The Fruitful Seat of Not Real Stuff

Shin's documentation of all the referenced anime in Seitokai no Ichizon

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:41:54 GMT

Current episode number: 5

Dragonball Z Kai
Kuroshitsuji (Mentioned outright!)
Lucky Star
Dragonball Evolution (It counts. XD)
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu
Tenchi Muyou (cameo of title)
Full Metal Alchemist
Death Note
YuGiOh
Jigoku Shoujo
Maria-sama Ga Miteru
Only the Ring Finger Knows
Strike Witches
K-On!
ToraDora

I'm sure I've missed a few so if anyone has spotted any which I haven't listed (Or are unable to identify), feel free to comment away!

A news article so horrible... it must be shared.

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:38:46 GMT

Today, as I was nomming my pre-mass snack and wandering around the kitchen, I happened to chance upon a newspaper article on my grandfather's desk. It was cleverly titled "Our Favourite Fantasy Films".
Uy, epic title. Must read when I get home. It ENSURES the lols.
I come home from mass, read the article and decide it's SO damn funny, I have to copy it to my LJ to share the lol. The mental image I get is that the entertainment section head needed an article stat and asked their five year old daughter to write something, QUICK and make it about movies!
As usual, my comments are in boldface.

Sometimes, we get so fed up with life's problems that we wish to just escape from it even just for a short while. At times, we sleep our problems away; we go traveling for soul searching Wait, wut?; and most often we turn to our friends and seek ~~for~~ their company. Semicolon overuse much? One entertaining way to have a quick break from our problems is through watching movies. How very essay... Here are some of the most loved fantasy films that will instantly zap you out of reality (Oh! don't forget to come back Behold, trying to be clever and failing.):

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Join the Pevensie children and enter the worlds of Narnia through a wardrobe, which is a portal which is a closet, which is a bathroom, which is a door.. Their mission is to save Narnia from the evil white witch. Something about this sentence strikes me wrong. Sounds flat. This is your chance to get into the fantasy world, just a wardrobe away.

The Never Ending Story. Imagine a book that can get you involve in to its story As my beloved partner said... "I thought all books were supposed to do that?"; will that be an adventure worth taking or not? This movie is about a young boy who dares to read a book in spite of a warning from the librarian. I think it was a bookstore owner, not a librarian. Now, the characters from the book need the boy's help. Accompany Bastian as he tries to help out the characters from the book so that it can have a happy ending. REDUNDANCY FOR THE WIN! Question is: Will it ever end (considering the title of the book "Never Ending Story" Oh lol. I'm in stitches. Oh lol.)?

Harry Potter. Join the adventures and learning experiences of Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Learning experiences? I'm convinced this is someone's gradeschool essay. This J.K. Rowling creation became a phenomenon not only to kids but also to adults. If you are in for some wizardry and adventure, then Harry Potter is the one for you. ...bagay daw kami ni Daniel Radcliffe. Magpapakasal na kami.

Lord of the Rings. Allow Frodo and his friends to take you in a mystical journey as they search for a precious ring. As far as I remember, they HAD the ring and were trying to get rid of it. Be ready to face characters of different kinds, from good looking to monstrous faces. ...wut? We're gonna face everyone, from gorgeous people to ugly people! YAY! This J.R.R. Tolkien masterpiece became a blockbuster hit thus winning a lot of awards. Well OBVIOUSLY. It seems like there are many people who are up to these kinds of stories after all. Really now?

Alice in Wonderland. Alice's strange adventure begins when she follows a rushing white rabbit into a hole. Rushing... white... rabbit? Is this a good idea? Following anything into a hole usually isn't. Surprisingly, it is a portal to ~~the~~ Wonderland. This is your chance to enter the Wonderland with Alice. Makes you wonder, whom will you meet there? ...no words.

Hook. If you think you have outgrown Peter Pan, then consider watching "Hook" and be a kid once again. This movie is about an adult Peter who is forced to go back to Neverland and be "Peter Pan" again; because Hook, the hostile captain, kidnaps his children. Why is this in quotations? If you feel like being a kid again, then join Peter Pan as he tries to be "the boy who wouldn't grow up" once again.

Pirates of the Caribbean. Is this even considered fantasy? I always thought it was in the action genre. Anyway... Welcome aboard! Dare to join Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew as they sail away from one adventure to another. - from the curse of the black pearl to the world's end. Hm.. titles. So if you love the sea and you're brave enough to face fierce creatures then hop onboard at Captain Jack's ship.

Jumanji. An old board game comes back to haunt its previous players-the game must be finished. Seriously. WHY the dash. If you think this movie is just about playing, then think again. Jumanji will surely take you to a wild safari adventure of your life in a roll of a dice. WILD SAFARI ADVENTURE OF YOUR LIFE!

Wizard of Oz. Get into the cyclone Sounds like a tagline. and join Dorothy and her dog Toto as they are magically transported to the world of Oz. It is a beautiful place but it is inhabited by strange people and things. At the Oz, THE Oz. she meets and befriends the Scarecrow, the Tin man and the Lion. Will Dorothy be able to go back home/ Will you be able to keep up with the oddities in the Oz?

Belated Happy Halloween. HAVE SOME SCARY GRAMMAR!

I didn't know where to post this...

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:27:23 GMT

8D I think I'll post it here first..

Title: Hell's Bells
Wordcount: 989
Theme: 154. Fearful vengeance
POV: Third person
BGM: nothing really.
Notes: ...ahurrhurrhurr...

He remembered where this mess began. It had happened a few weeks ago in a small town whose name he barely remembered. All he could remember about it were the birds and the number of temples they had found there. The birds were creepy and the temples seemed rather run down at best. Still, he had no choice. His brother wanted to wander around this particular town so wander they did. What caught his attention however, was the voice of one single mortal who seemed to be giving a speech in the town square.
At this, Skye and Lucifer paused.
"I can take him on! I can take on the dark lord and his brother any time!"
Lucifer watched the mortal with a raised eyebrow. "Personally, I don't want him to take us anywhere." he said with a snort as he tapped his foot. Hearing challenges like these were quite commonplace. In a world where mortals were proud and believed what they could about their own abilities, nothing surprised Lucifer anymore. With a sigh, the prince turned around.This was starting to bore him.
Skye, however, seemed to be rather intrigued by the idiot's claims.
The prince watched his brother and tried to make head or tail of the mortal's rambling. It went through one ear and out the other. Nothing made sense to him. It was merely a mortal showing off yet again.
"Skye, let's go." he sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
The Lord of Chaos raised a hand to still his brother. "Just a moment. This idiot annoys me." he murmured.
"Why? He's the same as any other mortal who dared think himself greater than the gods."
At this, the mortal raised his voice once more. "I have learned a charm from the true gods! It allows me to bind any demon, any dark god at all!"
At this, Skye turned his attention back to his brother. He seemed torn between amusement, annoyance and sheer rage. Lucifer felt a twitch in his right eye.
"Oh it is on." the prince replied, frowning.

