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muffinrecord · 4 years

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Whenever you have the time, what are some dynamics or aspects of the Madokaverse/the magical girl system you'd like to see explored (at all, or just more in-depth)? I know you've mentioned wanting to see an exploration of an Adjustor and her neutrality, at least.

Excellent question. This might be long. Let’s see here...

Supportive of Incubators

I mentioned it before for an OC I was working on, but I’d like to see some girls who are supportive of the Incubator’s system. I don’t mean like Tart in the manga, but like “I’m not a fan of this witch stuff but I guess it’s cool to help save the universe.” You can go online and find people who are sympathetic to Kyubey/Incubators pretty easily, so I feel like this is something that a couple of megucas could agree with.

Supportive of Witches

On the opposite end, I’d like to see some girls who are protective of witches. “This was a real person and I don’t want to give up on them.” Maybe it could be something like a fusion of Alina’s witch cube or the Kazumi manga’s take with all the girls in jars. They’re enclosed in small spaces, so not rampaging around the city, but kept safe in case a method could return them back.

What does “potential” mean?

Have we ever seen a girl that doesn’t have magical girl potential? I know Sayaka had a small amount of karma to use, but she still was able to become a magical girl.

I don’t think it’s a case of Kyubey lying either. In the Oriko manga, Oriko is able to fool Komaki into thinking she’s not a meguca by pretending not to see Kyubey.

I think this would only work if there was an element of truth to it-- that both girls without enough potential can’t see Kyubey, and that it means there really are girls without potential out there.

I guess I’m just kind of confused on how potential is graded? Some of the girls in the story seem like they’d have low potential, but they’re still megucas. I just want some clarification here.

Also I’d love to have a story about two girls, one meguca and one not able to be one. The non-meguca can’t see Kyubey (or witches, maybe?) but she still is aware of what her friend goes through and believes her. I feel like that’s a story that could be really interesting-- lots of potential conflict.

Older Magical Girls

I really don’t like the whole “megucas get weaker as they get older.” @snaamagica brought up this excellent theory, of which I’ll copy+paste:

i actually have a theory — it’s not about getting older, exactly, it’s about the emotional distance from the wish they made when they were younger. i get this idea because of kyoko — when she rejected her wish, and lost her unique power because of it. so wouldn’t it make sense that, as magical girls age, as their relation to the wish that gave them power changed because they, themselves, are changing… that their power would change, too? (Original post here).

This is a little better, but I still don’t like the concept of it. It makes Kyubey even more of an ass than he was before. You make a wish, and in return have to battle witches for a lifetime and can become one and... even if you do everything right, you’ll get weaker and not live an average human life? That is so outrageously unfair. Maybe it’s meant to be that way, narratively, but it still upsets me.

It also makes me wonder, how many magical girls die due to becoming witches, and how many to their powers waning? Think of all the magical girls in Kamihama-- shouldn’t these girls be terrified that no one is older than twenty here? Wouldn’t this be on their minds? Fuck the whole witch thing! I want to know if I’d live past twenty-five! I think what annoys me the most about this is that no one seems to acknowledge it, or if they do, it’s like Mifuyu who just wants to make sure Yachiyo will be okay.

But also, I really just want some clarification here. Do magical girls get weaker as they get older or not?

How exactly do karma and wishes interact?

So, this is more of a clarification thingy, or maybe something that would be fun to explore.

So the whole thing here is that wishes are basically miracles. You’re trading your life for a miracle that couldn’t happen otherwise. But then you add in this karma concept and it raises some questions.

What happens if someone makes a wish but doesn’t have enough karma for it? Is this why Felicia’s wish went the way it did? I don’t think Kyubey meant to be spiteful in her situation-- I headcannon that he only starts the process, but otherwise doesn’t actually decide how the wish works out himself. So maybe Felicia wanted her parents not to die because of her, but she didn’t have enough karma, so instead she just believes she didn’t kill them?

But then why is Felicia noted to be so strong in the story? If she has weak karma, then she should be a weak magical girl, right?

On that note;

Why do some wishes seem to outright fail???

This might be linked with the above. Let’s take Leila.

"I want things to go back to how they used to be between the two of us. I want Seika and I to be how we were before!"

D...Did this even get answered??? I think all it did was have Leila realize that she fuckin died. I feel like the wording isn’t that ambiguous, though I acknowledge this is translated.

What would happen if the magical girl system became publicly known to the world?

Also what if we have an AU where Kyubey told humanity all of this from the start? Making human sacrifices is a time honored tradition for humans. I’m aware that one small country town does this in Arc 2, but I’m talking a global scale here.

...

I think that’s it for now, haha. Thank you for asking!

#Anonymous #Muffin Record #Ask Muffin #Long Post #Magia Record

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hazeldough · 4 years

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okay while i’m playing judgment (i’m only at the beginning of ch 4 before meeting with higashi ahdfsdf) and i have SO many thoughts-- mainly what if 6 didn’t happen?

like do not get me wrong-- i love 6 and it’s my second favorite game, right behind 0, but i also wanna see everyone’s daughter haruka kick some ass!!!!

im gonna rattle off of headcanons and just overall thoughts

basically Y6 never happened, or won’t happen until at least 5 years later

Haruka is 20 years old

Haruka arrives in Kamurocho in 2017 and went to Akiyama for help after doing odd jobs

Stuff happens at Sky Finance, and Yagami gets involved. Haruka wants to help because Akiyama is currently indisposed and Hana needs to manage Sky Finance in his absence.

While solving Akiyama’s case, Haruka and Yagami bond a bit because they both have a past they keep on getting reminded of by other people that they don’t want to bring up.

They also walk in on Kaito’s expulsion from the Matsugane family

After they close the case, Haruka asks if she can join Yagami Detective Agency and Yagami lets her on, because she’s been really helpful and insightful when it comes to talking to people and finding clues.

Also she doesn’t fear most yakuza and honestly Yagami and Kaito are really impressed by that

The overarching story would be how Haruka is waiting for Kiryu to be released from prison, but he never turns up so she’s WORRIED

Yes, it’s Tojo Clan drama again

The main theme is everyone acknowledging how important Kiryu is to them and also acknowledging that he’s been the band aid solution to Tojo Clan problems since 2005

Haruka’s main goal is to get her dad to actually live life as a civilian

Haruka’s side story would be her helping out an agency on its last legs and offering her expertise as a former idol for the people there

She says that she isn’t sure if people would be okay with her on and each substory or progression would be people understanding that she’s a good person and so is her dad

It’d be a combo of Majima’s cabaret club where there’s some aspect of micro managing and Y5′s dance battles where Haruka has to do them again to enlist new dance instructors, vocal coaches, or security

Haruka gets 3 mentors and 4 fighting styles in total, something similar to Y0 where the 4th style is unlocked after completing her side story

Honestly, this is where most of my self indulgence goes-- as if this isn’t all already self indulgent lmao

Miss Tatsu - Beast style

Miss Tatsu is introduced when investigating Akiyama’s case and they run into her while she’s out collecting

Miss Tatsu talks about an old acquaintance of hers and Haruka connects the dots along the way.

Haruka’s brute strength is built up and it’s REALLY focused on flow and momentum.

Nair - Parrying

Nair is introduced also while investigating Akiyama’s case and she’s back because she needs Yagami’s assistance

Nair teaches Haruka a more balanced fighting style, but with a focus on parrying and using her enemy’s strength against them

Areshi - Breaker

Areshi is introduced when Haruka’s side story opens up

He’s an instructor now, but he still wants to make a break

Areshi helps Haruka develop the skills she learned as an idol into battle

Komaki is present and offers help, but Haruka would say that she wants to develop her own path-- so he’s just there as a pillar of support.

Haruka’s 4th style combines the above 3. I’d like to think that she’d basically be a human beyblade at some point, maybe as a heat action LMAO

Haruka’s dynamics with everyone!!

