Starting today, people all over the world who didn't jump at the Collector's Edition of Final Fantasy XIV will be able to embark on the new adventure with the Standard Edition.
I would have been one of those people if my video card was high-end enough. orz
The system requirement and specs for Final Fantasy XIV wasn't available when I got Cygnus, so I stupidly believed the sales guy that the video card would be able to run it. Such a bitter after taste when I realized it just prior to the game's release...
So I am going to get a new video card along with PS3 this Christmas!
I thought about getting a new monitor as well to replace my current 17" non-wide, VGA-only screen so I can get the best out of the new card (whichever card it'd be), but I think I will be able to pull it off by connecting Cygnus to my 32" panel via HDMI instead. I might need to get a new set of keyboard and mouse, which I have been planning to anyway, but it'll still be cheaper than a new 22"+ monitor.
Of course, I'll still need to get a new monitor when my 17" screen dies, but now I can wait until the time comes. The later the better.
Here's hoping to start gaming in 2011! :x
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Anime Expo 2010 @ LA
Day 1
[Gundam Panel]
Neko-tan and friends attended the opening ceremony but it partially conflicted with the Gundam Panel, so I just went straight to the Gundam Panel. While waiting in line to get into the room, there's a kid cosplaying as Gundam Exia. He could barely walk two steps before getting stopped for a photo. XD
The Gundam Panel was hosted by people from gundam.com, which I used to be a member of back since when SEED aired in Japan until Ben took it down (I wonder if there's still a ML for it somewhere?) I actually recognized the names as the people introduced themselves by their g.com handles, too.
They showed the trailer for the Gundam 00 movie (I was totally neta-ed since I haven't watched the series yet) but skipped the trailer for the 2nd instalment of Gundam UC since there's no good quality video source. Needless to say, Full Frontal was a popular name during the panel. XD
They went over some upcoming gunpla kits and spent a bit of time going over the various Gundam manga available in English. They mentioned a few Japanese lineups just to tease ppl, including Tony Takezaki Presents Gundam (awesomely hilarious!) and Gundam ACE. I happened to have a Zeta Gundam pencil board from Gundam ACE with me to use as a hand fan, but I resisted showing it when they were talking about the goodies that come with the magazine.
The Q&A session actually consisted of two parts, where the person gets to ask a question and gets asked a question, in either UC or AU categories, in return by the g.com ppl. If the person answers the trivia question correctly, he (there's no female in the Q&A line) wins a gunpla. One guy asked who the g.com ppl think is the best pilot. Eeeeeveryone in the room groaned at the question. One of the g.com ppl squealed in a fake girlie voice "Kira~" on purpose, but they decided to go with Char at the end, if I remembered it right.
[May'n Panel]
Unfortunately, because the rule this year was changed so that the room would be cleared before ppl can enter for the next panel, so I had to leave early to line up for the May'n Panel to be held in the same room right after. By then, the line had already winded around the hallway once and I lined up by the elevator door on the opposite side of the hallway.
And I spotted May'n earlier than anyone! XD She was discretely escorted by a camera guy and two other ppl into the elevator. The elevator was located right by a corner at the start of the hallway, so most people in the hallway never realized that May'n was even there for that ten seconds, including the people in the line around me. Then I found Neko-tan and co. who had much better spot in the line (within the first 50) and got in with them.
May'n was very cute as expected. The translator kinda mumbled so it's not easy to hear her sometimes. Plus she often left out sentences and translated quite a few instances wrong. Luckily, most of us in the group knew Japanese so we could ignore her most of the time. I was quite pleased to learn that May'n favourite song is Diamond Crevasse, which also happened to be my favourite Macross F song. A girl in the Q&A line asked May'n to sing the first line of Triangular with her, and even with just one line, May'n rocked the room. :D
There was a timed photo session (less than a minute) at the end of the panel. There's quite a big crowd and I was almost on the outer most edge, so I wasn't able to get a very clear shot of her. But I still managed to get two decent pictures considering the sucky quality of my camera. After picking up a ticket for the autograph from the staff at the exit, it's rushing to the Exhibition Hall where the autograph session was located.
[May'n's Autograph Session]
As expected, there's already a long line up by the time I got there. I first got in line where Neko-tan was, then spotted another guy from the group much further up the line and joined him instead as I had a tight schedule. People in the line were holding the item they wanted signed, and there's a lot of Macross F books and CDs. One guy saw my "Diamond Crevasse/Iteza Gogo Kyuuji Don't be late" single and asked to see it as he thought he had everything Macross F there was but had yet to see the single.
May'n's really cute up close, and her hand's small and soft, too. (ヘンタイみたい orz) Just as I was leaving the signing area, an older guy accompanying May'n came up to ask me where I got the single CD and if I ordered online. According to Neko-tan on our way back home, the single sold so well in Japan that it was out of stock everywhere for a period of time. Now mine's even more rare 'cause it's got May'n signature on the cover! XD
[Morita's Panel]
I ventured out into the sun after I got May'n autograph to attend Morita's Panel at the Nokia Plaza. That's right, it's outdoor. Morita dressed up as a shinigami and got the crowd high in no time. The main event for the panel was Morita's live voice-over performance for the scene in the 1st episode where Ichigo and Rukia formally introduced each other before Rukia stabbed Ichigo with her zanpakuto and transformed him into a shinigami. It's really awesome to hear Morita live as Ichigo beside calling out Bankai, and the selected scene was a nice one as that's where Ichigo's journey as a shinigami started.
Three pairs of Ichigo and Rukia were picked from the audience and invited on stage to voice-over the same scene. The first pair consisted of a Rukia cosplayer and a big guy. The Rukia cosplayer was extremely excited and was almost slurring when Morita interviewed the two. She actually blurted out the term "IchiRu", too. XD The 2nd pair consisted of a Yachiru cosplayer and another random guy, and the 3rd pair consisted of a Yoruichi cosplayer (I think, can't quite remember. She's the only to do the voice-over in Japanese as well.) and another random guy. When it's time for Morita to pick one person to present a prize, he went with the Rukia cosplayer at the end. She definitely wasn't the best, but she struggled the most and pulled it off at the end.And the wind played a trick on her and showed what's under the school uniform skirt when she was on stage.
After a short announcement from Morita that he detests piracy and wants everyone to watch it legally since Bleach will start streaming on Crunchy Roll, he ended the panel with the usual bankai (26sec, 19.31MB, MediaFire; first video I ever took with my camera) call. Then it's a mad dash for everyone to line up for Morita's autograph session!
(While waiting for the panel to start, I spotted Nabeshin exchanging business card with someone else before casually walking off scene by the side of the plaza. XD)
[Morita's Autograph Session]
This one didn't require a ticket so the line was insanely loooooooooong and had quite a bit of ppl that didn't go to Morita's panel to be in the line. Then, after two hours, with no more than a dozen ppl in front of me (probably over a hundred behind me; I never saw the end of the line), the_line_was_cut_off. Morita wanted to continue, but the staff wouldn't allow it and wanted to clear the room. The people in the front of the line argued and haggled with the staff, so finally it was decided that Morita would have a special hand-shake session for those who remained (staff had already spread the bad news and dispersed most of the crowd by now).