Normally, the Lord of Chaos was a patient man. Despite his name, he was not known for being the sort to smite you where you stand should you cross him. Of course, it has always been said that the quiet ones often blew up the loudest. Such was the case with Skye Fiinix. It took much to anger him but it was said that if you had succeeded, you would know. Hail to the king of the dark court. said the ancient scriptures written by Heretic scribes in centuries past. His vengeance is as clear as a bell that rings in the desert..
No bells rang in the grand hall of Averni that day. Nothing dared to make a sound. The time bomb had begun to tick. Someone had managed to ignite the Dark Lord's normally dormant temper. Lucifer watched as his brother paced in silence. Silver eyes had turned to gold and several deep red marks had begun to appear on the king's pale skin. The Prince tipped a bit of ash off the end of his cigarette and slipped it back between his lips. His brother continued to pace. Back and forth, back and forth... Lucifer continued to watch until he could take it no longer. He was starting to feel just the teeniest bit of nausea from the repeated movement.
"Skye," he finally sighed. "Why does it matter what this human says? Mortals say things like this all the time."
The Lord of Chaos stopped pacing and looked up. Indeed, what his brother said was true. What did it matter to him, what sort of boastful claims a simple mortal had suddenly declared? Why did he feel that he had to prove himself to this fool, that he had to show that indeed he was a force to be reckoned with?
Then again, his brother was the devil.
Pride could always be the simple answer to all of this.
With a sigh, Skye buried his face in his hand and massaged his temples. There were other reasons as well, reasons he chose not to disclose to his brother for fear of an explosion in whichever room they were in at the time or perhaps a rain of herring in the mortal's living room. Some part of him was wishing for the herring.
Much to Lucifer's chagrin, the King began to pace once more. With a sigh, the Prince threw his hands up in resignation and leaned against the wall once more. Perhaps there was no helping it.

Later that night, a tower burned in a small town with creepy birds and run down temples. The neighbors were deaf to the sounds of the fire. Their homes seemed safe from a blaze that could easily level the entire town. Strange as it was, the fires seemed to engulf the tower and the tower alone. Within the highest room of the tower, a mortal screamed as two figures approached him. They stood amongst the flames, untouched and unharmed.
One stood over him with a sword drawn, eyes golden and gleaming. The other stood by the door, blocking his only chance of escape from the inferno.
"Well...? Where is that almighty spell that you claim can seal the dark gods...?" asked the figure with the sword.
The mortal cowered, trapped between a wall and the god. "How... how can this be...?" he stammered, glancing around for a weapon or a means of escape. There was none. The figure by the door curved his lips into a sneer. His arms were folded across his chest. His eyes were hate-filled and crimson.
"That spell was supposed to work on all demons!" the mortal cried.
A smirk appeared on Sivakl'coat's lips. "Foolish boy..." he whispered, "I am no demon."
He took a step closer. The flames burned even higher.
"I am a god."
He raised his blade.

And today's topic....

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:57:38 GMT

INFO DUMP!

Today, I'm gonna talk about my concepts and my OCs. :D

First things first: I unknowingly adopted the Tezuka Star System. This usually means I end up getting my other OCs to cameo or guest star in a canon that isn't their home canon. Sometimes, I make AU plots using the cast of one canon.
Today, I'm going to talk about two of my favourite pet projects that aren't GodHunt. (Le gasp. Such things exist?!)
These are Academe Arcanum and Dharma Trap.

Academe Arcanum is technically a story about a magic school and a demon who posessed a teacher. They have strange adventures and a crossover with GH where the GH dieties become mortals and the GH cast and some of the mages have to bring them back. AA is set in Denigraad on the continent of Mythros which is across the sea from Geharra.

Dharma Trap is technically me and Shakti parodying a harem anime. Adrian Staccato is the unluckiest man alive and somehow, his nasty luck catches the attention of the Dark Queen, Jia Ananda. Before you know it, goddesses start coming to his place one by one and all of them seem to be interested in him. Unfortunately for Aids, he rather likes the quiet life and as fond as he is of the goddesses, he's already picked one he likes. Sadly, they've all picked him. XD

Dharma Trap is basically an AU of AA! I couldn't help myself. The goddesses seemed so fond of the mages here that I just HAD to use the same cast... That and Adrian's already managed to turn into a goddess magnet without meaning to so... you can say the plot wrote itself. XD
8D Onto the Ryus!

First off is Raven Raine. He's the strong, serious type. In the Academe, he teaches History and is one of the more respected teachers. He was originally an Arcmage and backed down from the position after something spoilery happened. In Dharma Trap, he owns a secondhand book store (Parang Booksale ba.). He is married to Rou Amida and carries the title Arcmagus Novum, Mageknight of the Beginning.

There's also this one guy I'm not too sure about. His name is Lance Evans and he is a werewolf... or as the people of Denigraad call them, the Wilde. He's a silent man, keeps to himself and spends most of his time in the Academe's grand library. He disappears during nights of a Sivak Moon though, which people find quite strange. In the Academe, Lance is the head librarian and teaches herbology. He graduated a scholar rather than a mage. His herbology knowledge comes from his clan. In Dharma Trap, Lance owns a cafe downtown, the Silver Moon. Aids works there sometimes durning summer. Lance is quite overprotective of and happily married to Eri... and bears the title Scholus Lycourun, Wildeknight of the Middle.

Then there's Mr Goddess Magnet himself, Adrian Staccato. He once belonged to an affluent family who was exiled for the same spoilery things that cost Raven his position. He's a little clueless, very torpe... but the goddesses say that this is what makes him so endearing. In the Academe, he teaches Astronomy and is adviser for the psychic students. In Dharma Trap, Aids is a clueless college student who gets several goddesses willingly attatched to him. He is married to Jia Ananda and carries the title Magus Novum Astronum, Mageknight of the End.

Aids' best friend is named Edouard ~~Kamakshi~~ Foardei. Of the two, Ed is the louder, more adventurous one. He and Aids met when they were very small and hit it off at once. Seems that they hang around way too much as Ed also happens to become a bit of a goddess magnet himself... But that's another story for another day! In the Academe, he teaches water magic and is adviser for the summoners. In Dharma Trap, Ed is Aids' classmate and the only man lucky enough to have made Aindri Kamakshi fall head over heels in love with him. Ed is (quite obviously) married to Indrani Kamakshi and carries the title Magus Novum Hydros, Blade to the Demon Eye.

Aids' OTHER best friend is a thief named Julien ~~Fuuyou~~. Jules was raised on the streets and has known nothing but thievery all his life, thus his lack of an actual last name apart from his wife's. Yes, these guys are ALL married. Quite happily, too... but I'm getting ahead of myself. Of the three, Jules is probably the most charismatic and definitely the most athletic. In the Academe, Jules isn't a teacher. He's one of Aids' buddies tho. In Dharma Trap, Julien is a certified NEET who was once Ed and Adrian's classmate. Jules is married quite happily to Hinara Fuuyou and bears the title Blade of the Moon.

Of course, there are others who aren't quite from the Academe who make an appearance in MGAA too!

