Fun fact: Oni Isle and Oni Warships trope relate to Dejima Isle aka Spain Isle, which was trade factory inhabited by Spanish and later Dutch traders. Even during Japanese isolation period.
Great video! Definitely an interesting game concept! I know you said you've been teaching things to people on stream and that you'd love to cover more things to the game (even considering uploading some of the streams to the channel), but maybe down the road, you can do further episodes if you're up to it... or even mini-episodes during dry spells.
So we have a game on how to be a Samurai(Ghost of Tsushima), how to be a Ninja(Mark of the Ninja), how to be a Japanese Rice Farmer(Sakuna Rice and Ruin) and how to be a Kami(Okami). So when are we getting a game where we play as a Sake Brewer? I would love to know the process behind making various sake.
@@sieragagne532 It's interaction making Algorithm-Sama think that people enjoy said video enough to talk about it. Which in turn will make Algorithm-Sama want to make the video more visible.
I'm from Louisiana, and we also have a rice culture. I also thought it was cool that you talked about crayfish, we call them crawfish & we use them in several different dishes.
Tama and his mlem game is STRONK. I imagine that making rice as your economic sustenance and food. I can hear families say "You're eating too much of our money."
0:24 "The subtle, chill gameplay loop of farm sims such as Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley." Me, a huge Rune Factory fan: I can't believe he didn't mention Rune Factory. *5 seconds later* "Like Rune Factory?" Me: YES! Name drop!
This has been a surprisingly interesting deep dive into Japan's relationship with rice! I never would've thought ancient farming would actually be interesting.
Part Harvest Moon, part side-scrolling battle collect-a-thon, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin definitely gives me 'This will be a classic some day.' vibes. Especially with the title protagonist needing a serious attitude adjustment at the start of the game, similar to Viridi from Kid Icarus, I get the feeling I would grow to love her as rice was planted, grown, harvested, traded and eaten over the course of the game. Thanks for this cultural analysis, Gaijin; like A Hat in Time, this is an Indie game that has been anticipated for a long time, so I am very happy Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin has finally been released.
[smashes through the window] GG! Golden Sky Stories! TTRPG! Japanese! Play as Henge! Super chill and adorable! I absolutely guarantee that you'll love it! And I love to see you make a video on it! It's obscure too, so you'd be one of only a few people to make a review! Please!!!!!
This might be selfish to ask, but please do upload the streams here. My parents won't let me have Twitch and I know for a fact that they won't buy me this game for two reasons. 1. It costs money. 2. Yokai. My family is very Christian, specifically being Jehovah's Witnesses, and deplore anything regarding spirits. I am deeply interested in the folklore of every culture I can find that made mythical beings up to explain natural phenomenons and want to continue learning more. I know you already said that you might upload them here and addressed the cost of doing so, but I really want to know more! So, please, do upload the streams here if you think it is worth the cost, you have one person who would greatly appreciate it! Your fan of 3ish years, Kamody.
something I noticed of the scene with Kamihitsuki, during that scene with the different art style, only she was able to move, the mortals remained in one position at all times and Sakuna was shown as in different still pose from time to time, but Kamihitsuki was moving freely during that time
Me, a *Kimi no Na Wa* Nut - “Oh hey, those little wooden boxes that the white rice is stored in, that looks like the boxes Mitsuha and Yotsuha used to make Kuchikamizake. I wonder if they’re specifically made for divine offerings?” The Video at 14:03 - “KUCHIKAMIZAKE”. Me - Oh hey!
This is an amazing game, and I love your video about it! I already had it digitally preordered before, but I'm really quite happy to see it get such praise from you and others! Hope to see more of this game on your Twitch, and I give this offering of a like and commentary. Long may the kami of youtube views bless you with prosperity!
こんにちは、外人。日本語を勉強しています and that's about all I know how to type of what I wanted to say in Japanese. Your videos and personal stories about your time in Japan, as well as what my dad has talked about from when he was homeported in Japan when he was in the navy in the 70's have inspired me to want to see it for myself. I'm currently studying Japanese as much as I can whole working 40+ hours a week, and I intend to make the trip when things open back up enough to. Do you have any advice for me relating to culture or language aside from simply keep studying that'll help me during the time I intend to spend living abroad?
I had a good feeling about this game when I played the rice harvesting demo at E3 2018, and it's good to know that there's so much more put into this game than I previously expected. Definitely glad that I put in an order for this game when it came out.
I picked this game up on release only having seen the trailer vid on the nintendo eshop. Something about Muramasa/Odin Sphere aesthetics just appeals to me like no other side scroller. I have to agree, do not sleep on this game if you have any interest in Japanese Culture.
I actually laughed during the part where Gaijin explained how samurai where paid in rice, because in Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, it's an explicit plot point that most samurai consider it beneath them to defend the farmers' village in exchange for rice (even samurai who are starving themselves). Maybe it has to do with whatever period of Japan's history the film is set it? That might be interesting to research some time, come to think of it.
I'm really hoping this game does well. I love games that combine combine action with slife-of-life, so I get to either play a nice and relaxing simulator or go and beat up enemies whenever I feel like it.
Now I understand a couple of things: 1. I read that the Japanese bamboo fountain (iconic in anime) was popular as it kept the wildlife quiet at night. Now I understand why that was important. 2. In some anime, it seemed like a whole town would be built around a single farm of rice, with travellers heeding the fields with immense respect, considering even slipping your foot into the field as disgraceful. Now I understand why that respect was given.
