For starters, although some are confused by the title, I instantly
understood the reference. Indeed, I can't see how any anime fan
could possibly miss it. As a gamebook for the Japanese anime/manga
genre, now, I do set higher standards (since I lived there for a few
years).
Thus I was pleasantly amazed at this sleeper hit, in how well it
captured so many different genres of anime! Indeed, this is the only
anime-type RPG I've found that (moving past the mecha and gun-toting
genres, which it also covers) can actually handle the "cute" types.
Yes, you can have Ranma-type adventures, or bring in the wacky high school
romance plots, and _it's all in there!_ Okay, I'm impressed!
The art style of the book is very well done, a
cut above 99% of the RPG art out there. And, it's true to the source
material. The attention to detail is scrupulous; just having the kawai
(cute) figures marking the page numbers on each page added to the authentic
feel.
Oh, right, gameplay... some people might be interested in that.
Character development is straightforward and covers a surprisingly large
range, letting you recreate your favorite characters or easily make
emotion-laden power-boosted analogs of your own. Background hooks and life
circumstances are given as much space as guns and ammo, which is refreshing--
there are serious roleplaying possibilities within this book.
And, it's cheap, especially for 96 tpb-sized pages. It's a fun read,
a good buy, a good game, and an excellent anime primer.
Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)
