Finished reading Gun-Jou

Finished reading Gun-Jou (2011) on 12/12/2015.

Author: Sakamoto Kou | Artist: Kirihara Izumi

Chapters: 30

Yomogihara Michi is a petite girl whose running speed leaves bikes to shame. After living abroad, she returns to Japan and decides to start an Ekiden (long-distance relay racing) club at her new school. However, if she doesn't gather five club members before the time is up, she will have to fulfill her promise to a fellow student and move to another school.

Her path to success is filled with drama and high emotions as she opens old wounds in the people around her as Ekiden was once a painful experience for them.

7/10 - Albeit short, this was a very enjoyable manga, addicting too. I really recommend it for those of you who like to get hit right in the feels. I even found myself cheering for every character throughout the whole story. I would love to see an anime adaptation. I really think it deserves one. It'd be nice to see more chapters come out too, but at the moment that doesn't seem to be happening very soon.

Gotta go fast.

Finished playing Kirby: Squeak Squad

Finished playing Kirby: Squeak Squad (2006, HAL Laboratory, Flagship, Natsume, Nintendo DS) on 11/7/2015.

Hours: ~15

Kirby is happily about to scarf down a mouth-watering strawberry cheesecake slice when it is suddenly snatched from him by a gang of treasure-hunting mice known as the Squeak Squad. Kirby then chases after his delicious desert only to find himself in another grand adventure with evil lurking in the shadows.

7/10 – This game was short and sweet. The only gripe I have with it is that it mind numbingly easy. I mean, it's a Kirby game, but this is a bit too much for a Kirby game. Specially with the last boss, I expected another, stronger final form out of the thing. But don't get me wrong, it was still fun. What I really enjoy about these last few Kirby games I played is the hidden collectibles, specially the spray cans that allow you to change Kirby's colors. Although most color options are an eyesore (with neon green and cherry being some of the worst), a few are more gentle to the eyes and I found that my favorite one is chocolate Kirby. Oh, I also missed the Smash power from the Amazing Mirror game, but instead I got the Ghost power that allows you to possess most enemies and control them however you please. Another thing I really enjoy are the level backgrounds, some even look like Bob Ross paintings. It's great.

All for a slice of cheesecake. Oh, Kirby...

Finished playing Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap

Finished playing Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap (2004, Capcom, Game Boy Advance) on 10/29/2015.

Play Time: 30 hours

Princess Zelda is turned to stone by an evil sorcerer named Vaati and it's up to Link to travel Hyrule in search of the four elements that will restore the legendary Four Sword in order to turn the princess back to normal.

9/10 – This game was fun and I couldn't stop fusing Kinstones. I didn't bother completing the figures collection but I got at least half of them... I think. I do want to come back one day and get them all. I can't think of anything bad to say about this title except for the fact that mini Link speed was a little annoying, but understandable. And the last boss battle was a little too hard to figure out. Then again, it was developed by Capcom *megamanjokes*.

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato 2199: Odyssey of the Celestial Ark

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato 2199: Odyssey of the Celestial Ark (2014, Xebec, 111mins) on 10/23/2015.

While fleeing from an attack from an unkonwn enemy during Yamato's voyage from Iscandar back to Earth, Yamato warps into the vicinity of an unknown area of space with no stars but one single planet called Aquarius where apparently anything is possible and everyone perceives everything aesthetically differently. Yamato's recon team gets stuck on the planet and have to figure a way out of the planet's illusion.

9/10 – Yamato 2199 is the best thing to happen to the Yamato franchise and is the major reason why I'm into it. I started my Yamato journey with it and what better way to end but with this movie. Unless another one comes out in the future. This movie is interesting in which it combines some part of the White Comet arc with some sort of reference to the Aquarius planet from Final Yamato. Although it's a bit of a long movie, it's a really good one at that. I hope I get to live 184 more years.

Finished watching Yamato 2520

Finished watching Yamato 2520 (1994-1996, Studio Take Off, 3 OVAs?) on 10/23/2015.

This attempt at a sequel is set hundreds of years after the original series. I didn't quite understand it very well, but it seemed like humanity breached out into far space and some colonies settled on different planets. One planet in particular had an immense energy source that was then used to build space battleships to attack other planets' colonies... or something like that. The two first hour-long episodes I watched (apparently there were three but I only found two), start off with a history lesson on those events but I had a hard time following. Also, it was kinda boring and a little confusing. Anyways, the two sides of the war run out of resources and decide on a cease fire until the two are ready for battle. Meanwhile they settle on a planet closely watching eachother's moves. Years pass and a group of rebellious youths stumble upon Yamato, an old, buried battleship which they decide to build from scratch based on the blue prints found in the ship's data disk so they can travel to Earth and live there, far from war. They find an abandoned, automated spaceship factory and build the ship with some improvements of their own. That is as far as episode 2 got me. Unfortunately this show was cancelled due to copyright issues.

7/10 – I thought it was interesting how the artwork was reminiscence of the movie Akira. But let's get to the point. Like I said, the whole history part at the beginning was boring and confusing. A bad way to start any fiction work. The show really only picked up once the main characters were introduced, and once they started their plans to rebuild Yamato I found myself really into it. Even the second episode was really good with the new Yamato finally being complete. I wish they had made more episodes. And apparently mechanical designer Syd Mead and musician David Matthews contributed to this show. Pretty cool!

Finished playing Kirby and the Amazing Mirror

Finished playing Kirby and the Amazing Mirror (2004, Flagship, Dimps, HAL Laboratory, Game Boy Advance) on 10/15/2015.

Gameplay Hours: ~30

The Mirror World above Dreamland has been invaded by something malicious. Meta Knight tries to save the Mirror World but… something caused a change in Meta Knight’s heart as he comes to attack Kirby and divide him into four, different-colored Kirby copies. Curious they jump on a star and follow after Meta Knight into the Mirror World.

7/10 – This game was good. Not much different from the last one I played... Nightmare in Dreamland, I think. But at the same time, it was different. Levels aren't linear. Each level has a map of rooms which adds an exploration feature to the game. Finishing Level 1 doesn't exactly mean you go straight to Level 2. Depending on the paths you take you might end up in Level 5 or 9. I think what really sets the game apart is what its advertised for – multiplayer. If I had played with other friends the experience would've been very different. Perhaps more exciting. I think what I enjoyed the most in this game is the ability to change Kirby into various colors by using spray cans you find by exploring levels and finding treasure chests.

