So, after having seen a new Homestarrunner short, I feel like indulging in Summer talk.
Today, I went to the library, hoping to school some graphic novels. Guess what? Nearly every comic book was checked out! I have never seen it so barren in my life! What, do all the kids power read Naruto during the summer break these days? Oh, summer break. Now I get it. All they had left was Inuyasha. Of all the comics I can recognize by name, that was all they had left. Fucking Inuyasha. Well then, looks like it's time for me to hit the bookstore!
Which is precisely what I did. I went to a bookstore. They actually had what I was looking for. And today, I power read an entire volume of a graphic novel today. Hey, they have chairs in there, you can 'try before you buy.' So today, I tried volume 1 of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle. Mainly because one of the characters is an alternate-reality version of Sakura Kinomoto. "OH NO! NOT-" You don't have to say it this time. But guess what? In Tsubasa, Sakura is still cute, sweet, lovable, and even, dare I say, pretty. She's not striking as, say, some of the women I know at school, or various Final Fantasy heroines, but I like her adorable appearance in both CCS and Tsubasa. Then again, I also like seeing Toya, Shaoran, Yukito, and Tomoyo again. Also, since this is the "CLAMP crossover megaseries," I also got introduced to players from XXXHolic, Chobits, and X/1999, or at least, those were the ones I recognize from various reviews I've read on animenewsnetwork.com. I especially like Sorata from X/1999. He reminds me of Maes Hughes from FMA, given his undying devotion to Arashi, and his upbeat nature. This is the second manga I've read from CLAMP, the first being CCS, and even though I've only seen one volume so far, I gotta say, Tsubasa is excellent, a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys fantasy graphic novels. Or manga, for you anal rententives out there. Or anyone more fluent in Japanese than in English.
I also stopped by Best Buy, and I bought a movie and a game. The movie I got is a movie everyone in my family loves: The Blues Brothers. That's one of the funniest movies ever. Also has one of the best soundtracks ever. I mean, look at the soundtrack: The theme from Peter Gunn, Think by Aretha Franklin, Jailhouse Rock, the theme from Rawhide, and even Flight of the Valkyries. I need to see that again.
The game I got was something my cousin wanted me to own; Gran Turismo 4. "What!? You bought a game popular with 'normal people!?' Yes. Yes I did. My cuz was dispappointed because I had no racing sims to play against me with. Well now I got the last one made for the PS2. Since the GT games are easier than the majority of 'realistic' racing games, it's rather relaxing for me to play them. Just pick a fast car, an easy track, blast Panama, and kick back. I kinda wish you could import your own music, though . . . I haven't played GT4 since it first came out in 2005. It was the first game I rented for my PS2. Yes, I got my PS2 in early 2005. I got one of the slimmer models. It was worth waiting four-and-a-half years after its initial release. I just might get one of the newer consoles after its been out for a few more years.
And that's my day. It's been good. But I wanna read more Tsubasa now. I have to know what happens! Curse you, manga authors, for always toying with my emotions like so!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Three moods
I have three different 'voices' you've seen; my cynical college kid voice, which is what you're hearing right now, my affectionate young adult voice, which I usually reserve for mushy stuff, and my adolescence-I-should've-had voice, which comes out when I talk about adolescent things like the Bleach manga.
If you don't know by now, I've seen everything pertaining to the anime version of Cardcaptor Sakura now.
OH NO! NOT SAKURA!
Don't worry, unless if I start collecting the manga version of CCS, you shouldn't hear me say that again. But yeah, I've seen all the episodes now, and I've seen the second movie, too. I really liked the anime, except I noticed there were a large number of filler episodes, which I felt bogged down my experience. Also, how many times does someone have to be interrupted when they're about to confess something? That's annoying. And that one kid who always made up lies was annoying. But otherwise, yeah, I still liked it.
And even then, the anime version of CCS has music, and Meilin. But the music, though, I really liked the songs Tomoyo sang. She has a really pretty voice . . . guh! See!? I just said something with my girly voice! But it's true; she had a really good voice, and I like being able to listen to music in another language. I also have MP3's of some of the opening and closing themes. It's great.
But yesterday, I saw the penultimate episode of Death Note. Whoa man, how many times has this series left me gasping for more! Dang, man, that's the biggest cliffhanger ever! And it looks like I'll be able to see the last episode on Indenpendence Day . . . no, not the movie. I can see it as early as the 4th of July. Once I have, I'm gonna write a post that's just all about Death Note. Oh, see, talking about DN doesn't make me change my voice, because DN caters to my inner cynic.
And lately, I bought more volumes of Bleach. The graphic novel series, not the anime series. I'm still catching up, but . . . there's this one guy who's a Soul Reaper, he has what looks like a handheld scythe, but the scythe actually opens up like a fan! Revealing more blades! That's fuckin' AWESOME! . . . You see, right there, my voice changed again. Only that time, I sounded like I was in my early teens again.
So stick around. I will at least talk about Bleach and DN in the near future. Oh joy.
If you don't know by now, I've seen everything pertaining to the anime version of Cardcaptor Sakura now.
OH NO! NOT SAKURA!
Don't worry, unless if I start collecting the manga version of CCS, you shouldn't hear me say that again. But yeah, I've seen all the episodes now, and I've seen the second movie, too. I really liked the anime, except I noticed there were a large number of filler episodes, which I felt bogged down my experience. Also, how many times does someone have to be interrupted when they're about to confess something? That's annoying. And that one kid who always made up lies was annoying. But otherwise, yeah, I still liked it.
And even then, the anime version of CCS has music, and Meilin. But the music, though, I really liked the songs Tomoyo sang. She has a really pretty voice . . . guh! See!? I just said something with my girly voice! But it's true; she had a really good voice, and I like being able to listen to music in another language. I also have MP3's of some of the opening and closing themes. It's great.
But yesterday, I saw the penultimate episode of Death Note. Whoa man, how many times has this series left me gasping for more! Dang, man, that's the biggest cliffhanger ever! And it looks like I'll be able to see the last episode on Indenpendence Day . . . no, not the movie. I can see it as early as the 4th of July. Once I have, I'm gonna write a post that's just all about Death Note. Oh, see, talking about DN doesn't make me change my voice, because DN caters to my inner cynic.
And lately, I bought more volumes of Bleach. The graphic novel series, not the anime series. I'm still catching up, but . . . there's this one guy who's a Soul Reaper, he has what looks like a handheld scythe, but the scythe actually opens up like a fan! Revealing more blades! That's fuckin' AWESOME! . . . You see, right there, my voice changed again. Only that time, I sounded like I was in my early teens again.
So stick around. I will at least talk about Bleach and DN in the near future. Oh joy.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Christmas comes six months early this year
Okay, not really. I'll explain.
As you know, I recently declared myself an expert on animated film. Then again, I blame my parents. As I said before, when I was a child, all they ever let me watch was child-friendly cartoons. They also bought me a few cartoons on VHS. I still have many of these VHSs. I'm going to watch one very soon, one I haven't seen in years.
I'm going to watch a short film by Disney. Ah yes, how better to appreciate cartoon movies than with something from the house Ol' Walt built? After all, if it were not for Disney, nobody would respect animation as much as live-action film. But today, instead of watching a big-budget blockbuster, I'm watching a twenty-something minute long short. That's all the VHS contains. And it's about Christmas.
Yes, I'm going to watch Mickey's Christmas Carol. Which is something of a misnomer, because it's not Mickey Mouse you see the most often, it's Scrooge McDuck. More on that later. My mom and dad bought this for me when I was around 6 or 7. On the first day of Christmas vacation for every one of my school years, I would watch this film, as to get me into the Christmas spirit. And I kept doing this until I was 13 or 14, when I discovered better versions of Dickens' story, and also having read the original Christmas Carol.
Nonetheless, I am a whore for most Disney things, and I did experience a spiritual reawakening for all things Disney when I played Kingdom Hearts I and II back in January, so let's get started.
Before I go, keep in mind, in the short, nobody refers to each other by their usual names. You see, the Disney characters are like actors playing the parts in Dickens' play, and as such, they refer to each other by their character names, not their real names, if you will. Writers like to speak as if Disney cartoons are real performers, and it looks like I'm about to do the same.
So it's start off with still images in the opening credits showing many Disney stars playing their characters in A Christmas Carol. The opening sequence is accompanied by a theme song, a Christmas Carol if you will. It's a good song. Also, somewhere in the credits, I saw John Lasseter's name. Yeah, this must've been long before he made Toy Story. Anyways, enough of that.
The real star, Scrooge McDuck, plays the part he was, quite literally, born to play, that of Ebenezer Scrooge. Now, I don't recall Ebenezer having such a thick Scottish accent before, but that's okay. It starts on Christmas eve, with Scrooge working his business, and being tyrannical to Bob Cratchit, played by Mickey Mouse. Now, Mickey was well-casted here; Cratchit is the everyman, and so is Mickey. Even though Scrooge does everything he can to make Cratchit's life miserable, it does not faze him, for he always is in high spirits. Then, we also meet Fred, Scrooge's nephew, who's played by McDuck's real life nephew, Donald Duck. ("He totally looks the part!") Now, maybe it's just me, but I think this part was mis-casted. When I think of Donald, I think of someone who's quick to violence and unable to make sound judgments. And yet, the bad boy of the Walt Disney Company is playing Fred, who's a really really nice guy. Scrooge only says, "Bah, humbug!" to him, though.
Then, two charity raisers come in, one looks like a mouse, the other, a mole. They're collecting money for the poor. Scrooge tells them to bugger off, so to speak. The work day ends, Cratchit returns to his home, and Scrooge to his. When Scrooge goes back home, he is visited by the spirit of Jacob Marley, his old business partner. Jacob is played by . . . Goofy. Yes, the, Goofy, the same Goofy who can't drive worth shit on the freeway, and always says, "Gawrsh!" Talk about miscast. He tells Scrooge that he must spend eternity as a wandering ghost with chains for his sins when he was alive. He warns Scrooge that, "Your chains will be heavier than mine!" unless Scrooge heeds the words of three more spirits that will visit him later that night. When Marley leaves, he, uh, falls down stairs and screams, "GAH-OH-OH-WHEE!" Yeah, Goofy playing Jacob Marley; that's something else.
So eventually, the Spirit of Christmas Past shows up. The Past Spirit is played by Jiminy Cricket, making him the most cheerful Past Christmas Spirit I've ever seen. Scrooge sees part of his past play out. We learn he was enamored with a woman named Isabella, played by Daisy Duck. Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Daisy like Scrooge's nephew's girlfriend? Eh, I'll chalk it up as coincidence. However, as we learn, Scrooge came to love money more than Isabella, and as such, he left her. Scrooge in the present begins to regret this decision. And as Jiminy reminds us, "You fashioned these memories yourself."
Then, Scrooge is visited by the Spirit of Christmas Present, who is played by . . . okay, um, remember that old short with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy where they re-enact Jack and the Beanstalk, and remember the Giant from that version of the fairy tale? Yeah, that's the Spirit of Christmas Present here; a jolly giant with a really cartoony voice. He takes Scrooge to Cratchit's house, where we find he and his family have close to nothing, since they are so poor. And one of Cratchit's sons, Tiny Tim, looks like he may be dying soon. By the way, Cratchit's wife is played by Minnie Mouse here. Scrooge feels bad for his employee. Just then, the Present Spirit disappears.
