Aug 15, 2015 4:01 PM
My ten favourite pieces of fiction
Anime Relations:
Touch, White Album 2
#1 Sakura no Uta (Visual Novel)
Sakura no Uta is beauty. It is a story about life, of growing up and trying to find acceptance in a world with no tolerance for failure. It is a story about family, of Naoya, the protagonist, and his relationship to his father, a world-famous painter, to whom Naoya finds himself resembling more and more as the years go by. Sakura no Uta does not hold any punches: it immediately hits you in the gut within the opening seconds, with Naoya attending the funeral of his late father, his casket ironically being carried through a sea of cherry blossoms.
I think, while Sakura no Uta is not nearly as ambitious as SCA-JI's other masterpiece (mentioned right below), it is a more personal story that finds beauty simply through showcasing the cycle of life. SCA-JI delivered with SubaHibi and perfected his art with Sakura no Uta. The game certainly has its share of issues-- the early parts can drag on a bit and a couple of the individual heroine routes are lackluster-- but after having read the Zypressen route and chapters 4, 5 & 6 (which I read in a single 18-hour marathon), I was speechless for more than a half hour after the credits rolled. I thought to myself: Sakura no Uta is the story I've always wanted-- it's the story I've been looking for for the past 22 years.
#2 Subarashiki Hibi (Visual Novel)
It is very difficult to put words to what has been one of the most powerful stories in my life. SubaHibi is a brilliant fusion of excellent storytelling, characters, and intelligent, thought-provoking themes that never do come across as 'pretentious', but rather the thoughts of an incredibly profound writer. The game is not without flaws, but I never did care for 'perfection' in the first place.
The "It's My Own Invention" chapter of the game is the weirdest and perhaps most memorable piece of storytelling I've ever experienced. It is a story of a timid, bullied schoolboy slowly breaking down and turning into an insane cult leader and mastermind. You truly do feel yourself falling into the madness along with Takuji, but that's not to say there aren't quieter moments later in the story. I should also mention that Yoru no Himawari is the best background piece I've ever come across in any piece of media; the moments where it plays are absolutely chilling and scintillating.
For the record, both Sakura no Uta and SubaHibi are the two pieces of media that I would give a perfect 100% score to without hesitation. I think they're the best stories ever created.
#3 White Album 2 (Visual Novel)
In the fall of 2013, during one of the worst periods in my life, I came across a certain quiet, unassuming anime that I expected to drop on the first episode. By the end of that episode, I had tears in my eyes and the feeling that I may be watching the best anime I've ever seen. I wasn't wrong.
However, the anime represents only a fraction of a much larger and even more powerful story. White Album 2 is actually a trilogy of sorts, with the second two encompassing the untranslated Closing Chapter visual novel. It is a massive story that covers five years in the characters' lives (and if you include the epilogue, eight), from high school students to working adults. It's by far the best romance story I've experienced, and if we're talking in terms of pure emotion, I would say White Album 2 wins in that regard as well.
The game is absolutely devastating and not something I would recommend for people who can't deal with depression and bitter-sweet endings. Even some completely ordinary tracks, like this one, tore me up and destroyed me emotionally every time they played. And as for the more climactic tracks, well, I'll let this speak for itself. Add to this the incredibly well-developed and realistic characters (Haruki and the rest are shitty, flawed people, just like you or me) and Maruto's heart-breaking and extremely powerful prose, and White Album 2 is something that hits really, really hard. Just thinking back on a few specific lines of text messes me up really bad.
#4 Touch (Anime)
I wrote a review for this a few years ago (which I'm not entirely satisfied with any more), but it is worth mentioning again just how powerful Touch is with so little. By the time the 26-episode prologue ends and it becomes apparent what Touch is actually about, I think it is near-impossible to not develop a massive emotional attachment to what's going on. The character development, the dialogue, the music (particularly Kazuya's theme or the final OP) are also absolutely outstanding. Touch shows that beauty is best found in the ordinary struggles of every day life rather than the supernatural. For me, anime hasn't really been the same since I finished watching Touch. I'm not sure it will ever be.
