tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-190909952024-03-06T09:30:40.521+02:00To the Ends of the Galaxy! ~Shuuen no ginga e~Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-87323236593116582542010-07-27T22:12:00.009+03:002010-07-27T23:29:32.746+03:00Digimon Xros Wars episode 2<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;">Okay, I've been reaaaaally late with Souten Kouro. I have to get a grip and finish the damned chapter. I am a bit worried about the current status of scanlations, after OneManga was closed. As a consequence (?), no proper RAWs for <span style="font-style: italic;">Mahou Sensei Negima </span>chapter 297 have shown up so far. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we'd be getting spoilers for ch. 298 before that happens. I'll have to wait for the volume to be released, apparently. On the other hand, I'll try to buy the <span style="font-style: italic;">Gokuatsu</span> version of Souten Kouro, which seems to have 3 volumes per volume, I think. Anyway, back to <span style="font-style: italic;">Digimon</span>.</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;">So, I've watched episode 2 of the new season, and, to be honest, it's not bad.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPmzRhUltbYeBNhGLbQVB40DI7b-SpeHI2r7yKrKp9sjI85jJR7SyWU-VHj5KGYDVqwHM7cXeX8eVhJ4Wa9xJB1yK7pet6ne42SmjPCIdG26Kb6menq1XpsseG0MWwZkA4OjO/s1600/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+01.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPmzRhUltbYeBNhGLbQVB40DI7b-SpeHI2r7yKrKp9sjI85jJR7SyWU-VHj5KGYDVqwHM7cXeX8eVhJ4Wa9xJB1yK7pet6ne42SmjPCIdG26Kb6menq1XpsseG0MWwZkA4OjO/s200/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498670487220951858" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzVPmJEg9ck9ADBHigT8A1S2f8-IhqhdqGBkxHITDiZSenIMY9WwyTm0sRcjbrCHQoD_ENKV8ZDKjD06x7uINMj8eO3HonTfmaJmjjDMDJKEiFs6Aok_OwSh_Epe7iwfhejoR/s1600/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+02.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzVPmJEg9ck9ADBHigT8A1S2f8-IhqhdqGBkxHITDiZSenIMY9WwyTm0sRcjbrCHQoD_ENKV8ZDKjD06x7uINMj8eO3HonTfmaJmjjDMDJKEiFs6Aok_OwSh_Epe7iwfhejoR/s200/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+02.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498674154686239906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJZw9Q2j5dpl8S60ARauGDo6Tx2ik2psP2DN5QW9i2p7uo_eWAHktYyHf2CHddEnS-4_6nklFflkIVmX6MKIxNYL6V3SzaCO8GpO5Xxyl0LaUjJKdz8Y1e3VGElAhJ_k_8fek/s1600/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+03.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJZw9Q2j5dpl8S60ARauGDo6Tx2ik2psP2DN5QW9i2p7uo_eWAHktYyHf2CHddEnS-4_6nklFflkIVmX6MKIxNYL6V3SzaCO8GpO5Xxyl0LaUjJKdz8Y1e3VGElAhJ_k_8fek/s200/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+03.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498674156784330786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82BNS4Mm7KCUWCIA-IIQ7FQB8GzqBwnyzzPsN_Ic9bhL11ks5COtPP9hQzLjTYB-VHgl_qRVrNDmq6YUAAGhFfclrN9mdeobXdLnmr_vB9BqpEUgjR7xPtg4Q1sPSs6RvH2J2/s1600/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+04.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82BNS4Mm7KCUWCIA-IIQ7FQB8GzqBwnyzzPsN_Ic9bhL11ks5COtPP9hQzLjTYB-VHgl_qRVrNDmq6YUAAGhFfclrN9mdeobXdLnmr_vB9BqpEUgjR7xPtg4Q1sPSs6RvH2J2/s200/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+04.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498683650481867666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTx41Zsk0Kx5qo2BRlPjOo1mZiWDOUWiSdy6KDMZwR6dHcJY5vhLsexZ46R-dpzBH5viBb-dIIBuGJRDKG5v3M8CpxmUYd_YLALdbrMg7OPg0QDmpAtqTME1JvXFysuMaqcO13/s1600/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+05.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTx41Zsk0Kx5qo2BRlPjOo1mZiWDOUWiSdy6KDMZwR6dHcJY5vhLsexZ46R-dpzBH5viBb-dIIBuGJRDKG5v3M8CpxmUYd_YLALdbrMg7OPg0QDmpAtqTME1JvXFysuMaqcO13/s200/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+05.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498683653038087218" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqXr160_THIxI6jz5RUVnP9sFz-POKLlZHnGq_vM3E-jV2bhCQZsJV323diEChw4gFz1c4cPDvwbSdPaanLl9z0W02S5smFn1WyvwKjw-KZIAxC6B-uciBc_TSxbcgeJHLWEC/s1600/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+06.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqXr160_THIxI6jz5RUVnP9sFz-POKLlZHnGq_vM3E-jV2bhCQZsJV323diEChw4gFz1c4cPDvwbSdPaanLl9z0W02S5smFn1WyvwKjw-KZIAxC6B-uciBc_TSxbcgeJHLWEC/s200/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+06.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498683660676167362" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8hLwHq-eLKMEv-8Xus_ZrIG1svDH6gRJryh5qC81827n5g3qYMtW30STJyQgck6rowJd9JBdfexL95vLhHwvQVuUrkKS0n0wKXkI7dLs74WQfKvp0E9cKt0Gt8YxQ4P1QzOA/s1600/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+07.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8hLwHq-eLKMEv-8Xus_ZrIG1svDH6gRJryh5qC81827n5g3qYMtW30STJyQgck6rowJd9JBdfexL95vLhHwvQVuUrkKS0n0wKXkI7dLs74WQfKvp0E9cKt0Gt8YxQ4P1QzOA/s200/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+07.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498683662247653714" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmID5wORXUPtCeIi2urW-0vzDCzXhqDUVvzeqwKAj1uNOE14rUMkMyD3_Lc_1Dbbq89_soVDCnfKpIqdRVdbe7xhd0WWreJxmnfD_HsOwkBVE-it_ff06eBm3LEMalsCQ_2JS/s1600/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+08.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmID5wORXUPtCeIi2urW-0vzDCzXhqDUVvzeqwKAj1uNOE14rUMkMyD3_Lc_1Dbbq89_soVDCnfKpIqdRVdbe7xhd0WWreJxmnfD_HsOwkBVE-it_ff06eBm3LEMalsCQ_2JS/s200/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+08.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498683668650356546" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnJP6VOKff442gdEjDQgvtzObvzug0MfbAn5VmqCRBAQXhuCIBNVyE8qcyaocip6R_ArXzovbuJH0Q6WPTO6SPow1Tjpl2qIRLwIlBtFytTm1FQtA29d2roWuc5OUdZVv8eoJ/s1600/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+09.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnJP6VOKff442gdEjDQgvtzObvzug0MfbAn5VmqCRBAQXhuCIBNVyE8qcyaocip6R_ArXzovbuJH0Q6WPTO6SPow1Tjpl2qIRLwIlBtFytTm1FQtA29d2roWuc5OUdZVv8eoJ/s200/Digimon+Xros+Wars+ep+2+-+09.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498684035319649458" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;">The episode starts with Shoutmon carrying Taiki to a cliff, without actually explaining why he's doing this (either Taiki is light, or Shoutmon is strong. Judging by what happens in the ep, I'll go for the latter). Shoutmon shows him his village, the Smile Village, part of the Green Zone (according to the subs, it's Grin Zone. Yeah right). Taiki asks Shoutmon what the Green Zone is, and Shoutmon can't even explain what a "Zone" is. Enter Jijimon, an old-man-Digimon (go with it), who defines a "Zone" as a country. Shoutmon calls him a "jiji" (literally, an "old-man"), and Jijimon bonks him, demanding that he be called Jijimon-sama. Thank you for pointing out the transparent etymology of his name, Japan (mind you, this show <span style="font-style: italic;">is </span>for kids. You know something's wrong with you when the first time you hear "jiji" is <span style="font-style: italic;">New Getter Robo</span>). Anyway, seems there's a war in the Digital World and the Green Zone was annexed by the evil empire's Bagura Army [citation not needed, look at the screen]. And Taiki will fight as the Green Zone's General (I guess we'll find out later what it means). Aaaaand they're being attacked by Madleomon's army (or rather, just one Digimon. One that flies and bombs. Yikes). Shoutmon tries to use Ballistamon to jump and beat the baddie, but we get a good demonstration of why flight beats vertical movement. Taiki uses the XrosLoader to make the Pickmons combine into a slingshot. That's pretty creative (I love the brush effect they use for the X). Shoutmon is blown towards the baddie and beats him in one hit. He says that with Taiki's help, he can become the Digimon King. Cue ominous Digimon somehow swimming in the ground and stealthily going away. Akari wants to go home (mainly because the following day is Marine Day and seafood is at half-price. Best. Reason. Ever.) and starts crying. Enter the aptly-named Cutemon, who ends all phrases in "kyu", who doesn't want Akari to cry. SUDDENLY!, the ominous Digimon from earlier shows up, with a clear intention to <span style="font-style: italic;">massacre</span> them. I don't know if I should laugh at the sudden change of mood from cuteness to friggin massacre. Anyway, he's easily beaten by a tiger-like Digimon with a Core Drill from <span style="font-style: italic;">Gurren Lagann </span>for a tail (I'm dead serious. By the way, he's voiced by the same actor as Kamiyama from <span style="font-style: italic;">Cromartie High School</span>, Izuru Kira from <span style="font-style: italic;">Bleach</span> and Kururugi Suzaku from <span style="font-style: italic;">Code Geass</span>), putting an end to the twist. Cue next twist: the kids wanna go home. Shoutmon can't accept that, since he needs Taiki to become the Digimon King (not that he tells him <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span>'s the reason), so he uses the pretext that his village has to give them a reception. During the reception, Taiki isn't particularly impressed by the food, until he sees the femininely cute Lillymon (which people will remember from seasons 1 and 2 as Mimi's partner's Perfect/Ultimate form). Xros Wars? <style="font-style:>smashes a rock. Akari points out that humans are weak and that they couldn't possibly help them. Shoutmon leaves, calling Taiki a baka, in the most classic tsundere style. Xros Wars! <style="font-style:>still</span> leaving. </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">After yelling on his microphone that they should leave, like a jealous girl, </span>Shoutmon finds out that Madleomon's army is coming. He doesn't stop them (remembering Taiki's words earlier) and prepares the village for defence</span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;">. Taiki and co. are attacked, and Madleomon wonders how these weak humans can be a threat to them. "Like this!", shouts Taiki, who throws sand in his eyes, and they run away. They are cornered (and almost manage to run on a steep cliff, <span style="font-style: italic;">upwards</span>. Badass?). Orochimon is about to kill them, when, SUDDENLY, Shoutmon stops it! He just couldn't leave them like that. However, Madleomon absorbs Orochimon and turns into... well... see the screen, I'd be redundant if I said it. Ballistamon manages to hold the two Orochi heads that were attacking Shoutmon, while Shoutmon uses his agility to attack Madleomon head-on. The latter muses that one of them has great strength, but no speed, while the other has speed, but no sense of fighting, and then hits Shoutmon so hard, that his data becomes fuzzy again. Even as he is about to be killed, Shoutmon says that if he doesn't become the Digimon King, he won't be able to protect the village. Taiki realises that it wasn't Shoutmon's selfish dream, and finally decides to help him. Using his XrosLoader, Taiki makes Ballistamon and Shoutmon combine into Shoutmon X2 (a different form from the one last episode), who showcases the advantage of Xros Evolution: they cover each other's weaknesses. Using Pickmon-slingshot to pull himself back, he feints Madleomon, who, by trying to block the attack, leaves himself wide open and is defeated. Madleomon retreats, while The-Girl-With-The-Ridiculous-Hairdo says things have gotten interesting. Next episode seems to feature "Blue" and a DigiXros between Shoutmon, Ballistamon and Dorurumon.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;">All in all, a solid episode. We get some info on Shoutmon (as well as a mysterious silhouette when Taiki talks about the Digimon King), as well as a minimal amount of exposition on this war. Also, we see that the other two kids with Digimon can use DigiXros (it's safe to assume that Ridiculous-Hairdo can). Madleomon seems to be turning into a villain of the week. I don't mind, Tobita Nobuo is always an enjoyable voice actor. I wonder how this will continue.</span></span><br /></div>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-78369999586670586112010-07-23T11:42:00.004+03:002010-07-23T13:01:01.524+03:00Digimon Xros Wars<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:85%;">Ah yes, <span style="font-style: italic;">Digimon</span>. First adapted in an animated form during the <span style="font-style: italic;">Pokemon</span> hype, it boasted a larger cast of characters, actually menacing villains (heck, first one was a devil) and actually <span style="font-style: italic;">talking</span> partner creatures (I refuse to consider Pokemons who just say their names <span style="font-style: italic;">talkative</span>). In its own way, it worked in a <span style="font-style: italic;">shonen </span>style, with power-ups over power-ups, in contrast to <span style="font-style: italic;">Pokemon</span>, who made the monsters evolve for good, in a perfectly natural way (kinda. Except for Dugtrio. How does a worm evolve into three worms?)<br />Unlike <span style="font-style: italic;">Pokemon</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Digimon</span> had a plot, with small story arcs. The monster-of-the-week element was pretty reduced and you'd usually get a satisfying conclusion (<span style="font-style: italic;">usually</span>. I'm looking at you, <span style="font-style: italic;">Digimon Adventure 02</span>). Another notable fact is that the third season - darker than the others and, in my opinion, better - was directed by Chiaki J. Konaka, who also directed series like <span style="font-style: italic;">Serial Experiments Lain </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Big O. </span>As far as I'm concerned, this was my third anime, first being <span style="font-style: italic;">Grendizer</span> when I was in kindergarten and second being, of course, <span style="font-style: italic;">Pokemon</span> (back when it was, well, exciting. And in the superior German dub). Unlike the latter, the German version of <span style="font-style: italic;">Digimon</span> kept the songs and soundtrack of the original, just translating the lyrics. And they. Were. Catchy. And good. Japanese nicovideo users really like the German dub too. Anyway, I used to watch it on RTL II, until it was taken off our cable. I got to see the first 3 seasons back then. Later, I downloaded low-quality but dial-up-friendly raw eps of <span style="font-style: italic;">Digimon Frontier</span>, which introduced me to the hilarity of Japanese. Incidentally, it was after those few eps that the series went downhill. I was hyped back when they announced <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Digimon Savers</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">, the fifth season, but I never got around to watching it. I'll definitely give it a try, since the main character is voiced by the same guy as Sanada Yukimura from </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Sengoku Basara</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">. And is equally hot-blooded.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Anyway, due to this delay, I almost didn't notice they had announced another series, called </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Digimon Xros Wars </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">(read: Digimon Cross Wars). I'll let Wikipedia explain about it.</span><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Taiki Kudo is an upbeat boy with a desire to help those in need, although tends to overexert himself. One day, he hears the voice of a Digimon named Shoutmon who is on the verge of death. Wanting to help him, Taiki is given a Digivice known as a Xros Loader, and he and his friends Akari Hinomoto and Zenjiro Tsurugi are warped to the Digital World where they meet Shoutmon and his allies, Ballistamon, Starmon and the Pickmons. By using the power of the Xros Loader, Taiki can perform a Digi Xros, which can fuse any of his allies together into different forms. Taiki and his friends use this ability to fight the forces of the Bagura Empire while crossing paths with Teams Blue Flare and Twilight.</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Yay, a comrade who fights against the evil that is </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Twilight</span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">! </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Okay, jokes aside, it seems pretty hit-or-miss. <span style="font-style: italic;">Digimon Frontier</span> actually gave up on the partner element, creating something that... well... was pretty much <span style="font-style: italic;">Saint Seiya</span>. I think. Anyway, the idea of having the digimon fuse into various forms is... similar to Jogress Evolution in season 2 (or, as the English dub calls it, DNA Digivolution), when two same-level digimon combine into another, stronger one (usually containing elements of both of them. <span style="font-style: italic;">Usually</span>). As such, I can't say it's something new, but it means there's a risk of focusing less on the idea of "a boy and his partner" and more on the idea of "a boy and his many partners", like that <span style="font-style: italic;">other </span>popular monster series. Anyway, I watched episode 1 today.<br /><br /><br />It wasn't bad, really. Kudou Taiki, voiced by the same person as Conan Edogawa, main character of <span style="font-style: italic;">Detective Conan</span>, seems to be a chronic needy-people-helper who can become an awesome basketball-player in four days and help win a match (while parodying the usual scene of scoring the final point spectacularly. He spins around in the air with the ball, only to pass it. <span style="font-style: italic;">Bros <span style="font-style: italic;">before balls</span></span>!) For some reason, this basketball match made him get exhausted and collapse. Enter Hinomoto Akari, voiced by the same person as Nagase Kaede of <span style="font-style: italic;">Mahou Sensei Negima!</span> and Anew Returner of <span style="font-style: italic;">Mobile Suit Gundam 00 S2</span>, who seems to know about this overexertion problem and dives to prevent him from knocking his head on the ground and ending this series before the break. Akari had been looking for him quite desperately, at least until she saw a blimp and took an amazingly good photo of her and it, then going home. Until she remembered what she had come for. While hilarious, this scene makes me worry for the future of the good guys. Imagine the damage caused if someone throws a shiny coin at her during a fight. Ohohoho~! Anyway, after Taiki is saved, enter the third kid of the show, Tsurugi Zenjirou (voiced by the same person as <span style="font-style: italic;">Bleach</span>'s temporary Sexta Espada, Luppi), practitioner of kendo, who sees Taiki as a rival after having lost to him off-screen. Taiki tries to explain that he had won out of luck (as a practitioner of kendo, I can say that he must have a shitload of natural skill), and Zenjirou obviously doesn't believe him. SUDDENLY! Taiki hears a melody, then a voice telling him it's dying. Zenjirou and Akari are quite baffled at Taiki talking alone, but this overused cliche is quickly ended by the sight of a car halfway through a building, as if absorbed. Wait, what?, is their reaction, naturally. The voice tells Taiki to dodge to the right, just as the car was falling from the building. Taiki sees the disappearing data of a small dinosaur-like digimon (which means it's the main partner, of course) and goes to save it. Unfortunately, it's dying, as far as digimon go. Uuuuntil a different, plot-advancing voice asks him if he wants to save the melody of that life. And of course, he does. The device that appears in front of him, called Xros Loader, turns red (like said digimon) and transports them to an unknown world. For some reason, Zenjirou and Akari try to keep him away from it, but either way, it's too late. As a side-note, it doesn't seem like Taiki is just a happy-go-lucky hero, since he has some form of tragic past and wants to help everyone (reminds me of so many someones, particularly Emiya Shirou of <span style="font-style: italic;">Fate/Stay Night</span>) and is overall pretty serious.<br />So anyway, they go to this world, and the small digimon is alive and healing inside that device. SUDDENLY, an army of much larger digimon attacks them, led by Madleomon, voiced by Tobita Nobuo, known for his performances as Camille Bidan of <span style="font-style: italic;">Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam </span>and the Major from <span style="font-style: italic;">Hellsing Ultimate</span>. The three kids are saved by a Ballistamon and a few other comic-relief digimon. The small one tells Taiki to summon him, which he promptly does. He tells him his name, Shoutmon. A good sign, really, maybe he'll really shout and be badass. Please be badass. Anyway, seems his attacks are... music based? Rock and roll based? Anyway, hotblooded enough. Madleomon absorbs some of his soldiers and turns into Armed Madleomon (there's your imaginative name of the day). Shoutmon is in danger, but Taiki runs to save him, despite his demand not to be saved. Taiki is told to use his Xros Loader by Plot-advancing Voice (tm), which he does. Shoutmon and Ballistamon fuse into... no name given yet-mon? Who looks okay-ish, although for some reason, he has Omegamon's head. I'm okay with that. Seems this kind of evolution is legendary and very rare. Nothing is too rare for Main Characters (tm)! He deals a heavy blow to Madleomon, but immediately devolves (that was short). Shoutmon tells Taiki to give him more power, and he fuses with ... the comic relief digimon. who turn into a sword. A small dinosaur is holding a cool sword and is beating on a giant vaguely lion-ish monster. Cool? Cool!