Utawarerumono: mostly pics

 Finished Utawarerumono.

Shortversion:  Toss Scrapped Princess(esp end revelations) and Juuni Kokuki into a blender, pick up the pace quite a bit and take out any tendency by the leads to be annoying or whine, and you'll probably end up with Utawarerumono.  (As a warning, it's also one of those that thinks it's fun to rip out your heart, stomp on it a bit, then shove it back in your chest.  But that's ok, I was expecting it.)

To reiterate a few good points:

*Interesting story.

*Amnesiac masked hero who may or may not actually be the greatest evil ever.

*Strong female characters who kick butt.

*And aren't whiny.

*Or Mary Sues.

*Or require rescuing, most of the time(Karura and Touka, never...they do the rescuing.)

*Male/Female relationships that aren't JUST romantic, or important because they are(and only one is.)

*Giant killer kitty.  Used as a sofa.  Owned by a very stubborn little girl.

*Hakuoro.  Denawi.  Karura. Kurou.  Touka.  Oboro. Mukuru. Eruruu.  Aruruu.  Trust me.

*The rare mecha I don't mind.

Probably one of the top 5 animes(barring rewatches) that I've seen this year, though I'd have to go back and look to see what all I watched earlier in the year to be sure.

Instead of meta, I bring a picspam.

( clicky )

note:  There are a lot of pics under there, and they aren't in chronological order.

Utawarerumono: mostly pics

 Finished Utawarerumono.

Shortversion:  Toss Scrapped Princess(esp end revelations) and Juuni Kokuki into a blender, pick up the pace quite a bit and take out any tendency by the leads to be annoying or whine, and you'll probably end up with Utawarerumono.  (As a warning, it's also one of those that thinks it's fun to rip out your heart, stomp on it a bit, then shove it back in your chest.  But that's ok, I was expecting it.)

To reiterate a few good points:

*Interesting story.

*Amnesiac masked hero who may or may not actually be the greatest evil ever.

*Strong female characters who kick butt.

*And aren't whiny.

*Or Mary Sues.

*Or require rescuing, most of the time(Karura and Touka, never...they do the rescuing.)

*Male/Female relationships that aren't JUST romantic, or important because they are(and only one is.)

*Giant killer kitty.  Used as a sofa.  Owned by a very stubborn little girl.

*Hakuoro.  Denawi.  Karura. Kurou.  Touka.  Oboro. Mukuru. Eruruu.  Aruruu.  Trust me.

*The rare mecha I don't mind.

Probably one of the top 5 animes(barring rewatches) that I've seen this year, though I'd have to go back and look to see what all I watched earlier in the year to be sure.

Instead of meta, I bring a picspam.

( clicky )

note:  There are a lot of pics under there, and they aren't in chronological order.

Farewell, O Yellow Banana Peel of DOOM!!!

Since the launch of the new New Warriors series, I have been forced to look at Jubilee in a costume that greatly resembles a chunky banana peel, and an ugly one at that..

( observe )

While I can appreciate the fact that the costume is practical enough to compensate for a good 5-10 other superheroine costumes...it's ugly.  And doesn't suit the character.

But there is apparently a new costume coming in February.  I'm not so big on the color scheme(it should be yellow and blue or red, imo) I rather like the design.

( look at the girl w/ the gauntlets behind and to the side of Night Thrasher )

Now to ponder the mystery of why Jono looks like a zombified Banshee there...

Farewell, O Yellow Banana Peel of DOOM!!!

Since the launch of the new New Warriors series, I have been forced to look at Jubilee in a costume that greatly resembles a chunky banana peel, and an ugly one at that..

( observe )

While I can appreciate the fact that the costume is practical enough to compensate for a good 5-10 other superheroine costumes...it's ugly.  And doesn't suit the character.

But there is apparently a new costume coming in February.  I'm not so big on the color scheme(it should be yellow and blue or red, imo) I rather like the design.

( look at the girl w/ the gauntlets behind and to the side of Night Thrasher )

Now to ponder the mystery of why Jono looks like a zombified Banshee there...

ULTIMATE! SHONEN! MOMENT!

I have reached the much hyped but not yet read(by me) Arm Scene in chapter 231 in Bleach.  It is, indeed, the ultimate shonen moment.  If there is something that tops it, I demand to be told what it is.  Is there anything ahead of me in Bleach scanslations to anticipate as much as this?

I bring 3 pages of the scene in question.

( 3 pages of ch 231 of Bleach )

ULTIMATE! SHONEN! MOMENT!

I have reached the much hyped but not yet read(by me) Arm Scene in chapter 231 in Bleach.  It is, indeed, the ultimate shonen moment.  If there is something that tops it, I demand to be told what it is.  Is there anything ahead of me in Bleach scanslations to anticipate as much as this?

I bring 3 pages of the scene in question.

( 3 pages of ch 231 of Bleach )

Moe and Tsundere?

So, in the last few weeks, calixahas explored the anime fandom more than I have in the last 5 years, and is now tossing words like "moe" and "tsundere" at me(specifically in the context of Chidori in Full Metal Panic being a tsundere and Tessa a more.)  It has been explained but I am still lost.

Help?

Moe and Tsundere?

So, in the last few weeks, calixahas explored the anime fandom more than I have in the last 5 years, and is now tossing words like "moe" and "tsundere" at me(specifically in the context of Chidori in Full Metal Panic being a tsundere and Tessa a more.)  It has been explained but I am still lost.

