Of sibling relationships (in anime)

One of the plots you would usually see in anime shows is family relationships, particularly towards siblings. Most of them have featured characters that have either brothers or sisters, or even both. The closeness between them are somehow similar in real life, wherein it differs depending on the situation. It's somehow complicated, but let me simplify this: either they became allies or enemies, and, in some cases, they remained close even though they could not reunite due to unfortunate circumstances.

Here are a few examples:

First on the list is Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha from Naruto. I know how you guys feel when you discover that Itachi's the one responsible for the extermination of their clan. The usual reaction would be anger and retribution for the dead, and it goes the same for Sasuke against Itachi.

Another is Makoto and Kyoichi Shido from Idaten Jump. At first, Makoto wondered if the masked rider is really her brother and why she could not see him immediately, but after rediscovering her MTB bike and removing the masked man's helm, it was indeed a miracle that her guess was right, and she understood the reasons as to why Kyoichi had to conceal his face and go on separate ways from her and his friends, especially if it involves Team ST.

Lastly, there goes Tyson and Hiro from Beyblade G-Revolution. Hiro may seem to be a bad guy at first, especially when he defeats Ray and watches Tyson battling against other beybladers, much to the Tyson's chagrin, but at the regional finals, when he reveals his face to Tyson at last, it was indeed a tearful reunion. After all, one must sometimes camouflage to keep an eye on the person he or she loves most.

So there you have it, folks, the application of real - life sibling relationships in anime shows. Whether it's sibling rivalry, discord, or close bonds, what matters the most is that family is one important factor in one's life, and one must be glad to have grown-up with family members.

That's all, folks! Gotta continue my Beybade G-Revolution marathon! ^^

Interest in Beyblade rekindled

I first discovered Beyblade years ago through watching adventures of Tyson and his crew of beybladers. When you hear the word 'Beyblade', the first thing that would come into your mind would be spinning tops on the field striking against one another until only one top remains spinning with the others being rendered to standstill. What got me hooked on the series was the intense action, the competition to see who will stand the best among all, all while imparting lessons of sportsmanship, friendship and fair play.

And so once again, I was drawn again into the world of spinning tops through the latest Beyblade spin-off, Metal Fight Beyblade. It was first aired last Wednesday through Cartoon Network, and boy, I was once again hooked with the action that was brought by the battle that Tyson and his friends first commenced. Only this time, a new protagonist emerged, by the name of Ginga Hagane, together with his Beyblade, Storm Pegasus.

 


























I really adored Ginga and considered him as my most favorite character there because of his extraordinary skills in beyblading, especially when Storm Pegasus unleashed its most powerful attacks. More importantly, he taught Kenta, the short kid who's also a beyblader, that a beyblade's true strength lies within the heart. No wonder he would sometimes stare at the stars during his usual strolls and considered Pegasus as his comrade (Yep, the bit beasts are based on constellations, different from the previous Beyblade shows wherein the four Chinese mythology beasts were the bit beasts of the main protagonists.)


I'm really getting hooked on it right now! I can't wait to see more of the action! Yeehaw!


That's all for now! Ciao! ^^

Witnessing a lot of endings

They say that all good things must come to an end, and it does happen all the time. In my case, I have seen some anime shows that I've watched in both Animax and Cartoon Network reaching their final moments. Good thing they turn out to be enjoyable, although not that happy and not that bittersweet.

The first on the list in Tengen Toppa Gurren Langann. The main antagonist was finally defeated and both Simon and Nia were finally married, but sadly, her life was put to an end. On the final scenes after the ending song, the characters had grown and aged, but they had become better persons, especially Simon who passed on some words of wisdom to the kid as they watched the robots fly off into space.

Next is the latest season of Pokemon, Diamond and Pearl. Although Ash and his latest rival were still in each other's throats during the tag team battle, they managed to win the championships and win the prize. I couldn't wait to see what will happen next! ^^

Then there's Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. The main villain finally got the taste of its own medicine by being brought into despair, and Ed and Al were back to their normal selves. Can't tell you how, but it's worth the trouble. The last episode will be shown on Friday.

In Romeo x Juliet (Yes, there's also an anime version of the Shakespeare classic), the tides were turned to the Capulets and Lord Montague finally confessed the truth to Romeo about the tree that held the world in place that was about to wither, that once it is dead, the apocalypse will happen. I would say that the ending will be heart-stopping and shocking.

Well, that's all I could remember. What's important is that whatever the result will be on the grand finale, we must accept it as it is.

That's all! ^^

Depression mode... again

Something really bad happened to me, and I really don't want to talk about it right now...

Because of that, I don't feel like I'll draw or write stories anymore, for that bad experience really destroyed the imaginative part of me. So there, I'll be back to my normal, uninspired self, and I don't care if I'll suffer from both artist's and writer's block, just to make my mom happy... T_T

I'll be in indefinite hiatus and leave behind the artistic side of me, and I'm sorry if anyone would not be happy about my decision. I hope there will be solace, so that I might be back to being imaginative and artistic...


Sorry about my ranting. Thank you and good night...

