, or even Girlfriend Reviews), and I have kept watching those. My favorite channel for this type of analytical content was Noah Caldwell Gervais', whose long form analyses of Red Dead Redemption 2, The Last of Us Part II and Kentucky Route Zero were unrivalled in my opinion. But this year, I've started watching people play as well, often content originating from Twitch, which meant less focus on carefully edited and scripted high-value content, and more emphasis on the streamer. I used to think this was drivel, that all streamers were vapid, overreacting for clicks, but I was able to find streamers whose high-level play brought tremendous value in and of themselves: either their skill were awe-inspiring and entertaining in their own rights (like Rocket League eSports players), or they helped me improve at the games they were playing (Jorbs explaining his deckbuilding decisions during Slay the Spire runs). I'm not planning on watching these live, but I'm happy I got to discover a new side to my hobby that I can watch on my own time.
Top 10
10. Kentucky Route Zero Weird and poetic, beautiful and sad and powerfully moving, sometimes inscrutable or confusing, this literary adventure following a cast of misfits and down on their luck outcasts in a decaying America had bold touches, especially in the writing and the DLC interludes, and I loved the art direction and the soundtrack. I don't claim to have understood it all, but after a rocky start, I was left impressed, like I had experienced a title thoroughly singular and remarkable. 9. Night in the Woods I loved the characters in this one, and the moments they share. They're the heart of the game, as gameplay wise, there's not much, but the writing is very sharp, funny and relevant, dealing with young adulthood and socio-economic concerns, which sounds preachy but cuts deeper than most other games. The protagonist is a bit insufferable at times, but the coming of age arc she goes through feels real and earned, and you get to experience beautiful moments with her friends and family, like band practice, crazy hijinks and honest heart to heart. 8. Eliza Another narrative game, and this one also strongly resonated with me. The main character, an engineer at a bit of a crossroad in her life, felt very relatable to me. The game tries to discuss how technology can be leveraged to contribute to therapy, and the ethics side of it, and I thought the subject matter was handled very well, mostly avoiding sci-fi tropes. The therapy sessions featured complex characters brought to life with great performances, with thought provoking subjects being brought to light, and even though there was minimal input from the player, I was involved and cared deeply from start to finish. 7. Metro 2033/Last Light/Exodus I played the whole trilogy in a month, and it left a big impression on me. The first remarkable thing was the world building, a unique take on the post-apocalyptic genre, set in the Moscow Metro, where people survive in settlements in each station, factions emerge, and the irradiated surface is crawling with mutated monsters. The sequel brought a better stealth and a better pacing, and the latest one blew the formula open, mixing Far Cry and Fallout, letting you roam in mini open worlds, scavenging ammo, influencing the plot by your actions, surviving tense fights, in every location your train stopped at. It also focused on the community you built aboard that train, and even though the writing wasn't great, the sense of belonging was real, and perfectly capped off a gripping saga. 6. Assassin's Creed Origins What made the game so good for me was the Egyptian setting. It was a delight to walk this land, I was constantly impressed by the architecture of the monuments, the cities, and the evolution of the series to mimic The Witcher 3 allowed the setting to be brought to life even more by the numerous quests. The writing wasn't always satisfying, but it all contributed to paint a rich tapestry of a fascinating civilization. I have a high tolerance for Ubisoft open worlds, and I love stealth games in general, so it wasn't a hard sell to look past the few issues (RPG systems and loot), especially with the most charismatic leads in the series. 5. A Short Hike A charming and masterly crafted experience, that felt like the best distillation of Nintendo principles: rewarding unguided exploration and play, with surprises around every corner, easy to grasp climbing mechanics, satisfying flight, quests that you stumble into on your own and provide natural incentive to keep going forward, all this with cute writing and presentation. It was the complete package in under two hours of playtime. 4. Ape Out An even more stylish and primal Hotline Miami, starring a gorilla on a rampage through semi-randomized levels to the sound of jazz drums. It's not the most elaborate of games, but it is just so satisfying to splash enemies on the walls, to advance blindly in the levels following only your gut to a cool and perfectly synced soundtrack. Each level has a new twist, the challenge is perfectly tuned, and the whole game ends at just the right time. 3. Lonely Mountains: Downhill I love the fantasy of riding bikes in deserted mountain tracks, making spectacular jumps or simply riding peacefully, and this game allowed it all. The game lets you enjoy the simple but deep gameplay, only setting achievable goals and providing ample ways to achieve them, with tracks that beg for experimentation. I'm not one for high score but I loved challenging myself in this game. Even if my scores weren't anything special in the end, I felt like I achieved extraordinary things all on my own. 2. The Last of Us Part II The most impressive of AAA titles, with unparalleled technical prowess, arresting performances and narrative ambition to match, rich and tense combat encounters. I may not have loved what they put the characters through, or found issues with the pacing, but it's hard to argue it didn't make its mark. If only we could have some news from the multiplayer, it'd be perfect. 1. Slay the Spire This roguelike deckbuilder grew on me like no other. When I reviewed it after 10 hours and my first win, I thought it was too hard and random and frustrating, and now I can consistently win any run on the standard difficulty with all characters. The depth here is really impressive, there are a number of viable decks, scores of relics, which make every run a bit different. Each beginning is tense, as you try to shape your deck with what you get along the way, and it often culminates in ludicrous synergies at the end of runs, which are so satisfying. I've played this game for about 250 hours now, and I've yet to beat the most difficult modes. It's been my go-to game for half of the year, single-handedly justifying my Switch purchase. It's easy to play, hard to master, pick up and play in the extreme thanks to the turn based system and the Switch suspend/resume, runs are always challenging but not overly long (about an hour). I've even bought the game again on PC to try some mods. I've watched hours of Youtube videos to improve my game, and it's been on my mind the better part of the year, so it's no surprise this tops my list.
Awards
And for some complimentary awards, to hopefully highlight the full range of worthwhile titles I experienced this year, beyond the top 10. Best setting
Assassin's Creed Origins - marvellous ancient civilization brought to life, rightly enhanced by the discovery tour DLC
Yakuza 6 - pinnacle of virtual tourism and a fond call back to my holidays in Japan
Paradise Killer - compelling and idiosyncratic universe
Metro Series - distinctly Russian spin on a post-apocalyptic world, with a human touch and a wonderful evolving base on a train
Observation - feels like a real-life space station
Dark Souls - Memorable locations, woven onto one another to create a haunting and inscrutable world
Best combat
DOOM - unrelenting ballet where every weapon has its use
The Last of Us Part II - tensest cat & mouse
Control - Telekinesis power is exhilarating
Ape Out - raw and primal
Left 4 Dead - frantic fights with unrelenting masses and now archetypal zombies
God of War - The Leviathan Axe is versatile and awesome
Celeste - great challenge against the treacherous but fair levels
Into the Breach - cold tactics
Best cute & chill indie game (appears to be my genre of predilection)
A Short Hike - the apotheosis of the genre
Carto - Clever and cute puzzler
Yoku's Island Express - a mind-blowing fusion of pinball and metroidvania
Wide Ocean Big Jacket - heartfelt camping trip
Wandersong - Deceptively wholesome music platformer
Hidden Folks - An hilarious Where's Waldo
The Touryst - Minimalist adventure
Battle Chef Brigade - Anime Top Chef
Knights and Bikes - raucous adventure with two bicycle-riding little girls
Donut County - Adorable anti-Katamari Damacy
Mutazione - a chill soap opera with mutants and zen gardening
Funniest game
West of Loathing - hilariously ludicrous western/horror RPG mashup
Yakuza 0 - craziest sidequests in the series, to say nothing of the dance minigame
Kentucky Route Zero: Here and there Along the Echo interlude - The weirdest hotline ever (notably teaching you the language of bats)
Towerfall - hysterical multiplayer mayhem
Hidden Folks - pleasingly silly and intricate
Best guilty pleasure
Sunset Overdrive - exquisite traversal and spectacular weapons
Watch Dogs 2 - addicting drone simulator
A Way Out - polished coop Heavy Rain
Best music (here is a playlist with my favorite tracks)
Paradise Killer
A Plague Tale Innocence
Wandersong
Night in the Woods
The Last of Us Part II
Most disappointing
Baba is You - obtuse puzzles even when looking up solutions
Vampyr - insufferable writing
Wolfenstein II - frustrating difficulty
Halo - uninspired sci-fi in empty reused levels
Assassin's Creed Unity - a waste of an historic setting, a mess of a game
Worst
Paratopic - worthless and pretentious, padded
And to end on a high note: Favorite characters (in no particular order)
Ellie & Abby & Dina & Lev from The Last of Us Part II
Evelyn from Eliza
Mord from Wide Ocean Big Jacket
Bayek & Aya from Assassin's Creed Origins
Mae & Bea from Night in the Woods
Marcus from Watch Dogs 2
Goro Majima from Yakuza 0
Tyler Ronan from Tell Me Why
Congratulations if you made it this far, I'd love to read your comments, I wish you the best for the New Year and I'll see you for my 2021 list soon
A Cinematic Guide to The Weeknd: Pt 3. My Dear Melancholy and After Hours
My Dear Melancholy
