I know a lot of people are really happy to see this year end, i'm fairly indifferent.
On the surface not much happened to me this year but i learned a lot about myself so i always consider that a win.
I am sad that no falcom calendar for the new year... they had a Legend of heroes/trails based one but i like Ys more so... only a big Natsume's book of friends calendar... which is currently hanging up behind my current Natsume's book of friends calendar so that it can uncurl a little.
The one this that has kinda sucked about this past year is i have gotten really sick... i swear all through november i would go through this rotation of having a cold, being find for a day, new cold... all month long.
now in december i have this 2-3 week long monster cold that has run through my family and i'm just so done with being sick. I can't draw much when i'm sick.... and when i can't draw i'm miserable.
But otherwise it's been fairly productive... i accomplished thing i never thought possible, things i thought were too scary but i just needed that extra little push.
Though if i'm going to do resolutions for new years... the number one thing has to be getting help with my anxiety, it didn't used to be this bad and it didn't used to get in the way of daily life... now that everyone is bugging me to drive that has changed... i wasn't worried about it much before but i am getting tired of being afraid of every little thing.
Number two is Travel... North America is nice and all but i really do wanna see more of the world... even if it means i have to fly there.
Number three is less dealing with one sided convos.
yeah... i'm really sick of dealing with people who are essentially just talking to hear the sound of their voice, they don't care or want your input or opinion and constantly try to find ways to put you down when you try to give them input or opinions anyways.
yeah... screw that, not dealing with it anymore.
Number four is more talking to people.
I always worry that i'm being a nuisance or bothering someone when i talk to them... especially on things like twitter, i need to be confident that i can say things and that i'm not annoying. and i need to stop being afraid of talking once the group gets bigger then 3... so yeah... more confidence *nods*
Number five is more art, now i actually did a lot this year.
92 finished pictures in 2013 compainred to the 42 in 2012.... but still.. this past month i'm only finished one piece and thats not good enough for me...
yes it's cause i'm sick but still.. no excuse! more art!
and other then that... just more time spent with friends and family...
I hope everyone has a happy new year, i hope 2014 is great for everyone and i have a few year end top tens lined up for the next few days.
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Saturday, 28 December 2013
Completed: Little Busters! ~Refrain~
The sequel to Little Busters!
Okay... time to put my biases out there.
I am a fan of most Key/Visual arts titles.
Clannad and Kanon are amoung my favorite shows.
However when the first season of this show aired i was not impressed.
In my review I pretty much said that the show couldn't have any potential for thought provoking story lines cause everything is solved so easily... a problem arises and it is solved with barely any effort or even worse with something akin to magic (i dubbed it Magical Narcolepsy)
Then i did comparisons of moe characters from this vs moe characters from Key titles i enjoy and all i was pretty much saying is that those characters had arcs and interesting personalities where as LB characters are more like plot devices then anything else.
And then i Bitch for a few paragraphs about how none of the characters have to work for anything.
Knowing what i know after watching this season that doesn't bug me as much.... but this show still isn't very good.
Now... i'm about to spoil the hell out of both seasons so...
Short review -
This is not as good as Clannad or Kanon and if you have seen Angel beats some things may feel a little familiar (though not really cause the two titles are very different) but if you can make it through the terribly predictable boring first season the second season is minorly better... it at least does some interesting ideas even if they aren't fully realized by the end.
Longer spoiler filled review.
Okay i don't know how long this will actually be but the reason why everything in season 1 is so damn easy is cause everything is 'technically' a dream.
see there's a situation where a lot of students are in an accident and now they are living out an endless summer in another world to help the only two survivors be stronger in the real world.
however the one controlling the other world is running out of time in the real world and season two is pretty much the last time he'll be able to try and help them grow before it's too late.
So in one sense i forgive the easiness of it all a tiny bit BUT it's still really lazy and some of the things that happen in the final attempt are stupid and just scream of weak writing/writing yourself into a corner.
The best part of the whole season is the first half of the final episode... if the entire series had been dealing with the theme brought up in the final episode this may have been my fav Key/Visual art anime. and yes it technically deals with the idea of it in the background but it never confronts it.
Instead it's too busy saying "don't run away" and them turning aroudn and saying "okay run now" and then going back to "don't run away"
it's frustrating.
maybe i'm just wishing for the impossible... maybe a theme as dark as the one presented is just a little too heavy for a moe show but i think if anyone could do it... it would be Key/Visual arts...
also the second half of the final episode really bugged me
seriously... i'm spoiling the end... okay... continue on i guess..
so as they have pulled all the near dead students off the crashed bus they go to get Kyosuke who is blocking the broken gas line with his back. after just a few stes the bus explodes and commecial break.
then they skip to fall and everyone is out of the hospital except kyosuke cause he had the worse wounds.
okay well that's fine cause the others would have been no where near the explosion...
but then they talk baout how they can't figure out what to do without him...
um... wasn't the show about riki trying to learn how to step up and come up with things to do?
and then he... uh... attaches a rope to somewhere, is standing outside the window and sayign lets all go on a field trip.
um.... what happened to comatose.
did they actually die in that explosion? cause... that makes more sense then this.
also.... why are you getting back in a car? Kyosuke are you even old enough to drive?
WTF is going on....
i'm sorry but no... if kyosuke woke up from his coma i find it hard to believe that the hospital or his parents wouldn't contact his sister. also theres extra testing to make sure there isn't lasting damage... rehab... he was out for a few months at least... not to mention he would probably have burns... i just don't understand.
bringing too much logic to anime? yeah probably but it really annoys me that after all that... after that speck of something interesting and a little dark we once again get the "but then the day was saved cause of reasons and everyone is happy" once again. even after all that 'effort' there is NO EFFORT at the very end.
SPOILERS OVER
The good:
. . . what did i say in my other review...
hm the intro and ending songs aren't as good as the first season but they are still quite pretty and the intro song did grow on me over time.
wow i didn't have much to say about the good traits of this show... hm... well the second season is a bit better then the first... mostly cause half the cost are never heard from again. it is quite a bit darker even if the ending is the sappiest happy end i have ever seen
The not so good:
Magical Narcolepsy is still a thing that happens though not as much luckily...
problems are solves easily with little to no effort and the problems come up in ways that make little to no sense.
Characters are still place holders for character traits but when half the cast gets pushed aside the story and characterization does improve.
The bad:
The animation... as much as i am not impressed with Kyo-ani this would have looked a lot better had they done it instead of the people who i think did it (JC Staff?) i just... the animation feels really lazy, intro and ending songs look great but the show itself just look static and flat.
so Moe.... so very very moe....
The surprising:
The show never made me cry.
not once
I cry at the drop of a hat, you can mentions things in passing that have made me cry in the past and i may tear up or find it hard to speak... i am possibly the biggest cry baby ever... but no... for this... nothing.
When the really dark theme i refuse to spoil was brought up i nearly cried... mostly cause it hit too close to home... but then it was back to happy and no work for all the reward and those watery eyes dried up quickly.
I didn't care about the characters enough to get invested in it. in 38 episodes this show couldn't get to care.... thats a bit of a problem.
I know i sound like a i hated this show... but i think it's more complicated then that.
Do i begrudge watching it all? not really
will i watch it again? no
will i recommend it to people? probably not... unless they wanna laugh about magical narcolepsy
The first season is painful but if you can sit through it the second one isn't that bad... but if you want more interesting stories about life and the hardships in it then watch Kanon (2006) or Clannad. Both are infinitely better.
I still think had it been a story about childhood friends with little in common now that they are older it would have been way more interesting but hey... what do i know.
Okay... time to put my biases out there.
I am a fan of most Key/Visual arts titles.
Clannad and Kanon are amoung my favorite shows.
However when the first season of this show aired i was not impressed.
In my review I pretty much said that the show couldn't have any potential for thought provoking story lines cause everything is solved so easily... a problem arises and it is solved with barely any effort or even worse with something akin to magic (i dubbed it Magical Narcolepsy)
Then i did comparisons of moe characters from this vs moe characters from Key titles i enjoy and all i was pretty much saying is that those characters had arcs and interesting personalities where as LB characters are more like plot devices then anything else.
And then i Bitch for a few paragraphs about how none of the characters have to work for anything.
Knowing what i know after watching this season that doesn't bug me as much.... but this show still isn't very good.
Now... i'm about to spoil the hell out of both seasons so...
Short review -
This is not as good as Clannad or Kanon and if you have seen Angel beats some things may feel a little familiar (though not really cause the two titles are very different) but if you can make it through the terribly predictable boring first season the second season is minorly better... it at least does some interesting ideas even if they aren't fully realized by the end.
Longer spoiler filled review.
Okay i don't know how long this will actually be but the reason why everything in season 1 is so damn easy is cause everything is 'technically' a dream.
see there's a situation where a lot of students are in an accident and now they are living out an endless summer in another world to help the only two survivors be stronger in the real world.
however the one controlling the other world is running out of time in the real world and season two is pretty much the last time he'll be able to try and help them grow before it's too late.
