I'm a little bit Anglo-Saxon on both sides of my family. In short, my blood can also be traced back to the part of the United Kingdom called England. Well, it shouldn't be that surprising; America was originally a British colony, the official language is English, and I love English humor, but more on that in a moment.
Oddly enough, I've never developed a taste for tea. Never liked it. So that's one cultural trait I couldn't have inherited.
Some of you may be aware of the trope, "British Stuffiness." I'm not going to link that, because it seems to overlap with Germanic Depressives, which I already mentioned. (Although British Stuffiness does mention how the noble class back in the day avoided showing emotion, and my knowledge of that has helped me in writing Ask Rachel Alucard.) However, I will point out Stiff Upper Lip. The expression comes from the phrase, "Keep a stiff upper lip" which, although American in origin, seems to apply to the British more frequently. In Metal Gear Solid 3, Major Tom discusses this concept with Snake, saying it's something an American soldier like him should practice. Basically, it means even if you are in a serious situation, keep your cool. This is another thing I believe I got from my parents. Under most (not all) stressful situations, I tend to look composed on the outside. I may sound distressed at first, but I'll try to solve the case without outright panicking. Example (based on a true story):
"The locks on my car doors are jammed, and I can't get it open! Damn! I'm in a tight spot! (gets composed) Whenever I unlock the door with my remote, the door immediately locks itself. Why is that? Wait, remote . . . I can always unlock the door with my key. Maybe that will work? (uses key) Aha! With the key in place, the lock can't override! I'm in! Rule Britannia! (Wait . . . I didn't say that last part.)"
Not only that, even if your arm gets hacked off, it's nothing to fret about, for it's only a flesh wound, after all.
But yeah, unlike a lot of my peers, I get British humor. One of my favorite live-action sitcoms is As Time Goes By, a superbly acted romantic comedy series. I have a little familiarity with Monty Python, and can understand why they are so revered. When I sampled Doctor Who clips for one of my Type-Moon fanfics, the humorous bits often had me in stitches. Also, I am a fan of Ashens, especially his "Terrible Old Games You've Probably Never Heard Of." videos. I love his delivery.
Also, you can thank my parents for introducing me to the British Rock Invasion of the 1960s. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, I'm a fan of all of them.
By the way, I saw on The Colbert Report that, despite hundreds of years of separating from one another, all of the peoples of the British Isles are said to be descended from the same people. The people in my family were from England, but this would technically also make me part Irish, part Scottish, and part Welsh, even though no one in my family identifies as such. I think I'll cover this in a later article.
3 down, 4 to go. (Though the last one is just an epilogue.)
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
XM heritage Week: Jawohl!
When you think the people of Germany, one of two things comes to mind. One, you picture people working to build stuff. The workers show no emotion, the managers angrily bark whenever someone's slacking, machines get made to an extremely high quality, and throughout all of this, you hear this in the background.
Either that, or you picture Oktoberfest.
Stereotypes aside, I am more German than anything else. Both sides of my family can be traced back to Germany. I don't know the exact percentage, but I believe I'm at least 60 percent German. And some of the cultural attitudes carry on in me, even though I'm a 4th Generation American.
First of all, look at the tropes here and here. We'll cover efficiency first. Germans are famous (or infamous) for being sticklers for quality. We want only the best; the best materials, the best results, the best of everything. And if we can't get the best? We will settle for something less, but never anything less than ideal. I've inherited this attitude from my mom and dad. When I perform a chore in the house, I do the best I can. When I play a video game, and I'm not screwing around, I play to the best of my ability. When I bought new speakers for my computer, I didn't buy a cheap brand, I bough something of quality.
This even extends to my choice in the arts. Look at my lists on my MAL page. Aside from some of my manga, I don't own anything I scored less than a 9, and even then, if I scored something a 10, I may not own it. (And even then, my lowest scored manga that I own, Bleach, got a 7, which is above-average. Suffer Not The Mediocre. Purge The So Bad It's Horrible.) Germans are stubborn like that, and so am I. I'm not wasting my time on shoddy goods, crappy automobiles, poorly written movies, and general incompetence. We have one life to live, so we must make the most of it!
Then there's Germanic Depressive. Well, that's a bit of a misnomer, since I haven't been clinically depressed for a long time, (and even then, I've spent most of my life not depressed.) It's more like, if you met me in real life, and if I wasn't hosting a party, you'd probably think I was imitating one of my European counterparts, or any of my East Asian friends. I, like in the article, also prefer to keep my workman attitude separate from my fun-loving personality. When I'm at a job interview, doing a chore, playing a video game "for reals", or anything of the sort, I tend not to be jokey, frivolous, or childish. I take a serious attitude, for I don't want strangers to think badly of me and my performance. You can also notice this in my published fanfics; I tend not to publish them unless if I feel absolutely certain it's something I can be proud of.
And yet, if you caught me when I'm watching a sitcom, screwing around in a video game, telling an amusing anecdote to my family, or something like that, you'd swear I was bi-polar! (I'm not, but I do have many faces) When I unwind from the stresses of life, I like to put my all into it. Again, these are all attitudes I inherited from my family.
And there's something else I'd like to clear up. I don't get how so many people think the German language is rough-sounding. I've heard people speak fluent German; it doesn't sound ugly. It can even sound pleasant. Then again, I know why the English-speaking world has this attitude. It's all because a guy from the Bavarian region of Austria made a career of blaming Germany's problems, very angrily, on Jewish business owners. (sighs) Oh Hitler, have you any idea of just how much damage you caused? Luckily for you, I'm not an affiliate of the Nazi Party, nor am I an anti-Semite. (How could I be!? Most of my favorite comedians are Jews!)
