Jaded Perspectives

Happy Birthday, Nagi Sanzen'in 2025 - I Love You Always!

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 08:22:00 +0000

It's 2025. This blog may not be active, but my feelings have never changed.

They met on this day - Happy HayaNagi Day

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 07:25:00 +0000

Hayate met Nagi on the night of December 24 on Loser Park just when his parents ran away and sold him for his organs to the Yakuza... he met a small miracle, some small sliver of mercy when the unluckiest boy met the luckiest girl. They parted 1 year later on December 24. They met again 2 years later on the night of December 24. Today is HayaNagi day for the small pockets of the Hayate the Combat Butler fandom still out there. The manga ended in 2017. My love for Nagi has never faded, never wavered for a single day since then. Happy HayaNagi day. (On a side note: December 24 is also Maria's birthday -- allegedly.)

Visit my Spring Shop

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 15:10:00 +0000

Send me money
https://my-store-f9a7b0.creator-spring.com

I also do art commissions at 20-30 USD per commission.
Streaming daily at
https://www.youtube.com/@elleCX01

Nakoruru: The Gift She Gave Me (Dreamcast): A VIsual Novel Review by Mid-Tier Guard

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Sun, 06 Aug 2023 04:01:00 +0000

To Derek Pascarella, Marshal Wong, Duralumin, Lewis Cox, Piggy, Nico, Danthrax4, Lacquerware, EsperKnight, SnowyAria, VincentNL, cyo, and HaydenKow,

Thank you for the work you put in to translating this treasure of a visual novel, truly a classic.

If you haven’t already, I implore anyone reading this to read through the link in this stream’s description and to thank the translation team directly here: https://www.thedreamcastjunkyard.co.uk/2023/06/nakoruru-gift-she-gave-me-samurai.html

I also wish to thank Ceruleon, for bringing this translation project to Elle-C X’s attention, and to Elle himself for streaming the game. You’re both sukebes.

A couple things:

1. I will be critical of several aspects of this visual novel. My complaints lie with the story/game itself, and not with the translation team. I have nothing but admiration for them and I do not intend to diminish their work in any way.

2. I have never played the Samurai Showdown games, and I would describe my knowledge of the lore and characters to be rudimentary at best.

3. Spoilers from here on out.

Presentation

When it comes to this visual novel’s artistic aspects, it is all, in a word, beautiful. The music, voice acting, and art is all wonderful. The female characters remind me of the art style used by CLAMP. In fact, someone previously pointed out that Nakoruru resembled Daidouji Tomoyo. Elle mentioned early on in this part of the stream that the characters seem disproportionate to each other. I’m not quite sure what he meant, since men and women looking different, especially with Manari having larger eyes than Yantamu, is pretty standard for anime characters.

The CGs in this visual novel are also excellent. I noticed that a few events didn’t actually receive traditional CGs, rather they had the characters models on top of a background, usually with slightly different colors to fit the lighting and with an appropriate pose (facing away, in their angry pose, etc.). I’ve seen a handful of vns do the same thing, and I actually do appreciate it when they show creativity in using the character models outside of having them stand opposite each other behind the text box. Examples of what I’m talking about would be Nakoruru standing in the audience during Manari’s song and Yantami confronting Nakoruru before she leaves the village during sunset. The monster designs towards the end of the game were also very eye-catching. I was half expecting them to just look like evil versions of Konru or the fog spirit, but they look like genuine abominations. Very nicely detailed CGs too.

I only really have two complaints relating to the art:

1. Yantamu’s “serious” pose looks way too stern. He straight up looks angry and there are times where it’s used and it doesn’t fit the conversation. Again, I did not take notes so I can’t remember a good example of this, however, the pose I’m talking about is used appropriately at 35:30.

2. The CG of Mikato wielding Chichi-ushi very epic… as long as you don’t stare at Mikato’s face for too long… 2:32:20. She looks like a fish…

Something I appreciated about this vn was the Ainu aesthetic. The story is set in an Ainu village and the story ties their culture into the story. The regular mentions and explanations of their food and customs goes a long way in giving this vn a unique feel.

This vn overall has aged very well. If I hadn’t been told that it was made in 2001/02, I never would have guessed that. The quality here rivals that of any modern visual novel.

The Text

I absolutely adored the writing in this vn. Character dialogue and interactions are well done and there were no instances of awkward or out of place lines. Naturally, this is in thanks to the translation team, to whom I’ll extend my thanks once more. It takes a certain degree of skill to be able to convey the proper emotions in a visual novel, and the translation team succeeded in my eyes.

The main reason I made this section though, is to say that I was not bothered by Mikato’s eloquent narration at all. The same goes for her ability to read emotions of the other characters, all of whom are much older than her. I feel that having Mikato be this way was a necessity for the story, as if she couldn’t tell what the others were feeling (namely Manari and Nakoruru), the story would not be able to advance and it might even have been irritating to have Mikato be oblivious to the others’ feelings. I was honestly surprised that the translation team was also perplexed by Mikato’s eloquence. However, I feel that they would agree with what I’m saying, given that they retained Mikato’s flowery descriptions. Besides, imagine reading something like the scene of Nakoruru’s dance if it was described by a real seven-year-old.

Characters

Mikato:

Personality wise, there’s not much to say about Mikato. She is our protagonist, and I’d say she a fine one. Mikato has plenty of good moments, and she is able to drive the plot forward, so there are no complaints on her likeability. I already described my thoughts on Mikato’s language, so I thought I’d mention a couple things I thought really were unrealistic. Firstly, Mikato one shotted a bear with a sharp stick. Secondly, the fact that the village sent her off to the final battle all alone. Seriously? The chief might know that Mikato has powers, but he just learned that Nakoruru neglected to train Mikato at all. The former doesn’t bother me much, but the latter genuinely does. Naturally though, that doesn’t mean that I disliked her. Also, Mikato grows up to be a cute miko just like Nakoruru. I like that.

Manari:

I have only love for Manari. Out of everyone, she is the most relatable and, arguably, the most tragic. Unlike Nakoruru, Manari faces more mundane crises throughout the story.

Manari loves to sing, and she’s even really good at it, but her stage fright is so crippling that she cannot even practice in front of her own mother.

Manari was once a candidate to be a shrine maiden, but for whatever reason, she could not qualify, while Nakoruru, her childhood friend, did.

Manari is in love with Yantamu, and probably has been for years, but he is in love with Nakoruru, who everyone in town admires.

Manari has a sort of “normal girl” charm, even believing in lovey-dovey superstitions like with that blue fruit. She sort of reminds me of Ayumu from Hayate no Gotoku; another plain girl who gets passed over by the boy she loves. That scene where she gave up on confessing to Yantamu was truly crushing.

For a few moments, I actually expected Manari to become an antagonist of sorts, to be honest. I thought that she would notice Yantamu and Nakoruru growing closer, and her jealousy would get the best of her and she would take advantage of Mikato. Perhaps she would try to learn the rest of the shrine maiden song to use it to impress Yantamu, but accidentally unleash something horrible on the village. Or maybe she would make a deal with Rera to get back at Nakoruru somehow and she’d be the one getting taken advantage of.

Sadly, Manari sort of just ends up being a third wheel to Yantamu and Nakoruru. I don’t think Yantamu ever even catches on to Manari’s feelings, and in the end, she goes on to tell the story of how Nakoruru and Yantamu passed on into legend. Truly a bittersweet ending to her character. Manari is the Aloise to Nakoruru and Yantamu’s Nello and Patrasche.

Rimururu:

Though not important to the story, Rimururu is a fun character with some nice depth. We slowly watch her warm up to Mikato over the first half of the story until she eventually treats her as if they were truly related. It’s quite heartwarming. Rimururu’s comedy scenes were also my favorites, aside from the ones with the babas. Also, Rimururu was the prettiest in that cosplay CG. If you know me, you might find that funny, but Rimururu really suited that dress.

Rera:

Not much to say about Rera. This may sound harsh but Rera is pretty much your typicla “evil alter ego” trope. She even had that “I’ve never had a name” cliché line. I was quite disappointed when she turned out to be a splinter of Nakoruru’s personality. Though I’m not sure why I held on to hope considering chat speculated that Rera and Nakoruru were the same person throughout the story. Hope is misery.

I thought Rera was actually Murasaki Nakoruru, but after checking the wiki, it turns out that they are two different character all together. I also assume Rera is explained further in the lore, since we don’t really know what exactly she’s supposed to be. Is Rera a ghost? She was able to kill that bear, so she must have a physical body. Also, what was she doing in the wilderness for that whole year? Training? What if Nakoruru was killed by Kamui Risse before they combined again? Would Rera die too?

If it doesn’t exist already, someone should make fanart of a bored Rera peeping on Nakoruru during one of those ritual baths. Seriously, what was she doing in the forest that whole year?

Nakoruru:

Nakoruru, the star of this visual novel. Sadly, I don’t have much to say about her either. While the vn succeeds in giving her character some depth, I’m sad to admit that I didn’t really find her all that interesting. Similar to Rera being a typical “evil” alter ego trope, Nakoruru is basically just an ultra-nice-guy character. Don’t get me wrong, I love good girls like Nakoruru, but I feel the inner conflicts she had could’ve been made more complex. I’ll discuss this later on.

Yantamu:

To put it bluntly: Yantamu is the weakest character out of the bunch and I don’t like him at all.

The first thing we learn about Yantamu (other than him being good at fishing) is that he likes to flirt with the other girls in the village from Hokute. This gave me the impression that Yantamu is one those sleezy playboy characters you see in anime. I generally hate these types of characters because their “coolness” is never justified, yet everyone seems to love him. One of the worst cases I’m familiar with is Kagura Mutsuki from Blazblue, but I digress. My point is that this notion is reinforced several times throughout the first half of the visual novel, and that part of Yantamu’s image as the town flirt is never challenged or deconstructed. Rather, that part of his character is simply forgotten about and never mentioned again after a certain point in the story. This results in some of Yantamu’s actions feeling forced in order to move the plot along, or in the second half, to force a conflict.

Yantamu is given a lot of importance by this plot. He is pivotal in almost every major event that happens in this story, but this importance doesn’t feel earned.