Gaspar Noe/Cannes Film Festival The My Dear Melancholy era notable for being a time when The Weeknd was in proximity to a lot of serious directors. While he’s had a foot in Hollywood for awhile, 2017 through 2019 he was actively engaging with filmmakers like the Safdies Brothers, Gaspar Noe, and Claire Denis, amongst others. While he had been actively courting the Safdies since Good Time was released, he attended the 2018 Cannes Film Festival where he crossed paths Noe, whose film Climax took home a number awards at Cannes. Noe’s Enter the Void had previously served as an inspiration for Kiss Land, and for MDM (and later After Hours) seem to call back to Noe’s other films, like Irreversible and Love, which are both twisted depictions of heartbreak. On the other hand, Climax is about a French dance troupe who accidentally take LSD, and according to Noe is not a “message” movie. It is an audacious psychedelic technical exercise, with numerous long takes and highly choreographed set pieces. The idea for Noe, who had previously captured the feeling of drugs in previous films, was to do the opposite, and present the objectively reality of drugs, watching people high from a sober perspective. Noe is a rather strong advocate of film, and the opening scene of Climax features VHS boxes of a number of films that have influenced his filmmaking. Two of note are Schizophrenia, otherwise known as Angst, one of Noe’s favorite films which The Weeknd name checked to the Safdies, and Possession, which would go on to be an influence on After Hours (more on this later). He is also said to have sat next to Benicio Del Toro at Cannes, which means he likely caught some of the Un Certain Regard section, where Del Toro served as a jury member. Outside of that section, there were a few other films of interest such as The House That Jack Built from Lars Von Trier (The Weeknd has previously expressed affection for Von Trier’s Antichrist), Mandy from Pastos Costamos, and music video director Romain Gavras’s The World Is Yours, as well as a restoration of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which Noe has referred to as the film that got him into filmmaking. https://preview.redd.it/qga7a3l8ct261.png?width=910&format=png&auto=webp&s=371cf20d42ee8783cc23bfe7f2cfa16a0a927a0e Asian Cinema Later in 2018, The Weeknd continued his globetrotting with a tour of Asia. He once claimed in an interview that whenever visiting a foreign country he only watches films from there. I’ve previously written about the influence of Asian cinema on Kiss Land, and there’s not enough work from the MDM era to glean anything cinematically adjacent to this, but now would be a good time to mention that the "Call Out My Name" video was heavily inspired by the work of famed Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto. The Asian tour poster seems to be a reference to Ichi the Killer, which leads us to Takashi Miike. Though he is notoriously prolific across a number of genres, his most popular works internationally are genre melding blends of horror, comedy and crime, most notably Audition, Ichi the Killer and Gozu. Another film worth mentioning is Perfect Blue, Satoshi Kon’s masterwork about a pop star’s mysterious stalker that The Weeknd posted about on Instagram before. Bloody and haunting, the film was a major influence on Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream. In Interviews he has also mentioned a number of Korean films, such as The Wailing, I Saw the Devil and Oldboy. While Wong Kar Wai was previously mentioned as an influence on Beauty Behind the Madness, also worth mentioning is the work of John Woo, specifically A Better Tomorrow, well known for the shot of smoking a cigar off money, and Infernal Affairs, Andrew Lau’s crime classic which served has the basis for Scorsese’s The Departed. https://preview.redd.it/fx7o9s2bct261.png?width=642&format=png&auto=webp&s=0fec2f841e9d3b09104238d0f89595daa6140faa https://preview.redd.it/n4x7fiy9ct261.png?width=1316&format=png&auto=webp&s=8a9650263272518216fc5f36913e80a10d2b0a8e
After Hours
Martin Scorsese While After Hours more so than any other Weeknd album is bursting at the seams with cinematic references, the influence of Martin Scorsese stands above all. Similar to The Weeknd’s body of work, many Scorsese’s are explorations of violence and masculinity, investigating them from a perspective that depending on who you ask (and how they’re feeling) glamorizes, condemns or just simply presents the reality of characters on the fringes of society. While there are direct references to a number of prominent Scorsese films, what’s interesting is that his influence also reverberates in other films/filmmakers that influence After Hours. Todd Phillips’s Joker is in effect an homage to Scorsese’s loner-centric New York films, and the Safdie Brothers have been putting their own millennial spin on the type of 70s gritty thriller that Scorsese trafficked in (Scorsese was also a producer on Uncut Gems). Specific Scorsese works will be discussed more in depth in the requisite sections, but it is worth mentioning upfront what a prominent role that Scorsese plays in the nucleus of After Hours. https://preview.redd.it/wcds9qpdct261.png?width=1196&format=png&auto=webp&s=246c560c72340782e26ad03b8ff63367999eaadd Urban HorroIsolation With After Hours, The Weeknd departs from the slicker sounds and influences that permeated Starboy and returns to the cinematic grittiness of Beauty Behind the Madness. While urban horror is a theme that permeates throughout The Weeknd as a project overall, there is a thorough line to be drawn here that follows a number of 70s and 80s cinematic and aesthetic references. For one thing, while the initial bandaged nose was a reference to Chinatown (previously, The Weeknd has a Kiss Land demo titled "Roman Polanski"), the full bandaged face that is so prominently featured throughout the After Hours era is a classic cinematic visual trope that was especially prominent throughout 60s and 80s, though it saw a slight re-emergence in the 2010s. The fully bandaged face is often used to remake someone in the image of another, usually against their will (The Skin I Live In, Eyes Without Face), or as a case of mistaken identity and doppelgängers (Good Night Mommy, Scalpel), themes present throughout much of After Hours. The "Too Late" video acknowledges these references, but instead presents the bandages on two Los Angeles models recovering from plastic surgery, in a nod to a famous Steven Meisel’s photoshoot for Vogue Italia. https://preview.redd.it/dtbxjc3ict261.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=66a98cc3cba73d502f8586a215a65cc41c5408a1 The “masks” people wear is another horror trope that is featured prominently on After Hours, and this is best seen in the red suit character. One important reference in the film is to Brian De Palma’s Dressed To Kill, where a serial killer is targeting the patients of a psychiatrist (any more on this film will veer towards spoiler territory). The Weeknd is on the record as saying Jim Carrey’s The Mask as being a large influence on the Red Suit character, it being one of the first film’s he watched in theaters. One of the more complex references would be to Joker. While it sort of an in-joke that the character of the Joker is commonly overanalyzed and misinterpreted, referencing Todd Phillips’s Joker is more nuanced because it is in essence a full on homage to Martin Scorsese’s New York films, most notably Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, which focus on eccentric loners, and can both be seen as cautionary tale of urban isolation, a theme explored perhaps in songs like "Faith." The King of Comedy revolves around a would be obsessive stand up Rupert Pupkin haggling his way to perform on late night TV, with The Weeknd’s talk show appearances being a prominent part of the early After Hours marketing, most notably in the “short film”. This idea of isolated and compressed urbanites recurs throughout After Hours and it’s films. https://preview.redd.it/egap17ttdt261.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=1aab204ac0845a7df74ceeff6d1f714274f9ace0 The idea of urban repression is in the subway scene of the After Hours short film. The entire film itself is something of a reference to the subway scene to Possession (another Gaspar Noe favorite), mimicking the (also subway set) scene in which Isabelle Adjani’s Anna convulses on the subway due to a miscarriage, as well as Jacob’s Ladder, a 90s cult classic horror film starring Tim Robbins as a Vietnam vet (like Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle) who is experiencing demonic hallucinations, encountering them in the subway and later at a party he attends, splitting the scene into two. https://preview.redd.it/g53copgmct261.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=9d29e368ae695d295b36039e86125ccfd7b4eb88 Las Vegas As always, The Weeknd once again grounds After Hours with a strong sense of place, this time setting the album against a nocturnal odyssey through Las Vegas. One of the most prominent films is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Terry Gilliam’s adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s book. This is directly referenced in the "Heartless" video, which sees The Weeknd and Metro Boomin in the Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro roles as they tumble through a Las Vegas casino. The Weeknd has gone on the record to state that the famous red suit character was influenced by Sammy Davis Jr.’s character in the film Poor Devil. However, similar red suit has also been sported by a number of Vegas characters, most notably Richard Pryor and Robert De Niro’s Sam Rothstein in Martin Scorsese’s Casino. With the red suit, The Weeknd seems to be playing with the idea of a devil-ish other, another side of his personality that emerges in Las Vegas. https://preview.redd.it/gjow6hq2dt261.png?width=1992&format=png&auto=webp&s=10a379bc26df54af88064bf64813d5cdd29775d9 While the city lights are the oft discussed part of part of Las Vegas, it should be noted that similar to Beauty Behind the Madness, the desert that surrounds Las Vegas is just as important to the juxtaposition of its beauty. The "Until I Bleed Out" video ends/"Snowchild" video in the desert, similar to the confrontation between Robert De Niro’s and Joe Pesci’s showdown in the desert in Casino, as well as Joe Pesci's death in Goodfellas. The idea of a hedonistic desert playground also bears semblance to Westworld, both the film and the TV show. The desert seems to represent some sort of freedom to The Weeknd, as the "Snowchild" video portrays the desert as a pensive location for reflection, as well as the "In Your Eyes" video showing the girl prominently dancing with the dismembered head out in the open, in reference to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, another prominent desert film. https://preview.redd.it/98ec10wxct261.png?width=1168&format=png&auto=webp&s=45e29aa361fa41ff74e2a6017e203015bdcbc6c3 New York/The Safdies Despite it’s Las Vegas setting, After Hours also takes a good amount from films set in New York, most notably Martin Scorsese’s 1983 film After Hours. Besides the title, After Hours is similarly about a twisting and turning nighttime odyssey. The film stars Griffin Dunne as Paul, a working class stiff who heads downtown to rendezvous with a woman he met at a diner earlier that night. Of course, things don’t turn out the way they should, chaos ensues, and Paul is set on a dangerous trek back uptown. Like the film, the album After Hours is set off by a woman (though the album takes more stock in romantic endeavors), seems to be set over a single night (or at least a condensed period of time), and involves similar chaos and misadventures (sirens at night at the end of Faith). Tonally, After Hours the film is more comedic perhaps than After Hours the album, however The Weeknd is on the record as having said that "Heartless" and "Blinding Lights" placement on the album is intended to be somewhat comedic, reflecting exaggerated machismo and ecstasy, respectively (to comedic effect). https://preview.redd.it/f3w7yz4pdt261.png?width=1346&format=png&auto=webp&s=fe7e4f003987fd843020a42a5b53f94092984267 Another of the most prominent filmmakers of After Hours are the Safdies, who featured The Weeknd in Uncut Gems. They also served as a link to Oneohtrix Point Never, who scored their last two films and later worked After Hours. I believe there are three major film tropes (not genres) that inspired After Hours, all of which the Safdies’s have engaged with. There is the one-long-night films, in which a character spends one-long-night on the run from whatever chaos and forces may be that they left in their path. This can be seen in the Good Time, as well as After Hours (the movie). Then, there is the descent-into-madness type, where a character slowly loses grip with reality and ends up in over their head (something like Scarface or Breaking Bad, but for our purposes Jacob’s Ladder can be categorized here as well), which the Safdies did with Uncut Gems. Lastly, but maybe most importantly, the Safdies also explored toxic romance (more on this later) in their less seen film Heaven Knows What, about two heroin addicts and the destructiveness their love brings out in each other, an idea that recurs throughout After Hours on songs like "Until I Bleed Out" and "Nothing Compares." A recurring song throughout Heaven Knows What is Isao Tomita’s synth version of Debussy’s "Claire De Lune", which is featured in some episodes of Memento Mori and bears some resemblance to the start of "Alone Again". https://preview.redd.it/em255b5qdt261.png?width=1344&format=png&auto=webp&s=a5226c9496d0ae5c14b6d6c05e16f5ea18678a9a Obsession/Toxic Romance