Song: The Bravery
Artist: supercell
Album: The Bravery
Other: Ending Song for the anime Magi

dareka no iu koto nante ate ni naranakute
kono me de tashikametakunattanda
ame ha doshaburi de
shikai ha SAIAKU dakedo
“kimi ni ha yuuki ga aru”
sono hitogoto wo shinji tobidashita
mawari ha kare wo waratte
“douse nani hitotsu aitsu ni ha dekinai sa”
iwaseteoke

I no longer rely on what other people say,
I begun to want to make sure with my own two eyes.
There’s a downpour
and I can’t see well, but with the phrase
“You’re brave.”
I start to believe and dash out!
Everyone around laughs at him saying
he won’t do or amount to anything.
Let them talk…

KIMI ha kesshite yowaku nanka nai
dare ni mo hatasenakatta yume wo negae tsuyoku
kanarazu kanaetemiseru tte

You are definitely not weak.
You earnestly said you would definitely
make the dream nobody could fulfill come true.

saa mizukara no hata kakage
susume mae ni
nijimu namida ha
KIMI no akashi
chikara ni naru
mayou toki ha kono boku ga soba ni iru
dakara ikou
sekai no subete wo mi ni

Come, raise your own flag with your own hands!
And before setting off
let’s make those tears
your proof of being here
and your strength.
If you’re ever lost, I’ll be here beside you.
So let’s go
take a look at the world!

dare mo ga onaji ningen de
inochi ha byoutou de
sukuenai hito nanka iyashinai tte
risou ha genjitsu ni tayasuku makasareru
kao wo agete

Everyone is human,
life is fair,
anybody can and will be saved.
Our ideals easily lose to reality,
but raise your head.

ano hi anata ha tasuketanda
watashi ha dakara ima waraeru

You saved me that day,
that’s why I can keep smiling even now.

sou da yo hito ha nando mo asu wo negaeru
nigeru no ni ha mada hayai
kuyashikute nagasu namida ha
mirai he no RU-TO
tsuketteku kara
shinjitemiru ano kotoba
mou ichido
kono ashi de sa tadoritsuitemiseru yo

That’s right, people wish for many futures.
It’s too early to runaway.
Those tears shed out of torment
are the process leading
to the future.
So try believing in those words
once more.
I’ll show you we can arrive there together.

sekaijuu tabi shitemawatta
toki ni warai toki ni kenka wo shite
kedo mou dame datte toki ni ha
nan ni mo iwazau soba ni itekureta

We traveled around the world.
We sometimes laughed and sometimes fought,
but when all hope was lost,
you stayed beside me.

nee shitteru yo
omae ga HONTO ni ii yatsu datte koto
dakara mou tayoraai
hitori datte mou daijoubu

Hey, I know
that you’re truly a good person.
But that’s why I won’t rely on you anymore.
I’ll be fine on my own.

gyakuten funouna keisei ni
kare no karada ha mou haya kizu darake
sore demo yowai mono no tame ni
kono mi ga dou narou ga kamai ha shinai

With his sudden inability
his body was already full of wounds.
But even so I won’t care what becomes
of my body if it’s to protect those weaker than me.

nee KIMI ha naze
soko made dekirundai?
ano toki datte ima datte sousa
boku ha dakara
chikara ni naru
kono boku ga soba ni iru
dakara ikou
ikeru tokoro subete
boku-tachi no kono me nara
tashikana mono wo mitsukerareru

Hey, why
can you do so much and go so far?
Even then, and even now…
I’m here
so I’ll become your strength.
I’m right besides you
so let’s go
anywhere we can.
Our eyes will definitely
find something true.

Rating: 6.7/10

A bit more than a year ago, I wrote a post making a promise to watch the Naruto with an open mind. As you all must probably already know, I’m a bit of a procrastinator, but I finally have seen the original series and am here to finally review it!

To put it simply, Naruto is…an average series. It has some positive aspects, but there’s also a lot worth complaining about. Before I start to go more into details, I just want to get it out there that I pretty much skipped all the 80 filler episodes from hell. I tried to get through at least a few episodes, but it was unbearably bad. There isn’t much to say about them besides the fact that they are unwatchable, so rather than boring you throughout this review by complaining, I’m going to instead ignore those episodes and focus on the parts that were adapted from the manga.

This is the story about a kid with a demon sealed within him who wants to become the best Ninja ever. It’s as generic as it gets, but I know to never expect too much out of the shounen genre. What I expect from the genre is mostly a lot of action and progressively more exaggerated powerups. Maybe I’m being unfair, but that’s what it’s ultimately all about with those other shows like Bleach, D. GrayMan, Fairy Tale, and whatever else. So what makes Naruto so popular? I think there are several reasons, but if I had to pick one I’d say because of the giant cast of dynamic characters. I’ll get more into that soon…

One thing worth mentioning about Naruto is this Chakra business. Much like most shounen that I know, there are variations of powers similar to Chakra. I’m referring to all those other shows that have things like Devil Fruit, Innocence, Nen, and some other stuff I’m sure. As you’ve probably already noticed, I don’t have much I can compare against since I don’t watch much shounen, but I do have a good idea about how Nen works in Hunter x Hunter. When you contrast the two, you can immediately notice the simplicity of Chakra. It’s just an excuse to add a new dimension to the story so that people can use special moves. There’s not much else to it, and so I didn’t really enjoy this aspect of the series since it just felt boring, especially in training episodes.

Another fault in this series is its pacing. In the case of a fight, even if it’s about a side character it will usually only take an episode to get through it. This is expected and it worked because it stayed interesting and didn’t have enough time to get repetitive. The problem lies more with the main characters, and not even when they were fighting, on one occasion when Naruto and his friends were trying to chase someone down, it took them at least five episodes to get anywhere. It was legitimately five episodes of Naruto just jumping through a blur of trees! Who could have thought that was a good idea? I’m guessing it was the same person who thought making 40 percent of the series just filler seemed logical.

So to take a break from all the negative, I do have some positive things to say in regards to the cast, which for its size had a good number of enjoyable characters. I think the best part about Naruto is its supporting cast, who seem to only grow more and more on you as the series goes on. Even within the main cast, I felt Naruto eventually almost grows on you. The only times that I was truly annoyed by the characters were with Sakura and Sasuke. Sakura just feels consistently one dimensional while Sasuke was cold to the point of being annoying.

Luckily there were characters like Kakashi and the other older characters, as well as the villains which all really managed to shine. Orochimaru, for example, was as entertaining as he was engaging, especially in moments like when he didn’t care to become a young girl if it meant escaping old age. I also ended up really liking Gaara, who went through a compelling character change as the series progressed. In fact, he was one of my favourite characters in the series! I had no idea he was going to be presented as a foil to Naruto, and the way the story used hat to develop both the characters was surprisingly good.

