According to the game I beat this a long time ago.... however i wanted to try most of the features before reading this.... so far the only thing i haven't done is play the multiplayer or buy the dlc.... however the pile of games is ever growing so like i said... i'm calling this one finished.
Theatrhythm: Final fantasy is an interesting concept.... Take music from the 13 main final fantasy games and turn it into a rythem game.... theres some story about rhytmia crystals and how they were scattered and playing the songs gets them back to fight the big bad but honestly who cares....
you have a party of 4 and from the start with 1 character from the main 13 games to pick from.... more being unlocked as you play (more on that later) some characters are strong some are fast and some can take a lot of hits. however none of this matters cause you're just going to pick your 4 favorites...
you level up.... for some reason.... and get items.... for some reason.... and you play 3 different types of songs.
1st type - Field songs, probably my favorite... mainly for the fact that when theres a hold button you have to move the style in a way that follows the hight of the line.
2nd type - event Music... .a movie plays in the background and you try to hit the commands at the same time as the ring..... i dislike this mode because theres no constant speed and it speeds up without warning or indication.
3rd type - Battle music - this mode has the best music and is the trickiest to read on the harder songs.... if actually final fantasy games had fight systems with these kind of elements they would be more fun.... however they can be way too easy.
actually even on the harder levels the game is too easy. the only difficulty the game has is with slide buttons because it's very picky on timing and if you're trying to do two swipes in different directions the 3ds doesn't always register it.
The chaos shrine - an area where you find randomized pairs of songs which you can trade with people via street pass - is probably the most fun part of the game.... because it cuts out Event songs and has the greatest change of getting you crystal shards to allow you to unlock more characters.
coloured crystal shards are needed to unlock characters.... they are collected at random and you have to get 8 of each colour....
it was quite a while after beating the final boss that i finally unlocked a character... and even longer after that when i finally got one i like.
this could have been done better.... see every 500 rhythmia you get a reward.... most of the time it's profiel card options.... event movies minus the notes and music to just listen to.....
yeah i don't care about any of that... the profile cards are fun at cons especially when someone has one like....
"spuny: the epitome of an amazing bard
Message: Whats a Paladin?
character: Squall"
i at least got a chuckle from it.... but otherwise i don't care.... i don't care about the random items you get... i don't care about the cards... i'd rather have new songs to actually play in game (which you do get but not for a long time) or new characters in a way that doesn't take forever.
this is the First Nintendo game ot have DLC.... i personally am not a fan of DLC as a whole... i know it has it's place but i don't care.... so i wont be talking about it here other then to say it feels like they held back on some of the better songs to charge for it.
alright i think that's the basics of the game....
The good:
The music is, for the most part, good... you have a lot of songs to choose from and if you play a lot you will unlock even more.
the art style is really interesting and cute... theres just something so charming about it.
the controls, for the most part, work well on the 3DS... easy to pick up but hard to master on the truly difficult songs.
The not so good:
to unlock free play for a series of songs you must first play them as a set> to play that set on a more difficult level you must beat each song in free play on that difficulty... rinse and repeat.... i don't know why this bugs me.... but it's something i noticed while playing P.Diva..... i hate when games limit me to the easy modes.... i get it you want me to learn your game... that's fine.... but at least give me the option for something more challenging then normal cause i was bored for the first chunk of the game.
The bad:
again some songs felt like they were held back for the purpose of being sold as DLC... in my personal opinion....
Not enough unlockable songs overall... half the fun with rhythm games is gettign more muse frequently....
too much bullshit collectables.... the movies, cards, songs and even possibly the profile cards didn't need to be here... and i feel like it took away from the possibility of more music...
too easy.... even on the hardest difficulty the game isn't that hard..
Rhythmia.... there is no point... it's not currency you can spend to get more in game things.... it's just a counter to tell others you play this game a lot...
Would i recommend it? If you like final fantasy music then yes... go out and play this game... it's very fun and has some great music.... just be warned if you like rhythm games this one may not be as challenging as some other ones out there. but still had a good time.... i'll probably update this if i ever get to play the multiplayer.... apparently two people play the same song separately but share a health bar.... could be fun i guess?
alright i need to beat the game i picked upon a whim before getting to the game i bought not even an hour ago.... each have a connection to this game.... but not to each other.... alright off to get to work.
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Completed... kinda: Con Bravo 2012
Friday:
I ended up working late that day and i came down with a nasty cold... most of the events i wanted to go to were on saturday so i decided not to go and save my strength.... even though i prepayed for the weekend... still health = more important then convention
Saturday:
Friend comes down from out of town, we train to the town the con is in, go to the improve groups show (which as usual was very funny) left early to get food.... tried to go to the channel awesome Q&A but the food took too long and where we could stand to listen we could barely hear them through the echo, though it looked like everyone was having a good time. We stood in the pre line for James Rolfe (Angry video game nerd) then it changed to the line line and finally after about an hour and a half wait i got him to sign my book and get my picture taken with him. I wished him luck cause he had about 500 more people to go through after me and after a quick tour of the dealers room we left, she stayed at my place to watch lots of different anime.
Sunday:
That cold i had on Friday apparently was unhappy that i tried to have fun while sick.... as the day progressed the cold continued to get worse.... having gotten the autograph i wanted (i got Doug's and Noah's last year) i decided to cut my losses and even though there were a few things i wanted to do today.... i wanna be healthy enough to survive 12 hour days at work... i also don't wanna be that one person who gets everyone sick at a con since i tend to be the victim of that one person... So i decided not to go : (
HOWEVER even though i only went the one day i had a lot of fun, i really wish they had a better convention space (aka don't have it in a holiday inn actually get a convention center... preferably one close to transit) but i understand it's quite expensive... though there were a lot of people there this year.... if only to see the Channel Awesome team and Angry Video Game nerd. I hope to go again next year i just hope that i'm not sick again or swamped with work... and that it's a little easier to get to....
also: didn't buy much, just a random steampunk necklace and 4 volumes of toradora along with 6 volumes of sailor moon.
alright time to rest and recover so i can get some work done.
edit: since my usb 2 cord was at work i didn't get to upload the pic till tioday but tah da! the only picture i took during the con
too bad there was a big window behind him/ this was taken with my point and click not my DSLR so the quality isn't great.... but i'm still happy.... even if it shows how pale i am... and my crooked smile... and the fact that i look way younger then i am.... *sighs* yeah you probably wont be seeing any more pictures of me here.
I ended up working late that day and i came down with a nasty cold... most of the events i wanted to go to were on saturday so i decided not to go and save my strength.... even though i prepayed for the weekend... still health = more important then convention
Saturday:
Friend comes down from out of town, we train to the town the con is in, go to the improve groups show (which as usual was very funny) left early to get food.... tried to go to the channel awesome Q&A but the food took too long and where we could stand to listen we could barely hear them through the echo, though it looked like everyone was having a good time. We stood in the pre line for James Rolfe (Angry video game nerd) then it changed to the line line and finally after about an hour and a half wait i got him to sign my book and get my picture taken with him. I wished him luck cause he had about 500 more people to go through after me and after a quick tour of the dealers room we left, she stayed at my place to watch lots of different anime.
Sunday:
That cold i had on Friday apparently was unhappy that i tried to have fun while sick.... as the day progressed the cold continued to get worse.... having gotten the autograph i wanted (i got Doug's and Noah's last year) i decided to cut my losses and even though there were a few things i wanted to do today.... i wanna be healthy enough to survive 12 hour days at work... i also don't wanna be that one person who gets everyone sick at a con since i tend to be the victim of that one person... So i decided not to go : (
HOWEVER even though i only went the one day i had a lot of fun, i really wish they had a better convention space (aka don't have it in a holiday inn actually get a convention center... preferably one close to transit) but i understand it's quite expensive... though there were a lot of people there this year.... if only to see the Channel Awesome team and Angry Video Game nerd. I hope to go again next year i just hope that i'm not sick again or swamped with work... and that it's a little easier to get to....
also: didn't buy much, just a random steampunk necklace and 4 volumes of toradora along with 6 volumes of sailor moon.
alright time to rest and recover so i can get some work done.
edit: since my usb 2 cord was at work i didn't get to upload the pic till tioday but tah da! the only picture i took during the con
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Ugh, i can't be the only who feels like this.
