Pokemon Masters

Pokemon Masters

Saturday, July 27, 2019 / No Comments

Hello again my little nuggets!!

Today I bring to you: Pokemon Masters~

It was released on 25th Jul for Singapore, and I immediately downloaded it the moment I could. So what is it? In a nutshell, instead of collecting Pokemon, you instead collect Pokemon Trainers. Each Trainer has a specific Sync Partner, and that is unchangeable. Yours would be Pikachu. 

On startup, you get both Brock and Misty, and both of them are only 3*. Brock has Onix, and Misty Starmie. Moving along story chapters gets you more well-known Trainers, such as Rosa, and Erika. You can also get more Trainers from their gacha system, though I think it would be possible to play entirely without purchases.

There is a new 'evil' group of masked strangers, stealing other Trainers' Pokemon and all that jazz. Kinda looks like P5's Joker, doesn't it. 

I've had it for a couple days now, and have also bought some in-game gems to check out the gacha system. Here's a mini review of sorts. 

Your character is somewhat customisable, but only for skin, eye, and hair color. You cannot change outfits or hairstyle, but at any point should you decide to change your gender or any above mentioned, you can simply go to your profile to do so. 

here, have a hastily spliced photo of the whole Pokemon Centre

The Pokemon Centre is the 'homepage', where you can switch your team as well as buy items from the shop. You can pan around the area, and talk to random Trainers in the Pokemon Centre, though I haven't figured out if there is a point to talking to them at all. I was hoping for some random items or something since the game seems to make it out as though you have to speak to them, but nothing.

The team page is pretty simple, that's where you go to change your team members, level them up, uncap their max level, etc. 

The shop page is also straightforward enough, where you go to exchange low tier items for mid tier items, and then for higher tier items so you can use those to unlock new skills and passives. The gacha section (Sync Pair Scout) is also under the shop, and while it isn't a new concept, there is this little thing called the Scout Points. This also isn't a new concept, but man, 400 points?? As you can see I've already spent 1600 gems, only to get 16 points. 

It's 1 point per 100 gems, and there is also a time limit for the point exchange. The current one ends in early Sept, and while there are daily gems for free I don't think you might be able to accumulate and spend that much to reach 400 points. I suppose that's why they also have a spending notification where they inform you that you've reached a preset spending limit. 

There are also paid and unpaid gems, and honestly I was hoping to paid gems might be worth more points, but I guess not. At this point, I'm giving up on the gacha and just seeing what else the game has to offer for now. 

So on to the Explore section. There's the Main Story, Events (currently WIP I believe), Sync Pair Stories, and Training Area.

Main Story is self explanatory, as with the Events tab. Sync Pair stories are a spend a day with a Trainer and their Partner kind of thing, and if I remember correctly you might be able to evolve some Pokemon through those stories. I clicked the dialogue a little too fast, so I'm not too clear on that. 

Training Area has different tabs you can pick from which will reap different sort of rewards. They have daily time limited courses as well.

Battles wise, there is an 'energy' bar right at the bottom of the screen, and you'll have to wait for it to replenish to a certain amount of bars before you can use certain moves. After using moves a specific number of times, you get to unleash a special Sync Move. It doesn't carry over to the next battle, so use it when you can. 

Different Trainers also have different skills. You and Pikachu, for example, have Potion instead of Sp Att Up or Speed Up for example. I suppose this is where you might want to switch up teams to get the best offense or defense? There is an auto battle function, but after trying that out I realised that auto battle tends to somehow only use one Pokemon's attack, and that can drag the battle out immensely. 

Battling and grinding for exp also gets repetitive really fast, and each Pokemon seems to only have one weakness? For example a Flying type might have an Electric weakness listed, but an Ice attack doesn't seem to damage it as much. Then again, I have my battles set at a faster speed, so I might have missed the damage number inflicted. 

Overall, while the graphics are really sharp and there might be potential for Pokemon Masters to go far, I feel pretty meh about the game. I was excited the first couple hours, and then I quickly got bored of it. Not to mention the gacha system seems to play a huge role in the game so far, and spending can quickly get out of hand if you're not careful.

