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E4 - A Trash Game Realignment of Elevated Tastes

Source: Crunchyroll
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
[00:01] Narrator
    This world is filled with
    too many games to count,
[00:06] Narrator
    though the vast majority simply
    come and go in obscurity.
[00:12] Narrator
    The greatest of all games
[00:15] Narrator
    is the fully immersive VR game boasting
    over 30 million players worldwide—
[00:20] Narrator
    Shangri-La Frontier, which rightly
    earns the title of "god-tier game"!
[00:26] Narrator
    One lover of trash games, Rakuro Hizutome,
[00:30] Narrator
    is trying out the god-tier
    game, Shangri-La Frontier!
[00:34] Narrator
    What adventures await him there?
SIGN    A Trash Game Realignment of Elevated Tastes
[02:27] Mana
    Heading to the dojo?
[02:28] Rei
    Y-Yes!
[02:30] Rei
    Um, well...
[02:32] Rei
    I thought I'd see if you had any
    good games before practice...
[02:36] Mana
    Hizutome-kun's not here, just so you know.
[02:39] Rei
    Um, I...
[02:41] Mana
    It's summer break, so he's probably
    been immersed this whole time...
SIGN    Summer Break Promotion!!
    Now Adding Servers!
[02:47] Mana
    You still haven't found him?
[02:51] Rei
    Well, you said he always plays as "Sunraku,"
[02:55] Rei
    so I've been looking for
    him under that name...
[02:58] Rei
    But he seems to have skipped the
    first tutorial city entirely...
[03:06] Mana
    He's charting his own course, huh?
[03:08] Mana
    Typical trash game fanatic.
[03:11] Mana
    He'll do things normal players won't do,
[03:13] Mana
    and run into all kinds of
    outrageous unique scenarios!
[03:16] Rei
    But as the first thing he does in the game?
[03:20] Rei
    Well... I guess it does seem plausible.
[03:23] Mana
    I'm sure you'll find him soon.
[03:26] Mana
    Keep going, Rei-chan!
[03:29] Rei
    Okay...
[03:30] Mana
    Then tell him how you feel.
[03:37] Rumi
    I'm heading out!
[03:39] Rakuro
    Sure.
[03:41] Rumi
    I've got work after, so I'll be out late!
SIGN    Rumi Hizutome
[03:44] Rakuro
    Sure.
[03:49] Rakuro
    "Unique scenarios recommended for beginners."
[03:55] Rakuro
    "Tour of Rabituza" trigger conditions...
[03:58] sign
    Shangri-La Frontier Guide
SIGN    Tour of Rabituza
[03:58] Rakuro
    That must be this.
[04:02] Rakuro
    "If you defeat a monster of higher level
    than you with Vorpal weapons equipped,
[04:08] Rakuro
    a special Vorpal Bunny will appear in
    any town and invite you to Rabituza."
[04:17] Rakuro
    "The Vorpal Bunny will just keep
    running without saying anything,
[04:21] Rakuro
    so make sure you don't lose sight of it."
[04:23] Rakuro
    "Once you arrive, if you
    defeat the Lagonian Python,
[04:27] Rakuro
    a monster terrorizing their city,
[04:29] Rakuro
    you'll learn the 'Enchant Vorpal' spell."
[04:33] Rakuro
    Yeah, that's nothing like the unique
    scenario I played yesterday.
[04:38] Rakuro
    That sure wasn't a Python I encountered.
[04:42] Rakuro
    It was an intimidating—if not as much
    as Lycagon—yakuza boss-looking bunny.
[04:49] (Flashback) Vysache
    Well?
[04:50] (Flashback) Vysache
    Mind giving me a bit of your time?
[04:55] (Flashback) Vysache
    I'm the boss here in Rabituza.
[04:57] (Flashback) Vysache
    The name's Vysache.
[05:00] (Flashback) Vysache
    You gave that pup quite a fight, didn't you?
[05:09] (Flashback) Vysache
    That's a hell of a vorpal soul you've got.
[05:16] (Flashback) Sunraku
    What in the world is a "vorpal soul"?
[05:24] (Flashback) Vysache
    What do you think?
[05:25] (Flashback) Vysache
    I'd be happy to get you up to
    snuff, if you're up for it.