This will be a rant, it'll probably be long and your probably better off not reading it.... i just need to get this off my chest.
so i get emails from a large bookstore (even though i get most of my books through amazon via the kindle) and they send me coupon codes or sale notifications or new release lists. Today i got an email about Books your kid should read before 12... and i had a little sigh
they were all childrens books...
But Rai kid 12 and under are children!
yes i know but... i feel like the bulk of the titles are meant for a really young audience... I'm not saying the books are bad or can't be enjoyed by older kids/preteens or even possibly adults i'm just saying that i get a little annoyed with what things are deemed age appropriate and how it tends to be a specific type of book.
ugh i'm not making myself clear at all so let me explain with how I got into reading.
I was in french immersion for most of my young life. This had good and bad attached to it...
the good:
I can speak another language pretty well (though it's tricky now since I haven't kept up on it lately)
I can pick up other languages (especially the other love languages) really fast.
the bad:
my spelling is terrible, i put Es where they don't belong.
as a kid reading was hard and i hated it.
Thats right.... i HATED reading as a kid however that wasn't the only reason.... it was also incredibly boring or stupid stuff that people were recommending. Nothing seemed to hold my interest and i couldn't get invested. My parents eventually started forcing me to read popular books hoping something would click... they tried harry potter since that was the one that was working at the time for kids my age.
Yeah i didn't like it, not because they were bad but because i am stubborn and i was being forced to read them and answer quizes and write reports.... not from school but from my parents. yeah way to make reading fun.
Eventually (aka book 3 of harry potter) they gave up and said it's okay that i didn't like reading. I was only 9 at the time and they hoped i would change my mind.
However my dad grabbed a book series from his childhood that he loved... The Belgariad.
Something clicked, I adored this book, to this day it's still my favorite fantasy novel and i recommend it to everyone as a way of determining what kind of stories they like.
but why did i like it so much more then harry potter (i did read the rest and i like the second half of the series more then the first but still has nothing on the belgariad)... Both are fantasy novels in a series where the main character is the chosen one in world of magic that he doesn't understand. They both have love interest and enemies and challenges only they can overcome. What made me like Garion so much more then Harry?
Garion is a whiny little bastard who is constantly asking why me over and over and says the dumbest stuff you could ever imagine cause he has led such a sheltered life. While Harry is a poor sad little boy in the care of some of the nastiest people who constantly tell him hie's not special when he really is.
On that description you'd think Harry would win.... but no.... So then why was that the case....
Well i got my answer during my third re-read of the series.
The belgariad isn't a 'children book' The print is really small, the language is quite sophisticated and it even deals with things like Sex, violence and the possibility oh having a spell rebound on you and completely erase you if you say the wrong thing. For a 9 year old that's kind of dark.... But even at that age i understood what i needed to to get the plot and it actually engaged me... more then any book that was targeted to my age group ever did.
So am i the odd one here? i just happened to read a book targeted for a slightly older demographic and love it when the stuff that i was 'supposed' to be reading bored me to tears.
Probably.....
i just feel like the whole "this book is for meant for a child" idea a little insulting.... why not make good books that kids can read and enjoy and potentially re-read later and enjoy the shit they missed instead of "you will probably only enjoy this if you haven't hit puberty yet"
Kids are way smarter then we give them credit for and i'm tried of seeing Movies, Tv, Toys and books Pander to the idea that they are so stupid that this is the only way they will enjoy something.
um.... wow.... ok again i apologize for the rant i just.... get annoyed easily.... i know that i should just be happy kids are reading.... even if it's something i don't consider good... but i just want to expect more from people since i know they probably have it in them.
and i guess TL;DR go read the belgariad....
so i get emails from a large bookstore (even though i get most of my books through amazon via the kindle) and they send me coupon codes or sale notifications or new release lists. Today i got an email about Books your kid should read before 12... and i had a little sigh
they were all childrens books...
But Rai kid 12 and under are children!
yes i know but... i feel like the bulk of the titles are meant for a really young audience... I'm not saying the books are bad or can't be enjoyed by older kids/preteens or even possibly adults i'm just saying that i get a little annoyed with what things are deemed age appropriate and how it tends to be a specific type of book.
ugh i'm not making myself clear at all so let me explain with how I got into reading.
I was in french immersion for most of my young life. This had good and bad attached to it...
the good:
I can speak another language pretty well (though it's tricky now since I haven't kept up on it lately)
I can pick up other languages (especially the other love languages) really fast.
the bad:
my spelling is terrible, i put Es where they don't belong.
as a kid reading was hard and i hated it.
Thats right.... i HATED reading as a kid however that wasn't the only reason.... it was also incredibly boring or stupid stuff that people were recommending. Nothing seemed to hold my interest and i couldn't get invested. My parents eventually started forcing me to read popular books hoping something would click... they tried harry potter since that was the one that was working at the time for kids my age.
Yeah i didn't like it, not because they were bad but because i am stubborn and i was being forced to read them and answer quizes and write reports.... not from school but from my parents. yeah way to make reading fun.
Eventually (aka book 3 of harry potter) they gave up and said it's okay that i didn't like reading. I was only 9 at the time and they hoped i would change my mind.
However my dad grabbed a book series from his childhood that he loved... The Belgariad.
Something clicked, I adored this book, to this day it's still my favorite fantasy novel and i recommend it to everyone as a way of determining what kind of stories they like.
but why did i like it so much more then harry potter (i did read the rest and i like the second half of the series more then the first but still has nothing on the belgariad)... Both are fantasy novels in a series where the main character is the chosen one in world of magic that he doesn't understand. They both have love interest and enemies and challenges only they can overcome. What made me like Garion so much more then Harry?
Garion is a whiny little bastard who is constantly asking why me over and over and says the dumbest stuff you could ever imagine cause he has led such a sheltered life. While Harry is a poor sad little boy in the care of some of the nastiest people who constantly tell him hie's not special when he really is.
On that description you'd think Harry would win.... but no.... So then why was that the case....
Well i got my answer during my third re-read of the series.
The belgariad isn't a 'children book' The print is really small, the language is quite sophisticated and it even deals with things like Sex, violence and the possibility oh having a spell rebound on you and completely erase you if you say the wrong thing. For a 9 year old that's kind of dark.... But even at that age i understood what i needed to to get the plot and it actually engaged me... more then any book that was targeted to my age group ever did.
So am i the odd one here? i just happened to read a book targeted for a slightly older demographic and love it when the stuff that i was 'supposed' to be reading bored me to tears.
Probably.....
i just feel like the whole "this book is for meant for a child" idea a little insulting.... why not make good books that kids can read and enjoy and potentially re-read later and enjoy the shit they missed instead of "you will probably only enjoy this if you haven't hit puberty yet"
Kids are way smarter then we give them credit for and i'm tried of seeing Movies, Tv, Toys and books Pander to the idea that they are so stupid that this is the only way they will enjoy something.
um.... wow.... ok again i apologize for the rant i just.... get annoyed easily.... i know that i should just be happy kids are reading.... even if it's something i don't consider good... but i just want to expect more from people since i know they probably have it in them.
and i guess TL;DR go read the belgariad....
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Completed: Ano Hana
So along with Kimi Ni Todoke part three i also ordered Ano Hana: The flower we saw that day.
now i've already seen it but i do want to do a quick review now that i've seen it twice.
1. The award for logest title of an anime that i have seen goes to this one.
Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai
Which litterally translates to something along the lines of
We still don't know the name of the flower we saw that day.
however it always just gets shortend to
Ano Hana.
2. This show will make you cry... a lot.
The concept alone is heartbreaking, being able to see the ghost of a friend who died 10 years prior and knowing that she wants her wish granted but that will make her vanish again.
it's just so sad and i thought I would be able to hold back the tears but no....