Pokemon Masters has not been released globally yet, so we shall see if there will be more exciting features (perhaps events) once the world is up and playing. 

For now, nerd out!

Written by: ninetylives

My Cosfest 2019 Loot!

My Cosfest 2019 Loot!

Monday, July 22, 2019 / No Comments

Hey sistas!

As some of you may know, Cosfest 2019 had just come to a close last weekend. Just as some background information for those unfamiliar with this event, Cosfest is an international cosplay convention in Singapore that’s been running for over 16 years in Singapore (if I’m not wrong). It’s now one of the most renowned cosplay conventions in Asia and held annually at D’Marquee, Downtown East, so if you’ve missed it this year, no worries because you can always give it a go next year!

This year was actually my virgin experience going to Cosfest and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the amount and quality of the merchandise sold. Of course Cosfest isn’t as big as Doujima, which I went for earlier this year and had much greater international representation, but nevertheless, the environment was definitely pretty vibrant. There were throngs of people decked out in their cosplay costumes and a lineup of performances by various interest groups (although sorry to say, some were definitely very cringe-worthy, but that’s a story for another time, read: never to be told).

Although Cosfest serves as a safe space for people to showcase their costumes and mingle with like-minded individuals within the Singaporean anime community, my cousin and I went there mainly to buy fan artists’ merchandise. In fact, we were so hardcore about it that we actually made a Google Doc prior to going to the event with our hastily-compiled research on the different artists and booths that were going to be there (we are the epitome of true anime trash).

Sadly, I didn’t really take any pictures of the event itself, because I was too overwhelmed by the sea of people and on the lookout for merch, but what I did take were pictures of my entire loot from Cosfest. Thus begins yet another self-indulgent post where I ramble on about my personal fantasies and obsessions! 



Okay so first off, I bought Bakusquad and Tododeku prints. I actually swept the entire convention twice with my cousin and still somehow managed to miss these precious gems until my friend told me about them, so of course with my complete lack of fiscal discipline, I went back for a third round just to blow my cash. Also, I just wanted to say that the Tododeku print was probably my most treasured purchase of the day because I am completely in love with the ship and this was everything I could ever have dreamed of. 

Speaking of BNHA, I bought a bunch of miscellaneous items, mostly consisting of stickers and keychains. The sticker pack with the entire main cast was exceptionally cute and my friend and cousin also immediately bought them as well. Also, the “midoriyaki” and “takoyaki” stickers were sold at a relatively secluded booth in an area that some people might have easily missed out because it wasn’t under the main tent, but they were SO. ADORABLE. The Kaminari and Todoroki keychains were an instant buy for me too because they were in a Pokemon crossover and I guess I’m just a goner for both things. 

Here are some more random prints I got. Fun fact: the Oikawa one was one of my first few purchases and the shop didn’t have a non-translucent bag for me to store it so I had to sheepishly make my way around with a picture of a very hot, half-naked man. 

I especially loved the Todoroki notepad because I like cute merch that is also actually useful. Guess my friends will be receiving notes from me on that paper for a while. The Todoroki pin was super cute too (random note: there was so much merch of him slurping soba, not complaining though) although enamel pins were probably the most expensive of all the merch there because of the material and customization. 

Special mention to my Kurapika and Leorio prints! The girl mending the booth was also a fellow Leopika fan and immediately noticed my Kurapika shirt when I approached the booth so obviously I had to give her my money right? Also while you’re reading this, remember to stan Leopika.

Here are some more random stickers I bought of Ghibli characters, Hunter x Hunter characters and Pokemon. The Pokemon gachapon stickers were super high quality and cute (they have a matte finish) and the guy was really nice. I wanted to buy his whole shop really, but homegirl was broke.



This artist sold really cute sticker packs from a number of shows besides Kuroko no Basuke and Shokugeki no Soma (e.g. The Promised Neverland, Pokemon) but I decided to get these two because the respective anime were quite under-represented and I hardly ever see their merch + anything cute just gets a yes from me.



