New Game!

This reminds me of my life. Once worked new at the IT-Department and many things happened that time. I like to code c#, php, VB and python. I also have an "annoying" friend just like Aoba. Childish, energetic and looks up to me. If you like coding, then this anime doesn't matter because it's mostly not totally related to that. There is much more drama or drawing than advanced coding. Only code I saw was at the end with debugging and stuff. It's either Javascript or c# (lol). Anyhow.. I did not enjoy the show that much mostly because of small meaningless challenges and conflicts. It was hard to watch and I nearly forced myself at the end. Reason I did that was because I was curious about what was going to happen and stuff. I like drama, but this was hard. Art was nice, story was good, sound as expected and overall it's not my favorite. I watched it because it involved some of my hobbies.

New Game is the kind of anime where you'll just get blue-balled if you expect a bunch of yuri sex scene. 'cause you wont be seeing it. Story, bland as fuck, but enjoyable to say the least. It's basically you seeing the "game-making world" in a nutshell (specially around chara design, in the nutshell). No interesting plot what-so-ever so just treat it as a trip to McDonald or any fast food chain, really (maybe Walmart, who the hell cares). Art, it's a solid 8 for me. Nothing to complaint. Character, lovable. There are SOME (scratch that, A LOT) of undertone yuri here and there. But at least each of the character has something to do (i.e hobbies, back story, etc). Don't expect it being memorable. The OP and ED is pretty generic, nothing really special for me really. Enjoyment, I genuinely like it. It's pretty fun and engaging. Lots of pretty funny stuff where I chuckle a bit. The character interaction is pretty great. Overall it's a solid 7, not to shabby but don't watch it WAY too much, treat it as a fast food. The more you watch this, the fatter you get.

New Game! Art/Characters: The art style that we see in New Game! is pretty generic when it comes to the basic details. However, the smaller details that the show takes advantage of are what really make this show stand out visually. I am referring to the shimmer in their eyes, the emotion when some characters feel apathy. The hair on each person’s head has a sheen to it that makes it look soft and bouncy. The folds in their clothing really make it feel like the illustrator had great care and wanted to make sure that the clothing would bend and crease as if it were real clothing. The main character, Aoba, really stands out to me for her passion and excitement going into this new job that she only knows a little bit about. She is surrounded by equally energetic and somewhat timid co-workers. While Yun and Hajime are the stereotypical “excited-about-everything” characters, Hifumi takes a while to really get to know Aoba, as she is only really comfortable talking through Instant Messaging. As for Yagami, Her stern yet soft personality on Aoba really showcases her best traits and makes her fit very well with the cast of characters. The relationship between the two of them really makes the finale special. Music/Sound: Being able to hear and listen to the music and sounds in this show really was a treat. The opening and closing songs really were a highlight that I enjoyed listening to week to week because it was so catchy and the animation of the opening was so cute and so enjoyable, I really struggle to say anything bad though, the sound direction of the episodes seemed to lack a little bit. I felt that there could have been more interesting sounds from within, and I really would have loved to hear more of the in-game music of the game that they are creating. However the background music often would fit the mood quite well and because of this I was getting more invested that I think I was planning on. Story: Aoba has just graduated high school and got a job as a member of the art team for the game company EagleJump. As she prepares for her first day, she reminisces on her favorite game, Faerie Story which has also been created by EagleJump. When she finally arrives, her boss, Yagami, is the Yagami, as in the person who helped create her favorite game of all time and now she was going to work directly with her! The story follows Aoba as she explores what it is like to have a real job and what it is like to be an adult. From working with co-workers, to falling behind schedule, to even getting her first paycheck. Aoba sure has a lot to learn! Personal Reflection: The concept of this show really made me excited. If I had even a shred of talent for game design, I would want to have an opportunity like Aoba. Because of this, I was immediately drawn to this show with eager anticipation of what was going to happen next. I feel the way Aoba learns and experiences things with her co-workers and friends really make the shows something special. There isn’t just the run-of-the-mill episodes happening, but they are unique and move the story along in a fantastic way. Thinking back on it now, it is amazing that such a deep and rich anime came from a 4-panel manga. Learning what it’s like to be an adult is not easy. I have lived in the realm of confusion, and to be honest, I still am. But like Aoba, I have people that are able to come alongside me and help me out with whatever I need. I think the reason I loved this show so much is it came at a time in my life that I could really relate to it, and because of that, it was something I would watch each week to take myself out of the confusion that is life. Lastly, I really loved the overarching story that happened through the entire show. There could have easily been just randomized episodes that could have taken place at any time, but instead New Game! embraced having only 12 episodes, and created a full story that was the perfect amount of fun, drama, excitement, and anxiety that I’ll probably watch it again before too long. New Game! is a show that deals strongly with the theme of growing up, but is relatable enough to be embraced by people of all ages. So if you love video games, and have ever wanted to be a designer, check out New Game! Overall Rating: 8/10

Ok, where do I even start? I became a softie for Moe and I was SO happy when I found this. This show is adorable! I learned a few things as well. It portrays part of what the game developing industry is, in a fictional environment. It does so pretty well imo. Hifumi is best girl, no one can change that opinion. The show is quite wholesome, and I believe many will appreciate that aspect of it. There's a handful of ecchi scenes here and there, but it's so minute, that it doesn't define the purpose of the show. Very little fan service. It is quite touching as well. The animation is on par, and the intro is nice too. The yuri senses tingled slightly lol

