Yesterday Sentai Filmworks began what is turning into a series of English voice actor reveals for the dub of Amagi Brilliant Park. The first time around we were introduced to Princess Latifah and now the company has revealed that the character Seiya Kanie will be voiced by Adam Gibbs when the series is released on Blu-ray, DVD, and in a premium box combo pack on February 28th.
The premium box version of the release will include the series on Blu-ray and DVD, Sticker Sheets, Iron Token, Mirror Button, Metal Pin Set + Card, Authenticity Card, Park Brochures, Map Poster, and a Collectors Box.
Aoi Miyamori is a production assistant at Musashino Animation. After several years without a major project, Musashino is producing a 13-episode original anime series called Exodus, directed by the infamous Seiichi Kinoshita. Although Aoi initially only has to manage episodes 4 and 9, she soon learns that anime production almost never goes according to plan and that labour shortages are a serious problem in the industry. Meanwhile, her four friends from her high school’s animation club are either working hard in the anime industry or trying to get into it.
Story
Shirobako features just the right combination of educational content and moe. Cute girls doing cute things is basically its own genre at this point, and an extremely stale genre at that, but the use of moe works well here because of the brilliant but simple premise of the series. This is not a high school anime about girls doing nothing. This is a rare, perhaps unique, anime that has a professional workplace as its setting. It portrays women at the beginning of their professional careers as they learn how to manage their responsibilities, and the issue of how women are viewed in the Japanese workplace is cleverly discussed. The situations and people Aoi has to deal with are occasionally stylised in order to be entertaining, but not to the point of being unbelievable. There are many invaluable insights into anime production to be found here, and there is almost certainly no other anime series this brutally realistic yet optimistic about the anime industry. An episode discussing traditional animation is one of the most fascinating episodes in the entire series, and it is enhanced immensely by the inclusion of a flashback to the production of a fictional anime series from decades ago. Clips of the series that Musashino works on are occasionally presented, so there are many times when it feels like this could be a behind-the-scenes documentary that happens to be animated.
All of the main characters have their own distinctive personalities and reasons for wanting to get into the anime industry. The five students of the animation club show a sense of wonder at seeing their own animation come to life that is almost infectious in a way, and the general impression of the members of the production team at Musashino Animation is that they chose to work in the anime industry because they genuinely like anime. The minor characters introduced in the second half are not given many opportunities to grow, but all of the core characters introduced at the beginning are shown to become more mature and start thinking about their futures. It is rather rare, but refreshing, for an anime series to have characters looking towards the future like this. There are some characters who are annoying, but nearly all of those ones either get their comeuppance or go through realistic character development. The only notable exception is one artist in the second season who is almost entirely incomprehensible. The best way to describe her would be to call her a personification of anxiety. She sounds like a two-year-old and could almost be mistaken for an overgrown child if not for her artistic skills, but she is the only one whose presence in a professional workplace is truly perplexing. Making emotional attachments to these characters is very easy, and their development helps the emotional scenes hit their mark every single time. The emotional content increases in the second half, especially in scenes featuring the heartbreakingly unlucky Shizuka Sakaki.
Visuals
The animation, while sometimes simple, does its job well. The inclusion of key frame artwork and animatics from the fictional shows help to depict the progress of Musashino’s productions. The choice to end episode 12, the final episode of the first season, with a series of still frames seems a little odd, given that no one at Musashino would consider ending Exodus with a relatively long series of still frames. Hopefully this is a creative decision and not an ironic problem caused by a hectic production schedule in real life. The character designs all stand out, and it is refreshing to see characters of all different shapes and sizes depicted. It seems unusual for characters with large bodies to be drawn in anime, but this does make for some surprisingly funny gags and even allows for some action scenes to be present throughout the series.
Audio
The music seems to enhance the situations more than the characters, but there are some wonderful pieces. The background music for The Third Girls Aerial Squad, which is shown in short clips throughout the second season, has a nice orchestral feel to it. This feel is present during montage sequences as well, and it adds to the variety of the music. As always, Shirou Hamaguchi demonstrates his ability to compose music for a variety of situations. The opening theme songs are decent, but not particularly memorable. The first ending song, “Animetic Love Letter”, is both catchy and memorable, on the other hand. The second ending song, “Platinum Jet”, is a bit more typical for anime songs, but it is not bad. All songs are subtitled into English for this release. The subtitles for the show itself are usually fine, but there are many instances of missing commas, causing two statements that ought to be separated to become one long sentence. The on-screen translations are helpful at explaining in-show references to real people and fictional works that may not be obvious to all viewers.
