Rhythm games in general carry a certain stigma on their shoulders. With every video you see of some fit youth playing Dance Dance Revolution or some teenager's fast fingers on Guitar Hero, you get the feeling that rhythm games are a closed off genre of game. Well, I'm here to tell you that there are options out there for people that aren't the most fit or most inclined to jump around on a dance pad. Based on the game Elite Beat Agents for the Nintendo DS, which in turn is based on the Ouendan games in Japan, osu! (yes the exclamation and lower case o are part of the title), is a freeware PC rhythm game that at its core only requires your mouse, your fingers and swift wrist movement.
The main game at the heart of osu! is the original Elite Beat Agents formula. Essentially, you click on circles in time with the beat, click and drag your cursor along a track (and back and forth if necessary), and spinning your cursor in a circle. All of this takes place in rhythm with the beat of the song that you're playing. The only song that's built into the game is a brief tutorial that shows you how to play. It doesn't cover the other ways to play, such as beating a taiko drum or catching the beat, but I haven't played those modes myself. In order to get more songs, you have to download what's called beatmaps on the game's site. You can search for a song you want, and there are quite a number of songs to choose from. You'll be able to find English songs, Japanese songs, anime songs and video game songs among others. Once you download a beatmap file, all you have to do is double click on it to import it into osu! for you to play. As with other rhythm games, some beatmaps are easier than others and you'll want to pay attention to what you're downloading. Also, since all beatmaps are created by players in the community, you'll be at the mercy of flexible standards for difficulty. One person's normal is another person's hard, so you'll also need to look at the beatmap's accuracy expectations, hp drain rate and success rate. You may be downloading a beatmap that is labeled as normal, but it might have a 4 or 5 star difficulty. As long as you pay attention to what you're looking at, you'll be able to find beatmaps that are alot of fun for you. Finally the game has a variety of built-in mods that artificially adjust the beatmaps in different ways. Some make the map harder, such as by speeding up the song or darkening the screen. Others make it easier, such as slowing it down or stopping the failure mechanic from happening when your hp reaches 0. There's even an option to have all spinners automatically completed for you so you don't have to wreck your wrist.
I said that anyone can play osu! and I really meant it. You only need to use your mouse and clicking skills in conjunction with spinning your cursor using wrist action. The one caution I have is that the spinning circles can wear out your wrists after a while. The game does warn you about it, but I highly recommend you take breaks so you don't strain your wrist. I've come away with more than one aching wrist, and it doesn't help you get better at the game when you're risking hurting yourself.
Feeling creative and want to make a beatmap for your favorite song? The game has a full level editor so you can edit existing beatmaps and create your own using mp3's on your computer. You can even make and download skins that will make the game look a bit different based on the theme of the skin. When you factor in multiplayer, there is plenty here to keep you busy even if you stick to just the base game mode. I often find myself playing every day even just for a couple songs. It takes some time to get accustomed to how the game plays, but as long as you keep at it and push yourself, you'll find that you're doing better and better while still having fun.
Rhythm games are generally seen as not for everyone. While this is somewhat true since some people aren't fit enough to jump around on dance pads, there are still options out there for the less inclined like myself. osu! is one of those games, and it's a very fun one. With the options you have for searching for songs, the ability to make your own beatmaps and online multiplayer, there is alot of content available to you that is all done by the community. If you're looking for a rhythm game but don't want to jump around on a dance pad or hold a guitar, definitely consider giving osu! a try. Hopefully you'll have as much fun as I'm having!
Recommendation: Looking for an accessible yet very fun rhythm game? Play this one!
You can check out the game at http://osu.ppy.sh/
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Anime Overview: Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer
Note: The version I'll be talking about is the 2004 DVD cut. The original VHS cut has a longer intro scene along with some exposition and extra lines.
The 1990's were full of bad anime. The medium hadn't exploded in popularity in the United States quite yet, and development studios were mostly stuck in a rut due to being considered little more than ultra-violent tentacle porn by a majority of the public. Don't get me wrong, there was a good amount of classics and admirable pieces, but it was definitely easier to find mediocre and downright awful anime during the period. Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer, released in 1996 and based on the fighting game of the same name, unsurprisingly fits into the bad category. However, Gowcaizer manages to cross this threshold that other bad anime wish they could cross. It is so bad, that it's actually worth watching. It manages to be bad in ways that are actually entertaining to see, not ways that make it painful or hard to watch for the most part. Oh by the way, the game this OVA is based on was only available on the Neo Geo in America, so don't feel bad if you've never heard of it.
