Let’s Play is a thoughtful, believable romantic comedy set in a world of gamer geeks. Bleurgh! That won’t appeal to the average J-List fan! Or will it?
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Sam Young and Marshall Law Play at Romance in Let’s Play
Wasn’t Marshall Law a character from Tekken? And Sam Young is also the name of a character in the DC universe. How many more gaming and pop culture references can you spot? Anyway, I digress.
Sam Young (in Let’s Play, not far-future Gotham) is an aspiring game designer. Her first game, Ruminate, has just launched to encouraging positive feedback. Kana Hanazawa voices Sam.
Before you can shout “incoming,” ViewTuber Bruce Lee Marshall Law (Shimba Tsuchiya) streams the game without reading the game’s vital introduction. Frustrated by a game he can’t understand (you gotta read to succeed), Marshall gives the game a scathing review. His fans, thinking they’re being loyal followers by doing so, flood Ruminate’s sales page with bad reviews.
Sam is devastated. It would seem her dreams of making games are at an unsalvageable end. Then, proving the rains wait until assured irreparable water damage, Marshall moves in next door.
Let’s Play Wouldn’t Hit Right If It Didn’t Cut Deep
The premise of a bad game review sparking a romance sounds novel until you realize it’s the plot of Pride and Prejudice. Sans corsets. But I’ll buy the premise because I’ve seen the effects of a critical review firsthand.
An associate and I once made a mecha book for a popular tabletop RPG. The robot-suit niche was unexplored territory at the time, so a flood of sales greeted our book’s launch. But two bad reviews halted the flood like Moses standing in the Red Sea.
Fortunately, our book was available on other sites, where sales continued healthily until the inevitable long tail of sales. The contrast between sales on different sites proved that a few words could have a substantial impact. In the world of social media, we might all have stories like that, where someone typed something that kicked our dreams in the soft bits. The strongest part of Let’s Play was Sam’s relatability.
Holding Hands Then, Holding Controllers Now
And Let’s Play, like any rom-com, depends on the relatability of the main characters for audience buy-in. Let’s Play is immensely popular, and the comic amassed 7.5 million subscribers before leaving Webtoon in 2022. Does this popularity stem from a world where most kids want to be influencers? I don’t expect Let’s Play’s viewership to include many members of older demographics. Those of us who’ve moved on from the days of Trust Agents and 1,000 True Fans aren’t interested in the popularity game anymore. We only want enough sleep.
Are Rom-Coms Underrated?
I seldom expect to enjoy a romance show. Instead, I pitch up because my wife wants to watch whatever soppy offering’s queued up. Since that’s the only chance we’ll have to hang out, I’ll ignore my growing backlog of swords and lasers to, I expect, suffer through feelings and warm hugs. But I’m invariably pleasantly surprised because most rom-coms have plenty to offer us gents.
Sam’s blushing over shiny man chests proves Let’s Play isn’t that type of couple’s show. Sam is a dopy loser with little girl-next-door charm. Her friends, Angela O’Neill and Vikki Song, have sex appeal, but whose style appeals to a female audience, Angela’s vehement threats of violence against “Marshmallow” notwithstanding.
See, there’s still part of me that thinks women make romantic comedies for women. Let’s Play didn’t take my preconceived ideas by the neck and give them a good shake. We’re all human. We’re all silly romantics under our thick shells. Rom-coms are lighthearted and relaxing, and an upbeat, hopeful change from the rest of our draining day. Let’s Play should have made Marshall one of Team Bro; instead, it sent us off to make the coffee.
Let’s Play in Our Own Game
Like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Let’s Play explores a familiar, geeky culture. Unfortunately, Let’s Play misses its potential to reach every gaming fan. If you are a fan of video games and a dude, Let’s Play might disappoint you. That said, Let’s Play looks like a great pick for the ladies, and that’s not bad.
Let’s Play streams on Crunchyroll with English and Japanese audio. Sam Young’s adventures range from hilarious to boring but remain believable and entertaining. Let’s Play scores three Chibi Megumis and no bonus points.
Have you ever dated your neighbor? Did you ever date someone you met online? Have you dated someone because their avatar was hot? Have you stalked a YouTuber? Don’t bottle up those stories. Please share them here for cathartic relief.
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Summer is winding down, and J-List is saying goodbye with a Sayonara Summer Days Sale! Through August 31st, take 15% off all in-stock products shipping from Japan. That means awesome manga and doujinshi from Japan, all JAV and hentai DVDs and Blu-rays, Japan’s best-selling masturbation toys for men, the best Japanese lube and lotion, and more. Start browsing now!