Scrooge is now in the Company of the Spirit of Christmas Future. The future Spirit shows Scrooge the cemetery, and there, we see Cratchit's family mourning the loss of Tiny Tim. Scrooge asks if this outcome can change. Then, a new grave is being dug. The two gravediggers are weasels with exaggerated accents. I think . . . they might've been two of the evil weasel characters from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but it's been a long time since I've seen that, so I'm not sure. Scrooge asks whose grave that is. The future Spirit says, "Why, yours Scrooge!" Now, this is a bit unorthodox. Traditionally, the Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come never speaks, and never shows his face. Yet, here, he does speak, and he's played by Pete, or, for you of my generation out there, that's "that inept villain from Kingdom Hearts II." He pushes Scrooge into the grave. The grave begins spewing smoke and fire, like it's the gateway to Hell. But right before Scrooge falls in, he finds himself back in his bedroom.
Scrooge is now a changed duck. He now realizes that he can spare his immense wealth while he's still alive. And now he travels through all of London, sounding much like Scrooge McDuck did in Ducktales, at least whenever he wasn't ripping off Indiana Jones, and also without saying stereotypical Scots phrases. ("Bless me bagpipes!") He finds the mouse and mole from yesterday who were collecting money for the poor, and donates a large amount of cash. He then runs into his nephew Fred, and tells him he will join him for dinner after all, despite saying, "Bah!" to his offer yesterday.
Then he visits Cratchit. He acts like the miser he was, just to scare Cratchit, then reveals that he's giving him a raise, and the whole day off, and toys for his children, and a large turkey for a meal. Tiny Tim says, "God bless us, everyone!" which I think is the first time "God" was ever mentioned in a Disney cartoon. And it ends.
As you can see, it's an abridged, not to mention Disney-fied, account of a Christmas Carol. Many of the darker elements of the original story were left out, especially during the segments with the Spirits of Christmas Past and Present. The animation was pretty good, well, this is Disney we're talking about. It looks better than most animated tv shows I've seen, but is not up to the quality of most animated films, as well as newer cartoon shows. The soundtrack was decent, kinda sounded like the music from old Disney shorts. The voices were good, but could've sounded better. Many of these characters also appeared in the KH games, and most of them were played by the same actors from this short, and it seemed like they sounded better in those games, but then again, this came out years before KH; less experienced, perhaps? Nonetheless, it's a rather charming take on a Christmas Carol. I doubt anyone else has played Bob Cratchit is a cute manner like Mickey did, for instance.
But still, why do I still own this VHS? It's not in widescreen, it doesn't come in surround sound, there's nothing else on the video. (I would've liked more bang for my buck; they could've fit more shorts on here.) I admitted it's not my favorite version of the story. Why do I still own it? Nostalgia? Because it was a gift from my family? Because I'm a whore for most Disney things? I don't rightfully know. However, I will say this; I reviewed Mickey's Christmas Carol because I wanted to do something a little different. Something other than, "Make fun of overrated games/comics/cartoons from Japan/internet fads." And also so I wouldn't obsess over another animated something I am obsessing over right now. But I'll get back to that animated something I am obsessing over in a future entry, I promise.
As you know, I recently declared myself an expert on animated film. Then again, I blame my parents. As I said before, when I was a child, all they ever let me watch was child-friendly cartoons. They also bought me a few cartoons on VHS. I still have many of these VHSs. I'm going to watch one very soon, one I haven't seen in years.
I'm going to watch a short film by Disney. Ah yes, how better to appreciate cartoon movies than with something from the house Ol' Walt built? After all, if it were not for Disney, nobody would respect animation as much as live-action film. But today, instead of watching a big-budget blockbuster, I'm watching a twenty-something minute long short. That's all the VHS contains. And it's about Christmas.
Yes, I'm going to watch Mickey's Christmas Carol. Which is something of a misnomer, because it's not Mickey Mouse you see the most often, it's Scrooge McDuck. More on that later. My mom and dad bought this for me when I was around 6 or 7. On the first day of Christmas vacation for every one of my school years, I would watch this film, as to get me into the Christmas spirit. And I kept doing this until I was 13 or 14, when I discovered better versions of Dickens' story, and also having read the original Christmas Carol.
Nonetheless, I am a whore for most Disney things, and I did experience a spiritual reawakening for all things Disney when I played Kingdom Hearts I and II back in January, so let's get started.
Before I go, keep in mind, in the short, nobody refers to each other by their usual names. You see, the Disney characters are like actors playing the parts in Dickens' play, and as such, they refer to each other by their character names, not their real names, if you will. Writers like to speak as if Disney cartoons are real performers, and it looks like I'm about to do the same.
So it's start off with still images in the opening credits showing many Disney stars playing their characters in A Christmas Carol. The opening sequence is accompanied by a theme song, a Christmas Carol if you will. It's a good song. Also, somewhere in the credits, I saw John Lasseter's name. Yeah, this must've been long before he made Toy Story. Anyways, enough of that.
The real star, Scrooge McDuck, plays the part he was, quite literally, born to play, that of Ebenezer Scrooge. Now, I don't recall Ebenezer having such a thick Scottish accent before, but that's okay. It starts on Christmas eve, with Scrooge working his business, and being tyrannical to Bob Cratchit, played by Mickey Mouse. Now, Mickey was well-casted here; Cratchit is the everyman, and so is Mickey. Even though Scrooge does everything he can to make Cratchit's life miserable, it does not faze him, for he always is in high spirits. Then, we also meet Fred, Scrooge's nephew, who's played by McDuck's real life nephew, Donald Duck. ("He totally looks the part!") Now, maybe it's just me, but I think this part was mis-casted. When I think of Donald, I think of someone who's quick to violence and unable to make sound judgments. And yet, the bad boy of the Walt Disney Company is playing Fred, who's a really really nice guy. Scrooge only says, "Bah, humbug!" to him, though.
Then, two charity raisers come in, one looks like a mouse, the other, a mole. They're collecting money for the poor. Scrooge tells them to bugger off, so to speak. The work day ends, Cratchit returns to his home, and Scrooge to his. When Scrooge goes back home, he is visited by the spirit of Jacob Marley, his old business partner. Jacob is played by . . . Goofy. Yes, the, Goofy, the same Goofy who can't drive worth shit on the freeway, and always says, "Gawrsh!" Talk about miscast. He tells Scrooge that he must spend eternity as a wandering ghost with chains for his sins when he was alive. He warns Scrooge that, "Your chains will be heavier than mine!" unless Scrooge heeds the words of three more spirits that will visit him later that night. When Marley leaves, he, uh, falls down stairs and screams, "GAH-OH-OH-WHEE!" Yeah, Goofy playing Jacob Marley; that's something else.
So eventually, the Spirit of Christmas Past shows up. The Past Spirit is played by Jiminy Cricket, making him the most cheerful Past Christmas Spirit I've ever seen. Scrooge sees part of his past play out. We learn he was enamored with a woman named Isabella, played by Daisy Duck. Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Daisy like Scrooge's nephew's girlfriend? Eh, I'll chalk it up as coincidence. However, as we learn, Scrooge came to love money more than Isabella, and as such, he left her. Scrooge in the present begins to regret this decision. And as Jiminy reminds us, "You fashioned these memories yourself."
Then, Scrooge is visited by the Spirit of Christmas Present, who is played by . . . okay, um, remember that old short with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy where they re-enact Jack and the Beanstalk, and remember the Giant from that version of the fairy tale? Yeah, that's the Spirit of Christmas Present here; a jolly giant with a really cartoony voice. He takes Scrooge to Cratchit's house, where we find he and his family have close to nothing, since they are so poor. And one of Cratchit's sons, Tiny Tim, looks like he may be dying soon. By the way, Cratchit's wife is played by Minnie Mouse here. Scrooge feels bad for his employee. Just then, the Present Spirit disappears.
Scrooge is now in the Company of the Spirit of Christmas Future. The future Spirit shows Scrooge the cemetery, and there, we see Cratchit's family mourning the loss of Tiny Tim. Scrooge asks if this outcome can change. Then, a new grave is being dug. The two gravediggers are weasels with exaggerated accents. I think . . . they might've been two of the evil weasel characters from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but it's been a long time since I've seen that, so I'm not sure. Scrooge asks whose grave that is. The future Spirit says, "Why, yours Scrooge!" Now, this is a bit unorthodox. Traditionally, the Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come never speaks, and never shows his face. Yet, here, he does speak, and he's played by Pete, or, for you of my generation out there, that's "that inept villain from Kingdom Hearts II." He pushes Scrooge into the grave. The grave begins spewing smoke and fire, like it's the gateway to Hell. But right before Scrooge falls in, he finds himself back in his bedroom.
Scrooge is now a changed duck. He now realizes that he can spare his immense wealth while he's still alive. And now he travels through all of London, sounding much like Scrooge McDuck did in Ducktales, at least whenever he wasn't ripping off Indiana Jones, and also without saying stereotypical Scots phrases. ("Bless me bagpipes!") He finds the mouse and mole from yesterday who were collecting money for the poor, and donates a large amount of cash. He then runs into his nephew Fred, and tells him he will join him for dinner after all, despite saying, "Bah!" to his offer yesterday.
Then he visits Cratchit. He acts like the miser he was, just to scare Cratchit, then reveals that he's giving him a raise, and the whole day off, and toys for his children, and a large turkey for a meal. Tiny Tim says, "God bless us, everyone!" which I think is the first time "God" was ever mentioned in a Disney cartoon. And it ends.
As you can see, it's an abridged, not to mention Disney-fied, account of a Christmas Carol. Many of the darker elements of the original story were left out, especially during the segments with the Spirits of Christmas Past and Present. The animation was pretty good, well, this is Disney we're talking about. It looks better than most animated tv shows I've seen, but is not up to the quality of most animated films, as well as newer cartoon shows. The soundtrack was decent, kinda sounded like the music from old Disney shorts. The voices were good, but could've sounded better. Many of these characters also appeared in the KH games, and most of them were played by the same actors from this short, and it seemed like they sounded better in those games, but then again, this came out years before KH; less experienced, perhaps? Nonetheless, it's a rather charming take on a Christmas Carol. I doubt anyone else has played Bob Cratchit is a cute manner like Mickey did, for instance.
But still, why do I still own this VHS? It's not in widescreen, it doesn't come in surround sound, there's nothing else on the video. (I would've liked more bang for my buck; they could've fit more shorts on here.) I admitted it's not my favorite version of the story. Why do I still own it? Nostalgia? Because it was a gift from my family? Because I'm a whore for most Disney things? I don't rightfully know. However, I will say this; I reviewed Mickey's Christmas Carol because I wanted to do something a little different. Something other than, "Make fun of overrated games/comics/cartoons from Japan/internet fads." And also so I wouldn't obsess over another animated something I am obsessing over right now. But I'll get back to that animated something I am obsessing over in a future entry, I promise.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
A funny thing happened on the way to the intarwebz
Well well, I have now started the third and last "arc" of the Cardcaptor Sakura anime: new theme songs, new characters, new mysteries, I just love it!
