Atashinchi

Atashinchi

Saturday, June 25, 2016 / No Comments

One day, an average salaryman was sitting under the trees for a breather. It was probably his lunch break or something, as there was a small bag of stuff from the nearby convenience store. The weather had been an awful one, and the salaryman was thankful for the little shade. As he was getting ready to eat however, an enormous presence had just walked past, nearly concealing him. It was Mrs. Fish Head...uh, Mrs. Tachibana. She was out shopping with some friends.

Mrs. Fish Head...uh, Mrs. Tachibana had been procrastinating for quite a bit over mundane things around the house. Her frustrations seemed to have multiplied with her age, though everybody in her family had more or less looked the same even after so many years. I didn't realise until much later that her children had been 17 and 14 respectively, and stayed those ages. Ah, one of the perks of getting stuck in an anime! 

The other day, the fish head...Mrs. Tachibana was spending some quality time with her friends, Mrs. Mizushima and Mrs. Toyama. I was rather taken aback by the sharp contrast from that, as Mrs. Tachibana had actually imposed on her family different cost-saving measures. Unless the high-tea set was free of charge, which would be too much of a tall story then. They looked just as surprised, though I had no idea why.

There was some hearsay of Mrs. Tachibana dreaming of becoming a celebrated flamenco dancer. Well, while nobody's dream should ever be deprived of, Mrs. Tachibana had looked awfully uncomfortable in that elaborate get-up. It was still pretty commendable though, in the comical sense. The fallen rose petals were later collected for a relaxing bath back home.

I once stumbled upon a dangerously close mugshot of Mrs. Tachibana along the sidewalk of a common street. Apparently, she had been chosen to grace some healthy lifestyle campaign for a supermarket. Her family was mostly supportive of the idea, even though it meant munching on greens and such for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Then, there was the unfortunate, near-tragic incident of the youngest son Yuzuhiko walking in to find his big sister Mikan talking on the phone while stripped down to only her undergarments. Nobody knew for sure what had happened after that, but Yuzuhiko's eyes were still working fine the last time I saw him.

It had been a nice experience dreaming of Atashinchi. It was even nicer laughing uncontrollably at just how ridiculously funny the Tachibana family could be. I wouldn't mind going through their lives again and again!

Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪   
 

Happy Birthday Sonic!

Happy Birthday Sonic!

/ No Comments

It is the 25th anniversary of that famous mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega's blue spinning Hedgehog is still a favourite amongst nostalgic gamers. And everyone is celebrating his birthday in a huge way. 

We shall start with Sega's Official Sonic Twitter Account. They are producing anniversary T-shirts and coins! And you can join their lucky draw now to get signed versions! 

You can also head down to Huistenbosch in Nagasaki for their special Puyo Puyo/Sonic event and buy exclusive goods. Enjoy the games on the big display screens at the event hall!

PSO2 has redecorated its lobby with a Sonic mini game! And they are giving all players an exclusive Sonic item when you input Sonic into the chat window! Nice overlap with their Sakura Taisen collaboration.

Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax also has added a  new Sonic stage! It seems that even the gaming industry is full of Sonic fans. 

Attention all Hatsune Miku fans. PS4's Project DIVA FT has Hatsune Miku in a Sonic outfit available for DLC to celebrate both Sonic and its 6th year anniversary.

Nintendo also release Mario and Sonic Rio Olympic on WiiU today. Sonic really is consoles' Mickey Mouse. 

Let's not forget the fans. A Primary School kid made this cake and Sega posted it on their Twitter. Never too young to catch Sonic Fever!

Latte art from yet another fan. 

Sonic! Sega staff fooling around the entrance of their arcade.

There is also talk of a new Sonic game. I will write another article once we have more details. Once again, happy birthday Sonic!

Written by Don

Animangaki Gijinka Cosplay Competition 2016

Animangaki Gijinka Cosplay Competition 2016

Thursday, June 23, 2016 / No Comments

WHAT IF ... BECOMES HUMAN?

 

AniManGaki 2016 proudly presents a brand new competition - AniManGaki Gijinka Cosplay Competition! This competition aims to promote innovation & creativity, simultaneously introducing the concept of "Gijinka".