The first example is the scene where he gives Nakoruru the speech that helps her move on from the guilt over what she did while on her journey. Up until this point, Yantamu has ben built up as being about as close to a playboy someone living in Kamui Kotan’s society can be. He’s known throughout the town to flirt with any girl his age. He’s also been harassing Nakoruru for much of the story until this point. Nakoruru had shown a strong aversion to Yantamu several times, and yet Yantamu continued to pester her, despite how obvious it was that she wanted to be left alone. At one point, he even offered to enter the bath with Nakoruru and Mikato. This might seem funny, since it’s a common joke in anime, but that scene is completely serious, and Nakoruru is clearly made uncomfortable by him. If even Nakoruru doesn’t like him, how are we supposed to?

Going back to that speech, I had a hard time believing that Yantamu of all people was the only person suited to talking Nakoruru out of her slump. Suddenly he just has 100 Speech and also Nakoruru ignores how pushy he had been up until now. I just don’t believe that Yantamu has any more wisdom to share than the villages chief, the babas, or even Nakoruru herself, seeing as she just came back from a life changing journey. Even worse, he still went in for a kiss after that speech. I’ll admit that that was a very funny scene, but at the same time it just reaffirms the rumors we had heard about Yantamu, and part of me was thinking about he was taking advantage of the situation to smooch Nakoruru (not that I blame him, to be fair). It doesn’t matter if a character gets “all the best lines” if what they’re saying is out of character. Conveniently, mentions of Yantamu flirting with other girls is hardly ever brought up after this point. Now, instead of everyone knowing about him being smooth with the ladies, everyone thinks he and Manari would be a good couple.

I’ll speak more of Yantamu in the plot section coming up, but I feel like my dislike for him could have easily been undone if we got to know him better. Unlike the others, Mikato never has any one-on-one time with Yantamu. While we get to be very intimate with Nakoruru, Rimururu, and Manari, we know very little about Yantamu compared to them. We don’t know anything about Yantamu’s interests or his family (which is never even mentioned). In fact, as far as we know, Nakoruru and Manari are the only friends Yantamu has ever had. It would have been nice to spend time with Yantamu and see him deal with a personal struggle of his own like what we see with the others. At the very least, the story shouldn’t have introduced him the way it did because it gives off the wrong impression. Elle showed off a few minutes of the OVA in this stream, and in those few minutes, Yantamu was infinitely more likeable to me, probably because he’s not introduced as a playboy womanizer, and more like the kind, dependable guy he’s meant to be in the vn. As it stands, he’s basically a regular harem protagonist.

The Plot

Although this visual novel is split into eight chapters, I see it more as being split into three acts, or parts, each being defined by the three major conflicts. Each part flows into the next while slowly, ever so slowly, building up and foreshadowing the next.

Part 1:

I mentioned the first conflict in Yantamu’s section above, and I don’t have much to say about this first part of the story. I mean that in a good way this time. Just about everything in this section of the game is great. The conflict, as I’ve mentioned, is Nakoruru acting distant after her return from her trip, and her friends want to learn why so they can help her move on. The lead up to Yantamu helping Nakoruru get over her experiences is pretty good. This act took up about the first third of the visual novel so it included all of the character introductions too. I generally liked everything about it except for the Yantamu stuff that I’ve already gone over. Despite what I’ve said about him, the message itself is a good one, and Nakoruru is able to get over her guilt/shame and is able to relax and enjoy life with her friends. It’s not very clear what exactly Nakoruru was feeling during this stage. I was reminded of Sayaka from Madoka Magica. Late into the anime, Sayaka didn’t want to be with the boy she loved because she felt that she would be defiling him. The thing with Nakoruru here however, is that she only acted distant towards Yantamu.

Part 2:

In retrospect, that’s something that bothered me. Nakoruru didn’t mind having Mikato, Rimururu, and even Manari around. I suppose this can be interpreted as foreshadowing for Nakoruru being in love with Yantamu later on, but other than that, there weren’t really any other hints at that until later on when Nakoruru hints at her true feelings in ways you’d find in any anime that has a love triangle plot. Elle said in one of these streams that “just because it’s predictable, it doesn’t mean that it’s bad.” This is true. In fact I think this is something I said a long time ago (also in relation to Madoka Magica). While the reveal of Yantamu being in love with Nakoruru instead of Manari was obvious, it was obvious in a sense because one expects it already in a story like this. The story never hinted that Yantamu was in love with Nakoruru and not Manari. He treats both girls equally and he seems equally close to both of them. The townspeople might have forgotten Yantamu going around flirting with everyone’s daughters in favor of him and Manari being a nice couple, but “oh, wouldn’t it be such a twist if he was in love Nakoruru, the main character, instead”? I’m pretty sure the reason we never get any alone time with Yantamu is so that this twist of him liking Nakoruru could be less obvious. If we ever got a story or a flashback to why Yantamu loves Nakoruru instead of Manari despite being childhood friends with both of them, it’d probably be another cliché like Nakoruru saved Yantamu’s life, or Yantamu got sick and Nakoruru’s mother saved him with her miko powers, or it was simply love at first sight. As it stands, it feels like Yantamu only loves Nakoruru arbitrarily in order to make that confession scene work, or happen at all. I’ll admit that that scene of Manari shrinking away from Yantamu is very powerful, but I wish something less expected could have happened.

I have an idea: if they didn’t give us one-on-one time with Yantamu because it would’ve made that twist even too obvious, they could have just made Yantamu be in love with both Nakoruru and Manari. This way, you could change the story to have Nakoruru trying to subtly sway Yantamu to choosing Manari even though she’s still in love with him. That would have been able to lean further in to the existing theme of self-sacrifice.

Part 3:

The final act happens in the last couple chapters following the festival. This conflict involves demons poisoning the environment and the possibility of the horde overrunning Kamui Kotan. Sadly, apart from the ending this was probably my least favorite part of this vn. Every problem I’ve mentioned having rears its head here.

I find it preposterous that Yantamu was able to kill Kamui Risse, a named, and thus I assume stronger than average demon all on his own. I understand that Nakoruru is meant to be infinitely more powerful than the average person, and I know that it’s not like Kamui Kotan has an army, but you’d think that if Yantamu could kill Kamui Risse so easily, the villagers wouldn’t be so paralyzed with fear that they don’t even want to go outside. Earlier in the story, Yantamu mentions that he kept the village safe while Nakoruru was gone as part of a promise. Once the demons start affecting the wilderness, Yantamu even mentions that he’s seen this before. So, has Yantamu fought demons? Was he the only one defending the town while Nakoruru was absent? If he was able to kill Risse alone, imagine if he had help from some other hunters from Kamui Kotan. Oh, and of course, they just had to give him the badass dying smile in that CG. ugh

This just doesn’t make any sense, and it makes the people of Kamui Kotan look so pathetic. What were they going to do if Nakoruru actually died? Beg Mikato to save them? …oh wait. That’s literally what they do in the ending…

There is also the fact that Rera waited until these demons came about to prove to Nakoruru that fighting is a necessity. I can only imagine what she would have done if not for Yantamu’s death. Those scenes with her are very well done though, so she gets a pass.

When I started working on these comments last week, I was honestly bothered by Mizuki. She appears at the very end of the story and has no dialogue, despite being the final villain. It’s a shame there wasn’t really any set up to Mizuki’s character; we’ve never even heard of her until she appears suddenly during the final battle (assuming she isn’t from the main Samurai Showdown games). After ranting about Yantamu though, Mizuki isn’t so bad seeing as she hardly counts as a character at all. and the final battle part of the story leads in to the ending, which I adored.

Other Themes and Misc.

Before I talk about the ending, there are a couple things I wanted to write about.

I’ll speak more about the main theme of this story in the following section. However, I admit that if it weren’t for Rera and Mikato spelling it out, I would have not been able to catch on to the message this visual novel was trying to convey. Leading up to the scene of Mikato singing the song, my best guess for the theme would have been something about the sacrifices people make. I’ll explain: much of this vn revolved around Nakoruru, and how much suffering her work as a shrine maiden caused her, even if her duties are necessary, and even if she enjoyed experiences only she could have. The problem with this theory is that there isn’t an “and” or a “but”. The theme is sacrifice and… well, nothing. Nakoruru pretty much just suffers throughout the story until she finally learns the truth from Rera as she dies. The true theme is much better.

While not a main theme per se, something that recurred in my mind as I was reading was the theme of selfishness. Every character in this story acts selfishly one way or another. Yantamu is selfish for doggedly pursuing Nakoruru. Rimururu is selfish for wanting Nakoruru all to herself. Rera is selfish in how she wishes to teach Nakoruru that there are things life that you may not like, but must accept. Even Mikato is selfish for accepting Rera’s training, even though she knows that Nakoruru would disapprove. Manari is selfish in a nuanced way.

Manari is the adopted daughter of the village’s song keeper and is expected to help carry on Kamui Kotan’s customs to the next generation. Manari is secretly a beautiful singer, however, she is too shy to even practice at home. Despite that, she still dreams of one day singing to impress Yantamu. This is ironic, since Manari is basically the opposite of Nakoruru. Manari does not “belong to everyone”, yet she yearns to serve only one person, while Nakoruru does “belong to everyone”, and so, it would be sacrilege for her to show any resemblance of favoritism. Notice how Rera, Mikato, and Manari’s examples of selfishness aren’t self-serving. Selfishness isn’t inherently something bad, and it can describe feelings of wanting to help someone. It especially fits these three characters, since they all want to help someone close to them, if the receiver is unaware or oblivious to their feelings. I personally believe that as long as you’re doing something that makes you happy, you are acting selfishly, to a degree. However, like a certain class president once said, “if you never act selfishly, you’ll never be happy in life”.

Nakoruru, naturally, acts selfishly too, but her selfishness is also complex. I am loathe to say it, but Yantamu was speaking the truth in his confrontations with Nakoruru. She was using her position as a miko to run and hide from her feelings. First, she believes that as a shrine maiden, and because of the things she has done, that she shouldn’t need help in coping with her trauma. Second, she hides behind her title in order to avoid her true feelings, likely because she feels that it is her responsibility to do so. Nakoruru is no doubt also influenced by the sad relationship her mother had with her “father”. There is truth to learning to like those fries, but Nakoruru overdid in this story.

Speaking of Nakoruru not being allowed to take a lover, I found it interesting that they never once said the word “tradition”. Instead, they used the phrase of “belonging to everyone” repeatedly. While this is technically true, in the real world there are specific reasons why certain figures are not allowed to have romantic relationships.

