Happy New Year

Out with the old and in with the new...As 2012 comes to a close and 2013 begins, I look back at what a hell 2012 has been.

There were many times in the past year when I wondered just what did I do to have all kinds of misfortunes happen to me and my family. I can safely say that 2012 was definitely among the worst years I've lived through.

Still, 2012 did not pass without some good memories or blessings. I did get to meet one of the celebrities I had wanted to meet for a long while, Asakawa Yuu. I got to watch my new favorite anime Sword Art Online and read the light novels. Then there's things like being able to have a job and a roof over my head. Those are always blessings.

I'm a little scared to think of what will happen in 2013, much of the issues I had with 2012 are still not resolved. This makes me shudder in thinking of what might happen in the coming year. It is my hope that the fates may smile upon me and grant me good fortune this coming year.

And to all of you, I have much hope that 2012 did not treat any of you too harshly, and that 2013 will be a much better year than 2012. So to everyone of you, may you have a Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas

It's that time of year again...while I am not terribly religious or into the Christmas season, I do recognize that it is a special time of year where you spend time with your family and friends. It is also a time to make your "Christmas wishes" and hope that they will come true.

I am pretty sure most everyone knows the reason for the holiday of Christmas, but I think that Christmas transcends religion and has become just an integral part of all cultures. If not, then non-Christian countries like Japan wouldn't have so much fun celebrating it too. After all, the Japanese do go all out on this holiday as well.

Rather than something religious, I do think that what makes Christmas so great that even non-religious people are willing to celebrate it is just that it is the single time of year when maybe hope and goodwill are at its strongest - we all are (even just a little bit) nicer to our fellow man. It's a time when magic seems to be possible.

So with that, I wish that all your Christmas dreams do come true. Please be safe and have a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas!

Artist Commissions

What kind of situation have you imagined your favorite character being in that was never in an anime or manga setting? What can you imagine your favorite character doing if he/she met you?

Two dragons battling for a single guy...how lucky he is!

For some of us, it can be hard to visualize our favorite characters outside of anime and manga in situations that never happen...or for some of us, we like to visualize what would happen if they were standing right in front of us. If we relied on the creators of our favorite characters to indulge all of our fantasies, I'm sorry to say many of us would be sorely disappointed.

Medaka ready to serve in her roll as president

Anyway, with anime and cartoons, it is possible for a person to recreate characters in liking and situation, limited only by their imagination and skill. These people are fan artists. Using their skills, it is possible for them to take an idea for a character and use magic to create something new outside of what what was possible in the anime. Sometimes, these artists are willing to take requests (sometimes with a little donation) and work their magic for other people. Commissioning an artist enables people like me, whose artistic talent is a bit lacking, to see our favorite characters differently or under special circumstances.

Amazing picture of my favorite MG, the Anubis, in all her tsundere glory!

One of my favorite fan artists is Butter-T. The style with which he draws various characters is very beautiful. I closely follow his work on a forum I belong to and absolutely love the quality of his work. He has done many characters from anime and other sources, and he also does original characters too. Because of his amazing talent, I have even commissioned a couple works from him.

My commission of Morrigan Aensland...damn she's so sexy!

Overall, commissioning an artist or even just following one is a great way to indulge yourself even deeper into the world(s) of your favorite characters. If you want to check out more of Butter-T's works, check out his Facebook page at Butter-T's Facebook. Just be aware that some of his work is not suitable for minors (and it's in another language).

All the images on this page are copyright of Butter-T.

Sword Art Online (Again!)

I know that I've posted about this anime, but by far the best anime this season is Sword Art Online. The anime is currently on its 22nd episode and the 23rd episode is set to release tomorrow. With 25 episodes planned (according to the episode list on Anime News Network) I am filled with anxiety as the end could be near for what could easily be one of my most favored anime.

There is a light of hope though, according to the seiyuu (voice actor) list, there is one character/seiyuu match up that interested me. Miyuki Sawashiro will be voicing Sinon. The seiyuu's name isn't particularly the interesting part. However, the name Sinon is the part that interested me most. The anime will end at Sword Art Online's second story arc, but the character Sinon doesn't appear until the third. It means there are definitely future plans for the series.