Too late for coming back

I had mentioned in one of my previous posts that I decided to leave my Lineage 2 SEA characters in indefinite hiatus because I couldn't afford to update to the Final Gracia patch due to intense system requirements and that it'll eat up a lot of hard drive disk space. I was hoping that I'll come back once I upgrade my PC or at least buy a new one with compatible specs for the game, and that I may enjoy the adventures in Ether again.
 
Until I checked out Alcarcalimo's blog and saw this.

It's stated there that i AM Interactive decided to shut down its operation on both L2 and Exteel due to termination of its contract with NCSoft. And since it already happened, I realized that it's already too late for coming back. *Sobs*
 
I will miss my Paladin, my Silver Ranger, my Soul Breaker, and all my other characters who became part of my journey in Ether. I still had my fanfics about my Paladin with his Doombringer lover, and I was hoping to rekindle my interest in L2 so that I could come up with new stories for my other avatars, but I guess the flame went dead already.

Good thing I still had some screenshots, though. Here are some of them:






My Paladin (back at the Heaven's Oracle days)





My Paladin and her Doombringer lover (main characters in my L2 stories)





 
My Soul Breaker (also from the HO days)






My Silver Ranger






My Artisan (I just wish she would be a Warsmith)






My Dark Elf Wizard (future Spellhowler)
 
Well, that's all I could have for my L2 memories. I will always remember those days.


Ciao! ^^

The 39 Clues: A dangerous hunt

 If you ever heard or watched The Amazing Race before, then you've been familiar with the scene: teams competing for clues which serve as keys to reach their destinations, accomplishing various tasks. It serves as a test to see who gets there first, because those who get left behind will be eliminated.

 But what if the competing teams are composed of relatives who will do more than just get the clues, obliterating every obstacle that comes in their way, even if it means to strangle their other relatives who aim for the same goal? After all, treachery and distrust are abounding in the competition, and that's what happens in the series entitled The 39 Clues, a series introduced by Scholastic Inc. 

The 39 Clues focuses about the Cahill family, the most influential lineage in the world. Yes, you may have heard of famous people like Benjamin Franklin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, George Washington, Edgar Allan Poe, and others, but in The 39 Clues, they all have Cahill blood. The family is split into 5 branches. There are four known branches: Ekaterina (scientists and inventors), Janus (artists, painters, composers, dancers), Lucian (leaders and spies) and Tomas (athletes and explorers). The remaining branch, the Madrigals, were a group of Cahills with unknown intentions as of now, although they are also involved to stop the other branches from getting the Clues.


But the main event commenced when after Grace Cahill died, during her funeral, it was stated in her alternate will that in order to find the secret to the Cahill lineage's ultimate power, one must accept in joining the competition to search for the 39 clues (hence, the title). But in order to do so, one must surrender the check containing $1,000,000. Among the group of people who were selected to hear the will, only seven teams accepted the challenge.

Amy and Dan Cahill were orphans under the care of Grace's sister, Beatrice, who was strict and overprotective. They were considered as the underdogs due to the fact that their competitors looked down on them, thinking that they're just a bunch of rag-tag travelers who won't stand a chance to survive in the dog-eat-dog competition. But still, it was due to their talents and strengths that they managed to overcome obstacles and go in the lead, accompanied by their au pair Nellie Gomez and Grace's Egyptian Mau, Saladin.


There will be 10 books that focus on the their adventures. Each book contains 6 cards that, if one types the code printed on the bottom, will appear on the online card gallery, and unlock the same clue mentioned in the book. Yes, one can also collect cards to unlock combos and get more clues, by buying more books and card packs.

If you want to know more about the series, and to see more of the good stuff, check out this site:


The 39 Clues Official Website


Oh, and in order to do the unlocking stuff, card collecting and all that jazz, you must register for an account there. It's worth trying it out.

So far, I've finished reading Book 1, and started reading Book 2. Gotta buy more books and card packs to unlock more combos and get more clues... ^^


That's all for now... Time to unleash the inner Lucian within me now! *evil laugh*

Monochrome - Blue Sky

I hate to admit, but I'm starting to like Vocaloid music, because of so songs which were interesting and the voices which were pleasing to my ears. My favorites are Magnet (sung by Megurine Luka and Hatsune Miku) and Dark Alice (also sung by Miku).

And now, I'm talking about my current favorite, Monochrome - Blue Sky, also sung by Miku. The reason why I love this song is because of the fast upbeat tempo and lyrics. Miku's voice does breat in singing the song.

Here's the original music video of the song:




 And here's the fan made video, sung and interpreted by Spark Enjel:



By the way, Spark Enjel is an UTAUloid created by none other than Felicia-Val, who also brought Hoshine Stella to life. You can check out more about their songs there:

Hoshine Stella blog 

Hope you enjoy the videos and unleash the Vocaloid/UTAU fan within you! ^^

Changes to my blog + My new favorite anime

Yeah, I know your eyebrows are raised because of the changes I made to my blog. I decided to upgrade my template because I'm somehow bored with my previous template. It really took me a short time to revamp this blog to a new level, but I'm happy with it. Oh, and I changed the title a bit because somehow, my post does include not only about my life and online games, but also about anime as well. So there, the new title is shown on my brand - new blog.