KAWAIIIIIIIIII!!!! This series surprised me from the very begin with cuteness and adorable characters. I didn't expected something like that when I found this but when I started watching and hearing the OP, I knew it would be spectacular. [Art] Doga Kobo really made an incredible artwork. All the details are done beautifully so that I can't stop myself cringing all the time. The way they make adorable emotions is awesome, especially Aoba and Hifumi. They are too cute and childish even in a serious company, bring warmth to everyone's heart. Most of the time you can see that the characters wear the same suit day by day, but I don't think it affects too much to the rating in my opinion, but shows their own characteristic. Because of that, when they change their style, you still can realize who they are, even find something cute, witty, lovely and maybe make you surprise a little bit. There are some 'fan service' in here but not too much, so that they can highlight the cuteness of the girls without graceless and suitable for everyone [Story] It's just great to see everyone in Eagle Jump, the company responsible for making Fairies story 3, or at least in Aoba's characters design team, happy and try hard for their works to make the best game ever. They not just follow orders but also fulfill their dreams. You can clearly see that through Aoba, a girl who has loved the Fairies Story game series, particularly the character designs since childhood, so when she graduates from high school, she immediately join Eagle Jump, despite the fact that she's just 18 years old: young, inexperienced. But with the confidence she has, the road she has chosen is wide. Because of that, this series has both imaginary and reality. In other words, the authors molded New game! into a great anime which shows cuteness, childish, happy, extraordinary but still keep the most important sides of every companies in the real world. Life may be tough, but if you chase your dream persistently, you will realize that life is worth living. [Sound] Soundtrack is okay. But I'm really impressive with OST and seiyuu, especially Umiko's (Chitose Morinaga) and Nene's (Madoka Asahina). It's so hard to make sound like a little squirrel from Nenecchi and Umiko's deep voice but that doesn't mean the other ones aren't good. Each character has an own voice that shows successfully their characteristics. You can easily point out whose voice it is just with hearing. OST is the one you surely remember after you has finished all 12 episodes. When I was starting the first minutes, music, sound, characters, art impressed me a lot, like a beautiful, big gate welcome you, so that you can't help enjoying it without pausing. [Characters] Like I said before, these characters are extraordinary. They enjoy working, wear different styles of clothes, collecting fun stuffs and have fun with each other. Maybe the amount of characters who are described in detail in this series isn't large for a company, but focusing on a group and some important spots is still effective and interesting. We can slowly understand more and more about our protagonists throughout 12 episodes, so that we will find cute characteristics in each member. Without any male characters, this series doesn't contain boy-girl romance for sure, but still has love: friendship, motherhood and more (just a little bit yuri in here but not too clear). Each of them has different characteristics, but they have the same dream, the same job and the cuteness which is showed in every sides of our girls. [Enjoyment] For a company type, the series isn't dry at all, but fresh and very happy. The company decorated with a lot of colors make it extraordinary. Even their emotions are diversity and abundant, makes watching them worth every minutes, especially to the fans of moe characters. Instead of experiencing stressful hours of work, this series brings us peace, happiness, and relaxing time after a busy day. ----------------------------------

New Game: Hmm "What does the basic 10-30 year old male like ?". Videogames. And "What do a lot of Anime Fans like ?". Cute Girls doing cute things. Both of theses answers combined give us the idea for this show called New Game. It's a comedic Slice of Life workplace Anime with tons of moe elements attached to it. For that it feels kinda refreshing since most moe shows have some kind of school setting. Besides the workplace they chose for this show is rather "unique" at this point since it hasn't been done that often. (a other example for a similiar enviorment would be Shirobako which is more serious though.). DISCLAIMER : As a work of fiction this anime does not need to be realistic, if you look for something realistic you may not like this. This anime needs a certain amount of suspension of disbelief to work well. So without further ado lets get into this review Story: It starts of with Aoba Suzukaze our main Protagonist. She just graduated High School and decides to work for a company that makes video games. There she meets new co-workers and learns under her idol Yagami Kou what it means to be a good character designer. The story itself is presented here in a episodic pattern, which means that you can easilly skip one Episode and still enjoy the following one. That way there are no major twists or anything similiar you should look out for. Also The main focus of the story lies with the diffrent characters. All of those are well written and get varying amounts of screen time. While some of this screen time is spend to focus more on indvidual characters the whole cast is mostly seen in each episode. With that in mind the most screentime obviously goes to our main character Aoba. Which leads us to....... Characters: As I mentioned before the biggest part of the story revolves around the characters. This is also necessary since we have quiet the large cast. Besides the 2 Main characters which are Yagami and Aoba there are 7 minor characters where atleast 4-5 appear in every Episode. However it does not feel overloaded because of that, which is one of the biggest achievements of the show. On one side this could have been due to some well known charactertyps like the hyper-energetic and easy to fluster character, the "big sister" character or the extremly shy and timid character. Despite these types, which are nothing new, its nice to see their interactions. Its also nice to see our Protagonist build relationships with all of these indivdually. So lets now focus more on our main characters. Yagami you could describe as a "boyish"-type of character. She is unorganised, a bit messy and sleeps under her desk when working overtime, while only wearing her top and panties. However on the other hand she is caring, especially for Aoba, shows a strong love for her work and is a absolute perfectionist. She also has a realy realy realy strong relationship with Tooyama.(don't imply anything here) Aoba is talkitive and sometimes can be a bit disheartend, when she is criticised. However she is also a fast learner, always tries her best and wants to fulfill the expectations of Yagami.She also doesn't like when she is told that she looks small for her age. She still lives at home and is friends with Nene who she knows since kindergarden. Both of which seem also not that special on the surface however they both have some underlying themes which elevate the anime above your typical generic mediocore moeblob SoL. If its either growing into a leading position, despite not having the confidence to do so or trying to follow your idol and becoming good at what you do. At last I still want to point out flaws I found even if they are minor. For me 1-2 characters are a bit underdeveloped. However since this is a SoL its not dramatic, also other shows(looking at you Mayoiga) did way worse in that regard. Art/Animation/Sound: The backround art for this show isn't to great we have most of the time similar backrounds, which are mainly in the office even if there are some alterations like the walkway to work or the train its mostly basic background design. The charcterdesigns however I realy liked, because they are memorable and easy to differentiate.(but maybe I just like them because I am somewhat tired of school uniforms). The Animation is above average as well with a decent amount of full body shots and some good motion work and facial expression. For the Soundtrack the most parts aren't to memorable, however the Opening theme is outstanding because its quiet catchy and hooks you at the beginning of each episode. The ED isn't bad aswell. Personal Enjoyment and Recommendations: As you probably already guessed I realy enjoyed this show. The jokes are fitting and actually funny. The setting is refreshing and the characters are realy likeable. It still has some shortcomming. I would have wished that it would have taken a bit more focus on game design itself. However maybe this would have caused it to be less fun, we will never know. Anyway for my recommendations: I recommend this to: people that like moe/Slice of life settings people that like a sugar-coated workplace setting people that like a character driven story people that like episodic anime which are easy to follw