Roughly 50 of us filed quietly into the room and sat down, where Morita gave a short apologetic speech and thanked everyone. We were given 3 questions to ask as a group, then everyone lined up to shake Morita's hand before getting ushered out by the staff. There was a second autograph session for Morita the next day, but it coincided with the concert I mainly went to AX for, so I never got Morita's autograph in the end... But it's still worth the 2-hr wait to shake his hand! :D
Then I finally called Neko-tan back and re-grouped with them to leave. That's it for the 1st day!
Day 1
[Gundam Panel]
Neko-tan and friends attended the opening ceremony but it partially conflicted with the Gundam Panel, so I just went straight to the Gundam Panel. While waiting in line to get into the room, there's a kid cosplaying as Gundam Exia. He could barely walk two steps before getting stopped for a photo. XD
The Gundam Panel was hosted by people from gundam.com, which I used to be a member of back since when SEED aired in Japan until Ben took it down (I wonder if there's still a ML for it somewhere?) I actually recognized the names as the people introduced themselves by their g.com handles, too.
They showed the trailer for the Gundam 00 movie (I was totally neta-ed since I haven't watched the series yet) but skipped the trailer for the 2nd instalment of Gundam UC since there's no good quality video source. Needless to say, Full Frontal was a popular name during the panel. XD
They went over some upcoming gunpla kits and spent a bit of time going over the various Gundam manga available in English. They mentioned a few Japanese lineups just to tease ppl, including Tony Takezaki Presents Gundam (awesomely hilarious!) and Gundam ACE. I happened to have a Zeta Gundam pencil board from Gundam ACE with me to use as a hand fan, but I resisted showing it when they were talking about the goodies that come with the magazine.
The Q&A session actually consisted of two parts, where the person gets to ask a question and gets asked a question, in either UC or AU categories, in return by the g.com ppl. If the person answers the trivia question correctly, he (there's no female in the Q&A line) wins a gunpla. One guy asked who the g.com ppl think is the best pilot. Eeeeeveryone in the room groaned at the question. One of the g.com ppl squealed in a fake girlie voice "Kira~" on purpose, but they decided to go with Char at the end, if I remembered it right.
[May'n Panel]
Unfortunately, because the rule this year was changed so that the room would be cleared before ppl can enter for the next panel, so I had to leave early to line up for the May'n Panel to be held in the same room right after. By then, the line had already winded around the hallway once and I lined up by the elevator door on the opposite side of the hallway.
And I spotted May'n earlier than anyone! XD She was discretely escorted by a camera guy and two other ppl into the elevator. The elevator was located right by a corner at the start of the hallway, so most people in the hallway never realized that May'n was even there for that ten seconds, including the people in the line around me. Then I found Neko-tan and co. who had much better spot in the line (within the first 50) and got in with them.
May'n was very cute as expected. The translator kinda mumbled so it's not easy to hear her sometimes. Plus she often left out sentences and translated quite a few instances wrong. Luckily, most of us in the group knew Japanese so we could ignore her most of the time. I was quite pleased to learn that May'n favourite song is Diamond Crevasse, which also happened to be my favourite Macross F song. A girl in the Q&A line asked May'n to sing the first line of Triangular with her, and even with just one line, May'n rocked the room. :D
There was a timed photo session (less than a minute) at the end of the panel. There's quite a big crowd and I was almost on the outer most edge, so I wasn't able to get a very clear shot of her. But I still managed to get two decent pictures considering the sucky quality of my camera. After picking up a ticket for the autograph from the staff at the exit, it's rushing to the Exhibition Hall where the autograph session was located.
[May'n's Autograph Session]
As expected, there's already a long line up by the time I got there. I first got in line where Neko-tan was, then spotted another guy from the group much further up the line and joined him instead as I had a tight schedule. People in the line were holding the item they wanted signed, and there's a lot of Macross F books and CDs. One guy saw my "Diamond Crevasse/Iteza Gogo Kyuuji Don't be late" single and asked to see it as he thought he had everything Macross F there was but had yet to see the single.
May'n's really cute up close, and her hand's small and soft, too. (ヘンタイみたい orz) Just as I was leaving the signing area, an older guy accompanying May'n came up to ask me where I got the single CD and if I ordered online. According to Neko-tan on our way back home, the single sold so well in Japan that it was out of stock everywhere for a period of time. Now mine's even more rare 'cause it's got May'n signature on the cover! XD
[Morita's Panel]
I ventured out into the sun after I got May'n autograph to attend Morita's Panel at the Nokia Plaza. That's right, it's outdoor. Morita dressed up as a shinigami and got the crowd high in no time. The main event for the panel was Morita's live voice-over performance for the scene in the 1st episode where Ichigo and Rukia formally introduced each other before Rukia stabbed Ichigo with her zanpakuto and transformed him into a shinigami. It's really awesome to hear Morita live as Ichigo beside calling out Bankai, and the selected scene was a nice one as that's where Ichigo's journey as a shinigami started.
Three pairs of Ichigo and Rukia were picked from the audience and invited on stage to voice-over the same scene. The first pair consisted of a Rukia cosplayer and a big guy. The Rukia cosplayer was extremely excited and was almost slurring when Morita interviewed the two. She actually blurted out the term "IchiRu", too. XD The 2nd pair consisted of a Yachiru cosplayer and another random guy, and the 3rd pair consisted of a Yoruichi cosplayer (I think, can't quite remember. She's the only to do the voice-over in Japanese as well.) and another random guy. When it's time for Morita to pick one person to present a prize, he went with the Rukia cosplayer at the end. She definitely wasn't the best, but she struggled the most and pulled it off at the end.
After a short announcement from Morita that he detests piracy and wants everyone to watch it legally since Bleach will start streaming on Crunchy Roll, he ended the panel with the usual bankai (26sec, 19.31MB, MediaFire; first video I ever took with my camera) call. Then it's a mad dash for everyone to line up for Morita's autograph session!
(While waiting for the panel to start, I spotted Nabeshin exchanging business card with someone else before casually walking off scene by the side of the plaza. XD)
[Morita's Autograph Session]
This one didn't require a ticket so the line was insanely loooooooooong and had quite a bit of ppl that didn't go to Morita's panel to be in the line. Then, after two hours, with no more than a dozen ppl in front of me (probably over a hundred behind me; I never saw the end of the line), the_line_was_cut_off. Morita wanted to continue, but the staff wouldn't allow it and wanted to clear the room. The people in the front of the line argued and haggled with the staff, so finally it was decided that Morita would have a special hand-shake session for those who remained (staff had already spread the bad news and dispersed most of the crowd by now).
