Maybe the only one of this year… or maybe not. Either way, overdue for another update about nothing.

First up, games.

Valkyria Chronicles (PS3): Until this game came along, my PlayStation 3 was something that I regretted buying. Metal Gear Solid 4 came and… well, stayed there, waiting for me to finish MGS3 before starting it (will happen eventually!); Soul Calibur IV was a decent timesink, even if I can’t help but keep comparing it to Soul Calibur II, a much more entertaining game; and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is every bit as awesome as it used to be, but the lack of anyone to really play it with puts a damper on things. But this game validated the purchase for me. I love Strategy RPGs (heaven knows I spent enough time on Final Fantasy Tactics back in the day), but it’s a genre that, whether due to how niche it is or other factors, has evolved very very little over the years. By all accounts they’re good games, but when you look at Disgaea and compare it to, say, Tactics Ogre, the core gameplay is still very very similar – turn-based movement on a grid map. But VC shakes that all up. Combining a 3rd person perspective Action Mode with real-time interception fire, the (admittedly poorly-named) BLiTZ combat system is a sorely needed step forward for SRPGs. Add to that the gorgeous visuals which looks like a beautiful watercolor painting brought to life, a great soundtrack, some interesting characters, and great Japanese voice acting (Lelouch-ian Maximilian = awesome), and you have a game that shows at least a part of SEGA is still capable of putting out amazing titles. This is the type of game that anyone who has ever wished for developers to try making new innovative games instead of making the nth iteration of a popular IP had in mind. Truly a masterpiece, and my favorite game of 2008.

Prince of Persia (PS3): I had my doubts going in for this game. Sands of Time was one of my favorite games from the last generation, and while the two follow-ups weren’t quite as amazingly, the trilogy still set a pretty high bar for this reboot-again of the PoP franchise. Does it live up to it? Well… somewhat. To get the first thing out of the way, this game is breathtakingly beautiful. Like VC, it impresses not by pushing obscene numbers of polygons or making them ultra-realistic shades of gray, but through fantastic artistic direction. I would say this is probably the best looking game I’ve ever seen, and actually made me wish I had a 1080P TV to play it on. As far as gameplay goes, I’d have to say it’s just decent. Much has been made about the (lack of a) death mechanic, but I honestly didn’t mind. It’s streamlined, and as far as an AI NPC sidekick goes, Elika is amazing, so it feels natural. But the combat system is really quite tedious, the Wings/Breath of Ormazd segments are terribly designed, and the story really wasn’t anything better than mediocre, capped off by an ending that I would have to say is very unsatisfactory. I did enjoy the game, but SoT it isn’t.

Next, anime.

ChäoS;HEAd: Based on a VN, this is a series I picked up on whim. It started off well, never making it clear to the viewer what is a hallucination and what is real, but it really faltered towards the end, when the story seemed hell-bent on compensating for the plot becoming clearer with terminology becoming ever more jumbled. The VN is certainly better, but somehow I don’t see me playing it anytime soon.

ef – a tale of melodies: I enjoyed a tale of memories a lot, so watching the sequel (of sorts) was a no-brainer. Maybe it’s because I watched memories together instead of week by week like melodies, but I wasn’t quite drawn into it. The music is fantastic though, and it was nice to see some cameos from the main characters from memories.

Other currently-airing series that I’m watching are Gundam 00 Second Season, Tales of the Abyss, and Toradora!. G00 S2 is coming along nicely, but TotA has become progressively less interesting, with some serious pacing issues – somewhat expected given that it’s based on a RPG and partially forgiven because of it, but still a problem. I’m sure I’ll finish it though. Toradora! is just light-hearted entertainment, but with some patience-testing thrown in due to the fansub group having some trouble with getting releases out.

And finally, books. The only thing I’ve been reading lately has been Star Wars novels. Since the last update, I’ve finished both the Legacy of the Force and New Jedi Order series. I’m not sure I’d call either of them great, but I suppose they’re entertaining enough. Now working through the previous books (almost done with the Callista Trilogy, and then read the Han Solo and Dark Nest trilogies).

