May 31st, 2008 by The Grey Ghost
NSFW WARNING!
One of my annual indulgences from my Animazement adventures are accumulating more anime character figures. Unlike previous years, all the figures I purchased appeared to have one thing in common: The ability to assemble them without their skirts, thus leaving nothing to obstruct the full view of the character’s panties. This option was not exclusive to unassembled figures; even the fully assembled Haruhi Suzumiya figure I bought could be taken apart and rebuilt sans skirt with minimal effort.
It may sound strange, but there’s a simple explanation: It’s Japan. Japanese are obsessed with girl’s panties. Not that I fault them for it. I’ll steal a peek myself, if fate grants me an opportunity. And a hot girl standing before you in her underwear is always a delight be behold. However, the Western culture from which I’m akin to is more conservative about such things, while Asian culture (perhaps especially Japan) are far more overt with their perversions.
Discovering this cultural accent inspirited within my otherwise innocent figures doesn’t bother me, rather it grants them an additional charm. Though it did remind me of a far more twisted fetish from Japan that I’d discovered in the far-most reaches of the interwebs many months ago. I’m not certain if there is a designated term for it yet (in either language), but one need only Google “semen on figure” to realize its self-explanatory keywords.
Basically, as it sounds, a man will beat off and then ejaculate onto an anime figure. Then these men will compare photos of their handiwork online. It’s hardly a sign of a healthy lifestyle, but my own protests may not be over what one may expect.
As I am reminded of every year when raiding the Animazement dealer’s room, anime figures are not cheap. Even 2in figures can go for $25-30 without question. Figures that are often used as these targets of affection cost upward from around $75 and beyond. What offends my sensibilities is that this is such a waste of an expensive figure! I don’t have that kind of money just laying around to blow on a figure whose artistic beauty may or not match it’s price tag…only to stain it with bodily fluids. That stuff doesn’t just wash off. And even if you give it a thorough cleaning, there’s a stubborn, lingering odor. As far as I’m concerned, the figure–whatever its intended purpose–is ruined. It breaks my heart. Both as an otaku and as a penny-pincher…
Posted in Anime, NSFW | No Comments »
May 28th, 2008 by The Grey Ghost
Saturday night, I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie. I gotta say that I was fairly disappointed. There were plenty of parts where I’m thinking to myself, “Yes! This is so totally an Indiana Jones movie!” But then there are the parts–and those who have seen it know what they are–where it’s so totally not. Without spoiling it, where the previous Indiana Jones movies have been adventure films dealing with magical religious relics, this fourth movie is heavily based around science fiction.
What’s refreshing to see is that the story successfully expresses how Indiana Jones’ character has grown and aged (both physically and mentally). He’s not the same Indiana that we knew 20 years ago; he’s what we’d expect to become of Dr. Jones once he’d reached his mid-60′s…nearly ten years older than his father was when we’d last seen him. He’s still as wise and cocky as ever, but certainly less reckless. We also get little tastes of what Indiana has been up to though history between the 1930s and 1950s, almost as if we’d missed a couple film’s worth of stories in between.
The thing that does hurt the film is what I felt ruins a lot of recent movies based on 1980s franchises–and not just other George Lucas properties, but movies like Superman Returns as well. That being the extra effort to connect the new movie to the previous ones ad nauseum. As much as I loved Marion as a believable female role over that blond bimbo from “Temple of Doom”, her presence was completely unnecessary for this newest movie. Regardless of how much I loved her in it as well. Her only purpose was to serve as a familiar face to help draw in the fans.
Shia LeBeouf’s character wasn’t much better, but I understand what his role was about. Since he’s so much younger, his character can perform all the exciting action that Harrison cannot. It’s also easy to see (without giving too much away) that he may in fact be the keystone toward reviving the franchise. There was a noticeable “passing of the torch” vibe expressed in this movie. Though I don’t believe that anyone could truly replace Harrison Ford’s character.
I’ve been doing my best to avoid the technical differences between the original trilogy and this new film, with it’s 21st Century visuals. Most of the visual effects were convincing and I must say that this film had some of the best camera work that I’ve ever seen. But there is one thing I have to comment on, and that’s lighting. Part of what defines an Indiana Jones movie in my mind is the use of harsh natural sunlight. Indiana Jones is about getting one’s hands dirty in brutal outdoor conditions. You can almost feel yourself sweat, the sand in your nose, and skin begin to burn just by watching one of those movies. In this movie, most exterior scenes were shot in front of a green screen…and you can feel it. Scenes that should feel gritty and natural instead feel sterile and synthetic.
