Moe Drop!

Hayley Williams of Paramore in Seifuku

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 22:22:00 -0500

So apparently this is very old, but I couldn’t resist posting it because Hayley Wiliams from Paramore in seifuku is amazing.

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Tue, 08 Jan 2013 03:00:30 -0500

Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory Pre-Orders Available!

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:10:00 -0500

Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory Pre-Orders Available!:

I realize this news is a few days old, but I thought I’d post about it anyway. This set looks nice (and reasonably priced unlike the Mugen Souls stuff) and from what I hear this is the best installment in the series. I’ve seen some internet rumors about the localization quality lacking in this one, but I’ll have to do some research before detailing any specifics. I’m moving to Japan a week before it comes out, so I don’t know if I’ll be ordering this one since shipping it to me would be a hassle and I probably won’t have time to play it anytime soon after I arrive. The collector in me burns for it, though…

Updates to come if I hear any interesting news regarding this release.

On the Saturday July 21st post you mention that you could not post the entire response from NIS America in regards to Mugen Souls due to "legal reasons". What legal reasons preventing you from posting the entire letter online?

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 23:26:36 -0500

There’s a clause in the e-mails I received that says something to the effect of “this information is for personal use only and may not be reproduced in a public forum” so I didn’t want to provoke them by copy-pasting the exact reply.

igelahnlich: i’m starting a birthday wishlist and this is at...

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:03:49 -0500

igelahnlich:

i’m starting a birthday wishlist and this is at the very top

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Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:14:04 -0400

Because I’m feelin’ a bit more moe in my life.

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 22:56:17 -0400

Because I’m feelin’ a bit more moe in my life.

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Sat, 29 Sep 2012 01:41:08 -0400

I haven’t been able to update at all, so here’s my...

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:26:57 -0400

I haven’t been able to update at all, so here’s my apology. I’m looking forward to reviewing the very moe meido card game Tanto Cuore once I get the funds to purchase a copy.

Mugen Souls Censorship

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 01:16:00 -0400

So there’s been a lot of buzz about NIS America’s new title, Mugen Souls. The game looks like it’s a blast for moe lovers and JRPG fans, but there’s one issue that has probably received more attention than the game itself. Censorship. Yes, censorship most likely due to pressure from Rating Boards and the fear of Puritanical outrage has yet again stepped in to ensure that the North American and European localization of a Japanese game is tampered with and certain content is removed. For purists and anti-censorship advocates like myself, this is frustrating and heavily discourages the support and purchase of said censored product. To me, it matters less what is censored and more that something is censored at all. Why should we have to bend knee to a bunch of suits and soccer moms who want to nit-pick at games that they will never play or come into contact with? So the question remains, what exactly is being censored in Mugen Souls? I sent an e-mail to NIS America inquiring about it. For legal reasons, I cannot post the exact message but I’ll paraphrase the information. The NIS America Support Staff told me that “the only major thing” which was removed from the game was a small mini-game.

Apparently, in the Japanese version of the Mugen Souls this mini-game was optional and you could still receive the benefits (which comes in the form of stat boosts) even if you didn’t play it. In additional to that, there are some post-game scenes that were also removed because they were “similar in nature” to the mini-game. They assured me that everything else remained the same. So what’s the mini-game that is so offensive it had to be removed from the North American and European versions?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPSzUP1S0N0

There you have it. One of a variety of scenes in which you bathe the characters and they respond with embarrassed and naughty giggles and protests. That was so intense that they had to remove it for fear of an AO rating. Unrealistically drawn, cute anime girls in sexually suggestive situations are simply too much for the American market. However, inflicting unspeakable horrors upon people, realistically depicting war, and having games that place you in the role of terrorists where you slaughter innocent people is fine and dandy so long as you slap an M rating on it. Other games have strong sexual content and get away with M ratings. The God of War games have MINI-GAMES WHERE YOU HAVE SEX WOMEN WHILE OTHER TOPLESS WOMEN WATCH YOU. How is that acceptable but a few ecchi bath scenes in a game with unrealistically drawn anime girls requires censorship? I asked them the reason for the censorship. NIS America responded thus… “…however, in the case of Mugen Souls, we have decided to cut out the parts we felt was against our belief and the core value to delivering the morally acceptable entertainment for everyone.”

