Is Utawarerumono: The False Faces Worth It? - Anime Review -

[@kieranwrightstone2199]

Actually got into the series when this anime first came out, took one look into the series and I have been a fan since.

[@Lytane]

That's fantastic! I always think it's great that people come from so many different starting points. Did you end up playing the games and what did you think of Mask of Deception after you'd watched the Anime?

[@kieranwrightstone2199]

Only managed to play Itsuwari no Kamen so far, but I love the series as a whole. Game was better, but the anime did add some more details on just like in Yamamoto that weren’t included in the game. Didn’t make up for what was missing from the game yet still pretty good. Have seen the anime and trying to find a copy of the other games. Actually did find a copy of the original light novel, just don’t have the right tech to play it. Can’t wait to the next season this year and monochrome mobius this year.

[@Lytane]

@@kieranwrightstone2199 You can get the games on Steam if you want to play them on PC. Some of the games are on PS4 store (but not all which is odd) so that might be a good place to look. Honestly just get it on PC, much easier lol. It's funny how much the anime cuts for time reasons and yet can still add new things. I am also looking forward to the 3rd season. I can't wait to see what they adapt and what they change, it's going to be very exciting!

[@slashinghades7347]

@@Lytane Old comment but the reason why you can't find MoD and MoT digitally anymore on PSN is because Atlus didn't renew the license for them a few years ago. PTTF and Zan doesn't have that issue since they were published for console by Nisa. The entire series is there but you have to track down physical copies if you hope to play the later 2 games in the trilogy. Let's just hope someone can publish Zan 2 in the west because it's a big step up from the first.

[@adriangonzalez1789]

Where can I watch utawarerumono second season I watched the first but I wanna know where I can watch the second?

[@Lytane]

I got all of the episodes off a friend online so I don't know where to watch this properly. It might be on crunchy roll but it isn't available in Australia so I'm not sure. Try google searching and I hope you can find it!

[@brassandbonessuite1915]

Great video. I'm absolutely captivated by Utawarerumono and it's nice to hear someone's positive impression from this very entertaining and well made adaptation, which is getting slammed by the fandom often. Is it reupload by the way? Cause we know by now that adaptation of Mask of Truth is getting a release in July. Man' I'm so excited for it. Anyhow, thank you for the video!

[@Lytane]

Thanks!! I still don't see why it gets slammed so hard by the fandom either. I know it's not as "good" as the VN but it is good in its own way. Nah not a reupload, I originally recorded this in October 2021 but then a baby, work and study took over my life. I thought about recording new parts but didn't know if I could find the time. So I thought to upload it as is. It's the same with the next 3 videos. All recorded in October but being released in the coming weeks. All on Utawarerumono as well! How did you get into the series because that's always a fun thing to find out as there have been so many points people have entered.

[@brassandbonessuite1915]

@@Lytane I like visual novels with some gameplay in them a lot because they usually tend to have best of both worlds: rich narrative with good character development and fun gameplay loops for interactive experience. On "vndb" Utawarerumono sits among the highest rated games and once I saw its art and heard its music with strong Japanese folklore influence in them I couldn't resist. May I ask who is your favourite character from the trilogy?

[@Lytane]

@@brassandbonessuite1915 I tend to like that style of vn as well, some gameplay to break up the story makes it feel like I'm doing something. Now don't get me wrong I ADORE Steins;Gate but I don't go out of my way for them. Oh really? I'm not surprised, being new to the fandom I've seen almost nothing but praise for the games, ESPECIALLY the two mask games. I still wish we had a mask trilogy but that's not going to happen now. Ooooooo that's a tough question because I like many characters for different reasons. I'd say Touka from the first game with her incredible swordsmanship but awkward social standing. And from Masks Shinonon because she is a little darling that made me laugh all the time. Otherwise it would be a tie between Kuon and Haku especially with how they work as characters together. Who is your favourite character?

[@brassandbonessuite1915]

@@Lytane Mine is Anju. And I certainly din't expect it to be this way when she was introduced, but the way her personal journey went was really impressive, in my humble opinion. Can't wait to see that scene when she stands up to a certain someone from Mask of Truth in the anime adaptation.