Roughly 50 of us filed quietly into the room and sat down, where Morita gave a short apologetic speech and thanked everyone. We were given 3 questions to ask as a group, then everyone lined up to shake Morita's hand before getting ushered out by the staff. There was a second autograph session for Morita the next day, but it coincided with the concert I mainly went to AX for, so I never got Morita's autograph in the end... But it's still worth the 2-hr wait to shake his hand! :D
Then I finally called Neko-tan back and re-grouped with them to leave. That's it for the 1st day!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Anime Expo 2010 @ LA
I've been wanting to write about my 1st experience at AX 2010 but kept procrastinating as usual. Since the next big anime season is close at hand, I figured now is a good time to upload the photos to conserve bandwidth for the next season. XD
All the guests photos and other miscellaneous pictures can be found here. Those are open for view because the guests are public figures (and the cosplayers album is locked for privacy).
Most of the photos are quite grainy because I had to do no-flash, and my cheapo camera ($50!) absolute sucks when there's insufficient lighting. I'm definitely getting a new camera if I'm going to AX again.
And here's the real test to see my memory retainment rate after almost three months.
Day 0
We hitched a ride after zoo from Neko-tan's friend who's also going to pick up the badge. We had completely lost faith in LA's bus system after the bus trip to the zoo.
We spotted an itasha in the underground parking featuring Mikoto from Toaru Kagaku no Railgun (funny how I recognized her without ever watching the show or the series it spin-offed from). My 1st itasha spotting! :D
The line for the badge was expectedly long, from the back entrance to the back alley, winding around a few times. Quite a few cosplayers, but everyone's in the line up so I didn't even try taking photos. I had my book to occupy me so it wasn't too bad, but the scorching sun overhead was a different story. Everyone had much respect for a cosplayer dressed in a full plush suit (head to toe enclosed) as Akamaru from Naruto. There's an ice bar vendor that walked up and down the line selling the icy treats at 2/$10 or something outrageous like that.
It only took us less than 3 hours to get our badge and program guide, then another 20 minutes for the main event tickets. Apparently it's not as bad as once before where they lined up for 5 hours for the badge (back then, they didn't charge for the main events, but you had to line up for hours during the Expo to get the tickets). Last year, on the other hand, was a breeze as it was a far smaller crowd due to the lack of good guests.
I had sausage in pineapple sauce (didn't feel adventurous enough to try the sausage in chocolate sauce) and black sugar caramel shaved ice for dinner. XD
I've been wanting to write about my 1st experience at AX 2010 but kept procrastinating as usual. Since the next big anime season is close at hand, I figured now is a good time to upload the photos to conserve bandwidth for the next season. XD
All the guests photos and other miscellaneous pictures can be found here. Those are open for view because the guests are public figures (and the cosplayers album is locked for privacy).
Most of the photos are quite grainy because I had to do no-flash, and my cheapo camera ($50!) absolute sucks when there's insufficient lighting. I'm definitely getting a new camera if I'm going to AX again.
And here's the real test to see my memory retainment rate after almost three months.
Day 0
We hitched a ride after zoo from Neko-tan's friend who's also going to pick up the badge. We had completely lost faith in LA's bus system after the bus trip to the zoo.
We spotted an itasha in the underground parking featuring Mikoto from Toaru Kagaku no Railgun (funny how I recognized her without ever watching the show or the series it spin-offed from). My 1st itasha spotting! :D
The line for the badge was expectedly long, from the back entrance to the back alley, winding around a few times. Quite a few cosplayers, but everyone's in the line up so I didn't even try taking photos. I had my book to occupy me so it wasn't too bad, but the scorching sun overhead was a different story. Everyone had much respect for a cosplayer dressed in a full plush suit (head to toe enclosed) as Akamaru from Naruto. There's an ice bar vendor that walked up and down the line selling the icy treats at 2/$10 or something outrageous like that.
It only took us less than 3 hours to get our badge and program guide, then another 20 minutes for the main event tickets. Apparently it's not as bad as once before where they lined up for 5 hours for the badge (back then, they didn't charge for the main events, but you had to line up for hours during the Expo to get the tickets). Last year, on the other hand, was a breeze as it was a far smaller crowd due to the lack of good guests.
I had sausage in pineapple sauce (didn't feel adventurous enough to try the sausage in chocolate sauce) and black sugar caramel shaved ice for dinner. XD
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Seeing how the big season of fall anime series is almost upon us, I sought out the introduction video on Niconico for a rough estimate on how much bandwidth I might have to put in. Of course, it would help if there's a way for me to know how much bandwidth FF XIV will take up when I make the plunge. I'm probably fine until the winter shows, though, as I'll need to shop for a video card first...
The following is a summary of the series listed in the video and my impression based on the PV. I'm sure I'll most likely end up grabbing more than what I mark here, though. Beware of super long list ahead!
とある魔術の禁書目録II
- Not watching. Didn't watch the 1st season, either. The seiyuu and design for the main male & female don't appeal to me. Will be watching the spin-off series, though.
咎狗の血
- I'll probably watch the 1st episode to see if it's gonna be obvious BL, then drop it if it is. No idea what the original story is like. PVはカッコイのに、残念だ...
百花繚乱 サムライガールズ
- Not watching. Read the 1st volume of the novel and didn't get the urge for more, and the seiyuu cast isn't heavy enough for me to even trial watch.
神のみぞ知るセカイ
- Probably trial watch. No idea what the original work is like, but the PV doesn't seem that bad (*ry1). Seiyuu cast is all right.
俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない
- Probably trial watch. No idea what the original work is like, but the PV (ry1. If I end up watching it, it'll likely because of Nakamura Yuuichi. XD
ヨスガノソラ
- Probably not watching. しかし、まさかのねこかん！これは期待します！
パンティ＆ストッキング with ガータベルト
- Not watching. グレンラガンの次はこれかよ？！何を考えているんだ、GAINAX！ Orz
スーパーロボット大戦OG ジ・インスペクター
- Watching. Haven't the time to watch the previous SRW OG series, but will be watching it for sure.
それでも町は廻っている
- Probably watching. No idea what the original work is like, but the PV looks interesting (*ry2). The seiyuu cast is somewhat good.
そらのおとしものf
- Watching. Already watched the 1st season and found it within standard (what low standards I have...)
Ironman
- Probably not watching, even though it's done by Mad House and has two seiyuu that I like. Never watched the movies, but I just can't bring myself to like the design of the cyborgs/robots(?).
おとめ妖怪ざくろ
- Watching. No idea what the original work is like, but the PV (ry2. The art looks nice and the seiyuu cast is good.
えむえむっ！
- Not watching. Fukuyama Jun sounds really good in the PV and the female seiyuu cast is not bad, but the story... Orz
STAR DRIVER 輝きのタクト
- Watching. The original story by BONES looks pretty interesting, and the seiyuu cast is really really good. 銀河美少年ってｗｗｗ
テガミバチ REVERSE
- Watching. Haven't watched the 1st season yet, but will be watching for sure.
