Game Review: Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime

Basic Information:

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System: Nintendo DS
Genre: blend of ARPG with Strategic tank battles
Difficulty: Easy
Developer: TOSE
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: September 2006
Rating: E for everyone
Retail Price: $ 19.99 US ($ 24.99 CAN)


What it's About:

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Your a young slime named Rocket from the kingdom of Slimenia, and the only slime left. An evil organization named "the Plob" has kidnapped all the other slimes in the kingdom and as the only one left, it's up to you to save your fellow slimes from being locked away in little boxes for the rest of their lives. With the help of the legendary Schleiman tank, you may have what it takes to save the kingdom and become a hero.


Gameplay:

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Rocket Slime is unique in the way it blends strategy with classic Action RPG gameplay. Most of the time you will play the game like any other ARPG; Rocket moves around each area with the control pad and attacks the enemies in real time with his electro stretch (the A button). What is unique to Rocket Slime, is that Rocket can also carry his enemies on his head (along with items and other slimes he rescues). However, he is limited to only three things, and will be unable to carry more. Once he is carrying something on his head, he can throw it onto a passing train cart and the item, enemy, or slime will be taken to Slimenia. Enemies that are picked up will also not attack, but train carts are located in a few specific locations, so sometimes, you will be forced to discard one thing in order to carry another. Of course, like any ARPG, Rocket can also defeat enemies, defeated enemies will leave behind money and sometimes a healing item or a mysterious loot bag. Loot bags must be thrown onto carts, and after Rocket heads back to Slimenia, the mysterious loot will be his.

Now, one doesn't have to grab and throw anything onto the train carts, but doing so is necessary for progression. For one, it is much easier to throw a slime Rocket finds on the cart to take it back to town, rather then backtrack to the beginning of the level to exit that way. Second, items are used in tank battles, and only items transported to town can be loaded onto Rocket's tank. So if you want to win Tank Battles and progress through the game, you are going to need to collect at least a few items. Third, if you collect enough of the same type of enemy (30 to be exact), they will offer their services as a member of your tank crew.

Now, about the Tank Battles. Throughout each area there will be enemies waiting to challenge you to tank battles. You can accept or decline these offers, however there will be a few story related tank battles that you will have to win. Once you are challenged to a Tank Battle, Rocket will summon the Schleiman Tank and the versus screen will appear; afterwards you will find Rocket inside the Schleiman tank. During a tank battle, Rocket will have to pick up the various ammo (namely the items you have loaded onto the tank) from the shoots located in your tank and carry them over to the cannons. Rocket will have to thrown the ammo into the cannon, either the top or bottom one, and then the cannon will fire the ammo. However, your opponent will be doing the same thing and your aim will be to reduce your opponent tank's HP to zero. Once the enemy tank's HP hits zero, the tank will become vulnerable and Rocket will have to traverse into the enemy tank to finish it once and for all; this is accomplished by attacking the tank's heart. Of course the enemy will be able to do the same, but what prevents this part from becoming difficult is the fact that even with zero HP, you can still win the fight as long as you keep the enemy units away from your tank's heart.

Strategy comes into play when choosing which units to take along with you on your tank battles; most units will have two commands you can issue them and once issued, they will continue doing those commands. Commands range from firing ammo to sabotaging the enemy tank. Likewise each peace of ammo is different, some ammo hits strong, some gives lots of protection and some have special abilities. Deciding which to load is very important, especially during multiplayer.

Story & Characters:

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Rocket Slime doesn't take itself seriously and you can tell by looking at the colorful graphics, absurd plot, or wacky characters. Characters don't have much of a story, but they have very distinct personalities. Some of the female slimes will hint at their romantic interest in Rocket the hero and some will outright say it. What I mean to say by this is that the characters are a varied bunch, both in appearance and responses.

The story of Rocket Slime is nothing complex or intricate, but what it lacks in intricacy, it makes up in charm. The developers knew Rocket Slime was a light-hearted adventure, so they gave the story as many absurd but funny situations as possible. The villains are never menacing, but goofy, the slimes often have puns in their names and the princess you rescue at the end is a self centered glutton who happily tells you she is yours.

The story and characters fit very well, as does the overall feel of the game. You will know that Rocket Slime is a light charming adventure the moment you begin to play. The story and characters are there to make the package complete, but they don't go beyond that, because Rocket Slime knew what sort of game it was. Story and characters although charming, take a back seat to gameplay, which is the real hook of Rocket Slime, and the game makes no effort to hide that. This is a good thing because the funny atmosphere actually makes the game much more enjoyable, and the focus is always on the gameplay which is the strongest point of Rocket Slime.

Art & Graphics:

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The art and graphics are very simple and lend well to the charming and upbeat mood of the game. They won't wow you with their realism or detail, but they don't need to because Rocket Slime is about pure absurd fun, and the graphics and character designs reflect that. If you play games for graphics, you won't like Rocket Slime, but if you play games for gameplay, Rocket Slime is what you have been waiting for!

Again art is simple, but bright and clear. You will have no problem recognizing enemies and friends. Each slime has a very distinct look (ranging from angelic slimes to the three ninja brothers). Enemies are also taken from the prolific Dragon Quest (from Platypunks to Drakees) . And the bright graphics add to the wacky mood of Rocket Slime. Simple graphics and art done right is the best way to sum up what I think of Rocket Slime in this area.

I don't usually like busy box art, but Rocket Slime is the exception. While the cover is busy, it still has a vocal point, Rocket blasting off, so I don't find it too distracting.

Sound & Music:

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Most of the music is light and simple. There are no majestic orchestral, or ominous tunes, but that doesn't really matter in this game because the whole premise is about brightly packaged fun. And the music fits that description very well. It sets the mood exceptionally, even if it isn't the best music out there. I managed to find one song from Rocket Slime on youtube that had decent sound quality. It's the theme from the town, Boingburg, one of the most happy and light tones. Just listen to it to get an idea of the rest of the music in Rocket Slime.

Multiplayer:

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This is where Rocket Slime really shines! As far as I can tell only local wireless is supported with up to four players (two per side). Multiplayer mode pits you against your friend in a Tank Battle, but before the battle starts, you and your opponent get to choose your tank (from the ones you have unlocked), the HP of each tank, and the backdrop. The ammo remains the same as the ones you have fitted onto the Schleiman Tank. Once the battle begins, hilarity insures as you and your opponent will be frantically picking up ammo and throwing it into the cannons. Once you get your opponent's HP to zero, you must run into their Tank and deal the finishing blow. What makes multiplayer so satisfying is that playing against a human opponent is tougher and battles can last hours before one side manages to overpower the other. I frankly do not put more then 500 HP per tank, otherwise battles get too long.

Another major problem with multiplayer is that both parties need the game. It can get very challenging to find even a single friend who is nearby and owns the game. In fact none of my friends have this game, only my brother has it and I was the one who bought it for him. Multiplayer is thus fun if you can find someone who has the game as well. Furthermore, multiplayer becomes open very early into the game, and while this may be a good thing, it opens the door to some very uneven match-ups. Ammo that one can only have access to near the end of the game can easily decimate a Tank equipped with ammo from earlier in the game. Thankfully because the multiplayer mode is only local wireless, you can easily tell your friend that he or she had or has an unfair advantage and they better make it up to you (via HP decreasing/increasing).

