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animehouse-moe · 11 months

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Best Anime Openings Spring 2023

With the Spring season winding down, I thought it might be a fun time to share my favorite openings from this season (may or may not do an endings one as well). Initially I had thought about doing a tier list, but that's far too arbitrary for my tastes at this point, so we're gonna stick with the ones that stood out. I'll just go ahead and get started.

Mahou Shoujo Magical Destroyers - Magical Destroyer

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I don't really need to say much about this one, I already wrote about it in depth once. But yeah, damn good opening that has the perfect mix of everything Inagawa, and tells a self-contained story about the journey of these magical girls and Otaku Hero. It's a wildly impressive affair from start to finish, though not quite for the faint of heart as the music choice may be abrasive to some (personally, I love it).

Heavenly Delusion - Innocent Arrogance

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Really, this and MAD are interchangeable as my openings of the season/year. In most cases though I give the edge to MAD for the insane style of the latter half, but Innocent Arrogance is far tighter affair. Its themes and stories are more apparent and accessible to fans of the series, and it has a more unique style throughout with the harsh highlights and lighter/softer color palette through most scenes.

Hells Paradise - Work

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I might avoid the anime like it's the plague, but you do have to give credit for the opening. Solid on all fronts, it has a unique style that sells the characters and world incredibly well, all tied together by very fluid and dynamic camera movements. Plus, Millenium Parade on an opening is always appreciated. I would still say it's comfortably below the first two in terms of quality though. The stories told through visuals in the above are just out of this world.

Skip and Loafer - Mellow

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The song title for this one is very fitting. It's an incredibly comfortable, fun, and warm opening that does a lot with how little it shows. As expected, the color design is wonderful and has the perfect vibe for being a slice of life. The icing on the cake though is the dance sequence. Full of energy and joy, it tops off the wonderfully full feeling that this opening gives viewers.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury - Slash

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Potentially hot take for this one, but while the opening is solid, it's how it teases the story that allows it to be superior. The pieces that are placed in plain view that we're only able to understand in hindsight is where the appreciation for this one comes from. The pieces that aren't directly tied to that comparison are solid, but I wouldn't say they're amazing. The best non-teaser though has to be the scenes of Miorine underwater and in a fractured crystal, as they reflect her mental state without placing anything in front of the viewer to compare it to.

The Legendary Hero Is Dead - Shinda!

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This one really surprised me, between Masayoshi Ooishi performing divorced from the other half of OxT and a relatively unknown pair of directors for the opening, a very impressive effort was given for something incredibly memorable. Aggressive colors and storyboarding, a campy feel that plays right into the spiraling shots and lower quality CGI. It presents something incredibly memorable but without an incredible amount of effort expended in pursuit of it. Great example of a solid OP on a (resource) budget.

Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage - Gold

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There's not much to say here other than the geniuses over at WIT did it again. A wonderfully executed opening that chronicles the journeys of our various characters as they join Bojji on his adventures. It's incredibly cute and heartwarming, and one of these days I'd love to break down how perfectly it rehashes the story of Season 1 into an energetic and hopeful opening that punctuates the intermediate stories of this season. Also, WIT is yet to miss on song choices for these openings.

Dead Mount Death Play - Nero

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I think this opening is the one with the most wasted potential out of the ones I've seen this season. There's some really incredible shots and ideas through it with stuff like looking through the eyes of characters and what they see, but at the same time there's quite a few bog standard pieces that fill out the build up to the crescendo of this OP. I wouldn't say I'm disappointed as I wasn't expecting anything out of this world, but I think if the team pushed themselves a little more they could have had a huge creative breakthrough.

Also, you should 100% go watch the MV that was made the song itself. It's animated by a single person and is entirely out of this world in execution. Amazing work.

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And that's about all the very notable ones I have to talk about. There's some I was disappointed with like MahoYome's new OP that was rather restrictive, or the unremarkable nature of Demon Slayer (Zankyou Zanka >>> Akeboshi >> Gurenge >>>> Kizuna no Kiseki ) or Dr. Stone's latest openings. While there was certainly let downs and disinteresting openings, there was also evidently quite a few surprises and dark horses that appeared through the season. Overall, it's really enjoyable seeing how much a lot of newer shows are finding inventive ways to deliver creative and memorable openings.

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usagi-mitsu · 3 years

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Werlyt & Gaius - a bunch of thoughts.

I am a little late to the party. I know. But I just finished the Emerald weapon and before I go to try out the „not Zenos“ weapon as in „Diamond“, I need to get my thoughts on the story straight.

Perhaps I have been spoiled by 5.0s brilliant MSQ and cannot appreciate the inherent beauty of at least decent writing any longer. But this felt so wrong and out of tune with the rest of the game. I started writing this 2 hours ago! I wanted to one in bed by now! XD But I had to get it out of my system… so….

Spoilers for the MSQ and Werlyt incoming??? And no I did not re-read this so not just spoilers but also writing errors incoming. -.-

The good

These fights are epic! I have only ever cleared the normal versions, but I loved those. They are amazing. The callbacks to Eula (her being a woman here! When did they discover that???), Regula (may he rest in peace) and Gaius himself in his prime were delightful. But I could do with a little less rotating, ok? A dragoon has positional, you know? And being allowed to pilot my very own mecha was like *chefs kiss*. On that front? Well done Square Enix!

I am also glad they were able to get another use out of Porta Praetora! That place looks amazing with the wide open field and the lake – and Ala Mhigo across it. It was one of my favourite Stormblood areas and I am always glad to return there. And of course… being able to visit the allied camp again… And Werlyt itself. It’s simply a beautiful place. It reminds me very much of southern Greece. If you’ve watched the movie Mamma Mia you know what I mean.

The music too was really nice. But I don’t think I’ll… you know… listen to it on repeat as I am doing with other parts of the soundtrack.

I’ve also loved how much amazing lore we got about Garlemald and especially the garlean military. And the military abroad. The way soldiers not from the mainland get treated. I love learning about these things.

Gaius

The man. The legend. The guy yelling in Prae.

He’s so very boring here. He has so much potential as a character and maybe I’m missing something, but all throughout this story he has been nothing but passive. He’s a reactive character in this storyline. You know. The guy who made deals with Lahabread (the d is intended), tried to take over Eorzea, lead a whole army, stood idly by as the moon dropped, almost died but then decided just not to die and then though „hm… I’ve got so much freetime now. How about I go and hunt some ascians?“ That guy is NOT a reactive character. He is active. He goes out of his way to make shit he wants happen. And in here? He seems too starstruck and devastated by his adopted kids actions to actually have one clear thought.

The only explanation I have is that he might have gotten hit in the head by something on his way to the ruby weapon. I get why he would rely on Cid for help, but the WoL??? The alliance? If you wish to be an ally and help or something, fucking act like it. You were a former legatus and I expect you to live up to your name – even after retiring.

And yeah.. I guess it’s hard having to watch your kids willingly, knowingly dying. But you fucking raised them. You are a big part of the reason to why they are in that predicament. So like… Aside from that I don’t even get why you are in this story at all.

And for the record: I’m not sorry for him. I’m just flabbergasted by all the bullshit we’ve been learning about him.

To be quite honest, I think this story could have worked just as well or maybe even better, if we got another man as the „hero“ of the story. I am talking about none other than our engineering, hammer-swinging, ex-enemy - of course talking about Nero!

The MSQ has long established that his research into the Ultimate Weapon had been taken, twisted and turned – Estinien had to experience this first-hand. I’m not saying that Nero was in need of a redemption arc and I cannot remember if these weapons were of his creation or even stem from anything he did, but it would make so much more sense for me, to have him confront his past in the garlean military like this and be responsible for the death of his former colleagues. Soldiers that he served with, whom he faught with. Give me Nero and them working together to get the weapons going and him bonding with them as his pilots to a degree. Comrades. Not that strange familiar bond that Gaius appareantly has with them. … Scratch that: Let Gaius be the father figure. Him being that wouldn’t change Nero’s relationship with them, but maybe his with Gaius as his superior.

The story wouldn’t even need to try and redeem Nero: He has already gone through major character development with the MSQ and the Omega raid tier. It would simply be Nero, confronted with the things he created, hopefully instilling more morals and a sense of responsibility for his creations. Heck: Let Cid yell at the guy! Seriously! Cid sticking around to help out would make so much more sense if it was Nero instead of freaking Gaius! Cid hated the guy! He might be a professional, but he is not one to torture himself by staying around a guy he (as far as I know) detests.

Make Nero the central figure and give Cid and Gaius the roles of „angel and demon“: One desperately trying to reach out to his old friend, reminding him why they became engineers and trying to make him realise that he can’t just run around designing weapons and leaving the scematics for everyone to read; while the other has trouble letting go of his imperial past and is struggling to see the errors of his ways – if Nero was wrong, than he (Gaius) was wrong too -and of course they did all of this for their home, to further their cause, and to bring peace to the savage lands of Eorzea, who had been fighting amongst themselves for so long… You get the point.