もっと To LOVEる -とらぶる-
- Not watching. Never touched the series and not really planning to.
探偵オペラ ミルキィホームズ
- Not watching. I don't do shows starring female kid characters not voiced by seiyuu I like.
荒川アンダーザブリッジ ＊２
- Watching. 秋アニメの本命だ！ I should go finish the 1st season before this air. :D
ポケットモンスター ベストウイッシュ
- I actually would want to watch this if I have time because of the seiyuu cast. If I do, it probably will be like Naruto or One Piece to me, where I watch a few episodes here and there when I remember.
バトルスピリッツ ブレイヴ
- Not watching. Another one of Sunrise's shows based on a trading card game. Of course I'm not watching it. But what's with the slightly heavy seiyuu cast... orz
薄桜鬼 碧血録
- Watching. This would have been my honmei for the fall season if it weren't for 荒川アンダーザブリッジ ＊２, and the fact that the anime takes on the Hijikata route, which is my least favourite out of the playable characters (not that I've played the game...) But it's still got Kuwashima Houko! XD
侵略！イカ娘
- Might be watching. No idea what the original story is like, but (ry1). The seiyuu cast is all right.
バクマン
- Watching. No idea what the original story is like, but (ry2). The seiyuu cast is all right.
海月姫 ～くらげひめ～
- Might be watching. No idea what the original story is like, but (ry1). The seiyuu cast is somewhat good.
FORTUNE ARTERIAL 赤い約束
- Probably not watching. OnoD definitely appeals to me, but the female seiyuu cast doesn't. But that's okay, 'cause I can still hear OnoD in...
心霊探偵八雲
- Watching.Kazuma x Ayano OnoD! XD Never read the original novel but read one of the manga versions. Too bad it ended with just 2 volumes. Maybe I should find time to read the novels, too. I'm quite happy that Haruka's seiyuu isn't the same as the drama CD.
夢色パティシエール
- Not watching. Didn't watch the 1st season and likely won't. I'll probably like the food, but most likely not the kids.
ヘタリア４期
- Not watching. Never watched/read the series. I might in the future, but it's pretty low priority despite the heavy seiyuu cast due to the lack of story.
Summary (total 28)
- Watching for sure: 9
- Not watching for sure: 9
- Undecided: 10
I think there's a few other shows for the fall season not included in the video. Regardless, it seems like it'll be another heavy season. The 2nd chapter of Gundam UC also comes out during the season. FF XIV will definitely need to wait until after fall...
The following is a summary of the series listed in the video and my impression based on the PV. I'm sure I'll most likely end up grabbing more than what I mark here, though. Beware of super long list ahead!
とある魔術の禁書目録II
- Not watching. Didn't watch the 1st season, either. The seiyuu and design for the main male & female don't appeal to me. Will be watching the spin-off series, though.
咎狗の血
- I'll probably watch the 1st episode to see if it's gonna be obvious BL, then drop it if it is. No idea what the original story is like. PVはカッコイのに、残念だ...
百花繚乱 サムライガールズ
- Not watching. Read the 1st volume of the novel and didn't get the urge for more, and the seiyuu cast isn't heavy enough for me to even trial watch.
神のみぞ知るセカイ
- Probably trial watch. No idea what the original work is like, but the PV doesn't seem that bad (*ry1). Seiyuu cast is all right.
俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない
- Probably trial watch. No idea what the original work is like, but the PV (ry1. If I end up watching it, it'll likely because of Nakamura Yuuichi. XD
ヨスガノソラ
- Probably not watching. しかし、まさかのねこかん！これは期待します！
パンティ＆ストッキング with ガータベルト
- Not watching. グレンラガンの次はこれかよ？！何を考えているんだ、GAINAX！ Orz
スーパーロボット大戦OG ジ・インスペクター
- Watching. Haven't the time to watch the previous SRW OG series, but will be watching it for sure.
それでも町は廻っている
- Probably watching. No idea what the original work is like, but the PV looks interesting (*ry2). The seiyuu cast is somewhat good.
そらのおとしものf
- Watching. Already watched the 1st season and found it within standard (what low standards I have...)
Ironman
- Probably not watching, even though it's done by Mad House and has two seiyuu that I like. Never watched the movies, but I just can't bring myself to like the design of the cyborgs/robots(?).
おとめ妖怪ざくろ
- Watching. No idea what the original work is like, but the PV (ry2. The art looks nice and the seiyuu cast is good.
えむえむっ！
- Not watching. Fukuyama Jun sounds really good in the PV and the female seiyuu cast is not bad, but the story... Orz
STAR DRIVER 輝きのタクト
- Watching. The original story by BONES looks pretty interesting, and the seiyuu cast is really really good. 銀河美少年ってｗｗｗ
テガミバチ REVERSE
- Watching. Haven't watched the 1st season yet, but will be watching for sure.
もっと To LOVEる -とらぶる-
- Not watching. Never touched the series and not really planning to.
探偵オペラ ミルキィホームズ
- Not watching. I don't do shows starring female kid characters not voiced by seiyuu I like.
荒川アンダーザブリッジ ＊２
- Watching. 秋アニメの本命だ！ I should go finish the 1st season before this air. :D
ポケットモンスター ベストウイッシュ
- I actually would want to watch this if I have time because of the seiyuu cast. If I do, it probably will be like Naruto or One Piece to me, where I watch a few episodes here and there when I remember.
バトルスピリッツ ブレイヴ
- Not watching. Another one of Sunrise's shows based on a trading card game. Of course I'm not watching it. But what's with the slightly heavy seiyuu cast... orz
薄桜鬼 碧血録
- Watching. This would have been my honmei for the fall season if it weren't for 荒川アンダーザブリッジ ＊２, and the fact that the anime takes on the Hijikata route, which is my least favourite out of the playable characters (not that I've played the game...) But it's still got Kuwashima Houko! XD
侵略！イカ娘
- Might be watching. No idea what the original story is like, but (ry1). The seiyuu cast is all right.
バクマン
- Watching. No idea what the original story is like, but (ry2). The seiyuu cast is all right.
海月姫 ～くらげひめ～
- Might be watching. No idea what the original story is like, but (ry1). The seiyuu cast is somewhat good.
FORTUNE ARTERIAL 赤い約束
- Probably not watching. OnoD definitely appeals to me, but the female seiyuu cast doesn't. But that's okay, 'cause I can still hear OnoD in...
心霊探偵八雲
- Watching.
夢色パティシエール
- Not watching. Didn't watch the 1st season and likely won't. I'll probably like the food, but most likely not the kids.
ヘタリア４期
- Not watching. Never watched/read the series. I might in the future, but it's pretty low priority despite the heavy seiyuu cast due to the lack of story.
