Story Overview posted:

In the distant past when darkness swept the world with war and tyranny, Goddesses called "Utatai" saw mankind was suffering and descended on the world. These Goddesses use the magical power of songs to defeat warlords ruling the land. Peace was finally brought to this chaotic world. The Goddesses were worshiped for ending conflict and were entrusted control of the world. They became known as Utahime (divas).

One, a young Utatai, holds a strong desire to bring peace and balance to the world. She is poised to become unite all the Utatai and stand on the top of the world. One day, One's older sister Zero shows up with a dragon. Zero is also an Utatai and said to be the strongest among them. Why did Zero suddenly show up in front of One? Why did she ally with a dragon? And what in the world are the Utatai? Darkness once again shrouds over the world.

On top of being a powerful songstress, Zero is also skilled with a sword. Zero is known for having a violent personality and being troublesome. She also has a rather promiscuous personality. Zero has an artificial arm and a flower in her right eye that keeps growing.

One is the exact opposite of her older sister. She has a strong sense of justice and is known for being rational. One even questions why the Utatai came to this world.

dazat posted:

I also translated the sample weapon stories that have been released so far:
Widow's Guilt & Blossom of the Pilgrim
Death Knell & Ironcluster

Just a note that Utautai is being officially translated as Intoner. I was using using Songstress in my translation, since I felt that was a closer translation of the Japanese words which have a theatrical tone (Utautai means something like Song Troupe, and the individual term for an Intoner, Utahime, means Singing Princess), but have also since switched to using the official translation.

Zero's Origin posted:

Zero — The Rain of the End and the Flower of the Beginning

The story starts out with Zero stating her dislike for rainy days because they’re always the worst days. As she sat there and thought about it, she began to laugh mindlessly, asking herself, “So, sunny days aren’t the worst either?”

Then, in the midst of the sound of rain, a voice called out to her. “What’s… wrong? You’re crying,” the voice said, to which Zero responded by telling the blind girl that she was fine, and was merely laughing. It is said that this girl had lost her vision due to being struck in the eyes with a needle, and her palms and feet were burnt countless times by a hot iron during torture from the feudal lord. Her loss was perhaps a result of an attempt of revolt on the part of her friends against the lord.

Zero felt it was foolish. Not just the idea of a revolt, but how they were caught before they could even gather their weapons. This happened due to an information leak from one of their so-called friends. According to Zero, there are no humans that won’t betray you.

Unlike the others, however, Zero was not tortured. This was because she didn’t have a single friend to put together such an outrageous plan in the first place. Instead of having her bones broken or fingernails torn out, she was merely struck by a whip.

She no longer felt the burning pain on her back from all the whipping. She no longer had any senses and could no longer feel the coldness of the rain hitting her back. It was a strange feeling of knowing that she was going to die soon, as she said to herself, “What a lousy life…” and burst into laughter. There wasn’t something she would consider a ‘best day,’ as each day was worse, whether it was rainy or sunny. Her entire life was a ‘worst day’ from the start. Zero then explains that her oldest memory is the voice of her mother shouting and the countless beatings that followed. She never ate until her stomach was full, so she had to learn how to steal food before she could even learn to speak properly.

Although Zero was brought up in such a manner, she didn’t blame her mother or consider her a bad woman. This is because the only children with warm meals and beds were the lucky ones from noble families. Otherwise, children born to other families were nothing but a nuisance. Zero believes that her mother raised her the same way she was raised before her.

When Zero became of age, her mother began to sell her, as a way to ‘comfort’ men. Going to brothels was a common occurrence for her, where there were many others similar to her mother, along with other young girls that were close to Zero’s age. Of all the young girls, there was one in particular that became good friends with Zero. This young girl called Zero by the name of ‘Light Pink’ because of her eye color. That is how Zero learned about the color of her eyes, as she had never even looked at herself in a mirror, nor had she ever been curious to know what she looked like.

Zero called her new friend ‘Bluish-Purple’ for the same reason. These were the names they gave each other.