So in one sense i forgive the easiness of it all a tiny bit BUT it's still really lazy and some of the things that happen in the final attempt are stupid and just scream of weak writing/writing yourself into a corner.
The best part of the whole season is the first half of the final episode... if the entire series had been dealing with the theme brought up in the final episode this may have been my fav Key/Visual art anime. and yes it technically deals with the idea of it in the background but it never confronts it.
Instead it's too busy saying "don't run away" and them turning aroudn and saying "okay run now" and then going back to "don't run away"
it's frustrating.
maybe i'm just wishing for the impossible... maybe a theme as dark as the one presented is just a little too heavy for a moe show but i think if anyone could do it... it would be Key/Visual arts...
also the second half of the final episode really bugged me
seriously... i'm spoiling the end... okay... continue on i guess..
so as they have pulled all the near dead students off the crashed bus they go to get Kyosuke who is blocking the broken gas line with his back. after just a few stes the bus explodes and commecial break.
then they skip to fall and everyone is out of the hospital except kyosuke cause he had the worse wounds.
okay well that's fine cause the others would have been no where near the explosion...
but then they talk baout how they can't figure out what to do without him...
um... wasn't the show about riki trying to learn how to step up and come up with things to do?
and then he... uh... attaches a rope to somewhere, is standing outside the window and sayign lets all go on a field trip.
um.... what happened to comatose.
did they actually die in that explosion? cause... that makes more sense then this.
also.... why are you getting back in a car? Kyosuke are you even old enough to drive?
WTF is going on....
i'm sorry but no... if kyosuke woke up from his coma i find it hard to believe that the hospital or his parents wouldn't contact his sister. also theres extra testing to make sure there isn't lasting damage... rehab... he was out for a few months at least... not to mention he would probably have burns... i just don't understand.
bringing too much logic to anime? yeah probably but it really annoys me that after all that... after that speck of something interesting and a little dark we once again get the "but then the day was saved cause of reasons and everyone is happy" once again. even after all that 'effort' there is NO EFFORT at the very end.
SPOILERS OVER
The good:
. . . what did i say in my other review...
hm the intro and ending songs aren't as good as the first season but they are still quite pretty and the intro song did grow on me over time.
wow i didn't have much to say about the good traits of this show... hm... well the second season is a bit better then the first... mostly cause half the cost are never heard from again. it is quite a bit darker even if the ending is the sappiest happy end i have ever seen
The not so good:
Magical Narcolepsy is still a thing that happens though not as much luckily...
problems are solves easily with little to no effort and the problems come up in ways that make little to no sense.
Characters are still place holders for character traits but when half the cast gets pushed aside the story and characterization does improve.
The bad:
The animation... as much as i am not impressed with Kyo-ani this would have looked a lot better had they done it instead of the people who i think did it (JC Staff?) i just... the animation feels really lazy, intro and ending songs look great but the show itself just look static and flat.
so Moe.... so very very moe....
The surprising:
The show never made me cry.
not once
I cry at the drop of a hat, you can mentions things in passing that have made me cry in the past and i may tear up or find it hard to speak... i am possibly the biggest cry baby ever... but no... for this... nothing.
When the really dark theme i refuse to spoil was brought up i nearly cried... mostly cause it hit too close to home... but then it was back to happy and no work for all the reward and those watery eyes dried up quickly.
I didn't care about the characters enough to get invested in it. in 38 episodes this show couldn't get to care.... thats a bit of a problem.
I know i sound like a i hated this show... but i think it's more complicated then that.
Do i begrudge watching it all? not really
will i watch it again? no
will i recommend it to people? probably not... unless they wanna laugh about magical narcolepsy
The first season is painful but if you can sit through it the second one isn't that bad... but if you want more interesting stories about life and the hardships in it then watch Kanon (2006) or Clannad. Both are infinitely better.
I still think had it been a story about childhood friends with little in common now that they are older it would have been way more interesting but hey... what do i know.
Thursday, 26 December 2013
Completed: Gingitsune: Meesanger of the Fox Gods
Aka Silver Fox
So in my first impressions i mentioned that i hoped it would be good.
*sighs*
it's not bad... it's just kinda... there.
i've mentioned it before but sometimes i feel like they make shows about something that isn't a cool or interesting in hopes of making it more interesting.
thats what this feels like, it feels like it is more focused on teaching people how to properly do things at a shrine then instead of having a plot.
i mean it's cute and has some sweet moments but there's not much in the way of character arcs or plot or reason, i haven't given a synopsis cause i can't say much more then "girls daily life in a shrine where she can see the spirit who lives there"
i don't mind slice of life, but there still needs to be a point to it.
maybe theres another season of this in the works where something happens? maybe theres a manga that continues on and get really interesting but going off My Anime List this is all that's there is (anime wise) for now and based off that i have to say take a pass.
Unless you like slow shows where practically nothing happens... then you may really like it... i don't.
Granted, i'm not feeling well so i could just be grumpy cause of that but it really just felt like "here are some cute moments and now it's over... so come visit the shrine if you want we'll be waiting! and now you know how to do everything properly cause we taught you! wasn't that kind and considerate of us?"
so yeah... um.
The good
well acted, the character designs are all diverse enough that i know who everyone is... the animation is decent as well.
Not so good:
Character motivations make little to no sense in some situations, not character growth or development and we never learn what happened to Kintaro who was Gintaro's partner until they suddenly vanished.
The bad:
Nothing happens, nothing is resolved, no plot thread is tied off and no one seems to care.
also not a fan of the music... they have these saxophone sounding bits and it just doesn't fit the mood at all and makes it sound like it was made in the late 80s
But yeah, the show isn't terrible. it's just not as good or interesting as i was hoping and that makes me a little sad.
So in my first impressions i mentioned that i hoped it would be good.
*sighs*
it's not bad... it's just kinda... there.
i've mentioned it before but sometimes i feel like they make shows about something that isn't a cool or interesting in hopes of making it more interesting.
thats what this feels like, it feels like it is more focused on teaching people how to properly do things at a shrine then instead of having a plot.
i mean it's cute and has some sweet moments but there's not much in the way of character arcs or plot or reason, i haven't given a synopsis cause i can't say much more then "girls daily life in a shrine where she can see the spirit who lives there"
i don't mind slice of life, but there still needs to be a point to it.
maybe theres another season of this in the works where something happens? maybe theres a manga that continues on and get really interesting but going off My Anime List this is all that's there is (anime wise) for now and based off that i have to say take a pass.
Unless you like slow shows where practically nothing happens... then you may really like it... i don't.
Granted, i'm not feeling well so i could just be grumpy cause of that but it really just felt like "here are some cute moments and now it's over... so come visit the shrine if you want we'll be waiting! and now you know how to do everything properly cause we taught you! wasn't that kind and considerate of us?"
so yeah... um.
The good
well acted, the character designs are all diverse enough that i know who everyone is... the animation is decent as well.
Not so good:
Character motivations make little to no sense in some situations, not character growth or development and we never learn what happened to Kintaro who was Gintaro's partner until they suddenly vanished.
The bad:
Nothing happens, nothing is resolved, no plot thread is tied off and no one seems to care.
also not a fan of the music... they have these saxophone sounding bits and it just doesn't fit the mood at all and makes it sound like it was made in the late 80s
But yeah, the show isn't terrible. it's just not as good or interesting as i was hoping and that makes me a little sad.
Wednesday, 25 December 2013
Completed: Persona 4 Golden
Yes i spent much of christmas eve beating this game... in the end i don't care lol
So.... even though no one cares it's STORY TIME. (also spoilers cause... i can't talk about much without spoiling key plot points)
Dec 8/ 08
I get a phone call...
"Hello it's you local game store and we are getting in Persona 4 tomorrow, we only have a few of the preorder artbooks so if you want it come early."
Dec 9/08
I get the game and the preorder bonus and look through it... and immediately get spoiled on the ending...
well..... damn.
Still.... i continue to play it.
until i get to Kanji's Dungeon and a few floors up i remember encountering the one thing i LOATH about this series.
Protagonist (who i'm going to call Yu from now on cause it's what the anime called him) was Hama-ed
Hama is one of two series of attack that insta kill a character, the other one being Mudo.
if Yu dies, it's game over...
even if you have a character with Recarm series spell (revives)... even if you have items that revive... it does not matter... if yu dies it's game over.
The ONLY exception is if you have a homunculous which will take the fatal hit for you.
i didn't have a homunculous and lost a chunk of progress.
this pissed me off so much i put the game down for a long time.
I did eventually get back to it but certain things kept happening.
I would either get another game and play it for a while cause Persona games are LONG.
or
my ps2 would outright threaten to die... it's still alive but even now it's a finicky little creature.
I got to the 'Hospital part' just before the 'deciding which ending you get' section.... so... pretty far.
then i think i ended up unplugging it for some reason and almost never plugged it back in... there are quite a few ps2 games i would love to finish (this was technically one of them) but i honestly think my system will blow up if i try... i'm surprised it played Ys 6 with little fuss.
anyways YEARS passed... occasionally i'd think i would love beat that game... but ps2 hates me and i don't own a vita.
