My nuggets, my cuties, my pals!! It has been a terrible few days and my life is ruined!
I finally finished Code: Realize and it was a mistake to go with Saint Germain as my starter! I have never wept so hard in my life. Ok I might have when I was playing other games but this, this hurt so much. (Spoilers!)
Overall, I would say it isn't hard to get onto your desired route, the game's pretty obvious in letting you pick who you want to spend time with. Remember how I said I wasn't interested in Saint Germain? Well, yeah, when I actually saw him in game, I was like oooh~ There's something to him I can't quite put my finger on, and so I decided to unravel his secrets first instead of Van.
lupin, impey
victor
van
This was a huge mistake because to me, after Saint Germain, no one else came close to even making me as emotional as I was. In fact, even Van's with Junichi Suwabe's voice did nothing for me. The rest of the routes were even more bland to me after Saint G's.
mc
So, putting my sad feelings aside, I really enjoyed Code: Realize. I especially love the way MC was portrayed. Ah, this post will have spoilers so please beware! To cut the plot short, MC is a homunculus, and her brother is also not human. MC, being non human, secretes some sort of poison that deletes whatever it comes into contact with. Her outfit is the only protection against her poison. Kind of really cool when you think about it. When you've finally unlocked Lupin's route (true end, I believe), the whole story will be clear.
saint g: first look
As it is, each character has their own story. I'll cover Saint Germain's because yeah, I will sell my soul for him. I probably won't talk about the other characters because they didn't capture my interest much. Not even Lupin. I did complete all the routes, but Saint Gernain's did it for me. Also because I'm a sucker for characters in Agony.
So MC! I tend to get really annoyed with the Damsel in Distress types, and I am so glad that MC is normal. Or well, as normal as a homunculus can be. She has barely any memories, but she can at least stand on her own two feet. She isn't whiny as well, which to me is a huge plus. I love her, the end.
We also have a dog and a cute little shota vampire npc, who is heavily featured in Van's route. Personally, I would have preferred a more general common route since I like having my first ending as my own choices, but it's fine. There are multiple points in the common route where you can obviously pick who you want to spend time with, so I guess that saves you plenty of time if you already know who's going to be your starter. Why am I talking like this is Pokemon? The common route is rather long though, so please be prepared for that.
I digress. So, I saw Saint Germain, and I was instantly attracted. Was it his demeanor, was it that Sasuke-like duck-butt hairstyle? Was it the fact that he rarely opened his eyes? Was it all of those?
good ending~~~~
I skipped sleep to complete his route, and for the first time ever, I actually got the good ending on my own choices. No walkthrough used. I am so proud of myself. To summarize his route, Saint Germain is not human (I knew there was something about him!). He's an Apostle of Idea, an organization that makes sure humanity stays on the right path and not self destruct? Something like that. Basically he's immortal with special powers.
Therein comes the problem. MC. She's a homunculus, so she's a huge no-no. Could bring destruction to humanity kind of no-no. Saint Germain is supposed to kill her so humanity stays alive. Once you're on his route, do your best to not be assassinated. After failing to kill you, Saint G realizes he's in love with you, and defects from Idea, instead now protecting you from the rest of the Apostles who are sent to deal with you instead. We actually only see one other Apostle, Guinevere, from the Arthurian legends.
gwen
Gwen is a mad solid 10/10 woman and if my soul did not belong to Saint G, it would certainly be hers. Anyway, Saint G is now hunting the Apostles down to protect you, and finally gets to Gwen. Gwen, in that gorgeous suit of armor, is obviously an incredible fighter and Saint G is starting to have a problem. MC goes to see the leader of Idea, Omnibus, and offers her life for Saint G.
She promises to off herself if Omnibus will let Saint G live, but she wants to see Saint G a last time. Obviously, after seeing Saint G, she can't bring herself to do it and Saint G begs for them both to be let go, and that they will deal with the homunculus issue and make sure humanity stays safe. Omnibus finally agrees, but since Saint G is no longer part of Idea, his immortality is revoked, and is now a normal human.