And you could still have these gundam themed fights. But I think everything would make so much more sense in general.

But speaking of which-

The children

I do not truly care for any of them. And that is a shame: I do think there are great characters and dynamics hidden behind these very few cutscenes. When they were first introduced I was wondering why I was suddenly watching „heartwarming“ cutscenes of my foes as children – until I realised that I was supposed to care and that they were supposed to make me feel pity for Gaius. I was supposed to feel bad for him, because they died and he blames himself. But while their fates so far have been gruesome, I cannot say that I am sad they died. They chose to die as they did. There were a myriad more options. And they chose that.

Actually. Their whole story makes me feel like they were huge masochist from the very beginning. They could have just run away and gotten help from someone more competent than them, but they stayed in an abusive military arrangement just so nobody else got hurt?? Please. Use your brains next time. And for the Berserk-like torture scene? I mean. I get what was implied here. But was it necessary? As a writer myself I follow the rule that torture and sexual violence should never be used in a story, unless it must be in there for the story to work or to bring across a vital point important to the story or it’s moral (or if you are writing porn and you are into it – but we are talking official in-game content here). But the violence towards these „children“ seems unnecessary for the plot and the violence of their deaths by piloting the weapons is already gruesome enough. Sometimes it’s better to leave things like this out – the emotional torture of feeling stuck and having a martyrs complex would have been enough here, I think. If the rest of the story had been well written at least.

(I believe my utter lack of sympathy shows how little character developement they had. I love tragic characters, who choose to suffer for the good of other people – even better if those people don’t even like them. It’s just my thing. And those kids are just… well.)

Their reasons and especially why they were making Allie out as the one who would need to survive was also just… weird. Like. I feel like 75% of what happened would not have happened, if they actually talked to each other, used their brains and had done something about their problems. But no…

These characters are also so exchangeable with basic anime/j-RPG character tropes… I only remember Alfonse, Rex and Allie – because I just did the Emerald weapon. And right afterwards I thought, „huh. So… Fullmetal Alchemist?“ Which brings me to my third point …

…the story at large.

„Pacing is a virtue“ or was it patience..? Anyhow: The author of this story should have had more patience with his story and characters and taken a bloody break! And I am not talking about the obvious blunder of „How is Allie feeling?“, „she is in shock and you cannot talk to her“ turning to „oh yeah if you are careful you can talk to her now“. I mean. WTF. That was MAYBE 10-20 in-game minutes of dialogue.

But everything was moving so very fast – and not even in a good way. There are few things better than a fast paced, action rich story about a group of young people trying to safe (their) world. But if you try to cram in two expansions worth of character development and story telling into about two hours of content each patch.. Well, then you get whatever the hell this is.

Gaius is a very interesting character and while I did not understand why they needed to bring him back in 4.4 (?), I do see how he could be a good asset for endwalker. And his involvement in 5.0 with Estinien was just a dear delight. So I am not opposed to learning more about him, to watching his character grow and changed with time. But I am not ready for badly written content of which 50% get told by suddenly induced echo-sequences. I mean – weren’t there rules for the echo at some point???

I’m not sure which one of the devs said it, but the feature that let’s you play an NPC is super convenient for them to tell the story, because before they could only show what happened where the WoL was.

And that’s just it. Rule number 1 in writing anything is „Show don’t tell“. It feels like they literally turned this one around for these cutscenes. While Valens torture and diet-Fandaniel-routine were very much „show“, the rest of the story was one long cutscene of exposition: We get exposition by Cid, by Gaius, by echo, by Gaius and his crew again, then by Allie. Before having to watch scenes we are not there for.

BTW. Dear square Enix: Your writers are capable of writing amazing villains, antagonist and despicable assholes. You don’t have to write „asshole, must die“ on Valens name card. And I also think the „WoL, strike here“ sign above his head was a tad bit too much. Nuance, dear writers. Nuance. Or perhaps I just got spoiled by these last few foes in the MSQ.

When I said I wanted to just be able to punch a bad guy for once and not feel bad about it, I did not mean this! I meant that I just wanted to play training dummy with Danny-Boy.

(Oh! And as far as I’m concerned you can just… sideline Gaius … „would be killer“ and the lady? Make them targetable NPCs with Dialoge to read. Let them stand somewhere accessible and comment on the latest developement. But ffs don’t give me hour long speeches about how you are going to kill Gaius if he does something you don’t like. The guy could and would wipe the floor with you if he felt like it. -.- So. Please. Shut up.)

Conclusion

Basically. I have to finish the Diamond weapon. But I doubt it will change my perception of this story line even in the slightest.

To be perfectly honest though … bringing Gaius back, having this story with and about him, forcing a sort of redemption ark here. It feels like they are really „grooming“ him to be a morally grey ally in Endwalker, with perhaps a big part to play in the endgame. At this point I wouldn’t even be surprised if they pulled a GoT and made him „King in the North“. Or if they had him die a heroic death to save the world, but especially his country. And to do so they need us to think his sacrifice means something. Or that he is the right person to lead Garlemald into a new future (I don’t think he is). But: For one, neither we (the players) nor the characters need to find him worthy of throne or death by heroism for his sacrifice/ascension to work. To be a useful tool for the story, only the other garleans who might oppose the alliance and scions need to deem him or his sacrifice „worthy“. And only they. And Ishikawa-san has all of 6.0 to accomplish whatever the hell she needs him for. He did not need to be the center of his own botched redemption ark. If that’s what they wanted to do. Or maybe I’m looking at this all wrong and all they wanted was to give the writes in training some literal training grounds to test their abilities.

But! On a positive note: I have yet to be told that raids and other side content are canon to any degree. So when playing the next story quests I’ll blissfully ignore all that happened in Werlyt and if it get’s mentioned (because they do that sometimes when you’ve done certain content) I’ll just ignore it.

Happy ignoring! Also: GIVE ME MORE NERO CONTENT!

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pinkhairedlily · 3 years

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Freedom

Prompts: Crossover, Distant, Safe and Sound | A03 link here | Connect with me on Twitter. Happy SS Month everyone! 🌸🍅🥗 @ssskmonth

Some confused drabble on Gundam Seed crossover with SS, referencing the scene where Lacus Clyne saved Kira Yamato from his fight with Athrun Zala. Technical notes at the end of the post!

The clanging of metals, the smell of burning wires, the endless beeping of the monitor, and the sickening slash of Justice’s sword through his cockpit. He remembered being exposed to the open air, hearing the waves of a nearby ocean, and seeing Naruto’s face in a Zaft uniform – his face constricted in extreme anger and hatred. He thought this was what he deserved for killing Hyuuga Neji, but he was caught in a crossfire and war was a matter of survival.

Then there was the explosion.

No matter which way one saw it, he should have been dead. Naruto’s Justice detonated after the blonde ejected out of safety. His stomach was bleeding out from a debris when they clashed into one of the PLANT’s areas. He should have been dead, but instead, he woke up to the gentle singing of a familiar voice.

Sakura Haruno, the famed icon and face of PLANT and the only child of the leader of Haruno Faction which was the primary peacekeeping force and bridge between the Zaft Forces and Earth Alliance. Long pink, wavy hair framed the sides of his face and tickled the bandages on his skin while striking green eyes try to follow the movement of his pupils. Some months ago, he rescued her while she drifted in space inside an escape pod, her escort having been mistakenly struck by Earth Alliance as an offensive party. Some months ago, he amicably returned her safely to her fiancé, Naruto, in a covert operation. Some months ago, he met her and got to know her kindness. And now, he was bound to receive it again.

“Sasuke? Can you hear me?” Her hands gently brushed the fringes away from his face. How long has he been out? Somewhere, he heard the waves go up against the same shore. “You can sleep, if you want. Sleep for as long as you want. I’ll be here.”

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What was this place? It seemed devoid of war – pristine shores, blue sea, the quiet rustling of palm leaves, the warm sunshine. So far off from the neutral colony he grew up in – of the sudden attack and open fire from the skies, so far off from the open space where galaxy belts have been littered with gundam debris and frozen bodies.

She found him on the edge of the ocean, the waves lapping his wrinkled bare toes. He has been here for hours. She made her way to his side, followed by a small pink circular shape hopping across the sand.

“Haro! Haro! Haro!” The robot cried out after its owner; Sakura spun around and caught Naruto’s creation between her hands, nuzzling it as if it was her pet.

Sasuke hesitated for a while – she was a Coordinator after all, conceived with the most superior genes, and he was too, he was but he hated their kind all the same. The same kind who saw themselves far above the Naturals to the extent that they would wage war and kill.

“How tiring, isn’t it?” Sakura suddenly asked out of the blue, her green eyes arresting him in all their sincerity. “The senseless fighting when there is good in everyone.”

“That’s not true,” he rebutted…which was stupid because he hadn’t thanked her yet for saving him.