Take for example, Ureath, the Elemental Dragon of Fire. He has the appearance of a small boy but this is only because he likes to keep himself in that body. He can also take the form of a young man should he choose to. He's energetic and quite bright. He also has a quick temper and can be rather territorial to boot. He's a fire dragon. We're all like that. As the Elemental Dragon of Fire, he is seen as the lord of all flames and sire of the fire elementals. With such power over flame, he was once called upon to make a pact with the Ice Demoness, O-Yui; her greatest weakness being fire. Of course, she ended up betrothed to him in the end... and quite happy about it, too! In AA, Ureath appears along with the other elemental dragons in a slight cameo. He turns human in the crossover. Ureath doesn't show up in DT. Ok, mebbe in a cameo, too. Ureath is married to O-Yui and carries the title Dragonlord of Fire, Blade of the Ice Queen.

Then there's Lucifer Rofocale, the devil himself. He pokes his head all over the place. The devil is brother to the lord of Chaos and sits on the third throne of hell. He heads Department 666 and which Yama, the god of the dead and chief shinigami answers to. Because of the fall, he is unable to access 100% of his power and is crippled in the right leg. I sometimes consider it lucky for some people that he can't summon his terrible overpowered form. The devil in a black Armani suit has two wives: Nikki Amida and Nasrine Sanae, both of which he loves very much and he consideres the pride and joy of his "little black heart". In the AA/GH crossover, Lucifer becomes one of the cooks at the Red Horn Inn. He holds the title Prince of the Dark Citadel.

And how could one forget the crowning glory of Rokuryu, Skye Fiinix? He is practically one of my oldest OCs and the original goddess magnet. His brother is Lucifer and much like his brother, he was once an angel. This is seen in his wings. Once there were six, now there are two... and four are tattered beyond healing. He's much better off now, seated on the Throne of Hell with his wife and brother by his side. As the King of Hell, he does have quite a lot of women he loves. He is married to Jia Ananda and Umiya, to name a few though. XD Damn you, Skye. In the AA/GH crossover, he becomes a law enforcer who seems to be a skeptic when it comes to religion... Skye Fiinix holds the title King of the Chaos Court, Fallen Seraph first class.

---
And there we go!

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:58:16 GMT

Yesterday when I was at queendea's... she told me this parable.

See, there were these two shepherds. One was rich, one was poor. The rich one had a LOT of sheep. Lots and lotsa sheep. The poor shepherd only had one but... this sheep, the poor shepherd took care of and loved with all his heart.
Then one day, a traveller came to town and the rich shepherd wanted to throw a party for him. Instead of slaughtering one of his own sheep, he took the poor shepherd's beloved sheep and killed it.

---
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."
2 Samuel 12: 5-6

Makes ya think, huh?

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 06:36:14 GMT

I'm sitting here in the sala with a kitten on my lap and another one trying to climb on. Cory's funeral coverage is playing on the TV and my grandmother's in the kitchen doing who knows what.
I was born on April 26, 1986... a mere two months after the EDSA revolution and while the country was struggling to get back on its feet. I don't have too many memories of those earlier years. Of course while we were watching Cory's remains being brought to Manila Cathedral, my grandparents were more than happy to tell me about what happened during those times. As my question that day was "Is the crowd anything like the one during Ninoy's funeral?", they ended up telling me about that day.

See, then, dad still lived with us and the hooman was around seven months pregnant with me. In the morning, dad and my grandparents went off to work and the hoonman was on maternal leave. Those were dangerous times for a horrendously pregnant lady and the hooman didn't know when the next random act of violence would be. The grandparents meanwhile ran a betamax rental (Yes, Video City of their time. XD) somewhere along Paranaque. Seeing as there were no customers that day, my gramma persuaded my grandpa to close up shop for the day and they took their little honey colored Volkswagen over to where they could see the procession.
There was no room to drop a pin. People were crowding the streets, seated on tops of cars and on hoods of cars, crowded around the van carrying the casket. My grandparents could only watch from a distance. If they wanted to get close, they couldn't. There were just way too many people.

Pan to a few years later... where I'm sitting here in the sala with a kitten on my lap and another one trying to climb on. Cory's funeral coverage is playing on the TV and my grandmother's in the kitchen doing who knows what. ABSCBN is playing Kris' speech again and my grandmother's slightly annoyed at the fact she keeps talking about herself. XD;
Grampa's asleep and if I had class, I prolly woulda skipped it to go to Intramuros then having had my fill of that, gone to JRU to ambush my aibou. :D
My grandparents are too old to go out there this time... the hooman doesn't wanna fight through traffic... and I'm too broke to go out there...
Back then, there was no TV to cover Ninoy's funeral procession. It wasn't a state funeral but the people turned it into one.

Sudden plot related blurb...

Thu, 28 May 2009 11:59:30 GMT

Dragons are very territorial creatures. The presence of anything new and strange on familiar ground sends them into fits of paranoia and temper tantrums. They tend to turn grouchy and lash out at anything that moves for the sheer wish to keep their territory theirs and theirs alone. Sometimes, you'd just wish they'd peed in key locations and left it at that.
But why are they so territorial?
It's called... The Hoard.
The hoard (Don't look at me like that. I don't play WoW.) is a collection of baubles which the dragon in question has gathered over the years. These can be precious swords, gems, coins, gold, silver or practically anything that glitters. Often, a dragon will treasure one particular piece from its hoard and protect it from outsiders with its life.
It is never wise to steal from a dragon. When a dragon has been stolen from, it will do anything and everything within its power to get said treasure back. This may start with chasing after the thief to battling it to threatening to eat it alive. The thief in question may escape with the shiny object but rest assured, the dragon is still watching and waiting for the perfect chance to snatch its treasure back.
It is said that anyone who steals from a dragon will be forever cursed until the piece of treasure is returned. There is no compensation for the lost item. You either return it or pay for it with your life.

In other related materials, most Infernal dragons (hell dragons) have an inborn hate for angels. Well, I dunno about the hate. Some of the more mature ones are rather distrustful and wary of them. I suppose this stems from the fact that their ancients don't really have a good rap sheet with them. At any rate, an Infernal dragon will rip an angel to shreds when faced with one. Payback for what they did to their ancestors. An angel wouldn't last two seconds looking at an Infernal. There will be roaring and gnashing of teeth.
Angels and dragons do not mix. The other breeds may be cool with them but not the Infernals.

---
In IRL news...

-Holyshit Black Bat Vanilla Mint. <3 *wants an entire box*

I went to take a walk around the area today and ended up in Harrison Plaza. That's where I found the Black Bat. Bought a couple of sticks as well as some DJ Mix and a Pink Devil. I'm curious about the rose flavored cigs. o_o
Anyway. After that, I walked a little more and found myself at the zoo. Yes, Manila Zoo. Since the entrance fee was only 20php, I decided to go and kill some time there. Hay kababawan. I was blissfully happy. XD Fosirius.
The elephant seemed ok.... and I wasted a lot of time watching the peacocks...

But I found myself feeling kinda sorry for the ostrich. It was really old and it's feathers were in really bad shape. It very nearly looked like a large balding turkey. We had a moment together when it sat down near the fence and watched me while I crouched down and watched it.

