Partial list of games that I might not have bought if I had the standards/knowledge I currently have: * War of the Human Tanks (sure, there was a relative drought of doujin games back then, but I still haven't warmed up to this weird art style or the odd premise, and the strategy gameplay isn't sufficiently interesting. if anything, 99 Spirits is a better Fruitbat Factory game.) * Antichamber (Highly-praised first-person puzzle game. But I'm not into first-person stuff, or puzzle games. I'd like to experience the feeling of being confused by my surroundings, but I'd probably like a richer set of flavor-elements.) * Dungeon Defenders (I so rarely play multiplayer games, and while tower defence is fun, it's not a particularly fulfilling game genre for me. The silly humor of this can be hit-or-miss. But I still haven't even touched this game.) * Sanctum (Basically same reasons as Dungeon Defenders, but with the additional reason that it's first-person. And my computer probably can't run it. Well now it probably can but my computer back then couldn't.) * Syder Arcade (I know I picked this up for some reason related to it being a shmup, and I do generally like playing shmups, but I can't remember for what specific reason I picked this up. Given that I have no specific reason in mind, this means that I have no special occasion to start playing it...) * Suguri, and Acceleration of Suguri (I do like shmups, but I don't like how these control, after having played them myself. I do like 100% Orange Juice, but the sources of the characters don't really go well with me gameplay-wise. Also they're Rockin' Android publications, and RA is a little...odd at times, let's say.) * NightSky (as much as I usually like Nifflas's usual work, I don't like physics-heavy platforming, and this is a game with that feature.) * Terraria (Steam edition) (years after its original Steam release, it got a GOG release. The GOG version is DRM-free, and as far as I know, both versions have an IP lookup server feature.) * Dota 2 (still haven't played this. And originally I didn't have much idea, but now I am pretty sure MOBAs are not my thing. They're okay by themselves, but I just won't at all care about the competitive side, and I already have another couple casually-played multiplayer games -- TF2 and 100% OJ.) * Superfrog (this platformer actually is pretty boring.)
Games that are noticeably not on the previous list (or not yet, at least): * a bunch of games that I got for free, even if I normally wouldn't care to ever buy them (e.g. Payday, L4D2) * Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds (lacks multiplayer netplay and keyboard control rebindings, if I recall correctly) * Mighty No. 9 (at least not yet) * Steel Storm: Burning Retribution (this game has a mediocre review score, but I've enjoyed it enough that I would like to keep it around) * Fate of the World (a difficult management sim, but very meaningful and frequently informative) * Empire Earth Gold Edition (I hear this is an AoE-like game. Unfortunately I can't first-hand confirm this because it's broken when on my computer? I still hold out hope that there will be a patch that serves Win8.1 though.
Dear persons who criticize me for enjoying Japanese music because you dislike the fact that it's Japanese and feel that I have an undue liking for Japanese things:
I am a big fan of the works of Sergei Prokofiev, Alexander Glazunov, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. I've performed Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition multiple times. I've played a couple piano recitals consisting entirely of Russian composers, and among them I included works by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
I am a big fan of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Johannes Brahms. One of my favorite symphonies is Max Bruch's E major symphony. Another piece I enjoy a lot is Georg Frederic Handel's Passacaille in G minor, the finale of one of his keyboard suites. And Felix Mendelssohn's works are just absolute delights to listen to; I take a special liking to his two piano trios.
I've been playing R. Nathaniel Dett's "In the Bottoms" suite a bunch of times the past few days. I even sing some of its melodies in the shower. I'm really enjoying it. I've performed Gershwin's Three Preludes multiple times as well, including in a local tribute to remember 9/11. The first time I listened to Gottschalk's "La Gallina" was so memorable that, despite forgetting the name, I kept searching for the piece for years. I also performed his "Grand Tarantelle" at my high school graduation.
I'm a big fan of some J-pop artists, including Melocure, savage genius, angela, and to some extent also Mai Kuraki, Rie fu, Nana Mizuki, and fripSide. Melocure put out my favorite pop album of all time, and savage genius has several more songs that are my personal faves.
If you say I have an undue liking for Japanese things, would you also say I have an undue liking for Russian, American, or German things?
The country of origin of the devteams of each of my games on Steam, in order of decreasing playtime logged, as of right now (excluding games with less than 5.0 hours of playtime logged)
Team Fortress 2 - USA 100% Orange Juice - Japan Terraria - USA Recettear - Japan Ys Origin - Japan Fortune Summoners - Japan Aquaria - USA Faerie Solitaire - USA UnEpic - Spain Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure - Japan Ys: the Oath in Felghana - Japan 99 Spirits - Japan La-Mulana - Japan Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet - Canada The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - Japan Guacamelee! Gold Edition - Canada Avadon: the Black Fortress - USA Knights of Pen and Paper - Brazil Blocks That Matter - France Ys I - Japan Anodyne - ??? Waking Mars - USA eXceed 3rd - Jade Penetrate Black Package - Japan Stealth Bastard Deluxe - Britain Mystik Belle - USA Aztaka - Canada Mutant Mudds Deluxe - USA Freedom Planet - USA Ys II - Japan Go Home Dinosaurs! - USA Cherry Tree High Comedy Club - Japan Magical Drop V - France/Japan fault - milestone one - Japan Fairy Bloom Freesia - Japan RefleX - Japan Banished - ??? One Way Heroics - Japan Eternal Senia - Taiwan? Knytt Underground - Sweden DuckTales Remastered - Japan/USA Fate of the World - Britain Rusty Hearts - Korea Steel Storm: Burning Retribution - USA Dragon Age: Origins - Ultimate Edition - Canada Eryi's Action - Japan Xeodrifter - USA Organ Trail: Director's Cut - USA Puzzle Agent - USA Moonbase Alpha - USA VVVVVV - Ireland Mighty Gunvolt - Japan Saira - Sweden Jolly Rover - Australia The Shivah - USA A.R.E.S. - Thailand Portal - USA Narcissu - Japan Potatoman Seeks the Troof - ??? Tobari and the Night of the Curious Moon - Japan Oozi: Earth Adventure - Poland Ether Vapor Remaster - Japan Vanguard Princess - Japan Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos - Canada Momodora III - Brazil To the Moon - Canada Rime Berta - Japan Eversion - Brazil Akane the Kunoichi - Italy
@Crystal (and I guess @Tachyon since i've talked to you about this sort of stuff before) (but feel free to read/comment, anyone else)
re Mayoiga
just read the premise, not sure how much the premise would quite be my cup of tea, nor some preliminary glimpses at the artwork, so i dunno how much i'd "unexpectedly" like it
meanwhile, so far in asterisk war,...
