Vanitas Art Gallery

Vanitas Art Gallery

Saturday, September 29, 2018 / No Comments

Do you like visiting the art gallery/museum? 

Art can be analysed in multifarious by fascinated sightseer; creativity encircling us notably in a time of age, we scour for in-depth values such as during the weekend, I found myself off to a journey to an art exhibition located at Kult Gallery. A common district yet, it was the first time I set foot to another section of the streets. Rows of houses, a hipster cafe that of which garnered my curious attention. 

By the aid of Vanitas postcards as a makeshift torchbearer for visitants to stalk the correct pathway. Grateful for the warm weather, the gallery was "hidden" before I logged into my hand-phone to determine the venue. Beyond the glass doors, I catch the glimpse several girls clad in black.

Hosted by a group of local artists they greeted me in chirpy voices just as Sarah Thursday whom I was lucky enough to encounter at the Singapore Toy Game and Comic Convention, mosey over to hand out a desired cooling drink. Vermilion and ebony-tone as the keynote; the ambience was soothing whilst music blared from a small screen television. 

On the last event for the day, I turned up early the gallery was void of guests apart from the creator, recuperated from my short break, it was time for me to sightsee the surrounding display. My straying eyeballs hesitated a moment to dote on the perfect settings without further ado, I was stationed at the front of the precise details; strewn crisp petals, with illustration pictures, were framed and hung onto the vibrant scarlet wall. 

The artist, Sanatoriium, kindly dropped by to clarify her amazing showpiece; she contributed snippets about the artwork as the pretty maker wisely enlightened individual beings had their own interpretation. Once again, I was left to my own device when she gently excused herself it gave me the opportunity to study the poetry printed on the behind the postcards. 

The goth vibe is to live for.

One by one, I mentally read the words but ceased to move when tears prickle behind my eyelids; scattered sentiment because "Letting Go" and "Crimson & Spider Lilies" affected me deeply. 

Letting Go

The petite exhibition room began to bristle with companies as well as a fluffy special guest; an adorable dog. Artists mingle with their adoring fans as the atmosphere became lively. I fluttered off to another booth prepared by a creator with the monicker mothhead; the style of art was beyond arresting at the same time each piece epitomize a strong message.

Mothhead with her creative artwork

Yelselogy diverged her artwork referring to the eternal struggle with famine, pestilence, war and death. The element for each and every one of her creation was captivating. The next illustration by Erikartoon was spellbinding; each frame displayed eccentric illustration and tattoo worthy. 

Erikartoon makes awesome illustration, trust me.

Peithedragon, an illustrator and a tattoo artist cause me to literally saliva, every single fine artpiece was enthralling; my fascination for fine art notched higher. The said creator was absent but it never stopped my brain from screeching mentally and if there was a possibility to have one of her fine art tattooed on my body. 

(Hotaru Tomoe)

I am hopelessly in love with "Jealousy" as the name for this illustration

(Oni)

(Rebirth)

In the fullness of time, the art exhibition was well put together with friendly artists in the hopes to spread more awareness for local arts. As a means of support and a show of appreciation, I make a purchase and felt better to witness the smiles on the faces of the talented individuals. 

Written by, Rugi Chan

Gokushufudou: The Way of the House Husband

Gokushufudou: The Way of the House Husband

Friday, September 28, 2018 / 2 Comments

Lately, I've got friends asking me for the name of a particular manga. Funny and fresh, it has been appearing all over social media. It is none other than Gokushufudou: The Way of the House Husband!

The series revolves around Immortal Tatsu, an ex-yakuza who gave up his violent lifestyle to take care of the household as an honest man. Unfortunately, due to his killer demeanour and burning intensity, he not only manages to freak everyone out but also bewilders his wife sometimes.

From this...

...to this.

Since I'm a huge fan of all sorts of gangster movies (mafia, yakuza, triad...you name it, I might have watched it), I enjoyed the way Gokushufudou simultaneously plays up the yakuza stereotype while poking fun at it!

Although originally meant to have only 5 chapters, it has become so popular that the author has continued drawing it. If you find yourself with a few minutes to spare, check it out!

Written by Nana

「Mobage」Choichoi Doraemon!

「Mobage」Choichoi Doraemon!

Monday, September 24, 2018 / No Comments

Nostalgic? Fret not, your childhood cartoon animation Doraemon is here to save the day! The title has recently released a mobile game that encompasses another childhood game mechanic...

Yes, that's right, you've guessed it! Using a ball to break bricks (but with a modern twist)!

As with most games, you are able to choose if you'd rather be male or female, along with setting a name.

You can also exchange for costumes and customize your character's appearance. There is a chance that events might encompass such customization as well~

When you start the game, you'll be given a Doraemon ball which you will be using in stages. There are also 8 other character balls so if you're a fan of the series, you'll definitely want to collect all of these.

Each character also has 6 different balls, and these are likely to be of different colors. When you break a block of the same color as the ball you're using, you'll get a higher score!

