Strawberry Loft

  The perks of working from home include more time to sleep, time for breakfast, a short commute, and overall, more time for yourself. A meet cute seems more unlikely when you’re a single person office, somehow though Nokoru finds one during his break time on his balcony. Though the romance started from the comfort of his own home it still comes package with all the same uncertainties and stress of starting any new relationship. Home Office Romance is a story about the pandemic which I feel like we don’t get to see very often. Sure, tv shows had characters wear masks to acknowledge it, but I felt like I didn’t see too many stories about people just living through it. Home Office Romance showcases how new bonds didn’t stop forming just because people were stuck inside. Not only in the traditional sense of bonds with others, but people also found themselves connecting with old hobbies or picking up new ones, finding joy in things they were once too busy for. People suddenly had time ...

  You’ve heard it once and you’ll hear it a million times more, never judge a book by its cover. Even if the book is a team of monstrous villains being held in a secret government prison for crimes of various severities. Creature Commandos is another installment in the ever-expanding Suicide Squad universe, this time another animated expansion. A fun short run with a cast of characters who don’t always see eye to eye, but they’re criminals just trying to survive partnered with a stoic beacon of justice. Heads were bound to butt. Creature Commandos was a cool seven episodes with a finale that felt rushed and sort of let me down. My big problem with the final episode of Creature Commandos was the suddenness at which events played out with zero follow through. It felt lack luster compared to the rest of the show that moved swiftly, but with purpose. With flashy fights that often change location as they punch along to the interesting soundtrack. It’s a clever way to change scenes witho...

  On October 6 th 2024, Netflix brought Ranma ½ back into the light of the anime world, though I don’t think it ever really left. Ranma ½ seems up there as a timeless classic like Inuyasha. Unlick Inuyasha though I’ve never seen more than clips of the original Ranma anime. I did try to watch it at some point and loved the soft early '90s, but something about the plot didn’t jive with a younger me. Watching this remake, however, had me yelling at my computer screen in a good way. I had fun with the Netflix adaptation of Ranma ½ and I think you will too. Ranma ½ is a staple of the anime community, at least it was when I was younger. There was fan art and clips all over the internet, and even if you never saw the show, you knew something about it. Ranma is the main male lead with the worst kept secret, when hit with cold water he turns into a girl. This creates one of the main gags for any character who changes when they’re hit by cold water, keeping their other identity a secret f...

  After twelve episodes, the first season of Dandadan comes to a close amidst a chorus of disappointment. Fans are not only upset that they’ll have to wait until July for another Dandadan Thursday, but they’re also put off by how the last episode ended. By no means was Dandadan a disappointing watch. In fact, it took the internet by storm, and it's all anyone has been able to talk about. I knew nothing about the manga and barely had any knowledge of the plot before going in. Suddenly, my social media timeline has become flooded with Dandadan screenshots, memes, and beautiful fan art. The opening alone has become iconic for its stylized art direction and the song Otonoke by Creepy Nuts. I had a lot of fun watching the first season of Dandadan . I knew it was a show about fighting yokai, but I still get giddy every time they mention a real legend. It gives me a moment of "I know that!" When it comes to aliens, I have no prior knowledge, and that tends to go over my hea...

  In the last few years, VTubing has taken the world of content creation by storm. I even use a VTuber model to create my content outside of the blog. VTubing adds an extra layer of anonymity, which is comforting to people who are shy but still want to create something. It also allows a creator to maintain a more private life if they’re not necessarily looking for viral fame. With VTubing becoming so popular in the public eye, it was only a matter of time until the topic got its own anime. Enter Vtuber Legend: How I Went Viral After Forgetting To Turn Off My Stream. Awayuki Kokorone works for a VTubing company as a member of their new creator generation. Awayuki plays the character of a very prim and proper princess and doesn’t stand out much among her peers, having some of the lowest view numbers—a disheartening fact for her, to say the least. She respects her peers and looks up to them, feeling a bit like she’s letting them down by being a weaker member of her generation. T...

  It only takes a small spark to start a fire. Look Back is a story about finding inspiration and, at the same time, losing all that motivation in the blink of an eye. It’s not a story of giving up; it’s a story of moving forward for yourself and in memory of others. Look Back opens with Ayumu Fujino, an elementary school student who writes manga comic strips for the school newspaper. She enjoys drawing, telling stories, and the attention she receives from her classmates. Fujino isn’t shy in the slightest, boldly showing her work. When she’s asked to relinquish a manga slot to another girl, Kyomoto, Fujino begrudgingly gives in. Kyomoto is good—professionally good—at backgrounds. This sparks a one-sided rivalry for Fujino, who throws herself into art, aiming to be just as good as or better than Kyomoto. I felt like Fujino’s art montage was very authentic to anyone who has a creative passion. There’s an explosion of ideas; you just want to work on a project all the time, and i...