3. this show is only 11 episodes.... which is pretty short but you know what? it's actually the perfect length... any longer and it would have felt like they were just grasping for cheap cries.... in fact theres a bit in the last episode that does feel a little forced BUT i forgive it cause it doesn't last terribly long and i get what they were trying to do.
4. The music is good, really good, the ending song depite it's quite tone feels incredibly epic... at least to me. The animation and symbolism is also really nicely done.... i'd almost say this show was trying to be more art then story with the way things are placed. it took me a while to get use to the face style but it really is nice in the end.
As a final note i think the final thing that makes this show so good is the fact that it's been 10 years since these people have been together... and time has changed them, losing their friend in the way they did has changed who they have become.... however when they all get back together they realize they haven't changed all that much... if at all... it's cute.
if you go to the NISA online store they sell the Ano Hana box for a little over 50 bucks, mor then worth it considering it comes with the entire season on blue ray and dvd as well as it comes packed with an art book.... i got the jintan shirt pen holder but i don't know if they have anymore of those left.
one thing with NISA boxes.... they seem to think that people don't want subtitles on as a default....we do.... i don't midn going in an changing it but it's annoying when i orget then have to go back to the menu to turn the subtitles one.... ok thats a first world problem but still....just how i feel
but yeah really good show.... now to order usagi drops
now i've already seen it but i do want to do a quick review now that i've seen it twice.
1. The award for logest title of an anime that i have seen goes to this one.
Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai
Which litterally translates to something along the lines of
We still don't know the name of the flower we saw that day.
however it always just gets shortend to
Ano Hana.
2. This show will make you cry... a lot.
The concept alone is heartbreaking, being able to see the ghost of a friend who died 10 years prior and knowing that she wants her wish granted but that will make her vanish again.
it's just so sad and i thought I would be able to hold back the tears but no....
3. this show is only 11 episodes.... which is pretty short but you know what? it's actually the perfect length... any longer and it would have felt like they were just grasping for cheap cries.... in fact theres a bit in the last episode that does feel a little forced BUT i forgive it cause it doesn't last terribly long and i get what they were trying to do.
4. The music is good, really good, the ending song depite it's quite tone feels incredibly epic... at least to me. The animation and symbolism is also really nicely done.... i'd almost say this show was trying to be more art then story with the way things are placed. it took me a while to get use to the face style but it really is nice in the end.
As a final note i think the final thing that makes this show so good is the fact that it's been 10 years since these people have been together... and time has changed them, losing their friend in the way they did has changed who they have become.... however when they all get back together they realize they haven't changed all that much... if at all... it's cute.
if you go to the NISA online store they sell the Ano Hana box for a little over 50 bucks, mor then worth it considering it comes with the entire season on blue ray and dvd as well as it comes packed with an art book.... i got the jintan shirt pen holder but i don't know if they have anymore of those left.
one thing with NISA boxes.... they seem to think that people don't want subtitles on as a default....we do.... i don't midn going in an changing it but it's annoying when i orget then have to go back to the menu to turn the subtitles one.... ok thats a first world problem but still....just how i feel
but yeah really good show.... now to order usagi drops
Saturday, 21 July 2012
Completed: The Dark Knight Rises
*half asleep*
The good:
Characters were interesting... like Cat woman's glasses/ears... .um yeah
the not so good:
Bane was really loud... like twice as loud as anything around him for seemingly no reason... it wasn't bad just distracting.
we saw it in Imax and the aspect ratio kept changing.... may sound like nit picking but it was REALLY distracting to me.
impossible physics were distracting as well.... aka Bike/helicopter-plane-cars don't work like that.... or wouldn't work like that.
omg it's so long.... really really really long... i doubt it could be much shorter.... just so long...
The bad:
again i saw it in imax where they have these reclinign seats... which is great for seeing things but TERRIBLE for trying to get out to go to the washroom.. .there is NO extra room and i actually feel like thats a little unsafe
so yeah he film over was pretty good, i'm not the biggest batman fan out there so i know next to nothing about batman... but even with my complete lack of prior knowledge i had a good time.
I mean my only bad point had to do with the theater and not the film.... so yeah
I should have waited till mornign to write this.... but i didn't wanan forget all the things I mentioned... anywasy go see it, especially if you saw the other two since i'm sure you wont be disappointed.
The good:
Characters were interesting... like Cat woman's glasses/ears... .um yeah
the not so good:
Bane was really loud... like twice as loud as anything around him for seemingly no reason... it wasn't bad just distracting.
we saw it in Imax and the aspect ratio kept changing.... may sound like nit picking but it was REALLY distracting to me.
impossible physics were distracting as well.... aka Bike/helicopter-plane-cars don't work like that.... or wouldn't work like that.
omg it's so long.... really really really long... i doubt it could be much shorter.... just so long...
The bad:
again i saw it in imax where they have these reclinign seats... which is great for seeing things but TERRIBLE for trying to get out to go to the washroom.. .there is NO extra room and i actually feel like thats a little unsafe
so yeah he film over was pretty good, i'm not the biggest batman fan out there so i know next to nothing about batman... but even with my complete lack of prior knowledge i had a good time.
I mean my only bad point had to do with the theater and not the film.... so yeah
I should have waited till mornign to write this.... but i didn't wanan forget all the things I mentioned... anywasy go see it, especially if you saw the other two since i'm sure you wont be disappointed.
Thursday, 19 July 2012
First Impressions: Summer 2012 anime
it's been a few weeks since the summer season started and these are just my first impressions of the shows i have seen so far. (new shows only, not returning shows like space brothers or Kuroko's basketball)
Currently only watching stuff on crunchyroll since it's the easiest way for me to watch anime legally so every title i mention here can be found there.
A final note before I start, I have very specific taste so if i like something you hate or hate something you like please don't take offense, it's all just my personal opinion.
Alright~ on with the list
Campione!
it's odd, two episodes in and i'm still not sure what i think, the next episode airs tomorrow so maybe that'll be the push i need to make an opinion. I will say i like the art and design though i wish it wasn't so heavy with the fan service. still so far i'm leaning towards enjoying it... i'm just not completely sure.
Sword Art Online
When i first heard of this I immediately though . hack knock off.
wow was a wrong... I knew i liked this show after the first episode. Again the art is really really nice and the music did a good job of setting the mood.... but wow that story, i really look forward to how this pans out (I hope it's a longer season cause if they try to do this in 13 [i havn't check how long it's supposed to be] it will feel rushed)
Humanity has Declined.
...
...
... what is this i don't even....
yet i can't look away....
...
...
bread : (
Natsuyuki Rendevous
Um... all my top favorite shows are either Slice or life or Shoujo.... so yeah i really like this story, the art is interesting and it's already made me cry... which isn't that hard to do but i do use it as a judge of a good slice of life... if it can make me feel any emotion, happy or sad.... then it's done it's job.
though i will mention the main character has a few traits i really don't like... you'll know them when you see them if you watch the show.
Kokoro Connect
hm... not sure about this one either.... it has potential to be really good and an interesting premise but... i feel like it's leaning on moe and fanservice as a crutch and overall it's hurting it. Yes when you are dealing with potential gender swapping your going to get some fan service.... however some of it feel forced and just rubs me the wrong way.... gunna give this one a bit more time before i make up my mind.
La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia
I like this so far.... I like the direction it's going in and the art... the 'magic' system is pretty interesting and i always love when tarot card lore is used in an interesting way. However it could do some thing that would make me hate this show in and instant.... so i really hope they don't screw up the really interesting story they have set up.
Hakuoki Reimeiroku
Again... not sure how i feel about this show since it hasn't done much as of yet but it could be interesting.... or it could be this seasons Brave 10 which just means I watch it for the pretty boys and the music.... yeah i can occasionally be that shallow... but yeah it all depends on how they deal with the main character... could be interesting or could just get phoned in... guess i'll find out eventually.
Tari Tari
The pacing of this show feels strange... the thing that happens in episode two feels like it should have been closer to the middle of the season in my opinion. Also the characters seem a bit..... done before... the performer with stage fright.... the odd girl who has no clue how odd she is.... the music student who has given up music for some reason.... the one who is good when he tries but other doesn't care.... and the weaboo.... wait what? and yeah i didn't want to use that term.... but he is one... anyways i just feel like unless they do something really interesting with them I will probably lose interest... which is sad casue PA Works did such a pretty job animating it.