In a way, you can pretty much view these 220 episodes as just a way to set up for Shippuden. The way the story leads up is only to setup for the later events. The ending is pretty unsatisfying, but it managed to sell me enough that I’ve already started watching Shippuden. In all, this was a series that was fun to watch. When you learn to accept some of its fault and start getting into the rhythm of it, you can’t help but get absorbed in the high energy of the series. The low rating has to do with the fact that despite some good things, there are a lot of problems and I can’t completely forgive the fact that a large portion of it is unwatchable. Nonetheless, this was a series that did surprise me and it is somethign worth watching if you enjoy other shounen series or are looking for a good place to start.

Eh? What did you say? You’re moving again?! Yes, it’s that time of the year, fellas, to update RSS and bookmark one… final… time.

Hopefully this will be the last time. But fear not, Ganbatte’s spirit will live on! Albeit with a shorter yet hopefully still easy-to-remember URL.

I wish I could say more, but since I only just recently came back, my memory is still pretty hazy.

However, I would like to say thanks to Kokidokom for the hosting and everyone for reading onwards. You can now find me at the new and improved Nandatte.net.

It’s been fun here. But now, I’m going to be fully active again.

Song: Kibou no Hana
Artist: Chisuga Haruka
Album: Kotoura-san Ending Theme Collection
Other: Ending Song for the anime Kotoura-san

nanika ni tsumadzuitara dou yatte tachinaoru no?
kangaesuginai koto sa uwa no sora de kiiteita
chigireta kako ni ha hitotsu mo uso nante nakatta kedo
kore kara omou mirai ni shinjitsu ha aru no?

Should I ever trip, how should I get right back up?
It’s just a thought… I simply asked while absent minded…
There wasn’t a single lie in my shattered past,
but will truth lie in the future I envision?

umaretekita toki ha dare mo ga hitori da yo dakara koso
issho ni ikiteikou to suru ne

Everyone is born alone, and that is exactly why
we try to live together with others.

ano hi ANATA ni oshierareta ikiru tsuyosa ya imi wo
kono mune ni tsuyoku nigirishime
itsuka subete no koto ni chanto kibou no hana ga saku youni
kono basho kara himeyou

I firmly hold the strength to live and its meaning
that you taught me deep in my heart.
Let’s start here so from now on
everything will one day bloom with a flower of hope.

hontou ni daijina koto ha tsurai toki wakaru mono ne
motsureta NEKKURESU no youni hodokenai kimochi

We come to learn what is truly important during painful times.
They’re our emotions we can’t untie from… like a tangled necklace.

mawari bakari ki ni shiteita ne
aruga mama ikirareru koto koso ga
yorokobi to shitta

We were always conscious about what happened around us…
But living true to oneself is how
we found happiness.

akirameru koto ha itsudatte muzukashii koto janai arukidasu koto ni kurabetara
dakedo kokoro ni egaiteta yume no chizu ha azayaka ni nando demo kienai

Giving up isn’t difficult, as opposed to continuing walking.
But even so, the dreams we envision are vivid and will never fade.

tsugi no tobira akeru toki mata kono te ha kowagaru darou
sonna toki ni anata wo omou dake de tsuyoku nareru yo

These hand will shiver in fear when I have to open the next door.
During that time, when I think of you, I become stronger.

itsumo mite minu FURI shiteita yuuki to kodoku ga aru
tesaguri de ima taguriyosete
itsuka kokoro ni sakasetai yo kibou no hana wo sotto
anata to futari de
ashita kyou yori mo KIRAmeita egao de arimasu youni
kono michi wo tsuyoku kizamikomi
sukoshi mae ni susundemiyou manazashi wo takaku agete ima anata to

I always pretended I never saw anything. But there is courage and loneliness.
Fumbling around, I draw them in.
One day, I want to make the flower of hope in my heart gently bloom.
Together with you.
Hoping our smiles would be brighter tomorrow than they are today,
I carve this path deeply in my heart.
Let’s try walking forward bit by bit and keep our sight high.

kono basho kara hajimeyou

Let’s start, from here on.

I will miss Kotoura-san. It was a bit dumb, but dem feels~ ;_;

Song: Kono Namida wo Kimi ni Sasagu
Artist: NO NAME
Album: Kono Namida wo Kimi ni Sasagu
Other: Ending Song for the anime AKB0048 next stage

itsuka no negai ha
tsuchi no naka de nemutte
yakusoku no jikoku ni
kibou no me ga derunda

All our wishes
sleep in the earth.
And when the time comes,
hope begins to sprout.

futari ga deatta koro
yume nado mada tane datta
dore kurai toki ga sugi
hana ha saku no darou

When we first met,
our dream was still a seed.
I wonder how many years it will take
for it to blossom into a flower.

kono namida wo kimi ni sasagu
motto kimi ga kagayaku nara
zutto mimamotteta chinomku no sora kara
ima boku ha ame ni narou

I offer my tears to you.
If you’re going to shine brighter,
I’ll become the rain falling
from the silent sky which always watched over you.

chiisana shiawase
miageteita taiyou
kitai ni fukuramu
ano mirai ga tsubomi sa

That small happiness,
that sun up in the sky,
grow bigger with hope.
That future is still a flower bud.

kokoro ga kawaita toki
dareka no ai wo motometa

When my heart got thirsty,
I searched for the love of others.

kanashimi no kaze ga fuki
hana ga kareru hi made

The wind of sadness continues to blow
until all flowers wither.

kono namida wo kimi ni sasagu
tatoe kimi ga kidzukanakutemo
sukoshi atatakute nanto naku natsukashii
sou boku ha ame ni narou

I offer my tears to you.
And even if you don’t realize it,
I’ll become the rain,
a bit warm yet familiar rain…

mabuta wo tojite mejiri kara
nagare ochita atsui mono
ano sora he to nobotte
fukan de miru ai ni kaware…

That warm thing flowing
from your eyes as you close them
evaporate into the sky
and become the love which watches over you from above.

kono namida wo kimi ni sasagu
motto kimi ga kagayaku nara
zutto mimamotteta chinmoku no sora kara
ima boku ha ame ni narou

I offer my tears to you.
If you’re going to shine brighter,
I’ll become the rain falling
from the silent sky which always watched over you.

aa kimi ni sasagu
konna boku ni dekiru koto ha
kimi no munashisa wo sukoshi demo iyasu koto
saa boku ha ame ni narou

Aah, I offer it all to you,
the only thing I can do
is ease your loneliness, if only a bit.
I’ll become the rain.

