2019/6/20

Welp

2019/6/6

Always having to be the bigger person just sucks.

You give them a mile, but you can't even ask for an inch.

2019/04/20

Ugh, they're gonna get married, aren't they (Ver.2)

What did I do to deserve this

The Kindergarten Teacher

The trailer is basically the entire movie
but I'm still glad I watched it.
I think that ending is going to stay with me for a while.
It felt almost Brechtian to a degree.

Games I played in 2018 (part 2)

Professor Layton and the Last Specter

My first Layton game! Unfortunately... I found it too slow-paced :(
The story did go in an unexpected, interesting direction near the end, but overall it just wasn't a very exciting experience. Plus, the music kept putting me to sleep ;_;
I honestly don't know if I'll give any of the other Layton games a try.
(Except for the Phoenix Wright one, which I already own)

Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories

My favorite KH game so far! I actually really enjoyed the card battle system of the main campaign. However, I did not like the gameplay changes in Riku's campaign. Suddenly, not only can I not change the cards in my deck, but I can't even change their order?? *sigh* KH giveth, and KH taketh away.

Celeste

I'm extremely proud of myself for finishing this game. At the same time, I've never wanted to push a game developer into a pit full of spikes more. I might try to collect some more strawberries and B-sides here and there, at some point.

Kingdom Hearts 2

Did not enjoy this one. Sure, there were some system improvements over the first game, but nowhere near enough. If I have 20 potions, why can't I use 20 potions during battle? Why do I have a separate pocket from my inventory? WHY DO ENEMIES GET IN MY WAY SO MUCH?? I HAVE PLACES TO BE!!!
Also, this game was actually worse than the first one in terms of pacing. You have to visit each Disney world multiple times, which kills all sense of progression. Not to mention that infamous slow opening... the title card that says 'Kingdom Hearts 2' appeared three. hours. in. It would have been much better to put the entire opening in Re:Chain of Memories or 358/2 Days and start this game off as Sora right away.
And to top it all off, many of the boss battles were just bang-your-head-against-the-wall infuriating... I honestly wish I could quit this series, but alas, I'm too invested. DAMN YOU KH :(

Nightshade (百花百狼)

I can't believe this is the only otome game I played this entire year lol.
It was so mediocre and unoriginal that it made me grow tired of the genre in general.
The premise and characters are fine, but they don't really do anything with them.
Also, the bad guy is different for almost each route, so I ultimately didn't even know what story they wanted to tell.
And the heroine... maybe DON'T BE A NINJA IF YOU DONT' WANT TO KILL PEOPLE??
Anywayyy... maybe the right game will make me fall in love with otome games again. Here's hoping.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Somehow, this game changed me. I think it's the first time the fact that games are a conversation between a developer and a player really hit me. Oddly enough, I'd liken my experience with the game to a mix between Stardew Valley and Civilization. Like in Stardew Valley, you're free to do whatever you want, but you end up pursuing that one objective to an obsessive degree. And like in Civilization, time can fly while you're engaged in the most tedious activity. Is climbing a cliff for 30 minutes all that fun? Not really. Do I want to stop? Nope.
This game also made me really love Link as a character. I keep playing as him in other Nintendo games like Mario Kart and Smash. I just want to see him be happy and free, far away from his Hyrule hero duties T^T
Knowing that I can return anytime to this wonderful game, and have even more experiences with the DLC, is such a comforting thought. To me, this just might be the best game ever made.

Journey

It was okay, I guess? I was looking for a relaxing game to play during a migraine, but this wasn't really it. Maybe it's better if you go through it with other people, but at this point no one is online lol

Gone Home

I wanted to like this game so much. I want to support what it stands for, and I even got it for free. But I just didn't like s l o w l y going through that creepy, motion-sickness-inducing house. I actually ended up liking the story, but wish it were told a different way. And the other story bits were unnecessary and unsettling :/

Donut County

A zen game for days you're feeling particularly destructive. It could have been more satisfying, though.

Tetris Effect

The game that made me buy a PSVR. I have no regrets.
It's a beautiful game in every sense of the word, and the most ideal way to escape reality.

Beat Saber

The other game that made me buy a PSVR. Still no regrets.
It's just fun, pure and simple.
But the main campaign can be a bit frustrating.
What is the point of these max movement and min movement limitations?
Just let me swing my lightsabers like a badass!

(Retired) Divinity: Original Sin

I think I'll officially retire this game. I have low-key fun while I'm playing it, but I'm never motivated to return to it. I think the problem is that the game doesn't give me a reason to care about any of the characters. It's hard to stick with a 60+ hour game if you're not rooting for anyone, especially when the story doesn't seem to be moving at all.

(Retired?) Final Fantasy 14

I enjoyed what I played of the trial version, but haven't gone back to it in a while. 

The story is serviceable and the gameplay loop is fun, but you probably need to be part of an online group to be really pulled in.
On the other hand, I did find doing guildhests with other people quite exciting....
Maybe I'll play until my healer hits level 35, and then retire it for good.

(Bonus entry) Dungeons & Dragons

My druid, Santiana, is feared for her relentless Moonbeam and Sunbeam attacks. Let there be light! Beautiful, deadly light!