I believe that we certainly need more action/adventure films like Indiana Jones, but Spielberg and Lucas should not be the ones making them anymore. In the past 20 years, they’ve grown into being very different filmmakers. They’re different people now and have different motives in how they operate in Hollywood. Franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones may continue, but without all the things that originally made them great and I fear that forthcoming features will pale in comparison, regardless of the advancement in technological capability. I would much more prefer–and I know this goes against the entire current business model of the entertainment industry–that we invest in the fresh talents emerging and create new stories that are able to hold up along side with the classics of the past. I’d like to see more evidence that what’s being released lately really is the best that our culture artistically has to offer.
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May 27th, 2008 by The Grey Ghost
Animazement was a blast! Ashley, my sister, and I had loads of fun, though this year’s con seemed lacking compared to the last. The dealer’s room surprisingly didn’t have much merchandise of stuff I’m into (Ace Attorney, Disgaea…even Gurren Lagann and Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei). The artist’s alley mostly made up for it though, as we had plenty of talented people attending. It’s also very clear that we need to move to the new Raleigh convention center, since I heard that there was a ~30% increase in attendees this year. And you could feel how packed it was!
As you can see above, Ashley did a phenomenal job on my costume. She even had time to whip together a Cooking Mama costume for herself. I’ve looked around to find myself in some cosplay photo galleries only to realize I probably should have chosen a more flattering pose than attempting Godot’s “Objection!” position. I was flattered to see that not one, but two groups of Ace Attorney cosplayers were seeking me out to either join the contest or something. To which I responded to both with “Very no.” I was however stoked to pose with Akiko as Edgeworth. Ashley and I have already decided that we’re going as Team Rocket next year. We’re not sure how we’re going to do Ashley’s hair, but we do plan on hijacking my sister into being our Meowth.
Swag: As I said, there wasn’t much to tickle my fancy, but that wasn’t to say that my fancy was left untickled. Most of my loot consisted of figures, of which I’ve been accumulating a nice collection of this past year. Of that booty, I scored a 1:8 scale Haruhi Suzumiya, and a handful of trading figures including Jennifer from Disgaea, Ibuki from Street Fighter III, and Edgeworth and Godot, both from Ace Attorney. Godot was an extra-sweet victory, since there was only one booth that sold Ace Attorney trading figures, and I’d grabbed the very last one, only to find him inside!
Other things I bought while here were assorted things from the artist’s alley… Homemade buttons, magnets, etc. I also picked up some adult doujinshi manga, for shits and giggles. They were remarkably cheap and where else are you going to find such a selection of bizarre fan-crafted smut? I came ever so close to acquiring a copy of the Segata Sanshiro game for Sega Saturn, but negotiations on the price fell through. Perhaps another time, but for now it is not meant to be…
I promised myself for years that I’d get around to seeing Phil’s Anime Hell event. Two and a half hours of brain-twisting videos; the audience reactions being just as entertaining as the images on screen. I will make a habit of this. Had it not been for Hell, I might have volunteered to help run the COUp video room. But signing up for that will be my promise for next year. Some of my friends signed on for some painfully long shifts. I’d like to do my part to not only contribute to the con, but also spend some time with them.
The game room sported some awesome head-to-head “candy” style arcade cabinets this year. One had Street Fighter Alpha 3, which of course I sank my teeth into. I didn’t win, but I fared better than expected. I also played a few rounds of MvsC2 (didn’t win, but gave the guy a run for his money until a Time Over) and Melty Blood: Act Cadenza (kicked quite of bit of ass there). What brought joy to my heart was seeing about six kids (ages 8 and under) crowding around the games in the arcade cabinets. Ah, to be that young again…
All in all, we had loads of fun. I ended up going home with a LOT of leftover cash, which I suppose is good. I have other things I should probably throw money at. Thankfully, I don’t have to head back to work until Wednesday, so I have some time to recover from the post-convention blarghs.
Posted in Anime, Cosplay | No Comments »
May 21st, 2008 by The Grey Ghost
Despite the expressed excitement from my previous post, I must let out a groan of disappointment at the recent announcement regarding Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes. Just when I thought Capcom had learned its lesson… I can forgive Namco x Capcom and even the upcoming Cross Edge because at least Capcom is dabbling in using it’s various characters in an RPG setting. Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom feels like after taking their one step forward, they’re taking two steps back.