i mean, when i try to take an "external" view of it i can clearly see "yeah, they're setting up this guy to have a harem, it's clear as day already", and i do feel annoyed at things like the show making a big deal of claudia's boobs or ayato's face turning red in reaction to them
but i think the reason i don't hate it yet is because i'm not processing it in the same way that other people do -- not sure how other people do it, to be honest, but from what i can tell, the way _i'm_ doing it is basically treating it like a sort of scenario to be understood, to gather information/clues as to people's motives and stuff like that
and if you think about it, in a lot of mystery-type stories, you have DO have lots of late-breaking developments and revelations and such where a lot of pieces fall into place and come together, and before they do, you often have lots of pieces that don't seem to make sense
so i'm basically using THAT sort of thinking/perspective, which is why i wait so long to pass judgement on things
so basically if you (general "you", not any specific person) tell me, in a hypothetical show there's a fanservice scene where this one girl tries to offer a sexual favor to get a guy to do something she wants him to do, i say i dislike it, and i'm being quite honest about that
but implicit in that is that you're basically already passing judgement on it by indicating that the purpose is fanservice, and so based on your judgement, i say i dislike it
(not saying your judgement is wrong -- just making a note of the implication in the communication)
but then when i encountered the scene in the beginning of episode 3 of Asterisk War, i'm basically approaching it not as "ugh I don't like the fanservice" -- which is true, I don't like the fanservice, but that's a relatively muted response from me because it's being covered by a different response. instead i'm basically approaching it as "i'm watching this closely so i can understand the motives of the two characters in this conversation", and secondarily i'm also getting a feel for imagining what the setting is like -- as in i'm paying attention to the walls and the furniture and the lighting as well, all of which contribute to the overall "feel" of the scene
the music, too
so, even if the writers intended this scene to be for fanservice, i've already created a greater meaning to the scene, and thus i don't remember the scene as fanservice, i remember it as something else, and thereby i don't have that knee-jerk dislike response
my stance is basically that watching a show takes up a lot of time, and if the early episodes aren't impressive, i see no reason to stick with it (unless other people recommend it to me, in which case i might give it a little longer to get interesting)
the problem i often have with fanservice scenes isn't that they're fanservice per se, it's that when approached as anything other than pornographic or fetish content, they don't actually make any sense, they're implausible or stupid or offensive
i guess you could pretend that's a mystery and keep watching in the hope of finding out more about the characters' motives, but then you're going to be disappointed, because there's no mystery, the scene was just there to get you turned on, and if it doesn't or if that's not what you're looking for from the show, it's an early warning sign it's not going to be your cup of tea
just read the premise, not sure how much the premise would quite be my cup of tea, nor some preliminary glimpses at the artwork, so i dunno how much i'd "unexpectedly" like it
i mean, when i try to take an "external" view of it i can clearly see "yeah, they're setting up this guy to have a harem, it's clear as day already", and i do feel annoyed at things like the show making a big deal of claudia's boobs or ayato's face turning red in reaction to them
but i think the reason i don't hate it yet is because i'm not processing it in the same way that other people do -- not sure how other people do it, to be honest, but from what i can tell, the way _i'm_ doing it is basically treating it like a sort of scenario to be understood, to gather information/clues as to people's motives and stuff like that
That's honestly a fair part in how I try to approach all audiovisual media. What emotions the sound design is trying to convey, why characters are dressed as they are, how it all factors into the greater whole. So we're not dissimilar there, even though, I guess, I get more into it then you and/or am also influenced by other ways in which I handle media. That said, they're still... basically inseparable to me? Ayato being embarrassed - which happens a lot - was put in because it had some value in the story, just as much as the emphasis on how Claudia is so sexual and whatnot. Clearly it works on two levels, namely how, to continue with that, showing women in a sexual light is a fairly basic way of grabbing attention, and how it hints at/is an example of her (supposedly) being manipulative. Former weighs down the latter when it's already so weak and given so little screen time compared to e.g. Ayato and Julis' relationship (to be charitable).
and if you think about it, in a lot of mystery-type stories, you have DO have lots of late-breaking developments and revelations and such where a lot of pieces fall into place and come together, and before they do, you often have lots of pieces that don't seem to make sense
so i'm basically using THAT sort of thinking/perspective, which is why i wait so long to pass judgement on things
I think that's fair, actually, to an extent, before it crosses over to unintentionally giving more credit than is due. I wouldn't read the presumably slow-burning action-focused revenge story of 91 Days the same way I'd read a calming anime like Flying Witch the same way I'd read the Nen/magic elements in Hunter X Hunter (since the fights are strategic and the magical system is structured but not strict), or the same way I'd read a violent action show like Baccano! with mystery elements and a non-chronological structure. Which is a lot of words to say that I think it applying that mentality with the same intensity or lack thereof to every show is a questionable approach. TAW is a very direct show, except for when it hints at it being a mystery, and honestly even those facets, that there might be something dangerous to Ayato that he/we don't know about, falls flat on its face when he wins anyway in the same predictably brute force manner, totally losing any sense of gravitas. Which is uninspired as is.
