Esoterics, wine...graduate to whiskey. STARE AT THE CAT on the bed. Nebelung. This is a rare breed. This is the best goddamn cat you've ever seen. He knows what he wants, but it doesn't stop there, fool. Stay loyal till the day I die, and will watch anime with me. Can't buy that at the fuckin' market. Listen to late 80's jpop...maybe transcend into some 90's shit. Watching a bunch of "Oh, My Goddess" OVA; get real fuckin' depressed. Realize that harem anime is the only thing that you need...but that's a lie, especially since the aforementioned isn't such a sub-genre. GET fuckin' pissed. Live off of sandwiches and shit for years--oh, you saw that? Get over it; it's godly, at best. Get a fuckin' Mai Shiranui figure in the mail? 11"? Oh, but half the goddamn head fell off? You can rot off, bitches; this isn't some fuckin' fairy tale. Toei's mascot's film is mediocre.

Amalgamation

Was bored and got drunk and watched Lupin the Third: Crisis in Tokyo (Or Tokyo Crisis, as the film pronounced). Film was awesome, but I couldn't help noticing at the end that a random van in the street had the Helloween band name/logo on it. Then I realized how great life was. 80's power metal is the greatest. Life is okay.

Catching Up With Adventure Games

I don't know what the fuck I was doing when adventure games were at their peak. I was dicking around and already gaming during the glory days of companies like LucasArts and Sierra On-Line, but for some damned reason I never had the chance. I have fond memories of playing Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure on DOS in elementary school, as well as some distinct memories of, er...attempting to play Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis at a friend's house, but for some reason I just never got into them at the time. I've done some serious thinking, and I think I've reached the conclusion why: I never owned a fucking computer at the time. This is only partially true, I guess. When my family first got a computer, RTS and FPS games were in full force, and obviously being at an impressionable young age such games were quite overbearing. Certainly I do not regret my game choices at the time, for I have some of the fondest memories of playing fantastic games like Doom 1/2, Duke Nukem 3D, Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of the Triad, Blood, Blake Stone, etc, but I still feel as if I missed out for not experiencing the immense catalog of games at the pinnacle of the genre.

Obviously I've tried to reconcile with my foolish past of being an unfledged gamer with wanton materialism, primarily thanks to eBay. Consequently, most of my gaming purchases the last few months were solely adventure games, because I'm pissed off and have a shitload of catching up to do. Certainly the most impressive purchase was Snatcher (see my post on that below), but I'm also absolutely ecstatic to finally own The Secret of Monkey Island, as well as three of the sequels that follow. I need to get off my ass and play all the crap I bought (instead of writing), but I sadly haven't had the time; or, at the least the time I want to devote to the games. Currently playing through the first Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and absolutely loving it, as well as LucasArts' Full Throttle. I've been kinda slacking on the latter, but what I have played is superb, although I imagine it will be hard to top Schafer's extraordinary Grim Fandango. I think I'm most excited for The Last Express, mainly because of the exalting review on Hardcoregaming101.com and my love for animation. Sigh...I should be beating Snatcher right now. I would have been done with it if my goddamn cat didn't eat my Sega Genesis AV cord, but thankfully a new one just came in the mail. Shit.

I have been wasting my life with sleep. I should start doing meth.

Get drunk; write about bullshit. (A drunken love-letter to Valkyria Chronicles)

Fairly intoxicated. Such an event usually requires thorough analysis of relevant obsessions that I indulge in. Around tax season this year I finally decided to buy a Playstation 3, with my sights centered on a select few games, with those being: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (1 & 2, respectively), Heavy Rain, Demons' Souls, The Lost Guardian (still awaiting it's TBA release), and Valkyria Chronicles. To be honest, I don't know why I wanted a PS3 in the first place. I followed Heavy Rain from it's conception, birth, and finally it's release, but have thus played it. I've now aptly name it Shenmue 3 (unofficial edition), and while it still piques my interest, my desire to play it is fairly antiquated at this point for a number of reasons (I will play it; other games are a more pressing matter).