Then Celceta came out...
bought a vita.... then thanks to a gift card and sale i managed to get this game for 5 dollars.
And now... on 24th 2013 i have completed this 5 year struggle.
BUT STORY TIME MUST CONTINUE.
My first time hearing about the persona series was in highschool, all my friends were complaining that they couldn't play girl characters and date akihiko.... hearing this from both my male and female friends made me interested.
"What Game?"
"Persona 3, you should get it but FES comes out in a few days... get that version instead"
"persona 3 Fes?" i was confused.... did i need to play 1 and 2? i had never heard of the series before.
then my friend nodded. " come over to my place and i'll let you play a little so you can see what it's like... i think you'll enjoy it... but it is long.
so i give it a try and pretty quickly, despite the gimmick of shooting yourself in the head, find it really fun and interesting.
"you said it was long.... why?"
"well you play out an entire in game year.... the box says it's 80 hours but i think i'll end up way past that...."
80 hours?!
i hadn't heard of a jrpg being that long before.... most would average 40....
"really? wow... i mean... i tend to beat games in half the recommended time but still... thats really long...." i honestly didn't believe it.
so FES came out, i bought it and over time and exactly 85 hours later i beat it.
and yeah... i loved it...
even at the hospital scene i think i was well over 80 hours....
so yeah... STORY TIME OVER..... for now...
onto what i thought.
Dec 8/13
Hey my package came early... this wasn't supposed to arrive till the 10th...
Dec 24/13
After playing a ton but also speeding through it cause technically this is a second play through. you finally get to do what everyone seems to have to do...
pull up a guild to figure out how to get the true ending.
yeah... i will admit... i used a guild for a few things... this, for me, falls into a guild dang it! trope because most of the stuff it HEAVILY based in japanese culture and while i know quite a bit... i do not know enough for this game.
So yeah... how i played was For the School quizzes, i mentally pick the one i think/know is right and then i would look up the right answer... until my classmate social links were maxed and same with my intelligence.... cause after that it really doesn't matter.
Also... the cooking... same thing, i would pick the one i thought was right and then look up the correct answer in order to get closer to my friends.
but thats not all.
I did the hospital section without a guild and got bad end 2.... i'll probably check out bad end 1 and 3 later... btu yeah i had to look up a guild for that cause it takes a long time to get to that part... and i didn't wanna screw it up again... plus i never would have gotten the final answer correct.
Finally - i looked up the requirements for true end cause i was NOT playing this game a third time (except to check out some new game plus.) and to be fair... the game tries to trick you into taking regular end so.... yeah...
so yeah... lots of help from the internet... but i'm 99.9% sure i'm not the only one who needed help.
As i mentioned before you play out a full in game year, there are a few time skips but very few large ones (if you beat the december dungeon early it can create a time skip thats rather large and kinda detrimental if you want true end)
You are Yu Narakami (aka protagonist/you pick his name) and your mother has dumped you on your uncle for the year cause of reasons.
he has a daughter named nanako who is very shy but quickly warms up to you... but otherwise it's a quiet town where nothing happens.
that is until a reporter is found hanging upside-down dead from unknown causes from a telephone wire...
and then a few days later the first person to find her is found in a similar state.
Odd things styart happening, this program called the midnight channel is supposed to show you your soul mate but instead seems to show the next victim... and this time it's someone from class...
oh... and yo just happen to be able to pass through a television... cause... uh.... why not...
so you think the tv and the victems are connected and you with the help of friends have to go in there and save the poor victims so their wont be any more murders.
you also have to figure out how/why this is all happening... and you have yo do it before march 20th.
BUT THATS NOT ALL
cause aisde from being a murder mystery dungeon crawler this game is also a life sim.
you get to join school clubs, have part time jobs... make lots of friends and all in the hopes of making you social bonds stronger so you can summon stronger persona's to fight the evil shadows.
It may sound like a lot to cram into one game but honestly the persona series does a perfect job of it.
and persona 4 golden, the vita version, crams even more stuff... added events, more cut scenes and a crap load of costumes... cause who doesn't wanna have them fight in power ranger type outfits?
but honestly... who cares about any of that...
the second i found out the gimmick for this game was that all the characters had to wear glasses i was way happier then i should have been. can't help what i like.
so yeah... before i get to the good and bad i wanna mention the ending.
it is completely worth the effort and 2 extra dungeons to get the true ending... apparently theres something about a secret boss that can only be beaten on playthrough 2 but yeah... no...
but i just loved seeing what they did and it was all just so sweet
ok
The good
so much content and unlike the end of three it doesn't get as stale especially with the two final 'secret' dungeons... the penultimate one probably being my favorite.
the characters are all very diverse and very real feeling... most of these are problems we can all relate to... well not entirely but aspects about them.
the combat is a lot of fun and even though when i first played a person game i had no idea how i would remember what Agi, Bufu, Garu and Zio were but now i know they are fire, ice, wind and electricity.
you can pick your difficulty and it wont punish you... i may or may not have mentioned this before... SMT type games tend to be brutally hard and i'm always stupid enough to try them on hard... screw that... easy mode from here on with atlus games... i play for the story... not the challenge.
Speaking of the story it's really really good and i can't think of a moment where it drags it's feet except for the points where you are prepairing for the next case and honestly most of the times you have exams or social links to complete... there is always something to do.
The not so good.
Chie.... her voice... i didn't remember it bugging me this much before and thats cause apparently they changed it... i got used to it near the end but i felt like she was shouting all the time. now to be fair... i never liked chie as a character but yeah... she really rubbed me the wrong way.
back when i first played the game Kanji and naoto's story lines were like nothing i had ever seen in a game before and it was really
being 5 years older i realize WOW did they ever cheap out on both of those.
well kinda... Kanji's they do kinda deal with in his social link (i mean they focus more on it's okay to like cute things despite your gender which is a good message) but still it really feels like someone wanted him to be a certain way and someone said "no you can't do that"
I am of course talking about if Kanji is or is not Gay.
my opinion? i always assumed he was more pansexual since gender doesn't seem to matter to him... he just likes who he likes. but considering the most canon ship from the series is him with naoto i can see why people argue that he's not gay. in the end, it doesn't matter... he in Kanji and thats all that matters....
But speaking of naoto, a woman wanting to be in a male driven job so badly that she actually acts, talks and dresses like a man is a very interesting concept since she does look like a very pretty boy until the twist... but man did they chicken out... not only do they completely throw aside the fact that she doesn't feel like she was born in the right skin they never really address it again... not even in her social link which is essentially "being a detective is fun"... i just would have liked to see her overcome the gender stereotypes that would stop people from taking her seriously at work and show that you can be a girl in a boys world and still be heard... that is a much more important message in my mind. and they kinda touch on it... but she comes so late into the story that i get why they dont develop her more.
The bad
It's over...
when something has been around unfinished for 5 years.... beating it was a little sad.
i'm happy i did it, but still... i wish their was more... a persona 4 2 perhaps?
oh well in the end i'm just happy that persona 5 is a thing that is happening
even though i have found that handhelds are the best way to play these long jrpgs
now to wait for disgaea 3 to arrive...
and for now cause i spent too long writing this.
Dec 25/13
Merry Christmas, i hope your day is full of cheer.
also which do i like more? 3 or 4?
i like how 3 had people randomly not show up to the midnight hour and the stamina system and i wish 4 had something like that cause i just eneded up using Yukiko, yosuke and Kanji the entire time... i alos though 3's final boss while very long was truly well done.
but overall... i like 4 more, it felt more like a cohesive tale and the reason for the end date makes a lot more sense.
but yeah bot hare good... now to see if i can wrap my head around 1 or 2 (which i have on handheld)... ugh maybe some other time.
night everyone!
Also cause i forgot to mention my play time for this was 66 hours and 10 minutes but it was only that short cause i was trying really hard to catch up to where i was. if you take your time I can see this EASILY being a 100 hour game.
So.... even though no one cares it's STORY TIME. (also spoilers cause... i can't talk about much without spoiling key plot points)
Dec 8/ 08
I get a phone call...
"Hello it's you local game store and we are getting in Persona 4 tomorrow, we only have a few of the preorder artbooks so if you want it come early."
Dec 9/08
I get the game and the preorder bonus and look through it... and immediately get spoiled on the ending...
well..... damn.
Still.... i continue to play it.
until i get to Kanji's Dungeon and a few floors up i remember encountering the one thing i LOATH about this series.
Protagonist (who i'm going to call Yu from now on cause it's what the anime called him) was Hama-ed
Hama is one of two series of attack that insta kill a character, the other one being Mudo.
if Yu dies, it's game over...
even if you have a character with Recarm series spell (revives)... even if you have items that revive... it does not matter... if yu dies it's game over.
The ONLY exception is if you have a homunculous which will take the fatal hit for you.
i didn't have a homunculous and lost a chunk of progress.
this pissed me off so much i put the game down for a long time.
I did eventually get back to it but certain things kept happening.
I would either get another game and play it for a while cause Persona games are LONG.
or
my ps2 would outright threaten to die... it's still alive but even now it's a finicky little creature.
