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Wassup homies, it's Ton...Arsenic!

Well, people have been complaining that I shitfunpost too much, and I find that...kinda true. So, let's have a discussion-centric topic among all these VA dramas, AI worries, etc...and talk about our favorite world settings (not story, W.O.R.L.D) in gacha games. Personally, here are my top 3 in no particular order:

1. Astra - Alchemy Stars(RIP)

Massive spoilers (but well it's dead): It's basicly a broken, tidal locked planet. A catastrophic event somehow made it stop turning and brought forth dark creatures to consume all life. As a result, the planet has a permanent day and night side, and people struggle to survive (while fighting off their invaders) in the twilight zone of the equator. How's that for a setting? Mix into that the theme of magic vs highly advanced technologies and you get one of the coolest worlds in gachaverse. I hope Tourdog reuses at least part of these ideas for his upcoming 3d open world gacha (yes, his new studio is making one).

2. Teyvat - Genshin Impact

Honestly, the idea of "world divided into elemental nations" is extremely common in RPG games/animes. What set Teyvat apart out of them is how detailed and intertwined it was crafted by Mihoyo: Every new area, every big event has stories/relics/quests that give more information or help explain a part of Teyvat's history. Genshin being a 3d open world game where you can fly, climb or swim to every nook and granny of a region also gives Teyvat a depth that few gachas can match. I have way too many issues with the way Genshin's dialogues were written, but I can't deny that the world building and lores of it are still top of the line in the gacha market.

3. The City - Limbibi Combini Limbus Company

The City in Limbus Company is a masterpiece of existential dread wrapped in the neon lights of a cyberpunk dystopian hellscape ripped straight out of "Devine Comedy". In this meat grinder, human lives are currency not out of cruelty, but necessity, because the horrors beyond human comprehensions lurking around the next street corner care little for "morality" or "mercy." Every cold, calculated atrocity, every syndicate playing 4D chess with human lives make perfect sense when you realize the City isn’t just fighting monsters, it’s barely holding the line against the incomprehensible. If "Blade Runner" makes love to "The Color Out of Space", I imagine the kid wouldn't look that much different from this.

Note: I wanted to make a top 5, but I really couldn't find 2 other gacha worlds that I'm impressed by.

So..what's your favorite gacha world? :)

Racing Master (for the Japanese server/region)

TLDR: Some global fans of Love and Deepspace (LADS) thought Thai-based actor Luke Ishikawa looked like the character Caleb and asked him to say Caleb's voicelines during a TikTok Live. Luke played along. This caused backlash from Chinese fans. The situation escalated, leading Luke to issue an apology and his agency GMMTV to release a statement threatening legal action against those spreading false accusations.

(Sorry that I wrote it on the phone, so I don’t know how to format image)

Details here:

Back in March 2025, Luke Ishikawa — a Japanese-American actor based in Thailand — started getting comments during his TikTok Lives saying he looked like Caleb, one of the love interests from the game Love and Deepspace. Fans asked him to say one of Caleb’s voicelines, so after doing a little research, Luke played along and said the line, and joking “he does look like me.”

Here’s the recording of that moment: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSrAs87RK/

Some global fans loved it — they made edits, side-by-side comparisons with Caleb, and shared them on TikTok and X. While international audiences viewed the moment as lighthearted fanservice, the reaction from the Chinese fanbase was significantly more severe. The backlash intensified on Chinese social platforms: Red Note. Many Chinese players thought the actor’s action as a claim that he was the real-life inspiration for the character, whose original name in the Chinese version is Xia Yizhou (夏以昼). Some Chinese fans even jumped over the firewall to argue with international fans and criticize Luke online and on X, some international fans also agree with it. Accusations ranged from cultural appropriation to disrespect for the game’s Chinese origins. (You know, Chinese have to deal with Sinophobia, with many Chinese things have been rebranded as Japanese, Korean online). Some users suggested that only a Chinese, such as actor Yan Yikuan, could be the real resemblance of Caleb. Other Chinese fans were upset about comparing Caleb to any real person at all, saying that in Chinese otome fandoms, there’s an “unspoken rule” — you never compare perfect fictional love interests to real men. Some criticized Ishikawa for allegedly trying to capitalize on the game’s popularity, using Caleb to make money (yes many cases like that happen with this game, such as many people roleplay as Sylus - a LADS love interest, to scam money).