I could write about the other games, but since that last paragraph the alcohol is fairly stabilized in my system. I'd rather Eidos to keep making Tomb Raider games than play the macho Uncharted. Demons' Souls is a welcome third-person throwback to the hardcore days of the now obsolete dungeon-crawler like Wizardry, Ultima and even Phantasy Star, but I'm fairly pissed at that game at the moment--but for good reasons! The Lost Guardian I'm still fairly ecstatic for, but I consistently lose interest with the elapse of time. I still need to fucking play Ico. Something tells me Diablo III will be out by that time (doubt it), and any time that is considered luxurious will be spent probably playing Blizzard's latest abomination to an already stale catalog of repugnant 3D graphic accelerated games that accustom the market of Wal-mart DELL desktop users. Every Blizzard game looks like an updated version of Sim Theme Park--a game that originally looked like absolute piss in the prime of 3D computer gaming evolution. Look up Sim Theme Park and Warcraft III. Compare the two. I dare you. Certainly most games have surpassed the graphical prowess that was Warcraft III, but my observation still holds some relevancy to Blizzard's shit-excuse for "accessibility" and their departure from the morose and stygian graphics that encompassed the absolutely dire world that was both (especially) Diablo and Diablo II.

I forgot what I was talking about. I guess that was quite the tangent, and per usual, I digress from such. Anyway, the last thought I had was the prevalence of alcohol and the Playstation 3--oh, but that brings me to the main subject: Valkyria Chronicles! I have a hard time typing 'chronicles'. Oddly enough, the letters flow like the finest lepidopteran when I am intoxicated! How superb. Oh, where was I? Valkyria Chronicles has subdued my infernal hatred for modern gaming; or, at least to an extent. I'm a huge fan of tactical gaming, and obviously an anime influenced water-color art style (see Nausicaa tattoo), and Valkyria Chronicles has (surprisingly) surpassed many of my modern gaming qualms and expectations. Surely this blog could have been more of a convincing adulation for a game that I obviously admire, but I must admit the computer monitor is becoming quite transposed and queasy at the moment with my steady consumption of cheap rum and generic cola.

What am I getting at? Oh! It's a fantastic game! Aesthetics are highly prevalent, yes! Alicia has become quite the, er...character to admire and fancy. I like this game a lot. I like the narrative. I like the art style. I like the diverse lot of characters and the pseudo-steam punk WWII themed world. I am too drunk. I am glad I am still slightly coherent.

Deconstructing Shirow Masamune: A Blog of Ambivalence

I finally finished Shirow Masamune's cyberpunk manga Appleseed. It was started in '85 and ended in '89, and while it received an OVA and a Super Famicom game, it wasn't until 2004 when they released a bullshit CGI film that everyone started giving a shit. If anything, my exasperation is obviously nerd rage--but goddamn, the film is bloody ugly as sin. ANYWAY, I started to bitch and moan and write a huge whiny rant, but yeah, I digress, and that sort of thing.

I'm still trying to figure out in my head which of Masamune's works I prefer: either Ghost in the Shell, or Appleseed (regarding the respective manga, only). Both stories are full of intricately drawn tactical action; have lusciously drawn, yet physically strong and toned leading ladies; and each plot delves into politics, philosophy, and insanely elaborate techno-babble, which is one quality of Masamune's writing that I consider simultaneously a weak point, as well as a strong point. This is something entirely different that I will cover on it's own later in this post in more detail, hopefully making some sense of my accusation.

I view Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed in an odd manner: I see them as a wonderfully drawn, thought-provoking, cyber-punk masterpiece for manga, but at the same time I can't help but think that a portion of it is a wonderfully drawn, esoteric mess that is hard to follow--not for content, but simply because it is poorly constructed and too detailed for it's own good at times. I absolutely adore the idea of the complexity of exploring rational possibilities of a technologically advanced society, where cybernetic augmentations are common practice and artificial intelligence is not only prevalent, but also imperative for daily living--be it large corporate establishments, law enforcement, or simply for pleasure, but I also believe there is a point when such a setting can become convoluted, especially at the point when asterisks much be placed every page or so-or an entire index has been implemented at the back of the book-just so you can "keep up", rather than be explained via dialogue or narration. I dunno; I think if anything such an abrupt addendum every page or so describing why this Class-A 0093 Mech can deflect these .009 Caliber Gauss Rifle rounds at 15° Celsius because of the fucking angle the antagonist shot the gun takes away from the story, rather than add to it. Like I said: I love technical details, but why wouldn't you just implement these into the story, or simply let the reader think for themselves? Why have some omnipresent force interrupt every couple of pages to add in some nonsensical information only to confuse you further? Want an example? This is a word-for-word note in the index of Ghost in the Shell to compliment a particular panel on page 338:


Concerning the fissioning pyramid indicated with protons (yangerons): this is a diagram of a system, so it ignores the actual numbers at each different leve.. As with powers of ten, in terms of size, the progression would be [microscopic constructions -> human size -> heavenly body size], but in terms of structural complexity it would instead be [microscopic constructions -> heavenly body size ->human size], which is also the order which they were actually created.