Story: you could say that there really isnt much of a story too this just a bunch of girls who work for a gaming company called eaglejump this girl Aoba after getting out of high school goes straight to the company too work there and also gets too work on her favorite game Art: very good art noting bad about it what so ever Sound: now with the sound ill so be getting the OP and the ED too this they were very good otherwise yes the sound was very good Character: Now with this i probably loved the real main character Aboa i loved her a lot in this anime otherwise i didn't mind anyone else i personally loved ALL the characters in this anime no one bother me or annoyed me in either way Enjoyment: it'll go without saying that somtime i didnt laugh at this anime but most of the anime i was laughing my ass off at this anime the comedy was that good also a typical slice of life anime but a very good on though Overall: im giving this a 8 i think someone reading this review would be surprised i wouldn't have giving this a 9 but i think the few laugh that weren't there gave me this a 8 but still this anime was hella enjoyable and freaking funny good comedy and slice of life made me love this anime well aslo and Aoba

TL;DR: New Game; Old Hat. Relaxing. Uplifting. Familiar. Pleasant. If a few words could sum up Cute Girl shows, these four would surely be included. Rather than wanting to see true to life struggles, the audience seeks the comfot of watching an ensemble of high school girls, in a class or club, as they endeavour to make friends, create lasting memories & generally try to get through the “best years of their lives” with determination, cheerful enthusiasm &, if we're lucky, maybe something insightful. New Game takes the Cute Girl formula & transplants it with barely an alteration into a workplace setting. Aoba, newly graduated & debating what to do next, takes a gamble &, instead of going to university with her friend Hotaru, opts to take a starting position at EagleJump, developer of Fairies Story, her favourite JRPG series. For reasons explained by the company director having a fancy for the female persuasion, Aoba finds herself on a staff consisting entirely of young women, who in looks & personality will seem oddly, or rather intentionally, familiar to viewers of high school shows. Familiar, but likeable. New Game's ensemble do a decent job of standing out as individuals & pleasant enough company when on screen, except for Hotaru who is the personification of tinnitus. They fit their various positions within the company well enough, though one wonders why they'd employ Aoba as a character designer, given her complete lack of experience with 3D modelling. Yet at the same time the experience is more like watching a high school club than a professional company. While the characters personalities & relationships make for enjoyable viewing, they are also very boiler plate. Aoba makes up for her lack of experience with her enthusiasm. Yun insists on being treated as a senior despite being Aoba's age & often acting immaturely. Hajime is the quirky character who simultaneously wants to be taken seriously by the younger students – sorry, employees. Rio & Ko, the equivalents of club president & vice president, have what might be considered New Game's “yuri baiting” relationship, wherein Rio often is frustrated that Ko doesn't seem to take her job & their friendship as seriously as she does. Is this sounding a little too recognisable yet? Oh, & the animal mascot character is Mozuku the fat cat. Because that's the level of humour we're working with. One might argue that this is testament to the flexibility of the Cute Girl formula - & there might be something to that. In New Game's case, however, it's perhaps more appropriate to say the setting is almost irrelevant. The characters are supposed to be 18-30 year old adults, yet they look, sound & act like the same, infantalised 15-17 year old's Cute Girl shows normally focus on. They're supposed to be crunching to finish Fairies Story 3 in time for release, but it might as well develop itself for all the effort they put in. Sure, there are plenty of late nights, but those are treated more like sleepovers than signs of struggle. Heck, they seem to spend as much time drinking tea as they do working. Obviously, one didn't go into New Game expecting Shirobako, but it makes for a useful contrast. Both shows share a rose tinted view of their respective workplaces, but in Shirobako they at least have to deal with difficult employees, production delays & the sheer stress of working at an animation studio. More to the point, it's hard to picture the characters in another setting, steeped as it was in the work & culture of anime. In contrast, New Game's takes such a relaxed approach towards work that it might as well be on autopilot. If it had been set in a high school club, this would be fine, given that failure to finish their game wouldn't really matter so long as they enjoyed making it. Yet we're supposed to be watching adults working on a project whose failure would almost certainly cost at least some of them their jobs, stakes New Game never conveys to the audience. Work might be important, but there's always an inane conversation that takes priority. & when it comes to New Game's production, those conversations are less of a priority than the characters many, many reaction faces. New Game is certainly a good looking show, at least in terms of character design. Each character looks distinct while still conforming to type &, fortunately, they didn't use the non-school setting to go wild with their clothes. Backgrounds are pretty standard, though – by accident or design – they managed to have the textures & colours of the office match the characters enough to avoid that sense of characters not being in their environment that plagues modern anime. In terms of animation, however, it's more mixed. New Game is certainly fine for it's genre, but it's clear that the director had their attention focused on character reactions rather than what they're reacting to. The result is that a typical scene can be summed up as shot, reverse shot cuts between talking heads until suddenly everything comes alive when it's time for the reaction shot. There are also times - & this is true of many 4korma adaptations – when a page seems to have been adapted so literally that you can count the panels, which can break the flow of a scene. Additionally, there are two things that occur enough times to warrant mention. First is that there will be at least one cheese shot, almost every episode, where we're treated to a leery close up of a characters T &/or A. Pretty standard, to be sure, but by the third time Ko has whipped her skirt off in the office so we can sneak a look at her arse, it gets annoying. After all, this isn't one of those Cute Girl shows were the cast spend all day hugging & flirting with each other. Second, every now & then there is a single cut, maybe of a head turn or hand gesture, that has significantly more frames of movement than those around it, calling attention to itself despite not being important. It would seem there was a key animator on staff who was determined to get their cuts noticed. Congratulations, I suppose. It might have new in the title, but New Game is pretty old hat when it comes to Cute Girl shows. It's pleasant enough & easy to watch, but leaves little lasting impression beyond adding some new entries for your reaction gif folder. It's attempt to present a thoroughly relaxed, cheerful workplace conflicts with its setting &, indeed, could have been set anywhere, making it hard to feel invested in what's going on. If Cute Girls doing anything is enough for you, New Game will do. If you were hoping the adult setting might result in a more mature show, New Game disappoints. As a final thought: with their constant consumption of energy drinks & snack foods, I can only imagine the hellish state their staff toilets must be in.

