Poog

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Member Back to Top Post by Poog on Hey all, lets get right down to the grit of this. We all love Senran Kagura, and the western fanbase is becoming pretty powerful as of late. That said, we don't always agree with what the Japanese fanbase prefers, such as Yumi saturation. how certain characters are being neglected or dumbed down (Homura and Katsuragi for example,) or how you might prefer a more serious story compared to Estival's.



So we'd like to gather thoughts from the western fanbase, and try to condense a bunch of thoughts into one open letter in a sort of general consensus manner. Meaning that stuff like less Yumi will most likely be featured because a lot of the fanbase can agree. However, demand to see more exposed knees will most likely not be in demand and thus get excluded. This isn't just to suggest things like some new feature, but to see the change we desire since a lot of people lately have some issue or another.



While we must of course realize this isn't going to suddenly change the entire series as we have come to know it, its good to have our voice heard, and of course, in the end we can vote with our wallets. Even then, who knows, we might see a little change here and there in some game after PBS. That said, in gathering opinions, please be polite. If you're being a jerk, I'm going to delete your post. Keep it civil, and please dont use this thread to argue or debate. I have to read through everything and try to summarize what I can, I don't want to sort through your pages of arguing about whether Hikage prefers mice or hamsters. Feel free to make your post as long as you want though!



I'm also going to eventually make a means of signing and inform everyone when both that and the open letter are ready, so not only does Marv and Takaki have the letter, they can see just how many people are on-board with it.



Lastly, anonymous posting is enabled for this. Please use some kind of name even on anonymous, and dont make me regret letting anonymous users post.

Ab

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Link to Post Back to Top Post by Ab on First off, let me open up with that I love this series. I used to think that this series was ridiculous, just pure fan service and such. As I started to play it on the suggestion of my girlfriend of all people, I found myself enjoying the characters, enjoying the setting, the story, the music. Just everything in this game seemed to click for me. I became a fan very quickly and I have been enjoying the series, even defending it against those that were like me before this series, but ever since Estival Versus, this series is just catering to Yumi and her squad. Homura's route was the canon route before you all decided to change it after lackluster sales for Senran Kagura 2, which is my favorite game in the entire series. Don't get me wrong, I do love the Gessen squad but it's starting to become overbearing with the caterring to Yumi only. I love the complex characters, their motives, their end goals but everything is getting dumb downed in order to make Yumi the best one. Asuka and her squad are suppose to be the main characters, not Yumi and her squad. How could you do this to such great characters? It really hurt to see some of my favorites, Homura in particular being my top favorite, being thrown aside in order to make room for Yumi and her squad.

If I'm completely honest, I do love the fanservice and such, but I prefer the story. The story and the characterization is what drew me into the series, not the fanservice. The music only added to fuel my passion for the game because it stands out as unique yet familiar style to me. I would love the series to go back into the stories, and to flesh out these characters even more. Stop throwing everything under the bus to just cater to Yumi and fanservice. I love this series, and I want to see it grow more and more, but I don't want to see it growing in this way with Yumi turning into the new face to just get sales.

DarthVitrial

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If my assumption is correct...my #1 request would be more unique models for the bodies, instead of just one body with varied breasts size and height. The official artwork shows some characters are chubbier than others, or more muscular, but the game doesn't show that at all.



I'd also like more focus on butts. (and this would build on my request for more varied models - if the characters can have varied breasts, can we have more varied butts too? ^^







In terms of story...I'd like more focus back on the original two teams. The constant addition of new characters is making the story feel somewhat diluted, like we're more focused on just having as many characters as possible instead of progressing the story at all.



I also just don't find Gessen interesting at all, and New Hebijo isn't that appealing to me either. I'd rather the story just pick up from Deep Crimson and progress from there, instead of constantly adding more characters and focusing on spinoffs.

This constant addition of characters is also making all the characters become more 2-dimensional...For example, Katsuragi is now nothing but "grope boobs". What happened to her whole story about redeeming her parents reputation? Homura is now just a meat-obsessed airhead who tells bad jokes. She had so much story and personality in Burst and SV, but since then pretty much every character has become much flatter.



I'd really prefer it if the series went back to Hanzo and the Crimson Squad, brought back more focus to the story from Burst and Deep Crimson, and stopped doing fanservice/comedy side stories quite so much. (Obviously I don't mean stop doing fanservice, but go back to having it be a secondary part of the game like Burst and SK 2, instead of being the entire point like in Bon Apetit and Estival Versus. It was OK in Bon Apetit since it was a silly spinoff, but it got tiring in EV)



Also, more battles against Yoma, I loved the Lovecraftian designs of the Yoma in SK2. (and the giant Yoma had the best music in the series too imo)





I'd just like more games in the SK 2 style, in terms of story, gameplay, music, everything. More 3DS entries would be nice.



