The Otaku's Study

28/01/2024

A follow up to 2020's Yakuza: Like a Dragon, check out our full review of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, now available from SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio on the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S

https://www.otakustudy.com/video-game/2024/01/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-review/

06/01/2024

In only a few hours time, ATLUS (Japan) will be hosting a special livestream going through the music of Persona 3 Reload with comments by musician and long-time Persona 3 vocalist, Lotus Juice

Closely following ATLUS' release of the opening cinematic for Persona 3 Reload, which the Japanese rapper and musician Lotus Juice serves as vocalist for, the

06/01/2024

Metaverse of Magic is now performing at QPAC until 14 January.

This innovative show blends magical talents with a digital aesthetic and gamification, offering a unique theatrical experience. 🎩✨

Set in a virtual world, guests (or rather, "players"), follow the 'magic' social media influencer Lenoxx on a journey featuring four levels, five talented illusionists/magicians from across the globe, and audience challenges which ultimately creates an enjoyable and immersive event for all ages. Plus, it is one of the only shows you will see which encourages you to use your mobile phone mid-show📱.

Read my full, comprehensive review at the link below.

You know the drill when attending a theatrical performance - you attend a show, you'd better switch off your mobile phone. Metaverse of Magic is

04/01/2024

Goodbye Volcano High caught my attention when it was first unveiled during the PS5 'Future of Gaming', and I am stoked to finally have had the chance to play and myself in the story crafted by KO_OP. Full review below:

A surprise highlight of the PlayStation 'Future of Gaming' livestream in 2020, KO_OP's Goodbye Volcano High is now available, and worth the wait!

04/01/2024

Lots of anime binging coming up this season on Crunchyroll, with dozens of new licenses and many simuldubs planned. Can't believe it has been a little more than 10 years since official anime streaming became commonplace, and we didn't need to wait years for a DVD (or VHS release) of a series.

From the classic isekai to supernatural tales to romantic tales to the staples that have made a mark on the anime landscape over the past few years - official

03/01/2024

The problem with live service games... once their servers are taken down, the game becomes inaccessible, potentially forever. As a last gesture towards gamers in Japan who have been following "The Worst of All Stories" SINoALICE potentially since 2017, those who complete the game will gain access to シノアリスだったナニカ, or in English, The Story That Was Once SINoALICE, providing access to select data and collected characters/jobs/weapons/summons past the EOS date.

While their fans may throw the occasional cash at their favourite live-service game, or even "whale" to obtain every character and/or weapon on offer, it is

28/12/2023

Curious about the musicals that will be debuting and/or touring across Australia in 2024? The Otaku's Study | The Theatre Sphere is pleased to offer a running hub page for all these productions.

Sydney Capitol Theatre

24/10/2023

I had the pleasure of pitching some questions to Shubshri Kandiah, the Queensland actor who is currently performing as Belle in Disney Theatrical Production's ongoing Australian tour of Beauty and the Beast Musical Australia

The musical is currently in Sydney, and headed to Brisbane in February 2024 and Melbourne in June 2024.

Earlier this year, Disney Theatrical Productions commenced a brand new Australian tour of Beauty and the Beast the Musical, and is in my opinion, a "timeless

11/07/2023

Our review of Billy Elliot the Musical's Gold Coast exclusive season is now live!

Produced by Matt Ward Entertainment, it will be performing at The Star Gold Coast until Sunday 13 August 2023!

★★★★½

Before the pandemic threw the performing arts industry into pandemonium, there was a national 10th-anniversary production of Billy Elliot the

07/07/2023

PREVIEW: Ahead of Saturday's opening night, check out this preview of Billy Elliot - The Musical, which entered preview's last night at the The Star Gold Coast. The production is being produced by Matt Ward Entertainment, and features the talents of many Queensland youngsters and the incredible Debora Krizak as Mrs Wilkinson.

Captured during the July 2023 media call for Billy Elliot the Musical's 2023 Gold Coast Season at The Star Gold Coast, Gold Coast.

23/01/2023

While I can't help but feel was more deserving of a remake than a simple port, it is great to see this iconic PS2-era RPG available on current generation platforms again!