While love and lust and the ups and downs with it have been a formative part of The Weeknd’s ideology and themes, I don’t think it would be remiss to say that After Hours is perhaps his most outwardly romantic album. Despite this, one of the major arcs of the album is toxicity that comes with it, which a number of already mentioned films deal with. While "In Your Eyes" is one of the more romantic and accessible songs on the album, a re-assessment of it Ala Sting’s “Every Breathe You Take” could frame it as lonely obsessing, such as Travis Bickle’s infatuation with Jodie Foster’s teenage prostitute Iris, Joker's fixation on Murray Franklin, Rupert Pupkin’s obsession with Jerry Langford. Casino also deals with toxic romance, another prominent theme in After Hours, best seen in the love triangle that forms between Sam, his partner Nicky and his wife Ginger, played by Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone respectively. https://preview.redd.it/eq1ioijvdt261.png?width=898&format=png&auto=webp&s=f9e4b781ee60762ae767c4dbd92066357ebc24b0 In almost all of the After Hours’s video content, The Weeknd seems to constantly meet his demise at the hands of women. Another interesting reference that may be something of a reach is to Phantom Thread, Paul Thomas Anderson’s film about Reynolds Woodcock, a couture dressmaker loosely based on Cristobal Balenciaga and his muse Alma, played by Daniel Day Lewis and Vicky Krieps, respectively. The film delves into their dysfunctional relationship, with Woodcock berating her and Alma poisoning his tea to keep him dependent on her. One of the highpoint of the film is a New Years Eve Party that bears strong resemblance to the "Until I Bleed Out" video. While the balloons may just be a callback to his earlier work, there is something about the color grading/temperature and the production design of the "Until I Bleed Out" video (as well as parts of the "Blinding Lights" video) that made me immediately think of Phantom Thread. A similar relationship is seen in the German horror film Der Fan, which The Weeknd has mentioned in a recent interview. In Der Fan, a young girl Simone spends her days obsessing over popstar R, until she finally encounters him outside his studio. The film is similar to the aforementioned Takashi Miike’s Audition in its exploration of obsession and idealization. In the film, an older man puts up a fake casting call to search for the perfect girlfriend. While Audition explores these themes from an Eastern perspective of societal pressure, Der Fan explores it through a Western lens of pop idolization and idealization. Both films deal with the idea that despite outward appearances, the perfect partner does not exist, and anyone that claims to be (or has the expectations put on them) is not who they seem. https://preview.redd.it/3m661q62et261.png?width=1342&format=png&auto=webp&s=c9377018cb53f67cf7ce95b24392afb471e4aec1 One film he has spoken at length about is Trouble Everyday, Claire Denis’s arthouse vampire movie. The film stars Vincent Gallo as Shane, a scientist who travels to Paris under the guise of his honeymoon to track down core, a woman who he was once obsessed with who has now become a vampire. Core is locked up in a basement but sometimes sneaks out to seduce and consume unwilling victims. This seems to be where some of the bloody face stuff comes from, but I believe it’s influence is a little more conceptual. To me, a good companion film to Trouble Everyday is American Psycho, which seems to also have been a thematic influence on After Hours. Both films concern idealized version of masculinity and femininity, both very sexual and physical, but hostile as well. American Psycho ends with Patrick Bateman confessing to the killing of a prostitute, but no one believe him. Trouble Everyday ends with Shane killing Core, but Shane is unable to arouse himself after that except through violence. Koji Wakamatsu, a former Yakuza turned prominent extreme Japanese filmmaker (and a major influence on Gaspar Noe) is quoted as saying “For me, violence, the body and sex are an integral part of life.” Despite being hollow, idealized impressions of the self, a vampire and as a banker (cold, seductive bloodsuckers = monsters), Patrick Bateman and Core represent the Frankenstein-ian relationship between sexuality and violence, which I believe is the main theme of After Hours. Truly, we hurt the ones we love. https://preview.redd.it/zfllbd83et261.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=9c048ee98d86d7bbb9db67fa8302d34c36214c4f
Postscript
To cap things off, I would just like to illuminate some key takeaways. As a filmmaker myself, this has been an extremely helpful exercise in understanding other artists process and ideas. Steeped in the history of the medium… It’s clear that The Weeknd is not your typical “I’m influenced by cinema” artist but an extremely legit film buff with serious credentials. The Weeknd’s film taste leans towards 70s-00s genre works, mostly horror, drama and thriller, and is well versed in the classics but also has the nose to sniff out deeper cuts and obscurities. The mantra of “good artists borrow, great artists steal” works even better if not many people know where you’re stealing from! What is impressive to me is that he is not just versed in “mainstream” obscurities, but also serious deep cuts. Films like Possession and Phantom of the Paradise may not stick out to the average person on the street but are well known in most film circles. Films like Inland Empire and New Rose Hotel (Der Fan was especially impressive to me, it is one of my favorite films) however are not as well known and it is very impressive to me that he can come across films like that, and really get enough out of it to bring into his own work. …is able to interpolate contemporary/mainstream films… This perhaps is one of the most impressive aspects of his integration of film into The Weeknd’s work. It is very easy for film buffs to get lost within their own obscure taste, living in a world where everyone is an idiot for not knowing who Shinya Tsukamoto. Trilogy and Kiss Land had a lot of contemporary obscurities, like Stalker, David Lynch etc., well known but they still existed as artifacts, not of the time we live in. However, perhaps picking something from his work on Fifty Shades of Grey, of late he has kept his finger on the zeitgeist and anticipated/integrated what the filmmakers of today are doing, such as his work on Black Panther and Game of Thrones, general appreciation of Tarantino, the works of Nicolas Winding Refn in Starboy, and his use of the Joker and Uncut Gems on After Hours, both of which came out just a few months before the album. It feels Jackson-esque, and I believe this is one thing that will help him further in his quest for pop stardom. …while also being fully in tune to the works of modern transgressive auteurs… In addition to keeping up with the mainstream is in touch with, The Weeknd also makes it a point to seek out and learn from the cutting edge filmmakers of today. While the Safdies were always going to blow up, I don’t doubt that a Weeknd co-sign accelerated their rise. Gaspar Noe is one thing, Enter the Void and Irreversible exist as masterpieces of the mainstream obscurities I’ve been mentioning, but he really truly tries to understand the heart of Noe’s work, even going so far back as to understand Noe’s influences (I sincerely hope he is tuned in to the work of Koji Wakamatsu). But most of all, to be a fan of Claire Denis is one thing, but to seek her out and make her an offer that she ACCEPTED is absolutely astounding to me. Just spitballing but it would be like if Michael Jackson shot a music video with Rainer Werner Fassbinder (who I’d bet good money that The Weeknd was put on to by Noe). We can only PRAY that one day we will be blessed with a David Lynch Weeknd video. --------------------------- …and that just about does it. Hope you enjoyed this and thanks for being patient with me. I got quite busy after the first two and had my own projects/work going that kept me occupied. As we’re still technically in the After Hours era, I also wanted to wait until a few more videos and interviews came out to aid me in my research. I also wanted to find enough time to make the Letterboxd for this. I personally don’t love Letterboxd culture, I find the popular culture surrounding the site a bit snobbish and exclusive, but I’ve gotten a number of requests for one and you gotta give the people what they want. Throughout the list are a few films that he hasn’t mentioned but are some of my personal favorites and I believe Weeknd fans will like, I encourage you to accidentally stumble upon things on it. Don't overthink, just pick something and watch! If you’d like to follow me further, you can find me on Instagram here, where I post about film reviews Letterboxd style. I prefer Instagram so that more average people see it instead of an echo chamber of film snobs. I am also a filmmaker myself, I just recently wrapped this short film and am currently in the process of putting together my next project. The main reason I did this however, besides a general appreciation of The Weeknd’s work, was to put more people on to the beautiful art form that is cinema. One thing I learned from Scorsese is that one must be an advocate and truly champion your medium. I hope that this encourages to check out more interesting movies than they wouldn’t normally come across, and I hope this will inspire more people to create more as well, whether it be to write, make films, music, anything. If even one person picks up a pencil, a camera or a keyboard because of these posts, I will be satisfied. Thanks all!
I am a little disappointed in myself. I am sitting at home browsing through MAL and I stumbled across a diamond in the rough: Hinamatsuri. To think the year is 2020 and being stuck at home could yield such a bountiful treasure. This anime is undiscussed on this subreddit to the effect that there isn’t even a WT! for it 2 years after it aired. With that being said, this show is somewhat popular and highly rated polling at number 328 in popularity and a solid MAL score of 8.27. This anime comes highly recommended by me and the many people that have watched it in the past. Hinamatsuri originally aired in spring 2018 by studio feel., famous for works such as the squeals to SNAFU(My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU) and their much more ecchi work such as Kiss X Sis, Mayo Chiki!, and Yosugo no Sora( arguably the most controversial anime out there besides Interspecies Reviewers). Hinamatsuri is not an ecchi anime but an unconventional combination of slice of life, science-fiction, and comedy. The targeted demographic is seinen so there is a level of maturity involved with the show that really enhances it for older audiences. The source material in a manga by the same name, which I am currently reading and also recommend if you are bored at home.
Mal Synopsis
While reveling in the successful clinching of a prized vase for his collection, Yoshifumi Nitta, a yakuza member, is rudely interrupted when a large, peculiar capsule suddenly materializes and falls on his head. He opens the capsule to reveal a young, blue-haired girl, who doesn't divulge anything about herself but her name—Hina—and the fact that she possesses immense powers. As if things couldn't get any worse, she loses control and unleashes an explosion if her powers remain unused. Faced with no other choice, Nitta finds himself becoming her caregiver. To let her use her powers freely, Nitta asks Hina to help out with a construction deal, which goes smoothly. But while this is happening, a rival yakuza group covertly attacks his boss. To Nitta's shock, his colleagues later pin the blame on him! Tasked with attacking the rival group in retaliation, Nitta steels himself and arrives at their hideout. But suddenly, Hina unexpectedly steps in and helps him wipe out the entire group. As it turns out, Hina might just become a valuable asset to Nitta and his yakuza business provided she does not use her powers on him first! And so the strange life of this unusual duo begins.
