INSiGHT: NEO Magazine: Issue 187 (Review)

With April Fools 2019 on the backburner and the rest of Spring to look forward to, the One Hundred and Eighty-Seventh issue of NEO features as its cover art UQ Holder; the 'Next-Gen' sequel series to popular manga and anime show Negima!. UQ Holder's article takes an in-depth look into how its creation and reception compares with the western approach to franchise utilisation and development.
 
Elsewhere in the issue are a number of pages dedicated to Cosplay exhibitions. With fun shots from last year's MCM London Comic Con, and brief tips and tricks by popular Cosplayer Papercube, with stunning examples of her craft via Midna of Zelda: Twilight Princess and League of Legends' Classic Caitlyn. The manga snapshot for this month is of Grand Jump, specifically the story of Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun; following the Footballing hero as he trains for the 2020 Japanese Olympics Team. Budding Musicians will have the chance to win a Korg Kross Synthesizer Workstation worth over £700.
 
With a larger than usual focus on gaming this month, NEO kicks off with a timeline for the games of the popular Puyo Puyo games, chronicling its Arcade beginnings, the jump to the mainstream via Sonic spinoff Mean Bean Machine, and the most recent games on Switch, PlayStation 4 and PC, capped off by an interview with series Director Mizuki Hosoyomada. Next there's a full buyers guide on the latest and easiest entrypoint into the Virtual Reality market, the Nintendo Labo: VR Kit; an overview on Labo's history, each kit's content and costs. Lastly there are reviews for the cardboard cut-out adventures of Yoshi's Crafted World, and the Season One overview on the Netflix Castlevania series, soon to be released on Blu-Ray. Neo 187 is available now from all good magazine retailers.