Other random things I'd like: More Kiriya, bring back Murasame as a playable character, bring back weapon customization from SK2. Also maybe bring the massage minigame from Valkyrie Drive over to Senran? That was weirdly addictive. So, if I understand this, we're saying what we'd like changed/added or something?If my assumption is correct...my #1 request would be more unique models for the bodies, instead of just one body with varied breasts size and height. The official artwork shows some characters are chubbier than others, or more muscular, but the game doesn't show that at all.I'd also like more focus on butts. (and this would build on my request for more varied models - if the characters can have varied breasts, can we have more varied butts too? ^^In terms of story...I'd like more focus back on the original two teams. The constant addition of new characters is making the story feel somewhat diluted, like we're more focused on just having as many characters as possible instead of progressing the story at all.I also just don't find Gessen interesting at all, and New Hebijo isn't that appealing to me either. I'd rather the story just pick up from Deep Crimson and progress from there, instead of constantly adding more characters and focusing on spinoffs.This constant addition of characters is also making all the characters become more 2-dimensional...For example, Katsuragi is now nothing but "grope boobs". What happened to her whole story about redeeming her parents reputation? Homura is now just a meat-obsessed airhead who tells bad jokes. She had so much story and personality in Burst and SV, but since then pretty much every character has become much flatter.I'd really prefer it if the series went back to Hanzo and the Crimson Squad, brought back more focus to the story from Burst and Deep Crimson, and stopped doing fanservice/comedy side stories quite so much. (Obviously I don't mean stop doing fanservice, but go back to having it be a secondary part of the game like Burst and SK 2, instead of being the entire point like in Bon Apetit and Estival Versus. It was OK in Bon Apetit since it was a silly spinoff, but it got tiring in EV)Also, more battles against Yoma, I loved the Lovecraftian designs of the Yoma in SK2. (and the giant Yoma had the best music in the series too imo)I'd just like more games in the SK 2 style, in terms of story, gameplay, music, everything. More 3DS entries would be nice.Other random things I'd like: More Kiriya, bring back Murasame as a playable character, bring back weapon customization from SK2. Also maybe bring the massage minigame from Valkyrie Drive over to Senran? That was weirdly addictive.

Nobu Narukami

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Member Back to Top Post by Nobu Narukami on Years ago, I had interest in this series, but I didn't get into until around the time I join this forum. I saw some gameplay videos and playthroughs online of past Senran Kagura games, I just knew I had to play this, not just for seeing girls rip their clothes off for the sake of fanservice, but also to enjoy these lovable characters, namely Yumi.



Since the only handheld I have is the PS Vita, the first game I played in the series was Shinobi Versus, and I loved it, every second of it. Well, that's a bit of exaggeration, as the game wasn't perfect, but I still had fun. Now, I have Estival Versus on both the Vita and PS4, I and still play it on the PS4 on occasion after beating the game. I'm now looking forward to Peach Beach Splash.



It doesn't matter to me whether it has a serious story behind it or not (and I'm sure it doesn't), I just hope it'll be a fun experience like their previous games have been.



Now for the serious stuff. I love Yumi, no question about it. I would marry her in a heartbeat if I could. But I also love a host of other characters, those being Hikage, Asuka, Hibari, Ikagura, Murasaki, Miyabi, Ryouna, Yozakura, Minori, Hanabi, Naraku and Kagura. The recent popularity pull made me happy, because four of the mentioned characters, Hikage, Ikagura, Yozakura, and Asuka made it on, with Hikage right behind Yumi, which is great, because she's my second favorite girl in the whole series. I appreciate the Yumi fanservice, but I would also like to these favorites get more spotlight too.



Using one popular character for marketing is fine, but don't forget other fan favorites, as everyone deserves some attention. I love the series as is, and I hope Senran Kagura fosters more love for these characters in future games to come.



Thank you President Takaki, and Marvelous for giving such a wonderful series of games.

Drakhatos

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Member Back to Top Post by Drakhatos on Where do I even begin ...



