The second episode doesn't stand out as much as the first, but a fan of Cinematech probably wouldn't notice since the first episode had some interesting stuff, and because they were both aired together. There's some gore courtesy of Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance and God Of War, but what I find particularly interesting is the intro to Tokimeki Memorial 3, a cel-shaded installment in Konami's long-running, Japan-exclusive dating sim franchise.
What I'd like to do with this installment is describe the girls in the intro, and see if I'm Genre Savvy enough to guess their characteristics. I'll cross-refernce the character sheet for the game to see how close my guesses are.
- Yukiko Makihara, a redhead with brown eyes. She wears yellow ribbons in her hair. I'm guessing that she's the "default" romantic choice in the game.
The Character Sheet says: Makihara is the series' Scrappy, by coming in dead last in the official Japanese character poll. Ouch. Perhaps it's because she seems generic?
- Rika Kawai, a glasses-wearing girl with pink hair and eyes. She has her hair done up in cute little rings. Shown at a computer, which makes her A) the smart one, or B) the geek.
The Character Sheet says: Kawai is a Mad Scientist. Uh-oh.
- Mari Oda, a blonde girl with yellow eyes. Blink and you'll miss her in the intro. Her hair is long, done up in a loose ponytail at the end. I get the impression from her slightly wistful body language that she must be one of the more thoughtful girls in the game.
The Character Sheet says: Oda is the tallest girl in class at 168 centimeters, or... five feet, six inches.
- Chitose Aizawa, a girl with mint-green hair and eyes. Seems younger and more genki than the other girls.
The Character Sheet says: Aizawa has a Kansai Regional Accent and is prone to Gratuitous English. Huh.
- Serika Shinjo, a girl with grey hair and eyes. Seems to be the Mysterious Waif.
The Character Sheet says: There's more to her than meets the eye. I won't spoil it here.
- Emi Tachibana. Purple hair and eyes. Seems to be the Yamato Nadeshiko.
The Character Sheet says: Tachibana is the Ojou. And nothing else. Seriously, what?
There are more girls in the game than what is shown in the intro. As for the intro itself, it's pleasant and straightforward. If you don't know what Tokimeki is beforehand, it probably won't give you any indication of what the gameplay or genre is. It shows some of the girls and locations. Also, there is a very nice theme song. The lyrics contain some Gratuitous English of their own ("Rainbow, Seven Rainbow"), but they don't detract from the song itself.
Next: What has George Lucas wrought?!