2019/3/24

Don't I deserve that...?

2019/3/18

- Overslept and didn't make it to Japanese class. It's a vicious cycle that needs working on.

+ Made good progress in Persona 3! I've now hit 25 hours, but I know I'm not even halfway to the end. I guess I'm having fun, but I wonder if I'd enjoy it more if I stopped caring about completing all the quests. Will continue to do what I can until it gets too tedious.

+ Saw Captain Marvel. Loved Captain Marvel. Still fangirling.

Ken Jeong - You Complete Me, Ho

Crazy Rich Asians, or as we call it, Yellow Panther

It gave me no end of pleasure to say 'As a minority millionaire...' 

His comedy style is a bit crude for my taste, but it was still funny and interesting to hear him talk about his work and his wife.

2019-2020 Gaming Resolutions

Finish/Retire the following games:
Persona 3
Kirby: Triple Deluxe
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
DuckTales
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate (World of Light)
Pokemon Yellow
West of Loathing
Steamworld Dig 2
Grim Fandango


Play the following games:
Yakuza 0
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Fire Emblem / Bravely Default
Final Fantasy / Trails in the Sky SC
Uncharted / Assassin's Creed
Horizon Zero Dawn / God of War
Fez / The Witness / Baba Is You
Life is Strange / Night in the Woods
Firewatch / Inside / What Remains of Edith Finch
Subsurface Circular / Event[0] / Her Story
Mario & Luigi / Yoshi / Kirby
Rayman Legends / Oboro Muramasa
Portal / Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Tearaway / Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Shovel Knight / Hollow Knight / Cuphead
Undertale / Golf Story
Florence / Gorogoa
Papers, Please / Return of the Obra Dinn
The Banner Saga / Trine
Batman: Arkham Asylum / The Witcher 3
Ace Attorney 5 / Steins;Gate / Detective Pikachu
Cook, Serve, Delicious!
Any point-and-click adventure game (Full Throttle? Thimbleweed Park? Rusty Lake?)
Any rhythm game
Any otome game / 5 otome game character routes

Seiyuu Radio: Abu Koi, Uta Pri

Been listening to seiyuu radios again.
I didn't really enjoy the Abu Koi PSP game,
but at least the radio is funny lol.
I liked Suganuma-san as the main personality.

As for the Uta Pri Radio, Suzumura-san & Shimono-san together will never not be hilarious.
I'm glad I have more seasons to listen to :)

Oh my god

This month is taking forever to end
At this rate, I’m going to go insane before I finally leave this job
Arrgh

If You Come Softly

The first book featured in John Green's Life Library.

I'm not that into the young adult romance genre,

so it didn't really grasp me.

The author's other books, Behind You and Brown Girl Dreaming, seem way more interesting :/

앙상블 스타즈 팬미팅 with 아사누마 신타로, 야마시타 다이키, 오노 유우키

앙스타는 한 번 해보고 안 맞아서 지웠지만
성우님들 보러 다녀온 팬미팅

아사누마 상은 트위터 사건 말고는 많이 접해보지 못한 성우
40대라는 말 듣고 진짜 놀랐다
토크가 재밌기는 한데... 관객이 듣고 싶어하는 말만 하는 것 같아서
본심이 전혀 안 느껴지는 점이 좀 아쉬웠다
연기는 안정적이고 좋았음

야마시타 상은 진짜진짜 너무 귀여우심 ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
근데 연기는 너무 멋있음 ㅠㅠ
이번 이벤트를 계기로 팬이 될 듯 ㅠㅠ
토끼모자 쓴 것도 보고 싶었는데 흑흑

오노 유우키 상은... 오노 유우키 상이었다 ㅋㅋ
물론 좋은 의미!
그나저나 프렌즈 틀어놔야 잠이 오신다니 ㅋㅋㅋ

어떤 굿즈 있는지 궁금해서 줄 섰다가
아무것도 안 사긴 좀 그래서...
미도리카와 상 때문에 자동으로 텐쇼인 에이치가 최애 ㅎㅎ



그런데 이번 행사 좀... 진행이 매끄럽지 못했달까
일단 가장 큰 문제는 통역가분
어떤 말이든 과격한 방향으로 통역하셔서 매우 당황스러웠다
본인이 감정이입해서 말 지어내기도 하시고
게임 내용도 전혀 모르시는 것 같고...
다른 장르의 게임이라면 절대 있을 수 없는 일 아닌가;;
아무튼 세이유 통역가 분들이 훨씬 나았음

그리고 MC 보신 남도형님
목소리도, 입담도 좋으시지만
빨리빨리 진행하시려는 마음에 성우분들 말 끊고
김하루님이랑 호흡도 전혀 안 맞고
조금 더 센스 있는 진행을 원했달까
차라리 MC를 한 명만 두던가...
그리도 MC 두 분 다 성우분들한테
한국어 썼다가 직접 일본어 썼다가 ㅋㅋㅋ
통역가분을 가운데 두고 대략 카오스였음

2019/1/24

いやになっちゃう

Games I played in 2018 (part 1)

Until Dawn

All of the fun clichés of teen horror films rolled into one. I’d say it’s worth a playthrough, but I wish it were easier to replay different chapters. There are too many unskippable cutscenes and puzzles to bother trying to save more characters.