When I hear this song I’m reminded of AKB0048 next stage’s final episode. Where Yuuka sings it while trying to hold back her crying. That was a great scene~

Song: Aruji Naki Sono Koe
Artist: NO NAME
Album: Kono Namida wo Kimi ni Sasagu
Other: Opening Song for the anime AKB0048 next stage

aruji naki sono koe kikoeru yo
kono sora no hora doko kara ka
tashika ni dareka he to
katarikakeru youni…

I can hear a voice with no owner
coming from somewhere in the sky.
I’m sure it’s calling
for someone…

aruji naki ima kaze ga fuki
kumoma ni ha hora hikari ga sasu
mayoibito ha mimi wo sobadatete
jibun no michi susumu tame no chikara ni suru

With no owner, the wind blows
and light shines from between the clouds.
People who have lost their way try to listen closely
and make it their strength to continue walking down their path.

yume ha toosugite tameiki ga deru yo
ganbatteru noni muryoku ni omoeru
kokoro oresouna nagai saka no mae
mirai ga aru nara se wo mukerarenai

My dream is still too far away, all I can do is sigh…
I’m giving it my all… but it all feels helpless.
My heart feels like it will give up after seeing such a steep hill…
but if the future lies beyond, I can’t turn back.

tomo yo oboeteirukai?
ano hi chikaiatta kono basho
kisetsu no hana ga saku

Dear friends, do you remember?
That day, we made a promise here,
here where the seasonal flowers bloom.

aruji naki sono koe kikoeru yo
taiyou ga hora sukoshi zutsu
atari no sono yami wo
hagashitekureru darou

I can hear a voice with no owner
and the sun, bit by bit,
strips the darkness
which is near you.

aruji naki saa kono toki ni
boku-tachi ha sou arukidasou
dare mo minna yowai ikimono sa
ai no kehai sagashinagara saki he susumu

With no owner, and when the time comes,
we can continue walking ahead.
Everyone is weak
but we continue forward searching for the presence of love.

sore ha maboroshi ka? RIARU datta no ka?
kaze ni hakobareta ikutsuka no kotoba
hito kage nakutemo me wo tojireba wakaru
mezashiteiru no ha hitori janainda

Is it just an illusion? Or was it real?
The wind carries many of our words.
And if we close our eyes, even if alone, we’ll understand
that we aren’t the only ones with such a goal.

tomo yo kotaeteokure yo
kimi mo kizutsuki akai chi wo nagashi
sore demo ikiteru to…

Dear friends, answer me.
Tell me that despite hurt and bleeding,
you are still alive…

aruji naki sono koe kikoeru yo
kono sora no hora doko kara ka
tashika ni dareka he to
katarikakeru youni…

I can hear a voice with no owner
coming from somewhere in the sky.
I’m sure it’s calling
for someone…

aruji naki ima kaze ga fuki
kumoma ni ha hora hikari ga sasu
mayoibito ha mimi wo sobadatete
jibun no michi susumu tame no chikara ni suru

With no owner, the wind blows
and light shines from between the clouds.
People who have lost their way try to listen closely
and make it their strength to continue walking down their path.

tomo yo oboeteirukai?
itsuka issho ni mita yuuhi wo…
ima demo wasurenai

Dear friends, do you remember
that sunset we all saw together?
I can’t forget it even now…

aruji naki sono koe kikoeru yo
taiyou ga hora sukoshi zutsu
atari no sono yami wo
hagashitekureru darou

I can hear a voice with no owner
and the sun, bit by bit,
strips the darkness
which is near you.

aruji naki saa kono toki ni
boku-tachi ha sou arukidasou
dare mo minna yowai ikimono sa
ai no kehai sagashinagara saki he susumu

With no owner, and when the time comes,
we can continue walking ahead.
Everyone is weak
but we continue forward searching for the presence of love.

Song: Kono Sora no Mukou
Artist: Yoshida Hitomi
Album: Happy Go Lucky! DOKI DOKI PRECURE / Kono Sora no Mukou
Other: Ending Song for the anime Doki Doki Precure

kono sora no mukou ni ha donna yume ga aru
hateshinaku tsudzuiteku mirai shinjite te wo nobashite

What kind of dreams lie beyond this sky?
Believe in the limitless future and reach for it!

PU PU PU PURIKYUA! PU PU PU PURIKYUA!
PU PU PU PURIKYUA! DOKI DOKI shiyou yo Yeah! Yeah!

P-p-p-precure! P-p-p-precure!
P-p-p-precure! Let’s make our hearts beat fast! Yeah! Yeah!

chiisana kono te ni nani wo negau no?
kimi ha ima doko de nani wo mite nani wo kanjiteru?

What should I wish for to these small hands of mine?
Where are you right now? What do you see? What are you feeling?

nee nanmankounen saki ha tooi mirai janai
mochiron jikan no tan’i janai no mo shouchi
KIRAMEKU nozomi ha hikari datte koeru

Hey, a future millions of light years away isn’t that far.
Of course, I know that isn’t a unit of time…
but a radiant wish is faster than the speed of light!

kono sekai tsunagu mono sore ha ai da yo
yume monogatari janai dokomademo te wo tsunaide
kono sora no mukou ni ha donna yume ga aru
taisetsu ni kanjiteru TOKIMEKI wo kono uta ni nosete

Connecting the whole world together is love!
It’s not an unrealistic dream, we can hold hands through thick and thin.
What kind of dreams lie beyond this sky?
I put these feelings I treasure now into this song!

PU PU PU PURIKYUA! PU PU PU PURIKYUA!
PU PU PU PURIKYUA! egao de aeru yo Yeah! Yeah!

P-p-p-precure! P-p-p-precure!
P-p-p-precure! We will meet again with smiles! Yeah! Yeah!

miageta hoshizora ni nani wo inoru no?
asu no watashi-tachi doko ni ite doko de waratteru?

What should I pray for to the starry sky?
Where will we be tomorrow? Where will we be smiling?

nee issho ni wakeaeru koto totemo suteki janai?
mamoritai kimi ga iru koto hontou ni daiji
tsuyoi kimochi ha kono sekai wo kaeru

Hey, isn’t sharing with each other a wonderful thing?
Having you here, and wanting to keep you safe, is important to me.
Those strong feelings can change this world!

soba ni iru sore dake de kimi ni arigatou
shiawase wo tsunaideru kono hoshi ga daisuki nano!
kono sora no mukou ni mo todoku uta ga aru
yume ippai afuredasu kimochi shinjite koe wo dashite

I feel thankful just having you by my side
and I love this world which ties happiness with everyone!
There is a song that can reach beyond this sky,
so believe in your dream filled feelings and bring out your voice!

PU PU PU PURIKYUA! PU PU PU PURIKYUA!
PU PU PU PURIKYUA! DOKI DOKI shiyou yo Yeah! Yeah!

