And yet, with the exception of the aforementioned Pokemon, Nintendo is not a company that capitalizes on this genre too often. Sure, they have their Paper Mario series tucked away somewhere, and Fire Emblem, although a different kind of RPG, is absolutely still a force to be reckoned with, but Nintendo doesn’t rely on RPGs quite like other Japanese developers. No, when Nintendo makes a rare RPG, it’s something to be cherished.

It’s no wonder, then, that a highly vocal group of fans cursed Nintendo’s name for decades, simply because they refused, until very recently, to release the cult classic EarthBound again in the west.

EarthBound caries a tremendous legacy with its name. One of the more expensive eBay finds on the SNES, it’s a title that many love and remember well, and everyone who’s played it seems eager to recommend it. A good friend of mine places it at the very top of his favorite games of all time list, citing an unforgettable world, charming characters, and uncomfortable eeriness as his justification.

Indeed, passions run high among fans, as Nintendo wronged them again by never releasing it’s sequel, dubbed Mother 3, outside of Japan. While the title is technically available via fan subbed roms, Nintendo’s hesitation always showed westerners a certain lack of care directed towards the series, despite the president’s direct involvement in it. Nintendo doesn’t care about Earthbound or its fans was the common utterance among some of Nintendo’s most vocal critics. And to be fair, there is a certain legitimacy behind these complaints.

Mother, as a series, critiques the oddities of western life through incredibly vague atmospheric tonal shifts. There’s never anything terribly blatant about this examination, but you get the sense there’s something wrong with the women showing heavily plastered, fake smiles or the prevalence of religious cults. Indeed all manner of aspects of American small town life seem to be present in EarthBound. Or, at least, it has all manner of foreign observations of American small town life.

While not a leading reason (that designation likely belongs to music copyright issues paired with a perceived lack of interest) behind Mother 3‘s long-time absence from western hands, it’s likely that at least some of Nintendo’s staff believes that some of these cultural observations may not be taken too well. The Mother series was, after all, designed very specifically for a Japanese audience with Japanese sensibilities. But that could be said of a huge number of Japanese games that made huge profits in foreign markets. And, indeed, this cultural critique is what lends to the series’ quirky, eerie atmosphere, and it’s likely the main reason western audiences actually love it.

And so, with nothing but a faint introduction to Eagleland thanks to various cameos of EarthBound characters and locations in the Smash Bros series, I entered Earthbound for the first time unsure of what to find.

Before I go on any further, I should clarify that I did not, to my great disdain, play an original SNES copy. No, cartridges are pricy these days and it’s still too early to take advantage of the Wii U rerelease, so I was stuck playing an emulation. I did play it with a usb SNES controller, but admittedly the experience was a shell of what it could have been, at least in principle.

After I got over the initial disgust in playing a classic in such an unclean manner, what did eventually await me was, in short, astounding. Brilliant, even. Confounding and often downright frustrating, to be sure, but always brilliant.

A good RPG knows the world it’s trying to engross the player in thoroughly. While a weak RPG world may fall prey to the tropes and retreads of every Tolkien fantasy realm or Star Wars-inspired space void created, a strong one knows what, exactly, made the world to begin with. Fallout 3 is perhaps the best example I can think of, it the Capitol Wasteland is its history, through and through. The KoTOR games, too, understand the cultural and historical elements present in the worlds they depict, and use them to the advantage of the story and the player experience.

But more important is how this fundamentally affects the atmosphere. And Earthbound is among the most atmospheric games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. From the onset, Ness wakes up to a broken familiarity, disturbed by quiet yet looming sounds, breaking the peaceful nature of his quaint upbringing. It’s the world that’s pushing him to his journey, not a wise old man or deity. We know, as the players, that the world Ness finds himself in is changing, and changing fast.

Playing through the first few cities in Earthbound is thus an exercise of careful awareness, trying to comprehend what this world is and why it behaves as it does. Everything appears deliberate, yet simultaneously broken and askew. The people seem to carry an almost unreal character to them, and the streets are often rife with what seem to be maddening, unhuman oddities. It’s a world that feels like an alien illusion trying to recreate a human existence, but fails to understand a few underlying truths about our existence. This would, of course, be a slight in the game’s disfavor. But it all feels so perfectly deliberate.