Extras
The textless opening and ending animations are included, but this release does not come with the two OVA episodes included with the Japanese home video releases. Although the main foci of the series are the core characters and Musashino Animation’s production of Exodus and The Third Girls Aerial Squad, it would have been nice for the full first episode of both of these fictional series to have been included with the official English home video releases.
Overall
There tends to be at least one unique and genuinely interesting anime show every season, if not more, and they often tend to be original productions instead of adaptations of existing work. Shirobako is one such series. Real-life troubles and pressures associated with anime production are presented in an engaging way. This show provides a rare opportunity to gain an in-depth insight into the production ‘hell’ that is sometimes talked about in relation to anime. It is one of those high-quality shows that truly deserves to be remembered. It is easy to identify with at least one of its characters, and even just seeing them grow and become more confident as professionals makes it worth watching this series. Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
To celebrate the hotly-anticipated game release of Resident Evil™ 7: Biohazard on 24th January 2017, Capcom has today announced the opening of an immersive experience in London taking place over four days, from the 20th – 23rd January. You can see a preview of what to expect in our reveal trailer available on the press site now.
Following a storyline inspired by the new game, Resident Evil™ 7: The Experience will be a 45-minute immersive experience drawing inspiration from the cult game’s return to its survival horror roots.
Set in a haunted and dilapidated venue in the heart of London’s East End, those brave enough to enter will take on the part of investigative journalist interns helping a paranormal TV production team investigate the disappearance of their crew members who never returned from the house.
Mirroring the unsettling nature of the game, participants will be faced with a web of puzzles and clues, including a few unexpected interruptions, as they work together to overcome both visible and unseen obstacles to figure out the truth, and escape unscathed.
Laura Skelly, PR Manager, Capcom comments, “For anyone who has ever wanted to enter the world of Resident Evil, now is your chance! We wanted to give fans a little glimpse into the Resident Evil 7: Biohazard gameplay, bringing it to life and allowing people to interact with the game in a brand-new way, and perhaps even having a chance encounter with some of the game’s characters. Playing on the idea of survival horror, we are really excited to see who will be able to escape the experience when it opens its doors to the public later this month.”
Game producer Masachika Kawata says, “I’m extremely excited to see Resident Evil 7: Biohazard come to life through this Experience, and for participants to get a little taster of what is to come in the game.”
Resident Evil™ 7: The Experience will take place in London from 20th – 23rdJanuary and will be free entry for members of the public on a strictly first-come basis. Those lucky enough to grab a slot will go through the experience in pairs, and will also be able to play a demo version of the game ahead of the full game launching on the 24th.
With numbers of tickets limited, those wishing to take part will need to visit the dedicated website to find out how to get a chance to enter.
Further details, including terms and conditions, on how to book The Experience can be found on http://RE7experiencelondon.com
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including best-selling franchises Resident Evil®, Street Fighter®, Mega Man® and Devil May Cry®. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Korea, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom and its products can be found at www.capcom.com or www.capcom-unity.com .
Short anime series that feature episodes that are only around seven or eight minutes long used to be a rare sight outside of Japan and even today we tend to see only a few of the many short series released in the West and those that do tend to be spin-offs of already popular franchises. Wakaba Girl may not be one such series and while some shows based off of 4-koma manga tie multiple stories together in an effort to create a full length episode Wakaba Girl goes the other route. So now that this comedy series has been released in the West is it worth checking out?
Story
Wakaba Kohashi has lived an incredibly sheltered life. Thanks to her rich family she always has been driven to and from school and even when in class she never would have an opportunity to actually make friends with people due to the fact that her father’s job always keeps the family on the move. This led to Wakaba developing a few unique dreams and misconceptions about the real world. Such as how she wants to become a ‘gyaru’ but really doesn’t know the meaning of the word or anything about it.
Her chance for a change comes when she enters her first year of high school and begins to attend a normal school for the first time in her life. Thanks to the fact that, as she bluntly states, she is a bit dumb and can even fall asleep while standing to deal with classwork, she finds herself surrounded by normal girls and it just so happens that the girls sitting next to her are more than welcoming and the four become quick friends.
