As long as there's at least one person in life that understands me, I'll be okay

I've settled into a kind of melancholy over the past few days not necessarily due to events in my own life (although I'm sure those play a part) but instead due to a profound emptiness from finishing the anime series Toradora! I don't watch anime often but I've definitely warmed up to the idea over the past couple of years, as a number of scattered entries on this blog will attest. I wouldn't say I've been profoundly affected by any of those that I've watched, aside from being immensely entertained by Nichijou and drawn in by the drama and action of Attack on Titan. 

Toradora! is exactly the kind of anime I've always (subconsciously) been looking for. It doesn't take itself too seriously, it's not about saving the world--it concerns itself primarily with every day life and the relationships between a group of friends. These same elements are what draw me to the Persona series and to visual novels. The dialogue and interactions between characters are more important than the overall arc of the plot. The friendship between Ryuji and Taiga, their shared hardships and idiosyncrasies--they're so funny and poignant, and so entertaining.

I think I'd watch a lot more anime in general if I weren't so obsessed with multitasking. Toradora! has an excellent dub so I was able to watch it while playing Etrian Odyssey IV. I'll admit, however, that there were many occasions where I was drawn in enough that I found myself ignoring the game and paying close attention to what I was watching. I found something to like in all of the anime's principal characters. Ryuji is kind and driven despite being dismissed for his startling features. Taiga is extremely short both in temper and figure but hopes desperately that she'll find the courage to let herself have what she wants. Minori is immensely motivated and cheerful despite being beset by setbacks at every turn. Kitamura (voiced by the ubiquitous Johnny Yong Bosch) is almost comically well-adjusted but still grapples with his own personal demons.

Ryuji and Taiga form a friendship in order to help each other achieve their goals. Ryuji likes Minori. Taiga likes Kitamura. They both resolve to help the other impress their crushes and a lot of hijinks result. The setup could easily become a very formulaic story but I was so impressed by the amount of respect each character was given in the situation. Minori and Kitamura are never treated as idyllic unobtainable avatars of perfection. They are revealed to be characters just as fleshed out as any other--and I came to root for them just as much as I was rooting for Ryuji and Taiga.

So, now, I do feel some emptiness from having finished Toradora! not just because I miss watching these characters grow and evolve--but also because the resolution left me feeling a little unsatisfied. The last couple of episodes are very cathartic in some ways but I can't help but feel that a couple of the principal characters were left with no particular resolution. My heart breaks in particular for my favorite character, even if I know instinctively that this character is definitely going to be fine in the long run.

The Titan of Repetition

Alright, I feel I've remained silent on this blog for far too long. When did I decide I could only write entries after completing a video game? I think I might have originally had the idea when I stopped updating on a daily basis and thought that I might switch to long-form reviews every few weeks. Well, that didn't pan out. I wrote about two of them and was appalled at the amount of research and preparation they required to write! I did enjoy writing them, but it made actually playing the games more of a chore than I'd really prefer. Of course, the game on which I'm currently spending most of my time is becoming a chore all on its own.

I have mixed feelings about the Etrian Odyssey series. Obviously there is something engaging and addictive about these games because I've plowed my way through three of them already--and I'm well on my way to conquering a fourth. They are also a great source of irritation and frustration, however, mostly due, I think, to the games' emphasis on repetition. Exploring these games' labyrinths is an exercise in trial and error. Venture as far as you dare--until you feel you've reached the limits of your endurance or skill--and then return to town. Heal up, resupply your characters, and venture out once again, only to retrace your steps. Shortcuts will frequently get you to your destination a little faster than the last time, but you'll still find yourself spending a great deal of time retreading your steps.

One could make the argument that Etrian Odyssey IV has come a long way in advancing the series' overall format. The game's main mazes are generally shorter and more focused than the sprawling labyrinths of games past. Each of these dungeons only have three floors after all, even if these floors are generally quite large and convoluted. To flesh out the game's content, there are several one-floor caves scattered throughout the game's world. In many cases, these caves are entirely optional.

Still, I can't help but feel frustrated at the amount of times I've had to traverse the second and third floors of the game's fourth main labyrinth--the Echoing Library. It is an exercise in soul-crushing repetition that has somewhat soured my appreciation for an otherwise excellent game. I'm happy with the classes and diversity in builds available to me--even if I don't think they're quite up to par with those of Etrian Odyssey III--but I'm not as pleased with dungeon design in many cases. At least I'm never in a situation where I'm forced to walk over literally 20 damage tiles to access an essential part of the labyrinth, ala the original Etrian Odyssey. It's easy to forget the root of this series, even if I did play it for the first time earlier this year.