Mr. Saitou

Mr. Saitou is a short but sweet romp through the universe of Rakuen, a silly little homecoming to a wonderfully whimsical world. Although it’s not as emotional as the first game, it’s not trying to be; with that being said, I still shed a few tears during the two hours I spent with it. If you listen to Mr. Saitou and set your expectations accordingly, you’ll emotionally relate to the realistic struggles of adult life while feeling healed by the cheerful innocence childhood has to offer. In the very least, Mr. Saitou offers a brief return to the world of Rakuen and the feeling of being hugged by a game.

I don’t doubt that some folks are going to fall in love with the breezy vibes Mr. Saitou delivers; not every game needs a gigantic demon boss or world-ending evil. For what Mr. Saitou appears to be trying to do, though, I can’t say the satisfying ending justifies the journey. If more of the conversations or relationships I had with the characters had more texture, I would say otherwise, but I spent too much time having directionless interactions. If nothing else, Mr. Saitou has heart and something to say, and if that’s worth two hours of your time, you may be the audience.

Mr. Saitou proves to be a successful spin-off, even if sometimes it overdose its citationism and keeps a tone that results to be too light-hearted when compared to Rakuen's powerful, well-written stories. It's still an adventure that deserves to be loved by Laura Shigihara's fans, a multi-talented video game developer who is capable of expressing herself through a vast array of media.