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection (2009, Enagio, 1hr 15mins.) on 10/15/2015.

A couple of years after the planet Aquarius incident, Earth is now threatened by a comet-like black hole. Seeing no way around it, Earthlings decides to move to an Earth-like moon, orbiting an Earth-like planet. On their way there, their colony ships are ambushed by an alien alliance and it's up to Yamato to assure a safe migration for the people of Earth.

7.5/10 - This movie was good and I enjoyed seeing Kodai as an actual captain. It was also interesting to see a new generation of Yamato crew members in their new uniforms. The only thing that bothered me about this movie was how Yuki's role was handled. She only shows up briefly as she dies with her cargo ship in an odd animation. And although Kodai spends most of this movie believing she's alive he doesn't react much when he finally learns she's gone for sure. With Yuki's passing, comes Maho, her replacement character in the Yamato ship. Think of Sasha from Be Forever Yamato. But unlike Sasha, I actually enjoyed Maho and *SPOILER* I was upset when she passed away at the end.

Finished watching Be Forever Yamato

Finished watching Be Forever Yamato (1980, Academy Productions, Group TAC, 1hr 25mins.) on 10/3/2015.

Be Forever Yamato picks up from the first encounter with the Black Nebula Empire. Having been defeated by the Yamato last, the Empire sends to Earth a massive fortress that doubles as a bomb capable of destroying half the planet. From the fortress an army of robots and Black Nebula aliens came out to completely devastate the city they landed on. The Yamato comes to find that the only way to stop the bomb is to destroy its remote control from its place of origin.

7/10 – First thing I noticed was the dramatic art and animation quality improvement from the previous Yamato movies I've been watching. Looked great. The only thing that bothered me the most was this new character, Sasha. Daughter of Starsha and Mamoru, Sasha is half-Iscandarian and half-Japanese, apparently allowing her to grow from a baby into an adult within the span of one year. I felt like she didn’t contribute anything to the story. Like she was just a temporary replacement for Yuki's job in the ship. Also, the fact that she falls in love with Kodai was very… strange for me. Both because she's his niece and she's technically still one year old. Weird, man. Other than that, the movie was pretty decent.

Finished playing Sonic Battle

Finished playing Sonic Battle (2003, Sonic Team, Game Boy Advance) on 10/3/2015.

Play Time: 13hrs 35mins (Skills: 39%)

An ancient robot weapon called Gizoid is discovered by Doctor Eggman but his attempts at controlling it seem futile. Frustrated with this he abandons the robot in Emerald Beach where he is then found by Sonic who friends Gizoid and teaches him fighting moves. After learning about the robot’s ability to use the Emeralds’ power, he gives Gizoid the name Emerl, as he doesn't seem to know his own name, and introduces Emerl to Tails and company. Emerl decides to search for more Emeralds as he continues to learn more fighting moves from his new-found friends… and enemies.

7/10 – This was an interesting little action-RPG game. It had a somewhat deep story despite its shortness, but I really got into the battle skills system which I left at 39% just because I'd like to move on to other games. Even so, I'd like to come back one day and collect all the skills for Emerl. The combat itself can be a little wonky at first, because of unfamiliar camera angles and movement. It can also be tricky to try lining up your character with your opponent before you unleash it on them, but at the same time I found that I quickly adjusted to the game’s mechanics.

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage (1979, Academy Productions, Group TAC, 1hr 35mins.) on 10/2/2015.

After the White Comet Empire was defeated, Lord Desler decides to pay one last visit to his home planet and finds the Black Nebula empire strip-mining it for a rare mineral. Desler then contacts Earth, specifically the Yamato crew for help in driving the new enemy away.

7/10 - The movie was alright and I don’t really have much to say about it comparing to the previous movie. I am, however starting to get the feeling that there's always so many silly plot holes with these old shows. I'm having fun seeing the art quality improve as I go along the franchise, though.

Finished playing Sonic Advance 3

Finished playing Sonic Advance 3 (2004, Dimps, Sonic Team, Game Boy Advance) on 9/25/2015.

Gameplay Hours: ~20 …maybe?

Doctor Eggman has partnered up with his most powerful robot, Gemerl and divided Earth into seven distinct chunks where he plans to build seven separate empires on each one of them. Of course, this means it’s up to Sonic and friends to stop Eggman in his tracks.

7.5/10 – This game was fun. Not as great as the first one, but a big improvement from SA2. Lemme tell you why:

1. All main playable characters are easily unlocked by just beating certain levels.

2. You can team up any two characters and each combination gives you different abilities and moves. Combining Amy with Sonic for example, gives Sonic his own hammer.

4. Special combinations are even appropriately titled. Sonic & Tails for example shows as "The Unbreakeable Bond". Sonic & Amy, "The Cute Couple".

5. Certain combinations even have their own different sprites. For example, when you pair Sonic and Knuckles, they appear annoyed at eachother.

6. You don't have to defeat every single of Dr. Robotnik's boss machines in a row to get to the final boss. This however, is available as a Time Attack feature after collecting all the Bronze, Silver and Golden Special Rings from every single stage (not a frustrating task).

7. Most importantly, Chaos Emerald collecting isn't as frustrating as SA2 was. You do still have to explore the levels however, hunting for lost Chao critters, but once you find them you don't have to go look for them again. You simply have to search the levels in that Zone for a Special Key, which isn't hard at all to find. That one-use key will allow you access to the Special Zone.

8. The Special Zone is similar to Sonic 2 or SA1 in terms of gameplay but even though the difficulty goes up with each new zone, it's not at all frustrating to get all the Emeralds in your grubby little hedgehog hands.

9. This unlocks the Final Zone where you play as Super Sonic and team up with Dr. Eggdoodles to defeat his little robot invention-gone-berserk. This too, although a bit difficult is not a highly frustrating level.

I enjoyed this game and I'm happy I was able to collect everything it has to offer without losing sleep over it.