so basically if you (general "you", not any specific person) tell me, in a hypothetical show there's a fanservice scene where this one girl tries to offer a sexual favor to get a guy to do something she wants him to do, i say i dislike it, and i'm being quite honest about that
but implicit in that is that you're basically already passing judgement on it by indicating that the purpose is fanservice, and so based on your judgement, i say i dislike it
(not saying your judgement is wrong -- just making a note of the implication in the communication)
I wouldn't, since that's a comment out of context, and much like fanservice or mystery or having an OP character or the power of friendship, it's all just a tool.
but then when i encountered the scene in the beginning of episode 3 of Asterisk War, i'm basically approaching it not as "ugh I don't like the fanservice" -- which is true, I don't like the fanservice, but that's a relatively muted response from me because it's being covered by a different response. instead i'm basically approaching it as "i'm watching this closely so i can understand the motives of the two characters in this conversation", and secondarily i'm also getting a feel for imagining what the setting is like -- as in i'm paying attention to the walls and the furniture and the lighting as well, all of which contribute to the overall "feel" of the scene
the music, too
so, even if the writers intended this scene to be for fanservice, i've already created a greater meaning to the scene, and thus i don't remember the scene as fanservice, i remember it as something else, and thereby i don't have that knee-jerk dislike response
This is why I find it difficult to engage, sometimes, honestly. Because it's not really talking about the show, but your conception of the show, which are two totally different if overlapping readings. Importantly, that's different from saying your reading is "bad," as I've done that too, and find it really enjoyable when shows allow for such thought. I also can't tell if you're talking about the responses of myself and others, or are talking about what you try not to do with that last bit, but regardless I find myself more sympathetic to the knee-jerk responses when, inevitably, the show proved me correct. Like, oh, that cute girl? I'm sure they're going to show her in a revealing situation. Same girl? I bet she's like 15, she's got all the signifiers. That girl? I bet Ayato is going to save her. And sure enough, yes on all counts.
More broadly I'm with @Tachyon there. If something doesn't grab me, it doesn't grab me, and I kinda value my time too much to stick with something genuinely unfun for whatever reason. I've heard people saying good things about Bungou Stray Dogs from the last season, but I find it uninteresting; on the flip side practically everyone has spoken badly of The Outcast, but I hope this first episode was just an awful start since I somehow like it enough to continue (despite rating it as 5/Average on my MAL so far). Conflating the two also makes it difficult to engage, which it sometimes feels like is happening in these conversations.
i guess you could pretend that's a mystery and keep watching in the hope of finding out more about the characters' motives, but then you're going to be disappointed, because there's no mystery, the scene was just there to get you turned on, and if it doesn't or if that's not what you're looking for from the show, it's an early warning sign it's not going to be your cup of tea
i hypothesize that what happens at the point i get to the end, is that -- if i'm attached to the characters or otherwise invested in the setting -- i find some way to read it that gives it greater meaning, even if that reading isn't explicitly spelled out
someone might say "what if the story has plotholes?" well i think if i'm invested enough in the setting then i end up "thinking in-universe" and thereby filling in the "gaps" the same way when odd stuff happens in real life you don't complain the story's been written badly but instead you presume there are other factors you don't know about/understand at work
it's also possible that i take cues from things not directly related to the script/action, such as the soundtrack, and then read those cues into the script/action and find meaning in them that way (this i'm quite sure happens)
we'll see what happens once i get to the end of the asterisk war (which might take me a few weeks, at the current rate)
sometimes you can get more out of things by approaching them from a non-in-universe angle, though. from a metafictional or metatextual or just thematic standpoint.
maybe not always, and i would say i probably default to perceiving things from an in-universe standpoint unless something, positive or negative, actively draws my attention in some other direction
I wouldn't read the presumably slow-burning action-focused revenge story of 91 Days the same way I'd read a calming anime like Flying Witch the same way I'd read the Nen/magic elements in Hunter X Hunter (since the fights are strategic and the magical system is structured but not strict), or the same way I'd read a violent action show like Baccano! with mystery elements and a non-chronological structure.
I don't read everything the same way, though. The way I read a show depends on how it's framed, though. For example, if you give me tragic and troubled opening and ending themes, then show me comforting slice-of-life scenes, I might wonder when tragedy will strike, or what horrible revelations may surface.
It's just that the initial approach I use to read things tends to be broadly similar -- get to know the setting, get to know the characters, and make sense of what's going on. The same way I'd approach a real-life story. It could have a happy ending or a sad ending, it could be a good laugh or a tragic loss, and I don't know until I reach the end.
This is why I find it difficult to engage, sometimes, honestly. Because it's not really talking about the show, but your conception of the show, which are two totally different if overlapping readings.
Well, the reason why I go on thinking it's this is because that seems to be the best explanation I've gotten, for why my opinions of things seem to align and differ in patterns that so far I haven't been able to make sense of otherwise. Sometimes it aligns quite well, but sometimes it also differs quite dramatically, and that applies to both positive and negative opinions in both categories.
I also can't tell if you're talking about the responses of myself and others, or are talking about what you try not to do with that last bit
About the "knee-jerk responses"? Mostly about other fans (not the people here), since they make up the bulk of what I've come into contact with as far as commentary on anime series goes.
but regardless I find myself more sympathetic to the knee-jerk responses when, inevitably, the show proved me correct. Like, oh, that cute girl? I'm sure they're going to show her in a revealing situation. Same girl? I bet she's like 15, she's got all the signifiers. That girl? I bet Ayato is going to save her. And sure enough, yes on all counts.
