Episode 2: Sisters

So, yay! I might actually feel some sort of motivation to continue this review, unlike Clannad. The main problem with clannad is that it's so long and now it's been too long since I've played it to really get a good review of it without having to paw back through at least a few hours of text to jog my memory. With Teen Titans all I have to do is pull up an episode and start blabbering, so without further ado!

Also I found out how to get better quality pics from the episodes! HOORAY!

Episode 2: Sisters

The opening scene shows outer space and some sort of alien probes flying about. Then we cut to a carnival where Robin and Starfire are watching a fireworks display. Starfire is amazed at earth stuff and she and Robin share a cute moment.

Let the shipping wars begin

Suddenly their date hang out is ruined by an alien probe grabbing Starfire and flying off with her.
Don't you hate it when that happens?

But before we get more on this interesting development-Opening theme! TEEN TITANS-GO!

-and we're back! Starfire struggles with the probe for a moment
meanwhile Beast Boy and Cyborg have won Raven a giant chicken doll. Before she can get too excited about this, Robin arrives to tell them that there's trouble and they join him in fighting the alien probe.

She's very impressed

Starfire flies around and tries to get away from it, while the other titans can't really do much to get involved. It's too fast for Beast Boy, Raven throwing stuff at it doesn't help, Cyborg manages to hold it down for a moment, and Robin hits with his staff, knocking it back into the ocean. Of course, it's back up in a second. They finally destroy it when Robin jumps onto it and rips out some cords. They wonder why it was after Starfire and go home.

From now on, this image will denote pure happiness

Needless to say, Starfire was very happy her friends could help her kill the thing. But just as she was about to recite the poem of gratitude (all 6,000 verses, mind you) someone else is in the Tower. Starfire's big sister-Blackfire! She makes quiet an impression on all the other titans and they get along instantly.

Meanwhile in space: the only drone that did not return was from earth, promoting the aliens to search there to find "the girl"

Starfire seeks to hang out with her friends, but they don't have time for her. Cyborg and Beast boy are playing video games, which they mention Blackfire is very good at, Raven is in her room and doesn't want to hang out, however Blackfire took her to her favorite cafe and told depression poetry, she finds Robin and Blackfire doing alien martial arts, which Starfire doesn't know. When Starfire tries to make a movie night out of it, Blackfire takes everyone to a club. She is very visibly upset that Blackfire is better at everything than her-she even took Starfire's clothes!

Everyone has a good time at the club, except Starfire who gets laughed at for not understanding simple slang.

I love how nobody makes a big deal out of the green kid or the giant robot

Meanwhile three probes are sent down to earth. Dun dun DUUUNN!

Normal people: Robin comforting Starfire
Shippers: Robin about to confess his love for Starfire

Starfire is all depressed on the roof of the club when Robin comes to cheer her up. Just as he's getting through to her-OF COURSE Blackfire shows up and ruins the moment by snatching him away to dance. Then as soon as Blackfire disappears she's attacked by a probe.
Beast boy and Cyborg notice first and go to help, but are beaten up by the probe, Raven also joins the fight. Robin and Blackfire are found and the whole gang joins in. Before they can really do anything, Blackfire fires all three probes with some well-placed shots and is offered a spot on the team, much to Starfire's horror.

Starfire is about to run away from home when Robin finds her just as she is flying away. The mysterious aliens who have sent out all the probes arrive just in time to ruin any potential moment they might have had. They capture Starfire and Robin clings to the bottom of the ship and fights to free Starfire. The others noticed the commotion and arrive to help. The aliens calm down and try to arrest them and we finally know why they've been chasing her. They're looking for Blackfire who has committed a number of crimes against them.
Thoroughly ticked off, Starfire confronts her sister and an epic battle between sisters ensues, distracting Blackfire long enough so that the police can get her.

As the sun rises, Robin and Starfire talk on the roof. She confided in him about her fears of being replaced by Blackfire, Robin replies that no one could replace her. They watch the sun rise together.

D'AWWWW

This is how Robin/Starfire shippers feel after-wait a minute this is episode TWO?! Doesn't it take at least four episodes before shipping begins?!

"Robin/Starfire FOREVER!!!" SQUEEEEE

Guess not.

Honestly, since I'm not an actual Robin/Starfire shipper (don't kill me) I don't have a lot to say on this episode. It wasn't very action-heavy like the 1st episode, and was instead mostly about Starfire and her sister who is completely better at everything than her. As a twin, however, I can relate to how annoying it is having your sibling be better at things than you, but Starfire was always the heart of the team. It is a bit disappointing that we basically don't see Blackfire again until later seasons, she's introduced, developed, BAM oops now you'll never see her again....Oh well. It was nice to have an episode dealing mostly with Starfire's emotions though, this is one of the things that made the show great. It didn't have to be all-action all the time to keep us interested! The story is influenced by character development and relationships, not just 'good guys vs bad guys' kind of dumbed-down approach.

