Episode 20 was legendary. I liked KISARAGI Chihaya since the episode 4, but after episode 20 she is now one of my favorite character. She almost overwhelmed my most favorite character KINOMOTO Sakura.
Kisaragi Chihaya and AMAMI Haruka seems like the 2 most important characters in the animation. Even though the animation managed to distribute the focus equally on each of the characters including rival idol unit Jupiter and non-idol character like OTONASHI Kotori, those 2 characters plays quite a role in most of the narratives.
Unlike the other idols, Chihaya narrative span multiple episodes. Episode 4 was an introduction on her character, episode 20 a climax of her narrative, episode 21 a clean-up. There were multiple build-up moments depicted by her answering a call from an unknown caller(probably her mom). One can simply see that she was one of the most focused idol in the animation series.
Chihaya’s dramatic overcoming of her traumatic past was not possible without a ‘tampering’ of another important idol, Haruka. Actually she is kinda a moral supporter not only to Chihaya but to all of the idols, especially in their hard time of unfair competition with 961 production. But in most of the episodes including op/ed, Haruka is seen being with Chihaya for most of the time.
So we can say that Haruka is an actual leader of those idol girls, but most dedicated to Chihaya.
>> XBox360 game THE iDOLM@STER
I bought THE iDOLM@STER released on XBox360 after a few days of watching the first 6 episodes of the TV animation THE iDOLM@STER. It’s an old game now(released on 2007), but it’s quite new type of game to me. I played several ‘life simulation’ genre games before, like Princess Maker series, Graduation, or Debut, but not on the modern consoles like XBox360. It pulled out the feeling of raising an idol quite nicely, but seems like some polishments should be needed. Yeah, I know that there’s THE iDOLM@STER 2, but I have the first game and I want to finish it first.
After watching THE iDOLM@STER TV animation and playing THE iDOLM@STER on XBox360, I roamed around the dangerous coast called YouTube and found this brilliant treasure buried back in 2008.
My instinct told me that this MAD must be Nicodon original and I was right.
I just had to post this for its unspeakable epicness.
- Been watching THE iDOLM@STER TV animation. So fun! Even though it is quite naive. After all, animations are more about that ‘dream’, not cruel ‘reality’, IMHO. So I approve its naiveness.
- I’m Korean. I don’t quite like idols or their song(aka K-Pop), but I cannot avoid watching them, as there are a lots and lots of TV shows talking about them idols. There are even documentaries about pre-debut idols, or how famous idols had endured their hard time. There are also lots of TV shows which ‘voyeurs’ into their 24/7, how they live, practice and work, focusing onto more into their un-idol selves. I am interested in that part of idol culture. About unmasked idols, idols as a young, unexperienced high-teens.
- Ep. 13 is quite a turning point, as it’s these 765 production idols’ first live stage. Ryugu Komachi was not able to come in time, so other girls had to buy more time for them to come and get ready. But fans were there for Ryugu Komachi, no one else; after all, these idols didn’t even debut on TV properly!
If it was Korea, there won’t be any concerts showing pre-debut idols on the stage from the first place. After all, they’re “pre-debut”. Fans’ reaction can be seen in the ep. 13; they were confused, frustrated, and somewhat upset to know that Ryugu Komachi was late even if it was due to typhoon. Other girls try to buy more time, and they ‘succeed’ as Ryugu Komachi fans actually responsed to their songs. THIS SEEMED LIKE ALMOST A FANTASY. I can understand it if the most of fans were late 20s or older. Young fans, on the other hand: nothing like that can happen. Ragging and wooing would have fallen onto them.
IDK, after all, they’re Japanese idols, not Korean. And also, it’s just an anime, isn’t it? No serious business, eh? It’s about those girls’ dream coming true, becoming happy. But I couldn’t withstand it. Because I do know that there are so many idol-wannabes, and how desperate they are. Idol is a serious business IRL in Korea. Many falls, only some remains. There are fraud and sexual assault victims. Some commit suicide.
How could I just enjoy its naiveness. I just couldn’t.
But I was happy that those girls were able to pull that gig off, after all.
- Legendary fencer Bob Anderson died on 1 Jan 2012.
- 31 Jan 2012. Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology announced that they are considering of establishing a game pre-censoring committee. This falls into ‘education’ part of the ministry. Korean government is blaming video games for juvenile crimes and delinquency including recently recognized(to government and press) school bullying and violence. School bullying similar to that of today existed since 2005(according to my experience) or even before.
- 6 Feb 2012. Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology & Korean Ministry of Public Administration and Security & Korean Ministry of Gender Equality and Family & Korean Ministry of Strategy and Finance & Korean Ministry of Justice has announced a plan to organize a series of regulation for preventing school violation. Many falls onto the video games and video game industry. Following are the details:
Shutdown system: It is already up and running. High teenagers or below are limited from playing video games from 00:00 to 06:00. The announcement stated that this system will be strengthened further.
Cooling off system: Announced as of today. The game will be forced to be terminated after 2 hours of playing. Also stated that they’re considering of introducing a pace-making system which slows game pace after a certain amount of time, i.e lowering experience point or quest reward.