For some reason I don't find myself making predictions of that sort. Not sure why. I mean, if you ask me (or if I take a step back and ask myself) to make those kinds of predictions, I come up with the same answers as you do. I just don't automatically make them.
sometimes you can get more out of things by approaching them from a non-in-universe angle, though. from a metafictional or metatextual or just thematic standpoint.
maybe not always, and i would say i probably default to perceiving things from an in-universe standpoint unless something, positive or negative, actively draws my attention in some other direction
I also use a thematic standpoint. Metatextual is probably rarer, as it depends on me knowing the context of other works that surround a work in question, because I often don't know that context, and I feel that a work should (in general) stand on its own anyway.
i feel it's sort of arbitrary to draw a line between shows that 'stand on their own' and those that don't
all shows reference things that their audiences are expected to recognize - words, symbols, vehicles, countries, food, tools, animals, items of furniture, scientific theories, historical events, archetypes, stereotypes, tropes, etc.
obviously there's such a thing as over-reliance on cliché or reference humour, but aside from those extreme cases it seems odd to me to draw a line around existing works of fiction and say, 'if you must be familiar with these to get the most out of it, your show no longer stands on its own'
i feel it's sort of arbitrary to draw a line between shows that 'stand on their own' and those that don't
all shows reference things that their audiences are expected to recognize - words, symbols, vehicles, countries, food, tools, animals, items of furniture, scientific theories, historical events, archetypes, stereotypes, tropes, etc.
obviously there's such a thing as over-reliance on cliché or reference humour, but aside from those extreme cases it seems odd to me to draw a line around existing works of fiction and say, 'if you must be familiar with these to get the most out of it, your show no longer stands on its own'
Amazingly, after finishing the third episode of The Asterisk War, I find myself actually having a positive opinion of it.
Again, stopping to ask myself why this is happening, I can see myself "filling in the gaps" in various places already.
For example: assuming there's much more to Julis's personality and social interactions than what's shown on screen (90%+ of which is her interactions with Ayato, of course). She's rather clearly shown as interested in him and being kinda in denial about it, so one can make the assumption that she (being a teenager who is perfectly capable of stupid decisions such as running off to face an opponent alone, and other nonsense) doesn't really know how to keep up her act around someone she's genuinely got romantic interest in.
Sure, nothing in the show explicitly says these things, but instead of presuming that Julis is nuts based on the behavior I see her displaying in the show, I presume that she's not nuts and is actually typically unlike the way she acts in front of Ayato, and then rationalize what she's doing in the context of being around Ayato. In doing so I've created a character concept that goes beyond what is explicitly displayed. Sure, the show doesn't do a good job of introducing that character concept -- but having this character concept prevents me from disliking the character, and thus allows me to enjoy the show.
(Now this is me finding a way of explaining this that assumes I'm the odd opinion out. If I assume that everyone who disagrees is wrong I could instead argue that my assumptions make intuitive sense and people who disagree are being too literalist and judgemental.)
That said I still hate the next episode previews, with a vengeance.
The computer animation is so shitty I actually think it's shitty. I usually don't complain much about computer-animated stuff, but this is just that horrible.
And in case that wasn't enough to make me hate them, they have to feature bouncy boobs.
the line goes something like one of these: "That's why I'm going to fight, as a Strega!" "I'm going to fight, as a Strega, because I can!" "But I'm a Strega, so I can fight!"
This is Julis talking about why she's at Rikka, the Academy City on the Water. Before this line, she mentioned how this was the one way she felt could do something to actually help the orphanage where her friends were.
I forget exactly how it's worded (and it's a translation anyway), but anyway, this thing that Julis said kinda came back to me and I thought about it for a while and I think it inspires me.
Amusing rant. I largely agree with the point, despite not necessarily endorsing the cussing (or the dubstep), or any of the video maker's other videos.
Posted on the Steam forums by a user named "[Pro Racer] Michaelprojectcars".
OP: [paraphrased: I'm not allowed to buy M-rated games; anyone else experience this?]
[31 replies happen]
32nd reply, written by me: "OP, funny thing is that I'm about twice your age and yet I actually don't even want to play M games."
33rd reply, directed at (and quoting) me: "Then you probably don't want to play any game either"
Well, joke's on you, because Steam says I've logged 13.6 hours in the past two weeks -- and that's not including all the time I've spent reading bulbapedia.
The wreck was in fact an interactive art piece! -more- The floating eye begins reciting The Scout's lines from Team Fortress 2. -more- "You seein' this?"
The ZODIAC Ophiuchus doesn't care about humanity or the Earth, only focused on destroying the other 12 ZODIACs at any and all costs. What does that sound like? A typical action game player.
Quite frankly, I'm enjoying this. Gymleaders ought to be not just like other trainers but with snazzier music. If they can kick my ass on the first pass, without me powerleveling or developing a specific way to counter them (or possibly even if I do), then I'd say the game was well designed.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Tales of Symphonia Pokémon Crystal Emu Edition LiEat A Witch's Tale Unepic Sage Fusion Mighty No. 9 Recettear Momodora I/II/IV (III is completed)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Tales of Symphonia Pokémon Crystal Emu Edition LiEat A Witch's Tale Unepic Sage Fusion Mighty No. 9 Recettear Momodora I/II/IV (III is completed)
70% Japan, 10% Brazil, 10% Indonesia, 10% Spain 90% uses anime art style 40% traditional-publisher-backed games, 60% indie 80% natively on PC 30% platformer, 70% RPG (30% action RPG, 40% turn-based RPG) 50% female primary protagonist(s), 30% male primary protagonist(s), 20% mixed-gender primary protagonist group 20% 3D (0% first-person, 20% third-person), 80% 2D (70% true 2D, 10% 2.5D as in 2D using 3D graphics) 80% fantasy (50% traditional fantasy, 10% halloweentown, 10% dark fantasy, 10% modern fantasy), 20% sci-fi
'If you consider the term "anime" to be a term referring to an poorly-defined subset of "cartoons", and thus pointless to argue over, then why do you continue referring to things as "anime series", rather than "cartoon series"?'
I consider it customary to do so. It is part of the natural error-checking mechanisms built into language, to clarify meaning. For example, you can say something "becomes obsolete", even though "obsolete" already indicates that something has changed from being useful to being useless due to changes in its context, but saying "becomes obsolete" is still clearer in meaning than "becomes useless".