With Mortal Kombat Vs. DC, it was easy to declare that the bottom of the Versus fighter barrel had been reached, ready for Midway’s scraping. Capcom must have felt their level of standards (on both poles) threatened, using this new title as their way of telling the industry, “Oh, no no no… We have a deeper barrel.” I mean, seriously… Gotchaman? I don’t know how faithful of a following that show has in Japan, but most gamers in my [thirty-something] generation doesn’t even remember it. And one of the series used to make up Robotech…it’s not even the good one, so how excited can one be? If you’re going to team up with an anime company, try to hit one of the hotter ones like Bandai or Takara.
One thing that puts me at ease is that I have a hunch that Capcom isn’t intending to take this title seriously. This game is not meant for the dedicated tournament gamers. It’s meant to make an easy buck off of fanboys who are only going to button-mash anyway. It’s like those straight-to-DVD action/horror movies; meant for late night college kids to rent from Blockbuster to watch while drunk over the weekend when there’s nothing good on TV. This is the type of game that I would recommend be reserved for digital distribution only, leaving the truly great games (ideally) to be worth investing into tangible media.
Posted in Anime, Games, Street Fighter | No Comments »
May 17th, 2008 by The Grey Ghost
Many times when engaging conversation with “adults” of all ages, shortly after I mention some of my hobbies (comic books, video games, cartoons, etc) I’m given a response akin to “…when I became an adult, I put away childish things”. Yes, I recognize the quote that they’re referencing. And yes, I also recognize that their paraphrase is meant to be subtly insulting. Meanwhile, I’m not nearly so irked by the backhanded comment–cuz really, fuck ‘em; by virtue of their snobby disposition, they’re a lesser person than I–as I am by the ignorant misappropriation of the quote itself.
The quote, in its entirety: “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
I’ve most often heard the “childish things” in reference to actual objects one might associate with a child. Toys, games, and the like. So it is suggested that a grown man who enjoys playing with toys or games is to be considered childish. Well, let’s back our attention up to the beginning of that quote. People who misuse its words are applying their own context to the term “childish things” rather than applying the context that is set up within the quote itself. One can see that the original author’s concern was toward one’s mental state, not personal passions. It’s about maturity…becoming a tempered, responsible adult.
So yeah…I read comics and play video games, just as I did when I was a child. But you know what? I pay my bills. I work hard in my career and I’m pretty damn good at it. I excel in life, despite my guilty pleasures. That is what makes a man (or woman) over a child. Those who put their hobbies ahead of their responsibilities, friends, or family…those people have yet to put away childish things and matured. The people who hand me those perverted words have not yet put away the childish attitude of “Nya, nyaaa… I’m better than yooooou are!” Grow up. And allow yourself to have some fun!
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May 14th, 2008 by The Grey Ghost
With Animazement around the corner, I expect to see just about every one of these.
I fall under #8.
Though, #5 and #8 are kinda the same thing.
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May 7th, 2008 by The Grey Ghost
When I heard years ago that Namco and Capcom were collaborating to produce an RPG with both company’s characters, I felt merely teased in knowing that it would never be ported to America. Now I hear about this, and I am thoroughly bummed.
Cross Edge is an RPG being produced for the PS3, uniting the efforts and properties of Capcom, Namco, Nippon Ichi, and more. There’s very little information about the game at present, but this Famitsu scan tells me all I need to know. Morrigan and Etna in the same game…? Yes. Fuck yes.
Wait. No. It probably won’t be ported to America either. FUCK.
Posted in Games, RPGs | No Comments »
May 6th, 2008 by The Grey Ghost
My favorite announcer in all of the Street Fighter games is the one from Street Fighter Alpha 3. Most gamers tend to disagree, but love him or hate him, he is a real person. There’s a human behind that voice and for a moment, I’d like to introduce you to him.
Greg Irwin is the man lending his voice to Street Fighter Alpha 3‘s ring, from the inspirational “Beat ‘em up, guy! Go for it, man! Go for broke!” to the “Continue?” countdown. He’s an American musician whose career has been taken across the Pacific pond, into Japan, where he’s lived for the past 17 years.
Greg’s musical career centers mostly around “Doyo”, a style of Japanese music that’s best translated as “children’s songs”, though that may be a bit of a misnomer. These are not songs designed specifically for children, but rather songs that invoke memories of childhood within adults. Greg’s specialty comes from translating and performing these songs in English.
According to his website’s profile, his translations have become so recognized that they’re used in Japanese textbooks.
I wish I could find a more complete list of his voice acting credits, but it’s easy to say that he’s done a little of everything. It doesn’t get weird until you hear his Japanese VO work…to an untrained American ear, I’d swear he was native Japanese.
This concludes my spotlight on the man whose voice has engraved into my mind the words, “Triumph or die!”
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