Category: japan

The Ultimate Guide To Self Publishing

At an event held in Kobe in September, more than 800 people gathered to sell or buy zines of all kinds. The atmosphere resembled a creative bazaar where each booklet reflected its maker’s imagination.

One artist presented a zine focused on a single Japanese character, deliberately written in an unreadable way to spark conversation with readers. The charm of zines lies in their complete freedom—there are no rules for layout, format, or content. Photography, essays, and illustration all coexist under one creative umbrella.

Zines also serve as a haven for enthusiasts of niche interests. Yoshida, one of the creators, compiled matchbox labels distributed at pachinko parlors during the Showa era. Though the designs may appear dated, he regards them as valuable historical artifacts documenting vanished storefronts.

“I probably have Japan’s largest collection of pachinko match labels,” he said with pride. Such topics would likely never pass a publisher’s filter, yet in zines, personal passion takes the lead—a key factor behind their appeal to both creators and readers.

“What makes zines fascinating,” said one customer, “is that they capture the creator’s character without being overly polished. It feels like pure self-expression.”

Among the many creators was first-class architect Chisato Otake, whose zine features imaginary floor plans. Her inspiration came from frustration in her day job.

“I often think, ‘If only I could design this kind of house,’ but clients’ needs don’t always align,” she explained. To bring her ideas to life, Otake selects real plots from real estate sites and designs homes according to professional building codes, even when the plans are purely imaginative.

“If I’m going to fantasize,” she said, “I may as well design a luxury property worth hundreds of millions of yen.” Her next project will focus on rooms, inspired by a period when she was bedridden and unable to work.

“It wasn’t about living a perfectly curated lifestyle,” she said, “but I’d like readers to feel a sense of empathy.” Though her architectural drawings are beautiful, Otake emphasizes that zines let her share vulnerability—something professional work rarely allows.

As digital media dominates communication, some wonder why zines continue to thrive. For many, the tactile nature of paper is irreplaceable.

“You can staple, clip, or decorate it however you want. That physical interaction is part of the fun,” said one participant. Because online content is so fleeting, people are rediscovering the appeal of printed matter.

Bookstores, too, are taking notice. One major retailer reported that zine sales now account for about 10 percent of total revenue.

“At first, it was just a small shelf,” said the manager. “But sales picked up quickly, so we expanded to three full shelves.” In an industry struggling with declining print sales, zines have become a new reason for people to visit bookstores.

As readers flip through each handmade page, they find themselves drawn deeper into the creator’s world—one that cannot be replicated on a screen.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/147172.php

Aぇ! Group’s Kusama Released From Custody After Public Indecency Arrest

When asked by reporters for a message to fans, Kusama once again bowed, tears in his eyes, saying, “I am truly sorry.”

Kusama, 29, was arrested early in the morning on October 4th on suspicion of public indecency after allegedly exposing his lower body near the entrance of a building in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward. A witness reported the incident to the police, and officers who arrived at the scene took him into custody. It is believed that he was intoxicated at the time.

The incident occurred about a year and a half after A! Group made their CD debut, during a period when Kusama had been active as both a singer and actor. His management company released a statement on October 4th saying, “We take this matter very seriously given its social impact and have decided to suspend Kusama’s activities.”

Two days after the arrest that shocked fans nationwide, police transferred Kusama to the prosecutors’ office on the morning of October 6th. As prosecutors did not file a request for detention, he was released the same afternoon. Authorities stated that investigations will continue while Kusama remains under non-custodial status.

Previously: A! Group Member Arrested for Indecent Exposure in Tokyo.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/147171.php

Japan’s Elderly Forced to Pay 20% of Medical Costs from October

At a recycling warehouse in Niiza, Saitama Prefecture, 77-year-old Januma refurbishes used washing machines. He receives a pension of around 200,000 yen a month, supplemented by about 100,000 yen from his part-time work, giving him an income of roughly 300,000 yen in total. Yet even with this, he worries about the growing burden of healthcare costs.