Balanced difficulty. Little frustration.

Finished watching Arrivederci Yamato and Yamato 2

Finished watching Arrivederci Yamato (1hr 31min, Academy Productions, Group TAC, 1978) and Yamato 2 (26epi., Academy Productions, Group TAC, 1978) on 9/25/2015.

Earth is faced with a new threat two years after the fall of the Gamilas Empire. For Yamato the White Comet Empire is their most fearsome opponent yet. But that isn’t the only thing Yamato has to worry about, Lord Desler isn’t quite finished with the business he has the Yamato. But the answer to their problems lies with Teresa, the only being on planet Telezart.

Arriverdeci - 7.5/10

Yamato 2 - 4/10

Arriverdeci Yamato was in Japanese theaters shortly before Yamato 2, the 26-episode anime adaptation aired on TV. Yeah, I don't know. Usually it's the other way around, but whatever. Anyways, that is the order I watched them in. Which made watching Yamato 2 significantly boring. Not only that, but the story and art quality were even worse. I even fell asleep during most episodes. I would've been better off just watching the movie, which by the way was pretty good, a bit lengthy and that scene right at the start with the comet dragged out for way too long. Also, now I know where the ending for the 2010 live-action movie comes from.

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato (2010, Robot Communications, 1hr 18mins) on 8/18/2015.

The year is 2199. Earth is faced with a major crisis. After being bombarded by the extraterrestrial Gamilas Empire with radio active meteors for years, Earth has started looking more like Mars, forcing humans to live underground. But they won’t give up without a fight as they revive battleship Yamato as a space battleship to fight against the threat and make their way to planet Iscandar where a technology was promised to cleanse planet Earth of the radiation.

7.5/10 – One thing with Leiji's franchises is that their content isn't consistent between each installment. This movie is no different. Well, to be fair the inconsistencies aren't that big of a deal. For example, in this movie, doctor Sado is played by a woman. A pleasant surprise considering the series tends to be a bit of a sausage fest. Their excuse being that all the female crew members have been put to sleep until the end of the voyage, except for Mori Yuki. Gotta have that love interest somehow, right? *coughkodaiyamamotocough* Just sayin', man! Also, Mori Yuki is now a Black Tiger squadron ace pilot instead of originally a radar operator & ship nurse. They also gave her a nice, heavy pair of metaphorical balls. I'm very much behind this. What bugged me a little is that they didn't make her blonde. I get it, Japanese people don't have the blonde gene (I think), but I would've appreciated at least a wig... or something... idk. The ending of the movie however was new to me. Not what happened in the original series. But what about the Gamilas? And Lord Desler? I was excited to see them on the screen... nope. Nothing. All you get are what I think are Gamilas androids. Or at least I don't want to accept that they're Gamilas. I'm not sure. The movie didn't really explain. Heck, there supposedly was even a large ship the Yamato destroyed, but they didn't even show it. But getting back to the Gamilans, the only actual person I saw was a Desler made of water... or something. Kinda looked like him. But it was hard to tell since he was so transparent. Okay, how about Iscandar's Starsha, huh? Gosh, I don't really know how to explain this, but I guess now I realize Gamilans are these weird, floaty crystal things, and Starsha (also being a Gamilan, apparently) goes inside Yuki Mori so as to speak through her. The movie was still interesting, despite all these odd, new changes, and the production quality was good.

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato (1974, Academy Productions, Group TAC, 26 eps.) on 8/16/2015.

The year is 2199. Earth is faced with a major crisis. After being bombarded by the extraterrestrial Gamilas Empire with radio active meteors for years, Earth has started looking more like Mars, forcing humans to live underground. But they won’t give up without a fight as they revive battleship Yamato as a space battleship to fight against the threat and make their way to planet Iscandar where a technology was promised to cleanse planet Earth of the radiation.

6.5/10 – I had watched the 2012 remake of this series last year without knowing what I was getting into and I freakin' loved it. Then I watched the original one and now I'm sick of anime shows from the 70's. Okay, it wasn't so bad. Amazing for it's time of course. But all the animating mistakes I noticed, all the awkward dialogues that would take place here and there; Analyzer being a drunken, perverted robot; plot holes; ridiculous, out-of-the-blue deus-ex-machina events; characters with a 5 year-old logic... Again, It's not completely bad. I just couldn't deal with so much non-sense and out-dated art techniques. If I had watched it when I was 10 maybe I would’ve given this a much higher rating, just the same way I enjoyed watching Saber Rider or Dogtanian twenty years ago.

Finished watching Persona 4: The Animation

Finished watching Persona 4: The Animation (2011, AIC A.S.T.A., 25 epi.) on 8/16/2015.

Narukami Yu has just transferred to a rural Japanese town where soon enough he gets caught up investigating strange, local murders with his new classmates Yosuke and Chie. The rumor on the street is that victims are seen appearing on a TV channel known as the Midnight Channel before they get murdered. The three friends eventually find a TV screen portal into the strange world of the Midnight Channel where strange creatures known as Shadows attack them. But they’re not defenseless as they discover their power to summon Personas to aid them in their fight.

8/10 – I had listened to my brother play the game everyone now and then as I minded my own business, and the story and dialogues had tickled my fancy. But just like that, Satonaka Chie, the upbeat, kung-fu fighter girl had grown on me enough to plant a seed of "waifu" status in my heart. When I had heard of this 25-episode anime, I had been wanting to jump on it like a cheetah on an antelope. Well, took me a while to get on it, but I finally did. And I enjoyed it very much. I had some really good laughs with it too. The ending though, well... I couldn't really care for it. I really enjoyed just watching the characters trying to figure out the mystery and just living their slice-of-life while fighting baddies inside the TV world. They could've done it endlessly and I still would've watch them. But like I always say, good anime should always stick to 25-episode seasons, cuz otherwise the art quality goes down. Or at least, that’s what I’ve noticed.

Finished playing Final Fantasy III

Finished my second playthrough of Final Fantasy III (2006, Square Enix, Nintendo DS) on 8/16/2015.

Gameplay Hours: ~85

Four youths are entrusted with light from four legendary crystals. With this light they hold the power to defeat the darkness that plagues the land. But is that enough power to fight the darkness?

