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.
Thursday, 19 July 2012
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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