As with most bad anime of the time, Gowcaizer doesn't really have much of a plot or story to speak of, but there are a few facts. The events are set in a rebuilt city that was originally destroyed by an earthquake sometime in the past, with the rubble used as the battleground for our characters. The story centers around Isato Kaiza, a high school student gifted in martial arts who possesses a mythical thing called a Kaizer (spelling?) Stone which gives him superhero-type powers and a silly costume to wear under the name Gowcaizer. He's not the only one with a Kaizer Stone, however. There's also Kaiza's rival/friend/someone he spars with named Kash Mizuntani. His Kaizer Stone turns him into Hellstinger with his own powers and silly costume. The third part of the heroic trio is Karin Son, a spunky girl who instead of having a Kaizer Stone carries a big stick and an even sillier (and revealing) costume. Among the other characters are Kyosuke Shigure, a brooding transfer student out to get back at our main antagonist, the headmaster Shizuru Ozaki, with the help of his demon sidekick Kubira. Ozaki isn't acting alone, as there is a dark force inside him known as Omni-Exist that has him at his mercy. Ozaki gives out the Kaizer Stones to expert fighting students in the hope that they'll come defeat him and Omni-Exist in order to, you guessed it, save the world. However, you might take comfort in the fact that Ozaki looks suspiciously like Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII. There's also Shaia Ishizaki, the overly exposed side character with a spherical lackey robot named Ball Boy...you heard me. Finally, there's the minor antagonists named Ryo and Suzu Asahina. They're twins who are...closer than you would expect. You'll see what I mean soon enough.
Now I know I said that this OVA is bad, but there are some good things worth noting. Since the OVA is based on a video game and is a standard hour and a half, it moves along at a reasonable pace and doesn't get too caught up in forced drama trying to make the audience care. The action is also fun to watch if you're a fan of superhero-type fights and don't mind characters yelling their moves. The OVA as a whole kind of feels like a video game due to the progression between fights and even a multi-phase final boss fight. Gowcaizer also manages to somewhat escape the tropes that were prevalent in anime of the time by not being filled with over the top blood and gore. This makes it a bit easier to watch, but it cannot quite escape the times in which it was made. Finally, on a less important note, the ending theme is surprisingly awesome. Yeah, it's J-pop to the nth degree, but it fits and is a nice end after this particular OVA.
Now we're onto the negatives and there are plenty of them. First of, as I mentioned before, the plot does not even exist. There's no real way to tell what the characters motivations are except when they physically hit you over the head with what little exposition and character development there is. Also, remember how I said that Gowcaizer couldn't really escape the times? Well, that comes through loud and clear in the show's treatment of women. All of them are shown in incredibly revealing costumes with plenty of breast jiggle on display. I understand that anime has never really held the most progressive view of women in general, but it just gets silly in how much women get objectified and treated like sex objects, especially in 90's anime. It also doesn't help that Hellstinger goes out of his way to tell Karin that she should stay stupid in order to retain her beauty using words she obviously doesn't understand. Things like this are what give anime a bad name and can keep people from watching potentially good anime. Another uncomfortable part of this show is the blatant and obvious incest between Ryo and Suzu Asahina. I'm an extremely open-minded person and I'm not about to judge anyone's life choices or say anything moralistic, but when did anime developers decide that one of the most resilient cliche tropes in anime should be incestuous relationships? I'm not just talking about 90's anime, but also modern anime like Sword Art Online. The DVD cut does remove a direct reference in a line calling it "forbidden love" when Ozaki is talking to the twins, but there is still references to it by the twins as well as a love scene, though nothing goes into porn territory. If this is something you cannot stomach, then I would recommend you be paying attention so you can skip the incest references. Finally, the dub job freely slides between passable and downright silly. You might be okay listening to Kaiza or Hellstinger, but Omni-Exist sounds like she's eating while saying her lines and Karin is your typical screechy teenage girl. It's not the worst dub job in the world, but it definitely could have been better.
The 90's were full of bad anime, but none that got to quite the level of admirable mediocrity as Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer. It's bad, but it reaches the point where it's so bad, it's worthy of watching because you don't really see bad like this everyday especially in this day and age. It manages to mostly avoid being offensive, it's not boring and you don't feel dumber or angry after watching it. It's bad in the more awesome ways! From the nonexistent plot to the silly character designs to the mediocre dub, this OVA is lovable in its generally good-natured awfulness and worthy of getting attached to. It's the worst anime that I don't mind watching over and over again for a good laugh and some relaxation.
Recommendation: If you can find a copy or download it, watch it because you don't see something like this everyday anymore. You might even find yourself enjoying it like I do.
The 1990's were full of bad anime. The medium hadn't exploded in popularity in the United States quite yet, and development studios were mostly stuck in a rut due to being considered little more than ultra-violent tentacle porn by a majority of the public. Don't get me wrong, there was a good amount of classics and admirable pieces, but it was definitely easier to find mediocre and downright awful anime during the period. Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer, released in 1996 and based on the fighting game of the same name, unsurprisingly fits into the bad category. However, Gowcaizer manages to cross this threshold that other bad anime wish they could cross. It is so bad, that it's actually worth watching. It manages to be bad in ways that are actually entertaining to see, not ways that make it painful or hard to watch for the most part. Oh by the way, the game this OVA is based on was only available on the Neo Geo in America, so don't feel bad if you've never heard of it.
