Image thanks to Binktopia and their scanlation for Chapter 396.

I mentioned a long time ago (almost a year ago!), during the battle between Ulquiorra and Ichigo, that Ichigo could well be the last boss after his Hollow took over in what is now believed to be his Resurrecion. Now that Aizen has come right out and admitted he has not turned into a Hollow and has no Hollow powers (and he is still that broke), it seems very likely that his real aim might, in fact, be the ultimate culmination of the fusion between Shinigami and Hollow, ie. that of Kurosaki Ichigo. This is if we believe that what he says in the last panel (above) is in fact accurate – that he had planned and foresaw every battle that Ichigo had been in so far.

I find it hard to believe Aizen can actually predict that far into the future, or know that there would be such a person called Ichigo who would be born of a fusion between what is still presumed to be two Shinigami (Isshin and Masaki). However, how he planned for Ichigo’s rise to what he is, is of main concern. If he did know about Ichigo beforehand, then he would know that Isshin is also a Shinigami. I also find that hard to believe.
 

Whatever it is, since Aizen went to the trouble of not becoming a Hollow (in order to probably not lose himself) and inserting the Hougyoku as part of his own body (at least that looks like it), while going to the great length of making Ichigo the “perfect” fusion of Shinigami and Hollow, it seems quite likely that Ichigo’s final form is his real goal, and not killing the King of Soul Society and what-not. Imagine an Ichigo in Resurrecion with only his Hollow mind left – his ability and potential to grow to further heights at the moment seems to exceed anything the Shinigami themselves have ever seen.

What makes it even more probable is how we have not even seen any of Squad Zero; presumably they are either bound by honor and code to stand by the King’s side at all times, or that Kubo is waiting for them to make an appearance. If it is the latter, I bet one of the first to appear would be Hikifune (ex-12th Squad Captain, Urahara took over her).
 

The last few chapters, other than from showing both the imbalanced powers of Yamamoto and Aizen (as well as his intellect), have been really boring and Bleach continues to go down the ridiculous path. Quite seriously ever since I started watching anime Aizen remains the brokest villain I have witnessed. Outrageously ridiculous. Even if Ichigo gets into Resurrecion and beats Zaraki to crap with one blow Aizen would still win him in terms of being badass after all his moves so far…probably the reason why many never bother with Bleach anymore. Kubo even has to take a break to find out how to realistically kill him. I wonder if he has even found out. Maybe bringing the manga down the path of making Ichigo the last boss would be a good act. Then Bleach will be the shounen series with the best ending ever, where the protagonist turns into the final boss.

Related posts:

1. I Implore Thee, Kubo Taito
2. Cosfest Day 1 Part 5 – Bleach Cosplay
3. Bleach 241 – Y U DO DIS

And I finally got around to watching Katanagatari, which you will recall was one of the series I really looked forward to for winter 2010. The reason I am this late is because I was waiting for a good fansub group to finish with it, and they have. Katanagatari follows the story of Yasuri Shichika and Togame, who set out to find 12 legendary swords. It airs roughly on the 8th of each month, except for the first episode, 12 episodes in total for each month of the year. Here are my impressions of the first episode.

I warn you ahead of time, due to its length (it is an hour long per broadcast) there will be a huge number of screenshots for this episode, but at least it is split into a few pages. So, off we go on the sword hunt.
 

I happened to listen to the OP even before the first episode aired, because of a leak, as I recall. It got on Youtube of course, so I watched it there. Meiya Kadenrou is the OP, sung by Kuribayashi Minami, but the TV-sized version sounds really weird at the end with its change in tune. The full-sized version is better, but it is not exactly something that I feel is really notable by Kuribayashi.  For lack of a better screenshot that I could get from the OP animation, the one of the title of the first episode serves above. The OP animation was average, nothing much. Before the OP, we had a preview of the small history that led us to our current time period in the story of Katanagatari, with Hida Takahito, the rebel lord, taken out by one of the Kyotou style. It appears to be a memory, for we are snapped to the present (and out of the female lead’s thoughts) right before the OP.
 

Meet Yasuri Shichika, the 7th generation head of the Kyotou Style. He lives on a deserted island to which his family was banned after the success by Yasuri Mutsue, his father, of quelling the rebellion. The shogun Yanari, afraid of Yasuri’s prowess as a fighter, had exiled his family here. What is interesting about the Kyotou Style is that it is based on swordsmanship…but without using a sword. Shichika however hardly displays anything more than a block of wood as his head, though his fighting prowess will certainly be proven later. As his personality and character goes, he himself admits that he is dull in thinking and intellectual matters.

Shichika is voiced by Hosoya Yoshimasa, who has not been cast in a main role except in an OVA before, though he had a few forgettable side roles in some of the series I watched. An unknown to me, but as Shichika he does do rather fine for a wood-headed fellow.
 

Shichika lives on the island with just his elder sister, Nanami, for companionship. Their father had died a year ago, leaving the two of them alone on the island. The island had not been visited in 20 years, since the time of the exile. As the exile only applied to their father, they were free to leave the island if they so wished, but Nanami apparently has a weak body and is prone to illness, which is probably one of the reasons Shichika refuses to leave until Togame shows up.

Nanami is obviously better in intellect than Shichika, but she dislikes him treating her as a fragile doll that could be broken at any moment. At the start they talk about having Shichika leave the island, but due to the content and way of expression, Nanami decides it is too early to be discussing the matter and drops the subject.

Nanami is voiced by Nakahara Mai, whose voice I found familiar but unable to identify off-hand because her last role I remember was as Linda in Guin Saga. Unfortunately it appears that Nanami will not be a major character throughout the series and thus we will not be able to hear more of her voice. Nakahara is pretty good as Nanami.
 

Hardly surprising for Shichika to want to preserve the martial arts style his father had passed down to him and his sister, even if it was going to die out with him. He had nothing else to feel as a connection to his father anymore, which is depressing in a sort of way. Japanese culture in general (and most other Asian cultures) value filial piety as one of the most important social values, and thus Shichika would have felt that it was important to preserve the style while he could. This would certainly be obvious to viewers who are familiar with Asian cultural values.
 

And Shichika meets Togame for the first time, who is our leading female character. Togame has expressively come to the island to look for Yasuri Mutsue, but learns from Shichika as they meet at a spring that Mutsue has passed on. She then switches her attention to Shichika, calling him a pass in terms of attractiveness. Her real business is with the head of the Kyotou Style, which means it now falls to Shichika to hear the proposition she brought. But before that, she decides to try and test Shichika so that she would know if he was truly of the authentic school, and thus draws her sword.

Togame is voiced by veteran Tamura Yukari, doubtless one of the big reasons quite a few people picked up the show. Her voice in this one is deep but with that distinct Yukarin sound. It is hard to pinpoint it down, a sort of light yet husky pitch, perhaps.
 

Unfortunate fate indeed. Also, WTF at “Gyafun!”.

Who the hell brings back a guest in this way? Lots of laughs to be had in minor ways throughout the episode, though. I hope they keep this up.

Though a “secret school of swordsmanship that does not use a sword” certainly fits the description of a “null-blade”, what may also be implied here is that the Kyotou style is actually also the style of martial arts that nulls others’ swords. Theoretically this explanation is also possible, as later on Shichika demonstrates a skill that attempts to break a sword.

Related posts:

1. Winter 10 Anime Watchlist

Panther – Ah, spring. The one season where I look forward to more anime than any other. Spring could also try bringing us more beauties like Takami Rin (from the eroge Lyrical Lyric) above, but no matter. As it is I have a bit more faith in spring than the recent seasons but even so the number of shows I am watching is still nothing compared to the one spring I remember, 2007’s. Still there seems to be some hope at least, so I am not letting any early judgments get in my way.

Shadow – Some quick turnaround time from me, but this was tough to write since I’ve been stuck with lack of motivation for a few months now.

Thanks to T.H.A.T. Anime Blog and Neko Magic for a rundown of the spring series. Check out their posts for more information and summaries, we are just going to be dealing with our own thoughts. If a show is not listed, it means no one among us is watching it.
 

Image thanks to Aya’s Moe Moe Days.

Angel Beats

Panther – I normally do not bother with visual novel adaptations and this one is by Key, and with a premise I am generally not interested in.

Lelouch – Intriguing plot but haven’t we all heard of high school students fighting each other as divine reincarnations? Granted this ain’t Ikkitousen boobfest, but it certainly sounds similar. Will watch but not be expecting too much for now.

Shadro – Ah why not, it looks interesting enough. If all else fails it will at least look nice. Plus guns are cool…or something of the sort.

mefloraine – I’m not really keen on watching this, but I guess I’ll see what people say after the first episode.  I always seem to end up watching one more show than I’d planned.

Shadow – Wow, interesting collaboration here with Key and P.A. Works here. It reminded me of Index a bit, but the trailer was well done, great music and a girl band scene reminiscent of Haruhi Suzumiya. This being a Key adaptation, I’m hoping it’s not slow, sad, and too slice of life like their other works which never appealed to me. If there’s bits of action, this is certainly on my to-watch list (or queue) for spring. If nothing else, I’ll check out the soundtrack.
 

Arakawa Under The Bridge

Panther – Sorry SHAFT but Bakemonogatari was the only show that I ever put faith in you for. This one has an amazingly shoujo-type premise too, so yeah, skipping.

Lelouch – SHAFT craziness again? Good for some, but I’m still skeptical over this. I mean, a romance under a freakin’ bridge!? How will they do THAT while under a bridge?

Shadro – Meh, doesn’t do anything for me. Don’t really care for these types of shows, which I think I say every preview with something, oh well.

mefloraine – I love you!  But we have to live together under this bridge!” Yeah, no thanks.  She sounds almost yandere. Almost.

Shadow – I’m always initially on the wagon for anything from SHAFT, but I admit this show sounds interesting. There was an odd intro trailer a while back, and the plot sounds off-beat. I wonder if we are going to get a bunch of text slides and picture shows? Nevertheless, it certainly is worth checking out the first few episodes for.
 

Image thanks to AnimePaper scans.

Kaichou wa Maid-sama!