I got to the 'Hospital part' just before the 'deciding which ending you get' section.... so... pretty far.
then i think i ended up unplugging it for some reason and almost never plugged it back in... there are quite a few ps2 games i would love to finish (this was technically one of them) but i honestly think my system will blow up if i try... i'm surprised it played Ys 6 with little fuss.
anyways YEARS passed... occasionally i'd think i would love beat that game... but ps2 hates me and i don't own a vita.
Then Celceta came out...
bought a vita.... then thanks to a gift card and sale i managed to get this game for 5 dollars.
And now... on 24th 2013 i have completed this 5 year struggle.
BUT STORY TIME MUST CONTINUE.
My first time hearing about the persona series was in highschool, all my friends were complaining that they couldn't play girl characters and date akihiko.... hearing this from both my male and female friends made me interested.
"What Game?"
"Persona 3, you should get it but FES comes out in a few days... get that version instead"
"persona 3 Fes?" i was confused.... did i need to play 1 and 2? i had never heard of the series before.
then my friend nodded. " come over to my place and i'll let you play a little so you can see what it's like... i think you'll enjoy it... but it is long.
so i give it a try and pretty quickly, despite the gimmick of shooting yourself in the head, find it really fun and interesting.
"you said it was long.... why?"
"well you play out an entire in game year.... the box says it's 80 hours but i think i'll end up way past that...."
80 hours?!
i hadn't heard of a jrpg being that long before.... most would average 40....
"really? wow... i mean... i tend to beat games in half the recommended time but still... thats really long...." i honestly didn't believe it.
so FES came out, i bought it and over time and exactly 85 hours later i beat it.
and yeah... i loved it...
even at the hospital scene i think i was well over 80 hours....
so yeah... STORY TIME OVER..... for now...
onto what i thought.
Dec 8/13
Hey my package came early... this wasn't supposed to arrive till the 10th...
Dec 24/13
After playing a ton but also speeding through it cause technically this is a second play through. you finally get to do what everyone seems to have to do...
pull up a guild to figure out how to get the true ending.
yeah... i will admit... i used a guild for a few things... this, for me, falls into a guild dang it! trope because most of the stuff it HEAVILY based in japanese culture and while i know quite a bit... i do not know enough for this game.
So yeah... how i played was For the School quizzes, i mentally pick the one i think/know is right and then i would look up the right answer... until my classmate social links were maxed and same with my intelligence.... cause after that it really doesn't matter.
Also... the cooking... same thing, i would pick the one i thought was right and then look up the correct answer in order to get closer to my friends.
but thats not all.
I did the hospital section without a guild and got bad end 2.... i'll probably check out bad end 1 and 3 later... btu yeah i had to look up a guild for that cause it takes a long time to get to that part... and i didn't wanna screw it up again... plus i never would have gotten the final answer correct.
Finally - i looked up the requirements for true end cause i was NOT playing this game a third time (except to check out some new game plus.) and to be fair... the game tries to trick you into taking regular end so.... yeah...
so yeah... lots of help from the internet... but i'm 99.9% sure i'm not the only one who needed help.
As i mentioned before you play out a full in game year, there are a few time skips but very few large ones (if you beat the december dungeon early it can create a time skip thats rather large and kinda detrimental if you want true end)
You are Yu Narakami (aka protagonist/you pick his name) and your mother has dumped you on your uncle for the year cause of reasons.
he has a daughter named nanako who is very shy but quickly warms up to you... but otherwise it's a quiet town where nothing happens.
that is until a reporter is found hanging upside-down dead from unknown causes from a telephone wire...
and then a few days later the first person to find her is found in a similar state.
Odd things styart happening, this program called the midnight channel is supposed to show you your soul mate but instead seems to show the next victim... and this time it's someone from class...
oh... and yo just happen to be able to pass through a television... cause... uh.... why not...
so you think the tv and the victems are connected and you with the help of friends have to go in there and save the poor victims so their wont be any more murders.
you also have to figure out how/why this is all happening... and you have yo do it before march 20th.
BUT THATS NOT ALL
cause aisde from being a murder mystery dungeon crawler this game is also a life sim.
you get to join school clubs, have part time jobs... make lots of friends and all in the hopes of making you social bonds stronger so you can summon stronger persona's to fight the evil shadows.
It may sound like a lot to cram into one game but honestly the persona series does a perfect job of it.
and persona 4 golden, the vita version, crams even more stuff... added events, more cut scenes and a crap load of costumes... cause who doesn't wanna have them fight in power ranger type outfits?
but honestly... who cares about any of that...
the second i found out the gimmick for this game was that all the characters had to wear glasses i was way happier then i should have been. can't help what i like.
so yeah... before i get to the good and bad i wanna mention the ending.
it is completely worth the effort and 2 extra dungeons to get the true ending... apparently theres something about a secret boss that can only be beaten on playthrough 2 but yeah... no...
but i just loved seeing what they did and it was all just so sweet
ok
The good
so much content and unlike the end of three it doesn't get as stale especially with the two final 'secret' dungeons... the penultimate one probably being my favorite.
the characters are all very diverse and very real feeling... most of these are problems we can all relate to... well not entirely but aspects about them.
the combat is a lot of fun and even though when i first played a person game i had no idea how i would remember what Agi, Bufu, Garu and Zio were but now i know they are fire, ice, wind and electricity.
you can pick your difficulty and it wont punish you... i may or may not have mentioned this before... SMT type games tend to be brutally hard and i'm always stupid enough to try them on hard... screw that... easy mode from here on with atlus games... i play for the story... not the challenge.
Speaking of the story it's really really good and i can't think of a moment where it drags it's feet except for the points where you are prepairing for the next case and honestly most of the times you have exams or social links to complete... there is always something to do.
The not so good.
Chie.... her voice... i didn't remember it bugging me this much before and thats cause apparently they changed it... i got used to it near the end but i felt like she was shouting all the time. now to be fair... i never liked chie as a character but yeah... she really rubbed me the wrong way.
back when i first played the game Kanji and naoto's story lines were like nothing i had ever seen in a game before and it was really
being 5 years older i realize WOW did they ever cheap out on both of those.
well kinda... Kanji's they do kinda deal with in his social link (i mean they focus more on it's okay to like cute things despite your gender which is a good message) but still it really feels like someone wanted him to be a certain way and someone said "no you can't do that"
I am of course talking about if Kanji is or is not Gay.
my opinion? i always assumed he was more pansexual since gender doesn't seem to matter to him... he just likes who he likes. but considering the most canon ship from the series is him with naoto i can see why people argue that he's not gay. in the end, it doesn't matter... he in Kanji and thats all that matters....
But speaking of naoto, a woman wanting to be in a male driven job so badly that she actually acts, talks and dresses like a man is a very interesting concept since she does look like a very pretty boy until the twist... but man did they chicken out... not only do they completely throw aside the fact that she doesn't feel like she was born in the right skin they never really address it again... not even in her social link which is essentially "being a detective is fun"... i just would have liked to see her overcome the gender stereotypes that would stop people from taking her seriously at work and show that you can be a girl in a boys world and still be heard... that is a much more important message in my mind. and they kinda touch on it... but she comes so late into the story that i get why they dont develop her more.
The bad
It's over...
when something has been around unfinished for 5 years.... beating it was a little sad.
i'm happy i did it, but still... i wish their was more... a persona 4 2 perhaps?
oh well in the end i'm just happy that persona 5 is a thing that is happening
even though i have found that handhelds are the best way to play these long jrpgs
now to wait for disgaea 3 to arrive...
and for now cause i spent too long writing this.
Dec 25/13
Merry Christmas, i hope your day is full of cheer.
also which do i like more? 3 or 4?
i like how 3 had people randomly not show up to the midnight hour and the stamina system and i wish 4 had something like that cause i just eneded up using Yukiko, yosuke and Kanji the entire time... i alos though 3's final boss while very long was truly well done.
but overall... i like 4 more, it felt more like a cohesive tale and the reason for the end date makes a lot more sense.
but yeah bot hare good... now to see if i can wrap my head around 1 or 2 (which i have on handheld)... ugh maybe some other time.
night everyone!
Also cause i forgot to mention my play time for this was 66 hours and 10 minutes but it was only that short cause i was trying really hard to catch up to where i was. if you take your time I can see this EASILY being a 100 hour game.
Monday, 23 December 2013
My Christmas Movie List
Above everything else the thing i look forward to the most about christmas is getting together as a family and watching some festive movies.
But as i've gotten older i have found the films that I deem as holiday differ from everyone i know.
I mean.. .don't get me wrong, miracle on 34th street is super cute and charming and a christmas story has a lot of nostalgia for a lot of people... not for me...
i like the more.... non-tradtional films.
well not completely... have to have some classics in there.
So here is a list (in no real order) of films i enjoy over the holiday season.
First the obvious ones.
It's a Wonderful life and A Christmas Carol.
while i think both are pretty corny i don't mind watching them at this time of year.
but ONLY this time of year... no other time.
About a boy.
lots of christmas in the film and the way the parallel stories are told is very sweet.... also the characters dad wrote a christmas song.