"Gijinka", in short, is a fan re-design of a subject matter in a human form (i.e. humanisation / personification). The theme for AniManGaki 2016 Gijinka Cosplay Competition is Street Food.

 

COMPETITION PRIZES

The most creative and eye capturing costume will stand a chance to grab the following awesome prizes:

Grand Prize

Cash & goodies worth RM1,200+

1st Runner Up

Cash & goodies worth RM1,000+

2nd Runner Up

Cash & goodies worth RM800+

Take part and show us what you are capable of!

 

RULES & REGULATIONS

• This competition is open to all regardless of nationality.
• Both solo and group entries are allowed, with a maximum of 2 members per group. Each entry allows a maximum of 2 cosplayer participants on stage for judging purposes and crowd appeal. Stage helpers are not allowed in this competition.
• No participant can submit more than one entry in this competition.
• Participants entering the competition will go through the following process:
• Registration
• Submission of references
• Stage performance

         Non-compliance would result in disqualification.

• All costumes must be creations based on the given theme and unpublished beforehand (including non-participation in other similar competitions).
• By entering the competition, participants have consented by default that AniManGaki reserves the right to use participants' images for publication and promotional purposes.
• AniManGaki reserves the right to disqualify anyone who is deemed unsuitable for the competition, and judges' decisions are final. Have fun!

COMPETITION REGISTRATION

• To enter the competition:
• Please complete the registration form with required details, and
• Submit a photo & brief description of your chosen street food, and
• Submit your design sketch(es) including an explanation of your central idea of the design. You are highly encouraged to submit the sketch in .jpg/.png format (total file size not exceeding 10MB).

         Should you encounter any submission difficulty, please email here.

• Registration officially ends on 31.07.2016 at 11.59PM (GMT+8) or when all 12* slots are taken, whichever earlier. Registration is on a first-come-first-serve basis. *Subject to change
• Every submission is final; please ensure all details provided are complete & accurate. Incomplete & inaccurate submissions will be disqualified.
• An acknowledgement email will be sent to you within one week of registration submission, confirming your participation in the competition. 

SUBMISSION OF REFERENCES

• Once you have received the acknowledgement email, you have until 20.08.2016 at 11.59PM (GMT+8) to submit photos of your completed costume and props. Please email us with the subject title "AMG Gijinka - Your Name".
• Photos of the completed costume and props must be submitted with colour. Your costume will not be judged based on the submitted photos.

STAGE PERFORMANCE

• All confirmed participants will directly advance into the finals which will be held on AniManGaki Day 1, i.e. 27.08.2016 (Saturday).
• All confirmed participants are required to prepare one simple stage performance (e.g. catwalk, character intro etc.) for not less than 1 minute and not exceeding 3 minutes.
• Upon performing, all confirmed participants are subject to a Q&A session conducted by the judging panel.
• Should you require the usage of audio files for your performance, please email us the audio files latest by 20.08.2016, together with your submission of references.
• Please bring your audio files in a pendrive/CD on competition day for backup purposes.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Design concept and creativity	30%
Execution complexity	30%
Costume (including props, if any)	25%
Stage performance	15%
TOTAL	100%

 Written by Max
 

The power of an inspired gamer: VR Ragnarok!

The power of an inspired gamer: VR Ragnarok!

Wednesday, June 22, 2016 / 2 Comments

Time and time again, we have been surprised by the sheer tenacity of the avid fan. When I last wrote about Holographic Yugioh, I certainly was not expecting to come across an even better fan project now. 

Ragnarok Online was certainly one of Korea's biggest MMORPG then. But it's appeal was certainly not graphics. Because it was still, essentially, a slightly evolved 2d game. Though a huge hit then, it is simplistic compared to the titles we have now. 

RO was released back home in 2002. And it has been translated and released again all over the globe. Now, 14 years late, a Taiwanese fan,David Tai has been keeping the flame bright with his Unity project; RO x VR. Already there are 150000 views!

This is his latest video on the project. It is incredibly detailed (40 minutes long!) and very technical indeed. The video starts with the first town and it is more like a beginner's guide to RO x VR. David is trying to retain the 2D feel of RO with VR interaction, so even though the entire town is rendered in 3D, the NPCs, monsters, your status screen,etc, all are still in 2D. 