Panther – So despite my fetish for maids and a possible tsundere in this show, the premise initially sounded promising but failed to ultimately prick my interest enough for me to want to pick this up. What is worse Fujimura Ayumi is in it and almost any show with this seiyuu in it has been proven to be a flop for me. She has that “this-anime-sucks-because-I-am-in-it” aura or something.

Lelouch – Generic plot, but fan service may be aplenty so yeah, I’m watching.

Shadro – All right then…I got nothing, it’s a romantic comedy, I’ve seen enough of those and it just seems like the same old, might be fine if you like those types of shows. Me, not so much.

mefloraine – I read some of this manga.  It was interesting, but I don’t feel like watching the anime version.  It’s not quite that good.

Shadow – Romantic comedy and a maid café? While competent J.C. Staff is on this, the story sounds boring and generic, just like this bland comment on the show. After Toradora and Index/Railgun I expect better. I’ll probably follow this from other bloggers for a bit though to see if it turns into anything good, as the main female character seems a bit like a tsundere. I’m always willing to check out a show with a tsundere.
 

B Gata H Kei

Panther – Good god. I initially wanted to just put “.” as my comment for this one, but seeing as how it might have a harem (not reverse) and also some really lulzy comedy, I will have to see what other bloggers who actually feel like picking up this show (ie. probably countable on one hand) have to say about the comedy after a few episodes. Most likely not watching however, unless the comedy saves it.

Lelouch – OH HELL F*CKIN’ YEAH! LET’S THROW OUT THE PLOT PEOPLE! Of course I’m watching!

Shadro – Every season needs that “WTF really?” title, I’ll say this show is this season’s, I mean seriously…really 100, but then spoilers it ends up 1 anyway, doesn’t that…no never mind putting in too much thought.

mefloraine – Promiscuity fail! Just no.

Shadow – Holy STD, Batman! This sounds like the NSFW show of the season, like Chu-Bra or Queen’s Blade. These shows don’t interest me but I’m sure this will find its niche, probably the same niche that caught Chu-Bra winter season.
 

Image thanks to METANORN.

Giant Killing

Panther – When I first saw the title I thought it was a show about massacre. Then I learned it was about football…what?

Lelouch – Soccer? And no moe? Eeeeewwwww… Give me my Saki season 2 instead. At least that one had everything!

Shadro – I like sports anime…I feel I’m alone in that area, I think it’s awesome for its over-the-top crazy stuff that always seems to happen. So yeah I’m going to take a look though I don’t care much for soccer/real football.

mefloraine – I’m sick of sports anime.

Shadow – The plot summary on T.H.A.T.’s spring preview didn’t make sense to me, but I know it’s a sports anime about soccer. I’ve never liked sports anime, even ones where story takes preference of sports (see Cross Game). Studio DEEN’s style has never appealed to me, I guess I always found their animation a bit bland. I’ll probably check out the first episode of this or catch it through other bloggers.
 

Image thanks to AnimeVice.

Heroman

Panther – I was initially really highly turned off by the title – my gawd what kind of naming sense, and what kind of fugging Western-style superhero plot is that? It seems Hollywood copying Japan is now happening in reverse. And then I saw BONES behind it, and I thought, “This might have a chance”. So yeah, despite the cliche stuff, I am going to be catching a few episodes and see if it is worth the while. All of the seiyuu involved are either newbies or people I do not know, but there is one other cause for happiness – FLOW is doing the ED, and I hope they will continue their good work.

Lelouch – Lame title, lame plot, lame art…I believe we have a failure!

Shadro – Robots are cool, so are superheroes…I’ll watch it. Again I like stupid over-the-top stuff, so it fits for me.

mefloraine – Anything that is called -man gets a pass from me.

Shadow – This initially didn’t look appealing, but then I saw BONES is behind it. Now it sounds interesting. BONES + Mecha usually means something good (Eureka Seven, Xam’d), and the production values are sure to be high. The show’s premise sounds old-school (Heroman sounds like something straight out of the 1970’s), but I’ll check it out based on the production studio reputation alone.

Related posts:

1. Spring 2009 Anime Watchlist
2. Spring Anime 2008 Watchlist
3. Winter 10 Anime Watchlist

After toying around with this idea a while, I finally could not keep it in when there were a few recent “skirmishes” on Twitter. Let the Chest Wars begin! I hereby represent those who love boobs (not going into disgusting over-sized ones, but fine, acceptable ones on anime females to a certain size) vs. those who love DFCs for some very odd reason. And so here is the deal on how the Chest Wars might work.

The blogs who want to represent each side of the debate should make a post (one will do, if you feel like making more for some odd reason, go ahead) about why they love boobs or DFCs. Maybe we could have like, “The Chest Wars – ” as part of the title to show people are taking part. As for the post itself, please do not have silly shit like “I just love them because, kthx”. Have an actual acceptable and reasonable post. Shin represents the DFC Lovers part of the debate because he is just famous for loving DFCs.

So tell people why you prefer boobs or not on your anime females (or real-life counterparts) and be sure not to piss off (or inform her in advance) as to why you prefer the side of the debate that does not tally with how she physically is if you happen to have an other. Ladies are welcome to take part too of course, and remember this is all in good fun, so keep it clean and free from dirt-throwing (other than for the lulz and if you really know the party you want to fling shit at well enough to know he/she will see it as a joke).
 

Ok, if you are all in agreement with me…

Let the Chest Wars begin!

Oh if you have any questions about how to go about making the post, or any other related question for this particular thingie, feel free to drop your questions in a comment here. I will try to answer as soon as I can.
 

PS: I am due for a period of what is known as reservice back in the army here due to conscription law, so throughout March I will likely be unable to make any serious posts such as for this. Hence I will be late to the party, so I am trying to get the ball rolling. I am going to be tweeting about this post, so if you care, RT my tweet on this.

No related posts.

…and surprisingly enjoying it.

I started watching because Gargron started watching it and mentioned that it was good.  I figured it wouldn’t hurt to pick it up, so I did.  I won’t say it’s any sort of anime masterpiece, but it certainly isn’t a painful experience.

I’ll preface this by saying that I don’t really love ecchi.  I try to keep my ecchi viewing down to one series at a time, if I watch any at all.  Why is this?  Well, mostly because it’s embarrassing if anyone else sees my watching it, and by keeping it to one series at a time I can cut down the chances that people will see!  Yeah.

Anyway!  Needless to say, this series has a good bit of ecchi.  Actually, it has a lot of ecchi.

The premise is that the main character, Yuto, is a descendant from a line of demon hunters.  Himari is a member of a line of demons that protect the demon hunters of Yuto’s line.  As such, Himari’s duty is to protect Yuto.  However, Himari is obsessed and in love with Yuto and has been since their childhood, which Yuto cannot initially remember.

Yuto’s goal is to live peacefully and not let the small war between his family and the demons continue; he’s a pacifist.  And as he goes about life with this mission in mind, life does everything it can to stop him.

First he meets Shizuku, a powerful water demon.  Then Lizlet, a tea cup personified.  Kaya, a zashiki-warashi who is jealous of Yuto’s relationship with Himari, etc., etc., and on and on.  Again, Yuto has some issues accomplishing his goal.

But the confrontations are interesting, the story keeps me watching, and I love the way the series plays with the camera sometimes.  It’s remarkably eye-catching and helps to dramatize the right moments.

I find myself interested in seeing what crazy demon Yuto will run into next.  What troubles will he face?  Will Rinko, his childhood friend, be jealous again in this episode?  Will something spicy happen between Yuto and Himari?  These are some things I ask myself, and I think they’re fairly essential to any good anime.  They’re the indication that I am being kept engaged.

Now, I won’t argue that the premise is the most original.  I won’t argue that the characters don’t all fulfill some sort of fetish.  I won’t say that Himari’s cat-like characteristics doing damage to Yuto’s cat allergies isn’t a rip-off of Nyan Koi!, but that doesn’t mean this anime isn’t interesting anyway.

After all, there is only so much originality you can have.  There is only so much more you can do or so diverse the characters can get.  If  the series doesn’t go new places it’s okay, because every series doesn’t have to do that.

The point of watching anime is to have some enjoyment, and Omamori Himari causes me much enjoyment, ecchi fanservice aside.  I recommend it if you feel like killing some time with a fairly fun anime, but don’t look for deep meaning in it.  It’s just not a requirement of this series.

–

On a relatively unrelated note, the artist of that sketch, Isao, has gotten surprisingly good wickedly fast. Isao might be joining the ranks of Gofu one day.

No related posts.

Your first question must be something along the lines of, “Is he mad?” No. I had this intention for quite a while now but it has never been as strong as now. So here are some details if you are interested in buying any of my figures. This is an updated post, reposted because I now have a document listing the figures I have left and their prices in SGD.

You may now download the full list of figures for sale here. It is in Microsoft Word 97-2003 format, complete with information for certain of the figures. Right-click and select “Save As” to save the document. You can contact me for any further information at my Contact page. Priority for the sale of figures is given to locals in Singapore since it is way easier for me.

I preordered CafeReo’s Oui via AmiAmi, but I cannot cancel it now. If you are interested in her, I will be able to sell her at the same price that AmiAmi will charge me and she will be brand new since I am not going to bother opening her. Because of her cost and the shipping concerns, this is only available to locals.

No related posts.

When Shiranui Mai was announced to be in Queen’s Gate, it was obvious that she was in there as part of a sales strategy. However her illustrations were very well done for her character book, and in the 2P costume version, she was wearing a blue outfit instead of red. When Volks announced that they would release this limited 2P costume version of her Queen’s Gate character, I decided to go out on a limb, and got myself one.

Thanks to Nihonju, I managed to procure her for a handsome sum, and of course, these pictures were taken quite a while ago. Thanks to Hitoribocchi and Blurmage for their photographs yet again, and any fault in the pictures for this review is entirely that of my Photoshop skills…or lack thereof.

There are not as many pictures as I would have liked to be able to use, so I have to make do with the ones I have. Now then, on to the review of Queen’s Gate’s Shiranui Mai, 2P Costume Version, by Volks.
 