Likewise, using a ball in stages earns it EXP, which in turn gives you a higher score, so you'll definitely want to get a ball of a character you like, with a skill that's useful for your playing style.

Unlike most games, there is no "rebound" feature and you'll not lose the match if the ball touches the bottom of the screen. In fact, you can move the ball by flicking it against the wall and thus change the ball's trajectory mid-air.

If you get all the coins in a stage, you'll get a congratulatory dorayaki, which can be used to exchange for items (image below).

Do note that one stage does not always only mean one map, you might have three maps to collect from and they are linked one-way, so if you accidentally leave the first map (by going through the ceiling), you will not be able to return.

There are many other tiles and obstacles. For instance, there's a bomb one (image above), as well as a coin tile as well. There's also an electric zapper that would subtract one second each time you come into contact with it :(

        

Some types of shards you can get upon clearing a stage are blue, white and pink shards. A mixture of these would be useful in power-ups and exchanging for items.

These power-ups will come in useful when playing stages as they come with three-star goals such as score, and collecting more than X number of coins goals. In the event that you're unwilling to trade for them, you could always buy them before your stage!

What I have noticed about the game is that despite having a simple game mechanism that only involves flicking the ball, it takes a lot more to actually be good at the game. You'll have to understand the ball's trajectory and find a suitable method to evade obstacles while collecting as many coins as possible.

This is definitely a challenging game that would be rewarding if you manage to get three-stars on your stages. It's even better if you are a Doraemon fan!

Figure Unboxing and Review: Kagamine Rin Hanairogoromo Version (Stronger)

Figure Unboxing and Review: Kagamine Rin Hanairogoromo Version (Stronger)

Thursday, September 20, 2018 / No Comments

The last figure of the Hanairogoromo line that I have left to review is none other than Kagamine Rin! She is clad in yellow and green garb that matches her image color, and accented with reds and blues to help add a splash of color to her attire!

And now without further ado, let's take a look at her!

Packaging

Unlike Len, her color is closer to a pretty orange than a striking yellow. The white rabbit motifs on her box also adds a feminine touch to it!

The other sides of the box showcases this figure of Rin in various angles. Similar to what I said about Len's packaging in his review, I wish that they had included at least one image with the original illustration.

Rin's blister has two sections, one for the sakura tree branch and the other for the main figure. As usual, the base is wedged at the bottom of the blister. The tape manages to keep the entire ensemble together nice and snug and nothing moved out of place during transport.

Base

There are two parts to her base, first the trunk, then the circular base. The trunk comes in three parts as seen in the image above: the main trunk, a branch with the pink flowers, and another small addition with just the flowers. This last part can be interchanged with a similar part in Len's figure to pose them on the same branch together!

This is the usual circular base that comes with every Hanairogoromo figure. It uses the background of the illustration, and as I always say, I wish that they could change things up from figure to figure.

Nevertheless, this is the tree with all three parts connected. Just look at how pretty it is with all the grooves sculpted and shaded to create a feeling of dimension. The tree just looks so alive and realistic!

The tree also comes with an indent which is exactly where Rin is supposed to sit. The circular shape on that part of the trunk is from a magnet, which helps Rin stay on the branch without the use of any unsightly pegs.

Despite Rin's bottom being usually covered by the branch due to her sitting pose, we can see that Stronger actually took the effort to sculpt in creases and plaits to complete the flow of the material, as well as give appropriate shading and highlights for her red hakama part too. Impressive!

Here is Rin in her full glory, perched on the branch. With her feet hanging freely and barely touching the ground, it creates this sense of elegance and innocence all at once! Let's take a closer look at Rin with a simple 360~

Even the rabbit looks so cute with the little blue ribbon that matches Rin's own red one! The color and position of the flowers on the rabbit's head also matches up to Rin's one perfectly too!

What's more amazing would be these little details that Stronger puts into when painting their figures. These gold accents on her hakama comes in varied shapes and sizes and I love how they seem to move up the skirt. This helps to give a little detail at the end of her outfit, which is blander, but does not take away anything from the other layers of her clothes.

Her geta are also a mixture of tradition and modern. While Stronger makes sure that we know it isn't the traditional geta with the bold colors and glossy paints, they kept the tabi and the general geta design intact. Moreover, there are three colors (green, blue and pink) on this small object and there are no paint spillovers on my copy!

The green of the geta ties in with her kimono which is mainly green as well. The pattern adds some detail to the outfit and the color of this pattern (gold) also matches the gold spots on her hakama, and in turn, helps to balance out the reds and greens.

Another point about this figure I would like to mention would be the hair accessories that Rin sports. The ribbons are sculpted, painted and shaded to portray how three-dimensional it is. The pastel colored flowers add a bright splash of color to the otherwise mainly yellow and green figure. However, I do think that more effort could and should have been given to these flowers as a little shading really goes a long way!

Base (Not based on Rin's branch) ★★★★☆

Posing ★★☆☆☆

Sculpting ★★★☆☆

Painting ★★★☆☆

Worth-it ★★★☆☆

Overall ★★★☆☆