...And it goes on for another few sentences. To be fair, GitS (I'll begin to abbreviate it; it should be quite obvious) has an index. It's been a few years since I've read the original manga in it's entirety, but I do not recall the constant barrage of asterisks and side notes that is so commonplace in Appleseed.  What bothers me even more is the fact that there is a book entitled Appleseed ID, which is sort of an appendix comprised of schematics, notes, explanations, sketches and the like. Something like that I can appreciate--BUT that's not it! No, there also exists Appleseed Hypernotes: another book explaining everything you ever wanted to know about Appleseed, but thankfully another story is included showcasing the events after the original story arc. I greatly enjoy supplemental material like most fans, but if the extra information isn't introduced in the story itself, I feel like I should either A.) Use my imagination; or B.) Seek it out for myself. Shit, sometimes I just like things to not be explained at all. What makes David Lynch's Eraserhead still so interesting and enigmatic today? If Lynch had a disclaimer at the end of the movie that explained everything, wouldn't that certainly take away from the film? Hell, since this blog is focused on the otaku sub-culture, what if during Neon Genesis Evangelion an asterisk appeared at random points explaining what the Angels were, or why 13 year old children are used to pilots the EVAs? Maybe this is a personal grievance, but if such details aren't implemented in the story itself, shouldn't it be up for interpretation, or at least an addition further along in the story line? Wow. Didn't realize I felt so strongly on the subject.

To end this rather side-tracked note, I'd first like to establish that I am a huge Shirow Masamune fan. I absolutely adore his work--be it writing, art, or the world he creates. Certainly, most writers do have their flaws, but as I make out my grievances with Masamune's works, I can't help but express that although I write with passion regarding the aforementioned grievances, they still remain very minor, and if anything, the strong points of his work greatly out shadow his faults. I wholeheartedly recommend both Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed to fans of science-fiction, manga, or both. It's a shame he has pretty much stopped writing comics now, for he primarily focuses on drawing calendars, art books, and hentai. Still, if anything, his artwork shines the brightest of his attributes. Masamune draws absolutely stunning females (to which I have hanging in multiple spots on my walls), as well as intricately designed mechs and robots.

Too bad he can't draw men for shit.

The Ultimate Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Tribute (ink your favorite shit)

About goddamn time. I've been bitching for I don't know how many years about getting a tattoo--and especially a Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind one, at that. I received an estimate and paid a deposit about a month ago, and today was the much anticipated day that I would have the lovely lady herself inked eternally on my arm; Teto and all. Due to other "real life" circumstances I couldn't get the job finished today, so for now I simply just have the outline. My next scheduled appointment is just a small bit over a month, to which I will then have the art filled in, with a possible chance of maybe some background work at some point in the future.

The picture itself was actually a watercolor print Miyazaki did for a calendar that showcased the manga back in the 80's, which later received a full content publishing in his Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: Watercolor Impressions book, a collection of concept sketches, promotional art, and animation cells for both the manga and film adaptation, respectively. It's a lovely hardcover book with an abundance of rarely seen photos and character designs, although Hayao Miyazaki's comments on his own work are often self-deprecating and somewhat un-fulfilled, but such a thing is only a minor deterrent to an otherwise exceptional collection that showcases Hayao Miyazaki's masterful storytelling and spectacular art of the world of Nausicaä. If anything, this is just a brief memo to an immeasurable love letter; one that I shall finish another day-or, when I get my damned tattoo colored in.

Oh, Snatcher is the best game ever.

Spending Trees on Sega CDs

So, I finally bloody did it; I bought probably my most desired game for years: Snatcher, for the SegaCD, and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. It's been going up in value for this past year, so I've been trying to "snatch" (i want to die) it for a decent price, and that day has finally come! Yeah, it costs a damned piss-load, but in the hour and a half I've spent on it, it's already worth it. It's pure graphic adventure bliss, underneath a cyber-punk setting that just oozes the plot and feel of Blade Runner, mixed with Hideo Kojima's knack for storytelling and characters--before his current titles got so damned convoluted. 'Tis a shame the SegaCD receives hardly any romance, especially from casual gamers, for it is such a criminally over-looked machine with a fine library of games, with Snatcher being the console's swan song--and a beautiful one at that.

