Hideki Saito's Anime and Game Reviews

Titles are in alphabetical order.

Games
- Kanon
Animes
Companies

Games

Kanon

Information

Summary: The player interacts with various characters. The player is Yuuichi, who recently moved to the city that the story takes place. He was in the city 7 years ago, however, he does not remember anything from that time...
Storyline by Publisher:
It is the day that snow is falling...

After 7 years of blank, I meet Minase Nayuki, my cousin, at the bench at the station.

This place, it is not a same city I was in yesterday nor the city I grew up in.
It was hasty request of me moving to their place, but Nayuki and her mother gradly accepted my wish. It is the city that they live in.

...and this city preciously lives in my memory as a kid...

Play status: In progress (55%)

Genre: Human Interaction

Maker: Visual Art's/Key
Platform: PC (Windows95/98) For-all-ages version available also on Dreamcast. Dreamcast version contains voice. (This review covers a PC version.)
Product webpage:
- http://key.visualarts.gr.jp/product/kanon/top_18.htm
- http://key.visualarts.gr.jp/product/kanon/top_all.htm (For-all-ages version)
Origin: Japan
US Localization: No / Unlikely
ESRB: Not applicable
Note: Two versions available; An X-rated version and a for-all-ages version. This review covers an X-rated version.

Rating

Story: 4 (Very Good. Lost 1 mark for "X-rated" scene; it was bit "floating" out from the rest of the story.)
Artwork: 5 (Realistic background, good settings, well-drawn characters)
Characters: 4.5 (I liked characters, but I was expeting more background of these characters)
Sound and Music: 5 (No doubt, very good soundtrack.)
Uniqueness: 5 (Characters are funny and loverable)
Integration: 3.5 (Display corruption in windowed mode. Try overlapping with other windows. Also it is taking 100% CPU while animation is being played)
Crash factor: 0 (Nice and stable; no crashing so far)
Overall: 4 (Very pessmistic rating, this is good game!)

Companies

Anime International Company

Also known as: AIC

Information

Company webpage: http://www.anime-int.com/ http://www.aicanime.com/
Activity:
- Anime/game production
Core titles:
- Tenchi Muyo!
- Battle Athletes
- El Hazard
Fan activity tolerance:
- Traditionally, AIC had flexible policy about use of their material.
- While the company permits fanworks in most of styles, it is imported to be alerted that AIC's works are often co-owned by publishers.
- Important change in their policy: Now they prohibits use of their materials in any form without their written permission, or unless uses are permitted by law. At this time of writing, they DO NOT state any policy about fanworks. We are currently inquiring clarification in this matter. Please be patient, more information will be posted here when available.
Company rating: (provided by Media Gateway)
- Inquirly interaction: Not rated
- Accuracy: Not rated
- Efficiency: Not rated

Broccoli

Information

Company webpage: http://www.broccoli.co.jp/
Activity:
- Character goods production
- Publisher
Core titles:
- Di Gi Charat
Fan activity tolerance:
- The company permits fanworks but with moderate restrictions. (See below)
- Report required: YES/NO (Needs to get permission to use artworks from their webpages)
The company specifically prohibits any X-rated derived work using their characters. They have three levels of tolerance, and they are as follows:
- Fanzines - Any fanzines are permitted with the following exceptions:
  - Works (including but not limited to graphical, textual) that illustrates naked form of the character, or the character involved in any sexual conducts. (Collectively X-rated artworks) (Di Gi Charat is 10 years old per default and the company considers the character is not appropriate for any sexual exploitations)
  - Works that uses proper nouns of individual or specific companies.
  - Works that affects image of the characters in nagative ways.
- Goods - For goods or items that does not include official artworks, sales of such items are only allowed at the conventions. Also, any x-rated materials are not allowed.
- Fan-softwares - Same as fanzines
The company specifically states that it is only permitted to use the graphics that is drawn by fans, or ones in the official webpage (but you must obtain permission from them). Also uses of music/sounds are not permitted at all.
For more information: Guideline for citation of Di Gi Charat Products
Company rating: (provided by Media Gateway)
- Inquirly interaction: 4.5
- Accuracy: 4 (Answer did not address the question properly)
- Efficiency: 5 (Speedy and timely reply)