These four quickly figure out what to call one another as Wakaba, Moe, Mao, and Shiba begin to take on various school activities that one would usually expect to be predictable but thanks to the sheltered life of Wakaba, tend to be a bit unique. Not only has Wakaba already managed to complete her dream of becoming a high school girl, she makes her very first friends outside of her family and the series tends to follow this pattern of having each new episode be the girls doing something that is new for Wakaba as well as fun for the rest of them.
As is usual in comedy shows such as this, each episode features one of the key jokes as the title so viewers are given a small hint as to what to expect though considering the numerous running gags that are established in the series it’ll be a bit hard to guess when the punchline will happen. For the most part the series works well thanks to the four girls in the group as they play off one another well, with Mao being the energetic girl, Shiba being the athlete that can’t speak when put on the spot, Moe fitting her nickname by being the cute one with some unique traits, and Wakaba being herself.
This combination of characters is far from anything new but the small jabs that the three other girls make at one another and the pure innocence that we see from Wakaba helps make even the most standard activities seem fun. This includes things such as traveling to an ice cream shop, staying the night at a friend’s house, going swimming, taking part in cultural festivals, and more. While these are standard for a series that takes place in the school, the complete disconnect that Wakaba and her family have from normal standards help make each of these situations unique, such as wanting to plan their next trip to a sweet shop in France, offering gold bullion as a housewarming gift, and giving money whenever she has fun.
Outside of Wakaba’s experiencing something new every episode the rest of the cast gets a bit of time to develop as well, with Mao trying to pull off a rich girl attitude to impress a boy she likes and using Wakaba as her studying material only to find that she is beyond the ultimate and that she should stay true to herself, the group standing up for Wakaba when they learn that her early curfew would leave her out of an activity that she is excited for, helping Moe with her athletic skills, and more as their own problems are seen and worked through with Wakaba often leading the way.
This innocent nature and sweetness permeates the series to the point that it is a bit saccharine at times and although there are plenty of great moments there are also plenty of jokes that fall a bit flat especially if you happen to sit through the series all at once rather than enjoying it in small bursts. As one would expect, this sweetness does have a bit of predictable drama worked in at the thirteenth episode to wrap things up in a heartwarming fashion to show how strong of a bond that Wakaba has with her friends and while this is certainly a tender way to end the series it is something viewers should see coming a mile away.
Visuals
Wakaba Girl is animated by Nexus, a company with only a few shows accredited to it, and features solid bright color usage that never comes across as overpowering and helps each of the girls stand out in the group thanks to various small touches in their designs. The animation studio has made great use of deadpan facial expressions and other visual changes to help accent the joke being made in a scene though be prepared for plenty of sound-effects being quickly translated with notes from Sentai Filmworks.
The basics backgrounds and designs of most of the areas the girls travel to may appear rather standard for the series but it plays off of the few outlandish looking scenes that are presented when Wakaba’s house is shown off to the surprise of her friends. It is worth noting that although the series does have the standard swimming episode, there is no real fan service to be concerned about and even the hot spring episode is played in a completely different fashion than one would expect.
Audio
Sentai Filmworks has opted to bring Wakaba Girl to the West with only the original Japanese voice track. This works for the most part thanks to the fact that all of the girls sound exactly as one would expect given their archetypes. Wakaba’s innocent “oujo-sama” voice by Ari Ozawa fits her actions perfectly and one would be rather surprised to see that many of the voice actresses In the series have quite a lot of experience already since many shorts such as this serve as launching grounds for new voice actors.
As far as the soundtrack goes, the series features rather simple tunes that don’t really stand out in any way and thanks to it being a short it only has an opening animation and no closing theme. The opening theme is very catchy thanks to its simple lyrics and pairing with the animation and it is called “Hajimete Girls!” performed by Ray.
Extras
It is worth noting that this release of Wakaba Girl does include the OVA that was released a couple months after the series ended though it is called the fourteenth episode rather than designated as an OVA. The OVA follows the four girls as they plan to go to a hot spring inn and get part-time jobs at a small restaurant in an effort to pay for it themselves rather than use Wakaba’s money, though considering the restaurant is actually owned by Wakaba’s older sister the three girls are in for quite an interesting time.
