BESM (Big Eyes, Small Mouth) Simplified Anime and Manga Adventures RPG Naked Edition

This newest version of the first universal anime RPG is the best, IMHO. Simple and fast rules (somewhere between first edition and second in complexity) with all kinds of options like the third edition. Includes: character benchmarks; 86 attributes; 36 defects; 10 example race templates; 10 example class templates; 10 vehicles from a wagon to a space freighter; lots of weapons and armor; example companions(/opponents) and a list of animals with pertinent stats and abilities.I prefer simple, quick rules that don't get in the way of the story. BESM Naked is perfect for that. But if you want more rules and more examples there is always the larger BESM Fourth Edition.Note: This latest version of BESM is a roll over system using up to four standard six sided dice.

Perfect for quick play with no “fluff”

Update:Since posting the original review (below), the price of this book has near doubled. At just 144 pages, and a "rules light" version of the game, it's now an incredibly expensive choice for what it offers. The BESM 4e books do seem well made, but were always on the pricey side for the game they present. Considering this substantial price hike, and a market saturated with great alternatives, I find it impossible to recommend investing in this ruleset as things stand today. The star rating has been adjusted accordingly.Original Review:The book itself is a great set of rules. Creative and engaging character creation process that works on a point-buy system, including plenty of abilities and modifiers to customise as you wish. Not unlike the very popular Hero System in its core design, the trade off for this creative freedom is a more time-consuming character creation process. Especially for new or inexperienced players. Various "Templates" (pre-packaged sets of abilities/modifiers) go some way to addressing this in BESM 4E, but making your character(s) will probably be the least "rules-light" part of this game. Not a criticism, as I feel the creative freedom is a worthwhile tradeoff, but still worth mentioning. After a few reads through, BESM 4E seems very useful for a broad range of game genres too. Certainly not just limited to the anime-themes outlined throughout the book. More flexibility means more game options, and I like having those choices available.Having previously bought the "Full" version digitally, there doesn't seem to be anything important missing in this "Naked" version, despite the heavily reduced page count. Some artwork, some templates, and some other things you may or may not want or use; but everything you need to play is right here, and they haven't skimped on the most important parts. Effectively, the core system is identical across both products.So if you're confident enough with learning new rulesets, or familiar with earlier editions, you may find the best value in skipping the "Core" version altogether, and picking up both this book, the 4E "Naked* version, along with the separate 4E "Extras" supplement, instead. Both combined will cost you about the same as the one core rulebook, but you'll have a whole bunch of optional rules, guidelines, and ideas, to work with between the two. The "Extras" supplement is a worthy investment at the current price (ie. About the same as "Naked", and half that of the "Core" book), and offers a decent collection of practical "Extras", as the title suggests.To the elephant in the title, however: this book was shipped without any additional protection whatsoever. As a result, it arrived damaged, as well as having black marker/pen, dirt, and scuff marks across both covers.Nothing else was in the parcel, so logic dictates it must have been shipped this way. Furthermore, about two inches of one (hardcover!) corner was bent in, and completely crumpled out of shape. The latter could have happened during transit I guess, but better packaging would have removed all doubt. For an otherwise high quality pressing, sold as "New", at a relatively expensive price for a rules-light game, it cheapened the hardcopy experience significantly. As such, the product rating reflects these issues, but I'd much rather have given a five star review without receiving a damaged and/or second hand book.TL;DR? Great book, flexible ruleset, overall rating marred by a "New" product that was clearly shipped as either damaged, or possibly second-hand. Otherwise, I would definitely recommend the game for those keen on creative character generation, and it brings plenty of genre/setting flexibility to the table. The "Naked" version is a winner, and easy to reference during play. Adding the "Extras" supplement to this book makes for a great pairing, but some may prefer the additional templates, artwork, and anime-related background of the more pricey full rulebook instead.