The Holiday
Another parallel story film with an amazing score, also everyone is adorable and i just want to hug them all
Love actually
Lots of stories in this one showing how inter connected the world can be and that love atually is everywhere
Okay for some less 'traditional' films...
Trading Places.
well... it has a very drunk santa scene so... thats christmassy right?
Die Hard
yes, i consider it a christmas movie cause it takes place at a christmas party.
oh there blood, gore, violence and swearing? oh... okay... that doesn't change that it's a christmas film... besides it's a lot of over the top goofyness and it's just a lot of fun.
Lethal weapon
Again, like it or not it IS a christmas film... though not one of my favs.. .we do tend to have it on around the day though.
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.
it takes place just before Christmas and the titular character is planning a celebration amoung other things so yes... i call it a Christmas movie despite it having absolutely nothing to do with the holiday... I will just use any excuse i can to watch that wonderful 3 hour movie.
Jesus Christ Superstar
okay.... not a christmas movie.... totally and easter movie... but you know what? it has really good music so i don't care...
The entire season of kanon 2006
cause... it takes place over winter... so thats good enough
AND FINALLY
the one film i watch every year without fail
The Ref
Imagine the most dysfunctional family ever, over christmas and they essentially get hijacked in there home by a robber on the loose
and it is HILARIOUS
i'd call it a dark comedy and some scenes may offend (apparently this one line aimed at the grandmother gets a reaction.... i never though it was that bad but yeah...) but it is such a well done film and i love the arc everyone goes through.
and again.... really funny
so thats my list of holiday films~ it's a little odd but so am i... so it works out.
But as i've gotten older i have found the films that I deem as holiday differ from everyone i know.
I mean.. .don't get me wrong, miracle on 34th street is super cute and charming and a christmas story has a lot of nostalgia for a lot of people... not for me...
i like the more.... non-tradtional films.
well not completely... have to have some classics in there.
So here is a list (in no real order) of films i enjoy over the holiday season.
First the obvious ones.
It's a Wonderful life and A Christmas Carol.
while i think both are pretty corny i don't mind watching them at this time of year.
but ONLY this time of year... no other time.
About a boy.
lots of christmas in the film and the way the parallel stories are told is very sweet.... also the characters dad wrote a christmas song.
The Holiday
Another parallel story film with an amazing score, also everyone is adorable and i just want to hug them all
Love actually
Lots of stories in this one showing how inter connected the world can be and that love atually is everywhere
Okay for some less 'traditional' films...
Trading Places.
well... it has a very drunk santa scene so... thats christmassy right?
Die Hard
yes, i consider it a christmas movie cause it takes place at a christmas party.
oh there blood, gore, violence and swearing? oh... okay... that doesn't change that it's a christmas film... besides it's a lot of over the top goofyness and it's just a lot of fun.
Lethal weapon
Again, like it or not it IS a christmas film... though not one of my favs.. .we do tend to have it on around the day though.
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.
it takes place just before Christmas and the titular character is planning a celebration amoung other things so yes... i call it a Christmas movie despite it having absolutely nothing to do with the holiday... I will just use any excuse i can to watch that wonderful 3 hour movie.
Jesus Christ Superstar
okay.... not a christmas movie.... totally and easter movie... but you know what? it has really good music so i don't care...
The entire season of kanon 2006
cause... it takes place over winter... so thats good enough
AND FINALLY
the one film i watch every year without fail
The Ref
Imagine the most dysfunctional family ever, over christmas and they essentially get hijacked in there home by a robber on the loose
and it is HILARIOUS
i'd call it a dark comedy and some scenes may offend (apparently this one line aimed at the grandmother gets a reaction.... i never though it was that bad but yeah...) but it is such a well done film and i love the arc everyone goes through.
and again.... really funny
so thats my list of holiday films~ it's a little odd but so am i... so it works out.
Friday, 20 December 2013
Mid Point: Golden time
I don't tend to do halfway through reviews but.... ugh i need to get some stuff off my chest.
I will be spoiling some things that have happened in the show but i'll try to not spoil any plot twists.
So.... Big spoiler out of the way but it's not really a spoiler if you have seen the intro song.
Kago Koko and Tada Banri are going out.
So... let me tell you why this isn't cute.
at all
it's actually really creepy.
This a woman who has already written out the script to her life... she just needs to act it out.
At first it was by making up fantasies about her and her childhood friend but when he makes it quite clear he doesn't like her stalking batshit crazy tendencies (i mean she figured out what school he's going to and enrolls in the same program not cause it's what she wants but because it means they will be together)
but then when the other boy shows sings of liking him she starts to shift.
but then when he asks her out she turns him down and then asks him out the next day since in the story she's playing out she had to be the one to ask him out...
um... i have nothing against girls asking boys out... i do have an issue with one person trying to control every aspect of another person.
he wants to get a job so he can have money to buy things/trips for her.... nope he can't cause that would mean she can't spend more time with him.
He can't be around another woman cause being around another female when the girlfriend is not around is essentially cheating.... ignorin the fact that he was friends with them before she ever came into the picture and for most of them there is no romantic feelings involved.
so when he collapses and is taken care of first by his neighbor and then a friend both he and the neighbor know she gets psychotic and i think even slaps her... how dare she take care of him even though she called her immediately.
then there was todays episode.
well yesterday... i wasn't feeling well enough to watch stuff... anyways... episode 12
he disobeys kaga koko, gets a job as a cross dressing waiter at an event, lies to her saying he was busy with school work and they could hang out another time and that he probably couldn't answer her calls or texts... and then proceeds to earn a little money.
she responds to this by texting him 63 times in the span of a few hours
she calls hime a few times and goes around to any place he may including his house and wonders why he isn't there.
this is crazy.
the kid is allowed to live his own life... thats part of growing up and yeah... she claims she was worried about him but this sounds more like stalking then it does being in love.
then when she finds him he's with the one character part of him has feelings for and she loses her shit.
yes what they were doing was inappropriate but i'm sorry... he is essentially being stalked and had she just said "i think a job would be fun, can i work too" that situation would have never happened.
but no.... she has to take control of every part of his life.
and i really hope he ends up with the other girl cause he actually seems to like her... they have chemestry and it's not just "i'm sorry i'm so crazy, i'll try to be less crazy but i still may have bouts of crazy"
i'm sorry but someone as mentally unstable as her needs help and she's not going to get it if everyone enables her to continue being this crazy. you cannot control someone elses life like this.
you cannot tell a person what they are allowed to do
or where thye are allowed to work
or who they are allowed to see
or to stop remembering the past cause that interferes with the present.
these things are not okay... and the fact that the show is playing it up as cute and endearing makes my skin crawl. She is only interested in writing her perfect life... most of the time it doesn't even seem like she cares about him and this is more about getting the first guys attention. if she actualyl cared for him... i may not mind if she was slightly obsessive but it's just too contorlling.
so why am i still watching?
i dunno... it's by the person who did toradora and that was utterly sincere and adorable and i wanna know how they went from that to this?
am i just over reacting? is my biased aversion to controlling personalities showing? or am i right in thinking that this relationship is more then a little toxic?
I will be spoiling some things that have happened in the show but i'll try to not spoil any plot twists.
So.... Big spoiler out of the way but it's not really a spoiler if you have seen the intro song.
Kago Koko and Tada Banri are going out.
So... let me tell you why this isn't cute.
at all
it's actually really creepy.
This a woman who has already written out the script to her life... she just needs to act it out.
At first it was by making up fantasies about her and her childhood friend but when he makes it quite clear he doesn't like her stalking batshit crazy tendencies (i mean she figured out what school he's going to and enrolls in the same program not cause it's what she wants but because it means they will be together)
but then when the other boy shows sings of liking him she starts to shift.
but then when he asks her out she turns him down and then asks him out the next day since in the story she's playing out she had to be the one to ask him out...
um... i have nothing against girls asking boys out... i do have an issue with one person trying to control every aspect of another person.
he wants to get a job so he can have money to buy things/trips for her.... nope he can't cause that would mean she can't spend more time with him.