Well, speaking of anime, I'm now a fan of To Aru Kagaku no Railgun (A Certain Scientific Railgun). I first discovered it in my March issue of GAME! magazine, and it's only a few days ago that I decided to give it a try. Indeed, I was impressed with it.

Well, just in case you haven't heard of it, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun is a side story of another anime entitled To Aru Majutsu no Index. It focuses mostly on Makoto Misaka, one of the Level 5 users in Academy City, the place devoted on training its students to fortify their supernatural abilities. Misaka is reputed to be the ace of Tokiwadai High School (one of the prestigious elite schools in Academy City) due to her powerful talent of controlling electricity to her liking, like launching coins at a fast rate and giving those who cross her a excruciating electric shock, which might even cause massive destruction at the surroundings. No wonder Shirai Kuroko, another Tokiwadai student and a member of Judgement (the police department) always shows affection to her, much to her chagrin.

Aside from Misaka and Kuroko, there are other two interesting characters that I like: Kazari Uiharu and Ruiko Saten (both students from Sakugawa Middle School, another school in Academy City). Uiharu is a shy female teenager with a flower wreath on her hair, who is also adept in using computers for research and surveillance for Judgement, while Saten-san, despite having no abilities, is a cheerful female with a happy-go-lucky attitude (although there's also another side of her, which was painful and depressing). Together with Misaka and Kuroko, they form a group of friends who stay strong despite the obstacles coming their way.

But despite the action, comedy and humor made to lighten the mood, there are also sides of horror and depression. One proof would be the ability users who used their gifts for bad means, with a sad story behind the motives. Another would be a scientist who acted as a cerebral psychologist, but in fact, has even more sinister plans. But the more shocking would be illegal means to upgrade supernatural powers, with a heavy price in exchange.

If you're interested, check out the ff. videos (sorry, I won't put the episodes... You have to discover it for yourself):

First Opening Song (Only My Railgun by fripside)




First Ending Song (Dear My Friend by Elisa)



Second Opening Song (Level 5 - Judgelight by fripside):



Second Ending Song (Real Force by Elisa):




All in all, it's indeed worth checking out. Gotta check out To Aru Majutsu no Index once I'm done watching all 24 episodes of Railgun... ^^


That's all for now... Ciao! ^^

Digsby: communication in one small package

Months ago, back at Pasig, I wanted to chat with my friends using Windows Live Messenger. The last time I used it, there was a message that said that I must upgrade to the latest version in order to continue, for if I clicked no, I could not use it. So there, I upgraded it, but an error messaged popped out saying that there's a problem connecting with the server. Worse, I couldn't even uninstall that damn thing. I tried downloading the latest version from the website, but still the same result. It meant one thing: the system requirements are much more demanding now, more modern than the previous. Because of that, I held off chatting for months.

Thankfully, a solution came to me yesterday while I was busy using Facebook (yes, I have an account there). My friend Rara-chan had posted in my news feed about her using Digsby, an all - in - one social application which allows checking e-mails from multiple e-mail accounts, chatting with friends from various IM applications, such as Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger, and even looking for updates in various social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. See, it's indeed an all-in-one package, allowing anyone to do all of these things in just one application. ^^

It was indeed a good discovery for me, so I decided to download the application and register. I placed all my e-mail accounts (in MSN & GMail), my IM accounts (in MSN & YM), and even my Facebook account there.

So there, I managed to chat with my friends from both IM accounts, and even to check mails from both MSN & Gmail, and even from my news feed in Facebook as well without having to go to the sites just to see what's there. It was indeed worth checking out.

You can check the features in this video:


You can download Digsby through this link: Download

Oh, and don't forget to register, for it's necessary before you can enjoy the benefits. ^^

That's all for now. Jaa - ne! :D

Something to cheer me up for the meantime

Right now, I'm currently in the severe state of depression right now because of my mistakes that made my mom so mad at me that she would hit the roof. Because of that, I held off playing CelestiaLuna because I'm not in the mood to level up my characters there right now... :(

So I decided to start watching Bakugan: New Vestroia through the Internet. I'm starting to like the plot: Peace at new Vestroia at the start, but then alien ships came over and captured all monsters there, enslaving them and treating them like helpless animals just for entertainment. That's where Dan and Marucho come in, meet Mira (leader of the Resistance), together with Ace and Baron, reunite with Shun (who had his hair cut short), and help them free the Bakugan from the Vestials' slavery. Believe me, obstacles also came in the way, including the Vexos (team of the Vestials' best Brawlers), and even the prince who was acting like a spoiled brat (having a collection of the first season's main protagonists' Bakugan turned into statues, excluding Drago, is one proof).

So far, I had just finished watching episodes 1-16. Too bad I couldn't watch episode 4 due to copyright protection... T_T

So, enough ranting for now... Gotta continue watching the rest of the series now. Jaa - ne! ^^