Akiyama, Yagami, and Kaito have BIG uncle energy lol

Akiyama watches out for her the best he can, but entrusts her to Yagami since she’s working for him

Haruka and Yagami get along bc of similar feelings towards their past

Haruka gets along with Kaito because he reminds her of her dad and Rikiya

Haruka and Hana bond too!!

Hana acts like she isn’t a little happy when Haruka comments that she and Akiyama act like a married couple

Haruka and Daigo low key acknowledge each other as siblings because of how Kiryu’s acted like a father towards them

They both bond over how they were in a position they were too young for but how they grew from it

They think about while it Was troublesome along the way, they’re just glad that Kiryu put That much trust in them and that’s what motivates them

Saejima really watches out for Haruka because she kind of reminds him of Yasuko

He talks a lot about Yasuko to Haruka

Majima and Haruka are only A LITTLE awkward around each other

They haven’t really seen each other in over a decade-- maybe a LITTLE bit but not much

Majima gives Haruka a legitimate apology for kidnapping her when she was 9. Haruka says that she gets why he had to do it, but she hasn’t really held a grudge over it-- especially after Saejima told her what Majima said to him.

TEAM BATTLE THROUGH TOJO CLAN WITH HARUKA, DAIGO, SAEJIMA, AND MAJIMA!!!!

Final fight is up in the air but wouldn’t it be something if Haruka fought essentially a girlboss character LMAO

Basically the main antagonist is trying to take over the Tojo Clan and honestly she makes some good points-- but she has horrible execution of it

Since this is self indulgent: Haruka may not shoot to kill, but she may shoot as a warning

I want Haruka to be the type of character that Does refuse to kill, but also wouldn’t leave a weapon lying around within reach of the antagonist or she’d do something if the antagonist is threatening multiple lives

At the end, everyone reunites

Kiryu sees how Haruka’s metaphorically and literally fought for him and his freedom and how Daigo’s been doing his best to keep the Tojo Clan in line

One nice happy family :^)

I mainly focused on Haruka here, but I feel like it’d REALLY work if the second protagonist would be Daigo

Yes, he’s the chairman, but he has to be on his own away from the Tojo clan for Reasons lol

And then Y6 happens ( but with some differences )

#aj rambles #what was it that one tweet said? something about seeing a character and just developing more background and stuff on them?#that's me with haruka #rgg #haruka sawamura #someone enable me in haruka kicking ass indulgence #like i loved the dance battles in y5 but i also feel robbed of her throwing down y'know?#saves

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kyndaris · 4 years

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Familial Bond

With video game releases that I’m interested in few and far between (or delayed), I felt compelled to make a proper dent in my pile of shame. In truth, it was just a simple excuse for me to pull out in order for me to finally finish Kiryu’s saga by playing through Yakuza 6: A Song of Life. Unlike the last two titles in the series, Yakuza 6 returned its focus on our favourite civilian-who-looks-like-a-yakuza, Kiryu Kazuma. There would not be four characters all vying for my attention with their separate narratives that would collide in the last chapter. Would there still be some strange government cover-up bullshit? You bet! So, without stopping to wonder if I should play something a little more light-hearted after finishing The Last of Us Part II, I dived head-first back into Kamurocho.

Yakuza 6 starts right at the end of Haruka throwing away her cherished dream because she could not continue lying about her family. Despite Haruka’s best attempt at reuniting with both the other orphans at Morning Glory and Kiryu, her father-figure is almost immediately arrested on trumped up charges of assault. With Kiryu’s decision to cleanse himself of his sins, however, Haruka is left at the mercy of the media. Unable to deal with the negative press, she then flees Okinawa to allow her pseudo-siblings the chance at achieving their own dreams without casting a shadow.

The motivation felt incredibly shallow as it all played out, considering that Haruka barely called the other children during her three years stint away. When Kiryu returned, it was understandable that he would be somewhat outraged to find Haruka gone. I’m not entirely sure who looked after the rest of the orphans. Maybe Ayako? But where would they have obtained the money to be properly fed and clothes? Were the subsidised by the government? Plot holes aside, Haruka’s disappearance was enough to spur Kiryu back to his old stomping grounds to find out what had happened to his young charge.

In Kamurocho, however, many things have changed. Increased tensions between the Tojo and the Saio triad now pushing into the area have put people on edge. But as Kiryu wanders around, hoping to find clues on the whereabouts of Haruka, he is informed that she was involved in a hit-and-run. And SURPRISE! there’s now a baby in the mix.

With such an odd beginning, it took some effort for me to properly click with the story. Like many, I had placed Haruka on a pedestal. The fact that she became pregnant and had birthed out a son seemed unfathomable. And then for the child’s father to have been a member of a small yakuza family in Hiroshima AS WELL AS THE HEIR TO THE SAIO TRIAD was a bit much to take in.

As such, it was imperative that I distracted myself with almost all the substories and side activities that were on display. And there were many. From being the manager of a baseball team to ousting a corrupt gang from the streets of Kamurocho. I very much liked the spearfishing elements as they brought a new dynamic to the gameplay that I was accustomed to when it came to the Yakuza series. The reintroduction of Pocket Circuit Fighter was also a fun distraction.

But, of course, how could I forget Ono Michio? Though it was widely out of character for the usually serious Kiryu to don a mascot outfit with a huge tangerine head, I found these moments of levity enjoyable. They also proved to be a great distraction from a plot that only picked up steam in the latter half of the game, which was prone to spamming players with copious amounts of revelatory cutscenes in the last two chapters.

And yes, why has NO ONE ELSE ever thought to use SKI MASKS to hide their IDENTITY BEFORE? Once they were pulled out of the proverbial hat, it made little sense that none of the main characters ever thought to use such a disguise in their more nefarious crimes.

Also, chucking Haruto around like he was a football IS A TERRIBLE IDEA! THIS IS A BABY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT!! True, he might have enjoyed being thrown up into the air, but one does not simply pass him around as if it was a game of rugby. Honestly, story writers, do you have any lick of sense?

Then, of course, the narrative had to force Kiryu into trying to dig deeper into the ‘secret of Onomichi.’ Though Haruto’s life was not in any further danger, Kiryu’s endless curiosity to find out more served to elongate the story for a couple more hours - with a final confrontation that saw Kiryu shot three times and losing consciousness with Haruka bearing witness to his ‘final moments.’

Overall, the narrative was serviceable in that it allowed for a proper send-off to Kiryu Kazuma. After ten years of playing as the Dragon of Dojima, it was appropriate that Yakuza 6: A Song of Life made so many allusions to the previous titles - mostly in the character arcs. Unfortunately, since the title was solely focused on Kiryu, many of the other characters that fans fell in love with such as Daigo, Majima and Saejima took a backseat. I also disliked how even as the story focused on Haruka’s disappearance and her child, she remained in a coma for most of the chapters.

Unfortunately, Doctor Emoto and Komaki were absent. And I missed the silly revelations.

The underlying message of family and the bonds between people left a strong impression on me. After the previous game’s very strong hammer of DREAMS, I was relieved to see that Yakuza 6 kept it subtle and a little more tasteful. In fact, the comparisons between the Lo and Iwami family were excellent in highlighting the importance of understanding one’s children and maintaining a good relationship. I also liked how families were also not solely defined by blood ties. This was particularly evident in the adoptive family feel that came from the Hirose Family and Kiryu’s own experience of growing up as an orphan and seeing Kazama Shintaro as a father-figure.

Gripes aside, I enjoyed the new songs Yakuza 6: A Song of Life brought into the world. My favourite was ‘Today is a Diamond.’ My least, ‘Fork in the Road.’ But that was mostly due to the game not reading my inputs. After searching on Google, I discovered that I was not the sole person that had encountered the bug. I also very much liked the gym portions of the game and scouting out hidden cats around the cities.

The one side activity that I was a little hesitant to repeat after completing it once was the live chat. Kudos to the translators that played an instrumental role in making some of the dialogue hilarious. Truth be told, however, it was the less savoury moments of the game and I am glad that I never discovered the photography section of Yakuza Kiwami 2.