He can't be around another woman cause being around another female when the girlfriend is not around is essentially cheating.... ignorin the fact that he was friends with them before she ever came into the picture and for most of them there is no romantic feelings involved.
so when he collapses and is taken care of first by his neighbor and then a friend both he and the neighbor know she gets psychotic and i think even slaps her... how dare she take care of him even though she called her immediately.
then there was todays episode.
well yesterday... i wasn't feeling well enough to watch stuff... anyways... episode 12
he disobeys kaga koko, gets a job as a cross dressing waiter at an event, lies to her saying he was busy with school work and they could hang out another time and that he probably couldn't answer her calls or texts... and then proceeds to earn a little money.
she responds to this by texting him 63 times in the span of a few hours
she calls hime a few times and goes around to any place he may including his house and wonders why he isn't there.
this is crazy.
the kid is allowed to live his own life... thats part of growing up and yeah... she claims she was worried about him but this sounds more like stalking then it does being in love.
then when she finds him he's with the one character part of him has feelings for and she loses her shit.
yes what they were doing was inappropriate but i'm sorry... he is essentially being stalked and had she just said "i think a job would be fun, can i work too" that situation would have never happened.
but no.... she has to take control of every part of his life.
and i really hope he ends up with the other girl cause he actually seems to like her... they have chemestry and it's not just "i'm sorry i'm so crazy, i'll try to be less crazy but i still may have bouts of crazy"
i'm sorry but someone as mentally unstable as her needs help and she's not going to get it if everyone enables her to continue being this crazy. you cannot control someone elses life like this.
you cannot tell a person what they are allowed to do
or where thye are allowed to work
or who they are allowed to see
or to stop remembering the past cause that interferes with the present.
these things are not okay... and the fact that the show is playing it up as cute and endearing makes my skin crawl. She is only interested in writing her perfect life... most of the time it doesn't even seem like she cares about him and this is more about getting the first guys attention. if she actualyl cared for him... i may not mind if she was slightly obsessive but it's just too contorlling.
so why am i still watching?
i dunno... it's by the person who did toradora and that was utterly sincere and adorable and i wanna know how they went from that to this?
am i just over reacting? is my biased aversion to controlling personalities showing? or am i right in thinking that this relationship is more then a little toxic?
Thursday, 19 December 2013
taking stock
so today it finally hit me that we are almost at the end of the season for anime... 'winter 2014' should start in a few weeks...
then i remembered i'm watching an obscene amount of shows this season... and that they are all between thursday-monday with thursday and saturday both having 3 shows updating.
so... considering i watch (or try to) the episodes as soon as they come out i was a little worried i'd be bombarding you with my little completing rambles.
then Samurai Flamenco mentioned it was getting season2 stuff ready.... so if it rolls right into the next season i wont mention anything... so... i wondered how many are actualyl ending.
Thursday:
Nagi No Asakura - 26 episodes and most likely rolling right into the next season.
Samurai Flamenco - 22 epsiodes and rolling into the next season.
Goldent time: 24 epsiodes and rolling into the next season.
so..... winter 2014 i'll be bombarding you with stuff (if i continue with the shows of course) on thursday cause i'm sure i'll be watching new shows as well. but i don't think it'll overlap so thats nice...we'll see
Friday:
Strike the blood - 24 episodes and rolling into next season... though i kinda assume that with the pacing and i don't know if i'll continue...
Saturday:
Little Buesters ~Refrain~ - YES... finally something that ends this season... ok one thing to talk about... i'm good with that.
White Album 2 - also ending this season at 13 episodes.... ok two things to talk about but on the same day... may space it out a bit.
Kuroko's basketball 2 - 26 epsidoes, makes sense and htta means it will also roll into the winter season.
Sunday:
Gingitsune - 12 episodes so that actually ends in a few days... ok... .3 things to talk about... on a roll
Monday:
Yowamushi Pedal (aka yowapeda) - 38 epsidoes... so it actually rolls over two seasons... good i really like this show.
so yeah out of 9 shows i get to review 3 in the next few weeks...
5 next season not including nay new shows i pick up and 1 in spring, again not including new shows and new rollovers.
and here i thought i'd have a lot to talk about this season...
though i do wonder how i'll keep up with that when i go back to working 12 hours days.... i'll figure it out.
then i remembered i'm watching an obscene amount of shows this season... and that they are all between thursday-monday with thursday and saturday both having 3 shows updating.
so... considering i watch (or try to) the episodes as soon as they come out i was a little worried i'd be bombarding you with my little completing rambles.
then Samurai Flamenco mentioned it was getting season2 stuff ready.... so if it rolls right into the next season i wont mention anything... so... i wondered how many are actualyl ending.
Thursday:
Nagi No Asakura - 26 episodes and most likely rolling right into the next season.
Samurai Flamenco - 22 epsiodes and rolling into the next season.
Goldent time: 24 epsiodes and rolling into the next season.
so..... winter 2014 i'll be bombarding you with stuff (if i continue with the shows of course) on thursday cause i'm sure i'll be watching new shows as well. but i don't think it'll overlap so thats nice...we'll see
Friday:
Strike the blood - 24 episodes and rolling into next season... though i kinda assume that with the pacing and i don't know if i'll continue...
Saturday:
Little Buesters ~Refrain~ - YES... finally something that ends this season... ok one thing to talk about... i'm good with that.
White Album 2 - also ending this season at 13 episodes.... ok two things to talk about but on the same day... may space it out a bit.
Kuroko's basketball 2 - 26 epsidoes, makes sense and htta means it will also roll into the winter season.
Sunday:
Gingitsune - 12 episodes so that actually ends in a few days... ok... .3 things to talk about... on a roll
Monday:
Yowamushi Pedal (aka yowapeda) - 38 epsidoes... so it actually rolls over two seasons... good i really like this show.
so yeah out of 9 shows i get to review 3 in the next few weeks...
5 next season not including nay new shows i pick up and 1 in spring, again not including new shows and new rollovers.
and here i thought i'd have a lot to talk about this season...
though i do wonder how i'll keep up with that when i go back to working 12 hours days.... i'll figure it out.
Thursday, 12 December 2013
People are Awesome... busses not so much
just a random story from my day~
So today a friend from college called me up and we made plans for lunch. I haven't been able to see her much cause this particular year of her program has a lot of work and i've been tyring not to bug her... but it being the end of the semester but before she headed home it was the best time to meet up.
Now even though i have the beginnings of a license I can't drive so i hopped on the bus and headed to the restaurant.
while i was waiting for the bus a gentleman first said "is this the bus that goes to the school?"
"yes, it should arrive in a few minutes"
then something unexpected happened.
"Nice [insert name of a movie thats based off a video game] jacket"
"Thank you, a family member worked on the film so i ended up getting the crew gift."
"ah the film.... those are--"
"terrible, i know but still most people assume it's for the game so it's all good right?"
then something way more unexpected happened.
he started talking to me about the series, which was his favorite... all this crazy stuff he's done and how much he loves it.
he didn't assume that i was some fake nerd girl.
he didn't tell me i can't possibly be a nerd.
he just accepted the fact that with my Kitty winter hat and my jacket that i must be a fan of some nerdy things.
and even when i said "i haven't played that game" he never said well thats cause your not a real gamer or thats cause you are a chick...
he simply said "everyone has their own personal preferences"
then we started talking about anime of the season and it didn't come down to "if you don't like this show then you can't like anime" it was like "wow our tastes are pretty different and that is okay"
i'm starting to think i may have stepped into the twilight zone.
now if your wondering whats the big deal... well that has never happened to me before... i've been at cons and people have wondered why my boyfriend would drag me there... and when i say i'm there alone they tell me i'm lying. so to be in a situation where other then my hat i wasn't outwardly 'nerdy' and to have someone just strike up a convo and without questioning or sneering just accept that i like what i like.... that really made me smile.
then i found of the bus route i was on would happily drop people off on this one road but refused to pick them up... so after i met up with my friend and had lunch we waited to head back... the bus sailed past and we got to walk until we got to a bus stop that would pick us up lol.
i'm sorry but considering that the stop we were at was marked, there were no signs saying that busses wouldn't stop and it's really cold maybe you should pick up passengers... oh well.. ultimately it was a really good day and i may even have a job in a week or two... yay money
So today a friend from college called me up and we made plans for lunch. I haven't been able to see her much cause this particular year of her program has a lot of work and i've been tyring not to bug her... but it being the end of the semester but before she headed home it was the best time to meet up.
Now even though i have the beginnings of a license I can't drive so i hopped on the bus and headed to the restaurant.
while i was waiting for the bus a gentleman first said "is this the bus that goes to the school?"
"yes, it should arrive in a few minutes"
then something unexpected happened.
"Nice [insert name of a movie thats based off a video game] jacket"
"Thank you, a family member worked on the film so i ended up getting the crew gift."
"ah the film.... those are--"
"terrible, i know but still most people assume it's for the game so it's all good right?"
then something way more unexpected happened.
he started talking to me about the series, which was his favorite... all this crazy stuff he's done and how much he loves it.
he didn't assume that i was some fake nerd girl.
he didn't tell me i can't possibly be a nerd.
he just accepted the fact that with my Kitty winter hat and my jacket that i must be a fan of some nerdy things.
and even when i said "i haven't played that game" he never said well thats cause your not a real gamer or thats cause you are a chick...
he simply said "everyone has their own personal preferences"
then we started talking about anime of the season and it didn't come down to "if you don't like this show then you can't like anime" it was like "wow our tastes are pretty different and that is okay"
i'm starting to think i may have stepped into the twilight zone.
now if your wondering whats the big deal... well that has never happened to me before... i've been at cons and people have wondered why my boyfriend would drag me there... and when i say i'm there alone they tell me i'm lying. so to be in a situation where other then my hat i wasn't outwardly 'nerdy' and to have someone just strike up a convo and without questioning or sneering just accept that i like what i like.... that really made me smile.
then i found of the bus route i was on would happily drop people off on this one road but refused to pick them up... so after i met up with my friend and had lunch we waited to head back... the bus sailed past and we got to walk until we got to a bus stop that would pick us up lol.
i'm sorry but considering that the stop we were at was marked, there were no signs saying that busses wouldn't stop and it's really cold maybe you should pick up passengers... oh well.. ultimately it was a really good day and i may even have a job in a week or two... yay money
Monday, 9 December 2013
Completed: Puella Magi Madoka Magica 3 ~rebellion~
um...
uh....
so it started....
then stuff happened.... kinda....
then more but different stuff happened... kinda...
then it felt like it would end.... but didn't
then it ended.... but not really....
and then it ended for realsies and the audience almost in unison all said a single word very loudly.
