tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80209440354699703102024-03-19T04:57:34.894-07:00Unfathomable WritingsExploring the incomprehensible, one review at a time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-31738634473512856092013-02-06T14:49:00.001-08:002013-02-06T14:51:12.904-08:00Kids on the Slope<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXcu1Izhv0VHKwhS1KqvrNepBXexFhFEU6U1PG08L2RHI-NwV4dbxNoGCDAtkGBTDc0o6GEFq08tpRakNw2uwiFp2PVg26_V9I7vLou_9AFjlZD73efiSvTDte1vKG39kbezLqMTBxec/s1600/Kidsontheslope2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXcu1Izhv0VHKwhS1KqvrNepBXexFhFEU6U1PG08L2RHI-NwV4dbxNoGCDAtkGBTDc0o6GEFq08tpRakNw2uwiFp2PVg26_V9I7vLou_9AFjlZD73efiSvTDte1vKG39kbezLqMTBxec/s1600/Kidsontheslope2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Last year, Tenzuka Productions brought us a lovable slice of life anime that followed the story of Kaoru, an honours student who suffers from Social Anxiety. When he moves to Kyushu and starts attending Higashi High School, he meets the notorious "bad-boy" Sentaro and together they form a bond through their mutual interest in music. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-OIu8MRtrh1VhTFM1RoljriI6A2FXc1THM7Ojw0anAB8cTmwDMb27OCo2PHvbotD8rTuVbyBJCUr0udryRIdQTUY97dpAtj3HuN2JQLVdppXrW9HlQMuAcH_oD98i2XWFLE4YDg-Uds/s1600/Kidsontheslope5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-OIu8MRtrh1VhTFM1RoljriI6A2FXc1THM7Ojw0anAB8cTmwDMb27OCo2PHvbotD8rTuVbyBJCUr0udryRIdQTUY97dpAtj3HuN2JQLVdppXrW9HlQMuAcH_oD98i2XWFLE4YDg-Uds/s320/Kidsontheslope5.jpg" width="320" /></a>When Sentaro helps Kaoru loosen up and be more comfortable around other people, relax and start to enjoy life, Kaoru soon realises he has developed feelings for Sentaro's childhood friend, Risuko. Sentaro introduces Kaoru to the world of jazz where they play in the basement of Ritsuko's father's record shop. Going from classical to playing jazz turns out to be quite a learning curve for Kaoru, but determined to rise to the challenge Sentaro sets before him, he soon feels right at home playing music his family would be horrified to know he performed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tbYB21XXBU51Qbnw8obI5r10gcYxOvnoM3FIPTpaiOITWO0nOgY4mx_sJHPsgcx0k2C8JX7JQ4BHmrzONnvJ_t_cYB9l8r3S0t7S8ykZ5oLfxqqwX7Sto__KPo5-a7IOtj-CWB2au0k/s1600/Kidsontheslope1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tbYB21XXBU51Qbnw8obI5r10gcYxOvnoM3FIPTpaiOITWO0nOgY4mx_sJHPsgcx0k2C8JX7JQ4BHmrzONnvJ_t_cYB9l8r3S0t7S8ykZ5oLfxqqwX7Sto__KPo5-a7IOtj-CWB2au0k/s320/Kidsontheslope1.jpg" width="320" /></a>With friendships growing, Kaoru pursues his love for Ritsuko while Sentaro takes an interest in Yurika, a senior from a prestigious family they meet on the beach one day. But regardless of what feelings they may have towards the girls, winning their hearts would be anything but easy, especially when Ritsuko implies that her interest in Sentaro goes beyond childhood friends, and Yurika ends up falling for Sentaro's best friend and fellow jazz player, Junichi.<br />
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The anime is set back in the era when jazz was at its peak and vinyl was still a popular format, and if that didn't place the setting firmly in your mind, then mention of the Sound of Music being newly released during an episode of the show and the song, My Favourite Things, being all the rage at the time. I found it quite interesting to hear the famous song performed by the characters of the show, and was also pleased to see the mentions and tributes given to famous artists like Art Blakey, Bill Evans, Chris Conner, and even some rock slipping in there with mention of The Beatles. The setting and depth to the show is quite amazing. And so is the background to the characters, especially the support character, Junichi, who by the end of the show becomes quite the central figure in one of the story arcs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsa8g0Utgqp9-dsykZxy9_Dlhx7srLoBbQZmJsm_TZ9UosfTAxdaZx_QF0q9zljBKSvyiid4NYPpuIp0sJ9gf2eE42kx9RaDeXu6Wy4hXIrPAcZjAnkT13Sf7VYE5sraxqVk0MyfZTKg/s1600/Kidsontheslope3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsa8g0Utgqp9-dsykZxy9_Dlhx7srLoBbQZmJsm_TZ9UosfTAxdaZx_QF0q9zljBKSvyiid4NYPpuIp0sJ9gf2eE42kx9RaDeXu6Wy4hXIrPAcZjAnkT13Sf7VYE5sraxqVk0MyfZTKg/s320/Kidsontheslope3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
While the protagonist, Kaoru, still leaves much to be desired in the ways of character development -- by giving us glimpses into the expectations placed upon him by his family, and the social criticism given by his sister, which is never really integrated fully into the story -- we see much going on in Sentaro's past and how it effects Ritsuko. By several episodes into the story, we start to see that Sentaro's reputation as the local "bad-boy" is misplaced, and in reality he struggles to take care of his big family in his father's absence, taking on the role of caring for his siblings while his father works abroad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZSaioOyQc5JWzHQ1idT1NGaqfM0ZgOQ8n1BFn-rCy-hwEgpDvAsek4LkyUFSkQhIpksTxeec2zg33YDHeWfLnOKREYZAleirVdoWKETKhOtvfOvvl-Xw7j_4XVi7ji2lVqpvcv4I_80/s1600/Kidsontheslope4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZSaioOyQc5JWzHQ1idT1NGaqfM0ZgOQ8n1BFn-rCy-hwEgpDvAsek4LkyUFSkQhIpksTxeec2zg33YDHeWfLnOKREYZAleirVdoWKETKhOtvfOvvl-Xw7j_4XVi7ji2lVqpvcv4I_80/s320/Kidsontheslope4.jpg" width="320" /></a>While the characters certainly act realistically in the show -- none of the over exaggerated shyness and comedy you would typically find in a romantic anime -- I couldn't help but feel a bit cheated on the outcomes of the story arcs, leaving me wanting more, and knowing I wasn't going to get it. While the show had a lovable ending, I felt that it could have done with an extra 12 episodes and gone much further with Kaoru and Ritsuko's relationship and how it effected Sentaro. I also couldn't help but feel sorry for Sentaro throughout the story when his interest in Yurika, and later, Ritsuko, met with complete rejection. There were also moments when Kaoru annoyed me, especially once Ritsuko realised her true feelings for him, yet his response to her advances ended up being quite bitter. Once again, the reactions and development of the story felt natural and well written but I wasn't satisfied with the way it ended. Saying that, I've yet to be satisfied by any romantic anime to date, and that appears to be an issue I'm never going to win.<br />
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Overall, Kids on a Slope is definitely one of the better anime of last year, and certainly worth watching. It also features one of those musical intros that are so catchy you can't help but listen to it all the way through every single episode.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-60402045905959350592013-01-22T04:09:00.000-08:002013-01-22T04:09:48.070-08:00Say, I love you<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LTGc1ZVDtn8wsWtOZcS6-EVh5Gg8EmBYhnzA0H2kMsggEyprZkSnVWEDjRrxlRkhTjsgQGJcRL3Phun9ohzCDCEu_Fqve3mEfuwQFiGZdGQ6c3I5oGK5G7MsXme16AounDa0TmsOGqc/s1600/SayILoveYouCast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LTGc1ZVDtn8wsWtOZcS6-EVh5Gg8EmBYhnzA0H2kMsggEyprZkSnVWEDjRrxlRkhTjsgQGJcRL3Phun9ohzCDCEu_Fqve3mEfuwQFiGZdGQ6c3I5oGK5G7MsXme16AounDa0TmsOGqc/s1600/SayILoveYouCast.jpg" /></a></div>
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There are a few anime music intros that have made me want to listen to the entire song every single episode. Say, I love you, is one of those intros. It's not often that a song and intro sets the scene so well and matches the characters and story of the anime perfectly. When the song first starts, and the intro does that blur effect, you get a real feel for the romantic tone of the anime. Unfortunately, that's where the positive side of the anime ends.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2r6g-8VkGqxocJCfc6frEyOOm_J6hKMzBaJWNdQ_HNhyG2PIThqmyYTA6EPH5VrH-9nsZBK6BdUAP1ly14GTlVTDjfwLquy3gVb4hZdghj7a4-Nsqn1QGOiGKwHB5Fsh2O0Rf_-dszPU/s1600/SayILoveYou3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2r6g-8VkGqxocJCfc6frEyOOm_J6hKMzBaJWNdQ_HNhyG2PIThqmyYTA6EPH5VrH-9nsZBK6BdUAP1ly14GTlVTDjfwLquy3gVb4hZdghj7a4-Nsqn1QGOiGKwHB5Fsh2O0Rf_-dszPU/s320/SayILoveYou3.jpg" width="320" /></a>Say, I love you, is your typical clichéd teen romance drama, akin to the dreadful shallow characters that was Twilight. The story tries to delve into a plot revolving around school bullying and the troubles school kids face when dealing with social expectations placed on them by others, but unfortunately, the main couple of the show, Mei and Yamato, leave much to be desired in the way of character development. Thankfully, we see the supporting characters, Aiko and Megumi, filling in the gap and giving us a true glimpse into the horrible mentalities of the "popular" kids in school. Megumi's story is certainly the plot to follow for this show, rather than the protagonists.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEKlV1vdzouahIrttCUouhZLguaoXoUtemzv0M2LT2AgzvPmnUg-CFlvQBw0puDOcBHbX_o2RaIJqzhCIsb79aMedLCxc5iNFnXBp1FgzyCvpXWx3nv7YB75OKlt-mmJkHdbSoxNVJJo/s1600/SayILoveYou1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEKlV1vdzouahIrttCUouhZLguaoXoUtemzv0M2LT2AgzvPmnUg-CFlvQBw0puDOcBHbX_o2RaIJqzhCIsb79aMedLCxc5iNFnXBp1FgzyCvpXWx3nv7YB75OKlt-mmJkHdbSoxNVJJo/s320/SayILoveYou1.jpg" width="320" /></a>At the beginning of the show, we are told of Mei's past, the bullying she suffered, and the betrayal of people she considered her friends, which drives her to give up on making friends altogether and cut herself off from the world. This seems to work well for her, and in the first episode we are shown Mei as a character who doesn't need friends, strong enough to go at things by herself and just get on with school life, regardless of what anyone thinks of her... until she kicks Yamato in the face and que "love at first sight" entrance. After this point, Yamato pressures her into being friends when she doesn't want to be, going so far as to give her his phone number. But when a stalker starts following her home from work, instead of calling the police, which would be the sensible thing to do she instead calls the guy she didn't want to be friends with to come save her, and in doing so, he takes liberties with her vulnerability by stealing her first kiss.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSACbdOE4ukBMReTeN5LbeeT2ODGfraPGVQQ7WK09u3PWO9yrstwqlDYH-bD-9u6E0NDZEhXTbJKZKQ9PWSfAYt_1JQ7LzR8iTDojLmSXd-ckR1vvYJycPrw3OCUYFgLFC2nZviAvwE1g/s1600/SayILoveYou6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSACbdOE4ukBMReTeN5LbeeT2ODGfraPGVQQ7WK09u3PWO9yrstwqlDYH-bD-9u6E0NDZEhXTbJKZKQ9PWSfAYt_1JQ7LzR8iTDojLmSXd-ckR1vvYJycPrw3OCUYFgLFC2nZviAvwE1g/s320/SayILoveYou6.jpg" width="320" /></a>I would like to think that Mei gets stronger, and that she is able to deal with her issues that stop her from making real friends, but in the end we are treated to the typical plot of a female character who changes herself to suit the guy she likes for no explainable reason. Mei's love interest in Yamato is completely unfounded, no reason given, and comes across as the average YA "he's so perfect" trope that has many viewers shaking their head in dismay. Unfortunately for Yamato, he comes across as an inconsiderate emotional blackmailer. His character truly does reflect Edward from Twilight, and it is made worse when every mistake he makes is forgiven without any argument from Mei because he is just too perfect in her eyes to do any wrong. What happened to the Mei we met in the first episode? He has turned her into a weak character that lacks any mind of her own, instead deferring to other people's opinions on how she should act. Her character instead of growing, actually gets worse as the episodes go on, and even by the last episode she is still the awkward shy mess she was back in the second episode. One day, I'm ever hopeful I'll find a romance anime that actually progresses with the relationship beyond a kiss or heartfelt words. When the first episode started with a kiss, I thought this might be the anime to do that, but as the episodes came and went, and no more progress beyond that was made I lost hope. We saw more progress in Aiko's story than the main protagonists.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12bVU1ycViH0iMjJ_e8sPz99Pkv7Ue-rSNLY720YJh2Ohy4JRC6rsZCLSZG9Krcse7BB6gX040I82HRtA4JOUdB5ncVOevqh9yIVnkAAV4oY88MKfmW6CcHG81byYVvH3f0IdpI3VQ7c/s1600/SayILoveYou5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12bVU1ycViH0iMjJ_e8sPz99Pkv7Ue-rSNLY720YJh2Ohy4JRC6rsZCLSZG9Krcse7BB6gX040I82HRtA4JOUdB5ncVOevqh9yIVnkAAV4oY88MKfmW6CcHG81byYVvH3f0IdpI3VQ7c/s320/SayILoveYou5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We can at least be thankful for Nagi and Kei, who come along to help Mei open up by sharing their own similar experiences with her, and for the most parts, their stories tend to be stronger than Mei and Yamoto, even though they are only minor characters. In fact, Kei's background is the only glimpse we get into Yamoto's character to make us think there might actually be something behind that superficial exterior he exudes, but it is gone within one episode and never mentioned again. Which is a complaint for much of the story; every problem is solved far too easily with none of the expected drama that should go alongside it. The anime was trying to be "lets all be happy" so much that it lost any credibility to the problems the characters faced.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ymP0kNn9OYQ80twKkacPffueGJaeQN5yvRcFo2M1WSh72ame60e8Z3mgpPpRhMQ2EyIfM_frhTE-xGWDm3pfatq7bJxg2joqLxa1C7AqE_qKCJFOPxJZfJIY_hASfeP4QzWLk8uttr4/s1600/SayILoveYou7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ymP0kNn9OYQ80twKkacPffueGJaeQN5yvRcFo2M1WSh72ame60e8Z3mgpPpRhMQ2EyIfM_frhTE-xGWDm3pfatq7bJxg2joqLxa1C7AqE_qKCJFOPxJZfJIY_hASfeP4QzWLk8uttr4/s320/SayILoveYou7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The real depth to the show comes from Megumi, the amateur model who buys people's friendship with money. Her story provides insight into the true nature of the superficial-popular-girl-type character we often see on TV when her whole world implodes on her when attempts to win Yamato's affection away from Mei, as well as that of Yamato's friends who befriended her, backfires on her and she ends up loosing everything and discovering that she had no friends after all. The consequences of this story arc drive her into a psychological breakdown that ends up being far more interesting of a story than the romance between Mei and Yamato.<br />
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Overall, I was hoping this show would be better than it was. I still found it entertaining enough to watch the entire series, but was left at the end thinking, 'That's it?' when the outcome of the show was no real different to any other romance anime, and possibly in a way, worse.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-70691692129549534372013-01-10T19:08:00.000-08:002013-01-19T12:58:54.163-08:00First Impressions of the New SeasonThe Winter 2013 season has begun and the first episodes of several shows are available for public viewing. While the season has shown a weak start so far, full of 5-min shorts that leave people desiring anime shows with more meat, we can be glad to see the return of <i>Blast of Tempest</i> and <i>Psycho-Pass</i> which are strong anime carrying over from the previous season. We can only hope that the season strengthens as it continues.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdVpUSb5CZ1Ys1KuygIZzbyaZ7O0NIPlxHkJlntY3Hkn2LiUXA_JSlGrp3OJ9MZqpkudbQxC5mrkH9yA5bIKu4YDtgOus3XkcGYzJTGOl8uhCs3qdLpTNk773l7aDdkAhdC0VLnuqudo/s1600/Amnesia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdVpUSb5CZ1Ys1KuygIZzbyaZ7O0NIPlxHkJlntY3Hkn2LiUXA_JSlGrp3OJ9MZqpkudbQxC5mrkH9yA5bIKu4YDtgOus3XkcGYzJTGOl8uhCs3qdLpTNk773l7aDdkAhdC0VLnuqudo/s1600/Amnesia.jpg" /></a>First up is <i>Amnesia</i>, which on paper sounds like it is going to have some considerable potential to become a good story this season. The concepts look promising, the animation is beautiful, especially the detail they have gone into with the clothing and eyes, but there is also something different about the world and culture the story is based in. With the introduction of a floating spirit creature and the mention of some kind of special ability using their unique eyes, I can't help but think we are going to be treated to a unique and refreshing twist on Urban/Contemporary Fantasy. The show is also a reverse-harem, which is a rarer genre than it should be. My only complaint so far with the show is the incessant telling. I felt like I'd slipped into an educational show preaching to me about mundane activities that I really had no interest in knowing in detail, or how the writers felt they needed to explain every emotion and detail to us as if they thought the audience wasn't intelligent enough to pick up on the clues themselves. I hope that as the episodes continue they learn to trust the audience more and tone down the telling.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQ3UxTjE_g8LQGyx3LeXpnc8N3V0onxZE37jr0o_8gabIt9zvBpRYFL4ydbPcDNiVeU7ufA3rUikDzHWdCVYaSWSEuDwGzgGa2QoW-ybujvs4s2eL_0jL20uLY0KbEFMDPLOVYAIvnBI/s1600/vividred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQ3UxTjE_g8LQGyx3LeXpnc8N3V0onxZE37jr0o_8gabIt9zvBpRYFL4ydbPcDNiVeU7ufA3rUikDzHWdCVYaSWSEuDwGzgGa2QoW-ybujvs4s2eL_0jL20uLY0KbEFMDPLOVYAIvnBI/s1600/vividred.jpg" /></a><i>Vividred Operation</i> has us venturing back into the magical girl genre but with an added sci-fi twist that gives it a feeling reminiscent of Eureka Seven AO, just without the need for mechs. We are introduced to the main protagonist, Akane, who has a fear of heights, yet seems destined to take on a role that requires her to face her fears. While the flashbacks showing where her fears came from makes for a deep character background, I couldn't help but feel they threw away the chance to build upon her fears too easily; she appeared to get over it within the first episode. We can only hope that her fears relapse in following episodes and that it continues to be a struggle for her, making her character feel more real. This anime shows potential but I couldn't help but feel I'd rather have mechs than a spiritual successor to Strike Witches. Even so, I believe this anime will be a strong contender for the season. The characters are well designed and thought out, the animation is good, and the musical score suits the scenes perfectly, although they could do with focussing a little less on the characters' posteriors - they are only fourteen after all. I wouldn't go so far as to call it ecchi, but it is borderline and I feel quite unsuitable for the age the characters are representing, and it gives me the creeps a little each time one of those scenes screens. At least the clothing transformation scene typical of magical girl anime doesn't focus on the breasts, it's only saving grace. Overall though, it appears to be an anime well worth watching.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIC_ILqLaFojF0Al36e7cJlLI9W0P-WaeGANOk5jz9yK7G9BGP7aDDLt3qEjD7qTn_AyF8vxhrXrXX8lx39DNX53aqU1UyG8Ytj-shwq2zzrNj4vENEWtlOJAAVorq5p7s9HDSxmH-f9k/s1600/dacapoIII.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIC_ILqLaFojF0Al36e7cJlLI9W0P-WaeGANOk5jz9yK7G9BGP7aDDLt3qEjD7qTn_AyF8vxhrXrXX8lx39DNX53aqU1UyG8Ytj-shwq2zzrNj4vENEWtlOJAAVorq5p7s9HDSxmH-f9k/s1600/dacapoIII.jpg" /></a>Next up is the ridiculous childishness that was the first episode of <i>Da Capo III</i>. I know the anime series is popular but I felt like I was watching an immature kids show that had drifted into the ecchi harem genre. Every chance the artists got, they had to include scenes with bouncing boobs. The sexual jokes were very overdone, even for an ecchi. While the mystery of the island was interesting, and might provide enough reason to watch another episode, I can't help but feel the story is lost beneath the stupidity of the characters and their childish dialogue. The dialogue especially grated on me when the writers felt the need to include a piece of dialogue from every character in the scene, skipping from one to the next showing their responses to a certain piece of dialogue from another character. The first time it happened was funny, but when they continued to repeat the pattern it just became annoying and stilted.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9M2bzMfDLOFQWy3GIxs1hPk7EWQe42Sw9yLi7Sch-mnI142dmg4XVXi-0vJpkHUzBhGa7YDm51nHcDWYmE-Dh2SSSLyJG3KqqhT58_ZM6FGc0XyN_6e6bdvyoKskHDTE15zAmmywidGA/s1600/maoyuu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9M2bzMfDLOFQWy3GIxs1hPk7EWQe42Sw9yLi7Sch-mnI142dmg4XVXi-0vJpkHUzBhGa7YDm51nHcDWYmE-Dh2SSSLyJG3KqqhT58_ZM6FGc0XyN_6e6bdvyoKskHDTE15zAmmywidGA/s1600/maoyuu.jpg" /></a>I'm not entirely sure what to make of <i>Maoyuu Maou Yuusha</i> yet. The concept of the story has the potential to be good, and the world design should certainly interest fans of Fantasy-themed anime, but the ecchi component that was made so prevalent in the episode felt completely out of place. I can understand the sense behind a political marriage between demons and humans, but professing it to be more than that, love at first sight even, and the childish reactions of the "Demon King" destroyed any sensibility and made it into a comedic situation that ruined the potential the anime has to take a good long look into the effects war has on nations and the motivations behind it. The story has a lot of potential, but I fear they are going to waste it chasing the naive and weak protagonist uncomfortable with becoming romantically involved with the excessively developed and attractive girl who likes him for no apparent reason trope. Saying that, we did get some glimpses into her past, and it showed the potential for there to actually be some depth to her character, but perhaps they would have done better to actually tell us her name first. I ended the episode seeing them agree to form a relationship to bond the nations together when they didn't even know each others names and instead just referred to each other as "Hero" and "Demon King". That along with the sexual jokes ruins any credibility the story could have had.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMdQBry1aaSgZu8qlj28a2P9H3_tFYHh0ZWEtmsDs_6NMaIvdWZkRyeOL55MTxaAKKgyH09NHNL4wimH428s3JT7_QDYR8BDnDmxQSRrZHp4hehc-VTmtarC00JfhQZM3yOEVUchd3ns/s1600/TheUnlimited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMdQBry1aaSgZu8qlj28a2P9H3_tFYHh0ZWEtmsDs_6NMaIvdWZkRyeOL55MTxaAKKgyH09NHNL4wimH428s3JT7_QDYR8BDnDmxQSRrZHp4hehc-VTmtarC00JfhQZM3yOEVUchd3ns/s320/TheUnlimited.jpg" width="213" /></a><i>Zettai Karen Children: The Unlimited </i>treats us to a dark action story that would suit fans of fighting-themed anime. I see it as Code:Breaker meets X-men, with characters that come across quite similar to those of Code:Breaker with very similar powers, yet their existence is common knowledge and just like with X-Men, it shows us the reaction the rest of the world has to their powers. The characters appear solid and well thought out, the story has potential, yet I found the abilities of the protagonist excessively overpowered. I do worry that the show will turn into the "lets get beaten up by the bad guy of the week until I am forced to release my full powers and instantly win" trope. The animation is well done, and the backgrounds of the characters might just well continue to surprise us as they did in the last few minutes of the first episode. The show certainly takes a much more mature and serious spin when compared to the original series that was released back in 2008. I believe though that the anime will be one worth watching.