“So far it hasn’t been too heavy, but I know it’ll keep increasing as I get older and go to the hospital more often. It’s inevitable,” he said while continuing to work.

The higher payments affect about 3.1 million people nationwide. Until now, most people aged 75 and over paid 10% of their medical bills, but since October 2022, those with certain income levels have been required to pay 20%. A temporary relief measure capped the increase at 3,000 yen per month, but this limit was abolished on October 1st, fully implementing the 20% co-payment for outpatient visits.

For instance, someone with 50,000 yen in monthly medical costs previously paid 8,000 yen, but now pays 10,000 yen, a rise of 2,000 yen.

For Januma, whose favorite pastime is karaoke with friends, the impact feels personal.

“If medical costs keep rising, there’s a chance I might have to give up going to karaoke,” he said. “That would be really sad because singing is my main joy in life.”

At local clinics, confusion was seen on October 1st as notices were posted informing patients that consideration measures for the 20% co-payment have ended and that personal payment amounts may rise. A 75-year-old woman visiting a clinic for persistent coughing said she had just learned her fees would increase that day.

Her payment of 430 yen for a visit seemed small, but it was double what she paid before the reform.

“It may not sound like much, but I go to the hospital many times a month. It adds up to around 5,000 or 6,000 yen. It’s quite tough,” she said.

Doctors are also worried that rising costs could cause patients to avoid necessary care.

“With prices rising everywhere, patients are anxious. Some skip tests or choose cheaper medicines to cut costs. We’re already seeing diabetic or hypertensive patients who’ve run out of essential prescriptions,” said Ito, a physician.

Behind the reform lies a generational issue: roughly 40% of medical costs for those aged 75 and over are paid by the working-age population. As the baby-boom generation moves into the late-elderly bracket, this burden is increasing. To ease the strain on younger generations, a portion of seniors with higher income levels were asked to shoulder more.

Nomura, a policy analyst, said, “It’s important that we review waste in the healthcare system. We all have to share the responsibility fairly, but we also need to reduce unnecessary treatments and optimize costs.”

In Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward, at the Takashimadaira housing complex, an 83-year-old man said his total monthly spending is about 250,000 yen. Rent and service fees for his assisted living apartment cost 150,000 yen, food expenses are 40,000 yen, and social expenses total 50,000 yen. Medical costs are around 5,000 yen a month but will now rise.

“I’ll probably have to withdraw from my savings. I can’t really cut back on other things—I still want to enjoy life while I can,” he said.

Others are choosing small sacrifices.

“We try not to be extravagant,” said one woman. “My husband loves eel, but now it’s just for special occasions. If we have to cut somewhere, it’ll be food. There’s no other way but to save.”

Experts emphasize that the key lies in extending healthy life expectancy.

“If seniors can stay active in society and continue social connections—whether through hobbies, volunteer work, or group activities—it helps maintain health and reduce long-term medical costs,” said one gerontology specialist.

At a shopping street, an elderly woman affected by the new rule was seen buying discounted groceries during a senior sale.

“I waited an hour in line to save money. The free local bus also helps, so I’m cutting costs wherever I can,” she said.

For many like her, saving on daily necessities has become essential to offset rising medical expenses.

The discussion now extends beyond healthcare to the entire social welfare system, as Japan faces the challenge of sustaining support for a rapidly aging population while ensuring that seniors can still live with dignity and enjoyment.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/147157.php

Japan’s Elderly Forced to Pay 20% of Medical Costs from October

At a recycling warehouse in Niiza, Saitama Prefecture, 77-year-old Januma refurbishes used washing machines. He receives a pension of around 200,000 yen a month, supplemented by about 100,000 yen from his part-time work, giving him an income of roughly 300,000 yen in total. Yet, even with this, he worries about the growing burden of healthcare costs.

“So far it hasn’t been too heavy, but I know it’ll keep increasing as I get older and go to the hospital more often. It’s inevitable,” he said while continuing to work.

The higher payments affect about 3.1 million people nationwide. Until now, most people aged 75 and over paid 10% of their medical bills, but since October 2022, those with certain income levels have been required to pay 20%.