There are multiple figures in western religions that take vows of abstinence to symbolize that they are giving themselves to God, and that they reject earthly pleasures. In Christianity, there are several types of priests and nuns who do this. To my understanding, Shinto shrine maidens are the Japanese equivalent to Catholic nuns. The idea behind both is that they are to remain pure to show their devotion to their deities. The truth behind this has changed in the modern age, but this isn’t a review on religion. My point is that it is a taboo to lust after a nun or a miko. Fruit that is forbidden is all the sweeter, after all.

But I didn’t say anything.

What I’m trying to say here, is that I found it odd that they went with that “she belongs to everyone” line instead of saying that Nakoruru and Yantamu would be defying the gods, or a tradition. They could have gone a step further and say that if Nakoruru’s love for Yantamu ever eclipsed her love of nature, she would risk losing her powers, though I admit that would be too extreme for a story like this. Not really a complaint. I just thought it was odd that the vn chose that phrasing.

Something I do want to complain about is Yantamu’s horrible timing with that confession. Yantamu chose to offer his comb to Nakoruru in just about the worst way possible: right after her performance, a major event during the yearly festival, and climbing on stage and doing it in front of everyone. Did he seriously expect Nakoruru to accept his comb under those circumstances? If she did for some reason accept his feelings, did he think the other villagers would take that sight lightly? The comb is symbolic; Yantamu could have waited until after the festival to offer it to Nakoruru. The gesture would have had more wait since, Nakoruru would have noticed that Yantamu went the whole festival without offering the comb to anyone else. At the very least, he could have waited to give it to Nakoruru in private so she didn’t have to be put on blast publicly like that. And of course, Yantamu has the gall to talk back at the crowd after making such a stupid play. ugh

Finally, small detail, but I thought those minigames were neat. I imagine the developers put them in the game in the first place in order to give readers a break. Personally, I’m sure they could have found a way to write around them, as some of these minigames get in the way of the pacing in the story. The very first training session with Rera is probably the best example of this. I mean, imagine if this were a regular novel. How would Mikato meeting Rera after she saved her life from a bear flow into a training sessions where she dodges wolf attacks? I would have preferred if there were no minigames at all, but they are part of this visual novel for better or worse. Overall though, no harm, nor foul. The quizzes and instrument minigames were pretty good though.

The Ending

I don’t have anything smart to say here. The ending is top tier. I was sincerely mind-blown that they really killed off Nakoruru. What a bold choice. Very nice. Nakoruru’s actual death scene was excellent and the speech she and Rera gave to Mikato to help her find the missing lyric to the song was great and it also exposes the main theme of this story. That being “Strength comes from Kindness but Kindness originates from Happiness.” Basically, in life you should strive for happiness before all else. Though I would have preferred if Rera hadn’t spelled it out, at that point in the story there was no more room for hints, and it’s a good message, so I can forgive it. The final CGs we see showing Mikato grown up were really something special too. I actually think that it’s very beautiful that we never see anyone’s reactions to Nakoruru and Yantamu’s deaths. Of course there were tears, and Rimururu likely blamed Mikato for not being able to save her sister. In the art we see though, everyone is happy. Life has gone on, and everyone has found their happiness. Those scenes of adult Hokute and Mikato really made me smile. Especially that one CG where they are holding hands in a meadow, and it changes to show Yantamu and Nakoruru in the same pose. I have my gripes with him, but I can’t deny that that was a beautiful story moment.

Final Thoughts

Review over. I really hope I was able to get my feelings on this vn across clearly so it doesn’t sound like my criticisms have no justification. Even so, I concede that my opinions are probably in the minority, given the reactions I’ve seen in these stream replays.

To summarize my thoughts: objectively speaking, this is a fine visual novel. Everything about it well done and it’s quite impressive how well it stands up compared to modern vns. Personally, although this visual novel had many good moments, I wasn’t able to really connect the story, characters, or themes like I could with other vns like Narcissu or Root Letter. Large portions of this story were also quite boring, I have to admit. The reason my summary of the plot is split into three sections is because not much else happened in this story that was either memorable, or relevant to the plot. I see this in the same light as World End Syndrome. What I mean by that is that actually getting through the story was very slow, and almost boring, but looking at the story as a whole after completing it, you realize that it was an enjoyable experience. Despite my gripes, I did enjoy this experience. Hopefully, this review is proof enough.

For anyone who made it this far, thank you for reading. And thanks again to the people above.

Jaded-Perspectives.com doesn't belong to me anymore

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Sun, 23 Jul 2023 13:55:00 +0000

Just a little heads up that google is being silly and didn't renew my domain automatically so therefore I lost it and I dunno how to get it back without paying some exorbitant domain broker's fee. Screw that. Anyway, this blog is pretty much dead now except for some updates here and there. Come check me out at my youtube at youtube.com/@lcx2

I bought jaded-perspectives.net instead.

Narcissu Side 2nd - Guest Review by Mid-tier Guard

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Sun, 07 May 2023 07:59:00 +0000

The following review is by a friend of mine named Mid-tier Guard who was reading this story for the first time through my stream. These are his comments, raw and unfiltered taken directly from the videos and formatted to be readable. Thanks for the very long, detailed review, Mid-tier Guard.

Good reading. Good writing.

Let's just dive in, yeah?

Side Characters

There was something you told me the other day. It was about how Narcissu 2nd is able to explore more themes and show off

more scenery because Side 2nd has more characters. It's quite striking to have as many characters here in Side 2nd compared to Narcissu. While watching the replays, I attempted to collect my thoughts on each of them, particularly the side characters: Chihiro, the child, and Yuka. Some brief thoughts:

Chihiro- Chihiro's a good girl. I'll talk about her in the religion section.

Yuka- to put it bluntly, Yuka's presence is pretty weak. Her loyalty to Himeko is commendable, and both the perfect attendance and farewell scenes were beautiful, but Yuka suffers from a lack of screen time. Would've been nice to include her some more.

The Child- looking back, I'm pretty sure I teared up during every single flashback sequence. The voice actress did such an amazing job. I cried along with this character.

Ultimately though, Himeko was the true star of the the show this time, and the three characters above mainly served to advance her arc, or to drive the themes of Narcissu.

Himeko -Similar to how George Lucas designed the Star Wars prequels to "rhyme" with the original movies, Narcissu 2nd has many, many parallels with the first game. The most apparent one being the dynamic between the respective narrators. The nameless mc from Narcissu, and Setsumi here in 2nd. Where Setsumi is the focus of Narcissu, Himeko is the focus in 2nd. Himeko is truly a complex character, let me tell you. Like I said the other day, the writing in this game is so good that she (and Setsumi)

feel so real that it's almost like when a friend asks you for your opinion on them. Not sure if you know what I mean. I suppose what stood out the most to me was how she treats Setsumi. In fact, I think her treatment of Setsumi in particular a good place to start. Himeko treats Setsumi very strangely. Clearly, she is seeing The Child in Setsumi. Many of the activities Himeko does with Setsumi, she also did with the child in those flashbacks. They eat ice cream, the walk around the courtyard, cutting hair, Himeko even says certain things to Setsumi exactly how she said to the child. The most significant being that line about making a friend from another age group, which ended up being a lie, as Himeko admits later. The irony is pretty strong here.

Himeko was once a helper on the 7th floor, and fate had her become a patient there, and now she is treating Setsumi the same way she once treated a patient. With one interesting reversal, in that she proclaims Setsumi as the professor. No doubt, because doesn't feel worthy or knowledgeable enough to keep it. We never really learn why Himeko saw Setsumi in that way, other than her having a certain feeling about her.

This might sound harsh, but it seems a little selfish of Himeko to do what she did with Setsumi. Setsumi's mother has good reason to break down when she learns who Setsumi has been spending so much time with. Himeko is aware that her imminent death will cause pain to the people closest to her. That's why she pushed Chihiro and Yuka away. Yet, she is okay with letting in someone new in to her fleeting life? Given Himeko's skills of perception, I suppose she could have assumed that Setsumi has a certain lifestyle that would allow her to actually spend time at the hospital, and not doing normal things like going to school. Maybe she's even seen her before and knows that Setsumi is a regular patient. I digress. It just seems that Himeko would go as far as to go with Setsumi all the way to Mt. Fuji, with the intent to throw herself off, or die on the hike up the mountain, and apparently abandoning Setsumi with the car.

However, I suppose I should follow my own advice, and just go by what's in the story. After all, if there were no conflict, the story wouldn't be as interesting right? I don't want to give off the wrong impression. I like Himeko a lot, despite what I just wrote.

Moving on to Himeko's personality, you mentioned in a previous stream that some people find her to be too genki, too happy. I don't see anything wrong with that. People deal with bad experiences and death in different ways. Himeko decided to live her life as a 7th floor resident with the same demeanor she had before she became sick. And this is probably why she treats Setsumi the way she did with the child. She's trying to put on a brave face, maybe for Chihiro, maybe for herself, to make it seem like she's okay with her impending death. In her final months, she wants to act like like a helper. She wants to be useful, to be handy, like she used to be. I can definitely imagine that Himeko was quite dependable before being hospitalized. She was good with cars, she knows how to sew, she put effort into being nice to others, like when she sprinted to a nearby convenience store and back to share that ice cream with the child. Himeko doesn't want to be a burden. It goes against the rules after all.

Setsumi- Of course, it wasn't like Himeko wasn't giving back to Setsumi. Setsumi hasn't had a friend in years, and her experiences with Himeko in 2nd were things that affected her way of thinking and acting for the rest of her life. A small mannerism she took from Himeko being the "un", which Himeko in turn took from the child. Or maybe it's a translation thing and it's just to show the character agreeing with something? More importantly, Himeko is responsible for Setsumi being so knowledgeable about directions in Narcissu, and of course, we learn how Setsumi got that envelope. Not really something we needed to know, but such a satisfying twist.

Anyway, I don't really have much to say about Setsumi other than to say that I love her as well. She had many quotable lines in 2nd, many relatable ones dealing with her guilt and feeling of inadequacy. She truly suffered a lot, even before she became a resident of the 7th floor. Being forced into isolation, and believing yourself to be a burden on the people you love... that's truly an awful feeling. Setsumi is easily my favorite character in these games, and I imagine that true for most of the fans too. Like what I said about Himeko, Setsumi just feels so real.

About the Themes

Yeah, you hit the nail on the head when talking about these things. Specifically the stuff about the fries, religion, and the endings to the two games. I'll just give my opinions. Sorry if I parrot you a little.