</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"> He devolves into his previous form, but is called back by a certain Lord Tactimon, who specialises in tactics (... really?). Oh, and he promises to massacre them next time. I love how cool Japanese are about violence. The episode ends with a girl with a ridiculous hairstyle looking upon them superiorly. And </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">then</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">, with a boy looking at the girl looking at them, from an even higher ground. Crossing the line twice, indeed.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">So that was episode 1. Definitely a good start to the new series. I'm quite interested in Taiki's past and his tendency to save people at the cost of his own health. On the other hand, there is the matter of the dream sequence in the beginning, before the opening song. It's quite ominous, showing an obviously evil army of digimon, considerably larger than the one they face later in the episode, as well as the good guys, led by Taiki. When he was dying, Shoutmon claimed he wanted to become the King (and he still does after that). I'm not sure if this is meant literally (like in </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">One Piece </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">or in </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Bleach</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">) or if it refers to some sort of status achieved by winning a tournament. Either way, it seems the shadowy villains are interested in Shoutmon. I have a small gripe with the tendency of showing things three or four times for drama (it happens twice in this episode). It can be done well, but the first time, it was preeeetty ridiculous. The animation quality is </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">amazing</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">. I'm really impressed. The colours are vivid, the characters look great, the fights are exciting and the voice acting is pretty good (as expected from what is basically an all-star team). I am a bit surprised that the eyecatch shows some main character digimon from previous seasons. Should we expect a xros-over?... Okay, bad joke, but the question is legit. Anyway, I'll probably be keeping an eye on this series as well.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">I would like to apologise about </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Sengoku Basara</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">. I had forgotten there was a 13th episode in season 1 (which was only shown DVD), and it covers Maeda Keiji's attempt to have Mouri Motonari and Motochika Chosokabe fight against Nobunaga, while Maeda Toshiie tries to convince Chosokabe to give some lands to Nobunaga (mostly because they were being menaced as well). These underused characters get some spotlight and we find out how they came to rescue the main characters in the final battle. Mouro Motonari is incredibly dark and cold, killing his hostage men and then killing those of Chosokabe, calling them pawns. Chosokabe, despite being a pirate, is more likable. In the end, Maeda Keiji finally does something and stops the two, showing that he is quite powerful indeed. It'll definitely be more interesting to see them in the second season, considering all the character development in episode 13. I'll try to watch episode 2 one of these days and review it as well. As for </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Souten Kouro</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">, expect the following chapter soon. After that, I'll have to translate the Japanese script, so it will take a bit longer. Wish me luck~!</span><br /></span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-52364474245667401712010-07-16T19:26:00.003+03:002010-07-16T20:05:54.957+03:00Sengoku Basara season 2 has begun! Are you ready, guys?<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Put ya guns on!<br />~ Date Masamune, Engrish-spewing hero of <span style="font-style: italic;">Sengoku Basara</span> ~<br /><br />So yeah, this blog has been pretty much dead for over a year. Again. Some people might know that I've started scanlating <span style="font-style: italic;">Souten Kouro</span> (I'll be releasing more chapters this summer), which I was reviewing on this blog loooooooooong ago (until they stopped subbing it).<br /><br />As you might recall, the other series I was reviewing was <span style="font-style: italic;">Sengoku Basara</span>, the overly energetic adaptation of the game series of the same name (and, in a way, of the historical Sengoku period, kinda. It's hard to say. It's... just insane. In a good way). After the last episode, a new season was announced, and there it is! <span style="font-style: italic;">Sengoku Basara Ni</span> has become, taking <span style="font-style: italic;">Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood</span>'s slot on TV (said series is amazing, at least after 37 episodes. Everyone and their mother has reviewed it so far, but you're better off watching it yourself. It's that good).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sengoku Basara </span>was by no means a masterpiece, but it was incredibly fresh in its over-the-top-ness. The villain, as you recall, was played by Norio Wakamoto, who is... well... an amazing ham. You had the passionate Sanada Yukimura, loyal to his Oyakata-sama, Takeda Shingen (who rides while standing on horses. Which isn't riding, but it's awesome). You had the eyepatched Date Masamune (who rides horses with motorcycle-handles) and Katakura Kojuro, his right-hand man (okay, if you insist, he's called his Right Eye). You had Uesugi Kenshin, ambiguously-gendered rival to Takeda, and Kasuga, his loyal ninja girl (loyal? I'm sorry, I meant to say that his touch gives her an instant orgasm. Hell yeah!). You had the other ninja, Sarutobi Sasuke, voiced by Koyasu Takehito, who's played many roles, but is always recognisable. Sasuke works for Takeda and is the "straight man" during Yukimura and Takeda's shout outs. I'll ignore any homoerotic undertones in this series, since they hardly play a role.<br /><br />Anyway, <span style="font-style: italic;">Sengoku Basara Ni</span>, episode 1. Takeda has a final fight with Kenshin, while Yukimura fights to stop Masamune from intervening in this showdown. Amazing fighting from the very first moments, but Yukimura ends up falling against Masamune, when, unexpectedly, a <span style="font-style: italic;">fourth</span> army shows up, willing to beat everyone unless they give up. Their leader is the <span style="font-style: italic;">humongous</span> Toyotomi Hideyoshi, accompanied by masked man, Takenaka Hanbei. Takeda and Kenshin join forces and have their soldiers fire arrows at them, but Hideyoshi freaking waves them away, leading to a lot of casualties for the good guys (yeah, you're pretty much sure by then that Hideyoshi is the new big baddie). Masamune and Kojuro take on the two, but they have to retreat. After that, we are introduced to the new opening theme (half-way through the episode) and after we are shown the opening animation to season 1 (I'd watch it any day, really), we get the aftermath (including a scene featuring Maeda Keiji, voiced by the same actor as <span style="font-style: italic;">Bleach</span>'s protagonist, Kurosaki Ichigo. Seems Keiji knows Toyotomi, and I certainly hope he gets some focus, since last season, he didn't really do much. It wasn't a cameo, and it was certainly not worth being considered a protagonist back then, so it'll take some effort to impress me this time), as well as a friendly reminder of the running gags between Takeda and Yukimura. And again, as straight-faced as <span style="font-style: italic;">Sengoku Basara</span> can, they punch each other with impossible power, discussing their tactics. Okay, I'm being inaccurate, it's more like Yukimura keeps lunging at Takeda, and Takeda smacks him further and further, while Yukimura argues that they should attack Osaka right now, since Toyotomi won't be expecting it. Takeda says that it's obviously a trap, and that they'll have to go to the west and ally themselves with a third party, since Toyotomi will probably ally himself with Mouri Motonari (who wants to get even with Chosokabe - don't worry, these two only showed up in the first episode of season 1 and in the last one. Maybe they'll get more screentime, as they seem to be pretty popular in Japan). After they agree, we get the ever-classic shout-out between the two. By that, I mean that they yell each other's name repeatedly. Here's the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwYygR1CIH8">clip.</a> Yeah. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sengoku Basara </span>is full of these. And that is not bad. The last scene in the episode features Masamune's camp in Oushu. Incidentally, Masamune had the same intention to attack Osaka, but Kojuro says they should try to pacify their surrounding regions, else they lose all their territories. However, there seems to be a spy among them, since Toyotomi even knew of <span style="font-style: italic;">their</span> surprise attack. In the very end, we see Kojuro run into Hanbei, who reveals he has the spy as a hostage. In exchange, he offers him to join them. Next episode seems to be about Kojuro joining them, or at least getting out of service for a while.<br /><br />That's <span style="font-style: italic;">Sengoku Basara Ni</span>, episode 1. It's really good to see the survivors from last season, and it's also good to see some new characters and some less-seen ones. It's by no means a series that will boast with a great plot, like <span style="font-style: italic;">FMA</span>, but it looks like it will be very solid. <span style="font-style: italic;">You see?</span> (to quote Masamune's English words - a bit better this time).<br /><br />I'll be trying to watch some more of this season's anime, but I'm quite sure I'll review all of <span style="font-style: italic;">Sengoku Basara Ni.<br /><br /></span>That's right. This blog will live. It. Wil. Live!<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><br /><br /></span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-28415378584900543892009-07-07T06:43:00.000+03:002009-07-06T20:42:26.888+03:00More Souten Kouro<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Current status: </span></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">In a good mood. Not dying at kendo does that to you.<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Currently listening to: </span>"Dragon", the </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUZDTqKmIV0&feature=channel_page"><span style="font-size:85%;">opening</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> to <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">New Getter Robo</span>. See for yourselves.<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Quote of the day: </span>"Are you ready guys? PUT YA GUNS ON!" - Masamune Date, one of the main characters in <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Sengoku Basara. </span>Yes. A Japanese guy from the Middle Ages. Don't look at me like that, </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTkLA-5j0AA"><span style="font-size:85%;">see for yourselves</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">. If you're disgusted by this horrifying anachronism and start writing about the terrible state of contemporary culture, then get the hell out of here, I like it for its sincere insanity!<br /><br />Hah! I've managed to post again!<br /><br />I've finally started playing <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI</span>, a turn-based strategy game based on the novel with same name (Well, except the number. Weird as it may seem, XI is not an all-caps Chinese name). I was a bit unsure about finishing the Tutorial, since it skips a lot of chapters and is filled with spoilers (I've only read 26 chapters out of the whopping 120), so I started a normal game. After blindly assigning officers (by the way, you can create your own independent force!), I picked 8 forces. Of course, I was a bit unconscious, so I didn't realise it meant I could control all of them. Long story made short, I had a lot of addictive fun (enough to play till 5 AM). It's complex, it has very nice character portraits and it has quite some replay value.<br /><br />I went on with <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Souten Kouro </span>and watched up to episode 7. Now I'm out of subbed episodes, so I'll try to write some short impressions based on what I've seen (without having read any of the manga).<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Episode 3: </span>The Demon of the North Gate<br /><br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg346rjsO8HcKoKmBnl9P-QTWk6nbo2BLuzIytuADVD1IVHtsqs3vu02Dx7kP3_gOVyhsHSyoKG5KWf21PLMuHUXqt9dN3b8J6MAqhyphenhyphenp-NepHJ3aHFWiWqmGXxjO7NPggoPCV6F/s1600-h/Heaven.JPG"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346128431960517762" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg346rjsO8HcKoKmBnl9P-QTWk6nbo2BLuzIytuADVD1IVHtsqs3vu02Dx7kP3_gOVyhsHSyoKG5KWf21PLMuHUXqt9dN3b8J6MAqhyphenhyphenp-NepHJ3aHFWiWqmGXxjO7NPggoPCV6F/s400/Heaven.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-TskDITJ-2pK0PO8NvhQHv4KuPGmt6aMbWPH-tO7XsI2KznfQNDG_XQB0or6eti0IXNS7Gd0UPNS3Ia_lBGuKwOxImqsBpWal1r0Z-3OG-sZHOlurL0aR7n3yTa_VZfYBJQa/s1600-h/Judge.JPG"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346128438253908690" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-TskDITJ-2pK0PO8NvhQHv4KuPGmt6aMbWPH-tO7XsI2KznfQNDG_XQB0or6eti0IXNS7Gd0UPNS3Ia_lBGuKwOxImqsBpWal1r0Z-3OG-sZHOlurL0aR7n3yTa_VZfYBJQa/s400/Judge.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4j8pbxrBzGas7kSIoiQrp4XcIYbHvH4yYAy4GRFcIDUCdKt9togXBJUCs3R8TLx1A4sPMa7QHiMiLYeJYt5OngItGxFsppswcZ6lZ1RcpoO97r7S5AnAh1-2absQJ3ltlztq8/s1600-h/Crime+and+Punishment.JPG"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346128434802379490" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4j8pbxrBzGas7kSIoiQrp4XcIYbHvH4yYAy4GRFcIDUCdKt9togXBJUCs3R8TLx1A4sPMa7QHiMiLYeJYt5OngItGxFsppswcZ6lZ1RcpoO97r7S5AnAh1-2absQJ3ltlztq8/s400/Crime+and+Punishment.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKmF6vQzXO7IpEcDwicrWBnygXDQlfopQSq_x5Bx2H3V_t5yS6tt3hiIel2P7pUa3KXuAnc29Wfk-3hPLMsw5zx0sTBj8rb9G0Y_RBCFt6dX4_8ero_rifJTa-D8FlprsHCK3/s1600-h/Axe+crazy.JPG"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346128431964631938" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKmF6vQzXO7IpEcDwicrWBnygXDQlfopQSq_x5Bx2H3V_t5yS6tt3hiIel2P7pUa3KXuAnc29Wfk-3hPLMsw5zx0sTBj8rb9G0Y_RBCFt6dX4_8ero_rifJTa-D8FlprsHCK3/s400/Axe+crazy.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Cao Cao is obviously sued for attacking Zhang Rang. Zhang Rang tries to convince Cao's judge to convict him, but this judge seems to be incorrigible. So incorrigible that Cao Cao manages to impress out of him by telling him that Heaven is witness to the truth of his words and that he intends to take over China to bring justice. Cao Cao is given the title of North Buwei, some kind of officer who rules over one of the four gates of the capital Luoyang. Considering he's trying to destroy Britann-- eeeer, I mean the eunuchs, he's taking some very interesting measures. Whoever goes out or comes in without permission is to be punished be being hit on the back with a giant iron rod. Usually, a hundred or so. Of course, in the process, he has a nobleman beaten. He reduces his punishment to 20 hits, but the nobleman dies after only one. It kinda helps that he was a relative of one of the eunuchs. After that, he starts researching a revolt, that of the Partisans, hoping to find some proof that the eunuchs had done many terrible things. Oh, and he stops a survivor of the revolt from committing suicide (by ramming his head into an axe) by telling him his name and asking him to join him. Yeah, cause muscular guys who can kill themselves with axes are a must-have.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Episode 4: </span>Banquet of Fire<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rQ2ecOz3RwlzAzSXRD-waRnjsQpsobax8rZWTaAGIsJKa0Ht2vsLZFfnDBRdifQJKg4QgqSW3J4E8aO4Gr2wcFSqW2HeGF4-w1W8eIR5rRwI55Nh_gsOEOmanqgVMv7nisb2/s1600-h/Dan+Hong.JPG"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346132446750038914" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rQ2ecOz3RwlzAzSXRD-waRnjsQpsobax8rZWTaAGIsJKa0Ht2vsLZFfnDBRdifQJKg4QgqSW3J4E8aO4Gr2wcFSqW2HeGF4-w1W8eIR5rRwI55Nh_gsOEOmanqgVMv7nisb2/s400/Dan+Hong.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouRgqLPUVOgNxJ_N9tg-8m793o5WnfriKMVEy6LaFvFOwbycApcvEhKokIy3Puaj3lnrW_RaagIHYVsDBoPHt5Wcii9Sr9qAHMLNHq3vEuxQSLI9Y0FLxw19xg4CecmAMayiy/s1600-h/Is+it+time+to+party.JPG"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346132440082341778" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouRgqLPUVOgNxJ_N9tg-8m793o5WnfriKMVEy6LaFvFOwbycApcvEhKokIy3Puaj3lnrW_RaagIHYVsDBoPHt5Wcii9Sr9qAHMLNHq3vEuxQSLI9Y0FLxw19xg4CecmAMayiy/s400/Is+it+time+to+party.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5gV5wbzCS83OSJdh3KVWq6XfcfqHVcilteqX96sAAdpFWKdqPiBH2-1_RSyKKIRBvzWGJ6qgMlTqVjBUfs8xGaRmIlWrAZuU8O_yf-k5ivlvYTIEiFyKUfCwwbo7tI0AFxQt/s1600-h/Cao+Cao+is+sexy.JPG"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346132444267712114" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5gV5wbzCS83OSJdh3KVWq6XfcfqHVcilteqX96sAAdpFWKdqPiBH2-1_RSyKKIRBvzWGJ6qgMlTqVjBUfs8xGaRmIlWrAZuU8O_yf-k5ivlvYTIEiFyKUfCwwbo7tI0AFxQt/s400/Cao+Cao+is+sexy.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPdl-GqaqrfXhkLXmYwlOZs6zFYJUYe6V2-EeyD9T6HzkLzBreQM79sjcOSraM3dNh-9E8HJm3R1ANoXYlohaC0ykE_vapigqnrEc4IzKXqbMROiMch3dC51FZht4hSBM8jde/s1600-h/I+hope+you+don%27t+mind+the+arrows.JPG"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346132448991176962" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPdl-GqaqrfXhkLXmYwlOZs6zFYJUYe6V2-EeyD9T6HzkLzBreQM79sjcOSraM3dNh-9E8HJm3R1ANoXYlohaC0ykE_vapigqnrEc4IzKXqbMROiMch3dC51FZht4hSBM8jde/s400/I+hope+you+don%27t+mind+the+arrows.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif9aQkPVVp0iIZfHzYPVQgU-2_M7ueyYgaXKREviZdeWL8Qj6SlaIOnkmiwBf4nYWqc1U6AXexQDyFC4ZA5vXDOrxLlqbR43Z3rvOUpuIIwg2IGm7sVWN7nbAQHfeG6TuG32lV/s1600-h/Good+to+have+a+responsible+leader.JPG"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346132449985892530" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif9aQkPVVp0iIZfHzYPVQgU-2_M7ueyYgaXKREviZdeWL8Qj6SlaIOnkmiwBf4nYWqc1U6AXexQDyFC4ZA5vXDOrxLlqbR43Z3rvOUpuIIwg2IGm7sVWN7nbAQHfeG6TuG32lV/s400/Good+to+have+a+responsible+leader.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUC9vlxQZFQrAhakMrN1Iakt8WPvmI-Xj-pJOYIl2NwD3bNJWTRonBjvPI23ujJyk9OY7Uooi3i1DfChsRE2kzS_BHZ8BEswwMF8Z8zA7M2ZgBWX-o0f_uOq5qub5kQIOwqEs/s1600-h/Fate.JPG"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346134539304788018" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUC9vlxQZFQrAhakMrN1Iakt8WPvmI-Xj-pJOYIl2NwD3bNJWTRonBjvPI23ujJyk9OY7Uooi3i1DfChsRE2kzS_BHZ8BEswwMF8Z8zA7M2ZgBWX-o0f_uOq5qub5kQIOwqEs/s400/Fate.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Cao Cao intends to have the emperor read what he's discovered, whatever the means. The eunuchs plot against him and have an Imperial uncle go through his gate, to make him look bad in the Emperor's eyes. Cue Dan Hong wanting to see this demon of the gate in action and Cao Cao beating the hell out of his guards, then punishing him. Looks like Dan Hong died after one hit. Time for the eunuchs to come and punish Cao Cao, no? After some more talking, Cao Cao stabs Dan Hong's corpse, hidden under a cape. Subtle? Yeah, especially when he reveals that's no corpse, it's a bag of grains. The real Dan Hong is on the wall and has heard the eunuchs actually wanted him to die just to punish Cao Cao. Thanks to this ruse that basically saved his life, the Imperial uncle is willing to give his support to Cao Cao. Cue the Five-Five ceremony, where demons are chased away. The Emperor wonders where his uncle is, and we are introduced to the sword-dancer who is going to perform for them. Stupid sexy Cao Cao. Even the women faint at his sight. Oh, and he dances in front of the eunuchs, always coming close to slashing them. Some archers try to kill our hero, but last time's axe-wielding suicider is revealed to be the huge guy in the costume. He doesn't seem to be very disturbed by the arrows in his shoulder. Anyway, the emperor (who is like a child. A very retarded child) wants to reward him for amusing him so much, and Cao Cao wants to read him his research. Zhang Rang tries to stop him, by saying this is not a good occasion and that he should take it into custody. Later, Zhang Rang convinces the Emperor to appoint Cao Cao governor of a very far region. How does he convince him? By telling him he's sent some beautiful women in his room. The emperor, for all his fat, is delighted. Cao Cao is quite happy that his one paper was enough to ensure his governorship and intends to go on.