Death is coming – Darksiders II returns on the WiiU
Darksiders II available now via Nintendo’s European eShop
Vienna, AUSTRIA (27th February 2014) – Yes, they do still exist: amazing games for the WiiU! Nordic Games announced today the highly acclaimed Darksiders II has found its way back onto the European Nintendo eShop, after almost one year’s absence.
Alarmed by the end of days, Death, the most feared of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, embarks on a quest to save humanity and to clear his brother War’s name. On his journey, Death discovers that there are evils even more terrible than an earthly apocalypse, and is quickly drawn into a war between powers that could destroy all of creation…
The fantastic action-adventure based around the campaign of the Horseman of the Apocalypse, Death, has delighted critics and gamers alike. With an average rating of 85 (according to Metacritic.com), Darksiders II is one of the most highly rated WiiU games ever. In addition to Death’s main adventure, the DLC add-ons “Argul’s Tomb”, “Death Rides”, “Angel of Death”, “Shadow of Death” and “Deadly Despair” are also included in the newly re-released version of the game.
Online PC and Mac game now playable on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices; young warriors can now play together and partake in epic battles across all platforms
London, UK. – 27th February, 2014 – The battle for CHI builds on in the world of CHIMA™! Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, The LEGO Group and WB Games Montréal today announced the launch of LEGO® Legends of CHIMA™ Online for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch devices, playable with a WiFi connection. LEGO Legends of CHIMA Online, already available for Windows PC and Mac, is an immersive and interactive free to play online game that extends and complements the popular LEGO Legends of CHIMA universe of products, including construction sets, vehicles, TV shows and more! The online game officially moved out of Beta last month with game enhancements and new features including parent accounts and chat, and this enhanced experience is now available for download on the App Store.
“We are very excited to bring the expansive world of CHIMA Online to iOS players,” said Louis Lamarche, Creative Director for LEGO Legends of CHIMA Online at WB Games Montréal. “Now players can seamlessly pick up and play right where they left off in the game from their PC or Mac to any of their iOS devices.”
In CHIMA Online, players take on the role of an animal warrior in the Lion, Eagle, Gorilla or Bear tribe, and set forth on missions to help protect the vast and magical world of CHIMA. After creating and customising their character, players explore massive environments from the cartoon series like the Forest of Falling Leaves. They will uncover hidden secrets and treasures, build weapons and gadgets, and collect studs and gold bricks that will help expand their Outpost. Players will also be able to team up with their friends in epic battles and unleash the power of CHI, giving them extraordinary strength and power against their enemies. With creative missions, side challenges, and action-packed battles, CHIMA Onlineoffers hours upon hours of building, puzzle solving and exploration.
Committed to providing kids with fun and incredibly immersive connected game experience,CHIMA Online also contains actively moderated chat filters to help prevent the collection and sharing of personal information, ensuring a fun environment for kids to communicate and providing ease of mind for parents.
Developed by WB Games Montreal in conjunction with TT Games, LEGO Legends of CHIMA Online is rated “PEGI 7”. For more information, please visit www.CHIMAOnline.com.
About WB Games Montr é al
Since its launch in 2010, WB Games Montréal has more than 300 employees and continues to grow and recruit additional talent. Working with some of Warner Bros. Studios’ biggest brands, including DC Entertainment, the studio is focused on the most cutting-edge approach to games for the digital space as well as current and upcoming video game consoles.
About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc., is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all platforms, including console, handheld, mobile and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.
INTRODUCING ALL-NEW CAST OF WARRIORS IN TECMO KOEI’S LATEST BRAWLER
New Playable Characters Detailed for DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS COMPLETE EDITION and DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS
BURLINGAME, Calif.(February 27, 2014) – TECMO KOEI America today introduced the line-up of new warriors that expand the existing mammoth roster of over 80 playable characters in DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS COMPLETE EDITION and DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREMELEGENDS. Chen Gong, Fa Zheng, Lu Lingqi, Yu Jin and Zhu Ran now join the historic struggle for dominance in DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS COMPLETE EDITION for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PlayStation®Vita handheld system and DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Both titles will be released simultaneously across North America on March 25, 2014.
New Warriors
Chen Gong– An ambitious and humorous strategist for Lu Bu, he is willing to make any sacrifice to see himself rise to the top. He once served under Cao Cao, but switched sides when he realized his ambitions would not be satisfied.