By the way, on a side note, if you love Sword Art Online, please check out Baka-Tsuki Translation Project for the Sword Art Online light novels. The light novels written by Reki Kawahara have been translated for non-Japanese people to enjoy. The light novels go further in-depth and further into the story than the anime.

Blast of Tempest Revistied

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned an anime called Blast of Tempest (Zetsuen no Tempest in Japanese). Just recently, I was amazed at how the story plays out.Throughout the anime, several of the characters will quote lines from the Shakespearean play Hamlet. It seems to play a pivotal role in the story as each event happens, and just recently, a revelation was made to illuminate just how important Hamlet is to the story.

Some of you may be thinking if Hamlet is important to the story, why is this anime called Blast of Tempest? Well, Shakespeare also wrote a play called The Tempest which also will become a major role in the development of the story.

With episode 9, I now realize the importance of all the slow flashbacks that occurred throughout the series. While it wasn't an anime I was watching seriously before, now I do find myself looking forward to how things develop, much more than I do with BTOOOM!.

Happy Thanksgiving

Once again, the holiday season comes around. While it's not my favorite time of year (I really do hate the hustle and bustle of this season), it really is an important time of year.

In any case, though my year has been inexplicably bad, I do have a lot I am thankful for. First and foremost would be the people who support me. Though I have always seemed like I can get things done on my own, the truth is that I would definitely be nowhere if it weren't for the people around me. I may seem capable and confident, but that is only because there are people who believe in me and encourage me. Without them, there definitely would be no me. So, to my family and friends, I thank you so much for always being there for me.

One thing that may seem foolish to people, but nonetheless, I am thankful for anime and Japanese music. There were may times when I received support from the things I love. Not to say that the people around me didn't support me, but that the times I preferred to be alone or could not find the courage to speak out, these things helped me keep my sanity. So thanks to the wonderful people who produce the things that I enjoy.

That is a simplified list of what I am truly thankful for. My real list is quite long as I really do have much to be thankful for. In any case, happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I hope that you have just as much to be thankful for as I do. And with that, I'll leave with a quote from one of my favorite anime series:

"I believe happiness is measured by how many times you say thank you."
- Keiichi Morisato, Oh My Goddess

Blast of Tempest

Lately, I have been getting into a new anime series called Blast of Tempest in addition to BTOOOM!. It a interesting anime that has more of a suspense feel to it.

A mage clan is trying to revive the Tree of Exodus, and in order stop it, the clan leader is tricked and exiled by a subordinate to a deserted island. She, however finds a way to intervene by having a boy named Mahiro work for her. His interests aren't totally unaligned as he needs the clan leader's help in a particular case. During their work, Mahiro runs into Yoshino, a childhood acquaintance. Yoshino joins up with Mahiro and they both work together to stop the tree's revival.

Blast of Tempest follows the two boys Mahiro and Yoshino as they help Hakaze stop the apocalyptic events in motion.

The anime is fairly good, but it does get slow at some points. There is a lot of back story and flashbacks that occur within the show, so sometimes it feels that the flow of the story is interrupted. If you would like to check it out, this anime is aired on Crunchyroll on Thursdays.

Back with a BTOOOM!

It has been a few weeks since I last posted anything. My life has been quite hectic, so I haven't really found the time to make any posts. In any case, now that I managed to take care of part of it, I'll resume working on this blog.

That being said, one anime that I have been following this Fall 2012 season is BTOOOM!.

BTOOOM! follow a young man by the name of Ryousuke Sakamoto. This man was the #3 ranked player in the world for a MMO game called BTOOOM! However, one day he wakes up on a strange island in the middle of nowhere. All he has in possessions are small explosive objects called BIMs. Ryousuke then makes the discovery that he is, in fact, being forced to play the game BTOOOM in real life, killing other people in the process.

This anime is quite interesting. I like how it brings to life the question of how far would you go to survive. Though they are being forced to play a game, it certainly is not a game. The anime tries to press upon this point.