General Information

Name: 不知火 舞 (Shiranui Mai)
Series: Queen’s Gate
Version: 2P Costume Limited
Manufacturer: Volks
Scale: 1/6
Category: Mild Ecchi
Release Date: Volks Hobby Round (May 23rd 2009)
Approximate Height: 22 cm / 8.66″ (without base)
Overall Personal Rating (10): 8
Estimated Cost: 150-170 USD
Availability: Very rare (difficult to estimate, but likely)
 

Description

The sixth female in my 2D harem, Shiranui Mai has been one of the most prominent figures throughout gaming history, and in this particular rendition, she stands no less superb among the best. Volks has done a good job pairing her up with the kimono (if that is what it is, sure looks like it) though I am pretty sure the character books does not have this particular illustration off which the figure is based. The character book came with this figure, so I know. Here are some profile shots.
 

There is no shot of her from her right, but not that it matters. Mai’s “front” is rather subjective for this figure – the second of the three pictures above would serve better as a “frontal” shot, in fact. One of the more decisive factors for owning this particular version of Mai would be her kimono, which she chooses, in this particular pose, to only wear from the waist down, covering her chest area with her crossed arms, while holding onto her fan. Here are some looks at her kimono.
 

The flowery patterns on her kimono are pretty well done, and though I know Volks to be rather shabby in the PVC area, they have, as a whole, done decently well for this figure, even considering for the fact that it is a limited figure. There was one manufacturing error, a thin black stain that looks like a scratch, at her neck area, but that is basically not visible from far anyway and anyone who looks close is bound to be staring elsewhere…like at the place shown on the next page.

Related posts:

1. Best KOS-MOS Figure EVAR
2. Wonder Festival 2010 Winter – Volks
3. Limited Store Figures – Blue & Pink

In this episode we finally learn the truth behind the Founding Queen, Je, and the tragedy that the Aowrow referred to. It took such a long time for us (and Erin; 8 years for her since she began learning about animals) before we were exposed to the reason why it was considered a “crime” to “control beasts”. Then again, the pacing has been really nice and slow, and there is still a lot of episodes left to develop the story, especially now that the viewer is armed with the background knowledge.

Well, they finally came right out and said it.

Duh. In fact, pertaining to what Nasson says about Erin creating the skills of controlling beasts on her own, I feel it is closer to what Je and her village managed to do with beast-lords, as we see later in the episode. Both Erin and Je, after all, just wanted to communicate with their respective beast-lord friends.
 

That is usually what happens when a person with too much power realizes what he can do, and if he does not have a heart that reins in such desires. One may wonder thus why the Holy Kingdom of Ryoza has not done something like that, but this is resolved later on in the series in a soft explanation that had rather spectacular implications for me.
 

The previous king of Ophalon, and Je. I must admit Je really looks nice in her hooded coat. Headband and shorter hair destroyed the image.

Later in the series we will see someone else make the exact same statement. I wonder if the king made the connection at this time – how can beast-lords and humans communicate, when humans cannot even communicate with one another? Nothing more was said by him after this line, but the implications are there.
 

Simple folk live simple, contented lives, and that might possibly be the best way to live, because they never feel for more need of want. To be able to live contentedly, eat, sleep, and live in peace, is their way of life. All it took however, was for the Ophalon King to plant the idea of a “better life” for this life to be destroyed, in a way neither he nor Je imagined.
 

Also known in military strategy as a “show of force”, I still wonder why more numbers of the beast-lords had to be raised if this was all he wanted to achieve. Sure, the Touda army in Ophalon may be big, but if he just wanted to show them, the current numbers of beast-lords ought to have sufficed for the job. After all, if a beast-lord cub takes a few years to mature (in the case of Lilan it took 4) and they had 2,000 in ten years, the base number of beast-lords must have been big enough to scare off an army of Touda tens of thousands big.
 

Wise words that the villagers do not listen to, resulting in the tragedy 10 years later. In Je’s defense, she only wanted to have a better life, filled with dreams and less suffering for both the beast-lords and the children. During her plea for help to the villagers, flashbacks of the children breathing out on their hands to keep themselves warm, and the beast-lords huddled together for warmth showed her compassionate nature and her true desire for the villagers to have a more plentiful life.
 

At first, I was all hazy as to how the tragedy happened exactly, though I must admit, the animation from the time the beast-lords flew down all the way until the end of the tragedy was superb. The shattered ice reflected the death of the king as he tried to protect Je and the kids, as well as the shattering of both his and Je’s dreams. Nasson then finally explained how the Touda and beast-lords went berserk, with the almighty smell of the huge amount of blood that must have been spilled, driving them to greater and greater heights until there was nothing left to kill.
 

Though not explained as to exactly how, this confirms that Soyon purposely killed the Kiba, and why.

“The beasts would have had their freedom in life and death, if everything had been natural.”

Certainly, Soyon must have been suffering because, like Erin, she only wanted the beasts to be happy. But she had gone too far with the code and had to abide by it, while her daughter was still young and free, and most importantly, not actually of the Aowrow. And indeed, the lives of both the beast-lords and Touda would have been natural, had it not been for the appearance of the humans. We as a species have done far too much damage, the show seems to say.
 

Indeed, it was a combination of factors, not just because humans wanted to control beasts, and this is something Erin holds onto and struggles with throughout the rest of the series.

In the next episode, we return to the Kazalm Beast-lord Care Center as Erin tries to teach Lilan to fly on command, and also delve more into the history and identity of the new teacher, Kiriku.

Related posts:

1. Kemono no Souja Erin 12 – The Platinum White Feather
2. Kemono no Souja Erin 05 – Egg Thieves
3. Kemono no Souja Erin 29 – Beast’s Fangs

It may say, “Volks”, but actually since only one figure really interested me, I suppose it is not right to say “Volks”. This is the last of the figures and manufacturers that made any kind of impression on me. Coupled with my possible purchase of a Volks’ Dollfie Dream it seems quite likely that I am not going to order any more figures (including this one) for the entire year…if ever again. My passion is just not in it anymore. Maybe figures of my 2D harem, but no further.

Character Name: KOS-MOS Ver. 4
Series: Xenosaga III
Version: Garage Kit
Release Date: Next Hobby Round in April (not sure when)
Price: Seriously godly even though I am unsure of actual price
 

Considering the previous KOS-MOS Ver. 4 garage kit sold for a whopping 50,400 Yen, you can expect this one to cost about the same just for the kit alone. Beating even the previous version to claim the title of “Best KOS-MOS Figure Evar!”, this one sports a different weapon, a blade of sorts. I never played the game, but there was a smaller version in Xenosaga I, which I did play. The strongest most winning point about this KOS-MOS figure is that she is the first ever to have blue eyes. As I recall, if she has blue eyes, that means her personality had switched on. Dammit.

Well considering that she is so expensive and that I am already going to be giving my monies for a Volks’ product this year and scrimping on almost everything else, I am obviously not going to be able to get this one. I would like to but even after the purchase, I would not be able to assemble and paint her and stuff. So no point for me.
 

That wraps up my Wonfes coverage for 2010 Winter. Though it might seem like the figure makers are going all out, their prices are also going all out, and this can only be attributed to rising costs in materials and inflation. It seems like a good time to quit figure collection and maybe spend money elsewhere in other far bigger life priorities. At least, it seems that way to me.

Pictures in this post thanks to Anime.CollectionDX, I have not really been able to find her pictures elsewhere, and I was alerted to her existence by Wcloudxkumo. Thanks to both!

Related posts:

1. Wonder Festival 2010 Winter – Alter
2. Wonder Festival 2010 Winter – Max Factory & GSC
3. Wonder Festival 09 Summer – Car & Flower

And once again we reach the end of a previous year, and the start of the next…only this time, it is the Lunar New Year that we talk about. So happy Lunar New Year to all those who celebrate it, and welcome to the year of the Tiger. It just so happens that the first day of the Lunar New Year falls on the same date as Valentine’s Day, so I am combining greetings for both days into one post, with our favorite tsundere (and probably female of the year for most) in 2009, Senjougahara Hitagi. The illustration above is by Aoinagi and can be found on Gelbooru, thanks to lightningsabre for the heads-up. I have no idea where the illustration of her below comes from.

Happy Lunar New Year, and happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you spend both with the one(s) you love!

Related posts:

1. The Senjougahara Fascination Movement
2. Wonder Festival 2010 Winter – Max Factory & GSC

In this next look at Wonfes I will like to point to Kotobukiya, a figure manufacturer which many probably know by now that I am no longer bothering with, and Orchid Seed, that ecchi-based figure company that seems to consistently pump out more than it can actually produce. There are times when the best laid plans of mice and men fall short, and these two companies have demonstrated that amply in the realm of figure production.

Credits for this post’s pictures and information comes from Moeyo (Kotobukiya, Orchid Seed), AkibaHobby (Kotobukiya, Orchid Seed), and Wcloudxkumo. We begin with the lousier of the two manufacturers, Kotobukiya.
 

Character Name: Senjougahara Hitagi
Scale: 1/8
Series: Bakemonogatari
Price: Unknown
Release Date: Summer 2010
Purchase: No

So following in the footsteps of GSC comes this other version of Senjougahara…needless to say, it is also much lousier. Hey look, one-legged figure too! Fifty bucks says it will start leaning about 2 years or less after it is out of the box, depending on climate and care taken for it.
 

Character Name: Kasumi
Scale: 1/6
Version: Limited Webshop
Series: DoAX2 Venus on the beach
Release Date: No idea, probably already out
Price: Probably around 7-8K Yen
Purchase: No

IMHO the only worthy figures to get in the entire DoaX2 Venus on the beach series must be the limited ones. They usually have better color schemes than the originals and are, of course, harder to get. However the water part of this figure hardly does it for me, unlike Kokoro. Plus I am not that big a fan of Kasumi. This is probably the only line I actually recommend Kotobukiya for, because they usually really put a lot of effort into the figures out of this line.
 