Fa Zheng– A strategist without morals and a key figure in Liu Bei’s efforts to take over the land of Shu. He is a brilliant tactician who has pacified Yi Province with his strategies, and participated in the invasion of Hanzhong. He strongly believes in repaying his debts, whether it be for good or ill.
Lu Lingqi– A brave warrior princess, and daughter of Lu Bu, who possesses great fighting ability much like her father, she uses her courage to stand in the front lines of any battle.
Yu Jin– An invincible general promoted by Wei leader Cao Cao. He places a strong emphasis on military discipline, and his unyielding personality causes him to be feared by friend and foe alike.
Zhu Ran– A fledgling warrior who has since been promoted within the Wu ranks. Although young, he distinguished himself in the suppression of a group of mountain bandits and during the Battle of Ruxukou.
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS (DW8XL) for PlayStation®3, is a stand-alone expansion of the highly successful Dynasty Warriors 8, which was released in July 2013 to critical acclaim. It will include new episodes that add to the story of the three kingdoms the game revolves around, focusing on the exploits of the mightiest of warriors, Lu Bu. Additionally, DW8XL will see the introduction of five new characters, giving players the option to choose between 82 warriors in total. DW8XL will also feature multiple hypothetical scenarios that alter the plotlines of various episodes throughout the ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ story, an expanded Ambition Mode and the popular Challenge Mode. The Free Mode has also been significantly enhanced, featuring among other things, the Xtreme Legends ‘Ultimate’ difficulty level.
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS COMPLETE EDITION for the PlayStation®4 system and PlayStation®Vita, is a treat for Dynasty Warriors fans that have migrated to the new generation of consoles. The Complete Edition includes all of the content from both DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 and DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS, thus giving new fans the opportunity to play through both titles. As an added bonus, PlayStation®3 system Dynasty Warriors 8 save data is transferable across all platforms.
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS COMPLETE EDITION and DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS have been rated T for Teen by the ESRB.
Summary
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 is a historical tactical action game that follows the stories of the kingdoms of Wei, Wu, Shu and Jin through the actions of historical military and political figures of the time as they fight to gain control over the Three Kingdoms of China. It features more than 40 completely new stages: verdant plains, desolate wastelands, sharp ravines, huge castles, and other breath-taking sites, giving stronger emphasis in the stage of these epic battles and inspired by ancient landscapes.
TECMO KOEI AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of TECMO KOEI HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. On April 1, 2009, TECMO KOEI HOLDINGS CO., LTD was established as a result of the TECMO, LTD. and KOEI Co., Ltd. merger.
“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Harebrained Schemes’ Shadowrun: Dragonfall Now Available
Community Feedback Inspires Full-Length Expansion Campaign Set in Berlin
Kirkland, WA (February 27, 2014) Harebrained Schemes’ Shadowrun: Dragonfall, a major expansion for the magic-meets-cyberpunk tactical RPG mashup Shadowrun Returns, has launched today. Featuring a 12+ hour campaign set in the city of Berlin, Shadowrun: Dragonfall also contains a multitude of new features and enhancements for the core Shadowrun Returns game. The title is available for $14.99 (requires the original game to play) for Windows, OSX and Linux at the Steam store http://store.steampowered.com/app/272030, and a DRM-free version is offered at GOG.com. The original Shadowrun Returns game is also on sale for $14.99 for a limited time.
“The response to Shadowrun Returns was so overwhelming that it inspired us to pull out all the stops in creating Shadowrun: Dragonfall. We really did our best to listen to fans and act on their feedback,” said Jordan Weisman, founder of Harebrained Schemes and creator of the Shadowrun game universe. “We are thrilled to unveil our next story and can’t wait to see all the awesome new Shadowrun stories that the community will create with the Dragonfall expansion and the Shadowrun Editor.”
In addition to the incredible support they gave the project, from its announcement through its historic milestone as the first $1m+ Kickstarted videogame to ship, fans have shared hundreds of free Shadowrun adventures and content with the Steam Workshop community (http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/browse?appid=234650), greatly expanding the game world developed by Harebrained Schemes.