Summary (total 28)
- Watching for sure: 9
- Not watching for sure: 9
- Undecided: 10
I think there's a few other shows for the fall season not included in the video. Regardless, it seems like it'll be another heavy season. The 2nd chapter of Gundam UC also comes out during the season. FF XIV will definitely need to wait until after fall...
Monday, September 20, 2010
Project NewType #6: バカとテストと召喚獣 Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu
13 episodes
SILVER LINK.
[Other media]
- original novel (ongoing, never read)
- spin-off manga (ongoing, never read)
- drama CD (pre-anime with different seiyuu cast, never heard)
[Highlights]
- PV
- comical gags
If I had known what the story is about before hand, I probably wouldn't had bothered watching it. What really got me was the PV for the anime, narrated by Ootsuka Akio and scripted to be RPG-like. Well, a number of people on Niconico (where I saw the PV) warned that it was nothing like the actual thing, but it already piqued my interest.
I quickly realized, after watching, that the anime itself is no where near the atmosphere depicted in the PV. Luckily, the "baka" in the title isn't just for show, and there's a good amount of comical gags to keep me entertained. The anime parodies are always fun to watch as well.
[Notable seiyuu]
- Shimono Hiro, Mizuhashi Kaori, Suzuki Tatsuhisa, Katou Emiri, Miyata Kouki, Terashima Takuma, Okamoto Nobuhiko, Ootsuka Akio, Tsuda Kenjirou, Kakazu Yumi, Inoue Kikuko
I find myself rather foreign to most of the new female seiyuu with their moe voice, so the male seiyuu (Suzuki Tatsuhisa in particular) were the main driving force for me. What took me by surprise here is Katou Emiri, for whom my impression was perpetually stuck as Hiiragi Kagami from Lucky Star. It's my first time hearing her play a male, and she did it beautifully (in a literal sense, to be explained in the next section).
[Favourite character]
- Sakamoto Yuuji, Kinoshita Hideyoshi
I had my eyes on Yuuji from the very beginning because of his seiyuu, but I immediately thought he's bigger than what he appeared to be, which he proved throughout the anime.
I don't often pick a female character for series such as this unless she's voiced by a seiyuu I like, and I don't actually have much love for Katou Emiri 'cause I'm not particularly fond of Kagami's tsundere character. But I don't believe anyone can say no to Hideyoshi, since Hideyoshi is Hideyoshi, of the Hideyoshi gender. XD
[Couple supported]
- Sakamoto Yuuji x Kirishima Shouko
I've been rooting for this couple since before Shouko asked to be Yuuji's girlfriend. If only Shouko would be less S towards Yuuji. I might actually want to read the novel if there's a love-love chapter about the two without Yuuji getting physically abused...
[Buying guide]
- not interested
I started on the anime with absolutely no previous knowledge. After watching the first season (2nd season to air in 2011), I had no desire to read the original novel or the spin-off manga. In this sense, the anime failed in the promotional department. Though, I'll likely watch the 2nd season next year just to complete the anime series, but not enough to spur my buying urge.
13 episodes
SILVER LINK.
[Other media]
- original novel (ongoing, never read)
- spin-off manga (ongoing, never read)
- drama CD (pre-anime with different seiyuu cast, never heard)
[Highlights]
- PV
- comical gags
If I had known what the story is about before hand, I probably wouldn't had bothered watching it. What really got me was the PV for the anime, narrated by Ootsuka Akio and scripted to be RPG-like. Well, a number of people on Niconico (where I saw the PV) warned that it was nothing like the actual thing, but it already piqued my interest.
I quickly realized, after watching, that the anime itself is no where near the atmosphere depicted in the PV. Luckily, the "baka" in the title isn't just for show, and there's a good amount of comical gags to keep me entertained. The anime parodies are always fun to watch as well.
[Notable seiyuu]
- Shimono Hiro, Mizuhashi Kaori, Suzuki Tatsuhisa, Katou Emiri, Miyata Kouki, Terashima Takuma, Okamoto Nobuhiko, Ootsuka Akio, Tsuda Kenjirou, Kakazu Yumi, Inoue Kikuko
I find myself rather foreign to most of the new female seiyuu with their moe voice, so the male seiyuu (Suzuki Tatsuhisa in particular) were the main driving force for me. What took me by surprise here is Katou Emiri, for whom my impression was perpetually stuck as Hiiragi Kagami from Lucky Star. It's my first time hearing her play a male, and she did it beautifully (in a literal sense, to be explained in the next section).
[Favourite character]
- Sakamoto Yuuji, Kinoshita Hideyoshi
I had my eyes on Yuuji from the very beginning because of his seiyuu, but I immediately thought he's bigger than what he appeared to be, which he proved throughout the anime.
I don't often pick a female character for series such as this unless she's voiced by a seiyuu I like, and I don't actually have much love for Katou Emiri 'cause I'm not particularly fond of Kagami's tsundere character. But I don't believe anyone can say no to Hideyoshi, since Hideyoshi is Hideyoshi, of the Hideyoshi gender. XD
[Couple supported]
- Sakamoto Yuuji x Kirishima Shouko
I've been rooting for this couple since before Shouko asked to be Yuuji's girlfriend. If only Shouko would be less S towards Yuuji. I might actually want to read the novel if there's a love-love chapter about the two without Yuuji getting physically abused...
[Buying guide]
- not interested
I started on the anime with absolutely no previous knowledge. After watching the first season (2nd season to air in 2011), I had no desire to read the original novel or the spin-off manga. In this sense, the anime failed in the promotional department. Though, I'll likely watch the 2nd season next year just to complete the anime series, but not enough to spur my buying urge.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
ドアホだ、わたし。 orz
I foolishly deleted a whole bunch of folders in Sebastian (the awesome 2TB external HDD) thinking those files were previously backed up on discs... but they're not!! I recorded those folders into the master list but failed to specified their location (thought about it but didn't follow through...)
Some folders I still have on Cygnus or Stargazer that I can just copy over for real back up, but others are already partially deleted and the files scrambled. I also need to go through the master list and remove the folder names, then record the salvaged ones into a new list.
Not sure how much longer this'll take, but there goes my wonderful Saturday afternoon... orz
I want to clean up Cygnus and run the benchmark tool for FF XIV, damn it! I need to clear up some serious space in preparation for the actual game, too. 15GB out of my current <20GB space would not work very well...
I foolishly deleted a whole bunch of folders in Sebastian (the awesome 2TB external HDD) thinking those files were previously backed up on discs... but they're not!! I recorded those folders into the master list but failed to specified their location (thought about it but didn't follow through...)
Some folders I still have on Cygnus or Stargazer that I can just copy over for real back up, but others are already partially deleted and the files scrambled. I also need to go through the master list and remove the folder names, then record the salvaged ones into a new list.