#5 Oyasumi Punpun (Manga)
A brilliant look into the mind and life of the clinically depressed. The corruption of the characters-- Punpun from a happy child to a suicidal, violent adult-- is entirely natural and represents something that could, and quite often, happens in reality. The story spoke to me in a pretty personal way as I identify very much with clinical depression and grew up much the same way as the protagonist. After finishing a volume of the manga, I would be completely destroyed and exhausted emotionally. I guess if you're a stable, happy person then the story won't do a whole lot for you, though.
#6 Baldr Sky (Video Game/Visual Novel)
I'm not really the type of person who cares much about action, but Baldr Sky is a big exception to that rule. The battles work so well because you, the player, are directly involved in them. The gameplay itself, while certainly lacking in the graphical department, is mechanically outstanding and adds to the emotional aspect in a really big way. Often there will be intense vocal tracks playing in the middle of a boss battle, or in some cases, the OP itself will actually start blasting during the final boss of a route. If you want a sort of visual representation of what I'm talking about and either don't understand Japanese and/or don't care about being spoiled, give this video a watch. Considering the 200~ hours of story to get to that point, the ending of Baldr Sky turned out to be the most chilling, intense scene I've ever come across in a video game. Period. The well-developed cyberpunk setting certainly added to the game's appeal, too. And Sora is pretty much perfection.
#7 Soukou Akki Muramasa (Visual Novel)
善悪相殺 ('zenaku sousatsu', or literally, "the counterbalance of good and evil") is the best theme I've ever come across in storytelling. It is explored so, so damn well, especially during the ending of Ichijo's route and the final route's epilogue. The setting is also incredibly deep and rich, enough that it genuinely feels like a living and breathing world, and the text, while very, very wordy, is incredibly effective, particularly during the battles which are defined purely through tactics and swordsmanship rather than powerlevels. It's certainly not something for the faint-of-heart, though, as it deals (graphically) with issues such as rape, the murder of loved ones, tyranny, and so on. The main menu theme says a lot about the kind of story that Muramasa is. I'm not sure I've ever come across anything darker, aside, maybe, from my mental state when the game forced me to read an incredibly massive and complex scholarly essay. Muramasa is not something that should be read unless you're very confident in your Japanese ability.
#8 Okami (Video Game)
It is oozing with charm, thanks to the beautiful art style (exemplifying why style is so much more important than 'realistic' graphics), unique soundtrack and story that deals heavily with Japanese folklore. The gameplay mechanics are outstanding as well, if a bit on the 'simple' side. It's a superior Zelda in every single sense, and my personal favourite video game, assuming Baldr Sky doesn't count. The ending is also quite emotional, to say the least.
#9 The Last of Us (Video Game)
Exhausting. The Last of Us is a testament to video games' ability to tell stories on par with the best film or literature. It also marries the gameplay with the storytelling in a really profound and meaningful way; ammo is scarce and Joel is fragile, adding to the feeling that he and Ellie are merely survivors and could run out of luck at any moment. The combat itself also carries a lot of weight; while mechanically satisfying, it feels appropriately disgusting, with enemies pleading for their life and their bodies turning into rotting hunks of meat after you load lead into their body. And, similar to Touch, The Last of Us does a lot with very little. There's no real 'drama' in the traditional sense, and the game never tries to paint a clear-cut sense of morality, as Joel (and just about everyone else) is often committing very vile acts in order to survive.
#10 Asairo (Visual Novel)
"和風". Asairo made me fall in love with Japanese writing and culture. It turned me into a massive, massive weeaboo. Shumon's prose (as exemplified here) is extremely powerful. The themes and symbolism portrayed in the story are also very thought-provoking, but I think, more than anything, it was the atmosphere that spoke to me. If that track can't be called beautiful, then I am not sure that beauty exists.
