#Anyone else suffering from gacha addiction?

[bluewolfangel01]

I've begun to play another gacha game.

I can hear my wallet screaming louder at me already 😰

Gacha games aren't it's friend.

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: Which Secrets Remain For The ODDTAXI Movie To Expose?

  Hello everyone, and welcome to Why It Works. If you haven’t seen it already, let me open by saying that ODDTAXI was undoubtedly one of last year’s best shows, a modern noir mystery unlike anything else in anime. Centered on taxi driver (and walrus) Odokawa, the show details his slow, accidental involvement with a series of murders and extortion rackets as he attempts to save his friends from their own self-destructive decisions. At the same time, ODDTAXI presents an evocative portrait of modern alienation, demonstrating the dehumanizing nature of social media through its many desperate characters. And it’s a bit of a romance, and it’s quite funny … you’re really getting the whole package with ODDTAXI, whether you’re looking for a gripping page-turner, a poignant character drama, or an insightful commentary on society.

    The world at large seems to have recognized ODDTAXI’s brilliance, as in spite of its humble origins, it’s now popping up on all sorts of Best of 2021 lists. It deserves those honors and then some, but even more exciting than these accolades was the announcement of a continuation film, promising to “depict the aftermath of the shocking final episode.” ODDTAXI’s final episode resolved a great deal of the show’s conflicts, but it’s certainly true that there are still lingering questions worth answering, as well as characters I’d love to check in on a few months down the line. Today on Why It Works, let’s dig into those still-burning embers, and try to pin down what revelations ODDTAXI: In the Woods will hold!

  First off, the obvious, undeniable question left by the series’ own ending is simple: Will they catch the true killer? The conclusion of ODDTAXI saw many villainous or just-plain-misguided characters earn their just deserts, but the actual killer remains on the loose and seems not the least bit regretful of their murderous history. That fact served as an appropriately pointed capstone to the show proper, demonstrating that even with all of the surveillance state resources provided by social media, a careful monster is still just as hard to identify as ever. But given the story’s not ending there, Tokyo’s murderer-at-large now stands as the most urgent remaining variable, a lit fuse putting all its heroes at risk. I will be profoundly surprised if the ODDTAXI movie does not follow up on its unexpected killer.

    The second question is more of a technical one but just as urgent in its own way. With the events of the conclusion having resolved his traumatic block, will Odokawa continue to see the world in animal vision? Frankly, I’m guessing this is a practical choice that they’re likely to handwave in some way, perhaps by saying Odokawa “prefers to imagine the animals, but is now comfortable either way.” While revealing the cast’s true faces was an excellent surprise that naturally resolved Odokawa’s personal journey, the fact of the matter is, ODDTAXI’s animal designs are one of its most iconic features. Whether it’s based on emergent personal drama or pure aesthetic pragmatism, I’m expecting the animal designs to return for the film.

  ODDTAXI featured a number of characters who found themselves cheated, addicted, or otherwise misled by the allure of social media. Tanaka with his gacha obsession, Taichi and his followers, Kakihana and his misleading profiles — all of these characters put too much of their souls into their screens and all of them suffered greatly for it. By the end of the series, it seemed like all three of them have committed to healthier paths; but as anyone who’s suffered from compulsion or addiction knows, abstaining is a vow you renew every day, not a settled state of being. Will the lessons learned by ODDTAXI’s social media addicts stick? I’ve got some hope for Kakihana at least, but Tanaka clearly has psychological issues that simply returning to work won’t fix. Whether they succeed or fail, I’m looking forward to seeing how their stories contribute to the film drama!

    Finally, I’m sure many of you were as enchanted as I was by ODDTAXI’s awkward, charming romances. The interactions between Odokawa and Shirakawa made for some of ODDTAXI’s most iconic moments, while the idol Rui’s relationship with Baba added a strong note of sympathy to one of the show’s most morally dubious characters. I’m sure ODDTAXI’s mysteries will take center stage in the follow-up, but I hope I’m not alone in asking: Will ODDTAXI’s weird couples finally get some love in the sequel? All I’m asking for is a cute moment or two, nothing too extreme. When you write couples this charming, you have an obligation to show them off!

  That about covers my questions, though I’m also quite curious about the fate of characters like Satoshi and Shiho. With a story as rich as ODDTAXI, pursuing any lingering thread can result in unexpected rewards, so please let me know all of your own hopes for the film in the comments!

      Nick Creamer has been writing about cartoons for too many years now and is always ready to cry about Madoka. You can find more of his work at his blog Wrong Every Time, or follow him on Twitter.

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: Nick Creamer

[bitchfacetokiya-archived]

Shining Live Gacha and Gambling Addiction

A serious question for those who play Shining Live (and gacha games in general): What do you think of posting really good gacha results on social media? Do you think that other people posting lucky rolls can potentially trigger someone’s gambling addiction and/or depression over failed gambling ventures?

I for one am not addicted to gambling--one look at the price of prisms is enough to deter me from continuing rolls after I’ve run out of free prisms, even if the card is as beautiful as the latest Ren and Tokiya URs. In fact, the only time I’ve spent money on Shining Live is when I decided to go for 1% on the Japanese version. Never spending money on prisms for gacha has led me to miss out on the first few Ren and Tokiya URs. Sometimes I’d get really disappointed when I couldn’t get the UR I wanted (and even moreso if I see someone else posting theirs), but I just cope by telling myself that it’s nothing that I absolutely NEED to have; that the money I could be spending on prisms is going to something of more personal significance. At the same time, I have gotten quite a few very lucky rolls since I’ve started the game, and of course I would love to share since it makes me really happy. However, I often hesitate because, even though many of my friends seem happy for me, I’m worried that even one person may be struggling with an addiction and my post popping up on their feed could possibly stir some feelings of temptation. In the future, I’ll probably share my lucky rolls behind a post cut to give people a warning (if this doesn’t seem like a good idea or if you have suggestions on how to go about this please let me know). Does anyone have opinions on this? Have you ever spent a lot of money on a game and walked away feeling really disappointed? I suppose it’s possible to be addicted to gambling and not feel that disappointment, but I’m in no place to tell people to stop unless I know they’re suffering in some way, whether it be financially or emotionally. While I think it’s quite...incredible (for lack of a more appropriate word) to spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on a single game, I’m not one to judge what others should spend their money on and how much money they should spend on it. If you have a story to share please feel free (I typically share posts with my followers so if you want to be hidden, you can post anonymously).