# Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

I couldn’t finish this, gave up about a third of the way through. I love video games and have even tried my hand at building them (no). Several people whose taste I generally vibe with have recommended this to me. I was sure I was going to like this.

I just couldn’t. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to feel about these characters - they felt flat and one-dimensional. I persevered through the development of their first big game, hoping at least that the plot would capture me, the characters would evolve in some exciting direction, or the detailed minutiae of game development would resonate with me. It didn’t.

It’s probably just as much a commentary on me as it is the book. I don’t often read coming-of-age stories or works set in the modern day, so I’m probably not the target audience.

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OKAY, MY TERRIBLE, INCOMPLETE REVIEW IS DONE, WHEW! NOW HERE’S A DIGRESSION I KEPT WONDERING ABOUT THROUGH THE BOOK:

I kept trying to place Ichigo somewhere in the history of video games and failing. I vaguely recall they built it sometime in the late 90’s - Nintendo 64 is mentioned (late `96) but not Dreamcast (late ‘98, a groovy console which these auteurs would have been super duper into). So let’s say sometime between 1997 - 1999.

It was a challenge to suspend disbelief that a 2D, art-inspired game would be a breakout hit around that time. This was the peak of our early obsession with 3D visuals at all costs, even when it resulted in 85% of N64/PS1 games being jagged brown messes. Jump forward a decade and sure, you’re starting to see the resurgence of 2D indie darlings that Ichigo resembles (the Ori games definitely bear a resemblance), but I had trouble figuring out how Ichigo would have been a hit in its contemporary gaming landscape.

There are some earlier artsy 3D games that kinda feel like Ichigo if you squint - Jet Set Radio’s super stylized skating hit in 2000 and Parappa in 1996 has some charming cartoon vibes. But I cannot think of much from this timeframe that is anything like Ichigo. Is it based on something I’m not thinking of or never played?

What an incredibly silly thing to get hung up on! Trying to place a fictional work in fictional history is factually stupid - history is made by unexpected breakout hits and I have no problem with this book being set in an alternate reality where Ichigo bucked the prevailing PS1-era 3D hellscape trends and was a breakout 2D hit.

Anyway, if someone sees this and is thinking “Oh, Ichigo is clearly inspired by insert-game-I’m-forgetting-here”, holler!