Interaction with NPC is interesting. They will only respond when you are within talking range. This is to avoid any lag or complications when there are many players in the same space trying to get to the same NPC. Wave your hands to open up the dialogue window, and select your options. It's already looking very good so far.

We next move to the fun part, combat. He demos this with the pink poring, RO's mascot. You choose the weapon you want from your equipment list, and it materialises IN YOUR HAND! This is fantastic! You can stab it into the ground, pick it up with your other hand, etc. The freedom of motion is simply unbelievable. David has retained the original damage digits, it appears in white when you attack, and in red when you get hit. As in the original RO, the Poring will only attack you if you hit it. 

Once you kill a monster, whatever it drops will appear on the ground and you have to pick it up to retain it. And David explains that normal critical, dodge and hit rates still apply. So you might hit a monster, but that doesn't mean it takes damage every time. Same goes when you are attacked. 

There are of course many bugs to be worked out. Running around is a big problem, because you have to be physically running, and I think he made the map too big, because he does not seem to be covering much ground even when jogging for some time. And 3D vertigo is quite bad because the googles jerk when you move. 

Already some Japanese fans are already hailing it as RO meets SAO, with some wondering why RO2 could not be done like this instead. He apparently built the entire thing from scratch, so everything is seamless. 

All in all an astonishing project. He seems determined to complete it, so subscribe to his channel and follow his updates.

Written by Don

Kanojo wa Rokurokubi

Kanojo wa Rokurokubi

/ No Comments

I have been wondering about strange phenomena and supernatural occurrences lately, thanks to the timely touchdown of not one but two iconic ghosts in Japanese film history. I find immense pleasure from indulging in such, though it is mostly a quiet, lonely process. As mentioned before, my friends don't really dig the scary stuff. I suppose that I have long been used to that feeling, since horror is considered a tough genre to crack for many people. The idea of getting scared or scaring others is nowhere on their bucket lists.

Anyway, while thinking of something else along that stretch to write on, I was pleasantly reminded of an ancient folklore in which a woman would transform into a long-necked monster in the middle of the night, and attack unsuspecting people. Until today, I didn't know what that yokai was called. She is the Rokurokubi, classically known for her ability to stretch her neck extensively, turning and twirling at corners and such. A different variation has the head flying off instead. In any case, the Rokurokubi is a true stretch of horror, pun absolutely intended.

Then, I discovered that there is actually a modern, though slice-of-life interpretation of the monster, in the aptly titled manga series 'Kanojo wa Rokurokubi' (She is a Rokurokubi). The main character is essentially a high-school student who just happens to have a flexible neck. This peculiar aspect seems to have sat well with the people around her, as they are pretty much used to the random stretching of her neck at incredible lengths. The running gags are refreshingly hilarious, with the Rokurokubi (by the way her name is Natsuki) mostly getting victimised by her own actions, be those neck-related or not.

You see, I believe that Natsuki is also a tsundere whose awkward feelings towards her childhood friend, next-door neighbour and classmate Itsuki often emit weird vibes down her neck (there doesn't seem to be anywhere else for that matter), causing even more awkward situations which seem to take on a predictably heart-thumping romantic route, though there is still a striking difference in this get-up. Well, I wouldn't mind keeping up to see what the relationship between Natsuki and Itsuki would become.

Honestly, there are just too many things in this manga that might trigger an uncontrollable laughing fit if anybody were to read it outside or something. One of my favourites has to be the convenient, lazy demonstration of hair-washing in the sink. But that is actually rather dangerous to say the least.

One thing leads to another. I'm glad that I have managed to stumble upon something which I could kill time with on a lazy day! Currently, two tankoubon volumes have been published. Ah, before I forget...the manga artist is Nieki Zui. I can't wait to read more!

Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪  

E3 review: Demos of Kingdom Hearts and Wild Guns

E3 review: Demos of Kingdom Hearts and Wild Guns

Sunday, June 19, 2016 / No Comments

Now that the madness that is E3 is drawing to a close, I can finally cover the titles featured without missing anything. 

Now E3, unlike Tokyo Game Show, does not expressive prohibit recordings, unless the companies do so. There are tons of demos you can play at E3. That, to me is the real exclusives of E3, since game trailers and teasers will be released anyway. But every wannabe out with a cam out there is trying get his minutes of fame. It is irritating to say the least. I have therefore selected demos that do not have any unwanted commentaries. The game should speak for itself. 