One day, Bluish-Purple said, “Let’s steal some money and run away,” which Zero agreed to, as she felt she could do anything with her new friend. After taking the money and making a run from the town, they crossed a bridge where a man was waiting with a horse. This familiar man was a customer who was infatuated with Bluish-Purple.

“Don’t take it the wrong way, Light Pink,” Bluish-Purple said with her usual smile. Then, the two made a run for it, while Zero was arrested. Despite this, she didn’t hold a grudge against Bluish-Purple, but against herself for being naive enough to trust another person. It was at this point, that Zero had decided she would do better at her next opportunity, which was just a few months away.

When the decisive day finally arrived, Zero managed to take the money and run, much more easily than Bluish-Purple had managed.

In order to keep herself safe from pursuers, she decided to kill the people at the brothel, which was easier than she had expected. Next, in order to prevent any further pursuers, she went on a murderous rampage and eliminated all of the hired soldiers that were half asleep and drunk at the bar. She managed to gather as much money she could hold, and left town before sunrise.

Things didn’t go according to plan, however, as Zero was immediately captured shortly after leaving town. This time, it was by a group of bandits. They took all of her money and were about to sell her off, but she managed to find a way to escape. By now, Zero had decided that it would be better for her to not have any money, as she would no longer have anything worth losing. From this point on, she had also decided that she’d no longer rely on a man or anyone else to protect her—it would only lead to betrayal. She had decided that she would protect herself with her very own hands and trust no one but herself.

“I don’t have a name. I don’t have anything. Without money, I have no house. Not a single family member or lover, nothing. It’s almost amazing. I only have this life, but soon I will no longer have that, either.” She was the remaining zero. This was the start of Zero’s sorrowful journey.

quote:

"Zero, you meanie! You… you fibster!"

quote:

TWO ~ TODAY’S MEAL

"Is there anything I can help you with, Lady Two?"

"Cent, I told you not to call me that when it’s just the two of us…" I trail off.

Cent calls me Lady in front of the others to keep up appearances, but I made him promise long ago to call me Two when we’re alone (although it’s only recently he’s begun to oblige). So why…? I stop pouring water into the big pot I was holding and turn around. As I do, I hear harried footsteps running away from the kitchen… I could tell from their backs that it was the chefs who’d been peeking in on us.

"Ah, I see."

That’s why Cent suddenly starting addressing me politely.

"Sheesh! I already told them I’d be fine cooking on my own. Don’t they trust me?"

I said, puffing my cheeks. Large hands softly cupped them, and before my eyes was Cent’s ultra handsome face.

"They’re only concerned for you. You are our precious Lady Songstress, after all."

OMIGAWD! Steam is ready to shoot from my ears! I hope my face isn’t all red…!

"Of course, no one in the world thinks of you more preciously than I do…"

Omigawd! Omigawd! Omigawd! Omigawd!

"Two?"

Why does Cent have so be this handsome?! This gallant and charming and nice?! He’s got a great sense of humor, too! And when we’re alone, he’s so… so… eek!

"Two? Are you not feeling well? Maybe you should lie down in your bed…"

My bed? D-d-d-d-don’t talk about beds right now!

quote:

Three — My Dolls Are Nice Dolls

Month X / Day X

Today, I made my first doll. Although I copied someone else’s way of making it, it’s my very own doll that I made. It turned out much better than I thought, so I was very pleased.

Month X / Day X

The Mr. Soldier doll I copied, is actually from a game called “chess”. The Mr. Soldier I took from the lord’s castle was the first doll I’ve ever owned. I’ve always liked dolls since I was little, but I’ve never had one of my own. After I got caught taking it outside the castle, One scolded me, but I couldn’t let go of the doll. Because, it was my first. Even if I get scolded, I like dolls.

Month X / Day X

Today, I made my eighth doll. I am now done with the black Mr. Soldier dolls. I think I’ll start making white Mr. Soldier dolls tomorrow.

quote:

Four — Family Portrait

“Five! It was Five, right? The person that just left these clothes here. Put them away!” snarled Four, as she expressed her dislike towards her sister’s slobbish manners.