But even though I'm mostly German, this isn't the only aspect of my background. I've got five more of these articles in the making, so stick around for more.
P.S. One German thing I like is techno. It's not a favorite genre of mine, but if it's really good, I'll listen to it. One of my cousins has this totally badass German techno album we listened to, it was awesome! Can't remember the band name though . . .
Either that, or you picture Oktoberfest.
Stereotypes aside, I am more German than anything else. Both sides of my family can be traced back to Germany. I don't know the exact percentage, but I believe I'm at least 60 percent German. And some of the cultural attitudes carry on in me, even though I'm a 4th Generation American.
First of all, look at the tropes here and here. We'll cover efficiency first. Germans are famous (or infamous) for being sticklers for quality. We want only the best; the best materials, the best results, the best of everything. And if we can't get the best? We will settle for something less, but never anything less than ideal. I've inherited this attitude from my mom and dad. When I perform a chore in the house, I do the best I can. When I play a video game, and I'm not screwing around, I play to the best of my ability. When I bought new speakers for my computer, I didn't buy a cheap brand, I bough something of quality.
This even extends to my choice in the arts. Look at my lists on my MAL page. Aside from some of my manga, I don't own anything I scored less than a 9, and even then, if I scored something a 10, I may not own it. (And even then, my lowest scored manga that I own, Bleach, got a 7, which is above-average. Suffer Not The Mediocre. Purge The So Bad It's Horrible.) Germans are stubborn like that, and so am I. I'm not wasting my time on shoddy goods, crappy automobiles, poorly written movies, and general incompetence. We have one life to live, so we must make the most of it!
Then there's Germanic Depressive. Well, that's a bit of a misnomer, since I haven't been clinically depressed for a long time, (and even then, I've spent most of my life not depressed.) It's more like, if you met me in real life, and if I wasn't hosting a party, you'd probably think I was imitating one of my European counterparts, or any of my East Asian friends. I, like in the article, also prefer to keep my workman attitude separate from my fun-loving personality. When I'm at a job interview, doing a chore, playing a video game "for reals", or anything of the sort, I tend not to be jokey, frivolous, or childish. I take a serious attitude, for I don't want strangers to think badly of me and my performance. You can also notice this in my published fanfics; I tend not to publish them unless if I feel absolutely certain it's something I can be proud of.
And yet, if you caught me when I'm watching a sitcom, screwing around in a video game, telling an amusing anecdote to my family, or something like that, you'd swear I was bi-polar! (I'm not, but I do have many faces) When I unwind from the stresses of life, I like to put my all into it. Again, these are all attitudes I inherited from my family.
And there's something else I'd like to clear up. I don't get how so many people think the German language is rough-sounding. I've heard people speak fluent German; it doesn't sound ugly. It can even sound pleasant. Then again, I know why the English-speaking world has this attitude. It's all because a guy from the Bavarian region of Austria made a career of blaming Germany's problems, very angrily, on Jewish business owners. (sighs) Oh Hitler, have you any idea of just how much damage you caused? Luckily for you, I'm not an affiliate of the Nazi Party, nor am I an anti-Semite. (How could I be!? Most of my favorite comedians are Jews!)
But even though I'm mostly German, this isn't the only aspect of my background. I've got five more of these articles in the making, so stick around for more.
P.S. One German thing I like is techno. It's not a favorite genre of mine, but if it's really good, I'll listen to it. One of my cousins has this totally badass German techno album we listened to, it was awesome! Can't remember the band name though . . .
Sunday, May 29, 2011
xm Heritage Week: Prologue
In my last post, I mentioned I was part German. Now, when I say that, I don't mean I'm from Germany; I was born in America, and I have spent my entire life in America thus far. However, I feel I could talk about my background without giving away too much of myself online.
Now, you see, the concept of race is a complex one. A big mistake too many people make is assuming it's a simple subject, because it's not. The state has me listed as "Caucasian," and most of the locals, if asked, would describe me as "A White Guy." However, common terms like European, African, Asian, Et Cetera, are often broad and vague terms. Look more closely, and you'll find subsets within subsets of ethnicity. For this whole week, I will be analyzing my own race. Each day will cover a different subject.
I already mentioned my Germanic-ness, so starting tomorrow, that will be my first article. What else comprises xm0123, though? Stick around to find out. By next Sunday, I will return to my usual programming, and by that, I mean very (for this blog) usual programming.
-----------
I have ended Ask Rachel Alucard. I have been told it had a good ending, but as I've said, I like writing Help Us Professor Kokonoe more. Next time on that, we'll get to hear Kokonoe's thoughts on this new development.
Now, you see, the concept of race is a complex one. A big mistake too many people make is assuming it's a simple subject, because it's not. The state has me listed as "Caucasian," and most of the locals, if asked, would describe me as "A White Guy." However, common terms like European, African, Asian, Et Cetera, are often broad and vague terms. Look more closely, and you'll find subsets within subsets of ethnicity. For this whole week, I will be analyzing my own race. Each day will cover a different subject.
I already mentioned my Germanic-ness, so starting tomorrow, that will be my first article. What else comprises xm0123, though? Stick around to find out. By next Sunday, I will return to my usual programming, and by that, I mean very (for this blog) usual programming.
-----------
I have ended Ask Rachel Alucard. I have been told it had a good ending, but as I've said, I like writing Help Us Professor Kokonoe more. Next time on that, we'll get to hear Kokonoe's thoughts on this new development.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Duology of reviews
I forgot to mention this last year, because it happened during personal issues in my life, but last year, I rented Red Dead Redemption for my PS3. I would say I got about halfway through that game before taking it back.