My Thoughts & Recommendations:

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Rocket Slime is a very fun game. The story is plain but humorous, the characters are wacky, and the graphics are bright and vibrant. Although the game isn't too challenging, it is still a good deal of fun and can be enjoyed by players of all levels. If you know someone with a DS, make them buy this game with you, multiplayer is more then worth the 24.99 CAN. You may even find yourself having quite a bit of fun as you proceed through the main single player mode in order to unlock more ammo and tanks. Likewise, those who finish the main story will find lots to do after the credits roll. First there is a little bit more of the story still left to finish, a few quests from the town slimes, monster & ammo collecting, Tank Masters, and multiplayer of course. All-in-all, for such a low price, Rocket Slime packs a lot of value.

I was a little disappointed that there was no gender choice involved. However, since I was playing as a little blue blob, I often fancied that Rocket was a she. The pronouns used to address Rocket brought me back to reality, but it was still fun pretending Rocket was a little girl slime out her save her town. It was especially funny when the female slimes would proclaim their love to Rocket, whom I christened a girl. So Rocket slime does have a bit of role playing if you want to imagine yourself as a little blue slime.

Conclusion:

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Cons:	Pros:
*lacks gender choice *some of the music is uninspiring *Needs multiple carts to use the multiplayer function	*charming story & characters *music fits the mood of the story *bright & colorful graphics *Tank Battles are fun *multiplayer is lots of fun!! *Art is cute

-Overall a very fun game. Highly recommended-

~Joanna

Endurance Anime Test Concluded

So I already posted that I dropped Mermaid Melody, but I recently also dropped Lucky Star. I already wrote why I dropped Mermaid Melody. But I dropped Lucky Star for entirely different reasons. Basically I couldn't get into it. Some of the episodes (like episode 7) were mildly entertaining, but majority were very very dull. Episode 8 was one of the most dull, so I ended up dropping it after 8. I guess I could have tried to watch a bit more, but I figured that if I still found it a chore to watch after eight episodes, there was no point in continuing. Better to use my time with something I find more interesting, especially since there is a lot of anime out there. =)

Anime Endurance Test:
Mermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch - 24/51 DROPPED
Lucky Star - 8/24 DROPPED

~Joanna.

Currently Watching: Impressions

Ojamajo Doremi
This show has really grown on me. I'm really enjoying it. The wacky predicaments that the characters get themselves into always put a smile on my face. Some episodes are really emotionally charged, like the one about Aiko's mother (even with the ridiculous gender bias, aka little Aiko says, "Who will take care of dad if you leave? Who will make him dinner? Do the laundry? etc." and Aiko's dad saying to Aiko's mom, "You should quit your job to take better care of Aiko" I'm serious, these were the words each one said, well roughly). Excluding these little hiccups, the show is lots of fun. Doremi can still get a little annoying, but the funny results make up for it. The only character that really gets on my nerves now is Pop. God, she is so annoying and stuck up. Every time she talks I want to strangle her, Doremi is right, she is the unluckiest girl because she has Pop as a sister. Episodes with very little Pop are the best episodes in my opinion. Of course, I love to point out annoyances, but really I am enjoying this show a lot. I'm glad there are like six seasons all with 40-50 episodes; means I'll be enjoying Doremi, Hazuki and Aiko's hijinks for quite some time. =D

edit: Finished season one. The ending was very sad, but season two cheered me right up. But I got to say, Hana-chan is getting more annoying than even Pop! Yeah, I know I know, she is a baby, but my dear god, her wailing is annoying and loud. Maybe if the first three episodes didn't portray her as crying every few minutes, I wouldn't get so annoyed every time I heard her crying. Onpu was also not a favourite of mine, but she grew on me a little in the last episodes of the first season.

KARAU: Phantom Memory
The description sounded interesting, and it is, but it's been dragging lately and interactions between Karau and Christmas are not those of equals, which was the premise of the whole story. The two beings can only exist in pairs, yet Karau dominates Christmas, and refuses to let the her into her heart. Christmas is also very passive, often not saying anything when she wants to, for example the fact that Karau doesn't tell her things. However, some stories have evolving characters, and relationships, so I'm willing to continue on with this one to see where it will go.

Konjiki no Gash Bell!!
After the last arc with Zofis and Koko finished, I decided to take a break until now. The new arc now focuses on a strange demon structure that appeared and then disappeared in the human world. The Gash look-alike also made an appearance, so I'm guessing this arc is going to finally be about him. A new pair was also introduced, Ted and his human partner Jido, while the two are mostly shown as comic relief, it looks like they will become a part of the growing group that Kiyomaro and Gash fight with. The episode where Mizuno interpreted Megumi to be Kiyomaru's girlfriend was very funny. Overall, Gash Bell continues to be a wacky anime with a good chuck of action. I am looking forward to the new arc.


Mermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch
It has finally happened, I dropped it. After episode 24, I couldn't bother to watch it any more. Episode 24 united everything I hated about the show. First Kaito decided to pretend to marry this little girl (who is in fact a mermaid from Hannon's kingdom). By doing this he is not only being insensitive to Lucia but also to Meru; he is basically disregarding her feeling because he feels she is a child and thus her feelings aren't real. A good person would have explained to Meru that he has someone else he loves instead of toying around with her because she is a child. My god, what the hell would anyone see is a jerkface like Kaito! Second is Lucia, who, instead of spying on Kaito and Meru, should have told Kaito exactly how she felt or dumped his dumb ass! Finally, what is this business of weddings being a girl's dream?! Sure girls, just as much as boys, dream about finding someone that can love them, but a wedding being only a girl's dream and just this one dream is ridiculous and sexist. This is why this show drives me crazzzzy. I know that I dreamed of falling in love when I was little (who didn't), but I dreamed of a lot of other things as well (like being a veterinarian, adventurer, etc.). I hate when shows do this, making it seem like getting married is the only thing girls want, and it's only girls who want it. Agh. I am so glad I dropped it. I think if I continued I would have died of a heart attack brought about by extreme stress at how foolish the characters and the show are.

~Joanna

Impression: Basara 27

Well it's finally the last volume of Basara. Another collection of short stories, but in this volume we actually see what happened to Shuri and Sarasa.

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Summary

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The first short story deals with Sarasa and Shuri right after the war has finished; both have lots of baggage and can't seem to be able to deal with each others issues. Shuri decides to travel with Sarasa and they end up in Huang Empire, which is going through similar experiences as those that happened in Japan.

Slowly they begin to open up about topics the other refused to speak of; Shuri about Shido and his life as the Red King, and Sarasa about Ageha and what the Red King did to her that fateful day. Sarasa realizes she was not helping Shuri with her fears of his frailty and Shuri realizes that he cannot solve everything with violence. The story ends with the two lovingly embracing once more.

The next story is a two page look into Shinbashi, Sarasa's owl. It's short, but adorable. The story following it features Tamon and Masunaga when they were younger and took the rite of obtaining the Genbu sword with two other boys. This story shows a far more interesting side of Tamon, and why he personifies what the Genbu sword stands for, and that is abhorrence to killing.

Then we have two more very short stories. The first features Hachiya, the leader of the Yarogumi, and his motivation for serving the monarchy. The second shows us a typical morning for Sarasa and Shuri in their travels. Sarasa reminisces about everyone with Shuri. His response to certain characters (ASAGI) are funny.

The final story is Walnut and it features a much older Hayato as he struggles to discover what he should be doing with his life. He meets up with two children with an uncanny resemblance to Tatara and Shuri. He is then finally able to realize his country needs him and that he can help Japan, and thus finally accepts the position of leader to be the intermediary between the different regions of Japan.

The appendix also has a short story called Sarasa that takes place before the catastrophe.