Shadowrun Returns debuted in 2013 to much acclaim. The game won numerous “Best of 2013” awards including four from Diehard GameFAN (2013 Game of the Year, Best PC Exclusive Game, Best Digital/Downloadable Game and Best Strategy Role Playing Game) as well as a Top Game of the Year Award from Gamasutra, and it appeared as a recommended game in Holiday Gift Guides from IGN and Board Game Geek.
SHADOWRUN: DRAGONFALL STORY
In 2012, magic returned to our world, awakening powerful creatures of myth and legend. Among these was the great dragon Feuerschwinge, who emerged without warning from the mountains of Germany – unleashing fire, death, and untold destruction across the countryside. It took German forces nearly four months to finally shoot her down. This event became known as the Dragonfall.
Now, 42 years later, the world has changed. Unchecked advances in technology have blurred the line between man and machine. Elves and trolls walk among us, ruthless corporations bleed the world dry, and Feuerschwinge’s reign of terror is a distant memory. Germany is splintered – in Berlin, a stable anarchy rules the city. Known as the Flux State, it’s a place where almost anything goes, power is ephemeral, and the right connections can be the difference between success and starvation. For you and your team of battle-scarred shadowrunners, there’s no better place to earn a quick payday.
But a new threat is rising, one that could mean untold chaos and devastation. One that soon has you and your team caught on the wrong side of a deadly conspiracy. The only clue: whispers of the Dragonfall. Rumors that the Great Dragon Feuerschwinge may still be alive, waiting for the right moment to return…
SHADOWRUN: DRAGONFALL FEATURES
Experience a New Full-Length Campaign: Return to the “Tech meets Magic” future of Shadowrun in an all-new 12+ hour campaign. Operating out of an offbeat hub neighborhood, you’ll choose which missions to accept and how you’ll approach them while navigating the dark underbelly of “the Flux”.
An Exciting New Locale: Shadowrun: Dragonfall transports runners to the Free City of Berlin, a thrilling Shadowrun setting full of gorgeous new hi-res environments, a diverse new cast of characters, and a new soundtrack by Sam Powell, the composer of the original Sega Genesis Shadowrun game.
Command Your Team: Lead a small team of shadowrunners, each with their own outlook and backstory. The members of your team are designed to play unique roles during missions, and each has a distinct set of skills, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.
New Weapons, Portraits, Enemies & More: Try your hand at the long-range sniper rifle, explosive grenade launcher, or stun-inducing taser. Chrome yourself out in the latest cyberware, and take on deadly new enemies – including new magical creatures like gargoyles and fire drakes. Dragonfall brings a host of new items, characters, over 60 new portraits to choose from, and many other improvements to the Shadowrun Returns experience.
Save Anywhere: You can save your progress at any time during the game. The new save-game functionality is available in new downloads of Shadowrun Returns and through a patch for all existing copies.
New Game Editor Features: Dragonfall brings a wide range of enhancements to the Shadowrun Returns game editor for community content creators – including a scripting system to better control lighting, tracking mission objectives in the main game UI, placing exploding barrels, and allowing players to input keypad passwords and custom text strings in conversations. In addition, content creators will be able to use all of the new Berlin environment art, items and characters in their own stories along with assets from the original Shadowrun Returns campaign.
About Harebrained Schemes
Harebrained Schemes is a small team of passionate game developers led by Jordan Weisman, the creator of Shadowrun, Crimson Skies, BattleTech, MechWarrior, and many other acclaimed game worlds. Founded in 2011, the Seattle-based studio is centered on deep collaboration between seasoned veterans and fresh talent. Their first title, Crimson: Steam Pirates, was one of Apple’s Benchmark Games of 2011 and one of Metacritic.com’s “Best iPhone Games of 2011.” Their next title, Strikefleet Omega, was named one of Google Play’s “Best Games of 2012.” In April 2012, Harebrained Schemes made headlines when it launched one of the first 7-figure Kickstarter campaigns for Shadowrun Returns, which appeared on five “Most Anticipated Games of 2013” lists. The game launched in July 2013 to much acclaim and won many best of the year awards. Their latest Kickstarter success story, a digitally-enhanced miniatures board game called Golem Arcana, is due out later this year. http://harebrained-schemes.com/
Jagex holds “biggest fundraising event ever” for SpecialEffect’s GameBlast weekend
Over £48,000 is raised for the disability gaming charity SpecialEffect, as 90,000 gamers tune in to watch 24-hour gaming marathon.