8/10 – This is a great remake of Final Fantasy III, a game that was not released outside of Japan until this version came out in the US in 2006. Along with drastically improved graphics, the main characters were given actual names and distinguished personalities, along with individual character designs that also reflect in their job changes. The story of the game was also improved upon, especially the dialogue. A lot of detail was also put into the wardrobe of each job. With the exception of a few jobs, not one Black Mage character, for example will look exactly the same as the other. There's always some detail about the clothes that differ from character to character. I really enjoyed that too. And of course, there’s the soundtrack, I wouldn’t consider it a full remake if the soundtrack hadn’t be rearranged *coughocarinaoftime3Dcough* and I’m happy to say that it was and it sounds… well, pretty good. I guess the DS does have its limitations.

Finished playing Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix HD Remix

Finished playing Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix HD Remix (2014, Square Enix, PlayStation 3, 2014) on 6/26/2015.

Hours: ~100

After defeating Ansem and Marluxia, Sora, Donald and Goofy must now face off against the rest of Organization XIII as they invade countless other worlds. Along the way Sora makes new friends, reunites with old ones and meets someone who might be closer than he thinks.

9/10 – Absolutely amazing game with a colorful cast of characters and a complex, deep storyline that is just deliciously right up my Alley to Between. Sorry...

Although this is the first time I play KH2 Final Mix, it is also technically my second KH2 playthrough. So this time around I noticed something called Bonus Levels. Not sure if it's a Final Mix feature or not, but apparently every time you defeat a boss that level goes up instead of you gaining experience points. An interesting concept. And although I was only able to reach Bonus Level 59, apparently it caps at 60.

Now, having played in Critical Mode however, I found myself struggling to unlock the secret ending known as "Birth by Sleep", as defeating the Organization XIII members' data is quite the challenge. After spending a tiresome amount of time defeating Vexen and Xigbar, Zexion finally managed to deplete any motivation I had left to continue the task. And with Lingering Will breathing on my neck every step of the way, I felt even less motivated. But hey, doing the Mushroom Organization minigames was fun!

Finished playing Sonic Advance 2

Finished playing Sonic Advance 2 (2002, Dimps, Sonic Team, Game Boy Advance) on 5/27/2015.

Gameplay Hours: About 30... maybe.

Dr. Eggman is at it again! Capturing animals and trapping them into robots to build his empire. This time it looks like even Tails and Knuckles were victims too. It's up to Sonic to foil Eggman's plans!

6/10 – The levels weren't the best but they're alright. I think Sonic levels work best when they're linear. The problem is, in this game, and this is where the game gets tedious and difficult, to collect all the emeralds you must first explore the levels looking for seven special rings which will bring you to difficult Special Stages with tight controls. To accommodate this exploration idea, the levels were designed with multiple paths, almost like a labyrinth. Thankfully the game lets you turn off the Time Up feature so you have time to do all the exploring you want. Even so, some special rings were almost impossible to find and I had to use a video walkthrough for about 5 of them.

But does getting all the emeralds unlock the final Super Sonic stage right away? No. It doesn't. You have to finish all the levels with the other four characters. Ugh...

So I finally unlock and beat the Super Sonic level, but something feels... odd. I start thinking there was something I was looking forward to in this game. Oh, yeah! Amy Rose! Apparently you have to collect all the emeralds with all the characters to unlock her............

LOL NOPE. Not me. I'll see you around, Sonic Advance 2!

This game is a little more frustrating than it is fun.

Finished watching Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights in the Sky are Stars

Finished watching Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights in the Sky are Stars (2009, Gainax, 2hr 5mins) on 5/23/2015.

The aftermath of a traumatic experience is tough on a growing Simon. But in the darkness a small light shines for him, looking to raise his spirits. Simon has much ahead of him, and despite what he believes, he's not alone. Everyone is right there with him, even when they aren't.

9/10 – You get a Tengen Toppa! She gets a Tengen Toppa! Everybody in the audience will go home today with their own Tengen Toppa! Holy cow tits! Like, seriously! This movie was insanely all over the place towards the end! I couldn't handle it! I'm not complaining, though. I enjoyed the living heck out of all of it! All of my yes!

Finished watching Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann the Movie Childhood's End

Finished watching Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann the Movie - Childhood's End (2008, Gainax, 1hr 52min) on 5/19/2015.

Simon and Kamina are two of the many children who live their lives digging underground tunnels looking for resources for their underground village. But one day Simon stumbles upon an object that turns out to be the key to an ancient machine of war. The two friends name it Lagann and use it to fend off a surprise attack on their village by a giant creature from the surface. They also meet Yoko, a massive-gun wielding wanderer also from the surface. The three join forces to explore and face the many challenges of the world outside and meet new friends along the way, as well as forging lasting relationships.

8.5/10 – It's been long since I watched the series, so halfway through the movie I was almost convinced I was just watching a series recap in movie form made entirely of recycled footage and a long montage. That might've been half-true for most of that first half of the movie (I say half-true because upon closer inspection, the animation is all new). The second half of the movie threw those concepts out the window and I found myself really enjoying it! Specially when they combined three different battles in the series into one giant brawl in the movie. And when I say combine, I mean they literally combined! Like, holy fuxx!

Y'know, I really think this whole show’s theme is about sex drive. They’re just sort of subtle about it.

Finished playing Pokémon Omega Ruby

Finished playing Pokemon Omega Ruby Version (2014, Gamefreak, Nintendo 3DS) on 5/17/2015.

Gameplay Hours: 130

Young Pokémon trainers set out of their hometown of Littleroot to journey the region of Hoenn training their very first Pokémon and meeting new ones along the way as they battle through hordes of many other trainers with the ultimate goal to prove themselves champions against the Elite Four challenge. But the journey is not so easy as a group of evildoers known as Team Magma plan to awaken a legendary Pokémon to dry up the seas of the planet. However, our heroes are not alone in the fight as Team Aqua teams up with them to stop Team Magma's plans.

8.5/10 – OMG DEXNAV ADDICTION!!!