What makes this anime unique?
If the synopsis by itself didn’t get you interested, let me dive into more of the specifics. For a show to be considered good or even really watchable, there has to be some sort of unique aspect about it that draws people in to continue watching. There are a lot of different methods to achieve this engagement including unique and likable characters or unique plots with various twists. What makes Hinamatsuri unique isn’t one thing rather combination genres and characters providing a uniques insight on unexplored themes in anime. I entitled this article a “tale of two cities” because it truly is a tale of two cities: that is highlighting extremes and society and explores their livelihoods and experiences; a unique blend of comedy and sadness. This is a good commentary on the extremes of our modern society in the developed world and I find the themes especially important considering the state of our world. This topic can be better explained with the introduction to the principal characters.
The Characters
As with all slice of life genre shows, the characters move the story forward and are what people tend to like about these shows. It gives the audience insight into how other people live their lives and provides an escape from their own. The main character that the show begins with is a well off mid-ranked Yakuza member, Yoshifumi Nitta, and the titular character, Hina, falling from the sky into Nitta’s apartment. Upon the demonstration of Hina’s telekinetic powers, Nitta takes Hina in as her guardian. As you can imagine, this transformation from a Yakuza playboy to a guardian has a large impact on Nitta’s life and action throughout the narrative. Nitta himself is displayed as a caring individual albeit flawed in some ways: both with his morality, stemming a lot from his Yakuza obligations, and parenting of Hina. Nitta's lifestyle and the job is one of the extremes explored throughout the narrative. Yoshifumi Nitta Hina, as of season one, is middle school age girl from an unknown origin but it is evident that her telekinetic power is great and extremely dangerous if not properly controlled. This is not evident to the of the characters not apart of the mysterious organization of which Hina originated. Her telekinetic power is also not used that often and is more or less a side effect than a major plot device. I speculate that it would be used more in future seasons of the show or the manga. This is not an anime like mob psycho or Elfen Leid with telekinetic battles and destruction everywhere. Hina has a carefree lifestyle and is spoiled by Nitta with food, toys, and a seemingly endless supply of money. In a typical anime trope fashion, she is initially oblivious to all other characters’ feelings and actions; being as blunt and direct as possible whenever she communicates. This is a dynamic feature that changes throughout the season as the character matures. She is many ways models a stereotypical wealth brings with her every need and wishes fulfilled is one of the extreme lifestyles explored by the narrative. This also a very common TV trope, the children or households that have a seemingly endless supply of money without any real regard to how the money is acquired. Such examples of these are shows are live actions like Full House or animated like Bakemonogatari. I love how the show sort of players with this idea with the other characters that are not bound by this trope logic. Hina The other main character who in many ways is the exact opposite of Hina is Anzu. Also a middle school-aged girl and a telekinetic. She did not have the privilege of falling out of the sky into a well off individual's house though. She got dropped off in the middle of the streets without a guardian to claiming and take care of her. She is homeless and after some brief interaction with Hina and Nitta, stays homeless and lives in a homeless camp. Her experiences highlight the plight homeless individual go through daily. I should mention that this is not a one-off episode. Most of the show actually transferred between scenes with Hina and Nitta and then switch off to Anzu and her struggles. These scenes are usually shot in parallel highlights the differences between the characters. It is quite evident from early on that Anzu is an energetic and hardworking person. Like Hina, she does not fully understand the modern world, but she learns to adapt to the situation and make the most of it even though she is homeless. Just because she is homeless doesn't mean that she is completely alone. The fellow homeless people she lives with act as mentors and helps her develop as a character and appreciate the small things in life as well as money in general since she literally had to earn money for food by picking up cans off the street. Anzu is the poster child example on how your origins can affect your livelihood and how working hard doesn't always equate to success initially. With that being said, Anzu also shows how that eventually things do work out for you in the long run if you put in the effort and look at everything in a positive which is her character arc throughout the season. This is an arc the at I find especially important given the world today and I find the comparison back to a well off person life and an average person's life one of the best aspects of the show. Anzu (her English voice actress is Amanda Lee) I mentioned that there are also comparisons to normal life situations. These are mostly fulfilled by the supporting cast of characters, notably Hina’s classmates and Hitomi Mishima. Hitomi Mishima is the model student trope that the narrative utilizes. With that being said, her character is more encompassing than that singular role which Hitomi being the norm that most appeal can relate back to in the middle of the extremes of the other characters albeit she is a middle school bartender which in itself is sort of an extreme as well. She is also a friend to both Hina and Anzu and does her best to make everyone around her happy while being at the same time self-conscious about herself and her actions. Hitomi Mishima There are many other characters in the show in some ways that actually might hurt the show considering it is only 12 episodes that leave the manga to expand upon the story until or if a second season is aired.
Art, Music, and Direction
I am not an expert in this area so I can’t really go into specifics. Overall, I thought it was a good production and high quality. It is pretty close to or better than SNAFU production quality which makes sense considering it is made by the same studio. It definitely has aspects of cute girls doing cute things. I thought the cinematography direction was pretty good with the parallel stories and scenes between the main characters with different livelihoods being played back to back either by episodes or by scenes. It was a good directional choice. The art and animation were ok probably about average for anime( again much like SNAFU). To put it simply, it was no Violet Evergarden or Fate stay/night: Unlimited Blade Works. I honestly didn't even notice the music or sounds which usually means that it was blended very well with the animation and fit very well in each scene. Scene from Hinamatsuri
Overall Impressions
Hinamatsuri is very good comedy. Hinamatsuri is a very unique show. The only caveat is that it clearly is not a complete story and is set up for the future season of the show or for you to continue into the manga. The first season sets up each of the characters and provides the background needed for the narrative to move forward without diving deep into the story. That is the first season sets up many mysteries and underutilized characters that would most definitely show up again in the future. I for one look forward to seeing where this story continues and how the characters mature and change throughout the narrative. The themes by itself make the show worth watching considering the trying times we all have experienced these last few months to establish some sort of empathy for those who are suffering now or to provide hope that we can all overcome the troubles of our modern society. If you are looking for a show to watch, you can watch it now at Funimation or where ever you watch your anime. Please spread the word that this show exists as well so others can be entertained by it! Some meme potential too ¯_(ツ)_/¯ MAL Link Anilist Link Edit: Sorry about the Grammer( I will try to catch it as a reread) and Reddit formatting(fixed) Thanks for the gold Mods please DM me if you want to switch the images into the link format... I simply think this looks better formatting wise and less link clicking which makes the paper flow better. Either way, it is a quick fix.
A megalist of films and TV series showing positive masculinity (collection from yesterday's thread)
Yesterday's thread was amazing; I thought it'd be useful to have an overview of all the films and tv shows that were suggested there, for when we need recommendations! I summarised other people's descriptions; I hope that's okay and I hope I did that correctly. If not, please let me know and I'll happily edit my post. None of this is my own, all credit goes to the people who participated in the thread and added suggestions, especially doc_samson/ for kicking it off! Edit: to clarify - a movie can include an example of positive masculinity or an inspiring scene without every character being a perfect role model
Hiccup is introduced as basically a "failure" for his inability to fit the hypermasculine standards set by his father, goes his own way, and ultimately becomes a hero for it.
Hiccup find his dad crying by the fire, showing that even this strong leader of the clan can still process his feelings in ways that don't always lead to violence or anger
Robin William's character for being a guiding father figure to Will. Will for embracing his past, opening up and ultimately maturing. Will's friend for genuinely only wanting the best for Will, even if it means being left behind by him.
Shows how men can be a part of female healing after toxic relationships with other men. Male characters are honest and emotionally open with each other
The narrator has both positive and negative ways of displaying masculinity; the movie helps us observe the effects of that (e.g. he finds emotional support helpful, and once that support goes away, he reverts to toxicity)
Protagonist is a teacher who doesn't give up on his students. Themes include taking responsibility, working hard, encouraging each other, and, of course, caring
Pacha is nurturing, diplomatic, and puts his family first. Kronk isn’t ashamed of his “feminine” talents like cooking, or being a sidekick instead of a hero.
Uncle Iroh once represented a “toxic” ideal of masculinity, but realized his errors and changed for the better. Brave and strong, but also kind and loving
The central relationship is a friendship between a man who tends to isolate and a man who burdens others with his toxic behaviours. Both change for the better over time.
Main protagonist is kind and respectful, a single dad to 9 kids, supportive to LGBT people.
Note: you can sort tables on redesign by clicking on the column header Edit: I'll also link some other MensLib posts with film/tv show recs that people might find useful:
Giri / Haji has to be the most bonkers show I've seen on Netflix in a while
It's almost hilarious how many hats this show tries to wear - BBC police procedural, Yakuza crime epic, urban youth drama, Guy Ritchie gangster satire - and on top of that an extensive cast of Japanese actors, hand drawn cartoon sequences and tonally baffling moments of comedy. It then stuffs as many subplots as can possibly fit into 8 episodes and attempts to give every little side character a full arc to fit under the thematic umbrella of "guilt and duty". It starts fairly grounded like your average BBC show but then goes completely off the rails around episode 3 or so, peaking in the last episode with pure insanity (especially once that sequence hits you out of nowhere which had me staring at the screen with my mouth open in awe). At that point nothing really makes any logical sense anymore and the show just rolls with it. I don't really know how to rate it because it constantly skitters around the line between "fantastic" and "trainwreck" like a drunk horse on coke. Even though I can't say the show really succeeds at what it attempts to do, I really have to give props to the BBC for the sheer ambition and creativity trying to bring these two countries and their respective movie/TV tropes to the small screen, plus it's always entertaining no matter how absurd it gets.