Leaf

Information

Company webpage: http://leaf.aquaplus.co.jp/
Activity
- Human Interaction Game Production
Core titles:
- To Heart
- Kizuato
- Comic Party
Fan activity tolerance:
- Generally very flexible
- Company allows any derived work (with exclusion of some music) from individuals or fan groups provided that:
  - It is not a citation from a product. Please see below for exception to this policy.
  - It is individually produced, or within "fan" distribution. For example, commercially distirbuting derived work through publishers are not within this limit.
- Special cases
  - Figures, and dolls - If conventions require participants to obtain daily license from the publisher, it is required that participants to obtain license from Leaf.
  - MIDI conversion of music - Please see below.
- MIDI conversion of music and its distribution.
  Leaf considers any form of MIDI conversion (but not including extraction of an original product.) and arrangement to be a derived work. There are few protocols:
  - If music is registred with JASRAC (Japanese copyright management body)
    Registration to JASRAC is required to create or distribute such work. At time of this writing, three titles "Feeling Heart" "Sorezore no miraie" and "Tabibito" are registred)
    Note: Currently, it is not known if this type of registration is possible internationally, we will be inquiring them shortly.
  - If music is NOT registred with JASRAC
    Leaf considers MIDI conversion and arrangements as derived work. When produced and distributed within individual or fan groups basis, they are permitted with the following conditions:
    - Display copyright notice: (c)Leaf/AQUAPLUS (exception for "Tabibito")
    - Display original title that the work is derived from
    - Display name of an original artist(s)
    - Author of derived work
    - While it is not required, link to leaf site as well.
  - This policy may change anytime
  The music policies do not apply to contents produced by other entities (such as one for anime, and drama CDs) Any commercially distributed CD titles are managed by JASRAC and inquiry should be done to JASRAC. This may require permission from publisher and artists.
List of permitted and non-permitted items
- Graphics from a product
  - Fanzines - Since it is not a direct citation, it is permitted as long as:
    1. It is aimed for purpose of spolier
    2. Entire work consists of cited work.
  - Webpages - Please see below
  - Others - These do not cover all items. Inquire them in case of question
    Printed goods includes original artworks are prohibited.
    Freeware and sharewares that utilizes graphics from a product are permitted as long as graphics are extracted in dynamic manner from users' machine (from their installed copy of a game.) (For example, graphic loader.) But Notice that prohibits secondary distribution of such loaded materials are required.
    ICQ, Winmp skins, or any use of graphic for an "interface" to other products are permitted as long as graphics are loaded in dynamic manner from users' machine (from their installed copy of a game.) Notice that tells how the system work and prohibits secondary distribution are required.
- Graphics in Leaf's website
  - Please see below for detail
- Texts from a product
  - Webpages and fanzines - Texts are copyrighted material. Particial citations are permitted as long as:
    1. Credits to original work are properly displayed.
    2. Intended use is not a spoiler.
- Non-JASRAC managed music
  - Public performance - Permitted for promotional use (such as in stores) But distributions are not permitted.
  - Broadcasting, or use in shows or performance - Please inquire them. They may permit such use.
  - Citation to other medias - Not permitted with exception of two cases above. Also commercial performances are not permitted.
- JASRAC managed music
  - May be required to pay usage fee, please inquire JASRAC.
- Sound effects / voices
  - Not permitted at all cases
Use of graphics from Leaf's product on webpages
Permitted with the following conditions. Also notification to Leaf is appreciated.
- Distribution with purpose of distributing works are prohibited at all time.
- No spoilers
- Up to three (3) artworks from each product (if you have artworks from 2 product, total of up to 6 are permitted, for example) are permitted
- These should be scaled down by 50% or smaller. Other effects are permitted also.
- Must credits to Leaf and product name somewhere near the citation (or included it in the graphic itself.)
- Banners are not permitted as it has purpose of distributing.
- Write the following information in the webpage:
  - Copyright notice: (c)Leaf/AQUAPLUS
  - Product name
  - Link to Leaf
    - Link and banners are required.
    - Layout, coloring, positionings are not regulated.
Use of graphics from Leaf's website on webpages
Permitted with the following conditions. Also notification to Leaf is appreciated.
- Distribution with purpose of distributing works are prohibited at all time.
- Can be in original size. Graphical effects are also permitted
- To prevents visitor's confusion, do not make the page similar to Leaf's webpage and/or do not use background similar to Leaf's webpage.
- Write the following information in the webpage:
  - Copyright notice: (c)Leaf/AQUAPLUS
  - Product name
  - Link to Leaf
    - Link and banners are required.
    - Layout, coloring, positionings are not regulated.
Company rating: (provided by Media Gateway)
- Inquirly interaction: Not rated
- Accuracy: Not rated
- Efficiency: Not rated