Not sure how much longer this'll take, but there goes my wonderful Saturday afternoon... orz
I want to clean up Cygnus and run the benchmark tool for FF XIV, damn it! I need to clear up some serious space in preparation for the actual game, too. 15GB out of my current <20GB space would not work very well...
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
I'm sure a lot of people have already seen Popo-chan transforming on YouTube. So it was no surprise that it came to mind when I saw the owl thief in the first episode of Sora no Woto, and I just had to laugh when the same owl transformed into both forms in the second episode. The point here, of course, is to show the hierarchy of the platoon in the owl's POV...
However!
According to ja.wikipedia, this particular breed of owl, White-faced Scops owl/アフリカオオコノハズク/Ptilopsis leucotis, doesn't alter its body shape depending on the strength of the opponent, as narrated in the video clip. Instead, it mimics a tree branch when it is not yet spotted by the enemy at a distance and still has a chance to run away. When it's discovered by the enemy and too late to escape, it flares its feathers and wings to try to make the enemy back off.
In addition, the act of elongating one's body to mimic a tree branch isn't limited to White-faced Scops owls and is done by other owl breeds as well.
So, kids, don't take everything as the truth on TV, especially if it's meant to be entertaining.
On a side note, what Kanata initially saw underwater, the one wing and partial ribcage, reminded me of Macross Zero. Then the almost-full thing was shown and ruined the moment for me because it rather resembles the famous Archaeopteryx fossil.
On a second note, when I saw the owl emblem and the name 1121 platoon, it reminded me of the 5121 platoon from GunParade March, whose emblem is a black cat. Speaking of GPM, it's the first anime series I bought and the R3 version purchase was spurred by the fact that Haniwa-dono translated it. I used to want a PS for the longest time so I could play the original game, too (I kinda gave up the idea since the game is too hard to find). Seeing people's fan arts made me realize the anime didn't even scratch the surface of the complexity and depth of the game. I think I would want the novels as supplementary material...
However!
According to ja.wikipedia, this particular breed of owl, White-faced Scops owl/アフリカオオコノハズク/Ptilopsis leucotis, doesn't alter its body shape depending on the strength of the opponent, as narrated in the video clip. Instead, it mimics a tree branch when it is not yet spotted by the enemy at a distance and still has a chance to run away. When it's discovered by the enemy and too late to escape, it flares its feathers and wings to try to make the enemy back off.
In addition, the act of elongating one's body to mimic a tree branch isn't limited to White-faced Scops owls and is done by other owl breeds as well.
So, kids, don't take everything as the truth on TV, especially if it's meant to be entertaining.
On a side note, what Kanata initially saw underwater, the one wing and partial ribcage, reminded me of Macross Zero. Then the almost-full thing was shown and ruined the moment for me because it rather resembles the famous Archaeopteryx fossil.
On a second note, when I saw the owl emblem and the name 1121 platoon, it reminded me of the 5121 platoon from GunParade March, whose emblem is a black cat. Speaking of GPM, it's the first anime series I bought and the R3 version purchase was spurred by the fact that Haniwa-dono translated it. I used to want a PS for the longest time so I could play the original game, too (I kinda gave up the idea since the game is too hard to find). Seeing people's fan arts made me realize the anime didn't even scratch the surface of the complexity and depth of the game. I think I would want the novels as supplementary material...
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
I'm out of my obsession of 番凩（つがゐこがらし） (ie. singing it no more than three times a day now) and somewhat moving into another one, Sakamoto Maaya.
Just finished watching Maaya's 15th Anniversary Memorial Live @ Budoukan yesterday, and I'm seriously considering to just pay shipping and order it from Amazon.co.jp (along with a couple other BD movies). I just need to find a shipping address and maybe wait for the 2nd Gundam UC chapter release...
Maaya is the first seiyuu that I also acknowledge to be a great singer. Not only is she awesome in voice acting, she has a wonderful and crystalline singing voice. She's my 3rd favourite female seiyuu, and I've been singing along her songs the most out of all the seiyuu I listen to.
(While that may not seem like much, let me give you a bit a statistics. According to my last.fm chart over a span of almost five years, out of the top ten vocal artists I listen to, four are seiyuu, two are Vocaloids, one is a singer on Niconico, and one used to be doujin. If you extend the list to the top 20 vocal artists, eight are seiyuu. If you really want to push to top 30, 11 are seiyuu.)
(On a side note, there's only one seiyuu in my top ten artists, where seven are composers for anime or games.)
Her concert costumes were specially made for the occasion and more flamboyant than her usual style, but even the idol-like "gift" costume and lace-seamed dress couldn't link your typical idol image to her. The swinging of her hips and the tilting of her head, gestures often used by idols to fake cuteness, only made Maaya all the more innocent.
Kanno Yoko is always a pleasant surprise whenever she appears as a special guest, but it's especially meaningful here when she was the one that discovered and helped shaped Maaya 15 years ago. Too bad "Triangular" wasn't part of the program, so everyone was seriously teased when she sang the one line with Kanno Yoko on piano.
Maaya's live concert happened on her 30th birthday, and she shared a lot about her journey over the years. There was no drama, just Maaya as is. I almost cried during "everywhere" after hearing her account of travelling in Europe for five weeks all by herself, and tears escaped when Maaya bowed one last time at the end of the concert. I've watched a number of live performances, but this was the first to had moved me to tears. Real music isn't just about the sound produced from vibrations in the air, but the stories and emotions behind each note and word.
真綾さんのように、私も毎日を楽しんで過ごしてるよ～
Just finished watching Maaya's 15th Anniversary Memorial Live @ Budoukan yesterday, and I'm seriously considering to just pay shipping and order it from Amazon.co.jp (along with a couple other BD movies). I just need to find a shipping address and maybe wait for the 2nd Gundam UC chapter release...
Maaya is the first seiyuu that I also acknowledge to be a great singer. Not only is she awesome in voice acting, she has a wonderful and crystalline singing voice. She's my 3rd favourite female seiyuu, and I've been singing along her songs the most out of all the seiyuu I listen to.
(While that may not seem like much, let me give you a bit a statistics. According to my last.fm chart over a span of almost five years, out of the top ten vocal artists I listen to, four are seiyuu, two are Vocaloids, one is a singer on Niconico, and one used to be doujin. If you extend the list to the top 20 vocal artists, eight are seiyuu. If you really want to push to top 30, 11 are seiyuu.)
(On a side note, there's only one seiyuu in my top ten artists, where seven are composers for anime or games.)
Her concert costumes were specially made for the occasion and more flamboyant than her usual style, but even the idol-like "gift" costume and lace-seamed dress couldn't link your typical idol image to her. The swinging of her hips and the tilting of her head, gestures often used by idols to fake cuteness, only made Maaya all the more innocent.
Kanno Yoko is always a pleasant surprise whenever she appears as a special guest, but it's especially meaningful here when she was the one that discovered and helped shaped Maaya 15 years ago. Too bad "Triangular" wasn't part of the program, so everyone was seriously teased when she sang the one line with Kanno Yoko on piano.
