Turning Over A New Leaf: Episode 21 – ***’Doyoing!’ (Coco Comes To Dalby – Up Yours Aarin!)***

If there was ever a time to revisit my Animal Crossing: New Leaf town of Dalby, it was now.

One of the best parts of Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the way your village’s change according to the seasons, right down to the camp site switching from tents to igloos when it’s snowing.

On 5th December, the day before Naughty Or Nice Day, the first snow fell – or at least the snowflakes. The snow covering the ground came later.

It wasn’t until the 11th that the snow came properly – very pretty.

Twenty four hours later, look what happened to the campsite.

The inside of the igloo is lovely, but it has not been any improvement on the campers I’ve been proffered to make up my tenth villager. You cannot go over the ninth villager cap unless you ask someone from the campsite to move in, and since villager number nine moved in there’s not been one I’ve really wanted.

To date I have never asked any of them to stay – doesn’t stop them from doing so whether I like it or not!

But on 7th January 2014, finally, THE JACKPOT!

Coco is a veteran character of the Animal Crossing series, appearing in every single one of the series to date. Her name in the original Japanese – Yayoi やよい – refers to Japan’s Iron Age period in history, and the appearence of the haniwa terracota grave statues – the inspiration of the gyroids which are signature characters of the series (and which I collect to the point of obsession in the museum’s first floor rooms), which she also looks similar to.

Coco is therefore the only true gothic or noir character of the Animal Crossing series. Really. 

On top of this, Coco was treated so downright shittily by Aarin in her game (be warned, this is pretty disturbing behaviour for any ACNL player) that my sense of New Leaf karmic ‘up yours, kione keckagh!’ demands giving her a chance in Dalby.

But disaster! Coco was not amiable to the idea of a move.

I was not going to give up however.

Win!

Proof if ever it were needed she’ll fit in fine with the others – she’s screwed me over for Bells before she’s even moved in.

Poor Coco! No one she’s so paranoid about getting on the wrong side of the mayor after last year!

But after this line, I know this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship!

… even if she has knocked down two of my money spinning cherry trees.

Cherry trees? Oh, now that’s a whole new story the Mayor of Dalby needs to tell you about someday…