Variety over using the same girls over and over for the card game. Like Yumi got mentioned, some of the girls are massively overused. Might boost the sales, but with a rooster of nearly 90 ladies now, it's getting boring to see the same ones in mostly each new set of cards. Some barely even have cards. Give every girl some love, also for merchandise. Like tapestries, some already got two or three where enough don't even have one available. Every of the girls have their fans~



Speaking of the card game, I'm sure a lot of people would love to see it here without relying on weird translations on phones or guides to even understand what they're doing on the Japanese version. It'd make it easier to understand and to enjoy the game since I think there's also a story going on in it? If so, don't censor it. It should be clear by now that this isn't a game for children, and decreasing the fanservice is pretty much going against the basics of SK. Not sure if that's possible, but games like Valkyrie Drive showed us that uncensored versions are possible. The audience should be adults majorly, so we're old enough to deal with the fanservice and don't want to get a "cutified" version. That pretty much goes for every game in the franchise. If the audience would be focused on people which are younger than 16 or 18, the games and SK in general would look different.



I might be in the minority for this, but seeing stockings and garter belts on the majority of cards is boring, and to people like me, not really sexy. Lingerie is fine, but variety comes into play for me again. There's more what's sexy than just stockings/pantyhose and garter belts. Also, don't use the same characters for same kind of cloth sets when something might get repeated like wedding dresses and so on. We don't need X times Homura in a wedding dress for an example. Again, we have nearly 90 girls where the majority can be picked that every girl might end up in having certain clothes on.



I bought the Vita for niche games like the SK series (we know how much people negatively brag about SK and anything what includes fanservice in the western world) and other games, so don't forget about that little thing. Seeing that the new game is only for PS4 (for now) is a slap into my face. I guess Steam will have it at some point, but because there're newer consoles now shouldn't result into forgetting where everything started. The Vita might be "dead" for a lot of people, but there're still enough who're valuing it over other handhelds or consoles.



More interaction with the western world can't hurt. Like the character poll was going on, the poll of the western world would show different results, giving them ideas about our tastes here and so on. Our opinion counted for a few things in the past, but more can't hurt.



For the games, story parts and eventually character development would be very fine. Many people might think that SK is all about life and hometown, but I like my favorites for their stories and personalities, and would love to see and hear more of that. Maybe not using the same expressions in different games again since that gets boring when you already know how the girls react before the battles and so on.



Keep new ladies unique. Saying this because I don't want to see a copy of an existing character already. One is enough, and should fill the gap for some people who're into that character. Mentioning this because Ayame is pretty much a Katsuragi clone to me besides the different personality. Don't really need this.



If copyright issues might hinder us to get some stuff like the Ikkitousen ladies, I think we'd be fine that they're available for like a month or so until they're gone. Doesn't have to be permanent when a certain time window would allow us to get them. Should lower the costs, and make it easier to not keep anything away from the western audience.





I think that's all what I have in mind for now. If something shouldn't get mentioned by someone else what comes into mind, I might add something at a later point.



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____



I'll be honest: I'm a casual fan first and foremost. With that out of the way, let's get ready to rumble:



Senran Kagura is becoming more prominent thanks to it's Western fanbase. However, the needs of both the Japanese and Western fanbases are very different, yet united in showering the world with life and hometown, and boy we sure nailed it - a million copies have been sold thus far, an impressive statistic for a niche game. Yet, it is not without it's criticisms. Oversaturation, weak storylines and excess fanservice are common complaints, so therefore I will address these from my perspective, and try to bring a balance to these.



One problem is the oversaturation of Yumi and the dumbing down and neglect of various characters. Don't get me wrong, while I don't mind the character of Yumi herself, she is slowly turning from a character that could have interesting depth to a supposedly cynical cash cow. Every where I see with Yumi, from cards to figures to other collectibles, I can't help but get the feeling that she is being used as a way to make easy money, even though the process is nothing new. Meanwhile, Senran Kagura has roughly 30 characters, and dozens more in New Wave. Being someone that loves to create and develop characters, many characters that are neglected or dumbed down to their roles, ranging from Daidouji, Homura to Katsuragi. This presents a very unfair advantage, with some characters being used more for the basis of easy money than actual fleshing out.



The other is the excessive fanservice. I'm not offended by any means, and I don't mind some nice cleavage or buttocks shots (I'm a red-blooded American after all). What I do mind is oversaturation - constant sights of Senrans in scenes of undress are not offensive, but does that have to be really that and not much else? It gets old, and kills for any chance of variety in outfits and costumes.



And lastly, is character development and stories. While the game was designed to be all about tiddies and such, characters are given a lot of clear and distinct personalities. It would be a waste to throw them out of the window, when I'm one for believing that character always matters in many stories.



Alas, to prevent unnecessary consequences such as a uninterested and alienated Western fan base, I present some solutions. They are not the best, and I doubt many of these will be used, but it's something, right?



