The Yamada family can no longer imagine life without their adorable kitten Chi, but there’s still one major problem- their apartment doesn’t allow pets! Realising that things cannot continue as they are, the Yamadas move down the street to an apartment complex where animals are permitted. Now, Chi must adjust to her new surroundings and make friends amongst the local feline population.

Way back when I reviewed Chi’s Sweet Home, I mentioned that another 104 episodes of our favourite kitten wouldn’t go amiss, and happily, my wish was granted in the form of Chi’s New Address, the continuing and equally cute adventures of Chi and the Yamada family.

Much as I loved the first season, my one nagging annoyance about the whole thing was that Chi was being kept in an apartment where cats weren’t allowed- a story twist that was amusing at first, but clearly had a finite lifetime. Fortunately, this issue is addressed right at the beginning of this season, with a fortuitous ‘it could only happen on TV’ house moving. From then on, the series settles back into its customary level of entertaining cuteness, whilst throwing in enough originality to ensure that the format doesn’t feel tired even after another 104 episodes.

One key feature of the new series is that it features a much larger cast- not so much in terms of people (although there are some recurring human characters), but in the form of new animal friends for Chi. Her new apartment complex boasts a wealth of animals, including a fussy Persian cat, an overenthusiastic dog and a somewhat creepy rabbit, with several episodes given over simply to introducing them all. In the outside world, Chi also finds herself interacting a lot more with other cats, including Tama, a streetwise female cat who thinks Chi reminds her of her sister and Fuji-san, a venerable elder feline who speaks in riddles that all other cats interpret as great wisdom. In general it’s amusing and entertaining mix, although as in season one the capacity for the odd poignant moment is still very much in evidence.

As far as music and visuals go, Chi’s New Address is much the same as the first series- which is to say that it’s cute, low key and appropriate to the series.

Final Thoughts

Having already got the formula just right in the first series, there was no real need to change anything here, and indeed, Chi’s New Address delivers more of the same without feeling old or tired. Maybe it’s just the cat lover in me, but if anything, it felt like it ended too soon.

Tier: Gold

Seven years before the fateful events of Final Fantasy VII, one of the unsung heroes of that tale was facing problems of his own. Together with the legendary SOLDIER members Sephiroth and Angeal, SOLDIER Second Class Zack Fair is sent on a mission to recover Genesis, a former SOLDIER First Class who went rogue and turned against the Shinra Corporation. Determined to prove himself a true hero, Zack throws himself into his work, but he soon realises that there is far more going on behind the scenes than he ever suspected.

Given the amount of spin-offs now flooding the market, it doesn’t so much seem as if Square-Enix are flogging a dead horse so much as they’re flaying an elephant that is slowly sinking to its knees. Amidst all the dross and cheap cashing in, however, there are a few occasions when it’s no bad thing to jump on the bandwagon- and Crisis Core happens to be one of them.

Milking the franchise

Casting players in the role of the ill-fated Zack Fair, Crisis Core is one of Square-Enix’s more successful attempts to implement a more action-based battle system (Star Ocean good, FFXII bad). The story proceeds linearly across a series of chapters that fill in the gaps as regards Zack’s career, his relationships with Sephiroth, Aerith and Cloud and his eventual fate.

In battle, Zack has the usual menu of options available to him- he can execute sword attacks, block, dodges and use the usual array of Final Fantasy items. And naturally, since this is the world of FF7, he can also equip materia to give him a range of magic, command and support abilities. The system is solid, fast and furious, but on its own it wouldn’t be quite enough to make the game as addictive as it is.

On top of the basic system, the game also adds the confusingly named Digital Mind Wave (DMW), a set of three spinning reels bearing both numbers and the faces of important NPCs in the game. Powered by Soldier Points (SP) accumulated in battle, the DMW periodically stops, and, as with a conventional slot machine, the aim is to get three of a kind. Getting two or three of the same number activates special effects such as being able to cast magic for zero MP cost, or temporary immunity to getting knocked down, but the real reward comes when you match three character faces. Doing so activates a limit break related to that character- for example, Aerith provides healing and temporarily invincibility, whilst Sephiroth empowers Zack to perform a powerful multi-hit attack.