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGKtdeG979UM4iup1cACoG7mfDsrlLWq4MP5IUXLUggyRM7Ybws25U3s_n0M5Q-yy98UooyCZgpmFNvSgMy-ovpM9Te4Ah6lMxByrVfap1In4uaQb3b0YOAtEj1J2u6yjkZ4IRIq5_1c/s1600/senran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGKtdeG979UM4iup1cACoG7mfDsrlLWq4MP5IUXLUggyRM7Ybws25U3s_n0M5Q-yy98UooyCZgpmFNvSgMy-ovpM9Te4Ah6lMxByrVfap1In4uaQb3b0YOAtEj1J2u6yjkZ4IRIq5_1c/s1600/senran.jpg" /></a>Ninjas are back with <i>Senran Kagura</i>, and so are bouncing boobs. The combinations should be any ecchi fans dream anime. Unfortunately what makes ninjas great is lost beneath the childish portrayal of the characters, with the protagonist being made into a hopelessly ditzy girl who makes the early days of Naruto look like a master shinobi. With the exception of Yagyuu, the antagonists of the anime have more potential to be entertaining characters than the girls we are supposed to be rooting for. The script and plot leaves much to be desired, but the last few minutes of the episode hint at possible improvements to come, so this anime might need a couple more episodes chance before being dismissed completely. I just hope Katsuragi gets over her breast groping fetish already, it's incredibly irritating and out of place. I don't hold out much hope for <i>Senran Kagura</i> being any good, which is unfortunate, because I believe many anime fans would love to see an anime about Ninjas compete with Naruto. This won't be that anime.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBagc8Vm93rog3mji5waobf4nLtxm7XL7sK0pbHZDZFuaqRW9zeW1DyyeTF4VGyIqM_q9Gz5dzrIihEG6rSms7LH94MgBy_eCMbtYLS9sIs14UoblWnVDpTTpupz73cbsUhjh1VBJ8DI/s1600/Hakkenden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBagc8Vm93rog3mji5waobf4nLtxm7XL7sK0pbHZDZFuaqRW9zeW1DyyeTF4VGyIqM_q9Gz5dzrIihEG6rSms7LH94MgBy_eCMbtYLS9sIs14UoblWnVDpTTpupz73cbsUhjh1VBJ8DI/s320/Hakkenden.jpg" width="228" /></a>In <i>Hakkuden: A Strange Tale of Eight Dogs of the East</i> we are introduced to three characters who are the sole survivors of a village that was burned to the ground, and each one of them gifted with some special ability that sets them apart from the other people in the community where they sought refuge, trying to hide from their past. The premise of the story is interesting and has some potential, but I found the episode too rushed, as if they were trying to fit several episodes worth of plot into one 25 minute slot. This served to make much of the episode feel like a series of random events. When the episode first started I was a bit put off by the talking animals, felt the Lord of the Lake and the frog a bit much. I didn't mind Murasame once I understood a bit more about him, but wondered why they even thought of including that algae eyeball creature. When this show was labelled as Shoujo, there was a big scare that, considering the protagonists are two male characters, that there would be a boy love theme as the main focus of the story. Having watched the episode I found no evidence to suggest they would take that direction with the show, but not having read the manga it is adapted from, I cannot say for sure that it won't include anything like that at all. But at this point I'm certain you will find a stronger BL theme in Da Capo III than this. Overall I feel the anime is worth watching, but I just hope they slow things down a bit now that they have introduced the characters and background.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4NDZ8ju6y912thBBMkaPqEmSaRVT-eUgZ_utusP-C26lw0EDDcVYCAsiyrDqgeSKygbZ62mSD5_ENvVNG1gd9hyphenhyphenTf9IGMbFOo7w7hBmhVf1VmD-QI6KrxcdYAHYnlbNPMEUTUrZhrNY/s1600/kotoura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4NDZ8ju6y912thBBMkaPqEmSaRVT-eUgZ_utusP-C26lw0EDDcVYCAsiyrDqgeSKygbZ62mSD5_ENvVNG1gd9hyphenhyphenTf9IGMbFOo7w7hBmhVf1VmD-QI6KrxcdYAHYnlbNPMEUTUrZhrNY/s320/kotoura.jpg" width="225" /></a>But the best episode of the week has to go to <i>Kotoura</i>, which has come out starting very strong with a heart-wrenching emotional plot, driven by deep characters that, in the style of last season's <i>Chu-2</i>, soften the darkness in the background with light humour. The anime takes a good long look into the effects having the ability to read minds has on the life of the protagonist and her family, the way it effects friendships, the harm knowing everybody's inner thoughts does. The animation style is a bit below-average, but the story should more than satisfactorily make up for it - although the style of animation does suit some of the very strange glimpses Kotoura gets from the mind of her hopelessly stupid friend, Manabe. So far, Kotoura is easily the anime of the season to watch out for, and I can only imagine the insane hilarity Manabe is going to get Kotoura involved in as the series progresses and he helps her to deal with the darkness of her past.<br />
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Keep an eye out for more detailed reviews of this seasons anime as the stories progress.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-20446355776997697132013-01-01T01:46:00.000-08:002013-01-01T11:37:02.520-08:00From the New World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6o4ZL-XRDkxUwwxGMs_Vgyu6rq20wNbJZkxZFv_4ynGxUW5-KQH2QRQubsBkcJc58khIXnjcSGiLib2z2lnSfSeXkPync06rAsuBwj31iF55XUmQIg31uEuG0e_O58a4AQlrF7ORk5WM/s1600/Shinseki4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Saki and Soratou" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6o4ZL-XRDkxUwwxGMs_Vgyu6rq20wNbJZkxZFv_4ynGxUW5-KQH2QRQubsBkcJc58khIXnjcSGiLib2z2lnSfSeXkPync06rAsuBwj31iF55XUmQIg31uEuG0e_O58a4AQlrF7ORk5WM/s1600/Shinseki4.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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Following the outbreak of uncontrollable psychokinetic powers that nearly destroyed the world, a secluded set of villages are recovering from the devastation by separating children from the rest of the world and teaching them to control their fledgling powers. When their powers manifest, they go through a trial to test their ability to use the powers referred to as 'Cantus'. If the child succeeds in passing the trial, they are reunited with friends and family who went before them in a special school designed to train them in how to use their cantus. On the surface, the village appears to be a normal, every day community, with people living out their ordinary lives with the assistance of their cantus, but in the background lies a mystery hidden behind lies and deceit, not the least being; what happens to the children who don't pass the trial, or the ones whose power never manifests?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJ9QRcaS1HZJeG_xseFdHUyfMX6oMtwbXE4q6tymwXPuuUaXin42yny8UCPF08yZ8RSBUwfggCKsVdydYVjQCoS5vf8vYJj7l0wqpelYtKTIvagPrcRkbD0tj4N9rZ7JskxFN4Jqi1A8/s1600/Shinseki12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Queerat Leader" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJ9QRcaS1HZJeG_xseFdHUyfMX6oMtwbXE4q6tymwXPuuUaXin42yny8UCPF08yZ8RSBUwfggCKsVdydYVjQCoS5vf8vYJj7l0wqpelYtKTIvagPrcRkbD0tj4N9rZ7JskxFN4Jqi1A8/s320/Shinseki12.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Many rumours and tales surround the secrets of the villages - secrets that only the adults seem to know and are deliberately keeping hidden from the children. These rumours set our protagonist, Saki, and her classmates on an adventure with the sole purpose of discovering the truth behind the rumours. What they uncover will be far beyond what they ever expected.<br />
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I have one word that sums up this anime, and that is: strange.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXjRzEPmjNvucpWND6BqbcB04AiE5s3euoKLZsHVERjihWpDulL6xxjwYG2VJf54aUTbmA1d8pmHVrRYcoICQ0zpceWwmBhLxQtDANmlyKs1iYXs2YEGTPmz4gk9GjiKDiv4tqZBYkqc/s1600/Shinseki5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Saki and Soratou with friendly queerat" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXjRzEPmjNvucpWND6BqbcB04AiE5s3euoKLZsHVERjihWpDulL6xxjwYG2VJf54aUTbmA1d8pmHVrRYcoICQ0zpceWwmBhLxQtDANmlyKs1iYXs2YEGTPmz4gk9GjiKDiv4tqZBYkqc/s320/Shinseki5.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>From the New World is a dark anime reminiscent of M Knight Shyamalan's The Village, driven by the series of clues that lead us through a deep and complicated mystery that keeps us wondering just what is going on until the very end. Half the reason for this is the random, completely implausible, and disjointed plot arcs that tend to make very little sense in the overall scope of the story.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwN4LoNBxuHFL0rVm3QjcjQAo2ltI0B2MdLuNhYmUfawd7J-XVph47fIVXUIA0Qm6uRvvg0E-qjJtpkDjNUIVnBdmwKhwEZK6WKck4xw2POQ_tUtSCihHJt-87Q8qnrJOUXVKhlshyhs/s1600/Shinseki2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Queerats negotiating terms of surrender" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwN4LoNBxuHFL0rVm3QjcjQAo2ltI0B2MdLuNhYmUfawd7J-XVph47fIVXUIA0Qm6uRvvg0E-qjJtpkDjNUIVnBdmwKhwEZK6WKck4xw2POQ_tUtSCihHJt-87Q8qnrJOUXVKhlshyhs/s320/Shinseki2.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>We are first introduced to a worker race of ratmen who assist the adults of the village in menial duties, foraging and dealing with complicated matters discretely when the limitations of the adult's cantus doesn't permit - like the suspected murdering of innocent people. One limitation of the cantus is that they cannot use it to harm other humans. The first quarter of the show throws Saki and her friends right into the middle of a battle between queerat tribes for no apparent reason other than to show us a bit of the world outside their village.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAI2N8g0Ztc6sF6U1Rzy3f-T9Vk4i4LEHjevZrKhXQ-OLDiODsDIx0_YQ7RdhCITaHbQ_O5Y9ErnyfNTyqVb_zr8TlJdu5nq2aZS8GTDNmYtY6jMk8bi94jFc56nV2MfSV9IJJEETnac/s1600/Shinseki6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="One very strange creature" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAI2N8g0Ztc6sF6U1Rzy3f-T9Vk4i4LEHjevZrKhXQ-OLDiODsDIx0_YQ7RdhCITaHbQ_O5Y9ErnyfNTyqVb_zr8TlJdu5nq2aZS8GTDNmYtY6jMk8bi94jFc56nV2MfSV9IJJEETnac/s320/Shinseki6.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
During their adventure that sees them caught up in the queerat war, they find one of the many creatures that the tales speak of, which appears to be some I-Don't-Know-What-Like glowing creature. The tales say that whoever sees one of them dies, but then, the question is raised; then how did the tale come to exist? Using their cantus to capture the creature, it is discovered they aren't just any normal animal, but some sort of cybernetic animal that acts as a computer AI to access a library containing forbidden histories of the world. Not only is the creature one of the strangest things I've ever seen in anime, it's physical design is completely illogical when taking into consideration its intended purpose.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVh-Yqxn0NyDGOV712Dcwff42kE4Oz4c70veXjGYNR5CNHZR5BUzUC-zo8QZw4G8hUs0I3aE_3W2rbTGE0vSv5DhR-6uo_Lif38P82etVafWjIUSul1MFZZQbeG4DE8WQ3enbxzIoGJxI/s1600/Shinseki8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Amazing artwork of a imaginary house" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVh-Yqxn0NyDGOV712Dcwff42kE4Oz4c70veXjGYNR5CNHZR5BUzUC-zo8QZw4G8hUs0I3aE_3W2rbTGE0vSv5DhR-6uo_Lif38P82etVafWjIUSul1MFZZQbeG4DE8WQ3enbxzIoGJxI/s320/Shinseki8.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
Having learnt what they shouldn't have, the next major complaint I have with the show is when the children are taken captive by a mysterious man who has cantus powers far superior to their own. He seals away their powers, preventing them from using their cantus permanently. The only way to get their cantus back is to return to the village and recover their diaries, which have recordings of the process they went through in the trials when their powers first manifested. But by the time they return to the village to recover these diaries, Saki's older, narrators voice tells us their powers came back on their own, as if that part of the plot element was completely brushed aside. If their powers came back without the diaries, then why mention them in the first place? This is only but one of the illogical plot developments in this series.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIrSK-ySPc4W_LBzC0xf8OIH80Hun2nwCPKPNjnkgDuNKYEc8otxy2UMwkDcSOolu0eiE92hdGVZeB4pujZk8ck5y08Qldm34WZAA7wsZA3hdKorMrpVRoQGcxSW5jiMhqCbpnegZsN0/s1600/shinseki7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Saki caught in the mind world of a karma demon" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIrSK-ySPc4W_LBzC0xf8OIH80Hun2nwCPKPNjnkgDuNKYEc8otxy2UMwkDcSOolu0eiE92hdGVZeB4pujZk8ck5y08Qldm34WZAA7wsZA3hdKorMrpVRoQGcxSW5jiMhqCbpnegZsN0/s320/shinseki7.png" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
Following this narration scene that dismisses their sealed powers as nothing important, the story skips forward two years, totally dismissing the fact that they were scared out of their wits with what the adults of the village would do to them knowing they had discovered part of the forbidden knowledge; which ended up being nothing at all. No, in fact, the village council wants to reward Saki, who is constantly going out of her way to uncover truths and pry into things she shouldn't by making her the next in line to take over the head position of the village council. Why they would ever want such a rebellious child who is determined to destroy everything the village has worked towards I can't possibly understand.<br />
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The next strange plot development I can't understand in the show is after they have skipped forward two years and it shows the relationships Saki and her friends have developed. At the beginning of the show, we are given the hint that Saki is secretly in love with her male friend Shin, but come this stage in the story, it is revealed her other male friend, Setarou is actually gay, and in a relationship with Shin. I was completely surprised by this unexpected development which seems to serve no other purpose than being a complete shock tactics twist with the purpose of causing controversy, which becomes even worse when it is also revealed that Saki herself has formed a lesbian relationship with her friend, Maria.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7C2zwNNGiRzQdBhQsnPO8WaYRb5T_XkvtEiRtTL2BN9lEWPBy3AgMOWC5sLZ87TJ1mNmkG_XSNfqcGHDCpQCa3U8NBi20QT1xD70IGJiock02BEyANcVfJj5NMNhnwZkP7sISNvNu7uI/s1600/Shinseki1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Yuri!" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7C2zwNNGiRzQdBhQsnPO8WaYRb5T_XkvtEiRtTL2BN9lEWPBy3AgMOWC5sLZ87TJ1mNmkG_XSNfqcGHDCpQCa3U8NBi20QT1xD70IGJiock02BEyANcVfJj5NMNhnwZkP7sISNvNu7uI/s320/Shinseki1.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
These relationships appear to last only a matter of a couple of episodes before they are nearly forgotten about and Maria starts encouraging Saki to pursue a relationship with a newly introduced character even though they are supposed to be together. Scenes involving them walking through the school show practically every single student involved in some form of relationship with another student, over half of them being same-sex, which can only lead me to suspect there is some strange genetic bonding and manipulation of feelings going on behind the scenes. On several occasions it is referred to as animalistic relationships and compared to monkeys. I can only suspect this is some sort of political statement made by the writer to support such relationships and was completely unnecessary for the story - hence how easily they where thrown away. Either way, I found these developments hard to deal with because they destroy any potential romance story that could have developed as the episodes progressed. Honestly, before I found out that Setarou was gay, I was suspecting him and Saki might at one point end up falling in love, based on the way the first part of the story was going. No way that is going to happen now.<br />
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There are many other strange twists that seem to have no apparent reason, from killing off characters unexpectedly and then forgetting about them shortly after, to having characters running for their lives out of no fault of their own when they'd spent years prior in what appeared to be complete safety.<br />
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To add salt to the wound, I am at a complete loss at the writers need to make the queerat races so childishly annoying in the way they act and talk. Their incomprehensible nattering continues to grate on my nerves.<br />
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Unfortunately for the writers, it is safe to say this anime is one that deserves to be passed by and forgotten about. The only reason that kept me watching as far as I did, was the intrigue of the mystery that, even though I know the answer to, continues to interest me enough to wonder what they are going to do about it. But seriously, this anime barely makes any sense at all and I'm afraid I have to rate it as one of the weakest anime I've watched this season.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-81357674713530133412012-12-25T03:07:00.001-08:002013-01-01T11:37:38.392-08:00Merry Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just want to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas. I hope you all got great gifts from Santa and get to eat lots of cake - just remember to sleep it off afterwards. And no late night baking, or you'll be too tired to eat it come meal time.<br />
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How sad it is to see the season come to an end, and all the great shows we've watched screen their finales. It has been a tremendous year for anime with some strong contenders like Fate/Zero, Guilty Crown, Chu-2 and Sword Art Online. My list could continue, and truly, I'd need a top 20, not just 10 to list all the quality shows we got to watch this year. I can only hope that 2013 will continue to provide us with the same calibre of entertainment.<br />
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In the Winter 2012/13 season, there are a few anime that I suspect will be the ones to watch for. The first of these being Da Capo III. The multi-series anime has made a big name for itself and has a large following. I'm sure there are many excited to see the show return in its third incarnation.<br />
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Another two are Amnesia and Vivid Red Operation. Vivid Red certainly is stealing a large chunk of the spotlight for the winter season, yet the story of Amnesia sounds very intriguing and will probably make for a serious and dark story - the total opposite of Vivid Red's light-hearted fun.<br />
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But most of all, Savannah Game sounds like it will take my interest the most. I've always been partial to anime based around virtual reality games, and we've certainly had a few come out this year, including the smash hit, Sword Art Online. Now we get a fourth game-themed anime for winter.<br />
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Of course, with the popularity of the first season of Chihayafuru, we are likely to see that continue in January with the screening of the show's second season. Maoyuu Maou Yuusha looks interesting, but I'm still a bit on the fence with it due to the poor sounding synopsis, but I've always been partial to anime with swords in them, and this one looks to be no different - I'll hold out until I've seen the first couple of episodes before passing judgement on it.<br />
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With that said, Merry Christmas fellow anime fans and keep on watching!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-89451267535784511292012-12-19T01:35:00.000-08:002013-01-01T11:39:25.644-08:00Robotics;Notes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmTnQJ-icEA10FbX2dgvDLi9GhDZDA9lB455yzJ8ENZDOv00kRWimmuctQsHrpocpFw4N1RZi8IUq5wY_I9NIC_tHrulT11qpqIvdoH0xXKqsSnCvne5WQou8yd_U0qeU_bJ5XvshUw0/s1600/roboticsnotes5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Gunbird-1" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmTnQJ-icEA10FbX2dgvDLi9GhDZDA9lB455yzJ8ENZDOv00kRWimmuctQsHrpocpFw4N1RZi8IUq5wY_I9NIC_tHrulT11qpqIvdoH0xXKqsSnCvne5WQou8yd_U0qeU_bJ5XvshUw0/s1600/roboticsnotes5.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
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Based in the year 2019, Robotics;Notes follows the story of Kaito Yashio and Akiho Senomiya who are the sole members of the Central Tanegashima High School Robotics Club. Akiho is determined to live up to the expectations of her older sister by finishing the large-scale robot her sister started back before she graduated from the school after founding the original robotics club. While Akiho seeks funding to continue her project, Kaito spends his days hanging round the club hanger, not helping in the development of Akiho's robot, but playing a popular mech fighting game, Kill-Ballad, which is based on the fictional anime, Gunvarrel. The fictional show itself serves as inspiration for Akiho, going so far as to codename her project, Gunbird-1 - a robot from the anime.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpatEeNN_uDU43c9-kbbfMqwnSc_dQgEi3W-L_m1cvC08DFlgDUUyog4-bbg0jTT3ciEpiWWcEZoXTmQwG4t07sbg3RZsJ6vLiLF4jMLkigC3QvxMCCqyjjDoHdsGPZcw4i8Qnsqur-A/s1600/roboticsnotes1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Aki testing out robot" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpatEeNN_uDU43c9-kbbfMqwnSc_dQgEi3W-L_m1cvC08DFlgDUUyog4-bbg0jTT3ciEpiWWcEZoXTmQwG4t07sbg3RZsJ6vLiLF4jMLkigC3QvxMCCqyjjDoHdsGPZcw4i8Qnsqur-A/s320/roboticsnotes1.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