However, something amusing happened. I was reading up on something concerning CCS, basically, someone somewhere gave a word of advice: "If you like Cardcaptor Sakura, then you'll also like Fruits Basket."
When I read that, I had a reaction. I was alone, and so no one could hear me. My reaction played out like this:
{xm0123 the blogger is reading shit on his computer whilst web surfing. He reads something that catches his eye}
{passage on computer} "If you like Cardcaptor Sakura, then you'll also like Fruits Basket."
{xm0123, upon reading this, becomes dumbfounded. He stares at the computer screen with his mouth open in surprise, and his eyes conveying a look that said, "What!?" He then starts to verbally react}
{xm0123} Heh. Heh heh. Heh heh heh heh. Heh heh HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
HA HA HA HA HA HA!
*pfft-like sound*
HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW!!!!
LULZ! EPIC LULZ! LOLZERS!
*unintelligible laughter*
*suddenly stops laughing, and is gasping for air*
Holy shit, are they wrong!
{getting back to reality}
Of course, some of you may be asking, "Uh, xm, what if whoever wrote that was referring to the manga version of Fruits Basket? Couldn't that possibly be better than its anime version? Didn't you say you like the Bleach manga a lot more than the Bleach anime?"
Hmm, interesting. I haven't read the FB manga, but considering how much the anime version scarred me for life, I really would prefer not to read the manga, not in this current lifetime anyways.
Besides, what am I even doing here, anyways? I have more CCS to watch!
However, something amusing happened. I was reading up on something concerning CCS, basically, someone somewhere gave a word of advice: "If you like Cardcaptor Sakura, then you'll also like Fruits Basket."
When I read that, I had a reaction. I was alone, and so no one could hear me. My reaction played out like this:
{xm0123 the blogger is reading shit on his computer whilst web surfing. He reads something that catches his eye}
{passage on computer} "If you like Cardcaptor Sakura, then you'll also like Fruits Basket."
{xm0123, upon reading this, becomes dumbfounded. He stares at the computer screen with his mouth open in surprise, and his eyes conveying a look that said, "What!?" He then starts to verbally react}
{xm0123} Heh. Heh heh. Heh heh heh heh. Heh heh HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
HA HA HA HA HA HA!
*pfft-like sound*
HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW!!!!
LULZ! EPIC LULZ! LOLZERS!
*unintelligible laughter*
*suddenly stops laughing, and is gasping for air*
Holy shit, are they wrong!
{getting back to reality}
Of course, some of you may be asking, "Uh, xm, what if whoever wrote that was referring to the manga version of Fruits Basket? Couldn't that possibly be better than its anime version? Didn't you say you like the Bleach manga a lot more than the Bleach anime?"
Hmm, interesting. I haven't read the FB manga, but considering how much the anime version scarred me for life, I really would prefer not to read the manga, not in this current lifetime anyways.
Besides, what am I even doing here, anyways? I have more CCS to watch!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Movies and Mary Sues: the great debate
Well now, I am at the halfway point in watching the anime version of Cardcaptor Sakura. I also saw the first movie . . . which disappointed me. The only thing significant was Sakura captured the ARROW card, nothing else. That should've been a normal epsiode, not a freakin' movie!
But then I saw episode 36, complete with new theme songs, and everything is good again. However, there's something I've noticed about one of the characters. I know of a phrase to describe said character, a phrase that raises a red flag, but don't think bad thoughts.
I have reason to believe Tomoyo is a Mary Sue.
I'm not implying she's a poorly written character. Quite the contrary; she's my third-favorite behind only Sakura and Kero-chan. However, Tomoyo just happens to possess many of the traits found in Mary Sues, yet is still . . . a good character, a good Mary Sue. I know that sounds ironic, but hear me out.
First, I will prove she is a Mary Sue. Well, have you noticed her? She seems to possess no negative qualities, possessing only positive qualities. Look at this quote I got from wikipedia, "Tomoyo is very mature for her age. One of her major character traits is her selflessness towards Sakura. Tomoyo is kind, caring, highly intelligent, beautiful, meticulous, and very melodic (she has a superb singing voice and often has solos in choir recitals)." Not to mention she's rich, and an excellent tailor of girly-girl costumes. Mary Sues are wish-fulfillment in character form. I mean, if you're a young girl, wouldn't you just love to have a friend who was as darling as Sakura-chan? Well, Tomoyo does.
However, Tomoyo is not a bad Mary Sue. Another trait Mary Sues tend to have is they are not the main character. Tomoyo fits this; her name's not in the title, and you don't always see her. However, bad Mary Sues are supposed to not be the main character, yet somehow, everything needlessly revolves around them, to the point where everything else is ignored. Tomoyo is not like this. It is Sakura's adventure through and through. Tomoyo is just a spectator, as well as helper.
Yes, it's true. There is a such thing as good Mary Sues. And there's more to Tomoyo-chan other than, "LOL! Voyeurisitc lesbian! LOL!" Her affection for Sakura is heartfelt and inspiring, and that's why I like her.
And speaking of anime, I did say that I don't like Misa from Death Note because she also a Mary Sue, but thankfully, the entire show doesn't revolve around her. I will say this; I have seen movies and tv shows (not to mention countless fanfics) that were completely ruined because of a Mary Sue. Oh, trust me, Misa Misa is only child's play when it comes to bad Mary Sues. I have seen far, FAR worse, but I will save that rant for another day.
For now, I have more CCS to watch. RELEASE!
But then I saw episode 36, complete with new theme songs, and everything is good again. However, there's something I've noticed about one of the characters. I know of a phrase to describe said character, a phrase that raises a red flag, but don't think bad thoughts.
I have reason to believe Tomoyo is a Mary Sue.
I'm not implying she's a poorly written character. Quite the contrary; she's my third-favorite behind only Sakura and Kero-chan. However, Tomoyo just happens to possess many of the traits found in Mary Sues, yet is still . . . a good character, a good Mary Sue. I know that sounds ironic, but hear me out.
First, I will prove she is a Mary Sue. Well, have you noticed her? She seems to possess no negative qualities, possessing only positive qualities. Look at this quote I got from wikipedia, "Tomoyo is very mature for her age. One of her major character traits is her selflessness towards Sakura. Tomoyo is kind, caring, highly intelligent, beautiful, meticulous, and very melodic (she has a superb singing voice and often has solos in choir recitals)." Not to mention she's rich, and an excellent tailor of girly-girl costumes. Mary Sues are wish-fulfillment in character form. I mean, if you're a young girl, wouldn't you just love to have a friend who was as darling as Sakura-chan? Well, Tomoyo does.
However, Tomoyo is not a bad Mary Sue. Another trait Mary Sues tend to have is they are not the main character. Tomoyo fits this; her name's not in the title, and you don't always see her. However, bad Mary Sues are supposed to not be the main character, yet somehow, everything needlessly revolves around them, to the point where everything else is ignored. Tomoyo is not like this. It is Sakura's adventure through and through. Tomoyo is just a spectator, as well as helper.
Yes, it's true. There is a such thing as good Mary Sues. And there's more to Tomoyo-chan other than, "LOL! Voyeurisitc lesbian! LOL!" Her affection for Sakura is heartfelt and inspiring, and that's why I like her.
And speaking of anime, I did say that I don't like Misa from Death Note because she also a Mary Sue, but thankfully, the entire show doesn't revolve around her. I will say this; I have seen movies and tv shows (not to mention countless fanfics) that were completely ruined because of a Mary Sue. Oh, trust me, Misa Misa is only child's play when it comes to bad Mary Sues. I have seen far, FAR worse, but I will save that rant for another day.
For now, I have more CCS to watch. RELEASE!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Warning: the contents of this entry are very, very, cuddly
"Hey xm, didn't you say you downloaded an ISO of Tales of Eternia for your PS1 emulator? You haven't talked about it for a while. What's up?"
I got bored of it. Also, that game's battle system is nearly impossible to do on a keyboard. I was able to get away with it on the SNES version of Tales of Phantasia since that game's system is so simplistic, but I can't on Eternia. I need a real gamepad in order to win properly. Also, the first boss is too hard for me. Also, the storyline is completely forgettable, which, by the standards I've come to expect from the Tales games, is really bad. Also, the voices suck, and they aren't all muted even when turned off in the options menu.
"And, you haven't talked about Persona 3: FES for a while either. Weren't you playing The Answer?"
I was, but I'm stuck on a boss fight for it, too. I just don't have the patience to level up my party again in that game. How unfortunate; I was about to declare P3: FES the last great PS2 game, but I can't now. It's too unfair. I may end up selling my copy over Amazon.com in the future.
Now then, you might've noticed that this entry claims to have cuddly content. Well, that's because I'm taking a break from videogames right now, and instead watching stuff on veoh. You see, I have nothing to do in my life, since I am currently unemployed, and I don't go back to school until August 25th. I have about two months of free time left, and that leaves me free to do my own things. One of which involves watching an anime series where many of the characters are cuddly, a series you know as Cardcaptor Sakura.
"OH NO! NOT SAKURA!"
"Uh, are you gonna shout that every time you wanna talk about CCS?" Maybe, maybe not. However, since CCS is a typical shoujo series, and since it appeals to my sensitive side, I feel like talking about it . . . in a feminine manner. Bear in mind, I'm still writing as a human male, but . . . let me change my outlook.
[Cynical college student mode disengaged.]
[Affectionate young adult mode engaged.]
Hi Internet! How are you!? Me? I'm terrific! ^_^ And why wouldn't I be? I've been having a Cardcaptor Sakura marathon at home, on my internet, for free! It really is a wonderful show. You know why? Because it makes me . . . happy. Sure, many tv shows I like entertain me, but few of them make me happy. Well, CCS makes me happy. It's positively delightful!
Say, you wanna know something strange? I started off reading a couple of the CCS manga. Whenever I read Kero-chan's dialog, I didn't imagine his voice sounding anything like he did on the show. Everyone knows in the anime he sounds like a girl . . . from Osaka. Yet, strangely enough, I didn't picture him sounding like that at all. I pictured him sounding more masculine. In reality, I imagined Kero-chan speaking . . . in my own voice. But, what's strange is, my own voice actually sounded suitable for a character like Kero-chan. And I rarely imagine a book character sounding exactly like I do. But his "official" voice works too. Just caught me off guard at first.
But, I have picked up on something that's in the anime but not in the manga; Meilin! Oh my, she's a fun character! She's cute, highly defensive of Shaoran, and kinda reminds me of Asuka from Evangelion, but thankfully, Meilin isn't a prima donna like her. I just love that face she makes whenever she's in the company of Shaoran and no one else. KAWAIIIIIIIIII! ^_^
And yes, it's true. I do believe the following sentence. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Meilin are just adorable! *insert super deformed version of myself here, since I don't have any suitable pictures* Tomoyo is a total sweetheart, Meilin I just described, and Sakura is perky without being too perky. The whole series is sugary and sweet without being too sweet. It's no wonder I love this series; CLAMP got everything right!