What I also liked was the Chinese. Gone was the halting and incorrect pronunciations from Tanimura. The truth is, though, they probably actually hired Chinese actors to give the Saio Triad proper lines. While some of the translations were not exact, they still managed to accurately portray the meaning behind the words and phrases used.

The combat was also very reminiscent of Yakuza Kiwami 2 with experience points separated into strength, agility, spirit, technique and charisma. It was a little annoying that normal mobs could still reduce my health by such a large amount, but it did feel balanced. I doubt it would have been fair if I just blasted through every fight with just one punch. Although, that would have been entertaining to see.

Yakuza 6: A Song of Life proved to be a decent send-off for one of my favourite characters. Though there were stumbles along the way, it was a solid adventure that kept quite a bit of intrigue. As a writer, however, the plot did feel quite contrived in places, but I swept it aside.

Now with the pending release of a new generation of console, I’ll need to hurry if I want to remain on the front-lines of not-gaming-journalism. Of course, with Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon still on the horizon, it won’t be long before I’ll be back on the streets of Kamurocho. Then again, I still have Judgment to get through...

#yakuza 6: a song of life #yakuza #video games

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trustinginthelight · 5 years

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" I may or may not have eaten all the chips . ---" / for komaki

ctrl+f isn’t helping me find this meme so ayyy no link this time

“That whole thing?! That was supposed to be for all of us!” Letting out a grunt of mild irritation, Komaki settled herself down on the edge of their shared bed before lying her back down on it. Great. What a waste… They were already somewhat on a budget when it came to what they bought from the supermarket, so it really was a pain when Kakeru pulled stuff like this.

“…At least it was just the chips, but still, that sucks. I wanted some of those as a snack while I studied later, Kakeru,”

#aflyingpot #asks #each of those quarrels have meaning { komaki interactions }

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wikinews-in · 2 years

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Komaki ने लॉन्च किए 180km तक की रेंज वाले 2 इलेक्ट्रिक स्कूटर, जानें कीमत

Komaki ने भारत में दो नए इलेक्ट्रिक स्कूटर (Electric Scooter) लॉन्च किए हैं। कंपनी ने लाइनअप में Komaki LY और Komaki DT 3000 को शामिल किया है। इनमें Komaki LY के बारे में कंपनी ने कहा है कि यह भारत का पहला ऐसा स्कूटर है जो एंटी स्किड क्षमता के साथ आता है। यानि कि स्कूटर अनियंत्रित होकर गिरने या फिसलने से बच सकता है। इसके अलावा कोमाकी के नए स्कूटर्स में स्पीड और परफॉर्मेंस को लेकर भी कई प्रीमियम…

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21pgdm023 · 2 years

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#komaki #komaki dt 3000

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onlinezeal · 2 years

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#unity #scooter #electric #komakily #komakivenice #komakidt

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truyenvn · 4 years

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5 Truyện Tranh Đam Mỹ Thích Hợp Để Khai Sáng Tâm Hồn

Dưới đây là 5 truyện tranh đam mỹ hấp dẫn với đầy đủ những cung bậc cảm xúc thú vị, giúp bạn thấy được rằng tình yêu luôn đẹp và nó dành cho tất cả mọi người, không hề có sự phân biệt!

Ousama ni Kiss!

Nội dung của bộ truyện Ousama ni Kiss được nhiều bạn fangirl đánh giá là có nội dung đáng yêu, thế nên nếu bạn là fan của thể loại truyện tranh đam mỹ thì đừng bỏ qua mối tình thầy – trò đầy màu hường này.

Nhân vật chính là Maki và thầy Yoshifumi phụ trách phòng y tế của trường. Ở trường Maki nổi tiếng không chỉ bởi vì là một học sinh thông minh học giỏi, mà còn bởi tính cách ác quỷ của cậu. Sở dĩ bị bạn bè cùng trang lứa gọi là “ác quỷ, con của yakuza…” là vì nếu buồn chán, cậu sẽ dùng điểm yếu của những người xung quanh để uy hiếp họ.

Bị bao quanh bởi nhiều tin đồn không hay về tính cách, nhưng thầy Yoshifumi lại không hề cảm thấy Maki là đứa trẻ đáng ghét mà ngược lại, rất thích trêu chọc và thầy còn chủ động hẹn hò với Maki. Ban đầu thì Maki không hề đồng ý với chuyện này, nhưng bởi những điều quá đỗi ngọt ngào thầy Yoshifumi dành cho mình mà cuối cùng cả hai cũng nên duyên.

Sorosoro, Sayonara

Một tác phẩm truyện tranh đam mỹ xuất sắc lấy chủ đề về học đường và những mối quan hệ phức tạp, màu sắc của bộ truyện Sorosoro, Sayonara chắc chắn sẽ khiến bạn hài lòng. Câu chuyện này có nội dung khá bi kịch, tuy nhiên vẫn có nhiều điểm rung động đáng giá.

Nhân vật chính là một nam sinh bình thường, hiền lành tốt bụng, thật thà chất phát và đã không ngại giúp đỡ bạn mình đi… tỏ tình với người khác. Và người mà nam chính “được nhờ” tỏ tình giúp là Komaki-senpai, một nam sinh nổi tiếng trong trường vì thông minh học giỏi và còn là một tiểu thuyết gia trẻ tuổi thành công.

Cũng chính nhờ vào lần “tỏ tình thay” bạn đó mà nam chính và Komaki-senpai quen biết nhau. Làm bạn với nhau càng lâu thì nam chính càng thấy bản thân mình bị thu hút bởi Komaki-senpai. Chỉ là, không lâu sau có một tin đồn về Komaki-senpai khiến nam chính rất bàng hoàng: Komaki-senpai ngủ với các giáo viên…

40 x 40 Chikuwa Kaigi

Bộ truyện 40 x 40 Chikuwa Kaigi chính xác là một truyện tranh đam mỹ dành cho các bạn có “gu mặn”, chuyện tình của những ông chú 40 tuổi liệu có làm bạn xao xuyến?! Đây chính là một câu chuyện có “thâm niên” đến hơn 20 năm.

Nội dung tựa truyện seinen này kể về hai người bạn đã từng ở cùng phòng ký túc xá vào 20 năm trước và sau đó, vào đại học họ vẫn học cùng trường, ở cùng phòng, khi tốt nghiệp đi làm thì làm cùng công ty và mãi cho đến khi cả hai đã có vợ, thì căn hộ của họ cũng ở cùng một tòa nhà.

Sau 22 năm “bạn bè bền vững” thì vào một ngày khi vừa đi công tác về, một trong hai người nhận được đơn yêu cầu ly hôn từ vợ. Hai người bạn lại lần nữa gặp nhau, uống rượu, trò chuyện và đem hết ký ức của 22 năm trước kéo về, êm đềm dưới tấm chăn mềm…

Koisuru Daigo-sensei

Nếu bạn thích một truyện tranh đam mỹ “tốn thời gian” thì bộ truyện Koisuru Daigo-sensei chính xác là một lựa chọn hoàn hảo. Câu chuyện mở đầu với nội dung khá nhanh chóng, nhưng càng về sau diễn biến càng chậm nhịp hơn, đặc biệt là phải đến hơn 4 năm cả hai người mới nhận ra tình cảm của bản thân.

Rintarou và Kiyo là bạn thân từ thời mẫu giáo, nhưng vì Kiyo đã thú nhận tình cảm của mình một cách quá bất ngờ mà Rintarou có hơi hoảng loạn một chút. Sau đó không lâu thì Kiyo đã rời Nhật để đến Anh du học, về sau trở thành một cầu thủ bóng đá chuyên nghiệp.