Maaya's live concert happened on her 30th birthday, and she shared a lot about her journey over the years. There was no drama, just Maaya as is. I almost cried during "everywhere" after hearing her account of travelling in Europe for five weeks all by herself, and tears escaped when Maaya bowed one last time at the end of the concert. I've watched a number of live performances, but this was the first to had moved me to tears. Real music isn't just about the sound produced from vibrations in the air, but the stories and emotions behind each note and word.
真綾さんのように、私も毎日を楽しんで過ごしてるよ～
Monday, September 13, 2010
劇場版BLEACH 地獄篇
Ever since news of the movie came out and showed Ichigo in his Hollow form, I've been looking forward to it with eager anticipation. Then came the revelation that it'll be about Hell, which the manga touched on very briefly in an early chapter and never expanded on. Of course I'd have to see this.
Since Kubo-sensei is involved with the production of the movie from the beginning, as in the 2nd and 3rd movies, I don't need to worry about collapsing character personalities or story line. The Hell Chapter movie marks the first of a series of projects for the 10th anniversary of Bleach's serialization, so I have high hopes for it, too.
What's available on the official website so far, including the seiyuu for the two guest characters, looks very promising. I was just thinking the other day that Nakai-san has yet to appear in Bleach, too! I'm especially hyped that the group infiltrating Hell seems to be limited to Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, Ishida and one of the new characters. Again, no point and need to bring in the whole gang every time. And the lack of Orihime is always good for me. (I'm not anti-Orihime, actually. Just don't like it when she gets too close to Ichigo. I'm IchiRu all the way!)
Needless to say, I had mixed feelings when I saw the sets of mini-posters for the pre-sale tickets. I guess it makes sense to put Ichigo and Ulquiorra in the same set, but at least put Ichigo or Ulquiorra in the middle when displaying the set. :< Personally, I'd probably go with Set C, even though I'd really want Rukia or Ulquiorra. But you can't go wrong with Hitsugaya, Gin and Grimmjow. XD
Now if Viz will just hurry up and license and release Fade to Black, that'll make the wait for the Hell Chapter release a lot easier... (￣д￣)
Ever since news of the movie came out and showed Ichigo in his Hollow form, I've been looking forward to it with eager anticipation. Then came the revelation that it'll be about Hell, which the manga touched on very briefly in an early chapter and never expanded on. Of course I'd have to see this.
Since Kubo-sensei is involved with the production of the movie from the beginning, as in the 2nd and 3rd movies, I don't need to worry about collapsing character personalities or story line. The Hell Chapter movie marks the first of a series of projects for the 10th anniversary of Bleach's serialization, so I have high hopes for it, too.
What's available on the official website so far, including the seiyuu for the two guest characters, looks very promising. I was just thinking the other day that Nakai-san has yet to appear in Bleach, too! I'm especially hyped that the group infiltrating Hell seems to be limited to Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, Ishida and one of the new characters. Again, no point and need to bring in the whole gang every time. And the lack of Orihime is always good for me. (I'm not anti-Orihime, actually. Just don't like it when she gets too close to Ichigo. I'm IchiRu all the way!)
Needless to say, I had mixed feelings when I saw the sets of mini-posters for the pre-sale tickets. I guess it makes sense to put Ichigo and Ulquiorra in the same set, but at least put Ichigo or Ulquiorra in the middle when displaying the set. :< Personally, I'd probably go with Set C, even though I'd really want Rukia or Ulquiorra. But you can't go wrong with Hitsugaya, Gin and Grimmjow. XD
Now if Viz will just hurry up and license and release Fade to Black, that'll make the wait for the Hell Chapter release a lot easier... (￣д￣)
Friday, September 10, 2010
Barely one week after the release of Lily on August 25th, Yamaha quietly heralded the advent of VY1 Mizki on September 1st.
I'm not even caught up with all the popular Vocaloid songs since I kinda ceased visiting Niconico on a regular basis in late 2008, so it'll be a long time (at least 2011) before I get more familiar with the new Vocaloids. But here's my first impressions on the two new additions, based on the packaging and the demo songs.
Lily has a rather eye-catching appearance, but only at the first glance. The yellow and black colouring coincides with the Kagamine twins too much to make an impact, and the design of her clothes and accessories seems generic. In short, the art for Lily is a bit too typical to really stand out, especially considering all the moe characters out there.
The voice of Lily is supplied by yuri, the female singer of m.o.v.e. I don't usually listen to J-pop and have never seen the Initial D anime, but I have heard m.o.v.e's Romancing Train from Final Fantasy: Unlimited (where else?) and a couple songs performed at Animelo, so I have a good grasp of what yuri is capable of.
Unfortunately, yuri's powerful vocal doesn't translate well to Lily, as demonstrated in the sample tune Gamble Rumble which I had heard the Animelo live version. That, and Lily's voice is too similar with that of Luka's and Len's. As a result, I think it'd be difficult for Lily to find her own music style. To quote the comment I sent to Neko-tan, "Lily的聲音好微妙啊... 除了外觀以外紅不太起來的感覺" (It's really hard to describe Lily's voice... Feels like only the look might sell.)
On the other hand, VY1 Mizki has no character persona and Yamaha purposely hid the identity of the person that lent her voice to VY1 Mizki. The absence of any kind of background setting for VY1 Mizki is meant for the users to illustrate their own images to fit the music they create. This is a rather bold move for a product that comes after an established line of character series, especially when character sells better than anything in the land of the rising sun.
The deluxe package is peach coloured with a traditional folding fan, while the standard package is peach coloured with a traditional ornate hairpin. Both items are adorned with flowering dogwood (ハナミズキ, hence the code name Mizki). It's no wonder a good number of the designs out there are girls in pink/peach coloured kimono. I wouldn't be surprised if a few designs stick around and become the unofficial official characters like the plethora of current Vocaloid subspecies.
It's obvious that Yamaha wants people to focus on the voice of VY1 Mizki, and rightly so. VY1 Mizki sounds a lot more natural than the other Vocaloids, though it may seem to resemble Luka and possibly Miku Append at times. It's hard to say how far VY1 Mizki will go, but it definitely has a lot of potential. I can see it getting mixed into the "family" like Gakupo once the character identity crisis gets resolved somewhat, and I look forward to seeing more Vocaloid drama involving VY1 Mizki as well.
Looks like Yamaha will be releasing another Vocaloid in the VY series within the year, this time hopefully a long awaited male voice. Gakupo is good, but it just can't match KAITO in terms of vocal range and depth. Though, I'm sure KAITO will always be everybody's favourite Bakaito even if the next VY rivals KAITO's capacity. XD
I'm not even caught up with all the popular Vocaloid songs since I kinda ceased visiting Niconico on a regular basis in late 2008, so it'll be a long time (at least 2011) before I get more familiar with the new Vocaloids. But here's my first impressions on the two new additions, based on the packaging and the demo songs.