Utakoi
... It's just a little too silly for me... i managed to sit through half an episode and it was good just.... don't care enough to continue.... it's not bad it's just not my taste.
And that is everything, they just added the title Nakaimo - My Sister is Among Them! but i haven't had a chance to watch it yet so i may or may not add that later... we'll see. (after watching a few mins... i have a feeling i wont ake it through the episode.... who knows *sighs* )
Alright off to relax while i can cause tomorrow is another long day of doing things that really aren't my job but at least it fills the day... but at least i still have weekends.... for now.
Currently only watching stuff on crunchyroll since it's the easiest way for me to watch anime legally so every title i mention here can be found there.
A final note before I start, I have very specific taste so if i like something you hate or hate something you like please don't take offense, it's all just my personal opinion.
Alright~ on with the list
Campione!
it's odd, two episodes in and i'm still not sure what i think, the next episode airs tomorrow so maybe that'll be the push i need to make an opinion. I will say i like the art and design though i wish it wasn't so heavy with the fan service. still so far i'm leaning towards enjoying it... i'm just not completely sure.
Sword Art Online
When i first heard of this I immediately though . hack knock off.
wow was a wrong... I knew i liked this show after the first episode. Again the art is really really nice and the music did a good job of setting the mood.... but wow that story, i really look forward to how this pans out (I hope it's a longer season cause if they try to do this in 13 [i havn't check how long it's supposed to be] it will feel rushed)
Humanity has Declined.
...
...
... what is this i don't even....
yet i can't look away....
...
...
bread : (
Natsuyuki Rendevous
Um... all my top favorite shows are either Slice or life or Shoujo.... so yeah i really like this story, the art is interesting and it's already made me cry... which isn't that hard to do but i do use it as a judge of a good slice of life... if it can make me feel any emotion, happy or sad.... then it's done it's job.
though i will mention the main character has a few traits i really don't like... you'll know them when you see them if you watch the show.
Kokoro Connect
hm... not sure about this one either.... it has potential to be really good and an interesting premise but... i feel like it's leaning on moe and fanservice as a crutch and overall it's hurting it. Yes when you are dealing with potential gender swapping your going to get some fan service.... however some of it feel forced and just rubs me the wrong way.... gunna give this one a bit more time before i make up my mind.
La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia
I like this so far.... I like the direction it's going in and the art... the 'magic' system is pretty interesting and i always love when tarot card lore is used in an interesting way. However it could do some thing that would make me hate this show in and instant.... so i really hope they don't screw up the really interesting story they have set up.
Hakuoki Reimeiroku
Again... not sure how i feel about this show since it hasn't done much as of yet but it could be interesting.... or it could be this seasons Brave 10 which just means I watch it for the pretty boys and the music.... yeah i can occasionally be that shallow... but yeah it all depends on how they deal with the main character... could be interesting or could just get phoned in... guess i'll find out eventually.
Tari Tari
The pacing of this show feels strange... the thing that happens in episode two feels like it should have been closer to the middle of the season in my opinion. Also the characters seem a bit..... done before... the performer with stage fright.... the odd girl who has no clue how odd she is.... the music student who has given up music for some reason.... the one who is good when he tries but other doesn't care.... and the weaboo.... wait what? and yeah i didn't want to use that term.... but he is one... anyways i just feel like unless they do something really interesting with them I will probably lose interest... which is sad casue PA Works did such a pretty job animating it.
Utakoi
... It's just a little too silly for me... i managed to sit through half an episode and it was good just.... don't care enough to continue.... it's not bad it's just not my taste.
And that is everything, they just added the title Nakaimo - My Sister is Among Them! but i haven't had a chance to watch it yet so i may or may not add that later... we'll see. (after watching a few mins... i have a feeling i wont ake it through the episode.... who knows *sighs* )
Alright off to relax while i can cause tomorrow is another long day of doing things that really aren't my job but at least it fills the day... but at least i still have weekends.... for now.
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
Completed: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Normally I have random little anecdotes about how i came across a game or past history with certain titles.....
not this one.... see this is all thanks to a good friend of mine. See he picks up everything that looks remotely interesting... a chunk of his collection is still in seran wrap cause he just doesn't have tiem to play all these games. However he said recently he was really into Visual novel style games and first he lent me 999:Nine persons, nine hours,nine doors. but i already wrote a review on that.... (long story short it's really good and you should go play it before the sequel comes out in october)... he also lent me two others games but that doesn't add to this story.... anyways after i returned it he immediately handed me this game: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective... and i proceeded to not play it for a good few weeks... with good reason.... i was reading a few novels and painting and starting a new job so i just didn't have time.
then a few days ago i decided time to pop it in and give this game a try.
1) why did it take me so long to hear of this games existance?
2) why did it take me so long to play it?
3) why is it so short?
4) how can it be this amazing?
um... yeah i really liked it... the style, the animation, the story, the twists (which I did see coming BUT not exactly) and that ending.... simply wonderful.
hm.... how to describe without spoilers.
You have just died (the game is called Ghost Trick so i count this as not a spoiler), it sucks and you can't change your fate, however you can change the fate of a girl who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. With your new abilities as a ghost you can manipulate objects and save a life... hell it may even help you remember who you are since being newly dead means you can't remember your past...
however you have to try and remember your past before Dawn since thats when Ghosts disappear.
You meet a colourful cast of characters in hopes of finding yourself... too bad things never that easy and the more you try to find out about yourself... the less you seem to know.
and yeah saying any more then that would be giving away the pure fun that is this game.
Seriously if you have a way to play DS games or you find this on IOS play it! it's made by Capcom who also made the point and click gem known as the Ace Attorney series. It is really good but unfortunately around 6-8 hours long and if you are good at these type of puzzles you may be able to finish even faster.
oh i should mention it's an action based point and click puzzle game / visual novel.
at least thast how it felt to me... it probably gets labeled under 'adventure game' which i guess gets the point across but i like my description better...
now to sketch my character in the art style of this game for fun... cause the art style is so cool
not this one.... see this is all thanks to a good friend of mine. See he picks up everything that looks remotely interesting... a chunk of his collection is still in seran wrap cause he just doesn't have tiem to play all these games. However he said recently he was really into Visual novel style games and first he lent me 999:Nine persons, nine hours,nine doors. but i already wrote a review on that.... (long story short it's really good and you should go play it before the sequel comes out in october)... he also lent me two others games but that doesn't add to this story.... anyways after i returned it he immediately handed me this game: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective... and i proceeded to not play it for a good few weeks... with good reason.... i was reading a few novels and painting and starting a new job so i just didn't have time.
then a few days ago i decided time to pop it in and give this game a try.
1) why did it take me so long to hear of this games existance?
2) why did it take me so long to play it?
3) why is it so short?
4) how can it be this amazing?
um... yeah i really liked it... the style, the animation, the story, the twists (which I did see coming BUT not exactly) and that ending.... simply wonderful.
hm.... how to describe without spoilers.
You have just died (the game is called Ghost Trick so i count this as not a spoiler), it sucks and you can't change your fate, however you can change the fate of a girl who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. With your new abilities as a ghost you can manipulate objects and save a life... hell it may even help you remember who you are since being newly dead means you can't remember your past...
however you have to try and remember your past before Dawn since thats when Ghosts disappear.
You meet a colourful cast of characters in hopes of finding yourself... too bad things never that easy and the more you try to find out about yourself... the less you seem to know.
and yeah saying any more then that would be giving away the pure fun that is this game.