The hippo was cute. It was all fat and lumpy.
The gator and I had a moment, too. Reptile to reptile. He was lazing in the water with his mouth open. I was hanging around the wall near his pen. He suddenly moves to adjust his position to look at me. I look back. We remain like this for several minutes until I declare I was getting tired.
A cat darted across the llama pen. It seemed REALLY scared.
I saw a monkey whack off in public.
The tiger was asleep.
I couldn't find the lion.
Crocs and gators are lazy. Cute... but lazy.
DUCKS!
POT BELLIED PIG!
I had something in my head going "Omnomnomnom" when I saw rabbits and guinea pigs.
And thus my trip to the zoo.
Someday, I shall take Shakti there too! :D

I made this a long time ago for fun. XD

Mon, 18 May 2009 16:31:32 GMT

And I find the answer I got funny. XD

NEW CONCEPT! IT INVOLVES THE KIDS! LOOK HERE! LOOK HERE! LOOK HERE!

Mon, 18 May 2009 11:48:01 GMT

To those who don't understand, please ignore. Senseless rambling.
FOR WHOEVER CAN RELATE, PLEASE LOOK! /desperately trying to reach

Tentaive title: Natur-Leute (Nature People in German.)
So this is probably in the same universe as the Ancient God thing. It has slightly the same idea... except it uses mythical creatures.
Imagine not only the gods being real and present in the present world but nymphs, demons, elementals and the like and they're all around us. Some people can see them, some people can't. Some of them choose to appear as a normal human and disguise whatever sets them apart, like tails and ears and such.

The characters... are the kids.
I want a place for Yuki, Aki, Marduk, Ayumi, Rinku and Furian and Yuurin. I can already imagine the scenario the twins have! Same with Haru.
I wish I knew what sort of creature Yuki was if he is a sort of creature... I want him in both this and War Chronicle.
I'm not really sure but Haru is an incubus posing as a human. He covers up his ears in the hood of his shirt or under a cap. As for his tail, I think he tucks it in his pants.

He gave a big smile because he knew mama would look! He wanted his mama to see him smiling.

I think I'll be working very closely with Haru, Natsu, Kali and Myse for this idea!

Natsu's a water nymph. She likes wandering around invisible but she enjoys the rain so much that she becomes visible to mortals to enjoy it better. I think that's her story. She gets mistaken for some sort of ghost. *nodnod*
Kali and Myse seem to be paranormal investigators. I see him poking his nose around some of the stories. One of them's secretly a half demon. I think it's Kali.

I'll be working very closely with the kids for this one... I'd like to think of it as a family project! The kids wanna work hard for mama!

*runs off to sketch Kali*

I know some people will benefit from this so....

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 05:00:33 GMT

Ah, Suikoden. I first got into the game when I was stalking my then crush. She mentioned it on Friendster so I decided to give it a try. Needless to say...
I
WAS
HOOKED.
Suikoden and I go way back. I've gained friends from this fandom and even now, I remember my then best friend who doesn't talk to me anymore for reasons I'd rather not disclose thanks to this game. I had a dream last night about her and I being friends again and--
Where was I? Oh yeah. Review. Right.

So. The first thing I have to say about this is that it's visually stunning for a DS game. As IGN and Gamespot have stated, the backgrounds are rendered in 3D while the character sprites are strangely... Chibi. Yes. They're Chibi. Of course, their portraits are in full. The intro sequence and certain key scenes are played out in 2D animated cutscenes and some other scenes are given the full voice over treatment.
The battle system is turn based as always. You place your characters in either the front or back row and there is (as always) cooperative attacks-- get a bunch of characters with some sort of bond together in one party and you can activate a super attack which deals more damage than your usual physical wallop.

In your usual Suikoden game (Minus III, of course), you play a nameless silent protagonist whose only method of communication is by hand gestures (I'm looking at you, Lazlo.) and it's up to you to collect the 108 stars of destiny, dump them in a castle and save the country usually by stopping a war or something like that.
As usual, you play a nameless protagonist. But this guy is NOT silent. He's ANYTHING but silent. Hell, he won't shut up! XD I'm not kidding. He talks alot. It's a bit strange but oh well.
When I started with the game, I was wondering where the runes were. My magic option was greyed out which means it wasn't selectable. Oh well. Guess they don't have runes equipped. Let's go buy some!
...there was no rune shop.
There didn't seem to be runes ANYWHERE.
HOW THE HELL WAS I GONNA CAST MAGIC?!
Ok, maybe there are runes some other place.
Then a certain key plot happened and I was able to use my magic. Wait a sec. These aren't runes.
Marks of the Stars?
...WTF?
I think I need to play more in order to unravel this mystery. o_o
D: I have no runes and I have MP. *is sad*
On the other hand, that's a good thing. I can cast as many times as I need... but... I HAVE NO RUNES! D<

Other notable changes were... the world map. The world map opens to a bigger world map where you select your destination and travel there via a line of dots. You spend a few days in travel to get to your destination. Apparently, the seasons change too and this affects certain things. I'm not sure what yet though.
Another strange thing. Monsters don't drop Potch anymore. They drop TRADE ITEMS.
Yes, you hear me. TRADE ITEMS. The trade system is still there. You can buy materials, bring them to another town and hopefully make a profit but your main source of income comes from the trade items you sell to the trading post.
I had 6k by the time I came back from my first mission.
Oh yes! The mission system. The game assigns you missions in order for you to progress through the story. I suppose side-quests come in later too. o_oa
There's an NPC (Another member of the 108, I suspect) who can give you missions and such. I think it should pay well. Shall experiment later.
I do have one complaint though. The hero's voicer. He talks too damn fast. Wheneverheopenshismouthhesoundslikehesinsuchahurrythathedidn'tbothertoaddspacestohiswords.
He talks really really fast. :/ That... so far... is the only problem I have with this game...

So! Last words!
Suikoden Tierkries is a game that says it's Suikoden but... tastes like something else. Sure, it has the same flavor and feel of Suikoden but there's just something missing.
Maybe it's because I just had my first bite. As I go along, I hope to regain that good old Suikoden flavor. It's definitely worth getting. The plot they kept flaunting during its early announcement, the thing about the 108 stars of destiny having fallen and only 4 remaining... it's all true. But I'm not quite sure where that fits in the whole story. Maybe I do... but this is a spoiler free review. I'm not discussing my theories here. :D

EDIT a few hours later: I was right. Ala Final Fantasy Tactics, you can dispatch some of your allies in order to complete sidequests and you can cash in on whatever quests you've finished... AND BOY DO THEY PAY WELL! Some missions pay as much as 10k potch and one certain story quest (Yes, missions given in game can be cashed in on as well.) pays 30k.

I'm gonna go back offline and play more Tierkreis. Will post reviews for Avalon Code and Enchanted Folk when I get back tonight.

Writer's Block: Tricky Questions

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:18:05 GMT

What is your first reaction when someone says "I need to talk to you"?

View 503 Answers

Ask Shakti about this one. My answer is AND ALWAYS WILL BE...

"Am I in trouble?"

I dunno. Call it paranoia or something but that's my usual answer to this question. It's come up with very funny situations once before.

"I need to talk to you."
"Am I in trouble...?"
"... *facepalm in FX*"

8D Hey Shakti, remember this one?
Ah... good times, good times...
...or not. D:

An open letter.