Kingdom Hearts 2.8, Aqua

E3 demo video courtesy of bdcool213. Because cool guys don't have to speak lol. The 17 minute demo covers the events right after Birth By Sleep. No, I'm not bothering with any spoiler alerts. It has been 6 long years since the release. Aqua was stuck in some sort of other realm after you complete the true end of BBS. The backdrop is actually Cinderella's castle. She seems to have retained most of her moves from BBS, and there is a new heartless that sprouts fireballs.

Moving on to after the bridge, you can use Ragnarok again. Multiple lock ons for multiple hits. Devastating on a single target, as he demonstrates later. There is also a new batlike heartless.

The last battle of the demo is against the shapeless mass of darkness, which you see in the official trailer. He was actually hit several times and had to heal. And it ends with this being all in her mind. We'll just have to wait till the release in December, when Square also says more details on KH3 will be out. My guess is there will be a demo bundled with 2.8. 

 Sony has started a revival wave recently, releasing many remastered retro games. Their Play Doujin Project, especially, is a hit amongst non-console gamers, since they ported many Touhou Doujin games onto PS4 and Vita. Especially since Zun is their representative now.

I could not believe, however, that they have revived Wild Guns. You can see the trailer at Natsume's website. This is really a cult hit retro game. 

Wild Guns was first released way back on the SFC in 1994. A fast paced 2d gunslinger western, it was unique for its time. You start out by shooting up the town. Almost every piece of furniture, vehicle, or sign board you see can be destroyed.  And you think it is just a conventional western, until you see this, the boss of Stage 1. 

You can lasso your enemies, shoot them to smithereens with various weapons, smash them close range with your gun, this was very complex for the gaming scene then. And the music was good. Just a disclaimer: games then were difficult, and Wild Guns is no exception. You probably will not be able to clear this until you get very good at it. Value for money(?)

Wild Guns will probably be released this year, but as of now, we have no details on price or release date yet. This year is looking to be a good one.

Written by Don

Kagewani

Kagewani

Saturday, June 18, 2016 / No Comments

The old saying 'One thing leads to another' takes pride in its long-lived effect on this unexplainable universe where increasingly strange phenomena lurk around our surroundings day and night. Supernatural sightings and monsters continue to be reported in mass media, sending worrying vibes and triggering major divisions among the people. The world seems to be getting closer to its end, yet amid the chaos and confusion, the glaring glimpse of hope towards the future still wanders somewhere.

In Japan, Professor Banba Sousuke had abruptly cut his lecture upon discovering a news feed online which claimed the sighting of a mysterious monster. Banba is a monster freak, for the lack of a more appropriate term. His untimely disappearance is apparently common, as his assistant had easily derived her own conclusion when she couldn't find him in his office. Naturally, Banba would often apologise meekly over the phone though there isn't really much that he could make up for. His eagerness to find any remote hints of a monster's presence would slowly unveil as the perspective changes to that of an unfortunate incident.

Through an eerily dense jungle, a young man had been running frantically for his dear life. He was part of a little video crew that had ventured into a remote island which was supposedly out of bounds. The team wanted to dispel rumours and criticisms that were against the existence of monsters. The men decided to take on the responsibility of proving to everybody else that there were indeed sightings of strange creatures. Besides, there was also the price of fame attached to their actions. However, they had failed to consider the consequences.

Before his own unfortunate demise, the young man was able to witness through the video camera the dangerous beast which had also taken the lives of his other friends. Though rather blurry due to his inability to see anything clearly without his glasses, a faint silhouette could be felt through the little frame. The young man tried to escape, but his attempt was easily hindered by his substantial loss of sight. He missed a step and fell, but the impact was cushioned by the low tide. He had landed by the shore, the exact location where the team had been trying to film the video before.  

This time, there was nowhere else to escape. A piercing scream echoed through the jungle, implying the end of everything. Eventually, Banba reached the remote island, though it wasn't made known just how much time had passed since the incident. A broken video camera laid on the ground, but before Banba could get hold of it, a throbbing pain from the left side of his forehead stopped him in his tracks.

This is Kagewani, or Shadow Crocodile.

Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