As with most bad anime of the time, Gowcaizer doesn't really have much of a plot or story to speak of, but there are a few facts. The events are set in a rebuilt city that was originally destroyed by an earthquake sometime in the past, with the rubble used as the battleground for our characters. The story centers around Isato Kaiza, a high school student gifted in martial arts who possesses a mythical thing called a Kaizer (spelling?) Stone which gives him superhero-type powers and a silly costume to wear under the name Gowcaizer. He's not the only one with a Kaizer Stone, however. There's also Kaiza's rival/friend/someone he spars with named Kash Mizuntani. His Kaizer Stone turns him into Hellstinger with his own powers and silly costume. The third part of the heroic trio is Karin Son, a spunky girl who instead of having a Kaizer Stone carries a big stick and an even sillier (and revealing) costume. Among the other characters are Kyosuke Shigure, a brooding transfer student out to get back at our main antagonist, the headmaster Shizuru Ozaki, with the help of his demon sidekick Kubira. Ozaki isn't acting alone, as there is a dark force inside him known as Omni-Exist that has him at his mercy. Ozaki gives out the Kaizer Stones to expert fighting students in the hope that they'll come defeat him and Omni-Exist in order to, you guessed it, save the world. However, you might take comfort in the fact that Ozaki looks suspiciously like Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII. There's also Shaia Ishizaki, the overly exposed side character with a spherical lackey robot named Ball Boy...you heard me. Finally, there's the minor antagonists named Ryo and Suzu Asahina. They're twins who are...closer than you would expect. You'll see what I mean soon enough.
Now I know I said that this OVA is bad, but there are some good things worth noting. Since the OVA is based on a video game and is a standard hour and a half, it moves along at a reasonable pace and doesn't get too caught up in forced drama trying to make the audience care. The action is also fun to watch if you're a fan of superhero-type fights and don't mind characters yelling their moves. The OVA as a whole kind of feels like a video game due to the progression between fights and even a multi-phase final boss fight. Gowcaizer also manages to somewhat escape the tropes that were prevalent in anime of the time by not being filled with over the top blood and gore. This makes it a bit easier to watch, but it cannot quite escape the times in which it was made. Finally, on a less important note, the ending theme is surprisingly awesome. Yeah, it's J-pop to the nth degree, but it fits and is a nice end after this particular OVA.
Now we're onto the negatives and there are plenty of them. First of, as I mentioned before, the plot does not even exist. There's no real way to tell what the characters motivations are except when they physically hit you over the head with what little exposition and character development there is. Also, remember how I said that Gowcaizer couldn't really escape the times? Well, that comes through loud and clear in the show's treatment of women. All of them are shown in incredibly revealing costumes with plenty of breast jiggle on display. I understand that anime has never really held the most progressive view of women in general, but it just gets silly in how much women get objectified and treated like sex objects, especially in 90's anime. It also doesn't help that Hellstinger goes out of his way to tell Karin that she should stay stupid in order to retain her beauty using words she obviously doesn't understand. Things like this are what give anime a bad name and can keep people from watching potentially good anime. Another uncomfortable part of this show is the blatant and obvious incest between Ryo and Suzu Asahina. I'm an extremely open-minded person and I'm not about to judge anyone's life choices or say anything moralistic, but when did anime developers decide that one of the most resilient cliche tropes in anime should be incestuous relationships? I'm not just talking about 90's anime, but also modern anime like Sword Art Online. The DVD cut does remove a direct reference in a line calling it "forbidden love" when Ozaki is talking to the twins, but there is still references to it by the twins as well as a love scene, though nothing goes into porn territory. If this is something you cannot stomach, then I would recommend you be paying attention so you can skip the incest references. Finally, the dub job freely slides between passable and downright silly. You might be okay listening to Kaiza or Hellstinger, but Omni-Exist sounds like she's eating while saying her lines and Karin is your typical screechy teenage girl. It's not the worst dub job in the world, but it definitely could have been better.
The 90's were full of bad anime, but none that got to quite the level of admirable mediocrity as Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer. It's bad, but it reaches the point where it's so bad, it's worthy of watching because you don't really see bad like this everyday especially in this day and age. It manages to mostly avoid being offensive, it's not boring and you don't feel dumber or angry after watching it. It's bad in the more awesome ways! From the nonexistent plot to the silly character designs to the mediocre dub, this OVA is lovable in its generally good-natured awfulness and worthy of getting attached to. It's the worst anime that I don't mind watching over and over again for a good laugh and some relaxation.
Recommendation: If you can find a copy or download it, watch it because you don't see something like this everyday anymore. You might even find yourself enjoying it like I do.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Final Fantasy XIV: The MMO Comeback of the Century
It's not often that one talks about recovering MMORPG's (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). Usually when an MMO is designated as a failure, most gamers (except for the most dedicated fans) will move on to a game worth their time and subscription money if necessary. What's even more rare is to find that an MMO is getting redesigned and relaunched after it has already been on the market. That's exactly what's happening to Final Fantasy XIV Online, the second MMO in Square Enix's flagship franchise. While the relaunch is still in closed beta right now, it's obvious that the developers have a clear vision of what the game is going to be like by the time it launches.
