Anime Is The Reason I Won't Switch From Android To IPhone

Austin Kwok / Android Authority

Over the last ten years I have spent a lot of time playing mobile games. I've written guides and videos to help players learn better, and used mobile games as the main topic in the student newspaper. However, it may surprise you that very few of the games I play are written in English, a language I am fluent in.

Japanese mobile games have been dominating my vault since 2015. In comparison, some of the games I've played have logged over 2,000 consecutive times per day.

My interest in them is related to my love of anime. I have been a huge fan of anime ever since I discovered the genre in 2012.

In the year In 2015 I found out about an upcoming mobile game called Fate/Grand Order. Before that, I only played mobile games that were downloadable from the Google Play Store in Canada. As a fan of Luck, I wanted to try Luck/The Grand Order. However, after talking to other Reddit, Facebook, and Discord users, I found out that it's only available on the Google Play Store in Japan. This is where my journey began.

Why not play localized mobile games?

Over the years, many popular Japanese mobile games have received localized versions. In other words, versions translated into English are available on Google Play. However, I don't play them, and for good reason.

First, the text and audio translations are not always good. But what's worse is that there is no guarantee that the international versions of these games will be supported in the long run. Take Crunchyroll for example. Crunchyroll is one of the most popular anime streaming services in the world. They also have a Japanese mobile game publishing division known as Crunchyroll Games.

You can scroll down to see some localized games on the Crunchyroll Games website. If these games cannot support a long-term player base, they will inevitably be shut down, or in this case "shut down". You will see titles like Naruto x Boruto Ninja Tribes, Mass for the Dead, Attack on Titan Tactics, Danmachi. Memoria Freese and Grand Summoners are listed as secrets. Most versions of Japanese arcade games are still alive and well. Fortunately, if the localization is locked, this will not affect the Japanese version.

But this is not common outside of Crunchyroll. Another notable example is the localization of Magia's record. This game was released for the Japanese mobile market in August 2017 and became an instant hit among fans of the Puella Magi Madoka Magica franchise.

In June 2019, Magia Record received a localized English version released by Aniplex in America. Glad I downloaded it a month after it came out.

Localized versions are closed while the originals are still alive.

A year later, in August 2020, it was announced that the game would be discontinued. American Aniplex did not warn in advance that the game would be canceled and this news will confuse the players. Many people, including myself, have spent money to get characters and items for the game. Since the game only lasted a year and the end of the service was so abrupt, I felt like I got my money's worth. However, Aniplex of America has rejected all refund requests.

Also, the Japanese version of the game was not affiliated with American Aniplex in any way. Upon learning this, I immediately regretted playing the English version and devoted myself entirely to the Japanese version.

How can I play Japanese mobile games outside of Japan?

APKPure website on Android phone stock photo 3

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

Japanese mobile games are usually not intended for download by people outside of Japan. Users typically need to create a Japanese Apple ID or Japanese Google Account to access it in North America.

With APK Android users can install Japanese mobile games without Japan Google account.

However, the fastest and easiest way to get a Japanese mobile game in North America is to download it as an APK. This is possible on Android, but not in the Apple ecosystem, and does not require Japanese credentials.

Since 2015, I have been using the APK method to play Japanese mobile games, so today I choose Android. I've definitely considered switching to Apple for years after seeing how powerful Apple chips are. However, most of the applications I use are Japanese mobile games, so I find Android to be the most practical solution.

How to install Japanese mobile games on Android (APK).

Open a browser on your Android device.
Find an APK store like APKPure (or QooApp ).
Download APKPure (or QooApp).
Allow Chrome to install unknown apps in your phone's settings .
Tap the downloaded file to install APKPure (or QooApp) in the Chrome Downloads section.
Allow APKPure (or QooApp) to install unknown apps in your phone's settings .
Start the application.
Find the Japanese mobile game you want. (If the title of the game is in Japanese, search it on Google. Then copy and paste it into the search bar.)
Click the download button.

How can I play Japanese mobile games if I don't know Japanese?

Now I don't know Japanese. I've long relied on reddit and wiki guides to learn how to play Japanese mobile games. These guides translate the game details and lines for English speaking players to understand.

However, everything changed with the arrival of Google Lens in 2017. If you're using Android, you can go to Google Photos and use Google Lens to translate something from a screenshot. This includes Japanese text from an in-game screenshot. Not ideal, but useful if you don't have a handy guide and need to look something up.

HOW TO USE GOOGLE LENS IN JAPANESE GAMES

If you don't understand what is written there, take a screenshot of the game.
Open Google Photos and find your screenshot.
Click on the lenses .
Select the text you want to translate.
Click Translate .

It's hard work, but it's worth it

I don't lie; Life would be easier if these games were in English. It would be nice if everything was arranged so that I could understand without using a translator.

But that wasn't what they were meant to be, and there was something comforting about that. Japanese mobile games or "mobage" are so popular in Japan that they have become part of their culture. People all over the country are playing mobile games and there are ads everywhere for games like Fate/Grand Order, Uma Musume. Great derby and monster strike.

As an avid gamer, I have come to appreciate and respect the Japanese mobile game industry. I was willing to go online to download the original Japanese mobile game Fate/Grand Order because I wanted to play it as intended. If I had to go back, I would do it again.