Yay! You get a happily ever after. It might not seem very emotional but I guarantee it it is. Some highlights where I absolutely lost it and had free flow of tears: The one part where MC says she's a monster and should not be with Saint G and man, MAN! Saint G took her hand (remember, poison), and pressed it against his cheek (remember, immortal healing capabilities), and it was too emotional for me, damn it!
(I wanted to do a little gif but it ended up being too long so i found a yt video instead of said emotional scene)
I cried. I had to pause, take a few moments, and go wash my face. When I came back to it, I was hit by Saint G begging to live with MC. Saint G, I would fight the entirety of Idea for you to live peacefully with MC. The CGs, in my opinion, really captured the feelings and desperation of Saint G. I was an emotional wreck after every Saint G CG.
The way he presses MC's hand to his face. The desperation in his eyes as he begs Omnibus. The softness he has as he rests against MC. Stop it Saint G, my heart can take no more heartbreak.
The happy ending was so cute though. I think I'm going to have to get Future Blessings. I need a proper happy ending. I'm sorry the post feels like a mess, but right now I'm a mess, so please forgive me. I need to recuperate before continuing the rest of the other titles.
(Have some Van CGs before you leave~ He's so soft too, it's like the guys with the spikiest hairdos have the softest hearts.)
Japan is one country that I've always heard to be at the top of many people's to-visit list. When you think of Japan, you might think of anime, anime, and more anime. However, there's a lot more that makes Japan what it is today. Here are some unusual things that you might come across there!
1. TOTO WASHLET
"Atas toilet" is an understatement for Japanese washlets. They contain a mishmash of high-tech functions, with one catching my attention the most: backside sprays. Imagine that!
To add on, you can control the temperature of the water and enjoy your stay with a pleasantly-scented atmosphere, thanks to the perfume function. Not only that - are you constantly worried about the noise emitting from your cubicle? If you use one of these washlets, fret not - they come with noise-covering sounds too.
Impressive, right? Most of the time when you go on a bathroom break outside, it's an inconvenience. But in Japan, it's a whole luxury.
2. $100+ FRUITS
Toilets aren't the only "normality" that can be called "magnificent" in Japan. Fruits, too. Introducing their iconic square watermelons!
I've never seen a watermelon of this shape before. Doesn't it make you yearn for a taste? One can sell up to around 180 SGD! But that's not even close to the price of the jet-black Densuke watermelon.
This very fruit has been sold for almost 6000 SGD. With that kind of price slapped on it, it really makes you wonder about the taste!
3. FREE FOOTBATHS
In Japan, if you're tired of walking and need to take a break, you can easily get free footbaths, also known as "ashi-yu", which are planted across the country's hot spring villages.
Being able to relax and not worry about a dime? Sounds like heaven to me!
4. WHERE ARE THE TRASH CANS?
As a country known for its sparkling cleanliness, Japan oddly has a lack of trash cans. You'd think it'd be the opposite, right?
Infact, if you can find trash cans, they are mostly only limited to only plastic bottles and cans.
It hasn't always been this way, though. Japan used to have more trash cans, but many got removed due to the counter-terrorism efforts after the Tokyo subway attack that occurred in 1995.
Although this can be seen as more of an inconvenience, it also works as an environmentally-friendly way to help mother nature!
5. MAID & BUTLER CAFES
Although I'm sure this is no secret, maid cafes are a common sight in Japan. Step into one and you'll experience wonderful hospitlality, alongside some quality entertainment.
I would say these typically attract customers who are an avid watcher of anime, though anyone can enjoy the experience. For some cafes like the butler one, you can expect a sort of roleplay experience whereby you're a "princess", returning to your castle and getting served by your butler. Doesn't that sound like fun?
Not only that, there are many different forms of entertainment you can receive there. The maids can dance, sing and perform for you. Some may even prepare skits that come along with your order, spicing up an already fascinating meal experience.