Fries, Lies, and Kindness

As you know, the fries are a symbol for Setsumi's internal struggles that I mentioned above. In terms of how this conflict affects the story, yes, I did enjoy seeing it. The resolution that you kept teasing was... pretty satisfying! I was expecting that Setsumi was going to sit down and actually tell her mother the truth, but Himeko's advice in the end was... pretty good. Learning to like the fries is just Himeko's way of telling Setsumi to learn to accept her fate. In real life there are things like that to. If Setsumi told her mother that she never liked the fries, it wouldn't cure her disease, it would just hurt her mother, with the result being that Setsumi no longer has to be inconvenienced by having to eat food she doesn't like. She's managed to sit and quietly eat those fries until now. In short, it's just another way to say that we need to learn to suck things up. Not much more to it. I did love those scenes though.

I do want to mention that I find it pretty cool that the story used something mundane like french fries to represent Setsumi's conflict. Growing up, I've been taught about universal symbols in literature (not that I'm well read or anything). Things like the meanings of colors, weather, etc. It's very refreshing to see. This is how it works in real life too after all. People getting attached to personal items and such.

About lies and kindness, something Side 2nd touches on is the idea of telling lies, and how that affects the liar and the person being lied too. With Setsumi and the fries, she pretends to like the fries because she doesn't want to take away the satisfaction her mother has from seeing her daughter eat what she believes is her favorite food. However, the biggest lie definitely has to be the one that was told to the child. The one about her parents being away on a trip. You see the effects of that in the story, but what I loved about this was Himeko's monologue about how that lie was actually good. Lying isn't inherently an evil thing, especially when it's meant to spare someone from pain. Sorry if that sounds cliche.

Religion

Something else that really stuck out in Side 2nd, and yes, I know it was on purpose, is the role that religion has in this story. Again, it's mainly because Narcissu did not have any religious aspects at all. In fact, the thought crossed my mind early on while watching the replays that perhaps the hospitals in the two games were different, but that of course can't be the case.

About Chihiro, there was one line in the previous stream that Setsumi had when she was thinking about her. Setsumi wondered about Chihiro doing the volunteer work that she does because of her religion. As I said before, I'm convinced Chihiro does what she does out of her own kindness. There are many good people who do the things that Chihiro does, even if they aren't as devout as her. Or religious at all, for that matter. Like I said earlier: Chihiro is a good girl. It says a lot that she maintained affection for Himeko, despite the likelihood that Himeko has acted cold towards her and spoken to her sternly for years, and what finally made Chihiro take a break from her volunteer work was the passing of her sister.

I thought it was also very interesting that, despite what actually happens in the story, religion, or specifically here,

Christianity/Catholicism, is not portrayed in a negative light. It's become cool to bash on Christianity over the last couple decades, at least in American culture. My guess is because it's a major religion and it oppresses "those" people. Funnily enough, the view on the religion is pretty balanced here, in a Japanese visual novel of all places. Himeko, the character who seems to have the most against Catholicism, ends up becoming a believer again by the end of the story. This is a pretty rare outcome. Even in fiction stories that have a fictitious religion that is clearly based on real world Christianity, the church is often the villain, or at the least, get very little representation in the story. Again, very refreshing.

As you stated in an earlier stream, Japan's major religion is Shintoism, followed by Buddhism. I'm not sure about the exact numbers, but Catholics make up 2-5% of the population in Japan. I'm not religious at all, and I've never read the Bible, but all the quotes references to the religion seem accurate to me.

Other Themes

So overall, what did this story mean to me? It's hard to say, honestly. Planetarian, despite being a tragedy, was able to give a feeling of hope by the ending. Narcissu and Narcissu 2nd are true to the descriptions you find online. It's a story about people who are terminally ill, and have no hope. Still though, it is a beautiful story. If I was forced to guess what lesson the author wanted us to glean from Narcissu though, I would say... that life is beautiful. While pretty simple, I believe it fits. Despite most of the characters only having months left to live, they all attempted to make the most of the time they had. Himeko always planned to cut the pineapple tree and visit Mt. Fuji, regardless of meeting Setsumi or not. Setsumi was determined to die somewhere other than the 7th floor, or the home in which she felt responsible for forcing her parents to move in to. We see in the final lines of both games that the respective narrators learned certain things about the true main characters of each story. Some minor things like their age and blood type, but more personal things like Setsumi and Himeko's love of cars and maps.

The story goes to great lengths to show the isolation that people who are terminally ill face. Setsumi lost out on her childhood, Himeko tried to harden herself to push away her best friend and sister. These are things that happen in real life, but for some there is an even possibility in that the terminally ill patient might not have any friends or family at all, as we saw with The Child. For people like them, it's saddening to know that there's a chance that the nurses and doctors and helpers they have may only see them as patients, or a sick person. They are still people with interests, and feelings. In this story, I get the feeling that many of the background characters, the ones we don't see or hear, have already consigned Setsumi, Himeko, and the mc, and the child to their fates, when, naturally, it's not so easy to accept your own death. It's something that only someone else in their position would understand. This is why I found it so terrible that someone told The Child the rules of the 7th floor. While I understand that it's a sort of tradition for the residents of the 7th floor, even if it were on me, I just don't think I could bear the thought of bringing that kind of despair on a child so young and so unfortunate when they've already been assigned to the 7th floor.

The opposite is true of the mystery person who told The Child the lie about her parents being away on a trip. Himeko really didn't have a choice but to go with the lie, and if it hadn't been that mystery person, it likely would have fallen on her to make up a lie, just as she felt that it fell on her to tell her the truth about God and The Child's prayers.

Allusions

I suppose I should mention these, since they are important parts to story in both games.

When I first heard you say the name for these games, I had a feeling it would have to do with the Greek myth. In the end though, it actually had more to do with the flower. Nice subversion. Or maybe I just made a bad assumption. That is all.

Mainly, I want to talk about the story that is brought up constantly here in Side 2nd: A Dog of Flanders. I'll be up front and say that I have never read the old novel. I am familiar with the premise of Nello, Patrasche, and Alois, but funnily enough, I actually learned of them when Hayate mentions them in volume 1 of Hayate no Gotoku. I did a little research, and I found that there is a 52 episode anime adaptation, as well as an anime movie based on A Dog of Flanders. This leads me to believe that it must have had quite the influence on Japanese culture if even Hata-sensei chose to mention it as a joke, while Side 2nd uses it seriously here. Any idea if the movie is good?

Also, despite not being familiar with the story itself, I had no issue understanding the relationship between the trio and that of the 7th floor residents with their helpers. Truly masterful.

The Endings

I loved the endings to Narcissu and Side 2nd very much. You may have noticed that I have spoken about the two stories somewhat concurrently throught these comments. This is because I genuinely have a hard time keeping the two separate in my mind, and I mean that in the best way possible. Narcissu contains the ending to Setsumi's story, while Side 2nd sets it up so perfectly. All week, I had a question in the back of my mind, and it was: "Do you believe someone could still enjoy the story if they read Side 2nd before reading Narcissu?" If you could, I would still be interested in your opinion on that. Whether here or elsewhere.

This section is mainly for me to make a confession: the meaning behind the true ending went over my head.

While this ending was pretty good too, I have to be honest and say that if you hadn't given your view on the meaning of the ending, I would be at a loss on what to say here. I dare say, that if you hadn't mentioned the breaking of the cycle/curse, I might even have said that this ending wasn't very good. I think the reason here is a personal issue. I am not religious, and I do not believe in radical superstitions like magic, or mythical

creatures (I do believe in luck, though). So whenever Himeko repeated her line about "when there's a prayer, there is also a curse", I kind of just ignored it and filed it as a Catholic thing. Given how realistic the story and characters are, I guess I subconciously assumed that something like breaking a curse couldn't possibly factor in to Narcissu.

Still though, good ending. I agree with your assessment. Also, I felt chills when I heard Chihiro's voice again.

Vs Narcissu

As I stated earlier, it is hard for me to seperate these two visual novels from each other since together they are a complete story. However, if I had to choose one over the other, I think Narcissu 1 is much better than Narcissu Side 2nd. Mainly, I think Narcissu is much more accessible than 2nd. Not only is Narcissu much shorter, it's also a complete story on it's own. Don't get me wrong, 2nd is a great story as well, however, I believe that it is best enjoyed after reading Narcissu 1, which, as I just said, can be enjoyed on it's own.

While I enjoyed Side 2nd, I have a feeling that someone who isn't a hardcore anime or visual novel fan, a casual, might be too daunted or may not have the patience to read Narcissue all the way to the end. Again though, I have a feeling that you're less than interested in hearing that kind of complaint.

The Usual

I think I was able to convey my feelings very well, so I'll skip a summary and go into the obligatory thank you note.

I truly enjoyed reading this visual novels. You recommended both Planetarian and Narcissu to me some months ago, and I have them written down somewhere, but even so, I have a feeling that it would've taken me years to get to them, even though I'm pretty sure you told me that Narcissu was free on Steam when you gave me the recommendation. Thank you for sharing these stories with us, as always.

I can't help but notice that these vn streams are a serious departure from what you normally do. I think I have a feeling as to why you suddenly decided to share these stories with us, aside from your passion for the medium, I mean. I had hoped to have a short section where I talk about my own thoughts on vns, but I'm just a humble fan, ignoring a cringe fan fic or two floating around. All I'll say is that each medium, visual novel, novel, movies, games, etc. all have their place.

I hope you enjoyed reading my ramblings and they helped give you a break from things going on with you. Looking back at this, I am quite aghast. I might have a little too much free time… oh well. It's fun so who cares?

Also, my apologies for missing all of these vn streams. Bad luck. However, I think it’s for the best that I did miss them. I was able to watch these replays and go through the story at my own pace this way.

Thank you for reading.

chatgpt (AI) tells you why Nagi wins over Athena

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 07:56:00 +0000

Hayate's Love for Nagi

Hayate Ayasaki is a complex character in the popular manga and anime series "Hayate the Combat Butler." Throughout the series, he has been romantically linked with two of the main female characters, Athena Tennousu and Nagi Sanzenin. While Hayate has shown affection towards both women, it is clear that his feelings for Nagi are stronger and more genuine.

One of the reasons why Hayate did not really love Athena is that their relationship was built on a foundation of guilt and obligation. Hayate had saved Athena from a dangerous situation when they were younger, and as a result, she felt indebted to him. She later developed romantic feelings for him, but it was clear that her feelings were driven more by gratitude and obligation than true love. Hayate, on the other hand, was drawn to Athena because of her beauty and charm, but he did not have a deep emotional connection with her.

