June Media Favourites/Recommendations

Hello again!

As you guys know it's been a really busy past month for me so this post is mostly going to consist of all the YouTube I've been binging when I've been able to grab some free time! I do have two games to mention first, though:

The Red Strings Club

One of the things I really love about the Switch is all of these smaller games it plays host to which put more of a focus on story than gameplay. The Red Strings Club is one such title I've had my eye on for years and recently nabbed. It's a few-hour-long adventure game that isn't dissimilar to VA-11 HALL-A in that it has a very distinct pixel aesthetic and soundtrack, and a bartender for a main character. I absolutely loved most of my time with TRSC -- the mechanics were a bit fiddly, but the game hooked me with its atmosphere, unique tone and thought-provoking subject matter and I breezed through most of it in one sitting. The ending didn't quite land with me and all told I feel like the story and characters needed more time to be fully realised, but the experience was memorable and enjoyable enough for me to comfortably include it here. The game also seems to resonate more with most than it did with me, so I definitely recommend giving it a look and seeing if it seems like your kind of thing.

Hatsune Miku Project DIVA: Mega Mix

If you've seen my video on VOCALOID, you'll know I'm a big, long-time fan of this wonderful subculture and its many facets. I spent my teenage years pining after the Project DIVA games I was never able to actually play due to only ever owning Nintendo consoles, so when I found out Mega Mix was coming to Switch, I was ecstatic. I've been playing the game since its release last spring, but my obsession still hasn't let up (I'm at 160+ hours even with the limited opportunities I get to play it), so I thought I'd slip it in here -- and the various DLC packs with new songs have kept things fresh. I'd never played a rhythm game before, so I can't comment on how it matches up to others in the genre, but I love every hour I get to sink into this one. It's a must for any VOCALOID fan, but I also think it would be a wonderful way to introduce yourself to the phenomenon.

And now YouTube videos:

The Use Of Color In Anime by AnimeRuss

How This Syrian Refugee Ended Up In Japan by Asian Boss

We Interviewed A Former Elite North Korean Spy by Asian Boss (both this and the above are great examples of why AB is one of the most important channels on YouTube)

Sofia Coppola: The Politics of Pretty by Broey Deschanel

How To Get Anyone Into Anime by Caribou-kun (a really fun and useful watch even for the already-initiated!)

a history of DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIES by Flash Thrive

Crime and colonialism: Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None by Is This Just Fantasy? (definitely a good one to watch if you found the things I discussed in my Shiki or Higurashi horror videos interesting)

The Dead Poets Society: Why we (don't) study the humanities by Is This Just Fantasy?

Yep, I'm also leaving California. by Katherout

Persona 4 Reminds Me of Better Days by KingK

The Romance of Youth - A Place Further than the Universe by lines in motion

Day in the Life of a Japanese Anime Figure Sculptor by Paolo fromTOKYO

Finally, one entire channel I've been loving this month is Nami's life -- Nami makes silent vlogs about her life living alone and working in Tokyo and I've found her videos to be incredibly valuable on days where I need some help relaxing.

Hoping to be able to go on a proper anime/manga/visual novel binge soon 🤞 Let me know if you've been watching/reading/playing anything interesting!

Bye for now!