[05:31] (Flashback) Sunraku
    Get me up to snuff?
[05:33] (Flashback) Sunraku
    Oh, I get it now!
[05:36] (Flashback) Sunraku
    It's a training quest!
[05:39] (Flashback) Sunraku
    Unique scenario training could
    yield unprecedented buffs!

[05:43] (Flashback) Sunraku
    I have no reason to refuse!
[05:46] (Flashback) Sunraku
    I place myself in your hands...
[05:48] (Flashback) Sunraku
    Aniki.
[05:54] (Flashback) Vysache
    "Aniki"?
[06:03] (Flashback) Sunraku
    O-Oh, that was just a little joke...
[06:07] (Flashback) Sunraku
    Oh, crap!
[06:10] (Flashback) Sunraku
    Did I choose the wrong response?!
[06:20] (Flashback) Vysache
    Hey, I like you.
[06:23] (Flashback) Vysache
    Asking for my training does
    make you my underling!
[06:27] (Flashback) Vysache
    Glad you know how these things work.
[06:29] (Flashback) Vysache
    Feel free to call me Vash.
[06:32] (Flashback) Vysache
    That's a privilege I afford
    to people with potential.
[06:35] (Flashback) Sunraku
    'K-'Kay... Aniki Vash.
[06:40] (Flashback) Sunraku
    I'm so glad it was the right choice!
[06:42] (Flashback) Sunraku
    I thought he was gonna skin me alive!
[06:44] (Flashback) Vysache
    Emul!
[06:45] (Flashback) Emul
    Yes?!
[06:47] (Flashback) Emul
    Dadd— I mean, Boss?!
[06:49] (Flashback) Vysache
    I'm putting him in your care.
[06:54] (Flashback) Emul
    Yes!
[06:54] (Flashback) Emul
    I'm going to work so hard!
[06:57] (Flashback) Emul
    So, so hard!
[06:59] (Flashback) Emul
    So, so, so hard!
[07:04] (Flashback) Emul
    All right, Sunraku-san!
[07:05] (Flashback) Emul
    Allow me to give you a tour of the palace!
[07:07] (Flashback) Sunraku
    H-Hang on a minute!
[07:09] (Flashback) Sunraku
    It's been a pretty long play session for me.
[07:12] (Flashback) Sunraku
    I was thinking of taking a break.
[07:15] (Flashback) Emul
    Oh, really? That's a shame...
[07:18] (Flashback) Sunraku
    And I'd like to look up more about
    unique scenarios and unique monsters.

[07:22] (Flashback) Emul
    I'll show you to one of our inns, then!
[07:25] (Flashback) Sunraku
    Oh, really?
[07:26] (Flashback) Sunraku
    I can register my respawn point here?
SIGN    ° Respawn Point:
    A location from which you can resume play.
[07:29] (Flashback) Sunraku
    Sounds great!
[07:30] (Flashback) Emul
    Leave every little thing to me!
[07:35] (Flashback) Vysache
    Oh, right. I forgot about this.
[07:42] (Flashback) Sunraku
    Wh-What the heck?
[07:44] (Flashback) Sunraku
    A forced equip item?
SIGN    Vorpal Soul Collar
    acquired.
[07:47] (Flashback) Voice
    "Vorpal Soul Collar" acquired.
[07:49] sign
    While equipped, user receives half EXP
    but gains 2.5x stat points
    (rounded down) when leveling.
[07:52] (Flashback) Sunraku
    It halves the EXP I receive?!
[07:54] (Flashback) Sunraku
    Hang on!
[07:55] (Flashback) Vysache
    It's no use.
[07:57] (Flashback) Vysache
    You can't take that off unless I allow it.
[08:01] (Flashback) Vysache
    Extraordinary hardship is necessary
    for the weak to grow stronger.
[08:06] (Flashback) Vysache
    Never forget the vorpal soul.
[08:10] (Flashback) Emul
    It suits you very well, Sunraku-san!
[08:13] (Flashback) Sunraku
    I...
[08:14] (Flashback) Sunraku
    I've been saddled with another restriction?!
[08:21] Rakuro
    Two point five times stat points, huh?