Almost everything. I still don't understand how most of the characters are completely ignorant of all the magical happenings around them, even when affected by the Clow cards. That's a mark off in my book! But otherwise, what's not to love about Cardcaptor Sakura? What's not to love about Sakura Kinomoto!? She's much more lovable than most other manga/anime heroines! Although my favorite character is still Kero-chan. Maybe that's why I imagine him with my own voice.
[Affectionate young adult mode disengaged.]
[Cynical college student mode engaged.]
Well, that was . . . a different experience. Oh, also, every word I printed when I was being "girly" is true. I really do think some of the characters are too cute for words, and I really do like that Kero-chan. He's definitely a cut above most other "Mascot" characters. Oh, in your eye, Pikachu! In your motherfucking eye.
I got bored of it. Also, that game's battle system is nearly impossible to do on a keyboard. I was able to get away with it on the SNES version of Tales of Phantasia since that game's system is so simplistic, but I can't on Eternia. I need a real gamepad in order to win properly. Also, the first boss is too hard for me. Also, the storyline is completely forgettable, which, by the standards I've come to expect from the Tales games, is really bad. Also, the voices suck, and they aren't all muted even when turned off in the options menu.
"And, you haven't talked about Persona 3: FES for a while either. Weren't you playing The Answer?"
I was, but I'm stuck on a boss fight for it, too. I just don't have the patience to level up my party again in that game. How unfortunate; I was about to declare P3: FES the last great PS2 game, but I can't now. It's too unfair. I may end up selling my copy over Amazon.com in the future.
Now then, you might've noticed that this entry claims to have cuddly content. Well, that's because I'm taking a break from videogames right now, and instead watching stuff on veoh. You see, I have nothing to do in my life, since I am currently unemployed, and I don't go back to school until August 25th. I have about two months of free time left, and that leaves me free to do my own things. One of which involves watching an anime series where many of the characters are cuddly, a series you know as Cardcaptor Sakura.
"OH NO! NOT SAKURA!"
"Uh, are you gonna shout that every time you wanna talk about CCS?" Maybe, maybe not. However, since CCS is a typical shoujo series, and since it appeals to my sensitive side, I feel like talking about it . . . in a feminine manner. Bear in mind, I'm still writing as a human male, but . . . let me change my outlook.
[Cynical college student mode disengaged.]
[Affectionate young adult mode engaged.]
Hi Internet! How are you!? Me? I'm terrific! ^_^ And why wouldn't I be? I've been having a Cardcaptor Sakura marathon at home, on my internet, for free! It really is a wonderful show. You know why? Because it makes me . . . happy. Sure, many tv shows I like entertain me, but few of them make me happy. Well, CCS makes me happy. It's positively delightful!
Say, you wanna know something strange? I started off reading a couple of the CCS manga. Whenever I read Kero-chan's dialog, I didn't imagine his voice sounding anything like he did on the show. Everyone knows in the anime he sounds like a girl . . . from Osaka. Yet, strangely enough, I didn't picture him sounding like that at all. I pictured him sounding more masculine. In reality, I imagined Kero-chan speaking . . . in my own voice. But, what's strange is, my own voice actually sounded suitable for a character like Kero-chan. And I rarely imagine a book character sounding exactly like I do. But his "official" voice works too. Just caught me off guard at first.
But, I have picked up on something that's in the anime but not in the manga; Meilin! Oh my, she's a fun character! She's cute, highly defensive of Shaoran, and kinda reminds me of Asuka from Evangelion, but thankfully, Meilin isn't a prima donna like her. I just love that face she makes whenever she's in the company of Shaoran and no one else. KAWAIIIIIIIIII! ^_^
And yes, it's true. I do believe the following sentence. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Meilin are just adorable! *insert super deformed version of myself here, since I don't have any suitable pictures* Tomoyo is a total sweetheart, Meilin I just described, and Sakura is perky without being too perky. The whole series is sugary and sweet without being too sweet. It's no wonder I love this series; CLAMP got everything right!
Almost everything. I still don't understand how most of the characters are completely ignorant of all the magical happenings around them, even when affected by the Clow cards. That's a mark off in my book! But otherwise, what's not to love about Cardcaptor Sakura? What's not to love about Sakura Kinomoto!? She's much more lovable than most other manga/anime heroines! Although my favorite character is still Kero-chan. Maybe that's why I imagine him with my own voice.
[Affectionate young adult mode disengaged.]
[Cynical college student mode engaged.]
Well, that was . . . a different experience. Oh, also, every word I printed when I was being "girly" is true. I really do think some of the characters are too cute for words, and I really do like that Kero-chan. He's definitely a cut above most other "Mascot" characters. Oh, in your eye, Pikachu! In your motherfucking eye.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Well, he certainly has an animated personality
The American Film Institute did another list of 100 best movies as chosen by them. This time, they separated it as top ten films of ten genres. Of course, some of the "genres" chosen were not true genres, but rather popular setting. Westerns and works of science fiction are settings, not genres. But still, they had some pretty good choices.
Except in one "genre", one I happen to be an expert in; animation. Okay, it's not like I work in animation, but when I was a kid, all my parents ever let me watch were old Disney movies and Looney Tunes shorts. And, as I got older, I came to appreciate animated shows like Simpsons, Futurama, the Boondocks, and more recently, Death Note, Trinity Blood, and even Cardcaptor Sakura. And I still like many Disney movies.
However, I'm not too pleased with their choices for top ten cartoon films. This is what the AFI chose:
1: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
2: Pinocchio.
3: Bambi.
4: The Lion King.
5: Fantasia.
6: Toy Story.
7: Beauty and the Beast.
8: Shrek.
9: Cinderella.
10: Finding Nemo.
Now, some of these films, I like. I like Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Cinderella, and Finding Nemo, but I wouldn't consider them good enough to place on a top ten list. Consequently, Beauty and the Beast and Toy Story were not rated high enough. Also, WTF! Bambi!? Shrek!? These movies aren't any good! Bambi put me to sleep when I was a kid, and I consider the Shrek movies to be highly overrated.
Then again, as my parents reminded me this morning, this list was probably chosen by, in their words, old people. But they were satisfied with the list. Mom's favorite cartoon movie is Snow White, and Dad's favorite cartoon movie is Pinocchio. Surprised? I think not.
But I was not satisfied. This is what the list of top ten animated films should read:
1: Beauty and the Beast.
2: Castle in the Sky.
3: Toy Story.
4: The Lion King. (Hey! Still 4th place. They got this one right!)
5: Aladdin.
6: The Incredibles.
7: 101 Dalmations.
8: Sleeping Beauty.
9: Monster's Inc.
10: Steamboy.
"Oh. Your favorite animated film of all time is Beauty and the Beast? I had no idea." Hey, what can I say? I love it when Angela Lansbury sings "Beauty and the Beast." Can you really blame me?
Also, this list does not include sequels, (otherwise, Toy Story 2 would've been on there.) and no movies based off tv shows either, so no Simpsons movie or Cowboy Bebop movie either. Is it a perfect list? No. Is it a good list, for me anyways? Oh yeah.
Of course, if the list was longer, I would've included films like The Little Mermaid, Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, and A Bug's Life, but this isn't a top 20 list, so that will have to wait another day.
Except in one "genre", one I happen to be an expert in; animation. Okay, it's not like I work in animation, but when I was a kid, all my parents ever let me watch were old Disney movies and Looney Tunes shorts. And, as I got older, I came to appreciate animated shows like Simpsons, Futurama, the Boondocks, and more recently, Death Note, Trinity Blood, and even Cardcaptor Sakura. And I still like many Disney movies.
However, I'm not too pleased with their choices for top ten cartoon films. This is what the AFI chose:
1: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
2: Pinocchio.
3: Bambi.
4: The Lion King.
5: Fantasia.
6: Toy Story.
7: Beauty and the Beast.
8: Shrek.
9: Cinderella.
10: Finding Nemo.
Now, some of these films, I like. I like Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Cinderella, and Finding Nemo, but I wouldn't consider them good enough to place on a top ten list. Consequently, Beauty and the Beast and Toy Story were not rated high enough. Also, WTF! Bambi!? Shrek!? These movies aren't any good! Bambi put me to sleep when I was a kid, and I consider the Shrek movies to be highly overrated.
Then again, as my parents reminded me this morning, this list was probably chosen by, in their words, old people. But they were satisfied with the list. Mom's favorite cartoon movie is Snow White, and Dad's favorite cartoon movie is Pinocchio. Surprised? I think not.
But I was not satisfied. This is what the list of top ten animated films should read:
1: Beauty and the Beast.
2: Castle in the Sky.
3: Toy Story.
4: The Lion King. (Hey! Still 4th place. They got this one right!)
5: Aladdin.
6: The Incredibles.
7: 101 Dalmations.
8: Sleeping Beauty.
9: Monster's Inc.
10: Steamboy.
"Oh. Your favorite animated film of all time is Beauty and the Beast? I had no idea." Hey, what can I say? I love it when Angela Lansbury sings "Beauty and the Beast." Can you really blame me?
Also, this list does not include sequels, (otherwise, Toy Story 2 would've been on there.) and no movies based off tv shows either, so no Simpsons movie or Cowboy Bebop movie either. Is it a perfect list? No. Is it a good list, for me anyways? Oh yeah.
Of course, if the list was longer, I would've included films like The Little Mermaid, Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, and A Bug's Life, but this isn't a top 20 list, so that will have to wait another day.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
It's hard to stay angry when there's so much kawaii-ness in the world
Well, well, well, what mess have I gotten myself into now? Simple, I tried watching more anime series. Series wherein I'd read a little bit of their manga counterpart. So that means I recently watched the first few episodes of three anime series, the latest one I just started watching today.
Series one! Rurouni Kenshin.
Oh geeze, what possessed me to watch this? I read the first volume of the manga original. Didn't click with me at all. Sure, the drawings were lovely, but a really generic shonen storyline like Kenshin's just doesn't click with me. The same is true of the anime. I'll just stick with Trust and Betrayal when it comes to Kenshin, and if I really need to indulge in shonen zaniness, I'll go back to reading Bleach.
Series two! The original Slayers.
Good God, what am I thinking again? Well, the good news is, I like the Slayers anime more than the Slayers manga. Of course, that's like saying you would prefer eating an old, beaten up sandwich over eating gravel, laced with poison! But yeah, Slayers the anime doesn't suffer from the inane randomness of the manga, and Lina actually looks like she has small bosoms now, so all those "jokes" about her chest make more sense now. However, it's still really lame. There's nothing amusing about Slayers. It's not a laugh riot like everyone else makes it to be. And yes, I am placing Slayers on my master list of anime I dislike. (At least kenshin was less lame, so I'll spare it, but not Slayers, since I'm a prick.) Moving on . . .
Series three! . . . . oh wait, I gotta do a buildup. (word of warning; the rest of the entry is about the third anime I've been watching recently.)
So today, I saw the first five episodes of an anime series based off a manga I've read. The manga in question is very enjoyable. Sadly, my library does not carry every volume of this manga, so I can't read it all. However, I heard its anime adaptation was just as enjoyable, if not more. Well, I can confirm that the anime is just as good.
"So, what's it called?"