A temporary relief measure capped the increase at 3,000 yen per month, but this limit was abolished on October 1st, fully implementing the 20% co-payment for outpatient visits. For instance, someone with 50,000 yen in monthly medical costs previously paid 8,000 yen, but now pays 10,000 yen—a rise of 2,000 yen.

For Januma, whose favorite pastime is karaoke with friends, the impact feels personal. “If medical costs keep rising, there’s a chance I might have to give up going to karaoke,” he said. “That would be really sad because singing is my main joy in life.”

At local clinics, confusion was seen on October 1st as notices were posted informing patients that consideration measures for the 20% co-payment have ended and that personal payment amounts may rise.

A 75-year-old woman visiting a clinic for persistent coughing said she had just learned her fees would increase that day. Her payment of 430 yen for a visit seemed small, but it was double what she paid before the reform.

“It may not sound like much, but I go to the hospital many times a month. It adds up to around 5,000 or 6,000 yen. It’s quite tough,” she said.

Doctors are also worried that rising costs could cause patients to avoid necessary care.

“With prices rising everywhere, patients are anxious. Some skip tests or choose cheaper medicines to cut costs. We’re already seeing diabetic or hypertensive patients who’ve run out of essential prescriptions,” said Ito, a physician.

Behind the reform lies a generational issue: roughly 40% of medical costs for those aged 75 and over are paid by the working-age population. As the baby-boom generation moves into the late-elderly bracket, this burden is increasing.

To ease the strain on younger generations, a portion of seniors with higher income levels were asked to shoulder more.

Nomura, a policy analyst, said, “It’s important that we review waste in the healthcare system. We all have to share the responsibility fairly, but we also need to reduce unnecessary treatments and optimize costs.”

In Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward, at the Takashimadaira housing complex, an 83-year-old man said his total monthly spending is about 250,000 yen. Rent and service fees for his assisted living apartment cost 150,000 yen, food expenses are 40,000 yen, and social expenses total 50,000 yen. Medical costs are around 5,000 yen a month but will now rise.

“I’ll probably have to withdraw from my savings. I can’t really cut back on other things—I still want to enjoy life while I can,” he said.

Others are choosing small sacrifices.

“We try not to be extravagant,” said one woman. “My husband loves eel, but now it’s just for special occasions. If we have to cut somewhere, it’ll be food. There’s no other way but to save.”

Experts emphasize that the key lies in extending healthy life expectancy.

“If seniors can stay active in society and continue social connections—whether through hobbies, volunteer work, or group activities—it helps maintain health and reduce long-term medical costs,” said one gerontology specialist.

At a shopping street, an elderly woman affected by the new rule was seen buying discounted groceries during a senior sale.

“I waited an hour in line to save money. The free local bus also helps, so I’m cutting costs wherever I can,” she said.

For many like her, saving on daily necessities has become essential to offset rising medical expenses.

The discussion now extends beyond healthcare to the entire social welfare system, as Japan faces the challenge of sustaining support for a rapidly aging population while ensuring that seniors can still live with dignity and enjoyment.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/147157.php

Japan’s Elderly Forced to Pay 20% of Medical Costs from October

At a recycling warehouse in Niiza, Saitama Prefecture, 77-year-old Januma refurbishes used washing machines. He receives a pension of around 200,000 yen a month, supplemented by about 100,000 yen from his part-time work, giving him an income of roughly 300,000 yen in total. Yet even with this, he worries about the growing burden of healthcare costs.

“So far it hasn’t been too heavy, but I know it’ll keep increasing as I get older and go to the hospital more often. It’s inevitable,” he said while continuing to work.

The higher payments affect about 3.1 million people nationwide. Until now, most people aged 75 and over paid 10% of their medical bills, but since October 2022, those with certain income levels have been required to pay 20%. A temporary relief measure capped the increase at 3,000 yen per month, but this limit was abolished on October 1st, fully implementing the 20% co-payment for outpatient visits.