My looong list of Bara characters in Video games/Visual novels fixed
WARNING: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERS OR SERIES AND ALL MENTIONED ARE OWNED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPANIES. Last one was not properly spaced and a mess. This one is not Video games Ace attorney:Bobby Fulbright,Damon Gant,Datz,Dairyuu Rou,Dick gumshoe,Di jun Huang,Furio,Godot,Shi long lang,Tyrell badd,Will powers,Zacharias Advance wars:Brenner,Max,Waylon,The Beast Agarest senki:Borgnine,Georg,Jainus Agents of mayhem:Hammersmith,Hollywood,Johnny Gat,Red Card,Yeti Alchemist code scared stone:Monzein Anarchy reigns:Jack,Maximilian Animal crossing:Apollo,Avery,Bam,Bud,Copper,Curt,Elvis,Frank,Keaton,Kyle,Orville,Pierce,Rolf,Roscoe,Rory,Sterling,Tank,Teddy,Tom Nook,Tybalt,Vic,Wilbur Apex legends:Forge,Gibraltar Arena of valor Rourke Arknights:Matterhorn Assassins creed:Jacob Frye Asuras wrath:Asura,Augus Atlas reactor:Lockwood Atelier:Fred Rodfork,Galahad,Juris,Lent marslink Battle arena toshinden: Gaia,Mondo,Nagisa,Rundo Battleborn:Boldur Battle clash:Guido Blazblue:Bang,Tagar Bloody roar:Gado Borderlands:Axton,Brick,Pain,Salvador Bound by flame:Randval Brave frontier:Avant Breath of fire:Cray,Garr,Gilliam,Rand,Rei Brutal legend:Eddie riggs Castlevania:Richter,Simon,Trevor Chaos ring omega:Dante,Vieg Cho aniki:Bo tei bill,Idaten,Nutzac Chrono cross:Zoah Civilization:Duncan Hughes,Gilgamesh Crazy Taxi:Axel,Gus,Iceman,Zax Cyphers:Aaron Huton,Doyle,Lleyton Danganronpa:Great Gozu,Nekomaru Darkstalkers:Jon Talbain,Demitri Dead by daylight:David King Dead or alive:Bayman,Bass armstrong Dead rising:Chuck,Sullivan,Frank Deus Ex:Ben,Wayne Diablo:Barbarian,Imperius,Monk Disaster day of crisis:Raymond Bryce Disgaea:Baal,Red Magnus Divinity original sin:Jahan,Wolfgraff Dota:Omniknight Dragalia lost:Curran,Kai yan,Kleimann,Qitian,Ranzal,Rex,Valyx Dragon age:Cullen,Hawke,Iron bull,Sten,The Arishock Dragon project:Boldon Dragons crown:Roland Dragon quest:Carver Hassan,Crocodyne,Hendrik,Ortega,Pankraz,Ragnar,Yangus Drakengard:Decadus Duke nukem:Duke nukem Dual blades:Brandon Dungeon fighter online:Bwanga,Linus,Male Priest,Rino Dynasty warriors:Cao ren,Dian wei,Ding feng,Gan ning,Han dang,Deng ai,Huang gai,Huang zhong,Katsuie shibata,Meng huo,Pang de,Taishi ci,Wen chou,Xiahaou dun,Xiahaou yuan,Yoshihiro shimazu,Yue jin Ehrgeiz:Dasher,Koji Enslaved odyssey to the west:Monkey Etrian odyssey:Buccaneer,Gladiator,Hoplite Evil zone:Gally Extinction:Ogre Fable:Twinblade Fallout:Paladin Danse Far cry:Takkar Fate:Achilles,Arash,Asterios,Beowulf,Cu chulainn,Edward teach,Emiya,Eric bloodaxe,Fergus,Heracles,Iskander,Karl,King Hassan,Kirei,Li shuwen(lancer),Napoleon,Romulus,Spartacus,Super Orion,Thomas Edison Final fantasy:Ashley riot(not a girl),Auron,Basch,Cid,Cor Leonis,Cyan,Gadot,Galka,Gigas,Gladious,Golbez,Heidegger,Ifrit,Jecht,Johnny,Khimiri,Loz,Raijin,Raubahn,Roegadyn,Ryid,Sabin,Snow,Titan,Wakka,Ward,Yang Final fight:Dave Fighting vipers:Bahn,Drake,Edi e,Freddie,Jake,Jony Fire emblem:Alois,Arthur,Atlas,Axel,Balthus,Barst,Bartre,Benny,Bord,Boyle,Brendan,Caineghis,Chrom,Cord,Dagdar,Darros,Dart,Dedue,Dieck,Dorcas,Dozla,Durban,Duessel,Fargus,Frederick,Fuga,Gant,Garcia,Gareth,Garret,Garth,Gatrie,Geitz,Gerik,Giffca,Gilliam,Gonzales,Greil,Gustav,Hawkeye,Hector,Helbindi,Hrid,Ike,Jeralt,Largo,Legion,Linus,Lot,Marty,Mordecai,Muriam,Muston,Nader,Nolan,Ogma,Oswin,Raphael,Saber,Samson,Skrimir,Surtr,Tibarn,Walhart,Ymir,Zephiel For honor:Berserker,Gladiator,Highlander,Raider,Shugoki,Warlord Fortnite:Kyle Garou mark of the wolves:Gato,Grant,Kevin Gears of war:Dominic,Marcus Gear tactics:Gabriel Diaz Ghost n Goblins:Arthur Ghost recon:El sueño God of war:Cronos,Kratos,Magni,Modi,Zeus God wars:Katsuragi,Lord susanoo Golden sun:Agatio,Dark Dawn Issac,Eoleo,Tyrell Granblue fantasy:Agielba,Baotorda,Barawa,Belial,Eugene,Galadar,Garma,Garoza,Gastalga,Geisenborger,Ghandagoza,Mugen,Redluck,Reinhardtzar,Soriz,Vane,Vanzza,Vaseraga Grandia:Mareg Guardian heroes:Ginjirou,Samwell Guilty gear:Leo whitefang,Potemkin,Sol badguy Gyee:Bernard,Billy,Peter,Raikoh,Rand,Sig,Vundo Hexyz force:Griek Hitman:Agent 47,Sanchez Honeycomb bingo Hotel dusk:Kyle Hyde Idolmaster:Producer,Seiji,Suzaku Infinite space:Taranis Jax and daxter:Jax Judgement:Masaharu Just cause:Rico Rodriguez Kakuto chojin:Crusher Ramirez,Sabre Kemo coliseum:Maximus,Tharsix,Volga Killer instinct:Jago,Tusk Kill zone:Tomas sev King of fighters:Antonov,Chang,Gang 2,Goenitz,Griffon,Heidern,Joe higashi,Kevin rian,Laurence blood,Makoto,Maxima,Ralf,Ramon,Robert Garcia,Ryo,Ryuji,Takuma sakazaki,Tizoc,Yashiro Kings raid:Bernheim,Gau,Ricardo Kiseki:Dieter crois,Garcia,Giliath,Ian grimwood,Rutger,Sigmund,Olaf Craig,Orlando,Vandyck,Wald Wales,Wolfgang Krauser Knack:Ryder Kritika:Warrior Legaia:Ayne League of legends:Alistar,Aurelion sol,Braum,Darius,Draven,Gangplank,Galio,Garen,Graves,Jayce,Mordekaiser,Olaf,Ornn,Pantheon,Sett,Sylas,Taric,Trundle,Tryndamere,Udyr,Warwick,Yorick,Zac Left 4 dead:Francis,Hunter Legend of Zelda: Alfonzo,Fado,Ganondorf,Gonzo Lightning legend:Hiroo aka K.O.J,Rankerk Lufia:Gades,Guy Luigis mansion:Biff Atlas Mad world:Jack cayman Mario:Bowser,Harry(Mario tennis) Mass effect:Garrus,James vega,Kaiden,Krogan Masou Kishin:(note the characters and their info are on the Tv tropes page)Brash Nenba, Gennacy Ivanov Kozireh,Gold Bagold,Kirkus Zan Valfarbia,Lionel Neelsen,Ricardo,Wuuf Metal slug:Allen o Neil,Allen o Neil junior Monster hunter:Admiral,Chiefs son,Field team leader,Second fleet master Monster prom:Scott,Narrator Mortal Kombat:Johnny cage,Kano,Stryker,Sub zero Muramasa the demon blade:Jinkuro Musashi:Glogg Muscle bomber:Victor omega Need for speed:Tyler Nekketsu Oyako:Rando Ninety nine nights:Maggni Ninja blade:Kanbe Ninja Gaiden:Murai Nioh:Katsui shibata,Salon shima,Tadakatsu,William,Yoshihiro shimazu Octopath traveler:Olberic Odin sphere:General Brigan Of Orcs and men:Arkakil Onimusha:Ekei,Heihachi,Magoichi,Roberto,Soki,Yumemaru Onmyoji:Arakawa Osu!Banchou:Hirajun,Kongou todoroki,Tenkou todoroki,Yankee panda Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan Overwatch:Antonio,Hanzo,Mauga,Mccree,Reinhardt,Reaper,Roadhog,Sigma,Soldier 76,Torbjorn,Winston