Character Name: Feena Fam Earthlight
Scale: 1/8
Version: Gemaga Original
Series: Yoake Mae Youri Ruri Iro na ~Crescent Love~
Release Date: Summer 2010
Price: Unknown
Purchase: No

Surprisingly, someone else has decided to come out with an actual Feena figure, and that of her in her princess form or something. I never played either the eroge or watched the anime adaptation, so I have no idea if this “Gemaga Original” is a power-up version of her or really an “original”. In any case Feena’s character design is well done; in fact Charlotte (Princess Lover) looks like a bigger-boobed, pink version of her. That still will not persuade me to pick this figure up though, there really is no reason since I never touched the Brighter than Dawning Blue series. Much worse, it is by Koto.
 

There were a few other figures that warranted some description of sorts, but I decided that there would be no point as I am not even going to buy them, so on we move to Orchid Seed’s lineup. Edit: AkibaHobby’s Orchid Seed coverage is up and linked at the top, but none of their pictures are used here since the post came up later than this post got up.
 

Character Name: Kaneda Kyoko
Scale: 1/7
Series: Hishoka Drop
Release Date: Unknown
Price: Unknown
Purchase: Doubtful

Hishoka Drop is a relatively new manga series, at least from what I can gather, and deals with sexual activity in the workplace (Hishoka stands for Secretarial Section, for all your boss-secretary fetish needs). That in itself is not surprising – Orchid Seed is aiming to be the pinnacle of the ecchi line of figures in the industry. What is surprising is how they fixed the illustration as shown in the first picture of Kaneda to make her look more natural in the final figure. Notice the bent right foot, and the seemingly too-far-stretched left leg near the groin area.

As for the purchase, I doubt it. I do not read the manga series, and I only like the look of this figure. Going by the strict figure purchase rules I set down for myself now, it is very highly unlikely that I will even bother taking a look at the color sample of Kaneda when it gets released.
 

Character: Ignis
Version: of the Endless Winter
Scale: 1/7
Series: Jingai Makyo
Release Date: Unknown
Price: Unknown
Purchase: No

Still going strong as an elf in the hentai/ecchi arena is Ignis, who now gets an Endless Winter version. As if her original white version was not enough, Orchid Seed decided she needed to be milked more, if you will excuse the inherent pun. I am not going to bother picking this up, you can already tell how difficult it will be to clean her when cleaning time comes around.
 

Character Name: Elf Mage
Scale: 1/7
Version: Wonder Festival 2010 Winter Limited (first one)
Series: Lineage II
Release Date: Wonfes 2010 Winter / March 2010
Price: 7,800 Yen
Purchase: No / Yes

So in the end, I decided to go with the normal version of Elf Mage instead of hankering after the difficult Wonfes limited, though I still like the slightly darker color scheme used in the limited version. There were only 200 units available though, of the limited version, so guess not. Elf Mage was originally slated for normal release in December 2009, but for some reason she was pushed back to March 2010. However, foobarbaz did manage to get an early release, do not ask me how, and he has a review up for her which reveals that her final form may have no seams. HURRAH FOR SEAMLESS ORCHID SEED FIGURES, BAN THE SEAMS YOU ASSHOLES

Related posts:

1. Wonder Festival 2010 Winter – Max Factory & GSC
2. Oops I (Orchid Seed) Did It Again
3. Wonder Festival 2008 Summer Part 4 – Griffon and Orchid Seed

Considering that both Max Factory and Good Smile Company (hereafter abbreviated as GSC) are into their Figma and Nendoroid lines of figures respectively nowadays, I am quite surprised that I even have anything to talk about for them. Since I am not really into either type, this post will be very short.

Pictures and information are available through the following sources – AkibaHobby (Figma, WHL), Moeyo (Figma, WHL), and Wcloudxkumo. Thanks to all of these sites.
 

Character Name: Michael Jackson
Version: Figma
Series: KING OF POP, LEGEND IN MUSIC, DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH MOONWALKER
Manufacturer: Max Factory
Release Date: July 2010
Price: 2,800 Yen
Purchase: No

What the hell are they doing to MJ? I mean, making money off a legend in our time? It is kind of like an insult to be making money off a man who was only accused (and never proven) of what he did, and in the 80’s he was the legend. Shit man, how low are figure makers going to sink? Beware he does not Moonwalk on you in the middle of the night if you get this Figma.
 

Character Name: Senjougahara Hitagi
Version: Figma
Series: Bakemonogatari
Manufacturer: Max Factory
Release Date: Unknown (producers rumored to have been stapled)
Price: Unknown (same as above)
Purchase: Maybe- uh wait, Senjougahara-sama, nani wo suru!?

Well, along with the figure announcement of Senjougahara, this will be pretty hot among Figma collectors for sure. After the giddy high success of the series, it would be surprising if none of the big manufacturers lusted after the popularity of some of the characters, especially Senjougahara. Since I saw this coming, I am not exactly feeling any one way or the other about the Figma, though I would prefer if a better version of her is made into a figure. In all probability, I will skip the Figma version.
 

Character Name: Senjougahara Hitagi
Scale: 1/8
Series: Bakemonogatari
Manufacturer: GSC
Release Date: Summer 2010
Price: Same as a ton of stationery or however much Senjougahara carries on her
Purchase: Iffy

As much as I like GSC’s scaled works (they rank third as a figure maker for me), and the appeal of this particular Unlimited Stationery Works, I am in doubt because of the stationery. I prefer one of her with just one staple, or with a better illustration (Movic’s one announced at Wonfes as well sucks). Now if only Alter or MF will make one. Seeing as how MF already has the license to make a Senjougahara Figma, I suppose they are the ones most likely, if they choose to, to come up with another scaled figure of Senjougahara.

As for this one, I will wait for the color sample before really deciding, but I have about half a foot in the not-purchasing side.
 

in ur nendo, doing her 107-hit special (pic sauce)

Character Name: KOS-MOS Ver. 4 (aka. 2nd wife)
Version: Figma
Series: Xenosaga III
Manufacturer: Max Factory
Release Date: Taking a long time to get out of the Encephalon
Price: Same price as two gatling guns, an android, and maintenance costs of accessories and android
Purchase: YES

KOS-MOS’ charm never dies. Probably in a bid to fight with Alter’s ALMecha version, MF announced this Figma version at Wonfes as well. Strangely enough, all pictures of KOS-MOS Figma were taken down from the various Japanese sites that reported on the event, leading me to believe that pictures of her were not allowed in the first place but they somehow missed telling that to the crowd.

Since KOS-MOS is an android anyway, I am definitely getting this Figma version in addition to the ALMecha one, and I could probably do a comparison as to which one does a better action figure I suppose, but really, I am getting it because it is KOS-MOS. There can be no substitute for KOS-MOS.
 

And yes, that ends my MF and GSC coverage for Wonfes. There were a ton of other releases by both of course, but I am sure if you preferred those, you would have seen enough of them and their info and pictures on other sites. Next up, it will likely be Orchid Seed and Kotobukiya that I will talk about.

Related posts:

1. Wonder Festival 2010 Winter – Alter
2. Wonder Festival 2010 Winter – Volks
3. Wonder Festival 2010 Winter – Kotobukiya & Orchid Seed

Originally I had wanted to come up with just one post for all of Wonder Festival’s releases, considering that Lelouch is too busy with schoolwork and life to be able to post anything here for a while, along with the reason that I am no longer as into figure collecting as before. But for some odd reason the figure manufacturers decided to “Boys/Girls, Be Ambitious” and there were quite a few releases I wanted to talk about. Here is the first look with my top figure manufacturer of all time, Alter.

The following pictures and information are taken from AkibaHobby, Moeyo, and Wcloudxkumo’s post. Some of the information may be incorrect so let me know if they are. As usual, I am sure that you have already seen more than your fair share of pictures from around the various blogs, so I am only going to talk about the releases I am interested in for one reason or other.
 

Figure Character(s): Natsume Takashi & Nyanko-sensei
Scale: 1/8
Series: Natsume Yuujinchou
Release Date: July 2010
Price: 7,140 Yen
Purchase: No

This is obviously from the original art illustration for the series itself, and seems to be produced by a subsidiary of some sort under the name of Altair. Well, originality issues with the name aside, the figure is a little amusing for me. It seems to be rather out-of-place for an Alter product, even if it is being produced by a subsidiary. I would prefer if they mass-produced Nyanko-sensei Fortune Cat statuettes and sell those instead. I believe more people would buy those.

It is still interesting though that Alter would be the one doing a Natsume Takashi figure instead of any of the other manufacturers first. I do not recall a Takashi figure, nor did I think Natsume Yuujinchou was that popular within Japan to begin with, to warrant a product of its own as a figure.
 

Figure Character: Amae Koromo
Scale: 1/8
Series: Saki
Release Date: Sometime this year (aka. whenever Alter feels like it)
Price: One family restaurant meal, complete with friends and/or family (aka. not told)
Purchase: No

Well now this is a surprise. I know Amae Koromo the flat loli bunny girl was pretty popular, but a figure? I mean when they announced Kataoka Yuuki (tacos shit) being made by Alter I was surprised enough already. Make me a Haramura Nodoka or a Nanpo Kazue then, biatches.
 

Figure Character: Senhime
Scale: 1/8
Series: Hyakka Ryoran
Release Date: June 2010
Price: Your head will roll thanks to her spear (aka. not told)
Purchase: Sitting on the fence, wondering which side to fall off

Quite a long while ago the Hyakka Ryoran series of figures was announced, and Senhime is scheduled for a normal release unlike a few others in the series. I still have no idea WTF the series is about, but Senhime (the original) came from the eroge series Sengoku Rance, and I believe this is the same character, but a different incarnation. All I heard about Senhime makes me really like her.

Though I still prefer her original look, this one looks pretty spiffy despite it being a combination between MegaFail MegaHouse and Alter (if I remember right, that is), so I will probably think about it if I see more pictures. No price tag yet either, which can be her downfall as well.
 

in ur wonfes, chainsawing his dick

Moving on…
 

Figure Character: Selvaria Bles (aka. 8th wife)
Scale: Too cool for scales 1/7
Version: Valkyria Ver.
Series: Valkyria Chronicles
Release Date: Too cool to have one
Price: Too cool for your wallet
Purchase: I should be mentally examined if I do not get this

For some odd reason, no more information was yet available, not even a colored sample, for this particular figure, which was announced last year, quite possibly the previous Wonfes. I am too lazy to check. Obviously with Alter behind my 8th wife, not getting this figure would be amounting to infidelity. A good guess is that she is at 1/7, with a relatively high price. Edit: Yeah she is 1/7. One good thing to note is that she can be displayed without the Valkyria spear and shield, the former of which actually needs a prop to be held up, and that takes up more space. Looking good so far, and probably one of the more anticipated figures from Alter.
 