That was the first thing I got addicted to right away with this game. I couldn't put the DexNav down until I found that perfect, three star Seedot for my party! The DexNav alone goes a long way for me as it makes it easier to find wild Pokémon with good IVs. Cuz, y'know, what's a shiny Pokémon without good IVs, amirite? #shinyponytavideo

And here's the funny thing. The original games weren't really my favorite and I didn't really care much for Secret Bases or Contests back then. But the added storyline for ORAS got me interested. The Contests were fun and had their challenge. But I really enjoyed the Secret Bases and I really want to get to 1000 Flags captured. I found myself spending several minutes redecorating and redecorating my base until I achieved perfection - a Strip Club Secret Base by the name of Lusty Busty. Ridden with Beauty Trainers and complete with Smoochum mascot. If you ever StreetPass me, you're in for a good laugh.

Lastly, I just wanna say that I changed my playing style with this game as I decided to go through "story mode" with a main team of three Pokémon and two HM slaves. Because apparently it's what everybody does. I've been playing with a full team of six my whole life (as a trainer). But this time it was only three, and, as I expected, it cut grinding by half and got me through the game much quicker and easier. Just a thought.

I've gone and made this review too long, the game was great! #toomuchlava

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato 2199

Finished watching Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (2013, Xebec, 26 episodes) on 5/14/2015.

The year is 2199. Earth is faced with a major crisis. After being bombarded by the extraterrestrial Gamilas Empire with radio active meteors for years, Earth has started looking more like Mars, forcing humans to live underground. But they won’t give up without a fight as they revive battleship Yamato as a space battleship to fight against the threat and make their way to planet Iscandar where a technology was promised to cleanse planet Earth of the radiation.

10/10 – I have no words. I really don’t. If you were thinking of watching this, do yourself a favor and just watch it.

Finished watching Ergo Proxy

Finished watching Ergo Proxy (2006, Manglobe, 23 epi.) on 4/11/2015.

Humans live in controlled environments protected inside giant domes from the hostile elements of a post-apocalyptic Earth. They are also served by autonomous robots known as AutoReivs. But a recent virus outbreak on these robots has lead Inspector Re-l Mayer into an investigation on the virus. Eventually she comes in contact with a mysterious monster called a Proxy and teams up with two other unlikely characters to travel to a far away city in search of answers about the Proxy she met.

6.5/10 – The only reason I was interested to watch this show was because I kept seeing this broody, gothic girl with blue shadow around her eyes... and I'm a sucker for that. I was disappointed however. The art quality of the show was pretty decent, decreasing it seemed in some of the episodes (probably different animation team)... but everything else was so boring, even the story and concept. There was only one character I cared about and it was basically the show's mascot, who was there to obviously lighten the mood - Pino. A robot little girl. She was cute, funny, and had some backstory. She was more interesting than the show itself. Even the backgrounds were repetitive and dull. Besides Pino though, the opening and closing songs stuck with me. Kiri by Monoral, and Paranoid Android by Radiohead. They were nice and emo. Hmm, yes. I still think Re-l's design is pretty hot.

Finished watching Nadia: Secret of Blue Water

Finished watching Nadia: Secret of Blue Water (1990, Gainax, 39 epi.) on 4/10/2015.

The year is 1889, humankind is on the verge of new technology and with it new discoveries. But Gargoyle, a mysterious man has darker plans for his own technology, to restore the Atlantean empire and ultimate control the world. But not without a fight, for Nadia and her friend Jean band together with the crew of the Nautilus submarine and her master, Captain Nemo to fight back the menace. But Nadia too has her own secrets.

7.5/10 – For its time the show is pretty good. The art is good and annimation has good quality. Maybe if I had watched it years ago I would've enjoyed it better. And then there's the half-assed, filler episodes that the characters even admit to not remembering any of the events that occurred in them. To quote one of them, "it must've been a dream". More like a nightmare. There's a story that Gainax even hired a foreign studio to create those. But I skipped over them so they're not affecting my score.

Finished playing Pokémon Battle Revolution

Finished (sorta...) playing Pokémon Battle Revolution (2006, Genius Sonority, Nintendo Wii).

Gameplay Hours: 30

Take the Pokémon you’ve trained in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver versions into PokéTopia and challenge a whole slew of new challenges and matches! Watch as your Pokémon gain new life on your TV with fully rendered models and their moves take on a new spin with amazing special effects!

7/10 – This game was alright. I didn't exactly unlock everything the game has to offer by I beat the first run of it. After the credits rolled I started playing the upgraded "attractions" but what turned me off from the game (maybe some day I'll came back to it) was the Courtyard Colosseum's Survival Challenge where after I had gotten through 67 battles (out of 100) I was given no points as consolation. I don't know, for some reason I was under the impression I would get more points the more battles I would survive. I wasn't too thrilled about the soundtrack, but didn't hate it either. I just felt like it didn't stand out much. Aside from that the graphics are pretty awesome. The human characters look very good and their movement and expressions are great! Though, I noticed they STILL kept the same Pokémon models from way back in the Pokémon Stadium days. The one Pokémon model that scared me the most was Venonat. That thing was begging to be mercy killed... *shivers*. Not only that though, but the animations for those same models are old as well and they feel outdated when you see things like Abra literally draggin' its ass across the field to get back in its spot or even Electrode's eyeballs bulging out of their sockets à la Mask.

Finished playing Pokémon HeartGold Version

Finished my second play-through of Pokémon HeartGold Version (2010, Gamefreak, Nintendo DS) 2/4/2015.

Hours: 113

A young Pokémon trainer is given his first Pokémon and sets out on a journey so the both of them can grow stronger and make new friends along the way, with the final goal to take the Elite Four challenge and prove themselves champions. But an old threat doesn't know when to quit and resurfaces in the darkness with its nefarious plans to steal and use Pokémon for money.

8/10 – Boy, this game was long. Talk about post-game content! Built on the 4th Generation Pokémon engine, this remake was long overdue. The graphics aren't as bright as the ones in DPPt, but that's a good thing. Specially when it comes to HeartGold and SoulSilver. I say that because these game's themes are based on old, Japanese-like legends and lore. Specially when you have areas like the Bellsprout Tower and Ecruteak City. The soundtrack is terrific too. The tracks from the original are still perfectly recognizeable even though they've been rearranged. And then you have the Pokéwalker. It is so much fun! Connecting it with your friends' Pokéwalkers and battling their teams at the Battle House at your own leisure? Love it. Love it. And of course, let's not forget that climatic battle at the top of Mount Silver. This was a well made remake of Gold and Silver and I enjoyed it throughly.