Khi Kiyo về nước thì Rintarou lúc này đã là một người chuyên chăm sóc trẻ em. Suốt thời gian chia cắt, Rintarou vẫn luôn canh cánh về mối quan hệ của mình và Kiyo, để rồi cuối cùng nhận được lời thú nhận thật lòng của Kiyo: “trong suốt thời gian này, người duy nhất anh thích là em”…

Almond o Nanatsubu

Không “chậm nhiệt” như tựa truyện trên, bộ truyện Almond o Nanatsubu có diễn biến không quá nhanh cũng chẳng ch��m rãi, tiết tấu của truyện tranh đam mỹ này vừa thích hợp để giải trí, vừa đủ để suy ngẫm.

Truyện kể về mối quan hệ được mở đầu bằng sự thù địch của hai nhân viên bán hàng tài giỏi. Hazuki vốn là một người hiền lành và tốt bụng, nhưng lại không có thiện cảm với người mới chuyển đến bộ phận của mình là Watanabe.

Sau một lần được Watanabe mời đi ăn, Hazuki dường như đã hiểu hơn về Watanabe và cả hai bắt đầu thân nhau từ đó. Watanabe đã mời Hazuki đến nhà mình chơi, họ ăn lẩu cùng nhau, dành thời gian rảnh ít ỏi cùng nhau và mọi việc cứ thế diễn biến tốt đẹp. Cho đến một ngày nọ, Hazuki phát hiện bí mật của Watanabe, mối quan hệ của họ từ đó đã không còn như trước nữa…

Với 5 truyện tranh đam mỹ trên đây, trải dài từ thể loại học đường đến công sở, từ thiếu niên tuổi trẻ phơi phới đến lứa tuổi “có mùi người già”, tất cả sẽ đem đến cho bạn những giây phút thư giãn và đồng cảm cùng những nhân vật nặng nghĩa, nặng tình.

source https://truyenvn.com/tin/5-truyen-tranh-dam-my-khai-sang.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-truyen-tranh-dam-my-khai-sang

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topfygad · 5 years

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An Ideal 5-Day Chubu Itinerary for Exploring Some of Central Japan’s Best! – I am Aileen

Touchdown to Nagoya and Gujo City

Nagoya, the largest city in Chubu region, was my starting point for this journey — and it will be my end point by the end of this 5-day trip. It helps to note that I first arrived in the area by flying in to Chubu Centrair International Airport.

From there, it’s very easy to reach the city by riding 2 trains: Meitetsu-Limited Express and then Meijo Line (both takes about an hour in total at a price that starts from ¥1,410.)

◘◘ Explore the dynamic city of Nagoya

Nagoya is predominantly a manufacturing and shopping hub in Honshu. With that, some would notice the lack of ample historical buildings in the area… and well, that’s mainly because most of them were destroyed in the air raids back in 1945. Nevertheless, the city still has SO much to offer to its visitors and the #1 attraction that would most likely come to your mind is the towering presence of Nagoya Castle which also becomes a spectacular hanami (sakura or cherry blossom watching points) in the spring. Other notable sights in the city would be:

Railway Museum: featuring the advances in Japan transportation like world-record setting experimental shinkansen and more

Atsuta Shrine: one of the Shinto faith’s most important shrines because it has the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, as well as one of the 3 imperial regalia, the sacred sword Kusanagi.

Korankei: a valley near the city which is a terrific place to visit during autumn season.

Toyota sights: as Japan’s leading manufacturer, Toyota has its headquarters in Nagoya and they have various areas in the city where you can either do plant tours or museum visits.

Nagoya City Science Museum: houses the world’s largest planetariums.

If staying in Nagoya for a long time, I would recommend the following: Budget: Fushimi Mont-Blanc Hotel / Mid-Range: Hotel SunRoute Plaza Nagoya or AirBnB / Luxury: Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel

Come and check out this list of the top tours in Nagoya which features the best activities to do in the city!

• • •

◘◘ Walk around Gujo Hachiman’s highlights & try your hands at making Japan’s famous sampuru

Gujo Hachiman is a charming old castle town that’s actually famous for its food and dishes called as ‘sampuru‘. And well… these are actually inedible and they are those fake food or food replicas that you usually see in front displays of Japanese restaurants. It is said that 80% of Japan’s sampuru are made in Gujo; and because of this, there are workshops in town where you can try your hands on making your own. If you want to experience this unique activity, head over to my guide…

READ: Making Unique ‘Sampuru’ in Japan’s Fake Food Capital: Gujo Hachiman!

TIP: For a hassle-free experience you can take a trip to this location from Osaka with this day tour (that also makes stops to Shirakawa-go and Lake Biwa!

Once you’re done with making sampuru, you can explore the rest of Gujo’s sights such as: Sogisui Source (to witness Gujo’s famous water system), Jionzenji Temple (a Zen temple with a beautiful Tetsuso-en Zen garden), Hachiman Castle (with a gorgeous hilltop location), and so much more!

For a complete travel guide on things to do in Gujo:

READ: Top 10 Things to Do in Gujo Hachiman City (Gifu, Japan)

• • •

◘◘ Visit Bokka no Sato

This is basically a picturesque farming theme park that provides its visitors with an array of hands-on experiences such as dairy farming, horse riding, milking of cows, baking bread, and so much more! You can also witness their vast 4.5 hectare flower gardens in full bloom during Green Season which is from mid-April to mid-November. But just take note: tulips are in the spring, lavender in the summer, and cosmos in autumn.

While you’re here for your Chubu itinerary and you eventually finished admiring the fields and the animals, you can refresh yourself in their open-air onsen (hot spring) facility called as Makihana.

WEBSITE: https://ift.tt/2mCWyAX ADDRESS: 2756-2 Takasucho Washimi, Gujo-shi, Gifu ADMISSION: without onsen = ¥1,130 for adults, ¥930 for junior and high school students, and ¥610 for 4-year-olds to elementary students DIRECTIONS: From Gujo-Hachiman train station, ride the Nagaragawa Tetsudo (heading to 各停 Mino-Shirotori) and then get off at Mino-Shirotori Station. You can then take a taxi to Bokka no Sato which will take about 30 minutes.

• • •

◘◘ Travel to Takayama City and check-in to Hida Hotel Plaza To get to Takayama, check the transportation route that you’ll have to take on Google Maps (fastest is to go by bus with Nohi Bus, Meitetsu Bus and JR Tokai Bus). Once in Hida Hotel Plaza, enjoy a delightful dinner meal in one of the hotel’s restaurants (you should absolutely try Hida beef). Afterwards, you can enjoy the hotel’s amazing hot springs.

For other accommodation options: Budget: J-Hoppers Hida Takayama Guest House / Mid-Range: Best Western Hotel Takayama or AirBnB / Luxury: Honjin Hiranoya Kachoan

All about Takayama, Shirakawa, and Tonami

This day is all about old places and natural spots that are brimming with history and beauty; therefore, do make sure that you wear comfortable shoes and that you ready your camera!

◘◘ Enjoy the picturesque old streets and markets of Takayama City

If you’re looking for a thoroughly old and authentic traditional village, stepping in to Takayama is a must. When I was strolling through this city’s Old Town, I truly felt like I was walking through Kyoto — but unlike Kyoto that is dominantly a modern city, Takayama rather retains its traditional touch. In fact, there are buildings here that date back to the Edo period (200 to 300 years ago) which all still remained intact. Some of my favorite places are:

Sannomachi: this is the southern part of the Old Town where Edo period houses still exist. Due to its unique beauty and history, this area has become a protected sector by the Japanese government. Anyhow, as you go around, you will find several merchant houses that sell anything from food, sake (rice wine), miso (Japanese seasoning) and more. If I may share a tip, please make sure to try the Hida beef buns at Gyuman Kihachiro (喜八郎)!

Morning Market: this market started more than 300 years ago and there are a ton of shops that sell unique products and ingredients daily. It typically starts at 7:00AM up till noon and you can find them at 2 spots: Jinya-mae Market in front of the Takayama Jinya, and the Miyagawa Market along the Miyagawa River in the Old Town.