Oh, and have to share this. A beautiful figure of Shiki from Kara no Kyoukai that I knew I had to have the second I saw it:

…of things of awesome. And a bit about each.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2: It’s been a very long time since there’s been an anime series that I’ve enjoyed so much that I will eagerly await each new episode every single week, but that’s precisely what happened with CG. I started watching it after R2 started, and from there I was hooked. Every Sunday afternoon was spent idling in IRC channels waiting for the newest episode to be released, and when the series finally reached its conclusion, I went back and re-watched the entire two seasons again immediately. And I don’t think I can remember ever having done that before – I just don’t have the time to re-watch shows usually. As for the show itself, I can’t say that it’s one of best I’ve seen, but I will say that it’s far and away one of the most entertaining, and the ending is one of the very few, from any anime, that I can say that I completely enjoyed.

Fate/stay night: After all this time, the final version of the English translation by mirror moon has finally been released, covering all 3 routes – Fate, Unlimited Blade Works, and now Heavens Feel. I really don’t think I can think of much more to say about this amazing piece of work that I haven’t already, but suffice it to say that Heavens Feel has done nothing to change my opinion. From disgust to elation, from hatred to love, from sin to redemption, the story of Heavens Feel really encompasses it all, and capped off by a true happy ending to boot. The only downside is that I now have to decide if I consider it to be superior to Tsukihime.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia: Finally went back and finished PoR, the first Castlevania that I finished since the old PlayStation days (just going to ignore Lament of Innocence on PS2 here…). Since I haven’t played any of the GBA ones (yet?) or finished Dawn of Sorrow, I really can’t say how it compares, but it was definitely a fun game in its own right. Sisters Mode was also neat, though rather too easy in many ways. Order of Ecclesia, on the other hand, is damned hard, at least at first. I hear it lets up after that, but still working my way through, so can’t say for sure. But Shanoa is a cool character, and the higher difficulty level is welcome.

Valkyria Chronicles: Finally, another reason for my PS3 to do something other collect dust. The art style, combined with the CANVAS system, makes the game look absolutely gorgeous. Since it just came out, can’t say much else about it yet, but I definitely think I’ll enjoy it.

Specter of the Past/Visions of the Future: Also known as the Hand of Thrawn duology, it’s by Timothy Zahn, probably the most famous of the Star Wars Extended Universe novelists. While I can’t say that this had nearly the same impact as the original trilogy that kicked off the opening of the post-movie trilogy EU, it’s still very much an enjoyable read featuring an interesting cast (more Mara Jade!). And it lead to me discovering once again the inner SW geek in myself, as I find myself also reading the other novels by Zahn (Allegiance, Outbound Flight, Survivor’s Quest), and now starting on the 9-book Legacy of the Force series. And I don’t see an end to that until I’ve exhausted books to read either…

Enchantment: Orson Scott Card, another one of my “old standby” authors, mixes Jewish and Russian peculiarities, folklore, and witchcraft to offer quite an interesting take on the age-old Sleeping Princess story in this novel. It’s a sweet story of course (it is a fairy tale at its core, after all), but it also mixes in quite a bit of interesting humor.

Alright, so not so short list. Oh well.

Since all my WoW characters have been staying still at level 60 (or lower), I’ve spent more time on other stuff lately (not necessarily important stuff, obviously). Here’s what I think of some things:

Anime, Manga:

X (TV) : Finally watched this. Style is very CLAMP of course, and compared to the movie, the character development is a lot better, though there still isn’t enough time to flesh out all the Dragons of Heaven/Earth. And seriously, why is the 1-episode OVA counted as “Episode 0″? It has waaaaaaaay too many spoilers. But still, an enjoyable, and somewhat depressing, series. 9/10.

Full Metal Alchemist : Never finished it before, went back and played the episodes I had seen on fast-forward, then finally finished it. Good series, never felt dragged on despite the considerable length. The plot towards the end was a bit lacking though, and I didn’t care for the ending. But the characters are royally interesting and really make the show. 8/10.