If you supposed this is ‘Moe’ anime, you’re alright. But if you think this anime is ONLY about ‘Moe’, you’re absolutely wrong. Why did I say that??? Because this anime is ‘Moe’ if you just see from the cover.BUT, this anime did more than most ‘Moe’ anime from my experience watching this. In this review I started with the genre analysis in this anime. New Game! As you see, the genre is: Comedy, Seinen, Slice of Life. In Comedy section. Because this is from 4-koma manga adaptation, it must have more comedy scene if we depend from its source. But I didn’t find much comedy in this anime. In other hand, in every moment when the jokes happen. They (the studio) not rushed to the jokes in this anime. So, it did not make the jokes feel 'absorb' too fast. Also the jokes in this anime are like our real life without very stupid character, weird personality, etc.. So, I felt this anime has more realistist gags. And that all can get additional good effect in this anime despite this anime have less comedy.Overall this anime has ‘Okay’ in comedy Slice of life in this anime has different from most other slice of life anime.It because the anime taking place in workplace on game company with modern lifestyle without generic event at other slice of life like festival,chrismas,valentine,etc.But the ‘heartwarming’ scene is still avaible here.So this anime did not forget the most important part in slice of life anime : “Heartwarming Scene”.I think the slice of life aspect has getting superior than comedy.You can feel that after watching it. Seinen is the demograph of this anime.So you will find more more easily to take everything from this anime if you age at range 18 to 30. And the hidden genre is Shoujo-ai.This anime have ‘minor shoujo-ai’ that usually called ‘Yuri Vibes’ .But this yuri vibes was not ruined the anime because they put that on right time. We moved on story.New Game! Has told about our MC Suzukaze Aoba, 18 years old. Fresh graduate from high school and start working as a game designer in EagleJump Company. From the start until the end of this anime has not tell much or not too focused on game making. But they focused on ‘Slice of Life’ that usually happen in the workplace and imaged how people on Japan work. If you didn’t like this anime has not focused on the game making progress, Please blame the source was like that. The art in this anime is ‘Great’ I think.Look at the frame and detailed character drawing and coloring,just Great!.Plus the background!.In other hand, the animation is nothing special or not good but not bad too because I can see they just put little animation or zero on mob character/background character. But this suitable with this anime.Overall the art in this anime is great on drawing ,but not too good in animation On sound i didn't review the seiyuu because i’m not care about seiyuu (i think all seiyuu is good) and every studio was always choose the suitable seiyuu for every-one characters on all anime. On backgroud sound it few (maybe 7-8 background sound) are played.But if you watched this anime on time line,it would very easy to forgot and it suitable for every sol anime.For effect sound is pretty decent that backround sound because sol anime has not need it too much.OP and ED sound are quite good but it's not my type genre music,but it very suitable with anime.The overall , sound in this anime is very minimalist. The Characters in this anime has make big roles to this anime,because on every sol anime characters interactions are very important.In New Game! The MC Suzukaze Aoba was a new employee on EagleJump Company(so every people in this company is Senior for her) .In there she was meet many characters with different manner,taste,likes,dislikes etc.Aoba interaction with the characters is the main things in this anime(because sol anime) and without teenagers in this anime makes this anime good too .But i didn’t like the other side.No male characters has found in this anime (Blame the source) and this may make everyone included me feel boring for just watching Only ‘ woman interaction’. I more enjoyed this than other sol anime because they put a few fanservice plus with details drawing based on the manga.And they put that on right time.So the fanservice is not ruin the anime itself. (Another good fanservice uses) And the Overall,since it aired about three month ago when only few people watching this .I'd keep watching this every week to relaxing from my busy real life.I gave rating for New Game!‘ 8’ .I Can recommend this for you who want to watch “Moe with different air”