To say that Final Fantasy XIV was a mess would be an understatement, especially when it was released in September, 2010. Gamers and critics alike gave absolutely scathing reviews, citing sluggish UI, boring quest structure, stupid arbitrary limits on progression and shocking lack of content among many other things. The game was simply considered to be completely not up to par for a 2010 MMO. The only areas people had good things to say were in the beautiful visuals and rather nice soundtrack. Even the graphics came under fire for requiring top of the line PCs in order to be enjoyed properly. About 3 months after launch, the development team was reshuffled and a new face was brought in to be the Producer AND Director. This new face, Naoki Yoshida, promised that the game would improve over the coming months. In a short sentence, it did. Most people would agree that the game did improve quite a bit as time went on and was close to becoming a truly enjoyable game. It was almost worthy of the legendary "Final Fantasy" brand. However, in October 2011, Yoshida (known in the community as Yoshi-P) announced that the game was going to relaunched as version 2.0. It was emphasized from the beginning that this would be a ground-up reboot of the game, not an update or patch. Then in 2012 the game was revealed to be Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
The original version (which made it to patch 1.23 over the course of a bit more than 2 years) breathed its last breath in November before the servers were taken offline. Alpha testing for A Realm Reborn began immediately afterward, with beta testing starting in February. Currently, as of this post, the game is nearing the end of Phase 3 of closed testing and is set to go into open beta in the near future. There is a partial non-disclosure agreement against video and audio footage of the game right now, but I am able to talk about it in its current beta. To say that there have been changes is an even bigger understatement than the one in the last paragraph. The game has been overhauled in just about every way, sporting a brand new engine, visuals, updated UI and revamped gameplay. The game, in my opinion, seems to have a lot more potential to remain relevant and fun for years. While I could go into great detail about every little thing and make this a novel of a post, I'll just say that the game has potential right now to be an MMO that you can stick with and support for years, not just months or a year.
Now that's not to say that everything is absolutely perfect, there have been some areas where the game has compromised. The visuals are not quite as bleeding edge as version 1.0, but they still look really good now that the game can run well on my computer. The other drawback is that A Realm Reborn isn't the most innovative MMO in the world. It borrows things from other successful MMO's and adjusts them to fit into a Final Fantasy game. While some might bemoan another MMO that sticks close to the pack, I believe that this was the best choice Square Enix could have made. Considering how much financial trouble they've been in recently, they can't really afford to take risks on ideas that might not work out. Version 1.0 did much harm to Square Enix financially, leading to them laying off employees and delaying/cancelling many projects. They need a sound investment that's going to make them money right from the start, and that's what A Realm Reborn will do from my perspective.
Not many MMO's get a second chance anymore. They either are successful right off the bat or they languish in mediocrity. Sure, the developers might try to update the game to fix problems, but it never quite removes the feeling of disappointment from grumbling early adopters. The game may change, but the legacy usually stays the same. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is in a league of its own in this regard. From where I'm sitting, the game is looking to be a very enjoyable game through and through even though it's still in beta. There's still time for things to be improved and bugs to be fixed before its August 27th launch, but right now the game is refreshingly stable and the development team has come through with flying colors delivering a fun and engaging experience in a genre that's still dominated by the shadow of World of Warcraft. I highly recommend getting involved in beta if you're interested. Otherwise, the official launch is fast approaching. Let the fun continue!
To say that Final Fantasy XIV was a mess would be an understatement, especially when it was released in September, 2010. Gamers and critics alike gave absolutely scathing reviews, citing sluggish UI, boring quest structure, stupid arbitrary limits on progression and shocking lack of content among many other things. The game was simply considered to be completely not up to par for a 2010 MMO. The only areas people had good things to say were in the beautiful visuals and rather nice soundtrack. Even the graphics came under fire for requiring top of the line PCs in order to be enjoyed properly. About 3 months after launch, the development team was reshuffled and a new face was brought in to be the Producer AND Director. This new face, Naoki Yoshida, promised that the game would improve over the coming months. In a short sentence, it did. Most people would agree that the game did improve quite a bit as time went on and was close to becoming a truly enjoyable game. It was almost worthy of the legendary "Final Fantasy" brand. However, in October 2011, Yoshida (known in the community as Yoshi-P) announced that the game was going to relaunched as version 2.0. It was emphasized from the beginning that this would be a ground-up reboot of the game, not an update or patch. Then in 2012 the game was revealed to be Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
The original version (which made it to patch 1.23 over the course of a bit more than 2 years) breathed its last breath in November before the servers were taken offline. Alpha testing for A Realm Reborn began immediately afterward, with beta testing starting in February. Currently, as of this post, the game is nearing the end of Phase 3 of closed testing and is set to go into open beta in the near future. There is a partial non-disclosure agreement against video and audio footage of the game right now, but I am able to talk about it in its current beta. To say that there have been changes is an even bigger understatement than the one in the last paragraph. The game has been overhauled in just about every way, sporting a brand new engine, visuals, updated UI and revamped gameplay. The game, in my opinion, seems to have a lot more potential to remain relevant and fun for years. While I could go into great detail about every little thing and make this a novel of a post, I'll just say that the game has potential right now to be an MMO that you can stick with and support for years, not just months or a year.