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My Thoughts

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Wow, I cannot believe it is the final volume of Basara. It's been quite the ride and I really enjoyed it. This volumes ties up Sarasa and Shuri's life after the war very well. It ties up loose ends about each one's emotional scars that were never fully closed between the two at the ending.

I was kind of shocked to see a story about Tamon and Masunaga, as well as Hachiya, as these three were rather neglected, Masunaga and Hachiya in particular. But nevertheless I welcomed both stories, because Tamura-san always has interesting character building stories. The friendship between Masunaga and Tamon, which was passingly mentioned in the main story, was given a beautiful dimension in this short story. Not only do we learn that Tamon is not just a goofy fishing fanatic, but actually wise beyond his years, but also that Masunaga was able to appreciate the lesson Tamon taught him and the other two boys and this was the foundation of his friendship with Tamon.

Hachiya's story was very touching and humanized his character incredibly. His sorrow at his parent's wasting away and their unending and unfulfilled hope as well as his inability to understand this hope in the royal family was softly presented as he watched his mother ironing his father's Hakama pants. The real impact, however, is only felt when Hachiya accepting the job in the Yarogumi finally connects with his parents feelings and says he can now love the royal family. My interpretation of this crucial moment is that his love of the royal family stems from the fact that they allowed what his parents have always hoped for and believed to come true. In one of the most touching panels, Hachiya tells his parents that he has finally been admitted into the yarogumi and hopes they are happy. Phantoms of his parents grasp his hands in gratitude. What they hoped for has came to pass before they were able to witness it and Hichiya wants to live their dreams out and this is his the root of his loyalty to the royal family.

Hayato was another character I did not think would get the amount of devoted space for his story that he did. Although, his story also encompassed a lot of other stories as well, the amount of character development that was given to him in his story was well beyond what I would have ever expected. Hayato in essence grew up in his story; he was still a lost young man, but thanks to a few children he was able to come to see that he too can do something for Japan and he does have the ability to accomplish it. One of my favourite aspects of Walnut, Hayato's story, was that we got to see all the children a little older. It was interesting to see how they grew up and whether they were like their parents. Raita, Raizo's son was as impulsive as him, but seemed to be a bit more laid back (since he teases Motomichi). Motomichi was almost an exact replica of Shido, except he isn't training to be a solider, but a civil servant. Ayumu looks like Shuri and seems to have his arrogance but her mother's enthusiasm and spunkiness, while Hikaru looks like Sarasa and seems to have his mother's down to earth personality, but his father's showy but strategic thinking.

Now for disappointments. I wish Tamura-san did another volume to show us more about the characters not mentioned or briefly shown. My biggest disappointment was the lack of Cha-cha. She was a crucial character in the first half of the manga, but during the second half she was rarely shown, and had very little plot significance or character development. I was hoping that Tamura-san would give us another look at the lovely and brash pirate, but she makes gets no appearance, and only a brief mention of her by Ayume in the last chapter. =(
Second, Kikune and Ichimatsu make almost cameo appearances throughout some of the chapters. I wish they would have gotten their own chapter, as well as a look into Lady Purple and the boy she is raising, who was abandoned by the mistress of her former husband. Also I was very curious as to what happened with the Abarashi prison wards; how are they adjusting to life. I also would have liked to see more of Raizo and Izumi, who are also just mentioned in Walnut.
Again, we see nothing about Yuna and Nakijin, they are only briefly mentioned in Walnut like Cha-cha. Well Basara had a really big cast, but I wouldn't have minded if Tamura-san devoted another volume to these characters, especially Cha-cha, I was intrigued with her relationship to Zaki and I would love to see the more of the two of them, and just the pirate life in general, arrr! XD

The bonus story, Sarasa was alright. I figured out as much about what the world was like before the catastrophe. The destiny theme for Shuri and Sarasa is a bit cheesy though. ^^;;; Not cheesy enough to make me dislike this story, but cheesy enough for me to feel it was a bit unnecessary. Overall very good series, loved every bit of it. It's a little strange to see it end, but the ending was well done. I'll be looking out for more of Tamura-san's manga, she has become one of my favourite manga artists.

~Joanna

Pumpkin Craving: Halloween 2009

As I did last year, this Halloween I also craved a game-based pumpkin. The picture is a little blurry, but I'm interested if anyone can guess what the craving is suppose to be of. Not to worry, it is not suppose to be obscure, even people who do not play games may recognize what I craved....or at least that is the hope that I am entertaining. ^^;;; I'll put up an answer in a few days, till then I'm interested in what people say about it.

Maybe I was a bit too optimistic. no one responded. ^^;;;;;;
Anyways, the answer is Haunter, pokemon number 93.

~Joanna

Currently Watching: Impressions

Bleach
A series has really fallen from grace when you are more entertained watching filler arcs then reading the actual manga. Really, this filler arc about the zanpakuto is far more interesting then what is happening in fake Karakura town. I do admit, half of why I find this so boring is because most of my favourite characters are in Hueco Mundo, but the other half is that the current fights seem so half assed. I mean Shunsui's first release was enough to defeat number 1? really? I get that he is one of the most senior of the captains, but even Ukitake wasn't able to do that and both of them joined Seireitei at the same time and both were tutored by Yamamoto. It really did feel like Kubo did it to get the plot moving, so I guess he knows that the fans don't like this part at all. Anyways, the filler arc is pretty interesting. I really liked Renji's fight with Zabimaru, it was basically his fight with Byakuya all over again, except this time he won. I wish Renji would get more fights, I really miss him. I was very disappointed with Rukia's fight, or lack of. While Rukia's fight with number 9 was amazing, so I was disenchanted with the Sode no Shirayuki fight. Although I guess Rukia would not want to fight her own zanpakuto.

EDIT: Chapter 338 just got back to Hueco Mundo! Hurray! My interest level when from 4 to 7 (on a scale of 1-10). =D

Ojamajo Doremi

I started watching this series because it was a magical girl show, and I tend to like these. Doremi isn't Tutu, or even Cardcaptor Sakura, but it's still entertaining. The biggest problem with Doremi is that the characters are walking archetypes. Doremi is the good-hearted but dumb and goofy leader in pink, Hazuki is the soft spoken book worm with glasses, and Aiko is the blue tomboy that excels at sports and isn't too bright, but is high above at Doremi's level of dumbness. Most episodes are self contained and usually feature one of Doremi's classmates who has a problem and comes to the shop to buy a magic item to solve their problem. Often the person will buy Doremi's deformed item and the girls will have to follow the person to make sure that the item doesn't malfunction. It can get a bit repetitive, but Ojamajo Doremi usually changes up the formula just when it is getting stale by making the next episode about the girls's magic exam, or their family members. So far I'm yet to be bored of it, and it has a certain charm that keeps me coming back, even when the characters are so badly made and used.

Mermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch
Sometimes I really wonder why I continue to watch it. The plot moves at the pace of a snail, the filler episodes are boring and uninspired, and the main characters (except Lina) annoy me to no end. I should probably drop it, but I end up deciding to give it another chance because it's a magical girl show. I think Lina also helps me keep my sanity when watching this show, because the other characters are so unbelievably shallow and cliche and dumb that I cannot fathom anyone relating to them and their plight. Yes, angry rant is coming up! For starters there is Lucia, she's suppose to be a mermaid princess, but she NEVER takes her responsibility seriously, even after realizing that her kingdom is in real trouble. Nope, she rather day dream and chase after Kaito, who is awful. The guy has 'feelings' for both mermaid Lucia and human Lucia and doesn't know they are the same person. Sure he likes the same person, but if it so happened that they weren't the same person, he would be two-timing them. Most the time it seems like he only keeps human Lucia around because he knows he can't have mermaid Lucia, and during the earlier episodes he was really mean to human Lucia. But Lucia, being the dumb brood that she is, forgave him because he loves her in the end, even though he doesn't yet know it. This is kind of absurd because he is 'in love' with a mere image and recollection, and not a real person, any self respecting individual would have realized Kaito isn't worth the effort since he is a self absorbed shallow prick. The anime's awful perpetuation of masculinity as seen through Kaito and femininity as seen through Lucia and Hanon often brings me nausea. The only saving grace is Lina, who takes her responsibility as a mermaid princess seriously and is unwavering in her dedication to freeing her kingdom. Often episodes featuring her give me enough hope to keep slogging through the anime, but I am beginning to question how far my love for maho shoujo, and Lina's character can take me to bear the god awful atrocity that is Mermaid Melody. I guess we shall see how long I can bear to watch it. Currently I have watched 20 episodes out of 51. It's a contest then. ;)

Lucky Star

I must say episode seven was far more entertaining then the previous episodes. Konata's lady imitation was genuinely funny because it is such an overused anime cliche. However, the rest of the episode was rather dull, like the six episodes before it. Lucky Star is bordering on being dropped like Mermaid Melody, but for now, I'm still willing to watch another episode (maybe not in the near future because like Mermaid Melody, I can only subject myself to something I do not particularly like, but something I feel may get better only so often.) Any ways, like Mermaid Melody I will have a little contest to see how far I can watch, Lucky Star has an advantage as it is much shorter, but then again it's even more dull then Mermaid Melody. I don't know about other people, but I do not find four demure (possible excepts are Konata and Kagami) girls discussing food, clothes, cell phones, and other trivial matters to be entertaining. But we shall see how much I can endure.

Endure Anime Test:
Mermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch - 24[NOW DROPPED]
Lucky Star - 7/24

Impression: Basara 26

This is the second last volume of Basara. I can't believe I am so close to finishing this beautiful manga. Basara is also the longest manga of mine and of which I own every volume.

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Summary

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Since the main story has already concluded, the 26th volume of Basara contains three stories that are related to the main one which ended last volume. The three stories are titled: Nakama, Dakara, and Katana. There is also a Tam-Tam Extra Story that is very much like the one included in volume 24 titled "Basara Academy".

Nakama, meaning "friend/ comrade" is fittingly titled as it deals with Nachi and Hijiri, two best friends, after the finale. What is nice about this episode is that it not only gives us a look at the two after the finale, but also before. Basically Nachi falls in love and this gets Hijiri thinking about their childhood. After the two reminisce, Hijiri decides that even through they are friends, they won't be able to share all their adventures, and sets out on his own adventure to discover his betrothed. She turns out to be a beautiful young lady with an uncanny resemblance to a mermaid from Hijiri's past and is also a little mischievous. heehee.

Dakara, "because" is a very short (literally a few pages) story about a young Asagi. Basically the present Asagi is explaining to Muratake where his hatred towards Shuri began. It turns out Shuri pushed Asagi, which made Asagi drop his treasured peach that Ginko gave him because he was sick. Shuri didn't do it on purpose, but he didn't really care that Asagi's peach got ruined in the process; he sort of shrugged it off. Ginko saw the peach on the ground and told Asagi that if he doesn't like peaches she won't give them to him anymore. This devastated Asagi because Ginko was all he had and she rarely showed him affection. (The hatred was further developed in other flashbacks in the main story of Basara, where Shuri is often complement by Ginko and Hiigari for his strength and skill, strength that Asagi lacked because of his physical frailness. This hatred was thus later fueled by this new inferiority complex, and Asagi often tries to best Shuri with Sarasa, with kingship, and with Ginko's support.) So this story didn't add anything new to Asagi's character, but rather pinpointed the beginning of his rocky relationship with Shuri and gave us a look at a more vulnerable and tender Asagi.

The final story, Katana, is actually a prequel to Basara, and deals with the four warriors that tried to unite Japan prior to Sarasa and her group, but failed. What is interesting about Katana is discovering each sword wielder's great grandparents, and the basic relationships between them. Little curiosities like why Raizo has blond hair, why Genbu's sword is wooden, and why there was a mechanism made that would cause the whole castle at Kyoto to fall apart are explained here as well.

The Tam-Tam Extra I mentioned before is basically a very loose take on the beginning of Basara in the world of show business. And when I say loose, I mean loose. There are a few similarities that will make you laugh, but everything else is totally different. For example, Hayato and Tatara are friends and not Sarasa and Hayato, and Tatara doesn't die, he is just sick. It's very funny, and Tamura-san knows what parts to reproduce to humorous effect.

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My Thoughts

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There is still nothing about Shuri and Sarasa, I guess Tamura-san wants to save the best for last. Yet even with the absence of Sarasa and Shuri, Basara 26 is still great. The prequel, although short and underdeveloped when compared to Sarasa's story was still nice and it explained a few curiosities that I always wondered about. Asagi's little story didn't add much to the mix, but only further explained his dislike for Shuri, and why Ginko's approval became so important to him. It also showed us that Asagi and Muratake are basically traveling through the lands now, although this was already showed at the end of Ginko's story in volume 25. Basically, Asagi's story doesn't give us any new information, but reinforces what was already said. This sounds a bit pointless, but since it takes up only a few pages, it was more of a quick look into his past and what he's up to once more.

Nachi and Hijiri's story on the other hand introduced a lot we did not know about the two of them. For example, we were never told before this story that the two of them didn't get along until a certain incident. We also learn that the two of them are basically settling into their roles of head priest and village leader. Nachi having fallen for a widow is thinking of settling down and Hijiri realizes he has to get on with his own life as well.

Tamura-san's extra was very funny and her thoughts on each of the side stories up till now (including the two from volume 25) were humorous. Her little panel about Ginko's story is exactly what popped into my head when I read that part of the story (must get my mind out of the gutter!) Her thoughts also show how she feels about certain elements in the story and certain characters. The most interesting aspect that she shared was that Nachi and Hujiri's story was modeled on her own experiences with a friend. I personally have never befriended someone who I openly hated and who openly hated me back, so I found it interesting that people have these types of experiences. (I have however befriended people I wasn't especially fond of, but who I did not harbor hostility towards, because I basically never talked to or got to know them.)

Overall, Basara 26 answers a few minor mysteries from the main story and gives closure to two characters, Nachi and Hijiri, yet there is a large cast and we are still left wondering about them. I wonder if Tamura-san can give each character enough closure in the last volume.