Hida Folk Village (Hida no Sato): this is an open-air museum that is a 30-minute walk away from the city (or a 10-minute bus ride from Takayama Station via Sarubobo Bus for ¥210 per ride). You can find over 30 traditional houses here from the Edo Period that are still being carefully preserved today.

Read more about my Takayama explorations here:

READ: Exploring Takayama: Japan’s “Little Kyoto of Hida”

• • •

◘◘ Travel to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Shirakawa-gō

Lying beside the Shogawa River Valley in the remote mountains of Toyama prefecture are the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Shirakawa-go (白川郷, Shirakawagō) and the neighboring Gokayama (五箇山) village. Both of these places are famous worldwide for their traditional gassho-zukuri style farmhouses that are styled like “hands in prayer”.

It’s said that some of the houses in these villages are over 250 years old and that the best way to experience the town is to stay overnight at one of the farmhouses. In the end, we didn’t manage to stay a night, but we did have a free schedule for the day. Henceforth, we opted to go to Ogimachi (Shirakawa-go’s largest village and main attraction) mainly because it was easier to access than Gokayama. We also wanted to see the inside of a typical gassho-zukuri farmhouse, so we made a stopover at Wada House (entrance fee at ¥300 for adults and ¥150 for children) where such is possible.

Wanna tour to Shirakawa-Go?

Learn more about Shirakawa-go here:

READ: Discover the Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama in Japan

WEBSITE: https://ift.tt/2ogeXz4 DIRECTIONS: From Takayama, you can take a regular bus that takes 50 minutes and costs at about ¥2,450 (round trip at ¥4,420). To see the timetables, see here. You can also go by English-guided tour buses and you can do so by choosing either iSite Takayama or Nohi Bus (costs start at ¥4,400 roundtrip).

• • •

◘◘ Stop by Tonami and experience the Shogawa Pleasure Boat

This is a 1-hour lake cruise that travels from the Komaki Dam to the Omaki Spa in the Shogawa River valley. I highly recommend doing this leisurely cruise on your way to Kurobe area especially when it’s spring, autumn, and winter season because it’s the BEST time for witnessing the surrounding landscape’s stunning beauty!

WEBSITE: https://ift.tt/2g6f8xF ADMISSION: 1-hour rides are at ¥2,800 for adults and ¥1,400 for children. For shorter cruises, it’s at ¥1,000 for adults and ¥500 for children. DIRECTIONS: Address is at = Japan, 〒932-0304 Toyama Prefecture, Tonami, 庄川町小牧27, and it’s best reached by car or taxi from Takaoka City (about less than an hour).

• • •

◘◘ Be enamoured by the colorful flowers in Tonami Tulip Gallery

This is arguably the only place in the world where you can find tulips growing all-year round due to the technology that the establishment has developed. I’m so glad they discovered such a technique because when I stepped inside the gallery, it was a wonderful surprise when I found their Wonder Garden that was full of blooming colored tulips! After all, it wasn’t the season anymore for tulips when I visited. Nevertheless, as you go further in, you’ll also find the ‘Under Farm’ section where there are more exhibits that explain the history and research of these colorful flowers.

TIP: Visit sometime around late-April to early-May and you can be a part of the famous Tonami Tulip Fair wherein the nearby park will transform into a wonderland that’s filled with varying set-ups of tulip flowerbeds (and even a wall of tulips)! …And oh, make sure to try their Tulip ice cream too when you visit.

To learn more about this place, read:

READ: Tonami Tulip Gallery: Where Tulips Bloom All Year Round!

WEBSITE: https://ift.tt/2g5ILz5 ADMISSION: for the gallery, ¥300 for adults and ¥150 for children. For the Tulip Fair, ¥1,000 for adults and ¥300 for children DIRECTIONS: If coming from Takaoka Station, ride the Johana Line heading to Johana and then stop at Tonami Station. From there, the Tulip Gallery is just a 10-minute walk away.

• • •

◘◘ Travel to Kurobe City and check-in to Unadaki Suginoi Hotel From Tonami Station, ride the Johana Line heading to Takaoka. Get off at Takaoka Station and ride the Ainokazetoyama Tetsudo line heading to the direction of Tomari. Stop at Kurobe Station and then check in to Unadaki Suginoi Hotel.

Other accommodation options in Kurobe are: Budget: Green Hotel Kisen / Mid-Range: Entaijiso or AirBnB / Luxury: Ryokan Enraku

Exploring the Cities of Kurobe, Imizu, Takaoka and Toyama

This will be more of a relaxing day as you go through several cities in order to eventually arrive at Toyama.

Now of course, once you go through the itinerary below, it’s understandable that some activities would not be up to your fancy, so feel free to substitute them with other Chubu destinations as discussed under the tab ‘Extra Days’ later on in this post.

◘◘ Ride the sightseeing train: Kurobe Gorge

The Hida Mountains or Northern Alps are one of the finest when it comes to natural beauty in Japan’s Chubu, so if you ride the Kurobe Gorge sightseeing train, you’ll surely be witnessing the best of such mountainous landscapes!

A bit of trivia: this railway was built to originally aid the construction of the Kurobe Dam; but today, it has become an 80-minute journey through Japan’s deepest gorge (narrow valley between mountains) that leads you through wonderful panoramic views, bridges, and tunnels. Take note that there are several stations that you can stop at, and they are…

Unazuki: this is the departure station in Kurobe Gorge. Before you get on the train, you can explore some parts of the town such as the quaint Tochinoyu (a small public onsen), the great view over Shin Yamabiko Bridge (red bridge that marks the entrance to Kurobe Gorge), a few museums (Selene Museum of Art documenting the surrounding nature and Kurobe River Electic Memorial Hall feautirng the history of electricity production in Kurobe River), and several walking trails to the direction of the gorge.

Kuronagi: this station offers marvelous views over the blue Atobiki Bridge. If you walk for 20 minutes away from the station, you’ll reach the Kuronagi Onsen ryokan (Japanese traditional inn).

Kanetsuri: you will find a riverside onsen bath just down the trail from this station as well as semi-permanent snow bank called as Mannen Yuki. The snow there can often pile so deep that it can last through summer!

Keyakidaira: this last station has a lot of amazing spots namely Sarutobikyo Gorge (a gorge cutting into a rock by the Kurobe river), Okukane Bridge (an Instagram-worthy red bridge), Ashiyu (a foot bath below the Okukane Bridge), and Hitokui Iwa (a path found over the Okukane Bridge that has been cut into the steep cliff).

TIP: It’s best to come during late-October to early-November to witness the incredible autumn foliage around the gorge WEBSITE: https://ift.tt/1g3fpvY HOURS: 8:00AM to 4:30PM (last departure at 3:40PM) ADMISSION: ¥1,710 yen (one way from Unazuki to Keyakidaira; you can purchase tickets going back to Unazuki at Keyakidaira) DIRECTIONS: From Kurobe city, go to Dentetsu-Kurobe Station to ride the Chitetsu Line heading to Unazukionsen. Stop at Unazukionsen Station and then walk for 2 minutes to the direction of Unazuki Station.

• • •

◘◘ Feast on fresh seafood at Shinminato Kitokito Market If you’re driving a car, you can stop by this seafood market for lunch. Though… if it is possible for you to visit in the mornings, you can witness the unique and exciting auctioning process in the market as they sell the day’s freshest catch (famous of which are their King Crabs and Snow Crabs.)

ADDRESS: 1 Kaiomachi, Imizu, Toyama, 934-0023

• • •

◘◘ For Doraemon-lovers, stop by Fujiko Art Gallery If you happen to grow up watching the famous Japanese cartoon/anime, Doraemon, this art gallery would be quite an interesting stop along the way so that you can learn more about the artist behind it all.

WEBSITE: https://ift.tt/2iszfXA ADMISSION: ¥500 for adults, ¥300 for high school students, ¥200 for 4 years & older or primary students, and FREE for 3 years & below ADDRESS: 〒933-0056, Takaoka Art Museum 2F (1-1-30　Nakagawa, Takaoka, Toyama) DIRECTIONS: From Unazukionsen Station, head to Shin-Uozu via the Chitetsu Line. Afterwards, transfer to Uozu Station to get to Takaoka Station via the Ainokazetoyama Tetsudo line.