While the robot looks very little like the real Gunbird-1, Akiho finds encouragement from the relucant Kaito's unexpected and heartfelt support, as well as that of her other friends who over time join the club to help finish the project in their own unique way. Her work is not without merit, which is soon recognised by the company behind the fictional lollies, Space Candy, run by a man who will come to coin the most catchy saying of the entire show: Impact! You only have to take notice of anime forums around the world to see that this word is on the tip of every robotics fan's tongue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFCCf55em2PQbqcKD5wUDjUhKhiRBh_oZb8c8jEdVXc5S8-zYd4VTh2vJmj7tWJ_RF6nVDv04BuE7sxGGaeFU6n0Eoq2DokEfzesKpvOvPl998qrmGm9aZomU2bqgwww9GVAcnucB3QE/s1600/roboticsnotes3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Aki and Kai as children with her sister" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFCCf55em2PQbqcKD5wUDjUhKhiRBh_oZb8c8jEdVXc5S8-zYd4VTh2vJmj7tWJ_RF6nVDv04BuE7sxGGaeFU6n0Eoq2DokEfzesKpvOvPl998qrmGm9aZomU2bqgwww9GVAcnucB3QE/s320/roboticsnotes3.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Robotics;Notes is the third anime to be adapted from the series of visual novels produced by 5pb Inc, and follows in the wake of the smash hit 2011 anime sensation, Steins;Gate. While not quite living up to the success of its predecessor, the anime has shown itself to be a much deeper story than previously expected. With its foreboding of apocalyptic disaster, we can surmise that what starts as a simple school robotics club might well be the only thing standing between the Earth and certain annihilation.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2v54GsXChMdzBqkppKLA7UQfjtruDP_12LIJ8m6HLMlGWLz1F1gE4g8vZd5-r64N1Wi_JLuTmuIxbPcn77gpflgAdO0lMLA8gW1NKtjUSl_jbWU1hlX0DQqAT_P3QQS-BOT_t06hHjwY/s1600/roboticsnotes2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The creator of Gunvarrel" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2v54GsXChMdzBqkppKLA7UQfjtruDP_12LIJ8m6HLMlGWLz1F1gE4g8vZd5-r64N1Wi_JLuTmuIxbPcn77gpflgAdO0lMLA8gW1NKtjUSl_jbWU1hlX0DQqAT_P3QQS-BOT_t06hHjwY/s320/roboticsnotes2.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a><br />
Robotics;Notes is full of humour and lovingly crafted golden moments which you would come to expect in what we thought was going to be a slice of life anime, but it has a serious side that is slowly creeping in from the background, directed by the artificial intelligence program, Airi, who reveals herself to Kaito, along with a secret NASA doesn't want the world to know. It doesn't seem surprising at all that an anime skirting around the possibility of a worldwide apocalypse would show its face in a year that is already full of doomsday, end of the world, predictions.<br />
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I have quite enjoyed the show so far, although I liked Steins;Gate better, but I am sure we are going to be in for a real treat as the story leaves behind character introductions and humour in favour of the real meat of the story.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-41660386163356989702012-12-07T13:53:00.000-08:002013-02-24T19:39:21.742-08:00Seraphine and the Orphan of Castlepoint<br />
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<b>SERAPHINE AND THE ORPHAN OF CASTLEPOINT</b></div>
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The room drifted into focus; the Light locked away safely inside me again. My skin tingled, hot to the touch when I rubbed my arms. It was residue of the lashing heat that had washed over me only moments ago, a side-effect of my own powers. I hated it.<br />
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Rounded crystal lamps dangled from chains, forcing their dim light through gaps in the metal platform above my head. The heavy clamour of working machinery echoed from the upper level of the factory, and the dull thrum of an extractor fan throbbed through my ears.<br />
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The scent of scorched flesh permeated in the air. Seven bodies surrounded me, one of them the mother. I’d been too late to save her, just like I’d been too late to save the father. The truth is: I’d had no intention of saving them in the first place.<br />
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The arm of a massive machine crossed in front of the lamps, casting striped patterns again the steel wall. They flickered over the vent, drawing my attention to the frightened child hiding within; the only survivor of this bloodbath. How she’d survived through me releasing my power when all others had perished, I’ll never know, but honestly; I didn’t care.<br />
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She wasn’t my concern. Orphans were shard a dozen in this city. She’d be dead before long. Either that or she’d turn to prostitution, and <i>then </i>she’d die; charity had long ago ceased to exist in Castlepoint.<br />
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I turned away. My body tensed and I bunched my fists to try stop them shaking. What frustrated me most was that my prey had somehow managed to elude me. Maybe the shade provided by the vent had protected the girl, but there was no explanation for how Blackmantle had escaped. And I’d done so well to track him here to this bloody factory.<br />
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The girl’s whimpers reached me and for a moment there I contemplated putting her out of her misery. My hand rested on the pommel of the sword at my waist. It would be a kindness, the only one she’d be likely to get. I walked away instead. I’m not like them. I don’t murder children.<br />
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It was quieter in the hallway, easier to relax and not care about the mess I’d left behind me. My foot bumped up against the body of the father. His chest was bloody from the bullet holes. What had brought them here, why had they been running from the Royal Guard? I doubted I’d be getting any answers from a corpse, or that broken shell of a child. My curiosity wasn’t worth the effort.<br />
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Little feet padded over concrete behind me. They stopped. I refrained from cursing at her, instead squeezing the bridge of my nose between forefinger and thumb. Why me…? The girl stood a few paces away from me.<br />
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I didn’t have time for this. ‘Sorry kid, but I’m not giving hand-outs today.’<br />
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The dark pools of her eyes remained fixed on mine.<br />
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‘Scat. Go on now, get!’<br />
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The Four curse me. That lost puppy-dog look of hers was hard to ignore. A stuffed bear hung from her hand, stained red with blood. Her knees too; the skirts covering them slicked red, adding to the black stains that ruined her white dress.<br />
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I should leave her. My job didn’t spare me the room to babysit a kid. Yet why did I just stand there, listening to the distant throb of the extractor fan? A faulty crystal lamp flickered overhead. Damn it.<br />
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‘Come on then,’ I said.<br />
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The girl hugged her bear against her chest and kept her gaze fixed on me, avoiding the body at my feet. Smart kid.<br />
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I slipped the leather jacket off my shoulders and put it on her. There was no way she was going anywhere with me in her current state. The brown jacket fell to her ankles, but at least when closed it covered the blood.<br />
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I must be mad, taking her with me. How in the Four Circles of Hell I was going to explain this to Luca.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-3131431768974805692012-11-26T22:05:00.000-08:002013-01-01T11:41:34.441-08:00Hunted: Season Finale Impressions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Hunted </i>is a bond-esque television drama written by Frank Spotnitz for BBC One staring Melissa George as Sam Hunter, the butt-kicking espionage operative working for the private intelligence agency, Byzantium. Like a female version of Bond, Sam has the knack for getting herself into trouble, although nothing she can't fight her way out of with her to-be-expected incomparable training, but most of all the sex appeal we have come to expect from attractive and talented spy flick stars. Unfortunately, that same sex appeal is ruined by her petulant sulking and weak moments that betrays the tough character personality she is attempting to develop into.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkDvJL424Z260kPJcLHExCHT6S7f1VnP7v05tiZzAIHEm4FJ1awR2A0aVTFHP7EtBVXTNGHdApnG_lO3lIK1-GgWCskzej21Ws_1ActENp5B4juzvJH1jPcf9Hu9vVmwVKOQoasEYq2g/s1600/hunted05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="figuring out who attempted to kill her" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkDvJL424Z260kPJcLHExCHT6S7f1VnP7v05tiZzAIHEm4FJ1awR2A0aVTFHP7EtBVXTNGHdApnG_lO3lIK1-GgWCskzej21Ws_1ActENp5B4juzvJH1jPcf9Hu9vVmwVKOQoasEYq2g/s320/hunted05.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
When Sam is betrayed by members of the very intelligence agency she works for, she goes into hiding in order to recover from the attempt on her life that cost her the life of her unborn child. During her recovery she gathers together any information she can find on Byzantium, looking for clues that will lead to the identity of those who betrayed her and why they'd made an attempt on her life, which as the story progresses, is apparently tied into a project called Hourglass, and a traumatic experience she suffered as a child.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzIh_MuYOgF9fOL98WiPPIkyWCoR5AEPOWQb9qiFEgBBiKqk7otl6xTsqec4FtowOMbEJisueuPsRJwy6vb7wTslfo6CfK1CY7IjI3T9nv3-Eha3cMqiptn0tp7MdAB1uz5OEvUgmaO54/s1600/hunted07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The villian of the show" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzIh_MuYOgF9fOL98WiPPIkyWCoR5AEPOWQb9qiFEgBBiKqk7otl6xTsqec4FtowOMbEJisueuPsRJwy6vb7wTslfo6CfK1CY7IjI3T9nv3-Eha3cMqiptn0tp7MdAB1uz5OEvUgmaO54/s320/hunted07.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Having recovered from her injury and loss, Sam returns to Byzantium when she realises it is the only way she can find answers to the puzzle surrounding her. She is welcomed back into the team, although many surprised to see her, including her once boyfriend, and the father of her dead baby, Aiden Marsh. Knowing she is their best operative, they quickly throw her back into the action, assigning her to gain the trust of Stephen Turner. Rescuing his son from a staged kidnapping attempt, Sam is quickly brought into Stephen's home as a nanny for his son, Edward, when she takes on the persona of Alex Kent, a single woman desperately in need of a job. Sam uses the secret identity and position to get close to Stephen's father, Jack Turner, and discover the secret he is using to blackmail a large conglomerate organisation that has ties to Byzantium. The story escalates when she discovers ties between the attempt of her life, the mysterious Hourglass project, Byzantium and it's largest parent company, Polyhedrus.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hzVJAKGOCG_CGfJngK8tz9tomdpFw7QfuAwUW6htAq_FlpJg9XBfR6fMRs9sznWfPCdkFPSwo2ArxUp7Uw-q3Kgbcpnjh2x5nqNeiOTH-xlxmytPb2f7U00Ybgx5EGw_sPmDmBBSKvI/s1600/hunted01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sam ustilising a lighter as a flamethrower" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hzVJAKGOCG_CGfJngK8tz9tomdpFw7QfuAwUW6htAq_FlpJg9XBfR6fMRs9sznWfPCdkFPSwo2ArxUp7Uw-q3Kgbcpnjh2x5nqNeiOTH-xlxmytPb2f7U00Ybgx5EGw_sPmDmBBSKvI/s320/hunted01.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>I had wanted to believe in the show that so much reminded me of a UK version of <i>Alias </i>without the cheesy acting. It was supposed to be the show that filled the gap left by the hit show <i>Spooks, </i>and clearly the network had dropped a huge ton of money into it. The production quality is high, although on occasions suffers from some below-average acting and scripts. On the whole though, the show appeared to have potential, and a decent amount of action and intrigue to keep me interested. Unfortunately, ratings slipped on the show and now it looks to be on rocky ground. BBC One is choosing to drop support for the show, but Cinemax hasn't given up hope quite yet. We will see a second season, but it might go the way of <i>Strike Back</i> and become a hugely different show. It will still feature the sexy Melissa George, although some may consider that a negative, rather than positive, based on her acting skills. But she has a pretty face, right? That always sells.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQEx4Tctp9HfS4GG2UOAEuRhjZ6gje-1r2xQJCj4nvc0-FePUcattCNF3CEa0BFw8foG34nJWArRvpDKYHb0hsOQnSZGdX2Qoo3rXM94eEgHtJ1VY_qmhi1s3XX5FWB7yHj9VSlPiDBY/s1600/hunted04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Sam with her ex-boyfriend and partner" border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQEx4Tctp9HfS4GG2UOAEuRhjZ6gje-1r2xQJCj4nvc0-FePUcattCNF3CEa0BFw8foG34nJWArRvpDKYHb0hsOQnSZGdX2Qoo3rXM94eEgHtJ1VY_qmhi1s3XX5FWB7yHj9VSlPiDBY/s320/hunted04.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>The greatest problem I see with <i>Hunted </i>is the unresolved plot arcs. I believe, given the funding and support, the holes would have all been filled in time and answers given, but the show was surviving on a severely limited number of episodes for a story that easily needed double their allotment. The simple truth was, there were far too many stories going on in the show for it to possibly reach any satisfactory conclusion. The worst of this being the briefly visited, but unfulfilled relationship Sam develops with Stephen and his son. I was disappointed how easily they threw away all they'd worked towards regarding them in those last episodes, although I suppose his character was too weak to truly take her interest. On many occasions, Stephen frustrated me with his inability to stand up to his father, even after discovering all Jack's dirty, dark secrets. With the move away from BBC One, we should be worried that those questions we had by the end of the finale might very well be left unanswered. It is a shame, because the series did show a good level of untapped potential that I had hoped they would in time work their way into.<br />
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Overall, the series was intriguing, but ultimately an unsatisfying watch. I enjoyed watching it, but would have liked there to be at least a full season of episodes so they could flesh it out properly.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-34711852033134967072012-11-23T15:14:00.000-08:002013-01-01T11:43:28.082-08:00Psycho Pass<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Nz4MZgKC_snSF53KWb_YT0roi12hdBSUDROW6vmLtz7Mh0_XuDyQXkzdKlhCH6DiAPERLpRqPAu41rd-OT5BKMgZx4AXzkZ4FB2cNb9CGjDVgpf1tLywu-sys62SCFJvAE80l8KJBh4/s1600/Psycho1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="About to shoot the dominator" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Nz4MZgKC_snSF53KWb_YT0roi12hdBSUDROW6vmLtz7Mh0_XuDyQXkzdKlhCH6DiAPERLpRqPAu41rd-OT5BKMgZx4AXzkZ4FB2cNb9CGjDVgpf1tLywu-sys62SCFJvAE80l8KJBh4/s1600/Psycho1.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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Psycho-Pass is an anime that started off mediocre and uninspiring. But as the episodes have gone on, I've started to see something in it; a jewel that is slowly being polished into a series that just might be worth watching after all.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmLrV54hZSnaTPudTUS4YfU7UHQEmyeMF_Mf6tTrFw8OJ-9zFMAPA4LWQ6cyFEN0nOL67ZQ0gIwehZs4LXv9MagRJZmmAmHtulEhNO-5DdC8cY71NteT6Zmrtfk_86qdTb0HVU7GB55Q/s1600/Psycho3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Physical training" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmLrV54hZSnaTPudTUS4YfU7UHQEmyeMF_Mf6tTrFw8OJ-9zFMAPA4LWQ6cyFEN0nOL67ZQ0gIwehZs4LXv9MagRJZmmAmHtulEhNO-5DdC8cY71NteT6Zmrtfk_86qdTb0HVU7GB55Q/s320/Psycho3.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
The anime is based in the near future, following a similar story to the movie <i>Minority Report</i>, where it is possible to measure a person's mental state, personality and the probability that a person will commit crimes. This is called their "Crime Coefficent" level and is monitored by "Enforcers" working for the Safety Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division. Enforcers use weapons called "Dominators" that read the target's mental state and determine how serious of a threat the perpetrator is. The weapon has two modes, stun and lethal, and will automatically switch between the modes when the target's level gets too high.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDY8QFiG6QZYYbF7eBTlPXKCAfXDu2G0IW6wDpVHppCKUiHp8ee4WztwbhLpl4NAu1F9rONhBs4MMgZTTy921Z-s2ANX7qarp7uQn-vMUOTCqQFw1J9eBjYXMbOWxcCdftsi-u-JnceA/s1600/Psycho10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Protagonist with a dominator" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDY8QFiG6QZYYbF7eBTlPXKCAfXDu2G0IW6wDpVHppCKUiHp8ee4WztwbhLpl4NAu1F9rONhBs4MMgZTTy921Z-s2ANX7qarp7uQn-vMUOTCqQFw1J9eBjYXMbOWxcCdftsi-u-JnceA/s320/Psycho10.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
The anime follows the story of Akane Tsunemori, an inspector fresh out of training who is placed in charge of a group of Enforcers, ensuring they follow the rules and stay in control of their own mental state. She takes an interest in Shinkya Kogami, who used to once be an inspector, but when his own Crime Coefficent level grew too high while investigating a difficult case was demoted down to Enforcer and treated like a latent criminal - like the other Enforcers, who are all latent criminals, given the chance to redeem themselves by working for the police instead of committing the crimes they were predicted to do. If her curiosity develops into something more we can only theorise, but as the episodes continue, I wonder if Akane will turn out to really be the perfect, high-scoring, 'model citizen' they all believe her to be. It will be interesting to see if she goes the same way of Shinkya Kogami.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgFMsCYln8XS6CKFlb79h9NJKC9pC4aMH4tGi6Zn1EAREQnyuwSZcvCu9KBoosJZhLl675d3VMfWcVGIHNyPNPEfuEJA7WmL7TscjuFclVywOeZ1aHatwBhWaAobsLNr92We5Nbx5jXQ/s1600/Psycho11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The police AI force" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgFMsCYln8XS6CKFlb79h9NJKC9pC4aMH4tGi6Zn1EAREQnyuwSZcvCu9KBoosJZhLl675d3VMfWcVGIHNyPNPEfuEJA7WmL7TscjuFclVywOeZ1aHatwBhWaAobsLNr92We5Nbx5jXQ/s320/Psycho11.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>The concept of this anime is brilliant, and is what made me start watching it. At first I was put off by the below-average anime quality. They could of at least made the characters look pleasing to the eye, but I suppose the artists were going for a more average, realistic look - which that did achieve. Animation style aside, the story has enough going for it to make me continue to watch.<br />
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Unfortunately, the gem I now see in it only became apparent about four episodes into the anime. The first two episodes were a real struggle, dealing with dark situations, weak characters, unexplained plots and ridiculous arguments that just ended up being a waste of time and over dramatisation. This was solved by the story starting to actually go somewhere productive and become serialised series from one episode to the next, forming a long story arc revolving around virtual reality hackers and crime bosses.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxnp9hIlFueda7CSFfr7dJpNh9l2Kvk9PuKamsuWhthBkFoyU8-G8nSePKwuZrAznkEivvlCiQr-2Tj-0S1XfsPaR1HTJLDz5b10V9yYHiv7X9SpyNd-LJkogMcABOXjsWtqQh_FVjrE/s1600/Psycho7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Avatars of Internet Celebrities seeking revenge on hacker" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxnp9hIlFueda7CSFfr7dJpNh9l2Kvk9PuKamsuWhthBkFoyU8-G8nSePKwuZrAznkEivvlCiQr-2Tj-0S1XfsPaR1HTJLDz5b10V9yYHiv7X9SpyNd-LJkogMcABOXjsWtqQh_FVjrE/s1600/Psycho7.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnu-09rDnD3jlnzRSc9AiB4qegBx4D31Sv1iKRRmE_wqFztIyjWGmF7gW5wzpjZWYuLKOBc7zC0RNqM2vf_NkPLbMi3QQRy0BBR7CrsF8jHKL4tw8MxLkRtxRk4uBxEx2Yk0_vp9yErs/s1600/Psycho8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="With the dominator again." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnu-09rDnD3jlnzRSc9AiB4qegBx4D31Sv1iKRRmE_wqFztIyjWGmF7gW5wzpjZWYuLKOBc7zC0RNqM2vf_NkPLbMi3QQRy0BBR7CrsF8jHKL4tw8MxLkRtxRk4uBxEx2Yk0_vp9yErs/s1600/Psycho8.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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The strange, lackluster animation continues to grind on me but I suspect we are in for a very big surprise in the episodes to come that will leave us wondering just where this show came from - very much what happened to the hit TV Show <i>Fringe - </i>the first season barely had any story, yet halfway through the second season the viewers' eyes were opened to an amazing development in the characters and story. We might just be in for the same evolution with Psycho-Pass. I am very curious to see if the anime lives up to my hopes in the weeks to come.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-52047471773884958272012-11-21T23:32:00.000-08:002013-01-01T11:43:53.502-08:00Nanowrimo Target ReachedA quick post to announce that today marked the halfway point for my second draft of The Maidenflower Dance, and as such I've reached the 50k words target set for Nanowrimo in November. Of course I'll continue to write, got another 50k words at least to go before the story is done.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7-LrWdek2cYmClZRYxnKbknuZyV-pYWdY1vJeP9gUPHrwf6TSplx_YYvH66gGg7nFmeW79ehPPgcJfRNgjpyncjkJO0Su9HT0Sfh0tyT7LL5ACHsyUuy9TveCBVZSejQRm-WZUE5h3Q/s1600/nano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="My writing statistics" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7-LrWdek2cYmClZRYxnKbknuZyV-pYWdY1vJeP9gUPHrwf6TSplx_YYvH66gGg7nFmeW79ehPPgcJfRNgjpyncjkJO0Su9HT0Sfh0tyT7LL5ACHsyUuy9TveCBVZSejQRm-WZUE5h3Q/s1600/nano.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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As you can see, nine days ahead of target. I'm pleased with the result and hope I can keep the rate of progress going and complete the novel before Christmas. I expect it will not be too hard to meet the deadline I've set.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-56204675010036626002012-11-18T22:35:00.000-08:002013-01-01T11:47:18.138-08:00Guild Wars 2: The Lost Shores - GRAND FINALE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKCv2D_bt3b1VNZcGv9KtO2nIGC6H89q57w2X_XHH0cqkF2Vxd-qL203DriilH6Q2BVdgmfWt0kVKNfRUgGirCCc9zO2D4NU7vA2wGUgVy99_Y8elUkENu_iqg9RQpEOlgCHPQDbqAsw/s1600/Title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Lost Shores: Grand Finale" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKCv2D_bt3b1VNZcGv9KtO2nIGC6H89q57w2X_XHH0cqkF2Vxd-qL203DriilH6Q2BVdgmfWt0kVKNfRUgGirCCc9zO2D4NU7vA2wGUgVy99_Y8elUkENu_iqg9RQpEOlgCHPQDbqAsw/s1600/Title.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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Tension was thick in the morning hours leading up to the Lionguard's final strike against the karka threat. Only yesterday adventurers had fought alongside Inspector Ellen Kiel to wrestle the shoreline of Southsun Cove from the karka, securing a beach front and pushing through to establish roads further inland. While the Consortium investigated nearby ruins and collected karka egg specimens, the Lionsguard proceeded to establish a forward base on the edge of the Scoured Plains.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJrLm82hEuxF1rf3tQxoTZcplfumZsoMqpus1Pun3-cYSqIRahEV4hKdiW_yKd6D0tin5NVfm7paNDW18FbfUm8Y-Dz5P6thZbW0hw_oXEEQfsrhNsw8bxQC5f5zKOGZGplaNNf7RL6Bg/s1600/gw096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Big Cannon" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJrLm82hEuxF1rf3tQxoTZcplfumZsoMqpus1Pun3-cYSqIRahEV4hKdiW_yKd6D0tin5NVfm7paNDW18FbfUm8Y-Dz5P6thZbW0hw_oXEEQfsrhNsw8bxQC5f5zKOGZGplaNNf7RL6Bg/s320/gw096.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xOpHtVfl9zFNAluYcXNxDy3f1a0AcKfOUO9BpfxbqTgb40NG_LPWpGUXVQsz_Sh3eng8csYJYEQIq4kiOxiJsNmm2xti94D5ees1bh5AxzcQBQJAtPOLLzJrwLxo14O2Q0j4NNHkFr4/s1600/gw107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Karka champion" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xOpHtVfl9zFNAluYcXNxDy3f1a0AcKfOUO9BpfxbqTgb40NG_LPWpGUXVQsz_Sh3eng8csYJYEQIq4kiOxiJsNmm2xti94D5ees1bh5AxzcQBQJAtPOLLzJrwLxo14O2Q0j4NNHkFr4/s320/gw107.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Adventurers woke to find a new design of catapult, along with asura cannons constructed along the front lines, their sights focused on the karka hive where the Ancient Karka that had been terrorising Lions Arch slumbered. Yesterday the hive had been blocked off to all adventures by an indestructible webbing, taunting us with the points of interest and rich orichalcum veins within. Now it appeared the Lionsguard were making plans to break through that impenetrable wall and take the fight directly to the karka's home.<br />