~Joanna

Gaming Update: Summer Gaming Coming to a Close

So summer vacation is now finished, but I still haven't made much of a dent on my backlog. If anything the monster grew. ^^;;; Anyways, here is what I'm currently playing:

1.Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (NDS)
I was playing this before, but I put it down for months because I got distracted and I basically forgot what I was doing, so I decided to restart from the very beginning, case one. I have finally made it back to case three, which is where I was when I put the game down. Hopefully, I can finish this game now without any interruptions. Well at least I'm pretty determined to do so >:)

No new impressions, since I've barely started case three, and I've already played the other two before. But I just want to say that it's pretty amazing how much I still recall and how much I've forgotten. Also, what is up with Ace Attorney/ Gyakuten Saiben always having those innocent frail girls turn out to be conniving little b*tchs? hmmm? Well at least case three doesn't seem to have any fake innocent girls, not that I hate these types of villains, because I don't; I think the type is used well in the ace attorney games. It's just that after a few of them, I want a different type of villain to mix things up a bit. =)


2.Knights in the Nightmare (NDS)
I was really excited about playing this game when I heard Atlus was going to publish it in North America, but I was sad to learn that it would be released when I would be out of the country. Thankfully I managed to procure a copy even after it had been released for over a month; the only down side is that I didn't get the beautiful pre-order bonus art book. *sniff* =(

I'm really enjoying this game and it has exceeded my standards. I'm about half way through (I think), but I'm making really slow progress. ^^;;; I'm pretty busy even without school so I play it here and there, and I am currently on Scene 32. Plus, because the battles are so intense, I tend to grip the stylus too hard and it digs into my hand, so I can't play this one for long periods of time. ^^;;; (Yeah I'm pathetic)

Still I'm really happy with this game and I am enjoying it a lot. The combat is so unique, I don't think anyone has ever mixed a shooter with a SRPG, and even though it sounds impossible, it really works well. Sometimes the bullets (especially during boss battles) can be overwhelming, but the resume (or was it replay) button makes things a little easier. The story is pretty good as well, but a little disjointed because it's told in fragments. Art and music are very very beautiful. I think the only aspect of the game that is not done as well is the characters. This is mainly because only the story related characters actually get flushed out, even with the pause talks, the regular characters still don't feel as important or developed as Maria, Capehorn, or Yelma (the latter two are villains). Not that I mind because as long as gameplay is solid, I'm happy; story, art, music, and characters are nice bonuses (which I appreciate a lot as well). I can tell that Knights has had a lot of effort put into the game, since not only is the gameplay solid, but so is the art, story, music, and the characters. Everything is well done, and this game is another gem from Atlus. It's also my first Sting game, so I'll be looking out for more games from this developer from now on.

I just want to point out once more that he art is amazing. I currently have an image of maria as my wallpaper and I've saved a few more images to use in the future. The artist is really talented and I really regret missing out on the bonus art book. The music is also very pretty and each piece fits the mood; there is also a lot of variety, for which I am also thankful. The music on the title menu is very pretty and I could listen to it for hours on end. =3

SPOILER ALERT: The following deals with characters and the story and my thoughts on it so far!!!!

-I like the relationship between Maria and Melissa, I hope we get to see these two interact more (but I doubt we will because the last battle with Melissa made it seem that she was destroyed for good).
-I cannot believe Wilmgard has a lover, it really doesn't fit his character. =/ And it also felt out of place in a story about loss.
-I don't understand why all the characters refer to Nordich as the selfish prince. In the flashback, the prince was worried about his father and kingdom. It seemed like he didn't know what Capehorn was up to, although I will admit he did seem awfully fixated on his own kingship and authority. Still even so I don't think he is selfish, but I guess the other characters wouldn't know this since Capehorn was acting as the mouth piece of the prince.
-The underworld has made its move, yet Asgard, the realm of gods has not, I wonder why. Maybe it has something to do with Melissa?ok that's all for the spoilers and knights in the nightmare. It seems like this is going to be yet another long post. ^^;;

3. Children of Mana (NDS)
I picked it up again after a year, thankfully because there is practically no story, I was able to jump right back in. As a mana game, it disappoints, but it's good for some random pick up and play. I usually play it when I feel like picking something up for a bit; it's mindless hack 'n' slash, so it's good for killing a few minutes. I think I'm pretty close to the end, but with this kind of game, one can never really know.

Also I cannot help but feel that the art direction and music was wasted on this game. The art is so lovely and the music is nice, but the gameplay is generic. This art and music would have benefited from being used in a typical mana game (like sword or secret of mana). In such a generic and mindless hack 'n' slash game, the art and music, although nice, cannot save the game's shortcomings and they would have benefited a better game more. Regardless, I'm still mildly enjoying Children of Mana because it's easy to pick up and play and a good mindless time waster. This one will be coming with me to school a lot, so I'll probably finish it before 2010 rolls around. =)


4. Shinning Force (GEN)
I'm on the last chapter, but I've been playing it sparsely (as usual for me). I still have a bit of level grinding to do. But I finally managed to promote Adam and I got him at level 10 unpromoted two battles ago, which is insane this late in the game. Thankfully Tao learned boast not too long ago so I was able to use boast and get him to level 20 that way. I had to use boast because his attack stat was pathetic since he was unpromoted and without boast he was doing 1 point of damage. This is why I do not understand the logic behind giving the player such a low leveled unit this late in the game, unless it's to piss off, I mean challenge us completionists. I'm currently attempting to get all my characters to level 10 promoted because I want to max them all out and complete this game in one go. Getting them to level 10 now will make it more manageable to max them later (level 20 is the max). All my units are around levels 6-8 right now, so I still have a bit of grinding to do.


6. Super Mario Advance (GBA)
I'm suck on 5-3 T__________________________T
Near the end of the level you have to steal a flying carpet from an enemy and ride it to the other side, but the carpet disappears after some time and I keep dying because the carpet disappears before I make it to the other side. The one time I did make it to the boss, I died before I could finish him because I have one life left. sob sob. This game is somewhat on hold because I'm a little too frustrated to play it. Speaking of frustration....


7.Professor Layton and the Curious Village (NDS)
I am stuck on puzzle 135, the last of the professor's challenges. It's so frustrating because I finally discovered how to solve 134 (which was also giving me grief). That stupid red block, I can't get it out. sob sob. I keep repeating the same moves over and over again. I know I'm missing something, but I can't seem to figure it out. T___________T
This one is currently on hold because it gave me too much grief. :/

Back-to-School Tomorrow

It's back to school time, which means less time to actually game and read manga. It also means this blog will become less active. sorry. ^^;;; Since September isn't as busy, maybe I'll find some time to post here. I'm still attempting to finish three more posts: Basara 26th's impression, my gaming update, and the review on rocket slime. I've made some progress on the review, but I'm still far from done, the other two I haven't started, but since a little gaming update shouldn't take too long, I guess I'll tackle that next =D Look for that later today. (I hope...)

~Joanna

Anime Impressions - 0.2

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni: Episodes 1 ~ 15



Well I finally got around to doing another anime impression. About time eh? Let's see, I the summary sounded interesting so I decided to give this one a go. I have mixed feelings, but overall I'm enjoying it. Episodes 1 through 15 are broken down into 4 arcs; The Spirited Away by a Ogre Arc, The Cotton Drifting Arc, The Killing Curse Arc, and the Time Wasting Arc.

It started out rather boring, but with little hints about the brutality to come, and these hints kept me watching. The Spirited Away chapter was probably the best one because I didn't know what to expect going in. And the slow degeneration of the main character as he gets more and more paranoid, as well as the seeming demonic nature of two of four girls (Mion and Rena) really intrigued me. The ending left much to be desired, as instead of the two girls killing Keiichi, he kills them and then seemingly commits suicide with hints that behind it all stands some sort of organization. I was left going, "ummm...ok?", but the promise that things will be slowly explain kept me watching.

Cotton Drifting started out strong, it seemed at first to be taking place during the same time as Spirited Away, but instead showing things in a different perspective. Yet as the arc progresses, contradictory things happen and the arc goes in a totally different direction. This time Mion appears to be the villain, and it appears that her family is a criminal organization that is behind the brutal deaths. She also happens to be descended from onii (demonic ogres). Yet the ending implies that Mion died before everything happened and that her twin sister was the one who did everything. The ending also implies that only Rena survived this time. I didn't like that instead of a different perspective, we got a different story. It felt disjointed and I was upset that we didn't learn more about what happened during the first arc. Still it was interesting enough to keep me watching.