TONE DOWN YUMI'S PRESENCE. This allows for an even chance for many characters. She can still appear wherever on merch and all, but turning her into a cash cow is the last thing the series wants. Variety is key here, and not every Japanese fan of SK loves Yumi to death.



BUMP UP PRESENCE OF DUMBED DOWN OR NEGLECTED CHARACTERS. You name it - Homura, Daidouji, Katsuragi and dozens more need more attention. Yes, even Imu. They need equal development and fleshing out.



REMOVE UNNECESSARY CHARACTERS. This applies to New Wave most - some New Wave girls hardly or never get a new card. Take them out, and reintroduce them later, or cut them out in general.



BRING EXTRA VARIETY IN OUTFITS. Skimpy and partial nudity are fine, but cute outfits and costumes are more effective in being eye candy than hordes of cleavage and ass.



PROVIDE STRONGER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. This is heavily suggested for more serious and story driven games regardless of what console, but I also suggest it for spinoffs or drama CDs too, though that one is optional.

I apologize if I sounded petty, but I'm just trying to be honest. There are casual SK fans, and keeping this saturation up would unfortunately, kill any genuine interest or investment into SK, but there has to be an even balance. Turning Senran Kagura from a niche game into a massive franchise would be way beyond from what it's intended as in the first place. Thank you, and I wish Takaki and Marvelous luck in future SK games and endeavors. Well, I'll be more than happy to share my thoughts, even if I ramble like an old fella.____I'll be honest: I'm a casual fan first and foremost. With that out of the way, let's get ready to rumble:Senran Kagura is becoming more prominent thanks to it's Western fanbase. However, the needs of both the Japanese and Western fanbases are very different, yet united in showering the world with life and hometown, and boy we sure nailed it - a million copies have been sold thus far, an impressive statistic for a niche game. Yet, it is not without it's criticisms. Oversaturation, weak storylines and excess fanservice are common complaints, so therefore I will address these from my perspective, and try to bring a balance to these.One problem is the oversaturation of Yumi and the dumbing down and neglect of various characters. Don't get me wrong, while I don't mind the character of Yumi herself, she is slowly turning from a character that could have interesting depth to a supposedly cynical cash cow. Every where I see with Yumi, from cards to figures to other collectibles, I can't help but get the feeling that she is being used as a way to make easy money, even though the process is nothing new. Meanwhile, Senran Kagura has roughly 30 characters, and dozens more in New Wave. Being someone that loves to create and develop characters, many characters that are neglected or dumbed down to their roles, ranging from Daidouji, Homura to Katsuragi. This presents a very unfair advantage, with some characters being used more for the basis of easy money than actual fleshing out.The other is the excessive fanservice. I'm not offended by any means, and I don't mind some nice cleavage or buttocks shots (I'm a red-blooded American after all). What I do mind is oversaturation - constant sights of Senrans in scenes of undress are not offensive, but does that have to be really that and not much else? It gets old, and kills for any chance of variety in outfits and costumes.And lastly, is character development and stories. While the game was designed to be all about tiddies and such, characters are given a lot of clear and distinct personalities. It would be a waste to throw them out of the window, when I'm one for believing that character always matters in many stories.Alas, to prevent unnecessary consequences such as a uninterested and alienated Western fan base, I present some solutions. They are not the best, and I doubt many of these will be used, but it's something, right?I apologize if I sounded petty, but I'm just trying to be honest. There are casual SK fans, and keeping this saturation up would unfortunately, kill any genuine interest or investment into SK, but there has to be an even balance. Turning Senran Kagura from a niche game into a massive franchise would be way beyond from what it's intended as in the first place. Thank you, and I wish Takaki and Marvelous luck in future SK games and endeavors.

DarthVitrial

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Member Back to Top Post by DarthVitrial on One other thing I just remembered:



In Burst, something I really liked was the non story sidequests. All you'd get story wise was a little text box ("delinquents have been harassing people around the shopping mall, stop them"), and then a short generic mission. It might have been a little bland, but I really liked it, it made the series feel more real. It reminded me that the characters were professional Shinobi, and they did take on missions outside of their interpersonal dramas and the Yoma fighting.

I'd like it if that happened again in the new games. It could provide some interesting worldbuilding too - what sort of missions does Hanzo take as opposed to Gessen? What missions are available to the Crimson Squad? Stuff like that.

It shouldn't be anything too complex - just a little text box and a generic combat mission.



EDIT: Also please no more PS4 exclusive games. Personally I'd like more 3DS games, especially now that the n3DS will fix a lot of the framerate issues from Burst and SK2, but more Vita games is good too. I bought a Vita specifically for Senran, but I'm not buying a PS4 for it.

tppr10

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Member Back to Top Post by tppr10 on Dear Tanaki.