Visual Art's / Key

Information

Company webpage: http://key.visualarts.gr.jp/
Activity:
- Human Interaction Game (also known as SLG) production
Core titles:
- Kanon
- Air
Fan activity tolerance:
- Quite tolerant - Generally, the company allows any fanarts in any form as long as they are from scratch, as long as they are not commercially sold (that is, outside of conventions or "fair" sales) A commercial production is out of scope from this article, please inquire them about these.
- Report required: NO
The company has specific designation of items being "derived work" (which is okay) and "citation" (which is not okay). "A product" specifies their product.
- Graphics
  - [1]. Artwork created from the sketch, for example, character fanworks: Derived work
  - [2]. Goods, comics, softwares bases artworks listed in [1]: Derived work
  - [3]. Scans, photograph, extraction, prints, tracing from a product: Citation
  - [4]. Colored or/and processed works based on artworks listed in [3]: Citation
  - [5]. Illustrations, goods, comics, softwares, and video works based on [3] and/or [5]: Citation
- Scenario / Text works
  - [6]. New scenario, or story based on themes in a product: Derived work
  - [7]. Parody based on the scenario in a product: Derived work
  - [8]. Extraction or/and copy of original scenario in the game, or an work that consists mostly of a product: Citation
  - [9]. Error corrected, and/or formatted texts of a product: Citation
  - [10]. Guidebook that consists of texts from a product: Citation
- Sound / Music
  - [11]. Music sheet, music work, and music data (such as MIDI) created by one's listening (i.e. not an extraction from a product): Derived work
  - [12]. Music sheet, music work, and music data contains arranged version of music found in a product: Derived work
  - [13]. Recorded work (such as MD, CD-R, MP3, etc) contains recorded, converted, and/or processed music from a product: Citation
  - [14]. Music consists of sampled music from a product, or music from a product in as-is form: Citation
- Others
  - [15]. Dolls of characters in a product: See below
  - [16]. Clothing, or work that is similar to clothing: Derived work
  - [17]. [15] and [16] which consists of items specified in [3] and [4]: Citation
  For more information, please refer to Key's policies about citation and derived work.
Company rating: (provided by Media Gateway)
- Inquirly interaction: Not rated
- Accuracy: Not rated
- Efficiency: Not rated

Hideki Saito - hideki@allcity.net

Hideki Saito's Magical Animeland
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This page contains a part of artworks on the Key Official Homepage. These artworks may not be copied to anywhere else. We have obtained permission to use these artworks. (c)2001 VisualArt's/Key All Rights Reserved.
The information in this page are researched by Hideki Saito and Media Gateway. While we try to verify these information to be accurate, we are not liable for any loss, including but not limited physical, mental, or financial loss. We recommend individual verification to these information before production use.