For instance, someone with 50,000 yen in monthly medical costs previously paid 8,000 yen, but now pays 10,000 yen, a rise of 2,000 yen.

For Januma, whose favorite pastime is karaoke with friends, the impact feels personal. “If medical costs keep rising, there’s a chance I might have to give up going to karaoke,” he said. “That would be really sad because singing is my main joy in life.”

At local clinics, confusion was seen on October 1st as notices were posted informing patients that consideration measures for the 20% co-payment have ended and that personal payment amounts may rise.

A 75-year-old woman visiting a clinic for persistent coughing said she had just learned her fees would increase that day. Her payment of 430 yen for a visit seemed small, but it was double what she paid before the reform.

“It may not sound like much, but I go to the hospital many times a month. It adds up to around 5,000 or 6,000 yen. It’s quite tough,” she said.

Doctors are also worried that rising costs could cause patients to avoid necessary care.

“With prices rising everywhere, patients are anxious. Some skip tests or choose cheaper medicines to cut costs. We’re already seeing diabetic or hypertensive patients who’ve run out of essential prescriptions,” said Ito, a physician.

Behind the reform lies a generational issue: roughly 40% of medical costs for those aged 75 and over are paid by the working-age population. As the baby-boom generation moves into the late-elderly bracket, this burden is increasing.

To ease the strain on younger generations, a portion of seniors with higher income levels were asked to shoulder more.

Nomura, a policy analyst, said, “It’s important that we review waste in the healthcare system. We all have to share the responsibility fairly, but we also need to reduce unnecessary treatments and optimize costs.”

In Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward, at the Takashimadaira housing complex, an 83-year-old man said his total monthly spending is about 250,000 yen. Rent and service fees for his assisted living apartment cost 150,000 yen, food expenses are 40,000 yen, and social expenses total 50,000 yen. Medical costs are around 5,000 yen a month but will now rise.

“I’ll probably have to withdraw from my savings. I can’t really cut back on other things—I still want to enjoy life while I can,” he said.

Others are choosing small sacrifices.

“We try not to be extravagant,” said one woman. “My husband loves eel, but now it’s just for special occasions. If we have to cut somewhere, it’ll be food. There’s no other way but to save.”

Experts emphasize that the key lies in extending healthy life expectancy.

“If seniors can stay active in society and continue social connections—whether through hobbies, volunteer work, or group activities—it helps maintain health and reduce long-term medical costs,” said one gerontology specialist.

At a shopping street, an elderly woman affected by the new rule was seen buying discounted groceries during a senior sale.

“I waited an hour in line to save money. The free local bus also helps, so I’m cutting costs wherever I can,” she said.

For many like her, saving on daily necessities has become essential to offset rising medical expenses.

The discussion now extends beyond healthcare to the entire social welfare system, as Japan faces the challenge of sustaining support for a rapidly aging population while ensuring that seniors can still live with dignity and enjoyment.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/147157.php

YOSHIKI Sparks Yoichi Wine Craze

At the center of this transformation is Mayor Saito’s wine-focused strategy, which shifted production toward premium grape varieties and leveraged top-level sales efforts to win global recognition.

YOSHIKI’s involvement in producing Yoichi wine has added star appeal, amplifying the town’s reach on the international stage.

The success has extended beyond bottles and festivals. Yoichi has attracted donations through the hometown tax scheme and drawn new investment. These proceeds are funding community programs such as childcare support and tourism development.

The result is a cycle of growth that is reshaping Yoichi’s identity and reputation far beyond its origins as a whisky town.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/147146.php

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian review: Course correction

Atelier, Gust’s long-running item synthesis RPG series, reached new heights with the debut of *Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout* in 2019. Gust used that momentum to sincerely attempt to reinvent what Atelier is in both systems and scale, leading to the massive and successful *Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land*.

At the same time, the series couldn’t escape a certain albatross hovering above Japanese RPGs. We saw *Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy & the Liberator of Polar Night* hit mobile and PC as a free-to-play game featuring a gacha system. The history here is as important as it is fun to recount — *Polar Night* hardly made it a year in the global market before being shut down.

