Introduction, and welcome.

Ah, yes, a first post. Something that all people with Blogs must make at some point. I guess everyone's gotta start off somewhere.

Anyhow, hello everyone who's reading this. I am Sant01. No, that is not my actual name, but at the same time I am not gullible enough to reveal my name. The reason I decided to start this post, if I had to throw a reason, is, well, to shave off boredom and partly due to a certain passion of mine. I always wanted to be a Reviewer, in part due to admiration of other ones such as the AVGN, Linkara, Phelous, EZ Rider, Dominic Noble and many others.

But of course, my video-making skills are, like, non-existant. Hell, I suck at anything to do with computers in general, that's always been the forte of other people I've known. Yet, at the same time, I realized: Who said I had to do it all in video? After all, Internet Reviews originated from websites and blogs before Videos became a thing, so I decided to just do that.

But I guess people do want a reason to read my stuff, don't they? And more often than not, the subject is of importance. So: What will I be Reviewing? Well, it's mostly gonna be Japanese Media, but if you wanna be more specific...

Video Games:

Don't expect me to review this one though...

Everyone's got that nostalgic form of media they gravitate towards, and in my case, those are Light Novels. What can I say, really? Ever since I got a PS2 when I was a wee lad, I was obssesed with them, and nowadays I've obtained an even greater apreciation of them. Sadly my lack of free time and my shitty TV prevent me from actually playing them as much as I would like to, but I do still enjoy them.

But maybe that's just not for you. Maybe you prefer the lack of interaction. In that case...

Anime/Light Novel/Manga

I mean, I can't think of many other series that have appeared in all three...

Call me a Weeb if you want, but I just adore Anime... and Light Novels... and Manga... and really just everything. Fun fact: I originally didn't even know there was a difference between cartoons made in Japan and in America; I just thought they were one of the same. But, wouldn't you know, there is a difference, and I'm happy I know that now.

The final genre is one I've gotten into recently, yet I've also grown very much fond of.

Visual/Sound Novels:

Do not be fooled by their cuteness. They're evil incarnate...

Now, this probably needs a bit of an explanation for anyone who doesn't know, as admitedly, it is a niche genre in English Speaking countries. These kinds of games are basically Pick your own adventure stories, only with visuals, sound and so on. As for the distinction between the two, it lies in the name really. Visual Novels rely on, well, visuals. Character portraits, still shots, and so on; those are what's most important for a Visual Novel to convey its story. Sound Novels, as you would expect, by contrast focus on the sound. Music is the biggest player here, as chances are, if you wanna be a good Sound Novel, you better have a good OST, and if possible, a damn good cast.

In the end these two do rely on many tricks novels do, though. Narrations are key here, and so is the dialogue. In the end, these are but interactive novels, and all tricks novels rely on will often have to be taken here. There are a few that are more gameplay focused (Danganronpa over there being the prime example) but in the end, the story comes first.

Now then, since I've introduced the genres, I guess I should establish how these reviews will play out. All of these will be complete analisis of the product, covering them in their entirety and critizising them along the way. Long Running series will also have full retrospectives dedicated to them, covering all the material in its due order.

However, I also plan on covering something else: Adaptations.

When reviewing something, I will always review the original format if possible. However, I will also cover their adaptations into other sources of media and see how they stack up to their original form. It will mostly be in the form of a follow-up post, a Part .5 if you will, covering the events I previously reviewed in their new format in less detail, mostly focusing on what was changed and if the genre transition was good to begin with. Also, what exactly separates a good adaptation from a bad one.

What do I mean by that? Well, to illustrate my point, here's exhibit A:

This is a bad adaptation.

Now let's look at exhibit B:

This is a good adaptation.

So yeah, here I am, introducing myself. I honestly still can't believe it. But yeah, I guess this is it. I'll see you all next time, but until then, take care and stay healthy.