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:14:34 GMT

Hey K,

How've you been? How's life? Seems you're doing ok. It's been what, five, six years since we last spoke and I guess I can only watch from a distance as we both grow. I think I'm nearly your equal now. At least I think so. You've come a long way. Hell, we both have, haven't we? From retarded fan characters to original work, we've done some pushing, pulling, tweaking and shoving to get our studios up and running.
I wish I wasn't so jealous and gullible then. I dunno if you'd believe me but... it's all A's fault. She was the one who told me things about you that made me hate you. I bet she told you things about me, too. I wish I wasn't so gullible to believe her and instead trusted what I knew about you. I wish I was a better friend. I wish for a lot of things, really. I wish somehow you'd get this letter. You said you were jealous of the way I thought, the way I came up with concepts. I never got to tell you why I envied you.
I was jealous of the support your family gave you. I didn't have a sister to help me learn how to draw and I didn't have parents who would pat me on the back when I drew something nice. It was all me. I wished that just for one day, I could have what you had.
I wished I could be loved too.
And you did it so easily.
I look at your stuff every now and then like some silent sentinel or something like that. I can see you have gone a long way. Your style's better now and your colors are smoother. I wish I could talk to you again. Fat chance of you listening to me though. I tried, remember? I really did. Twice.
But I guess I caused more damage than I thought.
It's all her fault... and half mine for being gullible.
Those memories are still burned in me, you know. I can recall them clearly. Every word. I can stand in that same spot in the driveway of ICA and look at the place you were at. I could stand underneath that tree and look for an ant nest to drown all over again.
I could walk down the street to the house where we first met.
I can do it all. I still remember everything.
What I want more than anything is to be happy that you're coming back to Manila. Right now, I feel nothing but regret when I read about it. Regret and a little hope that J calls me and goes "K's coming back to Manila and we're gonna meet!".
Then I'd go "Can I come? I wanna see her too."
Because I do. I wish I could see you just one time and explain, apologize and make amends in person. Notes can be ignored, comments can be deleted but when you're face to face, there's no choice but to sit and listen.
That would be nice. A private little corner of a coffee shop somewhere where we can talk. Just you and me. Starbucks. My treat.
If I knew where you were, I'd send you something. Something you'd like, something you know came from me.
I guess I keep doing this because I want some closure.
Huh... Found you on LJ. Whadaya know. You're friends with the other her.
She's a different story altogether. Won't mix that with this. That has closure. You don't.

I guess S got to you first and you probably heard about our fight. Fat chance of me getting the closure I need now, huh? I suppose the only way I'd be able to get the closure I need is by seeing you by chance.
Hopefully, you'll forgive me then if I explained myself.

I really hate myself for being gullible and stupid then. If I wasn't... we'd probably be talking. A lot.

Seriously... You are the biggest mistake I've ever made in my entire life.

Hoping for some closure,
S.S.

I'm leaving this on public... Just in case fate should let you chance upon it.

Ganked from Karthur~

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:12:48 GMT

Christmas Gift Toy & MySpace Layouts at pYzam.com

RCG reports the Tokyo Game Show!

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:29:10 GMT

And it's here! The biggest gaming show of the year next to E3!
This is usually the most exciting one for me because of the RPGs due to come out. This year is VERY exciting for the DS!

First off, Squaresoft.

Three games are expected to make big waves by next year: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time, Valkyrie Profile and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

The new FFCC is said to be a sequel to Rings of Fate. Hm. The twins all grown up? We'll have to wait and see. IHere's a big thing though: The game is cross-platform playable. DS players will be able to play with the stylus and Wii players with the wiimote. Innovative, if you ask me. Interesting to say the least.
Release date is scheduled for Japan by January 29.

KH: 385/2 Days is another anticipated title. It's been rumored for the DS even way before I had mine. Well, finally, there's some news on it. It controls like the PS2 games and... well... kinda looks like em. This time around, you control Roxas. It must be some sort of morbid fascination as to WHY I am considering looking at this game. Oh well. ~~I'm thinking 131MB size ROM for this one...~~
Release date for Japan rumored February 2009.

Valkyrie Profile was a game I was looking forward to. Then I heard that it was going to be somewhat a strategy RPG. WTF? I liked the original battle system. Aww.. does that mean I can't yell out "FINISHING STRIKE... NIBELUNG VOLESTI!!!'" like I used to? XD
Not much to say on it so far but I might get it for old times sake.

Ok. Up next is... SUIKODEN TIERKRIES!
Seems like they're going for a cross between 2 and 3, it seems. It has the usual look of the battle and has a four person party so far. The world map's 2D but once you get into battle, the backgrounds become 3D? I think?
The protagonist of Suikoden Tierkreis is a young man who sets out from his village to rid the surrounding area of monsters, only to end up in a wide, forested valley. As we played, we reached a point where the ground began to rumble violently, trees began to fall, and rocks began to crumble. Out of the valley floor rose a vast stone statue of a human guardian holding a large staff. This statue turned out to be a large temple, and upon exploring the interior, we discovered a mysterious book lying in the middle of a circular chamber. In one of the frequent animated cutscenes, the protagonist was drawn inextricably toward the book and grabbed ahold of it, unleashing a flood of memories that seemed to echo the past destruction that left the temple in its currently ruined state. This book also seemed to endow our hero with some magical powers, which we tested out on a later level that allowed us to sink our teeth into the combat system.
-Preview from Gamespot.

Phantasy Star series also comes to the DS! It looks quite interesting, really. You can create up to three characters in different classes. Sounds like a portable MMORPG! There is an MMORPG mode, really... Chat is enabled using a doodlepad of sorts on the touch screen. You draw on it and send that to your party members. Soloing can be played in Story Mode. Up to three characters can be saved.

Gardening Mama. Yes, you heard me. I know I've mentioned it before. Mama steps out of the kitchen and heads to the garden. This time, you need to grow plants from seeds and you do this the same way you used to cook with mama. O_o The mind boggles.

Little Magicians is also looking even more interesting the more I read about it. The main charm is that it's Animal Crossing... without the daily drudgery. It's like... Animal Crossing meets the Sims. You have missions to complete, classes to go to, spells to cast...
Actually, half the charm of it to me is the similarity it has to my original work, Mahou Gakuen Academe Arcanum. XD
/self plug

--

Cid to Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Toki Wasure no Meikyuu DS. This one plays like the Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon series on the Playstation. You go around a randomly generated dungeon and a character follows you around and you kick your enemies. Except this time, you have Cid tagging along rather than Mog. No screenshots for me to stare at yet but there was mention of amazing FMVs. 8D
Chocobo to Mahou no Ehon: Majo to Shoujo to 5nin no Yuusha is said to be a sequel to the FFFables one released early in the DS' career. Interestingly enough, it starts off with an island... and being attacked by mermaids. o_o

HEI GAIZ!

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:04:19 GMT

A little help with myminicity?
Just one click? XD;;;

Shin @ FAILCON '08!!!