I was so pleasantly surprised to find more Bungou Stray Dogs merch because it’s such a great yet underrated anime (everyone please do go watch it, it’s the best). The Shin Soukoku sticker was something I never knew I needed in my life. 

I also chanced upon this artist who sold really beautiful original art and she happened to have a set of Free! characters. They also sold Rei but it apparently wasn’t part of the set (it had a slightly different background too) so I just decided to give him a pass, though I’m somewhat regretting not buying him now.



Of course I would buy something from The Legend of Zelda every convention I go to, so here is a set of BOTW polaroids. They had beautiful Link and Zelda prints too but it was sold out by the time I got there and they weren’t selling their display piece so this was all I could lay my hands on (it was also the last piece so lucky me!).

And now, I present to you the most random purchase I’ve ever made in my life. I had no reason to get it, but neither did I have a reason not to, because honestly who wouldn’t get something like this if this was the first thing they saw when they turned the corner?



In case you’re wondering if there’s any inside fandom joke to be told here, there is none. They’re literal ass stickers. When I first saw them, I instinctively turned to my cousin and said “do you want some ass stickers?”, to which the booth owner actually heard and replied without missing a heartbeat, “yeah do you want some ass stickers! Only once a year at Cosfest!” My cousin and I just started laughing uncontrollably while the girl just stared at us with a deadpan expression and waited for us to fork over our money for the ass stickers. Probably the most memorable encounter I’ve had there.

Needless to say, I can safely conclude that I spent over $100 here, although I already expected this from the start knowing my poor spending habits when it comes to anime. I don’t regret it though, because first of all I’m getting good stuff, and second of all, this is just one of many ways to show support to local artists who have put in a lot of effort into designing and producing their merch to sell to all of us weebs. If there are any watermarks or artist tags in the pictures I’ve posted above, please do go check out and/or follow their social media handles or online shops and see if you would like to buy anything to support them too! Monetary transactions aren’t the only way to show your support; a simple comment or DM on their works online could make their day as well!

That’s all for my Cosfest 2019 haul, thanks for reading!




Written by Gin

Timeless Classics: Old vs Modern Anime (Part 1)

Timeless Classics: Old vs Modern Anime (Part 1)

Thursday, July 18, 2019 / No Comments

Plenty of anime have withstood the passage of time and aged like fine wine. How do old anime stack up against modern anime? For clarification, old anime in this article refer to anime released before or in 2000. Let us take a closer look at some old anime and compare them to their modern counterparts. This is part 1 of Timeless Classics, part 2 will be released shortly after. 

Slam Dunk vs Kuroko no Basket

Slam Dunk: Oct 1993 – Mar 1996

Slam Dunk was the first anime I watched, and I thoroughly enjoyed every episode. I can still vividly remember binge watching this anime many years back while being filled with a sense of nostalgia at the same time. Slam Dunk is a renowned sports anime that helped popularize basketball in Japan. The anime follows the legendary red-head, Sakuragi Hanamichi, as he joins his High School basketball team to get close to a girl. The girl does not return his affections as she is in love with his teammate, Rukawa Kaede. However, Rukawa is dense and oblivious because he is constantly thinking about basketball. Sakuragi is prideful, often doing silly things because of his overconfidence which makes him hilarious. Initially, Sakuragi did not have much interest in basketball but eventually became serious to the point of shaving his head as atonement for losing an important match. Sakuragi considers Rukawa to be his rival, both in basketball and love. 

Kuroko no Basket: Apr 2012 – Jun 2015 (Three Seasons)

Kuroko no Basket is also a basketball anime with the focus on two main characters, Kuroko and Kagami. Kuroko was previously from Teiko Middle School, where the school’s basketball team has an impressive record of successively winning championship titles. Teiko was at their strongest when Kuroko was still in middle school due to five members in the main team dubbed as the ‘Generation of Miracles’. The overwhelming superiority of these five players crushed all competition. Kuroko was the phantom sixth man of the Generation of Miracles, using his lack of presence to become a specialist in passing. Now in Seirin High School, Kuroko teams up with another first year member, Kagami, and challenges his former Generation of Miracles teammates for the High School title. 

