Dark Worlds #3: Gihren no Yabou: Axis No Kyoui V

I’m always hesitant to recommend Gundam games to anyone who isn’t a fan of the show. So many of the games bank solely on the fan service and the American titles that we’ve received have been less than stellar when compared with the excellent SD Gundam titles and Gundam Vs. games. The goldmine of Gundam games are locked underneath the Japanese language.

Gihren’s Greed draws from the awesome Japanese tradition of turn based strategy games. It’s the classic Koei strategy titles like Liberty or Death and Nobunaga’s Ambition with Gundam characters and story lines. These games are veritable encyclopedias on the franchise. Inside you’ll find every character or mobile suit drawn from the numerous TV shows, movies, novels, spinoffs, games, and expanded universe material.

The map is deceptively big. There are two screens: Earth and Space, and victory in the game involves balancing and coordinating strategy in both theaters. For…

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The Knight Before Christmas

The Glorio Blog

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
Rin’s kneesocks were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St.-Nicholas soon would be there.

The innocent children slept snug in their beds,
Save for poor Shirou, whose parents were dead.
Even Shinji Matou, that damn little pest
Had managed to lay his sad ass to rest.

When out high in the sky shone a light so badass,
All sprang from their bed and gathered en masse.
To gaze out the window to this awesome flash,
They opened the shutters and threw up the sash.

Type Moon’s reflection off the new-fallen snow
Gave the shine of Ea’s hilt to objects below.
When to their wondering eyes appeared in full,
A glistening chariot, and two breezing bulls.

With a vigorous driver, so lively and gar,
Everyone knew it was the…

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It’s Not like I like You or Anything: The Trouble with Tsunderes

The Afictionado

Tsunderes, ice queens, female characters hiding their feelings with anger and cruelty, oh my! Whatever name you give it it’s a common trope all over the shop, from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew to Pride and Prejudice (come on, as if that’s not one big game of “It’s not as if I like you or anything, Mr Darcy”) to modern high school comedies from all cultures—not always specific to women and girls, of course, since the ‘bitterness masking embarrassing mushy feelings’ thing is rife in many forms throughout every genre, ranging from cute bickering to outright abusive behaviour. There’s something interesting and occasionally a little iffy going on with this archetype. What does is say about us as consumers that we love seeing this in our media so freakin’ much?

On one hand, it’s definitely wish fulfilment—especially where it appears in things like harem stories/games and romantic comedies…

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Narrative Self-Projection and Hypocrisy: Why Suzaku is a Better Character Than Lelouch

Frogkun.com

If you pointed a gun at my head and asked me what my favourite anime of all time was, I’d probably tell you that it’s Code Geass. It’s not the series I have the most nostalgia for (that would be Card Captor Sakura). It’s not the title that I consider anime’s finest artistic triumph (that would be Neon Genesis Evangelion). It’s not even the anime that’s resonated with me as a person the most (that would be Hyouka). But I’ve engaged with Code Geass on practically every level – as a robot fan, a shipper, a literary nerd, an otaku, etc. It’s the series I’ve gotten the most out of as a fan of anime.

tldr; I could write about Code Geass all day, but today I’ll focus on my single most controversial opinion about this show: I think Suzaku is a better character than Lelouch.

Yes, I’m serious.

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Glimpse of the Past ( The only one you’re getting)

The bell rang for the last day of school, and the boy Jerry headed out of the classroom ahead of me. I took my time, making sure to talk to everyone one last time, trying to ingrain their faces in my head. Derek, who I had treated like a freak until Brayden had given me a well deserved slap in the face. Now while I was still a little awkward around him, we got along- which was better than before. Then Connor and Istvan and Erin, who had come from another elementary school that joined with our own. The joining was pretty smooth, thankfully- all the kids wanted to get along, and we did.

In the hallway I saw Jacob, Devon, Matthew, and Cashtian- a group of four boys who had been good friends since before I came. I waved to them as I passed, hugged and shook hands, then moved on. Daniel, Will, Ivan and Keegan were walking down the hallway as well, just laughing and talking with each other. The list went on, people I’d met and become friends with in the two years there. Teachers I’d had classes with and some I hadn’t, some of my sisters’ friends and the principal- the list went on and on.And then waiting outside of the school, on the edge of the playground, was Jerry.

Jerry, the boy of Asian birth who had become quite possibly my best friend in the two years we’d known each other- laughing, crying, playing, fighting in the middle of an endless snowfield and sledding down another with conflicts forgotten. We spent all our time together, since we both lived in a neighborhood less than a block away from the elementary school. Summers eating hot dogs and visiting waterfalls. Falls going to each others’ birthday parties and Halloween parties. Winters playing in the snow and slush, springs doing homework on the front lawn while our teacher walked his dogs. I daresay I trusted him with my life, and I didn’t doubt he felt the same.

We walked down the grassy hill towards our neighborhood together, reminiscing about the adventures and experiences we’d shared. And as we reached the street, across which lay Jerry’s house, we both made a final vow to meet up again, and to never forget.