Of course, not to forget the food. Get ready to be offered the cutest dishes you've ever laid eyes on. For example, take a look at this gudetama x maid themed cafe dish. It's the cutest! Really makes you think about the effort put behind each plate to please customers' eyeballs.
With that, I hope you enjoy reading about the little unique parts of Japan that makes it such a popular tourist attraction. See you next time : )
Hi everyone! Happy New Year! I hope we'll all have an amazing 2022 ahead.
As a working adult, it's been hard to consistently keep up hobbies like binge-watching anime... But sometimes, a break is always needed! If you guys don't know, I have always expressed my love for idol/girl clubs anime, and majority of my posts on here have touched on the same genre. So when I first stumbled upon Selection Project, I automatically thought: Love Live School Idol Project. But okay, while the theme is largely similar, the structure of this show is very much different. So let's talk about it a little shall we?
First off, this anime was part of the fall selections, but the final episode was last released on 24th December so hey, I guess it's still a pretty good time to binge everything if you're interested.
As the episode begins, we see an idol singing on stage, much like how most idol shows start.
Then, the scene cuts to a young girl on a hospital bed as she watches that same idol from her phone scene. She expresses her desire to be just like her, but I'm guessing it's going to take a while because of her sickness.
We jump into time to see the same girl, now introduced as Suzune Miyama in her room, and much older. There are posters of that idol on her wall, and we all know she's a super fan.
Honestly, I was going to think that she was going to school after this, but what surprised me was that she's actually going to attend the preliminary round of Selection Project, a singing competition that her idol used to be in.
And of course... A competition comes with rivals.
What's interesting about this competition is that is region-based, so the preliminary rounds are held in different regions, with one out of the four contestants being chosen to proceed to the next round. Oh and just to add, Suzune is from the Kanto region.
We are then given brief introductions to the different girls who could potentially be our main few characters in the next few episodes. And of course, it plays into the different stereotypes of a girl group.
The shy girl, but probably one with impressive skills
The one who eats a lot but never seems to get fat
The bruh girl
The child prodigy who has an agent/vocal coach (I see this becoming a conflict in the show someday...)
And that one kuudere who probably takes some time to open up...
While there are a lot more characters that were introduced here and there, these are just a few that managed to capture my attention. Ultimately, I'm sure we'll end up with this group of girls.
Before the preliminary round begins, we are then given more information about the idol that Suzune idolised. And in a surprising turn of events, it is revealed that she has actually passed away.
I wasn't expecting such a mature topic to come out from an idol anime but I guess it's quite relevant to issues that happen in real life as well, as there have been histories of idols losing their lives because of personal reasons or reasons that are associated with cyberbullying. Hopefully this anime will be able to shed light on this topic a bit more.
And the preliminary round kickstarts.
For Suzune, singing seems to be her natural talent and a history of a heart disease has never deterred her from wanting to go far in this competition. However, she then faces a moment of withdrawal, leading her to collapse onto the ground. Could it be her sickness? We don't know, but it surely doesn't look good for her.
Yet, she still manages to push herself up to sing the last few lines of the song, which is commendable. Maybe it can still save her thus far.
As the winner from each round gets announced per region, tension starts to rise.
And then it comes down to the last region: Kanto. While Suzune has garnered a huge amount of votes in spite of her mishap, it was another hot favourite, Seira, who got it.
While both of them share an amiable friendship, it is obvious that Suzune is disappointed in herself, as she packs her luggage and heads back home.
The episode then ends here.
I think it's a great way to build up to the next few episodes by showing Suzune's loss, because this will make us root for her even more and allow all of us to wonder: what's her next plan?
Overall, the first episode of Selection Project was quite interesting, and I'm looking forward to binge the rest of the episodes to get my idol fix. Also, the character designs are all so unique and I'm enjoying this new style of idol anime that also adds in a bit of the variety format. While there have been many comparisons to Idoly Pride, another idol anime that was released in early 2021, I'm sure idol fans can all rejoice in having more content to watch.
Alright, be right back while I continue the rest of the series ^^
Once again, stay safe, healthy and I'll see you all again in the next blog post!