Four and the others had been traveling and have rented a place to stay, and Four believed that the proper conduct was to leave it in perfect condition by the time they depart. Messes were simply outrageous.

Even so, Five treated the room as her own. She would leave her clothes lying around, and make a mess with her food. “Five… you’re such a troublesome child,” Four sighed.

In addition to taking care of the cleaning up, Four also had to sew clothes. Rather, if she let that klutz Five do it, she’d only prick her finger with the needle and raise a fuss. In the end, Four thought of all the trouble she would have to put up with, and decided that it was often best to just take care of things herself.

As she spread the clothing out to check for any further damage that needed fixing, Four noticed strands of hair on the floor. “You, too, Three?”

This was a terrible habit of her other sister’s, Three, who would sit around and cut her hair, only to leave her strands about as litter. It was true that her hair grew much faster than what was considered normal, but Four still couldn’t help but feel that her sister only did these things for the sake of amusing herself.

quote:

Five — My Favorite Things

Five is known for being an eccentric and avaricious lady, which is apparent within the first line of her story—“The world is made up of things I want and things I really want.”

She claims that it is an imitation of her older sister, Two, who claims, “The world is made of things I like and things I really like,” which resulted in her own question, “What is the world to me?”

Unlike her older sister, Five is not as tender of a person, as she does not exactly like everything the world has to offer. There are many things she dislikes, such as food that is not suited to her palate, clothing that isn’t considered beautiful, and people that speak only of boring matters. However, just because Five doesn’t like something, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t want it. The only difference for Five is that there are some things she only has a little desire for, while she desires other things to a much greater extent.

Some of the things Five desires are beautiful accessories, clothing and shoes. Golden accessories are always better than silver, and pieces with valuable jewels such as diamonds and emeralds are the best. Finely-laced dresses and handkerchiefs are also a must!

quote:

DITO - THIS REPULSIVE WORLD

I hear the sound of the waves. It annoys me, but this being a seaside country, there’s no getting away from it, save for sleep. Another morning… I think wearily to myself. I wish the sun had never risen. Then I wouldn’t have to go through another exasperating day… but no. If the sun had never rose, it would still be night. Nights are worse… because at nights, I have to…

I stop thinking before the bad memories fully came back to me. But just the hint of them made my whole body shudder. That’s when I heard her voice.
“Dito?”
The same voice as in the memories I was trying to avoid. I should have tried to feign sleep a little longer… this woman is as dense as a brick, yet surprisingly sensitive to my movements. This… sow-like woman.

quote:

All is for Her Sake

"Could you die for me?"

These were the first words my mistress, Lady Four, ever spoke to me. I still remember vividly the sound of her voice, the expression on her face, even the clearness of her eyes as she looked up at me. As soon as she had finished speaking, she made a face, as if she were looking at something strange. She gazed at me for a long time; I think perhaps she was still a little unsure of what an Apostle was.

I, of course, understood my duty completely. It was to never leave my Intoner’s side, to serve her faithfully, to withstand the very fires of hell to protect her… the very fires of hell… fire… burning… ooh!

Uh, erm. That is to say, that was how I understood it. But I wasn’t yet sure what Lady Four’s exact expectations of me were, this being our first meeting. As a result I found myself unable to answer her at once. But Lady Four did not get angry. Instead, as if blaming herself, she continued thus:

"Oh… I’m sorry. What I meant was, would you be willing to die for an Intoner, one responsible for protecting this world? That is… could you put your life on the line for the sake of this world? I-I didn’t mean you should say you’d want to die for me personally…"

This time I answered promptly. “Yes, of course. If it is to serve you, I am ready to withstand any trial, no matter how torturous… torture… ooh!”

"Decad? Are you all right?"

"Y-yes! I’m just fine."

quote:

"Are you okay, Cent? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?"