P-p-p-precure! P-p-p-precure!
P-p-p-precure! Let’s make our hearts beat fast! Yeah! Yeah!

kono sekai tsunagu mono sore ha ai da yo
yume monogatari janai dokomademo te wo tsunaide
kono sora no mukou ni ha donna yume ga aru
hateshinaku tsudzuiteku mirai shinjite te wo nobashite

Connecting the whole world together is love!
It’s not an unrealistic dream, we can hold hands through thick and thin.
What kind of dreams lie beyond this sky?
Believe in the limitless future and reach for it!

PU PU PU PURIKYUA! PU PU PU PURIKYUA!
PU PU PU PURIKYUA! egao de aeru yo Yeah! Yeah!

P-p-p-precure! P-p-p-precure!
P-p-p-precure! We will meet again with smiles! Yeah! Yeah!

A new season for me to fall behind on again has arrived! As spring season goes, there isn’t as much selection as usual, but at least there are a few very solid series that will keep me interested. We also kick off the season with a bunch of controversy with Aku no Hana, I have no idea where that argument went, but last time I checked people were at a point where they believed we shouldn’t categorize it as anime at all. Fun times! 

I’m also part of FAL (Fantasy Anime League) this season, and I’m failing miserably. Blame Oregairu which ruined everything! Either way, if you’re part of it too, I’d love to hear what you made as your choices…So without further ado, I present my list of top picks for the season!

14. Aiura

This anime is worth watching just for the intro. WATCH IT! Otherwise, it’s reached a new level of slice of life by not providing much entertainment and instead really just being about the ordinary. Hey, at least there’s that intro!

13. Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge

The anime has the weird hair fetish thing for going for it, but otherwise I found it rather dull. The weird factor can only take this series so far and if the focus switches more towards shounen, I still won’t be too impressed. Whether I keep up with this one or not will mostly depend on where this story goes and if it gets to be a bit more interesting.

12. Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru.

This was probably my biggest disappointment of the season. I saw the promotional art and how it was going to be produced by Brains Base, so my excitement was there, but then when it aired it just fell flat. The story was generic and the animation is weak. It just doesn’t have the ability to really be remarkable at all. It’s watchable, but the whole thing just feels under-whelming.

11. RDG: Red Data Girl

I feel there is a good show somewhere in this, but I have really yet to find it. The animation is consistent and the setting is interesting, but everything else just seems lacking. The lead girl is bland and the story just doesn’t seem all that interesting. I have only seen the first two episodes, so for those who are ahead, does this series improve?

10. Kakumeiki Valvrave

This is an original series by the guy who created Code Geass, so I did have some expectations. There was some potential in there, but it mostly just felt flat. As mecha series goes, it’s exactly what we’ve seen a million times. Oh, except for the fact that this guy volunteered to pilot the giant robot, and he may or may not be a zombie. Either way, this series needs to have a bit more feeling to it before I can really call it good.

9. Devil Survivor 2 The Animation

I had heard of the game this anime is based off a while ago, but I had no idea the story was so close to Persona’s. I guess it explains why this anime is surprisingly popular. Anyway, the first episode had some good animation and managed to be entertaining. The characters also weren’t all that bad. The downfall was when the persona-like creatures who just looked lame, and I’d honestly prefer if they just didn’t exist. Hopefully this series will go down more of a Mirai Nikki route than a Persona one.

8. Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko.

This was one of the more hyped series of the season, and it actually didn’t disappoint. At first thought I was expecting this to be some ecchi series, but as the episode went on, that clearly showed to not be the case. Sure, it’s still about a pervert, but it isn’t the usual generic character with no personality who just forms a harem, there’s an actual story! It was an undeniably amusing start, and hopefully it keeps up the energy.

7. OreImo 2

The insanely popular series is back for another season! I was never a crazy fan of the first season, and I still don’t feel totally ecstatic over this season, but it’s fun and it manages to succeed in some ways. Kirino is still not cute at all, but at least there’s Kuroneko who makes this whole series worth watching. The second episode was much better than the first!

6. Aku no Hana

I don’t care about the animation controversy with this series. It looks unique at least and it adds to the ambience this anime seems to be creating. It’s weird and slow moving, but you can tell it has purpose to what it’s doing and I’m excited to see what that is. Though, I hope we don’t have to wait too long because although I’m liking the atmosphere, there isn’t much else that has truly grabbed my attention yet.

5. Karneval

This show is over the top, has bishies with top hats, and adults who want to play hide and seek. But that’s the look it wants! It’s so much fun and I can’t help wanting to watch it. The animation is also top notch, and has really managed to capture the look of the manga. It’s not something for everyone, but it’s exactly what I need to brighten my week!

4. Suisei no Gargantia

I had relatively low expectations for this one, but was pleasantly surprised by how it turned out. The animation is beyond fantastic, and it’s no doubt the mecha-to-watch this season! It has an interesting premise, and the characters have already peaked my interest. The girl may be a bit annoying, but I’ve seen much worse.

3. Shingeki no Kyojin

This anime is just some powerful stuff. It really grabs you tight from the moment it starts and doesn’t let go. The first two episodes seem to have been prequels to the story, so I’m interested to see where this anime will go from here. I’m also already curious to find out more about the giants. It’s an anime that you really need to just be watching to understand and appreciate its greatness.

2. Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S

YeSS! I remember watching the first season by fluke because I found Index to be quite boring, but Railgun is no doubt something else. It has such a great cast and the story is really fun! The first episode was probably one of the most action packed pilots of the season and jumped right into the action without ever taking a breath. It was a great way to remind everyone why this series is so awesome! Kuroko FTW!

1. Hataraku Maou-sama

The hidden gem of the season! If you haven’t already, watch this series! The first episode was probably the best pilot of the season, and a good deal of the jokes were genuinely laugh out loud worthy. It’s a show about a Devil King who ends up working at McDonalds. What more needs to be said? It’s funny and hella entertaining! If this anime manages to stay as consistent as its first two episodes, it definitely has a good chance at staying my favourite of the season!

Well, this was the weirdest week in my memory!! I took part in my clubs kendo competition over the weekend and a few other surprise events have left me reeling! So there’s not much to update on pretty much anything right now, other than my copy of persona 4 Arena FINALLY arrived!! I had planned [...]

Well, this was the weirdest week in my memory!! I took part in my clubs kendo competition over the weekend and a few other surprise events have left me reeling! So there’s not much to update on pretty much anything right now, other than my copy of persona 4 Arena FINALLY arrived!! I had planned to not buy it and cancelled my pre-order at Amazon. Except it seemed that I had also put a pre-order in at shopto as well, and that was not cancelled. Oh well… First impressions are that it’s a very good fighting game, just not worth the wait!

Also, I believe that my mecha anime video is now complete and currently sits at just under 3GB large! So the only way I can think of distributing it is via torrent so if anyone has any ideas on a good free tracker to use, let me know. I tried using openbttracker but I just can’t get any seed (i.e. myself) to connect to my second system to start the transfer…

EDIT: thank you for all the advice and kind comments!