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">(Later edit) Originally, I had reviewed up to episode 6, but Firefox decided to die on me, taking most of the review for episode 5 with it. No worries, I'll review episodes 5, 6 and 7 some other time.</span></span><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I've finished <em>Sengoku Basara</em> (all 12 episodes of it). It was a series that didn't seem to take itself too seriously, but I would be underrating it if I'd say it was just nothing but brainless action. As soon as Nobunaga and his cronies show up, the series becomes much more dramatic. Oh, and people start dying, starting with Nagamasa Azai. The real shocker for me (historically speaking) was that Tokugawa Ieyasu, the one who was supposed to unify Japan, died off-screen. The final battle wasn't really all that good and Nobunaga was a terrible villain. I mean, they tried too hard to make him diabolical and Norio Wakamoto's voice acting was rather unimpressive, for once. Sometimes, even he was ridiculous, especially since he was drinking out of a skull. The problem? Skulls have eye sockets and once - I swear - his sake just poured out through the sockets. What an idiot! Nouhime was a pretty good villainess, since she manages to "kill" Honda Tadakatsu and Uesugi Kenshin. I know Oichi is supposed to be emo and all, but her unwillingness to do her brother any harm, even after Nagamasa's ghost talks to her brought her petty demise. She does manage to score a kill against Nouhime, but I'm afraid to ask just <em>what </em>the hell those hands were. Akechi Mitsuhide, voiced by Sho Hayami, was a real villain. He was sadistic, he was masochistic, he wanted to see Nobunaga humiliated and dead (in that order), <em>without</em> joining the good guys. He kills Ieyasu and almost kills Takeda. Which brings me to my next point: death is pretty cheap, even in this anime. I was actually touched, even outraged, when Kenshin and Takeda were killed, not to mention Tadakatsu. Their survival kind of cheapened the impact of the moment. It's true that all of them were too awesome to die. Well, except for Tadakatsu. He was basically a giant robot who was awesome enough to get killed off <em>twice</em>. I do have to admit that the duo of Yukimura and Masamune is what kept the show running. Yukimura's punch-outs with Takeda, Masamune's awesome Engrish, Kojuro (his "Right Eye") and Masamune's almost-named grunts made all this worthwhile. I couldn't help but cheer whenever they did something. To be very honest, Yukimura did have a tendency to mope around every now and then, but he was pretty decent. Masamune was just <em>badass</em>. The ninjas has some funny interaction. Sarutobi Sasuke is very well voiced and does his job justice by wearing <em>camouflage colours. </em>Kasuga, for most of the series, was there just for the gags. What gag, you might ask? She was supposed to assassinate Kenshin, but fell in love instead. How is her love? She goes orgasmic<em> every single time Kenshin touches her</em>. However, Kenshin's serious injuries did make her become a little more badass, as she escapes Nobunaga and takes Oichi with her, telling her (she, of all people) not to rush towards death. Good thing Oichi isn't depress-- nevermind.<em> </em>The final battle had some last-minute cameos, but the fight itself between Yukimura & Masamune and Nobunaga was pretty anticlimactic. Nobunaga is simply too overpowered up to a point, but thank God for everyone's random energy bursts randomly doing <em>something</em> and Masamune and Yukimura doing a team attack on Nobunaga. Oh, and the explosions are insane. The fact that season 2 has been announced makes me pity poor medieval Japan. If these people get serious, things are going to blow up like crazy. Anyway, the epilogue was pretty neat, though. Gotta love how everybody is back to wanting to kick everybody else's ass, now that the big bad guy is dead.</span></span><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I'll be leaving for Greece this Friday. As such, I doubt I'll post anything else while there. Unless they have more Internets there.</span></span><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Signing off for today, yours truly.<br /></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-18314955846136319052009-06-05T21:27:00.000+03:002009-06-05T23:26:06.193+03:00Three exams and three kingdoms<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Current status: </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Relieved... Wait, I said that last time. Okay then: "Excited as hell!"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Currently listening to: </span>"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4WdO5eTucY&feature=related">909</a>" by Tribal Chair, the opening to currently airing anime <span style="font-style: italic;">Souten Kouro </span>(which apparently means <span style="font-style: italic;">Beyond the Heavens</span>). Despite the very out-of-place yelling at the end of the TV opening, it's quite good. I absolutely love they animation they use for it.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Random quote of the day: </span>"Lord Oyakata!" - Sanada Yukimura from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Sengoku Basara</span> anime series, as per Tadashi's subs. Oyakata (</span></span></span><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Mihaita/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Mihaita/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Mihaita/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Mihaita/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-3.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Mihaita/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-4.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Mihaita/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-5.jpg" alt="" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">親方</em></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">) actually means "master" and is not a name. But yeah, who gives a damn about the names when you have samurais clashing swords so hard that they cause nuclear-sized explosions? Fuck yeah!<br /><br />I lied. Damned exams made me postpone my scanlations update. I <span style="font-style: italic;">hope</span> I can manage to make the damned update now. I mean, only one page left to translate and two or three to edit (this included). I am announcing that I'll probably work a bit on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Mazinger Bible </span>as well. The only disadvantage is that I can't seem to find any copy of it online, so here's to the scans being any good.<br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBtAgsjs49vtkKF1_eCv8aCugv1oYa7tOkZCeJRiRiL7S7lIqmQ7kfgyOxnlcVWFRq_bQg4dtG9bbSPH5nIKITTiU_UDU7Ljq8WHASW7UAterj8202OaI4Tzp84TRYu1tdbG7/s1600-h/mazinzensyo-0001.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 351px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBtAgsjs49vtkKF1_eCv8aCugv1oYa7tOkZCeJRiRiL7S7lIqmQ7kfgyOxnlcVWFRq_bQg4dtG9bbSPH5nIKITTiU_UDU7Ljq8WHASW7UAterj8202OaI4Tzp84TRYu1tdbG7/s400/mazinzensyo-0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343916432070750690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />That aside, today's post is about two anime I've recently started watching. One of them is <span style="font-style: italic;">Sengoku Basara</span>, an anime based on a video game series (brought to the US and called <span style="font-style: italic;">Devil Kings</span>, while replacing the Japanese references. I'm not sure whether I should be grateful. At leas they don't screw the names by pronouncing them weirdly. I mean, "Iron Ox" is better than Tadakatsu Honda, no? No.)<br /><br />You can tell from the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2ww67SR6Vs">opening sequence</a> that it's not meant to be accurate. If you can't, you desperately need to read a history book. That, and you should share the drugs you're on. Anyway, I liked the first episode because it simply tries to feed the series on the Rule of Cool, by having respectable samurais spout random English phrases, ride exhaust pipe and handle-equipped horses <span style="font-style: italic;">with their arms crossed, </span>and duel like crazy, causing <span style="font-style: italic;">explosions</span>. Sure, when you basically turn into coloured energy blasts, you can't expect much else. Also, I loved the dialogue between main character Sanada Yukimura and his lord Oyakata-- errr, I mean Shingen Takeda. Minor plot advancing aside, they simply punch each other through walls. Not because they hate each other. I mean, at some point, Takeda tells Yukimura that he will one day age. Yukimura rushes at him saying that "if there's someone who won't age, it's you, my lord!" and punches him. I like the director's way of thinking? Why sit like any real Japanese samurai and discuss this over tea when you can punch the everliving crap out of your counterpart? Obvious commercial purpose aside, this anime is obviously made to be fun and it certainly delivers. And yes, that lady in the skimpy costume seems to be a ninja. Gotta appreciate her effort to prevent getting her clothes getting sliced in the middle, like any perverted warrior would when faced with losing his life. Anyway, yays for the samurai who holds his <span style="font-style: italic;">SIX </span>swords Wolverine-style.<br /><br />The other anime is <span style="font-style: italic;">Souten Kouro</span> (the official translation seems to be <span style="font-style: italic;">Beyond the Heaven</span>). It's based on a manga partially based on 14th century novel <span style="font-style: italic;">Romance of the Three Kingdoms</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Sanguo Yanyi</span>), itself based on a period of internal crisis from the beginning of the 3rd century A.D. This period is called "of the Three Kingdoms" because of the three warlords who fought for supremacy over the huge chunk of land that is China. The most known ones are Liu Bei, Cao Cao (pronounced Ts'ao Ts'ao, not Cow Cow) and Sun Quan. The novel (which I am currently reading) isn't bad at all, although it's quite long (120 chapters and about 2000 pages, in a total of four volumes. I'm 23 chapters in). While the novel is heavily biased towards Liu Bei and his blood brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, the manga focuses on Cao Cao, who was a bit demonised in the novel (not so much up to now, I like his characterisation in the manga: he's a great and intelligent general, who knows how to use the ever-useful "Cao Cao? He went that way!"). I've only watched two episodes, but it's left a pretty good impression.<br /><br />The opening theme (to which I have linked already) is quite badass if you ask me. Well, until the shrieking kicks in. After that, it loses a bit of its coherence, but it's still good. I am quite interested in seeing how they will portray Guan Yu (the long-bearded one around 0:33) and Zhang Fei (the hairy-chested guy at 0:32). I mean, they're going to be villains (just like Liu Bei), so we'll be seeing some new views. I see that, up to episode 2 at least, we're still around the very beginning of the novel, since the Ten Eunuchs are still alive (they die quite quickly in the book, not before screwing many people over). Cao Cao (0:53) is played by the same voice actor as Kira from <span style="font-style: italic;">Death Note </span>and Setsuna F. Seiei from <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam 00</span>. Did I mention he falls in love with a dark-skinned girl called Shui Jing (Suishou in Japanese)? Did I also mention that she's most likely Italian? I mean, she tells him a word from her native tongue that expresses her feelings - "Amore". In second century China. Italian. 2nd century. Oh, and she dies by the end of the epside, but now Cao has a reason to hate the main eunuch, Zhang Rang.<br /><br />Only three exams left and I'll be a free 20-year old man. Yay for freedom!<br /><br />Signing off, yours truly.<br /></span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-38724408146722313102009-05-26T11:50:00.000+03:002009-05-26T12:51:03.774+03:00One Tuesday closer to Doomsday<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" >Current status: </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" >Relieved.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Currently listening to:</span> The intro theme to <span style="font-style: italic;">Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI</span>. Here's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f0LMFxs91A&feature=related">Youtube</a> link to the movie itself.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quote of the day: </span>Not much use for this. I'll probably give up on it.<br /><br />Well, it's been almost ten months since I last posted here. Not that anyone would care, last time, as you may recall, I was scolded for writing in English. I'd pay to see said person's face when she'd find out that the Blogger.com menus are all in Romanian now. I am such a delightful hypocrite. And so are many people. But I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">delightful</span>.<br /><br />Now that that friendly poke is out of the way, let's bring some updates:<br /><br /></span></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" >I've just noticed that due to Proficiency results and Deviantart gentlemen, I forgot to bitch about the Baccalaureate. Now, I may not have pointed this out, but I felt pretty humiliated by the whole business. Hell, who wouldn't? All your best friends end up way above you and you start feeling like everybody is pitying you for being such a loser. I admit, some of them might not have been pitying me, but who was I to tell? I felt so bad about this, that I had some awkward discussions with some of them. No less awkward was an interview I gave to this high-school girl I had met at the beloved Latin contest. Let's just say I wasn't very keen on praising Sava and my classmates. Why? Because I'm a proficient part-time asshole. I feel ashamed that people will see it when they search for me on the net. Not that the girl has any fault, God forbid, it's that I was pretty rude about some things. Someone pointed that out to me, and some other person called me... I forgot what she (I think it was a girl) said, but it was pretty insulting. Something among the lines of "How can such weirdos end up on the site?". Surely, I ought to feel like that person taught me a lesson and feel ashamed, maybe leave for the mountains and live a simple life. Here's a more accurate description of how I feel about that person: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsMFZBDIcFs">I'm being capitalistic</a>. Anyway, that aside, it felt pretty awkward to be recognized by one or two people for that interview. Lesson? Don't spout shit. And if you do, do it properly, with names, addresses and hitmen. Lots of hitmen.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" >I'm a college student now, so I'm studying Latin and Greek. Old Greek. The one that isn't phonetically selfish (good God, how many "i"'s can a language use?). Anyway, I like it here: it's calm, it's quaint, everybody knows everybody. Did I mention that we're 13? Yeah, we'll be seeing some kissing around here, I'm sure (it doesn't help that one of the texts we were translating counts as a foreshadowing to the fate of kissers. Yipee). Anyway, I've heard that we're actually a crowd, third year has (had?) some five students and second year... errr... nobody knows for sure. 9? Nobody ever sees them at the same place at the same time. I think I've found our Apocalypse detector.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" >Oh yeah, Apocalypse. As of late, our doomsday is next year or so. Or maybe 2012. To quote Wiki: "On the </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-family: arial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun" title="Sun">sun</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" >, the </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-family: arial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_maximum" title="Solar maximum">solar maximum</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" > of Solar Cycle 24 in the 11-year </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-family: arial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunspot_cycle" title="Sunspot cycle" class="mw-redirect">sunspot cycle</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" > is forecast to occur. Solar Cycle 24 is regarded to have commenced January 2008, and on average will reach its peak of maximal </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-family: arial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunspot" title="Sunspot">sunspot</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" > activity around 2012. The period between successive solar maxima averages 11 years (the </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-family: arial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Schwabe_cycle&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Schwabe cycle (page does not exist)">Schwabe cycle</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" >), and the previous solar maximum of Solar Cycle 23 occurred 2000 - 2002.</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" > During the solar maximum the sun's magnetic poles will reverse." Did I mention the Maya foresaw this? Nostradamus will be biting his fingers off for this, I bet. But thank God for researchers: "For the ancient Maya, it was a huge celebration to make it to the end of a whole cycle," says Sandra Noble,</span><sup style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-family: arial;" id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_calendar#cite_note-11" title=""><span>[</span>12<span>]</span></a></sup><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" > executive director of the </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-family: arial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foundation_for_the_Advancement_of_Mesoamerican_Studies,_Inc.&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. (page does not exist)">Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc.</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" > in </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-family: arial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_River,_Florida" title="Crystal River, Florida">Crystal River, Florida</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" >. "To render December 21, 2012, as a doomsday or moment of cosmic shifting", she says, is "a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of people to cash in." And the scientist quoth: "Nevermore!"</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" >Also, the Romanian government intends to give us biometric IDs. They'll chip us and dale us and turn us into detectable chipmunks. Oooooh, the Church is gonna be angry, you'll see. Did I mention they're 666-related? Unknown are the devil's ways. You'd think he'd go for slaughtering us. But yeah, communism is a very fun <span style="font-style: italic;">apéritif</span>.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>This is going to be a very fun End of the World, isn't it? I mean, the ones who are nostalgic about 1000 and 2000 A.D. have got absolutely nothing on this, <span style="font-weight: bold;">this</span> is the best Apocalypse ever. It's mixing our biggest fears: bureaucracy and civilisations we've slaughtered. Let's hope they manage to clone the dodo birds: people will go completely nuts.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" >Clones. People die when they are made. Why? Because scientists are still trying to figure out how clones work. And they kill embryos in the process. Are they living beings yet or not? Are we trying to become gods? What if we bring Hitler back to life? That's too many bugging questions for them scientists. "Bah, we'll think of that later. Let's go clone another lamb. We could use some dinner. Do you think they'll grow mature by dinner? They should, they grow so fast." Scientists must be having so much fun.