Lily has a rather eye-catching appearance, but only at the first glance. The yellow and black colouring coincides with the Kagamine twins too much to make an impact, and the design of her clothes and accessories seems generic. In short, the art for Lily is a bit too typical to really stand out, especially considering all the moe characters out there.
The voice of Lily is supplied by yuri, the female singer of m.o.v.e. I don't usually listen to J-pop and have never seen the Initial D anime, but I have heard m.o.v.e's Romancing Train from Final Fantasy: Unlimited (where else?) and a couple songs performed at Animelo, so I have a good grasp of what yuri is capable of.
Unfortunately, yuri's powerful vocal doesn't translate well to Lily, as demonstrated in the sample tune Gamble Rumble which I had heard the Animelo live version. That, and Lily's voice is too similar with that of Luka's and Len's. As a result, I think it'd be difficult for Lily to find her own music style. To quote the comment I sent to Neko-tan, "Lily的聲音好微妙啊... 除了外觀以外紅不太起來的感覺" (It's really hard to describe Lily's voice... Feels like only the look might sell.)
On the other hand, VY1 Mizki has no character persona and Yamaha purposely hid the identity of the person that lent her voice to VY1 Mizki. The absence of any kind of background setting for VY1 Mizki is meant for the users to illustrate their own images to fit the music they create. This is a rather bold move for a product that comes after an established line of character series, especially when character sells better than anything in the land of the rising sun.
The deluxe package is peach coloured with a traditional folding fan, while the standard package is peach coloured with a traditional ornate hairpin. Both items are adorned with flowering dogwood (ハナミズキ, hence the code name Mizki). It's no wonder a good number of the designs out there are girls in pink/peach coloured kimono. I wouldn't be surprised if a few designs stick around and become the unofficial official characters like the plethora of current Vocaloid subspecies.
It's obvious that Yamaha wants people to focus on the voice of VY1 Mizki, and rightly so. VY1 Mizki sounds a lot more natural than the other Vocaloids, though it may seem to resemble Luka and possibly Miku Append at times. It's hard to say how far VY1 Mizki will go, but it definitely has a lot of potential. I can see it getting mixed into the "family" like Gakupo once the character identity crisis gets resolved somewhat, and I look forward to seeing more Vocaloid drama involving VY1 Mizki as well.
Looks like Yamaha will be releasing another Vocaloid in the VY series within the year, this time hopefully a long awaited male voice. Gakupo is good, but it just can't match KAITO in terms of vocal range and depth. Though, I'm sure KAITO will always be everybody's favourite Bakaito even if the next VY rivals KAITO's capacity. XD
Thursday, September 09, 2010
I have a new obsession. One song, to be exact. 番凩（つがゐこがらし）
I'm posting my favourite PV for the song, done by 佐々木ササさん.
I haven't listened to a lot of MEIKO so far, but 仕事してP's MEIKO is probably one of the best out there. MEIKO really suits the traditional Japanese style of this song, and KAITO's harmony is great as usual. まさに神調教。
MEIKO has some high pitch parts so the female singer would need to have a steady yet strong enough pitch to pull a good one. The real challenge, however, is KAITO. While there's lower pitched parts, there's quite a bit of higher pitched harmony, so the male singer would need to have a wide vocal range and an excellent command of falsetto to illustrate the full spectrum of KAITO.
There isn't as many live renditions for this song compared to other popular Vocaloid songs, but I found two really good ones, by しのぶ & 石敢當 and 憂辛(うさトゥライ). Other decent ones include びびあん & clear, 海苔 & シャオ, and even another Vocaloid cover by Luka and Gakupo.
While MEIKO seems to sing the main melody for most of the duet part, KAITO's presence is equally impressive. But due to the difficulty of KAITO's part in the song, it's hard for me to just pick any live version over the original even though it's human vs. machine, as some of the female singers tend to overshadow the male singers and thus tipping the balance of the duet.
Equipped with the latest Vocaloid engines, Luka and Gakupo obviously have the advantage of having more natural sounding voices, but the pitch of their voices don't seem as flexible as the 1st generation to me. As a result, I still prefer the original MEIKO & KAITO version for the song.
I just listened to the version included in the EXIT TUNE CD, and I was disappointed to find the instrument change. The absence of the prominent samisen beats drastically altered the feel of the song and makes it less attractive to me.
I've been singing along since Labour Day, and it doesn't seem like this new obsession is gonna go away anytime soon. In the mean time, I think I should take the chance to explore other singers on Niconico; I'm only familiar with うさ out of the list of people that's performed this song.
Lastly, let me leave you with a few lines by KAITO that I really liked from the song.
信ずる道を ただひたすらに
歩むお前の 支えとならん
紅の剣を 携えて
この身 木の葉と 吹かれて行こう
I'm posting my favourite PV for the song, done by 佐々木ササさん.
I haven't listened to a lot of MEIKO so far, but 仕事してP's MEIKO is probably one of the best out there. MEIKO really suits the traditional Japanese style of this song, and KAITO's harmony is great as usual. まさに神調教。
MEIKO has some high pitch parts so the female singer would need to have a steady yet strong enough pitch to pull a good one. The real challenge, however, is KAITO. While there's lower pitched parts, there's quite a bit of higher pitched harmony, so the male singer would need to have a wide vocal range and an excellent command of falsetto to illustrate the full spectrum of KAITO.
There isn't as many live renditions for this song compared to other popular Vocaloid songs, but I found two really good ones, by しのぶ & 石敢當 and 憂辛(うさトゥライ). Other decent ones include びびあん & clear, 海苔 & シャオ, and even another Vocaloid cover by Luka and Gakupo.
While MEIKO seems to sing the main melody for most of the duet part, KAITO's presence is equally impressive. But due to the difficulty of KAITO's part in the song, it's hard for me to just pick any live version over the original even though it's human vs. machine, as some of the female singers tend to overshadow the male singers and thus tipping the balance of the duet.
Equipped with the latest Vocaloid engines, Luka and Gakupo obviously have the advantage of having more natural sounding voices, but the pitch of their voices don't seem as flexible as the 1st generation to me. As a result, I still prefer the original MEIKO & KAITO version for the song.
I just listened to the version included in the EXIT TUNE CD, and I was disappointed to find the instrument change. The absence of the prominent samisen beats drastically altered the feel of the song and makes it less attractive to me.
I've been singing along since Labour Day, and it doesn't seem like this new obsession is gonna go away anytime soon. In the mean time, I think I should take the chance to explore other singers on Niconico; I'm only familiar with うさ out of the list of people that's performed this song.
Lastly, let me leave you with a few lines by KAITO that I really liked from the song.
信ずる道を ただひたすらに
歩むお前の 支えとならん
紅の剣を 携えて
この身 木の葉と 吹かれて行こう
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