Outside of the bonus OVA the only other features included in this release are a clean version of the opening theme and trailers for other titles from Sentai Filmworks.
Overall
Wakaba Girl may be a bit too sweet for its own good at times and rarely offers any unpredictable twists but it is an incredibly charming comedy series that features a delightful group with great interactions. Wakaba’s innocent mind and rich-girl ideas that clash with common sense help bring some unique comedic moments to a series that ends up being delightfully pleasant and something to easily pop in and watch a few episodes to get a quick laugh as I can see this humor easily standing up to multiple viewings thanks to its short-form design.
During Nvidia’s pre-show keynote address tonight at CES 2017 Electronic Arts and BioWare debuted a two minute trailer for Mass Effect: Andromeda showing off some brand new gameplay footage of the upcoming RPG. The footage is described as showing one of the “Loyalty” missions that players will be able to go on in an effort to make one of their crew members more loyal when it is completed, something that players regularly had to do in previous entries.
You can check out the video below and keep an eye out for Mass Effect: Andromeda when it is released in North America on March 21st and in Europe on March 23rd for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
Right Stuf announced their release plans for April 2017 today via press release. The Mobile Suit Gundam movie trilogy will be coming to Blu-ray on April 4, 2017, along with Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 on both DVD and Blu-ray.
The movie trilogy comes with the three movies across three discs. They have been remastered into high definition, and are presented with Japanese LPCM audio and English subtitles.
The 0083 Collection contains episodes 1-13 of Stardust Memory and the film Afterglow of Zeon, which have also been remastered. The TV episodes are presented with English audio, Japanese audio and English subtitles, while the movie is presented with Japanese audio and English subtitles. The on-disc extras include: the animated shorts “The Mayfly of Space 1” and “The Mayfly of Space 2”, the textless opening and ending animation and the Japanese promotional videos.
First Contact Entertainment and VRsenal Showcase VR Gun Peripheral and Haptic Vest forROM: Extractionat CES 2017
Sci-fi action shooter playable with the VRsenal VR-15 rifle at HTC’s booth in the Alsace Ballroom at The Wynn
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Jan. 4, 2017 – New virtual reality studio First Contact Entertainment will be at CES showing fresh functionality for its ever-expanding pick-up-and-play shooter, ROM: Extraction, out now for the HTC VIVE VR headset and Oculus Rift (via both Steam and the Oculus Store). Located within HTC’s booth at the Alsace Ballroom at The Wynn, attendees will be able to play the acclaimed VR game using the VRsenal VR-15 rifle peripheral and haptic vest for the first time and check out other unannounced goodies, as well. This collaboration between First Contact, VRsenal, and HTC Vive is tailored to meet the growing demand for location-based, arcade VR experiences.
“The core of ROM: Extraction is all about instant action. We want immediate heart palpitations,” said Hess Barber, co-founder and president of First Contact Entertainment. “Picking up the VR-15 rifle in the real world and seeing it move inside the game elevates that intensity and immersion to unprecedented levels. And it’s an immensely satisfying way to annihilate hostile alien robots. This is VR gaming in 2017 as it’s meant to be.”
“New VR peripherals are a critical component to delivering an immersive VR experience and building out the ever-growing Vive ecosystem,” said Dan O’Brien, VP Virtual Reality, HTC VIVE. “We built Vive to deliver the most immersive, room-scale VR experience on the market today. Companies like First Contact and VRsenal help us meet this vision and we’re excited to see what the VR-15 rifle offers to the VR experience.”
VRsenal builds the highest quality VR peripherals and integrations on the market. The VR-15 is completely wireless, with zero lag, and is fully integrated with the Vive’s Lighthouse system, allowing every move to be tracked with sub-millimeter accuracy. The VR-15 is constructed of engineering-grade nylon, and is hand-finished with a worn metal patina. It’s also outfitted with weighted trigger pull, four ambidextrous analogue thumbsticks, and glass optics for authenticity.
The team at First Contact has leveraged its background crafting AAA first-person-shooter games and cutting-edge VR projects to give ROM: Extraction an intense, highly replayable punch. Players defend themselves against extraterrestrial robots by utilizing their “Reflex” power (the ability to slow down time), which brings an unprecedented style of strategic combat to VR—which First Contact has dubbed “throw, slow and shoot.” Beyond the expanded functionality brought by the VR-15, ROM: Extraction has a robust DLC plan that includes cooperative multiplayer, new levels, enemies, weapons, power-ups and more in the coming months. Today’s version of the game is just the tip of the iceberg.
