If you're an avid fan of the series Attack on Titans, then make sure to not miss out on the ongoing AOT themed exhibition at Art Science Museum.
(Photo credits: Mothershig.SG)
This dark fantasy series has taken over the hearts of many, and is now being showcased in Singapore through over 150 art works, by the one and only Hajime Isayama. Be prepared to be awed by Isayama's craft and art style that he has mastered throughout the years.
(Photo credits: Mothershig.SG)
There are many interesting components in the exhibition - one being a phototaking area, of course. With a green screen backdrop, you can leave with a souvenier from this one-of-a-kind experience, featuring you and gorgeous artwork from the anime in the background.
(Photo credits: Alternative Haku)
Remember all that angst in the series, all the alliances and betrayal? Well similarly, when you step foot inside, you have to pick a side: one inside the walls, and one outside.
(Photo credits: Asia One)
Follow the stories of varying characters as you delve deeper in. There will be stunning artworks, exclusive content, and intriguing story details that you have never seen nor heard of before.
(Photo credits: Geek Culture)
And don't miss out (you really can't) on the terrifying head statue of the Colossal Titan, crafted on an accurate scale of its actual size. Marvel at the intricate details put into this and remember to take a selfie with the mighty Titan.
(Photo credits: CNA Lifestyle)
Of course, what's an Attack On Titan Exhibition without showcasing the show's towering creatures? Enjoy a gigantic display of the nine main Titans and their overwhelming power, which is both fascinating and horrifying. The rocks and debris mounting from the ground are there to create an illusion of the actual setting and environment of the series. If you have ever fantasized about your house crushed into ruins by massive giants, then well, here's your best shot.
(Photo credits: The Straits Times)
There is also a section displaying artefacts from the series, ranging from the mysterious basement key to the Survey Corps cape. Lay your eyes on other objects like Mikasa's treasured scarf, as well as Annie's ring. This might be a perfect reference for cosplayers as well!
A little note - this exhibition does contain spoilers for the anime fans, like showcasing content from The Rumbling. As such, only proceed if you don't mind the reveal.
Interested in the thought process behind the creation of Attack On Titans? You can get a glimpse of that in The Final Interview Room with Hajime Isayama, through screened interviews, rough drafts and sketches displayed in the exhibition.
Fun fact (and potential spoiler): Did you know that originally, Sasha's death was so horrendous that Isayama's editor wept in the bathroom after seeing it? Because of that, Isayama changed his mind. So thank you to the editor!
When you have reached the end of the exhibition, you are greeted with a 20min showcase of the anime seasons to relinquish on this masterpiece. Afterwards, you can browse through the merchandise store and either leave with a yearning or your pockets empty.
(Photo credits: Time Out)
This exhibition will expire after 3 July, so make sure to grab your tickets before then! Don't underestimate the thirst of other avid Attack On Titan fans, because tickets are selling out fast.
With that being said, I personally am elated to see that the anime scene is becoming more and more apparent in Singapore. This exhibition, along with the screening of the Jujutsu Kaisen movie, are seemingly important stepping stones for our country to bring in more anime-related campaigns and events.
Hopefully, fingers-crossed, I will be writing more of such articles in the near future.
I've been inhaling my otomes at the speed Naruto inhales his ramen and man! I was not expecting Collar X Malice to be SO GOOD. (Major Spoilers ahead!!)
So, plot. MC is a policewoman, who is kidnapped and wakes with a poison-filled collar around her neck. She is then blackmailed into investigating the X-day cases, a series of mass murders committed by a terrorist group, Adonis. She ends up joining a detective agency conducting their own investigations, and therein begins your story.
In my opinion, the plot is incredibly thought provoking. How exactly do you define good and bad? More than once I could definitely understand the thought process leading up to the final decision of taking revenge by murder, even though murder is inherently bad.
Depending on your route, you might not go that deep into the storyline. Yanagi is the canon route, and with him you'll explore the full extent of Adonis. Shiraishi comes a close second, and my dudes, his tragic end was TRAGIC. It was DMMD levels of tragic to me and I didn't even know how to feel after that.
The rest of the LIs are pretty mild, so I'd say play them first, then Shiraishi. Yanagi unlocks after you finish the rest of them, so you'll definitely play him last.
sasazuka bad end
As always, first playthrough are my own decisions without a walkthrough, and I was definitely not surprised to end up with Sasazuka in the end. I didn't get the good ending though, I ended up with the tragic ending which was not as heartbreaking as the other routes, but still made me sad nonetheless.
While I had a very clear preference of route in Code Realize, each LI in Collar x Malice had their own endearing point, and their individual routes were equally captivating. I actually spent time going through each route instead of skipping like with Code Realize.
this dude got me mad mad
Personality and character growth wise, I think I was the most disappointed with Shiraishi's. He was consistently switching between being warm and caring to being cold and pushing MC away and I got so frustrated.
Shiraishi has a mad sad backstory (with Adonis) and while I could see how it related to his past but it was kinda way too drastic of a switch.
MC loses her memory in a shoot-out with Zero (Adonis), and Shiraishi takes care of her for a year underground. After which he brings her to the detective agency for Christmas and she suddenly miraculously regains all her memories?? And then he turns himself in to the police and she says she'll wait for him??
I-??? What???? This is the good ending??? This is more like the tragic end?? The actual tragic end though, I had to stop the game and go take a rest, I was so traumatized. I liked him, and then I disliked him, and then I liked him, and the cycle continued till the end where I just gave up.
Yanagi, obviously, is the poster boy of the game, but I found it really hard to romance him. Not in the sense that it was difficult, but he felt more brotherly than anything. He didn't particularly have any bad sides to him either, which made him rather bland to me. Yanagi was just.. flawless? He isn't bad, but to me he isn't great either. He's just there, you know?
bad ending
good ending
Sasazuka is a bastard, but ends up becoming less prickly, which is really all I can expect from a tsun. His good ending and bad ending are pretty similar as well I'd think, good ending equals both in a relationship, bad ending equals not in a relationship but still very close friends? His route doesn't delve that deep into Adonis as well, so it's not too plot heavy. He's a good starter.
Enomoto is rather immature, but grows as a person overall. A lot of game time was spent covering his backstory (if i remember correctly), and not too much on Adonis as well, so he's a pretty good starter too. I spent the least time on his route simply because he really wasn't my type of energy, but I have to admit he grew on me as the game went on. His endings are pretty mild as well.
Okazaki, man, this guy needs some serious therapy. Actually, I think they all need therapy but Okazaki right here needs it the most. He has some major 'I need a reason to live' vibes that was a bit too literal for my liking. There's a sad backstory to him as well, and he ends up finding a reason to live in MC, which, good for him, but not too good on my mental state going through his route. I'd say play him third.
me after i finished the game
Nitpicking aside, I think Collar x Malice is a really really amazing game. I was blown away by the art, the music, the storyline, and I actually really liked how most of the NPCs had their own character and personality.
Anyhoo, here's some extra CGs!
he's too funny!
i really really really really like this two
I'm definitely getting Collar x Malice Unlimited, I need it.
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.)
