Amagami SS – 09

“Statistics show that by listening to Sae’s voice, you have an increased risk of suffering from ear cancer and/or deafness”

I disapprove.

What a surprise this episode was. First we had  the comedic narrator and the breaking of the fourth wall, both of which remind me a lot of the currently airing Ookami-san. Then we had the whole romantic comedy thing going on. Pretty unexpected seeing that the first 2 arcs were mainly drama.

Some much-needed yuri action

Demotivator of the week #32

On a semi-related note, this week’s episode of Amagami SS surprised me a lot! It’s pretty different to what I was expecting~

Live long and prosper and send me a message if you want to add me on Battlenet. However, I’m pretty noob, so yeeeah, try not to depend on me too much ‘kay?

Ippius

Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin – impressions so far

“Guys… in the movies everybody who says those lines…. dies.”

Russian Roulette with Naruse.... not a game I'd like to play

Occult Academy is heading towards  its final 13th episode, and I am very pleased with what’s been shown so far. Possibly the biggest flaw in the series is that it’ll be so goddamn short!

Apocalypse a la War of The Worlds

I’ve certainly enjoyed the comedic moments in this series, which are too numerous to dictate. What’s even better is that the humour is far different to the generic fanservice-related and recycled slapstick that seems to permeate many anime series these days. Expressions are truly priceless in Occult Academy.

Behind!

However it’s not all good news. Bunmei borders on terribad very often. He’s just a really annoying character sometimes, with his general lack of spine and ridiculous crush on Mikaze. However it’s a good thing that we see a sadder side to this fool. I just wish he’d shut up sometimes.

Moth.... woman...?

The character of Mikaze is not quite as annoying. In my opinion, she’s waaaay too sweet to be true, and it’s a little shifty how Bunmei hasn’t taken a photo of her yet. Only time will tell whether she plays some greater role in the story.

Ooooo trippy

The soundtrack, like with the grand majority of series out there, is certainly less than memorable, though the voice actors are doing  a very solid job of their characters. The animation, while not amazingly spectacular, has been pretty okay so far.

Why is Naruse such a noob...?

What director Itou Tomohiko needs to focus on doing right now is building up an intriguing conclusion. We’ve gone through most of the main characters at this stage, bar JK and Smile, and so we’re ready to dive into this occult-themed conspiracy. With only a total of 13 episodes, time cannot simply be wasted on mere supernatural slice-of-life.

Errrr I'm no chem genius, but I'm pretty sure iron oxide = rust....

Amagami SS – Tanamachi Kaoru arc – review

“We’re just bad friends…”

Birth of the boy band.

After this arc, I’m really interested in how they’ll develop the quieter/more modest characters such as Sae and Tsukasa. They’ve clearly started the series with the more gutsy and powerful ladies, so who knows where the series’ll go with the other female love-interests.

Mmmm ear-biting...

Morishima-senpai was a great tease. We witnessed some pretty outrageous things with her, such as the whole kinky role-play and the kissing behind the knee (out of ALL places). Kaoru’s a cruder character and it’s clear that she’s earned the title of “Kibitou’s Warhead”, with her almost aggressive personality at times.

Hrrrr.... how very risqué~

However it’s no big surprise to see her softer and more vulnerable side. I personally thought they did that well. However it’s clear things were rushed, just as they were with Morishima Haruka. The whole mother-daughter was never satisfactorily concluded, and shift from ‘bad friends’ to ‘omg we’re like sooo like a couple’ was very quick.

You know, I've never found Australian waitress uniforms that attractive...

Of course very little can be said about the boring and recycled sound. Tachibana’s voice also tends to piss me off majorly. Animation is also fairly average, although the character models have always been nice to watch.

Nothing like a hands-on experience

Despite the clear faults, Kaoru’s arc was most watchable! The whole kissing the stomach thing was pretty damn out there, but after watching Tachibana go for behind Haruka’s knee ‘like a puppy’, and then that excruciating ramen role-play, that could be considered relatively tame. Come on Sae, show us what you got~

Did I ever tell you how MUCH I LOVE flowers...?

Kuroshitsuji II – 07-08

“Don’t worry, Master. The menial soul that can give love to one who is only a butler cannot possibly stimulate my appetite… There is a use for your soul.”

*Take photo take photo*

Wow. Now this is what we’re talking about. The past 2 episodes have been very revealing and really accelerated the plot. Director Ogura Hirafumi  has done a great job of the latest episodes, and it leaves us waiting in anticipation for next week’s outing!

The spider and his spawns

I can haz burfdae?

Here's a birthday-themed image for your viewing pleasure...

If you’re wondering why my blog has been relatively quiet recently, it’s coz  I hit the 2o year mark today. Got a sweet stormtrooper helmet XP so I’m hoping my lecturer won’t kill me for wearing it tomorrow.

The Galactic Empire shall forever reign the universe!

Anyway expect an update VERY soon! I haven’t forgotten bout you guys yet~

Ippius

No, I'm not a girl. Goddamnit why don't guys ever have birthdays in anime...