Figure Character: KOS-MOS Ver. 4 (aka. 2nd wife)
Scale: Bigger than Figma Drossel and a million times more cool
Version: ALMecha (action figure)
Series: Xenosaga III
Release Date: Whenever she deems it ready to step out of the Encephalon Fall 2010
Price: However much two huge gatling guns, a few laser-based blade weapons and an android might cost
Purchase: Holy shit yes

Again, another repeated announcement with no release date, and no price. ALMecha is another subsidiary, quite new I should think, and looks to be going into making action figures of various models, such as androids and big bad bots. Considering that I always wanted an action figure of KOS-MOS this looks as a good time to pick up an ALMecha product and evaluate their work. I know there is a Figma version of her announced at this same Wonfes, but I will save that for the MF/GSC post. She should be pretty pricey (in both ALMecha and Figma versions) for an action figure, but this is KOS-MOS. Too much HNGH.

Also I love the dark blue (you can see it in the picture), nice touch. Her accessories are pretty cool too, cool gal with big gun is always cool. Also awesome. Etc.
 

That ends it for the Alter releases, and as you might guess, Alter will likely see the lion’s share of my purchases in the figure market for quite some time to come, or at least, for this year.

Related posts:

1. Wonder Festival 2010 Winter – Max Factory & GSC
2. Wonder Festival 2010 Winter – Volks
3. Wonder Festival 09 Summer – Alter-ation

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
OORRRRRRRRRRCCCHHHHHHIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
SSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDD

Pictures thanks to AkibaHobby. Selling for 7,800 Yen at upcoming Wonder Festival Winter 2010, slight change of color from original (which I already preordered). I prefer this version, obviously. More information and possible orders at Tokyo Hunter. So now I get to pick if I want the original, or this. By the way last I saw, she has no seams anymore, but that could still be in the final product.
 

If I take this one, will anyone be willing (locally) to buy the original off me? Let me know thanks.

Related posts:

1. Wonder Festival 2010 Winter – Kotobukiya & Orchid Seed
2. Wonder Festival 2008 Summer – Alter, Orchid Seed, Resin
3. Wonder Festival 2008 Summer Part 4 – Griffon and Orchid Seed

Not to worry, it was just a training exercise!

Or was it?

The beginning of Sora no Woto’s fifth episode left me wondering even more about what the series was going to contain for us viewers.

The first indication that the series may contain more than it seemed was the ghost in episode three, which I didn’t notice until Scamp mentioned it, personally.  And in episode 4, we’re handed two things: the idea that the tank may actually get repaired and Kanata’s quick (immediate) improvement with her trumpet.

Usually I wouldn’t label that kind of improvement as anything but irritating, but for it to happen so quickly in the series, there must be room for more serious things coming soon.  After all, Kanata’s ineptitude with the musical instrument was an important plot device.  For them to kill it so quickly would be a major error, I think, unless they were planning on bringing up something else.

Sure, there are still silly things in Sora no Woto as well, for instance, Noel’s letter from Pro Fessor.  But it’s the less than silly things that make me wonder, and it’s the balance that’s keeping me interested.

Is anyone else looking forward to seeing where this goes, or is it just me?

I’m kind of thinking there will be an actual battle towards the end of the series…though, how everyone will fit into it and how it will end, I cannot guess.

And since I’m on the subject…

I’m impressed with Sora no Woto in general as well.  It has nice backgrounds, the art has kind of grown on me, and I’ve distanced it from K-on! in my mind, and the characters are as I expected, which is, for the most part, a good thing.  I especially like lazy Noel.  Her Professor joke was adorable.

No related posts.

A little known fact is that despite my preference for RTS style games, I am generally not really into playing the games much online. The only difference was when Supreme Commander, much touted back then for its depth and style in the genre of RTS games, made its appearance sometime early in 2007. The reason for this post? 3 years (a little too short) after the development of the first, Supreme Commander 2 is finally going to hit stores soon, on March 2nd (for PC). The above screenshot is taken from the official website.

Now back then I did play online but was never really good at the game – it soon turned out that the original game had glitches and some balance issues regarding the specific races, and they were only really fixed in later patches. This did point out something that the developers had flaunted (and rightly so) – the game was very moddable. Modified game clients (and files) were not really allowed online of course, but it was fine if everyone in your circle had the game and the modifications and you played amongst yourselves. A good friend of mine, Elearis, modified the game so much that the general AI grew a lot smarter, building times got extended, and projectiles had a different calculation from lasers.

It was undeniable that the first game had problems, even after the release of the supposedly balancing patch. I forgot which version it was, but it was released not long before I stopped playing the game intensively, and it fixed a number of issues such as nerfing the T3 siege bots, making T2 more viable as an option in battle (for those of you who played, remember the T1 rushes in all maps, and the T1 to T3 mad rush in bigger maps?), and more. But ultimately what may have killed the game for most was how the same thing almost kept getting replicated, at least online, competitively. I certainly felt that way.
 

Here you will see two videos, one which is available on the official website for Supreme Commander 2, and one which is supposedly the “latest video” released in December 2009 regarding the game. The first is a pre-alpha video, with Chris Taylor, the developer of the game, narrating the various changes since the first installment (I did not play Forged Alliance at all so I have no privy info as to how much the game was balanced or not, fun or not, for that particular version), including a look at a rewriting of the pathfinding issues that a lot of us complained about. Most of the other changes are mentioned in his pre-alpha video, so here is the first.
 

The second is an interview with Chris Taylor, and though the program for it was in German, the interview itself was in English. For German viewers though, the interview itself is subbed in German throughout, in case you are not too comfortable with English. Taylor expounds a little more on the game, but that is about it. No further information has been released, that I know of, at this time regarding the game, other than its official release date.
 

My thoughts for the game are simple – like the first, it looks dashing and grand on first look. But I am now more cautious in approaching this “newly revamped” pathfinding system, among the other “improvements” that are mentioned, like better AI. The AC1000 in his vid hardly aimed for the AA turrets first, far as I could tell. Then again, it was in development at the time, so they might have fine-tuned it for final release. But considering how the first game had a patch within the first two weeks, I am pretty sure the same thing might happen to SupCom 2.

Another note is how they changed the teching to a tech-tree development. There are advantages and disadvantages over the first method we are familiar with, but the most disgusting change must be how you need to earn research points by either engaging in battle or building research facilities. Promote turtling as an advertising campaign and I might like you more, Taylor. Quite frankly this will hardly bother most though, because as we all know, the first five minutes into the game is the only time no action is really taking place (at least in the competitive matches and most of the games I played online). The rest of the game is locked in combat.

An ideal strategy would be to balance building research facilities to earn RPs while engaging in combat, but you give up resources that could have gone into building units that could give you the competitive edge (and earn you RPs too anyway). Far as I see it, research facilities are going to be useless though, most of the time. Maybe they can be affordable as a luxury by the time you are comfortably set in and steadily overwhelming your opponent or in a T3 fight, but by that time you would probably have maxed out the tech tree anyway.
 

A U.E.F. base under attack, featuring what I believe to be the new A.C.U. for the U.E.F., and also the prominent AC1000, the much touted mini experimental. Screenshot thanks to IGN.

I am a UEF player, so the UEF changes interested me the most. What is both fantastic and disappointing about the UEF is how they usually only get a real advantage when it comes to longer games, mainly the experimentals. UEF’s experimentals are by far, IMHO (and proven by gameplay online anyway) the best experimentals among the three races (not counting the additional Seraphim or any new experimentals introduced in FA). The UEF’s experimentals are also the prime focus in both these vids, so I can get to talk about them a little more.

The AC1000 is modeled after the AC130, which I only knew about recently. Like the contemporary real-world counterpart, the AC1000 simply pounds the enemy from the air. Experimentals are, by the way, now divided into minor and major experimentals, which, I hope, means you can build the minors earlier and implement them as part of your strategy, leading to more mid-game options and tactics. According to SupCom Wiki, this is a mini experimental. This gunship can be superb in numbers or by itself as a diversionary tactic.
 

I can hardly remember if there was a day/night scenario in the first game, but I doubt it. Hopefully this means more night battles which could be interesting. Also shown at the extreme left of this screenshot (thanks to IGN again) is the new Fatboy 2 experimental.

There is no more impact that can be considered “far-reaching” in both the literal and the abstract sense than the UEF experimental Fatboy. Its mobile factory capabilities, its long-range turrets (same ones as the UEF Summit T3 battleship but with a firing rate 5 times faster, and 1 more cannon turret than the battleship) pound enemies from far despite its slow speed and it had a shield to protect it from most attacks on top of its rather abundant HP. The observation from the pre-alpha vid showed none of the factory abilities, but they did make it more maneuverable and perhaps the best aspect was its faster speed and higher firing rate. The pounding it gave, wow. Simply named the Fatboy 2, it really is an improvement just for those two aspects alone over the first, even if it is a mini experimental (which I hope also means lower costs, bastards; it took me one heck of a long time to make one and I could probably build 2 Spiderbots in the same time with the same amount of resources).

The final one is what we call the unit that can “make or break” balance. If you recall, the UEF’s third experimental and the one that most considered useless was the Mavor, a high-rate-of-fire artillery system that seemed to have boundless reach (79km was its maximum range) but took forever to build. It seems that they tried to counteract the practical worthlessness of the Mavor with the introduction of a new cannon type called the Noah. The intriguing aspect of this Noah unit however is not that it fires projectiles, but rather, fires tanks and other units from a distance straight into the fray. An awesome notion, and the only things that need to be considered for its balance are just how far it can shoot (it should not be very far; the videos seem to support that as well) and how long it takes to build one (an important factor). But really, I like the idea.
 