That’s not all the DMW has to offer, however; over time, it also gains Summon Mode, in which Ifrit, Shiva and selected other FF summons can make an appearance to deal out damage, and a special Chocobo Mode, where the FF ‘mascot’ characters such as Chocobo and Moogle create special effects. The DMW is also responsible for levelling up both Zack and his materia, which adds an element of chance that makes conventional grinding pointless.

When it comes to getting geared up for a mission, everything is taken care of within the menu screen- even the shops are hidden away there. For story reasons, Zack cannot change his weapon, but he is free to customise his accessory and materia setup as the player wishes. After a certain point, you also gain the ability to fuse materia, a useful ability which enables you to access powerful magic which is unavailable in the shops.

If the linearity of the main game disappoints you, then fear not, because the game has plenty in the way of optional missions, complete with a full range of rewards. Unfortunately, the sheen of this additional mode soon wears off, because in the end, they are all much the same. With so much else packed onto the UMD, there seem to be room for only a handful of maps on which missions take place, and all of them consist of battling through monsters to get to a boss enemy who must be defeated to clear the mission. And although it’s easy to initially be fooled into thinking encounters are random when on missions, you’ll soon realise that they’re triggered when Zack steps on particular spots on the map- even if you just defeated a monster in that exact place mere seconds earlier! By the time your enemies get strong enough to start spamming cheap instant death attacks, you’ll have mastered the art of hugging the walls to avoid fighting anything except the mission boss. The fact that you can’t even grind to level up for a particular mission makes the process all the more painful.

Story: we know how it must end

There aren’t that many games out there where you know that the hero is going to die an ignominious death at the end, but as anyone even vaguely acquainted with the FF7 franchise will realise, Crisis Core is one of them. The later chapters of Zack’s story are as well known as they are depressing, but in addition to that, the game also comes up with its own story that segues into the tale of Cloud’s struggle against Sephiroth in the original game.

To that end, Crisis Core expands upon the ‘One Winged Angel’ theme, introducing two more legendary SOLDIERs to stand alongside Sephiroth- the brilliant and poetic Genesis and Zack’s mentor, the stoic Angeal. Both stand at the centre of a tale of dark experiments, alien cells and false copies- and if you thought making logical sense of the original FF7 story was hard enough, you’ll be tying yourself into knots trying to make some kind of vaguely logical sense of the events of Crisis Core. It’s certainly several grades above the pointlessness of Advent Children, but if you don’t want to succumb to the same madness that claims Genesis and Sephiroth, just accept it as pure hokum from the outset.

That being said, the game does do rather well at characterisation- as the heart of the story, Zack is likeable rather than generic, and his untimely end is none the less poignant for being completely unsurprisingly. Both established characters and the ones introduced for this game are painted in bold, vibrant strokes- they may not always be the most complex of personalities, but you’ll enjoy spending time with them.

Audiovisual

Technology has come a long way since 1997, so much so that a handheld game of today such as Crisis Core looks a lot better than the once groundbreaking console title that is Final Fantasy 7. The game looks good and plays smoothly, with the only problem being that the disk space taken up by the lavish cut scenes is what forces the game to have so few map environments in which to set its many missions.

In both visuals and music, the game stays true to the style and atmosphere of the original whilst giving the presentation a once-over so that it doesn’t feel dated. Familiar locations such as Midgar and Nibelheim have been recreated well, whilst the soundtrack mixes in new material with updates of familiar themes such as a rock version of the original’s boss music, now used for epic battles against summoned monsters.

Final Thoughts

Although it’s easy to accuse it of being the latest in a long line of lazy Square-Enix cash-ins, Crisis Core is in fact an enjoyable game to play. If it can make an old cynic like me feel nostalgic for the days when FF7 was the last word in RPGs, it must be doing something right.

In a world where gods and demons have come to live alongside us, seventeen year old Tsuchimi Rin lives a normal life in the home of his childhood friend Kaede. Everything changes, however, when the kings of the gods and demons move in either side- since both have beautiful teenage daughters who believe that Rin promised to marry them many years ago! As Rin struggles to cope with his new, vastly more eventful life, he must unravel the secrets of the past and search deep within his heart to discover which of the girls he truly loves.