Now that's not to say that everything is absolutely perfect, there have been some areas where the game has compromised. The visuals are not quite as bleeding edge as version 1.0, but they still look really good now that the game can run well on my computer. The other drawback is that A Realm Reborn isn't the most innovative MMO in the world. It borrows things from other successful MMO's and adjusts them to fit into a Final Fantasy game. While some might bemoan another MMO that sticks close to the pack, I believe that this was the best choice Square Enix could have made. Considering how much financial trouble they've been in recently, they can't really afford to take risks on ideas that might not work out. Version 1.0 did much harm to Square Enix financially, leading to them laying off employees and delaying/cancelling many projects. They need a sound investment that's going to make them money right from the start, and that's what A Realm Reborn will do from my perspective.
Not many MMO's get a second chance anymore. They either are successful right off the bat or they languish in mediocrity. Sure, the developers might try to update the game to fix problems, but it never quite removes the feeling of disappointment from grumbling early adopters. The game may change, but the legacy usually stays the same. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is in a league of its own in this regard. From where I'm sitting, the game is looking to be a very enjoyable game through and through even though it's still in beta. There's still time for things to be improved and bugs to be fixed before its August 27th launch, but right now the game is refreshingly stable and the development team has come through with flying colors delivering a fun and engaging experience in a genre that's still dominated by the shadow of World of Warcraft. I highly recommend getting involved in beta if you're interested. Otherwise, the official launch is fast approaching. Let the fun continue!
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Anime Overview: Lucky Star
Note: I will be talking specifically about the 26 episode TV series
One of the great things about anime is that it allows people (non-Japanese people specifically) to get insight into another culture in a foreign country. Traces of Japanese culture exists in all kinds of anime back through the ages. Nowhere is this insight more clear and pure than in the Slice of Life (SoL) genre. Focusing on day-to-day life in Japan, SoL anime walks a fine line between being interesting/engaging and just being dull. Lucky Star, originally released in 2007, manages to show off enough of Japanese culture and society to be fascinating, but the actual story and character dialogue can take some effort to sit through. Bluntly said, it can get boring for most people.
The show follows the daily lives and adventures of four Japanese high school girls during their last 2 years of high schools. One of the most notable things about the show is the amount of anime references packed into the characters, setting and story despite being a SoL anime through and through. For example, the 4 main characters all fit a particular stereotype that has become a mainstay in modern anime. There's Konata, the lazy otaku. There's Kagami, the doting older sister to Tsukasa, the well-meaning airhead. Finally there's Miyuki, the wispy, almost sickeningly sweet cutie pie rich girl. Over the course of the show, we are introduced to many other characters who fit different stereotypes and cliches in anime, everything from the pervy geek dad to the over frail cousin and many more. The regular cast is colorful and diverse as well as familiar to anybody who regularly watches anime, but I'm not completely sold on the main cast. For example, Konata is lazy, uncaring about her future and kind of a bitch to Kagami about her weight, looks, etc. She then has the gall to get pissy when Kagami does the same to her. None of these traits make her a good person in my eyes, and I don't know how people can forgive all of this because she's relate-able as an otaku. The show attempts to play off Konata and Kagami's jabs at each other, but it gets downright hurtful-sounding after a while.
That's not to say Konata is the only problem with the show. Kagami can be a pain to listen to herself because she is so focused on the future that she will often rag on Konata and Tsukasa because they slack off more. She seems to have grown up too fast and doesn't know how to relax and let her over-maturity slide in favor of enjoying her time in high school more. Tsukasa and Miyuki, to me, are more bearable because I know of someone in real life who is like Tsukasa and Miyuki's warmth and friendliness make her easier to listen to. Another issue is that many of the typical love it or hate it stereotypes that have infested modern anime are present loud and clear in this show. You certainly won't be seeing much in the way of innovation or breaking away from the pack in this show. However, the main issue BY FAR is the overall pacing of the show. Like I said before, SoL anime toes the line between engaging and dull and Lucky Star seems okay with being just plain dull sometimes, especially in conversations between the girls. The show isn't dull across the board through all 26 episodes, in fact the show can get quite interesting at times, but it is the one sticking point that I can see keeping people away or leaving them disliking the show.