BTOOOM! is one of the Fall 2012 anime being shown on Crunchyroll!

Fall 2012 Anime

Once again as the seasons change, so to do the anime shows. This coming fall, there will be a whole new slew of animes, and for the first time in a while, none of them seem to interest me. I have briefly heard of some of them, but not enough to make me want to jump out and say "I have to watch this one!"

Hayate no Gotoku will have anew anime this season

Some of the shows that I've taken a glimpse of are Hayate no Gotoku! I Can't Take My Eyes Off You and BTOOOM!. As I have watched a some of Hayate no Gotoku, I thought it might be interesting to take a chance and try it out again. As for BTOOOM!, the concept of being in a game has always captivated. That might be part of the reason why I have always liked anime such as .Hack and more recently Sword Art Online. In any case, BTOOOM! will be one anime I will try to check out if I have the chance.

BTOOOM! another Oct. '12 anime

For the most part, the one anime I will definitely be watching this season is the continuation of Sword Art Online. That anime has captivated me and by far has been the best anime in the Summer 2012 season. It has drawn me in so much that I have also taken to reading (and re-reading) the translated light novels.

Sword Art Online continues into the Oct. '12 anime season! Hooray!

Still, despite the lack of interest in this season's anime, I will make an effort to at least take a glimpse at what the new releases will be like. Who knows? Maybe I will find some hidden gem that will get me hooked. After all, there's just no breaking my addiction to anime.

The Mists of Pandaria

I had mentioned before that I do play online MMORPGS, one of which being World of Warcraft. I have several characters on a few servers, but currently I only have two that I'm active on - a resto (healing) druid and a beastmaster hunter. Anyway, I figured I'd write a little about WoW because coming up this Tuesday, Blizzard will be releasing the fourth expansion to the game: Mists of Pandaria.

Mist of Pandaria will now move the level cap to 90 and introduce the new race Pandaren as well as the new class monk. When Blizzard announced this fact, I am very sure that I was not the only person who thought "so we're now in Kung Fu Panda?"

Along with the introduction of those things, Blizzard has made some gameplay changes. First and probably most noticeable was the change to the talent system. Where before you chose a specialization and chose talents within a tree, now you choose talents regardless of specialization. Also, there is only a level prerequisite to obtaining a particular talent. You do not have to get the talents above like when you had the talent trees.

In addition to changes in the talent system came changes to specializations. Many of the spells that you would have found in a certain class have been changed to specialization dependent. This means you need to be a particular spec to have it. Apparently, Blizzard did this to streamline the classes and make their specializations take on roles "most suited" to their build.

There are quite a few more changes, like scenarios, challenge mode, and battle pets, but the above is mostly what I was very concerned about. To me, Blizzard has lost some creativity in creating new content by introducing the World of Warcraft to Kung Fu Panda. There was much more that was already in the Warcraft universe that could have been explored. Personally, I would have liked to maybe have seen a third faction crop up or the introduction of another hero class - perhaps maybe make faction specific hero classes like have Blademasters for Horde and Demon Hunters for Alliance. Still despite my rage, I'll probably be continuing to play this game...

MTG Return to Ravnica

One of the games I play frequently is Magic: the Gathering, a CCG like Cardfight Vanguard. It has been around for quite a long time (I remember first playing it 17 or so years ago). Though I quit somewhere in the middle because I didn't have the funds nor people to constantly play against, I picked it up again a few years ago and have been more active.

Every year or so, Wizards of the Coast (the company handling MTG) comes up with a new block consisting of three sets. This year, the block is called Return to Ravnica, a plane which was visited prior. With the Return to Ravnica block, we'll be seeing the re-introduction of the dual colored guilds. As a part of the activities for the event, players can choose one of the ten guilds to ally with. Despite there being ten guilds, the first set for the block will only showcase five of the ten, with the last five showcased in the next set.