The archetype of the harem series, Shuffle brings us everything we would expect from the genre, starting with an unremarkable and perennially indecisive male lead surrounded by girls who all adore him for reasons that are largely unclear. Within that framework, we have the usual line-up of the childhood friend, the shy girl, the forward girl, the peppy yet secretly ill girl and of course the mysterious loli. By now, few anime fans will be unfamiliar with this setup, but even so, Shuffle remains an enjoyable series in its own right.

Taken one episode at a time, there is much to like about Shuffle; the lead may be ordinary, but unlike so many others, he isn’t dislikeable, whilst each of the girls has their own dynamic to add to the series. There’s humour, character development, fantasy elements and dark pasts to uncover, all woven into one story.

That being said, all is not well when we consider the story as a whole. In an attempt to load each girl’s story with poignancy and tragedy, a degree of repetitiveness is introduced to the story, making it impossible to care as much as one is supposed to. Also questionable is Rin’s final choice of girl, which, without giving too much away, is not only unexpected, but also extremely unsatisfactory.

As with all harem series, Shuffle has quite an extensive cast of characters, all of whom are likeable in spite of their somewhat predictable personalities. The core characters all receive development in their own mini-arcs, although, as mentioned above, it does get a bit much when everyone has a similarly tragic past. Supporting characters are obviously less developed, but help to add some variety to proceedings.

Visually, Shuffle is showing its age a bit, but the basic character designs remain aesthetically pleasing enough to be memorable even amongst the modern competition. Background music is largely forgettable, although it serves its purpose.

Final Thoughts

If you can accept its flaws and brace yourself for Rin’s disappointing final choice, there is much to enjoy about Shuffle. Take it episode by episode and it stands as an entertaining example of how to properly implement the standard features of the harem genre.

Tier: Bronze+

Seventeen-year-old Komugi Nakahara works for talent agency Kiri Pro- a job that involves dressing up in ridiculous costumes, arguing about chest sizes with her rival, and lusting over pop idol Kyousuke Date. What most people don’t know, however, is that she also pulls double-time as Nurse-Witch Komugi-chan, thwarting the plans of Magical Maid Koyori and her army of evil viruses. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!

Magical girl shows are hardly thin on the ground, and, over time, magical girl parodies have become equally prevalent- to the point where something like Nurse-Witch Komugi-chan is just another title in an already crowded market. With that in mind, although the series proves to be a mildly entertaining diversion, it can hardly be said to be particularly clever or ground-breaking.

As expected, all the usual magical girl tropes are in play- the monsters of the week, the perverted animal sidekick, and of course the best friend who is unwittingly working as the enemy magical girl. Unfortunately, it’s not really sharp enough to stand out from the crowd of either magical girl shows or magical girl parodies, but it’s energetic and brightly coloured enough to be entertaining- and at only five episodes in length (six if you include special episode 2.5), it doesn’t continue long enough to outstay its welcome. Of course, neither is anything properly resolved, but that’s infinitely preferable to a more contrived ending.

As far as characters go, Komugi-chan borrows its cast from Soul Taker and casts them in less serious roles- which would be amusing thing to see, if anyone had actually watched Soul Taker in the first place.

As an OVA, Komugi-chan has plenty of money to spend on visuals, and it puts it to good use, making for brightly coloured character designs and lots of onscreen mayhem. Background music is largely forgettable.

Final Thoughts

Although it makes for a fairly entertaining diversion when you’ve nothing better to do, Nurse-Witch Komugi-chan has nothing to offer that would make it stand out from the crowd. By all means watch it if you need something that makes no demands on the brain, but don’t go in expecting anything more than a little short-term fun.

Tier: White+

The battle against the Ghoul in Divergence Eve has resonated through time and space, leaving Earth in a state of temporal flux that separates it from the rest of the universe. Suspecting that the AWOL Misaki might be the cause of the problems, Lyar and her team must travel into Earth’s past and try to set things right.

Despite being filled with fanservice and ridiculous breast sizes, the first season of Divergence Eve proved to be an enjoyable sci-fi story; as always, however, there remained the lurking fear that the second season would not live up to what had come before. Fortunately, although different from its predecessor, Misaki Chronicles proves to be well worth watching.

With all the background in place from the first series, Misaki Chronicles is able to focus more on the characters, exploring the doubts, fears and difficulties of trying to correct time and space itself. The technobabble is still very much in evidence, of course (as are the impossible bosoms), but now we have the chance to look not only into Misaki’s past, but to flesh out supporting characters such as Lyar, all the while tying up loose ends from the first series as best as possible. It can get a little confusing at times- especially if it’s been a while since you saw the first season- but overall it’s another dose of solid science-fiction.