So, speaking about the "Tales of Phantasia cartoon series" would instead cause more confusion because the use of "cartoon" is unusual in this context, as would "Tales of Phantasia TV series" to a lesser degree, but "Tales of Phantasia anime series" works just fine to be specific and to the point and not introduce unnecessary distractions from the point.
The term "anime" still has meaning, but it is just a meaning that is not clearly delineated. However, just because something isn't clearly delineated doesn't mean it acting a label for distinction is not useful. Such vaguely-defined terms are used all over daily life -- for example people speak of food, cars, movies, colleagues, politicians, and much more, as "good" and "bad", even though those terms don't have firm definitions.
this "Mothers of the Movement" segment is powerful, powerful stuff
oh my gosh that segment
i cried. like, seriously.
;_;
i'll be completely honest. it left me with a spiritual realization.
If anyone's curious what that spiritual realization is:
in (at least some denominations of) Christianity, it is claimed that all people are sinners, descending from the "original sin", and that they are separated from God by that sin, but must be saved by accepting Jesus, who forgives them and takes upon Himself the punishment for their sins and then dies so they don't have to die.
something never really made sense to me about this. now I'm not religious myself (much less specifically Christian) so this might sound slightly offensive to you if you are. but just bear with me for a moment. i've heard enough from Christianity to have heard the whole spiel about Jesus dying to save humankind from sin. so Jesus puts on a show, becomes human, dies and gets up again because He can do that unlike the rest of humanity because none of humanity are God. He does this...symbolically i guess? so the claim there is that somehow by acknowledging that Someone Else died you somehow get eternal life despite not getting it yourself in the same way He does anyway because He's not human and somehow you're supposed to consider Him relatable because he's human except He's also not human but God. ...what? (oh and also He gets capitalized pronouns which no human gets, just because.)
but i was listening to the segment in DNC 2016 that was presented by the Mothers of the Movement.
here were people talking about other people, who had indeed died. these include Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and others. why did they die? one could say that their lives was called to a higher purpose. but their lives were cut short. but in death they were called to a higher purpose. just like Jesus.
but...they were humans, right? they weren't God. by dying they saved no lives. were they innocent? they probably had sinned at some point in their lives anyway, just like the rest of us -- or you can simply assume "original sin" and cover this point that way.
...wait, did they save lives by dying? will they save lives by their deaths?
then i realized something.
the idea that everyone is a "sinner" or that everyone is stained with "original sin" is not really about anyone doing anything individually wrong somehow staining one's soul to be unredeemable to Heaven except through Jesus or something like that.
no, what it really means is that the world is imperfect, and things will go wrong. and therein lies the meaning behind suffering in this world.
Jesus had to die, not because people were of a sinful nature just because someone (even if that someone is God) said so, but because someone had to die before the world could be made better.
all these people -- Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and others -- had to die, not because they deserved to die -- like Jesus, they did not deserve to die. but part of our understanding of their deaths, must include an acceptance of their deaths, because their deaths can make the world better by teaching us important lessons about the world around us and giving us the ability to truly appreciate the world around us, including quite importantly those things that are wrong with it.
we can't go back in time and undo the death of Jesus. but we can make his death meaningful by learning from it. in that way, it's a metaphor. we can't go back in time and undo the deaths of all of these people who didn't deserve to die, either. in that sense, they "had" to die, so that the world could be made better. their fates are the painful price of tuition. could a lower price have been paid? perhaps, but we will never know. we have already paid this price. but we can certainly make sure we learn everything we can from the experience, now that we've paid this price.
thus the proper meaning of the notion that all people are "sinners" (or the concept of "original sin"), therefore, is not a guilt trip. it is not to make oneself feel inadequate. it isn't even really about you in particular or anything that you yourself did. what it actually means is that this world is imperfect, and that things will go wrong. and someone's gotta mess something up before we know better. but once they mess up, we can learn from it. therefore, we should approach hardship and suffering not by cursing the fates assigned to us by the heavens, nor to attempt to avenge our pain and loss, but (1) to accept them as an inherent part of life and (2) use them by learning from them and trying to make things better, thereby giving them meaning.
the idea that something has to wrong first is not an excuse for fatalism either. simply throwing your hands up in the air and giving up, when you know you could do something better, is not learning from the hardship and thus is throwing away the meaning of that hardship. but if you make an honest effort, even if you fail, your experience will still have meaning when you or someone else learns from it.
Comments
That's a pretty legitimate flaw for Wii U owners like me. :/
If it bricks the WiiU, then, yeah, that's a pretty freakin' big problem.
Also I reserve the right to change my opinion of Mighty No. 9 after I get further into it.
* War of the Human Tanks (sure, there was a relative drought of doujin games back then, but I still haven't warmed up to this weird art style or the odd premise, and the strategy gameplay isn't sufficiently interesting. if anything, 99 Spirits is a better Fruitbat Factory game.)
* Antichamber (Highly-praised first-person puzzle game. But I'm not into first-person stuff, or puzzle games. I'd like to experience the feeling of being confused by my surroundings, but I'd probably like a richer set of flavor-elements.)
* Dungeon Defenders (I so rarely play multiplayer games, and while tower defence is fun, it's not a particularly fulfilling game genre for me. The silly humor of this can be hit-or-miss. But I still haven't even touched this game.)
* Sanctum (Basically same reasons as Dungeon Defenders, but with the additional reason that it's first-person. And my computer probably can't run it. Well now it probably can but my computer back then couldn't.)
* Syder Arcade (I know I picked this up for some reason related to it being a shmup, and I do generally like playing shmups, but I can't remember for what specific reason I picked this up. Given that I have no specific reason in mind, this means that I have no special occasion to start playing it...)
* Suguri, and Acceleration of Suguri (I do like shmups, but I don't like how these control, after having played them myself. I do like 100% Orange Juice, but the sources of the characters don't really go well with me gameplay-wise. Also they're Rockin' Android publications, and RA is a little...odd at times, let's say.)
* NightSky (as much as I usually like Nifflas's usual work, I don't like physics-heavy platforming, and this is a game with that feature.)