There you have it. “Morally acceptable” values are to blame. Even though other games have completely visible depictions of sex and realistic graphic violence, this is just too far. My only guess as to why this would ruffle people’s feathers is because some of the characters are sort of amorphous moeblobs that could be interpreted as looking young. Honestly, does it really matter? They aren’t photo-realistic children being molested. It’s a bunch of moeblobs and busty women. Am I still going to buy the game? I’ve pre-ordered the Limited Edition plus Figure Set version of the game, but mostly because of the potential collector’s value and because the game looks fun. The bath scenes are available on Youtube for those who wish to view them. I just hope they don’t cut out all the very tame but cute hot spring scenes for the same reason. If they remove that much content, I might send it back. NIS America always does a great job and utilizes clever or minimal censorship (like saying Rorona is 17 in the game manual instead of 14 in the first game, which is technically true at the end since the game takes place over 3 years; I don’t know why they even bothered to change that though) and translates the jokes and references in generally acceptable ways so I have faith the game will be true to the original despite the omitted content.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXGYs8Ox-4g&feature=relmfu

I’m not saying the stuff isn’t perverted, just that we shouldn’t have to change it because a bunch of people who will never play the game would disapprove. If you are worried about kids seeing “offensive content” then just utilize the great parental controls that exist in the PS3’s OS. Don’t make the experience worse for all the adults who want to play the game in it’s original form just because some parents are too lazy or detached from their kids’ hobbies and interests to monitor them properly.

Reflections... Jinrui Wa Suitai Shimashtia

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:57:41 -0400

Note: These are my reflections after watching the first episode, not a review. I’d highly suggest watching it before reading this!

The first episode of Jinrui Wa Suitai Shimashita, translated as Humanity Has Declined, aired this week and it’s well… weird. From looking at promotion images of the show you’d think it’s about a cute, pink-haired female protagonist having adventures with a bunch of adorable fairies. In a sense, it is, but the storybook-style animation and moments of cuteness only serve to cast a thin veil over the much darker story elements and underlying social commentary that are made apparent only a few minutes into the first episode.

As many Japanese artists tend to do, the true meaning of the story stands in juxtaposition to the childlike and pastel illustrations that create the visual aspect of the world. The setting appears to be our world, but several centuries or more ahead of us after (as the title would indicate) humanity has declined to a more primitive state. Within the first half of the episode I was already picking up jabbing references to quirks of Japanese culture and society masked by the outwardly cheerful demeanor of the female protagonist, who is simply called Watashi, Sensei, or Okashi-chan. As the episode progressed and the mass-produced goods became available to the townsfolk I already sensed the theme of consumerism lurking into the picture. That was reinforced by the absolutely bizarre encounter in the FairyCo factory where even the human who worked there amidst all the machinery had no clue how the factory operated or the sources of the ingredients. I felt as though the writer was pointing out how far removed we are from the sources of our food and sundries. Much-needed supplies arrive seemingly out of nowhere and even though they are consistent and appear to be safe, the characters are distrustful of it for those very reasons.

With good reason…

Overall, I found myself intrigued by this series and definitely interested in seeing where they will take it. Will it become overly preachy, or will its apparent criticism of consumerism and mass-produced society maintain the current level of charmingly bizarre appeal that carried it through the first episode? Only time will tell. In an anime season that is remarkably uninteresting and formulaic, at least it’s something unusual to keep our attention.

If you have any thoughts to share, please do so in the comments.

Moe Drop! Google+ Account

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:48:57 -0400

Moe Drop! Google+ Account:

For all of the 12 people in the world that use Google+ actively, here’s a page to follow!

Sometimes, real girls can be moe too.

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 23:23:57 -0400

Sometimes, real girls can be moe too.

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Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:40:54 -0400

It’s hard to believe that the Lucky Star anime is 5 years...

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 14:45:16 -0400

It’s hard to believe that the Lucky Star anime is 5 years old. It’s still among my favorite moe series, and Miyuki has always been my favorite character. I think just about every moe type was represented in the cast. Who were your favorites from Lucky Star?

The song is one of Miyuki’s character songs, Moe Yousotte Nan Desu Ka.

Moe Drop! Facebook Page

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 23:09:52 -0400

In order to complete the triumvirate of social networking and reach out to as many people as possible I created a Facebook page for this blog. It’ll mostly have updates about important or particularly interesting entries on the blog itself, so it’s a good way for people without a tumblr account to stay in the loop. Check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Moe-Drop/378988545490569

Atelier Meruru Giveaway

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 15:12:00 -0400

The G.A.M.E.S. Blog is giving away a copy of Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland and a character art book! Check it out at http://bit.ly/KqTjyI for more details.

Moe Drop! Twitter Account

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 21:31:15 -0400

I created a Twitter account for Moe Drop! I’m not sure how much I’ll be using it for now, but I’ll definitely post when I put up new translations, reviews, articles, or other content.

https://twitter.com/#!/MoeDrop

I-it’s not like I want you to follow me or anything, though…

Alchemy Girl Meruru's Song Translation

Wed, 30 May 2012 22:18:00 -0400

Here’s a translation of the song from the Atelier Meruru soundtrack that I posted yesterday. I find this song to be reminiscent of anime theme songs from the 70’s and 80’s such as the openings to Cutey Honey, Casshern, or even Saint Seiya. I’d like to note that in lieu of a direct translation I decided to apply some creative interpretation to reflect the feeling and attitude of the song. If you’d like to see the more literal and direct translation feel free to send me an e-mail at moedropblog@gmail.com and I’ll provide it for you. Here I’ve included the original, the romaji transliteration, and the English translation. Enjoy!

