Genki Life Magazine 35 - Spring 2019

We all know and love series’ like My Hero Academia,
Attack on Titan, Steins;Gate, and we cannot forget
Neon Genesis Evangelion—the list goes on. But what
about the lesser known anime? The ones that were swept
under the rug or flew under the radar amidst all the hype for
the more eye-catching shows of the season. Unfortunately,
these mostly went unnoticed, but their potential shines
above all.
In 2012, a swarm of new anime and manga were released
in Japan, one of which being the infamous Sword Art Online.
A story in which a boy plays a video game he’s passionate
about but gets stuck fighting for his life when he ends up
having to play it for real. He makes new friends and foes
alike as he tries to beat this real-life game while finding
himself. But Kirito wasn’t the only gamer that got DLC
he didn’t ask for, there was another 22-year-old NEET
who just wanted to sit down and play video games.
Presenting one of my absolute
favorites, BTOOOM!
Initially written by Junya Inoue,
BTOOOM! is about a game with the
same name that became a worldwide
phenomenon, selling millions
within the first week. A game so
notoriously good, people
from all over the
world are just waiting
in line to pick up a copy. Think of an
RPG-based Call of Duty but with various
types of bombs instead of guns.
Enter Ryōta Sakamoto, one of the
world’s best BTOOOM! players living
under his mother’s roof in Japan. He’s
the textbook definition of the stereotypical
“guy living in his mother’s basement:”
no job, no college degree, no plans for the
future, no real-life friends, no training. He
lives and breathes the world of BTOOOM! and
unfortunately for him, that becomes a reality when he ends
up on an island and forced to play the game he so dearly
loved for real. It’s survival of the fittest!
The first thing I should make mention of is the art style
and animation. Studio Madhouse lives up to its reputation,
being the company responsible for Death Note’s beautiful
animation during its release in 2006. It’s swift and smooth,
utilizing a mix of both vibrant and dull colors in every scene.
Every character is given various amounts of expressions and
6 Genki Life Magazine • Spring 2019