Seriously if you have a way to play DS games or you find this on IOS play it! it's made by Capcom who also made the point and click gem known as the Ace Attorney series. It is really good but unfortunately around 6-8 hours long and if you are good at these type of puzzles you may be able to finish even faster.
oh i should mention it's an action based point and click puzzle game / visual novel.
at least thast how it felt to me... it probably gets labeled under 'adventure game' which i guess gets the point across but i like my description better...
now to sketch my character in the art style of this game for fun... cause the art style is so cool
Sunday, 15 July 2012
Completed: Kimi ni Todoke Seasons 1 and 2
Normally i do these after i finish a season but after receiving the second premium volume of this series from Nippon Ichi Software America (NISA) i heard there would be a third part.... and after finishing the second volume i wasn't sure about how i felt with this series.
now after finish it all i'm still not entirely sure... hmm this is going to take some explanation.
Kimi ni Todoke: From me to you is about a girl named Sawako whom everyone calls Sadako because she looks like and sometimes gives of the same aura as the girl who's trapped in the well from "The Ring"
however Sawako is really just an awkward girl who tries really hard to not bother others and help out, she loves cute things and is terrible at expressing her own feelings for fear that it may trouble someone.
On opening day of their first year attending high school she helped a lot classmate who couldn't figure out the best way to get to the school, he thanked her without any fear and is apparently the first person to ever do this to her so she immediately starts admiring him.
Lucky for her they are in the same class.
Also lucky for her he happens to really like her as well but no matter what gets said there seems to be some kind of misunderstanding... will they ever get together?
well this IS shojo so i think we all know the answer....
so the plot is pretty straight forward... why am i still unsure if i like this story or not? I'm pretty sure i didn't dislike it.... but i feel like some opportunities were missed.
The good:
The show is really pretty, all the backgrounds have this watercolour feel and it's just a pleasure to watch.... i also like the art direction since it's got a style that pretty unique compared to that standard Moe look we've been getting at of late.also the intros and endings are really interesting to watch.
The music is really good, some of the best shojo music i've heard in a while cause it's really subtle.... also the power in the second ending just makes me smile cause it starts to soft then suddenly boom.
The best friend characters are a blast... they feel like real people who want to help out and they have flaws and miss things and sometimes take things too far.... i just find it really works.
also i love the rival character... shes a bit 'evil' but not vindictive.... she's just upset at someone else getting as close to the boy she likes as her.
the show has a nice pacing to it except for one part which i will touch on later.... and the story is really really cute.
the not so good:
Sawako and Kazehaya - the two main love interests. yeah thats kind of a big one in a shojo series to not like either of the main characters.... but i have reasons for it.
Kazehaya is really possessive and easily juealous.... um... hate to break this too you Shojo anime... those are not good traits... when the girl is talking to a friend and they are smiling and just happen to be opposite genders.... that does not give the male the right to run past, snatch her hand and drag her off... this is not romantic.... yes he has some good points but those two always put me on edge with him cause i just feel lik it's not a trait you want to glorify.
Sawako is so stupid that she's a pain in the ass to watch... she is ALWAYS crying.... yes she tries really hard at everything and that is good but her entire universe seems to revolve around how she feels about Kazehaya... yet she can barely talk to him half the time which leads to more misunderstandings yet if either of them had just spit out what they were saying instead of talking so cryptically then maybe things would have been different!
the side characters are not nearly given the attention they deserve... maybe i just feel this because i didn't completely like SawakoXKazehaya... but to be honest the only arc that made me cry was Chizuru and Ryu.... that felt real... like something that could really happen... and it was heartbreaking... but you culd feel the friendship and the amount of time they spent together to the point where they consider each other family.... but all you get is a few episodes and a tiny bit at the end.
Also Kento does not get enough screen time... he feels shoved in there as a "antagonist for antagonist sakes" but honestly i felt like he and sawako had more of a connection... it felt like he had more to his past that made him see Sawako the way he does.... he seems like one of the most caring cast members and he is constantly pushed to the side, berated and called a D bag... cause how could he POSSIBLY honestly like Sawako? such an honour is only bestowed on Kazehaya.... he must have ulterior motives! but no.... i don't think he ever does.... he does one thing that could be seen as ulterior motives but in the end he didn't know fully what he was talking about... and he feels so bad after he barely speaks to her ever again....
however i still did enjoy the show i just wished it had focused more on the side characters and way less on Kazehaya... he was okay it's just... theres never any reprocutions for his bad traits despite the fact that he knows he has them... but he does try to be decent so i guess thats the best i can get.
the show is for sale from NISA... the boxes are so pretty but kinda big... check it out and make your own opinion since my own personal experiences and biases are clouding my view of the main love interest so yeah.... check it out.
now after finish it all i'm still not entirely sure... hmm this is going to take some explanation.
Kimi ni Todoke: From me to you is about a girl named Sawako whom everyone calls Sadako because she looks like and sometimes gives of the same aura as the girl who's trapped in the well from "The Ring"
however Sawako is really just an awkward girl who tries really hard to not bother others and help out, she loves cute things and is terrible at expressing her own feelings for fear that it may trouble someone.
On opening day of their first year attending high school she helped a lot classmate who couldn't figure out the best way to get to the school, he thanked her without any fear and is apparently the first person to ever do this to her so she immediately starts admiring him.
Lucky for her they are in the same class.
Also lucky for her he happens to really like her as well but no matter what gets said there seems to be some kind of misunderstanding... will they ever get together?
well this IS shojo so i think we all know the answer....
so the plot is pretty straight forward... why am i still unsure if i like this story or not? I'm pretty sure i didn't dislike it.... but i feel like some opportunities were missed.
The good:
The show is really pretty, all the backgrounds have this watercolour feel and it's just a pleasure to watch.... i also like the art direction since it's got a style that pretty unique compared to that standard Moe look we've been getting at of late.also the intros and endings are really interesting to watch.
The music is really good, some of the best shojo music i've heard in a while cause it's really subtle.... also the power in the second ending just makes me smile cause it starts to soft then suddenly boom.
The best friend characters are a blast... they feel like real people who want to help out and they have flaws and miss things and sometimes take things too far.... i just find it really works.
also i love the rival character... shes a bit 'evil' but not vindictive.... she's just upset at someone else getting as close to the boy she likes as her.
the show has a nice pacing to it except for one part which i will touch on later.... and the story is really really cute.
the not so good:
Sawako and Kazehaya - the two main love interests. yeah thats kind of a big one in a shojo series to not like either of the main characters.... but i have reasons for it.
Kazehaya is really possessive and easily juealous.... um... hate to break this too you Shojo anime... those are not good traits... when the girl is talking to a friend and they are smiling and just happen to be opposite genders.... that does not give the male the right to run past, snatch her hand and drag her off... this is not romantic.... yes he has some good points but those two always put me on edge with him cause i just feel lik it's not a trait you want to glorify.
Sawako is so stupid that she's a pain in the ass to watch... she is ALWAYS crying.... yes she tries really hard at everything and that is good but her entire universe seems to revolve around how she feels about Kazehaya... yet she can barely talk to him half the time which leads to more misunderstandings yet if either of them had just spit out what they were saying instead of talking so cryptically then maybe things would have been different!
the side characters are not nearly given the attention they deserve... maybe i just feel this because i didn't completely like SawakoXKazehaya... but to be honest the only arc that made me cry was Chizuru and Ryu.... that felt real... like something that could really happen... and it was heartbreaking... but you culd feel the friendship and the amount of time they spent together to the point where they consider each other family.... but all you get is a few episodes and a tiny bit at the end.
Also Kento does not get enough screen time... he feels shoved in there as a "antagonist for antagonist sakes" but honestly i felt like he and sawako had more of a connection... it felt like he had more to his past that made him see Sawako the way he does.... he seems like one of the most caring cast members and he is constantly pushed to the side, berated and called a D bag... cause how could he POSSIBLY honestly like Sawako? such an honour is only bestowed on Kazehaya.... he must have ulterior motives! but no.... i don't think he ever does.... he does one thing that could be seen as ulterior motives but in the end he didn't know fully what he was talking about... and he feels so bad after he barely speaks to her ever again....
however i still did enjoy the show i just wished it had focused more on the side characters and way less on Kazehaya... he was okay it's just... theres never any reprocutions for his bad traits despite the fact that he knows he has them... but he does try to be decent so i guess thats the best i can get.
the show is for sale from NISA... the boxes are so pretty but kinda big... check it out and make your own opinion since my own personal experiences and biases are clouding my view of the main love interest so yeah.... check it out.