  After ten years of waiting that felt endless, Dragon Age: The Veilguard was finally released to extravagant fanfare, love, and criticism. I felt like it almost came out of nowhere. I had just lost all hope for another Dragon Age entry when suddenly the trailer appeared during an Xbox showcase. The excitement was instantaneous. Dragon Age: Inquisition had a complete hold over me when I played it. It was one of those rare games I couldn’t put down, and anytime I had a free moment, I started playing. I really felt like a part of the story with the dialogue options that regularly showed up. It felt like my story. I thought the story of Dragon Age: Inquisition flowed naturally as you slowly collected companions and learned about what they’d accomplished through various forms of intelligence gathering. It was very much a "friend of a friend" type of companion gathering. Everyone received a proper introduction, and slowly, the Inquisition grew. It felt exciting to see more and...

  I was influenced by TikTok to play Mouthwashing ! The community it has stirred up on TikTok is so creative; I’ve seen amazing edits, art, and cosplays that made me want to be part of the fun. I think TikTok has been great marketing for Mouthwashing , and now I’m jumping on the train—you should play it! I enjoyed seeing firsthand how scary good dental hygiene could be. Mouthwashing is an indie horror game developed by Wrong Organ, which is a fun developer name for a game with more eyeballs than mouths. The crew of the Tuplar—a spaceship operating under the shipping company Pony Express—are left to survive on their own after an intense crash that leaves them stranded. Eyewitness co-pilot Jimmy informs the crew that Curly intentionally crashed the ship in a suicide attempt. Curly survived the crash but is unable to give his side of the story due to being intensely mutilated. He is barely alive and has become a fandom favorite. You even get an achievement for opening and closing h...

  When the weekend weather is cool and damp, the best thing to do is grab a warm blanket and start up your favorite video game. It’s the perfect excuse to relax at home. As you immerse yourself, it may feel like the outside world is fading away—or maybe you are. When the rain picks up outside and you pause for a break, déjà vu sets in: you’ve lived this weekend before. Until Then is a visual novel with beautiful pixel art that follows Mark Borja, the resident procrastinator, who’s trying to graduate high school by the skin of his teeth. We get a good feel for Mark's character in the opening scene, where he forgets to complete a book report and resorts to creating the presentation slides the morning they’re due with his friend and project partner, Ryan. In a satisfying scene, Mark and Ryan pull off the last-minute project, receiving a passing grade. After pulling off one last-minute project trick, Mark attempts to get away with another low-effort project. During the preparation pha...

Fall anime is here, and it’s shaping up to be a memorable 2024 season. So far, I’ve seen the first episodes of two highly anticipated titles: Uzumaki , produced by Adult Swim for the revitalization of Toonami, and Dandadan , produced by Science Saru. I’m excited to watch these shows as they release weekly, as both fandom spaces are buzzing with life and anticipation for more. These shows showcase amazing technical animation abilities and hard work. Starting with my impressions of the first episode of Uzumaki , I was getting antsy waiting for it. I loved the manga and was thrilled when the anime made my skin crawl and sent the perfect shiver down my spine. The atmosphere was unsettling and spooky from the very first frame shown on screen. The wait was well worth it, with Uzumaki originally being announced at Crunchyroll Expo 2019. The anime looked as if they had magically pulled the still manga images from the page and brought them to life, which is very on-brand for Junji Ito. The e...

  After a long day of work, the best feeling is enjoying some free time to yourself. To some, that means binging a new TV show, reading, or playing video games. Others find relaxation in cooking or going out to eat—a quiet moment to take in the aromas and appreciate the flavors. Eating a good meal can rejuvenate anyone. Delicious in Dungeon was the anime on everyone’s tongue, offering a creatively fun take on dungeons and dragons and fantasy food! It left a satisfying taste on everyone’s palate and may have left some people hungry for more. Luckily, I have a bite-sized dish for you. Wakakozake is a slice-of-life show about a young salarywoman named Wakako who spends her evenings trying local restaurants to enjoy a good meal with the perfect alcoholic pairing. Depending on the day Wakako had at work, she sometimes goes more for the drink. Wakako gets excited about every meal she has, talking about its smell, texture, and taste. She also takes other factors into consideration, li...