Denkyu: Anime Webzine

by tonyadpx

Vincent’s story is told. And that’s all that’s really good about Dirge of Cerberus. Okay, maybe that’s not all—the graphics were amazing and some game play elements were interesting—but that was the only standout that kept me playing throughout all of the game.

The design of the game is to run from beginning to end shooting whatever pops up in the process. The game attempts to add strategy by making special bonuses for achieving certain criteria upon the completion of a level. Using few items, getting hit rarely, and achieving critical hits are graded from S to D and gaining an S in enough categories nets you the biggest monetary reward. In truth simply running and blasting will get you what you need in most circumstances. Critical hits happen randomly enough to get an A or S, moving quickly gets you a better rank in the time and also makes it difficult for enemies to hit you, and items are limited as is. So there it is, strategy solved by poor design.

Guns are the key to Vincent’s success. Though you start with the namesake of the game, it’s a surprisingly weak gun and in need of upgrades throughout. Besides the Cerberus, which is the basic handgun, you can get a rifle called the Hydra, and a machine gun called the Griffon. In addition to the gun types you can apply barrels, each with their own special ability, like speed, distance, and power. You can add one of three types of materia as well, and can even get bonuses for using magic throughout the levels rather than bullets, but doing so makes it impossible to achieve critical kills. Beyond those parts—gun, barrel, materia—there are useful upgrades, such as power and defense boosters that help in getting through every level.

One of the few interesting features of this game is hunting the Time Capsules hidden throughout every level. Usually they’re hidden in places that Vincent can’t access and need some sniping skills to shoot them down. Finding these little nuggets are difficult, but they do add a little replay to the game since you can go back through after the initial play of every level and find them without worrying about time or ranking constraints. And then, upon completing the game, you’re given a reward for each Time Capsule shot down. At well over a hundred capsules in total, it makes finding them all one heck of a reward.

Now, for the gold in the game. As previously mentioned, Vincent’s story is told, amidst a chaotic time of upheaval that occurs three years after the events in FFVII—one year after Advent Children. A mysterious group of super warriors known as Deepground are snatching up people for some purpose as yet unknown to Vincent, who is caught in the initial invasion. Though unwilling, Vincent finds himself fighting once again on the side of good, joining the WRO, headed by Reave, as well as his friends from past adventures. But what he discovers of his enemies, and of himself, makes his quest far more personal. Visions of Lucrecia, Hojo, and transformations into his ultimate form, Chaos, haunt Vincent, and he finds himself more in search of his own personal questions than in saving the world. What he discovers, though, links him personally to the apocalypse, and he must find a way to avoid becoming a tool in the end-game.

Thankfully, the beef of this game is long cut scenes of story with some amazing FMVs, so the constant running and blasting isn’t as monotonous as it could be. Repeat: as it could be… meaning that it still is monotonous, and gets very boring after about the fifth level. The levels are mission based, and every mission involves shooting at something. Each level is about as linear as a hallway with two doors, and in today’s gaming world, where entire counties can be explored (like in Grand Theft Auto) this is a big no-no. As for recommendations, I really can’t recommend Dirge of Cerberus unless you want to know what Vincent’s been up to since Advent Children. The few highlights, gun modification and Time Capsules, are fun, but eventually tedious. It really isn’t that good of a game.

For the last three weeks or so, I’ve been on a search and destroy mission to find an out of print copy of Saint Tail graphic novel Vol 3. You would not believe how hard it has been locating a copy. I can find all the volumes, but that one…. for a decent price. Finding two copies on Amazon.com, I was shocked to find them selling it for $26 and $30. Any other volume I found was for $10 or less. So why is the third volume so expensive? Maybe because it’s rare to find. I actually found one volume on another site for $50. I think what shocks me the most isn’t the price of these out of print books, but the conditions that they are in. They aren’t in mint condition or brand new, but warn and marked. The one going for $50 said that it had been highlighted and underlined on some pages and was a bit warped from shelf wear. So what makes the seller think they’ll get $50 for it? It’s not as if Saint Tail was the most popular anime of it’s time.

