Subjectivity of truth in Umineko

Umineko sets itself up as the ultimate love letter to detective stories, while presenting multiple plotlines as one.

Image source: Entergram's promotional website for Umineko When They Cry Blossom: Symphony of Dream and Cat Box release

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Absolute Scarecrow is Absolutely terrifying

With the 24th issue of Absolute Batman released, Scott Snyder presents a fresh take on the personification of fear and explains his downfall.

Image source: Issue #19 cover by Stephen Segovia

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Surviving in a realistic Pokémon world

If we strip away the family-friendly facade of Pokémon games, we get an environment where non-Trainers don't just lack a lot of movement opportunities, they are constantly afraid for their lives.

Image source: Junji Ito's Gengar entry for the official Kowapoke collaboration

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Coyote vs. ACME, Legality and Futility

The long-anticipated movie is finally out and its message goes much further than a cartoon conflict.

Image source: Coyote vs. ACME final poster

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Rewriting the Avatar Aang movie

I'm glad to see new animated material in the Avatar franchise, but it also has writing holes that can easily be patched.

Image source: Movie poster

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AntiNorn's most creative response

By chance I've stumbled upon a blog post that contains pieces of writing that are rather peculiar with and without context.

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The cosmology of Devil Survivor 2

Devil Survivor 2 stands out in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise by having enemies be based not on mythology but on astronomy.

Image source: Devil Survivor 2 box art

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The face of a god

When a spiritual being appears in a story, I sometimes ask why this face specifically with specific facial shapes.

Image source: Babel, old man form, from Devil Survivor: Overclocked, concept art

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The Talos Principle

The Talos Principle hides a conversation about hope and consciousness behind FPS puzzles.

Image source: The Talos Principle bos art

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Claustrophobia Horror

In April 2026 I've watched two video game movies almost back to back and couldn't help but notice the similarities.

Image source: Top: Exit 8, Bottom: Iron Lung

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Super Meat Boy's intro is surprisingly disturbing

In the very first minute I see a cosmic horror that the game likely never intended.

Image source: Super Meat Boy opening cinematic

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On ethical slavery in Japanese media

The isekai genre may say it's not approving slavery, but it's still endorsing it.

Image source: Rising of the Shield Hero, episode 2

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The beautiful tragedy in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

The latest French JRPG paints grief as both a haunting and emotionally complex experience.

Image source: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 box art

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GATTACA: Eugenics is bad, m'kay?

The classic film about discrimination has a strong theme... not about the discrimination.

Image source: GATTACA movie poster

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Moral Complexity of Silent Hill f

On the surface, the latest entry of the psychological horror franchise teaches about securing the right to choose when to marry, but the real lesson is rooted in cognitive bias and acknowledging moral complexity.

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Perimeter: Geometry of War

A forgotten RTS that is one-of-a-kind, both in its approach to mechanics and in its narrative.

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Beyond Good & Evil (2003)

Ubisoft's masterpiece is forever relevant.

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ALTER EGO (2018)

ALTER EGO: Self-Discovery Clicker Game is a Japanese mobile freemieum game by Maki Ono and Caramel Column Inc, released in 2018 for iPhone and Android.

Unlike most idle games, it's story-driven, and also can be completed in about a week. It stands out by being more of a philosophical discussion than a game. It also has the most impressive stylization I've seen for this genre.

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Undertale's moral hypocrisy

Undertale tries to teach about non-violence, but how well does it do so?

Image source: Undertale

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Sherlock: The icon of many faces

Sherlock Holmes occupies an interesting niche in human culture by having many different portrayals that vary greatly.

Image source: (center) illustration by Sidney Paget (1904), (left-to-right) Jason Gray-Stanford in Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century (1999), Katsuyuki Konishi in Case File nº221: Kabukicho (2019), John Barrymore in Sherlock Holmes (1922), Basil Rathbone in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939), Shinji Kawada in The Great Ace Attorney (2015), Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock (2010), Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes (2009), Ken Wong Kai-Cheong in Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape (2019), Sir Ian McKellen in Mr. Holmes (2015), Makoto Furukawa in Moriarty the Patriot (2016), Vasily Livanov in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (1979), Taichiro Hirokawa in Sherlock Hound (1984)

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