No Con Kid (2013)

I think that this is a drama that can be enjoyed by gamers and non-gamers alike. I play video games myself, but I am no hardcore or well-knowledge gamer by any means (my most played games are Pokemon and Animal Crossing...yeah). But, I could watch this drama and appreciate the history of video games as outlined in the plot. It begins in the 80's when video games were gaining a lot of popularity, and arcades were frequented. As gaming technology advances and new games are released, the plot advances. It follows a trio of friends after their initial acquaintance at the arcade run by Reiji and his father to further on in their lives as they reach adulthood and beyond. Though I must say, having the same young looking actors play the same characters for a timeline that spans thirty years is a bit unbelievable.

There is a smidgen of romance at the beginning but that's all you'll really get. The main focus of the drama is bonds between friends and how those bonds can be gained and kept through the magic of video games. You don't necessarily have to get all of the video game references to enjoy the drama. I don't play visual novels but I thought the visual novel parody they did was quite funny. This drama has a great soundtrack as well, with much of it being inspired by 8 bit video game music. Anyone who liked Yuusha Yoshihiko to Maou no Shiro might enjoy this one as well. Whether you're into games or not, I'd recommend this one. You might learn something!

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