First, the good stuff. Games set during the Western Frontier are pretty rare. There is the prequel, Red Dead Revolver, there was a Wild West level in Timesplitters 2, and there was a 1997 first-person shooters made by LucasArts entitled Outlaws, which was basically Doom in the West. Redemption is probably the most authentic Western game ever made. Of course, being Rockstar, this game has more in common with Tombstone than a John Ford western, what with the (surprisingly realistic) bloodshed, curses, sexual content, and so forth. Unlike most other M-rated games, Redemption is actually quite mature in its presentation.
RDR's biggest strength, aside from the open-ended gameplay, is its story. Rockstar's games have always had strong writing, but their previous titles were always either parodies of gangster movies, or in Bully's case, a parody of high school movies. RDR is actually more dramatic, and also features the first playable character who isn't a morally questionable hero. John Marston is a man trying to redeem himself so that he can see his family again. He stands up to the corruption of his era, and is not afraid to kill if he has to. I haven't beaten the game, but I read what happens in the ending, and I gotta say, it's a powerful ending. Even if you hate the Western setting, you gotta admit, RDR's story is captivating. Of course, there is humor in the game (all pitch black humor, of course), but the story here is one I can say will make games look like a respectable artform.
The music is alright. The voice-acting is pretty good. I didn't find it as nuanced as the acting in the GTA games, but it is definitely a cut above most other games. I particularly like the voice and dialog for Seth. The graphics are pretty good. There's a huge draw distance, which really shows just how large the West was.
But now for the gameplay. If you play the game unpatched (like I did), you're going to encounter bugs, some of which freeze up the game. Also, some of the missions (both story and side) are really really difficult. Also, some wild animals are insanely dangerous. I also had a hard time aiming. Maybe it was because I was playing the PS3 version instead of the 360 version, but without the auto-aiming, I couldn't aim very well.
But here's the good part. RDR is the greatest hunting simulation ever made. Remember the hunting sim craze from the late 1990s? Deer Hunter and its ilk? RDR puts them to shame. I had more fun blasting rattlesnakes and hawks than I did the story mode.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10. Definitely worth a look, but I wouldn't call anything about RDR outside of the story and hunting god-like.
-------------------
I recently played through another Rockstar game, this one LA Noire. This is perfect! I wrote that detective story not too long ago, I read the first half of Umineko, and now I can play a game where I'm a police detective! My mind is still fresh, so this one will be longer.
Again, Rockstar has written another great story. You play Cole Phelps, a beat cop in 1947 Los Angeles. He was a Marine in Okinawa during World War II, and wants to continue to serve and protect his country. After solving some cases (which are tutorial missions), he gets assigned as a homicide detective. The story is true to noir novels of the time (I say novels, because remember, in the 1940s, the Hays Office would never allow Hollywood to produce anything violent, vulgar, overtly sexual, or portray authority figures in a bad light either.) Just about everything from the story presentation, from the dialog, to the cases, to the characters, is top-notch. This is even more serious than RDR. This game is bloody, has epithets, uncensored naked dead bodies*, is not afraid to show the bigotry of the time**, and is absolutely dark in spite of the 1940s radio shows of the time. Save for a blatantly obvious Idiot Ball moment about two-thirds of the way into the story, LA Noire puts most crime dramas to shame.
The acting in this game is very natural. The actors' faces were mapped out when they recorded their lines, so the delivery is not limited to the voices, for it also includes the movements. You won't see any forced hamminess, dull line reads, or anything of the sort during the cutscenes. I couldn't recognize any of the cast, but this game certainly has some of the best performances I've ever seen in a game.
As for the actual game, it shines most during the investigations. When you're looking for clues, the game plays like Shenmue for the Sega Dreamcast. The environments are heavy in detail, and combing for clues can be time consuming, but rewarding. The other factor is interrogating persons of interest. When you ask someone a question, they'll give an answer. If you think they're speaking the truth, you select Truth. If you think they're witholding information, you select Doubt. If they say something that contradicts any evidence you found, you select Lie, and select the right piece of evidence. Watch, I'll give examples.
[Cop] Where were you on the night of November 27th, 2010?
[Me] I was at home, composing my fanfics.
[Cop] (Truth) So you were too busy writing to be at the crime scene.
[Me] Well yeah! I had fans to satisfy online!
[Cop] Does the name, "Dark Pulse" ring any bells?
[Me] Uh, no, can't say it does.
[Cop] (doubt) God damn it, xm! You're holding out on us! How do you think this will look in front of a grand jury!?
[Me] Okay, okay! Dark Pulse is a fellow fanfic author and friend of mine! He can vouch for my alibi! Just . . . . just don't bring up the subject of badfics in front of him, okay?
[Cop] Do you write your fanfics using Open Office?
[Me] No. I use Wordperfect.
[Cop] (lie) Really? We think you're lying, xm. We think you're covering for someone.
[Me] Wha, what!? Why would I lie to the police!? What makes you think that!?
[Cop] (selects correct piece of evidence) Your hard drive shows that Open Office is the only word processor program that has been regularly updated.
[Me] . . . Okay, fine! I'm a loser fanfic writer! There, are you happy now!? But because of that, there's no way I could've been responsible for the murder!
[Cop 2] His alibi checks out. Let him go.