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">El Labirinto del Fauno</span> is a great film, about a girl who embarks on a journey to a magical world, where fairies live alongside gentle fauns and mandragores feast on milk. She has a pure heart and desires to save her mother who is in the pains of childbirth. In the end, she learns an important lesson about self-sacrifice. Okay, that's enough hypocrisy of you, I <span style="font-style: italic;">know </span>you're watching it for her stepfather who is fighting the rebels in the mountains. I know you <span style="font-style: italic;">loved </span>how <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poOCXeFlX3U">he smashed a boy's face with a bottle. That's right, it didn't break, it just smashed every single face-bone the boy had. And his father was witness to all this. Poor daddy, he was crying about it, so this military shoots hi</a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poOCXeFlX3U">m</a>.And then he shoots the kid again, because disfiguring somebody doesn't just cut it. Lovely. Also, the faun made me shiver. I was expecting him to go all pedo on the girl any moment. In the end, the girl dies and ends up in a wonder-world: she was being tested and is now worthy of being the fairy queen. Awwww... Because all tests involve <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9YD2PFF31E&feature=fvst">sick faceless monsters with eyes on their hands</a>. But who cares, I genuinely cheered when the stepfather got <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz-kb_camdY&feature=related">Joker'd</a>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Why so serious?</span></span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Well, that was a fun rant. Hope next time won't be in another year. Also, to those who bother with my scanlations, the next update will be out very soon.<br /><br />Until then, signing off, yours truly.<br /></span></span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-31016005530999276142008-08-01T17:20:00.001+03:002008-08-01T17:49:25.282+03:00My Certificate of Proficiency in English result!<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Current status: </span>F-in ecstatic! I have f-in struck f-in gold!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Currently listening to: </span>"Friends" by Stephanie, the second ending theme to <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam 00</span>. Great 90s-like song.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quote of the day: </span>"There is only one Goddess, though she has many aspects. And there is none greater than she who bore the aegis long before Zeus claimed it for himself" - Hanno, a Lybian from Lindsay Clarke's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Return from Troy</span>, about Athena and Neith.<br /><br />Hell yeah! After waiting about one f-in month and a half, I finally have my CPE result! To my amazement, I, a Romanian from Romania, have managed to get an A! Anyway, here's a screenshot of my Candidate Profile:<br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLf8fQWi18HGIMSzaL1O_Qdi-obNsbrUcNouzPp1gJXIHxJrWVdjRRpa6pPw7HjG06OpXF9Z-RaEU4DRnlr0eutGQ2vzY8RbMMX1Hw7HBhaYPTPhRz1hTM9s46f0hUAt_jHsD1/s1600-h/CPE.bmp"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLf8fQWi18HGIMSzaL1O_Qdi-obNsbrUcNouzPp1gJXIHxJrWVdjRRpa6pPw7HjG06OpXF9Z-RaEU4DRnlr0eutGQ2vzY8RbMMX1Hw7HBhaYPTPhRz1hTM9s46f0hUAt_jHsD1/s200/CPE.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229556233499391762" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">From what I can see, I fared very well at Reading and Use of English, rather well at Listening (must've been the shaorma), well at Speaking (I guess I must've annoyed the Romanian lady I talked to) and almost Borderline at Writing. Guess reviewing <span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Samurai</span> was a bad idea... At any rate, a great result, WOO-HOO!<br /><br />... I can go on translating the <span style="font-style: italic;">Super Robot Encyclopedia</span> to English, now that I am <span style="font-style: italic;">proficient. </span>Damn, it sounds well! Also, I needn't worry anymore about the ambitious persons who aim to get 10's and A's wherever they bloody want, just because they have nothing better to do and than screw their life for a career that will end early, due to old age. Now, at least, I have proven that I am just as good as the desperate creatures who despise anything that stand in the way of their learning. Did I say learning? Sorry, I was wrong. They learn nothing. They want no knowledge. They want glory They care nothing for culture or feelings. They care only for their <span style="font-style: italic;">career</span>. One damn good reason not to want to be anything else than a Latin teacher! I want to know, not to get more money. I don't go around screwing with people, telling them that I don't know anything and that I am a failure, only to end up being vastly better in results. Yes, I am arrogant, but I'd rather be arrogant than mental. If, by chance, someone recognizes him- or herself in this portrait, then he/she is not the target of this criticism, but rather a certain category of persons I despise. No worries, if you've made it so far, you're probably not among them. ^_^<br /><br />*Phew* Definitely felt like letting <span style="font-style: italic;">that </span>out. At any rate, I'm faring quite well. I have a Sehr Gut (Very Good - A) in ZMP (Zentral Mittelstuffe Prüfung - German's C1 exam) and an A in CPE, I have a second prize in this year's national Latin contest (not too far from the winners) and another second prize in this year's Greek contest (actually, I was first, but you need at least 9,50 to get first prize. 9,10 doesn't cut it). I've also participated in the international Latin contest dedicated to Cicero in Arpino (no good results, I kinda screwed my translation. I was third in the nationa; qualifiers, though. <span style="font-style: italic;">Yes, I know there were only 20 or so</span>). At any rate, the above national contests have earned me a nice warm place in our proud Bucharest University, among other Latin students. Also, I had 9,21 in this year's Baccalaureate, but hey, it's not like I was fighting for a 10, like <span style="font-style: italic;">others</span>-- whoops, sorry 'bout that. Not too shabby.<br /><br />Sorry for the above, I am feeling a tad arrogant. Oh well, can't have'em all. It's either that or telling people I suck at everything. No thank ye, very happy with meself, I am. Signing off, yours truly.<br /></span></span></div></div><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span></span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-23284627946699047282008-07-25T23:59:00.000+03:002008-07-26T00:06:02.786+03:00Personality test results.<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Current status: </span>Much better.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Currently listening to: </span>"Interception", a BGM from <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam 00</span>, with some ominous chorus. Lovely battle theme.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quote of the day: </span>"The Gundam Meisters are not alone!" - Allelujah Haptism (Laugh), one of the main characters of <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam 00</span>, with a split personality called "Hallelujah" (Laugh again), which can be distinguished according to the eye covered by his bangs. If it's the right one, he's Allelujah, if it's the left one, he's Hallelujah. One is peaceful, one is homicidal. The Gundam Meisters are members of Celestial Being, a paramilitary organisation that aims to erradicate war through force. At least, that's what they intend for now.<br /><br />This is a short post, about my results in a personality test. Here they are:<br /><br /><br /><b>My Personality</b><br /><table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><br /></td><td><div style=""> </div><br /></td></tr><tr><td style=""><div style="">Neuroticism</div></td><td style=""><div style="border-top: 1px solid rgb(255, 100, 100); border-right: 1px solid rgb(150, 0, 0); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(150, 0, 0); float: left; height: 18px; text-align: right; background-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); width: 32%;"><div style="">32</div></div></td></tr><tr><td style=""><div style="">Extraversion</div></td><td style=""><div style="border-top: 1px solid rgb(100, 100, 255); border-right: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 150); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 150); float: left; height: 18px; text-align: right; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 255); width: 39%;"><div style="">39</div></div></td></tr><tr><td style=""><div style="">Openness To Experience</div></td><td style=""><div style="border-top: 1px solid rgb(85, 159, 85); border-right: 1px solid rgb(0, 90, 0); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0, 90, 0); float: left; height: 18px; text-align: right; background-color: rgb(0, 128, 0); width: 99%;"><div style="">99</div></div></td></tr><tr><td style=""><div style="">Agreeableness</div></td><td style=""><div style="border-top: 1px solid rgb(255, 241, 170); border-right: 1px solid rgb(144, 115, 0); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(144, 115, 0); float: left; height: 18px; text-align: right; background-color: rgb(251, 212, 0); width: 98%;"><div style="">98</div></div></td></tr><tr><td style=""><div style="">Conscientiousness</div></td><td style=""><div style="border-top: 1px solid rgb(149, 99, 151); border-right: 1px solid rgb(80, 0, 80); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(80, 0, 80); float: left; height: 18px; text-align: right; background-color: rgb(128, 0, 128); width: 86%;"><div style="">86</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><center><table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><div style=""> </div><br /></td></tr><tr><td>You very rarely feel depressed and are usually in a good frame of mind, however you experience panic, confusion, and helplessness when under pressure or stress. You lead a leisurely and relaxed life. You would prefer to sit back and smell the roses than indulge in high energy activities. As a person who is open-minded to new and unusual ideas, you love to play with and think about ideas. You also like to debate intellectual issues and often enjoy riddles, puzzles and brain teasers. You see no need for pretense or manipulation when dealing with others and are therefore candid, frank and sincere. People find it relatively easy to relate to you, however you dislike confrontations and are perfectly willing to compromise or to deny your own needs in order to get along with others. You take your time when making decisions and will deliberate on all the possible consequences and alternatives.<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><nobr>Take the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%27http://www.learnmyself.com%27" target="'_blank'">Personality Tests</a> now or view the full <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%27http://www.learnmyself.com/personality.asp?p=" x="sPIx1x222491-224157x17e81x1'" target="_blank" rel="'nofollow'">personality report</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%27http://www.luckybestfriend.com/%27">Pet Gifts</a></nobr></td></tr></tbody></table></center><br />Also, I have solved the scans problem. The moron replied that it's still against rules, so I made another blog, inaptly named <a href="http://my-scanlations.blogspot.com/">"My scanlations"</a>.<br /><br />Signing off, yours truly.<br /><br /></span></span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-80341628266456699282008-07-25T02:46:00.000+03:002008-07-25T03:08:12.103+03:00Deviantart amazes me.<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Current status: </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Very angry.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Currently listening to: </span>"Daybreak's Bell", the opening theme to <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam 00</span>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quote of the day: </span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">"i don't know if you mis interpreted this site or not</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">scanning art in a book, magazine, or other media is not allowed, unless it is your own art.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">please remove those images.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">this site is for displaying works of art that you, yourself, have put time into and created, not a website to display someone elses art."</span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> - <a href="http://azahlia.deviantart.com/">azahlia</a>, member of deviantart, an American who is unable to spell "misinterpret", about my <span style="font-style: italic;">Super Robot Encyclopedia</span> scanlations.<br /><br />Well, where to start. Let's see...<br /><br />Three or four years ago, I started an almost impossible project, which was translating a Japanese book about mecha anime from 1972 until 2004. This was one of the reasons for which I tried to learn the language better. In the last year, I've managed to translate some 30-40 pages, editing and everything. Usually, I'd use imageshack, but as of late, these images were too large and had to be resized. As such, I made a deviantart account to host my work (which I would then post on SRWG-W.org, a forum I visit a lot). All went fine until some files started vanishing. I thought it was because I had forgotten to upload them, and then I saw, to my horror, that some of my older files had been deleted. Today, as I was going to upload a new page, I noticed that I had some new messages. The majority of them was from deviantart, telling me about copyright infringement. It was bizarre out of several reasons:<br />1. They had deleted only some images, and they weren't even licensed series. Heck, one was almost obscure.<br />2. I had clearly specified that all I did was translate them.<br />3. They mentioned that they were reported by someone.<br /><br />So I scrolled down, and found this idiot. This sad excuse of a human being sent me the above message, which revolted me far more than the neutral and automatic message from the host. It's the feeling of being reported by a goodie-goodie. The kind of goodie-goodies that deleted Gundam articles on Wikipedia. The kind of goodie-goodies that ban fan-videos using anime footage from video sites. This was most unfortunate, as there were users who appreciated my work. Of course, nobody gives a damn. It's better to be a man who respects every rule and never hesitates to meddle and tell a higher authority of some "crime". What was this called? Theft?<br /><br />Yes, according to this moron, I was just posting scans that I had never contributed to. Probably that his brain failed to notice the fact that every page was edited. That in the corner, there were clear Japanese characters, which, amazingly, did not look like the rest of the text. I have spent hours of my life translating this book, for the sake of some anime fans out there. Maybe this "wannabe novelist" fails to understand how hard it is for a Romanian to translate from Japanese to English for the sake of others. Wouldn't it have been easier if I had just kept it to myself? Yes, but I wanted to contribute to this community I am trying to enter in. It was too much to ask. I suppose this is how things will work from now on. It's a terrible world.<br /><br />At any rate, I'll probably start another blog to host the images. Expect some updates.<br /><br />Signing off, yours truly.<br /></span></span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-5040245772251983662008-06-23T10:18:00.000+03:002008-06-23T10:29:25.972+03:00Exam in 2 hours. Comments<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Current status: </span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Scared. Humiliated by the comment thing.<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Currently listening to: </span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"Ai wo torimodose" ("Get love back") sung my Masaki Endoh, the legendary opening theme to Fist of the North Star. (YOU wa SHOCK!!)<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Quote of the day: "</span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Hi there!<br /><br />This may be the first comment I'm actually posting here, but I have to confess I've read your blog before...<br /><br />I can totally understand your reasons for writing in English (my LiveJournal account is entirely in English as well), and I, too, was a bit disappointed by Romania's football team... (yes, I watched the last match...) But c'est la vie!<br /><br />Good luck for the next two weeks, and trust me on this: after your first *real* exam session (at university), the Bac will seem just a piece of cake! Fingers crossed anyway! " - A should-have-been comment on the previous post. Before I realized my settings didn't allow everyone to post.<br /><br /><br />Well, what is there to say. Exam, exam, scare, scare... I'm trying every trick to get myself motivated. Let's hope nothing will ruin that. I'll need every bit of morale I can get. I'd quote one of the luck wishes I got last night, but hey, privacy. I can assure you, it was bloody original. It was perhaps the best description of how kids these days cope with the crap the Ministry gives us.<br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">***<span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Also, about the comments: I'm an idiot. If it weren't for the commenter above, I'd be waiting for someone with a Google account to write. Whose bright idea was it to filter them like that? At any rate, now everybody can comment. Including porn site advertisers. The joys of internet.<br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">***<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I'll be back in the afternoon, to share impressions about this first exam. No matter what others say, this is not a piece of cake. To quote a "300" parody: "THIS IS DELICIOUS!" "Delicious? THIS! IS! CAKETOWN!!".<br /><br />Signing off, the same guy.<br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span></span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-29341663338694282552008-06-22T12:53:00.000+03:002008-06-22T14:00:22.201+03:00One day till the exam begins<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Current status:</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> Oh, slightly worried by the following 2 weeks, nothing special. Other than that, happy that Russia won last night 3-1 after extra time!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Currently listening to: </span>The <span style="font-style: italic;">Super Robot Wars Alpha 3</span> soundtrack. Instrumental versions of cheesy robot anime themes. Ain't it nice?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quote of the day: </span>"If he'd read communist poetry, Titu Maiorescu (famous Romanian critic who promoted our would-be great classics and started the association known as "Junimea") would roll in his grave." Never knew our Romanian teacher had such a sense of humour, even in his manual.<br /><br />Someone once complained that my blog is written in English. Now, I don't necessarily consider this language to be the best or the classiest there is, but I like it: it has its charm, I guess. Why am I not writing in my own language? Romanian's nice too. It's a beautiful language born from Latin, Dacic and Slavic. And others. Including Turkish (like "baclava". I love those things). Problem is that very few people understand this wonderful language ("very few" is an understatement: even our bloody leaders have trouble with it). Bad enough that this blog has only one comment, the last thing I'd want would be for it to be even less read.<br /><br />Another argument is that if I write in English, I can control my formality a little more. I'm quite convinced that if I were to write in Romanian, I'd end up swearing about some teacher or some classmate. Not you, you manipulative patriot, don't worry. At any rate, even if I do swear in English, it's not as effective as in Romanian. (Maybe because our people use the letter "P" a lot. <span style="font-style: italic;">Believe me</span>, it adds quite an effect. In case you forget what you were gonna say, you can just spit him. Still a "P") On the other hand, if I were to write in Romanian, I'd probably censor myself in a silly way. I've seen the opposite in school, actually. Some girls were mentioning... err... you know. That-which-they-lack.<br /><br />Lastly, it's a fact that Japanese cartoons use English terms. For example, Great Mazinger's melting beam called the Breast Burn (because it's fired from a V-shaped breast plate) Can you call it "arsura de piept" without laughing? No. Engrish (Japanese attempts at writing in English) is funny. Lomanian might not be. At any rate, I hope I've convinced you why I chose this blog to be in English.<br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">***<br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Romania has left Euro 2008. After waiting 8 years to qualify to such a competition, we were close to getting out of an impossible group. We had to face France, Italy and the Netherlands. France being the finalist of the 2006 World Cup, Italy being the winner and Netherlands being the team we'd beaten in the qualifiers. What happened?<br /><br />France-Romania 0-0. We defended like crazy and ended up having no chances on goal. As someone would say, we put our asses in front the goal.<br />Netherlands-Italy 3-0. Scary stuff. World champions lost badly. A simple calculation would lead us to think we'd beat Italy.