Killing Curse is much the same, things appear at first to happen at the same time as the previous arcs, but too many contradictions happen. Unlike Cotton Drifting however, the characters themselves begin to realize these contradictions. For example, Keichii trying to protect Satoko kills her uncle during the festival, yet the other characters say he was at the festival like in the other arcs. This marks the first time the contradiction is made apparent by the anime itself and this intrigued me once more, and got me excited about Higurashi again. We also learn quite a bit about Satoko's sad history. Killing Curse picked up the slack from Cotton Drifting, but the ending made me go "umm...ok?" again. Namely, this time everyone dies because of the poison gas released by a volcano near the village; it is strongly suggested that Keiichi cursed the village and that is why it happened. This left me a bit puzzled as to how this poison gas ending relates to the other endings, I also found it strange that this time Oyashiro-sama (the deity attributed with all the bizarre events) would be 'helping' Keiichi instead of the girls like in the other arcs. I also found the missing corpse rather strange; I mean why would someone dig it up for Keichii, or did he imagine killing Sakato's uncle. Hence the ending left me going "ummm...ok?" Sometimes I think all the characters are mentally insane and we are seeing what each one sees and since they are all so deluded it doesn't have to make sense. I don't know, but there is a lot of suggestion that this is the case; examples include, psychotic laughter from Rena, Mion, and Shion, Rena's past with a psychologist, Keiichi's paranoid behavior during arc one, and Keichii's possible delusions involving the murder of Satako's uncle. The only characters not to appear psychotic are Satako and Rika. If this turns out to be the case for all the mysteries, I'm going to be disappointed, but the fourth arc seems to point to something different, so I still have hope. :D

Finally Time Wasting arc suggests that Rika plays a key role in this whole mystery because she knows what will happen even before it does. This also suggests that mental disorders will not to used to explain away all the contradictions between the arcs, thank god! Strangely enough, the poison gas that seems to have happened to Hinamizawa, never occurred in the first two arcs....maybe the characters didn't survive long enough? That or higurashi is being needlessly twisty. :/

Like I said, I'm enjoying this anime for the most part because I am genuinely interested in how everything will be pulled together, yet at the same time, I'm a little annoyed at the disjointed nature of each arc. The violence also seems a bit pointless and I often question the characters sanity. But all the mysterious are very compelling and I am definitely going to keep watching, which means the anime has done its job right. I'm entertained and I genuinely want to watch more of it.

Also, I found this other blog that analyzes Higarushi more in-depth then myself. (Sorry I'm just too lazy to do such an in depth analysis ^^;;) If your interested in some really good analysis on the show I suggest going here for arc one.

Edit: I have finished watching both seasons, it was pretty good and I enjoyed it enough to marathon it :) All I have left is the third season comprising of five episodes

~Joanna

Currently Reading: Impressions

Loveless: Chapter Six
So I was reading this, enjoying it very much and then I read chapter 6 and I am shocked! All of the character development for Ritsuka was thrown out the window. I'm so shocked I decided to write a little spiel just on it. Ok, so I don't confuse anyone, I am going to point out that for the last five chapters, Ritsuka has refused Soubi's advancements, has mistrusted him, and in general feels that Soubi does not love him. Yet in chapter six ALL that is thrown out the window! During their battle with Sleepless, Ritsuka gives Soubi a bit of his tongue (if you know what I mean) and even licks the blood off his neck in a very sexual way. WHAT THE HELL?! Ritsuka, pacifist Ritsuka, Ritsuka who refuses Soubi's advancements, who thinks Soubi is toying with him when Soubi tells him that he loves him, this very same Ritsuka KISSES Soubi?! what ever happened to character development? God, I hate when a mangaka does this, it's so illogical. Ritsuka isn't suppose to be making the first move, at least not until he comes to terms with Soubi's feelings and his own. Really this just pissed me off. I'm still going to read Loveless, but my enjoyment just plummeted. :/ I do not read shounen-ai for cheap thrills (kissing, fan service, sex scenes, ect) I read it for story and character development and I expect that a mangaka who isn't just trying to give her/his readers cheap thrillers will stick with what s/he has written instead of discarding everything for literally two panels of fan service. Yes, me likes to write angry rants, they make me feel better. :)

G Senjou Heaven's Door
I want to start by saying this manga is REALLY good! I didn't think it would be as good as it is, and I don't even like any of the characters. Well, I am warming up to Machizo and his dad. The story really pulls you in and I cannot wait to see what happens to the careers of the two friends, Machizo and Tetsuo. My biggest annoyance with this series? I wish all the chapters were already released! I want to know what is going to happen! sigh, guess I'm stuck waiting for more scanlations...anyways, if your looking for something new to read, Heaven's Door is really good seinen work. :)

Bleach
Lately its been rather boring, with most of the focus on fights. I like fights as well, and being introduced to some of the yet not shown bankai(s) is nice, but what I am really interested in is the plot and all the unanswered question. Ok, and also the fact that I like Rukia and I want to see more of her and the fact that most of my favourite characters are currently in Hueco Mundo. =P I also have this weird feeling that Urahara is the big mastermind behind everything and that Aizan answers to him. I don't know why, but I'm getting this vibe. I hope I'm wrong because I like Urahara, and if he did turn out to be the mastermind, well he would be killed eventually. Wish the story would head back to Hueco Mundo so some of the questions would be answered: like what happened to Ichigo during that transformation, and are Grimmjow and Ulquiorra really dead?

One of the biggest unanswered question involves Rukia though. When and why did Urahara place the Hougyoku in Rukia. The anime seems to say that he put it into the gigai he gave her when she gave Ichigo her powers, but the manga seems to say something different. Aizen says that when he finally discovered the hiding place of the Hougyoku, Rukia had already gone missing in the Human World and hence he had to orchestrate her retrieval. What he says suggests that Urahara hid Hougyoku in Rukia at some point and then when she came to earth gave her the gigai that would turn her human so that she could continue to hid the Hougyoku, and it was at this point that Aizan realized where the Hougyoku was hidden. But if that's the case, there are two key questions. One, when did Urahara hide it in Rukia (seems like there wasn't much time for him to do it according to the Turning Back the Pendulum chapters) and why Rukia? (Of course there is also a possibilty that the translation hasn't been as tight or I am misunderstanding what Aizan is saying.) Anyway, here are the two pages in question:

~Joanna

Impression: Wild Com.

When I noticed that Wild Com. was done by Basara's mangaka, Yumi Tamura-san, I knew it would be good, even through it was a one-shot. I'm happy to report that it did not disappoint.

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Summary

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Wild Com. is a one-shot with three unrelated stories from varying genres. The stories are: Wild Com., The Beasts of June, and The Eye of the Needle. The front cover features three characters from the first story, the one-shot is also titled after the first story.

The first story revolves around Michiru Ozeki, a psychic with power over flames. However, Ozeki wants nothing to do with her powers and fears that they only bring death to those around her. She is recruited by Wild Com., an organization that recruits psychics and uses their powers to help save people from disasters. However, even when Wild Com. asks her to put her powers to good use, Ozeki believes that her powers can only bring death, and is unable to use them properly. Eventually she learns the true nature of her powers and is able to put the past behind her and use her power to help those in need.

The second story is about two teenagers, Aki and Akane, who both work for the same gang. Aki is an assassin and Akane is the boss's girl. When the two meet, Aki marks Akane, and she is strangely drawn to him. The two bear names of dragonflies, and both wish to grown wings and soar into the sky, they fall in love, but the boss has other plans.

