I actively hate some parts of this game but really loved other parts. I'm glad I played it and I think it was really memorable! I don't think I'd recommend it to most people though.

I've heard some people say that the horrible grindy "open world" helps build a contrast with the exciting and ultraviolent showdowns that you're constantly working towards. I think that's the game's intent, to an extent. I'm not a stranger to praising games for designing in metaphors like this, it's a key aspect of one of my favorite games, Shadow of the Colossus. I just really don't buy it here.

The game seems to have interesting ideas, I just have a hard time taking it seriously when it doesn't seem to be taking itself seriously either. It feels like a joke at the expense of the player, but not one that I find very funny. "Look at this poor bastard! He looooves anime and jerking off. The only thing that brings him joy is horrific violence! He's such a sucker! He's just like you haha. Now run along and do some boring ass work. Just like real life isn't that clever?" Yeah I really do feel like a sucker for slogging through the worst bits of this game while being made fun of the whole time. You really got me. Wow. I get what it was trying to say, I just don't really think it said it in a way that was interesting. I'm all for making fun of gamers, I just don't think you need to make a good chunk of your game shitty in order to do that.

Anyways despite all that, when it's good it's good. It does a great job of being goofy and stylish! I like the combat system, motion controls and all! Probably one of the best examples of a game being designed specifically for the Wii and pulling it off well without feeling dragged down as a result. I'd recommend it for that alone to anyone that cares about that sort of thing. Not much reason to go back to this beyond that though, even if I would say it's good overall.