ROM: Extraction is available now on Steam and the Oculus Store for $19.99.
VRsenal’s products are available to commercial partners through www.VRsenal.com.
About First Contact Entertainment
First Contact Entertainment is a new studio focused on creating VR games and experiences with the highest production values. Drawing from experience building some of the most innovative VR games, the company’s mission is to become the top independent AAA VR game development team in the industry. For more information, please follow the studio on Facebook, Twitter and www.firstcontactent.com.
About VRsenal
VRsenal is a market leader in premium virtual reality peripherals and integrations, bringing together the latest technological advancements from across the VR space to create cutting edge products and experiences unavailable anywhere else on the planet. For more information, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and www.VRsenal.com.
PLAYSTATION®4 (PS4™) SELLS THROUGH 6.2 MILLION UNITS WORLDWIDE DURING THE 2016 HOLIDAY SEASON
~ PS4 Software Sell through 50.4 Million over the Same Period,
UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End, reached a cumulative sell through of more than 8.7 Million copies globally ~
SAN MATEO, CA, January 4, 2017 – Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) today announced robust sales for PlayStation®4 (PS4™) computer entertainment system and its software titles this holiday. That includes:
PS4 has sold through more than 6.2 million units during the 2016 holiday season*1.
PS4 has now cumulatively sold through more than 53.4*2 million units globally as of January 1, 2017.
PS4 software sales also remained strong during the 2016 holiday season with more than 50.4 million copies*3 sold in retail stores worldwide and through digital downloads on PlayStation®Store as of January 1, 2017. UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End reached a cumulative sell through of more than 8.7 million copies globally*4 as of December 21, 2016.
“We are truly grateful for the tremendous support from our fans and partners, which has helped to make this holiday season one of the best in our history.” said Andrew House, President and Global CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. “We will aim to continue the momentum this year by broadening the PS4 title portfolio, further enriching the revolutionary gaming experiences on PlayStation VR*5 and high quality gaming experience on PlayStation4 Pro*6, while also expanding network services. We will remain steadfast in making the PS4 the best place to play.”
The PS4 system is currently available in 123 countries and regions*7worldwide.
###
*1 Number of retail sales to consumers is estimated by SIE. PS4 sales data in Japan and Asia collected 21/11/2016 – 1/1/2017, in North America and Latin America collected 20/11/2016 – 31/12/2016, in Europe collected 21/11/2016 – 31/12/2016.
*2 Number of retail sales to consumers is estimated by SIE. Sales data in Japan collected 22/2/2014 – 1/1/2017, in North America collected 15/11/2013 – 31/12/2016, in Europe and Latin America collected 29/11/2013 – 31/12/2016, and in Asia collected 17/12/2013 – 1/1/2017.
*3 Number of retail sales to consumers is estimated by SIE. Sales data in Japan and Asia collected 21/11/2016 – 1/1/2017, in North America and Latin America collected 20/11/2016 – 31/12/2016, in Europe collected 21/11/2016 – 31/12/2016.
*4 Includes worldwide sell through data for both Blu-ray Disc sell-through quantities and digital sales.
*5 PlayStation®VR
*6 PlayStation®4 Pro
*7 As of 7/12/2016
About Sony Interactive Entertainment
Recognized as a global leader in interactive and digital entertainment, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is responsible for the PlayStation® brand and family of products and services. PlayStation has delivered innovation to the market since the launch of the original PlayStation in Japan in 1994. The PlayStation family of products and services include PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Vita, PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Store, PlayStation®Plus, PlayStation™Video, PlayStation™Music, PlayStation™Now, PlayStation™Vue, PlayStation®Original and acclaimed PlayStation software titles from SIE Worldwide Studios. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, SIE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation and has global functions and regional headquarters in California, London and Tokyo.
“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.. “PS4” is a trademark of the same company.
