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All posts for the month November, 2011

Gaming Review: Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire Of the Rift

Posted by Alex on November 30, 2011
Posted in: Game Reviews. Leave a Comment

For any strategy fan not to have heard of Final Fantasy Tactics, it’s almost blasphemy against your gods. The original(and remake) PS1 classic set a whole new standard, and after flying at the GBA with a resounding success, it turns it’s head to the Nintendo DS. Whilst it may not be as mature or as deep as the classic, it makes up for it with bucketfuls of charm and love and that cute fluffy feeling you get when you see a game that steals your heart.

The gameplay is similar to previous ones, running on a grid with turns judged by the speed stat. The job system returns, and you can recruit tons of members for your clan and change peoples jobs around, and with 6 different races to recruit from, your clan can be whatever you want it to be. From warriors to archers to magicians to thieves, you won’t run out of a new character combination any time soon.

The…problem with this game lies in how short it is. With a whopping 400 quests and missions to do…you’d expect the story to be longer than 20 missions. It ultimately results in a bit of a misbalance, as the story’s changing from a light-hearted atmosphere as your gathering mushrooms to a dark gritty one as you expose a criminal gang, and then your suddenly fighting a huge demon in some sort of rift between worlds…and then it’s all over. There are a lot of unrelated missions with their own stories and their own cases to do, but your more interested in the main story than finding out about a zombie lady or whomever.

Some classic faces also reappear, so fans of Vaan and Penelo can rejoice. Coming with them is the ladies man, Al Cid, and the moogle MontBlanc. But after you’ve recruited them all, you don’t feel much like finishing all those missions for nothing in particular. Kinda sucks that there’s so much content in the game that isn’t utilized well…

But that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad game. It’s a very very very enjoyable game for any strategy fan, with great scriptwriting, gameplay and some stunning visuals to take your breath away. It’s just a shame that it acts like it doesn’t know what it’s doing with all of it’s toys and the like.

Chihayafuru Episode 9

Posted by Alex on November 29, 2011
Posted in: Chihayafuru. Leave a Comment

But I Cannot Hide

Alex: And the dashing knight comes to save the maiden from being overworked~ No, i’m not talking about the anime. I’m talking about how I somehow agreed to blog Mimi’s show for her…o.o

Anyway, I guess it’s a good chance to talk about the show for me. Slowly yet surely, Chihayafuru has been turning into this beautiful show, which not only captures the game of Karuta perfectly, it actually manages to give the characters a personality. Ever since their initial development at the start, I’ve loved Chihaya, Taichi and Arata and can never get enough of them interacting with their little quirks and ways that they bring the scenario to life.

So when this episode decided to subtly focus on the relationship between Taichi and Chihaya I was pretty entranced. I’m actually embarrassed to admit that there were some parts which had my heart skipping a beat, and that just doesn’t happen for me anymore. I hope Chihaya doesn’t take Arata back…even though he remembered her birthday, he still hurt her. Pick Taichi D:

Bakuman 2 Episode 9

Posted by Alex on November 29, 2011
Posted in: Bakuman 2. Leave a Comment

Resumption and Low-Rank

Alex: That…didn’t last long.Detective TRAP is already cancelled, and it’s only at episode 9. Basically, the episode got Bakuman 2 back on track. No more soap-opera scenes, no more romance and no more of that stupid stuff that’s filled up the last few episodes.

I’m really interested to see what’s gonna happen next, as it’ll either make or break the series…if they instantly get another success story/try again and do well instantly it’ll be forced, but if they try again and fail then it’ll feel like the writers are trying to make them fail. An interesting situation to be in, for sure…

Mirai Nikki Episode 8

Posted by Alex on November 29, 2011
Posted in: Mirai Nikki. 1 comment

New Model

Alex: You gotta be careful who you pick to be your friend. And i’m getting really annoyed with how naive Yukki is. I really, really, really don’t have anything to say about this episode. Sure, it’s great to have friends, but when you’re being hunted because you’re holding a tool which is the key to becoming god, you shouldn’t let your guard down. It wouldn’t kill you to listen to a  woman who’s hell bent on protecting you, even if it’s for the wrong reasons.