This review composes of 2 parts, first part being a short review by myself, and the second part will be a review of the low rating reviews given by others. Part 1: As the genre of this suggests, it is a slice of life anime with moe elements. So I felt this anime has achieved a great combination from both the art style, the characters, and the music. It brilliantly mixed the parts of elements at work together with cute characters. So at the same time making you feel "ah, I've seen / done this before", you also experience it from another perspective in a more light hearted mood. The MC, started being clumsy and immature, gradually grows and becomes a more reliable person. The anime showed it very subtly not through describing it, but reducing description. In the first episodes the MC makes many mistakes and seems childish, and contrasting with the last episode where she cared for others, achieved her dream, and has become a true member of the company / team. Overall, it is a very heart warming, funny and cute anime. Part 2: The following will be a review aimed at trying to counter some of the points thrown out by the other reviews that gave low ratings (below 6). 1. "It makes no sense for a girl who has no knowledge of 3D modelling to get hired by a game company": First of all, she does have knowledge of drawing, and later in the story (not in the anime) it will be shown that her art skill is actually on the equivalent level of the "genius" Yagami Kou. Also, when hiring her, the company did not plan on using her as a main 3D modelling person as seen by the first few episodes. The only non-villager model she made was Sophia, which is only because her boss wanted to give her something to try out after seeing her hard work. Do keep in mind that the company she works for was never mentioned as "big" or "prestigious", so don't put standards of big companies on to it. 2. "There are so many small problems with the setting of this anime" --Randy_Drews a. "She got locked out of her office when she went to the washroom" I did the same thing, so it's possible. and the same review also stated "the setting is nice" which is opposite of what he stated. b. "Only one game and she decides to work for this company?!" Yes, it can happen, and there's something called IP, having only one game or one anime doesn't mean that's all there is to it. Such as Stein's Gate. (one anime / game but it got very popular) c. "She and many characters make the most annoying sound" Annoying or not is a personal preference, and you made no description or reasons to why it is annoying. For example, is it repetitive? Is it overly sharp? Is it too loud? Does it not fit the character? d. "Yuri undertone" May I just say that this is a discrimination against homosexuality? Also imagine the scenarios in reality, would you still think it is yuri? "a girl cooking for another girl" "A girl recalling past events with another girl" "A girl thinks a young girl who just graduated high-school looks cute" e. "Poor human interactions" If you are talking about Hifumi, that is because she is a shy character, if you are talking about the other incidents, please give examples. f. "The brightness is too high" Turn down the brightness of your monitor, you are welcome. g. "The music is forgettable and sounds like a copy of Working!" It is not, and that's because they are the same genre. 3. --Takeko hmm, actually I already answered everything in 1., as for his last point of "Who get in a company without knowing the products they worked for?", she was hired to make villagers, what do you expect? And no, she is not a noob. 4. FanteHS "Also, if the series' premise was to show people working on a videogame, well..you won't see it since characters usually spend 3/4 of each episode talking about silly things and doing everything but working." Because I bet you you won't want to watch that, and that's also why when people post videos of them drawing things, they put the videos in accelerated speed. As for the plot, it actually doesn't show people working on a game, because the plot is to show people working in a game company. The wording is slightly different, but it changes the focus completely. Another point I would like to make is, if the anime captures the most interesting parts of the MCs work, take the 20min of anime away from an 8+ hour of work day, you would come to the conclusion that they have been working hard for at least 7hr40min everyday.

Surely, most of us have played at least one video game in our lives. But have you ever wondered what it's like to make one? Well, this series tackles this topic in a comedic manner. Making a game is easier said than done. At least that's what this anime showed me. In the show, we see how the game industry takes their work seriously. Every detail is observed, even the smallest ones. And it's through the characters that we see how the production actually works, whilst providing us some hilarious skits that catches our attention. Yes, it's cute, but don't be fooled. Most of the jokes presented are only understood by adults or working citizens. Still, it's a comedic slice-of-life series that everyone would enjoy. Truly, an adult moe anime which would leave us wanting for more! That is the new game that we all want!

New Game is such a cute anime, it was a joy to watch honestly. If you're more into the fighting/fantasy anime, this one probably isn't for you, but if you want a good slice of life, I definitely recommend this one. It is something you could watch without getting too confused, and very adorable. I absolutely loved it. Here's Why: Story: 7/10 The story isn't the reason I watched this anime. It was great and all, with cute an funny bits added in. There was a story that was followed, and it did a good job following it. Art: 9/10 I absolutely loved the cute art style that this anime had. It was really adorable, and pleasing to the eyes. I'm one to judge an anime by the art style (I know, shame on me I get it,) but I just can't help it. Sound: 8/10 I'm not the best at judging the sound of the anime that I watch, I'm just not that practiced with it. The opening was okay, but I usually skip it after one listen. Characters: 9/10 This is the main reason I stuck with this anime. The characters all have their own backstory, characteristics, and flaws of course. I absolutely loved all of these characters, flaws set aside. The characters got more mature and understanding throughout the anime, and I loved that as well. The growth that you can see is astounding. Enjoyment: 10/10 I really loved this anime as a whole. I know, I've said that a lot, but I feel like I can't say it enough.

New Game is a simple slice of life anime about a girl fresh out of high school that gets a job as a 3d artist at a game company. While this anime doesn't do anything especially outrageous, I don't think that is necessary for a slice of life anime. What you get is a fairly tame, cutesy anime that is very low key. If you just need something light and upbeat to watch, this anime accomplishes that very well. It's got the upbeat nature of K-On! mixed with the hustle and bustle of the life of a salaryman (or woman in this case). Where this anime does differ from your average slice of life is the setting and age of the characters. Animes in this genre have a tendency to focus on the mundane day-to-day of school girls so it's a nice change of scenery. The story itself tends to be unbelievable (I don't think game companies operate in the way they are depicted in this anime) but I don't think that's important. Artistic liberties were taken for the sake of making the show more interesting to watch. There are a few ecchi moments here and there if you're into that sort of thing but they are so sparse that it isn't really something worth mentioning even. The characters are pretty well written and even though there's a good amount of them, this anime does a decent job of giving them enough screen time and development to make them interesting. Art and music weren't particularly mind blowing but nothing shoddy either. While New Game! doesn't really go crazy in any department, it's still a nice breath of fresh air for the slice of life genre. If you want something light and cutesy for easy viewing you can't go wrong here. I give it a soft 8.

