The return of horribly TL;DR reviews

[oudeteron]

Well, I've been obsessed with the Sengoku/Warring States era lately. My obsessions usually involve consuming and comparing lots of media. I'd like to review my favourites properly sometime because I usually don't bother enumerating why I like something if I like it, but first, I think I'll launch into some criticism. There's this popular game/anime

Comments

[shinigami_yumi]

I have one salient thing to say on Basara: Play the game and forget the anime ever existed. Not that the characterization is that much better, but at least the game is fun. As for why it's more popular than Musou...well, that's almost like asking why Naruto is more popular than Shinobido, for the lack of a better parallel. I just have my fun with the gameplay and laugh the setting off as intentional crack, which it is. Anyway, some specific reasons why the game is okay and the anime should never have been made:

Hondam is the hardest character to fight in the game. Whopping damage and defense, he's a nightmare in melee, and any long range character needs to make sure s/he doesn't get hit more than twice or thrice. He also has this thing he does on Ieyasu's command that rains lightning bolts on the entire stage until you fulfill the conditions to stop him. So yes, in the game, he lives up to being both Honda and a Gundam.

Nobunaga gets more development in the game. The one that's really off his rockers? Mitsuhide. The relationship with Ranmaru? In the game. Nouhime as more than just decoration? In the game. Kasuga actually being a functional kunoichi? In the game. Yes, she still has an orgasm every time Kenshin talks to her, but she actually does ninja things. Shingen/Kenshin rivalry/matrimony? In the game. Don't know about the murder machine part, but in the game, the only person that really sets Mitsunari off is Ieyasu. Involvement of the Mouri at Sekigahara? Nagamasa/Oichi? Hideyoshi/Hanbei? All in the game. Ootani helping Mitsunari? Mitsuhide becoming a monk? Yes, the game has it too.

So yes, Basara wasn't meant to be taken seriously, but the anime manages to ruin even a completely crack series. And if you ever get the game, get it in Japanese. The localization was so awful they stopped doing it.

Also, I totally stopped by to say hello because I found you on LJ like you said, but then you were talking about Basara here, and I just had to say something fair about the games. XD"

[oudeteron]

All right, I only gave the game a cursory glance on youtube when I already thought the anime was...yeah, so I'm glad to hear from someone who actually played through the whole thing! I'm not opposed to the crack at all, it's just that almost none of it really seemed to WORK in the anime for what it was supposed to be.

See, now if Hondam is hell difficulty in the game, that indeed justifies it to me (even if I could do without fighting any kind of overpowered Honda EVER AGAIN after going through him to unlock Mitsunari's unique weapon in SW2!).

...well honestly damn you, you're making me WANT to get this thing. Does the game really have practically everything I found lacking in the anime? Because if so, yes, that could be fun and interesting to see how it's handled there. Bonus points for including the monk Mitsuhide theory.

If the Japanese voices are subtitled, I'd prefer those. I don't have a problem with localization on principle but if the original is vastly better...

And you're welcome to comment wherever! In fact, thanks for taking the time. :D

[shinigami_yumi]

The whole three games, to be exact. There's Basara 1 - 3. Sadly, no subtitles. The only Sengoku/Sangoku game I know of that has English text with Japanese audio is WO3. And only because it was too expensive to dub the whole game over. As for the anime, I think I watched 3 episodes before deciding I didn't want to see the rest of it.

I think the one that kept killing me in Chaos/Hard mode in Musou was an overpowered peon. XD"

Kind of, yes? I didn't know it was possible to do less with an anime series than with game cutscenes, but Basara kinda succeeds. If you play all 3 games, there really is everything I mentioned above. And in Basara 3, Yoshitsugu is a playable character~ And Basara!Mitsuhide makes for the creepiest monk ever. Hah, yes, I am totally an enabler. XDD

[oudeteron]

Aaagh, I'm totally down with keeping the original voices but only getting about 25% of what's being said without subs is frustrating ;_; Anyway, the more I think about this, the more guilty I feel for letting the anime run with my judgement. Because the thing is, I KNOW THAT FEEL. I've been in fandoms that had horrible adaptations. So, okay, opinion on hold until I've played the game(s). XD

...freaking generics. XD

Yeah, I see what you're getting at. (Plus, some games are movies. MGS, anyone? XD) I so want to play as Yoshitsugu, or at least NOT have him be a nondescript, but inexplicably fully healthy officer, lol. As for monk Mitsuhide, I actually have no words because I might just end up writing fic for him. I DON'T EVEN.