Mechanically, I found that any frustration imposed by the battle system was outweighed by a relaxing realization that the penalties for death aren’t much, especially if you remember to never carry around much money. Sure, I cursed to high heaven every time I had several missed attacks in a sequence followed by a craving of natto or a thought of mother. And I thought the miss percentage in Pokemon was insufferable. Dear lord.

But there’s definitely something strange about a JRPG that pits you, a child, against legions of human opponents, whether they be crooked cops or wigged out hippies. It’s certainly very… different, and admittedly I found all the unique elements of this bizarre adventure wholeheartedly welcomed.

In short, I discovered why such passion surrounds this obscure little RPG. It absolutely deserves its praise. Not merely because it dares to be different, but because it’s different with style. It oozes charm like I’ve never seen, and wraps in experience in an atmosphere with such tremendous depth.

It’s truly one of those awe inspiring games that make you feel like bigger forces are at work behind the immediately present, joined by the likes of Shadow of the Colossus and Portal. As a SNES game, it reaches out beyond the emotion limits one would typically expect such an old game to carry. As an RPG, it flips all understanding of convention on its head.

This was truly a rich era of games, before genres allowed themselves to fall into carefully designated little boxes, afraid to share their strengths with one another. It was an era of experimentation that allowed for something like this to emerge from a major publisher on a major platform, with a substantial budget to back it up (at least in SNES/Genesis Yen, of course).

And for that, we should simultaneously applaud Nintendo for taking an initiative to release it once again and demand that they extend their olive branch further with a release of Mother 3. This is a series that deserves it like no other.

A review copy was provided by Trident Media Group.

Not long ago I read the first book in Kevin J. Anderson’s Dan Shamble novel series. I greatly enjoyed the novel for its light-hearted humor and world-building in particular. I recently finished the second book in the series, Unnatural Acts, and decided to review it as well. Did lightning strike twice or should this series be laid to rest?

Unnatural Acts throws Dan Chambeaux (commonly called “Shamble” to his chagrin) back into a flurry of cases. A corporation known as The Smile Syndicate has started buying up property in the Unnatural Quarter in hopes of commercializing the district. Furthermore, Senator Balfour, a hater of the non-human and formerly human Unnaturals (zombies, werewolves, mummies, etc.) pursues a campaign to pass the Unnatural Acts Act in Congress in order to remove rights from these individuals. Shamble’s also got a group of out-of-work Golems to deal with and an undead brothel to defend from vandals. What will become of all these cases, set to the backdrop of a group of ghost performers known as Shakespeare in the Dark?

Once again, Anderson’s wry humor shines through in this book. There aren’t any moments that are laugh out loud funny, but there are enough clever jokes that you might find yourself stifling a chuckle. The series’s world-building continues in this book, though to a lesser degree than the first installment; even so, it’s welcome (and funny) to see Anderson address ideas like ghost convicts and undead prostitution. We also get to see more development of the relationship between Dan and Sheyenne, an interesting dynamic since she’s an incorporeal spirit.

Sadly, I feel that overall this book is weaker than Death Warmed Over. The opening is especially slow, since Anderson reiterates character introductions, motivations, and backstories that were discussed in the first book. It’s hard to fault the author for doing so, since the goal is no doubt to accommodate new readers, but, for me at least, these sections felt like they could have been abridged. Furthermore, sections of the plot were too similar to the first book: another big evil corporation that seems benevolent on the surface messing around in the quarter? Another Anti-Undead hate group gathering steam? The parts of the story I liked best dealt with the plot threads unrelated to these two ideas, which were major story focuses. Also, though it’s a minor complaint, I did notice a few continuity errors in the book, mostly related to the naming and descriptions of minor characters.

Ultimately, Unnatural Acts is a good book, but nowhere near the quality of Death Warmed Over. It’s enjoyable, but I think a new reader would like it more than an established fan of the first novel.

Rating:

Earlier this month, I took a look at DC’s new series The Movement whose tag-line involves “the superpowered disenfranchised.” Today, I’m discussing a comic at the opposite end of the spectrum: The Green Team. This new series, based on a 1975 one-shot by Joe Simon and Jerry Grandenetti, focuses on a group of teen trillionaires who use their vast wealth to acquire superpowers and fund wild adventures. Was the issue first issue as fun as a mansion party or did it crash like a poorly driven Ferrari?