* Terraria (Steam edition) (years after its original Steam release, it got a GOG release. The GOG version is DRM-free, and as far as I know, both versions have an IP lookup server feature.)
* Dota 2 (still haven't played this. And originally I didn't have much idea, but now I am pretty sure MOBAs are not my thing. They're okay by themselves, but I just won't at all care about the competitive side, and I already have another couple casually-played multiplayer games -- TF2 and 100% OJ.)
* Superfrog (this platformer actually is pretty boring.)
Games that are noticeably not on the previous list (or not yet, at least):
* a bunch of games that I got for free, even if I normally wouldn't care to ever buy them (e.g. Payday, L4D2)
* Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds (lacks multiplayer netplay and keyboard control rebindings, if I recall correctly)
* Mighty No. 9 (at least not yet)
* Steel Storm: Burning Retribution (this game has a mediocre review score, but I've enjoyed it enough that I would like to keep it around)
* Fate of the World (a difficult management sim, but very meaningful and frequently informative)
* Empire Earth Gold Edition (I hear this is an AoE-like game. Unfortunately I can't first-hand confirm this because it's broken when on my computer? I still hold out hope that there will be a patch that serves Win8.1 though.
I am a big fan of the works of Sergei Prokofiev, Alexander Glazunov, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. I've performed Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition multiple times. I've played a couple piano recitals consisting entirely of Russian composers, and among them I included works by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
I am a big fan of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Johannes Brahms. One of my favorite symphonies is Max Bruch's E major symphony. Another piece I enjoy a lot is Georg Frederic Handel's Passacaille in G minor, the finale of one of his keyboard suites. And Felix Mendelssohn's works are just absolute delights to listen to; I take a special liking to his two piano trios.
I've been playing R. Nathaniel Dett's "In the Bottoms" suite a bunch of times the past few days. I even sing some of its melodies in the shower. I'm really enjoying it. I've performed Gershwin's Three Preludes multiple times as well, including in a local tribute to remember 9/11. The first time I listened to Gottschalk's "La Gallina" was so memorable that, despite forgetting the name, I kept searching for the piece for years. I also performed his "Grand Tarantelle" at my high school graduation.
I'm a big fan of some J-pop artists, including Melocure, savage genius, angela, and to some extent also Mai Kuraki, Rie fu, Nana Mizuki, and fripSide. Melocure put out my favorite pop album of all time, and savage genius has several more songs that are my personal faves.
If you say I have an undue liking for Japanese things, would you also say I have an undue liking for Russian, American, or German things?
Team Fortress 2 - USA
100% Orange Juice - Japan
Terraria - USA
Recettear - Japan
Ys Origin - Japan
Fortune Summoners - Japan
Aquaria - USA
Faerie Solitaire - USA
UnEpic - Spain
Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure - Japan
Ys: the Oath in Felghana - Japan
99 Spirits - Japan
La-Mulana - Japan
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet - Canada
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - Japan
Guacamelee! Gold Edition - Canada
Avadon: the Black Fortress - USA
Knights of Pen and Paper - Brazil
Blocks That Matter - France
Ys I - Japan
Anodyne - ???
Waking Mars - USA
eXceed 3rd - Jade Penetrate Black Package - Japan
Stealth Bastard Deluxe - Britain
Mystik Belle - USA
Aztaka - Canada
Mutant Mudds Deluxe - USA
Freedom Planet - USA
Ys II - Japan
Go Home Dinosaurs! - USA
Cherry Tree High Comedy Club - Japan
Magical Drop V - France/Japan
fault - milestone one - Japan
Fairy Bloom Freesia - Japan
RefleX - Japan
Banished - ???
One Way Heroics - Japan
Eternal Senia - Taiwan?
Knytt Underground - Sweden
DuckTales Remastered - Japan/USA
Fate of the World - Britain
Rusty Hearts - Korea
Steel Storm: Burning Retribution - USA
Dragon Age: Origins - Ultimate Edition - Canada
Eryi's Action - Japan
Xeodrifter - USA
Organ Trail: Director's Cut - USA
Puzzle Agent - USA
Moonbase Alpha - USA
VVVVVV - Ireland
Mighty Gunvolt - Japan
Saira - Sweden
Jolly Rover - Australia
The Shivah - USA
A.R.E.S. - Thailand
Portal - USA
Narcissu - Japan
Potatoman Seeks the Troof - ???
Tobari and the Night of the Curious Moon - Japan
Oozi: Earth Adventure - Poland
Ether Vapor Remaster - Japan
Vanguard Princess - Japan
Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos - Canada
Momodora III - Brazil
To the Moon - Canada
Rime Berta - Japan
Eversion - Brazil
Akane the Kunoichi - Italy
reminds me, i never did finish that game
i tried Vanguard Princess, it was too difficult for me. i might try again sometime with a controller.
no, that is not a good thing
that is a very bad thing
re Mayoiga
just read the premise, not sure how much the premise would quite be my cup of tea, nor some preliminary glimpses at the artwork, so i dunno how much i'd "unexpectedly" like it
meanwhile, so far in asterisk war,...