Finished watching Darker than Black

Finished watching Darker than Black (2007, Bones, 25 epi.), Darker than Black: Gaiden (2010, Bones, 4 epi.) and Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor (2009, Bones, 12 epi.).

Ever since the the two Gates showed up in North America and Japan, the people that live in the spaces they encase have not seen the true night sky for ten years. That wasn’t the only change that took place. A select few became Contractors, people who’ve exchanged their humanity for supernatural powers. But the real question is, what exactly is outside of the Gates?

8/10 – I liked this show. I think the art and animation quality is its strongest point. The first season's plot though was a bit sluggish and more political than anything. After that I watched the surprisingly gory, 4-episode Gaiden which focused on a growing relationship between Hei and Yin and a hidden power in Yin as a "doll". Gemini of the Meteor carried on after that and was more character driven, more emotional, which kept me very engrossed. The plot twist was also good but the ending, like the first season, still left me with plenty of questions. Specially about the whole Gate thing. I still don't understand it well. I decided to review these three altogether because I gave them all the same rating.

Finished watching Daily Lives of High School Boys

Finished watching Daily Lives of High School Boys (2012, Sunrise, 12 epi.) on 1/22/2015.

Follow the daily lives of three high school students, Tadakuni, Hidenori and Yoshitake as they go through their daily routines with unrivaled imagination. From making a big deal out pointless topics to pretending to host a radio, live talk show in their room to role playing as superheroes, these three will not cease to amaze you.

8/10 – Ridiculous! RIDICULOUS! That's how this show gets you. Oh, and the faces! The faces they make! How the characters react to their own ridiculousness. This show made me smile and laugh even on days I felt down in the mud. I can almost consider this a Nichijou male counterpart. This show is really great!

Finished watching Stand by Me Doraemon

Watched Stand by Me Doraemon (2014, Shirogumi, Shin-ei Animation, 1hr 35min) on 1/21/2015.

Nobita’s future looks grim, that is what his great-great-grandson, Sewashi knows and plans to change. So he sends Doraemon, a high-tech, robotic cat from the 22nd century to the past so he can try to change a disaster in Nobita’s future, however Doraemon and Nobita don’t really click at first but eventually become good friends. Is that the friendship that will save Nobita from what’s coming?

7.5/10 – The later half of my childhood was spent watching Doraemon. So naturally, as soon as I saw the trailer to a CG Doraemon movie... I flipped. But, listen, the movie looked great. I was really impressed with the graphics. But the story felt a little rushed and almost like a reboot, and what seemed like a possible ending to the series as well. The plot of the movie worried me a bit in terms of morals however. I also found Nobita to be a bit too whiny compared to the TV series. I enjoyed the movie but I think the story could've been better. Even for an hour and a half movie it felt like it was longer.

Finished watching Space Dandy

Finished watching Space Dandy (2014, Bones, 26 epi.) on 12/2/2014.

Space Dandy is the dandiest guy in space! But her's not alone! Together with his smart-vacuum, IQ and Meow, a cat-like alien being, the three travel the cosmos to all sort of planets and locations in space bounty hunting for aliens of all sorts. And in the downtime they chill out at BooBies, Dandy's favorite restaurant where scantily-clad waitresses are the main attraction and entertainment.

8/10 – Interesting. Very interesting... Gosh, where should I start. Throughout the series you'll notice Dandy explore various differently themed locations with the two most constant being the Alien Registration Center and BooBies, a high-spirited, space counterpart of Hooters. Each episode's plot however seems to be self-contained giving you the impression that there isn't much of a continuity with the story. However, as you keep watching you begin to notice a subtle strange cliffhanger phenomenon at the end of episodes that leaves you puzzled as to what really happened. The show's art style tends to change a lot on occasion too, almost feeling like a new studio came in and did the episode. I'm guessing this is the show trying to be a little abstract, or as a wise man once put it - artsy-fartsy. This is perhaps to make the show visually interesting. Not that it isn't interesting already, by like, a long shot, due to its art quality already being quite excellent, but seeing those odd episodes give it a different taste which can be either welcomed or disliked... in a good, intriguing kind of way. Perhaps... a dandy kind of way? Ultimately the show can get a little dull and repetitive with its story, but just a little. The nice animation and visuals can really help keep you going. But I really would've welcomed more exposition.

Finished playing Pokemon Platinum Version

Finished my second playthrough of Pokémon Platinum Version (2007, Gamefreak, Nintendo DS) on 11/25/2014.

Gameplay hours: ~200

Young kids leave their hometown on a long and adventurous journey as they receive their very first Pokémon. Along the way they test their mettle against the region's top Pokémon trainers to prove themselves worthy of the Elite Four challenge and beyond! But sinister enemies known as Team Galactic lurk in the shadows with a plot that transcends time, space and even alternate dimensions...

8.5/10 – This game is not only longer, but also a bit harder than Diamond & Pearl. Wow, did I get frustrated with these people's over-leveled teams. Not that it's a bad thing. The game is certainly challenging, which is good. But if you have a hard time getting yourself a Lucky Egg then you're in for some long hours of grinding. Personally, I'm not a big fan of that. A little grinding is welcome, but at the same time I want to just move on. Buuuut... I guess I should keep in mind that I always go through Pokémon games with a main team of six, equally-leveled Pokémon. Perhaps that only makes it more time-consuming. Aside from that this game has a lot of offer comparing to its basic counterparts, naturally. Even the storyline was a bit extended, and a bit may be an understatement. All in all, great game. Onto the next one.

Finished watching Dennou Coil

Finished watching Dennou Coil (2007, Madhouse, 26 epi.) on 11/1/2014.

Dennou Coil revolves around a group of kids solving a mystery based on a rumor about a girl who's spirit was trapped in the cybernetic world of the high-tech, augmented reality glasses almost everyone wears. These glasses are the new smart phones with a lot more capabilities and more importantly, augmented reality.