Dear Readers,

Don’t worry, this isn’t a post to say I’ve decided to quite blogging, in fact this post is here to say the exact opposite. I want to revive Anime Princess. So why has my blog dramatically slowed down in the past few months? Well, I was writing elsewhere because the opportunity came, but it has now fallen through. There is more than one reason as to why, but mostly it’s because I came to a point where I just wasn’t enjoying my writing.

Lately, I feel lost about life. Nothing feels right and I’m not really sure how to fix things. I’m in a rut you could say, and my writing was reflecting that. Not to mention, I’m not one to follow schedules, and due to not being able to find much time in my life for anything, I had to dedicate all my time writing for another site over this one. I’m still happy for the time I dedicated over there, but I feel for this summer I need a break from at least a few stressful things in my life. I need to figure out how to manage my life and find joy in the things I once did. Blogging was never supposed to feel like a chore. I want to write things when the inspiration strikes and be able to create content that really reflects the emotions I need to have written out on a page. My writing is something very personal, and I know it’s nothing fancy, but it’s the only way I know how to express myself and I wouldn’t want to change that.

I just needed to get this out there, and I apologize for the rather cryptic rant. All this is to say that I want to try to go back to the days where my life wasn’t one giant stress. Where I could watch something without trying to think of what I need to say about it or dreading each week where I had to come up with new content. I want to go back to the aniblogosphere, read more blogs, and socialize more on twitter. If a new opportunity knocks on my door, I won’t hesitate, but in the meantime I just want to sit back and try to return to those good old days.

Thank you for listening, I hope to talk to you all much more in the coming weeks!

Song: She is my Senior
Artist: supercell
Album: The Bravery

naiteru atashi MAMA ha sotto shitoitekureru
amai amai KYANDI sotto oite shiranpuri shite

When I cry, my mom gives me space
and leaves a sweet candy for me, pretending not to know.

shoppai namida
karakkarana namida
MAMA mo kitto shitterunda

Salty tears,
cold tears.
I’m sure mom knows…

kou yatte chotto zutsu
atashi ha kitto otona ni nareru
kanashii koto datte itsuka ha zenbu
sore mo atashi datte omoeru kara

Going through this,
I’m sure I’m slowly becoming an adult.
One day, I’ll look back an think
that feeling this sad was also a part of me.

koi shiteru atashi PAPA mo kitto shiranai kao shite
tobikiri no koi wo ima shiteru no yo gomenne PAPA

I’m in love, but looks like my dad doesn’t care.
I’m having a very special love experience, sorry, dad.

mukashi itteta
MAMA to no koibanashi
PAPA ha donna PAPA datta no?

What kind of person
was my dad
in those old love stories mom told me about?

kou yatte chotto zutsu
atashi ha kitto otona ni natteku
ureshii koto toka kasanateitte
shiwa wo fuyasu no
soshite nee kiite yo
atashi MAMA mitai ni naru no
MAMA ha sonna atashi no hanashi wo kiite
nandaka komatta kao wo shita youna ki ga shita

Going through this,
I’m sure I’ll become an adult.
Gathering more happy experiences,
I’ll get more wrinkles
and then, listen,
I want to become like my mom.
But when she heard me say that,
for some reason, made a worried face…

Time to get back into the throes of painting more garage kits! Recently acquired another to the “to do” pile in the shape of the Charagumin Shinguji Sakura from Volks so I can’t let the pile get any bigger!

I asked some groups online as to which kit I should build next out of the [...]

Time to get back into the throes of painting more garage kits! Recently acquired another to the “to do” pile in the shape of the Charagumin Shinguji Sakura from Volks so I can’t let the pile get any bigger!

I asked some groups online as to which kit I should build next out of the Try-GK Yoko and Dead Master and it was actually a tie. But in the end, I chose DM because I have a stupidly large number of kits which are predominantly black and doing them in a row will be trying so I’m going to try and space things out. Off the top of my head, the black colour scheme characters are Laila, Akane, Bayonetta and Fate (True sonic form). Definitely going to need more black paint for all of them. Heck, Bayonetta is 1/4 scale!! But for now, it’s all Dead Master

I wrote a better preview post on dead master a while back (back in 2010) when I first got her so it may be better to have a look there for more complete pics and whatnot. but things haven’t changed since then. It just took me this long to get to her (and I still have the World is Mine Miku to do as well, and she’s even older!).

I still don’t like BRS or any of the characters involved but the high quality of kiking kits and the sheer rarity of the kit pushed me into buying her, despite the massive hurdles it presented. In any case, this will be the first kiking kit I will be making (of 2) and she should be a lof of fun! I mean, look at the sheer detail of her scythe!!

Just hope I can do the kit justice. One thing which bugs me though… why does the body piece of this kit have a huge hole in it?

Any suggestions?

Well, it finally happened. Just when pretty much everyone (including myself) had given up on the game, P4A FINALLY got a UK release!! Also, Microsoft announced their next generation Xbox, called the Xbox One. I can sum that up in one sentence. If I was a white, jock, suburban american male, who loves his [...]

Well, it finally happened. Just when pretty much everyone (including myself) had given up on the game, P4A FINALLY got a UK release!! Also, Microsoft announced their next generation Xbox, called the Xbox One. I can sum that up in one sentence. If I was a white, jock, suburban american male, who loves his american sports and doesn’t actually play games, then it was great!! Otherwise, it was pretty crap! Microsoft seems to be digging the hole even deeper by confusing everyone with their stance on pre-owned games and the “always-on” internet checks. They have to pull out an absolutely incredible E3 to pull gamers back in, but to be honest, I don’t think they care. And neither do I.

Anyway, back to Persona 4 Arena, a game which has been delayed for almost a YEAR since its initial release in other territories. It was like we went back to the 90s in terms of Euro game releases. Sadly, the scene is barely recovering from the snub and people are still picking up the game but any enthusiasm for the game has been long gone. In fact, I had cancelled my Pre-order for the game which I put on amazon a long time ago, but I seemed to have also put one on shopto. Not sure what insanity got me to do that, but I forgot about that pre-order and so I ended up with a copy of the game on release.

In the interest of completeness (cos everyone knows what this game is about), P4A is a fighting game from arc system works (makers of Guilty Gear and Blazblue) using characters from Persona 3 and 4. It features an original story, set about a year after P4 and works the ideas from both P3 and P4 to set up some sort of sequel in the future which could involve characters from both games. So, how is the game?