Originally, I allied with the Boros guild due to the fact that my main decks have always run angels (the Avacyn set made me really happy since I got a whole bunch of angels to upgrade these decks). However, this time I will be going with the Golgari, a black-green guild focusing on life and death. While the new planeswalker, Vraska, was very enticing, my choice was because gorgons and grave summoning was one deck strategy I had often used prior. I usually have fun revolving my decks around the graveyard, something, which according to the story, is the modus operandi of the Golgari. In a way, I guess, my whole being utilizes the light of angels and the darker side of necromancy...

Vraska, the newest planeswalker to MTG

In any case, this looks to be a very fun set, and Wizards of the Coast has planned some fun events for the releases. Return to Ravnica releases on October 5th, but if you can't wait like me, the pre-release weekend is from the 28th (29th actually since its at 12:00 am) to the 30th. If you're looking for somewhere that sells MTG, check out the Wizards of the Coast Store Locator.

Campione

What if all the gods throughout all cultures across the world existed and wreaked havoc upon the world whenever they felt like it? That is part of the setting for a recent anime called Campione.

In the world of Campione, gods exist, and some of them are rogue gods that bring misfortune to mankind. Because of this, "hero kings" exist. They are the godslayers or Campione. By slaying a god, one receives all the powers and authorities the god had. So enter Kusanagi Godou. During a trip to Italy, he gets caught up in a battle between gods. Through various circumstances, he manages to defeat Verethragna, the Persian god of victory, thus becoming a campione.

This anime comes in the for of your typical harem anime. One guy with many girls, all of the girls in love with that one guy. Situations like that make you a little jealous. Anyway, while I do enjoy some of the antics of the characters, I have to say the main point that I like about the series is how cultural deities are incorporated into the story. I have to say I did not even know that Verethragna even existed. The author also goes through a great deal to analyze and explain how some gods even may have come to be...though this may only be his interpretation. All in all, it looks like a great series, and it looks like I will be following this one as well.

Due to a recent chapter of Naruto...

Even though I told myself I would never...NEVER (I mean)...write about Naruto in this blog, I still find myself doing so after the latest chapter in the manga. This come because Kishimoto Masashi has decided to finally reveal the answer to one of the biggest questions and controversies - the identity of Tobi.

Tobi, currently one of the main antagonists

Now, I won't spoil it and reveal the answer to all of you, but let's just say I wanted to believe it would be someone else, and I've entertained some pretty wild guesses as to who it might be. I've denied the possibility of who he actually is due to the fact that there was evidence to contradict that outcome.

Who is the man behind the mask?

Anyway, with this new revelation comes more questions. How will Kishimoto explain how this character is Tobi...and then more importantly, why he became Tobi?

At the very least, right now the manga is not about Sasuke...

To Aru Majutsu no Index

Not too long ago, I first watched a certain anime about a certain young high school student that seemed to have the worst of luck. He then met a certain young girl who was running from a certain group of magicians through a certain city entirely devoted to science. The series was called To Aru Majutsu no Index (A Certain Magical Index).

The story is set in a time where supernatural powers can be gained through science. One of the leading places where this power development occurs is Academy City. Here, esper powers are commonplace and those who possess these powers are ranked on a scale of 1 through 5, with five being the highest. There are only seven level 5's in the city. People who are "power less", level 0's, still exist in the city but are rare.

Anyway, enter Kamijou Touma, one of those level 0 power less people in Academy City. As he is going through an unfortunately hot day without an AC or power in his fridge, he comes across a young girl dressed in a nun's outfit named Index. Index is being chased by magicians because she is in possession of 103,000 magic books...and there the story begins.

I found the anime to be very engaging, but while the anime has technically ended for now after its second season, the light novels in which it premiered continues beyond where the anime ended. Right now, I've found myself hooked on reading some of these light novels. Hopefully soon, I'll get to the parts beyond where the anime covered.

Iria: Zeiram the Animation

For most my life now, anime and Japanese culture has been a huge part of my life. Aside from Sailor Moon (which my sister watched every morning it was on), my first exposure to the world of Japanese anime was a short series called Iria: Zeiram the Animation.

Iria: Zeiram the Animation, my first real anime!

The movie was about a young female bounty hunter named Iria. Together with her brother and another bounty hunter, they go on a rescue mission, but encounter an "indestructible" alien creature called Zeiram. Iria manages to escape, but her brother is assumed to be dead. Iria then embarks on a quest to find out what happened and if he may be still alive.