The 2006 PS2-era RPG Persona 3 is now available on current generation gaming consoles including the Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PS4 and PC. But is it any good after all this time?

25/12/2022

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a splendid 2023!

Read The Otaku's Study's full Christmas Message below, featuring fabulously adorable new artwork by artist Mutou Mato (武藤まと)

And so we find ourselves nearing the end of another year - celebrating its impending conclusion with some Christmas cheer. However you choose to celebrate

05/05/2022

The latest bundle from Humble Bundle, titled 'Game Over, T1D' is in support of the incredible JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)! Your small donation may not only net you some great games, but bring society one step closer to a cure for Type 1 Diabetes! https://www.otakustudy.com/video-game/2022/05/latest-humble-bundle-supports-jdrf-in-their-battle-against-type-1-diabetes/

As someone who has had Type 1 Diabetes for more than two decades now, I can tell you that some days can get very tough. Depending on the control of my blood

02/05/2022

Returning to Star Citizen for the first time in a while, I begin touring the hospitals implemented into the game in recent patches - starting with Lorville's Maria Pure of Heart Hospital.

https://www.otakustudy.com/video-game/2022/05/star-citizen-a-tour-of-lorvilles-maria-pure-of-heart/

02/05/2022

The end is never the end is never the end... again, with The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe now available on the PC and Consoles. Check out my review of this... well I am unsure if it is a remake or sequel... to read my thoughts on it.

https://www.otakustudy.com/video-game/2022/05/stanley-parable-ultra-deluxe/

26/04/2022

Reuniting Ainsley Melham and Shubshri Kandiah for the first time since appearing together as part of Disney Theatrical Production's Australian tour of Aladdin, rehearsals have commenced for the upcoming Australian tour of Cinderella Musical Australia.

https://www.otakustudy.com/theatre/2022/04/rehearsals-for-australian-national-tour-of-cinderella-are-underway/

Mere weeks from the show's debut season at Melbourne's Regent Theatre, rehearsals are officially underway for Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella at Opera

26/04/2022

Looking for the opportunity to commission artwork from your favourite Japanese artist? To mark 2 million registered users and 100,000 registered creators, Skeb is running a fee free period from tomorrow until 2 May 2022.

https://www.otakustudy.com/books/2022/04/skeb-hosts-another-fee-free-campaign-period-to-celebrate-2-million-users-and-100000-registered-creators/

It may be a little bit of a pain for those whose wallets are still recovering from the recent fee-free campaign period Skeb held mere weeks ago. However, to

23/04/2022

Two more weeks until Frozen - The Musical leaves Brisbane and heads to the Adelaide Festival Centre. Haven't checked the show out yet and want my thoughts on it? My in-depth review of the Brisbane opening night is below

https://www.otakustudy.com/theatre/2022/02/frozen-the-musical-review/

A chilly breeze is working its way throughout Queensland, congregating on QPAC. Does Disney Theatrical Production's Frozen the Musical shine among its standout predecessors?

21/04/2022

Last weekend I returned to the harrowing halls of Madeleine Rosca's Hollow Fields manga, this time in the full-colour versions published by Seven Seas Entertainment. If a streampunk school-life school sounds up your alley, this is a series I can recommend!

https://www.otakustudy.com/manga/2022/04/hollow-fields-colour-edition-review/

Hollow Fields was one of the first manga I received when The Otaku's Study was known as Sam's Anime Study back in 2009. From the creative mind

21/04/2022

The inaugural CIRCFest Meanjin in Brisbane launched this evening, kicking off a diverse, two week program of contemporary circus and physical theatre works and workshops. https://www.otakustudy.com/theatre/2022/02/tickets-to-circfest22-inaugural-season-of-brisbane-circus-and-physical-theatre-festival-now-on-sale/

Are you a Queenslander who is into contemporary circus and physical theatre? As of 2022, there is a new festival for you, with Cluster Arts this week opening

16/04/2022

Latest ship to go on "concept sale" in Cloud Imperium Games' Star Citizen is the MISC Expanse. Gotta admit, looks like a pretty cool ship, made to pair with the already released mining vessel the MISC Prospector. https://t.co/19913jex7T

Having raised hundreds of millions of $USD to date, Cloud Imperium Games are still asking their community of loyal backers to pledge towards concept ships

15/04/2022

So it has been about a year since something was last posted on The Otaku's Study's page. Well, this will be changing soon, with some sweeping changes coming to the site in the lead-up to its 16th Anniversary!