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:43:05 GMT

Ok.... so I went off to Rob after class. I thought I'd be missing major lulz because I was late. Got to Rob at around 2:30+

After a short walk, I got to the Atrium. It was easy enough to spot. Usually, most events that need small space are held here. By those kinds of events, I mean product/album/game launches and concerts. This one was a so called "anime convention". Actually... no.
No, it wasn't.
IMHO, conventions usually involve people getting together, watching anime, buying stuff and seeing cosplayers. Sure, the cosplayers were there... But... the buying, watching anime and getting together part was kinda... lacking.
A convention of ANY SORT isn't supposed to be held in a teeny location! It makes you look like a REAL noob. :/
So.. this wasn't a convention as a convention is usually held. It was more of a cosplay competition. I like that definition better. Let's use that.

Ok. So there were a buncha people circled around the Atrium. I couldn't see a thing, teeny thing that I was so I decided to head up to the second floor and get an overhead view of the thing. Alright, one good thing: the stage setup was rather good. It was an S shape that gave a good view of the cosplayer to both judges and crowd. Everything else... was phail.
The backdrop was just a buncha sheets of colored cartolina and the stage itself had a large tarpo of the pseudo vectored Cloud, Rei Ayanami, Haruhi and Pikachu. A projector and screen had been set up on the side of the stage where the cosplayer's character was flashed during their ramp walk.

Miracle upon miracles though, ALOLdia was actually there! She left after all the cosplayers did their ramp though. Didn't even stay to give the prize.

HOMG THE PRIZE. DID I MENTION THE PRIZE?!
GIFT CHECKS. But I'll get back to that later. I'm getting ahead of myself.

So yes, from the second floor, I could see the ring of people that gathered and aLOLdia with two more people as the judge. I'm not sure who they were, though. I didn't get to start the cosplay but when I got there, they were introducing someone who cosplayed as DarkKnight!Joker. In fairness, he had a rather good costume and his makeup was ok.
The hosts were a HEADACHE.

Think about this: You have a cosplay competition hosted by a couple of airheads who so obviously don't know a thing about
a. Anime
b. Cosplay
c. Hosting
YES. HOSTING. Have you seen an episode of Wowowee? IT WAS JUST LIKE THAT. Except... in konyo English. Also, they seemed to talk to the cosplayers like they were talking to kids. Yknow. That "I'm going to talk slow and pretend to understand what you're saying" kind of tone.
There was a formula I saw with their hosting. It went something like this:

"And now number____!"
*cosplayer comes in*
"What's your name?"
"*cosplayer gives name*"
"At sinong kino-cosplay mo?"
"*cosplayer gives character*"
"Ahhhh... ok. *lets him ramp walk*"

As far as I remember...
-There was a Puffy Ami Yumi duo who the hosts didn't know. Cmon. HI HI PUFFY AMI YUMI! IT'S ON CARTOON FREAKING NETWORK FCRYING OUT LOUD
-Hao Asakura had paper hair. Kudos to him for pulling that off. The hosts thought HE WAS A POKEMON. HAO FUCKING ASAKURA.
-A Mokona/Larg combo who did humanized versions of the two. I... felt pretty ho-hum about it, really. Cute... but meh. :/
-A Pita Ten character who Chepot will rant about, possibly. XD; She knows Pita Ten better than I do.
-A Hard Gay cosplayer who was VERY confident about his stage presence! He stole the limelight from the hosts. Of course, I don't think they liked this very much.

By this time, I had no idea where Chepot, Revin and John were so I decided to get some noms in form of a long missed salisbury steak from Steak 2000. Then a text message came in from Chep asking me where I was. I couldn't reply because I didn't have regular load. Then another text came in telling me they were on the top floor.
Needless to say, I INHALED my steak and ran off to meet up with them.

When I got up there, we decided to see how much they were giving as prizes for the cosplay so we went back downstairs. Cheppie asked the first organizer she could find about the prize and the response we got was...

"Gift check."
"Magkano?" (How much?)
"Hindi ko alam e..." (I don't know...)

I wanted to headdesk. :/
By then, we spotted Aloldia leaving the premises. HOMG SHE WALKED PAST US!!!11 And I didn't have any wrappers to throw. XD

Other things...
The artwork competition got its own ramp, too. I'm not kidding. The ones who made it walked down the ramp carrying their work.
Ano to, fashion show?!
Bah.
The winner was a Catwoman cosplayer. Whatever happened to "no partial nudity"?

Anyway, the whole event was over in TWO HOURS AND THIRTY MINUTES. You heard it here, ladies and gents. TWO HOURS. AND THIRTY MINUTES. It's a new world record! Shortest convention EVER.

When it was all over, John, Chepot and I were left with one question:
Whadawedonow?

XD;; That was just a very short overview of what happened at Failcon 08. :D Expect a better review from Chep and John when they get to writing!

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:22:53 GMT

Tokyo Game Show's coming up and that means new games to be unveiled! So far, I don't have all the dirt on it yet but I DO have a list from IGN on the playable releases and videos for DS related games.

Here's a look at what will be playable:
-Snoopy DS
-Chocobo Mysterious Dungeon DS+
-Valkyrie Profile DS
-Kingdom Heart 358/2 Days (Weird. I'm actually looking forward to this. And I HATE KH.)
-Final Fantasy IV the After

Video only:
-Chrono Trigger
-Dragon Quest XIII

Also, there's something coming in called Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete. If this is some sort of shit sequel again, I swear. Heads will roll. But before I start muttering under my breath on how Squeenix should stop making pointless FF7 sequels, here's a list of future releases I'm going to keep an eye on.

September 11:
-Princess Maker 4 (JP)

September 15:
-Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen
-Drawn to Life: Spongebob Squarepants Edition

September 16:
-Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

September 19:
-Dungeon Maker

September 22:
-Kirby Super Star Ultra
-SimCity Creator (I don't know if this will be any good...)

September 23:
-Disgaea DS
-Lego Batman: The Videogame
-Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
-My Japanese Coach
-Time Hollow

September 30:
-Princess Debut (Shaddap. Babae din ako. :p)
-Pop Cutie! Street Fashion Simulation (I'm actually quite curious about this game.)
-Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
-Tornado

October 7:
-Bleach: Dark Souls
-Iron Chef America: Extreme Cuisine
-Prey the Stars

October 14:
-Hello Kitty Big City Dreams (I'm a sucker for everything virtual life-ish. Who cares if it's Hello Kitty?!)
-Littlest Petshop Winter/Jungle
-Naruto Path of the Ninja 2 (Maybe. we'll see.)

October 15:
-Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled

October 21:
-Away: Shuffle Dungeon
-Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
-Master of Monster Lair

October:
-Flower, Sun and Rain: Murder & Mystery in Paradise (Actual date in October hasn't been released)

November 4
-Dragon Ball Origins

November 10
-Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia

November 11:
-National Geographic Panda (Ever wanted a pet Panda? I know I have!)
-Star Wars: The Clone Wars -- Jedi Alliance

November 24:
-Chrono Trigger DS

December 18:
-Ragnarok DS (JP)

I have two Japanese titles up there and I'm willing to slog through the hiragana and katakana just to give you guys a review when it comes out!
That. Is all. :D

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:04:58 GMT

View Poll: How should I overspend during my last school day of the term?

