Since my last post I have gotten really far. I already got past the first seven days. Having never played this game before I wasn't sure what would actually happen after the seventh day mark, so I have been going on a shopping/level grinding spree before that seventh day to fulfill my pseudo-completest actions (I do this during all RPGs, I start out trying to collect every item, weapon, tool, achievement, etc, but then by the 2/3rd I usually say 'screw it'. Doesn't stop me from ever changing though with each new game I played). I beat the first of the big bosses, which was hard because controlling two separate players independently is impossible for someone without Napoleonesque multitasking skills.

Follow up:

Story-wise a lot has happened. We found out what exactly the Reaper's Game is, how it works and for the most part, what happened to Neku. A major character died, another major character switched sides, Neku has because more cheerful and the Shiki arc has ended. The death was a little abrupt and seemed to come out of nowhere. It wasn't sad or shocking, per say, because the way it was handled it felt like 'what the hell just happened', at first I wasn't even sure the character had died. Which is rather disappointing as it was a cute character, and normally SE deaths, even when sudden, turn out fairly satisfying in their delivery. We still don't know who is running the Game or why.

With the end of the Shiki arc comes a new character: Joshua. It's hard to make an opinion about Joshua, on one hand I like him because he riles Neku up so much--which is hilarious, on the other hand, it's easy to see *why* he riles Neku up so badly. And the Neku/Joshua yaoi I see occasionally suddenly makes a whole heckuva lotta sense. Joshua is supposed to come off like a snobby jerk who is really mysterious, but in reality it feels more like Joshua is *flirting* with Neku. Especially with the English voice actor and the way he says 'Are you ready for this Neku' sounds rather pervy XD Some of the dialog as well, 'You watch my behind and I'll watch yours hee hee'. I could imagine Joshua grabbing poor Neku's butt while saying that. Not to say I support them as a couple, or even see Joshua as gay. Hell, part of the flirting might be just another thing to irritate Neku. I have to keep playing to tell.