Well, the title for today's entry reminds us that it's hard to stay angry when there's so much kawaii-ness in the world. Kawaii, of course, being a Japanese word that means something to the effect of, "Adorable beyond words." Oh man, you are NOT going to believe what I've been watching earlier today. You're gonna flip out . . . .
And why am I still teasing you, Internet? Why don't I just tell you what the show is right now. I watched episode 1 through 5 of Cardcaptor Sakura earlier today.
"OH NO! NOT SAKURA!"
Oh yes, I've been watching her show! This is my biggest guilty pleasure as an unorthodox anime/manga fans, Internet. I despise every shoujo series I've seen, except CCS. I just love CCS! It is so . . . so . . . kawaii! Not just merely cute, but kawaii! Sakura is insanely cute! Kero-chan is insanely cute! The show is fun, heartfelt, funny, sweet, and moving! The animation is pretty good, the music is good, (especially the music that plays whenever Sakura is battling a Clow Card.) the voices are decent, (although many of the girl characters sound almost exactly the same, although that may be because I'm not fluent in Japanese.) and it's rather inoffensive. You can watch CCS with your kids if you like!
The artwork's not as good as the manga version, but I can let that slide. Yeah, can you believe this? That there's a magical girl series that I like? Well, don't be surprised. I am a man who is sensitive, and not in denial of his sensitivities. (Which is a lot more than what I can say for most American men.) A program like CCS does appeal to my sensitive side, a side of me that just wants to be happy, and be peaceful.
"WTF! xm, the psycho nerd basher, the hater of MGS1, and the guy with a cynical attitude towards grade school, has a sensitive side!? *fall over anime style*"
But it's true. I am a fan of CCS, who is not a girl, or "really gay", or a pedophile, ("LOL! He's a guy who likes a manga/anime with little girls! He must be a pedo!" Sorry, not true in my case.) and I am open about it. But why wouldn't I be!? I love the antics of Kero-chan! ^_^
I'll be watching more of this 'til I go back to school in August. Yeah, I'm skipping RK and Slayers in favor of Cardcaptor Sakura! I am a maverick amongst anime fanatics.
Series one! Rurouni Kenshin.
Oh geeze, what possessed me to watch this? I read the first volume of the manga original. Didn't click with me at all. Sure, the drawings were lovely, but a really generic shonen storyline like Kenshin's just doesn't click with me. The same is true of the anime. I'll just stick with Trust and Betrayal when it comes to Kenshin, and if I really need to indulge in shonen zaniness, I'll go back to reading Bleach.
Series two! The original Slayers.
Good God, what am I thinking again? Well, the good news is, I like the Slayers anime more than the Slayers manga. Of course, that's like saying you would prefer eating an old, beaten up sandwich over eating gravel, laced with poison! But yeah, Slayers the anime doesn't suffer from the inane randomness of the manga, and Lina actually looks like she has small bosoms now, so all those "jokes" about her chest make more sense now. However, it's still really lame. There's nothing amusing about Slayers. It's not a laugh riot like everyone else makes it to be. And yes, I am placing Slayers on my master list of anime I dislike. (At least kenshin was less lame, so I'll spare it, but not Slayers, since I'm a prick.) Moving on . . .
Series three! . . . . oh wait, I gotta do a buildup. (word of warning; the rest of the entry is about the third anime I've been watching recently.)
So today, I saw the first five episodes of an anime series based off a manga I've read. The manga in question is very enjoyable. Sadly, my library does not carry every volume of this manga, so I can't read it all. However, I heard its anime adaptation was just as enjoyable, if not more. Well, I can confirm that the anime is just as good.
"So, what's it called?"
Well, the title for today's entry reminds us that it's hard to stay angry when there's so much kawaii-ness in the world. Kawaii, of course, being a Japanese word that means something to the effect of, "Adorable beyond words." Oh man, you are NOT going to believe what I've been watching earlier today. You're gonna flip out . . . .
And why am I still teasing you, Internet? Why don't I just tell you what the show is right now. I watched episode 1 through 5 of Cardcaptor Sakura earlier today.
"OH NO! NOT SAKURA!"
Oh yes, I've been watching her show! This is my biggest guilty pleasure as an unorthodox anime/manga fans, Internet. I despise every shoujo series I've seen, except CCS. I just love CCS! It is so . . . so . . . kawaii! Not just merely cute, but kawaii! Sakura is insanely cute! Kero-chan is insanely cute! The show is fun, heartfelt, funny, sweet, and moving! The animation is pretty good, the music is good, (especially the music that plays whenever Sakura is battling a Clow Card.) the voices are decent, (although many of the girl characters sound almost exactly the same, although that may be because I'm not fluent in Japanese.) and it's rather inoffensive. You can watch CCS with your kids if you like!
The artwork's not as good as the manga version, but I can let that slide. Yeah, can you believe this? That there's a magical girl series that I like? Well, don't be surprised. I am a man who is sensitive, and not in denial of his sensitivities. (Which is a lot more than what I can say for most American men.) A program like CCS does appeal to my sensitive side, a side of me that just wants to be happy, and be peaceful.
"WTF! xm, the psycho nerd basher, the hater of MGS1, and the guy with a cynical attitude towards grade school, has a sensitive side!? *fall over anime style*"
But it's true. I am a fan of CCS, who is not a girl, or "really gay", or a pedophile, ("LOL! He's a guy who likes a manga/anime with little girls! He must be a pedo!" Sorry, not true in my case.) and I am open about it. But why wouldn't I be!? I love the antics of Kero-chan! ^_^
I'll be watching more of this 'til I go back to school in August. Yeah, I'm skipping RK and Slayers in favor of Cardcaptor Sakura! I am a maverick amongst anime fanatics.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Gawd! IDIOTS!
I will never fully understand the anime fanbase. Then again, I don't want to understand the anime fanbase. But even if I tried to understand the anime fanbase, I wouldn't be able to fully understand them.
Today, we'll discuss "mecha" serials. I haven't seen a whole lot of them, but there is one I love: Eureka 7. Although I've only seen the first 13 or so episodes, (I can't find any others online! WTF!?) it represents what an action cartoon should be. Remember all those action cartoons from your childhood? Remember how kickass they would've been if the FCC hadn't censored them to make them "appropriate" for children? Yeah, we could've had a Eureka 7 right here in America.
And therein lies the one advantage Japanese cartoons have over American cartoons; no one in Japan thinks cartoons should be strictly only either "for kids", or college fratboys. Of course, I have yet to see any anime series that is as entertaining as Futurama, but boy, some of them sure come close, one of which being E7.
I'll say this right now; if E7 existed when I was 14, (Hey! Same age as Renton!) and if it aired in America, and I had watched it, I would've thought it was The Raddest Show Ever. It's the perfect show for teen boys: awesome action, mesmerizing story, cool characters, nice music, and more. There's light moments, and dark moments, sexual fanservice that isn't too distracting, (Oh, no wonder Talho is always skimpy, to draw in more teenage boys, the target audience!) and even a few scenes that are, dare I say, magical. And this is only from the first quarter of the series I've seen.
"So, why is this entry entitled, 'Gawd! IDIOTS!' Sounds like you're just raving over a show you like. What's your problem?"
BECAUSE FEW PEOPLE ACKNOWLEDGE THE BRILLIANCE OF E7!!!!!!!!
Even though it aired on Cartoon Network, it seems like no one outside of diehard animephiles has even heard of the show. And the ones that have usually . . . don't like it as much as I do. Is E7 the best "Mecha" series ever? Probably not. But is it still quality? Oh yes, no doubt about it. But most people don't seem to care! Why!?!?!?
One complaint I heard was that Eureka was a "Rei Ayanami ripoff." What!? A ripoff of Rei from Eva!? Don't compare my second-favorite character from E7 to some generic emotionless chick from a show that's not as good as E7! Rei is mostly forgettable, (in fact, the only Eva character I do like is Misato. I don't even have a second-favorite character from Eva.) while Eureka is a lot more interesting than most other anime chicks. She's much more multi-layered than most other girl mecha pilots I know.
Another complaint I've heard was about Renton. A lot of people seem to think he's annoying. Okay, first of all, Renton is nowhere near as annoying as Ash Ketchum. Secondly, I'll bet 85 percent of you were just as awkward as Renton was when you were 14, if not more. I'd love to see you prove just how more badass you were when you were in your early teen years. I wasn't badass when I was fourteen. And I despaired just like he did when I was hopelessly in love with a girl back then. I can relate to him. I root for the guy, even though I may not like him as much as Eureka . . . or Holland.
Ah yeah, baby, my favorite character from E7 is definitely Holland Novak. He's a complex person, and he may not always be the nicest guy, but he's certainly the most fascinating. I think it also helps that in the English dub, Crispin Freeman really nails the voice of Holland. (And of course, I've seen dub haters disregard the fantastic dub of E7. Why do I even bother?)
Of course, this isn't the first time I've raved over a cult-classic. I was also surprised to find not very many people loved Trinity Blood as much as I did. A long time ago, a guy I know on the internet admitted one of his favorite tv show was McGyver. People were like, "Dude, McGyver!? Why!?" His answer was, "What!? It's a cult thing! You couldn't understand!" Maybe I'm the same way. Perhaps few can understand my love for something like E7. It must be a cult thing.
Well, in that case, you may not like E7 like I do, just don't call me a gay fag because I do. However, if you do resort to ad hominem, you will die.
Today, we'll discuss "mecha" serials. I haven't seen a whole lot of them, but there is one I love: Eureka 7. Although I've only seen the first 13 or so episodes, (I can't find any others online! WTF!?) it represents what an action cartoon should be. Remember all those action cartoons from your childhood? Remember how kickass they would've been if the FCC hadn't censored them to make them "appropriate" for children? Yeah, we could've had a Eureka 7 right here in America.
And therein lies the one advantage Japanese cartoons have over American cartoons; no one in Japan thinks cartoons should be strictly only either "for kids", or college fratboys. Of course, I have yet to see any anime series that is as entertaining as Futurama, but boy, some of them sure come close, one of which being E7.
I'll say this right now; if E7 existed when I was 14, (Hey! Same age as Renton!) and if it aired in America, and I had watched it, I would've thought it was The Raddest Show Ever. It's the perfect show for teen boys: awesome action, mesmerizing story, cool characters, nice music, and more. There's light moments, and dark moments, sexual fanservice that isn't too distracting, (Oh, no wonder Talho is always skimpy, to draw in more teenage boys, the target audience!) and even a few scenes that are, dare I say, magical. And this is only from the first quarter of the series I've seen.
"So, why is this entry entitled, 'Gawd! IDIOTS!' Sounds like you're just raving over a show you like. What's your problem?"
BECAUSE FEW PEOPLE ACKNOWLEDGE THE BRILLIANCE OF E7!!!!!!!!
Even though it aired on Cartoon Network, it seems like no one outside of diehard animephiles has even heard of the show. And the ones that have usually . . . don't like it as much as I do. Is E7 the best "Mecha" series ever? Probably not. But is it still quality? Oh yes, no doubt about it. But most people don't seem to care! Why!?!?!?
