Side Quest #007

Welcome back to Side Quest #007. Our last issue went out on September 12, and while we were quiet, a whole anime season started and Estelle went looking for Joshua. Grab a snack and let's catch you up.

Continue? — what's worth your time right now

• Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter has been out since September 17 on PS5, Switch 2, Switch and Steam. It's a full remake of Trails in the Sky SC. Joshua is gone, Estelle goes after him, and Ouroboros stops hiding in the shadows. Clear data from 1st Chapter unlocks bonus items, so dig up that old save.
• The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 started on Crunchyroll on October 2, with dubs. This is the first half of a split season, and the second half arrives in April 2027. Eve sings the ending theme. Maomao is still the sharpest person in any room she walks into.
• Black Clover Season 2 came back on Crunchyroll on October 3. Asta's yelling is officially back in your weekly schedule.
• Tougen Anki: Nikko Kegon Falls Arc debuted October 2. It's the show where Momotaro's descendants hunt the descendants of oni, and it gets this issue's Deep Cut below.

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On Deck — what's coming

• October 22: Final Fantasy Resonance. This is the first HD-2D Final Fantasy, from Lancarse and Square Enix. It rebuilds the first story arc of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius and arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, Switch and PC. It costs $49.99, or $59.99 for the Digital Deluxe. PC players can grab a Steam key here (affiliate link).
• November 12: Metaphor: ReFantazio on Switch 2. It launches November 12 at $39.99, and the Prologue demo is out now.
• November 12: Shadow of the Road. A tactical RPG for PC set in Japan in 1868, in the middle of a civil war, with rōnin, yokai and steampunk machinery.
• December 11: The Apothecary Diaries: The Late Lady's Treasure. The original film opens in Japanese theaters. Crunchyroll has the worldwide rights outside Asia, but hasn't announced a release date yet.

From the Guild Hall

• Final Fantasy Resonance Best Builds: the best Vision for Rain, Lasswell, Fina, Lid and Nichol, plus three party setups, so you're ready before launch week.
• Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Best Builds: quartz setups for all eight party members, built for those Rage Boost bosses.
• Fate Watch Order: Every Route Explained: where to start, where Fate/Zero fits, and whether strange Fake needs homework.

One Deep Cut

You probably know the bedtime version of Momotaro. An old woman finds a giant peach floating down a river, and a baby boy is inside it. He grows up, packs millet dumplings (kibi dango), and recruits a dog, a monkey and a pheasant by sharing them. Then they sail to Onigashima, beat the oni, and come home with the treasure.

The oni look has a story of its own. Why horns and a tiger-skin loincloth? One popular explanation is the kimon, the unlucky northeast "demon gate." On the old zodiac compass, that direction is ushitora, ox-tiger, which gives you ox horns and tiger stripes. In Okayama, local legend ties the tale to the prince Kibitsuhiko and the ogre Ura. The dumplings are a regional point of pride there for a reason.

Tougen Anki treats itself as a modern-day sequel to that story and flips the moral. The oni bloodline gets the sympathy, and the Momotaro side does the hunting. Keep that in mind as you watch the Nikko arc. The original fairy tale never asks whose treasure it was in the first place.

Play / Watch This

Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter. One reason: it pays off the 1st Chapter cliffhanger, which has been waiting since last year's remake, and now it comes with full voice acting and Brave Rush to speed up the small fights. When a boss starts walling you, our builds guide has the quartz to get you through.

That's this issue. Hit reply and tell us what you're watching this season, because we read every one. If you're not subscribed yet, join the party here. See you in two weeks. — Neil