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Adventurers from all over Tyria gathered in those last moments leading up to the final battle, converging on Canach's Folly to witness the grand finale, summoned by a mass-delivered letter from Inspector Kiel. Upon arrival at the forward camp they found a group of demolitionists just itching to get into that hive and blow it into the mists. Kicking off the final push, the Lionguard fire the cannons, ripping a hole in the webbing. Adventurers and demolitionists alike swarmed through the gap, overwhelming the young karka. Enraged by our attack, veteran egg-layers rose up from the depths of the hive, led by their champions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJGqybEXG7hLRnQUwSYdgRMNU94T4vtDnzV3ZhAwf6eyu3ydjD0cGBifjhIVg1w7vXDwInRqKJRp14Zy2VQDtNFMC8IbRIYoWg-RnY2iIb76z_m6GZx3hu1UxclZLwQM6AAhNQWagr-E/s1600/gw112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Inside the Karka Hive" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJGqybEXG7hLRnQUwSYdgRMNU94T4vtDnzV3ZhAwf6eyu3ydjD0cGBifjhIVg1w7vXDwInRqKJRp14Zy2VQDtNFMC8IbRIYoWg-RnY2iIb76z_m6GZx3hu1UxclZLwQM6AAhNQWagr-E/s1600/gw112.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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The fight was severe and bloody, and many lost their lives, but after much effort, the demolitionists placed their charges, ending at the top with a grand battle confronting another champion karka and several veteran egg-layers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvgmp9VvpI7RqCLr9LhqyhI5tUE3XqUwMkGRCE_fyJCoZFJ6jUzl1vDlMSb7Gtw-453qjq0V0DXLYEKrJ2aoJrA1j8IGQwgM2O0P3i3XVkiohZtxnzBLV88E9M2e-lyNv6_5sQkg8NIU/s1600/fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Still inside the Karka Hive" border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvgmp9VvpI7RqCLr9LhqyhI5tUE3XqUwMkGRCE_fyJCoZFJ6jUzl1vDlMSb7Gtw-453qjq0V0DXLYEKrJ2aoJrA1j8IGQwgM2O0P3i3XVkiohZtxnzBLV88E9M2e-lyNv6_5sQkg8NIU/s320/fire.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
Our mission complete we escaped from the hive, racing across the Seashell Hills and back to the safety of Canach's Folly and the asura cannons. There we met with Inspector Ellen Keil, who was preparing to use the cannons against the karka still remaining in the hive, triggering the explosives in the process, except her plans are foiled at the last moment. The Ancient Karka was never in the hive. We were now required to force it back into sight of the cannons so that the Lionsguard could finish what we started.<br />
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We found the Ancient Karka in the Driftglass Plains, stubbornly refusing to budge an inch. The tree we felled changed its mind though, but not the way we had hoped. Instead of heading towards the hive, the creature retreated further away and proceeded to summon waves of veteran karka to fight back.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRzHfw9pLQOrg9lYHM5UVmuI_i_9eJ_MGgWFhQ3nKeU2gQyBJSvYxXTuy4OtILDH2Za1FVXPv8TgjyLdhEmOkDdQfk0vRuKGKQl-YfEbdqUWH8-oZ8aLb7KUg4KyG_6dC1INccSEsQKs/s1600/gw129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Ancient Karka Arrives" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRzHfw9pLQOrg9lYHM5UVmuI_i_9eJ_MGgWFhQ3nKeU2gQyBJSvYxXTuy4OtILDH2Za1FVXPv8TgjyLdhEmOkDdQfk0vRuKGKQl-YfEbdqUWH8-oZ8aLb7KUg4KyG_6dC1INccSEsQKs/s320/gw129.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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Wave after wave of karka attacked us, and for the next hour we fought tooth and nail to keep the upper hand. When victory seemed close, we were confronted with a wave of veteran egg-layers, followed by a champion karka. Suffering through the severe latency issues we were dealt at this point, the adventurers struggled to win the fight against the karka and drive the boss back towards the Scoured Plains.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwC_ZR9OE9vaNp3XV64JaS_N-KRQC5K_tyail2fUII4D48At9zVfXWCuFUkZHALmObtPkcli3f8M1HMA4HcgA2TPq_swKcG9yHFRuTU48dcy4itAOayvhJfYlGYvZQhAXBYB6YOYtpdXg/s1600/gw145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Using steam vents to fight the Ancient Karka" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwC_ZR9OE9vaNp3XV64JaS_N-KRQC5K_tyail2fUII4D48At9zVfXWCuFUkZHALmObtPkcli3f8M1HMA4HcgA2TPq_swKcG9yHFRuTU48dcy4itAOayvhJfYlGYvZQhAXBYB6YOYtpdXg/s320/gw145.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>At the end of the hour long battle, we made headway, chasing the Ancient Karka into a region full of geothermal fissures. Ripping the webbing off the fissures, we used their pressure to launch boulders at the Ancient Karka, driving down its will to fight on.<br />
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The creature at last gave up the fight, retreating into the Scoured Plains, but it was not over yet. Regaining courage, the beast summoned more veteran karka, along with egg-layers and their babies. The battle was fierce, and the adventurers were pushed back onto the bridge to Captain's Retreat, but after much toil and pain, we succeeded, only to be confronted by three champion karka. The battle raged on, and eventually we forced the Ancient Karka back into the Seashell Hills.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-tLLY8jQn7tqFcvyJqO4wCymuV-CCa_sXM3Ts9wsXdq3qCQ0ZdjyZn_vjTON9A3FTmsPyeoNi9VHtWmnBDYM3zvHpqZnc7a1VtyX7zSGCXeRkdcZyyPjLSBLx0xQfknKc-Lap7ZDj9o/s1600/gw161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Chasing the Ancient Karka back to the hive" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-tLLY8jQn7tqFcvyJqO4wCymuV-CCa_sXM3Ts9wsXdq3qCQ0ZdjyZn_vjTON9A3FTmsPyeoNi9VHtWmnBDYM3zvHpqZnc7a1VtyX7zSGCXeRkdcZyyPjLSBLx0xQfknKc-Lap7ZDj9o/s320/gw161.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
The battle was not over yet though, we still had to drive the Ancient Karka back into the hive where the trap we'd set waited for it. We achieved this by destroying gas nodes around the area that had been blocked by karka webbing. Each exploding node forced the creature further and further back, until it retreated within the confines of the hive.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFV5dWdA__2NAVjxyNgazF7VNaX4GCQYm-4YC2PDDefW1oE49hu9l8R-ZE3Sy9im3A7db6qam4910v386elBYg9G0LnUaO5h1ycwnxEkKHyfQj5afANdG2u3Th_UHn47GI8G9pF074bY/s1600/gw169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Fighting the Ancient Karka outside the hive" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFV5dWdA__2NAVjxyNgazF7VNaX4GCQYm-4YC2PDDefW1oE49hu9l8R-ZE3Sy9im3A7db6qam4910v386elBYg9G0LnUaO5h1ycwnxEkKHyfQj5afANdG2u3Th_UHn47GI8G9pF074bY/s320/gw169.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Sensing her eminent victory, Inspector Kiel ordered the Lionsguard to charge the cannons, preparing to fire again. It was up to the adventurers to keep the Ancient Karka busy until the cannons were ready to fire once more.<br />
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The creature fled to the top of the hive, and we followed, free to run up the path previously cleared of young and veteran karka. At the top we found the Ancient Karka hiding amongst the webbing, which had covered the previously placed explosives, leaving us with no other option but to destroy the webbing in order to reset the trap for him. With the webbing destroyed, the karka fled back down to the bottom of the hive, using a rolling move to crush all opposition in its way, but little did the karka know, but that was where we wanted it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7J5G9Mlm9sCg8Az0pBMNVEYZ614cOanAKijJOZstmXzCkqSulLVI8dSC-dQ-vND9CFJeSYuISbylorTs1duC5SKJnO7A4tsF8RzvlAt6EtIv74OKpV5uK33ZeWc0txJhEQnrnqO82wo/s1600/webbing1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The final battle against the Ancient Karka inside the hive" border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7J5G9Mlm9sCg8Az0pBMNVEYZ614cOanAKijJOZstmXzCkqSulLVI8dSC-dQ-vND9CFJeSYuISbylorTs1duC5SKJnO7A4tsF8RzvlAt6EtIv74OKpV5uK33ZeWc0txJhEQnrnqO82wo/s320/webbing1.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP_811aZYFKEZVudO2RU0I4ve4QqRxwkKFcDzwUTNz4PjdpDfH1FOmSQfHyPyAKV0kLj3jau6qOgS1ixQWz6jNezdwkW3auClVaNO45f34ZnM1CJYd4jGL9y_xm4XPyfULzoALiMZwWw/s1600/cornered1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fighting the Ancient Karka inside the hive" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP_811aZYFKEZVudO2RU0I4ve4QqRxwkKFcDzwUTNz4PjdpDfH1FOmSQfHyPyAKV0kLj3jau6qOgS1ixQWz6jNezdwkW3auClVaNO45f34ZnM1CJYd4jGL9y_xm4XPyfULzoALiMZwWw/s320/cornered1.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Cornered, we at last launched an all out offensive on the Ancient Karka itself, paying it back for all the terror it had unleashed, for the citizens of Tyria it had murdered and the damage it had done to Lions Arch. The creature was helpless against our fury and it fell to our blades, weakening. The time had come, the cannons were charged, the explosives set, ready to blow. Inspector Ellen Kiel gave the final command, and the cannons fired, striking the Ancient Karka and explosives. The ground beneath it ruptured, revealing the lava below, and the creature was swallowed whole, consumed by the fires.<br />
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Making one last effort, the Ancient Karka rose up again, emerging from the lava to struggle onto the land, but its burns were severe, its wounds fatal. The karka took its last breath and died, the adventurers and Lionsguard standing triumphant before it. Victory was ours.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDillptQw1x1fd0h63Yd3rTe644NvbFefxU0NpkdTPql_xHO6oG2_dzFl5uWKtnfK4iBxJLB_6mgyXXMuxsCLU31F4pT9NGrnkkpPRsw4KKHa3Hbni7GRdsSXEuqlfAEYbX81sY5ZAfY/s1600/death2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Ancient Karka is defeated!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDillptQw1x1fd0h63Yd3rTe644NvbFefxU0NpkdTPql_xHO6oG2_dzFl5uWKtnfK4iBxJLB_6mgyXXMuxsCLU31F4pT9NGrnkkpPRsw4KKHa3Hbni7GRdsSXEuqlfAEYbX81sY5ZAfY/s1600/death2.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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Having defeated the karka threat once and for all, the adventurers were rewarded with an enormous event chest containing unique and exotic treasures. Every adventurer was given a 20-slot karka themed bag, an exotic earring that gave +25 to all stats as well as +5% magic find, two random exotic items, and a handful of other, lesser rarity, random items.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWObWRiNPmADEhMDZzZzFrLre3jvzEcvBd8tqpNG-NoB2zrl7q-vPVGu780ULxbGZg7CBdZY3MRzvwT5jMv5TMmPhoV7jSnJfMFt2k8wVcdN3NoBsGbuwsEj8VG3UzyEatdoSwWrQnHNY/s1600/chest1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Treasure!" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWObWRiNPmADEhMDZzZzFrLre3jvzEcvBd8tqpNG-NoB2zrl7q-vPVGu780ULxbGZg7CBdZY3MRzvwT5jMv5TMmPhoV7jSnJfMFt2k8wVcdN3NoBsGbuwsEj8VG3UzyEatdoSwWrQnHNY/s320/chest1.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Satisfied with the outcome of the three-hour long event, latency issues forgiven, the adventurers returned to Canach's Folly, which now stands as a Lionsguard outpost, to stay until the remaining karka are found and the island is freed of their terror for good. Players left happy, thankful that the final day of the event had not been a complete disaster like the second day had been. Now all that remains is to explore every inch of the island, complete the jumping puzzles, gather the karka shells used to create newly added items, and explore the very depths of the Fractals of the Mists. Already there are reports of players reaching difficulty level 4 or 5, and who knows what awaits them as the dungeon continues to get even more dangerous.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-53862392343842894432012-11-17T14:03:00.001-08:002013-01-01T11:48:09.529-08:00Guild Wars 2: The Lost Shores - DAY TWO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOvaodKrtyRLu38KYoIeuBYrxrV-idjYDSze_qkWO1oN0wYp9_J8kQPixBE1ANv0wqfR8F6aaia68YofFC6uPda98DYXYeNh6U1L3WZ0ZUa-EIoOqyZ0Qrhd-CQ7KfZC33nZlYv5E3vk/s1600/LostShoresLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Lost Shores: Day Two" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOvaodKrtyRLu38KYoIeuBYrxrV-idjYDSze_qkWO1oN0wYp9_J8kQPixBE1ANv0wqfR8F6aaia68YofFC6uPda98DYXYeNh6U1L3WZ0ZUa-EIoOqyZ0Qrhd-CQ7KfZC33nZlYv5E3vk/s1600/LostShoresLogo.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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The second day of the weekend-long Lost Shores event has started and unfortunately not all is well in the world of Tyria. Day One quest chains were still bugged out, even after a supposed bug fix patch was released in the early hours of the morning, and adventurers were growing even more frustrated with their inability to experience the story ArenaNet had crafted for the weekend. Things did not bode well for the MMO developers chances to impress all those new players they had drawn into the game with the trial key giveaways.<br />
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Players gathered around Levvi, waiting for the Phase Two event to kick off. 12:00pm server time came and went, leaving the adventurers puzzled. Where was the next major event, where were the karka that were supposed to attack Lions Arch once more? They were nowhere to be seen. All adventurers were left with was an updated meta-event text stating something about testing out new weapons on the Karka, but where these weapons were, and how you went about testing them, nobody knew. There was no cutscene to show us the way, no hints from ArenaNet like there had been yesterday. Today we were left believing something had gone dreadfully wrong.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8bEuotJ9hvoxusUFjXoPFYd69u0n7cB885_4z8YVC-7JIj4IEsvBkVlydRC2Nu1siR5JQUs6zEvXyPVh-ElOiKZkiIaKo8lDg-YhQCGcqOzUrpGN-cOzmvheekZRjrrSXsVEeeJMd7w/s1600/gw002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Catapult" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8bEuotJ9hvoxusUFjXoPFYd69u0n7cB885_4z8YVC-7JIj4IEsvBkVlydRC2Nu1siR5JQUs6zEvXyPVh-ElOiKZkiIaKo8lDg-YhQCGcqOzUrpGN-cOzmvheekZRjrrSXsVEeeJMd7w/s1600/gw002.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
Fifteen minutes after the even start time, there was at last some progress. Apparently the Lionguard, under the direction of Magnus, were building a siege weapon to attack the Ancient Karka with. Now that things were at last underway, Magnus, along with Levvi and Kiel, lead us to the walls of Fort Marriner, where we could see the aforementioned trebulchet. That was the moment the karka chose to attack.<br />
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Like the previous event, the Ancient Karka sent waves of lesser karka against us, but this time we were prepared. Barrels of a toxic substance harmful to the karka were scattered across the land between Fort Marriner and the lighthouse. This time the egg-layers fell with ease, the toxin ripping through their shells. Forced into a confrontation, the Ancient Karka joins the fight, but this is where the problems start. On some servers the boss vanished without a trace, leaving adventurers without any event rewards or completion bonuses. On other servers the karka's health continously reset, making him impossible to defeat. Unfortunately, my server was one of those affected by this bug, which means I missed what end to the event there could have been. Upon my return to Lions Arch, after exploring a couple other points of interest in the event weekend, I found the boss gone, having vanished into thin air.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtLMteU_9DVTTN3cDsZjVKIeH2SKV1v-pzM5yDNMhg5qiWnCs1TohuX7Ok9KidshQYlg3sM_ui36WBRUGuraUrryGN18Hc71jXxxH8y-0Yo6FlqctwGoo3eeRqppKYtj8Uwem1vE_O7k/s1600/gw012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="First battle against the Ancient Karka" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtLMteU_9DVTTN3cDsZjVKIeH2SKV1v-pzM5yDNMhg5qiWnCs1TohuX7Ok9KidshQYlg3sM_ui36WBRUGuraUrryGN18Hc71jXxxH8y-0Yo6FlqctwGoo3eeRqppKYtj8Uwem1vE_O7k/s1600/gw012.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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Regretfully, this was the outcome many got when taking part in the event. I'm afraid to say Day Two started on a worse note than Day One, at least the first event was achievable. All that is left for adventurers now is to continue the storyline on into the Southsun Cove, via the shipmaster at the Lions Arch docks.<br />
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Stay tuned for more details and screenshots of Southsun Cove as Unfathomable Writings embarks upon their voyage across the Sea of Sorrows.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-71200465062383052932012-11-17T00:00:00.000-08:002013-01-01T11:51:31.010-08:00Guild Wars 2: Fractals of the Mists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINFdpAJl2aqf_7BJuMHlJ044BdB6Y0iWJqkCdrNkbcIBkCBuv0VZvNKhRH-N7BuD-CyNiAz4YaQ33YWbofHxT_WxAZIJbx3KMpsczVSEeFSm6k_onEEuBwJJuZkQmAQ28dSMM5TolrMI/s1600/Title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Fractals of the Mists" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINFdpAJl2aqf_7BJuMHlJ044BdB6Y0iWJqkCdrNkbcIBkCBuv0VZvNKhRH-N7BuD-CyNiAz4YaQ33YWbofHxT_WxAZIJbx3KMpsczVSEeFSm6k_onEEuBwJJuZkQmAQ28dSMM5TolrMI/s1600/Title.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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Following the completion of the opening event, access to Guild Wars 2's new style of dungeon experience was released to adventurers all over Tyria, even to those who are not quite lv80 yet when they were scaled up to lv80 for the weekend long event so that they could experience the dungeon alongside veteran players. When the portal opened, Unfathomable Writings was there to take the first step into Fractals of the Mists, a dungeon-crawling adventure like no other.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8o0ZTsO0Hy4LiDMLYbob4K71N8f0a7Y_LNsMxdNajJTQEwxP2uEwkAt3lu8Lk0VDNkJGY8YdjVu_nZa94IQ-dckbLpIjAslNol1sDlhwZhMnzGgH9w-PdgdjRUZAUgVoiOJEjukkRVo/s1600/gw021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dessa's Laboratory" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8o0ZTsO0Hy4LiDMLYbob4K71N8f0a7Y_LNsMxdNajJTQEwxP2uEwkAt3lu8Lk0VDNkJGY8YdjVu_nZa94IQ-dckbLpIjAslNol1sDlhwZhMnzGgH9w-PdgdjRUZAUgVoiOJEjukkRVo/s320/gw021.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
First thing we were greeted with through the portal was Dessa's Laboratory, which served as the central nexus for movement through the many instances to be found within the mists. General goods and repair venders were to be found here, as well as the namesake NPC Dessa and her assistants.<br />
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Stepping onto the platform in the centre of the room we were greeted with a prompt asking us if we were ready to travel deeper into the mists. Not knowing quite what to expect, we all ticked our ready status and waited for Dessa to plunge us into the chaos that was to come. Loading times were smooth, and our experience proved to be pleasantly bug free.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMI54XekrY4SNQk1ifQdhFIWFqGEoM0VjP-GmCFyMbTXptfqlG0mzQvUAoD8rIfe02OKNVkkrjYz6sf896R2mbBhB0m_L7qlOLlGBcVdUg9YNMHhRO_VTnBg5uRVLYVkbbN820f9pXi0/s1600/gw023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Swamp drake champion" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMI54XekrY4SNQk1ifQdhFIWFqGEoM0VjP-GmCFyMbTXptfqlG0mzQvUAoD8rIfe02OKNVkkrjYz6sf896R2mbBhB0m_L7qlOLlGBcVdUg9YNMHhRO_VTnBg5uRVLYVkbbN820f9pXi0/s320/gw023.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
First up we were thrown right into the middle of a dark, gloomy swamp. None of us had a clue where we were, or how to get out of this hellhole we found ourselves in. Two steps into the swamp and we were confronted by our first fight, a Champion Marsh Drake. Surprised to find such a high level monster as our first opposition we eagerly joined the fight, burning the creature down, and were disappointed to find no loot reward given for our kill. It appeared that champions were to be a normal trash mob in this particular instance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6h1wGh0tnoTWUsFWtKEhpn-BXGdYDoYGy8PEnTsuiSaxo-XdjgQggVkxJkGrZYKY9v6_Pw3Zv_y7qRiWVuvDuuSY4yqEN8zOOfs0RnsFb9q-AOxmzSuRp9vcOiDLIZ1nDjokzRqc0YDY/s1600/gw028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="First swamp puzzle" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6h1wGh0tnoTWUsFWtKEhpn-BXGdYDoYGy8PEnTsuiSaxo-XdjgQggVkxJkGrZYKY9v6_Pw3Zv_y7qRiWVuvDuuSY4yqEN8zOOfs0RnsFb9q-AOxmzSuRp9vcOiDLIZ1nDjokzRqc0YDY/s320/gw028.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Having dispatched the foul champion beast, we explored further into the swamp and found our way blocked by three locks. To open these locks we would need to recover the three wisps that would release them. The said wisps were scattered across the swamp, hidden behind hordes of monsters and masses of discretely placed traps. To complete this puzzle, we were forced to collect all the wisps in one go, rushing back to the locks on a thirty second timer. This was not so easy to achieve, for traps and monsters were determined to delay our flight, and the swamp itself was pitted against us when impenetrable walls of vines rose and fell, blocking out path. Our challenge was made even harder when the same Champion Marsh Drake continued to respawn on a timer of only a few seconds. He was joined by the Mossman, a purple bordered boss. After numerous attempts, uncountable crippling traps, and running around like a madman to try and get away from the Mossman, we were victorious.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOOroGuUPBspgo-pCdo1879-o68Hs6rxxapwZMkwpyCk304TLwf7-MU7jiax8C5owI46Xfxmc3GS_WPtOk0x4ecDl5NMO-x8AeL5cjxLcHyhO8nrzSLl4gBp1leZ3EYvHQnNAHInGZzs/s1600/bloomhunger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swamp boss" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOOroGuUPBspgo-pCdo1879-o68Hs6rxxapwZMkwpyCk304TLwf7-MU7jiax8C5owI46Xfxmc3GS_WPtOk0x4ecDl5NMO-x8AeL5cjxLcHyhO8nrzSLl4gBp1leZ3EYvHQnNAHInGZzs/s320/bloomhunger.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