Said my mistress, the Lady Two, after felling the last of the monsters with her great sword. I knew she would ask; an apostle like me can fathom what the Intoner he serves might say before she says it.
"Not at all. Of greater concern is you, Lady Two…"

The state of her own body was far more important than my own. After all, she had just finished slaying a Minotaur that was two… no, three times her size, and in the middle of a desert, no less. The sweltering sun rays and the merciless gales were just as much our enemies. In terms of unabated harshness, I could imagine no worse a battlefield in the entire world than the one we stood in now.

And yet all my Lady had to say was:

"I told you not to call me Lady! When we’re alone, you promised to just call me Two!” While puffing her cheeks out in annoyance.

quote:

"I just assumed he shoved the faerie up his rear end in a top hat."

The Dark Id posted:

Hey I know this is a thing. Yes I will LP it at some point. Probably quite shortly after its release. Stop telling/asking me. STOP! I KNOW! I loving KNOW!!!!

The Dark Id posted:

Hey I know this is a thing. Yes I will LP it at some point. Probably quite shortly after its release. Stop telling/asking me. STOP! I KNOW! I loving KNOW!!!!

Mazed posted:

The comic is poo poo. It's like someone heard that Drakengard is supposed to be "dark and edgy", didn't actually check the games out, and decided oh hey, must mean rape, cannibalism, fuckwords, more rape. So edgy.

The first Drakengard I appreciate, because amidst the horrid, dissonant samples that its score consisted of, there was something beautiful: Actual famous classical music!

God, Igor Stravinsky would've utterly loathed what they did.

SatansBestBuddy posted:

Oh hey cool more Drakengard... okay that's a sentence I never thought I'd type out.

I actually really liked Nier, got the full OST in my thumb drive in my car though I should probably get around to paring down the dozen different versions of Yonah's theme. Game itself was alright too. So if they lean more towards Nier's style and less towards, well, Drakengard's, than D3 should be pretty good.

The protagonist is basically a girl version of Guts minus the giant sword. Hopefully we get a giant sword in this game.

Lunethex posted:

Wasn't it said that they took classical music and mashed it up to get some of the music in Drakengard 1?

Blast of Confetti posted:

So is this a gore hentai game or what?

boblemoche posted:

More like a normal game but with gore hentai characters, I guess.

Mazed posted:

The comic is poo poo. It's like someone heard that Drakengard is supposed to be "dark and edgy", didn't actually check the games out, and decided oh hey, must mean rape, cannibalism, fuckwords, more rape. So edgy.

Cephas posted:

Two and Three look like they're taking cues from a couple of other dark and edgy magical anime girls.

quote:

They are both Utautai, which means "singer" in Japanese, and are basically powerful goddesses each with their own distinct personalities and sordid history.

Lunethex posted:

The game was successful enough to spawn a sequel starring a character not nearly as cool as Caim and it wasn't canon.

quote:

Lotish posted:

I suppose this is going to be Dark Id's avatar at some point.

Accordion Man posted:

Hopefully the game's combat will be totally passable like Nier's and not a complete grindfest like the first two games.

Mazed posted:

Considering they've sent the guy merchandise in apparent thanks for hyping up NieR in his LP, it's not entirely out of the question that they know exactly what we do to his avatar.

BioMe posted:

How can you tell? That just looks like any generic anime to me.

Mordaedil posted:

If it looks generic to you right now, it probably is because they essentially have already been copied several times by other works since then. Doesn't hurt that it is actually really good and doesn't fall for most of the tropes anime usually fall into.

Lunethex posted:

I don't think it's been said but because One looks like Manah I'm going to reckon that Mikhail might be Seere. Or close to it. I can't wait to delete my entire save file to get the last ending.

Sarkozymandias posted:

You know what else has a character's virginity as a plot point?

The Bible.

And this has dragons.

Pesky Splinter posted:

If I'm hearing correctly, whenever Zero goes into berserk mode, vocals kick in for the music track. That's a pretty cool touch. Especially with the dynamic music they had for Nier