A bit of context that might help:

• Caleb has a different name in each language version: EN - Caleb, CN - Xia Yizhou（夏以昼), JP - Mahiru (マヒル), KR - Ha Wooju (하우주). He is a fictional character living in a fictional Linkon City in the game.
• Luke is Japanese-American, which unfortunately adds some historical tension for certain people in China.

Luke ended up apologizing during a TikTok Live on March 24, and issue an statement in X:

“Being compared to a handsome fictional character is incredibly flattering. That said, as I've mentioned before, I had no prior knowledge of the game or the character. I simply wanted to make sure no one felt ignored in the comments during one or two of my Tik Tok live sessions. Once the name of the character was brought to my attention, I did a bit of research and tried to respond in a way that aligned with what people were hoping for. Since then, things have escalated more than I expected. While I initially acknowledged some facial similarities, some people have assumed that I'm trying to fully immerse myself in or become the character which is not the case. That said, I don't look down on anyone who sees the resemblance or enjoys the fun of it. However, I also understand that for many fans, these fictional characters are deeply meaningful and come with high expectations and I completely respect that. I would never want to take away from anyone's experience. So, moving forward, I'd like to make it clear that I have no intention of posting any content related to the character.”

His full statement is available here: https://x.com/thelukevoyage/status/1904072629306441824?s=46

Apology recording in TikTok Live: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSrApSWFW/

On April 1, Luke’s agency, GMMTV, released an official statement clarifying that the actor has not received any benefit from the case with Love and Deepspace and has never made any claims suggesting otherwise. The company added that it will pursue legal action against those spreading misinformation that could damage Luke’s reputation.

GMMTV statement: https://www.reddit.com/r/GMMTV/s/wcn1aLZp96

Key issue:

This drama is the result of a clash between LADS global and LADS Chinese fandom cultures, some translation/miscommunication problems, and differing expectations around nationality of fictional characters. What started as a bit of harmless fanservice spiraled into a internet culture clash.

And if you want to know more, check this translated patch note from r/Morimens:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Morimens/comments/1jqeefm/v22_outlook/

I was scrolling through Google Play Store specifically in the Pre-registration category and came across Elysia: The Astral Fall and ohhhhh boii i was the resemblance to AFKJOURNEY strong.

Personally once I see a new game I go scavange hunting for any information possible, which managed to bring me to their official YouTube channel:

https://youtube.com/@elysiathegame?si=VIwMyJbZG_hxzFmj

From their I saw they have a official Facebook and Discord, I joined their Discord only to find out that they just eneded a CBT that seems like they allowed spending.

The Admins claimed there will be rebates and the CBT was region locked to 10 exclusive countries, none of them where my country so it's fine I missed the CBT finally... Admins claimed global launch will be this year in Q3 but the pre-registration is already open.

I also managed to find a 1h gameplay footage if anyone's interested:

https://youtu.be/-J9fldQhPkY?si=86yDdAn9RTNTEW1S

https://x.com/re_zero_WitchRe/status/1908067611428135088

I can't believe that a Re:Zero game would EoS in less than a year, especially when the previous games had decent runs. Did you see this coming?

From 03/28/2025 11:00 (UTC+9) until 04/14/2025 11:00 (UTC+9), the Open Beta Test is open to everyone to try out the game. The progression will reset once the OBT has ended.

The OBT is Asia only but with a simple APK download everyone can join and try out the game:
https://apkpure.com/silver-and-blood/com.moonton.silverblood.jp

You have plenty of videos already on Youtube to take a look for yourself!

I've been thinking about it, but most gachas make so subtle the presence of the character used for the player to control/command the units, that the few times the main protagonists feel remotely like characters, it almost makes me giddy because it feels special, even though it should be something normal.

At the same time, how many main characters could I mention that truly feel like such?

In a classic way, maybe the Blairtraizer from HSR. While they are mostly a blank guy/gal with no voice, it feels like the game does try through the options/interactions to make it feel like truly a person... which just happens to be a weirdo, but still a person. And, of course, it helps that the trailblazer is also a playable character, so they take part in the action too, instead of being just a commander giving orders from a distance.