Full Moon wo Sagashite : Re-watched the anime, then read the manga. The show is still fantastic – the last 13 or so episodes are tear-jerkers even when you know what’s coming. And the music is great as always. The manga isn’t quite as depressing, but maybe it’s just because of which one I came across first, but I prefer the anime. Anime 10/10, Manga 8/10.

Rurouni Kenshin : Would you believe I had never seen the entire series before? Well, now I finally have. The common opinion on this show is pretty much spot-on: the Tokyo Arc is just OK, the Kyoto Arc is fantastic, and the last part (which I’ll just call the Filler Arc) just kinda unimportant. Also watched the Tsuiokuhen OVA (Trust and Betrayal), and yes, it’s just as good as they say too. I can see why it’s AnimeNfo’s #1 ranked anime. Tokyo Arc 7/10, Kyoto Arc 9/10, Filler Arc 6/10, OVA 9/10.

Ultra Maniac : A girl from “Magic Kingdom”, who sucks at using Magic (which apparently is done by connecting a mini-treasure-box to a mini-computer and then saying “practice”) comes to Earth and goes to school. Very novel concept. While in school she meets another girl who helps her and has boy problems. Also very novel concepts. Anyway… made myself watch about half of it, couldn’t really stand to watch more. I can already see what’s going to happen, and just don’t care. Also, I hate the OP song. The ED song is just slightly less bad. 4/10.

REC : A very short (9 episodes of about 12 minutes each) series, about an advertising guy who gets stood up on a date, meets a newbie voice actress, drinks with her, discover she lives near him, and then find that her apartment burnt down. You can probably figure out where it goes from here. Completely predictable, but funny, cute, and warm, nonetheless enjoyable. 7/10.

Banner of the Stars III : 2 episode OVA. Not much happens here, just ties up Jinto’s ties to his homeland and (slightly) further develops the relationship between him and Lafiel. And of course, anyone who hadn’t seen the previous series will have no idea what’s going on. But for those who did and liked them, it’s more of the same. Here’s to hoping for another TV series. 7/10.

Battle Programmer SHIRASE : 16 half-length (~12min) episodes, telling the “story” about a genius computer hacker/programmer named Shirase/BPS. Whose mental ability is apparently that of able to encode what he hears into MP3 in real-time. And who can hack a supercomputer using a cellphone. And who has a “niece” in elementary school who seems to has the hots for him. Yeah… the show is completely retarded. But it’s funny at times, even if the running gag (a guy named Akizuki comes to BPS for some purpose in various incarnations, who then later walks in on him in what seems to be a sexual position, usually with a child, then has a lot of weird thoughts) gets really really old. 5/10.

TV Shows:

Friday Night Lights : TV show of the year for me. Seriously, watch this show (you can watch past episodes on NBC.com), even if you don’t love football – it’s just a well-done drama. 8/10.

Densha Otoko (電車男) : I had never heard of this until now, but apparently it’s a very famous (and supposedly real) story in Japan. Here’s the description of the story, stolen from Wikipedia:

In 2004, an anonymous user posted in a thread for single men to decry their woes. According to his account, he had been sitting next to a beautiful woman on the train when a drunken man entered the car and began bothering the other passengers, most of whom were female. When the drunk began to badger a particular woman, the poster took the risk of telling the man to stop bothering the passengers. The two struggled for a short time while the other passengers used this distraction to summon the conductor, who took control of the situation.

Never having done such a thing in his life, the poster was amazed to find the woman thanking him deeply for saving her from harassment. They exchanged addresses and parted ways. The poster, upon returning home, began talking with other posters in the thread and was eventually nicknamed “Densha Otoko” (Train Man).

A few days later, Densha Otoko received a package from the woman: an expensive set of cups and saucers made by Hermès. Flabbergasted, the man turned to the 2channelers for advice; he was soon convinced that the tea set was too expensive to be a mere thank-you gift. Following the advice and suggestions of the other posters, Densha Otoko eventually contacted the woman.