“Naruto is a good person even when you were kids, isn’t that right?” The circular robot was wriggling in her hands and she let it go, only for it to almost fall to the water and to its electrifying death if not for Sasuke’s quick hands.

“You also have some good in you,” she said with a smile. She took the fussy robot from his hands and went back to their family mansion.

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Sasuke found himself drifting in and out of his own consciousness; he would always fall into a daydream, the collage of the civilian ship ejecting from their mother ship and getting struck by a missile keep replaying in front of him. Screams would often escape him, even during daylight, but the touch of her hands steadied him, and her green eyes would reel him back to safe ground.

He would allow himself to lean further into her skin, liking the warmth a little too much, but torn all the same. She was his childhood friend’s fiancé, and he stole too many precious people away from him already.

It was effective, the way she led him in walks along the shore, her hand in his, and haro following closely behind, filling in the gaps of silences with his automated voice. When the robot finally stopped chirping to recharge, she would let go of his hand and hum a random song. He might have heard it before, in a far away moment and now unfamiliar moment of peace, when he was still a student and led a normal life.

“I killed Neji,” he blurted out, unaware of the consequences, but possibly to rile her up, to make her angry at him, to make it easier to go away.

Sakura brought her loose strands to the side of her shoulder, braiding the length of it while averting her gaze from him. “When I was fifteen, the Zaft Forces struck the civilian plane my mom was in. She accompanied my father to a diplomatic meeting with the Orb Union while I was here in PLANT. But I caught a fever and I asked for her despite being surrounded by nurses. I really missed her that time, you see. So she went on board the earliest civilian plane in Panama. Unfortunately, it was also the day the Earth Forces skirmished with Zaft and a stray missile hit their engine. That put a metaphorical dent as well in the diplomatic discussions.” She returned her attention to him, her pink hair unfinished and already coming undone. “We all suffered deaths, one way or the other, and each loss only breeds hatred if the cycle isn’t broken.”

“And how do you propose to do that?”

“Kindness,” Sakura extended her hand to him, and he subconsciously reached out to accept it.

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“Sakura-chan!”

Sasuke avoided the throng of kids that suddenly surrounded Sakura. He found himself standing beside Sai, the reverend who pulled him from the wreckage some weeks ago.

“They’re Naturals, if you’re wondering,” Sai said. “Rescued and fostered here under a neutrality agreement.”

“Savior’s complex?” Sasuke asked, still defensive about the matter.

“Just common moral decency.” The reverend had this mysterious smile etched forever on his face, and while Sasuke learned to read people, he could never read him accurately.

When the orphanage visit calmed down, and they were left alone with biscuits and tea on the gazebo overlooking the ocean, Sakura received the video message transmitted through Haro. She instinctively angled her body so whoever was on the other side won’t see him.

“Ms. Haruno,” a voice started. “We caught wind of some news.”

Sakura nodded, a cue to continue.

“It’s Operation Spitbreak. The real target is the Alaska HQ.”

Sasuke hitched a breath – if he recalled correctly, his mother ship Archangel intended to refuel there and stock on supplies. All the big guns were in Panama, strategizing for the penultimate and inevitable battle. So why Alaska?

Ah, they were the remaining big ship with the firepower that could match them.

Sakura noticed the change in his countenance, and she immediately ended the call after a quick word of thanks. Arms engulfed him in a gentle hug. “I guess it’s time.”

His arms wrapped around her waist tentatively. “I want to stay a little bit longer in this place where everything is safe and sound.”

“Not for long.” She tightened her hold on him. “Not for long, Sasuke.”

He did the same, trying to savor her fleeting presence in his embrace.

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That night, she and Sai led him to a facility under the Haruno family mansion. The steel doors opened after the usual biometrics – iris scan, hand print, and voice recognition. The sight astounded him when the lights started to come on. The gundam was bigger than his previous, Strike, and visually had more missiles and armaments.

Sai handed him a paper bag containing his new mobile suit. “It’s X10A Freedom Gundam, one of the two newest developments of Zaft. You’ll find that it’s much more lighter compared to previous models with faster mobility stats, and more devastating firepower. But you’ll be all right, you have the seed of the coordinator after all. What a dream it would be to see it used for coexistence.” He didn’t wait for Sasuke’s reply and quietly moved away to give the two privacy.

“Isn’t this too much?” Sasuke asked her. She hasn’t even asked him whether his views of the world have changed.

“I believe you’ll do the right thing.” Sakura leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Come back to me safely?”

Sasuke held her gaze, sincere in the uttering of his next words. “I will.”

TECHNICAL NOTES

GUNDAM – General Purpose Utility Non-Discontinuity Augmentation Maneuvering Weapon System

Coordinators – genetically enhanced human beings; improved traits e.g. faster learning, stronger bodies, more honed talents

Naturals – naturally born human being which did not undergo genetic modifications

Earth Forces/Earth Alliance – predominantly Natural

ZAFT – Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty; PLANT’s national army, members comprised fully of coordinators

PLANT – space colonies

Orb Union – nation composed of neutral territories located east of New Guinea

Music used for this writing: Mizu no Akashi | Fields of Hope

#ssm21 #ssm21d8 #ssm21d10 #ssm21d11 #sasusaku #uchiha sasuke #haruno sakura #sasuke #sakura #crossover with gundam seed #kira yamato #lacus clyne #gundam seed #im so sorry im late huhu

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hazuki-sama · 4 years

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Inoran and Sugizo’s “CROSS” interview for Music Natalie

Luna Sea, who are celebrating their 30th anniversary, have released their 10th album ‘Cross.” The albums contains a total of 11 tracks including the tracks “宇宙の詩～Higher and Higher～” and “悲壮美” which are opening tracks for the anime Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. It was produced with five time Grammy award winning music producer Steve Lillywhite, who also served as mix engineer. Luna Sea, who has self produced all works to date, teamed up with an outside producer for the first time.

Music Natalie is interviewing Sugizo (Guitar, Violin) and Inoran (Guitar) on behalf of the members. They spoke of the experience of working with Steve Lillywhite, the production process, thoughts on the 30th anniversary, and more.

Interview by Tomoyuki Mori @ Music Natalie/音楽ナタリー

Translated by hazuki-sama

Your new album, ‘Cross,’ is co produced by Steve Lillywhite. He is a world renowned producer whose previous work includes bands like U2 and The Rolling Stones. Can you tell us how this collaboration came around?

Inoran (Guitar): I was the first member to meet Steve. We met through a mutual acquaintance when he first came to Japan, and we got along well. After that, we had a couple more opportunities to meet, and he came to a live, too. After that, we decided we wanted to work together. That was about three years ago.

Sugizo (Guitar, Violin): When I heard this all from Inoran, I knew that we had to do this. As you already know, Lun Sea has been self producing our music for the last 30 years. We used to find meaning in doing things on your own, and when you have been doing this for as long as we have, you start to settle into what you do, and it is clear what you are good at and your abilities. It’s partly because I have reached a level of mastery in what I do, but for myself, I like to be in a position where I can learn something new, and feel like an apprentice rather than a master. For the last few years, the members have all been talking about what it would be like to work with an outside producer one day. But to be honest, I thought it would be impossible to find a japanese person that could work with us and take us to the next level.

Inoran: Mhm.

Sugizo: Steve is someone that has worked with many bands that are influences to the members, like my personal favorites Peter Gabriel and Siouxsie and the Banshees. I think this unique opportunity came at the perfect time. This is the first time Steve has worked with a Japanese artist, on our 10th album in our 30th anniversary year. This all started before the production of the last album, “Luv.” Inoran and I frequently traveled to the country Steve lives in to have this conversation.

Inoran, did you also have these feelings?

Inoran: It’s been there for a long time. Maturity is great, but we’re always learning, as individuals and a band. The five of us have different genres that we like, and there aren't many producers that understand this and could work well with us. We are lucky that we could work with someone like Steve. We've been working hard, and we have had a stroke of luck.

Sugizo: Yeah, it’s a blessing to be able to do all this. We don’t resent maturity, and we embrace it as much as we can. The important thing is to not be tenacious, and take music as seriously as ever before. Steve is an amazing musician, greater than we are, and we are lucky to work with someone at his level.

Inoran: That’s right.

Sugizo: We are all addicted to music, always looking for new approaches and wanting to explore things we don’t know. I think this album is a manifestation of that attitude.

What was the production process like?

Inoran: The five of us all have strong personalities, so we had no idea how the production process would progress.

Sugizo: To be honest, I thought it would be best if we stayed in the studio for one or two months to make the album with Steve, and he wanted that too. But our schedules made doing such a thing difficult. We recorded in Japan like we usually do, and we were in contact with steve on a daily basis, communicating in real time using WhatsApp and Skype. When we were arranging, the question would be something like “Do you want phrase A or phrase B?” and the answer would be back within minutes. Steve is a man that is detail oriented when it comes to the arrangement, so we let his input guide us.