Inside, we travelled through an underwater passage which eventually opened up to the small glade belonging to a twisted and hostile Tree Ent, Bloomhunger. The boss himself was a pushover and we had very little trouble dispatching him. During the fight he would drop poison AoE circles, for the most part easily avoidable. He would also summon elementals to buff him, but the adds were dispatched within seconds, offering us no challenge at all. Once defeated we were treated to a chest containing several random items, sometimes rares, as one of our party managed to get. Dessa then spoke to us through the nether, prompting if we wanted to continue on to the next dungeon. Sure, why not, we thought; that wasn't so bad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhp6ugpP-swA9mcW2q1REfFYvcoh0sPEgexVYhYWRSdFrMM85woQJ_6nJM9ZEvMTqN-0TP7mUojS4DZhzB05frUiDJm3DNuqAlyx_P_jsGF82FGxmCLqWVsFvRO3jJgsVGvH3YtLna8A/s1600/gw034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The battle for the Ascalonian city" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhp6ugpP-swA9mcW2q1REfFYvcoh0sPEgexVYhYWRSdFrMM85woQJ_6nJM9ZEvMTqN-0TP7mUojS4DZhzB05frUiDJm3DNuqAlyx_P_jsGF82FGxmCLqWVsFvRO3jJgsVGvH3YtLna8A/s320/gw034.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
But Dessa had larger games for us to play. As soon as we arrived in the second dungeon, we knew we were in for an amazing encounter. Drawn right into the middle of an all out war between the charr and an ascalonian city, we were forced to use charr disguises and join the battle alongside the charr as they assaulted the walls, confronted the enemy commander and threw their gates wide open. It was not an easy battle to win. The enemy turned their seige weapons on us. Catapults fired on our position, the arrows from carts reigned down from above and the enemy tipped burning oil on us whenever we got near the gates. With some amazing ranged combat by one of our party, we were able to take their weapons down and attack the gate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoKjzVZfXaop2JRAk1i6io5erz-DqQJvxlvDM5Prgxn4Deqh_ql2bhKJm4BKeWCiJS_hSu6wpvfWuCOxtW6crpEHLJJHNuctNzoKmXTyTJ7HFy8aztQFsmGoTK0T_c8dDyIti7ak8WOQ/s1600/gw044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Inside the courtyard" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoKjzVZfXaop2JRAk1i6io5erz-DqQJvxlvDM5Prgxn4Deqh_ql2bhKJm4BKeWCiJS_hSu6wpvfWuCOxtW6crpEHLJJHNuctNzoKmXTyTJ7HFy8aztQFsmGoTK0T_c8dDyIti7ak8WOQ/s320/gw044.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
On the other side of the walls we fought our way through streets crawling with enemy soldiers, the city itself turned into a complicated maze network by the blockades the ascalonians had erected. Eventually we found our way to the central courtyard where we were greeted by an army of enemy soldiers manning catapults. After dispatching the opposing forces and capturing the courtyard we defended the charr magician as he performed the ritual needed to win the day and destroy the ascalonians. They were not going to give up so easily though. Their leader retaliated, leading an attack against our position. Much to our disappointment though, the boss of this instance put up less of a fight than Bloomhunger had. Victorious, we took our reward from the chest and moved on to the next stage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqL9Cdh_LDHthTxgGinv-q0VES-j_Wizc7pYESac9n4I5yJIvSyrWcD-MYCY0pkNz6qxN3I6hPM7aN7sO5TsdQgjUk8sJShB9BwnSeXrmh5en-rwDhdmRODgBy6JZJA9B0saLIbilK05A/s1600/gw047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="At the feet of the giant Collosus" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqL9Cdh_LDHthTxgGinv-q0VES-j_Wizc7pYESac9n4I5yJIvSyrWcD-MYCY0pkNz6qxN3I6hPM7aN7sO5TsdQgjUk8sJShB9BwnSeXrmh5en-rwDhdmRODgBy6JZJA9B0saLIbilK05A/s320/gw047.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
Our final adventure inside the Mists involved scaling a massive colossus who had been imprisoned by a dark cult. At the colossus's feet we were confronted by the boss of the instance, the Legendary Archdiviner. Putting up more of a fight than expected, the head cultist drops his magical hammer and flees deeper into the ruins. Taking his weapon we climbed the scaffolding, making our way to the top where the Archdiviner waited for us. Little did we know the challenge that awaited us along the way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcBB4WGug5R5JKrjFUejT0utTUZbpiIlEJggfnyAQE13apPa6jjRFLG_xOVW9Gx03oZxmkW39yvh1Ot_jlCf3Zmunic7Us8g264ZDc-GUWHSO3V0h_XlU7q8jFZk_5l1x8bDKDo_9Ubw/s1600/gw054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Freeing the knees of the collosus" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcBB4WGug5R5JKrjFUejT0utTUZbpiIlEJggfnyAQE13apPa6jjRFLG_xOVW9Gx03oZxmkW39yvh1Ot_jlCf3Zmunic7Us8g264ZDc-GUWHSO3V0h_XlU7q8jFZk_5l1x8bDKDo_9Ubw/s320/gw054.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
Our first stop was the giant's knees, which were bound to the cliff by a magical seal. The only way to break the seal was to charge the Archdiviner's hammer with the blood of his fellow cultists. Veteran mobs attacked us, aiding the trash cultist mobs in their fight, making our attempts to free the colossus difficult indeed. It was made worse by the debuff placed on the party member holding the hammer. When the debuff stacked forty times, the player would be killed instantly. Our only choice was to pass the hammer between us before we reached that fatal number. Three charges later, the knee was free and we moved on to the next one, repeating the process. Victorious, we proceeded up the scaffolding, making our way to the chest seal. This one proved to be the easiest of them all, and it wasn't long before we were working our way up even higher. Little did we know what waited for us halfway up the ruins.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzbpMVMHPJmIaxy-d4Io9R7nvs3xecV5pqxoXHiHQtEZxzF2FetkiImiB-wCL0xrebMV8p7LHhhbvktX0Gs3RHLfOiEeBtM6uLTvw8gv66FEJ_m90RIyXmxpmfZrUFAf6LWgfslLkN4E/s1600/gw059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Scaling up the side of the ruins" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzbpMVMHPJmIaxy-d4Io9R7nvs3xecV5pqxoXHiHQtEZxzF2FetkiImiB-wCL0xrebMV8p7LHhhbvktX0Gs3RHLfOiEeBtM6uLTvw8gv66FEJ_m90RIyXmxpmfZrUFAf6LWgfslLkN4E/s320/gw059.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Faces that blew strong winds at us threatened to throw us from the edge, plummeting to our death below. Luckily, this instance had checkpoints, so if you died, you respawned at various stages up the side of the ruins, and not from the beginning. This was the only instance to offer us this feature. During this adventure we discovered that once you leave the instance, it appears that there is no way back in. Entering the Mists would result in you being thrown into a completely different instance from the one the rest of the party was in. Which was unfortunate, since several of us had forgotten to bring repair canisters By the look of the red gear we had towards the end, we really needed that repair vendor, but to return to Dessa's lab would wipe all our progress in this instance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi951gGftmk6PXXpgvqEF1x00UIQ_Ilr59lrPc7-D23ZXn1r0bgxFwTv0Aok0YAGN6GLAV0tm3ecfLHqIVETiGSkuvA8iJS8YJ4eH7OstrocVPkDRweIpaqadVFcdMIEYt9rDq8tkCKGd8/s1600/gw068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Nearly at the head" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi951gGftmk6PXXpgvqEF1x00UIQ_Ilr59lrPc7-D23ZXn1r0bgxFwTv0Aok0YAGN6GLAV0tm3ecfLHqIVETiGSkuvA8iJS8YJ4eH7OstrocVPkDRweIpaqadVFcdMIEYt9rDq8tkCKGd8/s320/gw068.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
The wrists proved to be a greater challenge. They were protected by shields and you could only strike the seal once before the shield made it invulnerable. We were forced to run back and forth between the wrists, fighting off the hordes of cultists that spawned while hit by hit, we broke the seals down. All that was left was to free the head and confront the Legendary Archdiviner at the top. This would be no easy achievement, especially since we were now one man down. After dodging fireball traps that played the same tricks on us that the wind did, we at last reached the top of the scaffolding and were greeted by the final boss.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRySB3Pmq1B7aR-WdsaAlJPGbsoKNry3J0YwIjMrUIKkHUGPAuKxN_3b7VJAddoCwm-isAn0jaaAUx-ZTwyqY7VNKfwSBOfHixb6aHpfSC5Uk7oDmBYlDS5fcjXDo7E67TR_H_c3LsT7Y/s1600/gw075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The final boss" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRySB3Pmq1B7aR-WdsaAlJPGbsoKNry3J0YwIjMrUIKkHUGPAuKxN_3b7VJAddoCwm-isAn0jaaAUx-ZTwyqY7VNKfwSBOfHixb6aHpfSC5Uk7oDmBYlDS5fcjXDo7E67TR_H_c3LsT7Y/s320/gw075.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>The Archdiviner turned out to be both the most challenging of the three bosses and the most interesting. In the centre of the room was the final seal, restraining the colossus's head, but it was protected permanently by a shield. The only way to get past the shield was to confront the Archdiviner and burn his health down a quarter. During the fight cultists ran to his aid, making for a tough fight, but when the shield broke for the first time we rushed in, killing the adds to charge the hammer. We failed. The Archdiviner's attacks were serious business, nearly one-shotting several members of the party. Luckily for us, his health never regenerates, even when you wipe, until he is almost dead, but even then his health will never regen past quarter full. The fight wasn't made any easier by our severely broken gear. In the end, several of us were forced to purchase canisters from the Black Lion Trading Co. in order to continue fighting.<br />
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Down to half health, the boss changed his tactics, releasing a high-damage AoE attack that left burning DoTs on us. I can tell you now, those burns hurt, bad. Unless you could switch the conditions into boons, you were most likely dead if you got caught in it. during this stage the boss started teleporting party members he came in contact with into cages where they were forced to break their way out of, or enlist the aid of other party members to free them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5MZf_zo-UwudJG_6x_OEN96iVoWC2bwaoJZelbGyWAkm9kGFO_6GozuD0ln92mY7Y0iu_zCxZnJgZlBnmKne8PbzvKbF_cSdPor0TCa_ZEmHWssjgxxacodIC7e_zvSGOrMSFWFXMhA/s1600/gw077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Freeing the collosus" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5MZf_zo-UwudJG_6x_OEN96iVoWC2bwaoJZelbGyWAkm9kGFO_6GozuD0ln92mY7Y0iu_zCxZnJgZlBnmKne8PbzvKbF_cSdPor0TCa_ZEmHWssjgxxacodIC7e_zvSGOrMSFWFXMhA/s1600/gw077.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbsdZxyxchNYWkDfKLQfZd-vXJIzNnC9FN3joqnVVeXitso6KIZIt1jyu2I3ZhV4jrXr6zjXGpmMLj1XmKSJus-ifPuleUNmCEnTn_YM3G3U1D9jDtS9V1r2zhClRcCLDaSJzCX0E77o/s1600/gw078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The collosus bows his thanks." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbsdZxyxchNYWkDfKLQfZd-vXJIzNnC9FN3joqnVVeXitso6KIZIt1jyu2I3ZhV4jrXr6zjXGpmMLj1XmKSJus-ifPuleUNmCEnTn_YM3G3U1D9jDtS9V1r2zhClRcCLDaSJzCX0E77o/s1600/gw078.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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The final stage of the boss saw his teleporting trick continuing throughout the fight while he spawned baby karka to help him fight. Fortunately, his AoE attack ceased to happen during this stage, making it easier for us to burn him down and release the shield around the seal. It only took three hits to break the seal and emerge victorious as a four man dungeon team. We were treated to one last treasure chest while the Colossus made his way off into the distance after bowing his thanks to us. We were then transported back to Dessa's Lab, where we could continue on with level two, if we so chose to do so.<br />
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Overall, our experience ended on a very positive note. Unlike other dungeons, we'd succeeded in clearing path one of the Mists on our first day, without pulling any hair out, enjoying every moment of it - especially when we were knocking down the walls of that ascalonian city - and coming out of our adventure thoroughly satisfied. I commend ArenaNet on their fantastic new dungeon and its flawless, bug free, progression.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-43221970802907833622012-11-16T13:21:00.000-08:002013-01-01T11:54:07.052-08:00Guild Wars 2: The Lost Shores - Day One - UPDATED: 3:45PM PST<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOvaodKrtyRLu38KYoIeuBYrxrV-idjYDSze_qkWO1oN0wYp9_J8kQPixBE1ANv0wqfR8F6aaia68YofFC6uPda98DYXYeNh6U1L3WZ0ZUa-EIoOqyZ0Qrhd-CQ7KfZC33nZlYv5E3vk/s1600/LostShoresLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Lost Shores: Day One" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOvaodKrtyRLu38KYoIeuBYrxrV-idjYDSze_qkWO1oN0wYp9_J8kQPixBE1ANv0wqfR8F6aaia68YofFC6uPda98DYXYeNh6U1L3WZ0ZUa-EIoOqyZ0Qrhd-CQ7KfZC33nZlYv5E3vk/s1600/LostShoresLogo.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeQzkG1DC0XeFOHg0szmCCzQImy-h6Edw_DFW3EwIua4pAfXcWCsgdqduHTBTqIhZiGfns6AfRJFwRnIzrsQYm3zUVwNsUcbMF6CVuXgqqsbf7oQUUmwGNsS0gSzPOPCdOGr0w0diCr8/s1600/DayOne1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Ancient Karka appears" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeQzkG1DC0XeFOHg0szmCCzQImy-h6Edw_DFW3EwIua4pAfXcWCsgdqduHTBTqIhZiGfns6AfRJFwRnIzrsQYm3zUVwNsUcbMF6CVuXgqqsbf7oQUUmwGNsS0gSzPOPCdOGr0w0diCr8/s1600/DayOne1.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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<i>SEE END OF POST FOR UPDATES.</i><br />
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The first day of the weekend long event has started with the karka strike on Lions Arch. As we waited at the lighthouse, a giant sea monster, the Ancient Karka, launched out of the water, destroying a Black Lion Trading Co ship the process. After landing on the rocks above the shoreline, the creature summons a horde of lesser karka to attack the city.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfoh5FOCkf8CvUI7QrJO3YiPgGu2NH0KLjAUe3hqJr0P8qI_BfRMrNOlOaz1DcrPwGZds6Fo6X-EqpXOSdspdOUG0pMesf690ETtAm6rPXERYDu6rwLb9_2GK7BKnAVRjLE6qdfA6xJs/s1600/DayOne2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="fighting the Ancient Karka" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfoh5FOCkf8CvUI7QrJO3YiPgGu2NH0KLjAUe3hqJr0P8qI_BfRMrNOlOaz1DcrPwGZds6Fo6X-EqpXOSdspdOUG0pMesf690ETtAm6rPXERYDu6rwLb9_2GK7BKnAVRjLE6qdfA6xJs/s320/DayOne2.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Hundreds of adventurers gathered at the southern coast of Lions Arch to push the karka threat back. They were met with a handful of egg-laying mother karka, who proceeded to give birth to many baby karka who were so small, and numbered so many that adventurers were hard pushed to keep the swarm back. Karka attached themselves to limbs, biting and hindering the adventurers movements while they tried to defend against the veteran karka that were summoned to aid the egg-layers in their strike.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHPtlIeo-Ex-lcovmtiY5hw6jy48lAXclncdaz1nXVlQjEkicev-MiCEaIFEVNFoEmdifRwhomfFp4rTIhcJAypa4pFST2dUwjaWyYGLLZH8MtFGdMh2AQrdoWmt8tVEMTKWMeCOtYMI/s1600/DayOne3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Still fighting the Ancient Karka" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHPtlIeo-Ex-lcovmtiY5hw6jy48lAXclncdaz1nXVlQjEkicev-MiCEaIFEVNFoEmdifRwhomfFp4rTIhcJAypa4pFST2dUwjaWyYGLLZH8MtFGdMh2AQrdoWmt8tVEMTKWMeCOtYMI/s320/DayOne3.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
During the battle, the biology team collected samples of the karka flesh as they slowly dropped, one after another. The battle was hard pushed, the egg-layers nearly invincible behind their thick armour. Many adventurers turned their attention to the lesser Karka aiding the egg-layers, until the karka lost their resolve to fight, giving up the attack and retreating back into the waters for the time being.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCCDDhoWYJz7tbLgn2ppLaDWxyJpm8YuKSyJh9NHZqNY3LwoT3jSC4dKDUFp3edPsgKxsNXUwPcwD38XTZIZf0xqcAB62kJ8xB8ZqaSQkT0S9KJqfGIUvHwFXeD9Y1WUlUbHDV_9XRao/s1600/DayOne6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Ancient Karka flees" border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCCDDhoWYJz7tbLgn2ppLaDWxyJpm8YuKSyJh9NHZqNY3LwoT3jSC4dKDUFp3edPsgKxsNXUwPcwD38XTZIZf0xqcAB62kJ8xB8ZqaSQkT0S9KJqfGIUvHwFXeD9Y1WUlUbHDV_9XRao/s320/DayOne6.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Enraged by our resilience the Ancient Karka destroys the lighthouse in Lions Arch. Afterwards a tense peacefulness fulls upon Lions Arch, but not is all well. A call to arms is made to aid in the building of defences against the karka, and the research into the sea monsters, in the hopes that we might find a weakness to exploit. In the meantime, Tyrro of the Lionsguard investigates the Consortium and their strange asura gate that has torn an unstable rip in reality.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25zq69wiubQwJaQfvGjLVsyqCD-bNCcbhrQS0vXj2Pus1yCc9oOQLgNkp-iJRWr0qN3l2Ju8iSx64B5BTfEZMMa2S3_BzKtKlUfPJ_lZHdzLa12D4vzTXpPX2ZaJXP71OeDOJhDwKggg/s1600/DayOne7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Lighthouse is destroyed" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25zq69wiubQwJaQfvGjLVsyqCD-bNCcbhrQS0vXj2Pus1yCc9oOQLgNkp-iJRWr0qN3l2Ju8iSx64B5BTfEZMMa2S3_BzKtKlUfPJ_lZHdzLa12D4vzTXpPX2ZaJXP71OeDOJhDwKggg/s1600/DayOne7.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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Even though the battle was epic, an exciting event, the zone was so overrun with players that it causes the server to suffer from a severe input lag, meaning most players were forced to auto-attack the mobs when their activated abilities continously failed to proc. Many were even unable to heal themselves when the karka dropped AoE poisons.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLMI9QwmBwxVq4XTZlqNf5mKTHnj6UBgHIomcRPWt3d1TN8G2vn_m85oQmjoWaOGxxzp51B4bMOS56Tv_x0qe1HQTWOQtkNNHviNs4XVk4lkW74tYwoYgKAIl3xoC2tNocQOwhDQdXGM/s1600/DayOne5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="event succeeded" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLMI9QwmBwxVq4XTZlqNf5mKTHnj6UBgHIomcRPWt3d1TN8G2vn_m85oQmjoWaOGxxzp51B4bMOS56Tv_x0qe1HQTWOQtkNNHviNs4XVk4lkW74tYwoYgKAIl3xoC2tNocQOwhDQdXGM/s1600/DayOne5.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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<b>UPDATES: 3:15PM PST</b><br />
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Karka have started to send waves of attacks against Morgan's Spiral in Caledan Forest. Meanwhile, aid is sort from the races of Tyria in various locations. Including defending the Largos in Viathan Lake (Kessex Hills) from Krait in order to win his loyalty, helping the Hylek Gukumatz create potions to weaken the karka in Michoan March (Metrica Province) and information is being sought from the Quaggans in Stormwreak Deeps for clues on how to deal with the karka threat. The Quaggans ask that we search the depths of the lake for clues to help in the fight.<br />
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Unfortunately, many of these events appear to be a bit buggy at the moment, but hopefully in time the kinks will get sorted out and we will be able to proceed ahead with the events.<br />
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<b>UPDATES: 3:45PM PST</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbZ154mcJ4teYs-h-HxXSgQjmBij-YFayIyx9e13tPqhhEKgFST5RAZCojRkA5_XoABubfLBo3G-tK4kG76oM8LLVAEkDAWj6dQ0K7_Rgm9vqCJLuUtSXgIswCMzodxVLampQU33_z4I/s1600/gw020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Driving the Young Karka out of Garrenhoof" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbZ154mcJ4teYs-h-HxXSgQjmBij-YFayIyx9e13tPqhhEKgFST5RAZCojRkA5_XoABubfLBo3G-tK4kG76oM8LLVAEkDAWj6dQ0K7_Rgm9vqCJLuUtSXgIswCMzodxVLampQU33_z4I/s1600/gw020.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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The Karka have attacked Garrenhoof in Kessex Hills, but something suspicious is going on at the local wizards guild. Adventurers have been sent to confront Canach and discover what exactly he knows about the karka. Lag has also got so bad that enemy mobs to do show up at all now due to too many character models. Unfortunately the event is currently bugged on my server, along with several of the other events so I'm unable to provide details on the outcome of the event at this stage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nzbijokfox3iws3ZfRlk-YQkOsqn0X3un4AXBAMBPlq7245NBz2bB0rGgMSsJVXA8SYilTx1hJ51SdSFV8MWNf5tj-d7Fpd_SnJZ288yAILXs2TYi6G1c_JxKPkBXBAwcUXV7dXLrB0/s1600/Attack2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Underwater fighting the Young Karka" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nzbijokfox3iws3ZfRlk-YQkOsqn0X3un4AXBAMBPlq7245NBz2bB0rGgMSsJVXA8SYilTx1hJ51SdSFV8MWNf5tj-d7Fpd_SnJZ288yAILXs2TYi6G1c_JxKPkBXBAwcUXV7dXLrB0/s1600/Attack2.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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Keep an eye on this post and following threads for updates, videos and screenshots as the day progresses.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-35249216831453895402012-11-15T11:11:00.000-08:002013-01-01T11:54:51.126-08:00The Lost Shores trial begins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOvaodKrtyRLu38KYoIeuBYrxrV-idjYDSze_qkWO1oN0wYp9_J8kQPixBE1ANv0wqfR8F6aaia68YofFC6uPda98DYXYeNh6U1L3WZ0ZUa-EIoOqyZ0Qrhd-CQ7KfZC33nZlYv5E3vk/s1600/LostShoresLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Lost Shores: Trial Day" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOvaodKrtyRLu38KYoIeuBYrxrV-idjYDSze_qkWO1oN0wYp9_J8kQPixBE1ANv0wqfR8F6aaia68YofFC6uPda98DYXYeNh6U1L3WZ0ZUa-EIoOqyZ0Qrhd-CQ7KfZC33nZlYv5E3vk/s1600/LostShoresLogo.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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Two hours ago the doors to Tyria opened for all trial users and while Queensdale remains quiet on Sorrows Furnace, it can be expected as the day reaches its peak that many more players will flock to the servers to discover what many of us are considering the MMO of the year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Gu2EIZd0fexGlPSKFnKivHyuq-6BT32aVyv9InFD2W_812OWT6TIgfZyVLir3G46TkomcAlirmiOB5zM0dJWKR9X41Xxyy_sINenJI_TvLyuxBUT1Zrikk3pQqHrVtTZ4EZ8eWE1Nhw/s1600/gw017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="New Boat" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Gu2EIZd0fexGlPSKFnKivHyuq-6BT32aVyv9InFD2W_812OWT6TIgfZyVLir3G46TkomcAlirmiOB5zM0dJWKR9X41Xxyy_sINenJI_TvLyuxBUT1Zrikk3pQqHrVtTZ4EZ8eWE1Nhw/s320/gw017.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