i mean, when i try to take an "external" view of it i can clearly see "yeah, they're setting up this guy to have a harem, it's clear as day already", and i do feel annoyed at things like the show making a big deal of claudia's boobs or ayato's face turning red in reaction to them
but i think the reason i don't hate it yet is because i'm not processing it in the same way that other people do -- not sure how other people do it, to be honest, but from what i can tell, the way _i'm_ doing it is basically treating it like a sort of scenario to be understood, to gather information/clues as to people's motives and stuff like that
and if you think about it, in a lot of mystery-type stories, you have DO have lots of late-breaking developments and revelations and such where a lot of pieces fall into place and come together, and before they do, you often have lots of pieces that don't seem to make sense
so i'm basically using THAT sort of thinking/perspective, which is why i wait so long to pass judgement on things
so basically if you (general "you", not any specific person) tell me, in a hypothetical show there's a fanservice scene where this one girl tries to offer a sexual favor to get a guy to do something she wants him to do, i say i dislike it, and i'm being quite honest about that
but implicit in that is that you're basically already passing judgement on it by indicating that the purpose is fanservice, and so based on your judgement, i say i dislike it
(not saying your judgement is wrong -- just making a note of the implication in the communication)
but then when i encountered the scene in the beginning of episode 3 of Asterisk War, i'm basically approaching it not as "ugh I don't like the fanservice" -- which is true, I don't like the fanservice, but that's a relatively muted response from me because it's being covered by a different response. instead i'm basically approaching it as "i'm watching this closely so i can understand the motives of the two characters in this conversation", and secondarily i'm also getting a feel for imagining what the setting is like -- as in i'm paying attention to the walls and the furniture and the lighting as well, all of which contribute to the overall "feel" of the scene
the music, too
so, even if the writers intended this scene to be for fanservice, i've already created a greater meaning to the scene, and thus i don't remember the scene as fanservice, i remember it as something else, and thereby i don't have that knee-jerk dislike response
the problem i often have with fanservice scenes isn't that they're fanservice per se, it's that when approached as anything other than pornographic or fetish content, they don't actually make any sense, they're implausible or stupid or offensive
i guess you could pretend that's a mystery and keep watching in the hope of finding out more about the characters' motives, but then you're going to be disappointed, because there's no mystery, the scene was just there to get you turned on, and if it doesn't or if that's not what you're looking for from the show, it's an early warning sign it's not going to be your cup of tea
someone might say "what if the story has plotholes?" well i think if i'm invested enough in the setting then i end up "thinking in-universe" and thereby filling in the "gaps" the same way when odd stuff happens in real life you don't complain the story's been written badly but instead you presume there are other factors you don't know about/understand at work
it's also possible that i take cues from things not directly related to the script/action, such as the soundtrack, and then read those cues into the script/action and find meaning in them that way (this i'm quite sure happens)
we'll see what happens once i get to the end of the asterisk war (which might take me a few weeks, at the current rate)
maybe not always, and i would say i probably default to perceiving things from an in-universe standpoint unless something, positive or negative, actively draws my attention in some other direction
It's just that the initial approach I use to read things tends to be broadly similar -- get to know the setting, get to know the characters, and make sense of what's going on. The same way I'd approach a real-life story. It could have a happy ending or a sad ending, it could be a good laugh or a tragic loss, and I don't know until I reach the end. Well, the reason why I go on thinking it's this is because that seems to be the best explanation I've gotten, for why my opinions of things seem to align and differ in patterns that so far I haven't been able to make sense of otherwise. Sometimes it aligns quite well, but sometimes it also differs quite dramatically, and that applies to both positive and negative opinions in both categories.
If you've got a better explanation, I'm all ears.
About the "knee-jerk responses"? Mostly about other fans (not the people here), since they make up the bulk of what I've come into contact with as far as commentary on anime series goes.
I also use a thematic standpoint. Metatextual is probably rarer, as it depends on me knowing the context of other works that surround a work in question, because I often don't know that context, and I feel that a work should (in general) stand on its own anyway.
all shows reference things that their audiences are expected to recognize - words, symbols, vehicles, countries, food, tools, animals, items of furniture, scientific theories, historical events, archetypes, stereotypes, tropes, etc.
obviously there's such a thing as over-reliance on cliché or reference humour, but aside from those extreme cases it seems odd to me to draw a line around existing works of fiction and say, 'if you must be familiar with these to get the most out of it, your show no longer stands on its own'
Again, stopping to ask myself why this is happening, I can see myself "filling in the gaps" in various places already.
For example: assuming there's much more to Julis's personality and social interactions than what's shown on screen (90%+ of which is her interactions with Ayato, of course). She's rather clearly shown as interested in him and being kinda in denial about it, so one can make the assumption that she (being a teenager who is perfectly capable of stupid decisions such as running off to face an opponent alone, and other nonsense) doesn't really know how to keep up her act around someone she's genuinely got romantic interest in.
Sure, nothing in the show explicitly says these things, but instead of presuming that Julis is nuts based on the behavior I see her displaying in the show, I presume that she's not nuts and is actually typically unlike the way she acts in front of Ayato, and then rationalize what she's doing in the context of being around Ayato. In doing so I've created a character concept that goes beyond what is explicitly displayed. Sure, the show doesn't do a good job of introducing that character concept -- but having this character concept prevents me from disliking the character, and thus allows me to enjoy the show.
(Now this is me finding a way of explaining this that assumes I'm the odd opinion out. If I assume that everyone who disagrees is wrong I could instead argue that my assumptions make intuitive sense and people who disagree are being too literalist and judgemental.)
The computer animation is so shitty I actually think it's shitty. I usually don't complain much about computer-animated stuff, but this is just that horrible.
And in case that wasn't enough to make me hate them, they have to feature bouncy boobs.
PC/Mac: Which video games of this list do you possess?
The Walking Dead
Diablo 3
Counter-Strike
Half-Life 2
The Sims
Minecraft
Myst
StarCraft
Portal 2
World of Warcraft
I'm THIS close to not being able to answer this question lol
"That's why I'm going to fight, as a Strega!"
"I'm going to fight, as a Strega, because I can!"
"But I'm a Strega, so I can fight!"
This is Julis talking about why she's at Rikka, the Academy City on the Water. Before this line, she mentioned how this was the one way she felt could do something to actually help the orphanage where her friends were.
I forget exactly how it's worded (and it's a translation anyway), but anyway, this thing that Julis said kinda came back to me and I thought about it for a while and I think it inspires me.
Posted on the Steam forums by a user named "[Pro Racer] Michaelprojectcars".
[31 replies happen]
32nd reply, written by me: "OP, funny thing is that I'm about twice your age and yet I actually don't even want to play M games."