The Universal Colossus, the most oft cited unit representing SupCom (its predecessor was known as the Galactic Colossus), and arguably the most useless in almost all situations because it had no anti-air or torpedo capabilities, making it vulnerable to die while on its slow walk to the enemy base. Up close, it is a beast and likely to overwhelm, on its own, any land-based force. Screenshot thanks to IGN.

There are other changes, such as the different upgrades to different individual unit types, but most of them can be evaluated by the viewer as to whether or not the game is really better compared to the first. For me though, even with the great changes they made to the UEF, if the game system is still not improved in various aspects (the rewriting of the AI and pathfinding better be actually practical), I would be rather disappointed because it had the potential to be a great game. I am approaching SupCom 2 with optimistic caution.

One of the key issues is how SupCom ate a lot of resources, and how Taylor mentions that this version will likely be playable on more platforms (an X360 version is going to be released on the 16th of March) and possibly systems with lower specifications. We will have to wait and see though, and SupCom 2 is not really enjoyable visually without a certain level of power behind the graphics.
 

An epic battle between the Order of the Illuminate (previously the Aeon) and the Cybrans, with the new Spiderbots prominent in the center of the lower half of the screenshot, while the Cybran Soul Ripper air experimental apparently makes a return in the top right. Screenshot thanks to IGN.

All in all, I am inclined to believe that this game deserves at least a look if you are a RTS fan, or just interested in picking up something that you can play among friends with. A word of warning though – games usually take a few hours to finish, especially in the bigger maps, so this will definitely turn people off who only want action all the way. There is action alright, but it may not be in the form that you expect to see in fast-paced games.

So, who is up for a game or two online over Hamachi or something, because I sure am looking forward to play this with friends, and not really competitively. Team games are always fun in such a game, and can lead to rewarding, if a little long, battles that can be saved for replay, for discussion or enjoyment afterward. For those who will be getting the game…I will be waiting. Let us all have some fun in what I hope will be one of the games that will live up to the hype in 2010.
 

PS: I saw Square Enix as being the publisher behind the game, and I was all WTF. This does not bode well for the game.

No related posts.

I am more inclined, looking at the characters that form the title, to call it “Sky of Light”, but I could be wrong too, so I chose to go with the subtitles’ translation. Episode 31 is the first look at Erin’s life at college level, with the entry of a new character that acts as a new teacher at Kazalm, Kiriku, though he is definitely more than meets the eye.

First of all however, I must pick on the “new” OP. Granted it is not exactly new, since it is basically just Chitose Hajime singing the same “Shizuku”, but WTF is up with her voice? Sounded like she had trouble staying alive throughout the song. Shizuku was just an average song when it was sung by Sukima Switch, but it just got downgraded to like, shit, through her singing. The new OP animation is just a variation of the old one, but it does show the other characters now other than just Erin and Soyon, and Lilan.
 

The beginning of the episode shows us a recollection intertwined with the current reality, which is that of the “new teacher”, introduced as Kiriku later. He works as a masked man, and the recollection shows us his motivation, but not in detail, for why he is doing this behind the scenes. A clue is provided when he mentions that the merchant should not have mentioned “Wajyaku” in his presence.
 

The rumor is spreading, but if everyone kept to their oath, how could it have spread? One wonders indeed. There might be a few possible leaks here and there if you think about it; something like this cannot be kept under wraps forever. I am, however, suspicious as to how it all happened, though it was never explained. Needless to say this was also the reason Kiriku got “posted” to Kazalm in the off-season.
 

That is actually rather bad news, folks.

And based on what they said I at first thought his candies all contained slow-acting poisons or something, but later episodes disproved this.

And they are still going on with this, but nice one with all the students looking at them too, in surprise. Not surprising that Kashugan was not having ulterior motives though.
 

Already going the rounds, doing the kind things, trying to get accepted by everyone so as to gain info. Suspicious already.

And Nukku can look badass if he wants to. Too bad he cannot back it up.

I actually thought this would go further than it did, but it ended rather quickly with Tomura’s appearance.

Again, I thought he was up to no good, but it appears he was only checking out Lilan’s shed for further info.

Indeed, Kiriku highlighted the problem very well. Then again one could say that it was due to other factors of human communication that led Ryoza down this road, among other things. A true sign of things in the real world as well, and perhaps this was the point that the producers tried to get across to their audience.
 

We also get to see almost all of the rest of the story regarding Kiriku’s background and why he is doing this. His sister Tahya had been poisoned by their guardians, who were Wajyaku, while he and his sister were Holons. The motives for them being brought under this foster care is not made clear until later in the series however.
 

And Seimiya has grown into a wonderful woman.

Seeing the world from the top, according to Damiya, is a pleasure only grown-ups can partake in. I would have to differ from his view – only those who are used to being in that position or were once despised upon and then grew to be in that position one way or another would probably take joy in it. Certainly, this tells us a lot more about Damiya and his evil plans to take over the world. Of course, Seimiya never found joy in doing what he said. By the way, the whole model was in the shape of a coffin. Hmm…
 

This was of course, bound to happen sooner or later, though at least they used an excuse, that of falling off a ledge, to get Lilan to actually fly for the first time.
 

One would hardly have thought that he would be able to give such an expression, but the true depth to which he felt the emotions at this point, in referring to the recollection of the bird as well, is not known yet; it will be shown in a later episode down the line. The main significance is that he was the first person to catch sight of Erin on top of Lilan while the latter was flying, which was deemed to be impossible by all known standards.
 

A further display of just how Kiriku might have felt is in this shot where he saw Erin as Tahya instead, happy as can be instead of the sad yet resigned Tahya he had known. This will only become meaningful later on. And with that, the episode ends with Lilan taking flight. The next episode will be one of the most important in the series as we finally take a look at the truth behind the legend of Je, the Founding Queen, and the Beast-lord Imperatives.

Related posts:

1. Kemono no Souja Erin 20 & 21 – Lilan (Light)
2. Kemono no Souja Erin 26 – Lilan’s Heart
3. Kemono no Souja Erin 28 – Death of Jone

You may wonder at the title and the cover above. The truth hurts though. Mai was the most expensive figure in my collection when I received her some time in the second quarter of 2009, perhaps around May. I am unable to recall exactly when I did get her. In December, when this photoshoot of her was done, nothing untoward happened to her when she was finally taken out of the box. What happened at a later photoshoot that did not involve her, was the heartbreak.

At the second photoshoot, I brought Mai out because TP, who had taken quite a few of the photos that will be presented later in this review, had requested for possible better shots of her, as the previous time had been his first experience at an indoor figure photoshoot. Fariz was also present at this second one, and while they were setting up the equipment I moved Mai to the edge of a crowded table and stood near her. When I was asked to move the table or something, I forgot exactly what, my hand knocked Mai off the table, sending her smashing into about fifty or more pieces, large and small, on the floor.

It was very sad to say that it was my own fault which caused this accident – I should not have placed her so near the age, and should not have placed my hand near her at all. What is done is done however, and there is no point crying over split milk. Mai constituted the most expensive figure when she arrived and still remains the most expensive figure I had to date, with the previous most expensive figure (also of Mai, which is not in the least surprising) now taking back its top spot…if you could call it that.
 

The only consolation I got from this destruction (this figure of Mai is no longer physically around) is that Alphamax did not do a very good job of her at the end. Then again it could be cognitive dissonance at work, but I digress. Here is the tribute to the memory of Shiranui Mai, from KOF: Maximum Impact Regulation ‘A’, as done by the cold-cast/PVC figure manufacturer, Alphamax.

The photos below were taken by both TP (also known as Hitoribocchi) as well as Blurmage, and many thanks to them for providing me with the raw photos of this shoot. Any reduction in the quality of the pictures is due to my lack of skill in Photoshop and should only be attributed to me and not to them. This is a 2-page review post.
 

General Information

Name: 不知火 舞 (Shiranui Mai)
Series: King of Fighters – Maximum Impact Regulation ‘A’
Version: Next Fight
Manufacturer: Alphamax
Scale: 1/6
Category: Cold cast & PVC / Gaming / Mild Ecchi
Release Date: Late April 2009
Approximate Height: 18 cm / 7.1″ (without base, and no verification as to accuracy)
Overall Personal Rating (10): 7.5
Estimated Cost: 180-200 USD
Availability: Rare (difficult to estimate, but this is likely)
 

Description

As one of the acclaimed “waifu’s” in my 2D harem, Mai stands especially sharp in contrast when seen in her 3D form in KOF: MIA, which is admittedly my first (and only) foray into KOF 3D, and probably the most decisive factor in putting her in my harem. This replication of her 3D form however is rather off, especially in the facial area, but otherwise the details of Mai here are well expounded, and all else about her speaks true volumes about that image of Mai everyone probably always had since her introduction as the first “bouncing boobs” female fighter in a fighting game.

Here are some pictures of her in profile from different angles.
 

One of the most essential factors in deciding upon the purchase of this figure of Mai was not just the version she was made as, but also the material. Cold cast is rapidly becoming the “resin” of PVC, and it is pretty much evident that if you had handled both PVC and resin figures before, you would realize just how similar Mai is to resin in texture to the touch. This is also the main reason Mai shattered – in structure of material cold cast is very similar to resin and will break off if too much pressure is applied.

Generally however, it is less prone to breaking than resin and is able to exhibit more durability in the long run than normal PVC versions, and cold cast may very well be the way to go if the method of producing figures this way is made cheaper. Currently, the expenses of making a figure in cold cast explain the prices of Alphamax’s figure releases.
 

I must admit however that the texture is alluring to the touch, and the finishing is, overall, pretty much better than average. Sure, there are hitches here and there, but in general, you learn to live with them since all mass produced figures always come with a hitch or two. The biggest gripe I have about this version of Mai is how you have to fit in certain of her pieces, like her hair, and her symbolic “tail”. The tail could not be fitted in exactly and thus was prone to falling out of the slot it was supposed to be in if one just even so much as shook her a bit. Irritating.

Then again, you could argue that she was not able to be packaged as one piece – is this not the way with all resin figures that come pre-painted? At least, she did not have that many parts (the hair and the tail were the major ones I remember and nothing else) and she came with a clear acrylic base. That certainly helps a lot.
 