The Green Team #1 focuses on Prince Mohammed Qahtanii, a young royal who desires to increase his wealth by his own methods in order to gain favor with his father. We join Mo in New York City, where he’s managed to seek out the elusive Green Team, a group of teenage trillionaires who invest money in various ventures that draw their interest. Mo soon meets the members of the Green Team, including their leader Commodore “64″ Murphy, actress Cecilia Sunbeam, oil heir J.P. Houston, and his sister Lucia Lynn. Star-struck Mo, however, makes a mistake that may cost the Green Team not only their money, but also their lives!

Promotional poster initially used to advertise The Green Team. Notice how it corresponds to the one from The Movement.

I’ll start by saying The Green Team #1 is a fun comic. In a world where most mainstream series seem to have forgotten that comics can be wild, ridiculous rides, it’s great to have a lighter series to read. Art Baltazar and Franco, a team known for their work on humorous comics like Tiny Titans and Superman Family Adventures are right at home writing this type of story. One of their major strengths are the voices of the characters. Too often in comics, adult writers make teenagers either speak like themselves or with horrendous, overdone slang; luckily here, Art and Franco make these characters actually sound youthful. Artist Ig Guara does solid work on this comic as well. He draws everything from people to wacky technology with flair. Guara’s work on the characters’ clothes is notable, as their outfits are realistic, going so far as to portray wrinkles that appear from the way in which they are worn.

As much as I enjoyed this comic, it isn’t perfect, or even great. Though Guara’s art is almost entirely good, I found the backgrounds too simplistic, though this is a minor complaint. On the writing front, however, a larger problem looms: while I am interested in the characters, I don’t feel invested (no pun intended) in the plot yet. Obviously, I shouldn’t expect the first issue of a new series will reveal everything, but at least at the outset the character motivations are vague.

Overall, The Green Team #1 is a good comic. It’s not ground-breaking or mind-blowing, but it’s got me interested enough that I’m willing to stick around for a few more issues to see where it goes. I think the tone and direction of the series will become clearer by issue #2 or #3, and I’ve got high hopes. If nothing else, it’s nice to see DC putting out a comic that isn’t just standard superhero fair (and especially one that’s not another Bat-title). At the very least, if you’re looking for a comic that’s different from the majority of what’s on the stands, this issue is worth picking up.

Rating:

Brett Simon is a twenty-three year old comic enthusiast. He liked the outdated computer reference used to name a major character.

Let’s take a look at The Devil’s Carnival.

The Devil’s Carnival is about the journey through Hell for three newly dead souls: grieving father John, thieving Ms. Merrywood, and trusting and spineless Tamara. They each venture into the carnival, unaware of what has happened to them and each encounter their own trials, which they are all but doomed to fail. The trials of these souls also link to three Aesop’s fables, which the Devil is telling to a small child. I won’t spoil the ending, but it does leave some interesting questions to be answered about the world of the film and how events will unravel in subsequent films. At about 55 minutes long, this film’s simple premise actually manages to fit in quite a lot in terms of world building and plot, proving that some film makers can do in an hour what other can’t do with a whole saga.

The first thing you will notice is that, despite being on a shoe-string budget, the film looks fantastic. It’s dark, dreary, grimy, and feels otherworldly in a subtle, almost unnoticeable way. There are slight distinctions between Heaven, Earth, and Hell in the choice of color, lighting and costuming. The cinematography is as spot on as it was in Repo and uses the same creepy, gothic imagery to entice the audience. Speaking of which the costuming and make up in this movie is some of the best I have ever seen, especially on such a small budget. The carnies are all disturbing to look at, especially the hobo and Painted Doll, while the costuming for the main three in Hell are exaggerations of their roles in life which helps us to relate to them. The best done role is, thankfully, the Devil, who is more than just red paint and horns. The white-splattered face, huge nails, and house robe add to the ominous but seductive presence of the character, making him the most engaging character of the film.

Best. Devil. Costume. Ever. And he’s got the voice to match.

The music is one of the best aspects of the film, ranging from different tempos and genres to each new tale of the Devil, with an amazing cast of actors and singers to pull it off. The best song is arguably In All My Dreams I Drown, which is not part of the movie proper, for its amazing duet between Tamara and the Devil. I also greatly enjoyed Prick! Goes the Scorpion’s Tail and A Penny for a Tale whose singers completely steal the entire movie for me. I’m glad they are sticking with the musical genre because they do it so well, and manage to make the story feel whole through the use of the musical numbers rather than feeling forced. The lyrics are clever, the instrumentation is perfect for a film taking place in Hell, and they are well-balanced in their placement throughout the film. I could listen to the soundtrack all day, even if I had to personally go to Hell and retrieve it myself.