Sakura no Uta is beauty. It is a story about life, of growing up and trying to find acceptance in a world with no tolerance for failure. It is a story about family, of Naoya, the protagonist, and his relationship to his father, a world-famous painter, to whom Naoya finds himself resembling more and more as the years go by. Sakura no Uta does not hold any punches: it immediately hits you in the gut within the opening seconds, with Naoya attending the funeral of his late father, his casket ironically being carried through a sea of cherry blossoms.
I think, while Sakura no Uta is not nearly as ambitious as SCA-JI's other masterpiece (mentioned right below), it is a more personal story that finds beauty simply through showcasing the cycle of life. SCA-JI delivered with SubaHibi and perfected his art with Sakura no Uta. The game certainly has its share of issues-- the early parts can drag on a bit and a couple of the individual heroine routes are lackluster-- but after having read the Zypressen route and chapters 4, 5 & 6 (which I read in a single 18-hour marathon), I was speechless for more than a half hour after the credits rolled. I thought to myself: Sakura no Uta is the story I've always wanted-- it's the story I've been looking for for the past 22 years.
#2 Subarashiki Hibi (Visual Novel)
It is very difficult to put words to what has been one of the most powerful stories in my life. SubaHibi is a brilliant fusion of excellent storytelling, characters, and intelligent, thought-provoking themes that never do come across as 'pretentious', but rather the thoughts of an incredibly profound writer. The game is not without flaws, but I never did care for 'perfection' in the first place.
The "It's My Own Invention" chapter of the game is the weirdest and perhaps most memorable piece of storytelling I've ever experienced. It is a story of a timid, bullied schoolboy slowly breaking down and turning into an insane cult leader and mastermind. You truly do feel yourself falling into the madness along with Takuji, but that's not to say there aren't quieter moments later in the story. I should also mention that Yoru no Himawari is the best background piece I've ever come across in any piece of media; the moments where it plays are absolutely chilling and scintillating.
For the record, both Sakura no Uta and SubaHibi are the two pieces of media that I would give a perfect 100% score to without hesitation. I think they're the best stories ever created.
#3 White Album 2 (Visual Novel)
In the fall of 2013, during one of the worst periods in my life, I came across a certain quiet, unassuming anime that I expected to drop on the first episode. By the end of that episode, I had tears in my eyes and the feeling that I may be watching the best anime I've ever seen. I wasn't wrong.
However, the anime represents only a fraction of a much larger and even more powerful story. White Album 2 is actually a trilogy of sorts, with the second two encompassing the untranslated Closing Chapter visual novel. It is a massive story that covers five years in the characters' lives (and if you include the epilogue, eight), from high school students to working adults. It's by far the best romance story I've experienced, and if we're talking in terms of pure emotion, I would say White Album 2 wins in that regard as well.
The game is absolutely devastating and not something I would recommend for people who can't deal with depression and bitter-sweet endings. Even some completely ordinary tracks, like this one, tore me up and destroyed me emotionally every time they played. And as for the more climactic tracks, well, I'll let this speak for itself. Add to this the incredibly well-developed and realistic characters (Haruki and the rest are shitty, flawed people, just like you or me) and Maruto's heart-breaking and extremely powerful prose, and White Album 2 is something that hits really, really hard. Just thinking back on a few specific lines of text messes me up really bad.
#4 Touch (Anime)
I wrote a review for this a few years ago (which I'm not entirely satisfied with any more), but it is worth mentioning again just how powerful Touch is with so little. By the time the 26-episode prologue ends and it becomes apparent what Touch is actually about, I think it is near-impossible to not develop a massive emotional attachment to what's going on. The character development, the dialogue, the music (particularly Kazuya's theme or the final OP) are also absolutely outstanding. Touch shows that beauty is best found in the ordinary struggles of every day life rather than the supernatural. For me, anime hasn't really been the same since I finished watching Touch. I'm not sure it will ever be.