Now that it’s introduced two more diary holders, who i’m presuming will be the main characters in this arc, it’ll get better. It’s just a matter of patience..:3 (and enduring those HORRIBLE fanservice scenes.)

Phi Brain: Kami No Puzzle – Dropped

Posted by Alex on November 27, 2011
Posted in: Uncategorized. 1 comment

No. Episode 8 was the last straw. I just can’t take this stupidity that’s ruining the show anymore. In this episode alone, another dead guy leaves a fiendish puzzle to a descendant…why can’t you just tell them?! And why does Kaito have to be “The Chosen One” who HAS to solve your grandaddy’s puzzle?

Alright, but that aside…what kind of guy thought “Hey, let’s have Kaito look trapped and like he’s going to die…but he gets saved by a deer!” Seriously? What badguy could actually anticipate that a DEER IS GOING TO SAVE SOMEONE BY HEADBUTTING THEM WHILST THEY FALL TO THEIR DEATH. What the hell, Phi Brain?

I’ll keep watching the show because it’s engaging, but I can’t be bothered to blog it anymore…

Review: Children who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below

Posted by Alex on November 27, 2011
Posted in: Anime Reviews. 5 comments

Hoshi wo Ou Kodomo

Mimi: I had the pleasure of viewing this film on the big screen at Otakon and briefly hearing Makoto Shinkai speak afterwards. My excitement that day went through the roof, as he is one of my favorite anime directors and artists. Fans call him the new Miyazaki, and you can clearly see why in this film. It is an adventurous, mythical tale that is very different from his previous works. The characters strongly resemble that of Miyazaki’s, including Asuna’s cute little companion named “Mimi” who looks just like “Teto” from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. In fact, I felt like I was watching a Studio Ghibli film, but there is no mistaken Shinkai’s unique qualities. His artwork is sheer beauty! As soon as the film began, I heard the crowd simply say “wow.”

The basic story tells of Asuna’s journey to another world called “Agartha,” as she searches for a boy named Shun who had once saved her from a strange creature. Traveling alongside her is her teacher, Ryuji Morisaki, who wants to find the power to resurrect his dead wife. Asuna is also no stranger to pain, having lost her father. In a nutshell, this journey serves to help them accept their losses and move on. It might not be groundbreaking or anything, but hey, it’s a very solid story. What makes it so thrilling are the characters, the fantasy, the music, and the surprising bloody action. Though I’m pretty sure that 99% of the time, I was just mesmerized by the visuals…probably drooling too.

Well, I did pay enough attention to come up with three nitpicks. 1) The characters don’t spend enough time together for their emotional attachment to seem believable. For instance, Asuna is supposedly in love with Shun only after seeing him for a brief time. 2) This might be more of a personal thing, but the characters don’t leave a big emotional impact compared to Shinkai’s other works. His star-crossed lovers definitely touched me more. And 3) It would have been nice for the film to explore the mythical creatures and the people of Agartha more in-depth, particularly the enemy camp, which seemed to promise something bigger than it delivered.

But despite those drawbacks, this is still my favorite Shinkai film, next to Voices of a Distant Star. It blew me away in the visuals department, and I’m a sucker for fantasy settings. I absolutely love the new direction he has taken, in which he has great potential. What is he going to come up with next?

Since Alex is also a big fan of Shinkai’s works, I expect him to add a thing or two when he gets to watch it. I’m definitely planning to re-watch it once the subs are released. In doing so, I’ll probably add more to this review as well. =D

Alex: With Shinkai’s works, I tend to expect some emotional impact  and stuff. With this movie…there just wasn’t any impact. It was a great movie, with a great plot and great direction and great artwork, but it wasn’t as good as his previous work, and he should leave the hardcore fantasy to those who do it best, and do what he does best.