Visually, Misaki Chronicles is much the same as the first series, with attractive female characters and unfortunately ugly CG vehicles. With several of the episodes now set in various periods of Earth’s history, the ambience of the series has changed a bit, with the enclosed, technological feel of Watcher’s Nest less prevalent than before.

Final Thoughts

Although somewhat different in tone to the first season, Misaki Chronicles is a worthy follow-up to the original Divergence Eve. If you like your sci-fi, there is no reason not to give this one a chance.

Tier: Bronze+

Risky is an apprentice shinigami tasked with sending doomed and depressed souls to the afterlife. Her opposite number, apprentice angel Safety, works hard to save those souls. Obviously, they’re both competing for the same market, but to make matters worse- they’ve also ended up sharing the same body! Now, they’ve both ended up interfering in the life of Moe Katsuragi, a young girl who believes that the boy she likes doesn’t reciprocate her feelings. Will Risky prey on her depression, or can Safety show her that things always work out for the best?

A series of short twelve minute episodes centred on the adventures of an angel and a shinigami on a time-share in the same body, Risky Safety combines Risky and Safety’s mishaps in everyday life with flights of fancy that take place across time and space. It’s light entertainment in every sense- often comical, sometimes a little too over the top, and occasionally touching.

The Flonne and Etna of the anime world, Risky and Safety steal the show at every turn with their angel/devil repartee. As you would expect, Safety is well-meaning, moralistic and somewhat clumsy, whilst Risky is more devilish and self-serving. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before in many guises, but nonetheless this diminutive odd couple are cute enough to make their antics more enjoyable than tiresome.

Rounding out the cast are a number of recurring and one-off characters, most of whom serve to motivate Risky and Safety and precipitate their latest adventure. Most of them are bland and inoffensive, although Moe, the girl who inadvertently summons the duo in the first place, is likable enough. Also worthy of note is Lani, a dog who ends up infatuated with Risky and Safety thanks to a misfired love arrow- a pedestrian joke perhaps, but still mildly entertaining.

Visually, Risky Safety is solid if not outstanding- most characters are well drawn if somewhat generic, with only Risky and Safety’s designs standing out for colourful cuteness. Background music is large forgettable, but suits the tone of the series well.

Final Thoughts

A fun little throwaway series, Risky Safety isn’t poised to win any awards for originality, but its tried-and-tested humour generally hits the spot. If you’re in the mood for some cute easy viewing, then it will make for a good time-filler.

Tier: Bronze+

When the famous problem-solver Professor Layton and his plucky assistant Luke head to the town of St Mystère to investigate the secret of the Golden Apple, they have no idea just how many mysteries await them. Fortunately, their problem-solving skills fit right into a town where every inhabitant is obsessed with setting puzzles and brainteasers, but even the trickiest riddle is just an appetiser compared to the deepest secrets of St Mystère.

The first in the Professor Layton series of puzzle games, Professor Layton and the Curious Village is the perfect game for casual DS players who are ready to move beyond Brain Training. A collection of riddles, puzzles and brain teasers, the game is easy to pick up and play, and what it lacks in replay value, it more than makes up for in addictiveness.

St Mystère

Set in the context of a framing story, the object of Professor Layton and the Curious Village is to go from place to place within St Mystère, talking to inhabitants and solving the puzzles they pose. These puzzles take the form of classic brainteasers, encompassing everything from moving blocks to try to free a ball from a maze to rearranging matchsticks and solving riddles. Many of the puzzles are straightforward for anyone with half a brain, but even the most experienced puzzle solver is likely to trip up once or twice. Fortunately, if you are well and truly stuck, it is possible to dip into your limited supply of Hint coins to unlock up to three hints per puzzle- and certainly, by the time you have the third one, it will be entirely obvious what to do.

In fact, a challenge greater than solving the puzzles is simply trying to find them all, for whilst some are essential for moving the story forward, many puzzles are optional. Talking to every character you meet is essential, as is investigating everything you can see- a random press of the stylus could reveal a hint coin or even a hidden puzzle. Luckily, any puzzles you might be in danger of missing forever are gathered up and sent to Granny Riddleton’s shack, a place where you can visit and solve them at their leisure.