The series was part of a six-episode OVA that I watched when the Sci-Fi channel originally had its AniMidnight program. After watching the show with my father, I got hooked on anime. I found that the stories more engaging and the art more beautiful, far better than any American cartoon at the time. So as far as I am concerned, Iria is what started my anime addiction.

Hashimoto Miyuki

So far I've posted a lot of things that I have gotten into recently (like new anime and new games I've picked up). So far, I don't think I've visited any of my current favorites.

Anyway, following along those lines, I love Japanese music. The words being sung sound so much sweeter and more beautiful when in Japanese rather than English. I think a lot of it has to do with the way the Japanese language is structured. As far as favorite singers go, I have quite a few: Chelly (who sang some songs for the Guilty Crown anime), Asakawa Yuu, LiSA, Toyama Nao, but by far my most favored singer is Hashimoto Miyuki.

Hashimoto Miyuki

Hashimoto Miyuki debuted with Koko ni Iru kara, an ending theme for the Girls Bravo anime. However, the first time I heard her music (not counting another special circumstance) was the song Innocence which was the ending for the Shuffle anime. At the time, I didn't pay much attention to the song (after all, I skip over credits or don't pay too much attention to them). Later, when I heard Nerine (a character in Shuffle!) sing a song, I was curious to see if there was a full version and what the lyrics were. What my search for that song found was a full version sung by Hashimoto Miyuki. The song was In the Sky, and it was the ending theme for Nerine's route in the Shuffle! PC game that the anime was based on. Ever since then, I have been hooked on her music.

Innocence

Currently, my favorite song is sung by Hashimoto Miyuki. That song is Especially, one of the insert songs for Da Capo II. Since the time I started listening to her music, I have collected all of her albums. Her first album was Lovey-dovey and it contains Innocence from the Shuffle! anime. Her second album is Prismatic Colors (my favorite of her albums) and it contains Especially. Her third album was distributed through iTunes and is called Secret Masterpieces. The fourth album, Brilliant Moment, contains Natural Tone from the Shuffle! Memories anime. Double Flower is her fifth album and it contains Here to Stay from Akane Iro Somaru Saka PS2 game. Her most recent album is Espressivo.

Cover of Prismatic Colors, her second album

Because Espressivo was released in 2010 and it has almost been 2 years since an album of hers was released, I am anxiously awaiting another album to add to my collection. I do know that she is still active as a singer. She still does songs for animes and games through Lantis - one of which was a collaboration with other Lantis singers in Super Affection for the Carnival Phantasm anime. I also do hope one day to see her perform. She has done a few live performances (I subscribe to her website so I often see updates on where she will be performing).

Hashimoto Miyuki Website

 Lastly, I do hope one day to meet her. Her music has always been a bright point in my life so I would at least like to thank her personally for all the happiness she has brought into my life through her music.

Since I'm into MMORPGs...

Well, I am continuing to sample anime this Summer '12. One anime that really piqued my interest was the anime Sword Art Online.

Sword Art Online - Asuna and Kirito

In the year 2022, a new MMORPG (Mass Multi-player Online Role Playing Game) which utilizes a game system called Nerve Gear. This game system allows a person to fully immerse themselves in the game - enabling them to actually perceive the game as reality. The MMO game is called Sword Art Online.

Enter Kirito, an introverted teenager and Sword Art Online player. Kirito played Sword Art Online during its beta test and managed to get to the highest floor level out of all the beta testers. When an incident happens in the game, Kirito as well as the ten thousand other players find themselves unable to log out of the game. They are told that the only way to leave the game will be to conquer all 100 floor levels of the game. To make matters worse, any death in the game leads to death in the real world. Kirito takes it upon himself to see that the game is beaten while staying alive in the process.