Paladins:Fernando,Raum,Tiberius,Victor(full moon) Persona:Akihiko,Junpei,Munehisha,Ryotaro,Zorro Phantasy star:Odin Pokemon Humans:Adult Red,Alder,Archie,AZ,Brock,Bruno,BW Hiker,Byron,Chairman Rose,Clay,Cliff,Crasher wake,Dakim,Drake,Drayden,Giovanni,Gozu,Guzma,Gonzap,Hala,Leon,Lt surge,Lysandre,Macho J,Marshall,Matt,Meyer,Milo,Nanu,Noland,(Pokemon masters)Street thug,Prof Birch,Prof Kukui,Prof Oak,Prof Rowen,Prof Willow,Raihan,Sawyer,SM Swimmer,Wulfric The pokemon:Arcanine,Blastoise,Charizard,Chestnaught,Druddigan,Feraligator,Hoopa unbound,Inceneroar,Mega Swampart,Machoke,Mudsudale,Obstagoon,Pangoro,Passiman,Samaurot,Slaking,Solgaleo,Tauros,Terakkion,Torterra,Tyranatrum,Urshifu,Zerora Power stone:Valgas Psychic force:Gudeath Puyo puyo:Minotaur Puzzle and dragons:Fagan,Okuninushi Quest 64:Solvaring Radiant historia:Garland Rage of the dragons:Abubo,Jimmy,Oni,Radel Rainbow six siege:Glaz,Kapkan,White mask Rance:Babolat,Cordoba burn,Foot rot,Gon,Inukai,Katsuie,Kinggeorge Violae,King Ragnarokarc super gandhi (yes really),Leyashi,Motonari,Oryx,Patton,Rolex,Shouen Record of Lodoss war:Beld,Fahn Red dead redemption:Arthur Morgan,John Marston Red earth:Leo Resident evil:Barry,Carlos Olivera,Chris Redfield,Jake muller,Mr X Ring fit adventure:Dragux Rise of the Kasai:Rau Rival schools:Daigo,Gan,Hayato,Raizo River city girls:Skullmaggedon Rumble fish:Greed,Lud Rune Factory:Bado,Volkanon Saints row:Killbane,Oleg Sakura wars:Kongou Samurai shoodown:Enja,Gaira,Gaoh,Genjuro,Haohmaru,Jubei,Kazuki,Sankuro,Sugoroku,Tam Tam,Wan fu,Zankuro Samurai warriors:Kagekatsu,Katsuie,Sakon,Ujiyasu,Yoshihiro Sangokushi puzzle taisen:Cao cao,Cao hong,Dian wei,Dong zhuo,Gan ning,Huang zhong,Liao Hua,Lu hao,Lu meng,Ma teng,Pang de,Sun jian,Sun quan,Wen Chou,Xu huang,Yu jin,Zhang fei,Zhang zhao,Zhou tai,Zhuge jin Savage reign:Eagle Sdorica:Law,Pang,Rune Sekiro:Gyobu,Sekiro,Shigekichi Shadow hearts:Lenny,Masaji Shank:Toro Shining wind:Rouen,Zylo Skull girls:Beowulf Skyrim:Argis,Farkas,Tsun,Vilkas Smite:Tyr,Ullr Soccer sprits:Hercules Soul calibur:Astaroth,Edge master,Kilik,Rock,Zwel Spacelords:Loaht,Lycus,Rak Splinter cell:Sam Fisher Spyro:Andor,Asher,Boris,Bubba,Delbin,Gavin,Gunnar,Magnus,Nestor,Ragnar,Terrador,Ulric StarCraft:Tychus Findlay Star Fox:General scales,Panther carso,Wolf Star gladiator:Gantetsu Star ocean:Adray,Cliff Stardew valley:Alex,Kent,Sam,Shane Stella glow:Archibald,Hrodulf Street fighter:Abel,Akuma,Alex,Atlas,Azam,Charlie,Cody,Dan,Darun mister,Ed,E. Honda,El fuerte,G,Gill,Gouken,Guile,Hakan,Keith,Ken,Necalli,Nuakan,Rashid,Ryu,Sagat,T. Hawk,Urien,Zangeif,Zeku Streets of rage:Mike hagger Suikoden:Beecham,Jimba,Luca,Mondo,Richmond,Rikimaru,Skald,Tetsu,Viktor,Wilhelm Tactics ogre:Canopus,Gildas,Mirdyn Tales of Zesteria:Brad,Sergei Team fortress 2:Saxton Hale Tekken:Bryan fury,Ganryu,Heihachi,Jinpachi,King,Lei wulong,Marduk,Marshall,Miguel,Ogre,Paul Phoenix,Saheen The arcana:Muriel The banner saga:Bolverk,Giant The Bouncer:Volt The last Blade:Juzoh,Shigem The last of us:Bill,Joel The legend of dragoon:Kongol The muscle hustle:Bareknuckle Bob,Bollywood cop,Bouncing Bruno Brutails,Bushmaster Jones,Canuck Morris,Chopper McDonald,Dead eyed dex,Lagom lars,Mad mike,Mt doom,Runner Preston,Samson,Slick trick,The Loglobber,The icebreaker,Tiny tower,White lightning The rumble fish:Orville The Witcher:Damien de la Tour,Geralt,Letho of gulet The world ends with you:Yodai higashizawa Tokyo afterschool summoners/Housamo:Aegir,Ahab,Aizen,Algernon,Amatsumara,Arsalan,Ashigara,Asterius,Azazel,Barguest,Bathym,Behemoth,Chernobog,Claude,Cthugha,Dagon,Daikoku,Ded,Fenir,Gullinbursti,Gunzo,Gyobu,Gyumao,Hephaestus,Hogen,Hombretigre,Horekamui,frit,Jinn,Jiriya,Kengo,Krampus,Kyoma,Leib,Macan,Marchosias,Motosumi,Nomad,Oniwaka,Ophion,Oz,Pollux,Santakumara,Shiro,Shennong,Shuten,Snow,Surter,Tajikarao,Takemaru,Tangaroa,Taurus mask,Temujin,Tetsuya,Tezcatlipoca,Thunderbird,Tomte,Typhon,Triton,Tsukuyomi,Volos,Wakan,Xolotl,Yasuyori,Zabaniyya Total war warhammer:Orion Toukiden:Chthonian fiend,Fugaku,Masakuni,Raizo Trails series:Alex dudley,Sigmund orlando,Rutger,Vandyck,Zin vathek Trauma center:Hank Freebird,Stephen Clarks,Greg Kasal,Yoshikage tachibana Treasure of rudra:Giant Trinity:Dagda,Reig,Xenetes Uncharted:Nathan Drake,Victor Sullivan,Zoran Lazarvic Under night in birth:Enkid,Waldstein Valkyrie chronicles:Largo Valkyrie profile:Arngrim,Badrach VAMPYR:Geoffrey,Johnathan Reid Vindictus:Hurk,Karok Virtual fighter:Jacky,Wolf Waku Waku 7:Dandy J Watch dogs:Aiden Pearce Wild arms:Brad evans Wolf among us:Bigby,Huntsman World heroes:Captain Kidd,Fuuma Kotaro World of Warcraft:Chen,Durotan,Garrosh,Greymane,Grommash,Lei shen,Malfurion stormrage,Rexxar,Thrall,Uther,Varian,Wrathguard Warriors orochi:Sun wukong Xenoblade:Reyn,Vandham,Zeke Xenogears:Rico Xenosaga:Captain Matthews Yakuza:Akinobu Yatagarasu:Chadha Yo Kai watch:El Syaclero Ys:Dogi,Sahad Zanki zero:Mamoru Zero time dilema:Sigma .Hack:Bear,Gabi,Orca VISUAL NOVELS Adastra:Amicus Bacchikoi:Genji tadano Camp buddy:Goro Coming out on top:Alex,Amos,Beau,Bradley,Cesar,Donovan,Hugh,Ian,Jed,Jesse,Luke,Roman,Tommy Dream daddy:Brian,Craig,Robert Fantastic boyfriends:Genno,Gordon,Orgus Full service:Kovit,Okan,Oki,Rald Gaydorado:Alex Heileen:John,Sebastian Hunks workshop:Niikura Lagoon lounge: Maison DE M: Morenatsu:Juuichi,Keisuke,Tappei,Tatsuki,Torahiko Nekojishi:Likulau,Lin hu,Ragoo Rose guns days:Cyrus Super health club:Phillip Sweet fuse: at your side:Mitarashi
The post (and in some places, my responses) were rushed in some areas.
I will admit that I didn't make my intentions clear with the previous post. While some responses I made were meant to give some insight into what may be going on with certain things, other areas (e.g the status of collabs) were speculation, albeit ones based on research that went on.
For this reason (and the fact that the PSO2 Twitter released some new information), I wanted to do a second post that addressed some of the things I failed to address last time as well as make things more clearer. The information provided in the post is a combination of conclusions I made together with discussions I had with various acquaintances and friends on the Phantasy Star Fleet Discord. With that said here we go...