Monday, 9 July 2012
Completed: Uncut sailor moon (season 1)
for like... the billionth time over all but only 4th time uncut. Also my timing is crazy... more on that later
anyways this is mostly my personal story with this show
Way back in the 90s I was a totally different kid... at least i think I was.... see those memories are very fuzzy for me.... anyways some things i'm pretty certain about.... i didn't like the shows my friends liked and i was (still am) on the odd side... I would make up stories by myself since my friends, due to religious reasons, couldn't play on weekends or were busy most of the weekend... and i wasn't allowed to have friends over after mostly because they had to leave by 5 and most lived which by the time i got home didn't give a lot of time.
However one day i went to a neighbors house after school and she put on a show called sailor moon. I thought it was the dumbest thing based on the intro song alone, I mean fighting evil by moonlight? winning love by daylight.... what was this piece of shit?
The of course i watched the episode.... and i LOVED it.... like a lot of other girls my age.
The problem?
it was on at 3 or 3:30 and school finished at 3:09.... and my walk back from school was about 15 mins long (damn short legs... it would probably be closer to five to ten now lol) Still every day i rushed home to watch what i could of my favorite show.
Over time people started growing out of it... deeming it a stupid kids show...
I never grew out of it.... i never went through a phase where i refused liking it.... i had never liked the shit other kids my age liked anyways why would i start now. I didn't talk about it with others as much but my closer friend knew i liked it and didn't judge (at least not to my face)
However eventually i got annoyed... it was always the same episodes.... yeah there were a ton but i had heard stories of there being more... my neighbor who introduced me to the show either went to japan or got souvenirs from someone who went there told me of new episodes.... new sailor scouts even! one that looked like a man but was really a woman.
I didn't believe her cause she knew how gullible i was/still kinda am... but hey we all know how that one ended up...
eventually reruns stopped... pokemon started... which i also liked but not as much as sailor moon... and i stopped thinking about the show for a long while... at this point i had made a major move when suddenly back on YTV (channel for kids show in canada) there were commercials for Sailor moon S.... now this had aired back when i was small but during the day or a time when i couldn't go see it... so i missed it all. now they were airing it at 6 or something.... nothing would keep me from seeing it.
and it was better then i could have imagined...
a company known as ADV films released the first two seasons uncut which i snatched up right away.... (yeah it was expensive but nothing compared to how much it is now)
BOY was it different then i remembered. blood? violence? Death? brand new episodes? hell Serana--- erm... Usagi isn't as stupid as she is in the english version.... i mean she IS stupid but not AS stupid.....
Also that intro song! (the endings don't get good till season 2) it all just blew my mind. To this day ever few years i decide why not re watch all of sailormoon that i own...
17 years after i first saw the show and 20 years after it was first created it has now been announced that they are doing more sailor moon... a remake that follows the manga more closely? a new season? i'm pretty sure everything right now is just speculation but no matter what i look forward to it.... maybe it'll help sailor moon get out of licensing hell.... so we can get a legit boxset of S and Super S and Stars...
hmmm was there supposed to be a review in this review? oh well no big deal... if i had to say anything negative.... the ending songs.... specifically the second one.... ugh why do my ears bleed.... ok it's not that bad i just don't like it and the sound quality is pretty bad. also second intro spoils the biggest shock of the show D : what's up with that? lol
if you get a chance to legally watch Sailor moon then i say go for it... even without the nostalgia i still think it's a pretty good show
anyways this is mostly my personal story with this show
Way back in the 90s I was a totally different kid... at least i think I was.... see those memories are very fuzzy for me.... anyways some things i'm pretty certain about.... i didn't like the shows my friends liked and i was (still am) on the odd side... I would make up stories by myself since my friends, due to religious reasons, couldn't play on weekends or were busy most of the weekend... and i wasn't allowed to have friends over after mostly because they had to leave by 5 and most lived which by the time i got home didn't give a lot of time.
However one day i went to a neighbors house after school and she put on a show called sailor moon. I thought it was the dumbest thing based on the intro song alone, I mean fighting evil by moonlight? winning love by daylight.... what was this piece of shit?
The of course i watched the episode.... and i LOVED it.... like a lot of other girls my age.
The problem?
it was on at 3 or 3:30 and school finished at 3:09.... and my walk back from school was about 15 mins long (damn short legs... it would probably be closer to five to ten now lol) Still every day i rushed home to watch what i could of my favorite show.
Over time people started growing out of it... deeming it a stupid kids show...
I never grew out of it.... i never went through a phase where i refused liking it.... i had never liked the shit other kids my age liked anyways why would i start now. I didn't talk about it with others as much but my closer friend knew i liked it and didn't judge (at least not to my face)
However eventually i got annoyed... it was always the same episodes.... yeah there were a ton but i had heard stories of there being more... my neighbor who introduced me to the show either went to japan or got souvenirs from someone who went there told me of new episodes.... new sailor scouts even! one that looked like a man but was really a woman.
I didn't believe her cause she knew how gullible i was/still kinda am... but hey we all know how that one ended up...
eventually reruns stopped... pokemon started... which i also liked but not as much as sailor moon... and i stopped thinking about the show for a long while... at this point i had made a major move when suddenly back on YTV (channel for kids show in canada) there were commercials for Sailor moon S.... now this had aired back when i was small but during the day or a time when i couldn't go see it... so i missed it all. now they were airing it at 6 or something.... nothing would keep me from seeing it.
and it was better then i could have imagined...
a company known as ADV films released the first two seasons uncut which i snatched up right away.... (yeah it was expensive but nothing compared to how much it is now)
BOY was it different then i remembered. blood? violence? Death? brand new episodes? hell Serana--- erm... Usagi isn't as stupid as she is in the english version.... i mean she IS stupid but not AS stupid.....
Also that intro song! (the endings don't get good till season 2) it all just blew my mind. To this day ever few years i decide why not re watch all of sailormoon that i own...
17 years after i first saw the show and 20 years after it was first created it has now been announced that they are doing more sailor moon... a remake that follows the manga more closely? a new season? i'm pretty sure everything right now is just speculation but no matter what i look forward to it.... maybe it'll help sailor moon get out of licensing hell.... so we can get a legit boxset of S and Super S and Stars...
hmmm was there supposed to be a review in this review? oh well no big deal... if i had to say anything negative.... the ending songs.... specifically the second one.... ugh why do my ears bleed.... ok it's not that bad i just don't like it and the sound quality is pretty bad. also second intro spoils the biggest shock of the show D : what's up with that? lol
if you get a chance to legally watch Sailor moon then i say go for it... even without the nostalgia i still think it's a pretty good show
About my Dragonprince Heir review
this is more of a rant so don't mind me if/when I ramble.... this is all my personal opinion but i just feel like some things need to be said.
A few weeks ago i reviewed the dragon prince heir, i liked it even though it wasn't what i was expecting.
HOWEVER
Many of the reviews on amazon are "you didn't give me the book i wanted" or "this isn't the third book to a trilogy how dare you call it that?" or even "Wheres daven? i don't care about his son's story! i care only about daven."
This is kind of annoying since...
a) The author can write whatever he damn well wants and bitching that he didn't give you what he wanted is just childish and stupid.
This could tangent off into another rant about how people as of late have been acting like they are entitled to the world and if something minorly offends them they have the right.... nay the DUTY to scream, bitch moan and complain till they get there way.
b) If he wants to call it the third book in his trilogy then he can... yes i felt it was more like a stand alone but it still IS a third book in a trilogy. It ties up all the loose ends and is satisfying...
c) IT IS DAVEN'S STORY.
yes it is told from Taryn's perspective but it is ABOUT daven. He wonders what happened to his father, how he suddenly died. He is confused dealing with characters later on think of his father in such a way, he worries about his mother and his guards and how they see his father.
We do learn about Taryn, we have to since we're in his head essentially but the worry, the thought process and his entire damn journey ALL centers around who his father was and what happened to him in the past 15 years.