Hell can’t be so bad if it’s one big musical, right?…Right?

One of the big issues with the film is that due to the way the narrative is portrayed, the events of the film can be somewhat confusing. For example, I watched this film with a friend who was completely unfamiliar with the premise and her constant questions of “Wait, what’s happening?” or “Wait, what’s going on?” For example, when the characters first die, it is unclear how they died (except for John) or that they actually died because of how it was shot. This isn’t necessarily bad, as it forces the audience to pay attention and look for clues, but for fans new to this unique style it could be a little confusing. It doesn’t help that emotional arcs also have to be squeezed in at just under an hour, making the film feel a little rushed.

In the end, The Devil’s Carnival is a strong first step in an upcoming trilogy and really sets up the rest of the films to be just as stylistically and narratively dark. While it is short and does have some issues, I truly believe that it is worth seeing, especially if you were a fan of their first film. Part Two, entitled The Librarian, is set to come out later this year and I can’t see what else they have in store.

Rating: 

Starting off with Yuyushiki, it’s about as generic as you can get. Everything about the cute girls doing cute things genre is represented here, and there isn’t even a gimmick to separate this one (in space, in a music club, etc.). That being said, there’s nothing all that wrong about that. If you’re a fan of the genre, you’ll probably enjoy Yuyushiki as well. The show is primarily about three girls in the school’s data processing club. While this may seem nerdy, there isn’t much “data processing” going on in this club. Just some girls talking about a lot of random topics, generally for comedic effect. One mildly interesting point is that there are only 3 main girls in this show. Generally this genre thrives on 4 or more cute girls doing cute things, as you’ll find in many titles.

The three main characters of this show are Ichii Yui, Nonohara Yuzuko, and Hinata Yukari. As with most of these comedies, you have your wacky and funny character (in this case Yuzuko) and your straight man (Yui). Yukari generally follows along with whatever Yuzuko is doing, so she has been somewhat of a boring character in comparison. There are some problems you run in with just 3 main characters, though. If the characters themselves are not strong enough, or if their gimmick wears off too quickly, you’re quickly left with a very stale show. Yuyushiki toes this line, but so far has not crossed it. Up through episode six the show has been fairly enjoyable and the pace seems good to continue to the end.

A last minor point, I think the faces in this show look kind of weird. It’s hard to pinpoint, but it feels like there’s too much blank space on the faces, it looks kind of unsettling. Of course I quickly got used to it and it’s hardly a reason to knock the show (just a stylized thing), but it was a little jarring when I first picked up the show.

And now into Gargantia, one of my favorite shows this season. Suisei no Gargantia is somehow nothing I was expecting, but everything I wanted. The first episode paints this picture of war, and a soldier lost in time in a new and foreign land. Truly, from the get-go it seemed like it would be a more action-packed show than what it turned into. However, what it became is nothing short of stunning. As I’ve mentioned many times, I’m a massive fan of the Aria series, and Gargantia is giving me all the perfect Aria vibes.

Gargantia is a pretty simple show. Ledo, a soldier that lives in space battling aliens in a never ending war, has somehow found himself transported to a very peaceful Earth. This Earth is of course a little bit different from our own, since it’s entirely covered in water. The people of this Earth live on massive floating barges, that live simply on whatever currents are in the water. Ledo and his Machine Caliber (his mech, of course!) Chamber find themselves in this strange land free from war and strife (mostly) and must adapt to this new, calmer lifestyle. It’s really something to watch at first, but the two of them begin to adapt quite well.

One of the best parts of this show is the art and set pieces. Everything looks gorgeous and beautiful, from the barge they call a city to the endless ocean around them. And of course the character designs are done by Hanaharu Naruko, someone whose designs I really enjoyed in titles such as Kamichu. All the blues and greens are easy on the eyes and just serve as another point of comparison to draw between this show and Aria, as both heavily focus on the water surroundings. Gargantia is a nice, calming show that looks like it has the potential to end up one of the season’s best. Things can change in a heartbeat though so stay tuned!