In contrast, Hayate's relationship with Nagi was much more meaningful and genuine. Nagi was initially infatuated with Hayate, but as they spent more time together, they developed a deep and meaningful bond. Hayate became Nagi's butler and caretaker, and their relationship evolved from one of employer-employee to one of friendship and trust. As they faced various challenges and adventures together, their bond grew stronger, and it became clear that they had developed true feelings for each other.

Another reason why Hayate loves Nagi truly is that she accepts him for who he is. Hayate is a complex character with a troubled past, and he struggles with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. Nagi, however, sees him as a friend and a valuable member of her life, and she never judges him or makes him feel less than worthy. Their relationship is built on mutual respect and admiration, and this is what makes their love so genuine and pure.

Finally, it is worth noting that Hayate's feelings for Nagi are reciprocated. Nagi has shown time and time again that she cares deeply for Hayate and is willing to do whatever it takes to make him happy. She has even risked her own safety and well-being to help him, which is a clear indication of the depth of her feelings.

In conclusion, while Hayate Ayasaki had a relationship with Athena Tennousu, it was clear that his feelings for her were not as genuine or deep as his feelings for Nagi Sanzenin. Hayate and Nagi's relationship is built on mutual respect, trust, and genuine affection, and it is clear that they are meant to be together. Their love story is a beautiful and heartwarming one, and it is one of the reasons why "Hayate the Combat Butler" remains a beloved series among fans.

(AI) ChatGPT tells you why Hayate Loves Nagi

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 07:51:00 +0000

Hayate Ayasaki, the male lead in the anime and manga series "Hayate no Gotoku!" (also known as "Hayate the Combat Butler"), has had many romantic interests throughout the series, but it is clear that his attraction to Nagi Sanzenin, the wealthy heiress and main female protagonist, is particularly strong. In this article, we will explore the reasons why Hayate was always attracted to Nagi Sanzenin.

Firstly, Nagi possesses many qualities that Hayate admires. She is intelligent, creative, and independent, which are all traits that Hayate finds attractive. Nagi is also passionate about her hobbies and interests, which is something that Hayate respects and admires. Her confident and assertive personality is a contrast to Hayate's more reserved and humble nature, making her an intriguing and fascinating character to him.

Secondly, Nagi is a source of comfort and support for Hayate. Throughout the series, Hayate experiences many challenges and hardships, but Nagi is always there to offer him a helping hand or a kind word. She listens to him when he needs to talk and encourages him to pursue his dreams. This emotional support is important to Hayate, who has faced many difficulties in his life.

Thirdly, Nagi challenges Hayate to be a better person. Nagi's high standards and expectations push Hayate to improve himself and strive for excellence. She is not satisfied with mediocrity and encourages Hayate to aim for greatness. This challenge is both invigorating and inspiring to Hayate, who values personal growth and self-improvement.

Fourthly, Nagi and Hayate share a deep emotional connection. Despite their differences in social status and background, the two develop a strong bond throughout the series. They have a shared history of facing challenges and overcoming obstacles together, which creates a sense of intimacy between them. This emotional connection is the foundation for any successful romantic relationship.

In conclusion, Hayate was always attracted to Nagi Sanzenin for a variety of reasons. Her intelligence, independence, and passionate personality were all traits that he found attractive. Her emotional support and encouragement helped him overcome his challenges, and her high standards challenged him to be a better person. Their deep emotional connection and shared history created a sense of intimacy and trust between them that is essential for any successful romantic relationship. It is clear that Nagi was not only Hayate's employer but also the love of his life

Another ChatGPT (AI written) article

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 07:42:00 +0000

Nagi Sanzenin, the wealthy heiress and main female protagonist of the anime and manga series "Hayate no Gotoku!" (also known as "Hayate the Combat Butler"), has captured the hearts of many fans with her unique personality and charming demeanor. Throughout the series, there have been numerous romantic interests for the main character, Hayate, but it is clear from the beginning that Nagi was always meant to be his true love interest. In this article, we will explore the reasons why Nagi Sanzenin was always meant to be Hayate's love interest.

Firstly, Nagi is the main female lead in the series. As the central character, she is given more screen time and attention than any other female character, which is a clear indication that she is an important figure in Hayate's life. From the very beginning of the series, Hayate is employed as Nagi's butler, and it is clear that she is the one he is meant to serve and protect. This dynamic sets the foundation for their relationship and establishes Nagi as a key player in Hayate's life.

Secondly, Nagi and Hayate have a strong emotional connection. Despite their initial rocky start, the two develop a deep bond throughout the series. Nagi is initially cold and distant towards Hayate, but as the story progresses, she begins to warm up to him and reveal her true feelings. Hayate, in turn, becomes more protective and caring towards Nagi, demonstrating a deep level of loyalty and devotion. This emotional connection is the cornerstone of their relationship and provides a strong basis for a romantic connection.

Thirdly, Nagi and Hayate have a shared history. Hayate saves Nagi from kidnappers in the first episode of the series, and this act of heroism sets the stage for their relationship. As the series progresses, we learn more about Nagi's past, including the tragic death of her parents and her struggles with loneliness. Hayate is there for her every step of the way, offering comfort and support when she needs it most. This shared history deepens their emotional connection and creates a strong sense of intimacy between them.

Fourthly, Nagi and Hayate complement each other. Nagi is wealthy and privileged, but she lacks social skills and struggles with basic tasks. Hayate, on the other hand, is poor but resourceful and skilled in a variety of areas. Together, they make up for each other's weaknesses and create a strong team. This dynamic is essential for any successful romantic relationship, as it requires a balance of strengths and weaknesses.

In conclusion, Nagi Sanzenin was always meant to be Hayate's love interest. From the very beginning of the series, their dynamic was established as a central part of the plot, and their emotional connection and shared history deepened throughout the story. Their complementary personalities and abilities create a strong foundation for a romantic relationship, and their chemistry on screen is undeniable. While there were other romantic interests throughout the series, it is clear that Nagi was always the one meant to capture Hayate's heart.

I asked ChatGPT to write me an article

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 07:14:00 +0000

Hayate Ayasaki, the protagonist of the anime and manga series "Hayate no Gotoku" or "Hayate the Combat Butler," is known for his kindness, loyalty, and unwavering devotion to his employers. Throughout the series, Hayate has been shown to have feelings for several of the female characters, including Nagi Sanzenin and Hinagiku Katsura. However, in the end, Hayate chose Nagi over Hinagiku, leaving many fans wondering why.

To understand why Hayate rejected Hinagiku and chose Nagi, we need to look at the character development of both girls and how they relate to Hayate.

Nagi Sanzenin is the wealthy heiress who employs Hayate as her butler. Despite her privileged background, Nagi is often lonely and has difficulty connecting with others. However, Hayate is different. He treats her with kindness and respect, and she comes to rely on him emotionally. Over time, it becomes clear that Hayate is the one person who truly understands and accepts Nagi for who she is. In return, Nagi grows to care deeply for Hayate, and their relationship becomes the central focus of the series.

On the other hand, Hinagiku Katsura is the student council president at Hayate's school. She is independent, strong-willed, and initially, she is shown to have a crush on Hayate. However, as the series progresses, it becomes clear that Hinagiku's feelings for Hayate are more of a romantic ideal than a true emotional connection. While she respects and admires Hayate, she never opens up to him emotionally in the way that Nagi does.

In the end, Hayate chose Nagi over Hinagiku because his feelings for Nagi were deeper and more genuine. He came to see Nagi not just as his employer but as his friend, confidante, and even love interest. Nagi, in turn, grew to rely on Hayate emotionally and saw him as someone who truly understood and accepted her.

While Hinagiku was a strong and capable character, her feelings for Hayate never seemed to go beyond admiration and respect. In contrast, Hayate and Nagi's relationship was built on a deep emotional connection that was evident to everyone around them.

In conclusion, Hayate's decision to choose Nagi over Hinagiku was not a matter of superficial attraction or physical appearance but rather a reflection of the emotional bond that he had developed with Nagi throughout the series. Hayate and Nagi's relationship was built on mutual respect, understanding, and love, making them the perfect match for each other.

Happy HayaNagi Day 2022! (December 24) And Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Sat, 24 Dec 2022 15:54:00 +0000

Today is ハヤナギの日　(HayaNagi day). They met on this day and their relationship began with a misunderstanding. Hayate wanting to kidnap Nagi for money because his good-for-nothing parents sold him to the Yakuza and eventually being grateful to her for giving him a job as her butler and Nagi thinking his kidnapping attempt was a confession of love and assuming for the longest time that he was madly in love with her when he always only saw her as a child and a master that he is eternally indebted to for 156 million yen as payment to the Yakuza. They met on this place called Loser Park on Christmas Eve

They would part on this very same day, one year later. The debt has been cleared, the misunderstanding had been settled with tears and now, Nagi is a little bit wiser, a little bit more independent, and decides to set him free to find happiness.

2 years later, Nagi, they would meet again on Loser Park on December 24th, Christmas Eve: the very same day when they first met. They greet each other, and Hayate declares that his feelings of wanting to protect her future has never changed over the past 2 years. And so, their hands intertwine and they walk off together. Nagi is no longer a billionaire heiress and Hayate is no longer boy in debt. This time, there are no misunderstandings. Surely, something has changed between them as well.

Happy Birthday 2022, Nagi Sanzen'in!

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 16:00:00 +0000

You know, it's kinda funny how whenever I tell people outright that I am in love with a fictional character online, the judgmental presumptuous comments just come pouring in. It's as if people think they know the entirety of my existence from a single statement that I made. Of course, don't get me started on the snide remarks I get when they find out that the fictional character I'm in love with happens to be 13 years old and eventually 16 as she is portrayed in her story.

In any case, if you know me, then you'd know that I always say this without reservation: I love Nagi Sanzen'in from Hayate the Combat Butler. It's not something that I just decided on a whim. I followed the manga for years after all. I jumped in a bit late but I quickly caught up and when I had read all 413 available chapters at the time that the manga was being actively published, I found that I not only liked the co-main character, but that I had genuine feelings of love for her.

It might have been the timing of everything. I was reading this manga at a low point of my life, so to speak. It was a time when I found little meaning in living and there was really nothing to look forward to in the future. Reading manga was nothing more than just another way for me to pass the time -- a form of escapism to help me forget about my mundane daily life.

At this point, Nagi in the manga was also going through a low point in her fictional life. She'd just learned that she wasn't the genius manga artist that she thought she was and she'd seen her butler whom she misunderstood at that time to have been hopelessly in love with her, hugging another girl from behind.