So what does Lucky Star get right? Well, it is a fascinating insight into Japanese society and culture. I've learned more about life in Japan from this show than I have from most other sources. If only the show didn't grind itself to a halt to focus on the girls talking about food or Konata procrastinating on homework to the point of absurdity. The show, particularly Konata herself, is also very relate-able for many different kinds of nerds. Some of her best moments come when she's nerding out over the MMORPG that she plays or getting a part time job to fuel her obsessions. The English dub for the most part isn't perfect, but the voices mostly fit the characters personalities and can hold their own compared to similar anime. I can also appreciate how much love there is for nerd culture in the show not limited to just anime. The show will even sometimes take on a look and feel that is a reference in and of itself, such as a driving scene that mirrors Initial-D and some humorous scenes involving over the top action beats centering around getting service from Konata (called "Legendary Girl A" by those side characters). The show as a whole is an entertaining sit when you're expecting how slow it can go, but the first time viewer can easily have trouble sitting through it without just calling it "boring".
Slice of Life anime can be a challenge to sit through if you're expecting engaging action scenes and swift storylines. However, it can be a great genre for the casual viewer or someone looking for a slower-paced kind of anime. While it is understandable that some may dismiss it as "boring", I still can recommend Lucky Star for someone looking to jump into a nerd-loving anime that shows a great deal more Japanese society and culture than one would expect. If you know what you're going to get (and what you're not going to get), Lucky Star can be an entertaining and relaxing anime. If, however, you need action and swift/sweeping storylines, then you might not be able to tolerate Lucky Star's slow and deliberate pace to get to the entertaining/humorous parts.
Recommendation: Worth watching if you know what you're getting into.
One of the great things about anime is that it allows people (non-Japanese people specifically) to get insight into another culture in a foreign country. Traces of Japanese culture exists in all kinds of anime back through the ages. Nowhere is this insight more clear and pure than in the Slice of Life (SoL) genre. Focusing on day-to-day life in Japan, SoL anime walks a fine line between being interesting/engaging and just being dull. Lucky Star, originally released in 2007, manages to show off enough of Japanese culture and society to be fascinating, but the actual story and character dialogue can take some effort to sit through. Bluntly said, it can get boring for most people.
The show follows the daily lives and adventures of four Japanese high school girls during their last 2 years of high schools. One of the most notable things about the show is the amount of anime references packed into the characters, setting and story despite being a SoL anime through and through. For example, the 4 main characters all fit a particular stereotype that has become a mainstay in modern anime. There's Konata, the lazy otaku. There's Kagami, the doting older sister to Tsukasa, the well-meaning airhead. Finally there's Miyuki, the wispy, almost sickeningly sweet cutie pie rich girl. Over the course of the show, we are introduced to many other characters who fit different stereotypes and cliches in anime, everything from the pervy geek dad to the over frail cousin and many more. The regular cast is colorful and diverse as well as familiar to anybody who regularly watches anime, but I'm not completely sold on the main cast. For example, Konata is lazy, uncaring about her future and kind of a bitch to Kagami about her weight, looks, etc. She then has the gall to get pissy when Kagami does the same to her. None of these traits make her a good person in my eyes, and I don't know how people can forgive all of this because she's relate-able as an otaku. The show attempts to play off Konata and Kagami's jabs at each other, but it gets downright hurtful-sounding after a while.
That's not to say Konata is the only problem with the show. Kagami can be a pain to listen to herself because she is so focused on the future that she will often rag on Konata and Tsukasa because they slack off more. She seems to have grown up too fast and doesn't know how to relax and let her over-maturity slide in favor of enjoying her time in high school more. Tsukasa and Miyuki, to me, are more bearable because I know of someone in real life who is like Tsukasa and Miyuki's warmth and friendliness make her easier to listen to. Another issue is that many of the typical love it or hate it stereotypes that have infested modern anime are present loud and clear in this show. You certainly won't be seeing much in the way of innovation or breaking away from the pack in this show. However, the main issue BY FAR is the overall pacing of the show. Like I said before, SoL anime toes the line between engaging and dull and Lucky Star seems okay with being just plain dull sometimes, especially in conversations between the girls. The show isn't dull across the board through all 26 episodes, in fact the show can get quite interesting at times, but it is the one sticking point that I can see keeping people away or leaving them disliking the show.
So what does Lucky Star get right? Well, it is a fascinating insight into Japanese society and culture. I've learned more about life in Japan from this show than I have from most other sources. If only the show didn't grind itself to a halt to focus on the girls talking about food or Konata procrastinating on homework to the point of absurdity. The show, particularly Konata herself, is also very relate-able for many different kinds of nerds. Some of her best moments come when she's nerding out over the MMORPG that she plays or getting a part time job to fuel her obsessions. The English dub for the most part isn't perfect, but the voices mostly fit the characters personalities and can hold their own compared to similar anime. I can also appreciate how much love there is for nerd culture in the show not limited to just anime. The show will even sometimes take on a look and feel that is a reference in and of itself, such as a driving scene that mirrors Initial-D and some humorous scenes involving over the top action beats centering around getting service from Konata (called "Legendary Girl A" by those side characters). The show as a whole is an entertaining sit when you're expecting how slow it can go, but the first time viewer can easily have trouble sitting through it without just calling it "boring".