So... I can't have that tasty Japanese dinner I thought I'd give myself because the hooman cut my allowance this week to only a hundred. I can't go to the mall because what the HELL am I gonna do there?! No moneyz. My options are thus... and all RO related.
What do you all think?
Yes, I still want my RO back. TT
I have the free server currently on download (Flashget) but it'll take at least 20+ hours to complete.
There you go! NOW GO! DICTATE HOW I SHOULD REGAIN MY RO CLIENT!!

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:03:48 GMT

Step 1: Put your MP3 player or whatever music player you have on random.
Step 2: Post a line stanza from the first 30 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song.
Step 3: Post and let everyone you know guess what song and artist the lines come from.
Step 4: Strike out Bold the songs when someone guesses correctly.
Step 5: No cheating.

1. tooku de me o hikarasete
mezameru monotachi matte iru
yoru no jouheki sasowarete
utsurisumu mure no nukegara ni

2. And it's so easy when you're evil
This is the life, you see
The Devil tips his hat to me
I do it all because I'm evil
And I do it all for free
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need

3. Yami de aimashou
Anata ga matteru basho de
Kiken ni youtteru zankoku raisan no Dark Queen
Omowazu te ni toru garasu no Sword ga warete
Kakera ga hikaru no yo
Kizutsuita yubisaki nameta

4. "I" wo tsuranuki hitamuki "I" wo utagau koto naki
Hibikiau ai no tsurugi SAMURAI SAMURAI
Akirametaku nai kanjou! Kanaderu chikai de sanjou!
Tsukamitore yume no senjou SAMURAI SAMURAI
Kurenai no kinumatoi Dare ga tame "Samurai"

5. Sakura iro Kataomoi no hito
Sakura iro Me ga aeba hoho some
Sukoshi zutsu Otona ni chikadzuku
Demo DAME ne Kaiwa ni nara nai no
Rouka dewa genki souna
Egao da ne Me datte masu yo!

6. I wanna be your dream catcher
donna kanashimi ga otozuretemo
mamoritai anata wo
I wanna be your dream catcher
ima hajimete tsuyoku nareru
Fly again

7. Now I’m falling asleep
And she’s calling a cab
While he’s having a smoke
And she’s taking a drag
Now they’re going to bed
And my stomach is sick
And it’s all in my head

8. Do ya need a break from modern livin'?
Do ya long to shed your weary load?
If your nerves are raw
And your brain is fried
Just grab a friend and take a ride
Together upon the open road

9. I can look at the world
In a different light
I know what it takes
To make it right
And I won't give up the fight

10. shiroi mikatzuki machi wo miorusi koro ni
aoi meikyuu kara mashuo ga mezame hajimaru
ah tsumibukai kono chijou boy (boy)
believing dreaming
boku tachi wa sagashiteru
tamashii no mezasubeki basho wo

11. The sun sets and a new day comes
Repeating is one change
Don't avert eyes from differences
Your nerve and soul to the limit Go forward now

12. BAD FRIENDS ego darake to mune ni toikaketeru
YOU KNOW kotoba nanka yakubusoku
BAD FRIENDS yasuragi nado zutto iranai kara
YOU KNOW kizudarake de sore ga ii

13. Catch me as I fall
Say you're here and it's all over now
Speaking to the atmosphere
No one's here and I fall into myself
This truth drive me
Into madness
I know I can stop the pain
If I will it all away

14. I wanna be a pop star
kimi wo motto muchuu ni sasete ageru kara ne
KIRAKIRA no pop star
hane wo hiroge mahou wo kakete ageyou kimi dake ni

15. nani wo mitsumete iyou
sono te wo sashidashite
tsukanda genjitsu wo
Let it go
shinjiyou
(If Saki doesn't get this one, I have no idea anymore. XD)

16. Pikachu!
You know you are the one!
I choose you!
There's no else that I'd rather...
Have you by my side!
'N you can help me win this fight!
Because we need to face the challenge that's ahead!

18. Come with me in the twilight of a summer night for awhile
Tell me of a story never ever told in the past
Take me back to the land
Where my yearnings were born
The key to open the door is in your hand
Now fly me there

19. Here's how the story goes
we find out, about a treasure in the Grand Line there's no doubt.
The pirates whose eyes on it he'll sing
"I'm the King of the Pirates, I'm goin' to be King!"
Ya-yo Ya-yo Ya-yo, uh-oh.
(XD;; Yes. She guessed the One Piece 4Kids OP)

20. Hold me
Whatever lies beyond this morning
Is a little later on
Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all
Nothing's like before

21. Magical powers...
In the lush grass,
In the shade of Mt. Moon,
May the song... Soothe you
The power of the melody moves you

22. The trouble with schools is
They always try to teach the wrong lessons
Believe me, I've been kicked out
Of enough of them to know
They want you to become less callow
Less shallow
But I say: why invite stress in?
Stop studying strife
And learn to live the unexamined life
(No, this is not my new themesong :/ )

23. Hello, good morning, how ya do?
What makes your rising sun so new?
I could use a fresh beginning too
All of my regrets are nothing new
So this is the way
that I say that I need You
This is the way
This is the way

24. She's always been there for me
Whenever I'm falling
When nobody else believed
She'd be there by my side
I don't know how she takes it
Just once I like to make it
Then the tears of joy
Will fill her loving eyes

25. Here we belong.fighting for survival.
Weve come to be the rulers of your world.
I am immortal.i have inside me blood of kings.
I have no rival.no man can be my equal.
Take me to the future of your world.

26. An angels smile is what you sell
You promise me heaven, then put me through hell
Chains of love got a hold on me
When passions a prison, you cant break free

27. You make me wanna lala in the kitchen on the floor
I'll be your French maid where I meet you at the door
I'm like an alley cat
Drink the milk up I want more
You make me wanna
You make me wanna scream

28. Say your prayers little one
Dont forget, my son
To include everyone
Tuck you in, warm within
Keep you free from sin
Till the sandman he comes

29. there's no escape from love
was a gentle breeze
weaves it's spell upon your heart
no matter what you think
it won't be too long
til your in my arms

30. Don't wish, don't start
Wishing only wounds the heart
I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl
There's a girl I know
He loves her so
I'm not that girl

Update: My cough seems to be getting better since I spent the entire day lying down. XD;
I'm already probably 30% through with FF4. 8D

Shin, the pseudo intellectual!

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 05:44:11 GMT

Who tries to sound like she knows what she's talking about. Note. This "lecture(tte)" covers the basics of a broadsword and a katana. It doesn't show you how to make one but it shows you the important notes you should take into consideration when designing one.

"Do you know how to use this thing?"
"Of course! The pointy end goes into the other man." -The Mask of Zorro (1998)

That's the kind of policy most amateur weaponcrafters have when they haven't done their research. As long as it's pretty and has a pointy end, ZOMG IT MUST BE A DEDLEE WEPUN!
Not so.

First, let's identify the parts of the sword in question! Since there are a LOT of different swords, I'm going to tackle the two most famous types: The broadsword and the katana.

Katanas and broadswords are two different animals. Same species but with slight differences.