33rd reply, directed at (and quoting) me: "Then you probably don't want to play any game either"
Well, joke's on you, because Steam says I've logged 13.6 hours in the past two weeks -- and that's not including all the time I've spent reading bulbapedia.
The floating eye begins reciting The Scout's lines from Team Fortress 2. -more-
"You seein' this?"
As does setting the Olrox battle to Esquisse of Violence.
1. premise seems forced
2. hmm, jun maeda is involved, maybe it could be good
verdict: okay, cool, not now
(i.e. the most typical verdict)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
Tales of Symphonia
Pokémon Crystal Emu Edition
LiEat
A Witch's Tale
Unepic
Sage Fusion
Mighty No. 9
Recettear
Momodora I/II/IV (III is completed)
90% uses anime art style
40% traditional-publisher-backed games, 60% indie
80% natively on PC
30% platformer, 70% RPG (30% action RPG, 40% turn-based RPG)
50% female primary protagonist(s), 30% male primary protagonist(s), 20% mixed-gender primary protagonist group
20% 3D (0% first-person, 20% third-person), 80% 2D (70% true 2D, 10% 2.5D as in 2D using 3D graphics)
80% fantasy (50% traditional fantasy, 10% halloweentown, 10% dark fantasy, 10% modern fantasy), 20% sci-fi
I consider it customary to do so. It is part of the natural error-checking mechanisms built into language, to clarify meaning. For example, you can say something "becomes obsolete", even though "obsolete" already indicates that something has changed from being useful to being useless due to changes in its context, but saying "becomes obsolete" is still clearer in meaning than "becomes useless".
So, speaking about the "Tales of Phantasia cartoon series" would instead cause more confusion because the use of "cartoon" is unusual in this context, as would "Tales of Phantasia TV series" to a lesser degree, but "Tales of Phantasia anime series" works just fine to be specific and to the point and not introduce unnecessary distractions from the point.
The term "anime" still has meaning, but it is just a meaning that is not clearly delineated. However, just because something isn't clearly delineated doesn't mean it acting a label for distinction is not useful. Such vaguely-defined terms are used all over daily life -- for example people speak of food, cars, movies, colleagues, politicians, and much more, as "good" and "bad", even though those terms don't have firm definitions.
I just realized something...
A man who calls women "dogs" is himself a son of a bitch.
If anyone's curious what that spiritual realization is:
in (at least some denominations of) Christianity, it is claimed that all people are sinners, descending from the "original sin", and that they are separated from God by that sin, but must be saved by accepting Jesus, who forgives them and takes upon Himself the punishment for their sins and then dies so they don't have to die.
something never really made sense to me about this. now I'm not religious myself (much less specifically Christian) so this might sound slightly offensive to you if you are. but just bear with me for a moment. i've heard enough from Christianity to have heard the whole spiel about Jesus dying to save humankind from sin. so Jesus puts on a show, becomes human, dies and gets up again because He can do that unlike the rest of humanity because none of humanity are God. He does this...symbolically i guess? so the claim there is that somehow by acknowledging that Someone Else died you somehow get eternal life despite not getting it yourself in the same way He does anyway because He's not human and somehow you're supposed to consider Him relatable because he's human except He's also not human but God. ...what? (oh and also He gets capitalized pronouns which no human gets, just because.)
but i was listening to the segment in DNC 2016 that was presented by the Mothers of the Movement.
here were people talking about other people, who had indeed died. these include Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and others. why did they die? one could say that their lives was called to a higher purpose. but their lives were cut short. but in death they were called to a higher purpose. just like Jesus.
but...they were humans, right? they weren't God. by dying they saved no lives. were they innocent? they probably had sinned at some point in their lives anyway, just like the rest of us -- or you can simply assume "original sin" and cover this point that way.
...wait, did they save lives by dying? will they save lives by their deaths?
then i realized something.
the idea that everyone is a "sinner" or that everyone is stained with "original sin" is not really about anyone doing anything individually wrong somehow staining one's soul to be unredeemable to Heaven except through Jesus or something like that.
no, what it really means is that the world is imperfect, and things will go wrong. and therein lies the meaning behind suffering in this world.
Jesus had to die, not because people were of a sinful nature just because someone (even if that someone is God) said so, but because someone had to die before the world could be made better.
all these people -- Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and others -- had to die, not because they deserved to die -- like Jesus, they did not deserve to die. but part of our understanding of their deaths, must include an acceptance of their deaths, because their deaths can make the world better by teaching us important lessons about the world around us and giving us the ability to truly appreciate the world around us, including quite importantly those things that are wrong with it.
we can't go back in time and undo the death of Jesus. but we can make his death meaningful by learning from it. in that way, it's a metaphor. we can't go back in time and undo the deaths of all of these people who didn't deserve to die, either. in that sense, they "had" to die, so that the world could be made better. their fates are the painful price of tuition. could a lower price have been paid? perhaps, but we will never know. we have already paid this price. but we can certainly make sure we learn everything we can from the experience, now that we've paid this price.
thus the proper meaning of the notion that all people are "sinners" (or the concept of "original sin"), therefore, is not a guilt trip. it is not to make oneself feel inadequate. it isn't even really about you in particular or anything that you yourself did. what it actually means is that this world is imperfect, and that things will go wrong. and someone's gotta mess something up before we know better. but once they mess up, we can learn from it. therefore, we should approach hardship and suffering not by cursing the fates assigned to us by the heavens, nor to attempt to avenge our pain and loss, but (1) to accept them as an inherent part of life and (2) use them by learning from them and trying to make things better, thereby giving them meaning.
the idea that something has to wrong first is not an excuse for fatalism either. simply throwing your hands up in the air and giving up, when you know you could do something better, is not learning from the hardship and thus is throwing away the meaning of that hardship. but if you make an honest effort, even if you fail, your experience will still have meaning when you or someone else learns from it.
very good craftsmanship, but you're missing the point, sadly
if you made a sculpture of the Dragon slaying St. George, I might buy it