To spur you on further, the game also has a number of extras in the menu. As you solve certain puzzles, you’ll unlock painting scraps which can be reassembled into a complete picture and furniture which can be used to customise Luke and Layton’s rooms at the inn (take care that you give the right furnishings to the right person). Completing the game also unlocks some challenging extra puzzles that will keep you coming back for that little bit more. True, these extras can only delay the inevitable moment when the game holds nothing more for you, but they do help to keep it interesting for longer.

Story

As a mystery tale, it is no wonder that Professor Layton and the Curious Village spends most of the game setting up various plot points, before steadily revealing them all in the closing chapters. Perhaps surprisingly, you can’t reveal or investigate these main mysteries independently- instead, you are entirely confined to following the story as the game dictates. It’s something of a shame that you can’t have a guess at the main mysteries yourself, but ultimately the point of the game is to get you solving the smaller puzzles whilst it takes care of the larger ones.

Audiovisual

Visually, Professor Layton sticks with a clean and simplistic look, eschewing the usual attractive anime styles for a more old-fashioned appearance that fits well with the series without being particularly aesthetically pleasing. Background music is similarly simple yet fitting, whilst the English voice acting is apt if stereotypical (imagine a typical English gentleman and his plucky Cockney sidekick). Overall the presentation isn’t anything special, but it fits the game well.

Final Thoughts

A fun and diverting puzzle game, Professor Layton may lack in replay value, but first time around it should prove absorbing for casual players and the more dedicated gamer alike. I probably won’t be returning to it anytime soon, but it was certainly enjoyable enough to have me looking forward to the imminent European release of the second instalment in the series.

On a normal day, three teenagers go to visit their teacher at Shinjuku Medical Centre- completely unaware of the events that will befall them. A cataclysmic event known as ‘The Conception’ transforms Tokyo into a Vortex World filled with demons and illuminated by the cold light of Kagutsuchi. Only a handful of humans survive to see this new and horrific world, including one of the three teenagers, who is granted the demonic powers he will need to survive and find his friends.

The Vortex World

SMT Nocturne sees you take on the role of the nameless hero (I chose to call him Ryuki Takeshi, and will refer to him as such from hereon in) who is given demonic powers and cast adrift to survive in a radically transformed version of Tokyo. From this point onwards, the game can be considered a somewhat dark and twisted version of Pokemon- you fight demons, recruit them to your side, and employ them in battles as you traverse this new world to find your friends.

Of course, this is no easy task, and as you wander expanses of the Vortex World, you will have to develop a liking for long, maze-like dungeons, many involving puzzle elements. You’ll be dropping through holes in the floor, getting teleported back and forth and generally finding yourself fed up with more than a few areas as you try to navigate them. Add in darkened areas and floors that can damage you (although both effects can be countered), and you will come to understand that even before you factor in battles, this game involves no small amount of commitment. Don’t get me wrong- for hardcore RPGs it’s par for the course and all good fun, but it’s definitely a game that requires no small level of patience and commitment.

The life of a demi-fiend

Battle is the flesh and blood of SMT: Nocturne, which uses an earlier implementation of the Press Turn system that also appeared in the Digital Devil Saga series. The basic idea is exactly the same: you get one turn icon per party member, with most actions consuming one icon, misses and voided attacks consuming two and criticals or passes consuming a mere half icon. The difference here is that characters take turns in order of their agility, rather than formation order- a subtle alteration that can have quite a big effect on tactics.

Of course, you aren’t going to want to fight alone (well, most people won’t, anyway), so the first order of business for any new player is to build up their party of loyal servant demons. At the beginning, a Fairy will join you, but for those looking for something more substantial, the good news is that any and every demon in the game is up for grabs. Normal demons can usually be recruited with a mix of bribes and canny negotiating skills, whilst everything up to and including bosses can be fused using the facilities of the Cathedral of Shadows. At the Cathedral, two monsters can be combined to create a new, third being, with many rules governing the process- for example, at full Kagutsuchi, a sacrifice can be offered to power up the resulting demon even more, whilst special demon types known as Elements and Mitama can be used to increase a demon’s rank or stats respectively. The possibilities are almost endless, and they must be used to their fullest to outfit a killer team.

