I love Studio Ghibli films, Pokemon, and the Japanese role-playing game series “The Tales”. So when I heard about the Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, I was thrilled.
Not only does it integrate the best game play from both Pokemon and Tales, it is done within a Studio Ghibli universe, which guarantees awe-inspiring visuals and down-the-rabbit-hole creativity. To top it all off, the whole musical score was written by one of my favorite composers Joe Hisaishi, who has scored over 100 films including many of my beloved Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki films: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle. It’s also completely performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s like a dream come true.
Ni No Kuni will be released in North America today, January 22, 2013 (2 years after it’s been available in Japan… : / ).