New Game! is the story of the most idealistic production cycle known in video game history. The long hours don't really affect the characters dispositions, everyone generally gets along, and there are very few hiccups along the way that make the team feel like their game is not going to be a success. This isn't necessarily a bad thing mind you, but from the minor glimpses i have seen of video game development I think I could hazard a guess that this is not exactly what you would call the norm. Of course this anime isn't trying to be realistic on the trials and tribulations of video game design. The focus of this anime is definitely to be a "cute girls doing cute things" type of show. Considering also that this was based off a yonkoma (4 panel) style manga, an in depth look at whatever the subject matter wasn't really going to be possible. As much as I understand what the anime was going for and where its origins comes from, I do believe that this safe approach does hamper the series a bit. Comedy is birthed from pain and struggle, and there wasn't that much to be had during their production cycle. There was no earth shattering change to their game that made them frantically play catch up. There was no glitch that they had to spend a decent amount of time trying to correct. There was no spy trying to gather information about their game for another company. There wasn't even the sense that there was a harsh deadline that everyone was scrambling to get too. Each one of those ideas off the top of my head and more could have lent itself to far more fulfilling comedic moments and give a more realistic insight into the production cycle of the game, and I don't think it would have hampered the "cute girls doing cute things" angle. Again however, considering its based off a Yonkoma, there is only so much an anime can do to liven up a plot like this. As such I'd say the plot was above average for a moe' anime, but it didn't go much farther than just having a different location than usual to make me really sing its praises. The character designs were quite appealing. As with a lot of moe' though, they don't quite look the age they claim to be. There are 18 year old anime characters, and then there are "18" year old anime characters if you catch my drift. The main character is very much in the later category, and even her comrades don't look that much older than her. This just comes standard with the moe style, but it is a bit jarring when you compare it to other anime where the characters are supposedly the same age if not younger than moe protagonists. Nothing in the art department really ventures into new territory, but I do appreciate the glimpses of the game in development that we got too see. I could totally see myself getting in line to buy Fairy Story 3. Their personalities are nothing really out of the ordinary when it comes to moe anime either. If you are familiar with the typical roster of personality tropes in this type of show then you are going to be able to spot them fairly easily within the first few seconds of meeting them. Much like every other aspect of this show, while it is enjoyable they don't stray too far from the safe zone in this department. There isn't anything that deep about any of these characters save for some standard background story shots. In this regard it does make the show harder to watch if you are thoroughly versed in the moe style and can predict how everything goes. Not to say they weren't likable, but when you've seen this same character archetype with the only real difference being new hair styles it can get old. Overall the show just slinks above average for me. If it were truly a cookie cutter anime I don't think I would have been able to make it through the whole thing, but the change in location and the premise behind it gave it just enough life for me to take in the whole season. Beyond the game development angle though, this anime suffers from the safe moe tropes that far too many slice of life anime lean on now a days. It doesn't take any risks, it doesn't stray from the formula, and you never feel like there is any real conflict in the story. Its just another cute girls doing cute things show, but with game development. If you like that type of show I don't think you are going to be too disappointed with it. However I do feel like there were a lot of missed opportunities with the premise that could have bumped this show from being just above average to being really good. Watch it if you really like calm slice of life moe anime, but temper your expectations if you think the game development angle is going to add that much to the uniqueness of the series.

New Game - "Developing games is just as fun as playing them!" . . . That is, if everything goes well, and if the environment is friendly, and if the stars align. The story revolves around a fresh high school graduate that wants to make her mark in the gaming industry. She happens to join in the company that's making the third installment of the game that inspired her to be a game creator. --The plot is there, and there's not much conflict, but it still goes. The story isn't that "strong" considering that this is a slice of life anime show. Also, this is very unrealistic in most aspects (e.g., How convenient it is to get in a huge company and get major work; how easy it is to learn to make 3D graphics; How a detailed report can be made by “newbie” debugger; etc). However, it's very fun to watch if you don’t really pay that much attention to those kinds of technical details. Also, there are surprising moments that will definitely please its audience, considering that this anime belongs to the Seinen genre (target audience is mainly adolescent boys). The characters are interesting and distinct; each of them has their own type of personality that makes them stand-out in the show. With that being said, you can consider everyone as legit main characters. Although all the characters are females--and this made the show gain a tinge of yuri and eventually turned into yuri--it didn't seem like it was lacking in diversity. What's more amazing are their character designs that are so adorable and very difficult to resist. Just a quick note: The design is somewhat childlike (chibi) so some, if not all, do not look like adults. Aside from that note, I think that the art and animation was flawless. It never became sloppy in any episode--it's just my type of animation. The art is nowhere near "breathtaking," but it's still looked great to me. For the sound aspect, they gave extra effort in producing some of the soundtracks. There’s nothing out of the normal except for the extra soundtrack, and mix of a number of known and unknown voice actors. Rating: Story 5/10 2 Characters 8/10 2 Art 8/10 1.6 Sound 8/10 1.2 Overall Rating 6.8/10 ~> 7 Worth a watch if you just want to pass time and have a few laughs, when you least expect it, there would be enough fan-service from these cute girls to keep your eyes wanting more. While you're at it, you get to take a peek at the developing side of the gaming industry! (Keep in mind that it will be very different compared to the real life... What I meant by “taking a peek” is how people might get a gist of what the developing team does while working on a game, but not what actually happens in game developing companies.) Just a quick warning to those who actually know how this industry works, you might get furious with the inconsistency this show has compared to the “actual” world.

NEW GAME! is a anime that tell us a story of a girl that works in a videogame company as a artist, and she will spend lot of time working and improving, during this, she will meet lot of people that will make she, madure a lot. This anime wont make u feel anything, this anime dont have a very creative story, but, this anime has very carismatic characters that will make u smile, NEW GAME is not an anime that u will remenber for years, but its pretty good for a boring evening, its pretty entertaining, so if you are wondering if you should watch it, i would say yes. NEW GAME! is also a pretty good election for anyone who plays videogames, since you can see every step of developing a videogame.