<br />Italy-Romania 1-1. I was having private classes when I heard a shout of happiness. Romania scored! Within a minute, Italy equalised. Italy had a goal cancelled. Romania had a penalty. Adrian Mutu shot it. And what do you know, he missed. Everybody called him an idiot on the Messenger, but I defended him: it was he who scored the other goal too.<br />Netherlands-France 4-1. Chances were high. The former were qualified, which meant they had no reason to beat us in the last match. All we had to do was beat the Netherlands, or draw (if neither France nor Italy won).<br />Netherlands-Romania 2-0. We failed.<br />Italy-France 2-0. France failed too.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The aftermath:</span> Raymond Domenech is going to get fired. Mutu got press-raped. Piturca got press-raped. Ionut Lupescu realised we don't have experience. The Dutch lost 3-1 to the Russians in the quarter-finals. Poetic justice? No. The neighbor's goat has just died. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Amen.<br /><br /></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">***<br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Ah, yes. The dreaded baccalaureate. Tomorrow, I'll be discussing with a woman near her menopause about the wonders of communication and, likely, some literary current. How lovely. Wednesday, I'll be talking German, in a sea of nincompoops or geniuses. That's what you get when there's just eight of you. There's no middle class here, folks. Friday, the indispensible Romanian writing paper. Ooooh, boy.<br /><br />And that's just the first week. Second week has History, Latin and Psychology. In <span style="font-style: italic;">three days. </span>Great. I'll be taking my leave then... Signing off, yours truly.<br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></span></div><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></div><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-52597456917015761422008-06-09T02:09:00.000+03:002008-06-08T16:10:12.380+03:00SRWZ and Giant Robo episode 1 review (part 1)<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Current status: </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Very happy, for very various reasons</span></span><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Currently listening to: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Overman King Gainer</span> from the series with the same name. I just can't believe Yoshiyuki Tomino could write such a hotblooded song.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quote of the day: </span>"Can't happiness be obtained without sacrifices?" - Kusama Daisaku from <span style="font-style: italic;">Giant Robo the Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still.</span><br /><br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/9316/srwhotnewszoffsu6.jpg"><img style="width: 200px; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/9316/srwhotnewszoffsu6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-family:arial;">Today I'll start with the announcement that <span style="font-style: italic;">Super Robot Wars </span>is getting another episode for the PS2. Its name is <span style="font-style: italic;">Super Robot Wars Z</span> and features the following series:<br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss6.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Overman King Gainer (NEW)</span>: By Yoshiyuki Tomino. All I've watched is episodes 1-4 so far. Weird mech designs, catchy theme... Sounds promising.</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/4664/srwhotnewszup1pd3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/4664/srwhotnewszup1pd3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Big O</span>: Featuring Roger Smith the Negotiator and R.Dorothy Wayneright. Nicknamed 'Batman with mechs', <span style="font-style: italic;">The Big O </span>was a bigger hit in the States than in Japan. And it has a Queen-ish opening. Was in SRW D for the GBA.</span></span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Big O 2nd Season (NEW)</span>: We should thank Toonami for this gem. Due to US success, Toonami asked the Japanese counterparts to make a new season. Finally, we'll see some real Action. It's Showtime! Especially since it has much more plot than Season 1. And more mechs. And [SPOILER] <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">TOMATOES! <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">[/SPOILER] I'm not kidding. </span></span><br /></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9030/srwhotnewszup2btg9.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9030/srwhotnewszup2btg9.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Invincible Superman Zambot 3</span>: Tomino's super robot returns. How can one not love a fat enemy called "Killer the Butcher"? That's <em>really</em> discrete, Tomino... Reaaally discrete. Last seen in SRWR for the GBA (and in Advance Portable, technically). Also of note is that [SPOILER]<span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">they kill everyone, and I <span style="font-style: italic;">mean</span> everyone. Even the dog. Oh, right, the main character survives. And <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> is a kid's show?<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">[/SPOILER]. I remember that in SRW4 they made a major route split on whether you were quick enough to save some kids from being bombed by Butcher. Needless to say that I failed majorly. Not much of a tragedy, I couldn't understand anything they said (I had that infamous translation patch. "Ogilk iscu" for the win!!</span></span></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/4944/srwhotnewszup4wf7.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/4944/srwhotnewszup4wf7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Invincible Iron Man Daitarn 3: </strong>Roger is not the only rich guy in SRWZ. Banjou is back with his 120m tall bot. And with a new voice, I suppose, considering his original one died about a year ago. Last seen in SRW Alpha 3 and Advance Portable. I hope we get to fight the Meganoids again. <span style="font-style: italic;">Daitarn</span>'s plot was actually original in that aspect. Banjou is the son of a scientist, who created the Meganoids, robots with an ego. For that, Banjou can never forgive neither his daddy, nor them robots. In fact, [SPOILER] <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">in the last episode, his father talks to him in his mind, cheering on him to win. Banjou tells him to he road, that he doesn't need his dad's help, and beats Don Zauser with his Sun Attack.<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">[/SPOILER]. Awesome.</span></span></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/2968/srwhotnewszup10ta8.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/2968/srwhotnewszup10ta8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Combat Mecha Xabungle:</strong> "Xabungle wa otoko no ko!" (Xabungle is a boy!) yells Jiron while piloting the 2-part real robot. One of the comebacks from Alpha Gaiden, this series had one attack involving Xabungle's upgrade throwing a giant missile at the enemy. Yes, that's right. <em>Throwing </em>it. P.S. Not a great cut-in...<br /></span></span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation: </strong>One of Kill'em all Tomino's masterpieces, albeit graphically and plot-wise updated. "Believe in the sign of Zeta, beyond the hard times from noooow!" (from the first opening theme). It's been shown in SRW so much, that describing its plot is useless.</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/4531/srwhotnewszup5tj4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/4531/srwhotnewszup5tj4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack: </strong>Char and Amuro, Universal Century Gundam's biggest rivals, duke it out one last time, with the Earth's fate at stake. Philosophy, passion, mobile suits with funnels, drama... Except that Terada (the producer) announced that the plot won't be used. <em>Again</em>. It's here just for the mechs. Pictured is the Nu Gundam, Amuro's custom mech. I have a figure of it! ^_^<br /></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7959/srwhotnewszup6ub9.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7959/srwhotnewszup6ub9.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>After War Gundam X: </strong>Considered a failed series because it was cancelled after 39 episodes. In fact, it had a good plot and better yet, it had a reaaaally strong mech with an obscene MAP attack. Gundam X and Gundam Double X can use their Satellite Cannons only when the full moon is out (since the beam is fired from a moon satellite, onto the Gundam). Last seen in SRWR, was in Alpha Gaiden as well.</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/316/srwhotnewszup7xy0.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/316/srwhotnewszup7xy0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Turn A Gundam: </strong>A moustached Gundam, a post-apocalyptic 19th century-like society, a pilot who's a talent at crossdressing, a samurai in an ancient mobile suit and most importantly, <em>Moonlight Butterflies</em>. Another Tomino work, with bizarre mecha and only one appearance in SRW - Alpha Gaiden again.</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny: </strong>The Fukuda (I know you're thinking of the same dirty word) couple's sequel to Gundam Seed. Fans hate it for its many flashback episodes (one is as late as episode 40ish) and for the sudden change of main character and sides (Shinn Asuka becomes an Anakin-like bad guy when Kira Yamato, Seed's retired hero comes back). Memorable for Shinn's beating of Freedom Gundam and killing of Kira. And Kira lives. Again. And gets a bigger shinier mobile suit. And kicks Shinn's sorry ass. We get to see Freedom's stabbing in the preview, which means Banpresto liked it. And the fans liked it. Worst case scenario, we'll replay some missions.</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss9.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss9.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Mazinger Z: </strong>Grandpa Zed is back again. And he looks chubby, like in the '72 series. Initiator or piloted mecha series, of super robots and of female robots with breast missiles (Believe me, there's a<span style="font-style: italic;"> lot</span> of them out there). There, I've said it. Hope we get to play its plot, he's been shafted these last few years.</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mN9LNPWocOl8L4Gu4VZRCutosy1ec4MwokyAmRU6l5QHP_0vxOJTsYhMkyJA-Eh8oukYEUZrZAY1d1wufIPDj9VoaU8CYlnUI9hUafxpKDf-45rjCBxLaSYdP-4WuOQ5PGWp/s1600-h/Great.bmp"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mN9LNPWocOl8L4Gu4VZRCutosy1ec4MwokyAmRU6l5QHP_0vxOJTsYhMkyJA-Eh8oukYEUZrZAY1d1wufIPDj9VoaU8CYlnUI9hUafxpKDf-45rjCBxLaSYdP-4WuOQ5PGWp/s320/Great.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209486759575810866" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Great Mazinger: </strong>Z's worthy successor, piloted by a highly trained orphan pilot called Tsurugi Tetsuya. Initiator of angst? At any rate, what can be cooler than a robot that directs lightning through its finger and fires it at the enemy?<br /></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/4606/srwhotnewszup8ht8.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/4606/srwhotnewszup8ht8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Getter Robo G: </span>Strangely enough, this is all we get this time around. I suppose we'll be fighting the Hyakki Empire. At any rate, I like the mech, and its finisher, the Shine Spark, kicked major ass. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a post-movement Getter Change Attack. Compact 3 and MX really kicked us in the teeth with that one.</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9770/srwhotnewszup9po5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9770/srwhotnewszup9po5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">UFO Robo Grendizer: </span>My childhood hero is back to kick ass, yay! He'll make good friends with Marin from Baldios. Heck, they could even be from the same Solar System or something.</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/4561/srwhotnewszup2awu6.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/4561/srwhotnewszup2awu6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Space Emperor GodSigma (NEW):</span> A 3-robot combiner, powered by new miracle energy called Trinity Energy. Like all things miraculous, aliens want it badly. The Eldars, led by a lady general (yay!) want to get their grimy hands on it, and GodSigma won't let them do it. Notable that it has a crapload of sword techniques. Let's see how cheap Banpresto will be.</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Genesis of Aquarion (NEW): </span>A CG-mecha anime, more of a tribute to Getter. Oh, and they fight angels (not an Eva reference). And whenever the Get Machin... errrr, Vectors combine, the pilots get an orgasm.... Neat, huh? Also, this is perhaps the sickest twist to the classic Rocket Punch yet. A fist that extends and follows the enemy in a pure Itano Circus manner (a name for the Macross missile massacre - basically, when swarms of missiles follow a mech, moving at unlikely angles). Can reach the moon (Fly me to the moon... er-hem. Not an Eva reference) and is called Mugen Punch (Infinite Punch).</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eureka Seven (NEW): </span>I don't know a lot about it, but I've heard it's really good. And it has mechs on surfboards. Woo-hoo.<br /></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Super Dimension Century Orguss (NEW): </span>Made by the creators of Macross, this series has a plotline about dimensional problems. Sounds like a plausible way to bring so many wacky series together.</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss7.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Space Warrior Baldios (NEW): </span>The other plausible way to bring them together. Marin, the pilot, is brough to Earth because of a hyperspace problem. And is followed by the enemies. Marin wants to save his second home from these bastards. I'll bet they'll go hand in hand with Dizer's Vegans.</span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss8.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://superrobotwar.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/srwhotnewszss8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gravion (NEW): </span>Finally, Klein Sandman and the Gran Knights join the ever-larger and wackier SRW Universe. I don't think I'd mind <span style="font-style: italic;">any </span>of the themes, frankly. "Gran Knights no shoukun, gasshin se yo!" (Gentlemen of the Gran Knights, combine!)</span></span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Gravion Zwei (NEW): </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >And the sequel to it, featuring even <span style="font-style: italic;">more</span> Super Robots. And some Brave Series tributes. Yay!</span></li></ul><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >***<br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Time for a review now.<br /><br />First off is <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Giant Robo the Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still</span></span>. We'll start with Wikipedia's description.</span></span> <p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>Giant Robo</i> is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homage" title="Homage"></a>homage to Mitsuteru Yokoyama's career. The series features characters and plotlines from the manga artist<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>'s entire canon of work, effectively creating an all-new story. The events take place in the near future, ten years after the advent of the Shizuma Drive triggers the third energy revolution. The series follows the master of the titular Robo, Daisaku Kusama, and the Experts of Justice, an international police organization locked in battle with the BF Group, a secret society hell-bent on world domination.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The OVA is recognized for its "retro" style and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera" title="Opera"></a> operatic score. The character designs emulate Yokoyama's drawing style and the mechanics are inspired by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk" title="Steampunk"></a>steampunk literature. The action <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setpiece" title="Setpiece"></a>set pieces are influenced by Hong Kong action cinema, specifically the new school of wuxia and the 1970s kung fu wave.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The first installment of the series, "The Black Attaché Case," was released July 22, 1992<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>. Originally intended to finish within 36 months, the seven volumes series was ultimately released over the span of six years. "The Grand Finale" was released January 25, 1998.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://lion-of-genesis.deviantart.com/art/Page-155-83316677">This is the translated version of its <span style="font-style: italic;">Super Robot Encyclopedia </span>entry (credits go to me for the translation and editing)</a></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">My first encounter with the titular Robo was in <span style="font-style: italic;">Super Robot Wars 64 </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Super Robot Wars Alpha</span>, for the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation 1 respectively. I'll have to admit, Daisaku's voice sounded so annoying, that I considered this series to be weak and for kids. Sure, I made the same mistake when I first heard Shishioh Gai's (<span style="font-style: italic;">The King of Braves GaoGaiGar</span>) voice in Alpha 2 for the PlayStation 2.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Luckily for me, I was wrong in both cases. You might recall I reviewed some of the <span style="font-style: italic;">GaoGaiGar FINAL </span>episodes earlier in my blog (still incomplete, but I'll attempt to finish it). GaoGaiGar turned out to be a heart-warming story about courage, friendship and perseverance. And big bots kicking ass left and right.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Giant Robo</span></span>, however, amazed me. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAwUfqSFGJE">First, with its opening theme.</a> The narration really fits the orchestral melody. Here, we find out about the rise of a new type of energy, the Shizuma Drive, about the 2 groups fighting each other (the BF Group and the Interpol) and about the titular Robo. Nothing special so far, apart the fact that the theme was the only thing that wasn't retro-style.<br /></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode 1: The Black Attaché Case (55:26)<br /></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The episode kicks off with the disappearance of Dr. Shizuma. Then, during a thunderstorm, we are introduced to the (still unnamed) villains: <span style="font-style: italic;">Genya</span> (the long-haired leader), <span style="font-style: italic;">Koenshaku </span>(his silent samurai-like guard), <span style="font-style: italic;">Alberto the Shockwave </span>(one of the Magnificent 10) and <span style="font-style: italic;">Ivan</span> of Russia (with his huge nose). It seems they are gathering 3 "samples", of which they only have 2 (both in suitcases), much to Ivan's dismay.