#5 Oyasumi Punpun (Manga)
A brilliant look into the mind and life of the clinically depressed. The corruption of the characters-- Punpun from a happy child to a suicidal, violent adult-- is entirely natural and represents something that could, and quite often, happens in reality. The story spoke to me in a pretty personal way as I identify very much with clinical depression and grew up much the same way as the protagonist. After finishing a volume of the manga, I would be completely destroyed and exhausted emotionally. I guess if you're a stable, happy person then the story won't do a whole lot for you, though.
#6 Baldr Sky (Video Game/Visual Novel)
I'm not really the type of person who cares much about action, but Baldr Sky is a big exception to that rule. The battles work so well because you, the player, are directly involved in them. The gameplay itself, while certainly lacking in the graphical department, is mechanically outstanding and adds to the emotional aspect in a really big way. Often there will be intense vocal tracks playing in the middle of a boss battle, or in some cases, the OP itself will actually start blasting during the final boss of a route. If you want a sort of visual representation of what I'm talking about and either don't understand Japanese and/or don't care about being spoiled, give this video a watch. Considering the 200~ hours of story to get to that point, the ending of Baldr Sky turned out to be the most chilling, intense scene I've ever come across in a video game. Period. The well-developed cyberpunk setting certainly added to the game's appeal, too. And Sora is pretty much perfection.
#7 Soukou Akki Muramasa (Visual Novel)
善悪相殺 ('zenaku sousatsu', or literally, "the counterbalance of good and evil") is the best theme I've ever come across in storytelling. It is explored so, so damn well, especially during the ending of Ichijo's route and the final route's epilogue. The setting is also incredibly deep and rich, enough that it genuinely feels like a living and breathing world, and the text, while very, very wordy, is incredibly effective, particularly during the battles which are defined purely through tactics and swordsmanship rather than powerlevels. It's certainly not something for the faint-of-heart, though, as it deals (graphically) with issues such as rape, the murder of loved ones, tyranny, and so on. The main menu theme says a lot about the kind of story that Muramasa is. I'm not sure I've ever come across anything darker, aside, maybe, from my mental state when the game forced me to read an incredibly massive and complex scholarly essay. Muramasa is not something that should be read unless you're very confident in your Japanese ability.
#8 Okami (Video Game)
It is oozing with charm, thanks to the beautiful art style (exemplifying why style is so much more important than 'realistic' graphics), unique soundtrack and story that deals heavily with Japanese folklore. The gameplay mechanics are outstanding as well, if a bit on the 'simple' side. It's a superior Zelda in every single sense, and my personal favourite video game, assuming Baldr Sky doesn't count. The ending is also quite emotional, to say the least.
#9 The Last of Us (Video Game)
Exhausting. The Last of Us is a testament to video games' ability to tell stories on par with the best film or literature. It also marries the gameplay with the storytelling in a really profound and meaningful way; ammo is scarce and Joel is fragile, adding to the feeling that he and Ellie are merely survivors and could run out of luck at any moment. The combat itself also carries a lot of weight; while mechanically satisfying, it feels appropriately disgusting, with enemies pleading for their life and their bodies turning into rotting hunks of meat after you load lead into their body. And, similar to Touch, The Last of Us does a lot with very little. There's no real 'drama' in the traditional sense, and the game never tries to paint a clear-cut sense of morality, as Joel (and just about everyone else) is often committing very vile acts in order to survive.
#10 Asairo (Visual Novel)
"和風". Asairo made me fall in love with Japanese writing and culture. It turned me into a massive, massive weeaboo. Shumon's prose (as exemplified here) is extremely powerful. The themes and symbolism portrayed in the story are also very thought-provoking, but I think, more than anything, it was the atmosphere that spoke to me. If that track can't be called beautiful, then I am not sure that beauty exists.
Posted by
Veronin
| Aug 15, 2015 4:01 PM |
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