Thursday 27th February 2014, Cambridge, UK – Jagex Games Studio, makers of the multi-award winning fantasy MMORPG, RuneScape, today revealed the results of their 24-hour long gaming marathon in support of SpecialEffect’s inaugural GameBlast weekend.
The marathon, which witnessed 90,000 unique viewers over the course of the stream, saw staff and selected members of the RuneScape community play RuneScape and Ace of Spades throughout the 24 hour period, raising over £48,000 as a result.
“It’s been great to see our players really get behind such a worthy cause as SpecialEffect,” said Jane Ryan, Head of RuneScape Community Management and co-organiser of Jagex’s gaming marathon. “It’s been a crazy 24 hours; we’ve seen staff rise to the occasion and take on all kinds of challenges in the name of charity. The generosity of our players is both touching and gratifying and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!”
“We’re absolutely delighted with the way that Jagex and their players have thrown themselves into the GameBlast weekend.” Said Dr Mick Donegan, Founder and Director of SpecialEffect. “This has turned out to be our biggest gamer-driven fundraising event ever and we cannot express how grateful we are for the support we have received. The money raised this weekend will help us to bring video games to all those who are passionate about them, whatever their disability.”
In addition to direct donations though the studio’s JustGiving page, the in-game Well of Goodwill re-opened for the weekend. The well allowed players to donate their in-game gold, items and RuneScape bonds to charity, which were then converted into a real world contribution on their behalf. In addition, 50 percent of all profits from the sales of Ace of Spades were also donated to SpecialEffect during the GameBlast weekend.
A highlights video of the event can be downloaded from our Press Extranet.
Donation breakdown
JustGiving – £9,380.80
RuneScape – £25,412.50
Ace of Spades – £13,759
About Jagex
Starting in 2001 with their flagship free-to-play adventure game, RuneScape, Jagex has created a long-standing reputation for crafting the world’s best online games services. Today they stand as the UK’s largest independent games developers and publishers. With over 40 titles published to date, Jagex prides itself on developing and publishing hugely popular, accessible, free-to-play online games for millions of players globally. For more information please visit www.Jagex.com.
About RuneScape
Venture forth into the rich and immersive medieval fantasy world of Gielinor, where even the smallest of actions affect the vast world around you. Recognised repeatedly by Guinness World Records as the world’s most popular free-to-play MMORPG, with over 200 million players and counting. RuneScape offers unparalleled levels of choice to its players, where they can be anyone, slay anything and go anywhere in their own unique open world adventure, all within the browser window. Start your greatest adventure today at www.RuneScape.com.
About Ace of Spades
Ace of Spades is the latest title from the multi-awarding UK studio behind the leading free-to-play browser MMO RuneScape and the eagerly anticipated Transformers Universe. Ace of Spades is the first-person shooter that lets you create your battleground, destroy it, then create it again. Up to 32 players choose from 4 unique classes and jump into team-based, multiplayer mayhem across an endlessly evolving battlefield, to construct, destruct and take out the opposition. Visit www.AceofSpades.com for more information.
The Raid 2 will be unleashed upon cinemas nationwide on March 28, but today we have got the official Australian poster for “the greatest action film ever” to share with you. Check it out below.
And further down, you will find its Official Trailer #2 embedded. Gareth Evans – Toronto International Film Festival award winner – returns to direct this sequel to The Raid: Redemption. It was recently featured as an Official Selection at the Sundance Film Festival and promises to be more brutal than its predecessor. It also has a runtime 47 minutes longer than the first. That’s a lot of ass-whoopings at the hands of Iko Uwais. We can hardly wait. Keep an eye on Capsule Computers leading up to release as we keep you updated and look to review the film closer to the date, courtesy of distributors Madman Films.
Today Eleven Arts has announced that they will be teaming up with Sentai Filmworks to bring a new omnibus film to North America called “Short Peace.” Short Peace is a film by Akira’s director Katsuhiro Otomo which features four short animated films that have been created by some of Japan’s greatest animators.
This includes “Possessions” which was nominated for an Academy Award this year, that follows the story of a lone travel confronted by unusual spirits in an abandoned shrine, Gambo, a short that features a mysterious white bear defending the royal family from red demon, A Farewell to Arms, which follows men battling robotic tanks in a post apocalyptic Tokyo, and finally Combustible, a movie following a tale of love, honor, and firefighting in ancient Japan.