Confirmations
PSO2es The release of Phantasy Star Online 2 NA will not be accompanied with PSO2es at the moment. (https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1222957649915858944?s=20) Xbox Live Gold More of an issue to pick with Microsoft than SEGA, although Phantasy Star Online 2 is free to play as with many other free to play titles on Xbox One you will need an Xbox Live Gold subscription. Windows 10 games that make use of Xbox Live do NOT need an Xbox Live Gold subscription. No Character Transfers A response to a question regarding character transfers has revealed that there are no plans for JP players to be able to transfer their characters to the NA version. (https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1222371507948548096?s=20) Casino Confirmed Nothing much really, the Casino is confirmed for Beta for those who had doubts it would be in the game at all. (https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1222707050741809152?s=20) Group Chat & Voice Chat In addition to the Group Chat introduced in Episode 6 a Voice Chat functionality has been added in the game. The way they worded it seems to imply that it will be between party members with no details on whether you'll be able to Voice chat with Team Members. (https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1223048445474242560?s=20) In addition, one thing to keep in mind is that the Group Chat was a feature added to the Episode 6 client of the game. (http://www.bumped.org/psublog/countdown-to-pso2-starsepisode-6/). While it is possible SEGA might just have isolated the feature, keep in mind that features are tied to Client versions. If this is the case this might mean PSO2 NA will start off with Episode 6's Quality of Life updates and balances. Whether Episode 6's story, classes and content is gated temporarily on release will be seen. English Dub & Dual Audio In a surprise announcement, it has been confirmed that PSO2 NA will have full English voice-overs. (https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1222323522598526977) Apparently even Quna's songs have been dubbed to English. If this is a bother do not worry as the game will have Dual Audio options. This does however change the approach the game's text would have as dialogue boxes would essentially be transcribing the dub as opposed to just simply translating what is being said so playing the NA version in Japanese would make the text more of a "Dubtitle". There is no information on VAs involved though hopefully, we can expect the same kind of quality we've seen with SEGA's other dubbed games like Judgement and Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise. Closed Beta Content vs Final Game It has been confirmed that the features and content available to players during the Closed Beta will not be indicative of the final release. So if content is gated (its beginning to look like the Closed Beta will be limited to Episode 1), please don't jump to the conclusion that the full game would launch in that same state. (https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1221535315422109696?s=20) (https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1223459098919723008?s=20) No IP block for EU A very vanilla confirmation to bring up, especially since it was brought up today but I feel its important to emphasize since it was a worry many outside of North America had. Today's tweet however confirmed that an IP block will not be taking place: https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1222967403895611392. Xbox One (and Windows 10) regions are not account bound so you can freely change your region to US or Canada to gain access to the Beta and eventually the final game from the MS Store. Azure Cloud Many people came to conclusion that "Powered by Azure Cloud" meant the game would be streamed akin to the likes of PSO2 Cloud or a Google Stadia game. The announcement of the game's file-size and that there will be future updates expected should confirm that Phantasy Star Online 2 will be running natively on Xbox One (and hopefully PC). To give some clarification about what MS Azure's use is for, Cloud Servers are now used to host game servers. Notable examples include Minecraft and Sea of Thieves making use of Microsoft Azure and Fortnite using Azure's competitor; Amazon AWS. According to a Japanese exclusive interview, the reason SEGA decided to use Cloud Hosted servers is to be able to cover more geographical areas much easier (Anyone who's played Phantasy Star Universe might remember that game being hosted on a single data centre in the West Coast) SEGA ID As a recent tweet from the social media accounts confirmed, Phantasy Star Online 2 NA will NOT be using a Western version of the SEGA ID. (https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1222586390094827521?s=20) This essentially makes PSO2 NA similar to Phantasy Star Universe's Xbox 360 version which utilized Xbox Live as your account. GamerTags are also present on Windows 10 which is how your Xbox One characters would be usable on Windows 10 and vice versa. This doesn't rule out a Steam release or other platform releases just yet either. I can't vouch from Steam (*can anyone who plays Halo: Master Chief Collection tell me how you sign in to Xbox Live on the Steam version?) but in recent years Microsoft had been interested in rolling out Xbox Live to other platforms with Minecraft and Cupheads on Nintendo Switch making use of Xbox Live functionalities. "All the Content" is still happening... to an extent Like it or not, to many of us "All the Content" was very vague... all the content up to that time? all the latest content? do Collabs count as content? This entry is as vague as their post but if there is one thing to confirm... is that they are at least working on it apparently: https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1222956665621733376?s=20 Microsoft's Role I want to make clear that Microsoft is NOT the publisher. According to a Japan-exclusive interview, Microsoft approached SEGA with the intention to have PSO2 released in the West and have one of its platforms be Xbox One. They do however bring up that they will be co-operating with Microsoft due to them having more experience managing Online games and dealing with the Western communities, though as we've seen... SEGA does have the final say regarding some matters (Phil Spencer couldn't comment about an EU release or account transfers) Windows 10 Version-Release No one knows EXACTLY when it is we'll be seeing the PC version released. However given some posts from the PSO2 Twitter (which I have put in one place here: ) we can probably narrow down a rough timeline of when we MIGHT expect it. *The Windows 10 version releasing "later in 2020" was not meant to mean "later in 2020", but rather that it simply releases AFTER the Xbox One version. (https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1217980202858381312?s=20) *The Windows 10 version is still scheduled for release during Spring. Now bear in mind that Spring lasts from March to May (or sometimes June?) so I'm not implying that both of them might launch simultaneously (https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1213892177224318976?s=20) *I'm stretching "confirmations" a bit here but... its to be expected given how vague the PSO2 Social Media can be. There appear to be implications that some kind of Beta (Open or Closed) will be taking place for Windows 10. (https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1216039123355455489?s=20) (https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1220433244237303809?s=20) I am aware that some scepticism may be present in trusting PSO2 NA's social media accounts, but given that most of what we know about the NA release (including the fact that its dubbed, has voice chat, Beta rewards) had been given out on Social Media and NOT put on the website... I think it's fair to say their information might be a bit more valid in comparison to the website for now (check in Speculations for a theory on why) which leads to... The Website's Information As we already know, the current website has had problems in terms of updates, no Beta rewards announced, None of the new information posted there. Thankfully, the Closed Beta date announcement revealed that a new website will be going up at the same time as the Closed Beta. While we don't know all the new information that would be present on the site, we have gotten some hints that we will at least get to know a bit about a potential Community/GM Team. (https://twitter.com/play_pso2/status/1222245074911686656?s=20) Terminology & Name Changes As we already know, there are some names that are spelled differently and terminology changes that have taken place. Some of the terminologies that were confirmed to be for NA were first revealed to us through the PSO2 Episode Oracle official subs so it's fair to say it counts as a reasonable source for what got changed. Although this section is called "Confirmations", I bent the rules here a bit by me trying to explain the potential reason these terms were changed so please bear with me...
Patch Name
Official Translation Name
Potential Reason
Darkers
Falspawn
My only guess is, the localizers didn't like the name "Darker". SEGA JP's Official Spelling is "D-arkers" (You can see this spelling in the English track name in PSO2 Volume 1 Japanese Soundtrack). I seriously doubt it has anything to do with "Darkers being offensive" when the antagonist "Dark Falz" remains as is. These kind of changes are what is commonly known as "Woolseyism", look it up on Tv Tropes for reference...
Darker Infection
F-Factor
Changed to match new name for Darkers. Also creates an allusion to PSO1 and its "D-Factor" infection.
Dark Falz Double
Dark Falz Gemini
In addition to maybe the localizers feeling "Double" sounds like a weak name given the context, the Kanji used to spell Double's name actually means "Twins". Please check back with my original post for a more thorough explanation on this. So again, "Woolseyism" at work.
Emergency Quest
Urgent Quest
"Emergency" and "Urgent" are the same word in Japanese. This is also the terminology planned to be used for the 2013 translation and which would be carried over to the SEA version. My guess is... it also helps to avoid confusion with "Emergency Codes" since even now that's what people think got changed.
Naberius
Naverius
No idea why this change took place, especially since SEGA JP's official name spelling is "Naberius"... though strangely, although Nab Rappy don't have an official English spelling... the Katakana for their name reads "Navu" as opposed to "Nabu" while the planet is spelled "Naberiusu".
Campship
Gateship
Localizers used SEGA JP's official terminology. You can see this name used in the English track name in PSO2 Volume 1 Japanese Soundtrack.
Dewman
Deuman
Localizers used SEGA JP's official terminology. You can see this in the Opening video (after character creation) for EPISODE 2
Gettemhart
Gettemhult
Localizers used SEGA JP's official terminology. You can see this spelling in EPISODE 1's end credits.
Melphonsina
Melfonseana
Localizers used SEGA JP's official terminology. You can see this spelling in EPISODE 1's end credits.
Lisa
Risa
Localizers used SEGA JP's official terminology. You can see this spelling in EPISODE 1's end credits.
Tea
Tia
The twin's names were meant to be a pun on "Patientia". Official SEGA JP spelling is "Tiea" as seen in EPISODE 1's end credits.
Patty
Pati
The twin's names were meant to be a pun on "Patientia". Official SEGA JP spelling is "Patty" as seen in EPISODE 1's end credits.
Zig
Jig
Localizers used SEGA JP's official terminology. You can see this spelling in EPISODE 1's end credits.
Ulc
Ulku
No idea why this happened.
Photon Rings
Photon Halos
Attempted Woolseyism
Coat Edge
Coated Edge
Attempted Woolseyism
If by any chance I missed anything, please let me know and i'll try to keep this list updated SEA Translation Before I start this section I would like to define what counts as "SEA terminology". You see, portions of PSO2 SEA's scripts were based on that of the translation intended for the original 2013 release and are in fact SEGA of America's terms. Some of these terms include:
Lillipans Lagomites
Oodan Woodan
Fangulf Phongalph
Darkers D-arkers
Matter Board Paradigm Matrix
Mechs Automata
My Room My Quarters
With that said, "SEA terminology" by my definition, of course, refers to changes that AsiaSoft (at SEGA of Japan's request) did which usually goes against established Phantasy Star terminologies like:
Monomates Health Drink
Force Wizard
Braver Samurai (counts since Braver was in Phantasy Star Portable 2 where it was localized in the West as "Vanguard"... though this one can be allowed to slide since Braver in PSO2 are completely different from PS Portable 2's Braver class)
Techniques Photon Magic
Photon Arts Photon Moves
Terms like these were thought to make a return to PSO2 NA (and changes like Falspawn get compared to them... despite the fact that Darkers haven't appeared in a past Phantasy Star game). The class list today, however, made use of the proper class name "Force" and throughout various posts referred to Monomates by their proper name. So rest assured... despite all the name changes, the AsiaSoft terminology that goes against past PS games is not being used.
Speculation
Why no concrete date is given I'll keep this one short and simple, given what happened the last time the game was 'delayed', could you imagine if a REAL (and not just "actually cancelled but we say its delayed") delay happens how the community would react... yea... Why information is different across Social Media and the Official Website As many of you have known, there has been some conflicting information regarding PSO2 NA. First, the website says the Windows 10 version isn't expected until later in 2020, then the social media confirms "Later" does not mean "Late 2020", then another confirmation that states the Windows 10 version is still planned to release in Spring. Simply put, the website hasn't been updated much, in fact, the most recent update only added the Closed beta date without including any of the new information revealed in the Twitter such as the Beta rewards (site stills says "rewards will be announced soon"), said Open Beta that was recently brought up, specific information (if you were new to the game, you wouldn't know about each Race and Class from the website... but the Social Media feed). Hopefully, when the full website releases on February 7th we will get more concrete information on these details that the current "Teaser Site" has. (*Fun fact... did you know the PSO2.com domain is actually owned by SEGA Europe?) Why the Closed Beta is exclusive to Xbox One I will not disregard the complaints there have been about the Closed Beta being an Xbox One exclusive. However I at least wanted to give an idea on why Xbox One gets a Closed Beta. Simply put... its a new port and no matter how alike Windows 10 and Xbox One are there are still some things that would need to be tested on it, particularly in how it handles with Xbox One exclusive features. Ideas on when the PC version comes out So if you read the details above concerning the Windows 10 version's release, you'll know that SEGA can be quite vague with their information but have given us some details to narrow down a potential time frame for when we can expect the Windows 10 version. Furthermore, the game's website brings up "Windows 10 version coming soon" in a section talking about the Closed Beta and also responded to various people's comments with things like "Closed Beta test is for Xbox One. Windows 10 version coming soon". The vagueness comes in the sense that we don't know whether "Windows 10 version" refers to the full game or one of the Betas (Open or Closed), however assuming it is and combining it with the points previously brought up, one of the following scenarios might take place:
Only the Closed Beta is exclusive since, as was stated in the previous point, its purpose is to test the Xbox One port. Open Beta in comparison is more or less a test of server-load so it would make sense to have Xbox One and Windows 10 active at the same time. If we count the Xbox Closed Beta as the game releasing FIRST on Xbox One, this still fits the whole "Windows 10 version releases after the Xbox One version but not late 2020", especially if the Open Beta is planned to take place during Spring.