Let’s take a look at their new indie single, Samidare Bijo ga Samidareru.

Here is the music video with subtitles provided by Hello!Project:

The lyrics, from what I have gleaned, are more nuanced than the very rough and literal translation done with the company and thus make it very hard to make a translation into English. For example, the title is officially translated as “Samidare Girl It’s Crazy” but other have translated it as “Early Summer Rain Beauty is Crazy,” which is also a reference to people. That being said the official subs are awful for this video, so I wound up reading a modified translation here. The lyrics are essentially about a girl (or perhaps girls, depending on the context) are coming out and growing into maturity, essentially coming into one’s own. It’s a good sentiment, not lovey dovey like their first indie single, Watashi ga iu Mae ni Dakishimenakya ne. Overall, they are enjoyable lyrics, though perhaps not the most unique.

If we’re going to compare it to their first song, however, the dancing really declined from one single to the other. The first was full of energy and complex moves, hair flying and fists pumping. This one, on the other hand, is full of arm flailing, awkward positions, and a decidedly unenergtic feel, which is a real shame because these girls can dance. It could be due to the fact that performing complicated dances during concerts makes them more out of breath and thus makes the song sound worse, to which the easiest solution would be to simplify the dance. As it stands, however, it just looks awkward and sloppy at most times. Still, at least the costume choices are subtle and fresh, not bombarding us with the members colors as this particular agency likes to do.

I guess they figured associating them with various fruits was enough of a torture that they could skip the taffeta and frills.

The music video itself is pretty plain. It’s a black background with lanterns hanging from the ceiling, with occasional shots of the different girls holding parasols. The background for their first single was simple, but elegant with the use of lighting. This looks sort of cheap and generic, almost like something you’d see at a party, or in one of those fake music videos people make for karaoke machines. The lanterns add a nice tough of color but even they just look generic and not very interesting. The flood lights in the back help add depth because otherwise it’d look flat, but it is also hard to unseen once you’ve noticed it, like lens flares. The scenes with the parasols do help to change it a bit, and give the girls something to do other than stare directly into the camera. It’s not a bad video, there just isn’t very much there.

When I saw this, my mind instantly thought they were going to hit the lanterns like piñatas – no idea why.

The vocals are one of the saving graces of the song. While I had some doubts about the singing abilities from this group, since as eggs they have only had some training and some background dancing with some of the bigger group’s concerts. In their first single and subsequent live performances they seemed a little shaky though trying. The song wasn’t as good for their voices as a group as it could have been, but that was fixed with this single. They sound more together, and better harmonized overall. The instrumental is heavily rocked based, which works for the tone of the lyrics and their vocals more so than the pop-jazz did from their previous single.

Samidare Bijo ga Samidareru in and of itself is an okay song – it holds together well but it is certainly not going to be on my most played lists. It’s a good stepping stone forward in their career as a group and hopefully shows that they are in fact ready for the big time. This group, I believe, could do very well if given a chance and certainly has a lot of talent, which is partially showcased in this track.

Rating:

Hey guys Fenrir here with a rather quick bite of some Food for Thought! School winding down for many of us over here in the states — it could be graduation for those of us who are part of the class of 2013, and more generally the start of a much-deserved summer after a whole year of blood, sweat, and toil. And, for those of us in the know, the end of the Spring semester also means the premiere of several student animations – and if you’re really looking to procrastinate that final take-home final, then get ready to spend some quality time with some of the best up-and-coming animated works to grace your Internet browser!

We begin with Cameron Hicks’ film entitled “An Old Dream” which is rather sweet and sincere in its simplicity, but quite moving considering the subject matter.

After this short and sweet piece we’ve got “Punctuwool” (Ugh look at that pun)by  Jacob Streilein. It’s a rather whimsical film, with interesting characters and concept that tows the line between just plain adorable and undeniably creative. He also has a wonderful grasp for expression, in my opinion, that makes the characters–from the wooly sheepclouds to their harried shepherd–stand out amongst this batch of collected videos.

We move away from the whimsical, or well not really, to deal with a real issue about social anxiety in Tom Law’s “This Actually Happens a Lot”. Definitely worth a glance, and maybe even a sympathetic nod to our poor main character who only wants to hide away in a corner, afraid he’s making it awkward for everyone. There’s a lesson in there for sure, and a sweet ending for those of you who like happy endings.