I see, so he was really involved, ever from the arrangement stage.

Sugizo: Yes. In the past, when we would listen to Luna Sea songs, Steve would tell me “If i arranged this, I would put this sound here,” or “This sound is so good, you could have also included it in ending song.” He’s a creator and an arranger. It’s reassuring to have someone like that in the process of building music, and we became comfortable with the new, outside addition. It was the first time we had ever experienced something like that.

Inoran: It wasn’t a matter of physical distance, but to be able to overcome that by being in contact with each other on a regular basis. I’m glad we were able to overcome that and Steve was able to do so, too.

Sugizo: When it came to the mix, Steve was on fire more than we were.

Inoran: Mhm. I enjoyed the story of the production, and I think that's in the cound.

Sugizo: There is a mutual respect between Steve and Luna Sea. He respected the way we play and the sounds we make, and there was no compulsion in us to change for him. We made the music the way we wanted it to be made, and he gave us that freedom. Steve wouldn’t work with a musician if he didn’t have an idea or the work couldn’t reach the level he wanted it to be back. He said, “I want to work with musicians that are established and know who they are.” U2 and Rolling Stones are bands that were established and secure in who they were before he produced them.

The makeup of the sound is very different from your previous work. The sound is more dynamic and raw. How do you two perceive it?

Sugizo: It’s probably the influence of Steve’s sound. It’s like the magic of production coming back. He’s like “How is this?” and the sound he presents us is amazing. The drums are amazing, and Ryuichi’s voice sounds 10 years younger in every song. The drums become more real and prominent in the mix. There is the same amount of space for the guitar and bass. I don’t think this kind of sound could be created by a Japanese engineer. If you ask him “How do you do it?” he’ll tell you that he’s trying to make something that sounds good. It’s not a matter of theory or methodology, it’s a matter of feeling and taste.

Inoran: I’m not saying all foreign producers are this great, but Steve’s focus is great. He has a clear idea of what he wants people to hear, to enjoy the music, and make something great. Maybe that's something Japanese producers lack. When it comes to sound, the way you place the bass guitar is important. If you listen to music, you’ll get it. It’s a way of placing the bass that we don’t do in Japan. It doesn’t mean one is worse than the other.

Sugizo: It’s a characteristic of each method (of production.) Like Inoran said, Steve has a very clear idea of what he wants to hear, so that’s why sometimes he eliminates other sounds that get in the way of that. The approach he has is extreme, but I think it’s to the benefit of the song, so it comes out very clear.

You can hear the personality of you five in the sound of each song.

Inoran: Yeah.. Everyone’s sounds interacted a lot, so the session turned out well.

The production of Cross is going to have a big impact on the future of Luna Sea, right?

Inoran: Of course. After 30 years of doing things the same way, I think this has opened up a new door for us. I always thought that there was more potential, but it became a matter of how that potential would come to fruition. I think this experience is limited to just this album, and this is just the beginning.

Sugizo: Yep. Even after 30 years and I’m 50 years old now, I'm still a little boy who loves music. I want to raise the bar even high, make amazing music, and continue to grow. I think it's a great thing to have this mentality with my experience and age. We’re in the middle of our journey. I wouldn’t say we “just started” but we’re at the 5th stop, I think. We have an unshakable belief that there’s still room to grow, and this album gaver that belief to us. I think it’s a majorly important work that came at the perfect time.

Inoran: I like to tell the people who are currently musicians, or people who are just starting out, that this is what happens when you pursue your dreams. In the music industry, being able to work with Steve is an amazing opportunity. This is comparable to Hideo Nomo’s major league challenge in the baseball world, or Hidetoshi Nakata’s Series A debut in soccer. Before they played overseas, people always said “MLB is impossible,” “There’s no way a Japanese person can play in overseas soccer.” I think this is like what happened when we were able to have Steve produce our album.

Sugizo: One thing I can say is that we and Steve are equals. In today's interview, we speak about him with respect, and I do believe he is worthy of respect, but it's not a matter of one person being superior to the other. It’s the same between parents and children, teachers and students. I think we learn a lot from being in the teaching position. I think Steve learned a lot from his session with us. The art world is different overseas than it is in Japan. The fact we have this understanding is important. If i had the thought that “Japanese music is inferior to western music, I want to make something that feels like that,” I couldn’t make an album like this. You have to be proud of your own playing and roots no matter where you go. It’s important to have the conviction that “No matter where I am, I am always LUNA SEA.”

Inoran: Respect is important, but it’s not the same as being reserved. When I played a solo show in paris a few years ago, the local promoter told me “In Paris, you and U2 are both outsiders. The venue capacity is irrelevant. You’re the same.”

Sugizo: Wow.

Inoran: The other day, I read the interview between Dave Grohl and Ringo Starr. Dave was respectful to Ringo, but they still spoke to each as equals. It’s the same between us and Steve, and it’s important we saw had equal responsibilities in production, not one side tasked with ‘making it.’ Of course, he still has his own personality. If he had been difficult, this all would have been different. We’re tough guys, he’s a tough guy. I thought “He’s really serious about it.”

Sugizo: Steve had the same feeling, and he really meant it.

Inoran: It’s great that we had this real connection between us to him, rather than it be something arranged by a record company or office.

Sugizo: Yep.. That’s what creativity is all about.

Inoran: The relationship between Gundam and LUNA SEA is also thanks to a bond Sugi-chan created over the years.

Sugizo: Relationships between creatives happen first, then companies and manufacturers support it. It’s healthy for all involved.

Inoran: It depends on whether both parties have the thought “we can make something good together.” I think that's the power LUNA SEA has.

Sugizo: That’s the source of everything.

Inoran: In this career, I have to constantly face the fact of “What can my music do to help people?” and “What do I bring to the table?” There are things you always think of now.

Sugizo, you frequently put on shows at refugee camps in the middle east. What do you think about your relationship with society?

(t/n: this section was really difficult to understand, i did my best)

Sugizo: It has been a strange balance in the last 10 or so years. When it comes to the refugee crisis, I live my life with the thought of “What can I do for a divided world?” From the perspective, music and guitar are minimal things. Even though Steve and I made a great album together, it doesn’t matter in the greater scheme of society. Music is something I’m willing to risk my life for, but at the same time it could all end right here and now. That’s why I have the outlook of “Hang onto this moment.” I’m doing music with all my heart and soul, with determination that it could end at any moment, and I don’t care what others think of it.

Inoran: (laughs)

Sugizo: These kind of works will come out anyway. It’s the same between music, novels, movies, and other forms of media, but they have nothing to do with living or dying. But I think they are effective in enriching the mind. That’s the kind of situation we are in in this world, being in charge of music. All the members of LUNA SEA are very particular about what we do, and I’m sure the staff think it’s a hassle, but I think it’s all apart of the situation, but the people who pay to come to shows and listen to music deserve that kind of particularity.

I think it’s wonderful to be looking towards the future of LUNA SEA, and the fulfillment you all have today, rather than looking back at the past. Isn’t the weight of the 30th anniversary very heavy?

Inoran: Yeah, it’s heavy (lol). I’m grateful to be here after 30 years, and not to say it’s a miracle, but I do feel the weight. It’s just that “What do you think of the 30th anniversary?” is a question I don’t have an answer to. The 30th anniversary is just the beginning, there is no telling what comes next.

Sugizo: I’m living every moment to the fullest, and there’s no time to look back. Like this interview, I have been doing everything with my heart and soul and before long, 30 years had passed.

Inoran: I can’t say much about the future. This year, Ryuichi got sick (Natalie link: Ryuichi Kawamura diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, plans to return to work in a few weeks after successful surgery), it was hard to know what would happen.

Sugizo: Ryuichi’s condition was a very big deal to us, too. As well as his recovery from this life threatening illness, he also battled vocal polyps during recording. He had to have surgery right away, but he made it thought. In the past, Ryuichi had great technique and lots of physical strength to take it all on, but this time he had a lot to fight on the edge. This edge is very evident in the album, as it played an important factor this year. Ryuichi didn’t have a lot to say, but in this album we wanted to honor his songs

Inoran: Mhm.

Sugizo: What I want to say is that the most important thing is that the members are healthy, so that we can continue to keep playing on music and perform on stage. This is what makes me happy. Just to see Ryuichi singing on stage is enough to make my heart swell.

Inoran: I think everyone feels the same, to be able to see with the people you want to see as often as possible. Isn’t it common to have the “I wish I could have seen that” when it comes to lives? Personally, I want people to have the feeling of “I want to see this band, now.” We have a tour coming next year, and the album has a lot of dramatic moments, so I think that will come out in the live shows.

Sugizo: I’m really confident in the current LUNA SEA, I think it’s the best ever. The song we have done so far are a representation of what we’ve done up to this. With older songs like “Wish” “Dejavu” “Time Is Dead” “Blue Transparency,” I have the ability to play it properly, while retaining the original qualities of the song. I urge you to come see us now.