• • •

◘◘ Stroll through the rows of latticed houses in Kanaya-machi

Take a trip back in time during the Meiji and Taisho periods as you visit this townscape that often appears in Japanese film and dramas. After all, it’s amazing how this 500m-long stone road is still preserved magnificently along with the surrounding old latticed houses.

DIRECTIONS: This is just a 20-minute walk away from Takaoka Station.

• • •

◘◘ Have some coffee and snacks and lounge at Fugan Canal Kansui Park This vast park is a beauty especially during spring (sakura or cherry blossom season). In fact, we were told that this is the most beautiful Starbucks coffee shop in the world during that season. Nevertheless, it’s definitely a great spot to relax in and to enjoy the nearby park and sights.

DIRECTIONS: From Takaoka Station, ride the Ainokazetoyama Tetsudo line heading to Toyama. Get off at Toyama Station’s north gate and it will be just a 15-minute walk to Kansui Park.

• • •

◘◘ Travel to Toyama center and check-in to Toyama Dai-ichi Hotel From Kansui Park, head to Toyamaeki Station and ride the Chitetsu Toyama Line heading to the direction of 各停 Minamitoyamaekimae. Get off at Sakurabashi Station in which the Toyama Dai-ichi Hotel Hotel is just a 4-minute walk away.

Other accommodation options in Toyama are: Budget: Toyoko Inn Toyama Ekimae / Mid-Range: Toyama Excel Hotel Tokyu or AirBnB / Luxury: River Retreat Garaku

• • •

◘◘ Try a Toyamawan-Sushi set for dinner

It’s a MUST to try Toyama’s seafood because given the city’s location, everything is always freshly caught! Costing at only ¥2,000 to ¥3,500 for a 10-piece Toyamawan-Sushi set (this is a fixed price across all sushi shops), this meal will offer you the finest sushi made from fresh local fish and the delicious Toyama Prefecture rice.

Alternatively, you can also try the Toyamawan-Sushi Kaiseki Hospitality set menu that offers fresh sushi and the restaurant’s finest dishes. For a list of restaurants that you can get these standard sets from, see here.

Snow and Wasabi

For this day, make sure that you dress accordingly since we’re going closer and UP to the Northern Japan Alps’ famous Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route!

◘◘ Experience Japan’s famous mountain sightseeing route: Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

Known as the “Roof of the Japan”, this unique route goes through the lush scenery of Mt. Tateyama for 90km long as you traverse through several stops on various vehicles (a bus, a cable car or a train) — with the highest elevation at Murodo station (at 2,450 meters high).

A lot of people actually go through this alpine route for days as they make the most of the mountain scenery and hiking trails; but since we’re pressed for time, we went from Tateyama Station (the start of the route) up to Shinano-Omachi station (the end of the route) within just a day as we made stops along the way to see:

Snow Corridor or “Yuki-no-Otani” (Snow Wall Walk): as the name implies (and as what the photos above show you), this is an AWESOME place where you can walk through a road that’s surrounded by 20-meter snow walls on both sides (the road is from Bijodaira to Murodo — with the one around Murodo as the most spectacular). This is only open from mid-April to mid-June though, so make sure that you time your visit well! This was made possible because the region has one of the heaviest snowfalls in the world.

Tateyama Ropeway: this is a breathtaking 1.7km ropeway that does NOT operate with any support towers, making it Japan’s longest one-span ropeway! Due to its design as well, you can have grand views over the landscape as you go down (it looks exhilarating especially during autumn and winter).

Kurobe Dam: With a height of 186 meters, this is Japan’s tallest dam! The main reason why this is a fantastic place to hang out in is because during late-June to mid-October, the view from when the water gets discharged is quite incredible.

TIP: For a hassle-free experience you can take a trip to this location from Nagoya or Kanazawa with this day tour!

To see a detailed narrative of what we did, you can read:

READ: The Roof of Japan: Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route!

If you rather want to spend days to fully explore Tateyama Kurobe, head on to their main website to get a full list of activities to do.

TIP: Note that the Alpine Route is inaccessible from December to mid April. WEBSITE: https://ift.tt/2mZPJET TICKETS: It’s best to buy the Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass which covers all transportation on this alpine route. DIRECTIONS: From Toyama city, go to Dentetsu-Toyama Station. Ride the Chitetsu Line and get off at Tateyama Station (which is the start of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route).

• • •

◘◘ Visit Japan’s largest wasabi farm: Daio

Before the day ends, as you make your way to Matsumoto, there’s a place that you should NOT miss out: Daio Wasabi Farm which is the largest wasabi farm in Japan (at 15 hectares)! In this venue, you will not only learn more about how wasabi is grown and made (which mind you, has a very interesting science behind it that’s worth knowing about!), but you will also get to enjoy its beautiful terrain that’s filled with lovely watermills and rivers backdropped by the Alps. You could even buy freshly picked wasabi in their store and taste their wasabi-flavored ice cream(among other wasabi-themed products).

ADDRESS: 1692 Hotaka, Azumino, Nagano ADMISSION: FREE DIRECTIONS: From Shinanno-Omachi Station, take the Oito Line heading to Matsumoto. Get off at Hotaka Station. From there, you can take a taxi to the farm (takes 10 minutes) or you can rent bikes in front of Hotaka St. for ¥200 per hour.

• • •

◘◘ Travel to Matsumoto and check-in to Hotel Buena Vista Matsumoto From Hotaka station, get on the Oito Line again and drop off at Matsumoto Station. It will be just a 7-minute walk to Hotel Buena Vista Matsumoto.

Other accommodation options in Matsumoto are: Budget: Southern Cross Inn Matsumoto / Mid-Range: Richmond Hotel Matsumoto or AirBnB / Luxury: Gosenjaku Hotel

From Matusmoto and Ina, and back to Nagoya

It’s now the last day and you’ll be slowly making your way back to Nagoya. Don’t forget to buy souvenirs back home!

◘◘ Enjoy the alluring city of Matsumoto

This mountain city is actually famous for its Matsumoto Castle which is said to be one of Japan’s most beautiful original castles given that it is one of the most complete up to today. So before leaving the city, make sure that you make a stop to this landmark for your Chubu itinerary. Besides, this castle is unique because of its black wood paneling, making it a nice contrasting figure to the surrounding sakura or cherry blossom trees during spring season.

While you’re at it, walk over to the nearby Nakamachi-dori which is a street full of old buildings that have been nicely preserved over the years — notable of which are the kura or warehouse-type buildings that have white painted walls.

TIP: For a hassle-free experience, you can book tickets online to ride the Matsumoto hop-on hop-off bus tour!

To get more ideas on what to do in Matsumoto, read my post:

READ: Top 10 Things to Do in Matsumoto

• • •

◘◘ Make your own soba and have it for lunch at Miharashi Farm

Miharashi Farm is one of the largest agricultural farms in Nagano prefecture and you can enjoy fruit-picking goods like strawberries (from January 1st to the middle of June), blueberries (from early-September to late-October), apples (from late-August ot late-November) and so much more! There are also an array of other food experiences that you can do in the farm and one of my favorites would be the making of soba (Japanese buckwheat) noodle.

Read all about my soba-making experience here:

READ: Fruit Picking & Making Soba Noodles at Nagano’s Miharashi Farm (Japan)

ADDRESS: 3447 Nishiminowa, Ina City, Nagano 399-4501 DIRECTIONS: From Matsumoto Station, ride any of the following lines: Shinonoi, Chuo, Iida — in order to get to Inashi Station. Hail a taxi and it will only take you 15 minutes to get to the farm.

• • •

◘◘ Go back to Nagoya

From Matsumoto Station, you can easily reach Nagoya in just 2 hours by riding the JR Shinano Line to Nagoya Station. At this point, you can prepare for your flight and explore places in Nagoya city that you didn’t manage to visit on the first day.