The third story stars Shiki Haibara, a raising celebrity. Shiki has a girlfriend he has known since middle school, but when his career takes off, Uiko, his girlfriend, becomes a obstacle to his image. When he finally tells her to leave him alone, he begins to experience harassment and Uiko keeps showing up at all his shootings. Annoyed by her staking and harassment, he eventually punches her, telling her that he has had enough of her staking. Yet the harassment doesn't stop, and Shiki discovers a little too late that the culprit may not be Uiko after all.

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My Thoughts

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The longest and the best story was definitely The Eye of the Needle; the other two were also good, just not as good as the last story. Wild Com. was mostly well done, and its best aspect was the two leading characters Ozeki and Amano, although Ozeki was more fleshed out making her a bit better than Amano. Both characters are slightly emotionally tortured, Ozeki because of an incident involving her powers and Amano because of his mentally distraught mother. Although again, we don't really learn the nature of Amano's relationship with his mother, what we do learn is more hinted at, leaving it up to the reader to decide the impact his mother had on him. Ozeki's emotional state is the main focus of the story, so we learn a lot about her character. The interactions between Ozeki and Amano were also entertaining, because like their powers, fire and water, the two don't seem to get along well, but they eventually do become friends. The only aspect that I did not like was the resolution; it happened too smoothly and felt like a deus ex machina was given to Ozeki so she could resolve her fears involving her powers. I was really hoping she would pull through the hardships, but I was disappointed when the fireman explained to her what had really happened at the house of her bully that burned down, and thus resolving the main conflict; especially since Ozeki's fear and character development played such an important role in the whole story. Still overall it was a good story about ESPers, and the Tam-Tam extra detailing the inspiration for Wild Com. was funny.

Next, Beasts of June. It basically had the same problem as Wild Com., the main characters were not developed enough. However, unlike Wild Com., because of the way Beasts of June was written and done, I wasn't too angry at this one minus. Beasts was written to be a poetic tale of love, and it does that very well. I really enjoyed it. There was one little annoyance though, Aki and Akane state that animal love is equal, that animals don't control and aren't controlled. This actually isn't true. I used to be a biology major, so I learned quite a bit about mating rituals. Most mammal rituals involve power, either the males fight it out between themselves for a whole harem of females (seen in lions, or walruses) or they use a variety of methods to prevent the female from having sexual intercourse with other males of the same species. I remember reading about a species of deer in which the male follows around the female and the fawn in order to prevent her from breeding again, yet if a predictor comes, the male flees and offers no protection to the female or the fawn. Also, it isn't always male domination of the female, there are a few species of spiders where the female is larger and will eat the male if he doesn't bring her enough food during sex (there are other examples, but the elude me at the moment). Basically all I wanted to point out was that power relations between the sexes during and in the aim toward intercourse exist in most animal species, hence the statement that animals don't control or aren't controlled isn't very accurate. But this does not take away from the message, which was beautiful and I ended up really enjoying The Beasts of June, even with this little blooper.

Finally, The Eye of the Needle was very very well written; being a horror story, it was well executed and I never once expected the "harasser" to be who they were. Like a good horror tale, all the signs were there to point one subtlety in the direction of the real "harasser", but it was not until the reader was shown who it really was that I even suspected the real culprit. Just as Tamura-san wanted, all my suspicion was thrown on Uiko, the girlfriend, until the very end. Character-wise, only Shiki was developed; and although he is rather mean to Uiko, all his motives seem very human, if only because humans tend to be weak. Not that character development really matters, because this is one of those rare stories where the characters don't really matter, what matters is pacing and mood, and both of these were well done. Everything was so well done that anyone, regardless if they like shoujo or not, would enjoy it.

This one-shot is definitely recommended. All three stories are entertaining enough, and even someone who doesn't like shoujo in particular, may find that Wild Com. is delightfully engrossing. The third story is the best, and leaves the reader ending the collection on a high note. But of course the other two are still very enjoyable, only minor problems prevent them from being just as good as the last story. Actually, I feel that only the first story has something concrete that could have been done better, mainly the resolution. Nonetheless, a solid short story collection by one of my favourite mangaka, Yumi Tamura, and one of the few I have come across that really felt just as good as any manga spanning more then jut one volume. I cannot wait to pick up Tamura-san's Chicago, she is a remarkable story teller. I just wish more of her works were licensed in America.

~Joanna

Upcoming Posts

well, I have decided to give everyone a little tease of what is yet to come because I take so long to post new stuff, plus this little list will remind me of what I have yet to finish (and trust me, I am pretty forgetful ^^;;;)

Manga Related:
-Impression: Wild Com.
-Impression: Basara 26
-Impression: Basara 27

Guess I should call this the Yumi Tamura marathon..ahaha. Well her manga is really good, so I can't help but try to pick up every little thing of hers that is localized. Wild Com. will be coming soon (I hope) as I have already finished reading it. And I hope to get started on the last two volumes of Basara tonight. I'm so happy I was able to pick up the whole series. :D :D I think of Tamura-san's works, I still have Chicago to pick up. Too bad the only editions of it avaliable are the older ones...

Game Related:
-DSing Update
-Game Review: Rocket Slime
-Game Review: Final Fantasy III

I haven't done a gaming update in awhile, so I guess I should do one, just to let everyone know what I'm currently playing and my thoughts on that. ;) I finished Rocket Slime awhile ago, so I really need to get the review done. And I finished FFIII recently so I also want to get my thoughts down while my impressions are still fresh. Reviews take me awhile to write, so I wouldn't expect these any time soon. :/

Anime Related:
-Anime Impressions -0.2

I haven't done an anime related post since forever, because I just lazy. T___T Hopefully, I'll get one done soon, and if I do, it will most likely be about Higurashi no naku koro ni. Not a new anime by any means, but I'm watching it now, so it's ideal for an impression. Actually, I never watch any "airing" anime, the only exception is Bleach, because I was hooked on it once and now I just watch it for the animated fights. The manga has been going downhill lately...but that rant is for another time.

~Joanna

Impression: Fushigi Yugi 7

I found volume 7, so I picked it up. I'm not a big fan of Fushigi Yugi, but I like it enough to keep reading and buying the volumes. I'm going to try and keep the summary short, here goes....

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Summary

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After failing to perform the ceremony for Suzaku properly in volume 6, Miaka and the Suzaku warriors are told that there is one other way to summon the god, and that is to travel to the northern country of Genbu, Bei-Ja, and recover the Shentso-Pao. Miaka agrees to go, but she isn't too sure about how she will be able to fight against Yui again.

On top of that, she finds out that in order to summon Suzaku using the new method, she must remain a virgin and cannot have any intimate relationships with any of her warriors. Determined to summon Suzaku, she tells Tamahome that it was all a fling and he means nothing to her, just as he asks her to marry him.

Later the group decides to enjoy their last night in Hong-Nan at the star viewing festival. It is there that Tamahome corners Miaka and asks her to be truthful with him. She finally decides to tell him the truth. Tamahome is shocked at first, but declares that once the ceremony is performed, he will make Miaka the happiest bride on earth. A joyful Miaka agrees.

Before the warriors leave, Hotohori gives Miaka his sword, and tells Tamahome that he will give his family a crown paid residency for their hospitality towards him. Tamahome is overjoyed and he, Miaka, and Nuriko go to tell his family the good news. However the three of them aren't greeted by Tamahome's happy family; instead they see his whole family slaughtered. Just as a very familiar melody plays. Miaka runs to see who it is, knowing that Amiboshi cannot be alive. It turns out to be his twin brother Suboshi and he has come to get revenge. Since the Suzaku warriors killed his only family, he determined he would do the same to Tamahome. Just as Suboshi is about to kill Miaka with his attack, Tamahome comes to her rescue and easily overpowers Suboshi in his rage. Thankfully for Suboshi, another Seiryu warrior, Soi, saves him by preoccupying Tamahome with an injured Miaka, and the two of them make their escape.