I had to get it after your vid... im a huge fan of HM and ive been having an awsome time.. and god i was tearing up at the rice planting song this brings such background to the life of japan and mythos
I might eventually pick this game up just to learn more about rice cultivation. I've always been curious about that, mostly because of how rice fields usually look so unique compared to other agricultural products.
I Am Truly Impressed By The Content, Not For the quality but the way you approached played this game I just picked up the divine edition and Ima do the same thing before I crack it open! You earned a Sub! Keep striving!
that collector edition must be the best special edition of the last 8 years... i mean, just 20 us more for triple cds, big art book, a booklet and a little bag...
I would watch all of those vods on here if posted. Possibly multiple times. I'm obsessed with world culture and having that on in the background while I work would be great.
You know, its nice to see other people who like these nesh types of games. It is also nice to see somebody able to bring out the real life history of the game, and expand my appreciation of it even further. Thanks man.
Hey gaijin read this please I was studying shinto since its my religion and found this In one version, Harisaijo, Amaterasu's daughter, is exiled to the island of Awashima for having a woman's ailment. She encounters Sukuna hino's shrine and vows to help women. Sounds like a origin for her along with other mythology is the origin of her perhaps
I preordered the "Divine Edition" of this game for Switch through XSeed's own website, and my copy actually arrived a few days ago. Definitely agree about how great this game is, and the music is a amazing too!
i always wondered why Inari was both the Kami of Agriculture and Economics. i figured it was just like that farmers would trade their goods for cash, or maybe the Kami just had multiple roles. but seeing that the rice WAS currency, that makes so much more sense.
Huh. A review of sorts for the game that also holds some historical and cultural facts? Not gonna lie, I think this type of video's got me intrigued. If you end up doing more videos like this, I'm definitely gonna be gluing my face to the screen.
This video made me want to play the game, and I recently finally got the chance. I just finished it today, and had to come back to re-watch this video to hear GG gushing about how culturally accurate it is.
a view, a like, a comment and a rabid desire to play this game myself; but my copy is coming on the 12th T_T regardless, that might just give me time to watch the VODs and do some research on my own; thanks for showing this game's culture off and take care Gaijin! o/
Thank you for bringing this one back to my attention, I have NO idea why I passed on it when I first saw it. This is so much my style that it's insane. Going to pick it up.
Fun fact: rice was originally native to what be America and was bought over to China by Chinese adventurers. I enjoyed and think this games is interesting, I may look it up.
in summer time the moisture never goes away and the temperature never drops below 80 even at night sounds alot like the climate of Alabama from May - July. (in mid July we suddenly go to no rain untill huricane season)
The game is so beautiful. And the creatures remind me of this old DS game, can't remember the name but there was this red lion-dog with rounded ears and I loved him and called him Apple because he was like a candy apple.
For many japanese christianity is just a sect. Is not really that different from years ago when buddism was seeing as this religion for "hippy wannabe" in the West.
Could be. I'm no expert by any means, but I do remember reading at one point a main reason the relationship was so rocky was because Japan's upper echelon viewed the pope and by extension the church through the missionaries as something to be wary of. They felt their political power was being threatened by the influence the church was garnering, because many nobles viewed the pope as a rival political leader, and missionaries as an invading foreign influence
@@swanson2830 Well it kinda is, back in the day if you had the protection of the Church you could do anything you want and legitimaze your power. So if anyone got crowned as king Japan by the Church itself...
That is an insane agricultural lesson! I never knew it took so much to grow and harvest rice! Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning on 3DS made growing and harvesting rice seem so easy!
Fighting in game: A basic beat'em up Farming in game: You gotta learn history and culture, both old and modern methods of agriculture in Japan, religious believes of old Japan, etc.. WOW I really like that the developers made their homework
This a really fun game me and my Grandparents are playing this and funnilly enough my granmas a farmer and while my granpa plays the fights doing good enough combos to fight bosses when his under leveled and occasionally tell stories about his travels to SEA (South East Asia), CentralA and EastA cause his a soldier and realestate agent, where from the Philippines. Then passed it down to granma who will pick up her chair get her glasses and look intentlly at the screen when planting amd would occacionally cus when it's not on the grid andtake the longest to play she also tells stories about when she was poor and funny stories in the fields like when she used a shot gun to hunt a Karabaw missed and the recoil sent her flying, then The Karabaw chased her to the tree, her sister got revenge 3 years later Edit: Can you do a videos about astral body eaters from our myth, cause their essentially planetary kaijus whos only job is Eating the sun and mainly moon but failing like a loonytunes villain
I'm no rice expert, but I read somewhere that rice didn't actually need that much water. It just could survive higher water levels than most weeds that would outcompete it for nutrients and sunlight, so farmers flooded their fields to make them inaccessible to most of the plants that threatened their rice. A majority of the weeds either drowned or didn't take root at all, and the rice just chilled in the water. I could be wrong, though. Like I said, I read it somewhere, but I don't know where, so I can't check the sources on that.
Great video! This game seems very interesting. Especially since I'm vietnamese, there are quite a few things similar to my culture as well. It's fascinating finding Japanese names things I don't even have an English word for. I don't have the game but i might pick it up now
So Sakuna is basically Mars? 🤔 I’m not talking the helenized version which is just Ares with a different name, the original Mars of Ancient Rome was a war god but he was also the god of land and agriculture.
Would you consider doing an episode on Yakuza 7? I'm 5 hours in and already loveing this wacky game Also all this rice talk has made me hungry for some take out damit GG I'm already broke from buying a new game why must you make me crave that delicious sticky rice from Chinese take out!!!!
