Strife's Sanctum

This week's anime review follows on with my love of Cowboy Bebop, blazing down that trail of seedy bounter hunters, killing dudes, and saying lots of filthy language.  Black Lagoon is uncompromising, pulpy action, and I wouldn't want it any other way.  It is a show I always rewatch, cause there's always good fun in seeing bad people do bad things for money.   Tentative schedule (bas...

This week's video game review is a recent release of one the most beloved Nintendo Franchises, Kirby.  The little puff ball has been a staple for 30 years.  He took his first major foray into full 3D this year, and it paid off in spades. Kirby finds himself in a desolate world in the search of a rescuing several Waddle Dees alongside a new friend.  He even made time to learn how to...

This week's anime review is about a quirky show from a decade ago: Tiger & Bunny.  Netflix brought this out ten years ago, and reignited the franchise fairly recently with a new season and movie.  This details the major first season.  A major influx of superpowered beings exist in a future city.  To combat crime and give them a positive spin in the media, "HeroTV" is create...

This week's game review is about one of the all-time greatest platformers: Donkey Kong Country.  The visual style, musical wizardy, and tight controls make for a wondrous experience.  It is also a decent difficulty, not too easy like Mario or Kirby, but not too daunting like say Ninja Gaiden.  It also has plenty of unique stage gimmicks on display.  Rare hit this one out of the...

This week's anime centers around a Victorian setting with an intriguing premise: living dolls with the faces of masters who have been covered or fully composed with soot, meant to mimic and resemble their masters in every way.  While it isn't as dark as the premise's tone would suggest, it still has shining moments.  It has been tasked with a second season, so this will be an overview of...

This week's game is a lovely slice of PS1 nostalgia.  I replayed this a few month's ago on my main channel.  While Legend of Mana's battle system leaves a lot to be desired, the visuals, music, and main stories do enough to make it a solid addition to Square's 90s juggernaut lineup.     Tentative schedule (based on Tuesday Dates)   June 14th: Shadow's House (Season 1)...

This week's anime review tells the story of a simple, star-crossed romance due to classism.  A maid and noble falling for another despite all odds.  Emma was a manga I loved in my early 20s, and it was nice to finally see the anime version dubbed a couple years ago.  It doesn't do anything crazy, nor does it have to.  If you're in the mood for a Victorian England romance piece,...

This wa a second shot recording.  My voice might be a little bleh, because my first hour long run didn't work out.  However, I think I made a decent attempt at reviewing Metal Gear Solid.  A game that still holds up, even if the gameplay was long overhauled.  The voice acting for the time was superb, and the story was bonkers yet...somehow grounded by Kojima standards.   T...

Another comedy anime this week.  A simple slice of life "pseudo" harem show, Toradora is well-regarded in the anime community.  I liked re-watching it recently.  The characters are well written and their banter back and forth is great.  However, I argue that the show suffers due to its main characters, just as much as they elevate it. When you look past the comedic nature and t...

Uploading this the Monday night before usual because of working on Tuesday.  Today features the final stop on the .hack journey, a second stab at doing the "game" part right.  Taking the lessons learned form IMOQ, G.U. revamps the visuals, storytelling, and characters so much, it ends up becoming one of the best games the PS2 had to offer.  It's not without its faults, but whether y...

Part 3 of my look into project dot hack.  The World R:2 now exists, and it begins with a relaunched anime that focuses on events that transpire before G.U.  I think Roots is a decent attempt at recapturing SIGN's magic.  The main issue is its lead character, the concepts at play that surround him are never explored, and a good 12-13 episode premise gets over extended to the typical...

This week, we continue our foray into "The World" with the first video game tie-in project of project dot hack.  While the vibe, music, characters, voice acting all feel appropriate, the "game" part leaves a lot to be desired.  I suppose that is something you can't escape.  Even G.U. suffers from repetitiveness.  But for a title with so much promise, to be this let down by proc...