If you botch an interrogation, the game will usually give you a second chance, but interrogations are tough. Oftentimes, you won't pick the right response. Much like real life cops, you will often finish cases without finding all of the evidence, without nailing the interrogations, or for convicting the wrong suspect. Then again, that's what strategy guides are for.
There are also action sequences in the game. You can explore a beautifully rendered 1940s Los Angeles, but there's not as much stuff to do like in the GTA games. You can solve street crimes, but those usually aren't as exciting as the cases. Navigation on foot is awkward, and is perhaps my biggest issue with the game. When you're chasing a perp on foot, don't be surprised if you bump into walls, fail to climb ladders on time, et cetera. Car chases, on the other hand, are fun. Your partner will shoot out tires if you get close enough. Gun battles are a little on the generic side. You have a couple of guns, (a Colt 1911 semi-automatic, a shotgun, a Tommy gun, and a rifle), and you can move in and out of cover, but they feel generic compared to the rest of the game.
I didn't finish LA Noire, but I got pretty far. I will give it 9 out of 10. There are some issues, but the setting is amazing. Definitely worth a look.
*Something I'm tired of otakus saying is "computer games from Nihon are sooooooo much more daring, because they show genitalia!" Really? Even though H-games pixelate the primary sex organs? Well LA Noire shows women's va-jay-jays uncensored. In an American game. In your face, you fucking fanboys.
**Sad but true, anytime in my home country before the Civil Rights Movements of the 1950s and 1960s, America was . . . not very progressive in terms of race relations. Notice the racism, sexism, and just overall what my mom calls "prejudism" present in Red Dead Redemption and LA Noire. It's actually true to history. In fact, if I had lived in America during World War One, I would've been discriminated against since I'm part German.
First, the good stuff. Games set during the Western Frontier are pretty rare. There is the prequel, Red Dead Revolver, there was a Wild West level in Timesplitters 2, and there was a 1997 first-person shooters made by LucasArts entitled Outlaws, which was basically Doom in the West. Redemption is probably the most authentic Western game ever made. Of course, being Rockstar, this game has more in common with Tombstone than a John Ford western, what with the (surprisingly realistic) bloodshed, curses, sexual content, and so forth. Unlike most other M-rated games, Redemption is actually quite mature in its presentation.
RDR's biggest strength, aside from the open-ended gameplay, is its story. Rockstar's games have always had strong writing, but their previous titles were always either parodies of gangster movies, or in Bully's case, a parody of high school movies. RDR is actually more dramatic, and also features the first playable character who isn't a morally questionable hero. John Marston is a man trying to redeem himself so that he can see his family again. He stands up to the corruption of his era, and is not afraid to kill if he has to. I haven't beaten the game, but I read what happens in the ending, and I gotta say, it's a powerful ending. Even if you hate the Western setting, you gotta admit, RDR's story is captivating. Of course, there is humor in the game (all pitch black humor, of course), but the story here is one I can say will make games look like a respectable artform.
The music is alright. The voice-acting is pretty good. I didn't find it as nuanced as the acting in the GTA games, but it is definitely a cut above most other games. I particularly like the voice and dialog for Seth. The graphics are pretty good. There's a huge draw distance, which really shows just how large the West was.
But now for the gameplay. If you play the game unpatched (like I did), you're going to encounter bugs, some of which freeze up the game. Also, some of the missions (both story and side) are really really difficult. Also, some wild animals are insanely dangerous. I also had a hard time aiming. Maybe it was because I was playing the PS3 version instead of the 360 version, but without the auto-aiming, I couldn't aim very well.
But here's the good part. RDR is the greatest hunting simulation ever made. Remember the hunting sim craze from the late 1990s? Deer Hunter and its ilk? RDR puts them to shame. I had more fun blasting rattlesnakes and hawks than I did the story mode.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10. Definitely worth a look, but I wouldn't call anything about RDR outside of the story and hunting god-like.
-------------------
I recently played through another Rockstar game, this one LA Noire. This is perfect! I wrote that detective story not too long ago, I read the first half of Umineko, and now I can play a game where I'm a police detective! My mind is still fresh, so this one will be longer.
Again, Rockstar has written another great story. You play Cole Phelps, a beat cop in 1947 Los Angeles. He was a Marine in Okinawa during World War II, and wants to continue to serve and protect his country. After solving some cases (which are tutorial missions), he gets assigned as a homicide detective. The story is true to noir novels of the time (I say novels, because remember, in the 1940s, the Hays Office would never allow Hollywood to produce anything violent, vulgar, overtly sexual, or portray authority figures in a bad light either.) Just about everything from the story presentation, from the dialog, to the cases, to the characters, is top-notch. This is even more serious than RDR. This game is bloody, has epithets, uncensored naked dead bodies*, is not afraid to show the bigotry of the time**, and is absolutely dark in spite of the 1940s radio shows of the time. Save for a blatantly obvious Idiot Ball moment about two-thirds of the way into the story, LA Noire puts most crime dramas to shame.
The acting in this game is very natural. The actors' faces were mapped out when they recorded their lines, so the delivery is not limited to the voices, for it also includes the movements. You won't see any forced hamminess, dull line reads, or anything of the sort during the cutscenes. I couldn't recognize any of the cast, but this game certainly has some of the best performances I've ever seen in a game.
As for the actual game, it shines most during the investigations. When you're looking for clues, the game plays like Shenmue for the Sega Dreamcast. The environments are heavy in detail, and combing for clues can be time consuming, but rewarding. The other factor is interrogating persons of interest. When you ask someone a question, they'll give an answer. If you think they're speaking the truth, you select Truth. If you think they're witholding information, you select Doubt. If they say something that contradicts any evidence you found, you select Lie, and select the right piece of evidence. Watch, I'll give examples.