The Lost Shores event is set to start in a bit over 24 hours and while there still remains traces of the last tragedy to befall Lions Arch, attention is drawn to the beaches, where the tension is high. The crew of ships waiting in the harbours stand on edge, on the lookout for any signs of danger, while on shore, large notices warn citizens to stay away from the beaches. These warnings fail to deter some though, who go about their daily lives along the shoreline, while others stand, debating the meaning behind the notices and fear what might happen if the citizens of Tyria fail to heed the warnings. A group of Sylvari sense a disturbance in the waters, fearing that the dangerous creatures they had been warned about might soon rise from the depths to terrorise the shorelines.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1ouYXCZqz4qDvtEqoyV-BKugdeSSWJGkMIqAtUHiG2LnpTfM9ad16NkBsoU4gOPMi7TTU9Pr4dTKmbT95ECalGSYBrTRDQcJ4e6vWBk_SLca3VUQnB3UM-eBp7sX0FVTuJTvfkXjlWU/s1600/gw016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Fractals of the Mists portal" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1ouYXCZqz4qDvtEqoyV-BKugdeSSWJGkMIqAtUHiG2LnpTfM9ad16NkBsoU4gOPMi7TTU9Pr4dTKmbT95ECalGSYBrTRDQcJ4e6vWBk_SLca3VUQnB3UM-eBp7sX0FVTuJTvfkXjlWU/s320/gw016.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>A single Asura Gate sits along the shoreline, inoperable, yet one can expect it might lead us one day to new lands when the time comes. In the meantime, players are keeping a close eye on the gate, suspecting it might have something to do with the pre-warned danger about to target Lions Arch once more.<br />
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Will the defenders of Lions Arch emerge victorious this time? Will they drive back the monsters, like they did the Mad King? The call to arms has risen and the adventurers of Tyria stand firm to defend their realm. Tomorrow at 12:00 pm PST the Karka will strike. All that can be asked of us is that we stand together on those shores, ready to drive the foul creatures back to the depths they rose up from.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-13711947907190410052012-11-13T18:33:00.002-08:002013-01-01T11:55:57.331-08:00Guild Wars 2: The Lost Shores<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOvaodKrtyRLu38KYoIeuBYrxrV-idjYDSze_qkWO1oN0wYp9_J8kQPixBE1ANv0wqfR8F6aaia68YofFC6uPda98DYXYeNh6U1L3WZ0ZUa-EIoOqyZ0Qrhd-CQ7KfZC33nZlYv5E3vk/s1600/LostShoresLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Lost Shores: information" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOvaodKrtyRLu38KYoIeuBYrxrV-idjYDSze_qkWO1oN0wYp9_J8kQPixBE1ANv0wqfR8F6aaia68YofFC6uPda98DYXYeNh6U1L3WZ0ZUa-EIoOqyZ0Qrhd-CQ7KfZC33nZlYv5E3vk/s1600/LostShoresLogo.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
Roughly three months after the game launched, Guild Wars 2 is set to receive its first major, world-changing update; The Lost Shores. Unlike the Halloween event, this update will leave a permanent mark on the world of Tyria. Players will be welcomed into the new mini-expansion with the scripted events happening each day on the 16th, 17th and 18th of November at 12:00 pm PST (20:00 GMT). During this time the servers will be opened up to trial accounts, allowing every player to invite three friends to play with them over the weekend. All players will also be scaled up to lv80 during the events and while exploring the new zone to allow trial members to play with their friends.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlPaTSoHJQKlsqy9LSMh6VygYHJBC0_WqtIFej6SH4Tyazl3ZFiQ8tj6eBbyypcVLmSJDLVIpthDQ7keaYy-8IyPSlM4fA1r0y-8Pp166TPM7sMZJCX1nRnELUo3CszthV5a2oXJR4I8/s1600/LostShores4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A new zone" border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlPaTSoHJQKlsqy9LSMh6VygYHJBC0_WqtIFej6SH4Tyazl3ZFiQ8tj6eBbyypcVLmSJDLVIpthDQ7keaYy-8IyPSlM4fA1r0y-8Pp166TPM7sMZJCX1nRnELUo3CszthV5a2oXJR4I8/s320/LostShores4.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lost Shores of Southsun Cove</td></tr>
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Players will need to defend the city of Lions Arch from the Karka, a new amphibious race, and as the weekend-long event progresses, push them back into the new island zone, Southsun Cove, where they will find many new dynamic events and challenges to complete, including a whole new dungeon; Fractals of the Mists. In this dungeon players will fight bosses to collect a new tier of gear called Ascended. This artefact gear is graded above exotic, yet below legendary. All legendary items in the game will be getting a bonus to their stats in order to match the new tier of gear, which might for once make the legendary weapons worth getting. Not interested in the legendary weapons, yet want your gear to look amazing? The Black Lion company is releasing a new set of weapon skins through their gemstore for players to purchase over the weekend.<br />
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Some might think it unfortunate, but this patch is set to begin Arenanet's first forays into an item progression system, which is strange, considering they were always against it in the past. Personally, I'm happy they have decided to take this direction. To me it means there will be much more to do at endgame, because honestly, I was done with all the PvE content about two weeks after it was released. This shift in direction gets two thumbs up from me.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKMoanteCn_Youd2OnPCKV6cqdpg9Gere4I1CRvFc3erPgx8cwbpYlsJVnMvPyXsHGmdScbPVbTc5mO_dyc3XRVW3WVIBgy7etHFW8x8UXq4GqfwTELRMfOnlHoi5UQsMgC6pdbVqhLM/s1600/fractals-dungeon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fractals of the mists" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKMoanteCn_Youd2OnPCKV6cqdpg9Gere4I1CRvFc3erPgx8cwbpYlsJVnMvPyXsHGmdScbPVbTc5mO_dyc3XRVW3WVIBgy7etHFW8x8UXq4GqfwTELRMfOnlHoi5UQsMgC6pdbVqhLM/s320/fractals-dungeon.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First glimpses into the Fractals of the Mists</td></tr>
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For those of you who would prefer to PvP in the Mists instead of following the event, you will be treated to a new PvP map; The Temple of the Silent Storm. Be aware though, the map is still in beta stages and may be subject to change - it might also be buggy still. Either way, it will make a fresh change to those maps I'm sure you're all tired of doing over and over again.<br />
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The trial starts in two days (15th Nov), and I will be there bright and early on the 16th to take part in this world-changing event. I hope to see you all ingame. So with that I leave you with the promo trailer released yesterday by Arenanet's offical youtube channel. Enjoy.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pictures courtesy of the offical <a href="http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/releases/november-2012/" target="_blank">Guild Wars 2</a> page.</span></i><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K2ddErJ2c5I?list=UUP_FgMqOxp_VsM0UfrL-DxA&hl=en_US" width="500"></iframe><br />
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<b>UPDATES: 15/11/2012: </b>After the release of the final patch before the event, activity has been increasing along the shorelines of Lions Arch. The Consortium is making its play, announcing the coming of a new resort destination to be found through their new Asura Gate. We can expect the gate to be active at stage two of the weekend long event.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1ouYXCZqz4qDvtEqoyV-BKugdeSSWJGkMIqAtUHiG2LnpTfM9ad16NkBsoU4gOPMi7TTU9Pr4dTKmbT95ECalGSYBrTRDQcJ4e6vWBk_SLca3VUQnB3UM-eBp7sX0FVTuJTvfkXjlWU/s1600/gw016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="New areas in Lions Arch" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1ouYXCZqz4qDvtEqoyV-BKugdeSSWJGkMIqAtUHiG2LnpTfM9ad16NkBsoU4gOPMi7TTU9Pr4dTKmbT95ECalGSYBrTRDQcJ4e6vWBk_SLca3VUQnB3UM-eBp7sX0FVTuJTvfkXjlWU/s320/gw016.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a><br />
The harbour has received a new PoI addition, Malcha's Landing, along with the Consortium on the southern short of Lions Arch. There is now an orange star on the Lions Arch map signifying where the event is to start. Once again in the Grand Plaza.<br />
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Along with this news is a collection of new NPCs, including a Consortium Gift Shop, but so far it appears they have nothing for sale, yet. Stay tuned at the new PoI in Lions Arch for more gifts and rewards to be discovered in the coming days.<br />
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I'm off to investigate the mentioned changes made to the Shatterer event. Will report back with all the juicy details.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-75411608226302164382012-11-12T00:25:00.001-08:002013-01-01T11:57:23.479-08:00K Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcsu_xeVCvxwincpJZuQUiGFIQZQO8XRCW8PORGbXgagnLnrQ5769uZuTV29QRS9DGsvC2NYviymi1ZfdUPvdfKJA6rXOAFUQcxCo5nVgHKvFtCN7nkPKnALvlT-yi_YULyW_4dqJ170/s1600/yata1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Yata with skateboard" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcsu_xeVCvxwincpJZuQUiGFIQZQO8XRCW8PORGbXgagnLnrQ5769uZuTV29QRS9DGsvC2NYviymi1ZfdUPvdfKJA6rXOAFUQcxCo5nVgHKvFtCN7nkPKnALvlT-yi_YULyW_4dqJ170/s1600/yata1.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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K Project is one of those anime where you just don't know quite what to make of it. On the one hand, it has some of the best animation I've seen since Guilty Crown, but on the other, it's story is dragged down by a couple of weak and annoying characters that ruin the potential it has to be entertaining.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7C5LFXLATrXvknGWEnX1jXYekDW0ZCtBDzFLTb4Ug26VtouTQa_BsiLy7ri5_BU7rHS9px9HU-CgA7GgnL4F8rHs5oCQb5ZR1nMY9P6rAwR_7XUdH0JJFtZVI8BuXhl2GRwPpOkgrc04/s1600/aura.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Auras" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7C5LFXLATrXvknGWEnX1jXYekDW0ZCtBDzFLTb4Ug26VtouTQa_BsiLy7ri5_BU7rHS9px9HU-CgA7GgnL4F8rHs5oCQb5ZR1nMY9P6rAwR_7XUdH0JJFtZVI8BuXhl2GRwPpOkgrc04/s320/aura.png" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
In the first episode we are introduced to an alternative reality of Earth where cities are controlled by gangs - referred to as clans - that harness supernatural powers - Auras - from one of the seven 'kings' who lead them. This concept interested me greatly, and in the first episode we were treated to a taste of what kind of battles we could expect between the clans in episodes to follow. Most of the battles tend to revolve around everyone's favourite skateboard riding punk, Yata - a follower of the Red King - when he uses both Aura, and skateboard to fight against members of the opposing clans. His scenes tend to display a level of animation not often found in anime, including panoramic views of him grinding down rails, jumping stairs and dodging pedestrians as he races through the city, intent on chasing down the man who murdered a member of his clan. He uses the scrying ability of a fellow clan member, Anna, to help him track the murderer who they know as the 'Colourless King'.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yN5hOViGl7k8cW3utDgR-fOPRfv1aPUPVUJ0Y4v3Fh1ryB8hIUGlTxjeF1wTwSzyV_7ZsWMe5juEQM1dg66X0WOTF_yIp_xMIblxNmKTOZqLkKS5MyYpIIRglMiAXNJRulEQku_3mPo/s1600/Yata2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Playing with skateboard" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yN5hOViGl7k8cW3utDgR-fOPRfv1aPUPVUJ0Y4v3Fh1ryB8hIUGlTxjeF1wTwSzyV_7ZsWMe5juEQM1dg66X0WOTF_yIp_xMIblxNmKTOZqLkKS5MyYpIIRglMiAXNJRulEQku_3mPo/s320/Yata2.png" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
Meanwhile, it appears the Red King is a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off and repeat a disaster of the past which saw an entire city levelled to the ground. To counter this, he puts himself into custody of the Blue King, in the hope that when the time came, Reisi will be able to stop him.<br />
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All of the above makes for an intriguing storyline, and to this date, scenes involving both the Red Clan and Blue Clan have been very entertaining. Unfortunately, what comes next destroys all that potential.<br />
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The Red Clan are not the only people after the murderer. We are also introduced to Kuroh of the Black Clan, who is sent by his master to find and kill the Colourless King, and he does, but the result was not what he was expecting. Yashiro, a normal school boy, is believed to be the murderer because of a video recorded by the victim that places him at the scene of the crime. The only problem is, he has no memory of the event, or any knowledge of the Colourless King. For all immediate impressions, he isn't the guy they are looking for, but Kuroh is not so easily convinced. Believing he might be trying to trick him, Kuroh demands proof, and accompanies Yashiro everywhere he goes, even moving into the same house with him, until Yashiro can convince him he isn't the murderer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFXFnWBKECoZ50RJWSMH8nSArTFviwtCJjLrwe50daVefSbR5f71q0wEN5AuN73-7OlwrrYgrYa7u72G-YN0VamE6QwbB92DiOrNBhY93WZnN6mYkUvZcvyIFXdHs5xappIn3oc7B7WE/s1600/Neko.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Neko being cute" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFXFnWBKECoZ50RJWSMH8nSArTFviwtCJjLrwe50daVefSbR5f71q0wEN5AuN73-7OlwrrYgrYa7u72G-YN0VamE6QwbB92DiOrNBhY93WZnN6mYkUvZcvyIFXdHs5xappIn3oc7B7WE/s320/Neko.png" title="" width="320" /></a>For the most part, the above concept is not bad, but then came episode 2. What makes it bad is the contribution Yashiro's cat makes to the situation. Yes, his cat. Neko for some unknown reason is not a normal cat, she appears to be a magical creature that can shift into human form, yet still insists on acting like a cat, which makes for some rediculous scenes than go way beyond fustrating. Episode 2 had to be some of the worst anime I've watched this season. Thankfully, it has slowly started to improve as episodes go on. Neko is extremely overprotective of Yashiro in the most annoying fashion, including screaming at the top of her lungs at every opportunity she gets. But hey, at least you get your typical 2012 anime ecchi moments because of her. Although, be warned: if you're uncomfortable around yaoi plot elements then be weary of the direction this show might possibly head. There does appear to be a very femminite relationship forming between Yashiro and Kuroh. I'm not saying the series contains yaoi, but I wouldn't be surprised if it suddenly came up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cT5T2t-RFGf6IWcg2ceFOcT79bJa7bZxnWbq9f7xiuCTGX8UaeqW69w1dIerzJUoUGKrJcKIM9iUZZC0iOKtGgCTfF53atki8PjnVwllWxUwkk7LO1fRYlazy3ZhacLRev7sODEpW3Y/s1600/Anna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Anna and her mysterious gift" border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cT5T2t-RFGf6IWcg2ceFOcT79bJa7bZxnWbq9f7xiuCTGX8UaeqW69w1dIerzJUoUGKrJcKIM9iUZZC0iOKtGgCTfF53atki8PjnVwllWxUwkk7LO1fRYlazy3ZhacLRev7sODEpW3Y/s320/Anna.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Overall, the series has potential, and a good story does appear to be forming, slowly, but at the same rate, we are losing the effort put into animation as the episodes go on. Very little panoramic style animations are used past the first episode. Consider it a kind of bait and switch, draw us in with the pretty animation, then switch to a totally different story than what you were expecting, which I believe will be the general consensus going from the first episode to the second.<br />
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The Red Clan's story provides me with enough depth and entertainment to keep watching, and I must admit, the story about Yashiro's possible false memories interests me. I only wish they'd find a way to kill off Neko, then I could be happy with the anime.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-67120494283134892002012-11-11T01:19:00.000-08:002013-01-01T11:57:46.249-08:00Final Fantasy XIV: Crumbles to a stop, but goes out with a bang<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcn7thyfb6E1KRxMi00XpxEn9HeHEPF_X_15pdOD7rfH8oDL5zoY7T7_Fkpzw5R-NcqnhHPHxJAmFUIvAospDFMfxrbqPtd5gtZmjgnyOVXFTFR5Ap269Od7IuBwSmKhd6j7oD4HbHH4/s1600/dalumud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="End of an Era" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcn7thyfb6E1KRxMi00XpxEn9HeHEPF_X_15pdOD7rfH8oDL5zoY7T7_Fkpzw5R-NcqnhHPHxJAmFUIvAospDFMfxrbqPtd5gtZmjgnyOVXFTFR5Ap269Od7IuBwSmKhd6j7oD4HbHH4/s1600/dalumud.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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Much hype had been generated following the announcement of the final battle in Camp Brittlebark verses the Empire. When the event started, a system message instructed us to head north-west of the camp, which everyone thought at the time meant Castrum, the imperial stronghold. So a grand march of chocobos began, which was an incredible sight to behold, but upon arrival at the stronghold, we discovered nothing but a collection of random mobs, guarding doors set to timers that eventually led nowhere.<br />
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Confused, many questioned where abouts the real battle was, as clearly we were in the wrong place. Then came what would probably be the greatest moment of the so called event: "Urgent, monsters are approaching Ul'hah!" Yes, you read that correctly, I have not made a spelling mistake this time. That was the first of what was to become a series of grammatical, and spelling mistakes made by the announcers throughout the night. Spelling mistake aside, the announcement made many think that Ul'dah was the place to go, and teleporting back there, found a series of fights no different to what had taken place over the past week.<br />
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In the end, the battle turned out to be only a handful of imperial troops randomly spawning just south of the lake, eventually leading up to a boss fight with a lv100 Juggernaught. There was also waves of magitek armours attacking the campsite itself, but nothing really to deserve dragging many players out of bed, and forcing them to go without sleep.<br />
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This was made worse by the repeated disconnects and login issues the majority of players were receiving. Many spent more time trying to log in than actually fighting. Those who actually managed to log in were treated to a forced disconnect, without any major event script leading up to it, when the servers were shut down without notice.<br />
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In the end, spending those last two hours in the game were wasted for most players, but it was not all bad. Once the servers were brought down, we were treated to a CGI video cutscene that blew everyone away. There is no doubt that Square outdid themselves with that video, and many believe it made up for the disaster that was the event. Only downside was that you didn't need to take part in the event to see the cutscene.<br />
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Now, the cutscene. Amazing doesn't do it justice. Behold Square's salvation from the disaster of the night:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/39j5v8jlndM" width="500"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-22255551766842249802012-11-10T13:33:00.002-08:002013-01-01T11:58:18.415-08:00Eorzea's Final Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjw93YYzC_lkCEG68jWPjlItQZEg7VyKNMdt7MzpADb0R0b_3oG2flUS-IhQ52-FgJmc0NJ8TGTIDEUkBb-blPRXMaGX3rmSe2Z2_fwYYGioOSP23WsTOrKIg5zrFKahmD7f4HMf5SLY/s1600/realmreborn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Realm Reborn: Eorzea's Final Day" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjw93YYzC_lkCEG68jWPjlItQZEg7VyKNMdt7MzpADb0R0b_3oG2flUS-IhQ52-FgJmc0NJ8TGTIDEUkBb-blPRXMaGX3rmSe2Z2_fwYYGioOSP23WsTOrKIg5zrFKahmD7f4HMf5SLY/s1600/realmreborn.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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It is the dawn of the final day in the Final Fantasy XIV 1.0 storyline and all is peaceful in the city of Ul'dah, the Garlean Empire having given up their siege and turned their efforts towards the camps in Coerthas and Mor'Dhona. With a little over 10 hours to go, players are already lining up at Camp Brittlebark to collect their front row seats to the end of the world. The lead up to this day has seen players band together and march on Camp Brittlebark to make their last stand against the Garlean Empire, ready to face the deciding battle on the future of the world.<br />
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The Hour of Reckoning is set to commence in eight hours, giving us a 2 hour epic conclusion to the grand story of FFXIV, which afterwards, we will be whisked away to the future that is, A Realm Reborn. I can already say, footage of the alpha is looking positive and 2.0 should at last be the game we were all wanting to play over 2 years ago.<br />
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If you missed the experience found in the world of Eorzea, you can watch the entire story with all cutscenes and boss fights thanks to True Haze, of Sargatanas, who was kind enough to stream a video of the footage for us all to watch: <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/thaze_tv/b/338928300">Thaze TV</a><br />
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Also, if you missed the announcement. The next live letter from the producers will screen after the servers go down. You can find the countdown and link to the live stream <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L46pME-OC1Y">here</a>.<br />
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With that I will leave you with some trailers and footage of the upcoming remake of FFXIV, courtesy of the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/FINALFANTASYXIV?feature=watch">official FFXIV channel</a>, and return at a later point with details of the Hour of Reckoning at Camp Brittlebark.