I can't say I knew about the franchise when it first came out. I can't fully say I discovered the series by myself, but neither can I say I was fully directed into it. I also can't say I have played all of the games. But what I can say is that I love this franchise.



One of the main drawing points to this series are the characters. They really make the series for me. Their personalities and quirks, they backgrounds, their conflicts with others, all of these really tie the story together. The one thing I can't wait to see from the next game is how characters interact with eachother. And if there was one request I would add, I would want different characters interacting with different people than one might think. Even if they might not have much in common, there is no doubt that there isn't something they can bounce back and forth on.



The story is also really nice overall, being able to balance out both light side and dark side rather well. It stays optimistic even in dark times, which I appreciate. I feel like I can fall back on this series more than with any other series when it comes to different types of conflicts in other works. I guess the series would benefit from dwelling into darker stuff, but only if it can keep the optimistic look on things.



The gameplay is a blast in my opinion. All the games what I have played have their own unique thing what makes them stand out from the rest. That is why it is hard to say which game is my favourite.



I admit, I don't spend that much time in the Dressing Room. But maybe it's because I like the character designs all around. And not just from the main girls, but from enemies and side characters. The designs for youma are really cool, and I want to see more of them.



And as for fanservice, while I can't say that I an really titillated by the series, I am glad it is upfront about it, while also being able to have content to back it up. I more or less laugh off most of the silly fanservice stuff.



Overall, there is very little bad things I can say about the series. I guess there is some problems with character's overexposure and some character's characterizations suffering a bit, but I still trust this series to give me a smile. As for some other stuff, I would like to see some backstory on characters who don't really have it like Rin, Daidouji and Dougen.



Thank you for making this series, everyone involved, and I hope for prosperous future for the franchise as a whole.



PS, definitely interested on seeing a new anime season.

Blademanunitpi

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I don't care much for fan service. But love Kat. Some times I think they force in the fan service. There is a Joke with Asuka and Smuggling mr peanut under her shirt. (Did an edit of the image to show that



What got me into this was hearing Gaijin Goombah talk about it. since then I was draw in be the story and sat threw the Awkward parts of Hanzo or Kat getting her hands on a victim. the story is what I want to see more of and I don't want the boobs to get in the way of that. I like solid Game play and fun designs just some times the bust makes those amazing designs take a back seat to fan service.



I just wish they would take a set back from Fan service and refocus on story and add fan service only when it does not hurt the flow.



To be fair Senran Kagura at least does not stop the story for fan service unlike a few anime and shows I know of.



I guess what I want to see is more different body types among the girls.



Also Statues or figures I can get that don't make me feel like a perv.... I love the game but prefer in game graphics rather then some of the 2d art being made. I really enjoy the Designs of the characters. the look of the upcoming game bothers me since they are all in white. and That kind of Kills what I like about it.I don't care much for fan service. But love Kat. Some times I think they force in the fan service. There is a Joke with Asuka and Smuggling mr peanut under her shirt. (Did an edit of the image to show that fav.me/d9vvcok) I wish the women where more Varied in the bust area. many of the cards form New wave I liked till I saw how much the huge bust just broke the flow of the drawing.What got me into this was hearing Gaijin Goombah talk about it. since then I was draw in be the story and sat threw the Awkward parts of Hanzo or Kat getting her hands on a victim. the story is what I want to see more of and I don't want the boobs to get in the way of that. I like solid Game play and fun designs just some times the bust makes those amazing designs take a back seat to fan service.I just wish they would take a set back from Fan service and refocus on story and add fan service only when it does not hurt the flow.To be fair Senran Kagura at least does not stop the story for fan service unlike a few anime and shows I know of.I guess what I want to see is more different body types among the girls.Also Statues or figures I can get that don't make me feel like a perv....

Ayacchi

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Member Back to Top Post by Ayacchi on I was introduced SK by Poog. At first, I was iffy about the game being some generic fanservice series like the other games out there. Finally, I tried out the series beginning with Burst and I began to love it. The characters all had quirks to them. Homura was hot blooded but a worthy rival to the genki, happy go lucky Asuka, and Hikage was very laid back and was cute with her lack of emotions.

Now I feel like Senran Kagura has become a “which character is popular than the others” series than the series that we all know and loved. Yumi, a character who dominated Japanese polls since her debut on SV (before SV even released), loved for her Yuki-onna appearance, her ‘wanting to be a bride’ gimmick, etc. is getting too much love. In all honesty, it’s slowly ruining my love for the series and focusing more on which girl gets more love than the other instead of the story, character developments, etc.