[08:24] Rakuro
    Even if it does halve my EXP received,
    that's a pretty big upside.
[08:29] Rakuro
    Kind of broken, to say the least.
[08:32] Rakuro
    No one on the forums seems to
    know about Vysache or Emul,
[08:36] Rakuro
    let alone the Vorpal Soul Collar.
[08:39] Rakuro
    No one's found a unique scenario where
    you enter the Palace of Rabituza.
[08:44] Rakuro
    A unique scenario only I know about!
[08:48] Rakuro
    That's pretty exciting!
[08:51] Rakuro
    Whoops, time for my appointment.
[08:57] Rakuro
    Stupid Katzo.
    Why'd we have to do this in BERP?
[09:02] Rakuro
    I haven't logged into this game in forever.
[09:04] Narrator
    Berserk Online Passion.
[09:06] Narrator
    BOP for short.
SIGN    BOP → BERP
[09:08] Narrator
    Or, derisively, BERP.
[09:14] Narrator
    BERP is a fighting game
    Rakuro once got deeply into.
[09:18] Narrator
    It is, naturally, a trash game.
[09:22] Narrator
    Its playerbase has waned to less
    than a hundred sign-ins per day,
[09:26] Narrator
    leaving many to wonder why
    the service is still running.
[09:29] Narrator
    Which means most of those
    who remain know each other,
SIGN    Sunraku
[09:34] Narrator
    and are of a single kind—
[09:37] Narrator
    trash game enthusiasts.
SIGN    Modor Katzo
[09:42] Modor Katzo
    You've shown yourself at last, Sunraku.
[09:44] Modor Katzo
    Shall we get right to it?
[09:49] Sunraku
    What are the rules?
[09:53] BOP Voice
    Ready? Fight!
[09:56] Modor Katzo
    You know what they are...
[09:58] Modor Katzo
    Vale tudo!
SIGN    ° Vale tudo = "Anything goes" in Portuguese
[09:59] Modor Katzo
    "Anything goes"!
[10:03] Sunraku
    That's some creepy-ass glitching.
[10:05] Modor Katzo
    It's a new move I worked out
    while you were focused on Failia!
[10:10] Modor Katzo
    NSFW Tentacle Attack!
[10:13] Sunraku
    You developed a new glitch, huh?
[10:16] Sunraku
    How'd a madman like you
    get to be a pro gamer?
[10:19] Sunraku
    Modor Katzo...
[10:22] Sunraku
    Quick-Draw Fist!
[10:24] Modor Katzo
    What?!
[10:31] Modor Katzo
    I'm using a delay,
    but he's still blocking them?!
[10:33] Modor Katzo
    You're the madman,
    with reaction speed like that!
[10:36] Sunraku
    Quick-Draw Fist is the ultimate style!
[10:39] Sunraku
    Theoretically, as long as
    you've got twelve frames,
[10:41] Sunraku
    you can even counter boss
    insta-kill attacks unscathed!
[10:43] Sunraku
    I'll break through all your hits!
[10:50] Mob A
    Huh?
[10:51] Mob A
    Hey, Modor Katzo's fighting!
[10:54] Mob B
    Hey! Isn't that Sunraku?!
[10:56] Mob A
    Really?
[10:57] Narrator
    Though this is considered a trash game,
[10:57] Mob A
    That's a top-tier match-up!
[10:59] Narrator
    the reason for its niche
    appeal is on display here.
[11:02] Narrator
    Vale tudo—Rather, "Bug tudo"—
[11:05] Narrator
    "Any bug goes."
[11:13] Modor Katzo
    Heck yeah!
[11:16] Sunraku
    The afterimage fist textures
    were part of the hitbox?!
[11:20] VO
    You lose!
[11:23] Sunraku
    Still, I've only been fighting NPCs lately.
[11:27] Sunraku
    Getting a PvP trashgamium recharge
    really hit the spot, Katzo.
[11:31] Modor Katzo
    When you emailed me to say
    you were taking on SLF,
[11:34] Modor Katzo
    I figured it was a bad joke. So it was true?
[11:38] Sunraku
    I'm not ashamed to say,
    I'm pretty darn into it!