"WHAT?!"
This film is unreviewable.... i can't say a single solitary thing without spoiling something.
all i can say it was not what i expected... and i'm pretty sure i don't understand much of it.
The good:
the visuals, as far as [classified] are concerned is really really neat and well animated.... the [classified] at the start looking like a [classified] is so cool to see in an otherwise anime setting.
the music is a mix of normal songs from the show and remixes of character themes.
when [classified] goes [classified] it really enjoyed the visual style they went with.
the not so good:
the pacing is weird.... cause it first starts off like [classified] and then your wondering [classified] and then it changes into more what we expected going in only to [classified] and then there are a lot of potential endings but then [classified] does something and you're left slack jawed. does that mean [classified]? was that really the only way to [classified]
[classified] was named [classified] instead of [classified] and it had me confused the entire time cause [classified] is her name isn't it?
The bad:
In the end it felt like it was trying a little too hard to be deep.... there is a 10 minute 'cutscene' of them [classified], a 5 minute scene about [classified] that somehow gets rid of the [classified]... neither add anything to the plot or development... it's just "look at us with our higher animating budget... pretty nifty eh?" and it is... it's is a lovely spectacle but not much substance.
I think i understand the end. [classified] did that so that [classified] would happen... but in the end it feels more like a lesson on why not to be [classified] cause it ends badly when you get that [classified] about anything.
it is a 'good' movie.... i kinda wanna go to the dec 15th screening as well just to see if a second viewing helps to clear things up.... i honestly don't think it will... which is why i wont go see it but yeah... if i had to compare it to the show... i like the show a bit better cause even with all the crazy shit that happened it all made sense and was cohesive. this feels like 4 parts strung together by a very thin thread...
and honestly i was expecting this to be a film about [classified] and we never see a single one which makes me think they wrote themselves into a corner
because i had been spoiled about [classified] i expected it to be more about [classified] and less about pure [classified]ness
so yeah good film... do not go in expecting to understand everything.... just go for the ride and think about it after it's done... but don't think too hard cause you will probably give yourself a headache...
maybe i need to go see the other two movies... i was told they were alternate retelligns and i wasn't missing much but i felt like i was missing something... especially about [classified]
but seriously [classified] how could you not look at your situation and automatically think [classified] when you say multiple times that it's impossible for [classified].. maybe it's possible cause of [classified]... i mean really!
ugh... ok... go see it if you like the show and have the chance....
uh....
so it started....
then stuff happened.... kinda....
then more but different stuff happened... kinda...
then it felt like it would end.... but didn't
then it ended.... but not really....
and then it ended for realsies and the audience almost in unison all said a single word very loudly.
"WHAT?!"
This film is unreviewable.... i can't say a single solitary thing without spoiling something.
all i can say it was not what i expected... and i'm pretty sure i don't understand much of it.
The good:
the visuals, as far as [classified] are concerned is really really neat and well animated.... the [classified] at the start looking like a [classified] is so cool to see in an otherwise anime setting.
the music is a mix of normal songs from the show and remixes of character themes.
when [classified] goes [classified] it really enjoyed the visual style they went with.
the not so good:
the pacing is weird.... cause it first starts off like [classified] and then your wondering [classified] and then it changes into more what we expected going in only to [classified] and then there are a lot of potential endings but then [classified] does something and you're left slack jawed. does that mean [classified]? was that really the only way to [classified]
[classified] was named [classified] instead of [classified] and it had me confused the entire time cause [classified] is her name isn't it?
The bad:
In the end it felt like it was trying a little too hard to be deep.... there is a 10 minute 'cutscene' of them [classified], a 5 minute scene about [classified] that somehow gets rid of the [classified]... neither add anything to the plot or development... it's just "look at us with our higher animating budget... pretty nifty eh?" and it is... it's is a lovely spectacle but not much substance.
I think i understand the end. [classified] did that so that [classified] would happen... but in the end it feels more like a lesson on why not to be [classified] cause it ends badly when you get that [classified] about anything.
it is a 'good' movie.... i kinda wanna go to the dec 15th screening as well just to see if a second viewing helps to clear things up.... i honestly don't think it will... which is why i wont go see it but yeah... if i had to compare it to the show... i like the show a bit better cause even with all the crazy shit that happened it all made sense and was cohesive. this feels like 4 parts strung together by a very thin thread...
and honestly i was expecting this to be a film about [classified] and we never see a single one which makes me think they wrote themselves into a corner
because i had been spoiled about [classified] i expected it to be more about [classified] and less about pure [classified]ness
so yeah good film... do not go in expecting to understand everything.... just go for the ride and think about it after it's done... but don't think too hard cause you will probably give yourself a headache...
maybe i need to go see the other two movies... i was told they were alternate retelligns and i wasn't missing much but i felt like i was missing something... especially about [classified]
but seriously [classified] how could you not look at your situation and automatically think [classified] when you say multiple times that it's impossible for [classified].. maybe it's possible cause of [classified]... i mean really!
ugh... ok... go see it if you like the show and have the chance....
Saturday, 7 December 2013
Completed: Gravity Rush (PS Vita)
big huge massive preface to this.
I am not good at video games.
i would call this one of the first games i've EVER played that uses both analog sticks as an integeral part of gameplay.
I do not tend to play Action games.... i'm very happy in my tiny little jrpg bubble.
HOWEVER.... expanding ones pallet is important in all mediums...
so even though gravity rush is not the type of game i'm used to playing... it was free with Playstation+ and honestly what did i have to lose?
Also i'm going to sound a little harsh but i did really enjoy the game.
okay.... thats out of the way? good.
Gravity rush is about an amnesiac girl who just happens to be able to bend gravity to her will thanks to her kitty cat.
The story mainly focuses on her finding herself which just happens to involve saving this town in the clouds.
any more then that would probably be spoilers so yeah...
i will say the tone is very.... french...
i honestly can't think of another way to describe it, the style of the music and design of the characters (ignoring that the characters have a heavy anime influence) all looks very french. Considering the original project (which wasn't even for the vita) was called Gravité I think i may just be onto something. still this entire game oozes with style and character and even though i'm not a fan of "action adventure" and "open world" games make me grumble i had a blast.
well... for the most part.
The good:
The gravity mechanic is really well done and although it took me a while to get used to it is quite easy to control (as long as your not trying to fight with the camera to find that enemy you need to attack)
The Cel-Shaded style is really really pretty and the comic book cutsceens add to this feeling of a living story book. it did have a bit too much bloom in some areas for my taste but overall this game is really pretty.
Collecting never felt like work, i had to focus on collecting gems in the world cause i SUCK at the challenges but it was never tricky... the world is littered with them and i maxed out the stats i wanted maxed out a chapter or two before the end of the game (health, gavity guage/recovery/ some attacks)
The Music... if i get a chance i plan to buy the soundtrack cause a lot of the songs are very nice... especially the one used in fights thats just uplifting.
The not so good:
this isn't really... a bad thing about the game but it feels kinda like a proof of concept demo. pretty much every 'gimmick' the VITA possesses is used. some well (the sliding is decently easy to control though i tended to oversteer) and some not so well (i'm a jerky player so to have things like aiming assited by the gyroscope was a bit of a pain... i turned it's sensitivity way down but it still got in the way sometimes. but yeah it's not a bad thing that it's showing the potential for the system in an unusual way but there were moments where i wondered. "would this mechanic be missed if the vita couldn't do this"
The Bad:
again... i suck at games...
but dammit the combat made me want to defenestrate my vita.
even with the attacks i used maxed out i would still be perfectly aimed up with a core and kat would go sailing right past it. I asked my friend if there was a targeting system.. he said touch the enemy but that didn't do anything.... so i asked twitter if i was missing something about combat and i was informed by @taylorsshelf (aka Shinkara) that if i put more into attacks it would home more... and it does but still... something like kingdom hearts were i can just target the enemy would have been truly loved. (though using buttons other then the shoulder ones since thats how you control gravity)
so... yeah i guess i'm saying if this game was purely environmental puzzles i would have been thrilled... hopefully gravity rush 2 (which i will get) will have 'better' combat (and when i say better i mean in a way that even someone like me who is terrible at games can get the hang of it)
but the best thing about this game
The main characters name is Kat
my name (well... shortned) is Kat
this pleases me very much
the fact that she has a cat (fav animal) and glows red (favourite colour)... yeah this game was tailor made for me.
the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger (kinda) so i'm really happy that 2 is in the works (though as far as i can tell it may be a whole before we actually get it)
So yeah if you have a vita, get the game, it may still be free on playstation plus (it may not... i'm new to all this PS + stuff cause i never owned a ps3.... though if gaikai isn't a thing by the time i get ps4/persona 5 comes out.... well then i guess i can probably find a cheap ps3 somewhere... maybe sony will release a slim version or something...)
