GhostShark
CAGiversary!
I don't play many games from Japan, so I would say my favorite games from Japan this generation are Lost Odyssey, Dragon Quest IX, Pokemon Black and White and Chrono Trigger (would that even count?).
As for the Bayonetta debate, I would have be in the minority, I suppose, and say I think it is overrated. It is better than both NG2 and DMC4, but I had a lot more enjoyment playing those broken ass games over Bayonetta. Art, music, character and level design go a long way in a game for me, and DMC4 and NG2 had all of those. Bayonetta had some really awful level design, and the motorcycle levels were pretty bad. That being said, I still wouldn't mind a sequel at some point.
As for the Bayonetta debate, I would have be in the minority, I suppose, and say I think it is overrated. It is better than both NG2 and DMC4, but I had a lot more enjoyment playing those broken ass games over Bayonetta. Art, music, character and level design go a long way in a game for me, and DMC4 and NG2 had all of those. Bayonetta had some really awful level design, and the motorcycle levels were pretty bad. That being said, I still wouldn't mind a sequel at some point.