Comparison: 

Slam Dunk: Sakuragi Hanamichi

Slam Dunk: Rukawa Kaede

Kuroko no Basket: Kagami and Aomine in the Zone

Both anime are similar in that they mainly focus on action, the basketball matches. Comedy is the secondary focus while romance is very subtle, to the point of being non-existent. A huge difference between the two anime is that Slam Dunk is realistic while Kuroko no Basket relies on the usage of superpowers. The Generation of Miracles have their own respective superpower such as perfectly copying an opponent’s moves and the Emperor Eye which can predict opponents’ movements. Kagami and the Generation of Miracles also have the ability to enter the Zone, a fictional state where their senses are sharpened and reflexes enhanced. Both Slam Dunk and Kuroko no Basket are entertaining and worth watching if you like sports anime. Personally, I enjoy both anime but prefer Slam Dunk over Kuroko no Basket because of Sakuragi’s hot-headed and boastful personality.

Great Teacher Onizuka vs Gokusen

Great Teacher Onizuka: Jun 1999 – Sept 2000

GTO: Onizuka's legendary suplex

GTO: Kokkuri-San

Commonly known as GTO, Great Teacher Onizuka is an anime about an ex biker gang member turned high-school teacher called Onizuka. Onizuka is not your typical sensei. He is crude, loud and obnoxious, often causing havoc with his outrageous antics. However, this personality of his makes him a very funny and likeable character. In GTO, Onizuka is the homeroom teacher of a troublemaking class that seek to get their teachers fired. Beneath the surface of their behaviour lies many problems which they face and Onizuka will help them resolve their problems, the hard way of course! GTO is primarily a comedy and does a jolly good job at it, I guarantee the humour in this anime is top-notch. Onizuka is one of the best main characters to ever grace anime in my opinion. 

Gokusen: Jan 2004 – Mar 2004

Gokusen is very similar to GTO, the main character in Gokusen is basically a female version of Onizuka. Gokusen is an anime following a new high-school teacher at Shirokin Gakuen, Yamaguchi Kumiko. Shirokin Gakuen has a bad reputation for being a school full of delinquents. Yamaguchi is the homeroom teacher of class 2-4, one of the most problematic classes in the school. Yamaguchi is nicknamed and fondly referred to as Yankumi by her students. Unbeknownst to them, Yankumi is the grand-daughter of the third-generation boss of a Yakuza group and also the group’s successor but she chose to be a teacher instead. Initially, the students of 2-4 did not trust her and kept picking on her but as time passes, they realised that Yankumi shows her affection for them in her own way. Yankumi does not label her students as misfits and protected them from fights and unfounded allegations. Gokusen is an excellent anime with plenty of humorous moments.

Comparison:

Both anime are similar in regard to the notion that teachers with complex backgrounds can become good teachers who understand and are willing to help students resolve their problems. GTO and Gokusen show that a good teacher is not one that merely teaches the students academics but also listens to the problems they face and imparts the correct values to them. Another similarity between GTO and Gokusen is highlighting the fact that conventional methods of teaching may not be effective for problematic students. Both anime mainly belong to the comedy genre but there are action and hints of romance as well. On a side note, both anime have television drama and live-action adaptations as well, which were decent in my opinion. The main difference between GTO and Gokusen is that Onizuka used to be from a biker gang while Yankumi is from a Yakuza background. I prefer GTO over Gokusen purely because I found GTO to be more humorous but I enjoyed Gokusen as well. GTO has been sitting on my top ten anime list for the longest time, I truly feel that it is a timeless masterpiece. 

Cooking Master Boy vs Shokugeki no Soma

Caution: I would highly advise against watching Cooking Master Boy and Shokugeki no Soma when hungry as it would only exacerbate your hunger pangs. 