As for me, what I did for this time was to go shopping at Don Quijote for souvenirs (the branch here in Nagoya was HUGE!) as well as dine at Sekai no Yamachan — a famous izakaya (Japanese pub) in the city that serves flavorful “legendary chicken wings”!

Substitute Destinations

In case you want other destination ideas for Chubu region, I would highly suggest the following…

◘◘ Go back in time and walk the old Nakasendo Road along the scenic Kiso Valley

Back in the olden times, there was an ancient 70km trade route called Kisoji that was made along this valley. Later on, it was combined with other routes thereby forming the 500km-long Nakasendo (“path through mountains) which was one of the important means of transportation for old Edo and Kyoto. Over time, ‘post towns’ were developed because travel was mostly done by foot (due to strict rules by the shogunate). Today, there remains 3 preserved post towns on Kiso Valley and they are Magome, Tsumago and Narai. As a visitor, you can explore these historic paths as well as enjoy the authentic ancient feel of these wooden towns.

I had the pleasure to go through this valley myself and you can read about my journey here:

[ COMING SOON ]

• • •

◘◘ See the resort town of Karuizawa If you’re looking to escape the summer heat, heading to this mountain resort town of Karuizawa should be up on your list. Truth be told, due to its prime weather and location (just an hour away from Tokyo by shinkansen), a lot of wealthy people live here. Come and learn more about this place here.

• • •

◘◘ If you’re into hiking and nature, visit Kamikochi With wondrous mountain sceneries, you can enjoy a day in Kamikochi by hiking along one of its many trails along the Azusa River. Just remember that access here is closed from mid November to mid or late April. For things to do, see here.

• • •

◘◘ Visit the wild snow monkeys at Jigokudani Monkey Park in Yamanouchi

Have you ever seen those adorable photos online of monkeys bathing in a natural onsen (hot spring)? Well you can visit it yourself in Jigokudani Monkey Park! Those monkeys are called as Japanese Macaques or ‘Snow Monkeys’ and they are very accustomed to humans so you can watch them play up close in this park (which is their natural habitat). The park is open all year but if you want the best photos of the monkeys, come during January to February when the park is covered in blinding white snow and the monkeys come bathing in the hot spring.

ADMISSION: ¥800 TOUR: You can do this as a day tour from Tokyo by booking online.

• • •

◘◘ For a typical Japanese hot spring or onsen town, go to Okuhida One should NOT leave Japan without experiencing an onsen town — if not a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn). If you’re already at Takayama area, getting here will only take you an hour by bus.

• • •

◘◘ Go to Kanazawa Kanazawa is yet another town that has some well-preserved landmarks from the olden times of Japan, some of which are: Nagamachi (a former samurai district) and Higashi Chaya District (one of the many chaya or teahouse entertainment districts where geisha perform). Another attraction that you could stop by is Kenrokuen which is said to be one of Japan’s 3 best landscape gardens.

TIP: For a hassle-free experience, you can take a guided Kanazawa Sightseeing Tour.

• • •

◘◘ Explore Niigata and Sado Island

I did a separate trip before to Niigata prefecture and I instantly fell in love with it! So if you’re up for tasting the best Japanese sake and sushi (I’m NOT kidding about this) and meeting REAL geisha (Japanese entertainers) at an affordable price among many others, then you MUST make a stopover to this area. For detailed travel guides on what you can do in Niigata, read my posts here:

READ: Niigata travel guides

from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/2m7Yt04 via https://ift.tt/2NIqXKN

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operationrainfall · 7 years

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Title Yakuza Kiwami Developer Sega Publisher Sega Release Date August 29, 2017 Genre Action-adventure Platform PS4 Age Rating Mature Official Website

With the success of Ryu ga Gotoku 0: Chikai no Basho, or simply Yakuza 0 in the West, Sega went further in celebrating the 10th anniversary for the series by re-releasing Ryu ga Gotoku or Yakuza as almost like an expansion. This time, not as an HD Remaster like the one released prior on the PS3, but a full blown remake with the same engine used for Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin and Yakuza 0. Bringing forth improved visuals texture and character models, frame rate, combat, and new added content which includes expanding portions of the story like the transformation of Kiryu’s sworn brother Nishiki from an ally into an antagonist. Since the HD Remaster never made it to Western shores and given how dated the first game can feel, it made perfect sense with 0 being a prequel and a new good starting point for those who wanted to dive into the franchise without dusting off their PS2s. With how well Yakuza 0 fared, how does the remake of such a classic stand up with these benefit of these new mechanics and added content?

Yakuza Kiwami begins 7 years after the events of Yakuza 0, with Kiryu now considered a rising star at this point who continued serving under the Dojima family banner. After doing the usual rounds of collecting debt money, Kiryu meets up with his old friends Nishiki and Yumi at Reina’s bar in celebration for his new future prospects. As the day goes by, Kiryu goes to visit the head of the Kazama family and his foster father, Shintaro Kazama, to catch up. Before they can go into details, Kiryu gets a call that Dojima kidnapped Yumi in his usual drunken haze and Nishiki was going after him. Knowing things would get bad, Kiryu rushes to Dojima’s office only to arrive too late with the sight of Dojima lying dead from Nishiki shooting him in self-defense. Knowing what fate his friend would face as a consequence of murdering one’s family head, Kiryu decides to take the fall and goes to jail in his place. Ten years pass and things have only gotten worse for the Tojo clan as the clan’s fortune has been stolen and the Third Chairman of the clan, Sera, turns up dead the day after it was discovered. If that was not enough, during the 10 years Kiryu found out that Yumi disappeared without a trace. After being released, Kazuma heads back to Kamurocho to help his foster father and locate his childhood friend and old flame Yumi, as well as protect a little girl named Haruka who shares a strange connection to Yumi.

For its time, the game’s plot was riveting and had just enough twists and turns to keep me interested with a well-rounded cast from all walks of life. Some of the twists haven’t aged that well, but some have been given a much-needed update to make them a little more believable. At the end of every chapter now, we get a glimpse of how Nishiki went from being a lowly officer to eventually becoming a villain. While I wished we had more to go on like his sister, I’m glad we got something as the original game presented us with friends with a long history but that was something we never got to experience until Yakuza 0. Even Yumi got some love with an entirely new section in the first chapter dealing with her birthday and Kiryu going out of the way to get a ring for her. It feels like padding but it was funny and emotional enough that I felt it was worth putting in. On the other hand, the additions to what they did for Majima I personally believe were not only unnecessary and hurt the narrative a bit but felt unwarranted. I won’t dwell on it, but they introduced a new game mechanic called the “Majima Everywhere” system that rears its head in the game’s plot. It is what it is, fan service and nothing but. It’s good to flesh out the beginning of the game with how he wants to test Kiryu’s convictions, but was it really necessary for him to get severely injured not once but twice just so you can justify his presence for this game mechanic, only for him to be taken out of commission just before the last story boss fight, when in the first game his early injury did just that? It’s superfluous and beyond stupid. Is it nice that they answered why Majima was obsessed with fighting Kiryu, something that the original game and the prequel Yakuza 0 skimmed over. Hell, not even the sequel Yakuza 2 ever explained it. But is it a good idea to shove this character in my face far more often even when it’s not necessary when it could have instead used that time for other characters? No.