It was like the reality that she had always believed in had been shattered in front of her... and looking at her plight, I didn't feel just pity but quite a bit of rage. Rage at the unfairness of her situation and how the person she loved couldn't even care enough to notice her feelings when she was at her lowest point. It felt just as unfair as the things that I was going through at that time...

and... it was truly beautiful for me the way the story unfolded. At the end of this particular story arc, she managed to create an original manga story by herself, and it was something that was interesting enough for people to buy her manga without her using any gimmicks. Nagi is an actual genius, so using some marketing tricks, she could have easily sold a lot more of her manga, but she chose to let the story she wrote speak for itself -- because it was also a story that culminated all of the pent-up frustration, heartache, and tiny bits of triumph that she had achieverd at that time, as unpolished and amateurish as the actual story might have looked to a professional manga artist. It was a real first step for a character who was initially billed as spoiled, selfish, and unable to achieve anything by herself.

I think this was the moment when I realized, I was in love with her -- and of course, she never disappointed until the end of the story. She just kept proving why I fell in love with her, even at the point when the misundertanding between herself and Hayate came to light and her heart was spectalularly broken... it was a beautiful redemption in the end.

So yes, I am 100% dead serious when I say I'm in love with her. Certainly, it's a type of love that will never be reciprocated, but that doesn't mean that these feelings are any less real. So once again, let the negative labels and name-calling roll in, let people judge me harshly based on their subjective experiential standards, all because I love a fictional, underaged (as she's portrayed in the story) girl and loving her makes me happy.

Happy Birthday, Nagi Sanzen'in. (Nagi is officially 31 now in our timeline. She was born on December 3, 1991 according to the manga).

Understanding: A Tale of Compassion For The Hardworking

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 16:21:00 +0000

There was once a family of three: a husband, a wife, and their only daughter. Because both parents were busy pursuing their respective careers, they contracted a meal catering service to serve them home-cooked meals delivered to their home every day.

This was a great setup for a while and the meals were always delivered promptly almost all the except for some days once or twice a year when the meal catering company was doing regular maintenance or when unforeseen circumstances happened, but one day, a new meal catering company entered the scene. The new company was granted exclusive franchise over the meal catering business effectively putting the old company out of business.

Fortunately, the new company promised lower prices but better quality ingredients, more nutritious meals, and more importantly, 24-hour customer service via social media channels; something that the old company had ignored completely.

Without hesitation, the family quickly made the transfer to the new service – and indeed, the new company delivered on all their promises… BUT…

There was a little bit of a problem. At first it only happened once or twice a month, but the company often failed to deliver all their meals during the weekend either on a Saturday or Sunday. Of course, there was always prior notice several days before. Apparently, because they were providing better services, they needed to do routine maintenance “works” for quality control. Since they were taking over the facilities of the previous company, it was only natural. The old company had neglected to upgrade their tools and facilities for so long that they had become dilapidated and even obsolete with age.

Over time, the meal delivery service completely stopped delivering every Saturday – but of course, their customer service representatives were always online to inform the family that it was because of some scheduled maintenance “works” – which was connected to their food supplier from the international community. Everything was proceeding as it should. After all, this is to be expected with better quality of service.

The family had no right to complain. Otherwise, they would only be displaying their ignorance when they had been informed every single time about the scheduled maintenance “works.” They were only one of many paying customers. They had absolutely no idea of how much work the company’s employees had to go through in order to prepare high quality meals and deliver them promptly every day to several different customers all over the city. A little bit of understanding was in order – or they could just go and prepare their own meals. The choice was theirs all along.

Don’t you think?

A Mother’s Love

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Sun, 08 May 2022 02:33:00 +0000

Things weren’t easy when my husband and I were first starting out as a young married couple. We were in our mid-twenties when we had our 2 year-old daughter, Lovelyn and we lived together with my in-laws. At some point, we decided that it was time to move out and become independent. I was already a teacher back then and my husband had just passed the bar. Therefore, we rented out a cheap subleased apartment near Asilo de Molo for about 250 php monthly. The place was modest in size and had a shared bathroom with the other tenants but it was clean. Also, since we were both working, while my parents could take care of her on the weekends, we needed a steady babysitter for our daughter. We hired a young girl, about 18 years old for this task. We shouldered her college expenses at the University of San Agustin apart from paying her for watching over Lovelyn. All-in-all, I felt like we were doing just fine.

Of course, as the law of the averages go, not everything always goes right. It happened innocently enough. The babysitter, Dahlia started working for us at around May, or the summer before the opening of classes in June. 

For some reason, our dear Lovelyn had developed a urinary tract infection. It took some time, but eventually, she recovered. This was when I suspected that something was amiss. Also, at some point, she had become quite clingy. Whenever we had to leave for work, she was always crying and begging us not to go. It broke my heart to see her this way, but it was necessary.

With that said, I dismissed it as just a simple childish temper tantrum. There was also one time when she had a giant lump on her forehead. Dahlia said she tripped over while playing. I asked Lovelyn and she confirmed this story. I began to suspect a lot more at this point because I noticed that my daughter simply did not like her babysitter – but of course, this much was still normal, at least in my opinion.

When semestral break came along, she asked for a leave to come home to her parents and of course, we consented. In any case, my parents could fill in for her during the 5-day leave that she asked for. This was when our landlady and our sublessor came up to me and asked to have a small talk about Dahlia.

This was when I learned the fateful truth: my daughter had been the victim of physical abuse. They had personally witnessed that Dahlia pinched Lovelyn’s cheeks whenever she thought my daughter was being naughty, She slapped her, she slammed her on the bed, she stole the money we left to buy Lovelyn’s snacks, and whenever we were away, she’d try on my clothes and bags and if Lovelyn ever made any protest, she would immediately hit my daughter. Oh she was a shrewd one. She made sure that there were no visible lumps and bumps except for that one time and she threatened Lovelyn that she would kill her if she ever told us about what was happening. I was flabbergasted. Why was I hearing about all of this just now? I was screaming and crying with tears of rage upon hearing all this.

Therefore…

When Dahlia came back from her 5-day leave, I asked her in my sweetest, most saccharine voice to come along with me to have a little chat. Bluntly, I asked her: “Dal, ngaa gina sakit mo si Lovelyn? (Dal, why are you hurting Lovelyn?)” She denied this, and said; “Indi ah, palangga ko na sa. (No, I love her.)”

And of course, this was the tipping point. I slapped her across the cheek and asked: “Amo ni nga pag palangga? (Loving her? Like this?)” 

And then the following conversation ensued:

“Ano sala ni Lovelyn sa imo? (What did Lovelyn ever do to you?)”
“Wala day ah. Kay nakapoy lawas ko kay ga obra ko kag ga eskwela pa ko ti palahibi sa. (It’s nothing. It’s because I’m tired from having to work and go to school so I took it out on her because she cries a lot.)

I asked her several more questions, each one followed by a slap. Finally, I asked her to tell the truth about Lovelyn’s giant lump on her forehead. She still chose to deny this – but this time, Lovelyn came up to me and shouted out:

“Si Dahlia Ma, gin haboy yako sang keys nga naigo ko ti sakit sakit. (It was Dahlia, Ma. She threw the keys at me and it hit me right here. It hurt so much.”

There was no turning back from here. I took the same keys with which she hit my daughter and threw it straight at Dahlia. It hit her squarely on the forehead – good. She begged for mercy and asked me to just let her go home – so I punched her on the shoulders about 5-6 times and asked her, “Did you have any mercy for my daughter?”

Then, I took a knife and grabbed her by the cheek. We have a Filipino saying that when you get beat up so bad, only your tongue is left unscathed. I told her: stick your tongue out because nothing on you will be left unmarked. Dahlia was trembling and mumbling like a scared child.

But don’t be deceived. Nothing that I did here actually left any permanent injuries on her. My intent was to scare her not kill her although God forbid that thought did cross my mind at the great injustice that she’d done to my daughter.

Our neighbors eventually came to Dahlia’s rescue and asked me to stop because I’d done enough. So I told Dahlia to go. She was definitely fired. But you know what? She had the audacity to ask me for fare to go back home. Therefore, I took all her belongings and packed them myself and then promptly threw them into the dirty canals that lined the streets outside the apartment building. 

In hindsight, I still can’t forgive myself for what I had done – or more accurately, at what I had failed to do. I failed to protect my daughter when she was being abused. Yes, there was retribution and perhaps a little bit more – and some of you social justice warriors out there might even think that this was unjustified and done out of pure ego. I get it. You hate yourselves and you’re not really mothers – because a real mother would know the rage that I felt at that time.

I have no regrets about what I had done to Dahlia. In fact, I think it was barely enough. You might call it vengeful – but I prefer to call it: a mother’s love. That is the extent that I would go to for any of my two children. So tell me, after reading all this and after knowing that your own mother might be capable of doing this FOR you: Do you still love your mother or do you condemn her for being part of a spiteful generation that didn’t know any better?

Cycling In Iloilo City: An Amusing Anecdote

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 17:40:00 +0000

Here's a rather amusing anecdote -- and if you're unfamiliar with Filipino culture, this might enlighten you on the dark side of the "ordinary hardworking Pinoy."

So, against my mother's precautions, I took my Mamachari bicycle to SM Delgado after lunch this Saturday because it was a cloudy day with little chance of rain and also because I had a few personal errands in that area.

I kinda understood why she didn't want me to take my bike there. It's not the safest area -- in fact, pickpocketers are on the prowl there all the time.

I parked my bike right in front of Watson's near the Fruit Stand in that area by the overpass. If you're familiar with the place I'm describing, you'd know there's a place there where you can chain up your bike.

Anyway, after securing my bike, a vendor there was selling some pieces of cleaning cloth for 100 php at 6 pieces each. We could always use more of those and personally, if I can help out, I help out. So I bought a set on the spot and he gave me 1 freebie, one for each day of the week according to him.

Seeing that I was buying stuff from random vendors, a rather "enterprising" lady fruit vendor came up to me and practically begged me to buy some fruits from her. I looked hesitantly at the stuff she was selling. I knew my mother would probably like the grapes but at the same time, I had stuff to do so I couldn't be lugging around a pack of grapes all the time -- especially since it was getting a bit hot, so the fruits would probably spoil inside my backpack.

