Strawberry Loft

  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...