Having a crack team of bloodthirsty demons does come with its drawbacks, however. Only Ryuki is able to replace demonic party members, use items and equip custom skills (more on this in a moment), making him the linchpin around which the whole operation must function. Given that it’s also game over if Ryuki dies, you can imagine that there’s more than one situation where you’re relying on Ryuki as healer, demon summoner and main attacker whilst everyone else has to just twiddle their thumbs. Luckily, this unequal balance was addressed in the DDS games, and by playing this one, you can see exactly why things needed to be changed.

When it comes to skills, demons have a pre-set pattern of learning particular skills as they level up, as well as a random chance of asking to change an existing skill- a risky gamble if you accept, since a useful skill could become something completely pointless. If you want to introduce new skills to your demons, you’ll have to experiment with fusion, although again there is an element of chance to this.

On the other hand, you can control exactly which skills Ryuki learns, but don’t expect that to make matters easier. Our hero learns skills by ingesting Magatama; not only does each one impart a unique stat bonus, but as he levels up, he can learn its innate skills, effectively giving him the entire range of magical, physical and support skills to choose from. Great, I hear you say, except of course that there’s a catch- you can only retain eight skills at any one time. If you choose to keep one ability at the expense of another, the discarded skill is lost forever- regardless of how much you might want, need or desire it later in the game.

Back in the field, the world you find yourself in is now controlled by the phases of Kagutsuchi- the mysterious light that appeared in the sky when the Vortex World was created. Kagutsuchi has eight phases from ‘New’ to ‘Full’, and it goes back and forth between them as you wander the world. The phase of Kagutsuchi is important to various puzzles in the game, whilst it also affects demon negotiations and fusion, especially at ‘Full’ status.

On top of all the puzzle solving you’ll have to do just to get around Nocturne’s many and vast dungeons, the game also comes with an infamous optional puzzle that involves manipulating blocks- an interesting diversion at first, but one that becomes increasingly frustrating as you struggle through its twenty consecutive levels. After dedicating the better part of a day to solving level 1-19 without help and then being forced to resort to looking up the answer to level 20 before I had to go out, it is no wonder that this is a particularly painful aspect of the game that still continues to haunt me.

An even more intense but far more rewarding optional aspect to the game is the Labyrinth of Amala, a complex five level dungeon that is progressively unlocked by fighting Fiend bosses and obtaining their Candelabra. Filled with puzzles and tough monsters, the Labyrinth is a great place for levelling up and offers plenty of rewards, including the chance to recruit Devil May Cry’s Dante as a party member. Completing the Labyrinth also alters the ending of the game, forcing you to fight a ‘final final’ boss after the regular final boss, and showing you a unique scene that isn’t really worth all the effort put into obtaining it. Still, completionists won’t be able to stop themselves from exploring the full extent of the Labyrinth.

If all that still isn’t enough for you, however, then you’ll be pleased to learn that there’s more to do. If fighting the game’s many bosses just once wasn’t enough, you can also revisit the ‘memory’ of battling them, complete with the challenge of trying to defeat them within a certain number of Press Turns. Luckily, this feature can be completely ignored, but it’s there for the more dedicated player.

Story

As one would expect from the Shin Megami Tensei series, Nocturne offers a dark, apocalyptic tale filled with demons and references to mythology- it certainly isn’t as complex as the worlds of Persona and Digital Devil Saga, but it’s solid enough to make for a decent game. Even discounting the special ending gained by completing the Labyrinth of Amala, the game has multiple conclusions depending on which ‘Reason’ (effectively a philosophy for the new world) your character supports, although they aren’t the kind of endings that drive you to complete the game multiple times just to see them.

Audiovisual

With its functional cel-shaded graphics, Nocturne creates the right look for a dark, monster-filled world, but unfortunately it is beginning to show its age somewhat. The human characters in particular look rather generic and simplistic, although there are some attractive monster designs to make up for it. The background music has the appropriate rock/cyberpunk edge to it and makes for solid listening overall.

Final Thoughts

Although tortuous at times, and certainly a bit rough around the edges compared to the later SMT games, Nocturne’s solid core gameplay ensures that it still a worthy and enjoyable title in its own right. It’s not one for the casual gamer, but the hardcore RPG fan will certainly want to play it and exhaust all the possibilities this game has to offer.