Cooking Master Boy: Apr 1997 – Sep 1998

As the title suggests, Cooking Master Boy is about a 13-year-old boy from China named Liu Mao Xing on a quest to become a cooking master. Mao was exposed to the world of cooking from a young age as he came from a culinary background. Specifically, his mother, Pai, was a famous chef known as the ‘Fairy of Cuisine’ and had opened her own restaurant. After the death of his mother, Mao set out on a journey through the many provinces of China to learn more about cooking so that he would be deemed a worthy successor to his mother’s restaurant. Although already talented by nature, Mao’s ingenious ways of cooking combined with the experiences he garnered through his journey eventually made him China’s youngest Super Chef. Mao will meet allies and enemies during his journey and there are many exciting cooking battles in this epic anime.

Shokugeki no Soma: Apr 2015 – Ongoing (Three Seasons currently)

Shokugeki no Soma, also known as Food Wars, is probably the first anime that comes to mind when discussing about food or cooking related anime. This popular anime tells the story of a talented young chef named Yukihira Soma as he joins the famous culinary academy called Totsuki Academy. Totsuki is known for producing many renowned chefs and the level of competition between students in the academy is exceptionally high. The student council in Totsuki comprises of the ten best students in terms of culinary performance and they are known as the elite ten. Arguments and unresolved issues amongst students in Totsuki are settled through cooking duels, commonly referred to as Shokugeki. There are many amazing cooking battles in this anime that you do not want to miss out on. 

Comparison:

Both anime are similar in that they are Shounen of the food genre. Cooking Master Boy and Shokugeki no Soma have countless food battles that reference food from the real world. Once again, there are small hints of romance that do not develop further in both anime. Besides these similarities, there are major differences in both anime. Shokugeki no Soma contains ecchi as depicted by the clothes ripping effect due to the incredibly tasty food, whereas Cooking Master Boy does not. There are legendary cooking utensils in Cooking Master Boy which contain superpowers while Shokugeki no Soma does not. The main difference between the two anime is that there are many different types of cuisines in Shokugeki no Soma such as French and Japanese while Cooking Master Boy only contains Chinese cuisine. I personally prefer Shokugeki no Soma over Cooking Master Boy for this reason as there is a larger variety of cuisine. However, you should definitely not miss out on Cooking Master Boy if you are a fan of food anime. 

Regrettably, there are some people who do not watch old anime simply because the old animation style does not appeal to them. Old anime are usually less visually appealing than modern anime but this does not mean that they lose out to modern anime in terms of the story. There are plenty of old anime that are worth watching and exceed or are comparable to their modern counterparts in terms of entertainment. Please look forward to Timeless Classics Part 2 where more old vs new anime will be discussed.

Written by Kou

Anime Music on Piano – A Must-Add to Your Playlist

Anime Music on Piano – A Must-Add to Your Playlist

Monday, July 15, 2019 / No Comments

Hey fellow weebs!

We’re all indisputable fans of anime here, and understandably so, given how magnificent its animation and storytelling is – there’s always a little something for everyone out there. But let’s not forget that one of the greatest highlights of anime is its music. I’m just but another insignificant fan in the cosmos that is anime, but I dare say that anime soundtracks are true musical masterpieces.

If you think about it, a scene is only as good as its music allows it to be. What is an action scene without music that gets your adrenaline pumping, and what is angst without sombre acoustics playing in the background?

Fortunately, anime fans have more than done justice to anime songs. As a musician myself, I’m a fervent follower of musicians out there who put out their own instrumental covers and renditions of anime music.

I’m not sure if you’ve heard of them (though you most probably would have if you play the piano and watch anime), but two of my all-time favourite cover pianists on YouTube are Animenz and Theishter.

Both of them do original arrangements and are disgustingly talented. That being said, they do have quite distinct styles. In my opinion, Theishter tends to reimagine the songs in his own style more and focuses greatly on emotional quality; I’ve actually gotten literal goosebumps on countless occasions just listening to his music. He also posts much more regularly, so that’s a good thing for fans out there who want to hear his arrangements of recently-broadcasted anime. 

Another thing to note is that Theishter has recently started a Patreon page where you can pay your preferred amount of money every month for various “rewards” as listed below.



Before this initiative, his fans have also transcribed his pieces into music sheets, so these very nicely remain free in his sheet music archive located on his website. YouTube is definitely becoming a marketplace for competition so it definitely would mean the world to them (and me!) if you show him some support.