Inoran: We have been in a lot of different situations, thats why I think LUNA SEA is so strong right now.

#sugizo #inoran #luna sea #translation #enjoy this super old article #I wanted to do a solo inoran one but #this popped up #this only took.. 4 hours to do

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algernoninwonderland · 4 years

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Yknow I watched code geass some years ago but kindof dropped it, but after new content came out, I thought about looking at it from a different perspective before watching it again. Besides the obvious handle on elitism and militarism, what would you say was really wrong with the series?

Male gaze and fanservice that add absolutely nothing to the final product outside of pandering to its target audience (but then again, I’m not the target audience so). The way women’s bodies are handled. And all characters who aren’t Lelouch. Especially Kallen and Shirley.

The directing in general, that is meant to make you understand how clever Lelouch/everyone else is, is… Ugh. Remember in the early episodes, when they had that whole chess metaphor? How can you believe a character is clever if the way it is shown to you is the stupidest thing? Code Geass undermines itself all the time because of things like that.

The show doesn’t know whether to be a “Shakespearean” tragedy, or a dumb wish-fulfilment chuuni fever dream and balances the two rather poorly. The whole high school thing is just… Weird and so tonally dissonant, but it doesn’t seem intentional, you’re clearly meant to enjoy these moments as a viewer but I find it just… Jarring. Zankyou no Terror handled juvenile terrorism and school life much better. Code Geass is also uncertain about whether to be a Real Robot show or a Super Robot show and handles that rather clumsily. And yet you’re supposed to take the show seriously, elaborate costumes, orchestral music and all.

Just a year later, we had Mobile Suit Gundam 00 which was superior in every aspect, from direction to plot, and it’s not even that great a show (it’s good, but by far not my favourite Gundam entry).

Gurren Lagann (that was, 2007, right when Code Geass’s first season ended? ) had lots of problems, especially the way Yoko is… Dealt with. But finding its tone was not one of them, and in that regards, Hiroyuki Imaishi is one of the industry’s very bests.

Had Code Geass embraced its silliness, it could have been a much better show. It wouldn’t excuse the fanservice but it would make me groan slightly less than is the case. Had its direction been more subtle and its script rewritten, it could have been that “Shakespearean” (I so hate that adjective) drama it so badly wanted to be, or the military drama or… Whatever it tried so hard and failed to be.

But it’s neither of those things. It is, for the most part, a serviceably animated mess that looked OK when it aired and looks dated now, in a charmless way. It’s a mess, but not a fun one to watch, not a “so bad it’s good” sort of show. And when you think it can’t get worse, you’re proven wrong.

What I suggest is that you watch something else.

If you want characters acting all extra plus weird high school things handled smartly, and overall a really clever show, try Revolutionary Girl Utena. It’s my favourite anime ever. It has fencing in it, and boxing kangaroos, and some of the best characters in all of fiction. The animation isn’t always the best but the direction is solid, the score is great and it’s the kind of show you still think about years after you’ve watched it.

If you want a cool mecha anime, Escaflowne is just that, plus in my mind the best isekai anime there is. If you’d like to get into Gundam, the 08th MS Team is a fairly short series and it’s great Real Robot! Or maybe watch Gunbuster, because hey, it’s Hideaki Anno, and the 6th and final episode is perfect, Gunbuster is one of the OG Super Robot shows, and one of the best too (though the fanservice is a little grating)

Or if you want something relatively new, try SSSS. Gridman! It’s more of an animed tokusatsu show than a mecha show but it’s excellent, alas more fanservice-y than I’d like it to be, but it’s pretty incredible nevertheless.

There’s no use wasting your time watching a genuinely awful show when better anime exist that do what Code Geass tries to do, except 100 times better.

#anime #code geass #mecha #lelouch lamperouge #suzaku kururugi #mobile suit gundam 00 #ttgl #gurren lagann #hiroyuki imaishi #escaflowne #the 08th MS Team #sku #utena #ssss. gridman #gunbuster #top wo nerae! gunbuster #hideaki anno

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firebirdtransam68 · 5 years

Text

When I Prefer Micron Legend And Superlink Over Generation One

Without Generation One, there will be no Transformers franchise (no Beast Wars, no Robots In Disguise, no Unicron Trilogy, no Bayformers, no Animated, no Aligned continuity, no Bumblebee (2018), no other work relating to Transformers).

Generation One originated in the 1980's, considered to be the best decade in pop culture history. Transformers gave us giant robots besides Mecha anime shows like Voltron, Gundam, Mazinger, Robotech, and Evanglion; cool music ("The Touch," anyone?), and many different ideas for fan media. The franchise is also well-known for having so many different characters of many different incarnations, with G1 being the most intriguing.

That said, while I really like Generation One, I came across two (technically three, but I saw two) anime shows that have the most G1 callbacks of all Transformers works; these anime shows are Micron Legend (original version of Armada) and Superlink (original version of Energon). As I saw both of these anime series, and am currently rewatching the Generation One TV show, there are many factors in Micron Legend and Superlink that are actually better than G1.

Here are some examples where Micron Legend and Superlink are superior to the Generation One TV show:

- Micron Legend and Superlink prove to be darker and more heart-wrenching than G1; for instance, Thrust's death in Micron Legend looks more gruesome than Starscream's death in the 1986 film (getting slowly crushed to death feet first over freezing into crumbling stone the instant a laser hit its target), and the reactions to Optimus' death induced me to tears in Micron Legend (Hot Rod blaming himself for yelling at Optimus without getting a chance to apologize or say goodbye, even Megatron was grieving for his arch-nemesis' death (listen to him shouting Optimus' name after Prime was reduced to space dust in Episode 39), also Starscream's reaction in Episode 40), as well as Unicron

- Unicron's interior (and the Planet Eater, in general) is more unsettling than in G1; mind screwing other Transformers, tentacles trapping characters, paralyzed Transformers, the Micron's (Mini-con) origin, etc., the whole interior is similar to many cocooned scenes in Aliens (1986)

- The anime shows did not overdo it with puns (they hardly have any puns), while G1 had plenty of puns (yet interesting terminology); Armada and Energon, on the other hand, are filled with confusing puns that even 4Kids would have done better with during their career

- The characters in Micron Legend and Superlink were introduced better and more coherent than in G1 (G1 had the characters debut without any explanation as to how they arrived to Earth and allied with the rest of the Autobots or Decepticons (it was never explained how Brawn and Huffer came to be in Episode 9 vs. Silverbolt (Blurr) was called by Devastator (Scavenger) to search for more Microns in Episode 20 of Micron Legend)

- The Transformers in Micron Legend and Superlink are a lot more human than the Transformers in G1; for instance, they make sounds when in pain or distressed (grunting, groaning, screaming, and whining), show exhaustion after running or fighting, have inner thoughts (anime tends to do that, anyways, mostly with humans), and even sob (younger Transformers tend to cry, while older Transformers are silent, or scream in agony (like Optimus Prime in Episode 33 when Grap (Smokescreen) died); of course they have feelings and emotions); they even make grunting or screaming sounds while in their alt-modes (even more so than G1, which did not do as much human-like sounds with alt-modes as with robot modes); to put it plainly, they are more relatable to most audiences

- The soundtrack (score) in Micron Legend has a more variety than G1 did (classical, rock, 1980's style music, and sometimes techno (especially in Superlink))

- Even Superion looks better in Superlink than in G1

- Certain characters subvert their traditional G1 roles in Micron Legend and Superlink (like Starscream whose main motive was not overthrowing Megatron and is more sympathetic than his G1 counterpart, and Ironhide who is a Decepticon instead of an Autobot and is younger instead of older)

- The deaths in Micron Legend and Superlink are a lot sadder than in G1 (Starscream in Micron Legend (Episode 48) and Ironhide in Superlink (Episode 16), as well as Optimus Prime in Micron Legend (Episode 39) and a few others in Superlink such as Wing Dagger and Inferno (both of which got better and had new forms))

- Micron Legend and Superlink are more mature than G1 (even though G1 has more mature themes like espionage and betrayal than other cartoon shows)

- The two shows are more thrilling, exciting, suspenseful, action-packed, and have me at the edge of my seat, especially in the last episode of Micron Legend

- Age is more apparent in Micron Legend and Superlink than in Generation One (behavior, wisdom, height (sometimes), even voice); younger Transformers tend to be more emotional than older Transformers, for instance; both Autobots and Decepticons have really young, almost teenage-like, Transformers (Hot Rod (Hot Shot) and Ironhide (Demolishor) are really well-known examples) that make the anime shows a lot lighter despite their really dark themes

- While G1 was set in 1984 when the show debuted (1984), it was implied that Micron Legend was set in a more contemporary future like 2010 when the anime debuted (2002-2003)

- G1 had nearly the whole human population know about the Transformers since the More Than Meets The Eye portion, while in Micron Legend, the whole population (aside from the main human characters and the children) were unaware about the Transformers existing until Superlink (set in a farther away future); and since even Decepticons have children in their rankings, it is slightly concerning how the adult humans would react if they were to come across at least one of them (God forbid if they started to attack Ironhide in front of Megatron, Starscream, or Sandstorm (Cyclonus)), since Deceptions are brutal enemies, and their leader may be more dangerous when a younger Decepticon gets attacked (even in self-defense); in other words, humans are generally safer in Micron Legend than in G1, in which the Decepticons would be more than pleased to attack, kill, or even kidnap humans for their own agenda

- The two anime shows are how I became really interested in seiyuu in the first place (especially before I knew some of them in Sonic X); seiyuu are extremely underrated in Transformers since not very many fans (Trans-fans and seiyuu fans) talk about them as much

- Micron Legend and Superlink are generally really underrated anime shows

Of course, Generation One will always be better than most other works, but if you add the two anime series to the equation, Generation One has many flaws (then again, almost all Transformers works have errors), and some of their plots are slightly off and confusing. Micron Legend and Superlink does better with the plot and introduction, but the only reason I will put them in a draw with G1 is that G1 has classic 1980's songs that the anime shows do not have, and the anime shows have more callbacks to Generation One.