GOOD

• Low execution barrier – the moves in the game aren’t very complicated and the gameplay itself feels simpler than the likes of Blazblue but it still shows a considerable amount of depth
• Online Play – the game is by arc system works so just like BB, there’s some voodoo magic going on under the hood to make the online matches incredibly pleasant. There is still lag, but not enough to throw most peoples games off.
• It’s a fighting game but still distinctly Persona!! – everything from the characters to the moves and the music are all from the previous persona games so even though there’s a massive shift in the game type, it still feels like part of the series.

BAD

• Story mode – Basically, you start off with 4 characters and playing through some will unlock other characters. Unfortunately, initially, you will only be able to get to a certain point in the characters story before you get hit with a “to be continued” screen. You have to complete Labrys story mode to get the full endings for the characters, but it doesn’t stop there! Each character basically has an independent story which doesn’t link up with the others but follows the exact same pattern, so you’re basically playing the same story with some slight differences 8 or so times! Some of the other characters add a little insight to the bits before the game picks up (the P3 characters, basically) but it’s just a laborious visual novel with no options to choose from and needs to be played multiple times to finish…
• Execution barrier is a bit too low… – Basically, every character has a special preset combo which can be performed by pressing the light attack button several times. It’s a nice trick to get players performing high level stuff pretty quickly but it’s far too easy to take the combo too far and, since most of them end with a super move which takes up 50% of your bar, it can leave you in a vulnerable situation.

Ultimately, the game is a very solid fighter, but it remains to be seen if it will have the ability to last. I doubt Arc System Works will update it as regularly or thoroughly as Blazblue so it may have its time in the sun and then fade as other, more traditional Persona games get released. And that’s part of the problem. The time in the sun is now, but europe is only getting to grips with the game RIGHT NOW! By the time we are up to speed, the game might very well be brushed aside for the next major title. Blazblue Chrono Phantasma is waiting for its home console release (Wonder how long a delay we’ll need to put up with this time?) and arc just announced a brand new Guilty Gear!! With all this, I don’t see persona 4 arena sticking around in the minds of the FGC for long. And then there’s the matter of price. PQube is selling the game as a full priced title, which is too much, given the delay.

The bottom line is that P4A is a good fighting game. Just not good enough to justify its current price tag and massive delay…

Song: SMALL WORLDROP
Artist: Annabel
Album: SMALL WORLDROP
Other: Opening Song for the anime RDG -Red Data Girl-

kimi no koe ga
yobiau sono hikari he

Your voice
calls mine towards the light.

usuginu goshi ni ima sekai wo mitsumeteiru
tobenai kago no naka hane wo chijimete

I’m looking at the world through a veil
and contract my wings inside this cage I can’t fly from…

kaze wataru mori he to sakitsugu hana-tachi no
kokyuu wo mane shite hane wo sotto yuraseba

Flowers bloom towards the forest the wind passes through.
If only I could copy their breath and spread my wings…

hora kimi no koe ga
kataku tojita mama uzukumaru kono ashimoto wo terasu yo

See, your voice
lights the way for my cowering stiff feet.

kizamareta mirai ga tooku mienai basho demo
osore wo nugisutete kimi no moto he

Even if the future is far away and in a place I can’t see,
I’ll cast away my fear and go towards you.

fureawanakutemo tsutawaru tashikana omoi ga
nando demo mukau tsuyosa ni naru

These certain feelings are conveyed to you even if we don’t touch
and they become the strength to keep on facing everything…

kawatteiku tame ni

So I could change myself.

minasoko ni shizunda sekai wo mitsumeteiru
chippokena negai ni mimi wo sumashite

I stare at the world sunken in the riverbed
and listen closely to a tiny prayer.

oshiete hoshii kimi wo kanashimaseru subete
kokoro no manazashi de itoshisa wo ageru kara

I want you to tell me everything which makes you sad.
I’ll give you love from the bottom of my heart.

hora kami wo naderu kaze no muku hou he
hateshinaku hirogatteiku PANORAMA

Come, look towards direction of the wind brushing your hair
and you’ll see an endlessly expanding panorama.

takanatta kodou ga tooku kyori wo koeteiku
massugu mayowazu ni kimi no moto he
aimaina ishi ga erabu hitotsu ni imi ha nai
hontou no kimochi wo sakebu kara

Our heartbeats overcome this long distance,
heading straight right to you.
There’s no meaning in choosing a single vague purpose
if we’ll just shout our true feelings.

te wo te wo kasaneteite

Take your hand, and my hand, and join them together.

kitto kimerareta mirai ga shiroku togireta toshitemo
watashi ha mayowanai kimi no moto he

Even if the future decided for us is white, or blocked,
I won’t hesitate anymore and go towards you.

umarekawaru hikari ga ima toumeina hane ni
nando demo yume wo kanaderu darou

This reborn light become my transparent wings
and, time and time again, compose my dreams…

kawatteiku tame ni

So I could change myself.

Song: Baby Sweet Berry Love
Artist: Ogura Yui
Album: Baby Sweet Berry Love
Other: Ending Song for the anime Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko

kimi ni Baby Sweet Berry Love HONTO NO KIMOCHI dake
wakeaetara ii noni na negai wo kanaete yo

You’re my Baby Sweet Berry Love, but if only I could
share my true feelings with you and make my wish come true.

c-u-t-e funny cat
give me give me shiny time
p-r-e-t-t-y tiny tiny berry love

daisuki! no HA-TO mo
GOMEN ne no NAMIDAmo HONTO ha sunao ni misetakute
tsutaetai omoi to uragaeshi no taido
jouzu ni narenai KOKORO moyou

I actually wanted to show you
my heart filled with love, and my tears filled with apologies.
But what I do is the opposite what I want to say,
it seems my heart won’t let me be honest…

doushite KARAMAWARI mune ga GYUtto naru
chikai kyori ga modokashii yo nee
todoketai no

Why do these fruitless efforts make my heart tighten?
This short distance between us is so frustrating,
I want to reach in even closer.

kimi to Baby Sweet Berry Love
kitto gikochinakute demo ne massugu ni mitsumete
SORA-IRO utsushitai
motto Baby Sweet Berry Love
semete kimi no mae de ha
waratte okotte afureta ari no mama de itai
dakara Baby Sweet Berry Love issho ni hajimeyou

You’re my Baby Sweet Berry Love!
I may be clumsy, but look at me with honesty.
I want to see the sky reflected in your eyes.
My Baby Sweet Berry Love,
When I’m in front of you,
I at least want to be myself by showing my laughter and anger…
So, my Baby Sweet Berry Love, let’s start together!

c-u-t-e funny cat
give me give me shiny time
p-r-e-t-t-y tiny tiny berry love

kajirareta HA-TO wo sagashitemiru
keredo HONTO ha jibun no oku ni aru
marude, samishii noni sumashita mayoi neko
koboreta yuuhi ni shitto shichau