Help?

Fire and Sword by Simon Brown

 Fire and Sword is the second book in Brown's Keys of Power trilogy.  Like most fantasy trilogies, the middle book is largely maneuvering the characters into place for the main action of of the last books: start the war, forge alliances, establish any relationships that still need establishing, etc.  As a result, though still very solid and a good follow-up to Inheritace, though there was no blowing away.  There was still some punching in the gut, though.

( spoilers )

However, one downside:  DID NO ONE EDIT THIS FREAKING THING???  There are all sorts of agreement and pronoun and grammatical errors throughoutthe book, which is a problem the first one didn't have.  Though the most major problem was a slip that changes Berayama's parentage, which has a fairly major plotpoint in Inheritance.
 

Fire and Sword by Simon Brown

 Fire and Sword is the second book in Brown's Keys of Power trilogy.  Like most fantasy trilogies, the middle book is largely maneuvering the characters into place for the main action of of the last books: start the war, forge alliances, establish any relationships that still need establishing, etc.  As a result, though still very solid and a good follow-up to Inheritace, though there was no blowing away.  There was still some punching in the gut, though.

( spoilers )

However, one downside:  DID NO ONE EDIT THIS FREAKING THING???  There are all sorts of agreement and pronoun and grammatical errors throughoutthe book, which is a problem the first one didn't have.  Though the most major problem was a slip that changes Berayama's parentage, which has a fairly major plotpoint in Inheritance.
 

Hayate the Combat Butler Vol 4

 How anyone can not be curious about a book called Hayate the Combat Butler where the titular 16 year old hero became the butler of an 13 year old otaku who though he professed his love to her and thus saved him from the yakuza, who were hunting him because his parents sold them his internal organs to pay off their debts is beyond me.  Especially when he goes around doing things likerescuing her from Evil Mecha piloted by her Evil Cousin, and then attacks it with a machine gun he brought along just in case he needed it, even though she sold him to her best friend.
 

Hayate the Combat Butler Vol 4

 How anyone can not be curious about a book called Hayate the Combat Butler where the titular 16 year old hero became the butler of an 13 year old otaku who though he professed his love to her and thus saved him from the yakuza, who were hunting him because his parents sold them his internal organs to pay off their debts is beyond me.  Especially when he goes around doing things likerescuing her from Evil Mecha piloted by her Evil Cousin, and then attacks it with a machine gun he brought along just in case he needed it, even though she sold him to her best friend.
 

Darkness: Levels

 Darkness: Levels is a mini-series based on the game based on the regular The Darkness series, and written by one of the major writers of the series.  So basically, it's a 3rd generation version written by it's grandpa.

Now, I will be 100% upfront and honest here:  Jackie Estacado is flat-out my favorite male comicbook character and the hottest thing to ever invade a comic and if you put him in front of me and he's even mostly in character I will likely not even notice some of the most glaring flaws.  Note the faithful reading of the current New Warriors series.

D:L essentially rewrites the story from the ground up, taking out pretty much everything of the Darkness mythology but Jackie, Jenny, Paulie, the curse and the mob.  Instead of being a centuries old family legacy, the curse online entered the family bloodline in 1918, the entire Jenny storyline is compressed into one issue, and all of Jackie's concerns and turning on Uncle Frankie are removed and replaced with Paulie, replacing Uncle Frankie, turning on him.  That said, it still works, and despite changes and some flaws, it still feels like The Darkness.  And Jackie is still Jackie and that's all that really matters.

The story of The Darkness, as told by D:L is this:  In 1918 a young soldier in France named Anthony Estacado is "saved" from the battlefield by a evil, ancient force called The Darkness, essentially the personification of evil.  The Darkness drives Anthony insane, forcing him to cannibalize his own dead men.  Locked in an asylum for the rest of his life, Anthony is tormented by The Darkness's promise that Anthony's descendant will become its, with the death of his love as a catalyst as his descent into darkness.

( more )

Darkness: Levels

 Darkness: Levels is a mini-series based on the game based on the regular The Darkness series, and written by one of the major writers of the series.  So basically, it's a 3rd generation version written by it's grandpa.

Now, I will be 100% upfront and honest here:  Jackie Estacado is flat-out my favorite male comicbook character and the hottest thing to ever invade a comic and if you put him in front of me and he's even mostly in character I will likely not even notice some of the most glaring flaws.  Note the faithful reading of the current New Warriors series.

D:L essentially rewrites the story from the ground up, taking out pretty much everything of the Darkness mythology but Jackie, Jenny, Paulie, the curse and the mob.  Instead of being a centuries old family legacy, the curse online entered the family bloodline in 1918, the entire Jenny storyline is compressed into one issue, and all of Jackie's concerns and turning on Uncle Frankie are removed and replaced with Paulie, replacing Uncle Frankie, turning on him.  That said, it still works, and despite changes and some flaws, it still feels like The Darkness.  And Jackie is still Jackie and that's all that really matters.

The story of The Darkness, as told by D:L is this:  In 1918 a young soldier in France named Anthony Estacado is "saved" from the battlefield by a evil, ancient force called The Darkness, essentially the personification of evil.  The Darkness drives Anthony insane, forcing him to cannibalize his own dead men.  Locked in an asylum for the rest of his life, Anthony is tormented by The Darkness's promise that Anthony's descendant will become its, with the death of his love as a catalyst as his descent into darkness.

( more )