I do not have any more good facial shots of Mai so you will have to make do with these two. As I mentioned Mai’s facial expression is the one that irked me, but that may be because they moved away from the original art style in KOF: MIA and decided to go for a more “anime-like” look instead. I have included a sample of how she looks in the game on the next page. Click to enlarge it, and you will see how different the facial expression of this figure is from the game’s.

Related posts:

1. KOF MIRA Shiranui Mai!
2. 200+ Loot
3. Q1 2009 Figure Preorders

Time for another recap episode, and another time skip as we are brought another four years into the future, to the time when Erin reaches the age of eighteen and have spent four years at Kazalm as a student, with Lilan under her special care all this while. Since it is a recap episode, there is hardly much to talk about.

This information will only become relevant for the next episode.

I like how they went into their recap and kept it up by detailing the incidents through a conversation between Esal and Karisa, and how they moved into the recap topic this way.
 

Finally we see the will that Erin wrote up in order to avoid any problems should a real accident occur between her and Lilan, another nice way of recapping the situation that occurred in episode 29 by showing us the will that was not shown then.
 

Poignant words that finally free Erin, though of course, she does have a stronger sense of maturity now than ever before.

Interestingly, Esal too believes in Erin’s individuality and ability, which she admits that might “be able to achieve” what she could not, namely finding out more about beast-lords and related matters. Thus ends this arc and so we begin the final arc, with the inception of a new teacher that may not be what he seems in the next episode.

Related posts:

1. Kemono no Souja Erin 28 – Death of Jone
2. Kemono no Souja Erin 29 – Beast’s Fangs
3. Kemono no Souja Erin 23 – Kazalm’s Oath

I know I am incredibly late to this party, but recently I was motivated to look for more MadTV videos on Youtube and one video led to another, which culminated in me watching this one about Coach Hines, though at the time, I had no idea he was called that. As with all MadTV skits, this one was also very well done, especially as to the script itself which is used by Coach Hines.

“Yamanashi. I dream of the day, when medical science will allow me to be shrunk to a microscopic size and injected into your spinal fluid. Once there, I will travel in a miniature sub, through your body, and into your brain meat. Ok? Then I will take a pill, that will allow me to grow back to normal size, exploding your skull bone, and rendering your body into a pink mist.”

Oh my gawd that made me laugh so hard the second time round, because I was hardly aware of the impact of that statement till I re-watched it. In case most do not know, this is also a reference to Innerspace, an old movie. Damn, but the scriptwriter and the actor (Keegan-Michael Key) for Coach Hines is really very good.
 

Of course this is not the only awesome Coach Hines video – I also recommend the Oliver Twist and Football ones. There are quite a few others of course, and some may seem to be offensive to a few people, but you have to keep in mind that this is all just comedy and not things to be taken seriously. Coach Hines even has his own official website, as seen above, where the picture was taken from, but the quality of the videos is not generally as good as some that can be found on Youtube.
 

They really need to release DVDs of MadTV’s seasons, they really do have some of the best skits I ever watched on television. Bobby Lee starred as Yamanashi by the way in all the Coach Hines videos, and he does add a lot of flavor and humor to the situations surrounding Hines. Want a good laugh? Be sure to listen to Hines’ and his usage of words. Innovative work by the scriptwriter and excellent acting by Keegan-Michael, to say the least.

No related posts.

This episode looks at the side of Lilan that Erin, and the viewers, have largely become oblivious to – the side of her that is a beast. Erin gets her first injury working with any beast-lord in the series, despite her good intentions to assist Lilan.

Well, quite the appropriate souvenir for Erin considering how she is looked upon as the “beast-lord gung ho”, but it was a little unexpected that Yuuyan would return this early and that this episode would take place after the students returned, even with the appearance of Tomura (who was the first to return to Kazalm among the students) last episode.
 

I laughed quite a bit when Yuuyan said Lilan looked pathetic, and indeed she did with all that molting fur. Still I had forgotten about this aspect of birds, and technically, as we are led to believe so far, beast-lords belong to the avian family, so molting is only right.
 

That is obviously too small a brush, young lady, for a beast-lord.

Though there is no evidence or observation to confirm that beast-lords live in a pack, the way this was expressed and how it will be picked up on later in the series through another avenue of discussion seems to firmly give the viewer an impression that most animals live in social packs of sorts with the strongest taking the lead so as to protect the integrity of the pack, and for the pack’s survival. What is interesting is how Erin sees herself as Lilan’s “leader”, something which is put to the test later.
 

A nice, large brush made by Mokku with the help of Nukku. Even the handles are well-suited for a human like Erin to carry, with the middle of the brush having horizontal handholds and the back having vertical handholds in relation to the brush’s alignment.
 

This was bound to happen one way or another and this episode had to remind the viewer of that.

Erin’s trauma from being bitten starts to manifest itself in the form of fear of beast-lords and Lilan.

Esal makes a good point – it was Erin who thought she was special and thus did not realize the actual danger she was in whilst all the while taking care of a beast-lord. Though Esal said it was also partly her fault for trusting Erin too much, it was something that, even with precautions in place, would have happened sooner or later, IMHO. All part of taking care of a beast, as her memory of Jone later on teaching her about Tocchi and Noro implies.
 

A good point to keep in mind, but even so Erin questions the basic definition of “beast”.

The advantage of “fear” over any other possible advantage? I, too, would question this, considering that fear cannot be the only thing that binds beasts and man. Man is, after all, an animal too. We just have better brain capabilities than most other forms of life. Erin of course refuses to use the mute whistle.
 

What the subtitles also failed to mention was that Esal actually said it would cause no problems to anyone. In other words, she would have Erin take all the blame if something did happen, for both the good of the school, and Erin, if she was not to take the mute whistle.
 

Her fear shows itself in full effect throughout the duration in which she does not meet Lilan. Trauma can indeed do that to a person easily, though it is mild in Erin’s case.
 

Rather cliche way of making Erin remembering her times with Lilan together. I might add that the ball seems to have never been returned.

Indeed, a good question to ask.

And on that note, the Erin-Lilan arc actually ends, with the next episode focusing on a second recap of the time period she spent in Kazalm, coupled with another time skip forward of four years, before we head into the final arc and the real story behind the legend of the founding of the Ryoza Kingdom.

Related posts:

1. Kemono no Souja Erin 23 – Kazalm’s Oath
2. Kemono no Souja Erin 20 & 21 – Lilan (Light)
3. Kemono no Souja Erin 26 – Lilan’s Heart

A prime example of a scantily clad anime character, Ritona Yoko from Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann, as illustrated by Kanzeon.

So, I am a little late to the whole thing, but this has been alerted to me just only today (by the time this gets posted it will be yesterday) about a certain person within the local (SG) cosplay community having overstepped the boundaries of decency and been labeled a person who sexually harassed about eight girls, possibly more. You may read the translated article in English here, while the original thread that occurred in SGCafe forums over the issue is here (locked).

Now before I go on, I must admit that I did not read the locked thread, and only heard about the issues from others who have read the thread, and also from the translated article. Assuming nothing was lost in meaning (there was a lot of rage over it from a fellow cosplayer friend who is male), here I first present an objective look at the situation before I move on to a subjective view of whose fault it might be.
 

If a female were to cosplay in this Kirin Armor Set from the game Monster Hunter, it would seem very “scantily clad” indeed by our social standards. The artist of this picture is unknown.

Sexual Harassment

Although not a very good original source to start out with, Wikipedia defines sexual harassment as “intimidation, bullying, or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors.” Dictionary.com defines it as the “making of unwanted and offensive sexual advances or of sexually offensive remarks or acts, especially by one in a superior or supervisory position or when acquiescence to such behavior is a condition of continued employment, promotion, or satisfactory evaluation.”

So can what the person, identified by his online nickname as “shadowkid14″, had done to the female cosplayers (which he also admitted to in the article) be considered sexual harassment? So far, if we are to keep to the basic definition, yes. In fact one might even be able to add in that he could have charges of molestation brought against him, but sexual harassment seems to be the bigger problem here.

If that is so, we must then look at the circumstances surrounding the charges. It was at an annual cosplay event held at an openly public place, and there were lots of available eyewitnesses (if they happened to be looking that way) if such a thing happened. Put in other words, despite the number of people who could testify against him should his actions be considered as “sexual harassment” by socially accepted mores, then he would have been placing himself in legal danger by doing what he did. Yet, he went ahead and did it. Neither did the girl who was interviewed denied that she had followed.
 

A fanart by rezi of Katsura Hinagiku from the Hayate no Gotoku! series, a well-liked female character by many. Cosplaying her, in terms of socially acceptable standards of dressing, is not exactly classed as giving the wrong impression, but cosplayers sometimes consider such cosplay too “simple”, going for more “exotic” styles. Is it wrong of them to forsake this route? That would be being too oppressive, IMHO.

Now I am no sociologist or psychologist, nor can I claim that the rest of what I say can have great merit, but this is what I learned so far in my studies regarding both areas. You may find out more about what I say (I am not going to include any footnotes) by leaving a comment asking me where the sources might be found if I do not include any.

I will like to first take a look at the actual incident itself, especially the one reported by both the female cosplayer interviewed, and shadowkid14’s statement in his interview, where she sat on her lap. The girl states that she obliged, even if unwillingly, because she was his “neko” (cat in Japanese). If we follow the definition of sexual harassment as is most often used, then the man could have been said to be in a “superior” position with regards to their “relationship” (or “friendship” if you prefer). So it will look as though the man was outright wrong. But is this really the case?
 

I question why the girl would so obligingly sit on his lap even with the consideration of their perhaps long-standing acquaintance. Even if she was “acting out” her part in role-playing as his “cat”, did she think about the possible consequences before she sat down? It would be truly difficult to place the blame fully on the male in this case. Admittedly however, she probably had no idea that he would forcefully touch her stomach with his hand, but prior to this, had she not had, in the most probable circumstances considering their acquaintance, conversations with the man that would have warned her of his possible intentions?

However there is an exception to this, supported in part (though not fully related) by the Milgram experiments. Though the male was not (and still is not) an “authority” figure, he was still, in their unique relationship, the one in the superior position and thus had the female almost rather blindly followed his request to sit on his lap. The question of “trust” comes up big here, but as I already mentioned, the male, by his statements in the article alone, had made himself rather untrustworthy to females.
 