Ever since Nyanko-sensei came into his life, Natsume Takashi has slowly learned that being able to see spirits doesn’t mean he has to distance himself from other people. But even as he juggles the responsibilities of human friendships and the Book of Friends, new challenges will arise that test his powers and make him consider his place in between everyday life and the world of the supernatural.

In its first season, Natsume Yuujinchou quickly grew on me and established itself as one of the better supernatural series out there- and with a fresh batch of manga stories to draw from, it seemed only sensible to expect the second season to keep on delivering quality material. Fortunately, not only did this season live up to expectations, it went a long way towards strengthening Natsume Yuujinchou’s already worthy reputation.

Continuing in the vein of the first season, Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou brings us more episodic tales of the supernatural, offering its usual mix of the amusing and the thoughtful to bring each story to life. From a delightful tale in which a black version of Nyanko-sensei mysteriously shows up to hideous monster intent on devouring its victim, each episode is always a treat to watch, and certainly the highlight of any viewing schedule.

In the first season of Natsume Yuujinchou, we saw our hero grow beyond his enforced isolation, and Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou continues the process. Once again, we see our hero slowly opening up to the people in his life, maintaining old friendships, establishing new ones, and even slowly breaking down the barriers he erected between himself and his foster parents. Not that Natsume is the only character on display, of course, for as well as bringing back the always solid supporting cast, this second season throws a few new faces into the mix, most notably Taki Tooru, an onmyouji and new ally who can see spirits who pass through her magic circles. Also of interest are some further insights into the character of Natsume’s capricious grandmother Reiko, whilst the delightful Nyanko-sensei remains a consistent scene-stealer.

Visually, Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou brings us more of the same subdued pastel visuals; it will never be the flashiest series out there, but it still looks attractive. Nyanko-sensei seems to be fatter than ever, but other than that the series is on a par with the first season. Similarly, background music continues to serve its purpose without particularly standing out.

Final Thoughts

After a strong first season, Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou brings us a slightly tweaked and improved formula that delivers even more goodness than ever before. Watching it is a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable experience- more of the same, please.

Tier: Gold

Yumi is nearing the end of her second year at Lillian, and there is much to be done before her beloved onee-sama Sachiko can graduate and leave her to take over the role of Rosa Chinensis. Of course, the most pressing matter is finding a petite soeur, and whilst Yoshino is pressured by Rei and Eriko to pick one, Yumi must finally make a decision. Is Touko the one she wants to give her rosary to, or is there someone better out there to join the Red Rose ‘family’?

A series infamous for its HARD YURI undertones, MariMite nonetheless managed to bring us two enjoyable seasons, before blowing it somewhat on a ridiculously over the top OVA filled with bizarre sports festivals and all kinds of love rivalry. In the space of five episodes, the OVA had destroyed most of my goodwill towards the series- could a brand new TV series bring it back?

Fortunately, with all the festivals out of the way, the series proved to be back on track, bringing us a more acceptable level of HARD YURI angst. The main focus of the season, of course, was Yumi’s attempts to find the right soeur for her (dominant or submissive? Sachiko replacement or something new?), and even though most of us must have known how it would turn out eventually, the journey was still entertaining. And fortunately, there are also a number of side stories to keep us entertained, most notably Yoshino’s own attempts to find a petite soeur.

Although there is one notable new addition to the cast this season, for the most part the focus is on the core characters we’ve come to know and love. Whilst both Yumi and Yoshino are forced to grow up a little this time around, Touko is finally becoming more likable- yes, she’s still a stroppy, contrary little princess, but every so often a more human and vulnerable side to her personality starts to show through.

As always, MariMite isn’t working with the highest budget when it comes to animation, although it still manages to look decent enough (certainly flashy effects aren’t needed for this sort of series)- and in fact overall it seems a bit more polished than the surprisingly poor-looking OVA. Similarly, the background music is the same old elevator fare we’ve come to expect.

Final Thoughts

Obviously, those brand new to the franchise aren’t going to start with this season, and those who’ve made it this far will watch it regardless, but if you’re poised on the threshold after the disappointing OVA, rest assured that MariMite is back on form for its fourth season, delivering all the angst and HARD YURI undertones we’ve come to expect from the series. Watch and enjoy it for what it is.

Tier: Bronze+