Demotivator of the week #31

Wow the year just zips by! Anyhoo here’s your weekly dose of demotivation~

Thanx for the views and comments and stay tuned for more updates! XD

Ippius

Katanagatari – 08

“Pengin, Oshidori, Houhou… the long-lived Umigame has become… short-lived.”

Context - this image needs some.

Episode 8 wasn’t necessarily a bad episode. It just lacked the style and wit that made many previous episodes so enjoyable. Nevertheless, it was a solid build-up of the events to come, as we got to see Emonzaemon in action and another Maniwa Corps leader die.

Shiki – midseason impressions

“So this… this isn’t an epidemic?”

OBJECTION!

As we reach halfway Shiki’s tale of vampires and disease, we ready ourselves for the start of doctor Ozaki’s counter-attack. I must say, I’m really digging the atmosphere of this series. It’s done really nicely.

Megumi, you can suck my blood anyday...

If there’s anything that can be said wrong about Shiki, it’s definitely the character models. I’m not saying the animation is poor: it’s actually very nice and the special effects here are there are used well to add tension. However everyone looks so… unusual. Being different is okay and the style used here is definitely unique, Shiki stands out significantly.

Sunako... what a creep

The sound is used to great potential in Shiki. While it’s definitely not ear candy, it strengthens some very dark and creepy moments. The character of Sunako is very interesting and that spooky tune with the singing girl always sends shivers down my spine. Sunako sounds and somewhat looks (except for the lack of eyes) like a loli, but there is something terribly iffy about her.

There is something shifty about this village...

Doctor Ozaki is also an interesting character to watch. It was nice to see some sort of backstory of his in episode 6, and from what I’ve watched, I’m wondering whether he gets driven mad by this ‘epidemic’ by the end of the series, seeing that he’s already losing his cool at this stage. It’s also great to see that Natsuno has got off his angsty ass and is actually thinking about the possibility of vampires.

That's some funky hair

Where Shiki shines is its sense of foreboding. Amino Tatsuro clearly knows how to unravel and pace the story well as every episode we see Natsuno and Ozaki slowly inching towards the truth. I like what I’m seeing.

Some very VERY weird sh!t going on!

Anime series seldom manage to scare people. Even Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni season1 only had a few *holy crap I just shat in my pants* moments, and Shiki is no different. However, where Shiki is excelling so far is its pacing and atmosphere. I eagerly await the conclusion of this series!

Someone's wearing a mop for a wig >_>

Bioshock Infinite – debut trailer impressions

“Burden NOT Columbia with your CHAFF!”

Are we under water again........?

The world of Bioshock takes to the skies in the third game in the series, Bioshock Infinite, as announced recently and I seriously can’ wait for this game. No longer are we in the depths of Rapture circa 1960. Bioshock Infinite is set in 1912 on board the floating city of Columbia, a proud bastion of American exceptionalism, sent to foreign shores to show off America’s newfound wealth and prosperity.

..... NOPE LOLOLOLOL

However the city is involved in an international incident, and for some reason the city disappears into the clouds. You play as a disgraced Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt who is sent to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman who’s been imprisoned in Columbia since she was young. However Elizabeth is central to the conflict apparent in the heavily armed Columbia, and it turns out its citizens won’t let go of her so easily.

Welcome to Columbia

Elizabeth has special powers (probably plasmid-related) and while forming a relationship with her, Booker augments his own powers so that they both can escape from the city of Columbia, which is literally falling from the sky.

Cloud City - no we're NOT talking about Bespin here...

I’m glad Irrational Games is trying something different to the dystopian universe we’ve come to associate with the Bioshock series. Turn of the century America has an awesome old patriot and federalist feel to it which I’m sure many players will enjoy digging in. Hopefully the setting will be a breath of fresh air to the series, something that Bioshock 2 could not achieve.

Fallin'!

However it’s a little sad that we won’t be hearing from iconic characters such as Tenebaum and Ryan, as this title isn’t directly related to the main Bioshock plot. Irrational has decided to go with a totally new setting with new characters, but stick to the core gameplay experience fans of the series recognises. No doubt there’ll be new weapons and new abilities, such as Murder of Crows, which gives the player the ability to summon and control a group of the hungry black birds.

Ooo purdy...

What’s also cool is that since we’re now 30000 ft in the air, there’ll be some very open battlegrounds to deal with, something Bioshock 1 and 2 did not have. This is partly achieved by the new engine Irrational’s decided to use, something which also explains the graphical improvements that have apparantly been witnessed from a demo.

Every daddy has a heart ❤

Apparantly DeWitt can push and pull almost anything in front of him. What’s also interesting to note is that Elizabeth WILL be accompanying you at a certain stage of the game, and she obviously has powers of her own. Columbia’s ‘Big Daddies’ are also slightly different in appearance to Rapture’s, and most of the enemies you’ll battle will definitely be more human than Rapture’s splicers.

A reference to a prosperous era

It’s good to hear that the Bioshock series is heading towards some very new territory. While I’ll miss the denizens of Rapture sorely, the flying behemoth of Columbia seeks to reach new heights of awesomeness. Bioshock Infinite is set to be released in 2012 from PC, XBox 360 and PS3.

Damn. I wanted to see more of her cleavage.