When it comes to the Yakuza games, it’s the standard drill, a beat ’em up action game where you run around doing side stories with many random encounters to beat random punks to level your character with many little excursion possibilities sprinkled throughout the city in the form of mini-games, all the while continuing the plot at your own leisure. Speaking of mini-games, there are plenty though not too many new additions except the return of Pocket Racer with a few familiar faces now all grown up and the rock paper scissor style Cat Fights now with more depth and less frustration in the form of an arcade game called Mesu King; all the women now dressed up as insects and its pretty enjoyable and hilarious with all of its quirks. As for the meat of the game, the game is essentially Yakuza 1 with 0‘s skin, in both the game’s engine and combat system. Kiryu’s three styles from Yakuza 0 are back with of course the Dragon of Dojima style being available from the get go but with a unique twist. Since the bubble era is over, the game returns back to the old style of leveling mirroring the original game. You obtain experience through random fights, eating and finishing sub stories, with 78 in all, under 3 categories with the sphere grid system from Ishin and Yakuza 0 returning for Kiryu’s returning three styles. The aforementioned unique twist comes in the form the previously mentioned Majima Everywhere system, which is more negative than positive and holds the game back.

The fourth sphere grid doesn’t use any experience and instead, each orb has criteria to fulfill which unlocks the abilities for the fourth style, the Dragon of Dojima. When Kiryu left prison after 10 years, he has lost all of his abilities, which include his trademark style, so instead of just continuing on as normal at the beginning of chapter 2 like the original game, you instead bump into Majima who starts a fight and beats Kiryu easily. Not being happy with how weak Kiryu has become he offers to follow Kiryu around and pick a fight by any means. Hence the name “Majima Everywhere” he will literally be everywhere, in a trunk of a car, under a giant traffic cone, he will sneak behind you from an alley way, dress up as a cop to stop and frisk you etc. That’s not all, he will even go as far as to challenge you in several of the game’s minigames, like Pocket Racing, bowling, darts, you name it. I will admit, it at times was entertaining seeing Majma going out of his way to dress up even as a Hostess and the game just goes with it and you play the mini game like normal, dropping some references here and there from the multiple games and the ranking specific events were hilarious. However, to go up said ranks to unlock more abilities you need to fight him a lot and I mean a lot, specifically to obtain all the abilities from Majima’s side, with a few obtained from Komaki’s training, meaning you will have to fight Majima a whopping 50 times. That includes the fights in the story as well and others that are by pure accident as he will continue to hound you on the streets at any and all times. It’s repetitive, at times frustrating as his health grows exponentially and if he so sneaks up on you in his frequent hot spots, you must fight. So I hope you are willing to lay the smack down for another 5 to 10 minutes every time or just load up a save.

More Kiwami on Page 2 ->

Making a great remake isn’t easy, as this game proves that even with good intentions, sometimes added content can be detrimental and hurt the overall product, especially ones that are so tied to the game mechanics and in this rare case as well as the story. Majima Everywhere is when fan service goes too far and becomes more fan disservice — I honestly don’t want to fight Majima for a long time and I don’t expect seeing myself replaying this version of the first game all that often because of this. The first game is dated, yes there is no denying it, but what I loved about it and subsequent releases after was how well they were paced. I can play the story and do most of the sub stories with a mixture of random encounters and my Kiryu will get maxed stats and all abilities outside of training. While this thankfully applies to the other styles, the same can not be said of the style that Kiryu used for the entirety of the original game and subsequent later installments. It’s just not enjoyable having to grind boss battles and fight a character who gradually obtains more and more health bars thus making the grind even more painful unlike the side quests in Yakuza 0 which felt more natural and flowed better. Yes the developer’s are unapologetic and know they have a smaller budget to work with and reuse assets including the game’s engine and fans realize it and accept the games for what they are, as do I. This terrible decision though was self inflicted — they chose to put something this dull into the equation in the name of fan service and it boggles my mind. Another thing I noticed was the bosses now having been overhauled and now with entirely new move sets, which makes sense, but the problem is that they’re all mostly recycled from other bosses in the franchise. This isn’t entirely new, one instance of this was the moves and animations of one of the Yakuza 5 bosses Okita and reusing the majority of them again for Majima’s Dancer style; but that was it, a few instances, not an entire line up. It just screams laziness rather than being their usual efficient selves as a development team.

When Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan hit the scene, they added to the series a kind of boss exclusive QTE heat moves and Yakuza 3 followed up with “Feel the Heat” for boss context sensitive heat moves which were somewhat similar. I bring this up because now after so long they come back to an idea similar to those for this title with “Climax Heat” and it came with questionable results. There is nothing more frustrating or just plain annoying than seeing a boss regenerate health. Well in Kiwami each boss, ranging from mid-bosses to simply a strong opponent, has a chance to do just that, multiple times even. Usually, after taking down a health bar down or two from them, they will activate a color coded aura where they will begin to regenerate. To stop this you either use a weapon heat move or a Style Heat Move that corresponds with the color. The problem? Even on Normal the health regeneration can be very quick with them gaining almost an entire health bar back as you switch styles. If you don’t have enough Heat you’re pretty much going to have to either consume an item you carry on yourself that boosts your heat bar or pummel the enemy to gain enough heat, just to possibly get enough damage in so they didn’t regenerate too much health that you just scraped off. Sometimes the prompt just refused to show up and I had to position myself differently to activate it but that allowed them to gain even more health back. It’s a beyond god awful gimmick and it makes Hard difficulty and above unbearable at times.

When the game was released in Japan I heard complaints that the game suffered at times from frame rate dips, and while the game does stutter at times when exploring Kamurocho with a bit of screen tearing, the combat is silky smooth 60 fps with them implementing its updates upon its western release and I’m very thankful. When it came to cutscenes I noticed some updates not just for some new lines to fit the narrative, but even it even updated some of the voice acting which is nice; though the cutscenes themselves are a different story. Being faithful is one thing, but barely updating them shows a lack of effort, and it felt awkward as they just updated the textures and lip-syncing for the old cutscenes but the new ones have far better animation and pacing to them. When it comes to the music, the Ryu ga Gotoku franchise as a whole always delivered and went hand and hand with its gameplay to such a degree that it was ingrained into it and I cannot say the same for these remixes which I honestly felt either were too overproduced or in some fashion butchered them. The long time composer of the series, Hidenori Shoji was tasked in blending multiple musical genres with a modern feel for the game’s 2005 city setting. Doing so masterfully with mixing, hip hop, RNB, rap, rock, heavy metal and jazz to morph into some of the most contemporary and toe tapping music an action beat ’em up could ever have asked for and still feel like a video game soundtrack at its finest. The remix tracks replace real instruments what sounds like for synchronizers and dub step bulldozing what made the tracks not only fitting tone wise but thematically to the scenarios. It’s not all bad, some tracks like the remix for Unrest is fine and the remix for id was serviceable albeit being a departure, but the remixes for say the Funk Goes On and Intelligence For Violence are just terrible. On a side note, not surprising anyone, the licensed tracks are sadly gone, which include the main theme of the game Receive You which was done not in-house but collaborated with an actual famed band in Japan so it didn’t make the cut which I feel was a blow to the game, as it fit Kiryu and served as in introduction to the game perfectly.

Yakuza (2005)

Yakuza Kiwami (2017)

My complaints boil down to poorly thought out new gimmicks and the lack of effort; it’s apparent that this was a quick cash grab, not of the soulless corporate type but of what their general focus was on creative wise. Their development apparatus was clearly being more fully committed to Ryu ga Gotoku 6, or Yakuza 6, and its new engine then it was on for this remake. It’s not a terrible remake, no, but a disappointing one. Doesn’t help matters when one of the series usual strengths, its soundtrack, drops the ball and only makes the above issues I had just seem worse. New fans will likely be satisfied with the low price of $29.99, with this being their first experience of the first game that was chronologically released. As an old fan that played the original, I felt it accommodated me enough but wasn’t as satisfying as it could have been and needed more time to either fix the rough edges, add a bit more content or at least more effort to where the game needed. For the 60 hours I played, I got around 90% of the completion list done and still need to replay it on the hardest setting, so you are getting your bang for your buck. I can only hope that the recently announced remake for Yakuza 2, Ryu ga Gotoku Kiwami 2, will fare better as I hold the second entry in high esteem and near and dear to my heart.

[easyreview cat1title=”Overall” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”3.5″]

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REVIEW: Yakuza Kiwami Title Yakuza Kiwami

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