[11:43] Modor Katzo
    I guess I'll see pigs flying tomorrow.
[11:45] Sunraku
    Hear me out.
[11:47] Sunraku
    I've been reading the forums.
[11:49] Sunraku
    SLF's got these crazy strong
    monsters called the Seven Colossi.
SIGN    The Seven Colossi
[11:55] Sunraku
    The playerbase has only managed to
    even get the names of four of them.
[12:00] Modor Katzo
    So?
[12:01] Sunraku
    No one's beaten a single one of
    them since the service started.
[12:07] Mob C
    Aw, it's over already?
[12:09] Mob D
    Darn! I missed it!
[12:10] Mob E
    Hey, that's Sunraku!
[12:12] Mob A
    It was awesome, man!
[12:13] Mob B
    A raging battle of bugs!
[12:13] Sunraku
    So I fought one of them...
[12:22] Sunraku
    And it wasted me.
[12:26] Modor Katzo
    So that's why you're so into it?
[12:28] Sunraku
    At least, I doubt I'll set it
    down until I beat that mutt.
[12:36] Modor Katzo
    Maybe I'll start playing SLF, too.
[12:40] Sunraku
    For real?!
[12:41] Modor Katzo
    Hearing you talk it up piques my interest.
[12:45] Modor Katzo
    Besides, none of my IRL friends play BERP.
[12:50] Modor Katzo
    Oh, right!
[12:51] Modor Katzo
    You-know-who is playing SLF, too.
[12:54] Sunraku
    "You-know-who"?
[12:55] Modor Katzo
    I sent 'em an email that
    you were playing, too.
[12:59] Modor Katzo
    Since it's such a big deal.
SIGN    Sunraku's Picked Up SLF
SIGN    From: Modor Katzo
     to: Me
SIGN    I hear Sunraku bought SLF.
    He's pretty into it too.
    Watch out for signs of hell freezing over.
    TBF, I've been curious about it, too.
    If he's playing it, it might be worth trying...
[13:08] Pencilgon
    "Sunraku's Picked Up SLF"?
[13:12] Pencilgon
    That trash game addict, playing SLF?
[13:18] Pencilgon
    I always thought he had some condition
[13:21] Pencilgon
    where he'd die if he ever
    stopped playing trash games.
[13:40] sign
    Arthur Pencilgon
[13:46] Pencilgon
    I'll have to oh-so-gently
    guide him through it.
SIGN    Secondale - Back Alley
[14:03] Sunraku
    Hey, we're really back!
[14:05] Emul
    It's called a teleport gate.
[14:07] Emul
    A trivial matter for me, of course!
[14:11] Sunraku
    Emul's a handy little thing.
[14:13] Sunraku
    And... maybe it comes from
    playing BERP for a while,
[14:17] Sunraku
    but these SLF avatars are
    easy as hell to move in!
[14:21] Emul
    But the minute you woke up,
    you wanted to go elsewhere.
[14:25] Emul
    Why?
[14:26] Emul
    There's lots of fun places
    in the Palace of Rabituza!
[14:29] Emul
    An arena, a training hall, and more!
[14:32] Sunraku
    Oh, I'm totally interested in the palace, too,
[14:34] Sunraku
    and I really want a good tour of it.
[14:37] Sunraku
    But I'd really like to get to Thirdrema
    before the crowds start pouring in.
[14:41] Emul
    Crowds?
[14:47] Sunraku
    There's been a big uptick in players
    since summer break started, right?
[14:52] Sunraku
    The forums report that the
    starter town, Firstia,
[14:55] Sunraku
    is packed to the gills with new players.
[14:57] Sunraku
    This city won't be far behind.
[14:59] Emul
    Ah, yes, indeed!
[15:01] Sunraku
    Which means we're gonna
    see logjams at facilities,
[15:05] Sunraku
    and fights over monsters and mining spots.
[15:07] Emul
    Ah, yes, indeed!
[15:09] Sunraku
    I hear Thirdrema is a pretty big city.
[15:12] Sunraku
    If I'm gonna whole-ass that unique scenario,
[15:16] Sunraku
    I'd like to do it from a big city
    with plenty of breathing room.
[15:20] Emul
    Ah, yes, indeed!