Following the Xbox One Closed Beta, Windows 10 might get an exclusive Closed beta followed by the full release. I can't give a timeline for when this could happen; at best we might get a Windows 10 Closed Beta not too long after Xbox One's, at worst... Windows 10 will be on Closed Beta while the Xbox One version's launched.
Windows 10 Version Will be UWP I am aware that not many of us would be happy for this. However, from a development point of view it makes sense why the PSO2 Team might choose to do this. Currently in the Japanese version patch files have to be compiled for each specific platform... so now add needing to compile and put out patches for the multiple platforms and also prepare the patches for the NA version. Assuming the Windows 10 version of PSO2 NA is distributed on the MS Store, a UWP port of PSO2 makes the game nearly the same under the hood so only a single set of Patch files that work on Xbox One and Windows 10 would need to be created. This in turn helps to explain why the game would be exclusive to Windows 10.
General Info
Who does the port Game publishing, especially when it comes to MMOs, is not as straightforward as SEGA JP giving Microsoft or SEGA of America the source code to the game. All features and content for past version of PSO2 (SEA and Taiwan) were in fact developed by the Japanese team. While SEGA West (and/or their outsource responsible for portions of the game) might do things like translating the text and recording the voices, things like porting to Xbox One, programming Dual Audio support, Implementing Voice Chat and (once the game releases) developing potential NA exclusive content all fall on the development team in Japan who also need to work on PSO2 JP updates. Circumstances Regarding other Platforms Yes so... as much as I'd like PSO2 to be available on all platforms as Phil Spencer said, there are various circumstances that might affect their release in the West.
The PlayStation 4 version might be affected by Sony's censorship and cross-platform policies. While I am sure that the cross-platform policies may be easily solved by having PS4-specific blocks the censorship policies are another issue. Basically, as it stands Microsoft doesn't have as strict a censorship policy as Sony does (being more worried about outright religious references and what players do and say on their Xbox Live service). As a result, unless SEGA decides to self-censor, if the PC and Xbox One version have content that might be deemed unsuitable for PS4 then either SEGA would have to censor the game ONLY on PS4 or censor the game on all platforms to maintain consistency.
The Nintendo Switch... we live in a world now where Nintendo of all companies allows uncensored visual novels on their consoles and Sony censors em... so content-wise, PSO2 is MORE than fine. The problem lies in that the Nintendo Switch version isn't a native port but a Cloud Stream. Many people suggest throwing money at the problem will allow this version to be released, keep in mind that other Japan-exclusive Cloud-based titles on Switch from the likes of Capcom (Resident Evil VII Cloud) and Ubisoft (Assasin's Creed Odyssey: Cloud Version) aren't released in the West either... a proper NA release on the Nintendo Switch would need a proper port. While the Switch could probably handle PSO2 without problem, there is the issue of PSO2 having very limited storage capacity. (PSO2 NA is 70 GB). While its true the PS Vita version is smaller, it does have various graphical compromises.
Server Host People bring up that Microsoft is "hosting the servers", I figured I would explain what this entails. The way MS Azure works... Microsoft has about as much involvement managing the server as Amazon does managing Fortnite (sorry for bringing it up!) servers. Microsoft Azure is a Cloud Platform that any company that subscribes to can use for various purposes, including hosting servers. Microsoft's responsibilities fall on making sure that service stays active, is well maintained and doesn't have problems. As such, SEGA's responsibilities involve less managing the physical servers and more managing the server software and what goes on in the actual game. I'd like to bring up also that using Microsoft Azure should have no bearing on the game releasing on other platforms. Microsoft Azure is NOT the same as Xbox Live in the sense that it's more 'general purpose' and is something that even Sony uses. No release date and Radio Silence since E3 I cannot explain the EXACT reason why SEGA does this sort of thing, but I will say that its not something specific to PSO2. There has been radio silence and lack of information for SEGA's localized 2020 titles, namely Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix and Project Sakura Wars. Much like PSO2, those games have only a vague 'release period' (Project Sakura Wars is also planned for "Spring 2020", Miku Megamix has a vague release period of just "2020"). This post may be updated over time so please check back from time to time, especially whenever a new update is available. Proper criticism on certain points I bring up will also be taken into account and changed accordingly (if you feel an entry doesn't belong to the right category, etc) EDIT: New confirmations I forgot to add when I first wrote this. EDIT 2: Added info on the dub (nothing new for many of us) and specified about the Xbox Live Gold subscription not being needed for PC. Also.. thanks to whoever gave me Silver and Helpful Award! ^ I'll be sure to keep us updated on things. EDIT 3: I got Pati and Tia's name wrong. As a result, it doesn't line up with SEGA JP's official terminology. In addition, another terminology discovered, F-Factor. EDIT 4: Rephrased some sections, added some extra details on certain localization entries and added an extra line on the origin of some of the statements said.
File:Yakuza-2sm 7083.jpg. Japanese mobsters, often called "the Japanese Mafia" in the West, euphemistically as "anti-social organizations" and "violent groups" by most Japanese, and "ninkyo dantai" ("charitable organizations") by themselves. The term refers solely to the members of crime organizations, not to the organizations themselves, which may take many different names. Yakuza 6 is not perfect, and the omissions made can be head scratching at times, but it can be argued that there is a place for a more streamlined and focused Yakuza game in today’s gaming landscape. For all the changes, there is no denying that this is yet another solid game, impressive and full of charm, and definitely a worthy send off for an icon. Yakuza (極道, Gokudō?) refers to Japanese organized crime syndicates and their members. 1 History 2 Known Yakuza 3 References 4 External Links 5 Site Navigation The Yakuza includes many Japanese crime syndicates that controlled the underworld in the past. At this time the Yakuza's influence and power were unrivaled as its members thrived as honorable gangsters.1 The Yakuza were notorious ... Setting. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is mostly based around the Yokohama district of Isezaki Ijincho, but it will also feature the Kamurocho, Tokyo and Sotenbori, Osaka districts from previous Yakuza titles.. Development. The development of Yakuza: Like a Dragon has been based around new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga.This includes the new style of logo, which was made to reflect Kasuga's personality. Even within this series, Joon-gi Han in Yakuza 6 is supposed to be in his 30s, whereas Yeonsu Kim is supposed to be 33. So we have to argue that Joon-gi was exactly 30, but we can't say for sure. My point is that gaming has always had the tradition of following its own logic outside of anything else, real-world or the trope world. They say first impressions last. And thank goodness this isn’t always true, because while Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is not immediately endearing, it’s worth letting it warm up. The game opens with around an hour of opening cinematics, broken up by one short combat tutorial. Now, I’m into cut scenes, I enjoy plot-heavy, dialogue-driven games. But the narrative style that launches Yakuza ... Characters: Index Yakuza Yakuza 2 Yakuza 3 Yakuza 4 Yakuza 5 Yakuza 0 Yakuza 6 Judgment Yakuza: Like a Dragon These are the characters that debuted in Yakuza 6, the seventh main entry of the Yakuza series and the final chapter of Kazuma Kiryu's story. Due to wiki policy, this page contains numerous unmarked spoilers.. For Kazuma Kiryu, Haruka Sawamura and Goro Majima, see ... A list of characters from the Yakuza/Ryu Ga Gotoku series of games and the tropes they embody. 1 Kazuma Kiryu 2 Haruka Sawamura 3 Yumi Sawamura 4 The Tojo Clan 4.1 Masaru Sera 4.2 Yukio Terada 5 Dojima Family 5.1 Sohei Dojima 5.2 Yayoi Dojima 5.3 Daigo Dojima 6 Nishiki Family 6.1 Akira Nishiki... Japanese mobsters, often called "the Japanese Mafia" in the West, euphemistically as "anti-social organizations" and "violent groups" by most Japanese, and "ninkyo dantai" ("charitable organizations") by themselves. The term refers solely to the members of crime organizations, not to the organizations themselves, which may take many different names. The yakuza insist that their organizations ... Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, known in Japan as Ryu ga Gotoku 6: Poetry of Life, is the seventh main series entry in the Yakuza series following the prequel Yakuza 0, and is the final installment to feature Kazuma Kiryu in the lead role. It was released in Japan as a Playstation 4 exclusive in December 2016, and released in the West in April 2018.
This is a non-commentary gameplay for Yakuza 6: The Song of Life - Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown. Get YouTube TV Best of YouTube Music ... Yakuza 0 Bakamitai but models change everytime the camera changes - Duration: 2 minutes, 18 seconds. 1 year ago; 11,577 views; Baka Mitai... Twitter cuz wy ... Everyone say hello to my favorite character archetype, which just narrowly edges out my second favorite, "crazy-prepared deadpan stoic badass with 37 knives ... In today's episode of the Let's Play, walkthrough, and playthrough of Yakuza Kiwami 2, Kiryu destroys half the city, and he meets with the Tojo Clan officers... They're good! They're inspiring! They'll help the helpless just because! They're staggeringly out of place in modern nihilistic grimdark! Today we talk parag... Final boss fight and ending in Yakuza 6 The Song of Life in English on PS4 Pro.Watch all the bosses here https://youtu.be/x8odO8-HFJI?list=PL7bwjwx5WwdeRia... Use my link http://bit.ly/emirichu_VRV to get a 30 day ad-free trial of VRV Premium!Big thanks to Yaroshien for voicing the boy in this video!https://www.you... I was playing Yakuza 6 and I decided to document most of my interactions with the stars of NJPW. Unfortunately due to the length of the clips and a 15-min ma... This was a hard one to decide to upload because these are so good that I didnt want to spoil them, and yes there are repeating ones because of multiple characters having the same jobs/styles as oth... Bloodstained Philosophy baybayyyy Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/devilleon7