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Then, we see somebody running in the dark. In fact, it's <span style="font-style: italic;">Dr. Shizuma</span>, running on top of a caterpillar-like train, holding on to his suitcase. Calmly following him is <span style="font-style: italic;">Q-Boss</span>, a dandy-looking fellow with a sock-like mask (like all BF Groupies). Upon asking Shizuma to give him the case, the scientist replies "Never! Do you know what'll happen to the world once I give this up?". Q-Boss laughingly tells him that it all started with him inventing this drive-system. Shizuma explains that this is why he is trying to pay for his sins with his own life. Q-Boss just wants the case and takes his gun out. As Shizuma prays to God to protect his case, Q-Boss replies that he should have prayed to 10-years ago self (this is significant, as we'll find out later). We hear a gunshot as the train enters a tunnel. We see blood dripping, and it's apparently coming from Q-Boss, as Shizuma is still cowering at the end of the train. Someone has apparently shot Q-Boss's hand. It looks like a tall robot-like being, holding a gun. This someone has come to save Shizuma. As Q Boss wonders where it had been hiding, we hear someone yell for "Ginrei!". The yeller is dark-skinned muscle-man <span style="font-style: italic;">Tetsugyu</span> (translatable as "Iron Ox"), standing on another train, coming on a parallel line. Shizuma's saviour takes the costume off, revealing long-legged China dress-wearing beauty, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ginrei</span> ("Silver Bell"), who jumps off the train, along with Shizuma. Tetsugyu seems kind of disappointed to have caught just the professor, and not the girl. Q-Boss's train had bunches of helicopters stored inside the wagons (what?). Ginrei disposes of one of them via gun (they just don't seem to make helicopters like they used to... ^_^;;). She seems to want to use some kind of power, because there's no end to this enemy. Tetsugyu asks her to leave it to him, because she shouldn't use that power. He fights the enemy, while having the professor and the case on his back. He disposes of quite a number of helicopters using his axes (which are extendable, nevertheless) and a technique called the "Black Whirlwind". That doesn't change the fact that Ginrei calls him a stupid ox (name pun), because he put Shizuma in danger. Their train is destroyed by Q-Boss, whose train turns into a caterpillar-like robot, with a giant drill for a nose. A kid tells Tetsugyu via telecommunication to run faster, which makes him angry. Ginrei is contacted as well (via ring) and is told to keep running straight ahead (where there is a bascule bridge). When they get there, it parts, due to a ship coming that way. They jump, followed by Q-Boss. Suddenly, a giant hand (coming out of the ship) catches them and punches the robot. The train bot flies off, and Q-Boss tries to make it move (uselessly). We can see a gigantic silhouette moving in the distance (steps SFX and all). It's a huge pharaoh-headed robot, and next to its head is a boy. It's... <span style="font-style: italic;">Giant Robo</span>! Q-Boss does a desperate attack "for Big Fire", and the boy, <span style="font-style: italic;">Kusama Daisaku</span> orders Robo to punch it. Q-Boss flies off, saying this is impossible (tell me about it... one hit kill punch?). Tetsugyu and Ginrei recognize Daisaku, as Giant Robo takes off, holding them in its hand. We hear Ginrei's voice-over. "Come to think of it, this was my first encounter with Daisaku-kun. I think it was the first day of the incident. Yes, the seven days that nobody can ever forget."<br /></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Unfortunately, due to the length of the episode and to my lack of time, I'll have to halt the review here. So far, so good. This is a battle that can be seen in either SRW appearance Giant Robo has had. Incidentally, in SRW64, Q Boss doesn't stay dead, whereas in SRW Alpha they mass-produce that machine (which does get a name, not that I would remember it). I'll give my marks when I finish the review.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">***</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: left;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This should've been the part where I reviewed my new toys, but it's been almost 2 months since I was supposed to do that. At any rate, I have a new camera, so I'll even take photos of each one of them. Here's a tentative list of the following review-posts.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: left;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">1. Revoltech Getter 1 (from <span style="font-style: italic;">New Getter Robo</span>)<br /></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: left;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">2. HCM Pro Nu Gundam (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam: Char's Counterattack</span>)<br /></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: left;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">3. Revoltech Shin Getter 1 (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Change!! Getter Robo: The Last Day of the Earth</span>)<br /></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: left;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">4. HCM Pro Sazabi (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam: Char's Counterattack</span>)<br /></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: left;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">5. Revoltech Mazinkaiser (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Mazinkaiser </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Mazinkaiser vs the General of Darkness</span>)<br /></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: left;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">6. HCM Pro Force Impulse Gundam (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam Seed Destiny</span>)<br /></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: left;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">7. Revoltech Giant Robo and GR-2 (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Giant Robo the Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still</span>)<br /></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: left;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">8. HCM Pro Freedom Gundam (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam Seed </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam Seed Destiny</span>)<br /></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: left;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">9. HCM Pro Strike Freedom Gundam (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam Seed Destiny</span>)<br /></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: left;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">10. HCM Pro Destiny Gundam (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam Seed Destiny</span>)</span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">***</span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: left;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Before I sign off, I'd like to express my thanks to my high-school classmates. Thanks for these 4 years, thanks for the wonderful prom, thanks for being the crackpots they are and hopefully will always be. This particular screwball will never forget you! (You get a cookie if you guess which one I am)<br /></span></span></p><p face="arial" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOpNrkmkaJBDZZb237AUvW96rOZewAEez9a31UcdABIaC5EfuKRa_x2Pzi3ynuSgVaD27zX14NSV4vK7P9YALbHCx5cboJYrrk8ukSBcaxp6tnlf4DNMKiC7FwoAYdd9I1i5V/s1600-h/HPIM6053.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOpNrkmkaJBDZZb237AUvW96rOZewAEez9a31UcdABIaC5EfuKRa_x2Pzi3ynuSgVaD27zX14NSV4vK7P9YALbHCx5cboJYrrk8ukSBcaxp6tnlf4DNMKiC7FwoAYdd9I1i5V/s320/HPIM6053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209493586560432002" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYhTTdZvTN0yXoIC0v2soEFpnSJAX5npnWUrjnU2AYJ9cXD4QD3gvSEqNGRzQeatUGTDxuBspXWemM5WJ7y2YOou08zfb-zNQom4dh_jQMWnUEbgXarbH6R8fQsB0WMeacdov/s1600-h/P6050004.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYhTTdZvTN0yXoIC0v2soEFpnSJAX5npnWUrjnU2AYJ9cXD4QD3gvSEqNGRzQeatUGTDxuBspXWemM5WJ7y2YOou08zfb-zNQom4dh_jQMWnUEbgXarbH6R8fQsB0WMeacdov/s320/P6050004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209493598319064802" border="0" /></a></p></div></div><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Signing off, yours truly.<br /></span></div>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-71068215116357235062008-04-04T18:55:00.000+03:002008-04-04T21:37:53.322+03:00Gundams, vampires and friends, oh my!<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Current status: </span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Doing a victory dance after completing my new figures. Damn they're smexy!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Currenly listening to: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Swat On Dekaranger</span>, from a sentai anime, <span style="font-style: italic;">Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger </span>(Special Investigation Squad Dekaranger), the inspiration for <span style="font-style: italic;">Power Rangers: S.P.D.</span> A nice hot-blooded song to celebrate my first ever MS figures.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quote of the day:</span> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-family: arial;">A woman has a close male friend. This means that he is probably interested in her, which is why he hangs around so much. She sees him strictly as a friend. This always starts out with, you're a great guy, but I don't like you in that way. This is roughly the equivalent for the guy of going to a job interview and the company saying, You have a great resume, you have all the qualifications we are looking for, but we're not going to hire you. We will, however, use your resume as the basis for comparison for all other applicants. But, we're going to hire somebody who is far less qualified and is probably an alcoholic. And if he doesn't work out, we'll hire somebody else, but still not you. In fact, we will never hire you. But we will call you from time to time to complain about the person that we hired. - Some anonymous guy on <a href="http://wikichan.org">Wikichan</a><br /><br />Today, I picked my figures up from the post. First thing to note is that the boxes are bigger than those of the Revoltechs, although the figures are a few centimeters smaller (my camera is busted, so I'll post pictures later). The robots themselves are already built, but their weapons and accessories aren't. You need a knife or scissors to cut them free from the plastic support. Easier said than done. Earned me a cut finger (my middle finger, too... Daaaaamn, now I can't show it to anyone anymore...) and another cut (on the same finger. Neither was fatal... I think). Took me a whole hour to build Nu Gundam's signature Fin Funnels (long range remote-controlled beam launchers o' Doom), mainly because they were neatly matched on to another and ignoring the instructions would make the whole process useless. I also discovered that I am completely blind, not understanding the drawing that clearly showed the Funnel's connection to the figure. Nevertheless, Nu Gundam looks awesome with his beam saber and bazooka. They could've given him a stand, though. There's no way of displaying the Nu Gundam in flight, surrounded by the Funnels (same goes for Sazabi. It's a pity, really). The Sazabi was less of a pain to assemble, and even gets more weapons, I think. Also, you have 3 funnels, but I have NO idea how I'll display them or at least avoid losing them. I'll try hanging them from the ceiling. Anyway, let's see what accessories you get for each.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nu Gundam</span><br />1x shield with Amuro's custom logo, containing 3 missiles. Attachable to arm<br />3x beam sabers: one is off (stored in the left arm), one is lit on one end, one is lit one both ends (though the second end is quite small)<br />1x beam rifle: even has ammo<br />1x bazooka: also has ammo, as well as an adjustable handle<br />6x fin funnels: can be stored on back<br />2x open hands<br />2x closed fists<br />2x holding fists<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sazabi<br /></span>1x shield with Neo Zeon logo, containing 3 missiles. Attachable to arm<br />2x beam sabers: both are identical.<br />1x beam tomahawk: one-sided<br />1x beam tomahawk: two-sided<br />1x beam shotrifle: like a shotgun<br />6x closed funnels: immobile, stored on backpack.<br />3x open funnels<br />2x open hands<br />2x holding fists<br /><br />All in all, I can give them 5/5 on mobility, 4/5 on accessories (why don't they have a stand?), 5/5 on design. Final score: <span style="font-weight: bold;">4.66/5</span> to these two figures. Now I can reenact Char and Amuro's final battle. Yay!<br /><br />A new <span style="font-style: italic;">Hellsing</span> chapter (91) has been released, and Hirano claims we are heading towards the end. Basically, nothing happens. Seras joins Integra to fight against Major, but we knew that since chapter 90 (2 months ago). All Major does is gloat over his wonderful victory against Alucard. He's really reminding me of Mojo Jojo. Finally, Integra orders Seras to shoot, but only on the last page. On the other hand, the fight between Walter and Heinkel continues. Walter tells Heinkel to shoot at him, only to slash his arm and leg off. Heinkel had become nothing more than a vengeful ruin, bent on killing Walter. On the other hand, Walter is close to his end, and attacks the zeppelin with his Deadly Floss o' Doom. <span style="font-style: italic;">What's he up to?</span> Someone in the LJ Hellsing community thinks that Hirano initially wanted to kill him off this chapter, but he made up his mind. All I can hope is that Alucard comes back, because the manga series is crumbling to a disappointing ending. In fact, ever since Anderson died, nothing has been working like before. Let's just hope Hirano has one trick left for us... Unlikely, since he seems to make it up as he goes on.<br /><br />The point of the quote is that it sounded very familiar. I've been through this quite a few times, and I'm getting sick of it. Sometimes you'd just want a girl who'd stop appreciating you and would just love you. Is it too hard? Well, if you want brains AND feelings, you're knocking on the wrong door. The best you'll get is their friendship. If you do get their love, it's almost <span style="font-style: italic;">never</span> because you liked them in the first place. I do hope some persons recognize themselves in this portrait and act more carefully along boys. Who aren't <span style="font-style: italic;">perverts</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">assholes</span> of their own choice. It's girls like these who make them like that. I do hope I won't hear anymore gossip about my inconstant choices. I'd gladly settle for one girl, if she'd stop saying that I'm such a "good friend, end of story". To quote <span style="font-style: italic;">Friends</span>: friend zone = dead zone. I dare you people to prove me wrong.<br /><br />That would be all for today. Signing off, yours truly.<a href="http://wikichan.org"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span><br /></span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-18342439342054124482008-04-03T17:15:00.000+03:002008-04-03T19:08:05.915+03:00Otaku<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Current status: </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Ecstatic. My newest order from Hobbylink Japan has arrived! Tomorrow I'll go get them!</span></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Currently listening to: </span>TWO-MIX - Last Impression. The ending theme to <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz</span>, the sequel OAV (and movie remake) to the popular Japanese mecha anime, <span style="font-style: italic;">New Mobile Report Gundam Wing</span>. The song combines slow, ambiental vocal with very dynamic, rock-like instrumental every now and then. Kitsch? Who cares?</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quote of the day: </span>"As long as people like you exist, there will be need for soldiers like us!" - Heero Yui, <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam Wing</span>'s protagonist, in <span style="font-style: italic;">Super Robot Wars Alpha 2</span>, when fighting against Neo Zeon units.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Being in my last high-school year and all, I have 2 large problems. One is that of love and stuff, which I haven't developed on this blog, for fear of snoopy classmates. The other is that of the upcoming exam. Regarding the first, all I can say is that I am sick and tired of the soap operas surrounding my and everybody's love-life. Who needs cable when you have twenty-f***ing-eight girls around you? I have seen everything. Absolutely everything. It's enough to make men go gay, sometimes. Till you realize you'll be forced to become a bit girly, which can have horrendous results. Mind you, I've known decent girls, and quite a few of those. Just that the majority has little pity for my braincells, which have been fried over and over.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The exams? Lessee... Romanian literature and non-literature, oral and written? Check. History? Check. Latin? Check. German oral? Check. Psychology? Check. 6 exams. Thank God I'm not Hungarian, else I'd have one MORE exam. Lots of work, stress and more work. Oh, and your friends and colleagues are of no help. Think you're calm, with your mind clear as a mirror and still as the water? (Copyright <span style="font-style: italic;">G Gundam</span>) <span style="font-weight: bold;">That's too bad</span>. Everyone around me, except for pathological cases, is worried. "Will I pass?" "Will I get all 10s?" "How did you solve this Economy problem?" "Is this a subjective or a predicative clause?" "How am I gonna rephrase this?" "I haven't learned anything, I'm DOOOOOMED!" "I'm gonna die!!" "Tell him about Barbu's poem!" "HELP ME WITH THE LATIN QUIZZES, MIKE!" "YOU'LL NEVER PASS! "YES I WILL!". And so on, and so forth. </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The ministry helped us a lot too. They gave us all possible variants on the Internets (to quote Bush). 100 complete subjects, each containing 3 exercises. For the written exams, that's a total of 1200 exercises. And 200 published ones for oral. And 200 more that are unpublished. 1600 exercises. Stick'em up your asses, darlings.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">There are two solutions. One is working all day, all night. That's what my classmates do. Look at them. Sure, I did it too, but in another way. I'm going to 3 national contests, all taking place in the same city, during Easter holiday. 3 more exams, in 2 days. French, Latin and Old Greek. Wish me luck, since I'm an arrogant bastard who wants to get some prizes. It's not like anybody else even reached the national phase. And, as if this performance wasn't enough, I don't need a college entry exam, being an international contestant in Latin. In your faces, people!</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">There's the other solution, much more peaceful: being an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku">otaku</a>. Yes, I mean manga and anime, not pornography. More specifically, mecha anime - anime with and about robots. I enjoy certain robot series because they're formulaic. You know that by the end of the episode, the good guys will use the big bot to beat the baddie of the day. And if they don't beat him, you know they'll get a bigger bot or a bigger gun. How can you not like that? This is why I play <span style="font-style: italic;">Super Robot Wars</span>. This is a crossover game, almost 20 years old</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> (since 1991), with many new versions. It's all about putting some </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">mecha series together, combining their plots, making their characters interact and fighting their enemies. Sometimes, the story modifies the original plot, so that you can save some of the ones who die, especially in <span style="font-style: italic;">Gundam</span> series. Playing a few of these games has reintroduced me to a childhood idol, <span style="font-style: italic;">UFO Robot Grendizer, </span>a 70s anime about Duke Fleed, an alien prince who escapes his conquered planet with the invaders' robot, Grendizer. He is followed by the Vegans (the baddies), who are bent on conquering Earth as well. Duke (adopted by a scientist, under the name of Daisuke Umon) must give up his peaceful life to protect Earth. I'll give more details another day.<br /><br />The main point of this post is action figures. I already possess 2 Revoltechs (highly articulated 6-inch figures), one of Getter 1 (from the 2004 <span style="font-style: italic;">New Getter Robo</span>) and one of Shin Getter 1 (from 1998's <span style="font-style: italic;">Change Getter Robo: The Last Day of the Earth</span>):<br /></span></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_goywZMcT2FUicCP8eEVuxRaZjGqvLUjbCUq2htuc5f6z_C8xvPs2Z1W_41WGTHeqgrQle8TWhWapANQYAI2jXfZ7hBg3iDA6Xc1RlFbrrMGxjNvYK3109z0_RT1JUlyefMSQ/s1600-h/PICT0925.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_goywZMcT2FUicCP8eEVuxRaZjGqvLUjbCUq2htuc5f6z_C8xvPs2Z1W_41WGTHeqgrQle8TWhWapANQYAI2jXfZ7hBg3iDA6Xc1RlFbrrMGxjNvYK3109z0_RT1JUlyefMSQ/s320/PICT0925.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185042241886533410" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I received them in January, when I went to get them, despite my toenail surgery. I hope to make a similar photo for the HCM Pro Nu Gundam and HCM Pro Sazabi, both scale 1/200.<br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqk0KoxfYujJjuwf9zcev2qioOnYxJiEjW8LtlX7_5IJIkC8R2eTbDY2arvgBK5UeqYutWluOTV8vormYwGiy7n_cTc4_Dn-GnPOl8X8IGq9Ys8I5WvTROoYUwdTbLPokeylb/s1600-h/PICT0931.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqk0KoxfYujJjuwf9zcev2qioOnYxJiEjW8LtlX7_5IJIkC8R2eTbDY2arvgBK5UeqYutWluOTV8vormYwGiy7n_cTc4_Dn-GnPOl8X8IGq9Ys8I5WvTROoYUwdTbLPokeylb/s320/PICT0931.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185047696494999346" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4JzprOzkgQO04YPXxBeJs_Q6tZxy5ocf3lRulQPSWKOBRb1MN4SmZ_kdQl4rg2fpcQvrDdxFwasv7CPfTvIsGVSuFa6rfPuBYgnom6e0ATLv4tDJs8jKPmljwVXQoErZ76Yu/s1600-h/PICT0946.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4JzprOzkgQO04YPXxBeJs_Q6tZxy5ocf3lRulQPSWKOBRb1MN4SmZ_kdQl4rg2fpcQvrDdxFwasv7CPfTvIsGVSuFa6rfPuBYgnom6e0ATLv4tDJs8jKPmljwVXQoErZ76Yu/s320/PICT0946.