[Cop] Where were you on the night of November 27th, 2010?
[Me] I was at home, composing my fanfics.
[Cop] (Truth) So you were too busy writing to be at the crime scene.
[Me] Well yeah! I had fans to satisfy online!
[Cop] Does the name, "Dark Pulse" ring any bells?
[Me] Uh, no, can't say it does.
[Cop] (doubt) God damn it, xm! You're holding out on us! How do you think this will look in front of a grand jury!?
[Me] Okay, okay! Dark Pulse is a fellow fanfic author and friend of mine! He can vouch for my alibi! Just . . . . just don't bring up the subject of badfics in front of him, okay?
[Cop] Do you write your fanfics using Open Office?
[Me] No. I use Wordperfect.
[Cop] (lie) Really? We think you're lying, xm. We think you're covering for someone.
[Me] Wha, what!? Why would I lie to the police!? What makes you think that!?
[Cop] (selects correct piece of evidence) Your hard drive shows that Open Office is the only word processor program that has been regularly updated.
[Me] . . . Okay, fine! I'm a loser fanfic writer! There, are you happy now!? But because of that, there's no way I could've been responsible for the murder!
[Cop 2] His alibi checks out. Let him go.
If you botch an interrogation, the game will usually give you a second chance, but interrogations are tough. Oftentimes, you won't pick the right response. Much like real life cops, you will often finish cases without finding all of the evidence, without nailing the interrogations, or for convicting the wrong suspect. Then again, that's what strategy guides are for.
There are also action sequences in the game. You can explore a beautifully rendered 1940s Los Angeles, but there's not as much stuff to do like in the GTA games. You can solve street crimes, but those usually aren't as exciting as the cases. Navigation on foot is awkward, and is perhaps my biggest issue with the game. When you're chasing a perp on foot, don't be surprised if you bump into walls, fail to climb ladders on time, et cetera. Car chases, on the other hand, are fun. Your partner will shoot out tires if you get close enough. Gun battles are a little on the generic side. You have a couple of guns, (a Colt 1911 semi-automatic, a shotgun, a Tommy gun, and a rifle), and you can move in and out of cover, but they feel generic compared to the rest of the game.
I didn't finish LA Noire, but I got pretty far. I will give it 9 out of 10. There are some issues, but the setting is amazing. Definitely worth a look.
*Something I'm tired of otakus saying is "computer games from Nihon are sooooooo much more daring, because they show genitalia!" Really? Even though H-games pixelate the primary sex organs? Well LA Noire shows women's va-jay-jays uncensored. In an American game. In your face, you fucking fanboys.
**Sad but true, anytime in my home country before the Civil Rights Movements of the 1950s and 1960s, America was . . . not very progressive in terms of race relations. Notice the racism, sexism, and just overall what my mom calls "prejudism" present in Red Dead Redemption and LA Noire. It's actually true to history. In fact, if I had lived in America during World War One, I would've been discriminated against since I'm part German.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
where's my translation?
When I finished Princess Tutu earlier this year, my reaction to that was a long dramatic pause followed by me saying, "I am not worthy." A good rule of writing is to not repeat words and phrases when it can be helped. As such, I finished Episode 4 of Umineko earlier today. This is my final thought thus far:
................
...........................
Just when you think it's all over, the story throws you for a loop, assuring you that it's far from over! On the tenth of this month, Witch-Hunt released a patch for the first half of EP8. Soon, the second half will follow, and there will be rejoicing on that day. Oh, one last thing.
Can you deny that in red!? Not until I play the second half, of course!
I need more Umineko music! I need more interactions between humans and witches! I need more battles of logic and words!
Oh yeah, I know a little bit about the anime adaptation. Some of its artwork is better than the games . . . if you ignore the freaky boobs of the women. However, it seems that Deen, being the studio who has yet to earn my respect outside of jokes about The Axis Treaty, handled the anime haphazardly. I do know about its opener and ending. I like its OP more than the games; dunno why, but I find it epic. The ED, I like, but I feel it's too overdramatic. If the anime had access to the games' soundtrack, why didn't they use Discode from the games for the ED? That is the perfect ED for an anime version of Umineko! Or . . . should I say . . .
EETS PAAFEKKTO!
Don't think I've locked myself out of the loop just because I can't read beyond EP4, and refuse to read scanlations of the manga, and am avoiding the anime version! However, some questions still remain unanswered. Most of them, I can't post, because it would be a spoiler, but I will ask this again; why does the manga version of Higurashi have quotes from Bernkastel?
Argh! It's useless! It's all useless!
-------------------
I finally made more progress on a fanfic that isn't a Blaz Blue story. I know what direction to take my Nasuverse series next. I even finished the next interlude chapter! However, said interlude is incredibly short, and it would make more sense if I finish the first chapter and upload both of those once I finish the start of the next what-if scenario. The next what-if scenario will be entitled, "Grief is the Fuel of Vengeance."
I already what the interlude after that will be, and what the next what-if scenario will be. What the next story will be about? I can't say just yet.
................
...........................
MY HEAD A
SPLOOOOOOOODE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just when you think it's all over, the story throws you for a loop, assuring you that it's far from over! On the tenth of this month, Witch-Hunt released a patch for the first half of EP8. Soon, the second half will follow, and there will be rejoicing on that day. Oh, one last thing.
As of the end of EP4, Umineko is xm0123's favorite visual novel!
Can you deny that in red!? Not until I play the second half, of course!