“Omelette” by Madeline Sharafian is by and far my favorite of the student films of 2013. As a foodie myself I immediately enjoyed the concept about preparing a meal for a loved one–and I find that Sharafian masterfully conveyed all the elements it takes to make a perfect meal, including a dextrous hand (Paw?) with a knife and love. It’s literally a film that comes with a hefty serving of “warm and fuzzies”, on top of rather adorable character designs that make this film a pleasure to watch.

“Basilisk” by Ami Thompson is a delightful trip–with much kudos to be awarded for character design as well as background work. As an artist myself, water is probably the hardest thing for me to color, but Ami certainly makes it look easy and rather gorgeous if you ask me. Also this is one of the films I’ve seen thus far that has wonderful pacing, and a variety of action that flows so smoothly and in ways that make sense.

“Monstrawsity” by Amy He is a fourth year thesis film that celebrates the epic in the everyday. I adore this film for its style for sure, but also for its attention to the imaginative world of childhood and how just about anything can be explained with a more interesting answer than what we know to be true.  Also, major props for visualizing the “scribble” world — and to be quite honest I can see a short of this caliber premiere on a children’s show.

Another pun-tastic title for a terribly sweet film, “Wingman” by Emily “Emmy” Choi is a fourth year thesis film with a lot of heart. It also doesn’t hurt that the film features a pint-sized feathered friend that lives up to its name. This is a film for all you love-birds out there, and for anyone looking for somebody to love, for sure.

The videos don’t stop there, of course; this small selection just so happens to be my personal favorites! You can find these and many more wonderful student films over at the Vimeo channels for both CalArts and Sheridan! And seriously, if you’re getting bogged down by finals or by the stresses of the everyday, give these animations a shot: a sudden burst of creativity is sure to be the right way to pick up your own spirit!

Annnnnd that’s all there is to this rather quick bite of Food for Thought; tune in next time for more ramblings and insights by yours truly!

Today’s episode discusses everything from upcoming superhero films to comics to favorite Transformers characters. Enjoy!

Finally after countless re-releases for a generation of consoles, Arc System Works gives us a look into a brand new Guilty Gear, titled Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- and of course the crowd goes wild. With this very fresh info, what do we know? Let’s dig in.

At first glance it looks like a typical Arc fighter, but now sporting crisp HD graphics and new designs for all your favorites. The trailer opens with Sol and Ky arguing and then engaging in their eternal rivalry. At the end of the trailer Millia is seen whipping her monstrous hair.

Everything seems like normal ASW fare with crisp clean 2D fighting with 2D graphics. Right when the fight begins, you see the camera pan all the way around. No more 2D sprites for Arc here, the series has gone “3D”. While the fight goes on in a very basic manner of competitive action with a rather cel-shaded feel, the 3D models allow the game to appear more cinematic, such as when launcher attacks are used.

Very little is known at the moment but my personal thoughts for the aesthetic choice is that I rather like it, much more than Capcom’s 3D models on a 2D plane. Perhaps it’s because I feel 3D models are very clunky to me, so ASW using cel-shaded models makes it appear as if the game is a regular 2D fighter until those fancy moment of using a super or an instant kill. The game still stays to its competitve roots but now has a source for a bit more visual flair without compromising its integrity so to speak. Needless to say, stay tuned as more info turns up.

One-Punch Man (ワンパンマン) is an ongoing webcomic series written and drawn by a user simply known as ONE that began in 2009. In 2012, it was picked up by Shonen Jump and re-illustrated by Yusuke Murata of Eyeshield 21 fame. It follows the tale of Saitama, a hero who is so super strong and can defeat enemies with, you guessed it, a single punch. However, he’s found that all his enemies pose no threat and he goes off to find stronger ones to challenge. Along the way, he meets the cyborg Genos who begs Saitama to teach him his ways and allow him to be a disciple.

While it only has three volumes so far, it has amassed a sizable fanbase and it’s not hard to see why. The manga expertly balances comedy, action and heart in a way that most shonen manga struggle with. The dynamic between Saitama and Genos is genuinely entertaining, and understands that strength of the narrative doesn’t come from wacky situations, it comes from them and their interactions. Personally, it’s one of the few manga I have enjoyed in the last few years and I hope it’s here to stay. I highly encourage you to give it a shot!