One complaint I heard was that Eureka was a "Rei Ayanami ripoff." What!? A ripoff of Rei from Eva!? Don't compare my second-favorite character from E7 to some generic emotionless chick from a show that's not as good as E7! Rei is mostly forgettable, (in fact, the only Eva character I do like is Misato. I don't even have a second-favorite character from Eva.) while Eureka is a lot more interesting than most other anime chicks. She's much more multi-layered than most other girl mecha pilots I know.
Another complaint I've heard was about Renton. A lot of people seem to think he's annoying. Okay, first of all, Renton is nowhere near as annoying as Ash Ketchum. Secondly, I'll bet 85 percent of you were just as awkward as Renton was when you were 14, if not more. I'd love to see you prove just how more badass you were when you were in your early teen years. I wasn't badass when I was fourteen. And I despaired just like he did when I was hopelessly in love with a girl back then. I can relate to him. I root for the guy, even though I may not like him as much as Eureka . . . or Holland.
Ah yeah, baby, my favorite character from E7 is definitely Holland Novak. He's a complex person, and he may not always be the nicest guy, but he's certainly the most fascinating. I think it also helps that in the English dub, Crispin Freeman really nails the voice of Holland. (And of course, I've seen dub haters disregard the fantastic dub of E7. Why do I even bother?)
Of course, this isn't the first time I've raved over a cult-classic. I was also surprised to find not very many people loved Trinity Blood as much as I did. A long time ago, a guy I know on the internet admitted one of his favorite tv show was McGyver. People were like, "Dude, McGyver!? Why!?" His answer was, "What!? It's a cult thing! You couldn't understand!" Maybe I'm the same way. Perhaps few can understand my love for something like E7. It must be a cult thing.
Well, in that case, you may not like E7 like I do, just don't call me a gay fag because I do. However, if you do resort to ad hominem, you will die.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Bedroom woes
There's a problem with my parents' house. My problem is in my bedroom. My room is the hottest room in the house. It's improperly insulated. Also, the air conditioner can barely cool down my room either.
It's practically summer now, and I live in a semi-arid region. Semi-arid meaning, "desert-like, and also fucking hot during the summer." It's hard more me to sleep at night. From 8:00 PM to about 12:00 AM, my room is unbearably hot. I like to try to start sleeping for the night anywhere from around 9:30 to 11:00 PM. I can have my ceiling fan on full blast, the window open, the bedroom door open, I will be on top of my bed covers, wearing only my underwear, AND I WILL BE SWEATING ALL OVER MY ENTIRE BODY!!!!! EVEN IN THESE CONDITIONS!!!! I can feel the heat right now, since it's about 8:30 as I write this.
And yet, the moment it gets to be 12:00, all of a sudden, like magic, my room will be at an ideal temperature. I can have the window closed, the door closed, and fan on low, and I can be underneath my bedsheets for the rest of the night, and I will feel perfect. No heat at all. And it will stay this way until 6:00 AM. Then it gets hot again, although not as much as during the early night. I tend to be in REM sleep between 12:00 and 5:00 about every night, give or take. I get adequate sleep, but not like I do during the cooler seasons.
Then again, I can always sleep somewhere else, if need be.
It's practically summer now, and I live in a semi-arid region. Semi-arid meaning, "desert-like, and also fucking hot during the summer." It's hard more me to sleep at night. From 8:00 PM to about 12:00 AM, my room is unbearably hot. I like to try to start sleeping for the night anywhere from around 9:30 to 11:00 PM. I can have my ceiling fan on full blast, the window open, the bedroom door open, I will be on top of my bed covers, wearing only my underwear, AND I WILL BE SWEATING ALL OVER MY ENTIRE BODY!!!!! EVEN IN THESE CONDITIONS!!!! I can feel the heat right now, since it's about 8:30 as I write this.
And yet, the moment it gets to be 12:00, all of a sudden, like magic, my room will be at an ideal temperature. I can have the window closed, the door closed, and fan on low, and I can be underneath my bedsheets for the rest of the night, and I will feel perfect. No heat at all. And it will stay this way until 6:00 AM. Then it gets hot again, although not as much as during the early night. I tend to be in REM sleep between 12:00 and 5:00 about every night, give or take. I get adequate sleep, but not like I do during the cooler seasons.
Then again, I can always sleep somewhere else, if need be.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Dang it, now I wanna ride a boar
Hello, internet. Guess where I'm at in the Bleach manga now? I just finished volume 9. All sorts of crazy things have been happening, the craziest of which involves Ichigo running afoul of a gang of Soul Reaper-hating thugs in the Soul Society. But what's super crazy is this gang moves around on boars. Not just any random hogs, but like hogs you'd find in the wild. And they've trained them to do things on command! It's fuckin' crazy, and I love it!
Well, so much for the Soul Society arc "sucking." This shit's got me hooked! This is the exact kind of zaniness I need for the rest of my summer vacation! Oh wait! That's when the current part of the storyline takes place! During Summer vacation! Man, you know how'd awesome Summer vacation would've been like if I were like Ichigo during my teen years!?
"Hey guys, I need to bust out a friend of mine from a parallel world, and I can't do it by myself. Come on, it'll be great! We'll meet new people, spar with giants, play with fireworks, and throughout the whole thing, we'll kick some ass!"
Okay, uh, why am I talking like how I did when I was fifteen right now? Okay, fifteen, and whenever I wasn't surrounded by scumbags? Is Bleach, causing me to rekindle my teen years? That's kinda strange, because every year I spent as a teenager, except for when I was 19, was either somewhat hellish, or absolutely Hell on Earth.
Oh wait, Bleach is escapism. It's making me think how awesome high school would've been if, you know, my "friends" weren't assfucks, and we had super powers, we'd be doing awesome shit during the summer. Yeah!
Uh oh. I better stop. I'm starting to not make sense. I better stop before I utter something Orihime would say.
But yeah, Bleach comics=fun.
Well, so much for the Soul Society arc "sucking." This shit's got me hooked! This is the exact kind of zaniness I need for the rest of my summer vacation! Oh wait! That's when the current part of the storyline takes place! During Summer vacation! Man, you know how'd awesome Summer vacation would've been like if I were like Ichigo during my teen years!?
"Hey guys, I need to bust out a friend of mine from a parallel world, and I can't do it by myself. Come on, it'll be great! We'll meet new people, spar with giants, play with fireworks, and throughout the whole thing, we'll kick some ass!"
Okay, uh, why am I talking like how I did when I was fifteen right now? Okay, fifteen, and whenever I wasn't surrounded by scumbags? Is Bleach, causing me to rekindle my teen years? That's kinda strange, because every year I spent as a teenager, except for when I was 19, was either somewhat hellish, or absolutely Hell on Earth.
Oh wait, Bleach is escapism. It's making me think how awesome high school would've been if, you know, my "friends" weren't assfucks, and we had super powers, we'd be doing awesome shit during the summer. Yeah!
Uh oh. I better stop. I'm starting to not make sense. I better stop before I utter something Orihime would say.
But yeah, Bleach comics=fun.
"Oh, don't worry about me! This is only a game we're in!"
You may've wondered why I can't take the storyline of the Metal Gear series seriously. Sure, Solid Snake, and Big Boss for that matter, are awesome characters, there are a few scenes from MGS1, 2, and 3 that are well done, and some of the dialogue is great, ("Anybody who goes into the battlefield inside a cardboard box is psycho! There's no question about it!") However, I can't hold it to the esteem that I do with the LucasArts computer games of old.
I have several reasons for believing this, but I don't wanna give you a list. Instead, I'll hotlink you. Jeremy Parish from 1up.com explained it better than I could. Now you know the truth. Metal Gear is simply G.I Joe redone by a Japanese author. Or G.I. Joe is Metal Gear redone by an American author. That is why. I never liked G.I. Joe, and, yes, I like MGS2 and 3, and I'd probably like MGS4, but I never loved a MG game enough to give it my prestigious 10 out of 10 score, I never sucked up the story of the games like a stereotypical FF fanboy does for Final Fantasy games, and I still dislike MGS1, then, as well as now and forever.
However, there is one thing about one of the games that I still find amusing. With MGS2, Konami, and Kojima, proved definitively that the large majority of MG fanboys are insecure in their masculinity. Raiden may not possess the cool of the Snake characters, but I was not troubled by his bishie qualities unlike most other gamers. Okay, I could've done without the naked Raiden, but fear not, readers, for I don't mind playing young men with effeminate qualities.
And so, with the release of MGS4, I'm seeing the usual things; gamers saying it's the Gwadest Game Evarz, people analyzing every single little cutscene, and rave reviews from professional and amateur critics all across the web. Thankfully, I haven't seen any elitism yet. ("Don't you understand!? If I play this game, I will lose my indie cred! And besides, everyone who likes it are just graphics whores anyways!") Stay outta my crosshairs, gamer snobs, if you know what's good for you.
So, if you have a PS3, go ahead and play MGS4. Based on the traliers I've seen, it does look like a really enjoyable action game.
I have several reasons for believing this, but I don't wanna give you a list. Instead, I'll hotlink you. Jeremy Parish from 1up.com explained it better than I could. Now you know the truth. Metal Gear is simply G.I Joe redone by a Japanese author. Or G.I. Joe is Metal Gear redone by an American author. That is why. I never liked G.I. Joe, and, yes, I like MGS2 and 3, and I'd probably like MGS4, but I never loved a MG game enough to give it my prestigious 10 out of 10 score, I never sucked up the story of the games like a stereotypical FF fanboy does for Final Fantasy games, and I still dislike MGS1, then, as well as now and forever.
However, there is one thing about one of the games that I still find amusing. With MGS2, Konami, and Kojima, proved definitively that the large majority of MG fanboys are insecure in their masculinity. Raiden may not possess the cool of the Snake characters, but I was not troubled by his bishie qualities unlike most other gamers. Okay, I could've done without the naked Raiden, but fear not, readers, for I don't mind playing young men with effeminate qualities.
And so, with the release of MGS4, I'm seeing the usual things; gamers saying it's the Gwadest Game Evarz, people analyzing every single little cutscene, and rave reviews from professional and amateur critics all across the web. Thankfully, I haven't seen any elitism yet. ("Don't you understand!? If I play this game, I will lose my indie cred! And besides, everyone who likes it are just graphics whores anyways!") Stay outta my crosshairs, gamer snobs, if you know what's good for you.
So, if you have a PS3, go ahead and play MGS4. Based on the traliers I've seen, it does look like a really enjoyable action game.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
I'VE GOT THE DEATH NOTE FEE-VAAAAAH!!!!
My mind's in a Death Note state of mind right now. So much so, I did the unthinkable.
I watched Flash parodies of DN on Youtube. Some of it was really funny.
Yes, DN is my favorite anime series of all time, but I'll admit, it's not perfect. Misa is annoying, and a Mary Sue. Mello gets on my nerves, so much so, he deserves to die, and I hope he burns in Hell. The current episode on adultswim.com is confusing, and not very exciting. (Dear God, I've seen an episode that wasn't really good or totally effin' awesome! Oh, it's the end of the world as we know it!) And, the series could've ended at episode 27. We would've never have met Near if that were the case, but we all know Near is just an L wannabe. (Even then, Near is my second-favorite character, if only because of his L-ness. Wait, did I invent a new word just now?)
Yeah, but you can't say it's not at least intriguing as Hell.