First up, meet our new mascot named Rune, who will be appearing more frequently on the site going forward:

https://www.otakustudy.com/site-news/2022/04/rune-mascot/

Introducing Rune, the official mascot of The Otaku's Study and a new key artwork of the character drawn by Japanese artist Naka (なか).

22/04/2021

More than a decade after its original release, we finally get Big Brother Nier as our protagonist in NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 ( , , ). Did the modern console version of this cult classic thrive or fail? Read my review to find out!

Initially developed by Drakengard-developer Cavia and published by Square Enix worldwide in 2010, NieR Gestalt and NieR Replicant (Known simply as NieR in the

29/01/2021

Having all been released exclusively for the PlayStation 3 initially, it was little surprise that SEGA chose to release The Yakuza Remastered Collection consisting of Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5 on the PlayStation 4 initially. After being available since August 2019 exclusively on the console, SEGA has today broadened the original games to other platforms. The Yakuza Remastered Collection…...

https://www.otakustudy.com/?p=134058

22/01/2021

Developer Digital Extremes are inviting all Warframe players (or "Tenno") on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch to log in for a brand new mech-only event. Titled Operation: Orphix Venom, participants will earn themselves the new 'Lavos' Warframe. In this first-of-its-kind survival event, Tenno will stomp into 1-4 player action, accessing mechs for free, while battling against Sentient forces with only Mechs and Operators....

https://www.otakustudy.com/video-game/2021/01/unlock-lavos-in-new-warframe-event-for-consoles/

13/01/2021

While information on this new project is limited; LucasFilm Games together with MachineGames and Bethesda earlier today confirmed that development is underway on a new video game based around the iconic Indiana Jones film franchise. This will feature an original storyline, and would be the first time a chapter has been released in the franchise since Kingdom of the Crystal Skull…...

https://www.otakustudy.com/video-game/2021/01/indiana-jones-video-game-in-development-by-machinegames-bethesda-lucasfilm-games/

While information on this new project is limited; LucasFilm Games together with MachineGames and Bethesda earlier today confirmed that development is underway

04/01/2021

Lots of new anime awaits your attention this month, with AnimeLab confirming more than two dozen shows will be streaming as part of this season!

As it is now January, anime fans from across the world can eagerly look forward to new series and seasons hitting their screens or favourite streaming

01/01/2021

Header Image: Farmville, one of the major victims of Flash Player being discontinued. First introduced to audiences in 1996 when the internet was still in the age of (now) cringe-worthingly slow dial-up speeds, Macromedia (and later, Adobe) Flash Player gave us our first taste of interactive multimedia content on the internet. Throughout the late-90s and 00s, this was a staple of powering meme-worthy content, video games, audiovisual content, and in some cases entire websites....

https://www.otakustudy.com/video-game/2021/01/farewell-flash-thanks-for-powering-our-early-internet-experiences/

First introduced to audiences in 1996 when the internet was still in the age of (now) cringe-worthingly slow dial-up speeds, Macromedia (and later, Adobe) Flash Player gave us our first taste of interactive multimedia content on the internet.

16/12/2020

It might not necessarily affect us as clients, but the Japanese artwork commissioning service Skeb has confirmed their 3.9% Request Fee promotion will continue indefinitely.

For those not aware of the service, SKEB is a website which allows clients to pitch paid requests to thousands of Japanese artists. What sets it...

14/12/2020

Several months into offering a Request service to connect artists and fans, pixiv in recent days rolled out a major update to the Requests section of their website.

Back in October 2020, Japan’s largest online artwork community, Pixiv, rolled out a request system to its users. As its name implies, this...