This is a katana.

This is a broadsword. See the similarities?

First obvious difference: the pommel. See, the blades on broadswords are much larger and heavier than the blades on katana and therefore need balance. The pommel acts as a counterweight for your swing. Obviously, the larger, heavier broadsword blade would need a bigger counterweight as opposed to the sleek slender blade of the katana. Without said counterweight, your swing would be next to uncontrollable. If you want to nick an ear, then by all means, forget the pommel. Likewise, big pommels are a nono on Katana. They'll make your Katana heavy on one end.

Second obvious difference: The blade. The Katana obviously has a more curved blade and the broadsword has a straight edge. The katana has three parts (Shinogi, Hamon, Mune, Yakiba) and the Broadsword has two (Foible, Forte.) The katana is made for slashing and slicing. The broadsword is made for slashing and thrusting. It's possible to thrust and stab with a katana, I'll give you that but.. it's not quite as effective as slashing. Broadswords with their large straight edge blades are absolutely awesome for everything: slashing, thrusting, stabbing, cutting cheese.

---
There we go. I think I've managed an introductory lesson quite nicely. I think. O_o
And back to my entire afternoon of doing nothing. 8D

In other news: If I have any friends living in Pasig, there's an earthquake due. They say it's going to reach a 9 so... I hope you all stay safe. However, I do wish for the house of a certain skank who lives along the fault line to just crumble, thus rendering her homeless for quite some time. :D

I'm sorry. I shall stop being horrible now. X3

Meme!

Tue, 27 May 2008 11:37:05 GMT

Stolen from Mara!

1. Assign any anime character to the beginning letter of it's name to all letters in the alphabet.
2. You cannot repeat the same character with different names
3. You cannot repeat anime series. I should see 26 different characters from 26 different animes.
4. Include the anime series at the end
5. You can add their picture if you want.
6. NO SURFING FOR NAMES!!!! XP

Let's start!

Amu (Shugo Chara)
Byakuya (Bleach)
Chii (Chobits. The only one who came to my head. D:)
Daisuke (DNAngel)
Eve (Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tobito)
Fiore (Sailormoon)
Gon (Hunter x Hunter)
Hisoka (Yami no Matsuei)
Ichigo (THe's from Bleach, Mara. :p)
Jonouchi (Yu Gi Oh)
Krad (DNAngel)
Lan (Megaman EXE)
Momo (Shinigami no Ballad)
Neuro (Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro)
Omi (Weiss Kreuz)
Pierrot (Yakitate Japan)
Q (Dunno anyone...)
Riiya (Akazukin ChaCha)
Shuichi (Shindou or Minamino? XD Gravitation and YuYu Hakusho respectively)
Takato (Digimon Tamers)
Urd (Oh my Goddess!)
Vegeta (Dragonball Z)
Watari (Yami no Matsuei)
X (Dunno anyone with an X.)
Yomi (Yu Yu Hakusho)
Zagato (Magic Knight Reyearth)

CORPORATE AMERICA...

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:06:45 GMT

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS BULLSHITTERY?!

It is currently against international law to coerce people to register their work for copyright because there are so many inherent problems with it. But because big business can push through laws in the United States, our country is about to break with the rest of the world, again, and take your rights away.

With the tens of millions of photos and pieces of artwork created each year, the bounty for forcing everyone to pay a registration fee would be enormous. We lose our rights and our creations, and someone else makes money at our expense.

This includes every sketch, painting, photo, sculpture, drawing, video, song and every other type of creative endeavor. All of it is at risk!

If the Orphan Works legislation passes, you and I and all creatives will lose virtually all the rights to not only our future work but to everything we've created over the past 34 years, unless we register it with the new, untested and privately run (by the friends and cronies of the U.S. government) registries. Even then, there is no guarantee that someone wishing to steal your personal creations won't successfully call your work an orphan work, and then legally use it for free.

The hell is this?! What the hell do you guys think you're doing? If this law gets passed, there's a big chance that anyone can pick up your drawing and use it as their own! The poem you made last week? Grabbed. In short, you lose all rights you have to whatever you created unless you register your work and that means ALL OF IT. Every single photograph, drawing, story, poem and what have you. It's like how when you have a child, you can call it yours because you gave birth to it. If this law passes, you will end up having to pay hundreds of dollars just to have the child use your last name or someone can pick them up and call him THEIR child.

To everyone on my flist I know who draws, writes, creates, take your time to read this article. Those in America, I BEG you to please do something about it. Email a senator. I'd do it but... I don't know if they'll listen to someone who lives out of their country. To the ones who aren't... Crosspost this! Post it on messageboards, your own journals, RP journals, EVERYWHERE. Pass the word! We can't let this happen.

Read the entire article here.

Those on DA, here's a petition.

XD

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 08:04:25 GMT

Merry Christmashannukahkwanza from Rokuryu Studios and Achmed the Dead Terrorist

A quick art ranty!

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 05:35:25 GMT

Alright! You guys know how much I hate dead eyes, right? You know... eyes that use too much of the dodge tool in order to make them look shiny that they end up looking dead?

Like these:

Yeah. I hate those. Isn't it said that in anime, eyes are supposed to eb the most eye-catching expressive parts of the character? Eyes are supposed to be the windows to one's soul, right? Therefore, they shouldn't look dead! Do these eyes look familiar?
Maybe this will help:

Yup. Chii. Once again, clamp has managed to brainwash a million fanbrats into miseducation. Up and coming anime artists of the world, listen up. CHII IS AN ANDROID! She's SUPPOSED to look dead! This isn't kawaii. This isn't pretty on NORMAL characters! It makes them look like... well... ANDROIDS! They look emotionless and dead!

Observe these two eyes. ~~Alright, so the one on the left STILL looks decent coz the highlight's too big~~ Nowadays, the popular style is to have a TEENY highlight on the corner of the eye.

Like Chii. >.<
However, if you add a BIGGER highlight (like the one on the left), notice how it looks googly and happy? They look like President Urara's eyes. XD
Anyway! You get my drift. The highlights make all the difference!Just because Chii has dead eyes, that doesn't mean it's prettyful and kawaii! She has dead eyes because she's an android. No, clamp wasn't trying to make something fandangled and new. Did you notice the transition of eyes in the Opening sequence? It's in the first seven seconds of the OP.

There. In case no one remembers. Look. They purposely did that to compare Chii's state with a normal human! She isn't human therefore her eyes are different! They're dead because she's an ANDROID! GET IT THROUGH YOUR SKULLS, FANBRATS! CHII IS AN ANDROID! HER EYES ARE DEAD! THAT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD ON HUMANS!
See? Most cute anime manages to pull off the highlights!

CMON, FUTURE ANIME ARTISTS!!!!
DON'T FORGET YOUR HIGHLIGHTS!

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 09:08:11 GMT

Stolen from karthur
Leave me an anonymous comment with the following:

1. One secret.
2. One compliment.
3. One suggestion for doing something better in my life.
4. One love note, but it does not have to be for me.
5. Lyrics to a song.
6. How old you are.
7. How long we've been friends.
8. And a hint to who you are.

^^ Enjoy!