So I politely declined her but she kept begging me to at least buy something so she could buy some lunch. I knew that this was a fake sob story (this is why experience counts. I know these types of people because I've seen them in action before. They will rob you blind either by overpricing stuff or actually just robbing you if you're not careful) but I did want to help out somehow, so I offered her a compromise: I'd buy something if she was still here by the time I got back to go home... she wouldn't have it and kept begging me to buy something. At this point, I had to tell her "no" quite firmly.

Anyway, off I went with my personal errands -- delivering a painting, buying some tire caps, getting my PSP repaired, buying a 12x18" frame, buying two pieces of computer mouse from a local store that sold gaming quality computer peripherals at Aliexpress prices, and finally buying something for dinner for my mother and I.

I arrived at the area at about 2:30 PM and it was nearly 5 PM when I was done. So there I was, all ready to go home with my shopping haul in tow when I noticed a creaking sound while I was cycling. Sure enough, when I looked back, my rear tire was completely deflated -- but not only that, it was hanging out of the wheel. Also, the cover of my newly installed shifter had somehow fallen off (fortunately, I found it on the ground nearby.)

Naturally, I brought a pump along so I tried to pump it back up to no avail. Also, I'd noticed this earlier but the tire cap was missing (this is why I bought some extra ones) from the rear tire tube.

Fortunately, there are always lots of taxis in the area, so I just hailed a big one and had him take me and the bike home. I sent a message to my mother that I was coming home in a taxi. I smirked a bit because it appears she was right all along. People really can't be trusted sometimes.

I dunno if it was that fruit vendor lady acting out of spite or someone else just vandalizing my bike, but I do know that my rear tube was beyond repair at that point and somebody had definitely tried something funny with my shifter. In any case... not really a big loss for me. Aside from having the bike repaired, all it cost me was a 155 php taxi fare back home. (I gave the taxi driver 220 overall for helping me lug the bike in and out of his car.)

The experience though -- priceless. Also, I'll never park my bike in that area ever again.

Kitty Troubles - First Post Of 2022

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 16:40:00 +0000

You can't really judge a book by its cover -- or a kitty by its puffy fur. My younger cat, Michelle Lynne (1 year old 5.8 kg) is roughly twice as big as her mother (roughly 2 years old, 4.2 kg), but she grew up very sheltered indoors.

Our two cats have a small outdoor enclosure all to themselves where they can sunbathe, jump and play around and do cat things. The enclosure is escape proof, but it also has an open roof area -- which we'll have to fix soon.

Last night, I heard some foreign rustling in the area and saw that a stranger, a black and white outdoor cat had fallen from the roof and into the enclosure -- where Michelle Lynne was happily playing with the insects. The cat frantically scrambled about trying to find a way to escape -- to no avail. I immediately ran to check the situation and saw that my other cat, Misha had her fur all puffed up and was ready to fight. So I had to grab her and put her in my room temporarily. The problem is that with the stray cat running all around, I couldn't find Michelle Lynne.

After a bit of searching, I found her underneath the bed in what has effectively become our guest room -- shivering in fear and curled up into a ball and right next to her a few meters away was the stray cat, also shivering and curled up into a ball. Fortunately, I managed to call Michelle Lynne towards me and I carried her into my room to be together with her mother. After that, I opened up the front door to let the stray cat out.

When I came back to check on our cats, I saw that Michelle Lynne was still shivering in fear while her mother was licking her all over trying to console her.

It took her until the next day to get over her fear of even coming near the enclosure for fear of another stray cat falling in from out of nowhere. What's funny is that she's literally the biggest cat in the neighborhood and my mother and I would often talk about how she could easily smother any of the outdoor strays if she ever got into a fight with them.

Turns out she's still just a big baby and isn't really meant to be a fighter... her mother, Misha however, is a different story. She was an outdoor cat before we adopted her and we'd seen her easily dominate much larger males in an all out fight before... now she's also a beeg kitty and would probably be even fiercer in a hypothetical catfight. Fortunately, she won't be getting into any. Not on my watch.

Merry Christmas 2021!

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 18:00:00 +0000

Here's a fanart I made for Christmas. Could've done better on the umbrella but I was in a rush to finish before the 25th.

Oh, and check out my youtube channel by the way. lordcloudx - YouTube

Happy Birthday Nagi Sanzen'in (12/3)

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 17:33:00 +0000

Today is mai waifu's birthday. Here's a video to celebrate the occasion as well as some illustrations from me.

Still need to make a digital version of the bikini one in watercolors. It's actually painted on 12x18" paper

Mama’s Story: A Marriage Sealed With A Kiss

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Sun, 14 Nov 2021 13:33:00 +0000

The pendulum swing of values throughout human history is a fact of objective reality – but Marx and Engels were wrong about their prospective vision. The pendulum will never stop because a perfect system does not and cannot exist simply because of the inherently chaotic and indomitably rebellious nature of humanity itself.

On a smaller scale, I have been fortunate enough to experience the dynamic nature of human values as it has swung from one side to the other several times during my 60+ years of existence. It really drives home the reality that in the grand scale of the universe, we are all just microscopic particles clutching onto delusions of grandeur about our own scale of influence and power.

Far detached from these grandiose thoughts, this is a story of a simpler time. A time when the ruling paradigm of human values in the Philippines was ridiculously conservative: this is the story of my Mama a story of marriage from a stolen kiss.

My Mama, Delia Dela Cruz (eventually Paguntalan), was the 2nd child in a family of 9 consisting of 6 boys and 3 girls. She was always considered the kindest and the most obedient and well-respected among her siblings. In other words, she was loved.

This was a time when parents and their children strictly observed the natural order of social hierarchy within the family. The parents, at the very top, were given the utmost respect by their children. Meanwhile, among the siblings, no one ever dared to question the authority of the eldest child. Just as in modern times, sometimes this ultra-conservative setup worked and sometimes it didn’t. In the case of Mama’s family, everything turned out just fine.

Mama lived out her childhood and teenage years during the 1920s and her adult years in the 1940s and beyond. As far as the Philippines was concerned, the pendulum swing of societal values was very much far into the conservative rightmost side – and of course, the Philippines being largely Catholic, this was the norm and was widely accepted by almost everyone.

Mama and Daddy had known each other almost all their lives. While they were never classmates because Daddy was two years older, they at least lived in the same district of Molo. The truth is that Mama never had eyes for Daddy and only knew him as an acquaintance.

On the other hand, Daddy always had a crush on Mama but he was always too shy to confess.

Mama would often recall this story to us, her kids and every single time, it never failed to make us laugh because of how ridiculous it sounded to us, who were born in a different decade when women were starting to become more empowered.

One day, while Daddy was playing volleyball along with his buddies, Mama was passing by on her way home from school. It was at this moment that Daddy decided to take his destiny into his own hands and seal his fate with his crush – with a kiss.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Daddy simply rushed over and kissed Mama on the lips.

Mama was shocked. She shouted “hudas” at her oppressor and immediately ran home crying. She felt that her honor and dignity had been severely violated – very much like how women would react nowadays to having their virginity taken by force.

For days, she would not leave the house and would spend her time in her room crying and recalling the vivid details of what had happened in her head. Modern individuals would see this as naïve – I like to see it as more of a reflection of the times. It’s hard to foster modern progressive rainbow colored values in your head when you didn’t have anyone to tell you about them and constantly reassure you of the overinflated importance of your own existence. At that time, you had yourself, your real-life friends, and your family – and if they drew from the same experiences as you did, then they would most likely hold the same values that you did.

A few days later, Daddy, along with his parents visited Mama’s family in order to formally propose marriage in order to make amends for stealing Mama’s precious first kiss. Nowadays, people might think that this is an exaggeration. After all, who gets married – staking their lives on a stolen kiss? Hello! It’s 2021 – but it wasn’t 2021. It was sometime in the 1930s and things were very different.

So yes, Mama accepted the proposal and they were married after a few discussions and arrangements.

In the end, they didn’t have a perfect relationship. Daddy was an alcoholic who was sometimes verbally abusive to Mama as well as physically abusive to us, their children. Yet there were glimpses of a debonair and caring gentleman beneath the constant stench of alcohol and his endless vocabulary of Spanish expletives.

Meanwhile, Mama, despite her brilliance as a well-respected teacher, was always submissive to Daddy no matter what because she wanted to keep the family intact.

Honestly, I am not even certain where love factors in into their relationship. From a pragmatic standpoint, I never saw this. Despite my own misgivings however, they somehow made it work. Their marriage somehow held strong for over 5 decades until death separated them. That’s probably a few decades more than some of you have been alive. I’d like to believe that much is worth something at least.

This is my Mama’s story. A story separated from the reality of the modern world by the barriers of time. An ordinary story of a less than ideal marriage -- sealed with a kiss.

Happy Birthday Hayate Ayasaki - 11.11

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 17:55:00 +0000

Happy Birthday, Hayate Ayasaki -- former butler turned boyfriend of Nagi. You may not have had the best of luck, but you certainly hit the jackpot in the end. Also, he was born in 1988. He's in his thirties now. He old.

Also, I might update this post with new images later. Current one is a quick sketch on my LCD writing tablet -- that I should review pretty soon.

Oh, and I finally removed adsense from my blog, by the way. I mean, like I've had it on for nearly a decade and I've never had a single payout anyway.

The Mediocrity of the Filipino - An Anecdote

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 08:11:00 +0000

Why do we Filipinos often become the butt of the joke in many an online meme and why do we act like we're proud of it? It's like the modern iteration of the infamous "crab mentality."

We make fun of ourselves and make fun of other Filipinos and our own mediocrity becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

If we don't respect ourselves, then how can we expect the rest of the world to do so?

The next presidential elections won't resolve anything. Not if we don't change the way we think. In my honest opinion, we need to revamp our culture. Keep what works, discard what doesn't. Keep it simple like Bruce Lee's philosophy.

I believe that the best lessons in life are always drawn from personal experience and not from cold, unfeeling statistics. The experience is different at ground level -- no matter what mathematics might say from a statistical analyst's standpoint.

Here's an anecdote about the mediocrity of the Filipino mindset:

I had my bike serviced at a local repair shop. The service guy broke my brand-new dual kickstand by accident.

The owner kept quiet and didn't do anything about it. I was charged for the services and parts like it was business as usual -- for the owner, it was.

I am the customer, it should not have been my duty to do so, but I had to do it myself. I asked the owner of the shop to give me something to compensate for the damage and she agreed and asked me to choose anything. I chose some new handles. The guy who broke the kickstand said he'd buy them himself because the owner was going to take it out of his pay anyway. I refused.

Why, you might ask?

Legally, I am entitled to be compensated since I am the customer and the damage was not due to my own negligence.