There will be special screenings of the movie held at thirteen different locations across the United States on March 3rd. There are additional screenings that will happen on April 2014 and for full information about the screenings, including the theater locations and prices, you can find them at Eleven Arts’ website.
Compatibility: Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s and iPad. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
Description
When hunger strikes, grab a shotgun and put some dinner on the table. Lock and load and put those sharpshooting skills to the test as you blast flocks of ducks out of the sky.
This app offers in-app purchases. You may disable in-app purchasing using your device settings. See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4213 for more info.
DINNER TIME
These ducks don’t hang about! Aim using either traditional joystick or immersive gyroscopic controls and get trigger-happy. With over 150 missions and a pantry full of side quests from Granny, there’s plenty to get stuck in.
QUACK ATTACK
From slingshots to rail guns, dynamite to robots – there’s nothing this duck destroyer won’t use to get his paws on a delicious meal. Load up on power-ups in the store and come out guns blazing!
FLIGHT OF THE FOX
A simple errand to fetch dinner takes this fox on an adventure that’s out of this world! Chart his journey as he’s plucked from his humble home and thrown into the Arctic and beyond in fully-animated cut-scenes.
EA may retire online features and services after 30 days’ notice posted on www.ea.com/1/service-updates.
Game Features
• A fun and frantic arcade shooter
• A massive adventure spanning 50 levels and hundreds of missions
• Tons of fun weapons and power-ups to play with
• Your choice of immersive gyro and joystick controls
• Fully-animated cut-scenes charting Red Fox’s massive adventure
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Visit http://www.chillingo.com/about/game-faqs/ for assistance or inquiries.
Important Consumer Information. Requires acceptance of EA’s Privacy & Cookie Policy, TOS and EULA; includes in-game advertising; collects data through third party ad serving and analytics technology. (See Privacy and Cookie Policy for details); contains direct links to the Internet and social networking sites intended for an audience over 13.
Today NIS America has released a few new screenshots as well as a gameplay clip to highlight the combat system that is used in their upcoming dungeon-crawling RPG Demon Gaze. As you can see below, combat will take place in a first person turn based battle.
We are also shown some of the enemies that players will be encountering in the game as well as how demons that you capture will be able to help you out in a fight. Currently Demon Gaze is set to be released on April 22nd in North America and April 25th in Europe as both a digital and retail title.
Overview There are tried and true themes that run rampant in anime and manga, especially in shōnen and shōjo series. When you factor in the fact that many people prefer something familiar while also wanting to see something new at the same time, you also find a number of similarities between other series, even if they don’t fall into the same genre. Anyways, although the appearance of Kamisama Kiss may bring up thoughts of other series starring silver haired animal eared characters, does this shōjo series stand on its own legs?
Story Nanami Momozono hasn’t had the easiest life as her father has issues with money. However she has managed to get by despite being poor for most of her life but when the series begins Nanami’s life hits rock bottom. Her father has flaked on his gambling debts and she has been evicted from their apartment as part of their payment after he ran away. As such, Nanami is forced to live on the street with no hope, no real talent and no one she can call a close friend.
Just when her life was at its darkest point, she saves a mysterious young man from being attacked by a dog. To reward her for her assistance, this young man offers her his home as thanks and kisses her on the forehead. Despite this offer sounding too good to be true, she accepts only to find out that this house is an old shrine that is falling apart. As she regrets getting her hopes up, Nanami is surprised to find out that she has now become a “Land God” thanks to powers she was given by the stranger she helped out.
As such, she is now the god of the shrine and with this new role comes two strange children yōkai willing to assist her and a fox yōkai named Tomoe. You see, the former Land God, Mikage, has been missing for twenty years and now Nanami must take on his role, which leaves the silver haired Tomoe rather annoyed at the fact that not only has Mikage vanished again, but he must now serve a human girl after she forces him into a contract with a kiss.
Now that Nanami is the new Land God, she must deal with not only everyday high school girl life but also yōkai that are trying to obtain her powers, answer prayers, protect the shrine, and deal with Tomoe. Despite these challenges, Nanami tries to keep a positive outlook on life and soon she finds herself gaining new human friends and also meeting new yōkai who are willing to be a bit more than just friendly with her. With the potential for pink flowery romance around her, how will this human god handle her new role?