8/10 – The story develops a bit slow and it almost feels like a video game tutorial as they indirectly introduce the various concepts and terms of these smart glasses to the viewer. But soon enough a plot is revealed and the story picks up. Funny things happen. Things get heated. The plot thickens. And it darkens. Without spoiling anything I'll just end by saying that I loved this show. The animation is good and the soundtrack is great too. The characters are very likable as well. It will certainly always have a place in my heart.

Finished watching Nichijou

Finished watching Nichijou (2011, Kyoto Animation, 26 ep.) on 10/10/2014.

Nichijou, as the title suggest, follows the normal everyday lives of the townsfolk of Tokisadame, with main focus on a select few characters such as highschool students Yuko and Mio. However, you may soon find out that their normal standards are a bit off from what you would consider normal.

7.5/10 – This show is strangely hilarious. Like, the things they do are so confusingly funny in a way that sometimes you can even relate to it. And some of the skits were just so absurd that they just leave you wondering "wtf" instead of making you laugh. But still funny in their weird Nichijou way. Along with lots of lulz the art quality and animation of this show is pretty awesome and I love its soft colors. The show also has a bit of heart as it comes with its share of feel-good moments.

Finished playing Pokemon Pearl Version

Finished my third playthrough of Pokémon Pearl Version (2007, Gamefreak, Nintendo DS) on 9/23/2014.

Gameplay Hours: ~100

Young kids leave their hometown on a long and adventurous journey as they receive their very first Pokémon. Along the way they test their mettle against the region's top Pokémon trainers to prove themselves worthy of the Elite Four challenge and beyond! But sinister enemies known as Team Galactic lurk in the shadows with a plot that transcends time and space...

8/10 – You can really see this series improve with each new generation, and Sinnoh is no different. I remember this was the generation that got me back into the franchise after the Johto games and maybe that's why this is also my favorite generation. I also really enjoy all the new Pokémon - Turtwig, Pachirisu and Chatot being some of my top favorite ones. I always enjoy playing every new generation that comes out and this one just happens to be one of the ones that really stuck with me. The graphics are quite vivid, but not an eyesore. The soundtrack itself even shares that same personality, and I really enjoy it! Plus there's so much more to do after the endgame I clocked at about 100 hours before I really considered myself done with this game.

Finished watching Space Pirate Captain Harlock Movie

Finished watching Space Pirate Captain Harlock Movie (2013, Toei Animation, 1h 55m) on 9/28/2014.

Mankind is at its wit's end as life outside of a devastated Earth proves to be nearly impossible. But Earth is governed by a greedy alliance known as the Gaia Coalition. Space Pirate Captain Harlock commands the fearsome Arcadia battleship as he plunders the alliance's spaceships to fight for the freedom of Earth, but can we really be saved by a man himself shrouded in mystery?

8.5/10 – This movie was, in my opinion, a great reboot of the original story. As I've mentioned many times before, it's not like Leiji's Harlock works are consistent with each other to begin with but this was a pretty cool re-imagining compared to the rest. Most of the original characters were there with some new ones as well. Some of the character's names were changed to something else and even the official translation had names different from the new ones too, which was a little weird for me but I didn't really care because I knew who these characters really were in essence. Now, let's talk about the graphics. Wow. It's an improvement on movies like Advent Children if you've ever watched it. It is so visually stunning it hurts. And of course, they have to show off how good it is with some pointless scene where this chick does an air flip in the shower for no reason whatsoever. I was so lost. But the story was awesome. Actually it was a bit dull towards the first third of the movie but then there's a plot twist that really got me! This movie is decently long and I loved the way it ended even though I saw it coming. Awesome. Awesome stuff.

Finished reading Mushishi

Finished reading Mushishi (1999) on 9/10/2014.

Story and art by Urushibara Yuki.

50 chapters.

Ginko is a wandering doctor. And the ailments he treats are that of a supernatural nature caused by tiny, shy, spirit-like beings known as mushi, which despite their size can be the cause of large-scale, devastating phenomena.

7.5/10 – This manga has a very interesting concept and is presented in a magically nostalgic and melodramatic way that connects with me in a weird, scary, yet gentle manner. However, even though I'm happy with getting into Ginko's past and how he became a mushishi I still think the story had a lot more potential for a deeper complexity that it never really reached aside from some exposition. Most of the stories were self-contained and at one point they got really repetitive to the point where I almost gave up. The final story was also a sort of self-contained two parter that almost made me think that Ginko was going to become something more. But he didn't, and I wasn't aware that that was the end of the manga until the last page where the author says 'farewell'. Still, this is one of the best manga I've read so far and the idea is very original. I just really wish the story would've gotten more interesting.

Finished watching Space Pirate Captain Harlock: Outside Legend - The Endless Odyssey

Finished watching Space Pirate Captain Harlock: Outside Legend - The Endless Odyssey (2002, Madhouse, 13 ep.) on 9/7/2014.

In this alternate reality sequel of the original series, Prof. Daiba unleashes the Noo, an ancient alien threat from its confines during an archeological mission to the end of the universe. Five years later, this threat reaches earth throwing into motion a reunion of Arcadia's Captain Harlockand his old crew.

7.5/10 - This sequel to the original series, if I can call it that, was actually pretty decent. At least comparing to that piece of garbage prequel known as Gun Frontier. So I guess that means I'll be comparing them both. Why? Because I know there are other shows and movies in the franchise and from what I heard none of them are very consistent with each other so I'm not even going to bother with them. That's why I'm sticking with only these two. Even Outside Legend was a little wonky in terms of continuity, but that's as far as my patience can go. Don't get me wrong, I think the whole Captain Harlock idea is pretty epic, but Leiji Matsumoto keeps annoying me with his inconsistency in this franchise. However, I'm willing to bet this series is the best Captain Harlock spinoff. Now, the reason why I'm not sure whether to call this show a sequel or not is because it behaves like both a sequel and a reboot. The reason why I say this is because the show is supposed to take place after the Mazone arc. Even Yattaran mentions fighting the Mazone in the past, but at the same time the show starts with Pr. Daiba still alive and his son, Daiba yet to meet Harlock for the first time. So basically Harlock defeated the Mazone without Daiba as part of the crew and Pr. Daiba was never killed by the Mazone, but instead... by the new threat known as the Noo. In 13 good looking episodes Harlock pursues this new enemy and I have to say, as a fan I was pretty pleased with the quality of the show. I never got bored, there was always something new happening each episode and the art was clean and crisp. The animation was also well done, specially with the Arcadia turning in some scenes to dodge laser canons. I do think that some other scenes didn't have to be so static though. It would've been nice to see Harlock exchanging a few blows with one of the bad guys as they exchanged a conversation between eachother. Other than what I've mention I really don't have much to complain about with this show. It was very awesome to see the old characters reunite in an updated art quality that would match that of today's anime shows. And as my last visit in my Harlock voyage as a true man, I shall move onto to watching the CG movie that was released recently. Til, then, may the hearts of passionate souls guide you through the stars of the universe.