STORY - 8 ART - 10 SOUND - 10 CHARACTER - 9 ENJOYMENT - 9 Bright and sparkling, pretty and appealing, the title of New Game! takes over the splash screen with wholesome invitations. It's time to press that start button. There's a whole packet of cuteness and entertainment here ready to be loaded onto the screen. When I stepped in to the very first level, I knew this anime would be right up my alley. Delight instantly overwhelmed the me who used to develop games as a hobby. So, with my eagerness to relive the enjoyable side of game development surfacing once more, a new stage begins on a fun greater than the amount of pixels on a HD display. Eagle Jump is the video game company in play here. While it works on a simple set of procedures and routines, it manages to accomplish a friendly atmosphere devoid of any drama or tension. Having quirky adults who emit out an unbelievable amount of endearment is quite refreshing. There's all these interactive characters who charmed their way up my likability list. A glimpse into their synergy goes to show the spectrum of entertainment is a wide one and each colorful enjoyment is one more bliss added to an already lovely cast. One day they work on the game, other days are filled to the brim with silliness. Then there's the occasional maturity putting in some heartwarming softness among all the vibrant stuff. Both on a workplace and a more personal environment. It really, mostly, and simply is just a successful attempt at being fun. That's it basically. The only thing that could've been shown slightly further is the game developing process itself but I can say the way they presented it is nice enough. But what's even nicer is the art because one look at it and the term eye candy perfectly describes it. Like I said before, it's bright and sparkling, pretty and appealing, and is overall a vivid aesthetic that can entertain with many joys. Each element in the frame is beautifully polished. By making great use of subtle gradients and vibrant colors, they've introduced a wholesome air around the characters. And remember. These characters are adults designed with youth in mind. So to capture the child-like energy radiating out of them, very emotive animation exhibits everything that is adorable. If by this point you still think Doga Kobo don't know how to please the audience, well no, they do know. Giving us those eye catchers and minor fan services is like a tasteful present. An extra something that adds more charm in a natural manner than to digress away. In addition, the voice acting is a delight as much as delight can be. It's not only just the words that invite a fun tone. The vocal has portrayed a sweetness between the coworkers when they talk about all sorts of entertaining things. Such sweetness that is amplified even further by the friendly jingles playing in the background. And when you put jolly things together with other jolly things, you'll definitely get a jolly vibe. How I love to bask in that. New Game! is a simple realization that friendliness and games can bring a lot of much-needed joy and that it's alright to indulge in it. Entertainment like this provides a medium where one can exactly seek such a thing. So by the time the first level, this first season, nears its end, I know I can shut down with elation and a lot of grins.

Right on the heels of Shirobako (AKA How to Make Anime), came New Game! This show doesn't dive nearly as deep into game creation as Shirobako did for anime, for a couple of reasons: (1) while the production assistants and production office coordinator in anime are pretty much facilitating the entire process and thus are privy to the entire process, the central 4 characters in New Game!, 3 graphic/character artists and 1 animator, aren't nearly in control of the production process-- the producers, lead designers, and directors are. So we get to see the sausage making process in a bit more minute detail, and we only see how Aoba's work affects other parts of the production when, say, there are errors in her 3D models. I would imagine that going straight into a game studio as a 3D graphic artist right after high school is a scary thing. It might be a bit more normal in Japan than in the US, since just about every competitive game dev house in the States demands a bachelor's degree and 5 years of experience or a thick portfolio. Good thing for Aoba, the boss and lead designer only hires cute girls, and Aoba's cuteness is weapons-grade, especially when she's pranked hard. The fact that she's able to grow so quickly in her job is a strong indication that she is in fact a talented artist and a quick study, and I bet many game publishers would kill to have someone like her. This is a character-driven show, and in New Game, it's about everyone's journey, not just Aoba's. While conflict is minimal in series 1, there are a few points of friction that are often set-ups to a hilarious punch line. Since it's also slice-of-life, there isn't much of a story to be told, rather we get situations and moments in the midst of the gang making a video game. That could be a turn-off for those who want something deeper. The graphics cubicle members (plus one animator) are richly written, and their quirks are hilarious. Best of all, they grow. Not quite so much as Aoba in series 1, we'll get to it in series 2. The casting is pretty good, and the writing and direction mesh nicely with the visuals. The soundtrack is all right, a few relaxing synth tracks, with nothing that really sticks out like a sore thumb. The "derp scene" music is cute and a good match for many of the scenes where you just know a punch line is coming. I really like the opening animation/song together-- I feel that if it looks and sounds like a short AMV, that's a good sequence.

This anime is just a delight to watch. Sure it won't be remarkable or revolutionize anime, but it's a fun and enjoyable anime regardless. I loved watching every single episode, with each episode being funny and goofy in its own way. I also like that fact that although there are scenes that are for fanservice, they don't last for a long time; they would appear for a few seconds, and then the story would continue. Each character has their own unique quirkiness and that's what makes each character lovable in their own respected ways. Overall, this anime is just fun. The story is fun, the characters are fun, the environment is fun, it is just fun.