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185048594143164226" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYQOOx25o0LHW-sQv1ukMJt-Q_TeufK8FsU9zaqCN3eO7EaHXAqd2lEfWxdwJg6CuB_GdL1_GC9VRCSDP6odOVv1HivlEd-L9dEAWSD9sViSj8abCJUZgNYXSxpGwW7hnpJue/s1600-h/PICT0954.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYQOOx25o0LHW-sQv1ukMJt-Q_TeufK8FsU9zaqCN3eO7EaHXAqd2lEfWxdwJg6CuB_GdL1_GC9VRCSDP6odOVv1HivlEd-L9dEAWSD9sViSj8abCJUZgNYXSxpGwW7hnpJue/s320/PICT0954.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185048886200940370" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_HiD3OLD2N90xDaqgY22lmaZ7ZvJnZgJDZjiTw3vdj1uxJvLiXUXrvgV99wr_epaiP7k_SBuNBWLE8xgV8UQYA0wiQy5l2gzSBo4tACrzdBpUoD2Ukih6HQdReldzaoKWoMA/s1600-h/PICT0936.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_HiD3OLD2N90xDaqgY22lmaZ7ZvJnZgJDZjiTw3vdj1uxJvLiXUXrvgV99wr_epaiP7k_SBuNBWLE8xgV8UQYA0wiQy5l2gzSBo4tACrzdBpUoD2Ukih6HQdReldzaoKWoMA/s320/PICT0936.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185049238388258658" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">These are some photos of the two figures in action. As I said, they are highly posable. (In the third picture, you can notice Dr. House, by the way).<br /><br />Tomorrow, I'll go pick up the two HCM Pro figures. Here are some pictures of them (credit goes to Hobbylink Japan). </span></span></span><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Mihaita/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.hlj.com/images/ban/ban946738box.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.hlj.com/images/ban/ban946738box.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.hlj.com/images/ban/ban939980box.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.hlj.com/images/ban/ban939980box.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Kore ga shouri no kagi da! - This is the key to victory!, to quote the narrator from<span style="font-style: italic;"> The King of Braves GaoGaiGar.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span>I do hope I'll be able to keep posting here from now on. If anyone (among the ones I may or may not have insulted) feels offended, well... <span style="font-style: italic;">that's too bad</span>. The last thing I'd want is censor myself in a blog.<br /><br />Fellow otaku, Lion of Genesis, signing off once more.<br /></span></span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-15879590818480891912007-09-26T15:30:00.000+03:002007-09-26T15:52:10.952+03:00The Lion of Genesis returns!<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Current status: </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">As always, divided between countless hobbies, feelings and school. Right now, I'm going to the British Council for English courses. And kendo after that. Insanity, as you can see, is still active.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Currently listening to:</span> my iPod Shuffle, namely to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Beyond the Time</span>, from Gundam: Char's Counterattack.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quote of the day: </span>"Indubitabil", from a beer commercial spoof.<br /><br />Remember me? The crazy, Vlad Tepes-loving, anime-loving, girl-loving guy from Romania? I'm back after a lengthy absence. Hopefully, I'll actually keep this blog updated. Odds are I wont, though.<br /><br />I'll be short this time, since time is money, and money is the root of all evil. I've started 12th (and final) grade in school, and teachers are cutting us some slack, because we're gonna get our fair amount of mind-raping later on. Same old teachers, with some noteworthy exceptions. Like, for example, the fact that the Sports teacher ISN'T our main teacher anymore. After a brave action started by my classmates, the tyrant was finally deposed, and the Romanian teacher was called to rule upon this land of innocent girls and 3 boys. Finally, a new era of peace and love has started.<br /><br />... Or something like that.<br /><br />In fact, it's the same old shit, except they're selling coffee at the school store. Only 50 cents or so (1 leu, to the <span style="font-style: italic;">connaisseurs</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">). </span>There's still a ridiculous amount of girls in my class, half of them have boyfriends, and two thirds of the boys have a girlfriend (in other words, the other 2. This ain't China, boys are at a premium). Why am I single? Hell, why should <span style="font-style: italic;">I </span>know? Ask the girls, they seem to know everything.<br /><br />Anyways, love and war are very similar, except for teeny fact that war is safe. You have bunkers there and hide during a nuclear raid. In love, psychological attacks are in order. But I'll shut up, else Bush starts attacking high-schools.<br /><br />Righty, now I'm practicing kendo, fencing's magnet-safe cousin. That's right, it's just you, a shallow armor, a bamboo stick and the opponent, who can beat the shit out of you in 2 minutes, but out of mercy will do it to you in 1. Ain't that lovely? No, really, it's not that bad, I don't even have an armor, and more often than not, my only opponent is myself who... Ah, fuck, even a third-grader can write a philosophical text about fighting your own instincts and surpassing your limits. Everyone knows that. At least they teach it very early in Japan.<br /><br />Anime-wise, I've watched many shows, and I might talk about them when the occasion arises. Now I'm too bored to do that (oh, and I'm in a hurry too. Thank you, RATB).<br /><br />I'll talk more about my achievements, under-achievements and other things another time.<br /><br />Signing off once more, the revived Lion of Genesis.<br /></span></span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-1152402428386787382006-07-08T22:32:00.000+03:002006-07-09T02:47:08.446+03:00Robots with a soul - a heartwarming idea?<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>Current status: </strong>Enjoying life. I've had my reasons to be happy these days. I'll get to that too.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>Currently listening to</strong>: Black Diamond, the second ending theme to the anime serie called <em>Brave Express Might Gaine</em>. It is distinct from other endings from the Brave Fighter series. Those are normally calm or dynamic in a more child-oriented way. However this one is pure genius, being sung by a rocker from the series, who turns out to be the enemy's main henchman. The lyrics are pretty damn expressive:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Let's paint it black,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Let's paint the moon and the sun</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Those who stand in the way will be dynamite(d).</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>Quote of the day: </strong>"Yuuta's kindness has given me new strength. I do not need an AI anymore" - J-Decker in the before last episode of <em>Brave Police J-Decker.</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Howdy there, I'm back at this blog after months of spouting nonsense about love and the like. I can't even give the links to classmates of mine without risking them finding these overly private thoughts. Ah, who cares. Their risk. *ER-HEM!*</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Today's theme is an anime. I haven't done something similar in ages, it seems. This speciffic one is <em>Brave Police J-Decker</em>. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/getterone04/J-Deckermaincast.jpg" border="0" alt="The main cast of Brave Police J-Decker" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>What are Brave Fighter series?</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Most of the readers have at least heard one of the Americanized hit called <em>Transformers</em>. Well, in Japan, these Brave Fighter series were born from the desire of selling toys and more toys. Sounds commercial already, huh? Well, they had a few interesting common points.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">1. Kid heroes in most series, always male (Excepting <em>Might Gaine </em>and<em> Dagwon</em>)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">2. Humanoid robots (with AI or with a soul) - <em>Dagwon</em> is a slight exception, considering the characters themselves became robots, but there are 2 AI robots (I can't really say AI, considering they weren't made by humans)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">3. Combinations - These robots could combine into stronger forms, which of course led to more toys being released.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">4. Alien enemies, in most cases.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">5. The friendship between the boy and these robots. (<em>Dagwon </em>is an exception once more)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">6. Catchy plot, which spans over one year of airing the serie. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">There are 8 Brave Fighter series to date:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">1990 - </span><a class="new" title="Brave Exkaiser" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brave_Exkaiser&action=edit"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Brave Exkaiser</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"> (Yūsha Exkaiser)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">1991 - </span><a class="new" title="The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Brave_Fighter_of_Sun_Fighbird&action=edit"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"> (Taiyou no Yūsha Fighbird)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">1992 - </span><a class="new" title="The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Brave_Fighter_of_Legend_Da-Garn&action=edit"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"> (Densetsu no Yūsha Da-Garn)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">1993 - </span><a class="new" title="The Brave Express Might Gaine" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Brave_Express_Might_Gaine&action=edit"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">The Brave Express Might Gaine</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"> (Yūsha Toukyū Might Gaine)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">1994 - </span><a class="new" title="Brave Police J-Decker" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brave_Police_J-Decker&action=edit"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Brave Police J-Decker</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"> (Yūsha Keisatsu J-Decker)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">1995 - </span><a class="new" title="The Brave of Gold Goldran" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Brave_of_Gold_Goldran&action=edit"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">The Brave of Gold Goldran</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"> (Ougon Yūsha Goldran)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">1996 - </span><a title="Brave Command Dagwon" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_Command_Dagwon"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Brave Command Dagwon</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"> (Yūsha Shirei Dagwon)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">1997 - </span><a title="The King of Braves GaoGaiGar" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_of_Braves_GaoGaiGar"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">The King of Braves GaoGaiGar</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"> (Yūsha-Oh GaoGaiGar)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">After this introduction, let us advance to the point of this post.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Brave Poice J-Decker</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Already, in <em>Might Gaine</em>, the robots possessed AI, and were not vehicles possessed by justice-wanting spirits (In <em>Exkaiser </em>and <em>Fighbird</em>, they came from space, in <em>Da-Garn</em>, they were spirits who protected our blue planet). The approach was definitely more serious, if not dark, considering all the robots get destroyed in the last battle, except for Gaine, the main one. (Of course they are shown being repaired at the end). This time, the enemy was no alien. The foes were 4 villains from our world, one lone wolf-type rival and one evil entity, called suggestively Black Noir (noir is French for black)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"><em>Brave Police J-Decker</em> explores a new theme. In the 21st century, due to recent crimes involving robots or biomachines, a new law enforcement method is required. It's name is the Brave Police!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/getterone04/BravePolice3.jpg" border="0" alt="The Brave Police" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">They possess Super A.I.s which make them far more effective than manned machines. However, something unexpected happens very early on... A 10-year old, called Tomonaga Yuuta, stumbles upon such a robot, and accidentally activates it. The robot starts talking very machine-like, like we'd all expect, really, and tells the child that his name is Deckerd. Yuuta teaches Deckerd his name, and here starts a beautiful friendship. Yuuta starts visiting him constantly, and their relationship quickly develops. Among other nice scenes, Yuuta teaches him to walk properly, even to hold his badge and gun properly, while saying his (Deckerd's) future catchphrase: "Hold up! This is Brave Police's Deckerd!". However, one day, the normal police is finally surpassed by the enemy. It is time to awaken Deckerd, decides the Police Chief, Saejima. Deckerd senses that they are coming, and tells Yuuta to hide. He returns to his apparently frozen stance when they come. They were supposed to erase all his memories, in order to activate the AI (they didn't have the slightest idea that Deckerd was awakened and well). This meant that all his memories with Yuuta were going to be lost... Even though Yuuta knew that it was necessary, he jumps out of his hiding place and begs them to stop. Deckerd calls him by his name, causing the mechanics and Saejima to be dumbfounded by the fact that he had talked. He bids Yuuta farewell, as his eyes lose their glow...</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">Well, Deckerd is send in a transport truck to fight the enemy, but the truck is being attacked before Deckerd could make any move. Yuuta comes out of street, from where he was watching, and stands in front of the truck, as if wanting to stand in the enemy's way, demanding him to stop hurting Deckerd, who is important to him. Of course, the police officials are completely surprised by Yuuta's sudden display of courage and will to protect the now memoryless and robotic Deckerd. Just as the enemy is about to kill Yuuta as well, the latter asks Deckerd to open his eyes and fight. Unexpectedly, it happens just like that! Deckerd calls Yuuta's name, and gets out of the truck, standing tall and saying "Hold up! This is Brave Police's Deckerd!" according to the very way that Yuuta taught him. The main mechanic says that this sudden regain of memories is a miracle, but Saejima thinks that, in fact, Deckerd had just gained a <em>soul</em>. Deckerd performs very well when with Yuuta, which leads to Saejima naming Yuuta as the "Boss" of the Brave Police. From here starts a 48-episoded serie about friendship, love and courage (sounds cheesy, but that's it)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">I'll say more next time, but for now, I am signing off with this picture of Deckerd and Yuuta:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/getterone04/DeckerdandYuuta.jpg" border="0" alt="Deckerd and Yuuta - one of the greatest friendships in anime history" /></a>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-1138321402761378322006-01-27T02:19:00.000+02:002006-01-27T02:23:22.806+02:00Purposeless ranting today. No reviews.<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Current status:</strong> Yawning... It's been a long day's night... Sheesh... School is nasty...</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Currently listening to:</strong> Hammerfall - Hearts on fire. Repetitive as hell... Lyrics so-and-so... But damn, it's so hot-blooded~!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Quote of the day:</strong> "If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna be glad I met you" - Why would you wanna know where it's from? :P<br />Well, today I'm way too tired to write the review to the next GaoGaiGar Final episode... I'll just add this entry for the hell of it. NOT!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><br />Today, I had to go to a Latin contest, THEN have a Biology test. A deadly combo that goes well only with a hidden bottle of vodka, to keep you awake... At any rate, the Latin contest itself was simple as hell. I can't complain, I finished it in half the time, and I'm pretty much confident I qualified for the next phase. I wanna get a national prize this year... Or at least reach national phase. I love these little field trips. FREE FOOD.<br /><br />Biology was hell on Earth. That stupid test ought've ruined my morale for good, and it did, despite the fact that I copied from my deskmate. I know this won't end well... Oh, the heck, I'll pass anyway, considering I already have a 9/10.<br /><br />The big thing is that I'm finally glad to have gone over a very damn period of my life. Last year, I was completely ruined by my grandma's illness and by my first love and first failure. I was damn stupid back then, and came up with the corniest way to confess to a girl that I liked her... It's true that she liked the other boy in the class already, and I knew it... I believed in the power of miracle and hoped that that was all a method to make me try harder. Tough luck, she was more simple-minded than I had thought... Poet(esse)s are too straightforward for my taste...<br />Last week precisely, I tried to tell a girl I like her the second time... NO, it's not the same girl... Jeez, I'm not completely stupid, y'know... At any rate, as usual, I planned it, replies included. The result was obvious: nothing worked out as expected. I wasn't able to do more than a mumble meaning the first letter of "I like you" in Romanian. In short, she might have caught on, but I tried after classes, and bloody hell, as I expected, this time, I was able to do it spontaneously, no planning included. The reply was of course negative... The reason different. While the other girl said the humongous load of bull that she had hoped I wasn't actually in love with her (and people call me feelingless?), this one had another reason, which I accepted quicklier: she said I didn't know her enough, and that she didn't want me to be hurt or something, and she obviously was concerned I'd give her a cold look and stay away from her for the rest of my days (which I would've done if she'd done the same crap the other did), and actually told me not to get angry, to which I plainly answered that I'm not angry, and that I'm perfectly fine. Later on, I realized at last that the failed love I had beared for the first girl, even though now dead (the love, not her, unfortunately :P), I had for a long time the obsession to get a better girlfriend than her. It seems that what the second girl told me (that thing that was the previous quote of the day) showed me that friendship matters more. A kiss or a caress won't help you. If your lover is all "yes, honey", you've got nothing. One needs the iron hand of a friend who tells you: you numbskull, you did it wrong!, not some faint-hearted poet who compares your eyebrows to endless waves of lovable love of lovely love, or who starts counting seconds until she sees you...<br /><br />Today (actually, that'd be yesterday), a third girl (who was, say, my second option in case my most recent declaration failed. Of course, if she reads this, I'm screwed... >_<), who most obviously has a boyfriend, told me something, perhaps under the influence of illness, which is written at the Quote of the Day section. That thing was extremely interesting to hear. It seems that sounded more natural than a "I like you" or a "You're cute/funny". This is something of greater deepness. One can love someone, but feel regrets if we failed. However, to say something like this means that I've become a nice guy. Some idiot told me that the way to a girl's heart is badassness and not helping them. Frankly, if Casanova succeeded, why couldn't I? I don't think my grandpa told my grandma to scram when they were young. Really... Being nice is the best thing to do. The least you'll get is some nice info on someone else or on that speciffic person.<br /><br />Ok, I think I've said a lot of crap today. Dunno what happened to me... I'll go draw a moustache on that guy's picture? Nah, perhaps that first girl's reading this. I think she forgot I even had a blog. I'll draw that moustache, for the hell of it. :D<br /><br />Signing off for today, the Lion of Genesis~!</span><br /></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-1137887465211306852006-01-22T00:04:00.000+02:002006-01-22T20:57:41.920+02:00More GaoGaiGar Final cheesiness: 6/8. Also, a nice story about teen problems.