I've been after Snatcher for a couple of years, so that purchase was planned, and I guess you can consider that a legitimate excuse to spend such an exorbitant amount of money on a videogame; however, the next rarity I picked up was completely unplanned, and I did not expect to own it for a few years to come. Obviously the other aforementioned game would be Panzer Dragoon Saga, the game regarded as the rarest U.S. Sega Saturn game, not including the silly Daytona USA championship edition, or whatever. Anyhow, a friend came to me unexpectedly with news that he would be selling his videogame collection. I've envied his prized copy for some time now, and although he would be selling his collection, I did not expect he would be selling such a significant game, especially due to the fact that he had not beaten it. Regardless of such thoughts, he shot an offer, to which I countered, to which he countered again--and alas, I now own the damn game. Two such purchases within a week have made me feel a bit excessive, to which I must bow out of the videogame market for some time and attempt to rekindle my monetary losses, only to hopefully arise anew with bigger--and hopefully cheaper--purchases in the forthcoming future. May frivolous spending prevail.

Saxaphones, cats, the 80's, and the whimsical world of teenage love triangles.

Kimagure Orange Road is starting to rule my life--within the span of two days. Oh, the joy of 80's style anime and manga; they simply cannot be equaled in this day of shoddy entertainment. Certainly I am not so obstinate of such newer forms of the hobbies I love, but nothing is equivalent to that time period when an artist's work truly showed in each cell, compared to the glossed-over, computerized work that is so prevalent in anime today. Sure, Shirow Masamune's Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is a fine accomplishment--from one of my favorite writers--but the mix of CGI and drawn art doesn't mesh together as fluidly as it could via hand drawn; but, as always, I digress.

I was turned on to Kimagure Orange Road from a forum for scrolling shooters, or "shmups". Someone started a post on anime that they would recommend, and thus the aforementioned anime was appraised by a few members and sought out by myself. I have yet to read the manga, but the art style is fairly similar in the anime, which pleasantly reminds me of the style of Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha, Maison Ikkoku, etc.

Anyhow, it's a shonen bit set in a town in the 80's. The story follows an esper boy in junior high who accidentally gets caught up in dating a younger girl, while simultaneously trying to win over her friend, whom he fell in love with the day he moved into this town. As I already mentioned the art style drew me in, it's also the enormously prominent 80's vibes and setting that is already making me so adherent towards the series. So many fucking leotards, vibrant colors, sweat shirts, and kickin' tunes. Kyosuke's main love interest, Madoka Ayukawa, plays a saxophone--and is damned good at it. When things get tense, or a collage of Kyosuke's thoughts and memories are displayed, you can always count for a remote saxophone to arise from the distance, crooning away a sweet melody that makes your fuckin' heart melt to the back drop of Kyosuke's narration of his teenage love-triangle. It's like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is behind me as I anxiously wait for the next crucial move or indecisive mistake that will either make/break Kyosuke's attempt at love. Or I just fucking love saxophones. Oh, and there is a fat cat in Kyosuke's family, mainly playing the larger role of comedic relief, as well as the main interest in the obligatory anime interlude, so that is always a plus. I like cats. (and saxophones, obviously).

Shame pretty much everything that was introduced to the states in the series is now out of print, to which I am so forcibly accepted to dealing with anymore. Although such things are a slight hindrance, thankfully the internet is a plentiful and omniscient source for pretty much anything, and finding all the episodes via download is quite accessible. A bright ray of hope for future releases as of lately is keeping me fairly optimistic, for so many exciting announcements have been made for both anime, manga, and videogames. This past year has brought back the first episodes of the Fist of the North Star anime, as well as up to episode 72 fully translated, with even a 3rd collection coming out the 26th of this month (salivation). Not only that, but Ghost Sweeper Mikami has been released in full force with multiple collections for the anime, as well as re-releases of multiple arcs of Revolutionary Girl Utena, which have both left me thoroughly excited.

On the manga front we are receiving a generous helping of Osamu Tezuka releases, such as his shojo, and long out of print classic, Princess Knight in two volumes, as well as Book of Human Insects, a story that seems like one of his more morose, mature tales. Months before that, even, Ayoko was released in a nice hardcover edition, along with the occasional release of another Black Jack volume. A re-release of both the original Sailor Moon and Sailor V manga could quite possibly be the title(s) I look forward to the most, especially since I've only seen the first arc in the Sailor Moon anime, having never read the original material. Shit yeah.