Episode 1: Divide And Conquer

Technically this is the first episode, though during the original run of the show "Final Exam" was the first episode and this was the third-WHATEVER! Anyway, I've never reviewed a TV show so this will be a new experience for all of us! I will try to cope with my inner fan girl! She does escape sometimes though...

The episode opens with a shot of the prison and sirens are going off- Cinderblock is breaking in. Why? Who knows

This guy

Some guards get taken out, but eh, who cares about guards? Impressive laser guns though, I didn't know they had laser guns for everyone! (Though it's probably because actual guns wouldn't get past kid TV-censors or something). Then-the titans show up! Admitably it wasn't the coolest entrance, and it was a bit cliched ("I know five good reasons...." then they count off as they enter), but the animation was nice in the meantime.

-Aaannd cut to the opening theme!

-when we get back the fighting actually starts. I have to admit, I was surprised the animation was this nice for the first episode, but I guess they wanted to get the audience hooked. It's all cheesy one-liners, some that make sense ("I am stronger than I look") and some that don't...("Watch out for falling dinosaurs"). WOAH! What the heck? Beast Boy sounds like ten years younger than usual! Oh well...

Unfortunately as Robin and Cyborg try to do a 'sonic boom' to defeat him, something goes wrong and Cinderblock breaks into the jail and grabs a dude in some kind of....stasis chamber? Does this show take place in an awesome futuristic city or something? I never noticed all the weird technology they had. As more prisoners try to escape the titans quickly put them back in their place in the meanwhile. Raven also does that cool thing where she materializes out of a wall from the opening theme!

It's the exact pose and everything-but in an episode instead of the opening theme! SQUEE~ Sorry! *puts fangirl back into the box* She won't come out again!

Anyway...
As soon as it's all said and done for Robin and Cyborg start fighting. It all sounds very typical of kids and their reasoning is immature and instead of solving the problem, they just yell insults at each other. Cyborg decides to leave the team and storms off. The show seems to treat it like a couple breaking up, also notice how the other three have no say in whether or not they want Cyborg to leave. Robin/Cyborg anyone? (*strangles fan-girl* It's too early for shipping!)

I hate it when mommy and daddy fight

Meanwhile in the creepy abandoned warehouse of creepy machinery....SLADE!! Cinderblock wakes up plasmas, who turns into a mass of goo. There's a moment where he seems completely horrified at having to turn into the goo-thing, it's sad really... For about two seconds he seemed like a nice guy...

Then they go to....uh...destroy stuff I guess. It's not really important I guess.

What IS important is that the rest of the team is missing their favorite half-robot buddy. Beast boy calls him ("I know you're there! The phone's built in your arm!"), Starfire makes a gross pudding to cope with her feelings and Raven....

....What?

She's fine. Starfire tries cheering them up, but it of course doesn't work. Robin is reminded of Cyborg wherever he goes. It's really kind of sad. He can't even enjoy beating his old high score at a video game. He spends all day moping around.
Then the alarms go off and it's time for the titans to go back in action! I'm not really one for talking about fight scenes unless I thought it was particularly cool. The next several minutes are spent with them getting their butt kicked a few times. Slade watches creepily from his lair. He mutters how disappointed he is at their lack of strength with just a single member missing, before sending Cinderblock out for a mysterious 'Phase Three' I'm certain we will never hear of again.

He is always watching you

Back at the toxic waste plant the titans are still getting their butts kicked. Of note, I noticed the background music in this scene, I like it! I'm going to have to look up the score to this series sometime. They are separated and get beaten up one by one by these creepy little plasmas clones or something. Robin almost falls into a vat of toxic waste during the fight when suddenly-Cyborg saves him! They reconcile and team up to save the rest of the team from the goo! Hooray!

And nothing ties up plot holes and destroys our beautiful Aesop about teamwork faster than Cyborg revealing that he defeated Cinderblock all by himself off-screen.

Sorry, I can't hear over the sound of how awesome I am

Uh....They cheerfully decide that there's some other mastermind behind the scenes to devise this plan. We cut to Slade smashing a teacup in anger muttering about a new plan and how "The Titans will pay."

"Teamwork! Yeah!"
*Raven, Beast boy & Starfire stand around and do nothing*

Nostagia Goggles: Teen Titans

A quick break from my Clannad review, not that anyone cares, but I want to talk about something that is awesome:

Fighting for Truth, Justice, and the last slice of pizza

THE TEEN TITANS!!! OK, that was my nostalgia talking there, but seriously, looking back, it was a great show! Man, I watched this every week with my brother, we would practically jump onto the couch every Friday to see a new episode. (OK so we DID ruin the sofa with all the jumping after a while...) Heck, even my parents liked the show! Normally parents HATED the shows me and my brother loved-but not Teen Titans! (My mom thought Raven was hilarious being all snarky and stuff)
 Why am I suddenly talking about this now? Well....