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="278" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H_EPX_-zHFA?list=UUpx2BZg8ABgaDV50sGJtWAg&hl=en_US" width="500"></iframe>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-20423553849408522212012-11-10T00:55:00.000-08:002013-01-01T12:00:27.677-08:00Btooom! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHhnQHKe078VrtWzWRlZf51UZeJLK1k5k1yxVFKwp1wZ8WRAcRklZbNX1cfWrxZrE7j4H5hdPKKlIGoxGBZkOx0xfqnIgJPBg2p5GPk7enwqv1Sh-0lcqjjLPnwOG7B-zPhSAfdwZI0s/s1600/btooom-1-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Btooom!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHhnQHKe078VrtWzWRlZf51UZeJLK1k5k1yxVFKwp1wZ8WRAcRklZbNX1cfWrxZrE7j4H5hdPKKlIGoxGBZkOx0xfqnIgJPBg2p5GPk7enwqv1Sh-0lcqjjLPnwOG7B-zPhSAfdwZI0s/s1600/btooom-1-1-1.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
This year has provided us with a reoccurring theme of online gaming based anime. First we had the superb Accel World, then it was the masterpiece which is Sword Art Online. Now comes Btooom!, but straight away I am put off by the strange name alone - named after the sound a grenade makes when it explodes, which is the whole premise of the story. Btooom is a first person shooter style online game where players can only uses grenades to kill their opponents. Unfortunate name aside, there is an interesting premise to the story that saw me watching the first few episodes, in the hopes that it might have a good plot. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely convinced yet, but have kept giving the anime more chances to impress me. I'm still waiting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tXmH_wzcqAOi4Ma3TiV-Kq99NZK7JC4JmUYSN2urWz875TlnrujYkgIVSAoDkuXJ4SooS8xG5Cywukv7iSjgzvJPLLSGbujNezQvXAE2oDnCBtEsYSuM54RMYICGKg081wBOxTU27ks/s1600/BTOOOM-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Grenade FPS MMO" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tXmH_wzcqAOi4Ma3TiV-Kq99NZK7JC4JmUYSN2urWz875TlnrujYkgIVSAoDkuXJ4SooS8xG5Cywukv7iSjgzvJPLLSGbujNezQvXAE2oDnCBtEsYSuM54RMYICGKg081wBOxTU27ks/s320/BTOOOM-1-1.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>The anime follows the story of Ryota Sakomoto, who is one of the top players in the world, but during the course of his rise to fame in the virtual world, his real life suffers. He lives at home, leeching of his mother who is constantly attempting to push him to get a job, and often finds himself lashing out violently in response to her pressure. As a consequence to his violent behaviour, he is unknowingly signed up to an experimental game that sees him kidnapped and sent to a deserted island, where the people stranded there are forced to play a very real version of the Btooom game, with fatal consequences.<br />
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Equipped with only a pouch full of grenades he must kill other players to collect eight gemstone-like tokens, which will buy his freedom off the island. While alive, the gemstones act as a form of radar, capable of sending out sonar pulses that detect other players when they move, allowing players to track and use strategies to trap their opponents. Once dead, any remaining grenades the player had then belong to the victor, replenishing their supply, except every player has different types of grenades. Some explode on impact, while others have timers, even more work like mines, and explode when a player comes in contact with them. The nastiest form of grenade I have seen so far would be the poisonous gas type, that kill any player, or even wildlife, that is exposed to it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1PXhXt_M6ziBSvJ9Fgm_-7-lBE_Z4sX_r1x-u2ytRiLNPIdHPG23Ihyphenhyphens-mLdn4bcn_XZkvGabbdHr4E_EXvQQVhjOX8O52S0SLz1VhusKDWTelXxj2xKnH4xpVtKrvLiIMh3hdEn0CY/s1600/BTOOOM-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Arriving on the island" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1PXhXt_M6ziBSvJ9Fgm_-7-lBE_Z4sX_r1x-u2ytRiLNPIdHPG23Ihyphenhyphens-mLdn4bcn_XZkvGabbdHr4E_EXvQQVhjOX8O52S0SLz1VhusKDWTelXxj2xKnH4xpVtKrvLiIMh3hdEn0CY/s320/BTOOOM-3.png" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
My biggest complaint with the show so far would be the stupidity of the main character. He is supposed to be this elite player in the Btooom! world, yet when faced with a real life version of the game that works identically to the virtual game, he seems to forget everything about how to play and fumbles around for several episodes, trying to get a clue about what he is doing and going so far as to almost kill himself when he activates one of his timer mines, not understanding what it was, only at the last second throwing it away and discovering it was a grenade. It gets worse when, faced with his first enemy fight, he doesn't understand at all how a timer grenade works, even though he no doubt would have used them many times in the virtual game. This issue makes for a serious disbelief in the intelligence of his character and harms the story for me. Five episodes in, he is still learning things about the game and island that should have been obvious to an elite player of the game. I'm afraid the personality of the main protagonist leaves a lot to be desired.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-173mIXMvWrdlgSR9la7YnTLx9m6o0ABw70bsILCw19C_YwrvzIaxrh9liW_fOJ_B0Tpp0D7jbY7fKZO2fCMU2LnqCq24rRwREYmHR8qHMwsmlGYoqD3lluIGcNO_bv18UhVfozewbJU/s1600/btooom3-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="First meeting with Himiko" border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-173mIXMvWrdlgSR9la7YnTLx9m6o0ABw70bsILCw19C_YwrvzIaxrh9liW_fOJ_B0Tpp0D7jbY7fKZO2fCMU2LnqCq24rRwREYmHR8qHMwsmlGYoqD3lluIGcNO_bv18UhVfozewbJU/s320/btooom3-3.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
Another failing point for me with the show would be the depraved sexual content. It's not sexy, its cruel, and disturbing. The main issue comes in the form of the secondary protagonist, Himiko, who so far has existed for the sole purpose of giving the writers an excuse to include distasteful sexual abuse. It starts with the reason why she is on the island. Back home, she invites three of her classmates to a friend's house party, where a famous rock band are visiting as guests. Come the night of their 'party' and she is running late, while the other girls have gone ahead of her. Upon arrival at the house, she finds her friends in the middle of being raped by the members of the band after they were drugged. When they attempt to do the same with her, she abandons her friends and runs away. The girls blame her for what happened, and as punishment, sign her up for the experimental game on the island. That's only the beginning though, and gets worse when a grotesquely obese player catches her, and proceeds to try rape her. My biggest problem with this situation is how helpless the writers make out Himiko to be, and not just here, but all her scenes except for possibly one. She pretty much just lets the rapist molest her, only stopping him when he is about to do the final deed by triggering one of her timer bombs. She would rather die that let somebody rape her, and hopefully take the rapist with her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9lcM0QA933fZWyEfCPcDbfux4dCF8E45kHbGfdHfLhEnkQWWR0ti8tIw2uGvj1jgby6O6OMYNymt_6nkEgqFvZ1Z3pp1R6hZJL-YxNu4Iu2C65mfjlCfuxfukRBiKKkqbgf0MRAl6r0/s1600/BTOOOM-016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fighting with Himiko" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9lcM0QA933fZWyEfCPcDbfux4dCF8E45kHbGfdHfLhEnkQWWR0ti8tIw2uGvj1jgby6O6OMYNymt_6nkEgqFvZ1Z3pp1R6hZJL-YxNu4Iu2C65mfjlCfuxfukRBiKKkqbgf0MRAl6r0/s320/BTOOOM-016.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Unfortunately, it doesn't end there either. Fast forward to the next episode and you have her facing off against our main character, Ryota, who ends up knocking her unconscious. We are then treated to a very uncharacteristic change come over him, when he suddenly turns into a pervert and is about to remove her underwear and rape her himself when she starts to come around again. Comments he makes like 'but she smells good' just make it worse, and seriously, she wouldn't smell that good in the first place. They are on a stranded island, it would be hot, they would be sweaty and in desperate need of a change of clothes. If anything, they would all stink, bad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilL3MfR6p9UxajbSsEuiFsnJc56kgmZdbBTHpfpurMQ1Jica8M4NqYF-Ue2iY_EJ5Hie6JXNwJp8s1Dq9LgxQz9uItM11iuOkX5AAA0C1rsh3o9uNkYfqGG6yVOGkQxEm6VUt0U6zdxtg/s1600/btooom-06-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Getting told off by Himiko for being a pervert" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilL3MfR6p9UxajbSsEuiFsnJc56kgmZdbBTHpfpurMQ1Jica8M4NqYF-Ue2iY_EJ5Hie6JXNwJp8s1Dq9LgxQz9uItM11iuOkX5AAA0C1rsh3o9uNkYfqGG6yVOGkQxEm6VUt0U6zdxtg/s320/btooom-06-01.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
It's pretty clear that she is supposed to be his romantic interest in the story, but so far, he is off to a very bad start in my opinion. Thankfully, he comes to his senses after that and decides to protect her instead, but from that point on she is a broken and troubled character, who can't trust any man, certainly not him. Although there is a positive spin the writers can put on this, which I can see is the angle they are taking, and that is to show the effects of rape in such difficult situations on the human psyche. In that respect I guess they are doing well, but the whole concept of women being raped just so 'something bad' can happen to them is a tired and cliché plot device that should really be left behind. As a writer myself, I can be sure that it is a plot element best avoided if you don't want to alienate a large portion of your potential audience.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnCB30x5CyuXOvfmryM3vay9oj9diCb-BOGxHNT5JpggLM6OaJTJCQm-BGFRygwP9fqv5K7ukhJMAvgiIdjtFtyU8BMu_lQtJ56NK3iJz76dsQ3ZtEfb45wE_QCus0jjM4L8Yb2xsabE/s1600/585999-btooom___04___large_15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Another damaged contestant joins the fight" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnCB30x5CyuXOvfmryM3vay9oj9diCb-BOGxHNT5JpggLM6OaJTJCQm-BGFRygwP9fqv5K7ukhJMAvgiIdjtFtyU8BMu_lQtJ56NK3iJz76dsQ3ZtEfb45wE_QCus0jjM4L8Yb2xsabE/s320/585999-btooom___04___large_15.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
Unfortunately for Btooom! the writers wanted to put their viewers through an even worse situation when they introduce the psychologically damaged Kosuke Kira and his paedophile father, who over the episode featuring him proceeds to abuse the boy through very distasteful methods. Once again, the writers use this as an opportunity to show the psychological effects such actions have on Kosuke, to the point of it turning him into a woman killer before arriving on the island. Because of the abuse, he is a sadist, which reflects in his personality on the island. Hopefully, future scenes involving Kosuke might not be so bad, after how the episode ended.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7PSlb-lM7v-dqihuVU2oFgZj-VC0iWNH0Kb-rLZbO5-OQNlZhXb_5wUaPUrZtLSvO-lwlXAxKIGx1h_OnIgR6E4QF2oUFHQhuiJ0X45pv-9R9rnOaV6plXgKyIX9qA0QJQ4wrt-R56Y/s1600/BTOOOM+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Working together to survive." border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7PSlb-lM7v-dqihuVU2oFgZj-VC0iWNH0Kb-rLZbO5-OQNlZhXb_5wUaPUrZtLSvO-lwlXAxKIGx1h_OnIgR6E4QF2oUFHQhuiJ0X45pv-9R9rnOaV6plXgKyIX9qA0QJQ4wrt-R56Y/s320/BTOOOM+1.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>In the end, this show has several weaknesses that hinder its potential, and pushes an archaic impression of women's ability to defend themselves, falling back on the flawed concept that they need men to save them. It unfortunately makes for a frustrating story that has yet to show any true plot developments. The story might be brutal and sometimes painful to watch, but it has potential, there is no denying that, and when battles do happen, they are typically quite entertaining, which has been enough for me to survive watching it so far. But, if it keeps on going the way it is, this is an anime I will likely drop.<br />
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If you want to watch an anime based around an online game, you're better off watching Sword Art Online.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-57036037957686701282012-11-08T21:25:00.000-08:002013-01-01T12:02:01.983-08:00Arrow: Impressions after the first five episodes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qqHA1NhHaSOBlDCRShSV3dzebx02yR76W20VSCqMp-282VI7YudNsu6fv_tMx9eZhic33EbPALjeRYkxn7to3xRZqKa7dIqMaEOIvTwKf6UWjR2jZpxcLfrDWyK2xjUHNrPobbwbi-c/s1600/arrow1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Arrow" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qqHA1NhHaSOBlDCRShSV3dzebx02yR76W20VSCqMp-282VI7YudNsu6fv_tMx9eZhic33EbPALjeRYkxn7to3xRZqKa7dIqMaEOIvTwKf6UWjR2jZpxcLfrDWyK2xjUHNrPobbwbi-c/s1600/arrow1.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
When a comic superhero is turned into a live action show, I've always approached it with a bit of apprehension. Until recently, such shows have been known for excessively cheesy lines, poor acting and ridiculous stunts that defy the laws of physics. Regretfully, I'm not entirely convinced Arrow rises above these problems yet, and it really is a regret, because the show has clearly had a huge amount of funding put into it. Luckily for Green Arrow fans, CW has more faith in their show than I do and have already renewed it for a second season.<br />
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Arrow follows the story of Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) who is the victim of a shipwreck, along with his father and the woman he was having a romantic encounter with at the time - which just happened to be the sister of his girlfriend, Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy). Straight off the bat we are shown glimpses into his character, that he is a spoilt playboy with the ego to match. Honestly, I have issues with the personality of his character and find him more arrogant than I would have liked. Thankfully, Oliver has his golden moments where he appears to rise above the arrogance, if at least for just one scene, and show us his potential to develop into a character you might one day find yourself caring for.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-T5p4O9IcVGMpprPj0fyJ-V5p3tYZdf2XoJZTl1p02adzU8iGh_WQggU6J8UBeRFD0ENbvT6Cr1m7Psk1WJXxVzjB2g6kFwHy9sJPctbt0BKMb_EYOKbaeu3Q6iEy6FerCq9x9c6U1Fw/s1600/arrow5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Oliver Queen hosting a party" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-T5p4O9IcVGMpprPj0fyJ-V5p3tYZdf2XoJZTl1p02adzU8iGh_WQggU6J8UBeRFD0ENbvT6Cr1m7Psk1WJXxVzjB2g6kFwHy9sJPctbt0BKMb_EYOKbaeu3Q6iEy6FerCq9x9c6U1Fw/s320/arrow5.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
As the only survivor of the shipwreck, he is forced to live on an island inhabited by an unknown military group that have no interest in being friends and treat him with hostility from the first moment they see him, going as far as to torture him to get information on the one man living on the island who, separate from the military group, chose to help Olivier, instead of trying to kill him. After years of living on the island, learning to hunt and kill, Oliver is rescued by a fishing boat and brought back to civilization, where he finds his now ex-girlfriend working as a lawyer and still suffering from the grief over her sister's death, which she blames Oliver for. It is made worse by the over-the-top anger directed at him by her father, Detective Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne), who is literally out for blood and will do anything to bring the Queen family down. Luckily for Quentin, I like the actor who plays him, which allows me to forgive his psychotic antipathy towards Oliver.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS00RtePD9BqgUyUddVc5FLVi-krHiiuRKRGYHl0RT_SS6feYr8mBWtg41aer_9omv8N97RPi9Ewz2s8IzamJexdrl3rvyv9lopA9gsYkkAUxR3qrjHvg2qfeueNLqqd9fLdp2LIG5OBg/s1600/Arrow2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Practicising with the bow" border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS00RtePD9BqgUyUddVc5FLVi-krHiiuRKRGYHl0RT_SS6feYr8mBWtg41aer_9omv8N97RPi9Ewz2s8IzamJexdrl3rvyv9lopA9gsYkkAUxR3qrjHvg2qfeueNLqqd9fLdp2LIG5OBg/s320/Arrow2.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
Oliver comes back from the island a scarred man, haunted by his experiences on the island, but determined to fullfill a mission his father gave him in his last dying moments; to rid Starling City of the corrupt business owners who are slowly eating away at its heart. Taking it upon himself to rid the city of the names on his father's list, he turns vigilante and adopts a superhero identity, the Green Arrow, a modern day Robin Hood. Using his father's money, he develops batman style gadgetry to help him in his quest. The Green Arrow character is well known to be a rip off of Batman, and while the show does well to stray away from these roots, it is still clear that Arrow draws inspiration from the batman franchise. Both shows star billionnaire heroes that have nothing better to do with their time or money than use it to develop fancy toys and fight crime outside of the law. Future episodes will tell whether it manages to break away from batman and form its own image, or continues to steal concepts and ideas from its big brother.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_clIHyDAPWawW-RHZEv6pkpG2-pvrMXChBSJRVwFVVrrxwmaq5dxO00MU-w8xBnOTci_AyP9dKvflJslOO3oYjQW8aJBKIcx_-3bXXZx5XMYVClwnkbCxIVmEJM_xK7jRvxzgMjWNwZ4/s1600/arrow4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Oliver's ally and bodyguard" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_clIHyDAPWawW-RHZEv6pkpG2-pvrMXChBSJRVwFVVrrxwmaq5dxO00MU-w8xBnOTci_AyP9dKvflJslOO3oYjQW8aJBKIcx_-3bXXZx5XMYVClwnkbCxIVmEJM_xK7jRvxzgMjWNwZ4/s320/arrow4.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>One of my favourite characters in the show would have to be his bodyguard, John Diggle (David Ramsey), who in the line of duty, discovers Oliver's secret identity, but instead of reporting him to Laurel's father, Quentin, who is hunting the vigilante known as the "Hood", he instead chooses to help him fight against the crime bosses of the city. There is a depth to David's character that many of the others are missing, a past history involving other members of his family that I am very curious to learn more about.<br />
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The worst parts of this show would so far have to be the lack of opposition to Oliver's quest. The crime bosses offer no challenge to his all but invincible skills, although saying that, the latest episode showed us a glimpse of possible things to come, in the form of a well known antagonist from the comic; Deathstroke. And while it was not Oliver who fought him in the latest episode, hopefully soon the Hood will be in for the real fight I've been craving to see. Second to that would be the painful voiceovers that are riddled with Oliver's arrogant tone of voice and bad scripting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1fetLJoVvz8rBCFJZ8pHxIEXAZOqizvg1n3PgP1KuJfw0YS-r0BxfY6VloO2wO_XBBXsDu_CkT0wzYSYFPMKkAZBiLpqVVq4KeOLpNB6tJ7JOyT38NgQMoiMtt5p8FC53Y1P0Dp83bc/s1600/arrow-damaged-deathstroke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fighting his nemesis" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1fetLJoVvz8rBCFJZ8pHxIEXAZOqizvg1n3PgP1KuJfw0YS-r0BxfY6VloO2wO_XBBXsDu_CkT0wzYSYFPMKkAZBiLpqVVq4KeOLpNB6tJ7JOyT38NgQMoiMtt5p8FC53Y1P0Dp83bc/s1600/arrow-damaged-deathstroke.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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Overall, the show has provided enough entertainment for me to keep watching, but I'm still waiting for that moment where the real story gets underway. From the looks of it, that story might start through the flashbacks to the island, rather than the activities he is getting up to in present time. Is Arrow worth watching? I believe so.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-33096131461053754302012-11-06T18:20:00.002-08:002013-01-01T12:03:11.599-08:00Zetsuen no Tempest: The Civilization Blaster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pBtcPCHUI72Ua8Eviw9DaHHLk9MOpbM1X9YwgO1cUwqRqLBKFrGpdMUQ7b5zaP59u6knJC_JJ-P0ytCSKxqbmUoUxfejmr9Bo2yHTmw6lWpusUhvCCZfhyphenhyphenHu6ORI4AZeOOx1lUMCfJk/s1600/3_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Civilization Blaster" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pBtcPCHUI72Ua8Eviw9DaHHLk9MOpbM1X9YwgO1cUwqRqLBKFrGpdMUQ7b5zaP59u6knJC_JJ-P0ytCSKxqbmUoUxfejmr9Bo2yHTmw6lWpusUhvCCZfhyphenhyphenHu6ORI4AZeOOx1lUMCfJk/s1600/3_large.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