Another thing is the fanservice. The fanservice was fine in Burst and SK2 when it was shown but wasn’t as much blatant as it currently has been in the newer games. I don’t mind it but only when there is a balance between that and story. Now seeing these girls in constant bikinis and lingeries bores the hell out of me and I want to see them look cute for once than always looking embarrassed or mad when they’re half naked. And yes, I’m talking to you, New Wave.



As I mentioned about Yumi above, I want them to stop ruining the other characters in favor of this character. I have nothing against her, just find her boring is all . Katsuragi was a character that I’ve enjoyed since Burst and she was my second favorite beaten by Ikaruga. I really dislike how she’s reduced to OPPAI BOOBS MOSHI MOSHI because she was actually more than that. Now I don’t really like the character as much and find her kind of annoying really.



Same for Homura as I said above. She was the worthy rival of Asuka until they have dumbed her down to be like Knuckles from Sonic Boom.

I loved this series to heart but I dislike the direction it’s going at the moment.



ZPhoenix

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Member Back to Top Post by ZPhoenix on First of all, I wanna say sorry in advance if I make any English mistake.

That said, here I go.



Regarding Yumi spam I don't really care that much unless it means you paying less attention to the other girls. You've made great characters, please treat them with the same amount of love.



Storywise I have to say that I really liked SK2 kind of story and atmosphere. Something like that would be gladly received.



Yomas are AMAZING. The contrast between the girls' artstyle and the yomas' one is pure gold. You should consider bringing them back. They're in my opinion the perfect bosses for this series.



Now this is a bit personal but I would really like to have cross-region online multiplayer (for the Versus series) I know this is kinda hard due to guest characters and licenses but heck, it's not difficult. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth did it with a simple update. I'm an importer for this series since I prefer japanese versions of the games and all my collection is Japanese. I don't have enough money to get the european versions too and it's really sad that even having tecnically the same game I can't play with my local friends.



Here's a complaint about Dekamori/bon appetit, 22 songs with only 6 of them with vocals were too little. Like, extremely litte for a rhythm game.



And finally a suggestion. You should consider a 2D/2.5 Fighter for the series or maybe even a crossover one with Valkyrie Drive and Uppers. That would be nuts.

JTeghius Kittius

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奈楽 - Naraku



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Member Back to Top Post by JTeghius Kittius on Senran Kagura is a series I've played every iteration of (except for new wave) and it's a series I enjoy playing for multiple reasons. It's a series with a fun story that is willing to not always take itself very serious but can be serious when it needs to. And it's a series with solid brawler/beat-em-up mechanics which is great.

I got into the series after a friend told me about it and how "over fan service-y" it was, I decided to pick up burst and was hooked immediately.

But I feel that with later iterations some changes have been made some for better some for worse. I personally am a fan of all different gameplay styles the series has had but some things are overdoing it, like the bombs and mechs in estival. I also think the shift of main character(s) is a shame, the shift from Asuka and the Hanzo girls to Gessen, this shift is even mocked in Estival versus by Asuka herself that she is "losing" her main character role and that Yumi is the "ideal main character". Which is a shame, I understand that the series needs to evolve and grow to prevent the same story from occurring every game and getting stale. But the focus is shifting from the Hanzo girls fast.

I also feel, like has been pointed out by others too, that when all the new characters got added the existing characters became more of a flat caricature of themselves and they became more stereotypes, who rely on the same gags over and over. And the new (and existing) character got less character development over the series, and just dealt with their very basic struggles from that specific game.



A great thing to see return in my opinion would be boss fights, so that not every level in the game is fighting one of the other playable characters, but also being able to fight the cool bosses. Like SK2 had the Yoma fights.



I do want to add that I love playing all these games and have fun with (most of) the characters but it feels like in some parts that the series is trying to grow too big with every iteration and slowly becomes a bit less of what it was.

I do hope that this series will keep going and keeps surprising the fans, but hopefully surprises with the gameplay we love and with more character development and less flat stereotypes.

Giga

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Member Back to Top Post by Giga on



Greetings to Takaki-sensei, Nan-sensei, and everyone related at Marvelous.