I tried looking for my bitten off heart…
but it was actually deep inside me.
I’m like a stray cat. It’s jealous of the setting sun
but acts composed when actually feels lonely.

fuina yasashisa ni hashagu mune no oto
DOTABATA toka KARAFURU de KYUNto michiteiku no

My heart fills with its colorful and loud beats
when you’re casually nice to me.

kimi to Baby Sweet Berry Love
nanka mujun darake
daiji de areba aru hodo gomakashite shimau no
dakedo Baby Sweet Berry Love
jibun no KOKORO made wakaranai toki ha
kimi to tashikameaitai no
dakara Baby Sweet Berry Love
onaji basho ni itai

My Baby Sweet Berry Love,
I’m full of contradictions.
The more important it is, the more I try dodge it..
But, my Baby Sweet Berry Love,
when I can’t even understand my own heart,
I want to figure it out with you.
So, my Baby Sweet Berry Love,
stay with me!

kimi ni Baby Sweet Berry Love
jibun wo mamoru yori taisetsuna KOTO ga aru no
konna ni mo chikaku ni

My Baby Sweet Berry Love,
there’s something more important than protecting myself…
it was always so close to me.

kimi to Baby Sweet Berry Love
kitto gikochinakute demo ne massugu ni mitsumete
SORA-IRO utsushitai
motto Baby Sweet Berry Love
semete kimi no mae de ha
waratte okotte afureta ari no mama de itai
dakara Baby Sweet Berry Love konna ni mo SUKI da yo

You’re my Baby Sweet Berry Love!
I may be clumsy, but look at me with honesty.
I want to see the sky reflected in your eyes.
My Baby Sweet Berry Love,
When I’m in front of you,
I at least want to be myself by showing my laughter and anger…
Because, my Baby Sweet Berry Love, I love you so much!

c-u-t-e funny cat
give me give me shiny time
p-r-e-t-t-y tiny tiny berry love

zutto Baby Sweet Berry Love

Always my Baby Sweet Berry Love!

Song: YUKI TOKI
Artist: Yanagi Nagi
Album: YUKI TOKI
Other: Opening Song for the anime Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy ha Machigatteiru

hi no michiru kono heya
sotto TOKI wo matsu yo

I’m in this sunlit room,
waiting for all of it to melt.

kidzukeba ukan de nagameteru hako
onaji mesen ha naku
itsushika kokoro ha hakushoku futoumei
yuki ni ochita hikari mo chiru

Without realizing it, I’ve been looking from high above
with no one to have the same point of view as me.
Eventually my heart became white and opaque…
and the light falling into the snow dispersed.

kumo kara koboreru tsumetai ame
me wo harasu no ha tooi haru kaze dake

Cold rain comes down from the clouds
and only the distant breeze of Spring can clear it away.

AZAREA wo sakasete
atatakai niwa made
tsuredashite tsuredashite
nante ne
shiawase dake egaita otogibanashi nante nai
wakattteru wakatteru
soredemo ne
soko he ikitai no

Let the Azalea bloom
in a warm garden
and take me, lead me, to it…
or something.
This is not like a fairy tale with a happy ending,
I know that very well,
but even so,
I want to go there…

muzukashii suushiki dare mo tayorazu
toiteakashitekita
atarimae datte omoitteita kara
nani mo utagawanakatta kedo

I was able to solve
a difficult math formula without the help of anyone.
I thought it was natural to do it alone,
so I never doubted it…

ima kisetsu ga owarou to shitemo
tsuitekuru no ha jibun no kage hitotsu

but now, as the season is about to end,
the only one with me… is my own shadow.

kooritsuita michi wo
hana no ame de umete
mayowanai youni chanto
oshiete ne
kiseki dake dekita kanzen kesshou ha nai
dakara sou hitosu zutsu
yuukuri to te wo tsunaideiku no

The frozen pathway
is buried by the rain of flowers
so properly show me how
not to get lost.
There are no perfect crystals created by miracles,
that’s why we, one by one,
start to join hands.

mune ni haritsuita GARASU toketenagareru
hikari afureru sekai
mou sugu

The glass clinging to my heart melts and streaks down
into a world filled with light…
and soon…

hitori de mamotteita chiisana ano heya ha
sukoshi dake aiteiru basho ga atte
zutto shiranakattanda
futari demo iindatte

That small room I kept safe
still has that empty space.
I never knew
that I was fine with it being just the two of us.

wakarazuni matteita ano hi ha mou
yukitoke to issho ni haru ni kawatteiku yo
toumeina mizu ni natte
soushite ne
AZAREA wo sakasu yo
nagai fuyu no ato ni
nando demo nando demo
hi no michiru kono heya no naka de

The day I waited for without realizing
has already melted away with the snow and soon Spring will come.
It will become clear water
and then…
it will make the Azalea bloom.
But even after the long Winter is over,
I’ll always, always,
be in this sunlit room.

Song: Hello Alone
Artist: Hayami Saori & Touyama Nao
Album: Hello Alone
Other: Ending Song for the anime Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come ha Machigatteiru

KIRARI aoi sora de hikatta
Airplane kanata no sora no kanata made
mune ni tsumatta nanika ga sawaida

*glitter* Something shined from the sky.
Airplane, it shined from far in the sky
and something in my heart moved.

iitai kimochi ha tojikome
ienai KOTOBA ni henkan suru
saigo made boku ha sunao janakute
tsunagareta ito wo waza to
motsuresasete kirihanashita

I swallow the feelings I wanted to say.
They become words I can’t say…
Even until the very end… I couldn’t be honest.
I purposely tangle the thread connecting us
and cut it.

HIKO-KIgumo ga nijinde
kieteshimau mae ni
aitai to ieteta nara Wow
owari no nai setsunasa kara mo
nukedaseteita no kana
mata kimi to futari bocchi
Hello Hello, Alone

The vapor trails are fading,
but before they disappear,
I should have said I wanted to see you. Wow
Did you ever break free
from your endless suffering?
You and I are alone again,
Hello Hello, Alone.

tooku warai koe hibiku
soshite kikoenakunatta kedo
muri ni waratte wasureru yori mo
shizukesa he to shizumikonde
tomatta mama kizutsukitai

I heard laughter from afar,
but I suddenly couldn’t hear it anymore.
I force a smile, and rather than just forget,
I sink into silence.
I want to punish myself for standing still…

yuuhi ga umi no hate ni
kieteshimau mae ni
uso datte tsutaetetara Wow
ano mabushi sugita mainichi wo
torimodosu koto dekita?
mata kimi to futari bocchi
Hello Hello, Alone

Before the setting sun
disappeared into the ocean,
I should have at least have said a lie. Wow
Were you able to get those
radiant days back?
You and I are alone again,
Hello Hello, Alone.

kotoba ha azamukushi yasashisa ha urahara de
itsumo taisetsuna toko de

I decieve my own words and contradict my kindness
at the very most important times.

jitsu ha nigete bakari ita kamo
amaesugiteita no kamo
ima sara osoi kedo

I may have actually just been running away.
I may have been too naive.
But it’s too late now…

tomerarenakatta namida
ochiteshimau mae ni
gomen ne to ieteta nara

I should have apologized
before the tears I couldn’t stop
ran down my cheeks.