This week, we begun a four part journey through one of the first video game based anime/game cross projects.  Long before SAO or other isekai was a thing, project dot hack (.hack) set out to create both anime and video games based on an MMO called "The World."  Two versions of both projects were created to tie into each other (plus other spinoffs).  While it seems archaic now, the i...

So, if you know anything about me, you know I love me some Persona.  In 2006-2008, I was starting to feel burnout from Final Fantasy constantly changing and morphing into, whatever XII was.  So along came a little known cult classic.  Then another one, then another ten years go by and THIS game unseats FFVI as my favorite game of all time.  Persona isn't for everyone.  But...

This week's anime review is a doozy: an all-time classic movie, turned into an all-time classic series.  I was originally going to do episodes on both seasons, but I managed to squeeze a longer runtime out and get details on both instead.  I imagine GITS will be a gold mine franchise to dig in many, many times in the future.  As it is, I wanted to begin with what I feel was the gold...

This week, it is time to look at a game that changed course.  The creators of Chrono Trigger wanted to avoid making a direct sequel.  In so doing, they manage two vastly different narratives.  First, a visual novel that plays like a D&D one shot.  This ends up alluding to the meat of today's story.  Chrono Cross is a game of weird complexes.  While it captures som...

I realized during Anime Detour that I was losing steam and wasn't going to be able to do a rundown of it.  I think it was smart of me to get a recording of this one done first just in case.  This week's anime review is one of the "strange for strange sake" shows.  While it doesn't have a perfect conclusion, Ergo Proxy has some interesting detective thriller/political intrigue going...

I normally don't discuss comedies, but this one had to be talked about.  The Isekai (Other/Parallel World) genre has dominated anime for 5-10 years now.  I've even talked about a couple like Rising of the Shield Hero.  So, it was high time a show came along and took the piss out of it.  Not only does KonoSuba do that, it manages to be one of the funniest shows without really br...

This was an episode a long time in the making for me.  For every RPG, anime, and other Japanese product I've seen, read, or heard about, none of them have held a place for me quite like this franchise of rhythm games.  However, I knew that if I was going to tackle them, I wouldn't just focus on the games.  I needed to explain what Vocaloid is as a concept, how widespread it is, and...

Today's episode is about one of the most awe-inspiring genre deconstructions.  If you haven't seen this show before, I implore everyone to watch to episode 3.  If you don't get into it after that episode, this show is NOT for you.  As for everyone who has seen it, get ready for me to go at breakneck pace as to why this rewatch got Madoka Magica into my top 5 anime ever.  While...

Today's podcast talks about a wonderful game from the PS2 era.  A flashy, eye-catching, 2D beat-em-up/RPG, Odin Sphere was a resounding critical success for a small company known as Vanillaware.  They re-released it for the PS4 back in 2016, and I have loved it both times I played it.  It melds fast action brawling, unique crafting mechanics, storybook/fairytale/theater visuals, and...

This week's review is of an anime that has held up amazingly well for 15 years.  Owning in equal parts a charismatic lead, one of a kind visual presentation, and a dramatic retelling of the classic novel, The Count of Monte Cristo anime adaptation is definitely a force.  I've had a lot to gush over recently, and I don't stop my roll just yet.   "Bide your time, and hold out hope." &...

This week, it's time to delve into a franchise held up as a a gold standard (and creator) of Japanese RPGs.  Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest has been around for 35 years.  It has held firm against the notion of change, and is all the better for it.  For people like me frustrated at FF always changing and mucking with formula, Dragon Quest is almost latched to and adheres to its past and...

The team learns how dire the fight against Salem really is.  Because of this, trust is a harsh commodity to come by.  The Atlas/Mantle arc stretches three volumes, and answers many big questions that pull the entire scope of the story into view.  I also predict how the show may end in 3-5 volumes from now, provided it gets that far.  This is the finale of a 3-part review of the...

Cast your minds back to 1993.  Toys R Us is still a thing.  Slips of yellow and white paper signify the games you buy.  One such game back then was one that would go on to become a classic.  Well regarded as one of the best platformers ever, Mega Man X changed the Mega Man formula at a time they needed a figurative shot in the arm.  And...for a time, it was good.  But...