I still remember my first exposure to Senran Kagura--way back in 2012, about. It was a picture of a lovely blonde girl with bluish green eyes, drawn by Ariko Youichi. (For the curious,



Fast forward to when Burst was announced for the US, and Operation Rainfall--among others--were campaigning to get it Stateside. As you can imagine, I joined those efforts wholeheartedly. At that time, I'd forgotten about the gorgeous blonde with ribbon-stitched garments, and Yagyuu caught my eye (best twintails anywhere, I defy anyone to name a girl with a lovelier pair). During this time, I learned about the characters, and--to my surprise--"reunited", in a manner of speaking, with that beautiful blonde maiden. My heart was captured anew, and the silken-gloved hands of that beauty--I'd finally identified her as the greatsword-wielding Yomi--were the ones in which it was held captive.



The game, eventually, made it Stateside--much to my delight and that of so many others. The pseudo-Puritan ideological atmosphere of the West had already become entrenched and strong by that point, so it was truly a crapshoot; everyone had to make sure that people knew SK had much more to it than life and hometown on some lovely girls, and it was done. And rightly so; SK was a game that featured a cast with such deep backstories--some of which would be able to propel games of their own, I'm willing to wager. At the very least, all of them had very strong foundations for rich character development. All of the main cast were adorable in some way, to someone, and--in spite of that--all were flawed. SK2 showed this very well: for some of the heroines, the potential for character growth was clear, but not so much for others; the story of Kagura made it clear as day regarding those others.



To put it simply, SK proved that you can have unrestrained fanservice together with captivating characters and a deep story. You can have the cake and eat it too (puns intended).



Fast forward, again, to Estival Versus. I didn't have a Vita, so I never had a chance to play Shinovi Versus, but I was still hyped; more Yomi, of course, and the rest of the cast--not to mention a chance to understand the other schools (spoilers of SV got me hating them, especially Hebijo). At first, I was absolutely captivated by the game, but certain characters got FAR more spotlight time than the rest--the Mikagura sisters, along with Ryoki and her sisters got most of it, but...you could say EV is their story, so you can't really be upset about it. I expected a bit more in the Shinobi Girl's Heart missions (which I've yet to finish--only have a few left), but I was disappointed.



Those missions were humorous, which is good, but--like in the main story--plenty of the girls had their personalities reduced to nothing more than comedic devices.(That is to say, a prominent part of their personality being massively played up to the oblivion of all others for the sake of comedy. I am saving Yomi's missions for last, but I'm dreading what I might find, as--given her background--she's got a lot of room for character growth, too; she could end up a Marxist caricature as some already accuse her of being, if left undeveloped.) Instead of learning more about the girls, we're just getting gag routines, and nothing more. As has been said, Katsuragi doesn't have much on her mind but sexual harassment, when she's got two big issues in her life--and both are on the run. Yagyuu continues to get a raw deal from Hibari, who still (apparently) has no idea what she means to Yagyuu, or even that Yagyuu has feelings for her--except when Hibari's angry, according to EV.



Yumi is another story. SK media are already (at least relatively) saturated with her presence. She isn't a bad character, but she's nowhere near being worthy of the attention she's getting--that is to say, far more attention than the rest. It almost seems as if she's being pushed in an effort to make those who don't care as much for her change their minds--an effort which, if marketers don't know, will likely fail as long as people have their favorites. Eliminating those favorites would also create resentment--which already exists, because Yumi, in a way, is supplanting favorites and suppressing the presence of others (of all characters, the should-be face of Senran Kagura takes a backseat to her). This is important, as (if I recall correctly) the 3DS and Sony platform storylines will merge, going forward.



I do have to criticize the wardrobe feature--and the mechanics thereof--of EV. They would be so much better if clothing could be selected by major body part, rather than near-strictly as entire, noncustomizable outfits. Furthermore--and I'm sure it's because the theme of Estival Versus is summer--there are so many outfits that are skimpy (bikinis and lingerie), with not very much variety of other, unrelated kinds (granted, they're on an island, but there is at least one locale that's full of snow and ice). Such things have their place, but they can get boring VERY fast.



My thoughts aren't coming through clearly anymore, so I'll wrap up here. What I'm getting at is that SK was a series that employed everything it had at its disposal very well: comedy, drama, fanservice, and gameplay--all in a fine balance. What it wasn't was a game that simply pandered to easy/popular tastes (e.g., fanservice and Yumi). Don't get me wrong--I love fanservice (particularly life--life all day, every day), but there's more to the game than that. It's got to stay the great series we fought for back in 2012--the game that said that it's not just okay, but great to have fanservice in abundance along with an engaging game and story.