Taryn is essentially the reader avatar... we know the story of how Daven became the man he was and now we wonder what happened in those 15 years we didn't get to see. we get to learn as taryn does as we see this older world through his eyes.... yes he's annoying but i feel he tries to get better through the book and as daven becomes more prevalent part of the story his character really starts to shine.
my point is it's okay not to like something as long as your reasons are valid.... but "you didn't give me what i wanted" is not a good enough reason unless you can back it up with some seriously solid points.
alright, rant over... sorry about this i just am getting tired of the internet bitching whenever they dont get exactly what they want...
A few weeks ago i reviewed the dragon prince heir, i liked it even though it wasn't what i was expecting.
HOWEVER
Many of the reviews on amazon are "you didn't give me the book i wanted" or "this isn't the third book to a trilogy how dare you call it that?" or even "Wheres daven? i don't care about his son's story! i care only about daven."
This is kind of annoying since...
a) The author can write whatever he damn well wants and bitching that he didn't give you what he wanted is just childish and stupid.
This could tangent off into another rant about how people as of late have been acting like they are entitled to the world and if something minorly offends them they have the right.... nay the DUTY to scream, bitch moan and complain till they get there way.
b) If he wants to call it the third book in his trilogy then he can... yes i felt it was more like a stand alone but it still IS a third book in a trilogy. It ties up all the loose ends and is satisfying...
c) IT IS DAVEN'S STORY.
yes it is told from Taryn's perspective but it is ABOUT daven. He wonders what happened to his father, how he suddenly died. He is confused dealing with characters later on think of his father in such a way, he worries about his mother and his guards and how they see his father.
We do learn about Taryn, we have to since we're in his head essentially but the worry, the thought process and his entire damn journey ALL centers around who his father was and what happened to him in the past 15 years.
Taryn is essentially the reader avatar... we know the story of how Daven became the man he was and now we wonder what happened in those 15 years we didn't get to see. we get to learn as taryn does as we see this older world through his eyes.... yes he's annoying but i feel he tries to get better through the book and as daven becomes more prevalent part of the story his character really starts to shine.
my point is it's okay not to like something as long as your reasons are valid.... but "you didn't give me what i wanted" is not a good enough reason unless you can back it up with some seriously solid points.
alright, rant over... sorry about this i just am getting tired of the internet bitching whenever they dont get exactly what they want...
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Princess of Light - From Start to Finish -
After graduating from Art college I fell into a bit of an art block... It probably had something to do with going from a mindset where you being told to do 5-6 different projects simultaneously with dates that they need to be finished by to having all the time in the world to create your own art. I began doubting myself, my abilities and worst of all my ability to create works of art that i was happy with.
Ever artist in every medium at some point (or multiple points) goes through this and no matter what it sucks... but you have to push through it.. which is hard but if you lovewhat you do then you don't really have a choice.
anyways the way i tend to push through things is trying new things... be it listening to different music, writing random little stories that will never see the light of day, or just drawing new art style or trying to pull inspiration from art i like. Normally only one of these things ends up being the catalyst but in this case it was a bit of everything. I listened to more orchestral versions of JDK music, I came up with a few origin stories for characters that didn't feel like their motivation was good enough and my friend Inslee (who is very talented and you should go check her out) has been drawing a lot of Art Nouveau inspired pieces which led to me doing a but more research into the style.... and while i wont say that this piece if art nouveau i will say it was he jumping off point for me
It all started with a simple sketch in my moleskin, at that point i was just doodling so when it started turning into something i liked i was so happy i decided to paint it, however due to the ratio of the moleskin i had to go to my 12 x 18 cold pressed watercolour paper pad because i felt 14 x 20 would just be too large and i'm more comfortable working in a smaller scale.
(hey look i remembered to take a progress photo before i added colour : D )
anyways i then inked it with one brush and some india ink, after my experimentation with coloured ink i realized that
a) i really like the look of black lines... always have... i just love how graphic it makes the piece feel
b) coloured lines have their place but they would probably work better after the entire piece is done
so yeah... black lines it is~
and finally colour, i knew i wanted yellow trim and a pink main skirt
but i was very conflicted on whether i should go a brown for the top, a
blue or a black to match her normal outfit. I decided to go blue because i
prefer watercolour paintings to be colourful and brown or black may
have weighed it down too much. I tried to make the shawls that come off
her sleeves transparent with a slight shine to it via metallic paint...
may as well show you an image with the flash...
and trust me it looks much better in person then i could ever show in a photograph... such is the problem when paint is used to try and add another element of dimension.
anyways in the end i'm pretty happy with it... may do a series with it that tells a story of how at first one looks up to the fate that has been even by them... then eventually begins to curse it and finally ending off with breaking free from it...
unfortunately this may take a long time to work on because i have started a new job that has 12 hour days and once filming starts i will probably end up working weekends as well (hopefully not till September but that's being REALLY hopeful) which is great cause it means i'll have lots of money to travel when the job is done but not much time for art... still it wont stop me... just slow me down.
so yeah thats pretty much all i have to say.... i may darken the BG a little later but for now i'm happy with the result.
Want to see more random sketches and perhaps some things that will never get past my sketchbook? http://katire.tumblr.com/
and of course my Deviant art page
This is also for sale on Red Bubble
Ever artist in every medium at some point (or multiple points) goes through this and no matter what it sucks... but you have to push through it.. which is hard but if you lovewhat you do then you don't really have a choice.
anyways the way i tend to push through things is trying new things... be it listening to different music, writing random little stories that will never see the light of day, or just drawing new art style or trying to pull inspiration from art i like. Normally only one of these things ends up being the catalyst but in this case it was a bit of everything. I listened to more orchestral versions of JDK music, I came up with a few origin stories for characters that didn't feel like their motivation was good enough and my friend Inslee (who is very talented and you should go check her out) has been drawing a lot of Art Nouveau inspired pieces which led to me doing a but more research into the style.... and while i wont say that this piece if art nouveau i will say it was he jumping off point for me
anyways i then inked it with one brush and some india ink, after my experimentation with coloured ink i realized that
a) i really like the look of black lines... always have... i just love how graphic it makes the piece feel
b) coloured lines have their place but they would probably work better after the entire piece is done
so yeah... black lines it is~
anyways in the end i'm pretty happy with it... may do a series with it that tells a story of how at first one looks up to the fate that has been even by them... then eventually begins to curse it and finally ending off with breaking free from it...
unfortunately this may take a long time to work on because i have started a new job that has 12 hour days and once filming starts i will probably end up working weekends as well (hopefully not till September but that's being REALLY hopeful) which is great cause it means i'll have lots of money to travel when the job is done but not much time for art... still it wont stop me... just slow me down.
so yeah thats pretty much all i have to say.... i may darken the BG a little later but for now i'm happy with the result.
Want to see more random sketches and perhaps some things that will never get past my sketchbook? http://katire.tumblr.com/
and of course my Deviant art page
This is also for sale on Red Bubble
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
First Impression: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
When it comes to video games most people can agree on one thing... Roleplaying games tend to have really good music.
It makes sense... in any given RPG you are repeating the same task over and over but we don't mind because we get to hear some amazing music.
To this day when i hear the Tales of Phantasia battle music or Innocent Primeval breaker from Ys 7 i get right in the mood to kick some monster ass.
However one of the most well known Video game composers in the world is Nobuo Uemastu for his work with the Final fantasy games. He composed the music for most of the games that fall under the final fantasy umbrella and to this day some of his music is taught in Japanese school as part of the curriculum... Needless to say his music is pretty amazing.