But, it is fun to see fans make jokes about our beloved DN. I saw a music video depicting L and Teru Mikami as stereotypical gay men who wanted to get laid . . . with Light. I saw another one making fun of the potato chip line. I saw another where Mello was freaking out over chocolate. These DN fans are out of their minds.
Hey, maybe I should make a crappy online poll that measures, "How much L-ness do you have?" It will asks questions like, "Do you constantly eat snacks high in fats and sugar, yet remain rail-thin?" "Do you have bags underneath your eyes?" "Do you hold cell phones in an unorthodox manner?" "Do you have a dry and very dark sense of humor?" "Do you use a number of pseudonyms as you travel?" Too bad online polls are stupid.
I watched Flash parodies of DN on Youtube. Some of it was really funny.
Yes, DN is my favorite anime series of all time, but I'll admit, it's not perfect. Misa is annoying, and a Mary Sue. Mello gets on my nerves, so much so, he deserves to die, and I hope he burns in Hell. The current episode on adultswim.com is confusing, and not very exciting. (Dear God, I've seen an episode that wasn't really good or totally effin' awesome! Oh, it's the end of the world as we know it!) And, the series could've ended at episode 27. We would've never have met Near if that were the case, but we all know Near is just an L wannabe. (Even then, Near is my second-favorite character, if only because of his L-ness. Wait, did I invent a new word just now?)
Yeah, but you can't say it's not at least intriguing as Hell.
But, it is fun to see fans make jokes about our beloved DN. I saw a music video depicting L and Teru Mikami as stereotypical gay men who wanted to get laid . . . with Light. I saw another one making fun of the potato chip line. I saw another where Mello was freaking out over chocolate. These DN fans are out of their minds.
Hey, maybe I should make a crappy online poll that measures, "How much L-ness do you have?" It will asks questions like, "Do you constantly eat snacks high in fats and sugar, yet remain rail-thin?" "Do you have bags underneath your eyes?" "Do you hold cell phones in an unorthodox manner?" "Do you have a dry and very dark sense of humor?" "Do you use a number of pseudonyms as you travel?" Too bad online polls are stupid.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Help! Help! I'm being repressed!
I read something somewhere that totally opened my eyes. Something that I ignored up until now. Something concerning my own beloved Death Note.
I learned the truth about Death Note earlier today. The truth regarding its English dub. For you see, I found a person who has seen the show both in Japanese, and in English, and he had this to say about the English dub: "Viz totally butchered Death Note."
After some research, I learned, he was right. All this time, I've been watching a watered-down version of a modern classic. Normally, I would've ignored such people in the past, branding them, "Dub haters." and thinking they were retarded asshole fans. But in truth, they weren't the retarded assholes; I was the retarded asshole fan! My close-mindedness led to ignorance, and my ignorance led to me not seeing the truth until now.
And that truth is this; if you see the English dub of Death Note; they don't use the original Japanese actors! And they don't use the original Japanese voice track, they all speak in modern English! And, nobody uses Japanese honorifics at all in the English dub! It's true! Not once does Light ever say, "Ryuzaki-san" anywhere on the Cartoon Network broadcast. This is a travesty, a tragedy of the televised art form.
In the past, I disregarded such criticism, because Death Note was largely un-altered from its Japanese iteration. The English dub has the same exact animation, music, and roughly the same dialogue from the Japanese original. I never cried foul because characters weren't changed, character named weren't changed, music wasn't changed, scenes were not edited nor deleted, the story was not altered, attempts at Americanization weren't made, censorship did not take place, and the voices were not radically altered from their Japanese counterparts. Oh, what a fool I was. These anime companies are just as bad as 4kids, and Funimation when it was dubbing DragonBall Z. It's just a little less blatant nowadays; that's why I hadn't noticed until now.
Now I understand when anime fans say corporations who bring anime to English-speaking countries in the Occident are evil. They remove the fucking honorifics! This aggression will not stand. I will not be made a fool of any longer. I'm gonna restart watching Death Note, the way it was meant to be viewed right now, as to purge myself of the god awful attempt at "dubbing" it suffered, if you can even call that a proper dub job.
So fuck you, Viz. Fuck you, Funimation, both of the present, as well as the past. Fuck you, ADV. And fuck anyone else who's ever removed the Japanese dialogue of these otherwise fantastic properties.
By the way, if you couldn't tell I was being sarcastic throughout this entire post, then you have no sense of humor at all. Death Note, in fact, has one of the best dubs I've ever heard, I don't mind the removal of Japanese honorifics, I personally have nothing against Viz, Bandai, and ADV, and although I used to despise Funi, I feel they have redeemed themselves, and they too have my respect. The only anime company I do consider "evil" is 4kids, and whoever was responsible for porting CardCaptor Sakura, er, I meant Cardcaptors over to America. And the guy who said, "Viz totally butchered Death Note" actually is a really retarded asshole troll, who needs to get a fucking life. GAWD!
I learned the truth about Death Note earlier today. The truth regarding its English dub. For you see, I found a person who has seen the show both in Japanese, and in English, and he had this to say about the English dub: "Viz totally butchered Death Note."
After some research, I learned, he was right. All this time, I've been watching a watered-down version of a modern classic. Normally, I would've ignored such people in the past, branding them, "Dub haters." and thinking they were retarded asshole fans. But in truth, they weren't the retarded assholes; I was the retarded asshole fan! My close-mindedness led to ignorance, and my ignorance led to me not seeing the truth until now.
And that truth is this; if you see the English dub of Death Note; they don't use the original Japanese actors! And they don't use the original Japanese voice track, they all speak in modern English! And, nobody uses Japanese honorifics at all in the English dub! It's true! Not once does Light ever say, "Ryuzaki-san" anywhere on the Cartoon Network broadcast. This is a travesty, a tragedy of the televised art form.
In the past, I disregarded such criticism, because Death Note was largely un-altered from its Japanese iteration. The English dub has the same exact animation, music, and roughly the same dialogue from the Japanese original. I never cried foul because characters weren't changed, character named weren't changed, music wasn't changed, scenes were not edited nor deleted, the story was not altered, attempts at Americanization weren't made, censorship did not take place, and the voices were not radically altered from their Japanese counterparts. Oh, what a fool I was. These anime companies are just as bad as 4kids, and Funimation when it was dubbing DragonBall Z. It's just a little less blatant nowadays; that's why I hadn't noticed until now.
Now I understand when anime fans say corporations who bring anime to English-speaking countries in the Occident are evil. They remove the fucking honorifics! This aggression will not stand. I will not be made a fool of any longer. I'm gonna restart watching Death Note, the way it was meant to be viewed right now, as to purge myself of the god awful attempt at "dubbing" it suffered, if you can even call that a proper dub job.
So fuck you, Viz. Fuck you, Funimation, both of the present, as well as the past. Fuck you, ADV. And fuck anyone else who's ever removed the Japanese dialogue of these otherwise fantastic properties.
By the way, if you couldn't tell I was being sarcastic throughout this entire post, then you have no sense of humor at all. Death Note, in fact, has one of the best dubs I've ever heard, I don't mind the removal of Japanese honorifics, I personally have nothing against Viz, Bandai, and ADV, and although I used to despise Funi, I feel they have redeemed themselves, and they too have my respect. The only anime company I do consider "evil" is 4kids, and whoever was responsible for porting CardCaptor Sakura, er, I meant Cardcaptors over to America. And the guy who said, "Viz totally butchered Death Note" actually is a really retarded asshole troll, who needs to get a fucking life. GAWD!
Forgive me, I can't come up with a title right now
So I got to play Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 with my cousin. He'd never played it before, but he was familiar with fighting games. At first, he totally sucked, but he picked up on it really quickly. I still won every time, except for one fight. It was basically a gimme. He played the 4th Hokage (AKA The Yellow Flash) who has the best combos in the game, and I played Konohamaru, who is basically a joke fighter. I couldn't beat him, but maybe if Konohamaru didn't suck so bad . . .
In other news, game hype is at an all-time maximum again. Reason being? It looks like PS3 owners are finally rejoicing. Probably has something to do with the upcoming release of Metal Gear Solid 4.
However, you know I'm no fan of the franchise. Sure, I like MGS2 and 3, and I probably would consider MGS4 to be a decent rental, but good God, it's gonna be Halo 3 and GTA4 all over again. Why are so many console games getting this kind of attention these days? The hype surrounding these games is unnatural.
Oh, somebody on the web leaked the storyline of MGS4. I read it, since, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I can't take the storyline of the MG series seriously. So spoiling myself wouldn't kill me. Here's what I can tell you; if you're a conspiracy theorist, and a retarded anime fan, you'll love it. (judging by this logically fallacious statement of mine, that must mean there's million of retarded anime freaks who are also conspiracy freaks. Crazy thought.) However, if you are one but not the other, you'll like some parts of it, and be annoyed by others. If you are neither, then, you probably don't play games for the story . . . I hope.
Since I lack a PS3, I can't play MGS4. So, I'll be a prick and say no matter how good MGS4 is, it can't compare to MGS3. Know why? Because MGS4 won't have cool retro '60's music in it. ("I'D GIVE MY LIFE, NOT FOR HONOR, BUT, FOR YOOOUUUUUU!!!!!" "SNAKE EATA") And I'll bet there won't be a sniper duel in a rain forest either.
Speaking of console games with unnatural hype, that must mean . . . when Final Fantasy 13 comes out . . . . . . I'm heading for a freakin' shelter. Such an event will trigger fanboyism, elitism, and marketing like few have seen before. I'm looking for such a shelter right now. See ya.
LATE EDIT: Yeah, and when FF13 did finally come out, the fanbase lost many members. Good riddance; you kept acting like you didn't like FF, now you were finally showing it! I still wanna check out Versus 13 though.
In other news, game hype is at an all-time maximum again. Reason being? It looks like PS3 owners are finally rejoicing. Probably has something to do with the upcoming release of Metal Gear Solid 4.
However, you know I'm no fan of the franchise. Sure, I like MGS2 and 3, and I probably would consider MGS4 to be a decent rental, but good God, it's gonna be Halo 3 and GTA4 all over again. Why are so many console games getting this kind of attention these days? The hype surrounding these games is unnatural.
Oh, somebody on the web leaked the storyline of MGS4. I read it, since, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I can't take the storyline of the MG series seriously. So spoiling myself wouldn't kill me. Here's what I can tell you; if you're a conspiracy theorist, and a retarded anime fan, you'll love it. (judging by this logically fallacious statement of mine, that must mean there's million of retarded anime freaks who are also conspiracy freaks. Crazy thought.) However, if you are one but not the other, you'll like some parts of it, and be annoyed by others. If you are neither, then, you probably don't play games for the story . . . I hope.
Since I lack a PS3, I can't play MGS4. So, I'll be a prick and say no matter how good MGS4 is, it can't compare to MGS3. Know why? Because MGS4 won't have cool retro '60's music in it. ("I'D GIVE MY LIFE, NOT FOR HONOR, BUT, FOR YOOOUUUUUU!!!!!" "SNAKE EATA") And I'll bet there won't be a sniper duel in a rain forest either.