A word for all that want to sell their out of print graphic novels that aren’t in mint condition… you won’t get more for it than what it’s worth. Face it, we anime fans are broke because we spend our money on our addiction, anime. Like they say, “Anime, Crack is cheaper”. I will never pay more than the original selling price for a graphic novel or DVD, nor will a ton of people I know. I don’t need the volume that bad. You’d have to be a serious collector to pay for something like that at that price.

Lucky for me, someone actually found a used copy in the used book store they go to and is getting it for me. ^_^ Can’t wait for it to get here so I can finish reading the series. I hate skipping a volume and it really would have irked me if I had to do so.

Happy Happy Joy Joy!!
~Andromeda~

Makes 8 Pieces

4 aburage (deep-fried tofu sheets)
¾ cups dashi stock
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp superfine sugar
1tbsp sake
¼ quantity freshly cooked sushi rice
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Put the tofu in a bowl and pour boiling water over it to remove any excess oil, drain, and let cool. Cut each piece in half and gently open out each half into a bag.

Mix the dashi stock, soy sauce, sugar, and sake together in a pan and bring to a boil, add the tofu bags, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes until the liquid has almost all been absorbed. Remove from the heat, drain, and let cool. Press any remaining liquid out of the bags with a clean dish towel—they should be moist but not wet.

Add the sesame seeds to the sushi rice and mix them in. Fill the bags with the rice mixture and fold over the tops to enclose them. Serve at room temperature.

Aburage are skins made by lifting the skin off soymilk and drying it. The pouches are used to make this inari (stuffed) sushi. Some come dry, others are preseasoned.

by tonyadpx

…(Sigh) She has the voice of an angel… And yes, I have a fan crush on Maaya Sakamoto. But who couldn’t, after listening to such beautiful artistry and dramatic lyrics that can be found on this masterpiece of a collection.

OK, maybe that’s a little melodramatic. But this is a great collection (I’m trying to look at it from the normal fan’s perspective now, not from the one who burns candles in front of a life-size portrait). Though not all of the songs are masterpieces, there are two that have since become somewhat legendary in the world of anime music, those being “Hemisphere” and “Gravity,” the opening theme of Rahxephon and the ending theme of Wolf’s Rain, respectively. With “Hemisphere” Maaya—yes, I’m on a first name basis with her—proves just how powerful she is with her native language, while “Gravity” shows her true talent, shifting to English and never missing a beat.

Between those two songs are numerous other worthwhile songs, mixing both the Japanese and English language. I personally prefer her Japanese tracks, but I can say for sure that I’ve never heard a crossover as seamless as what Maaya Sakamoto has done. I’m used to the thickly accented English that’s occasionally inserted into some Japanese songs. But Maaya’s English is next to perfect, (her “R”s are actually “R”s and not “L”s), sounding like any other pop-idol found on the American Idol stage.

At sixteen tracks, none of which are edited to fit TV openings or endings, this is a hefty CD and worth listening too from track one to track sixteen. The opening song is kind of a light-hearted diversion that doesn’t really match the theme of most of the tracks on this CD, but it’s still a fun introduction nonetheless. It sounds kind of like Maaya just went into the recording studio to have a little fun with the equipment before getting into the serious stuff. After that, though, the CD gets right into Maaya’s best works starting with “Hemisphere” and moving into “Daniel,” the first English track. By track six, she tromps into familiar grounds with “Yubiwa” a song from the Escaflowne movie, where Maaya offered a lot of her work. The CD mixes and mingles between the Japanese and English tracks all the way up to the fifteenth track, “THE GARDEN OF EVERYTHING,” which is a collaboration with Steve Conte, who did a lot of work on the Wolf’s Rain soundtrack. Besides “Hemisphere” and “Gravity,” “GARDEN” would have to be my favorite, with its growing beat and romantic lyrics the continually gain energy and strength.

