Time for some Final Fantasy VII Remake discussion and my opinion on how things are shaping up. There has been news about how the game will be different from the original. This is not the same old Final Fantasy VII that we know and that could be a good thing for everyone. See why I think this new direction is the way to go for Square Enix moving forward.
Netflix Japan vs Hulu Japan: Which one is the best?
It’s Netflix Japan vs Hulu Japan!
I’ve been using online video services in Japan since 2014. With the recent launch of Netflix Japan, I wanted to compare the two services and note the differences as well as the pros/cons. Which one should you consider using? (If you want to pay for a streaming service in Japan, that is)
2019 Update: Hulu Japan and Netflix Japan have changed drastically over the years. Long story short, Netflix is the better option with more content than Hulu Japan. Amazon Prime now has HBO content which is another blow to Hulu.
The Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 controversy
There’s a Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 controversy happening these days. The game developer Team Ninja from the company Tecmo has said it has no plans to bring Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 to North America because the industry is going through a change in how it includes female characters in games.
Some Japanese game developers have always used sex and girls to promote their games, but now they are finding that the environment in North America has changed and won’t be too accepting of what is considered okay in Japan.
I don’t think there really is a big need for this Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 controversy. There is nothing outstanding about the series. It’s basically the girls from the fighting series in swimsuits doing random activities plus beach volleyball.
I’ve only played the first game on the original XBox, so I can’t comment on the second or third one. However, I have noticed the change in direction and focus for the game developer Team Ninja since I came to Japan. WARNING: Suggestive content! Not safe for work.
My top 10 games I regret buying
This is a list of the top 10 games I regret buying. They come from all sorts of platforms and time periods, but the end result is I regret buying them for one reason or another. Have you played some of the games on my list?
The Age of Adaline review (2015)
I happened to see the movie The Age of Adaline the other day and ended up over thinking the movie more than I wanted to. The story sounds pretty cool. A woman that never ages. There are so many directions you can go with that story, so how did this movie do? My friends and I debated a lot through this movie about what we would do if we were the characters.
Turn off Japanese Live Conversion in OS X El Capitan
I haven’t seen anyone talk about this Japanese live conversion feature, so I thought I’d bring it up. When normally inputting Japanese on a computer, it’s usual to first type in romaji which gets converted into hiragana. From there, the person pushes the space bar and can convert the text into katakana, kanji, or other characters. This has been the case for a long time now.
I enjoy using a Mac, but the recent feature in OS X El Capitan for users of Japanese input drove me crazy. It’s called Japanese live conversion, and it automatically converts your romaji typing into the correct kanji based on context. In theory, this sounds really great and convenient, but I often found myself having to fight the system. There are times when I need to write something only in hiragana or katakana, but the Japanese live conversation feature thinks I want to write like a Japanese novelist and converts everything into kanji. It didn’t take long before I was hunting down a way to turn this thing off.
How to make a Japanese iTunes Account for exclusive content
For Japan-exclusive content, you’re going to need a Japanese iTunes account. Sometimes, there are things that are not available in our own store. I have two iTunes accounts, an American one and a Japanese one. You don’t have to know Japanese or live in Japan to make a Japanese iTunes account! I’ve made a visual guide to help those that want to make one and you don’t need a credit card to do it. Totally free!
Japanese Air Conditioner guide: Tackling the remote
If you’ve ever been to Japan and been in need an air conditioner, you might have had to think twice before pushing a button on the remote control. Learning how to use a Japanese air conditioner doesn’t have to be hard, though. You just have to learn a little bit of what symbols do what. I’ve made a little guide to help you out.
Try Japanese Language Proficiency Test Review
I’ve reviewed several books for tackling the JLPT, but you can never have enough books to help you with grammar. That’s why I want to talk about the “Try Japanese Language Proficiency Test” or Try! 日本語能力試験 series. If you’re wanting a good book to help you with grammar that will do a good job, look no further!
Genki Japanese: My Review of the legendary textbook
There are certain books that you can look back on and have fond memories of learning through them. Genki Japanese is one of those books. The Genki series of books are the pillars of my Japanese language knowledge and what helped me get to where I am today. It’s one of the best Japanese language textbooks I’ve ever had the pleasure of using and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone. With that said, on to the review!