So i was pretty excited when i heard a Rythem game that was essentially only Final Fantasy music was slated to come out here. Now i should clarify... I love final fantasy music but i'm not a huge fan girl over the games... they are good games and no one can question that it's just that
a) i didn't grow up with them... yes they were released when i was the right age but my parents didn't buy them from me so i didn't play my first FF till X came out.
b) I technically haven't beaten any of them despite having played a little of most of them... i say technically cause i did beat X but then my disk froze and i didn't get to see the ending... but yeah i'm at the last boss of 7 (will never beat this game thanks to Supernova praying on my irrational fear of space).. about halfway through 4 (too many games to play on my DS) stuck on a stupid rubber banding boss on XII (which i will never beat cause of the awful placement of save points) Anyways my point is i have a lot of these close to finished but the chances of me sittign down and beating them are slim to none.
c) I feel that it's overrated... yes it's really good but it is not the only JRPG game out there and so when i hear "JRPGs are dying cause they are all the same" i want to scream out no they are not... there are lots of fun different IPs with different syles of gameplay like Disgaea or Ys or Legend of Heroes but since those aren't as well known in North America the entire genre gets called a stagnating pool of teenage silent heroes traveling the land collecting the McGuffins and saving the world from the big bad. AND YES a lot of JRPGs follow those tropes to a T but not all of them.
SO with all that in mind here is my opinion on Theatrythm... i'm sorry it took so long to get here... perhaps i should call this Rai's Mini rant on JRPGs and how they are seen...
The good -
This should be obvious.... the music is really really really good, all the different menus have different and recognizable songs. The way the songs are split up (at least in the first mode you open which currently is all i've played... like i said first impression) is pretty fun. You have an opening where you have to time the notes touching a crystal, a Battle song, a walking song and an event song which all have the same button commands with slight variations, and an eding song which is a lot like the opening song.
After each song your party (which is comprised of any 4 main characters from the games as you want) will gain experience and potentially levels. they can also gain abilities which i have yet to use but it seems like an interesting mechanic so far. there are also apparently items but i havent played long enough to try this out either.
The visual style is also really cute and if you's seen the FF or KH cell phone charms thast what all the sprites look like.
The not so good -
the story... i don't even know why they bothered to add one... rhythm games almost never have good stories so really? just leave them out.
SO FAR the game is really easy... i'm sure this will change over time it's just they force you to play the painfully easy stuff to get to the harder stuff... i guess it's a good way to slowly raise the challenge but i like to jump in on hardest difficulty with rhythm games just to see how long i last.
The bad -
or in this case... the shit that pisses me off.
DLC.... ok let me explain... this game is 40 bucks in canada... which is expensive for a 3ds game let alone a Rhythm game... then to add insult to injury there are more songs you have to buy if you want them (and probably down the road more characters) and these are .99 a pop.... I wouldn't mind if it was ingame currency but when you're asking me on the first day of release to purchase more songs if makes me feel like you've released an incomplete game OR EVEN WORSE you've held back on some of the more popular songs to make an extra buck.
It feels like you are using off your fans cause you know they will spend the extra money. If they came in packs it wouldn't be so bad but for me... a buck is just too much when i already spent 40 to have the privileged to play your game. Maybe I just hate the idea of DLC but i understand it can extend the life of a game... and the longer they wait to release it the less likely they are to sell it... i understand that... and it's especially true for Rhythm games which can get boring the second you've played all the songs. But still... it just feels like they are trying to take you for every dime that you have.
So do i reccomend it?
Yes, if you like final fantasy at all or rhythm games then you will like this game. It is a bit pricy at 40 bucks (CND) but if you are looking to play something on your 3ds may as well be this. I'm not sure if all the copies come with a stylus but mine did and it's a bit nicer to have such a large stylus to play a game like this... but it's not necessary.
Just remember that you may miss out on some songs if you are unwilling to pay for DLC.
sorry that this ended up being more of a rant then a review and i will do a full review of this once i finish it but yeah i had a lot to say on a lot of different topics and of course this is all just my personal opinion. Please feel free to leave a comment about how you feel about anything i wrote here.
It makes sense... in any given RPG you are repeating the same task over and over but we don't mind because we get to hear some amazing music.
To this day when i hear the Tales of Phantasia battle music or Innocent Primeval breaker from Ys 7 i get right in the mood to kick some monster ass.
However one of the most well known Video game composers in the world is Nobuo Uemastu for his work with the Final fantasy games. He composed the music for most of the games that fall under the final fantasy umbrella and to this day some of his music is taught in Japanese school as part of the curriculum... Needless to say his music is pretty amazing.
So i was pretty excited when i heard a Rythem game that was essentially only Final Fantasy music was slated to come out here. Now i should clarify... I love final fantasy music but i'm not a huge fan girl over the games... they are good games and no one can question that it's just that
a) i didn't grow up with them... yes they were released when i was the right age but my parents didn't buy them from me so i didn't play my first FF till X came out.
b) I technically haven't beaten any of them despite having played a little of most of them... i say technically cause i did beat X but then my disk froze and i didn't get to see the ending... but yeah i'm at the last boss of 7 (will never beat this game thanks to Supernova praying on my irrational fear of space).. about halfway through 4 (too many games to play on my DS) stuck on a stupid rubber banding boss on XII (which i will never beat cause of the awful placement of save points) Anyways my point is i have a lot of these close to finished but the chances of me sittign down and beating them are slim to none.
c) I feel that it's overrated... yes it's really good but it is not the only JRPG game out there and so when i hear "JRPGs are dying cause they are all the same" i want to scream out no they are not... there are lots of fun different IPs with different syles of gameplay like Disgaea or Ys or Legend of Heroes but since those aren't as well known in North America the entire genre gets called a stagnating pool of teenage silent heroes traveling the land collecting the McGuffins and saving the world from the big bad. AND YES a lot of JRPGs follow those tropes to a T but not all of them.
SO with all that in mind here is my opinion on Theatrythm... i'm sorry it took so long to get here... perhaps i should call this Rai's Mini rant on JRPGs and how they are seen...
The good -
This should be obvious.... the music is really really really good, all the different menus have different and recognizable songs. The way the songs are split up (at least in the first mode you open which currently is all i've played... like i said first impression) is pretty fun. You have an opening where you have to time the notes touching a crystal, a Battle song, a walking song and an event song which all have the same button commands with slight variations, and an eding song which is a lot like the opening song.
After each song your party (which is comprised of any 4 main characters from the games as you want) will gain experience and potentially levels. they can also gain abilities which i have yet to use but it seems like an interesting mechanic so far. there are also apparently items but i havent played long enough to try this out either.
The visual style is also really cute and if you's seen the FF or KH cell phone charms thast what all the sprites look like.
The not so good -
the story... i don't even know why they bothered to add one... rhythm games almost never have good stories so really? just leave them out.
SO FAR the game is really easy... i'm sure this will change over time it's just they force you to play the painfully easy stuff to get to the harder stuff... i guess it's a good way to slowly raise the challenge but i like to jump in on hardest difficulty with rhythm games just to see how long i last.
The bad -
or in this case... the shit that pisses me off.
DLC.... ok let me explain... this game is 40 bucks in canada... which is expensive for a 3ds game let alone a Rhythm game... then to add insult to injury there are more songs you have to buy if you want them (and probably down the road more characters) and these are .99 a pop.... I wouldn't mind if it was ingame currency but when you're asking me on the first day of release to purchase more songs if makes me feel like you've released an incomplete game OR EVEN WORSE you've held back on some of the more popular songs to make an extra buck.
It feels like you are using off your fans cause you know they will spend the extra money. If they came in packs it wouldn't be so bad but for me... a buck is just too much when i already spent 40 to have the privileged to play your game. Maybe I just hate the idea of DLC but i understand it can extend the life of a game... and the longer they wait to release it the less likely they are to sell it... i understand that... and it's especially true for Rhythm games which can get boring the second you've played all the songs. But still... it just feels like they are trying to take you for every dime that you have.
So do i reccomend it?
Yes, if you like final fantasy at all or rhythm games then you will like this game. It is a bit pricy at 40 bucks (CND) but if you are looking to play something on your 3ds may as well be this. I'm not sure if all the copies come with a stylus but mine did and it's a bit nicer to have such a large stylus to play a game like this... but it's not necessary.
Just remember that you may miss out on some songs if you are unwilling to pay for DLC.
sorry that this ended up being more of a rant then a review and i will do a full review of this once i finish it but yeah i had a lot to say on a lot of different topics and of course this is all just my personal opinion. Please feel free to leave a comment about how you feel about anything i wrote here.
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