Being a gamer (I have played Everquest, Ragnarok Online, FFXI, and am currently playing World of Warcraft), this series really interested me. The thought of being able to actually experience a game like this first hand is just so tantalizing. Anyway, the base of the story is reminiscent of the .hack series where players are trapped in a game where the stakes is your own life. However, in this case, the ending or goal is much clearer - you just have to beat the game. As for Kirito, his character is quite interesting too. While he tends to be a loner by nature, he does seem to want contact with others. He is a good person at heart, but has a hard time dealing with others.

All in all, this is a very intriguing series to watch. I have already added it to my list of must-watches. If you're going to check it out, Crunchyroll airs new episodes weekly on Saturdays at 12pm PST.

Dakara Boku wa H ga Dekinai

"Each girl has her own unique treasure, and to me, it is the variety in all these treasures that brings romance to my life."

This quote...and what follows it actually made me laugh. Just recently I decided to take up watching a new anime this season, Dakara Boku wa H ga Dekinai (So I Can't Play H).

Dakara Boku wa H ga Dekinai

This series is about a boy Ryousuke who meets a shinigami named Risara. Risara is looking for a person called a special specimen and comes to the human realm to find that person. However, in order for her to survive in the human realm, she must take energy from a partner. She becomes a temporary partner to Ryousuke. The one catch, humans get their energy from a "source" and Ryousuke's source is ero/ecchi (perversion).

After watching the few episodes that are out now, I really like it. It has a lot of fan service (and the episodes I've seen are uncensored - so please take some caution if you don't want parent's or significant others seeing it), but my favorite part is that Risara pretty much seems like the typical tsun-tsun tsundere (my favorite type of anime character).

Summer 2012 Anime

Well, it's that time again. The seasons have changed and so does the anime. Last season was great with such shows as Fate/Zero, Tasogare Otome, Sankarea, and Medaka Box. This season, there are some new and interesting anime coming out that I'm looking forward to watching.

Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse

Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse takes place in a separate timeline. According to the story, the world is under attack by Beings of Extra Terrestrial origin Adversary to humans (BETAs in short). They have conquered much of the world and are moving in on Japan. The story follows a girl as she pilots mech suits to fight off the BETAs.

Originally, I was interested in this anime because I knew of Muv-Luv from the manga. Despite this series from being entirely different from the manga, I am still interested in following this apocalyptic story.

Dog Days Season 2

When the first season of Dog Days came out, I found it to be an all right anime. I think the only reason I really started watching it was because Horie Yui was voicing the princess of Biscotti and there were cat and dog girls involved. Though the plot was a little boring and the concept was somewhat uninteresting I gave it a go. Now that the series has a new season, I find myself watching it once again...

Anyway, the story follows Shinku a boy who was summoned by the princess of Biscotti in a time of trouble to become the kingdom's hero (in the first season). After returning to the human world, he returns to the world he saved, this time with his two friends to enjoy a summer.

Cardfight Vanguard Season 2

One thing that I'm happy for this season is that I can finally watch the second season of Cardfight Vanguard as well. The second season continues after Aichi and team Q4 win the national vanguard tournament. However, something has changed and the Royal Paladins (Aichi's deck clan) no longer "exists". In order to find out what happened to his beloved Royal Paladins, he must use the Gold Paladins to win his way through an international tournament circuit in order to meet someone who should know what is happening.

There are a few others I'm thinking of checking out, but maybe I'll save those for next time.

Three Dragon Ante

Just recently, a friend of my bought a card game called "Three Dragon Ante". I knew of the game (only in a D&D story), so I was quite intrigued. He taught me how to play and we enjoyed a few games.

The game is a gambling game where gold is wagered in an ante. There are three rounds where players get to play a card from his or her hand. After the three rounds (a gambit), the player with the highest score of played cards (a flight) wins the ante. On each card is different effects that make the game more interesting. Some effects increases the number of cards in your hand while others can steal gold from the ante or opposing players. There are also special sets of cards that will give you different outcomes.

One thing to note is that currently there are two sets of this game out. The first version was released in 2005 and has gone out of print. Three Dragon Ante: Emperor's Gambit (2011) is an expansion to the original, but works as a stand-alone game as well.

If you and your friends love to gamble (for real or for fun), this game certainly is a fun and interesting way to play.