When Miaka wakes up, she finds Tamahome at the graves of his family, crying uncontrollably. He tells her to leave him alone, and unable to help him in any way, she runs away from him. She and Nuriko spend the night alone, but are shocked to see Tamahome back to normal in the morning. The group returns to the capital, where Miaka informs Hotohori of the tragedy and the Suzaku warriors (excluding Hotohori) and Miaka finally sail away to Bei-Ja. Miaka realizes that Yui would never have allowed the tragedy to happened, and knows it must have been the fault of the cruel Nakago. She decides she must stop the summoning of Seiryu at all costs, even if that should mean going up against Yui.

Meanwhile, Miaka's brother Keisuke is still researching The Universe of the Four Gods. He meets up with his friend and the two discover that the translator for the Japanese edition of The Universe of the Four Gods is not credited with the book's translation, nor is there an entry for it in the Japanese publications catalog. Even stranger is the fact that this translator killed his own daughter and then committed suicide. But worsted of all, Keisuke discovers a reference book about the Universe of the Four Gods where it states that in ancient China there was a sect that worshiped these four beasts, but were pronounced heretics because the ritual to summon the god beast required a maiden as a sacrifice.

Worried about his sister's safety, Keisuke contacts her via the ribbon, telling Miaka to come back home with Yui because the book is dangerous and both of them may be killed. Miaka is momentarily torn between listening to her brother's advice and Tamahome's dependence on her. However she decides that she cannot go back yet, and asks Tasuki to burn her ribbon. Before the ribbon is burnt, Keisuke tells her not to summon Suzaku, no matter what. Miaka isn't too sure what to make of this last warning, but before she can ponder it much longer, the boat is hit by a massive storm cause by the powers of the Seiryu warrior Soi. Keisuke, on the other hand is completely annoyed by his sister's idiotic behavior and vows to get to the bottom of the mystery involving the Universe of the Four God's translator.

Due to the storm's volatile nature, Tasuki accidently falls overbroad and he cannot swim. Miaka jumps in after him, but also cannot swim, so Tamahome jumps in after her. Nuriko, the only sensible one, throws a rope across to Tasuki, however, the waves pull him over as well just as Tasuki manages to climb back aboard. The intensity of the waves separates Nuriko, Miaka, and Tamahome from the boat, and the three of them find a small cave to hide in.

During their stay in the cave, Nuriko opens up and tells us that he too is afraid of losing someone close to him and that is why he started dressing like his dead sister, so that she would continue to live inside him. The chat is cut short however, when a bolt of lighting destroys the cave, and it starts flooding with water. Miaka looses her balance and Tamahome tries to save her, but he falls into the hole as well, thankfully Nuriko grabs his arm. Yet, Nuriko is at the limit of his power as he tries to push back the rushing water and at the same time tries to pull up Miaka and Tamahome. Lucky for the three of them, the bracelets he got from Tai Yi-Jun turn into bracers and give Nuriko the extra strength he needs to pull Miaka and Tamahome out before some lightning strikes them. The others find them soon after, and Miaka with her warriors are now adrift and land on an island far off from Bei-Ja. The good new is that the storm stopped; the bad news, that there is a dead Hong-Nan solider on the beach...this ends the seventh volume.

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My Thoughts

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Not much happens this volume, yet quite a bit does happen. I know that sounds contradictory, but it's very true. The plot doesn't progress at all, but we have a lot of build up with many things happening at once (Miaka-Tama mini-break up, Murder of Tama's family, Departure from Hong-Nan). All these incidents don't have much impact on the plot, but they do set up the next arc of the story so that the plot can progress in the next volume. For example, the mini break up and murder didn't change anything, but they, one, created a new reason for Maika and Tamahome to have their awkward romantic moments, and two, gave Miaka a goal to strive for and a very passionate reason to strive for it. Thus setting up the next part of the story where more romantic entanglements happen and where Miaka has a reason to fight against Yui. The departure, on the other hand, was simply a transitory tool used to make the shift between the first arch (aka gather the seven constalations and summon suzaku) and the next arc (aka find the sacred treasure). Everything done in this volume has a future aim making this volume feel a bit filler-ish. Thankfully, not to make it feel too filler-ish, there are also a lot of revelations made in this volume like the origin of the Japanese translation of the Universe of the Four Gods, as well as Nuriko's past.

Speaking of Nuriko, the guy is really growing on me. At first he was just this annoying vain man in drag, but he has grown and now he is a dependable and empathetic Suzaku warrior. He is still used in comic relief, but he now comes off as goofy rather then annoying. His story was also tender, albeit a little too simple and underdeveloped. I also quite like Tasuki because he acts so tough yet he is a big teddy bear (not to mention he is used very well in comic relief). Actually, all the Suzaku warriors are likable, all except Tamahome. I swear, with each passing volume, he becomes more and more cheesy and dumb. I kept rolling my eyes every time he told Maika that he still had her and would protect her no matter what. I mean how cheesy can you get?! Not to mention he does some pretty stupid things when Miaka is involved (like saving her every single time she does something stupid, often resulting in himself becoming injured)

And Miaka, why do I feel that every time she takes one step forward, she takes two steps back? Every time I grow even the tiniest empathy for her character, she goes and does something really stupid, making me loath her once more. I'm not talking about her stupidity in the comic relief sections (eating a whole bowl of soup, jumping in the water when she can't swim, ect), which I find quite funny and really enjoy. I'm talking about how she couldn't tell Tamahome about the virgin deal in the first place. How she broke the poor guy's heart right when he was spilling it out to her. Seriously! I DO NOT UNDERSTAND why she thought it was a good idea to pretend to be toying with him. Every single time she tries to act strong (trying to deny her emotions), she comes off as weak and immature. It really boggles my mind. Oh and don't get me started on her supposed guilt to Yui. She seems to remember that "guilt" whenever it is useful, and whenever it's not, she doesn't.

Ok, on to more positive things...I love Watase-san's humor and I really appreciate it. It gives Fushigi Yugi a much needed diversion from all the intense drama. I think the little comic scenes here and there really help me enjoy the manga and story. If there was no comic relief and only constant drama, I think it would eventually wear thin on me. I really do think so, because even Tamahome's family slaughter didn't raise any empathy from me. Rather I was thinking, 'ok more drama, yar' and I felt that it only occurred so that Miaka could have a reason to really fight tooth and nail with Yui, aka more drama to come. Luckily, the little bickerings and funny responses from the characters made me chuckle and reminded me that I really like the story, even when the drama gets to be a bit too much.

The art is as usual, gorgeous, but who could expect any less from Watase-san. Overall, this was one of the weaker volumes so far. It wasn't bad per say, just the plot was non-existent in this volume, and because plot is the main reason I read Fushigi Yugi, I ended up enjoying this volume a little less then the previous ones. Nevertheless, little moments of comic relief and revelations (that did advance the plot) did keep me happy. Not to mention that I got to see a lot of Nuriko this volume, and he is easily becoming my favourite character in the whole series, with Tasuki in a close second.

Drama was pretty high in this volume, but Watase-san knows that her little wacky characters and interesting story keep us fans coming back for more. Too bad the main leads are so unlikeable, if they were portrayed in a more mature and intelligent manner, Fushigi Yugi would become a really good read. Right now, it's just a good read. The bottom line, it's still worthy of more investment and I will be continuing with the series; it is just not at the top of my priority list at the moment.

~Joanna