Finished watching Gun Frontier

On July 10th, 2014 I finished watching Gun Frontier (2002, Vega Entertainment, 13 epi.) 10/07/2014.

Follow best friends Tochirou and Harlock in this comedic adventure as they travel the perilous Western Frontier of the United States looking for Tochirou's lost clan of Japanese immigrants. Along the way they pick up a mysterious young woman named Sinunora and together they challenge all sorts of wild west baddies and corrupt officials.

5/10 - Now, I don't know about the manga, but this show was absolute crud compared to what I was expecting out of a Leiji Matsumoto product. I came into it thinking it was going to lead up to the Space Pirate Captain Harlock events. But, no! There's no sort of connection whatsoever. As far as I'm concerned this was just a show with two characters who just happen to look like and have the same names as the ones from SPCH. Not only does it not lead up to that show but most of the episodes are just ridiculous with its pointless, blatant nudity from Sinunora. Most of the time she ends up getting naked for no reason whatsoever. If you asked her to strip in front of you in the middle of the street, she would, with no hesitation, with the most stoic face you'll ever see in your life. Oh, and did I mention how the women in this show have no nipples? What lines are you trying not to cross here? You already have blatant nudity on almost every episode, might as well just save me the cringe and add the damn nipples. The only thing that sort of saves this show is the art and animation quality. The lineart tends to be varied in value, which is rare to see in an animated show. Probably because it makes it difficult to animate. But even if I had watched this show for just what it is, I still don't think I would've liked it very much. The ending wasn't lead up to very well and wasn't that well written either. Definitely not one of my favorites.

Finished playing Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland

Finished playing Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland (2002, HAL Laboratory, Game Boy Advance) on 07/20/2014.

Kirby finds himself sleeping with no dreams. When he checks on the Fountain of Dreams, he finds that King DeDeDe has broken the Star Rod into seven pieces and scattered them throughout Dreamland, guarded by his minions and one piece for himself. Kirby must retrieve all the piece and put the rod back together! Or no more dreams will ever be dreamt in Dreamland!

9/10 - It's a very nice remake of the original NES Kirby game with the addition of the equally wonderful mini-games. I've no complaints about it aside from it being a short game, even with the Extra mode option. Now, of course, and probably to be expected, I was really excited to play the Meta Knightmare game which is unlocked after beating Extra mode. In Meta Knightmare you play as Meta Knight through the same levels you do with Kirby with the exception that you cannot save your progress, you only have 3 points of health, you cannot play the mini-games for extra lives and pushing the big star buttons hidden throughout the levels does not count toward the 100% completion of the game. This mode was quite challenging and I only made it half-way through, but playing as Meta Knight feels really badass... as it should. He runs faster than Kirby, which can be counterintuitive if you're not careful, and his sword can break all breakable blocks. The sword can be thrusted upwards and used to "drop-stab" while airborne. Of course, he just can't suck up or swallow enemies for their abilities. This was a great game overall, onto the next one.

Finished playing Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Finished playing Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (2012, Square Enix, Nintendo 3DS) on 07/15/2014.

Gameplay Hours: ~50hrs - Proud Mode and 54hrs Critical Mode

Anticipating the return of Master Xehanort, Master Yen Sid tests Sora and Riku through the Mark of Mastery exam to prove themselves as true Keyblade Masters. The exam throws Sora and Riku to all sorts of familiar Disney worlds. But they find these worlds in their sleeping state ridden with creatures known as Dream Eaters. And to reawaken those worlds our heroes must partner up with the benevolent kind of Dream Eaters known as Spirits to fight back the not-so-nice kind known as Nightmares.

9/10 - I had been playing this game sporadically ever since it came out in July, 2012. I played it in Proud Mode to unlock Critical Mode to then finally unlock the Secret Movie. But let's get to the point, this is my second favorite Kingdom Hearts installment, my top favorite one being Birth by Sleep, also a handheld. I just love everything about it! Specially how the Flowmotion mechanic lets you move faster through stages and easily navigate over even town rooftops! It's even integrated into the character's battle moves! And then there's the Dream Eaters. This feature is screaming Pokémon, seriously! You turn wild Dream Eaters into tamed ones which you can train and then even battle through a card-game battle-system via local wireless with other KH3D players! There's one thing that this feature has that I wish Pokémon had, the ability to customize your Dream Eater's color. Can you imagine if you could change your Metapod's color to I don't know, let's think of a random color here, uhh, let's say, a flesh-colored Metapod! Huh! Right? No? Hahahah! Alright, alright, let's move on to the soundtrack. Yoko Shimomura. 'Nuff said. Amirite? Don't even have to tell you how great it is. I love all the tracks with my favorite one being the theme for La Cité des Cloches world. But this soundtrack is unique because the Symphony of Sorcery world features some of the original classical music used in Disney's Fantasia movie. And that's pretty interesting! I could really go on about how amazing this game is, but this review is getting too long so let me just leave you with one last thing I think is very important to mention and that's the realistic character faces in The Grid world. If there's one thing Square has always done right was faces. And they really did a great job considering this is a handheld console. The texture of the skin, even Jeff Bridges' beard looked amazingly detailed. Even the likeness of the characters were awesomely accurate! The facial expressions were amazingly done as well and expertly synchronized with the voice acting!