Well. I can be a bit wordy even with only a few things to say, so please bear with me.Greetings to Takaki-sensei, Nan-sensei, and everyone related at Marvelous.I still remember my first exposure to Senran Kagura--way back in 2012, about. It was a picture of a lovely blonde girl with bluish green eyes, drawn by Ariko Youichi. (For the curious, this picture .) I didn't know where this beauty came from--there was no ID on her source, her name wasn't tagged either, but there she was--and her picture was saved.Fast forward to when Burst was announced for the US, and Operation Rainfall--among others--were campaigning to get it Stateside. As you can imagine, I joined those efforts wholeheartedly. At that time, I'd forgotten about the gorgeous blonde with ribbon-stitched garments, and Yagyuu caught my eye (best twintails anywhere, I defy anyone to name a girl with a lovelier pair). During this time, I learned about the characters, and--to my surprise--"reunited", in a manner of speaking, with that beautiful blondeen. My heart was captured anew, and the silken-gloved hands of that beauty--I'd finally identified her as the greatsword-wielding Yomi--were the ones in which it was held captive.The game, eventually, made it Stateside--much to my delight and that of so many others. The pseudo-Puritan ideological atmosphere of the West had already become entrenched and strong by that point, so it was truly a crapshoot; everyone had to make sure that people knew SK had much more to it than life and hometown on some lovely girls, and it was done. And rightly so; SK was a game that featured a cast with such deep backstories--some of which would be able to propel games of their own, I'm willing to wager. At the very least, all of them had very strong foundations for rich character development. All of the main cast were adorable in some way, to someone, and--in spite of that--all were flawed. SK2 showed this very well: for some of the heroines, the potential for character growth was clear, but not so much for others; the story of Kagura made it clear as day regarding those others.To put it simply, SK proved that you can have unrestrained fanservice together with captivating characters and a deep story. You can have the cake and eat it too (puns intended).Fast forward, again, to Estival Versus. I didn't have a Vita, so I never had a chance to play Shinovi Versus, but I was still hyped; more Yomi, of course, and the rest of the cast--not to mention a chance to understand the other schools (spoilers of SV got me hating them, especially Hebijo). At first, I was absolutely captivated by the game, but certain characters got FAR more spotlight time than the rest--the Mikagura sisters, along with Ryoki and her sisters got most of it, but...you could say EV is their story, so you can't really be upset about it. I expected a bit more in the Shinobi Girl's Heart missions (which I've yet to finish--only have a few left), but I was disappointed.Those missions were humorous, which is good, but--like in the main story--plenty of the girls had their personalities reduced to nothing more than comedic devices.(That is to say, a prominent part of their personality being massively played up to the oblivion of all others for the sake of comedy. I am saving Yomi's missions for last, but I'm dreading what I might find, as--given her background--she's got a lot of room for character growth, too; she could end up a Marxist caricature as some already accuse her of being, if left undeveloped.) Instead of learning more about the girls, we're just getting gag routines, and nothing more. As has been said, Katsuragi doesn't have much on her mind but sexual harassment, when she's got two big issues in her life--and both are on the run. Yagyuu continues to get a raw deal from Hibari, who still (apparently) has no idea what she means to Yagyuu, or even that Yagyuu has feelings for her--except when Hibari's angry, according to EV.Yumi is another story. SK media are already (at least relatively) saturated with her presence. She isn't a bad character, but she's nowhere near being worthy of the attention she's getting--that is to say, far more attention than the rest. It almost seems as if she's being pushed in an effort to make those who don't care as much for her change their minds--an effort which, if marketers don't know, will likely fail as long as people have their favorites. Eliminating those favorites would also create resentment--which already exists, because Yumi, in a way, is supplanting favorites and suppressing the presence of others (of all characters, the should-be face of Senran Kagura takes a backseat to her). This is important, as (if I recall correctly) the 3DS and Sony platform storylines will merge, going forward.I do have to criticize the wardrobe feature--and the mechanics thereof--of EV. They would bemuch better if clothing could be selected by major body part, rather than near-strictly as entire, noncustomizable outfits. Furthermore--and I'm sure it's because the theme ofVersus is summer--there are so many outfits that are skimpy (bikinis and lingerie), with not very much variety of other, unrelated kinds (granted, they're on an island, but there is at least one locale that's full of snow and ice). Such things have their place, but they can get boring VERY fast.My thoughts aren't coming through clearly anymore, so I'll wrap up here. What I'm getting at is that SK was a series that employed everything it had at its disposal very well: comedy, drama, fanservice, and gameplay--all in a fine balance. What it wasn't was a game that simply pandered to easy/popular tastes (e.g., fanservice and Yumi). Don't get me wrong--I love fanservice (particularly life--life all day, every day), but there's more to the game than that. It's got to stay the great series we fought for back in 2012--the game that said that it's not just okay, but great to have fanservice in abundance along with an engaging game and story.