Now I may not be the most experienced shōjo viewer around, Fruits Basket and more recently Kimi ni Todoke have been standout series for me and it is really hard not to call Kamisama Kiss a really basic shōjo romance story. The series does not delve into the reverse harem such as Hakuoki or Fruits Basket, although there is potential there as many of the other male yōkai that appear around Nanami seem to develop feelings for her.
Now despite being basic at its core, there are a few things that make Kamisama Kiss stand out from the rest of the shōjo crowd outside of the yōkai flavor added into the mix. The first element is the fact that Nanami is a likable character with a determined personality that tries to improve herself and is always moving forward. Rarely will Nanami be a reactionary character as she usually will try to take the initiative which forces Tomoe to follow along and protect her.
Along those same lines, the relationship that is built between Nanami and Tomoe is enjoyable to watch as the story moves at a fairly brisk pace and their feelings for one another do not appear out of nowhere, as it is clear as the episodes go on that Tomoe starts to develop feelings for Nanami. Even if he is in denial about it until the final episode, the evidence for Tomoe’s feelings begins to mount as he struggles internally with his decision.
Another positive aspect about Kamisama Kiss is the amount, and variety, of the humor on display thanks to Tomoe’s grumpy attitude and eagerness to use his transformation and fire abilities on other yōkai and the way that Nanami reacts to almost every outlandish situation she is placed in, as well as the way that both Nanami and Tomoe tend to anger each other. As far as the drama factor goes, the show is mostly bubbly but does try and implement some misunderstandings about Tomoe as well as issues with his past and Nanami’s confidence in herself but almost every attempt at drama feels forced and rather unnecessary.
Visuals Again while I am not the most versed in romantic shōjo series around, I do know that most of the character designs on display in Kamisama Kiss are as characteristic as they come for a series such as this. The female characters are your standard fare with Nanami being the only real standout while the boys all have the bishie pretty boy look about them. Oddly enough, despite the fact that the whole yōkai aspect is available, we see very few interesting or detailed yōkai designs outside of the small shrine familiars and even they are basic looking.
The quality of the animation is a real roller coaster of decent quality to very shoddy looking scenes with very little movement in favor of using the standard glittering shōjo backgrounds. Thankfully these are used relatively sparingly and a lot of the background scenery is impressive looking whenever the series moves away from Nanami’s high school. It is also worth noting that despite the release being on Blu-ray, the series does not take advantage of the improved format in any way and barely looks any better than the DVD version.
Audio With Kamisama Kiss we have been provided with an English dub recorded by FUNimation as well as the original Japanese voice track. Tia Ballard does a wonderful job as Nanami while J. Michael Tatum handles the role of the moody Tomoe nicely. As for the rest of the cast, they handle their roles nicely though the shrine spirits sound very grating in both voice tracks.
As far as background music, there is your standard shōjo soundtrack which is largely forgettable, but it is humorous that any time a certain yōkai named Kurama appears that he always has a certain theme song to back him up. The opening theme for the show is “Kamisama Hajimemashita” and the ending is “Kamisama Onegai” both by Hanae and both very soft sounding and fitting for a romantic shōjo series such as this.
Extras Now this Kamisama Kiss version reviewed is the minimalistic release and not the one that costs $129.98. Still, there are a number of on-disc bonuses available in the form of a textless version of the opening song, all versions of the ending theme, though it is worth noting the only difference is the clips shown in the ending animation. There are also trailers for other FUNimation anime and the US trailer for Kamisama Kiss, and three commentary tracks.
There are two audio commentaries, one for episode 1 which features Jerry Jewell, the director, Tia Ballard, the voice of Nanami and episode 12 that sees the return of Jerry Jewell who is joined this time by J. Michael Tatum who handles Tomoe. There is a third commentary track for episode 6 which is a real treat as it is a video commentary featuring Jerry Jewell, Tia Ballard, J. Michael Tatum, Sean O’Connor, the voice of Kurama.
Overall Although Kamisama Kiss looks and sounds very similar to your standard shōjo romance series, there are a few elements which help it stand out from your basic shōjo anime. The fact that the romance between Nanami and Tomoe actually begins to develop at a believable rate and doesn’t feel forced is a nice touch, especially when you factor in the amount of comedy that the show provides. Kamisama Kiss moves along at a nice pace and is a charming show that shōjo fans will adore while it’s on, but not come back to.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