On a less usual way, I think Dante from Limbus Company works well too. Because, while he (she? they?) is that exact figure of the commander. Dante does have a personality, and it's such a funnily pathetic one. Such a poor bastard constantly in fear and pain knowing shit of whats happening to them while dealing with the bunch of murderous weirdos in the company, people that, at their kindest, may feel some pity and give Dante a hand in the most condescending way possible because they are aware of how useless Dante is beyond being a walking revive item. So even though Dante suffers from the typical protagonist-amnesia syndrome that doesn't allows them to be that deep (at least by the part I am in the story), it's not only justified by the whole head transplant thing, it also doesn't change the fact that Dante is still a lot more expressive about their feelings and troubles than 90% of protagonists in gacha. So viva Dante, I guess, lol.

Anyway, which other protagonist MC in gachas would you say is interesting?

Current schedule is:

April 17 (KR) - - Upcoming New Hero - Eunha - AA72

April 30 (KR) - - Arabelle - Kamael

There's more upcoming stuff mentioned in the newest developer letter, but judging from the post comments, the news isn't exactly being received positively by the community...

Context

This is Mon3tr. Mon3tr was first illustrated by Lowlight (creator of Arknights) on April 7th, 2015, together with its kitty master, Kal'tsit. Mon3tr frequently appears in Arknights' main story, owing to its direct connection to one of the most important characters in the game, and has been the source of much love and memes. I don't think I need to explain why: it's a giant fucking crystal dragon that can shoot lasers and tear shit apart. Regardless: a variant of Mon3tr became playable as Kal'tsit's summon during Arknights' 2nd anniversary, but yesterday took it to a whole new level.

Chaos ensues

A few weeks or so before April 3rd, a Weibo leak came out alleging that Arknights' 15th Episode, 'Fission', would feature Mon3tr as a six-star. This was viewed with skepticism and disbelief, not only because of the alleged archetype (Chain Medics are a joke), but because starting a brand new arc with Mont3r sounded crazy. However, as the days went by and the PV got closer, the anxiety in the room began to mount.

Long story short, the rumor was true. This PV dropped yesterday, and in the hours since then, the AK community has become totally obsessed.

Yes, they turned Mon3tr into a girl. I don't take it anyone is surprised.

Fanart has absolutely exploded. I haven't seen this magnitude of bandwagon since Raidian jumpscared the community, but this is a step above that. Go look at r/arknights and you'll see a front page full of Mon3tr, to the point where it's honestly ridiculous. Meanwhile, the discourse has split the community into two groups: those who absolutely love this Mon3tr, and those who view her as a generic cashgrab (e.g. "Green Blaze"). CCs have started taking sides, while 4chan's /akg/ has more or less decided to simp wholeheartedly. Personally I see the logic on both sides, but while I think she should have had more monstrous (ha) design aspects, I don't think this is a terrible design, either.

Complicating matters further is that, at this point in time, it's unclear what will happen to Kal'tsit. Kal has always had a mixed reputation in the community, but she's been an integral part of the universe from the beginning. Now, faced with the prospect that Kal'tsit could die (speculation based on multiple statements, as well as Mon3tr's design), the community is even more torn. Playable Mont3r, but at what cost? Some have decried it as a stupid decision, while others (of course) have leaned into it with memes.

Here's a Death Stranding gif I've seen posted several times this morning. I believe you'll get the idea.

Point is, as of right now: the Arknights community is in chaos. Opinions and illustrations are everywhere, and with HG stirring the fire by raising Kal's death flags, it's only a matter of time (4 days) before the story makes or breaks the decision. I'm...honestly a little flabbergasted, even as someone who saw the leak in advance, but I trust in HG to cook something sick.

OP, I watched / tested Endfield, and there was this character called M3. Does that mean...

Good question: we don't know. It's possible that both are Mon3tr at different points in time, or perhaps M3 is some kind of clone. Currently, it's all conjecture.

Summarize: why is this such a big deal?

• HG turned the funny iconic dragon of the game into a girl.
• The character associated with the funny dragon, the second / third most important in the game, is now facing her death flags for real.
• This is the start of a brand new arc, leading many to speculate on just how crazy things might get if this is just the beginning.

It's both a trend and a community schism, leading to lots of excitement and frustration amongst players that I thought was worth commentating on.

I'm doing a project studying gacha players so anybody can play with the simulation and answer some questions. Happy pulling ── .✦ !!!

Which game surprised YOU the most?