Original

錬金少女メルルのうた

作詞：青木香苗
作曲、編曲：阿知波大輔
歌：真理絵

メルルメレ　メルルメラメラ　メロメリメメメ

うっかり薬まちがえ　やっぱり爆発
たまにはそんな日もあるけど
がっかりなんてしないわ　あっさり復活
しめきり厳守　頑張れ私

むらがる敵を　この世の悪を
錬金術でこらしめる

ゆるさない　燃えろメラメラメルルパンチ
呼ばれなくてもかけつける
にがさない　くだけメレメレメルルキック
常勝無敗　錬金少女メルル

ぽっこりお腹が出ても　ばっちりおまかせ
どんな悩みも心配ご無用
ぴっかりレシピひらめき　すっかり解決
それが生きがい　輝け私

むりめな恋も　だめげな夢も
錬金術でかなえます

はなさない　君とメリメリメルルハッグ
言われなくてもちゃんとやる
とまらない　君もメロメロメルルキッス
大胆不敵　錬金少女メルル

すみよい国を　みんなの明日を
錬金術でつくりだす

くじけない　元気メルメルメルルガッツ
夜も寝ないで昼寝して
はてしない　夢がメルメルメルルドリーム
年中無休　錬金少女メルル

メララメリリメルルメレレメロメロ　メルル

Romaji

Renkin Shoujo no Uta

merurumere merurumeramera meromerimememe

ukkari kusuri machigae yappari bakuhatsu
tama ni wa sonna hi mo aru kedo
gakkari nante shinai wa assari fukkatsu
shimekiri genshu ganbare watashi

muragaru teki wo kono yo no aku wo
renkinjutsu de korashineru

yurusanai moero mera mera meruru panchi
yobarenakute mo kaketsukeru
nigasanai kudake mere mere meruru kikku
shoushou muhai renkin shoujo meruru

pokkori onaka ga detemo bacchiri omakase
donna nayami mo shinpai go muyou
pikkari reshipi hirameki sukkari kaiketsu
sore ga ikigai kagayake watashi

murimena koi mo damegena yume mo
renkinjutsu de kanaemasu

hanasanai kimi to merimeri meruru haggu
iwarenakutemo chanto yaru
tomaranai kimi mo meromero meruru kissu
daitan futeki renkin shoujo meruru

sumiyoi kuni wo minna no asu wo
renkinjutsu de tsukuridasu

kujikenai genki merumeru meruru gattsu
yoru mo nenai de hirune shite
hateshinai yume ga merumeru meruru doriimu
nenjuu mukyuu renkin shoujo meruru

merara meriri meruru merere meromero meruru

Translation

Alchemy Girl Meruru’s Song

Lyrics: Kanae Aoki

Composition, Arrangement: Daisuke Achiwa

Singer: Marie

Translation: Jason P of Moe Drop!

Merurumere Merurumeramera Meromerimememe

I made a careless mistake with some medicine and it totally blew up
I have a day like that every once in a while, but
I won’t lose heart I’ll make a comeback in a flash
I’ll make that deadline Do your best, Meruru!

All the enemies who gang up on us… All the evil in this world…
I’ll punish them all with alchemy

I won’t forgive you Burning Meramera Meruru Punch!
Even if you can’t call for me I’ll come running
You won’t escape Smashing Mere Mere Meruru Kick!
The invincible and unbeatable alchemy girl Meruru

Even if you’re feeling bloated you can leave everything to me
No matter what sort of troubles you have, don’t worry about a thing
I’ll get inspired to make a perfect recipe and everything will be all right
It’s what I live for Shine on, Meruru!

If you’re feeling like you should give up on love or have unreachable dreams
I’ll grant your wishes with alchemy

I won’t let you go Meri Meri Meruru Hug!
Even if you can’t say a word I’ll still hold on
I won’t stop Mero Mero Meruru Kiss!
The daring and fearless Alchemy Girl Meruru

A great place to live in… A better tomorrow for everyone…
I’ll make it possible with alchemy

I won’t be beaten down   Energetic Meru Meru Meruru Guts!
I’ll stay up all night and just take an afternoon nap
Unending Dreams   Merumeru Meruru Dream!
Working all year without a vacation   Alchemy Girl Meruru

A sample from the Atelier Meruru ~Arls of Music~ OST that came...

Tue, 29 May 2012 21:25:00 -0400

A sample from the Atelier Meruru ~Arls of Music~ OST that came with the Limited Edition of the game. I found this to be a charming tribute to many classic anime themes from days gone by. “Alchemy Girl Meruru’s Song” is the title.