The Civilization Blaster (Zetsuen no Tempest) is the story of Yoshino and Mahiro, and the troubled friendship they share over the death of Mahiro's sister, Aika.<br />
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Mahiro is recruited by Hakaze, the self-proclaimed 'most powerful wizard alive' to stop renegade wizards within her own clan from resurrecting the Tree of Exodus and destroying the world. Harnessing the power of the Tree of Genesis, Hakaze shares that power with Mashiro through the use of silver talismans, allowing him to use magic and hunt down the man who murdered his sister. While there are no connections as yet made to the story of his sister's murderer, and the Tree of Exodus, it can be assumed that, in time, one might well have something to do with the other.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6ROL7AgkBC6Q4XZD1OdKme82ofAvzNeF0qnsaj0RWU4oxinmeIwPupjJ8ZggHExmVQwsbiVIhU-WPEowM1VsatuxWqpO_61pIhxXOLRUbwHV3UnybAr-qyaC0RpCeVXtaS8cgCFi_cs/s1600/Zetsuen-no-Tempest-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Hakaze on the island" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6ROL7AgkBC6Q4XZD1OdKme82ofAvzNeF0qnsaj0RWU4oxinmeIwPupjJ8ZggHExmVQwsbiVIhU-WPEowM1VsatuxWqpO_61pIhxXOLRUbwHV3UnybAr-qyaC0RpCeVXtaS8cgCFi_cs/s320/Zetsuen-no-Tempest-1-2.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a><br />
What is interesting to note is the connections the writers made between the anime and Shakespeare, going as far as quoting Hamlet in the first episode, and if you compare the story of Hamlet and that of Mahiro hunting his sister's murderer, you can well see that Hamlet served as inspiration. Another side to the story is the romantic relationship Yoshino had with Aika, which for reasons unknown, was kept secret from Mahiro. Add a third, unkown party that is for some unknown reason hunting down Mahiro, and you have a plot with many intricate strands that manage to effectively tie together into an intriguing and deep storyline.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT41___VLWlnjTOeITeUuJgWkgtt_y51IDZS-JPnOeoL-RUmVqA7wl1_YUC1m2kyIaPjvTvnAhwcfRRAwX6FGgY2lHuneEhJCsGVz1lQMGtf_1x2suXkpelwvOu2137fcyfUwlfjYF-50/s1600/Zetsuen-no-Tempest-1-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mahiro fighting with magic" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT41___VLWlnjTOeITeUuJgWkgtt_y51IDZS-JPnOeoL-RUmVqA7wl1_YUC1m2kyIaPjvTvnAhwcfRRAwX6FGgY2lHuneEhJCsGVz1lQMGtf_1x2suXkpelwvOu2137fcyfUwlfjYF-50/s320/Zetsuen-no-Tempest-1-5.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
The first episode sees Yoshino reunited with Mahiro, after Mahiro takes a long absence from school following the death of Aika. Upon his return, an apocalyptic spell is unleashed when a "fruit" - which is part of the Tree of Exodus - is awakened, causing everyone in the city to turn to stone. Mahiro is protected from the spell by the magic bestowed upon him by Hakaze, and because of Yoshino's proximity to him, he is also spared the effects. They are now forced to flee the city, avoiding wizards and those hunting them, before the government can quarantine the city and trap them within. A word of warning though, the first episode skips back and forth through time, and while it shows some good character depth and background, it can be at times confusing figuring out what exactly is going on because the show gives no indication that it has infact gone back in time. Fortunately, from the second episode on we are treated to a serialized story that continues to grow stronger as the episodes continue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMsemNFtE8h0ngkPWpnFODGFVc8kzr8QkGPBORaZNFJp5ZAYFBI2-J9ydpFfSU1sVp8_vIjuvva7xUa5qXnL-tQ2AeNTlyhGP4w05S3w45nnyXxT_q2eVpUOKX6ZwgdVEwC4DRWzjEN4/s1600/1349481967_Burya_poter_Zetsuen_no_Tempest_The_Civilization_Blaster_2012_RUS_JAP_HDTV_720p_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Fruit of the Tree of Exodus" border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMsemNFtE8h0ngkPWpnFODGFVc8kzr8QkGPBORaZNFJp5ZAYFBI2-J9ydpFfSU1sVp8_vIjuvva7xUa5qXnL-tQ2AeNTlyhGP4w05S3w45nnyXxT_q2eVpUOKX6ZwgdVEwC4DRWzjEN4/s320/1349481967_Burya_poter_Zetsuen_no_Tempest_The_Civilization_Blaster_2012_RUS_JAP_HDTV_720p_4.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
The show reminded me of Guilty Crown, which was an incredible anime with a story so unpredictable that it would keep you guessing until the very last episode. I suspect The Civilization Blaster might manage to repeat some of that amazing storytelling that Guilty Crown had. So far there are so many different stories going on in the plot that there can be no knowing what might come next.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-17242623586782281922012-11-06T15:41:00.000-08:002013-01-01T12:04:25.349-08:00Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKWPBUZ19NSMtJmke02SasQPnxiRRCDiIxuTuUGTiSAhD5NSu0hLj0XuCDCxQU633B7A78MxCBbuBUzmBnM2AfCmqZKer1galD7FTGAI9RiSYTAO9j-AVGt8KHx-Yrfu86SapIS0bmh8/s1600/Muv-Luv.Alternative.-.Total.Eclipse.full.1146524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Ecclipse" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKWPBUZ19NSMtJmke02SasQPnxiRRCDiIxuTuUGTiSAhD5NSu0hLj0XuCDCxQU633B7A78MxCBbuBUzmBnM2AfCmqZKer1galD7FTGAI9RiSYTAO9j-AVGt8KHx-Yrfu86SapIS0bmh8/s1600/Muv-Luv.Alternative.-.Total.Eclipse.full.1146524.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
In 1973 the aliens attacked. Nicknamed “BETA,” these monsters proved nigh on unbeatable, and soon most of Europe and Asia was uninhabitable. Humanoid robot weapons, known as Tactical Surface Fighters (TSFs) were developed to help combat the BETA, but it is not an easy battle. As a student, Yui Takamura finds herself in a deadly battle as an untried cadet, something which will have a terrible effect on the rest of her life. Nevertheless, she remains in the Imperial Royal Guards and years later as a lieutenant is in charge of an international group based in Alaska working on ways to combat the BETA. This brings her into contact with Yuuya Bridges, a Japanese American pilot with some issues of his own...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwCR8l5uqyUA1D2kmX4iR9co7uzQVJ8Oc20K1WDP3MwtH9fTEeIxrkS9EvCxmgfCUYm9cZ40bb9YkWWHlA0CD9aIiNHPJsdbbGwaD6H1LbVO8rHbD5CWhbgQw3d51eVIDAGiB7L5wvgw/s1600/Muv-Luv+Alternative+Total+Eclipse+-+09+-+Large+20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Mech squad flying" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwCR8l5uqyUA1D2kmX4iR9co7uzQVJ8Oc20K1WDP3MwtH9fTEeIxrkS9EvCxmgfCUYm9cZ40bb9YkWWHlA0CD9aIiNHPJsdbbGwaD6H1LbVO8rHbD5CWhbgQw3d51eVIDAGiB7L5wvgw/s320/Muv-Luv+Alternative+Total+Eclipse+-+09+-+Large+20.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Muv-luv Alternative: Total Eclipse is one of those anime where you will either love it, or hate it. Based on a series of visual novels, the anime is a spin off that follows the story of a group of ace test pilots from all over the world who are assigned to help perfect the Tactical Surface Fighters (TSFs) needed to win the war against BETA. The shows roots in eroge are clear, although toned down to make it suitable for television - expect the BD volumes to be much more explicit. Saying that, like most other 2012 anime, we are treated to a fair share of fanservice, including swimsuits and skin tight flight suits. There are other anime out there that do worse though.<br />
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In the first episode we witness Yui Takamura's last days as a highschool student living in a world where even young girls are drafted into the army to fight in a losing war against alien invasion. The first two episodes throw us straight into the middle of the war and dose us with a good taste of action, but be aware of the bait and switch at the end of episode two; the real story does not start until episode three which is based several years after the events of the first two episodes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3nJXUIAQCDxU1jnnR2W4v3y5MgB9EAl6Pz11ZhzYl4eKCHos4Pan_zFzUkQuhC4wkVvVvTOAL7RH1JKqhYdO7eacEf2m-fNc49OZqAT-OrbnuLw1nx86PVM4kSxF1WQRjW7Wm181xf0/s1600/horriblesubs-muv-luv-alternative-total-eclipse-05-720p-mkv_snapshot_20-18_2012-07-30_13-18-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Yui fighting Yuuta" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3nJXUIAQCDxU1jnnR2W4v3y5MgB9EAl6Pz11ZhzYl4eKCHos4Pan_zFzUkQuhC4wkVvVvTOAL7RH1JKqhYdO7eacEf2m-fNc49OZqAT-OrbnuLw1nx86PVM4kSxF1WQRjW7Wm181xf0/s320/horriblesubs-muv-luv-alternative-total-eclipse-05-720p-mkv_snapshot_20-18_2012-07-30_13-18-2.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>From episode three onwards, the action takes a back seat in return for some serious character development. One of the most pleasing elements of the show is how deep into the characters minds and past they go - the main characters are definitely three-dimensional. I also have to give props to Kouda Kimi. Her song, Go to the Top, matches the anime and intro perfectly and is by far my favourite intro song for this season. It has that catchy style to it that just gets stuck in your head.<br />
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Not all is perfect and cheery with the anime though. Some characters, like Tarisa and Cui can get annoying at times while the love triangle romance between the protagonists suffers due to flaws in their characters personality and the show's attempts to tread into the territory of harem anime, which is unfortunate. The anime also suffers some clumsy animation and hideously designed flight suits, especially in the first two episodes, but thankfully, as the show continues on the animation appears to improve greatly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWdb4Anm0rI7Kll1j1NiSnPBN42yUIidGkBTRQ_QaIqxQ9ETsiKyFpIGVDI6gZpq8tU6YEfbvXpRu4PU6TWT9QFhtVd-WIpqLDcjhK-RCpXyW_Mih1Ls2lbJNNNsZzt6Wr_aSB0Biyi4/s1600/Muv-Luv+Alternative+Total+Eclipse+-+05+-+Large+25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Great shot with Yui and Yuuta's mechs" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWdb4Anm0rI7Kll1j1NiSnPBN42yUIidGkBTRQ_QaIqxQ9ETsiKyFpIGVDI6gZpq8tU6YEfbvXpRu4PU6TWT9QFhtVd-WIpqLDcjhK-RCpXyW_Mih1Ls2lbJNNNsZzt6Wr_aSB0Biyi4/s320/Muv-Luv+Alternative+Total+Eclipse+-+05+-+Large+25.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
Overall, the anime has a well thought out story that shows some strong depth, reflecting the prejudice and emotional trials of characters caught up in an unforgiving world. The consequences of the war and the characters actions make for some fantastic storytelling that proves the show has the ability to rise well above it's ero background. I would definitely recommend giving this show the proper attention it deserves.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-42343247827248014822012-11-06T04:09:00.002-08:002013-01-01T12:05:35.787-08:00Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5vv4zyk5fQm5DbCAUFHvJjLX3yQFTtXzSWDL2MIWnR5pIXdMRt4ZtQlMffcSWjD1JnDIZE6XpCKAGKrUjPBJEi705bTWQv8uku6e58_vHsdN_cHGI_HLlein478Jb17Kc-OUgPUl8y0/s1600/8041372943_cf28fa23ae_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5vv4zyk5fQm5DbCAUFHvJjLX3yQFTtXzSWDL2MIWnR5pIXdMRt4ZtQlMffcSWjD1JnDIZE6XpCKAGKrUjPBJEi705bTWQv8uku6e58_vHsdN_cHGI_HLlein478Jb17Kc-OUgPUl8y0/s1600/8041372943_cf28fa23ae_o.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
A strong contender for this season, Chu-2 is based on the concept of 'Eigth-Grader Syndrome' and makes a good impression of the difficulties kids can have differentiating reality from fiction. Chu-2 is a fun and entertaining anime with well fleshed out characters that you will just fall in love with. It also has one of the catchiest music intros I've seen in some time.<br />
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The season starts with the protagonist, Yuuta Togashi, having recently recovered from the condition. He transfers to a new school, where he hopes he can lead a normal everyday life and forget the embarrassment of his past. It seems the fates were not smiling on him though, when his neighbour, the cute and completely insane Rikka Takanashi, discovers his hidden past and believes he really is the magician he pretended to be. Rikka attaches herself to Yuuta, dragging him through a series of never ending hilarious antics.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9pzft0z_kGKy0t82KTUqnDyt5kgEpZhxyp7bc8oVbO66KX5N1s3VrUGZQ1DDt5c3YQCQEaXCC7MyUYeuzhZTfSXvKmvvPXzmAr4rpaw5zf1H2t_iJ1O9Y_5KZ8FUDd17pUqQP8zC6oM/s1600/x01+T%C5%8Dka+battles+Rikka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Imaginary battle, amazing artwork" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9pzft0z_kGKy0t82KTUqnDyt5kgEpZhxyp7bc8oVbO66KX5N1s3VrUGZQ1DDt5c3YQCQEaXCC7MyUYeuzhZTfSXvKmvvPXzmAr4rpaw5zf1H2t_iJ1O9Y_5KZ8FUDd17pUqQP8zC6oM/s320/x01+T%C5%8Dka+battles+Rikka.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
What makes this show so great is the amazing visual effects the artists added to portray how Rikka and other kids suffering from the syndrome see the world, including incredible, imaginary battle scenes between Rikka and her older sister, where her sister appears to be playing along with her delusions. As the story goes on, more and more characters who suffer from the condition are introduced to the story, who all end up forming a school club together; the Far Eastern Magic Nap Society.<br />
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As far as 'Eight-Grader Syndrome' goes, the situations depicted in the show are exaggerated to the extreme compared to real life accounts, yet make for some of the greatest entertainment this season. I can only wait with baited breath for what crazy adventure Rikka will take us on next.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ny_DEiBX-y5oeepCJXzo4stkrqkTnazEyTL2MUbmREQV7h6f99JlwkAB42o-qodP1rn2nw1cfx5odY_eXIJ9ln953sIefRbOZB6qAPWdGnPHD7G0D9Zoc0hM3D2_Xa7KiuV8NxwHrFo/s1600/chuunibyou_demo_koi_ga_shitai-01-yuuta-rikka-comedy-playing-cute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Protagonists having fun and being cute" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ny_DEiBX-y5oeepCJXzo4stkrqkTnazEyTL2MUbmREQV7h6f99JlwkAB42o-qodP1rn2nw1cfx5odY_eXIJ9ln953sIefRbOZB6qAPWdGnPHD7G0D9Zoc0hM3D2_Xa7KiuV8NxwHrFo/s1600/chuunibyou_demo_koi_ga_shitai-01-yuuta-rikka-comedy-playing-cute.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020944035469970310.post-81934176807692905342012-11-06T03:18:00.001-08:002013-01-01T12:06:30.446-08:00Sword Art Online<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZAaxR7hXJdf0rcP0w7-HLYVTL6KQj1l8XtE2cim65JefbzpgJeYtRuUaumuktpvePZ5UZ2xKb9sq9VEodJAqjYbmWQBAUQ3GyzYBb9DM1nYt6Dy5RrJLF2M6gxoLYJMQNFH0Dt_3scU/s1600/swordartonline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sword Art Online" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZAaxR7hXJdf0rcP0w7-HLYVTL6KQj1l8XtE2cim65JefbzpgJeYtRuUaumuktpvePZ5UZ2xKb9sq9VEodJAqjYbmWQBAUQ3GyzYBb9DM1nYt6Dy5RrJLF2M6gxoLYJMQNFH0Dt_3scU/s1600/swordartonline.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
Kicking off the anime reviews is a series that, unless you've been hiding under a rock, you will have heard of. Sword Art Online (SAO) is dominating the anime season with its ambitious story concepts and characters. Based on the light novels by Reki Kawahara, it follows the story of Kirito, a beta tester for the VR MMO Sword Art Online and the other 10,000 players who buy the game at launch, only to find that once they log into the virtual reality world, they can never log out again unless somebody completes the game.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAO8ouJ2PgIUF1Un2yyXzTJDt7GyyeJKu-wto69_jh2c8tFoj1NqIJcLivk_ltqUotkF-KnG8C2a2KWf-o-0_gRbdUD0EReUy1B8cGhHLeOPFQi-CFBskyuenbxdPpPq27AzV5DqN_Po/s1600/Sword_Art_Online_-_05_-_Large_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Preparing for the next raid" border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAO8ouJ2PgIUF1Un2yyXzTJDt7GyyeJKu-wto69_jh2c8tFoj1NqIJcLivk_ltqUotkF-KnG8C2a2KWf-o-0_gRbdUD0EReUy1B8cGhHLeOPFQi-CFBskyuenbxdPpPq27AzV5DqN_Po/s320/Sword_Art_Online_-_05_-_Large_01.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>Faced with the reality of their situation, Kirito teams up with the talented and attractive Asuna to help clear the 100 levels of the game, each guarded by an increasingly more challenging raid boss. The game takes a serious turn when it is revealed to the players that if they die in the game, the Nervegear headsets they wear will kill them in real life.<br />
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SAO is a fast paced story that combines a healthy portion of action with an overall romantic story that shows the psychological effects caused by living in a virtual reality world. One complaint I did have with the pace though is that they skipped a lot of time. The story of SAO is spread out over 2+ years, but this does allow the viewers to see how players adapted to their new lives inside the world of SAO. While some chose to fight on the front lines, risking their lives to help free everyone from their virtual prison, many more lived out normal ordinary lives, making the best of what they could in the fantasy world. This is furthermore enforced by treating the membership of guilds, and crafting professions as real jobs, with real life expectations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVWKwoVH07zExZyfUNeqyQVX7gIgzteXj8Sl0rIXMqGTlZQr7lyKmyOullClImgPUhcgFTf7qlCKSMvsQ4eanElPciX37MZysj2uBM9TAiBiV1r8yHbA4DXvHjfNdkbFibOBPCsfX2NE/s1600/swordart1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Retiring to a cabin at lower levels to spend time together" border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVWKwoVH07zExZyfUNeqyQVX7gIgzteXj8Sl0rIXMqGTlZQr7lyKmyOullClImgPUhcgFTf7qlCKSMvsQ4eanElPciX37MZysj2uBM9TAiBiV1r8yHbA4DXvHjfNdkbFibOBPCsfX2NE/s320/swordart1.png" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
I was pleased by the romantic relationship that develops between the characters. Many animes struggle to even reach that first kiss, taking a whole season for the characters to even admit that they like each other. Not with SAO. Their relationship develops early on, and becomes something serious, and real, allowing the writers to explore the concept of characters living together in a virtual world.<br />
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The story is brutally tragic, and early on the viewer will get a good idea of how serious the situation the players are in really is when many characters have a typical lifetime of only several episodes, almost to the point where a plot arc rarely ends with a happy ending.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3cmnLjmjzCl-7KNZswySBMnRyXklY0bnVmdFVD9VW23xVWKocaNpJ6RUw1EMOTd1Y-dLqh-5neXgXg680JhGv9VL54uQswwR3rHViFbPwE-0mSRDUW_c_mafSqh6WRswesW7JeMMXwU/s1600/HorribleSubs-Sword-Art-Online-13-720p.mkv_snapshot_20.29_2012.10.03_17.37.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fighting the final boss" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3cmnLjmjzCl-7KNZswySBMnRyXklY0bnVmdFVD9VW23xVWKocaNpJ6RUw1EMOTd1Y-dLqh-5neXgXg680JhGv9VL54uQswwR3rHViFbPwE-0mSRDUW_c_mafSqh6WRswesW7JeMMXwU/s320/HorribleSubs-Sword-Art-Online-13-720p.mkv_snapshot_20.29_2012.10.03_17.37.16.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
Overall, Sword Art Online is a fantastic story that more than deserves its place as the top anime of the season. It is deep and well thought out, with three dimensional characters that you can feel yourself really caring for, and a plot that will have you gripping the edge of your seat until the very last episode.<br />
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If there is one anime you are going to watch this season, make sure it's Sword Art Online.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597833830975722133noreply@blogger.com0