After an enjoyable first date, they began meeting regularly, Densha Otoko all the while posting updates and asking for advice on everything from restaurant choices to what clothing to wear. Following their collective advice, he got a haircut, updated his wardrobe, and began to emerge from his shell. After several dates, his personality had changed for the better and this culminated a few months later in his confessing his love for her. She reciprocated, and when the 2channelers were informed, there was a mass celebration; posts began flowing in congratulating the new couple, and extravagant Shift JIS art pictures were posted. Because 2ch has an enormous impact on net culture in Japan, this story quickly spread throughout the media.

You have to admit, it’s an interesting and unique concept for a TV show. It stars Misaki Ito (which I first saw in the live action version of You’re Under Arrest! – more on that in a bit) and Atsushi Itō (who REALLY looks like Tu in this show – so much that it’s uncanny o.O), and while it’s predictable, it’s still very entertaining – the scenes with all the forum-goers are quite funny, and the interaction between Yamada (the Densha Otoko) and the various people in the story are well done. And Ms. Misaki Ito, who plays Aoyama/Hermès, did a good job IMO (as well as looking very cute). All in all, it’s a series I liked – watched all of it (12 episodes + 2-hour special) in one day. 9/10.

You’re Under Arrest (Live Action) : I had actually seen most of this a long while back, but never finished it. After watching Densha Otoko, I remembered this series (since it also stars the lovely Ms. Misaki Ito), and decided to finish watch it. It’s only 9 episodes, and most of it is spent in the case-of-the-week format, so the character development is kinda lacking. But some of the characters (especially Nakajima) are great, and it manages to be entertaining for the most part, even though the “action scenes” leave a lot to be desired (it’s not really possible to replicate what happens in manga/anime, sure, but in this case the gap is even bigger than between the GTO drama and anime). 7/10.

Games:

Half-Life: Source, Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1 : The videocard I bought last year came with HL2: Ep 1, so I figured I’d pick up HL2, play through the original again, play HL2, and then finally play Ep. 1. Half-Life and Half-Life 2 were both critically acclaimed games, and it’s not hard to see why. Compared to almost every other FPS out there, the original is still a refreshing change of pace to this day thanks to it’s strong storyline. And HL2 really ups the ante in every way. The visuals are fantastic, the story is well-written, and the weaponry is interesting (the upgraded Gravity Gun might just be the best weapon in a game ever). Unfortunately, the vehicle controls are kinda lacking, and the game, even fully up-to-date on patches, still seem buggy – I would randomly get hard system freezes on loading screens. And Steam, while not so bad as it currently is, is still an annoyance. But putting those aside, it’s not hard to see why HL2 was picked the best game of 2004 by so many. Episode 1, as the first of what should be 3 episodic installments, is just kind of more of the same, and it makes good use of the Gravity Gun, so it’s quite alright in my book. I’m not sure I like the episodic format (I got Ep. 1 for free, but it’s normally $20, and $60 for all three might be pushing it in terms of value, especially if the Eps. 2/3 are the same length as Ep. 1, which isn’t very long). HL:S 8/10, HL2 10/10, HL2: Ep. 1 9/10.

LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy : It’s LEGO. It’s the (good) Star Wars Trilogy. It’s a combination that has proven very effective (side note: the LEGO Millennium Falcon, it of $500 and 5000 pieces, looks amazing), and this game doesn’t disappoint. It needs an analog gamepad to be properly played (which is why I never got around to it until now, and only after I spent a day trying to get my DualShock2 to work with a PCI Parallel Port card, failed, and ended up getting an Xbox 360 controller), but that aside, it’s just pure bliss. Sure, it’s a kid game at it’s core, and so the gameplay is very simplified (there’s no such thing as really dying in this game, and the puzzles are easy), but for anyone who has an interest in Star Wars, this game is so charming and fun that you can’t help but enjoy it. It’s the small touches (for example, in Jabba’s palace, if you assemble a radio, it starts blaring out the Imperial Marching Theme, and some of the enemies will start dancing) that really make the game. New in this version is the vehicle levels, which are also a lot of fun. All in all, it’s a very solid game, one that can be enjoyed by everyone who likes Star Wars and probably many who don’t. 9/10.