The years 2024 and 2025 have been brutal for mobile spin-offs of RPG giants, with even Square Enix shutting down games left and right, some of which had been around for five or more years. In this harsh landscape, Atelier really had no chance.

Gust seems to have responded to this situation with today’s review subject: *Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian*.

—

### Part Two: Atelier Boogaloo

Set in the same world as *Polar Night*, this game is a more traditional Atelier adventure. It features turn-based combat, characters who join the journey as part of the story, and — notably — no online restrictions or currency-adjacent gameplay limitations.

While it’s impossible to know if this was intended as a mobile game or some kind of expansion to *Polar Night*, it feels more like a course correction or pivot than an entirely new entity. Unfortunately, it’s held back by systems that feel like a mobile game being fed into a proverbial wood chipper.

You can choose between two playable characters: Rias, a scrappy girl who sifts through ruins searching for treasure (while avoiding her overprotective sister who works for the local government body), and Slade, a more serious young man who inherits a mysterious relic and an empty book linked to lost civilizations.

The two meet early on, and their goals quickly intertwine, especially as Rias discovers she can utilize the lost art of alchemy. These characters have a lot of personality and chemistry, which initially makes the game seem promising.

Rias is a particularly fun twist on the typical Atelier protagonist, beginning her story by running away from a giant, rolling “Puni” (think of it as a slime from *Dragon Quest*, but obnoxiously cuter) in a ruin — a goofy homage to *Indiana Jones*. Slade, playing the straight man to Rias’s antics, balances the duo well.

I was genuinely having a good time watching these characters bounce off each other, but soon the game’s shortcomings became apparent. It caught me off guard with how sloppy it feels overall.

—

### Slapdash Adventure

After the rising quality of the *Secret* series and the go-for-broke energy of *Yumia*, *Resleriana 2* (for lack of a better shorthand) feels slapped together in almost every way. From its low-budget aesthetic to grind-heavy, menu-laden systems that scream mobile game design, it’s hard to ignore the stark difference.

Gameplay involves running a shop staffed by identical, color-swapped fairies, alongside simple dungeons that require little thought to clear. There’s an endless supply of these fairies to throw money at and recruit for your store.

Everything you need is accessed through a small, localized hub. The story is told at a snail’s pace with shallow bonding scenes peppered throughout. Alchemy feels constrained and de-streamlined compared to other recent Atelier games, seemingly designed to encourage grinding and resource management rather than creative experimentation.

During Ryza’s rise and Atelier’s growth arc, Gust released other titles too. These included a surprise sequel to an earlier Atelier game (*Sophie 2*) and a sequel to Koei Tecmo’s *Fairy Tail* adaptation. While I had some issues with the latter (*Sophie 2* remains superior), both projects retained the oomph, polish, and strong identity characteristic of Gust’s bigger releases.

So this doesn’t feel like some reined-in spin-off, or at least it’s not explainable as such. Instead, it feels like a massive step backward — one that would be extremely confusing if not for what you find when you plug *Atelier Resleriana* into a search engine.

—

### Combat That Shines

One bright spot in *Resleriana 2* is its combat. The game returns to a traditional turn-based system from the more active combat styles of recent Atelier titles but adds some engaging twists.

Combat emphasizes teamwork with follow-up attacks and features a replenishing Ability Point system. This means fights are more about maintaining flow rather than worrying about dwindling resources. Battles move at a fast pace and reward paying attention to turn order and enemy weaknesses.

It’s also a relief to command characters as a party after several years of real-time systems focusing on individual control. This refreshing combat design helps salvage some enjoyment from an otherwise underwhelming package.

—

### Looks Like a Duck, Quacks Like a Duck… But Not a Duck?

Even though this game has its merits — after all, it’s still an Atelier game with the core loop that makes the series fun — *The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian* is almost immediately compromised narratively by its ties to the previous *Polar Night* game.