Legally, the owner has the right to make the deduction up to a certain extent since the damage was due to the employee's negligence.

These are crystal clear -- at least from a legal standpoint.

The problem is that with small businesses like these, the employees already receive such a paltry sum and rely only on tips for additional compensation that it would be morally unfair for me to stake my claim no matter what. Furthermore, I can afford to buy a new dual kickstand from Shopee/Lazada (since they are not available locally).

Still, it would have been more prudent of the owner of the establishment to absorb the losses herself and at least offer to compensate me in cash for the damages.

Unfortunately, this is how unprofessional these small businesses do things here in the Philippines in GENERAL. They merely go by established traditions which sometimes results in corrupt business practices.

On a bit of a tangent, this is why no new president or any other political leader is going to make any significant impact here UNLESS that person is willing to make wide-sweeping reforms from the ground up in order to:

1. Educate business owners as well as employees on the proper and professional conduct of business as well as their corresponding rights and obligations

2. Aggressively crack down on corrupt and unprofessional business practices.

3. Initiate a widespread campaign to correct the culture of corruption and indolence that has become endemic to the Filipino people.

We have a chance. People ARE starting to understand that we don't live in a bubble anymore. We are citizens of the world and we need to act as such with dignity and self-respect.

Stop looking down on yourself and passive-aggressively thinking "Pilipino lang tayo" while maliciously attempting to one-up others.

Start doing things correctly. Respect the queue, respect social distancing, don't be maliciously rude and disrespectful to random strangers. Focus on improving yourself and your own situation and stop drawing comparisons with other people.

We're not mediocre Filipinos -- not if we don't choose to be.

Masters of the Universe Revelation - A Review By A Casual Fan

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 19:39:00 +0000

Little warning in advance. This is a full review of Masters of the Universe Revelation Part 1 on Netflix, so if you haven’t watched the show yet and you do plan to watch it, then stop watching this video now and come back here when you’re done unless you’re okay with spoilers.

The Bad

Right, so let’s get the things I hate from this show out of the way. First of all, I really hate the central character in this series, who is of course, Teela. Yes, it was a bait and switch all along. If you wanted to hate this show for feminist, SJW pandering, then she is the embodiment of all those things. She’s portrayed to be super capable – a lot more than Prince Adam and basically, she can do no wrong in this show even though she has a horrible personality. When Prince Adam dies, instead of mourning her friend, she’s more hung up over the fact that he didn’t reveal his secret to her and feels justified in basically having a temper tantrum and sulking off because her feelings were hurt.

This seems extremely egotistical considering that she’s just been named the new Man-At-Arms and was supposedly chosen for her competence and responsibility.

The show also plays up just how incompetent Prince Adam can be next to her. Whenever they’re shown together, it’s always Teela to the rescue because Prince Adam can’t get anything done unless he’s in his He-Man Form.

Next, there’s Teela’s pseudo girlfriend. She’s so forgettable that I forgot her name even. Anyway, she’s some black girl that Teela picked up in the events that ensued after the (quotation marks) final battle. She’s apparently some genius engineer but she has zero personality and is basically just there to be woo hoo! Girl power whenever something technical that requires high level engineering skills comes up.

Finally, there’s Evil Lyn’s betrayal. I mean, it was to be expected since she’s always been one of the iconic villains of the show, but when she’s basically one of the main protagonists for the entire journey in Masters of The Universe Revelation Part 1, the plot twist of her defecting back to Skeletor just because she finds out he’s still alive feels cheap and basically erases her entire character development up to that point.

The Ok

The story itself is actually ok. The first episode is especially good and does a great job of seemingly showing things to be as they always were and then suddenly breaking the mold with He-Man and Skeletor’s double KO in the “final battle.”

The plot then follows what happens in the events after and basically shows a dystopian world where magic is scarce and where good and evil aren’t so clear-cut anymore.

Orko’s death was fine, I would say. I mean, they didn’t really find the body so he still could have survived even though they basically already held a small funeral for him in the series. He also had a few moments to really shine at the point of his apparent death.

As for Roboto, well, to be honest, I didn’t really care that much for him so giving him a glorious death was fine I guess… if a bit cheap. I felt like he didn’t really need to die since he’s fully mechanical anyway. Couldn’t genius engineer black girl have figured out a way to retain his memories at least? Do high capacity memory cards not exist in Eternia?

Kevin Smith seems to be taking the taking the easy route by using death to create artificial drama.

The Good

The good thing about Masters of the Universe Revelation Part 1 is that the ending actually shows some hope that this whole feminist woke propaganda was just a setup for showing us a more serious world with actual consequences and then developing Prince Adam into a more competent and ultimately more likable He-Man once he regains his powers. I have no doubt that he survived that little backstab that Skeletor gave him before he could transform after all – but then again, I could be wrong.

After all, even with the little screentime he had in this series, he’s already become a very likable character for me despite not being as seemingly competent as Teela is. First of all, he made that heroic sacrifice at the end of episode 1 and then again, he does it in the finale when he basically sacrifices his chance to enter their version of Heaven in order to return to Eternia and save everyone – again. Whether these events are intentional on the author’s part or not remains to be seen.

One complaint that I’ve seen others make about this show is that there are no strong male leads… while that may be true to some extent, there is actually one strong supporting male character in this series and that would be Duncan, the former Man-At-Arms. Throughout the show he’s seen going toe-to-toe with major opponents with hardly a scratch and I would say that he has some of the highest stakes in this series with Teela now being openly his daughter and the sorceress being her mother.

Going forward, I believe the show has potential and taken by itself, it’s not that bad at all. Of course, if you’re a hardcore He-Man fan and if you’ve been following all the fan drama leading up to the show’s launch, then you might feel disappointed when you see that indeed, Teela is the central character of this particular story arc and not Prince Adam, as it should be.

Myself, I’m a bit more lenient than that… but, do consider that if you think you hate this show that much, there might be a bit of some confirmation bias going on here.

Anyway, I think it’s a decent show, worth a watch at least… but hey, tell me what you think in the comments below and don’t forget to like and subscribe (on youtube). This is lordcloudx out.

Buh-bye, buh-bye~

Hayate Reflections Revival Episode 2: Are Recent Anime Really Superior?

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 19:03:00 +0000

When I was a child, I used to love stuff like Transformers, Archie Comics, He-Man, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers... basically, any cartoon or kids show that I could watch at that time.

As I grew older... perhaps around the time I hit high school, I realized that some shows just didn't feel right for me anymore. While I could still watch stuff like Pokemon, Batman: The Animated Series, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest and of course, anime, I tried to avoid watching animations that didn't have this mature vibe to them.

At that time, I thought that this was merely a consequence of growing up. After all, I was now a teenager, therefore, my tastes had matured. Those kiddy shows from my childhood just didn't fit with my more adult tastes nowadays.

I continued to adopt this kind of mindset when it came to animation for the next two decades or so. Anime always got a pass since where I'm from (in the Philippines), it was always seen as ok to like anime. For example, the local tough guys who frequent the basketball courts here are all aware of Sakuragi and Mitsui from the anime Slam Dunk.

It was only when I reached my late twenties when I began to realize that: you know what? I still like cartoons after all. Which leads me to the point of this video.

A few days ago, while surfing youtube, I came upon a particular anime review. While I agreed with the content creator's analysis, there was a moment in that review which had me thinking: wait a minute, that's not right.

Basically, without being too specific, the reviewer mentioned how a particular anime that he liked back then wouldn't hold up to his own scrutiny nowadays. This wasn't the first time I'd heard or read something similar online. I remember an anime review site from the early 2000s that reviewed a DVD release of Magic Knight Rayearth and how it's just not that magical in modern times.

Have you ever thought this way about something you liked from your younger days? Something like: "It was fun back then, but it just doesn't hold up in hindsight."

Well, because I've been guilty of having such a mindset myself, I'd like to present a different perspective on the matter. It's not that the things you loved back then aren't as enjoyable anymore -- they still are. It's just that you accumulated a lot more preconcieved notions now. For example, I believe that a show like Ranma 1/2 is still just as enjoyable to watch today as it was back then. Then, I started watching the author's previous work, Urusei Yatsura Lum. At that time, the jokes all had that been-there, done-that feel to them because of course they did, it used the same formula as Ranma 1/2 but with a more likable, less vulgar and crude protagonist.

Still, because Animax-Asia chose to keep airing Urusei Yatsura over and over again, I found myself watching it anyway and you know what, the show kind of grew on me. The more episodes I watched, the more I realized that I shouldn't be trying to draw comparisons between this show and other more "modern" or more "recent" shows because it was in fact funny and quite enjoyable on its own merits.

The reason that I didn't quite like it the first time was simply because I thought "I'd seen better" with Ranma 1/2... but the truth is that there's actually no objective standard for saying that Ranma 1/2 does things better aside from the more modern animation and character design -- which is understandable because the two shows were released a decade apart from each other. It's not that the older show is necessarily inferior, it's just that my values had evolved to be more receptive to the more recent animation quality and the more timely use of comedy in Ranma 1/2.

I think the same thing is happening for younger viewers and readers of anime and manga nowadays. It's easy to look back in hindsight and say that a show that you enjoyed back then doesn't quite hold up to scrutiny when compared to recent shows because of more modern animation quality and writing that's more in-line with the taste of current audiences... but the truth is that it's just your personal taste having changed because of the type of media you have consumed and the type of social circles you've frequented over the years.

I believe it's arrogance to claim that something you liked back in the past has somehow become inferior when it's really your tastes changing and reflecting the values you hold nowadays and nothing more than that.

Perhaps, of course, I'm just looking at things through the lens of nostalgia -- but then again, do you really think that there can be any objective universal standard for personal taste?

In any case, I invite you to try it. Just watch an older show that you might have enjoyed but never really had the time to watch from somewhere like the early 2000s and even before that. Don't think about how it compares to the current seasonal anime you're watching. Just watch it for what it is and try to discard any preconcieved notions you might have while you're watching. Then come back here in the comments and tell me: was it really that bad based on your own personal experience with it?

This has been Hayate Reflections Revival and this is lordcloudx out.

So I Tried Singing

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 17:02:00 +0000

Time to sing with my pseudo loli voice~

Hayate Reflections Revival Episode 1 - Leaving Meaner Comments On Mean Comments

noreply@blogger.com (ElleCX) — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 17:42:00 +0000

Meanwhile, I have a few new drawings of Nagi to show off, so here ya go.