HIKO-KIgumo ga nijinde
kieteshimau mae ni
aitai to ieteta nara Wow
owari no nai setsunasa kara mo
nukedaseteita no kana
mata kimi to futari bocchi
Hello Hello, Alone

The vapor trails are fading,
but before they disappear,
I should have said I wanted to see you. Wow
Did you ever break free
from your endless suffering?
You and I are alone again,
Hello Hello, Alone.

Quick history lesson, back in the late 90s there was a game released on PC by the now defunct Bullfrog Studios. It was marked as being one of the earliest games where you played the villain of the piece instead of the usual hero. That game was Dungeon Keeper! You were basically given to role [...]

Quick history lesson, back in the late 90s there was a game released on PC by the now defunct Bullfrog Studios. It was marked as being one of the earliest games where you played the villain of the piece instead of the usual hero. That game was Dungeon Keeper! You were basically given to role of a near godly overseer of an underground dungeon and you needed to mine gold, expand your lair and entice monsters to joining you, and beat up wayward heroes who stumbled into your domain.

The game got a sequel in 99 which, to this day, remains one of my favourite games ever made! There was also a teaser video in DK2 for another sequel where your minions made it to the surface and were ready to wreak havoc but nothing ever came of it. Then, the series pretty much died. EA didn’t see much in the series and bullfrog closed its doors so it seemed like we would only ever get Dungeon keeper 2 to keep our evil sides entertained. Then, I found out about a kickstarter campaign for a game called war for the overworld. They claimed that it was a spiritual successor to the dungeon keeper series so I was more than a little intrigued. I’m not usually a fan of kickstarter, due to the whole uncertainty of the thing but when Dungeon keeper was invoked, all bets were off and I pledged a sum to see the game made!

And then I kinda forgot about the whole thing until a friend reminded me of its existence thanks to a well timed tweet! Turns out that, since I pledged a decent sum to the development of the game, I got free access to the beta, which is now available on steam!!

And all I can say is, this isn’t a spiritual successor to Dungeon Keeper 2. it IS dungeon keeper 2!! Only a sandbox version is available for testing, which allows you access to build 4 rooms and a large area to build in but no objectives or heroes to defeat. The interface, the look and feel of the game, everything just screams Dungeon Keeper… and I LOVE IT!!!

At this stage, things are looking rather rough, bugs are present and controls are a little fiddly but the core gameplay is there and everything points to good things happening when this game gets released!

If you’re even a passing fan of the old series, you owe it to yourself to earmark this game!!

You know you’re getting old when you forget dates which are meant to be important to you. I think the first one to go was my own birthday. I usually get a text or quick call from a family member which serves as a prompt reminder that it’s that day…

And now, it wasn’t my [...]

You know you’re getting old when you forget dates which are meant to be important to you. I think the first one to go was my own birthday. I usually get a text or quick call from a family member which serves as a prompt reminder that it’s that day…

And now, it wasn’t my own birthday which escaped me but also the birthday of this blog! It’s now 6 years running!!! Let that sink in for a bit. 6 years… Damn…

Anyway, as is customary, I’ve collected up my purchases and completed kits from the last 12 months and grouped them together! This is turning to be something I start dreading as it’s quite a nightmare to pick all the purchases, take them out of the boxes again and set them up for a group shot! But at least this time, I was able to fit them all into one pic as opposed to last year!

Really, this should have been done last week, as that would nearly land the birthday to the day as opposed to just being the last week of May. Still, the weeks delay did have the benefit of adding 2 new additions which would have otherwise missed this post. This is actually the second attempt as the first one omitted one of my GK. She just slipped my mind until I had almost finished packing everything away again. Sods law!

Time to take a closer look!

First up are the mecha. Gunpla are still being represented, in this case by the RG Freedom Gundam, but I’m finding myself less and less interested in the gunpla releases these days. It didn’t help that gundam age had pretty crap designs! The nu gundam Ver ka looks neat tho! Anyway, next to the RG freedom is the Revoltech Vox Aura from Rinne no Lagrange. This one actually transforms, unlike the robot damashii version, which is why I went for it. Sadly, the other 2 never made it! And finally, there’s the playarts Kai Raiden from the limited edition Metal Gear Rising… And it’s CRAP! The articulation is super limited, it barely stands on it’s own (and usually falls without help soon after) and there’s very little to recommend it. It’s my first playarts kai but will also probably be my last!

Next up, we have the poseable figures. Imouto goes here cos there wasn’t enough space for her in the next photo (and I’m still waiting for Ryoko and Mikuru. We know they exist as we’ve seen them at events but they haven’t been put up for sale yet!!). I did reviews for both figma Samus and Ignis for tomopop so you can check over there for my impressions!

No new Busou Shikis this year but who needs them when my prayers have finally been answered and I got a release of GUNDAM GIRLS!!! We also have Laura Baudewig with her IS unit from Infinite Stratos, figma T-ELOS and the plamo KOS-MOS from Kotobukiya!

Onto the PVC purchases next and we have Zero Suit Samus, Towa Erio and Alicia Ilinichina Ameilla! Alicia was a very recent addition. I was on the fence when she was released and procrastinated so long that she was sold out by the time I made a choice but I was able to find her 2nd hand for a reasonable price so picked her up! Erio just missed out on last years post and remained in her box until this shoot. And a part of me wished that I had kept her in the box. removing the packaging inside was a major hassle!!

And now it’s time for the big guns!! I’ll come right out and say it, Racing Miku 2011 is the only miku design I can say I actually like!! That’s why I have her! As for Noel, how can I NOT get her?? She’s easily my fave PVC purchase of the past 12 months!!

If you think that this year was a good year for the Sheryl Nome army, you’d be wrong! EVERY year is good for the army!! 9 new additions with another on its way and the max factory release on the horizon!! All hail the Galaxy Fairy!!!

And we finish, as always, with the completed garage kits of the past 12 months. A respectable 4 completed. Dead Master was finished just last night but she still needs a little touch up. Expect a full post for her soon! But I have to say, for a character I have no love for, the kit was a hell of a lot of fun to paint and looks rather cool to boot! It hasn’t turned me into a BRS fan (hah! Fat chance of that!) but it’s still pretty cool!

And that’s it for this anniversary post. My thanks again to 7 for the hosting and to all the readers, frequent or not! I’ll do another one next year. Probably.