That is all I will be saying for now. I am still making a list of specific content that I want to see more on Tumblr, DeviantArt, and many other fandom-friendly sites; I still have more to be filled in before I consider it complete so I can post it.

Stay tuned for future posts.

This is FirebirdTransAm68 signing out.

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imaginedanganronpa · 5 years

Note

Can you please do some headcanons Ultimate Bodyguard Nekomaru, Police Officer Mahiru, Guitarist Gundam and ???/Forensic Investigator Peko?

I have lots of Talent-Swap Requests in my Inbox, and some of which seem like they may be from the same person (although I might be wrong, it’s fine if it is, though!) so I’m going to split them up into parts and post them on different days. So, this is technically PART 1!

Talent-Swap AU: Ultimate Bodyguard Nekomaru Nidai, Ultimate Police Officer Mahiru Koizumi, Ultimate Guitarist Gundham Tanaka and Ultimate ???/Forensic Investigator Peko Pekoyama!

Ultimate Bodyguard Nekomaru Nidai

Nekomaru’s personality makes him aperfect match for a bodyguard. He is boisterous and selfless, more than willing to put others before himself.

When he was young, he was told he wouldn’t make it very far in life. Nekomaru isn’tthe most intelligent student but he has a fiery personality, driven by passion. Hewould often get mistaken for an upperclassman, or even an adult, when he wasstill young and many people didn’t take him as seriously because of this.People also assumed that he was held back due to his appearance, which simply wasn’t true.

Giving into the pressure, Nekomaru dropped out of school and began working at several odd-jobs – Coaching, Construction, things like that.

He got offered aposition as a Bodyguard even though he didn’t meet the age requirement, based on hisolder appearance. Since he was desperate for the money, he kept his trueage a secret and took the offer.

Of course, Nekomaru couldn’t hide this secret forever and ended up getting caught.Once he was discovered, instead of getting fired he was transferred into Hope’sPeak Academy as the Ultimate Bodyguard.

You see, the man he was hired to protect was the Headmaster of Hope’s Peak, whomNekomaru had grown close to. He wasn’t even sure who the man was since specificdetails about their clients is kept a secret, but he was such a successful Bodyguardand cared enough about his job that he was considered to be the best of thebest and in high-demand, plus his age only influenced this decision. To be such a successful Bodyguard at such a young age was unheard of!

He may seem intimidating and aggressive, but he was actually kind at heart.Nekomaru had a secret soft-spot that many people didn’t get to see, and he suppressedthat side of him from his clients since he didn’t want to be a ‘soft’Bodyguard. For once in his life, people took him seriously and his age worked in his favor.

When the Killing Game started, Nekomaru was one of the first skeptics. It didn’tfeel real until the first murder occurred, and ever since then he vowed to protectthe others.

He was especially drawn towards protecting the females – not in a weird way, butbecause that’s what he felt like he needed to do; it’s what felt right. Nekomaru’s personal life-motto was to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and that’s an ideal he would take to his grave.

He would be the type to give up his life to protect someone. His true emotions were uncovered and his softer, more compassionate side shined through when he vowed to keep the others safe.

Nekomaru wanted nothing more than to end this unforgivable situation, although he wasn’t very helpful during the Trials or Investigations. He contributed as much as possible, but regardless the other Ultimates continued to look up to him for his selfless personality and life-goals.

He also developed a hatred for the Mastermind, or whoever was responsible for this Killing Game.

Ultimate Police Officer MahiruKoizumi

Mahiru has always been a sensibleand determined young woman. When she was a child, she never envisioned thatcrime-fighting would ever be the route she took in life. She more-so wanted to be a public speaker or an activist of some kind.

Her father worked in law-enforcement, though, and encouraged her to give it a shot. Within his experience and stories, Mahiru found inspiration. She had seen how he was able to help so many families recover from tragedies and gain some peace of mind, and realized that that was all she wanted to do in life.

Mahiru passed the Police Academy entrance exam when she was much, much younger than the other cadets. Due to her age and the fact that she was female, which was the vast minority among the cadets, as well as her father getting her into the Academy by sheer luck, many of the others doubted her. This, of course, only fueled her intense desire to succeed and prove to them that she would be able to become an amazing Police Officer as well.

Mahiru loved proving others wrong and was used to others doubting her abilities as a child; there has never been a more successful moment in her life than when she graduated at the top of her class, despite everything everyone said.

She was able to easily coax her suspects into handcuffs without having to try, and had an alluring personality that made them listen to her and turn themselves in.

She used her position as a Police Officer to protect civilians, since that’s why Mahiru got into the profession in the first place. However, she also found herself working with young kids and juveniles, doing her best to act as a counselor and guide them into the right path. Mahiru has a perfect track-record of helping young kids clean their lives up.

But most of all, she is outspoken, courageous, and definitely not a pushover. Mahiru has all of the qualities necessary for a good Police Officer, and her entire community adored her. She seemed like their local hero, and that’s why she gained her Ultimate title.

In the Killing Game, she was much more hesitant to reveal her status as a member of law-enforcement. She didn’t want one of the others to paint a target on her back and be viewed as a threat. Mahiru was in top-physical shape but that may not be enough to stop a determined killer.

She simply assisted with the Investigations as much as possible, working alongside her foster sister, Peko Pekoyama. The two girls were an unmatched team and due to their backgrounds, were able to crack each of the murders with ease.

It pained Mahiru to see her friends fall victim to the senseless Blackened. Her willpower and strong sense of justice was clear during the Trials and she wouldn’t stop until the proper killer got what they deserved. Her experience with Court Room settings seemed to play into her advantage and Mahiru felt extremely comfortable, even when trying to uncover the Blackened. The Executions never bothered her either, and at times she wished she could be the one serving them justice.

But those dark thoughts are exactly what started to get under Mahiru’s skin. Was this Killing Game really turning her into a monster?

Ultimate Guitarist Gundham Tanaka

Gundham grew up with a lonesome childhood. Ever since he was very young, music was his outlet for whenever he was feeling societal pressures. It provided him a place where he felt like he belonged, without fear of judgement.

He had a sickly mother and didn’t bring people over to his house or tell them about her condition because of this. He was also perceived to be a loner-type when he would rush home after school everyday to go to her; due to their perceptions, Gundham eventually adapted the lonesome personality that other’s seemed to bestow onto him.

He always had music to rely on, though, and his favorite instrument had always been the Guitar. He would often play music for his mother, since that was one of the only things she could truly enjoy anymore.

Unfortunately, Gundham got kicked out of his school’s Band for being too eccentric and having asuperiority complex over the other students - which was partially due to his many years of being a reject and having to do everything on his own. With that said, he isn’t a badkid. He may be a bit delusional but a lot of that is an act, because he truly does want to form close bonds and friendships with others.

Due to his independence, Gundham had a lot of free-time to practice the Guitar. His superiority complex flared up again when he became determined to show everyone that he was a phenomenal Guitarist, and shouldn’t have lost his place in Band.

Gundham soon became the youngest student to ever get accepted into an All-County Band, which was supposed to be reserved for adults. His audition was far too impressive to pass up, though, which is what really put him in the spotlight and gained the attention of Hope’s Peak Academy.

With that, he was able to finally show his school what he was truly worth, his attitude worsening as he thought he was ‘too good’ for the others now. This is where Gundham’s Dark Lord or God complex stemmed from.

His music also attracted the attention of animals and almost put them in atrance. He loved sitting outside in nature and strumming along on his Guitar - gaining their friendship almost like a Disney Prince. Despite his personality, he did have a soft spot for animals.

At the start of the Killing Game, Gundham went into denial and didn’t trulybelieve that this was real. He tried playing music for the others to relax them, but that only worked for so long.