(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!) While I never aspired to be a music composer, one of my favorite musical artists worked on my favorite video game of all-time. The game being (and as no surprise) Banjo-Kazooie, and the composer being Grant Kirkhope. Mr. Kirkhope put his heart and soul into that game. He created melodic, catchy, and atmospheric pieces that are a staple in any video-game-music track list. His blending of the music as the player moves between different parts of Gruntilda’s Lair and the overworld entrances stands as a technical and innovative achievement. And he even voiced both Mumbo Jumbo the slightly incompetent shaman and the ghostly voices of the pots within Mad Monster Mansion, pots that may or may not say something rude after an egg or two is “thrown” their way. Given his work on Banjo-Kazooie, I can only imagine that he is a hard worker and a good person to learn from. And, as New Game! shows, such people exist closer to us than we may think. STORY New Game! stars Aoba Suzukaze, an eighteen-year-old woman fresh out of high school. Opting to pursue her dream job rather than trudge through college, she starts work at the popular video-game company Eagle Jump. Her boss just so happens to be Yagami Kou, the character designer of Aoba’s favorite video game series Fairies Story and the person who inspired her to be where she is now. With work, stress, and fun in tow, Aoba, Kou, and the others get to making their new game together. When someone first looks at New Game!, perhaps the knee-jerk reaction would be to dismiss it for its forwardly cutesy and rather simplistic nature. To be fair, such a reaction is not uncalled for. The anime relies heavily on enticing the audience with cute girls who have the hots for one another (blatant or otherwise) that does not always add much to the scenes besides more reasons to form semi-canonical lesbian relationships. And it does not like to challenge itself, choosing mischief with buying too many donuts rather than trying for unique jokes. However, this shallow description does not do New Game! enough justice, for it is surprisingly relatable. Especially to those who have worked or are currently working for a living. As part of the premise, Aoba is a brand-new employee who has never worked before. Thus, the anime showcases a variety of moments that happen in any workplace environment. Learning how to use a tool never taught before. The boss being away causing the subordinates to relax a bit more than usual. Arriving late to work gets one anxious but isn’t the absolute end of the world. That first paycheck. Earning precious PTO (which is “paid time off” for the youngsters out there). Some of the moments get head-nods, and some of the moments will make one say, “I know exactly how she feels.” But they all show some part of what it means to work. Related to the work environment, New Game! also educates its audience on what goes into making a video game. What the different sectors do, such as the character designers’ constant changes and the programmers’ debugging. The hierarchical structure of the employees and their role within the company. Specific jargon like “beta” and “AD.” The anime does not go into the nitty-gritty details, but these examples consider the behind-the-scenes process, making the show’s premise more than just an excuse to have cute girls clumped together. The anime also uses work as the crux for many of its jokes. In one of its very first, Aoba leaves to go to the bathroom, but, since she had yet to receive her identification card, she gets locked out of their work area. Nothing extravagant, but Aoba’s reaction and the fact that such scenarios are not uncommon sells this joke well. As was mentioned, though, the anime does not strictly stick to work-related material. Going out for drinks to celebrate Aoba’s hiring, seeing a movie with a best friend, and undergoing medical checkups have work tied into them in some fashion, but they more so highlight the girls, the pleasantries, and the fun. These more down-to-earth events also allow New Game! to get at more general ideas of life that anybody can appreciate. When Nenecchi eats Kou’s pudding and the subsequent “fallout” that occurs, the show teaches how it’s okay to make mistakes so long as one does what he or she can to make up for them. And when Rin speaks with Kou about her own thoughts on being the art director, Kou explains that it’s less about how well the game sells and more about making something that they feel is worthwhile (while supporting her best friend with kind words in the process). New Game! shortly follows this conversation with a lewd bit where both Rin and Kou are without pants (a common occurrence for Kou but a new venture for Rin). And, later in the season, Aoba and the other girls go for a nighttime bath (with extra emphasis on Hifumi showering). Meaning, the anime does not mind including more provocative scenes that don’t really have a place within this work-centric, slice-of-life tale. However, they are at least tasteful and not at all distracting, so these scenes simply add to the charm of the show. Perhaps its most important takeaway, though, is when the work lifestyle intertwines with the slice-of-life. Work life is hard. Within Eagle Jump alone, they have harsh deadlines, ridiculous overtime hours (sometimes to the point that they must literally sleep at the office overnight), and numerous issues that pop up along the way. But, as New Game! highlights, hard work and dedication at one’s job leads to rewards of all kinds. Seeing one’s own efforts within the overall project. Gaining new friends and colleagues through mutual understanding and teamwork. Receiving positive reviews from the masses. Aoba worked on the game for half a year, and the rest for a year or more. Watching it all come together, after countless hours and obstacles, stands as not just a huge relief for everyone involved but a major accomplishment. An accomplishment where these quirky characters and their different skillsets each meshed together to create a (coincidentally enough) new game that they could be more than proud of. So, sure, a tech company having 99% females would be a miracle on Earth. And, yes, the simple, silly shenanigans are more frequent than what one would normally find at a job. But New Game!’s ability to showcase what daily work life and its ultimate outcome is like gives the anime more substance than at first perceived. ANIMATION Arguably, New Game!’s art and animation takes the top spot in terms of the anime’s greatest strengths. A lot of different elements come together to make this argument so. For instance, New Game! loves its colors. Bright greens for the office. The various shades of violet that Aoba wears. The yellows and reds that accompany the different flavorful backgrounds filled with shapes and imaginative depictions. These vibrant, happy colors help to set the same tone for the anime itself quite well. Detailed background art also adds to the anime’s visual appeal. Locations like the inner city, the inside of a movie theater, and a gaming convention show off the anime’s realism. And the desks of the cast – Rin’s refined and proper organization, Yun’s more gothic figures – highlight their personality with just a glance. Actual animation is another key factor. Certain scenes, like the Internet-famous one where Aoba strips down to change her outfit for the night, receive extra attention. And, in general, character interactions involve many reactions as well as nuanced eye and limb movement. Often, these reactions and movements are done to an exaggerated extent, giving the scenes their comedy and cuteness with ease. And the character designs are noteworthy, too. Hifumi’s ponytail, sapphire eyes, and pretty outfits. Umiko’s darker complexion. Hajime’s tomboy look. Not only are they each attractive through their slim figures, ample assets, and la…