- Crunchyroll is set to expand its catalogue with a new exclusive release for Ani-May
- It sees Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town arrive exclusively on mobile
- The life-sim sees you explore both the countryside of Akita and the mysterious Coal Town
Crunchyroll’s library of exclusive anime-based releases is set to get another major addition with the exclusive mobile launch of Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town. As with Crunchyroll’s other releases, this’ll be exclusively available via their subscription service as part of the major wave of releases for Ani-May.
But, for those of you not already aware, what exactly is Crayon Shin-Chan? Well, like Doraemon (which we covered yesterday, funnily enough), this is an enduring icon of Japanese manga not well-known outside the country. Charting the daily adventures of Shinnosuke Nohara and his family, friends and those around him.
Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town not only features Shinnosuke and other characters from the series, but also serves as a spiritual successor to another cult classic, My Summer Vacation for the PlayStation One. This groundbreaking life sim only recently saw a Western release, but for some of you will be instantly recognisable regardless.
Summertime
Even if you’re not a fan of the series, or nostalgic for Boku No Natsuyasumi, as My Summer Vacation is called, Shiro and the Coal Town offers plenty of fun features. You’ll go about the day-to-day life of Shin Chan as he explores the countryside of Akita, getting up to all manner of mischief and minigames such as fishing and gardening.
But if the (gorgeously rendered by the way) Japanese countryside isn’t enough, you can always seek out the mysterious Coal Town itself and experience a more fantastical side to summer vacation. It all presents a pretty compelling addition to the life sim genre with lots to do and see.
More than that, it also helps firmly establish Crunchyroll’s pedigree for bringing unusual cult classics to mobile. But if you want to experience something a little more unusual, why not check out our list of the top 25 best RPGs for iOS and Android to explore fantasy worlds and places?