Slice of Life anime can be a challenge to sit through if you're expecting engaging action scenes and swift storylines. However, it can be a great genre for the casual viewer or someone looking for a slower-paced kind of anime. While it is understandable that some may dismiss it as "boring", I still can recommend Lucky Star for someone looking to jump into a nerd-loving anime that shows a great deal more Japanese society and culture than one would expect. If you know what you're going to get (and what you're not going to get), Lucky Star can be an entertaining and relaxing anime. If, however, you need action and swift/sweeping storylines, then you might not be able to tolerate Lucky Star's slow and deliberate pace to get to the entertaining/humorous parts.
Recommendation: Worth watching if you know what you're getting into.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Democrats Have a Long Way to Go in Texas
It sounds like a easy plan with an inevitable result. You have a comfortably red state controlled by conservative Republicans in the legislature and under a conservative Republican governor. If that majority wants to pass legislation that enacts abortion restrictions and other things that make pro-lifers happy, it shouldn't be too much of a challenge to step over Democrat opposition and get it to the governor's desk quickly. However, if you live in the great state of Texas, that is proving to be much more of a challenge than anyone expected. Thanks to one ambitious state Senator and an outpouring of support from both citizens and national Democrats, what should be an easy procedure is proving to be an immense challenge and a sign of resurgence on the left in Texas. However, there is still a long way to go for both state and national Democrats to move Texas to blue, or even purple.
Nobody ever expected that anti-abortion legislation in bright red Texas wouldn't pass. In a legislature controlled by Republicans under the leadership of Governor Rick Perry, everybody just knew that it would pass handily. Indeed, it still could pass handily at anytime. However, thanks to state Senator Wendy Davis, the bill (S.B. 5 in the Texas State Senate) has yet to be passed. Davis defied all the odds when she maintained an 11 hour talking filibuster of the bill entirely on her own under Texas' incredibly restrictive filibuster rules. For example, in order to filibuster a bill in the Texas Senate you must:
1. You must act entirely on your own. You cannot split the talking between 2 or more Senators.
2. You cannot eat or drink anything at all.
3. You must stay on the topic of the bill being filibustered. Sorry, no phone books allowed.
4. You must stay at the podium where you are talking without moving around or leaning on the table or anyone.
The filibuster was successful in running out the clock on the special legislative session without a vote on the bill. However, Governor Perry promised to call another special session (taking advantage of a power to call special sessions in cases of emergency) to push the bill through the Senate. The question now is whether Davis can continue to hold up the bill until Republicans give up for the summer. The legislature is adjourned until July 9th.
This whole phenomenon in Texas has caused an unexpected resurgence of Texas Democrats rallying behind Senator Davis on the pro-choice side of the debate. This phenomenon is the latest indication that Democrats insist mean that Texas is losing some of its red shine. One of the major pipe dreams for Democrats is to see Texas go blue (or even purple). It's been a dream of the Democratic party for years. If you look just at demographics and voter trends, you might be inclined to think that this change in Texas is a wave of change that will come soon. However, even with the Wendy Davis phenomenon, the pro-choice Democratic insurgency and voter demographics, Democrats still have a long way to go before Texas becomes any shade of blue.
First, let's take a look at the Davis filibuster and pro-choice uprising in Texas. Despite all of the support for Wendy Davis and rising opposition to S.B. 5, the bill itself can still easily pass the legislature and fly right to Rick Perry, who has promised to sign the bill into law. Davis herself has made use of procedural snags to hold up the Senate from voting on the bill. If the Republican majority can weather the storm of both Davis and the people protesting the bill, then this bill can become law. This isn't the only challenge facing Democrats in the Lone Star State. The second challenge is that changing voter demographics take a long time to affect elections. It's no surprise that the Hispanic and young voter blocs break for Democrats, but Texas still has a large white bloc that votes overwhelmingly Republican in both state and federal elections. Remember, this is the state that gave us both George W. Bush and Ted Cruz. This rallying point for Democrats is a good first step in tandem with the support of Hispanic voters, but there is still a long way to go before Texas starts looking purple.
If there was one thing I could say to the Democratic party in Texas, it would be this: Keep your hands in control of the operation. Don't think just because voter demographics are changing that this is a Rube Goldberg kind of situation. Republicans still hold control comfortably at all levels in Texas, and it will be a tough fight to take it away from them. However, Democrats are moving in the right direction to make Texas a competitive state in the 2020's and beyond.