Not only do characters from previous Atelier titles appear as dimension-traveling Wanderers (a clear tell of mobile game design influence; sorry, *Octopath Traveler* fans, but it’s true), characters from the first *Resleriana* and allusions to its story are presented as a big deal.

Unless you played that prior game before its shutdown in March 2025, it’s impossible to understand that context without consulting YouTube or other external sources. That’s a major problem.

—

### Final Thoughts

I’ve come to really appreciate the Atelier series over the years, despite initially avoiding it (time limits stress me out, to be honest). I’ve imported physical trilogy cartridges for the Nintendo Switch and even pre-ordered the special edition of *Ryza 2* back when I had the means.

I share this to emphasize how much of a step backward this installation feels in the series’ evolutionary trajectory.

*Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian* looks and feels cheap (I hate to go there, but it’s unavoidable). It’s full of what feels like kitbashed, clumsily molded structural systems shoehorned into a single-player game that suffers deeply from its connection to a failed gacha title.

It bums me out to say it, but that’s the vibe.

—

### Availability

*Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian* is available on September 26, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. A PS5 review code was provided by the publisher for this review.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146079/atelier-resleriana-red-alchemist-white-guardian-review-score

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian review: Course correction

Atelier, Gust’s long-running item synthesis RPG series, reached new heights with the debut of *Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout* in 2019. Gust used that momentum to sincerely attempt to reinvent what Atelier is in terms of systems and scale, leading to the massive and successful *Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land*.

At the same time, the series couldn’t escape a certain albatross hovering above Japanese RPGs. We saw *Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy & the Liberator of Polar Night* hit mobile and PC as a free-to-play game with a gacha system. The history here is as important as it is fun to write out all the titles! That’s because *Polar Night* hardly made it a year in the global market before being shut down.

The years 2024 and 2025 have been brutal for mobile spin-offs of RPG giants, with even Square Enix shutting down games left and right—some of which had been around for five or more years. Atelier really had no chance. Gust seems to have responded to the matter with today’s review subject, *Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian*.

—

### Part Two: Atelier Boogaloo

Set in the same world as *Polar Night*, this game is a normal Atelier adventure, with turn-based combat, characters that join the journey as part of the story, and no online restrictions or currency-adjacent gameplay limitations. While it’s impossible to know if this was supposed to be a mobile game or some kind of expansion to *Polar Night*, it feels more like a course correction or pivot than an entirely new entity—and is held back by systems that feel like a mobile game being fed into a proverbial wood chipper.

*The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian* lets you choose between two characters: Rias, a scrappy girl who sifts through ruins in search of treasure (while avoiding her overprotective sister who works for the local government body); and Slade, a guy whose father passed down a mysterious relic and empty book that also seem to be connected to things lost civilizations have left behind.

The two meet, and their goals immediately intertwine, especially as Rias discovers she can utilize the lost art of alchemy. These characters have a lot of personality and chemistry, making this game seem like an early win.

Rias is an especially fun twist on the typical Atelier protagonist, starting her story running away from a giant, rolling Puni (think a slime from *Dragon Quest* but obnoxiously cuter) in a ruin in a goofy homage to *Indiana Jones*. Slade is more serious, playing the straight-man role well against Rias’s antics. I was having a good time just seeing these characters bounce off each other—but soon the game itself stepped in the way, catching me off guard with how, well, sloppy it feels.

—

### Slapdash Adventure

After the rising quality of the *Secret* series and the go-for-broke energy of *Yumia*, *Resleriana 2* (I guess we can call it that?) feels slapped together in almost every way—from its low-budget look to its grind- and menu-heavy systems that are impossible not to associate with mobile game design.

Systems involve running a shop with identical, color-swapped fairies as staff, and a series of simple dungeons you don’t have to think much to get through (and find an endless array of said fairies to throw money at and recruit for your store). Everything you need to access is localized to a small hub, the story is told at a very slow pace, and it’s seasoned with shallow bonding relationship scenes with the characters you meet.

Alchemy feels held back and de-streamlined compared to other recent games in favor of encouraging grinding and resource management.