He wouldn’t be so easily swayed into committing a murder and was a productive member during the Class Trials. Although, his complex personality caused him to become distant, not wanting to get too close to anyone else and fearing showing vulnerability.

Gundham’s only real reason for wanting to make it out of here was to see his mother again, whom he became increasingly worried about as the Killing Game progressed.

Ultimate ???/Forensic InvestigatorPeko Pekoyama

Peko hasn’t had the easiest life,to say the least. When she was a child, she lost several family members to theJapanese Mafia, and when she was in her preteens she finally connected thedots and realized that her family was part of a shady business deal.

She became a very distant and cynical girl – especially when the Mafia murderedher parents and she was sent to an orphanage home. Her childhood caused Peko to develop a series of unstable mental disorders and she became convinced that no one would ever accept her into their lives.

But remarkably, and to her surprise, she was eventually fosteredby a family who’s father worked in law-enforcement and advised her to, “Use herpast and her hatred as fuel to bring these guys to justice.” Those words resonatedwith Peko and she promised to carry them with her for as long as she lived.

The family’s daughter, a redhead, ended up making it into the Police Academy at a youngage. Peko felt the pressure wanted to make her new foster-family proud of her as well, but knew that law-enforcement wasn’t her scene; that’show she was introduced to Forensics.

She gained the title as an Ultimate when she became the youngest person tobring a serial killer to justice using Forensics alone. She wanted to use hertalent to eventually track down the people who killed her family and do thesame to them.

She had a bit of a twisted mindset and knew it, but masked her true intentions and personality under the clever facade as a Forensic Investigator. Admittedly, she wasn’t the most sane person.

Peko viewed herself as nothing more than a tool for the Police Department. She developed a sense of competition with her foster sister and wanted to find a way to stand out, but often fell short.

That was her motivation for making it out of the Killing Game. Peko wouldn’tallow herself to fall victim in here and used her knowledge of Forensics tosolve the cases with ease. Of course, it would be just her luck to get stuck here with Mahiru as well, who always forced her way into the Investigations whether Peko liked it or not.

But she couldn’t let her thoughts get the best of her - Peko needed to make it out of here alive and not in a body-bag; otherwise, she would never discover the truth behind her parent’s untimely deaths.

However, Peko was intelligent and knew that if she revealed her talent then shewould become an immediate target. She faked having amnesia in front of theothers and kept her lips sealed, insisting that she didn’t remember her talent.

That was a boldface lie, but the only person who knew that was Mahiru, who was also hesitant to reveal her talent and for good reason.

If Peko wanted to, she could easily get away with a murder. Her knowledge of Forensics made it easy to set up the evidence and point towards someone else, and her credibility among her classmates drew suspicion away from her. She knew damn well that no one would suspect or accuse her of being the Blackened…

But she needed to stop thinking like that, otherwise she may end up doing something she regrets… and she can’t afford to put her life at risk.

- Mod Rantaro

#danganronpa #danganronpa imagines #super dangan ronpa 2 #Super Danganronpa 2 #sdr2 #sdr2 imagines #talent swap #nekomaru nidai #Mahiru Koizumi #gundham tanaka #Peko Pekoyama

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preppymayhem · 5 years

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So I feel I should expand the people I interact with, and also I need to start posting like more original content. Also how do you meet people online anymore

So I am Kristen, my only other fannish presence is @kayromantique on Twitter and oh my AO3 which I am also kayromantic.

The Current State of Kristen

- I am currently halfway through watching Dawson’s Creek for the first time. I livetweet it at @hellotigerbeat

- I am watching Riverdale, however my investment in it is basically a) the ridiculous plots b) the scraps that I get for Betty/Veronica c) Kevin Keller getting a proper storyline and romance d) The Show doing right by Josie McCoy e) Watching every single one of the Parent!Cast have the time of their lives. I also livetweet it at the hellotigerbeat account.

Also Bughead and Barchie are the worst shipbames in existence, I can’t believe people use them seriously.

- I am a sucker for Mike Schur comedies most notably Parks & Rec, Brooklyn 99 and The Good Place.

- I cut my fandom teeth as a Relena fan in Gundam Wing fandom, so I’ve seen some bad shit. Heero/Relena was my number one het ship until recently.

- I am currently writing a fucking epic of a fic. It’s slash and it’s for The Mighty Ducks, the films not that weird anthropomorphic Saturday morning cartoon. It’s Charlie Conway/Adam Banks and I literally dreamed it a year ago.

- I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but hate Joss Whedon. I love Buffy herself and Buffy/Faith is the only Buffy ship that matters. Also justice for Tara, Anya and Cordelia, Always

- Fullmetal Alchemist the manga is the superior version and my fave narrative of all time.

- I am in a resting state while I wait for the return of One Day at a Time on Netflix

- Also I am Super Gay and Super into Ridiculous, Campy and Utterly Over the Top Things.

-Carly Rae Jepsen is my musical muse. All haters to the left.

I am also super progressive, anti-capitalist and fuck the current administration but I don’t talk about it here.

Also I do try to limit my interactions with minors. Like feel free to engage with my stuff, but like keep in mind that I am in my 30s.

So if any of this sounds appealing, feel free to follow, shoot me an ask, I think I’m pretty cool.

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gear-project · 7 years

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. . .

Videogame QandA Survey.

Source @8bitrevolver

1. First game you played obsessively? Tetris NES / Gameboy

2. A game that has influenced you creatively? Writing, drawing, etc. Legendary Wings / Guardic Gaiden / Guardian Legend / etc.

3. Who did you play with as a kid? My older sister. (She was bad at Mario games.)

4. Who do you play with now? Netplay mostly.

5. Ever use cheat codes? I am a sem-religious Hex-editor whenever I get the opportunity.

6. Ever buy strategy guides? I used to, but Art Books and Material Books are superior.

7. Any games you have multiple copies of? ...Guilty Gear.

8. Rarest/Most expensive game in your collection? Rarest: Final Fantasy Tactics, Most Expensive: Gundam Breaker 3 (because of DLC, but it's worth it)

9. Most regrettable purchase? Super Street Fighter IV

10. Ever go to a midnight game release or stand in line for hours? I've gone to them, but I never waited THAT long. Lines were pretty short for me.

11. Have you ever made new friends from playing video games? All the time.

12. Ever get picked on for liking games? In College, sure. It's a social stigma even with my family.

13. A game you’ve never played that everyone else has? Overwatch (Not real in to FPS, sorry.)

14. Favorite game music? Aside Guilty Gear, I liked songs from Sega Genesis Era (Arrow Flash).

15. If it was a requirement to get a game related tattoo, what would you pick? A Gear Mark Seal (should be obvious why).

16. Favorite game to play with your friends IRL? Very few IRL friends live near me... unfortunately.

17. Ever lose a friend over a game? Almost... well, they lost interest in the game at least.

18. Would you date someone that hates gaming? Not in a million years.

19. Favorite handheld console? Anything with Guilty Gear on it.

20. Game that you know like the back of your hand? Guilty Gear (any title really).

21. Game that you didn’t like or understand as a kid but love now? Kid Icarus (sortof), Megaman Zero to an extent.

22. Do you wear game related clothing/accessories? When I can afford to.

23. The game that you’ve logged the most hours into? Gundam Breaker series.

24. First Pokemon game? Red (never played them much and lost interest).

25. Were you ever an arcade game player? Yes, back when the Arcade Scene still existed in my home town.

26. Ever form any gaming rivalries? Oh yes. They're always out to fight me. But they never win, lol.

27. Game that makes you rage? Any hardcore survival game (Dark Souls for example).

28. Ever play in a tournament? Not in any majors, but I did go to one once.

29. What is your gaming set up? 3 consoles + PC hooked up to an HDMI switchbox and an ASUS Monitor.

30. How many consoles do you own? I think close to 7, but some are retired for good.

31. Does the 3DS and/or Virtual Boy hurt your eyes or give you headaches? Yes. VR/Oculus too.

32. Did you ever play a game based on your favorite show/cartoon/movie/comic? I tried a Demo of Voltron once... but it wasn't that great.

33. Did you ever have any bootleg games or plug-n-play games? Yep... It was crap, so I don't wanna talk about it.

34. Do either of your parents play video games? Nope. Never.

35. Ever work in a game store? Or do you have a favorite game shop? Never worked there, but I used to like going to Funcoland back when it was still in business. Now I frequent Record Head.

36. Have you ever shed actual blood, sweat or tears over a game? I sweat over my games on hot summer days... and my eyes water if I stare at a screen too long. My controller gets greasy so I gotta clean it more often.

37. Have you played E.T. for the Atari 2600? Do you think that’s the worst game ever, or do you have another nomination? I was never fond of Megaman games, I just lacked the skill to play them, loved the music though.

38. A game you’re ashamed to admit that you like? GalGun Double Peace

39. A sequel that you would die for them to make? Valkyrie Profile 3, dear lord...

40. What to you think of virtual reality headsets or motion controls? They can be disorienting, and they're more or less for novelty if you ask me.