[15:23] Sunraku
    You're following all this?
[15:24] Emul
    I don't actually know
    what most of that means!
[15:26] Sunraku
    Okay, so you weren't.
[15:28] Emul
    But if you wish to reach the next city,
    I'll gladly help you get there!
SIGN    You've received a party request
    from NPC "Magical Bunny Emul."
    Accept?
SIGN    No
SIGN    Yes
[15:33] Sunraku
    A party request?
SIGN    You've received a party request
    from NPC "Magical Bunny Emul."
    Accept?
SIGN    No
SIGN    Yes
[15:35] Sunraku
    I can have NPCs in my party?
[15:38] Emul
    Well, you can't reach Rabituza
    or the palace without me!
[15:42] Sunraku
    I get that, but I figured
    you'd just tag along...
SIGN    You've received a party request
    from NPC "Magical Bunny Emul."
    Accept?
SIGN    No
SIGN    Yes
SIGN    NPC "Magical Bunny Emul"
    has joined your party.
SIGN    Emul
SIGN    Sorcerer
SIGN    Vorpal Bunny Traveler
SIGN    Skill Points Remaining: 0
SIGN    Cash on Hand: 0 Mahni
[15:53] Sunraku
    She's mostly got better stats than me.
[15:56] Sunraku
    Speed's the only place where
    I've got a slight edge.

[15:59] Sunraku
    No problem. Just overtake her soon enough.
[16:02] Sunraku
    Right.
[16:04] Sunraku
    I'm pretty sure Lycagon's Mark is the
    trigger for that unique scenario...

[16:10] Sunraku
    I wonder if Emul is the game's
    way of making up for it.

[16:14] Sunraku
    If so, it's good design.
[16:17] Sunraku
    Let's work together, Emul.
[16:19] Emul
    Okay!
[16:20] Emul
    Let's work together, Sunraku-san!
[16:29] Alinoiyu
    So cute!
[16:30] Alinoiyu
    Where'd you get that rabbit?!
[16:32] Aritomo
    Is that a Vorpal Bunny?
[16:34] Aritomo
    Can you take them as pets?
[16:35] Aritomo
    And did I just see it talk?!
[16:38] Aritomo
    Wait, a bird?
[16:40] Aritomo
    Half-naked?! Pervert?!
[16:41] Emul
    You're a very excitable person!
[16:44] Alinoiyu
    Yes! It talked!
[16:44] Sunraku
    Crap... we've been talking this whole
    time so I stopped thinking about it,

[16:46] Aritomo
    Hey, hey! What's your name?
[16:47] Sunraku
    but Emul's an NPC attached to a
    never-before-seen unique scenario!

[16:48] Emul
    I'm Emul!
[16:49] Aritomo
    Emul-chan!
[16:50] Alinoiyu
    Hey, Emul-chan, how can
    I get you in my party?
[16:51] Sunraku
    Since I've got it to myself for now,
[16:53] Sunraku
    I'd like to keep it a secret
    until I can clear it...

[16:54] Emul
    Well, you can—
[16:56] Sunraku
    Zip that lip!
[16:59] Sunraku
    That was my ventriloquism act!
[17:02] Sunraku
    Heavens, I must be off!
[17:04] Aritomo
    Wait!
[17:06] Aritomo
    Aw, I wanted to know how you tame them!
SIGN    File Saved
[17:12] Alinoiyu
    I got a screenshot!
    Let's ask on the forums!
[17:23] Sunraku
    Great.
[17:24] Sunraku
    There aren't any more players
    nearby now, at least.
[17:27] Emul
    I'm terribly ill-suited to
    all this running around!
[17:30] Sunraku
    What kind of rabbit says a thing like that?
[17:33] Sunraku
    Besides, you've got about
    the same speed stat as I do.
[17:36] Emul
    Now, what would you have us do next?
[17:40] Sunraku
    Good question.
[17:41] Sunraku
    Actually, there's something I wanna confirm.
[17:43] Emul
    Confirm?
[17:45] Sunraku
    There's that line in my curse... the mark.
[17:48] Sunraku
    "Monsters of lower level than the
    afflicted character will flee."
[18:14] Emul
    It fled from you, Sunraku-san!