Nobody ever expected that anti-abortion legislation in bright red Texas wouldn't pass. In a legislature controlled by Republicans under the leadership of Governor Rick Perry, everybody just knew that it would pass handily. Indeed, it still could pass handily at anytime. However, thanks to state Senator Wendy Davis, the bill (S.B. 5 in the Texas State Senate) has yet to be passed. Davis defied all the odds when she maintained an 11 hour talking filibuster of the bill entirely on her own under Texas' incredibly restrictive filibuster rules. For example, in order to filibuster a bill in the Texas Senate you must:
1. You must act entirely on your own. You cannot split the talking between 2 or more Senators.
2. You cannot eat or drink anything at all.
3. You must stay on the topic of the bill being filibustered. Sorry, no phone books allowed.
4. You must stay at the podium where you are talking without moving around or leaning on the table or anyone.
The filibuster was successful in running out the clock on the special legislative session without a vote on the bill. However, Governor Perry promised to call another special session (taking advantage of a power to call special sessions in cases of emergency) to push the bill through the Senate. The question now is whether Davis can continue to hold up the bill until Republicans give up for the summer. The legislature is adjourned until July 9th.
This whole phenomenon in Texas has caused an unexpected resurgence of Texas Democrats rallying behind Senator Davis on the pro-choice side of the debate. This phenomenon is the latest indication that Democrats insist mean that Texas is losing some of its red shine. One of the major pipe dreams for Democrats is to see Texas go blue (or even purple). It's been a dream of the Democratic party for years. If you look just at demographics and voter trends, you might be inclined to think that this change in Texas is a wave of change that will come soon. However, even with the Wendy Davis phenomenon, the pro-choice Democratic insurgency and voter demographics, Democrats still have a long way to go before Texas becomes any shade of blue.
First, let's take a look at the Davis filibuster and pro-choice uprising in Texas. Despite all of the support for Wendy Davis and rising opposition to S.B. 5, the bill itself can still easily pass the legislature and fly right to Rick Perry, who has promised to sign the bill into law. Davis herself has made use of procedural snags to hold up the Senate from voting on the bill. If the Republican majority can weather the storm of both Davis and the people protesting the bill, then this bill can become law. This isn't the only challenge facing Democrats in the Lone Star State. The second challenge is that changing voter demographics take a long time to affect elections. It's no surprise that the Hispanic and young voter blocs break for Democrats, but Texas still has a large white bloc that votes overwhelmingly Republican in both state and federal elections. Remember, this is the state that gave us both George W. Bush and Ted Cruz. This rallying point for Democrats is a good first step in tandem with the support of Hispanic voters, but there is still a long way to go before Texas starts looking purple.
If there was one thing I could say to the Democratic party in Texas, it would be this: Keep your hands in control of the operation. Don't think just because voter demographics are changing that this is a Rube Goldberg kind of situation. Republicans still hold control comfortably at all levels in Texas, and it will be a tough fight to take it away from them. However, Democrats are moving in the right direction to make Texas a competitive state in the 2020's and beyond.
World Premiere!
Well it's the moment that hopefully someone has been waiting for: the first post on my brand new blog! Hooraaaaay yaaaaay! Hopefully you've taken a gander at the About Me and Policies page so you can understand a little bit about myself and how I approach the various topics I'll be talking about. Hopefully once you've read those pages, this blog will be more enjoyable for you.
I know some might ask why I decided now (at almost 20 years old) to start up this blog, but this is a decision that's been a long time coming. I first thought about starting up a blog last summer, but I didn't get solidly interested until near the end of sophomore year of college when I finally felt like I had something worthwhile to say. Once that happened, then I started seriously planning what I wanted to do. However, it took a while for me to actually put fingers to keyboard and set this thing up because of life taking up most of my time. Now that I have the free time and the willpower too see this through, the blog you see before you has come to life! I look forward to sharing some of my ramblings and observations with you, and hopefully produce something you'll enjoy reading. From the comfort of my desk, I'll be bringing to you my thoughts on a number of things in a hopefully entertaining and informative way.
I promised myself I wouldn't let myself talk endlessly in the first post, so I'm gonna end this post early like the awkward first day of school before I ramble on endlessly about nothing. I'll save my voice for a more interesting subject. I look forward to talking about stuff that interests me as well as your enjoyment of my work. See you next time, whoever you are that happens to be reading this!
-Kyle
I know some might ask why I decided now (at almost 20 years old) to start up this blog, but this is a decision that's been a long time coming. I first thought about starting up a blog last summer, but I didn't get solidly interested until near the end of sophomore year of college when I finally felt like I had something worthwhile to say. Once that happened, then I started seriously planning what I wanted to do. However, it took a while for me to actually put fingers to keyboard and set this thing up because of life taking up most of my time. Now that I have the free time and the willpower too see this through, the blog you see before you has come to life! I look forward to sharing some of my ramblings and observations with you, and hopefully produce something you'll enjoy reading. From the comfort of my desk, I'll be bringing to you my thoughts on a number of things in a hopefully entertaining and informative way.
I promised myself I wouldn't let myself talk endlessly in the first post, so I'm gonna end this post early like the awkward first day of school before I ramble on endlessly about nothing. I'll save my voice for a more interesting subject. I look forward to talking about stuff that interests me as well as your enjoyment of my work. See you next time, whoever you are that happens to be reading this!
-Kyle
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