Now i gotta start thinking about year end stuff...
and persona 4 golden should arrive in a few days (the only thing i got from 'black friday' sales and i only got it cause i already had 10 bucks off from amazon) then after i beat that i'll probably get disgaea 3 and we'll take it from there.
Thanks again to those that had to put up with my bitching about my sucking at the combat. i was just frustrated since this was fairly far out of my comfort zone. But in the end i did get through it, feeling pretty happy right now.
I am not good at video games.
i would call this one of the first games i've EVER played that uses both analog sticks as an integeral part of gameplay.
I do not tend to play Action games.... i'm very happy in my tiny little jrpg bubble.
HOWEVER.... expanding ones pallet is important in all mediums...
so even though gravity rush is not the type of game i'm used to playing... it was free with Playstation+ and honestly what did i have to lose?
Also i'm going to sound a little harsh but i did really enjoy the game.
okay.... thats out of the way? good.
Gravity rush is about an amnesiac girl who just happens to be able to bend gravity to her will thanks to her kitty cat.
The story mainly focuses on her finding herself which just happens to involve saving this town in the clouds.
any more then that would probably be spoilers so yeah...
i will say the tone is very.... french...
i honestly can't think of another way to describe it, the style of the music and design of the characters (ignoring that the characters have a heavy anime influence) all looks very french. Considering the original project (which wasn't even for the vita) was called Gravité I think i may just be onto something. still this entire game oozes with style and character and even though i'm not a fan of "action adventure" and "open world" games make me grumble i had a blast.
well... for the most part.
The good:
The gravity mechanic is really well done and although it took me a while to get used to it is quite easy to control (as long as your not trying to fight with the camera to find that enemy you need to attack)
The Cel-Shaded style is really really pretty and the comic book cutsceens add to this feeling of a living story book. it did have a bit too much bloom in some areas for my taste but overall this game is really pretty.
Collecting never felt like work, i had to focus on collecting gems in the world cause i SUCK at the challenges but it was never tricky... the world is littered with them and i maxed out the stats i wanted maxed out a chapter or two before the end of the game (health, gavity guage/recovery/ some attacks)
The Music... if i get a chance i plan to buy the soundtrack cause a lot of the songs are very nice... especially the one used in fights thats just uplifting.
The not so good:
this isn't really... a bad thing about the game but it feels kinda like a proof of concept demo. pretty much every 'gimmick' the VITA possesses is used. some well (the sliding is decently easy to control though i tended to oversteer) and some not so well (i'm a jerky player so to have things like aiming assited by the gyroscope was a bit of a pain... i turned it's sensitivity way down but it still got in the way sometimes. but yeah it's not a bad thing that it's showing the potential for the system in an unusual way but there were moments where i wondered. "would this mechanic be missed if the vita couldn't do this"
The Bad:
again... i suck at games...
but dammit the combat made me want to defenestrate my vita.
even with the attacks i used maxed out i would still be perfectly aimed up with a core and kat would go sailing right past it. I asked my friend if there was a targeting system.. he said touch the enemy but that didn't do anything.... so i asked twitter if i was missing something about combat and i was informed by @taylorsshelf (aka Shinkara) that if i put more into attacks it would home more... and it does but still... something like kingdom hearts were i can just target the enemy would have been truly loved. (though using buttons other then the shoulder ones since thats how you control gravity)
so... yeah i guess i'm saying if this game was purely environmental puzzles i would have been thrilled... hopefully gravity rush 2 (which i will get) will have 'better' combat (and when i say better i mean in a way that even someone like me who is terrible at games can get the hang of it)
but the best thing about this game
The main characters name is Kat
my name (well... shortned) is Kat
this pleases me very much
the fact that she has a cat (fav animal) and glows red (favourite colour)... yeah this game was tailor made for me.
the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger (kinda) so i'm really happy that 2 is in the works (though as far as i can tell it may be a whole before we actually get it)
So yeah if you have a vita, get the game, it may still be free on playstation plus (it may not... i'm new to all this PS + stuff cause i never owned a ps3.... though if gaikai isn't a thing by the time i get ps4/persona 5 comes out.... well then i guess i can probably find a cheap ps3 somewhere... maybe sony will release a slim version or something...)
Now i gotta start thinking about year end stuff...
and persona 4 golden should arrive in a few days (the only thing i got from 'black friday' sales and i only got it cause i already had 10 bucks off from amazon) then after i beat that i'll probably get disgaea 3 and we'll take it from there.
Thanks again to those that had to put up with my bitching about my sucking at the combat. i was just frustrated since this was fairly far out of my comfort zone. But in the end i did get through it, feeling pretty happy right now.
Friday, 6 December 2013
So i've been thinking....
and this is where everyone groans and turns away and yeah... you should cause... i'm gunna make no sense at all... blame this on being sick and having WAY TOO MUCH TIME on my hands.
Also blame it on me having just finished the light novels for haruhi suzumiya... and that i'm re-watching the show...
so yeah this is about haruhi.... and me thinking too much...
run while you can.
SO...
people always argue that i'm wrong when i say the names for the multiple orders...
i'm gunna explain my reasoning.... and you can agree or disagree... i don't care....
I call the Original Aired order the "kyon order" while pretty much everyone else calls it the Haruhi order.
my reason: if you watch the show in the order that Kyon sais is 1-14 you will watch the show out of order... therefor it's Kyons order.
I call the chronological order of the original airing "Haruhi's order" for the same reason, if you were to watch the original from 1-14 from the numbers she says it will be completely chronological because you'd have to rearrange it from the numbers kyon states.
then theres no debate on the third order.
Yuki's order is the order they are played on the dvd (which is chronological for everything except episode 00) it's yuki's order cause she introduces the episodes in that order.
but then i got thinking...
you know.... Mikuru and Koizumi are very important to the plot.... why don't they get orders...
i mean Mikuru technically gives a character the greatest key to changing the world... and in the novel koizumi is imperitive to the end.... they deserve orders... I (in my feverish haze) shall give them orders.
SO.... in 2009 they announced that they would rebroadcast the show 3 years after theyoriginally aired it... yay~ it would be chronological (i think 00 was again at the start instead of before live alive) but after the first set up episodes we got a new one... bamboo leaf rhapsody... .it was the start to our second season.
so this order that is chronological but has stories shoved in from the future is mikuru's order cause.... time traveller.... i think it fits.
but then what order can you possibly watch to make it the esper koizumi's order?
easy
any order of the first season followed by the seacon season without mixing the two together....
cause it makes no sense
just like koizumi.
*takes a bow* i think that medicine is starting to kick in...
but seriously...if you read this... well at least you can tell that i have way too much time on my hands and am probably a little nuts... it's bad enough that i'm watching a show this season and all i see is grown up kyon who became a cop.... more on that when it actually ends though...
Also blame it on me having just finished the light novels for haruhi suzumiya... and that i'm re-watching the show...
so yeah this is about haruhi.... and me thinking too much...
run while you can.
SO...
people always argue that i'm wrong when i say the names for the multiple orders...
i'm gunna explain my reasoning.... and you can agree or disagree... i don't care....
I call the Original Aired order the "kyon order" while pretty much everyone else calls it the Haruhi order.
my reason: if you watch the show in the order that Kyon sais is 1-14 you will watch the show out of order... therefor it's Kyons order.
I call the chronological order of the original airing "Haruhi's order" for the same reason, if you were to watch the original from 1-14 from the numbers she says it will be completely chronological because you'd have to rearrange it from the numbers kyon states.
then theres no debate on the third order.
Yuki's order is the order they are played on the dvd (which is chronological for everything except episode 00) it's yuki's order cause she introduces the episodes in that order.
but then i got thinking...
you know.... Mikuru and Koizumi are very important to the plot.... why don't they get orders...
i mean Mikuru technically gives a character the greatest key to changing the world... and in the novel koizumi is imperitive to the end.... they deserve orders... I (in my feverish haze) shall give them orders.
SO.... in 2009 they announced that they would rebroadcast the show 3 years after theyoriginally aired it... yay~ it would be chronological (i think 00 was again at the start instead of before live alive) but after the first set up episodes we got a new one... bamboo leaf rhapsody... .it was the start to our second season.
so this order that is chronological but has stories shoved in from the future is mikuru's order cause.... time traveller.... i think it fits.
but then what order can you possibly watch to make it the esper koizumi's order?
easy
any order of the first season followed by the seacon season without mixing the two together....
cause it makes no sense
just like koizumi.
*takes a bow* i think that medicine is starting to kick in...
but seriously...if you read this... well at least you can tell that i have way too much time on my hands and am probably a little nuts... it's bad enough that i'm watching a show this season and all i see is grown up kyon who became a cop.... more on that when it actually ends though...
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