[18:16] Sunraku
    Like it spotted some kind of degenerate.
[18:19] Sunraku
    Okay, perfect!
[18:22] Sunraku
    First, I chase at top speed!
[18:25] Sunraku
    I don't just pursue mindlessly,
[18:27] Sunraku
    but chase it into an obstacle!
[18:31] Sunraku
    And then...
[18:32] Sunraku
    the moment it changes direction,
[18:35] Sunraku
    I throw!
[18:38] Sunraku
    Then, once it's stopped,
[18:41] Sunraku
    I strike at the fastest speed I can muster!
[18:46] Sunraku
    An attack bonus from inertia...
[18:49] Sunraku
    It's a law of physics you take
    for granted in the real world,
[18:52] Sunraku
    but very few games actually
    try to replicate it.
[18:56] Sunraku
    Naturally, this game models
    reality as close as it can!
[19:01] Emul
    That was spectacular, Sunraku-san!
[19:03] Emul
    I could hardly tell which
    one was the monster!
[19:06] Sunraku
    Was that supposed to be a compliment?
[19:11] Sunraku
    Okay!
[19:12] Sunraku
    Even with the mark, I know I can take
    out monsters that speed or slower.
[19:16] Sunraku
    I've verified what I needed to,
[19:18] Sunraku
    so here's the plan!
[19:22] Sunraku
    Ignore the scrubs!
[19:23] Sunraku
    Straight to the area boss!
[19:25] Sunraku
    That is all!
[19:26] Emul
    That wasn't much of a plan!
[19:29] Sunraku
    Now, as befits us speedsters,
[19:31] Sunraku
    let's get there speedily!
[19:32] Sunraku
    Away we go!
[19:33] Sunraku
    To the area boss, and Thirdrema beyond!
[19:36] Emul
    Yeah!
[19:39] Sunraku
    Um...
[19:40] Sunraku
    According to the map, the area
    boss is around here, but...
[19:47] Sunraku
    It's swamp as far as the eye can see.
[19:52] Emul
    This will simply ruin my clothing...
[19:55] Sunraku
    Yeah, no, I think I get it.
[19:58] Sunraku
    With what Emul said on
    the way here and all...

[20:01] (Flashback) Sunraku
    I was in such a hurry to get out of town,
[20:04] (Flashback) Sunraku
    I never got a chance to ask about the boss.
[20:06] (Flashback) Sunraku
    You know anything about it, Emul?
[20:08] (Flashback) Emul
    Well, it's a monster named Mud Digger!
[20:12] (Flashback) Emul
    It rockets out of the ground to attack,
[20:15] (Flashback) Emul
    so it's crucial to find a
    way to hold it in place!
[20:18] (Flashback) Sunraku
    "Mud Digger"...
[20:20] (Flashback) Sunraku
    I gotta fight it in the swamp.
[20:22] (Flashback) Sunraku
    I might be in trouble here.
[20:26] Emul
    Sunraku-san, it's here!
[20:32] Sunraku
    Get on my shoulder!
[20:33] Emul
    Righty-o!
[20:49] Narrator
    A characteristic of* Shangri-La
    Frontier*'s "swamp" terrain
[20:54] Narrator
    is that it forces a "walking state."
[20:57] Narrator
    One leg always remains trapped in the marsh
[21:01] Narrator
    until the other foot reaches the bottom.
SIGN    Mud Digger
SIGN    Area Boss
SIGN    Rec. Party Size: 4
[21:06] Narrator
    In other words...
[21:08] Sunraku
    This is my worst match-up possible!
SIGN    SLF Mini
[22:44] Kids
    SLF Theater!
[22:48] Emul
    Mini!
[22:51] Sunraku
    Okay, I'm gonna get some sleep.
[22:53] Sunraku
    Night!
SIGN    Logged Out
[22:57] Emul
    Sunraku-san, have a nice rest!
[23:02] Emul
    I'll take a break, too, then.
[23:17] Emul
    I feel so much better in my true form!
[23:22] Emul
    Sunraku-san...
[23:26] Emul
    Good night, now!
[23:36] Rakuro
    A dream?
SIGN    In fact, when players are logged out,
    their avatars disappear.