<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#3366ff;"><strong>Current status:</strong> swearing. I was dumb enough to select THE WHOLE TEXT and then have the wits to type C instead of CTRL+C. All my previous post is gone. I hate IE. Right now, I'll just have to settle with one review, because I don't have the guts to rewrite everything<strong> again</strong>.<br /><strong>Currently listening to:</strong> Nope, not anime. This time, it's Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven. Nice song.<br /><strong>What I ate:</strong> Nothing notable.<br /><strong>Quote of the day:</strong> "I care too much about our friendship to risk it for another kind of relationship. Really, I don't want to hurt your feelings." - it's a secret where it's from.<br /><br />Well, I <strong>had</strong> written reviews for all the remaining GGGF episodes. Today, let's see episode 6:<br /><br /><strong>Episode 6:</strong> The battle between the mind-controlled Gai and J rages on. The J Quoth is destroyed, and, by the looks of things, Renais, Mikoto and Mamoru are going to turn into light very soon. However, the clone AI Robots get in the Goldion Hammer's path, saying they haven't forgotten their purpose and memories and that they're heroes. Of course, they get disintegrated, and even Goldymarg self-destructs. Gai is purified and encouraged to go on by Mamoru and Mikoto. The Pia Decem (the battleship) attacks the J-Ark, stabs J-der, and destroys the clone GFG. Mamoru and Mikoto go to look for the G Crystal, where the true Galeon, Genesic Galeon, is hidden. Conveniently, GaoGaiGar was originally designed to beat the Sol Masters. Anyway, they attack, and Gai fuses into Genesic GaiGar, who, unlike his predecessors, kicks major ass and Gai even yells out the attack name (Genesic Claw). Gai is out for Palparepa's neck, but it seems they'd need the Genesic Gao Machines. Mikoto performs Genesic Drive, and we see the 5 (!) Gao Machines. Straight and Spiral Gao (who are the basis for Drill Gao; these are the legs) are based on moles, Broken and Protect Gao (who are the basis for Liner Gao; the shoulders) are based on a shark and a dolphin respectively, while Gadget Gao (the basis for Stealth Gao; also the wings and forearms) looks like a bird and the tail contains the Gadget Tools, required for some attacks. Genesic GaoGaiGar is formed, and uses it's signature attack, the Broken Magnum (the rocket punch), as well as the barrier (Protect Shade). Abel swears to destroy Genesic, no matter what. <strong>4 out of 5</strong>. Not long left till the end. I think the next battles are going to be memorable. Gai shows he means business, and I doubt his reborn courage will die too soon. I gave it less than perfect for the useless destruction of the clone GFG... It was kinda pointless... <strong>Unless</strong> you consider seeing it blown to bits two episodes in a row interesting... But it excludes a Genesic vs GFG... Sad<br /><br />Also, I'd like to add that I'm not going to rant about not having a girlfriend anymore. I told her I like her, and she rejected me. What's good in this? We're still just as good friends as before. That's better. Also, today I helped some girls at Latin. Guess it's useful. FREE FOOD!</span></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-1132424119274141552005-11-20T06:15:00.001+02:002005-11-19T20:15:19.290+02:00Today's theme: GaoGaiGar Final 1-5<span style="font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Current status</strong>: Looking at the snowy weather and ranting that it melts as soon as it reaches ground. I want a white Christmas, not a wet one. Also, I read that if they don't solve with the teachers' strike, it will go on until New Year. Bumbling idiots. >_>;;</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Currently listening to:</strong> Yuusha Oh Tanjou! Mythology version, 2005 remix - The remix is just as good, if not better than the old version. Basically, still Masaki Endou singing, but there is a male chorus in the background at points. Now this fits the title of the TV version of the series, aired in 2005 - Grand Glorious Gathering.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Breakfast: </strong>Same old, same old. Still sandwiches.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Lunch: </strong>Grandpa came, so we had a good meal. I'll note fries, sausages and meat.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Dinner: </strong>Milk.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Quote of the day: </strong>"Have you forgotten, Mamoru? Victory goes only to those with courage!" Guy Shishio, episode 2 of GaoGaiGar FINAL.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">While it was snowing, I noted that Anime-in-Action added their newest sub: GaoGaiGar Final episode 5. This happens to be one of my favorite serie, so I used the moment to download it, and watched it. As such, I want to review the OAV itself, up to episode 5, episode-by-episode.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Episode 1</strong>: Basically, it introduces the new characters - Renee Shishio Cardiff, Guy's cousin; Koryu and Anryu - the new Enryu/Hyoryu class female robots, as well as Papillon Noir, a new Orbit Base member and also the new chief and Leo's replacement. Old characters return too. GaoFar proves to be as useless as possible, so this offers a plot motive for the new Final Fusion to be performed. The Fighting Mechanoid, GaoFighGar, is formed, an proceeds to kick Gimlet's ass with his spankin' new attacks, like the new Broken Phantom, or good old Goldion Hammer. By far the only episode which has the old series' feeling. From here start the major problems. I'll rate it at <strong>3.5</strong> <strong>out of 5</strong> because of the good battle, but the introduction of the new chief disappointed me, cause he lacked the 'oomph' that Taiga had. Figures.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Episode 2:</strong> We finally get in the plot, and in quite a dynamic way. Papillon dies while protecting the Q Parts possessed by GGG, Mamoru steals the Q Parts from all over the world, then the old Gao Machines, brings a white Galeon and attacks. Guy launches and performs Fusion into GaoFar. GaiGar and GaoFar clash, but Guy sees that it's hopeless, so both call their respective Gao Machines. Cue parallel Final Fusion. Star GaoGaiGar and GaoFighGar destroy each other's Phantom Rings because of firing Broken Phantom at each other. Then, Star GGG beats up GFG by throwing him around, because Guy had his second thoughts. Now, however, Guy calls for Goldymarg and starts the Hammer Hell and Heaven attack. This is where it goes wrong. Mamoru uses Hell and Heaven Vita (it seems to be stronger than the regular one), and destroys Goldion Hammer and Goldymarg, of course. Guy then is caught with GFG by the paralysis thing caused by H&H. Choryujin comes out of nowhere and blocks H&H with the Eraser Head - the energy absorbtion tool, unused since episode 27 of GGG. However, Star GGG breaks it and trashes Choryujin. Guy goes postal, and uses H&H himself. The two mechanoids clash and Star GGG still seems to win. Mamoru says that he's surpassed Guy-niichan. Guy yells back at him that only those with courage win, and destroys Star GGG. Arma returns and reveals that that was a Mamoru clone. Right then, they discover the true enemy: The 11 Sol Masters. <strong>5 out of 5</strong> for this excellent active and dark episode.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Episode 3: </strong>We find out that the 11 Sol Masters want to reform the Trinary Solar system by using the empty space inside the Universe, meaning that they'll destroy the Universe. GGG has to travel with the Galleolia Comet to reach the old Trinary Solar System. However, the UN refuse to let them go, and try to block'em. They delete the Final Fusion program, making GaoFar unable to move. Things look nasty until the old missing GGG members, Taiga, Stallion, Swan and Liger, return. Taiga uses his golf club as a key to reactivate the program and GFG is able to use the Gattling Driver and block the enemy's movements. As a result, the UN representative, an old hag, decides to banish them from the Solar System, as a sign of not being allowed to retreat from battle with the Sol Masters. They go with the Comet, and receive a transmission from what seems to be Papillon. Only <strong>2.5 out of 5</strong>, because it's a bit anticlimatic, compared to the previous one. The fact that GaoFighGar is used only for that is silly, and not much happens. I expected to find out more about those Sol Masters, but we'll have to wait for episode 4.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Episode 4:</strong> Well, GGG (the TV series gang, not the new replacements) reaches a replica of Earth, where they meet a clone of Papillon, who has her memories. They shut down the AIs of the robots, and start being careless and having fun and sleeping. Only Guy, Renee and Arma, as well as Papillon, are unaffected. Renee and Arma get beaten up by Pillnus and Abel (!), both Sol Masters, and Guy goes against the other Sol Masters, including Palparepa, their leader. Palparepa is a doctor look-alike, but that's beyond the point. He performs Chemical Fusion and becomes Palparepa Plus, while Guy realizes he can't Final Fuse, since Mikoto and co. are asleep. He begs for their help, and Mamoru does the Program Drive in order to make GFG be formed. Palparepa uses God and Devil (another H&H look-alike) and GFG uses H&H. However, Cain (!) takes him by surprise and Palparepa destroys GFG's top half. <strong>3 out of 5</strong> because of the ammounts of time lost for Swan fanservice (she's shown in a bath), and for the GGG members fooling around. The only bright point is Guy's defeat.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Episode 5: </strong>GFG's battle goes on, Guy uses Drill Knee, which is destroyed along with the leg that flies off. Then, Palparepa blows GFG up by using a sword, and apparently kills Guy. Mikoto snaps out of the euphoric state and is found by the Papillon replica and Mamoru. They encourage her to help everyone else, because she's an Evoluder too. They save Renee, who had been captured by Pillnus, and then, after being a little repaired and having some sad memories, Renee goes to Mont-Saint Michel and finds J. Then, both fight Pia Decem and Pillnus, followed by Abel, after which Mikoto comes with Mamoru, GunDober and GunGlue and they find the J-Ark. Cue Mega Fusion (enhanced) into King J-der,and the discovery that Arma is the core of Pia Decem's battleship. They fight in space, where they're attacked by a copy of the Orbit Base and the AI robots, and, surprise, by Guy-niichan (GFG) and Goldy, who vow to destroy King J-der. Episode ends with J-Quath and Goldion Hammer clashing. <strong>4 out of 5 </strong>because J returns, and Mamoru's back, and Mikoto's alive.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">Well, to make it short, GGGF is a great OAV, and it's well worth getting.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">Signing off for today.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-1132350167578527132005-11-19T09:42:00.000+02:002005-11-18T23:42:47.606+02:00Vlad the Impaler was not a blood-thristy maniac!<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Current status: </strong>Happy at the news that it's gonna snow</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Currently listening to: </strong>The Biggest Dreamer - Digimon Tamers opening theme. Yeah, it's Digimon, I know, but it's the best out of the other themes. It's really catchy, and it has rhythm - that matters a lot in my song reviews, but not always. Digimon Tamers was perhaps the decentest of all Digimon seasons, and I'm refering to the German dub version, because that's all I saw out of Tamers.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Dinner: </strong>A cup of milk and another sandwich.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Quote of the Day:</strong> "If your name is fake, so is your existance, isn't it so, Alex Dino... no, Athrun Zala?" Chairman Dullindal, Gundam Seed Destiny. - nothing new, but I'll comment it on another occasion.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">First of all, there's something I see in common for everyone who asks about Romania. They say either that it's where Dracula is from, and I whack'em over the head, or that it's where the blood-thirsty Vlad the Impaler ruled and I still whack'em. I know this is their only known thing about Romania, next to Hagi, Ceausescu and "Numa Numa", but I'm getting sick of this confusion. I wanna make this clear: Vlad the Impaler wasn't a monster.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">He lived in an era when the Turks were attempting to conquer Wallachia (one of the three principalities forming today's Romania; by the way, Vlad wasn't ruler of Transylvania) and were appointing some of our Voivods (a term for Prince - in Romanian, voievod [voh-ee-eh-voh-d]), but from time to time, there was a ruler who'd fight back. In the end, our only direct victory against a sultan on battlefield was about a century before Vlad ruled, and that was the battle of Rovine [Roh-vee-neh] in 1396, due to the fact that it was a swampy place. However, under that same ruler, Mircea the Great, we were forced to pay the tribute. Well, this Vlad guy was just one of those few Princes who stood up. You do realize he couldn't afford to have criminals and bandits roaming the streets in addition to the existent chaos caused by the Turks. We were at the geographical northern limit of the Empire, and from getting us to getting Vienna was just a step. Just that we were stubborn bastards.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">Now, Vlad's methods were condemnable, yes, but had he not been a lot harsher, then this would have made us an easy target. Also, there was a problem: during his father's reign, Vlad had been emprisoned by the Turks along with his brother. It's then that he got a pesimistic view on life, and this became even worse when he returned and found out that the noblemen, under the rival prince's (Vladislav) command, but with their support, killed Vlad's father (Vlad II Dracul, _not_ Dracula) as well as his own eldest son, Mircea. When the Turks got bored with Vladislav, they sent Vlad, Dracul's son, to take over. Of course, he got his vengeance on all the noblemen that had killed two persons he prized, his father and his son, and killed the older ones through impalement (that is, he had them be dropped in a giant spike, not having them fall right on the heart or the head, but making the spike go through their asses, which meant they would get some pretty painful and long suffering). The younger ones were forced to march for 100 km, during which many died, and the survivors were never left to rest a second. When they reached their destination, they had to build a fortress. This way, Vlad got his vengeance in full AND had a new fortress.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">Beyond the vengeance, yes, he killed many criminals and the like, in the most sadistic of ways, by cutting off noses, genitals, tongues or ears, or other pleasant tortures. Many accuse him of mercilessly killing German (well, Saxon, since they are called "sasi" [sahsh], which is different from "germani" or the popular form of "germani", "nemti" [nemtzi]) merchants. But they seem to ignore the minor detail that they weren't respecting the commerce laws. He also dared refuse to pay Mehmed II (a.k.a. the conqueror of Constantinople) the tribute, and killed his emissaries. Mehmed launched an all-out attack on Wallachia with an army thrice bigger than that of Vlad. Vlad burned everything that would've been in Mehmed's path, and on top of that, left a huge amount of spikes impaling clothes of 20000 captured Turks in the Capital. Now, the Ottoman forces were exhausted, and now they saw THIS scary sight. It seems they retreated in shame.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">However, Mehmed sent Vlad's brother against him, and all of Vlad's internal enemies sabotaged him, forcing him to retreat to a castle. Some people say he committed suicide there, but in fact he ran to Hungary (which had Transylvania under it's control), where king Matthias Corvin emprisoned him. Vlad returned for a short period as Prince, but he was caught, beheaded, then impaled as proof of his death.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">By the way, "Dracula"'s ethymology has nothing to do with vampires and such. Vlad the Impaler's father, Vlad II Dracul, bore the name of Dracul from the fact that he was part of the Order of the Dragon. "Drac" had the meaning of "dragon" (cf German "drachen"), and, extending the meaning, of "demon". However, the demon definition is much more recent. "Dracula" comes from "Draculea", showing the fact that he was his son. Kinda like the Norse name technique: Andersson = son of Anders.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">The purpose of this history lesson is to make sure that the few people who read this blog will know WHO the ever-so-demonic Vlad the Impaler really was.</span></div>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19090995.post-1132321841628082232005-11-19T01:48:00.000+02:002005-11-18T15:50:41.646+02:00The beginning of all ~Subete no hajimari~<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Current status</strong>: Enjoying the wonders of a teachers' strike</span><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong>Listening to</strong>: Sure Promise, a BGM from the mecha anime with Batman influences, <em>The Big O</em>. Definitely a majestic theme for a series which starts from an original premise, that of people losing all memories preceding a mysterious event 40 years ago.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Breakfast</strong>: What I always eat on a non-school day - a ham and swiss cheese sandwich with toasted bread. Yummy~! Normally, due to something called 90 kilos of fat goodness, I eat cereals in the morning. Gotta keep fit, because I heard sumo doesn't pay XD.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Lunch:</strong> Sandwiches (salami and cheese), then home-made maccaroni and cheese (my favourite).</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"><strong>Quote of the day: </strong>"If your name is fake, so is your existance, isn't it so, Alex Dino... no, Athrun Zala?" Chairman Dullindal, Gundam Seed Destiny.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">Well, here I start my first own blog, and I should introduce myself: I'm a 16 year old, 6 foot tall, 90 kg, dark blonde (or should I call it brown? What the heck) hair, brown eyed boy from Bucharest, Romania, Central Europe according to books, Eastern Europe according to other people, because we were communists at a point.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">My name is... a secret (to quote the ever-smiling sly character of <em>Slayers</em> <em>Next</em> and <em>Slayers Try</em>, Xelloss). But because I'm in a good mood due to a very welcome 2-week vacation from the teachers, who are on a strike because of lack of money assigned by the Government, I'll give away that my nickname among my classmates is Mike (guess why).</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">My main passions are anime (comedy or mecha), football and playing a great Japanese game, called <em>Super Robot Wars. </em>I also know a few other languages, like English, French, German and enough Japanese in order to pilot a mobile suit (^_^;;). I'm in high-school, in a class formed of 27 girls and one other boy, giving an average of 13 1/2 girls per boy... Of course, the girls are interested in stuff like LOTR, TV stars, boys, and, ironically, football (European, not American). Also, a great pastime is imitating our professors' quirks and signature movements, and we have a girl who'll write a play with our teachers interacting. Our class is a philology one, this means more Romanian, Latin, English, History, Geography and Psychology/Logic/Economy/Philosophy (depending on the year), and less Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and other very lovable classes.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">As a sports fan, I root for Steaua Bucharest since I was a wee kid (and that's not long ago XD ). Also, I'm an Inter/Juventus fan, a Manchester United fan, Barcelona (just because their colours are like Steaua's and because they're no cheats with a crapload of super-players; I prefer a balanced team).</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;">Now that I'm done introducing myself, I'll end this post, and I would like to offer my thanks to <strong>Aslan J. Cross</strong>, another blogger, member on the <a href="http://www.srwg.org">www.srwg.org</a> forum, whose blog has inspired me to write mine. Also thanks to <strong>YuuDestiny</strong>, another member of that forum, who had come up with the name you see in my signature long before I joined. Thanks, both of you.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#3366ff;"></span>Lion of Genesishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07208274120156257505noreply@blogger.com0