For anyone who loves anime theme songs, Nikopachi is certainly the best buy out. In fact, anything Maaya does is worth a listen, whether you’re a fan of anime music or not. Besides Yoko Kanno, she’s perhaps the greatest talent in anime music right now, and will no doubt be taking that top spot when Yoko Kanno retires and passes the mic.

Licensor: Victor Entertainment
Distributor: Geneon
Length: 16 Tracks/70mins
Retail: $14.99
Availability: Sitting on the shelves, looking beautiful and waiting for an ear to listen to it

by tonyadpx

This is Binge-Worthy, a continuing series of articles that showcases what I believe are anime worth watching from start to finish in as few a sittings as possible. What makes an anime binge-worthy is more than can be properly described here, but it has to be excellent on most of the key levels: animation, plot, characters, and music.

The opening anime to be showcased in this month’s Binge-Worthy is… Fullmetal Alchemist. This anime already has a huge following here in the States. FUNimation only recently completed the run on DVDs by releasing volumes twelve and thirteen in successive weeks. Because of these two factors, I figured that this would be a perfect anime to begin this trip into “Binge-Worthy”.

What Makes This Anime Binge-Worthy: Everything. FMA has great music, great animation, and some extremely lovable characters. What makes FMA stick out most would have to be its excellently plotted storyline. Following the Elric brothers’ turbulent journey through the world of alchemy as they attempt to set right the wrongs they have done. FMA delivers what is arguably the most dramatic plot in any animated series without resorting to the blood and guts and some of the more cliché storytelling tools to achieve this. Also, unlike a lot of anime series out there, FMA follows the full story arc, with a beginning, middle, and end, leaving behind very little in the way of ambiguity. Yes, you’ll be asking questions when this finishes, and yes, these questions won’t get answered (that’s something that most of us, as anime fans, have long since grown used to) but FMA still has a feeling of being complete once the credits in the final episode close.

Here’s a quick, spoiler-free rundown of what can be found in FMA’s story:

As stated earlier, FMA follows the Elric brothers in their search for the Philosopher’s Stone, a magical creation that helps alchemists side-step the most important law in alchemy: equivalent exchange. Meaning something must be given in order to gain something else. They need this powerful item in order to fix their bodies, which were nearly destroyed on the night they tried, and failed, to resurrect their dead mother. In order to gain some extra resources, Ed, the smaller brother of the two, joins the State Alchemists and through them gains the information they need. The information gained, however, unsettles Ed.

Highlights: FMA has quite a bit to it that’s worth mentioning here, but I’ve chosen three moments that to me stick out most. The first would have to be the initial scene in which Ed and Al attempt to resurrect their mother. This scene pounds the seriousness of the story into Fullmetal Alchemist. Initially, I had thought this series childish, mostly because of the look, but after seeing this scene my impressions shifted.

The second moment comes in the form of an entire episode, late in the series. The episode, titled “The Flame Alchemist, The Bachelor Lieutenant, and The Mystery of Warehouse 13” is a comedic grouping of short stories following some of the lesser characters of FMA. When this episode pops up, the series is already deep into the drama of the story and acts as a breather of sorts, and is damn funny on top of that.

The final moment is in the last episode. FMA has a sad yet satisfying ending (again, when compared to other anime). Though I won’t spoil it here, I can say that only the heartless will be able to fight back the tears.

The Length of the Binge: 51 Episodes at 25mins each for a total of 1275mins. That, for those slow in the math department, is over twenty-one hours. Obviously, this isn’t a one-sitting binge, unless you have a really comfortable chair and some strong coffee and absolutely no life or obligations.

Where to Start Binging: Fullmetal Alchemist only recently completed its run on DVD (with a movie, as well) [Editor: counted as ep 52] so there are not any box sets out. But I’d expect the box set sometime within the next year, for those of you unwilling to drop the hefty sum on all thirteen discs. If you do, though, FMA can be found all over the place in bundle deals, or you can just watch it an episode at a time on TV whenever and wherever it airs.