Blake Simons

2 weeks ago | rpgsite.net | Blake Simons

It's not every day that you get to meet an industry legend. Storied JRPG creator Yuji Horii – of Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger fame – travelled to Italy earlier this month to participate in a panel at Napoli Comicon. As with any hero worth their salt, he first had a look around town and took on a few sidequests. One such venture was a roundtable with a group of ten European journalists, which RPG Site had the pleasure of participating in. Advertisement.

3 weeks ago | desperatelyseekingsubtitles.substack.com | Blake Simons

Emmanuel Mouret’s films are concerned with matters of the heart, and with how we feel in ourselves and towards one another. Emerging from a Mouret film into the cinema foyer, you feel as if you’ve been enlightened — the wise truths and sympathies that his characters and their interactions espouse provide a sort of cinema therapy. It’s an experience that many of us could do with.

3 weeks ago | rockpapershotgun.com | Blake Simons

It begins as every Japan-set dating sim worth its salt does — with a transfer student. It's Aya's first day at the ominously-named 'Love-Love All-Girls High School', and they're (understandably) a little nervous. Shy and socially anxious, they hope they'll manage to make a friend or two. Turns out their classmates are eager - perhaps a little too eager - to get acquainted. Aya is set upon by a stampede of besotted young women, but Aya doesn't have romance on the brain themselves.

4 weeks ago | screenanarchy.com | Blake Simons

We all need a little romance in our lives. When feeling dragged down by routine and repetition, a change of scene or a novel activity can give us a new lease on life, or a fresh perspective - so too can the films that we watch. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better pick than Masayuki Suo's 1996 classic Shall We Dance?.

1 month ago | thefilmstage.com | Blake Simons

What is love? For some, it is mutuality––a chemistry, care, and concern that blossoms into an equally supportive relationship. For others, it is devotion––a one-sided, obsessional affection that the lover finds selfless. Japanese idol group Happy Fanfare sing about love, but they’re not allowed to pursue their own––such is the “No Love” clause present in their contracts.