I need more Umineko music! I need more interactions between humans and witches! I need more battles of logic and words!
Oh yeah, I know a little bit about the anime adaptation. Some of its artwork is better than the games . . . if you ignore the freaky boobs of the women. However, it seems that Deen, being the studio who has yet to earn my respect outside of jokes about The Axis Treaty, handled the anime haphazardly. I do know about its opener and ending. I like its OP more than the games; dunno why, but I find it epic. The ED, I like, but I feel it's too overdramatic. If the anime had access to the games' soundtrack, why didn't they use Discode from the games for the ED? That is the perfect ED for an anime version of Umineko! Or . . . should I say . . .
EETS PAAFEKKTO!
Don't think I've locked myself out of the loop just because I can't read beyond EP4, and refuse to read scanlations of the manga, and am avoiding the anime version! However, some questions still remain unanswered. Most of them, I can't post, because it would be a spoiler, but I will ask this again; why does the manga version of Higurashi have quotes from Bernkastel?
Argh! It's useless! It's all useless!
-------------------
I finally made more progress on a fanfic that isn't a Blaz Blue story. I know what direction to take my Nasuverse series next. I even finished the next interlude chapter! However, said interlude is incredibly short, and it would make more sense if I finish the first chapter and upload both of those once I finish the start of the next what-if scenario. The next what-if scenario will be entitled, "Grief is the Fuel of Vengeance."
I already what the interlude after that will be, and what the next what-if scenario will be. What the next story will be about? I can't say just yet.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Oh man, where do I even start with today's entry?
I couldn't help but notice a research flaw in Umineko. Maria is said to be a fan of an anime entitled "Card Master Sakura." Three guesses as to what that is really supposed to refer to. However, here's the problem; the anime version of Cardcaptor Sakura first aired in 1998, twelve years after Maria started watching it. The manga version came out in 1996, which also makes this impossible. Were it not for the concept of Artistic License, I would be saying,
"NERD RAAAAAAAAAAGE!"
right about now. Unless . . . this is somehow a part of 07's master plan of some sort. Maria would love a show like Cardcaptor Sakura, after all.
I'm partway through Episode 4 of Umineko right now. Ange and Maria are the biggest Woobies ever since Sakura Matou. Reading their backstories was one of the most emotionally devastating experiences I've ever had with a work of fiction. How often can you say that for what is essentially a computer program? Not frequently, I know.
For the longest time, if you were to ask me what game had the best story I've ever seen, I would say Grim Fandango. A few plot developments were cliched, sure, but its original premise, noir influences, sharp dialog, pitch-perfect voice-acting, witty characters, and overall unforgettable atmosphere made it not only the most memorable LucasArts adventure game ever, but also, the best narrative I had ever seen in a video game. I've seen games come close to dethroning Grim Fandango in this regard: Knights of the Old Republic, Final Fantasy 9, Tales of the Abyss, Persona 3 and 4, Mother 3, Shenmue 1 and 2, and Tsukihime to name a few, but none of them actually matched Grim Fandango, let alone surpass it.
If Umineko continues to grip me the way it has been from the beginning, it will become the greatest story I've ever seen in a video game. I'm dead serious. If a kinetic visual novel can be considered a game, then it may as well be the video game equivalent of MacBeth. (Come and get me, curse! I am not afraid of referring to The Scottish Play by its true name!) (Read the italicized text in Kinzo's voice for maximum effect.) Do you get that? I just compared Umineko to my favorite Shakespeare work! Shakespeare, said to be the greatest English writer ever! Well, personally, I find his works to be . . . slightly above-average at best, (I still don't get the hype for Hamlet), but Macbeth though . . . despite how old it was, it gripped me by the balls when I read it in high school, and Umineko is doing the same thing to me right now, and then some!
Never have I read a visual novel as beautifully written as this one! Never have I seen a mindblow so thoroughly engaging! Rarely have I seen characters so amusing, cruel, human, demonic, deep, vile, lovable, loathsome, relatable, and plain awesome! This . . . is something to be treasured!
And I haven't even mused on about the soundtrack yet!
Well, I have in earlier entries, but now that I've heard more tracks, here's some more thoughts. This soundtrack is not just confined to one genre. At first, most of the music sounded either like European classical, or like horror movie music. Granted, those samples sounded great, (Red Dread is a truly powerful piece), but there's many other genres, and they all sound great, too! Some of the music sounds like Final Fantasy music, some of it sounds like Castlevania music, some of it even sounds like Megaman music, all good comparisons, I assure you. The synthesized pieces used during intense sequences, like Golden Slaughterer, World End Dominator, and Mirage Coordinator not only sound great, they will get your blood flowing. The vocal song at the end of Episode 3, Active Pain, sounds exactly like an opener for a Type-Moon anime (Hey! If Kara no Kyoukai was a televised series, I'd use Active Pain for the opener!), and I can't stop listening to it! Happy Maria sounds like something Danny Elfman would compose, and it is delightful in the same way the Scarlet Sisters are delightful! There's even some jazz; Like The Gale is a fast, frenetic, and fun tune to listen to. But if there was one piece I found more irresistable than all of the others, it would be "u2_黒のリリアナ" When I think of witches, I will think of this piece, and how wonderfully sinister it is! *cackle*
Oh yeah, and although it's hard for me to pick a single favorite character; I can tell you who my favorite witch is; Bernkastel. She reminds me of Patchouli, and she's also the funniest character in the game.
So . . . my thoughts on Umineko thus far? Two words:
OH DESIRE!