Atelier Rorona Plus

I guess I enjoyed it? Working toward goals and successfully achieving them was quite satisfying. But ultimately it’s not a story-heavy game, which is what I tend to look for in JRPGS. I especially wish the game gave you more substantial endings with all the different characters. I worried the main character might be annoying, but she’s actually adorable. However, I did NOT like Astrid… sexual harassment much? Plus, the homunculus thing was beyond morally questionable.

LittleBigPlanet Vita

Enjoyable game, could be longer. I guess the main feature of this title is letting players create their own levels-which is cool, but not something I’m particularly interested in.

Dokkiri Kami Kaihi

Just a fun little game that makes me laugh. I love these short point-and-click vignette-style games :)

Snipperclips

This game is meant to be played co-op but I played the entire thing on my own lol. I guess I find interacting with other people more difficult than solving puzzles. But it’s a really good game that you should play, co-op or not!

A Normal Lost Phone

A great way to spend an afternoon. It’s a very intriguing story, and I also liked how bits of new information got revealed the more I played. Will definitely play the sequel someday.

Splatoon2

I had such a love-hate relationship with this game, but I’m over it now. I played it nonstop for several months, and it wasn't good for my mental health. I only boot it up during Splatfests nowadays.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

This wasn’t really my type of a game, but I can still recognize that it’s a masterpiece, and I’m glad I pushed myself to finish it. The game is lighthearted at times, and the fact that there’s a guy in the woods who just steals your stuff without any explanation was especially hilarious to me. But I couldn’t get used to only being able to attack in four directions, and I didn’t like how you don’t get back the items you used when you die, even though you have to restart from the dungeon entrance. Also, I wish the game would let me save more often… I mean come on.

Danganronpa 2

Okay, I have a LOT to say about this game. Basically, I had the exact opposite experience from when I played the first Danganronpa title. I was really invested throughout that game, but was ultimately left disappointed because of the sudden, outlandish ending. This game, however, was NOT enjoyable for the most part. I was just impatiently waiting for the story to move along, and the mini-games they added to the trials are unnecessary at best and aggravating at worst. Plus, some of the characters really got on my nerves. There is so much casual sexual harassment in this game, but the writers try to get away with it by a) having the female characters volunteer this kind of behavior (never mind the fact that these actions are super out of character) and b) making the main character a bystander instead of an active participant (even though in my eyes he’s still complicit, since he never tries to stop the other male characters from making lewd, inappropriate comments about the female characters) However, I have to admit the final chapter and the ending were mind-blowingly amazing. But still I’d recommend playing the first game yourself and just watching a let’s play of the second game, because the majority of the second game is such a chore.

Monument Valley

I was in the mood for a simple puzzle game, and this one hit the spot. The ending had a nice finality to it, so I'm not too interested in the extra chapters. Plus, the game felt a bit sluggish at times.

Super Mario Odyssey

If I had to use one word to describe this game, it would be ‘delightful’. It’s just brimming with pleasant surprises, with moons to collect and colorful characters to meet around every corner. I also appreciated the sheer variety when it came to the different kingdoms, all of which I found too beautiful to play in handheld mode. I’m taking a break after seeing the ending, but I intend to dive back in someday to collect even more moons :D

Tomodachi Life

Tagline: when fandoms collide. Step 1. Make miis of your friends, celebrities, fictional characters, whomever. Step 2. Force them into one apartment complex. Step 3. Watch as chaos and hilarity ensue. I almost lost it when the twelfth doctor had a dream where someone told him I was an alien. He was so flabbergasted!

Pokemon Go

June 2018 marked my first time trying out Pokemon Go (shocking, I know) I think I stuck with it for about a month? It was an enjoyable excuse to go outside, although as a noob gyms and raids were annoying.

Donkey Kong Country Returns

This is a game I played for a while, but decided to retire. I simply wasn’t having a good time. While I found Rayman Origins to be challenging but fun, this game is only about the challenge. It just wasn’t for me :/

2019/1/16

No harm in asking, right??

Ralph Breaks the Internet & Bohemian Rhapsody

It's been two forevers since I've been to the theater, so I decided to watch two movies back-to-back.

Ralph Breaks the Internet wasn't bad, but I still kind of wish it didn't exist? I loved the first movie so much, and this one is such an obvious cash-grab. The wordplay on 'insecurity' doesn't work at all, and while I loved the Disney princess scenes, it doesn't really make sense in the context of the Internet-no matter how amazing Alan Menken's new song is. Also, a lot of international audiences are not going to get that ending lol.

Side thing: I knew I recognized Bill Hader's voice!

Bohemian Rhapsody was fun. I think watching it in a ScreenX theater definitely helped. I know it's not all that factual, which is a bummer, but it did make me more interested in and appreciative of Queen and their music.

Here we go, hopefully

Just wanted a little corner of the Internet to archive my thoughts and feelings.

Let's see if this works out.