[@Lytane]

@@brassandbonessuite1915 Anju is a great choice! If it wasn't for Truth she wouldn't really be on my radar though. Sure she has character in Deception but 99% of her growth is in Truth. There are a few scenes in the new anime that I'm really looking forward to and I wonder how much will be adapted and or changed!

[@ajkingx2]

I'm actually quite confused from the first season to the second season did they reboot it when the second season came out or is the second season many years after the first season? Can someone please break it down for me?

[@Lytane]

The second season is indeed set MANY years after the first. It is around 20 or so years. It is also set in a different country on the same planet which is another reason why it might look different. A small part of the first season was retconned in order for the second to work but it’s minor and it’s a slight spoiler so I’ll just leave it at that. Otherwise the second season more or less tells its own story with many recurring themes and ideas from the first season. Some of those characters do return but it’s mostly focused on Haku and Kuon. I hope that helped!!

[@saitothelonewolf28]

i liked the anime but my biggest gripe was vurai fight while i loved the animation and flashiness the location was bothersome and the impact of oshtor's death hit so much weaker then the game as well as the cut of kuon end scene of her using her powers instead becoming her having a stroll through memory lane was disappointing

[@Lytane]

I too loved the fight and even some of the elevated stakes due to the new location but I also agree that the ending of the fight wasn't as impactful. I also didn't like the Kuon is strong reveal, the VN has a much stronger ending which makes you so ready to play Truth. Here its alright, but could have been better

[@chaos817]

need a video explaining events between itsuwari no Kamen and the original series in the 2 decades ago since its said that it is a direct sequel

[@madalinfilip6352]

Is not a direct sequel

[@chaos817]

@@madalinfilip6352 elaborate ?

[@Lytane]

I don’t know if I’m the person to make that video but there is not a lot of information in those 20 years that have been explained in the games. We see a little of the aftermath at the end of the first series and some stuff relating to Kuon but it mostly stays vague. There is a third season of the show that is out now which adds a few more details, and even in the games it helps explain a few more things that happened in the gaps but like I said, it’s actually quite a little. It’s something I’d love to see more of though!

[@andreriley9679]

Question though y was it that the 2006 version was completely different from the 2015 version and y was it that haku in the 2006 version has a mask but the 2015 version had no mask but the one with the mask was there who is the haku nothing makes sense

[@Lytane]

The two animes are different stories. The 2006 one follows Hakuouro who has a mask stuck to his face. The 2015 anime is set about 20 years later and follows a different man who is named Haku. Very similar names but different people. That’s why he doesn’t have a mask, and the mystery of the 2015 anime is party “who is Haku and what caused his amnesia?” I hope that helps clear things up!

[@andreriley9679]

@@Lytane respect for replying really thought u wouldn't thanks for the clarity one last question though so the 2015 version the mask guy is the harkuro in the future and haku Is just another random guy basically with similar amnesia and backstory cause that's what got me confused

[@Lytane]

@@andreriley9679 No problem! I’m only a tiny KZbinr so I try to reply to everyone. So in 2015 the mask guy is named Oshtor and his mask is different from the 2006 one, he is a new character. The mask and stuff is meant to link to the first season (and you will find out how later) Yeah Haku has similar character traits and origins with the memory loss, surrounded by strange masks and stuff. His backstory is shown later. There are a lot of similarities between the two shows and it is intentional. Hopefully by the end you’ll understand if not, feel free to ask me any questions!

[@andreriley9679]

@@Lytane thanks I subscribe

[@Illmicprod]

Hey I’m sorry to bother ya, where can I watch this? I’ve tried looking everywhere

[@sanzuriver2959]

I can see why season 2 wouldn't be too exciting for some people, because 24 episode only covers a portion of the story, and it's not the most entertaining portion when it comes to the MC's role in the story, and unlike the game you don't get to play the tactical combat portion. it's a good casual watch still.