"NERD RAAAAAAAAAAGE!"
right about now. Unless . . . this is somehow a part of 07's master plan of some sort. Maria would love a show like Cardcaptor Sakura, after all.
I'm partway through Episode 4 of Umineko right now. Ange and Maria are the biggest Woobies ever since Sakura Matou. Reading their backstories was one of the most emotionally devastating experiences I've ever had with a work of fiction. How often can you say that for what is essentially a computer program? Not frequently, I know.
For the longest time, if you were to ask me what game had the best story I've ever seen, I would say Grim Fandango. A few plot developments were cliched, sure, but its original premise, noir influences, sharp dialog, pitch-perfect voice-acting, witty characters, and overall unforgettable atmosphere made it not only the most memorable LucasArts adventure game ever, but also, the best narrative I had ever seen in a video game. I've seen games come close to dethroning Grim Fandango in this regard: Knights of the Old Republic, Final Fantasy 9, Tales of the Abyss, Persona 3 and 4, Mother 3, Shenmue 1 and 2, and Tsukihime to name a few, but none of them actually matched Grim Fandango, let alone surpass it.
If Umineko continues to grip me the way it has been from the beginning, it will become the greatest story I've ever seen in a video game. I'm dead serious. If a kinetic visual novel can be considered a game, then it may as well be the video game equivalent of MacBeth. (Come and get me, curse! I am not afraid of referring to The Scottish Play by its true name!) (Read the italicized text in Kinzo's voice for maximum effect.) Do you get that? I just compared Umineko to my favorite Shakespeare work! Shakespeare, said to be the greatest English writer ever! Well, personally, I find his works to be . . . slightly above-average at best, (I still don't get the hype for Hamlet), but Macbeth though . . . despite how old it was, it gripped me by the balls when I read it in high school, and Umineko is doing the same thing to me right now, and then some!
Never have I read a visual novel as beautifully written as this one! Never have I seen a mindblow so thoroughly engaging! Rarely have I seen characters so amusing, cruel, human, demonic, deep, vile, lovable, loathsome, relatable, and plain awesome! This . . . is something to be treasured!
And I haven't even mused on about the soundtrack yet!
Well, I have in earlier entries, but now that I've heard more tracks, here's some more thoughts. This soundtrack is not just confined to one genre. At first, most of the music sounded either like European classical, or like horror movie music. Granted, those samples sounded great, (Red Dread is a truly powerful piece), but there's many other genres, and they all sound great, too! Some of the music sounds like Final Fantasy music, some of it sounds like Castlevania music, some of it even sounds like Megaman music, all good comparisons, I assure you. The synthesized pieces used during intense sequences, like Golden Slaughterer, World End Dominator, and Mirage Coordinator not only sound great, they will get your blood flowing. The vocal song at the end of Episode 3, Active Pain, sounds exactly like an opener for a Type-Moon anime (Hey! If Kara no Kyoukai was a televised series, I'd use Active Pain for the opener!), and I can't stop listening to it! Happy Maria sounds like something Danny Elfman would compose, and it is delightful in the same way the Scarlet Sisters are delightful! There's even some jazz; Like The Gale is a fast, frenetic, and fun tune to listen to. But if there was one piece I found more irresistable than all of the others, it would be "u2_黒のリリアナ" When I think of witches, I will think of this piece, and how wonderfully sinister it is! *cackle*
Oh yeah, and although it's hard for me to pick a single favorite character; I can tell you who my favorite witch is; Bernkastel. She reminds me of Patchouli, and she's also the funniest character in the game.
So . . . my thoughts on Umineko thus far? Two words:
OH DESIRE!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Glorious Shonen Jump
Forget Durarara, Angel Beats, and Hidamari Sketch; when it comes to anime series still on the air, Gintama is where it's at!
Now, a confession; there are a few anime series I think are funny as Hell. Namely: Haruhi, Welcome to the NHK, Soul Eater, and Sgt. Frog. There's one problem with all of them, though; I only get the humor when I watch these series in English. If I try watching them in Japanese, I don't laugh as much, especially in Soul Eater and Sgt. Frog's case, the superior English dub being the former's case, and the Americanized (yet good) re-writes of the latter.
There is no English dub of Gintama. And the subtitles aren't gag titles either. And yet, it is now among the funniest anime I have seen!
Wait, to be hilarious even without being in my native tongue, could Gintama be . . . the funniest anime ever!? Well, I'm ten episodes in so far, and so far, this is a lot funnier than most other animes branded as comedy.
And this was originally a manga from Shonen Jump! I haven't seen a good Jump series since Death Note! I won't summarize what Gintama is about, since you could just look it up elsewhere, but I can rate things about it here.
Plot: Almost exactly like the Goemon games, but in anime format. The characters know they're in an anime, and even when it's serious, you don't know whether to laugh or not. It's kind of like a Warner Bros. cartoon like that. I like it!
Characters: Not one-dimensional. This is perhaps the Achilles' Heel of most comedy animes; characters that are archetypes rather than proper characters. Not here in Gintama, however. I was wondering why Gintoki ranks so high on the MAL character list. I especially like the Shinsegumi characters, but everyone's likable.
Music: Meh. Not annoying, but doesn't add much.
Artwork: Nothing spectacular, but some of the action scenes are well-animated.
Voice work: Good God, this is like the Japanese equivalent of a Bang Zoom dub! Tomokazu Sugita! Rie Kugimiya! Daisuke Sagaguchi! Akira Ishida! Kazuya Nakai! Fumihiko Tachiki! Satsuki Yukino! Maybe this is why I love it without an English dub; the Japanese voicework is so lively!