During Ryza’s rise and Atelier’s growth arc, Gust released other games. We saw a surprise sequel to an earlier Atelier game (*Sophie 2*) and a sequel to Koei Tecmo’s *Fairy Tail* adaptation. While I had my issues with the latter (*Sophie 2* rules), both of these titles still had the oomph, fidelity, and strong sense of identity as Gust’s bigger titles.

So this doesn’t feel like a sort of reined-in spin-off, or at least explainable as such. It’s like a massive step backwards—one that would be extremely confusing if not for what you get when you plug *Atelier Resleriana* into a search engine.

—

### Combat: A Bright Spot

One aspect in which *Resleriana 2* does shine is combat. It’s a move back to traditional turn-based from the more active systems in recent games, but the twists it brings to the table are fun to engage with.

It has a big emphasis on characters working together with follow-up attacks, alongside a replenishing Ability Point system that means fights are more about maintaining a flow than worrying about dwindling resources. It moves at a fast pace and rewards paying attention to turn order and enemy weaknesses.

It’s also nice to be able to command characters as a party after several years of real-time systems focusing on individual control.

—

### Looks Like a Duck, Quacks Like a Duck… Not a Duck?

Even if this game has its own merits, which it does—it’s still an Atelier game with the same core loop that makes these games fun—it is almost immediately compromised narratively as well by its connections to the previous game.

Not only do characters from previous Ateliers show up as dimension-traveling Wanderers (a clear tell of mobage adjacency; sorry Octopath 0 fans, but it’s true), characters from the first *Resleriana* and allusions to its story appear and are presented as a big deal.

Unless you played that game before March 2025, it’s impossible to get that context without consulting YouTube or something. That’s a big problem, if you ask me!

—

### Final Thoughts

I’ve come to really dig Atelier over the years after kind of avoiding them for a long time (time limits stress me out, I’ll be honest), so much so that I imported the physical trilogy carts for Nintendo Switch and even pre-ordered the special edition for *Ryza 2* back when I had the means to do so.

I say that to emphasize the weight of my words when I state how much of a step backwards on the series’ evolutionary trajectory this experience feels like.

*Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian* looks and feels cheap (I hate to go there, but it’s unavoidable) to play, and is full of what feel like kitbashed structural systems clumsily molded into a single-player game that suffers from its connection to a failed gacha joint.

It bums me out to say it, but that’s the vibe.

—

### Availability

*Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian* is available on September 26, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

A PS5 code was provided by the publisher for this review.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146079/atelier-resleriana-red-alchemist-white-guardian-review-score

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian review: Course correction

Atelier, Gust’s long-running item synthesis RPG series, reached new heights with the debut of *Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout* in 2019. Gust used that momentum to sincerely attempt to reinvent what Atelier is in terms of systems and scale, leading to the massive and successful *Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land*.

At the same time, the series couldn’t escape a certain albatross hovering above Japanese RPGs. We saw *Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy & the Liberator of Polar Night* hit mobile and PC as a free-to-play game with a gacha system. The history here is as important as it is fun to write out all the titles! That’s because *Polar Night* hardly made it a year in the global market before being shut down.

The years 2024 and 2025 have been brutal for mobile spin-offs of RPG giants, with even Square Enix shutting down games left and right—some of which had been around for five or more years. Atelier really had no chance. Gust seems to have responded to the matter with today’s review subject, *Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian*.

—

### Part Two: Atelier Boogaloo

Set in the same world as *Polar Night*, this game is a normal Atelier adventure, featuring turn-based combat, characters who join the journey as part of the story, and no online restrictions or currency-adjacent gameplay limitations.

While it’s impossible to know if this was supposed to be a mobile game or some kind of expansion to *Polar Night*, it feels more like a course correction or a pivot than an entirely new entity—and is held back by systems that feel like a mobile game being fed into a proverbial wood chipper.

The *Red Alchemist & the White Guardian* lets you choose between two characters:

– **Rias**, a scrappy girl who sifts through ruins in search of treasure (all while avoiding her overprotective sister, who works for the local government body), and
– **Slade**, a guy whose father passed down a mysterious relic and an empty book that also seem connected to things lost civilizations have left behind.