Speaking of console games with unnatural hype, that must mean . . . when Final Fantasy 13 comes out . . . . . . I'm heading for a freakin' shelter. Such an event will trigger fanboyism, elitism, and marketing like few have seen before. I'm looking for such a shelter right now. See ya.
LATE EDIT: Yeah, and when FF13 did finally come out, the fanbase lost many members. Good riddance; you kept acting like you didn't like FF, now you were finally showing it! I still wanna check out Versus 13 though.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Fresh from my intellectually-deprived mind
So, how 'bout some updates on my life?
- Which volume of Fullmetal Alchemist am I at now? No. 16. Basically, I own every English-translated volume at the moment. Yes, I am an FMA whore for life. However, vol. 17 is scheduled for release in October! Gumf! That's not cool.
- "So, you said you like Bleach the manga a lot more than Bleach the anime; how much so?" Enough to buy the first five volumes. "Whoa, no way! You're collecting Bleach now!?" I am, at the moment. It's cheaper than other graphic novels I've collected so far, and, in the shonen showdown between Bleach and Naruto, Bleach barely edges out, for being funnier, and not having a shitload of mostly unnecessary flashback sequences. I like Bleach's more mature tone, also. Although Naruto does have better fight scenes. And its anime adaptation is more watchable than Bleach's anime adapation.
- Speaking of Naruto, my second cousin is coming to visit me over the weekend. I have challenged him to some duels on my copy of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3. He's eight, and, last I heard, rents and plays a fuckton of PS2 games. Whether or not he's played UN3, he'll definitely want to play against me. Of course, unless if I handicap myself, there's no way he can beat me, not at first anyways. I'm really good at the UN games, but I wouldn't underestimate him. In earlier visits, we would race each other on my copy of Project Gotham Racing 2 for my original Xbox, and although he sucked at first, after several playthroughs, he got really good. He could actually challenge me on the simpler courses. Now, if he can beat me using someone like Ino, and I using Rock Lee, (my best character in UN3) that remains to be seen.
- You know what game I used to suck at for the longest time? Tetris. The original Tetris. I played that for the NES, original Game Boy, and SNES back in the day, and I totally sucked at it. Then it was re-released for the N64. Nintendo Power, which I still subscribed to, had a strategy for basic Tetris gameplay. It said this: "Don't make gaps." I rented the N64 Tetris, and guess what? I finally started getting good. I now play Tetris and some of its derivatives on my emulators. By the way, wasn't the original Tetris at one point advertised as, "The Soviet mind game"? Huh. When you put in like that, and considering it came out in the 1980's, it almost sounds like Tetris was a scheme hatched by Gorbachev to make people in the United States and her allies become addicted to Tetris, thus rendering us unable to resist the incoming Red Storm. But, the Cold War's over now, and I prefer not to make insinuations about real-life political figures, so we'll just say Tetris is a fun game . . . so long as you don't make gaps.
- It's true. I subscribed to Nintendo Power at one point. I don't anymore though. You know why? It was back in 2001. A new console war was brewing. NP said this, "Forget the PS2 and the Xbox! The Gamecube is where it's at!" I looked at the previews and said, "No. I don't agree with you. I don't see anything coming out for the GC that I am interested in. The Xbox looks much more promising than anything you're cranking out." At the time, no game for the PS2 interested me either. I got a 'box in mid 2002, and enjoyed it very much. However, Microsoft switched its gears over to the Xbox 360 by 2005, even before the 360's launch. Still, by early 2K5, there were games out for the PS2 that caught my eye, and now I'm playing it, although I probably won't be buying games for it much longer. By the way, I still don't own a GC. Nor a Wii. Nor a DS. Then again, I don't have a 360, PSP, or PS3 either.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
THERZ BLUD EVRYWHER!
Well, well, peoples. I am now a registered user of veoh.
"So?"
So!? That means I can watch full-length movies off the intarwebz now!
"So, watch anything today?"
I watched a movie for the first time today.
"What movie?"
Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal.
Okay, okay, it's technically a straight-to-video miniseries, but it felt like a movie to me, and a really good one at that. I saw it in Japanese with English subtitles. Doing so makes the film feel authentic. I learned a little bit about Japanese history, namely, a lot of people died in the 1860's.
It was a really beautiful film, but my god, it was violent, easily the most violent animated film I've ever seen. Also, don't watch Trust and Betrayal thinking it will have the wacky hijinx of the Samurai X (Yes, I know it's called Rurouni Kenshin, but I'm intentionally pissing off otaku right now.) tv series and manga series. Sorry, but Kenshin doesn't say "Oro?" anywhere in the movie. But for the record, I liked this movie more than the manga novels. Somehow, it worked better as a super-serious period piece.
I couldn't call myself a Kenshin fan, and even after seeing this, I probably still can't be, but this turned out really good. Not as good a few other anime films I've seen, but Trust and Betrayal is memorable, nonetheless. I just hope you aren't turned off by violence. Even I flinched at the first scene of bloodshed in the movie, and I don't normally flinch at blood, not when it's in fiction anyways.
"So?"
So!? That means I can watch full-length movies off the intarwebz now!
"So, watch anything today?"
I watched a movie for the first time today.
"What movie?"
Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal.
Okay, okay, it's technically a straight-to-video miniseries, but it felt like a movie to me, and a really good one at that. I saw it in Japanese with English subtitles. Doing so makes the film feel authentic. I learned a little bit about Japanese history, namely, a lot of people died in the 1860's.
It was a really beautiful film, but my god, it was violent, easily the most violent animated film I've ever seen. Also, don't watch Trust and Betrayal thinking it will have the wacky hijinx of the Samurai X (Yes, I know it's called Rurouni Kenshin, but I'm intentionally pissing off otaku right now.) tv series and manga series. Sorry, but Kenshin doesn't say "Oro?" anywhere in the movie. But for the record, I liked this movie more than the manga novels. Somehow, it worked better as a super-serious period piece.
I couldn't call myself a Kenshin fan, and even after seeing this, I probably still can't be, but this turned out really good. Not as good a few other anime films I've seen, but Trust and Betrayal is memorable, nonetheless. I just hope you aren't turned off by violence. Even I flinched at the first scene of bloodshed in the movie, and I don't normally flinch at blood, not when it's in fiction anyways.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Lazy days of summer
Okay, so it's not technically Summer yet, but we're gettin' close to it. And I'm not in school right now.
However, I wanna reflect on something. I wanna reflect on a memorable summer vacation.
The summer of '01. As in June to August 2001.
My freshmen year of high school ended, and I couldn't be happier. (Gee, I wonder why.) During this summer, I had the house to myself whenever my parents were at work. And I had a computer with the internet. You know what this leads to, right?
"Internet porn? Bow chicka bow wow!" "Shut the fuck up, Tucker!"
Basically, it was this summer that I became an internet junkie. Granted, I have had the internet since 1997, but before the summer of '01, I only used the internet to go to the official Nintendo website, and Pokemon fansites. Real original, huh?
This changed. I started going to other places. I looked up games other than Pokemon. I looked up stuff in general other than Nintendo games. Sure, this was back when I had dialup, and not cable like I do now, and this was before the age of blogs, youtube, I wouldn't discover Homestarruner until late 2003, and I wouldn't start going to messageboards until early 2006, but, in 2001, I did watch a lot of (crappy) flash movies. You know what the best Flash movie I saw was? A parody of Counter-Strike for Half-Life, making fun of when one of the maps featured an APC for the Counter-Terrorist side. It was the height of Flash animation at the time, and even now, I still think it was awesome.
This was also the last time in my life I ever attempted to play games online. By the start of my sophomore year, I vowed never to play online again, for reasons too many to list. I remember this, for I made this declaration just before September 11, 2001.
It was also this summer that, after extensive research, I decided to buy a Sega Dreamcast. With Sonic Adventure. That game was like no other. True, it may not be my favorite Sonic game, (that would be Sonic 3 & Knuckles for the Genesis.) But playing SA for the first time made that summer real memorable.
Also, I rented and played through the last great N64 game ever made (in my opinion): Paper Mario. It's my favorite Mario game for the N64! It was easy as pie, but a whole lotta buncha fun.
I also listened to fan-made MIDIs of videogame music. This, being an era when I had dialup, meant I couldn't download much music, but since MIDI files are so small, I could play them off the website. I heard some awesome MIDIs of Sonic music and Megaman music. That was fun.
It was then I became a web junkie. And I haven't kicked the habit since. Stay here while I go watch a video of someone saying "IT'S OVER NINE-THOUSAND!" "THIS IS SPARTA!" and "All your base our belong to us." all at once. Oh, also, people were saying AYBABTU back in 2001.
P.S. Yes, I made a reference to Red Vs. Blue a moment ago. We didn't have RvB back then, but we did have people making stupid jokes about the sniper class from Team Fortress Classic back then.
However, I wanna reflect on something. I wanna reflect on a memorable summer vacation.
The summer of '01. As in June to August 2001.
My freshmen year of high school ended, and I couldn't be happier. (Gee, I wonder why.) During this summer, I had the house to myself whenever my parents were at work. And I had a computer with the internet. You know what this leads to, right?
"Internet porn? Bow chicka bow wow!" "Shut the fuck up, Tucker!"
Basically, it was this summer that I became an internet junkie. Granted, I have had the internet since 1997, but before the summer of '01, I only used the internet to go to the official Nintendo website, and Pokemon fansites. Real original, huh?
This changed. I started going to other places. I looked up games other than Pokemon. I looked up stuff in general other than Nintendo games. Sure, this was back when I had dialup, and not cable like I do now, and this was before the age of blogs, youtube, I wouldn't discover Homestarruner until late 2003, and I wouldn't start going to messageboards until early 2006, but, in 2001, I did watch a lot of (crappy) flash movies. You know what the best Flash movie I saw was? A parody of Counter-Strike for Half-Life, making fun of when one of the maps featured an APC for the Counter-Terrorist side. It was the height of Flash animation at the time, and even now, I still think it was awesome.
This was also the last time in my life I ever attempted to play games online. By the start of my sophomore year, I vowed never to play online again, for reasons too many to list. I remember this, for I made this declaration just before September 11, 2001.
It was also this summer that, after extensive research, I decided to buy a Sega Dreamcast. With Sonic Adventure. That game was like no other. True, it may not be my favorite Sonic game, (that would be Sonic 3 & Knuckles for the Genesis.) But playing SA for the first time made that summer real memorable.
Also, I rented and played through the last great N64 game ever made (in my opinion): Paper Mario. It's my favorite Mario game for the N64! It was easy as pie, but a whole lotta buncha fun.
I also listened to fan-made MIDIs of videogame music. This, being an era when I had dialup, meant I couldn't download much music, but since MIDI files are so small, I could play them off the website. I heard some awesome MIDIs of Sonic music and Megaman music. That was fun.
It was then I became a web junkie. And I haven't kicked the habit since. Stay here while I go watch a video of someone saying "IT'S OVER NINE-THOUSAND!" "THIS IS SPARTA!" and "All your base our belong to us." all at once. Oh, also, people were saying AYBABTU back in 2001.
P.S. Yes, I made a reference to Red Vs. Blue a moment ago. We didn't have RvB back then, but we did have people making stupid jokes about the sniper class from Team Fortress Classic back then.
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