Recently whilst surfing the interwebs for entertainment I happened upon a full-length episode and clicked on it...then another..and another... So now I'm about halfway rematching season 1 in order (after looking up the order of the episodes instead of just clicking on episodes at random.) I've decided that this show deserves a full review.

I promise to turn down my overwhelming love of this show for a few minutes while I try to talk about it.

I swear.

Screw Clannad we all know deep down that it's boring compared to this (I'M SO SORRY!!)
TEEN TITANS-GO!












 

Clannad Review: Part 2!

Yukine

(PS: I'll be adding more pics from here on out)

To get to her route, on April 18th go to the reference room to sleep. You'll be awakened by a cute girl!
Just keep going to hang out with her for her route to get going.

Character:

Yukine Miyazawa
She's strange, and is usually willing to go along with any number of crazy things. She likes to cast strange spells on unsuspecting characters, and is a very good cook. Basically she has a heart of gold, and is all-around adorable and sweet. She often seems very sleepy (especially if you have the voiced version of the game) her voice is very soothing and rhythmic sounding. Even in an emergency she's very calm.

Story: In terms of conflict, her story had very little for quite a while, and the majority of it was very slice-of-life. This is the only route, where I genuinely loved every minute of that sweet storytelling. Like Yukine herself, her route was very calm and gentle. The conflict revolves around her brother and a gang of delinquents who hang out with her, despite her gentle nature and their violent ones, they get along well, and treat her as if she were a princess. Eventually Tomoya discovers that her brother, whom they respected greatly, is dead, and attends a memorial service with Yukine and the delinquents for him. There, he confesses his feelings for her.

Review: My main complaint is that there's just not enough Yukine! I LOVED this route, every moment of it was fun and sweet and satisfying. Perhaps like the coffee Yukine made every day. I wish there were more CGs and more to her route, I feel almost as if there were more to her, that just got cut for time restraints, and that's a huge loss to me. Her route was a true gem, and I don't care if you don't even remember her name from when you played this game-HER ROUTE ROCKES! Yukine forever!
11/10 because D'AWWWWW!!

Anyone who didn't love Yukine has no soul!

Clannad Visual Novel Reveiw: 300 hours and counting!

I've decided that I will review the visual novel Clannad created by Key as my first review.
Be warned of heavy spoilers ahead!
Now I'm not going to review it all tonight-no no no, I want to reveiw it on a character by character basis. Especially since Clannad is such a long visual novel, a short paragaraph or two wouldn't cut it for me to express this months-long journey into the depths of this creation.
Also I haven't quite finished Nagisa's arc+after story, so I'm also stalling a bit.
Let's begin shall we?

General comments:
Music: pretty and fitting, there are very few songs I don't like, though there is the ocasional handful. Although it is nice, I can't say much else other than 'pretty' not earth-shatteringly awesome, but nice.
Art: OH MY GOD THE EYES-are so BEAUTIFUL. It's clear that Key has learned a little something about the uncanny valley since the days of Kanon and Air, as these girls do not look half as weird or creepy, but are genuinly cute! Of course, your opnion may vary, sometimes it makes their eyes seem vacant or oddly detailed compared to the rest of the scene, but you get used to it.
Story: (almost) every time I finish an arc I am in tears, and will stay that way for the rest of the night. The writting is excelent (...mostly, we'll get to that in a few more posts)
Overall: This is a very entertaining and well done visual novel great for anyone who loves romance/sad stories.

By this way this is MY REVIEW, if you didn't feel this way, or a character I eventually slam happens to be your favorite, whatever! This is how I PERSONALLY FELT about this game.

Onward to the individual breakdowns!

SPOILERS AHOY!

Misae:

General: Misae has a pretty short arc, and it's also very simple to get into. You simply talk to her every time you happen to see her, and that means try not to get interested in any other girls (this is only difficult if you've a) never played a visual novel (from now on will be abreviated by VN) before or b) you are too nice a person to resist being nice and interested in everyone) After some time of her being nicer and nicer to you, you find her cat. Simply ask to come visit her later and BAM you're in!

Misae as a character: She isn't the most developed character in the story, she has a pathetically short route and is often shoved aside as a background extra for most of the rest of the game. She's tough as nails, but has a softer side to her. I personally didn't find her terribly interesting in comparison to some of the other routes, but I also enjoyed her route quite a lot as well.