Ever since her rise to fame, Hatsune Miku from the Vocaloid series has been cosplayed often at events around the world. Yet depictions such as this artwork by an unknown artist that differ from her “standard” attire are also eagerly cosplayed by people who look to present “different images”. It may even reach the extent of having a depiction of Miku in scantily clad clothing, such as the slightly revealing gothic lolita in the image.

Secondly, I would like pick on what this counselor, Ying Li Hong, said in the article itself. I will have to break it down though.
 

To be obsessed with cosplay might cause certain youths to lose themselves and affect their behaviour adversely.

Counsellor Ying Li Hong said that some youths might be overly obsessed with cosplay. They imagine themselves as the character of the anime or the manga and may emulate these characteristics in their behaviour.

An ambiguous statement, Counselor Ying. I admit that your statement can be taken both ways, but that helps nobody at all. If you are not sure what I am talking about, readers, the basic premise of her two statements above is how she is pointing towards the male cosplayer for his actions, having been overly “obsessed” with his cosplay and character in question. Unfortunately, she did not state that it was the male, and thus she could just as likely have pinned the blame on the female for her actions (ie. sitting on his lap, letting him touch her without resisting). The implications here can be damaging one way or the other.

There is also another fault with this statement – does Ying even know the character the male (I give her the benefit of the doubt) is cosplaying? According to my friend, he is cosplaying as Akabane Kuroudo from Getbackers, and since he watched the anime series, he can at least say with large confidence that shadowkid14 was definitely not acting in character. According to him, Akabane Kuroudo is a “gentlemanly guy” and has nothing at all to do with “sexual things”. Of course, watchers of the series can also tell me if this is untrue, so as to judge the accuracy of this statement.
 

If she was referring to the female, then we would have to question what kind of cosplay she was in, but that seems rather irrelevant as, for the social situation involved, she was already role-playing as his “cat”. So is Ying perhaps implying that it was the fault of the female here?

No related posts.

When I first learned about the death of Jone, I thought it would be a painful one, or at least one surrounding his death but not in general. Instead, this was an episode reflecting upon Erin’s past with Jone, and the consequences surrounding Jone’s death through natural causes. In part, it is another recovery episode for Erin, as she learns to deal with yet another death of a close one.

Indeed, WTF? One short sentence telling us how Jone died, relaying the barest of information.

Jone left all these books for her to remember that her purpose in coming to Kazalm was to pursue not just further studies, but also her dream of becoming a full-fledged beastinarian. These books were the same ones he used to read to her, letting her recall all the times that he taught her the content of these books, and how important education was to her, the biggest reason he wanted her to have these books.
 

This act of burying a lone dead bee could be because Erin regrets not being able to do the same for Jone, and also to do it in his memory.

I lol’ed. So expected of Lilan to do that to the statuette.

It was quite obvious Erin’s tears were the result of losing Jone and not having cried to this point, hiding it all inside.

HAI CAPTAIN OBVIOUS She had clearly been doing that since nearly the start of the episode.

A strong statement, and not entirely incorrect or correct at that. Esal’s plan is to head towards a place she and Jone used to share as students.

I lol’ed at the continually falling hook. Why not just put the hat on the table since it is never staying on?

No steamy bathing scene here. This is after all a kid’s show.

Jone has not changed since young, as Erin puts it. Despite the Tamuyuan setback, he still managed to find Erin, and get back on track.

This shows that Jone has touched many others’ lives, not just Erin’s. A fine statement showing that Erin is not the only one devastated by the death of Jone.

And finally, Erin is able to cry her heart out and accept that Jone is really gone, something she really needs, if she wants to move forward in life.

Damn, but I do this all the time too. :(

And so Erin accepts the death of Jone, even as she waves goodbye to him as her father. The prelude to Jone’s death from last episode, and how everyone tried to cheer Erin up, and Esal’s methods to bring Erin back from her grief, only served to heighten the impact of Jone’s natural death from heart disease as to those that he had touched, not just Erin. As I mentioned, this is a recovery episode for Erin as well, and she learns to move forward, like in the previous episode, with new-found faith and courage.
 

The next episode deals with the “beast’s fangs” and an injury inflicted upon Erin by Lilan, the last in this particular time period and arc before we head into another recap at episode 30.

Related posts:

1. Kemono no Souja Erin 08 – Jone the Honeyman
2. Kemono no Souja Erin 27 – Fallen to Hikara
3. Kemono no Souja Erin 26 – Lilan’s Heart

This whole episode may seem confusing at first, but in the end it all becomes clear when we understand the reason behind Erin having these dreams of a fog and being unable to save her mother in the midst of it all.

Indeed, at the start, we are shown that, after the revelation that Lilan could never be released back in the wild, what would be the point of it all to raise her like a wild beast-lord? She starts hesitating and having thoughts of doing it all for nothing, and that is when her worries take over, in the form of her dreams.
 

It was quite obvious it was a dream, and yet she was dreaming in broad daylight while seemingly awake. It started to get a little confusing of course, but it did not go overboard and have Erin switch back a lot between reality and dream at least.
 

This memory of Jone and how Erin does not, in the end, decide to visit him, becomes important later.

Nukku and Mokku got owned big-time. After all Karisa’s claims are right. It does not do well for Erin who manages to overhear the story of Hikara however. The not-so-obvious information presented to the viewer here as well is the view of our Hell as their Hikara. Though Karisa only intended to scare Nukku and Mokku, it may have also unintentionally been the catalyst for Erin’s more complex dreams later in the episode.
 

There are times indeed when we have no grasp on what reality is, and there are many who still debate whether or not our dreams are “reality”, and whether or not we are all “dreaming”. Which one is real and which is not? It is never more hazy than the situation Erin was in during this episode, when she had no idea how she got to her room when she had passed out in the forest, and what with her dreams lately taking on a life of their own, she had no way to ascertain if, indeed, she had been dreaming that she was in the forest instead.
 

Just wanted to point out that I thought the moth was well-animated throughout the episode.

It seemed to be all done very dreamily, especially how Erin discovered the cemetery, and how the teacher’s explanation slowly faded out even as it remains poignant in the background relative to Erin’s thoughts. This further fuels her distress over Lilan being unable to leave Kazalm, and live like a wild beast-lord.
 

In the view of the “statues”, which seems to represent dead Touda, they are simply repeating what the main people in power are thinking. It is not so much a representation of the “dead Touda” as those in power who have decided that Soyon is the one who must die (in the terms of the “dead Touda” spirits, she must be sent to Hikara) to pay for her deeds. Of course, Erin falls further into such a misconception most likely because of the story she overheard from Karisa.
 

That must be one of Erin’s most prominent traits, and the lesson that the series tries to teach to kids as a whole – always put your best effort into what you believe in. This is the first encouragement Erin gets throughout her dream.
 

This becomes important for episode 28 as well, as the preview for it revealed all.

And finally she calls him Dad. Too bad it happens when Jone has come to the end of his life.

The truth behind her dreams – Erin had been allowing her worries to subconsciously creep up on her and thus interrupt her daily life in the form of dreams that she tries unsuccessfully to repress. Of course, Jone and the memory and image of her mother in her dreams helped her through the dream, and she gathers up the courage to do what it must take to live on even if it all seems pointless in the end.
 

This song that played was pretty good, but as one will know later, this is actually the second ED theme song for the series, and is thus not included in the OST for Erin.
 

And so the fog, and the reason behind the made-up story, is explained, along with everything else that had Erin confused in this episode. With that, I must state that, even if it is not so obvious, this was a recovery episode much like episodes 8 and 9 were after the death of Soyon. The next episode, as it so plainly shows, deals with the death of Jone, and Erin’s coping with his death. Though I heard about it long before this, I got the episode number mixed up.
 

At this point I should also say that I am actually left with just the last episode to finish off Erin, but I will likely keep blogging about it episodically at my own pace. If you kept up with my Twitter you would already know this.

Related posts:

1. Kemono no Souja Erin 28 – Death of Jone
2. Kemono no Souja Erin 11 – Behind The Door
3. Kemono no Souja Erin 15 – The Two’s Pasts

Not since “Shijun no Zankoku” (The Purest Cruelty), the ED for the yuri series Venus Versus Virus, has Yousei Teikoku moved me this much with a song. Admittedly I have not listened to more of their singles or albums than I would have wanted since then either, but “one” is definitely on the same level, perhaps even higher, than Shijun no Zankoku was, as a song.

one is the OP theme song for the recently released PSP game, Queen’s Blade: Spiral Chaos, and in its single was also included the ED theme song for the same game, Gekkakou. However, after listening to one, Gekkakou clearly failed to impress and thus is it not mentioned here in this post.

According to Wiki’s article (I know it is not a good source as information, but it is the closest thing I have to a source) on Yousei Teikoku, their music is produced in the electro and classical genres, meaning they combine both perhaps. Certainly, in what might seem to be a revival of the relationship between spiritual fairy realm and human empire, their music is out of the ordinary and unique, to say the least. I always liked the electro part of their music though, and Itsuki Yui’s voice is well suited to their music type, IMHO.
 

one is a more upbeat and highly-strung piece than their usual works (if that is even possible) and the rhythm is fast-paced throughout the song. Far as I can gather from the lyrics, it clearly sings of the fight and its requirements to become the “one” (as the Queen’s Blade tournament is all about anyway), and getting Yousei Teikoku to sing the OP was a good move considering their music type and the similarity of Queen’s Blade supposed “action”. I believe Spiral Chaos is a fighting game anyway (someone needs to tell me).

I am clearly impressed by “one”; it is a song that transcends the normal electronic music that I might be used to, and yet sung with breath that one (excuse the pun) will not easily find in other singers of the same genre. one remains one of the songs (unavoidable pun is unavoidable) that is most played right now in my music player, and I suggest that you give it a listen. You might just end up liking it, maybe not as much as I do, but you just might…or rather, one just might.

Related posts:

1. Get The Door [SINGLE] Impressions
2. Fall 2009 OP/ED Impressions [Part 1]