Humor: Lots, some of it really funny. The two-part pilot is especially hilarious. They're dialog gags, visual gags, absurd situations, pop culture references, (including one to the 4Kids version of One Piece; Sunrise knew about that!?) . . . lots of different kinds of jokes, and most of them work!
Overall: All those Chicken Littles acting like anime is in its death throes obviously haven't seen Gintama yet. It's great!
Now, a confession; there are a few anime series I think are funny as Hell. Namely: Haruhi, Welcome to the NHK, Soul Eater, and Sgt. Frog. There's one problem with all of them, though; I only get the humor when I watch these series in English. If I try watching them in Japanese, I don't laugh as much, especially in Soul Eater and Sgt. Frog's case, the superior English dub being the former's case, and the Americanized (yet good) re-writes of the latter.
There is no English dub of Gintama. And the subtitles aren't gag titles either. And yet, it is now among the funniest anime I have seen!
Wait, to be hilarious even without being in my native tongue, could Gintama be . . . the funniest anime ever!? Well, I'm ten episodes in so far, and so far, this is a lot funnier than most other animes branded as comedy.
And this was originally a manga from Shonen Jump! I haven't seen a good Jump series since Death Note! I won't summarize what Gintama is about, since you could just look it up elsewhere, but I can rate things about it here.
Plot: Almost exactly like the Goemon games, but in anime format. The characters know they're in an anime, and even when it's serious, you don't know whether to laugh or not. It's kind of like a Warner Bros. cartoon like that. I like it!
Characters: Not one-dimensional. This is perhaps the Achilles' Heel of most comedy animes; characters that are archetypes rather than proper characters. Not here in Gintama, however. I was wondering why Gintoki ranks so high on the MAL character list. I especially like the Shinsegumi characters, but everyone's likable.
Music: Meh. Not annoying, but doesn't add much.
Artwork: Nothing spectacular, but some of the action scenes are well-animated.
Voice work: Good God, this is like the Japanese equivalent of a Bang Zoom dub! Tomokazu Sugita! Rie Kugimiya! Daisuke Sagaguchi! Akira Ishida! Kazuya Nakai! Fumihiko Tachiki! Satsuki Yukino! Maybe this is why I love it without an English dub; the Japanese voicework is so lively!
Humor: Lots, some of it really funny. The two-part pilot is especially hilarious. They're dialog gags, visual gags, absurd situations, pop culture references, (including one to the 4Kids version of One Piece; Sunrise knew about that!?) . . . lots of different kinds of jokes, and most of them work!
Overall: All those Chicken Littles acting like anime is in its death throes obviously haven't seen Gintama yet. It's great!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
REPEAT IT IN RED!!!!!
I have become bewitched by the narrative of Umineko.
I started Episode 3 earlier today; go me! (Yeah, some effort that was; kinetic novels like this have no actual gameplay. Still, I don't have to study a strategy guide.)
Also, maybe it's just I'm getting more used to it, but although 07Ryukishi's character art isn't splendid, I must admit, he's good at illustrating facial expressions. As I said before, it's not as bad as the character art of CLAMP whenever CLAMP screws up.
I also found a playthrough of the PS3 remake on youtube. Sampling a few scenes from Episode One, I got to take in the art as well as the Japanese acting. The backgrounds definitely look a lot better on the PS3 version; HD, better coloring, it's gorgeous. The new character designs are, overall, better than the originals, but, for the most part, it's not a huge improvement. Sure, the colors are better, and the faces and clothes are more polished, but it's not a huge improvement, although characters' lips move now. Maria is the exception; she looks a lot better illustrated in the PS3 version. She's not cute, but she looks more like an actual 9-year old now.
The voice cast for the PS3 game are the same from the anime version. As far as I can tell, the Seiyuu did good. Most of the characters don't sound like how they sound in my head, but it sounds well-acted, especially Beatrice's laughs. The only downspot is Shannon; she's moe, yeah, but she sounds way too moe with the voice-acting. Funny, that; why is it the only things where girls have stereotypical moe girl voices in Japanese (where the term 'moe' originated, no less) that I actually feel are appropriate are in Haruhi and Clannad? Why is it in everything else, it sounds incredibly fake to my ears? I must be weird like that.
But now back to the actual writing. There's a couple of characters I dislike, but I feel it's because you're supposed to dislike them. For one thing, I don't like Krauss, he's too smug for my liking. Also, Rosa, for obvious reasons. And while Kinzo is complex, and has sympathetic moments, the fact remains that he's not exactly an ideal patriarch. But there's a difference between disliking a character because of bad writing, and disliking them because you disagree with their principles. Luckily, it's the latter in this case. As for favorite character? Still hard to say. For now, I'll say it's a three-way tie between Battler, Natsuhi, and Kanon. (Although if everything in Umineko is the work of magic, that's not gonna reflect very well on Battler's character, but whatever.)
Oh, also, let's get the obvious out of the way:
JESSICA IS A MARISA KIRISAME COSPLAYER!
Of course, Jessica is not as small-chested as the real Marisa, but her hair and face are perfect for looking like the Gensokyan witch! And yes, in the original PC version, the game does play "Tsurupettan" by Silver Forest at one point. Wait, would 07 had to have gotten permission from ZUN as well to feature a remix of Touhou songs, as well as someone dressing up like a character from Touhou, or are the copyright laws in Japan just that loose? Is that why so many people in the Western World adore Japan? And here all this time, I thought it was because of the romanticism of Feudal Japan and the video games . . . I'm rambling now.
Lastly . . . can't . . . stop . . . listening to . . . the music . . .
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