Mimi’s Score: 8 Meeps out of 10 (Very Good)

    

Fate/zero Episode 9

Posted by Alex on November 26, 2011
Posted in: Fate/Zero. 5 comments

Master and Servant

Mimi: After what feels like ages of waiting, we finally see what became of Kayneth after getting owned by the magus killer. He has a dream from Lancer’s past, where he betrayed his leader, Fionn, by taking his wife. It draws interesting parallels to the present, as Kayneth’s wife gains control of Lancer and is clearly infatuated with him. The novel provides more detail in Fionn’s revenge, which makes Lancer’s death even more tragic. Basically, he received the fatal wound from a wild boar, and Fionn who was capable of healing him with spring water deliberately spilled it twice, allowing him to die. T_T Still, I love how this episode opened with that dream. Meanwhile, Kayneth is nothing compared to the prodigal magus he once was, completely bedridden. Feeling humiliated. And getting his fingers broken off by his lovely wife. Is anyone else enjoying his suffering? >:3 Muahahaha.

The spotlight briefly switches to Kiritsugu’s team, as Irisviel uses her healing powers on Maiya. What’s most important to note is the distance growing between Kiritsugu and Saber. Since Saber allowed Lancer to go near him in the previous battle, he can’t possibly trust her now. Then we get some more Rider and Waver awesomeness! They invade Caster’s hideout, which is more sickening than the poor boy could have imagined, and have an unexpected encounter with Kirei’s Assassin. In the end, Rider and Waver agree to burn this horrible place down, without ever finding clues to Caster’s true whereabouts. Although Kirei regrets what his servant did, the forgiving Tokiomi orders him to keep a closer eye on Rider to discover his true strength.

As I’m on the final volume of Fate/zero, I can easily say that it is one of the best things I’ve read in this industry. The anime is just icing on the cake. I am interested to see how it will differ from my imagination, especially the battles. xD

UN-GO Episodes 6 & 7

Posted by Alex on November 26, 2011
Posted in: UN-GO. 3 comments

The Simple Code
&
Daydream 

Alex: I probably don’t give this show enough credit. I should have watched these two episodes sooner, because, well…the episodes are really well done. Creative, well thought out and pretty interesting. The Simple Code was a really interesting story with loads of unique tones and stuff like that.  And Daydream…well, that was amazing.

Not only was it creative, it was a really well written story which threw the male lead into a completly unique scenario. Everything was a reference and a vital clue to solving the mystery, and the fact that our detective thinks he commited the crime…is a well designed snide comment towards other detective/crime novels i’ve read lately. Not to mention any in particular, but there was one which really blew my mind with how well it handled the “Main character = culprit” scenario…i’m actually really excited to see how they’re gonna end this unique escapade.

Mirai Nikki Episode 7

Posted by Alex on November 26, 2011
Posted in: Mirai Nikki. 1 comment

Away Message

Alex: Yeah…no. A killer toddler? It may have just been me, but I had a real issue suspending my disbelief long enough to enjoy this episode…and when I did manage to, I was amazingly curious as to how a little child is able to do all of this. Poison gas, lacing a tomato with food, using water to zap people to death and tormenting people with words of worldy wisdom. Sorry guys, but kids just don’t act like that.

Just what kind of god chose the kid to hold the diary? It’s a pretty unique take on god and how he looks at the earth like a plaything, so he gives the kid a diary because it’ll be interesting or something. My second problem was the build-up. If you’re going to hint at future events, don’t throw it in my face…I figured out that Yuuki and Yuno would have to fight ages ago, so to hear it repeated again and again just annoyed me. Here’s to hoping that they aren’t going to have another completely weird diary holder, and they’ll all be “average” people.

Guilty Crown Episode 7

Posted by Alex on November 26, 2011
Posted in: Guilty Crown. 2 comments

Temptation

Mimi: I thought this episode was going to bomb. Shu goes back to school (oh great), and the fanservice is more blatant than ever before. Yet I couldn’t help but grin at the party on the ship, Gai dressed up in a suit, Shu turning missiles into fireworks, and the yaoi fangirl asking him if the military is full of gay people. I think I’ll start calling that creepy guy “Scarface,” which has a nice ring to it. =D So yeah, this episode is full of sillies and seems to disregard what happened last time, but hey, at least it’s fun. The photograph at the end made me very curious, especially the theories… Totally didn’t notice that person on the far left side at first.  =P