On the other hand, Animenz tends to stay true to the song’s original instrumentals, a truly amazing feat as he manages to make acoustic piano music sound like a fully-instrumented band track.



What this also means is that his arrangements are notoriously difficult to master (sadly speaking from personal experience), so prepare yourself before you attempt his works. In case you’re a pianist yourself, Animenz uploads all of his sheets online for free in the description boxes of his videos (because peasants like us probably will take 23847 years to learn them anyway), so all you need is to create a free SheetHost account to access the PDFDs. Also, Animenz has also held a few concerts here in Singapore before, so it would be nice to subscribe to his social media and keep yourself updated on his future gigs!

In general, both of them arrange very challenging scores, but the sense of satisfaction you get when you nail their arpeggios and left-hand jumps is unparalleled. Personally, I’ve been learning “Unravel Acoustic” from Tokyo Ghoul and “Kataware Doki” from Kimi no na wa and I’m finally about 90% there for both pieces after months.

If you’re not yet convinced of their prowess, here is a short list of some of my favourite anime covers by them that I highly recommend:


Animenz

1. Unravel from Tokyo Ghoul

Absolutely stunning. He stays true to the crazy guitar riffs in the original song by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure, and this is unsurprisingly his most viewed video. Eargasmic to listen to but as for playing it yourself, try at your own risk.

2. Brave Shine from Fate/stay night

Very emotional (you can look at his motivations for arranging this in his description box) I’ve not personally watched this show but am tempted to simply because of how compelling his playing is. 



3. Pokemon Medley

Super nostalgic, with familiar tunes ranging from the cycling theme, to gym battle music, to the Pallet Town theme. The feels are overwhelming, although there is unfortunately no sheet music because he improvised the entire medley like the legend he is.




Theishter

1. Sparkle from Kimi no na wa

If you absolutely loved this movie like I did and all its OSTs, you’re in luck because he played all the main tracks on his channel, although Sparkle is definitely one of his most timeless arrangements.



2. Again from Your Lie in April

This is slightly meta considering the anime is about playing music, but that’s what makes this piece all the more beautiful and emotional. Just a warning though, I printed this out to try but the left-hand arpeggios are crazy, so be prepared to spend a lot of time coordinating this.

3. Katharsis from Tokyo Ghoul:re

Honestly, the only redeeming factor about the final season of Tokyo Ghoul:re. The only sad thing is that he didn’t transcribe the full piece, so enjoy the two minutes of bliss while you can and/or continue spamming the repeat button.




Here are some more honourable mentions of other covers that also include other pianists:

1. Jiyuu no Tsubusa from Attack on Titan

If you thought Animenz and Theishter were legendary on their own, watch them play a duet together. This is easily the most epic thing I’ve ever heard.




2. Namae wo yobu yo from Bungou Stray Dogs

I really love the song, and the left hand arpeggios really add to its vibes. It’s a very dense and full-sounding arrangement that I’m also currently learning myself. Tip: practise your D flat and E flat major arpeggios before you attempt the chorus.

3. Craziest Zelda Piano Medley

The Legend of Zelda is my favourite Nintendo franchise besides Pokemon and this medley truly goes beyond doing it justice. Some may say it’s unnecessarily embellished, but that’s exactly what I love about it. 



4. Kyouran Hey Kids from Noragami Aragoto

The original song is iconic enough that it sounds good on every medium, the piano being one of them. The chorus truly captures the energy of the original song for me and this is, for a lack of a better word, lit. 




If you’ve read till here, I just want to thank you for tolerating my extremely self-indulgent post. On a more serious note though, I also want to make a humble appeal to you to show your support for these amazingly talented musicians who have put all their effort into playing and providing the scores for us. I can vouch for them as someone who’s done music since I was 7; it is not easy at all to arrange and put a bunch of notes on a page for FREE so it would mean all the world to them if we just expressed our support, even in the most minute of ways (like a comment or like or subscribe).

Music is never redundant so let’s play our part in keeping it alive, be it as a musician or listener!

Written by Gin