41. A genre that you just can’t get into? FPS, Sports, RTS, Sims, Low-quality Indie Games

42. Maybe it wasn’t your first game, but what was the game that started you on your path to nerdiness? Don't insult me, I am a Gaming Connoisseur! Joust would be the first game I ever played.

43. Ever play games when you really should have been concentrating on something else? I multi-task usually. My grades were rarely effected.

44. Arcade machine that has consumed the most of your quarters? NEO GEO / Samurai Showdown III

45. How are you at Mario Kart? I rarely play. I prefer Rollcage and Wipe-Out Pulse/HD Fury.

46. Do you like relaxing games like Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon? Blehhhhhhh.... boring.

47. Do you like competitive games? To some extent, though I like Hybrid cross-genre games the most.

48. How long does it take your to customize your player character? Hours and Hours and Hours... I'm meticulous.

49. In games where you can pick your class, do you always tend to go for the same type of character? Depends on my mood and if I can use multiple save files. I like pushing my boundaries.

50. If you were a game designer, what masterpiece would you create? That's a secret!

51. Have you ever played a game for so long that you forgot to eat or sleep? All the time.

52. A game that you begged your parents for as a kid? I never begged... actually I just looked at stuff in a window or kiosk and they 'got the hint'.

53. What’s your opinion on DLC these days? Depends on what kind of content it is... but if it's substantial it's worth it, even as an alternate outfit.

54. Do you give in to Steam sales? I wish I could. I need a Steam Console one of these days... or a decent Gaming PC.

55. Did you ever make someone you hated in the Sims and did mean stuff to them? I am not that sadistic. I take all my frustrations out in Fighting Games.

56. Did you ever play Roller Coaster Tycoon and kill off your guests? Never played it.

57. Did you ever play a game to 100% or get all of the achievements? Yes. BlazBlue Central Fiction is my most recent Platinum.

58. If you can only play 3 games for the rest of your life, which ones do you pick? Gundam Breaker, Guilty Gear, Valkyrie Profile

59. Do you play any cell phone games? Don't own a Cell phone, so nope.

60. Do you know the Konami Code? Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start

61. Do you trade in your games or keep them forever? I very rarely sell games unless I loathe them.

62. Ever buy a console specifically to play one game? Anything with Guilty Gear (or BlazBlue) on it.

63. Ever go to a gaming convention or tournament? Yes. They're overrated though compared to social gaming.

64. Ever make a TV or monitor purchase based on what would be best for gaming? Whenever I can manage it. Especially a Tate Monitor for Vertical Shmups.

65. Ever have a Game Genie, Game Shark or Action Replay? Did it ever mess up your game’s save file? I owned them, but I usually kept save backups whenever I tested anything.

66. Did you ever have have an old Nokia with Snake on it? Nope, can't say I have.

67. Do you have a happy gaming-related childhood memory you want to share? Most of my gaming stories are long-winded, so not really.

68. Ever save up a ton of tickets in an arcade to get something cool? Most of what they have is junk, to be honest. I'd sooner buy candy.

69. In your opinion, best game ever made? It hasn't been MADE yet! *grin*

70. Very first game you ever beat? Super Dodge Ball / NES (I very rarely ever beat NES games so I'm proud of that game).

#Don't make me talk about myself!

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dewbond-blog · 6 years

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Shallow Dive: Mobile Suit Gundam Seed

There is probably fewer series in the realm of Anime that have as long and varied history as the Gundam Franchise. Starting in the late 1970s, Mobile Suit Gundam has become a cornerstone of Japanese culture and animation, often seen by some as Japan’s version of Star Trek or Star Wars. Regardless it has spawned well over a dozen different series, several OVAs, an armful of video games, and quite possibly a literal mountain of Gunpla model kids.

With so many series, Gundam has had it’s fair share of hits and misses, as almost all franchises do when they have such length. People will argue to the end of time what is the best series, but almost all can agree that only a few have left major marks on both of the franchise, and anime in general. Today we are going to take a look at once such series, one that remains surprisingly controversial among its fans. After the cut, let’s take a look into the 2002 series Mobile Suit Gundam Seed

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To understand the Gundam series, it is important to know that only SOME of the series are connected through a single MCU like timeline. To make it easy to understand, Gundam can be divided up into two separate sections.

The first is the Universal Century, which consists of probably 60% of the Gundam anime series, including the original 1970s series and its sequels. While sometimes telling different stories with different casts, they all take place in the same universe and follow the same general rules and timeline.

The second is the Alternative Universe, which consists of every other Gundam anime series that does not take place in the Universal Century. These shows are often (but not always) stand-alone ventures, with no connection to each other. They take place in similar, but a different version of the earth using a different dating system in order to separate themselves from other shows (After Colony, Correct Century, Anno Domini, Cosmic Era, etc.)

Mobile Suit Gundam Seed is an interesting show to look at, mostly because it is probably one of the most beloved, and hated among the fanbase, and there are several reasons for that, some justified, others not. However, my personal view is that Gundam Seed is a well-done series, that helped set the stage for the successful runs of Gundam 00, and Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans.

To understand what Gundam Seed is, we need to take a look at the overall general plot point of the majority of the Gundam universe. Most shows can often be boiled down to a simple equation.

There is an Earth, and there are Space Colonies. The Space Colonies want more freedom, the Earth doesn’t want them to have it. Therefore, teenagers in Giant Robots fight each other.

Almost every single Gundam Series can be boiled down to that premise. Dress it up however you want, 95% of the Gundam Series is pretty much that same story told and retold again.

Gundam Seed, however, is a bit different. While it follows that above premise, it itself is also a modern retelling of the original 1970 Mobile Suit Gundam, albeit with a few overall world and plot changes to set itself apart. Much like how The Force Awakens can be considered a retread of A New Hope with some changes, Gundam Seed is very much a reboot retelling of the first Gundam Series.

Honestly, I really liked that. Having watched both the 1970s series and SEED. I have always found both the original and the Universal Century hard to get invested in. A lot of the overall conflict is implied and philosophical, with the Colonies wanting their freedom because of more grounded, geopolitical reasons that can be hard to get invested in. (Along with a healthy dose of random space telepathy through “Newtypes”) SEED, however, opts to go for a more simple and easy to digest version, with the Colonies being populated by genetically engineers “Coordinators” (think designer babies) and the Earth filled with normal born and bred “Natural” humans. The conflict is portrayed as two variations of the human race fighting to wipe the other out, whether it be out of fear, jealousy, or a Nazi-like feeling of superiority. While the Universal Century is not bad in the longshot, it has always been something harder to sink my teeth into, and SEED wisely does the same thing, but with easier to understand themes and ideas.

Furthermore, SEED has a great cast, with characters like Kira Yamato, Athrun Zala, and Lacus Clyne bringing a layer of depth and understanding to the story. While Kira is a divisive character among the fanbase (though I would argue he only really gets bad in the sequel to SEED), him being stuck between loyalty to his Natural friends and crew, and his true Coordinator People is a good hook to bring you into the story. Additionally SEED lets Kira go through the motions of a young man thrown into a war, having to deal with the reality of killing people, fighting old friends, and then coming to terms with the world and fighting to change it in a satisfying character arc that few other Gundam man have; and fewer have done well. While he’s no Amuro Ray, Kira has enough going on with him to make him an interested and well done main lead.

Animation wise, SEED was the first to opt to be completely animated via the computer. While this leads to come beautiful shots (that look even better in the HD remaster), it also led to a rather surprising amount of recycled animation and shots that is only brought up to 11 in the sequel series. Seriously, you will start noticing the same fighting shots being used over and over again so much that you’ll wonder if any money was spent on his series. While it is not a dealbreaker for me, and future series 00 and Iron correct this with next to no recycled animation, it remains a black mark on the show. However, I can’t blame them too much for it, at least in the case of SEED as it was the first in Gundam to embrace the computer.

Mobile Suit Gundam Seed is a series loved and lauded for introducing a new generation to the world of Gundam. It is also hated by older fans for “dumbing down” the story and themes of the 1970s show. I love Gundam Seed, and it very much was my second welcoming into the franchises (the first of course being Mobile Suit Gundam Wing) I won’t tell you how to think, but I suggest anyone on the fence of jumping into the Gundam world start with this show. You’ll find it easy to understand, chalk full of wonderful action and awesome robots and some catchy music too. I would suggest SEED to anyone looking to see what Gundam is all about. It’s a perfect gateway opening, and there are plenty of even better Gundam series just waiting after if you want to keep the itch going.

Just avoid Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny. There is next to NOTHING redeemable about that pile of crap.

Next time, we’ll take a look at an anime that is quite simply, joy and innocense distilled into pure perfection. Don’t miss it.

#anime #Anime opening #mobile suit gundam seed #gundam seed #gundam #kira yamato #mobile suit gundam #real robot #mecha anime #mecha #gateway anime

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