The two meet, and their goals immediately intertwine—especially as Rias discovers she can utilize the lost art of alchemy. These characters have a lot of personality and chemistry that make this game feel like an early win.

Rias is an especially fun twist on the typical Atelier protagonist, starting her story running away from a giant, rolling Puni (think a slime from *Dragon Quest* but obnoxiously cuter) in a ruin—a goofy homage to Indiana Jones. Slade is more serious, playing the straight-man role well against Rias’s antics. I was having a good time just seeing these characters bounce off each other, but soon the game itself stepped in the way, catching me off guard with how, well, sloppy it feels.

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### Slapdash Adventure

After the rising quality of the Secret series and the go-for-broke energy of *Yumia*, *Resleriana 2* (I guess we can call it that?) feels slapped together in almost every way—from its low-budget look to its grind and menu-heavy systems that are impossible not to associate with mobile game design.

Systems involve running a shop with identical, color-swapped fairies as staff, and a series of simple dungeons you don’t have to think much to get through (and find an endless array of said fairies to throw money at and recruit for your store). Everything you need to access is localized to a small hub, the story is told at a very slow pace, and is seasoned with shallow bonding relationship scenes with the characters you meet. Alchemy feels held back and de-streamlined compared to other recent games, seemingly in favor of encouraging grinding and resource management.

During *Ryza*’s rise and Atelier’s growth arc, Gust released other games. We saw a surprise sequel to an earlier Atelier game (*Sophie 2*) and a sequel to Koei Tecmo’s *Fairy Tail* adaptation. While I had my issues with the latter (*Sophie 2* rules), both of these titles still had the oomph, fidelity, and strong sense of identity as Gust’s bigger titles.

So this doesn’t feel like a sort of reined-in spin-off, or at least explainable as such. It’s like a massive step backwards—one that would be extremely confusing if not for what you get when you plug *Atelier Resleriana* into a search engine.

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### Combat: A Bright Spot

One aspect in which *Resleriana 2* does shine is combat. It’s a move back to traditional turn-based battle from the more active systems in recent games, but the twists it brings to the table are fun to engage with.

The game places a big emphasis on characters working together with follow-up attacks, alongside a replenishing Ability Point system that means fights are more about maintaining a flow than worrying about dwindling resources. Combat moves at a fast pace and rewards paying attention to turn order and enemy weaknesses. It’s nice to command characters as a party after several years of real-time systems focusing on individual control.

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### Looks Like a Duck, Quacks Like a Duck. Not a Duck?

Even if this game has its own merits—which it does (to be clear, it’s still an Atelier game with the same core loop that makes these games fun)—it’s almost immediately compromised narratively by its connections to the previous game.

Not only do characters from previous Ateliers show up as dimension-traveling Wanderers (a clear tell of mobage adjacency; sorry, *Octopath Traveler* fans, but it’s true), characters from the first *Resleriana* and allusions to its story also make appearances and are presented as a big deal.

Unless you played that game before March 2025, it’s impossible to get that context without consulting YouTube or other external sources. That’s a big problem, if you ask me!

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### Final Thoughts

I’ve come to really dig Atelier over the years after kind of avoiding them for a long time (time limits stress me out, I’ll be honest), so much so that I’ve imported the physical trilogy carts for Nintendo Switch and even pre-ordered the special edition for *Ryza 2* back when I had the means to do so. I say that to emphasize the weight of my words when I state how much of a step backwards on the series’ evolutionary trajectory this experience feels like.

*Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian* looks and feels cheap (I hate to go there, but it’s unavoidable) to play, and is full of what feel like kitbashed structural systems clumsily molded into a single-player game that suffers from its connection to a failed gacha joint. It bums me out to say it, but that’s the vibe.

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### Release Information

*Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian* is available on September 26, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. A PS5 code was provided by the publisher for this review.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146079/atelier-resleriana-red-alchemist-white-guardian-review-score

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