[@Lytane]

And most of the story Haku goes through is slice of life experiences. Unlike the first season and VN which felt like it had more plot with the war, this one doesn’t really have that. Even now most of the story is Haku hanging out with his friends before going on little adventures and so all of that had to be cut. I fully see why people wouldn’t be as excited due to the tone shift between the shows though but a lot of VN people hate this show and while trimmed I don’t see why it is so hated

[@barssatar8247]

Hey buddy where have you been for 6 months, I miss you.

[@Lytane]

Hey! I have been living my Dad life!! Being a new father has taken a lot of time, then I started Uni as well so THAT takes up lots of time AND I just rearranged my whole house (I would never do that again hahaha) so it’s been hard to find time to work on videos. Even these Utawarerumono videos were filmed last year and my Oddworld one was almost late due to lack of time to even finish the game properly before the review. I have been writing scripts when I can though so I do have quite a few things to film. To make it up to you for missing me, is there anything in particular you’d like to see me review? (It may not happen right away but I promise it will happen!) And thanks for watching the videos, it really means a lot!!

[@Silly_mcWilly]

Have you watched Arcane yet ?

[@Lytane]

Nope, I hadn't heard about it until I just looked it up now. (I'm not part of the LoL scene) but it does look good, what did you think and would someone not part of the fandom enjoy it?

[@nobody4741]

I have to say I hated the anime, I played the VNs fairly recently and then watched the anime, the third VN became my favorite VN of all time. The biggest problem for me was the personality changes, most of them seems like a flanderization of the VN, especially Haku. In the VN he was a lazy character too, but when shit was going down he would be very reliable, that's why Kuon even make him the leader. In the anime he is just lazy, useless and he has so little chemistry with the party I don't even know if he cares about them. Also some changes in the plot are way too different for me to think it was done because it is an adaptation such as: SPOILERS AHEAD Like in the fake kidnap the anime treated as a joke, the daughter of the pretty much "god emperor" faked a kidnap, sure who cares right? its not like heads would rolling by that. in the VN they saw how serious this was, and I still think the VN did not treat it as seriously as they should. The "war is bad" part, it was awful, in the beginning Osthor ask for Haku to give him a pray, he is so not giving a fuck even Oshtor acknowledge it... and then later he goes "wow war is bad", I really felt like Haku just did not know what is a war lol. In the VN Haku got very fazed not because of the war, but because he saw what happened to his people, they became disgusting immortal blobs that act with pure instinct, this is hits WAY different, the VN even shows him slowly getting a meltdown. tldr: I dont think I would have played the VNs if my friends showed the second anime first, it felt like a meh story at best and an insulting adaptation at worst

[@Lytane]

I agree with you that this adaptation has a lot of the characters on the cutting room floor in order to serve the plot. The problem is unlike the first game the overarching plot is pretty slow to start. I'd say the first 60-70% of the game is mostly character development until they go to war. That's where the real "Story" starts. Due to that they had to change the characters and even the first anime had to do this but is still considered a good adaptation, why? Because the story is still interesting. Here it is a mess. But I will say that I totally bought Oshtor and Haku's relationship. It was just that one and Kuon that they spent any time on so it's at least handled well enough. The gravity of kidnapping a princess is handled pretty strange in both cases but I think the more tongue and check of the anime is alright, especially as it doesn't really come up again and everyone learns their lesson. But that change of "war is bad" is where I draw the line. That was such a dumb change and fundamentally changes Haku and his character. I hate it so much and I don't know why they changed it. But I still defend this show and I don't know why lol I found the cast to be fun, the situations entertaining and some of the new story elements interesting. The VN though is better like 99% better in almost every way. The only thing the show does better is that Cocopo slap hahaha I can't wait to watch the third series, I haven't started it yet but I'm looking forward to how they adapt it and how they will continue with their changes

[@reinhardvonlohengramm6599]

Game is Awesome.

[@Acirclee]

What are you smoking... how is the first season opening better then unpredictable god!

[@Lytane]

Hahaha I do love it but I don’t know, that first song just works for me!