[shinigami_yumi]

Well, in Basara 1, the localization didn't just do a bad dubbing job; they changed the whole damn thing. It wasn't even...actually, I'm not really sure what it was in the end. The point is that, by the time they were done with it, there wasn't anything you'd want to understand left anyway. It was such a disaster that they didn't localize the second game. I don't think they localized the third either.

And yes, haha, I think in the arena of anime adapting history (or "history"), Basara and Koutetsu pretty much top my list of WTF I CANNOT EVEN THIS.

I think the game I'd name as being an interactive movie is FF13. The first half of the game is basically running from one cutscene to the next. The second half is a blind man's attempt at open world exploration. You have a map that doesn't tell you anything and doesn't update to reflect where you've visited. If it gets any better after that, I wouldn't know because I got so fed up after about 3 hours into the open world part that I quit and never looked back.

Indeed. Yoshitsugu shows up in Basara 3 complete with leprosy and an obsession with Mitsunari. As for Basara's portrayal of Mitsuhide as a monk, let's just say if he were my first introduction to Buddhism, I'd be wholly convinced Buddhism was a BDSM cult.

[oudeteron]

I hate localizations like that. It's just. Don't they understand that if they take out everything people liked about the original, there won't be anything left to...like? But it's almost funny to think of, if it weren't so tragic at the same time. XD

Ooh, what's Koutetsu about? Because I'm clearly incapable of just googling it OOH BUURN

With FF13, I've talked to people who either absolutely loved it or absolutely hated it for this reason. I guess it's one of those things that just have to tickle one's fancy to be enjoyed at all? XD And well, I said MGS because it has hours upon hours of cutscenes in between gameplay. And somehow makes it work. Seriously, I am such a sucker for that series, but so you've probably figured by now. XD

Well, damn you, now I am forced to conclude Basara has portrayed ONE character better than SW (come on, SW! De-genericize him already to get back in the competition!!).

As for Basara's portrayal of Mitsuhide as a monk, let's just say if he were my first introduction to Buddhism, I'd be wholly convinced Buddhism was a BDSM cult.
fffffff sjkhsfjk XDDDDD
But the question is, WOULD YOU JOIN IT THEN???

[shinigami_yumi]

Koutetsu Sangokushi is...too hard to explain in full. Google it, then ask me about the reality once you've gotten the gist of the plot and setting. XP

You know, I didn't especially hate the running from one cutscene to the next. Sure, it defeats the purpose of save points if you can just retry every battle an unlimited number of times AND refresh all the items you used, but hey, who am I to say it's bad to make games easier? Anyway, it was the whole open world attempt fail that really frustrated me. It's like here's the quest. The target is all the way at the other side of the map, and I'm magically supposed to know that this area is northwest instead of due east just by the name I'm given. The target marker only shows up when you're actually in the area, so you basically have to wander around blindly for a while until you stumble upon said area (or use a walkthrough). It's okay if you have just 10 quests like that. But when all 50 are like that...well, I got frustrated after quest number 5 or so.

There are 5 people I like better in Basara (historical accuracy be damned), and they are Masamune, Hanbei, Mitsuhide, Motonari and Yoshitsugu. Masamune is less of a brat; Hanbei is depicted dying of illness (tuberculosis, I think); Mitsuhide is just...well; Motonari is a lovely ice queen who is so married to Motochika; I've already explained Yoshitsugu. Nouhime is about the same in both, but she does have a way better moveset in Basara. Saika Magoichi is a woman in Basara, and her moveset is also way better. I also like that Basara has Sasuke instead of Kunoichi, but I AM CLEARLY BIASED. Also, Masamune has Kojuurou in Basara, so that almost automatically makes the Basara version of Masamune a little better. 8DD

My friend and I are betting they'll make him playable in Musou 4 because of the trend so far. Every installment gives Princess a new boyfriend, so why not have the next one be his historically canon one? XD

Join Buddhism if it were a BDSM cult? Are you kidding? I WOULD INSIST ON BEING INSTALLED AS A PRIESTESS. 8DDD