All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
LucidSound‘s newest flagship headset is shipping to customers today. The LS40 Wireless Surround Universal Gaming Headset features DTS Headphone:X virtual surround sound technology and 50mm neodymium drivers to create an immersive audio experience that can help gamers pick up sound cues. The headset has an on-board EQ with two surround sound modes and three enhanced stereo modes to suit every listening situation. Users can also opt to turn on mic-monitoring so they can hear themselves through the headset, perfect for those who have a tendency to shout with headphones. The headset comes with two microphones, one built into the headset for on the go use and and a detachable boom mic. The batteries are rated for 15 hours of use and the headset can still be used as a passive headset once the batteries run dry via a 3.5mm audio cable.
The headset can be controlled using the mobile app or the on board buttons. The headset is designed to be as intuitive as possible. The right ear cup manages all chat related controls, while the left handles game controls. The headset is compatible with PC, mobile, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
The LS40 Wireless Surround Universal Gaming Headset has an MSRP of $199.99 USD and is available at Amazon and through the LucidSound website.
Logitech followed up yesterdays announcement of the Logitech G203 Prodigy Gaming Mouse today with the latest addition to the Logitech G gaming peripheral line up. The Logitech G533 Wireless Gaming Headset features the Logitech Pro-G audio drivers and DTS Headphone:x 7.1 virtual surround sound to deliver high quality surround sound audio. The headset features a lightweight over the ear design featuring mesh ear pads made out of material designed for sports. The ear pads are removable for easy cleaning, a blessing for those in hot, humid climates. The foldable boom microphone features auto-mute functionality, noise cancellation, improve pop-filters, and EQ tuning.
The headset features rechargeable and replacable batteries rated for 15 hours of use. The ultra-low latency headset transmitter lets players move up to 15 meters without breaking the connection, which should be enough for most people to go to the kitchen or answer the door and still stay connected with their friends on Mumble. The Logitech Gaming Software will let gamers fine tune their microphone and headphone settings down to a per-game level.
The Logitech G533 Wireless Gaming Headset will be available later this month with an MSRP of $149.99 USD.
Her chance for a change comes when she enters her first year of high school and begins to attend a normal school for the first time in her life. Thanks to the fact that, as she bluntly states, she is a bit dumb and can even fall asleep while standing to deal with classwork, she finds herself surrounded by normal girls and it just so happens that the girls sitting next to her are more than welcoming and the four become quick friends.
As is usual in comedy shows such as this, each episode features one of the key jokes as the title so viewers are given a small hint as to what to expect though considering the numerous running gags that are established in the series it’ll be a bit hard to guess when the punchline will happen. For the most part the series works well thanks to the four girls in the group as they play off one another well, with Mao being the energetic girl, Shiba being the athlete that can’t speak when put on the spot, Moe fitting her nickname by being the cute one with some unique traits, and Wakaba being herself.
Outside of Wakaba’s experiencing something new every episode the rest of the cast gets a bit of time to develop as well, with Mao trying to pull off a rich girl attitude to impress a boy she likes and using Wakaba as her studying material only to find that she is beyond the ultimate and that she should stay true to herself, the group standing up for Wakaba when they learn that her early curfew would leave her out of an activity that she is excited for, helping Moe with her athletic skills, and more as their own problems are seen and worked through with Wakaba often leading the way.
This innocent nature and sweetness permeates the series to the point that it is a bit saccharine at times and although there are plenty of great moments there are also plenty of jokes that fall a bit flat especially if you happen to sit through the series all at once rather than enjoying it in small bursts. As one would expect, this sweetness does have a bit of predictable drama worked in at the thirteenth episode to wrap things up in a heartwarming fashion to show how strong of a bond that Wakaba has with her friends and while this is certainly a tender way to end the series it is something viewers should see coming a mile away.
The basics backgrounds and designs of most of the areas the girls travel to may appear rather standard for the series but it plays off of the few outlandish looking scenes that are presented when Wakaba’s house is shown off to the surprise of her friends. It is worth noting that although the series does have the standard swimming episode, there is no real fan service to be concerned about and even the hot spring episode is played in a completely different fashion than one would expect.
As far as the soundtrack goes, the series features rather simple tunes that don’t really stand out in any way and thanks to it being a short it only has an opening animation and no closing theme. The opening theme is very catchy thanks to its simple lyrics and pairing with the animation and it is called “Hajimete Girls!” performed by Ray.
Outside of the bonus OVA the only other features included in this release are a clean version of the opening theme and trailers for other titles from Sentai Filmworks.