Story Arc: After you have entered her route offically, most of her story and character development happen through a flashback to her school days, and a boy she loved. It is told from the POV of a different narrator, a boy whom she met in the hospital who is extreamly grateful to her and wants to grant her wish. At first she blows him off as a nut, but they develop a friendship over time. It's very slice-of-life style, and pretty laid back in terms of story and conflict, which I usually don't like. However it was plesant to read, if not a little slow. Eventually Misae confesses and the boy fufills her wish for him to stay by her side....because he was never a person however, and the spell that he had to grant her wish gone, he turns back into a cat and stays by her side to this very day.(....? I know this is weird, just go with it) Tomoya somehow sees this dream and realizes the truth about her cat, and decides not to pursue her romantically...or something, it's been a while.

Overall rating: 6/10 It's nice...and that's about it.


Tomoyo:

General: Tomoyo's arc is much more what you'd expect from this genre of game. It's more typical of a VN, but it was done very well and Tomoyo actually became one of the more popular heroins from the game. To get to her, you'll need to go check out that fight down in front of the school and follow up. Then you'll meet her. After that to keep hanging out with her, go along with Sunohara's weird plans to prove she isn't a woman. After that, go online and find a guide. I can't help you. Be warned, her arc is pretty long in comparison to Misae's, but it is worth it. It's filled with both drama and charm and is an entertaing read.

Character: Tomoyo is a girl a year younger than Tomoya Okazaki, the narrator for all you dummies who are reading this for no reason, she wants to become the student council president. She also wants to distance herself from her previous life of infamy and voilence. Her goal is to save the sakura trees that bloom near the school becasue her sickly little brother loves them. In the process, she and the resident delinquent, (it's Tomoya) start dating. Tomoyo has a lot of insecurities about various things and she is strange, but I remember her arc very fondly.

Story Arc: Like I said above this is more 'typical' of a VN. You're going to date the student council president type-character. But in many ways, she defies this sterotype, and her story is all the stronger for it in my opinion. She was also popular for having the most kissing and romantic scenes out of any of the other heroins, which don't give Tomoya a kiss until almost the end of their arcs usually.

Overall: 9/10 this was awesome and sweet and touching! I loved this arc! Near perfection!

I'll get more later, for now it's time to sleep. ZzzZzzZzz


Oh yeah! In case you wanted a face to put with a name here are what the first two I reveiwed look like.
This Misae as an adult: (Basically, this is her only CG, and it didn't even happen in her route! That's how short of a route it was!)

and as a kid:


Tomoyo:

And for all that narrated kissing and making out there is the only  CG for them
Ah, well, whatever. EPIC Route.











LOVE YOU TOMOYO!

What is a Visual Novel

What is a Visual Novel?

            I feel compelled to explain, because so many people in everyday life ask me this if I ever mention that I play “visual novels”. I don’t pretend that I will be educating anyone here, because in all likelihood nobody will read this. I just like talking to myself, and acting as though I’m talking to someone else makes me feel more sane.

            First, there are two main styles in which most visual novels are presented. There’s the “novel style” in which text is displayed over the entire screen, and there is the “action/adventure style” in which text is displayed in a dialogue box like it would appear in most video games. The difference is a matter of personal preference.

            Second, there are two main levels of player interactivity. There are “kinetic novels” which are visual novels that require no input from the player whatsoever, and there are what most people consider normal visual novels that require the player to make occasional choices that influence the story. Visual Novels are not video games. It’s probably easier to think of them as books that were given a soundtrack and some pictures rather than a game, they are very text-heavy and story driven.

Here are some example pictures of different types of visual novels:

Action/Adventure Style:

Novel Style:

Choice point (also adventure style):

By the way, I’ve played all of those. In order they are: Clannad, Higurashi no naku koro ni, and RE:Alistair. The last one only took about two to three hours to finish all of the routes, Clannad is a 300+ hour visual novel if you want to see EVERYTHING (though very well written), and Higurashi is quite long too, though it’s a kinetic novel so there’s only one path. RE:Alistair can also be downloaded for free from Sakevisual, so you can play that one if you want to see what a visual novel is like.

Most people can figure out what they like and don’t like pretty quickly though. Now go, go and read!

Introduction

           This is my new blog that's going to be about anime, manga, and visual novels. I don't really expect anyone to read this, but if someone does, that's awesome! I just need a place to rant about all the cool anime and visual novels I see, I can't keep it bottled up forever or I'll EXPLODE, (maybe..) Also: I might be a narcissist, so that’s another possibility to keep in mind.

Fair warning: I WILL STATE LOTS AND LOTS OF SPOILERS ON THIS SITE BE WARNED. Especially if Reviewing a Visual Novel, I will also probably post pics that may contain spoilers, if you don't want spoilers and you see the name of a work in the title of a post-please don't read it! However, if you don't care, this is the only spoiler warning anyone is getting, so SPOILERS

Enjoy!

I bet you thought of this every time I said spoiler, didn't you?