Game rating system: In Korea, every game(including indie, shareware, freeware, flash, and browser-based games) must be rated by Korean Game Rating Board. It is mandatory but not free. Announcement stated that they’ll strengthen the rating standard on the video game violence and sexuality.
Money raising: Announced as of today. Video game industry will be costed for the expense for treating video game addiction and support fund for lower class people, and it will be mandatory.
My opinion: it is an abomination.
- 7 Feb 2012. More details on the cooling off system.
After 2 hours of gaming, the game should be forced to be terminated. The player can resume to play the game after 10 min, only once per day. Which means the maximum of ‘allowed’ game playtime is 4 hours (with 10 min interval). This regulation applies to all video games, including PC, console and mobile games.
It might seem reasonable, but one should remind that this is a regulation made by ‘the national government’. This is something rather regulated by one’s parents or guardians, not by the government act or law.
These series of regulations might actually collapse whole Korean game industry. Governmental people know it and they are willing to make it happen. And Korean game industry is doing nothing on the surface(I hope they’re actually doing something under the water). Except Nexon, which moved to Japan last year.
Nichijou means Everyday Life. It’s NOT about everyday life IRL(I thought it was…:p).
30 Jan 2012: Now I can understand why it was named “Everyday Life”. Yes, it IS about everyday life IRL. Even though it exaggerate things a lot, the episodes are based on very trivial things happening in our everyday life, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and sometimes moving. If you have watched Azumanga Daioh(Manga/Anime) or Yotsubato!(Manga), it would be more easy to understand. (Come to thinking about it, both mangas were drew by AZUMA Kiyohiko)
I liked it a lot. It’s cute, funny(at least for me), and actually quite “simple”. I mean, its drawing style and light color scheme makes the animation seems quite simple.
Humor code is quite… queer? Otaku-ish? I don’t know, but it’s definitely not normal.
Jan Ken Pon part is my favorite. It’s not really funny or anything, but it’s definitely addictive. ”さいしょはぐー そのつぎぱー ぐちょぱはなしよ じゃんけんぽん！”
Oh I forgot to mention… The opening song “Hyadain no Kakaka Kataomoi-C” is sung by a guy nicknamed Hyadain. A guy. Yes, woman part, too.
2nd opening of Nichijou.
Ep. 20: There were some mistakes made by Korean publisher Aniplus. It seems like Korean title for Nichijou and logo of Aniplus was ‘offline’, and a temporary error screen is appeared instead.
Nichijou ending songs since episode 14.
Ep. 14: 翼をください(Tsubasa wo Kudasai) — A folk song written in 1970 which also appears in Japanese animation Evangelion: 2.0 and K-On!
Ep. 15: 気球に乗ってどこまでも(Kikyuu ni Notte Dokomademo) — A chorus song written in 1974
Ep. 16: マイバラード(My Ballad) — A chorus song written in 1987
Ep. 17: 怪獣のバラード(Kaijyuu no Ballad) — A chorus song written in 1972
Ep. 18: Green Green — An American folk song written in 1963, which was adapted into Japanese in 1967
Ep. 19: 野生の馬(Yasei no Uma) — A chorus song.
Ep. 20: あの素晴しい愛をもう一度(Ano Subarashii Ai wo Mou Ichido) — A lied written in 1970
Ep. 21: 巣立ちの歌(Sudachi no Uta) — A chorus song written in 1965
Ep. 22: 仰げば尊し(Aogeba Toutoshi) — An American song published in 1871 which was adapted into Japanese in 1884
Ep. 23: 空がこんなに青いとは(Sora ga Konnani Aoitowa) — A chorus song written in 1970
Ep. 24: 勇気一つを友にして(Yuuki Hitotsu wo Tomo ni Shite) — A chorus song written in 1975
Ep. 25: Let’s Search for Tomorrow — A chorus song written in 1989
Ep. 26: 旅立ちの日に(Tabidachi no Hi ni) — A chorus song written in 1991
A notable episode realted to the last ending song, Tabidachi no Hi ni:
The lyric was written by KOJIMA Noboru(小嶋登), and the song was composed by SAKAMOTO Hiromi(坂本浩美).
Kojima Noboru was the principle of Kagemori(影森) middle school. It seems like he believed in the power of music. He tried to improve the students’ attitude by making them chorus together. Sakamoto Hiromi was the teacher of music working in the Kagemori middle school, and she took a leading role in his plan of making “a school full of sounds of music(歌声の響く学校)”.
It seems like the plan was successful. After three years, Sakamoto wanted to make a totally new song for graduating students, as the great milestone of their plan. She asked Kojima to write a lyric for the song, and composed the song by herself. The song was sung by teachers in the graduation ceremony as a surprise gift for the graduating students.
At first, it was sung only in the Kagemori middle school. But the song was spread into the other schools, and by 1998, the song became so famous that it was sung at the graduation ceremony of almost every school in Japan(before that, Aogeba Toutoshi(Ep. 22), Sudachi no Uta(Ep. 21), and Okuru Kotoba(贈る言葉) were three most famous graduation song).
It is very easy to notice that almost every song used for 2nd cours ending is a chorus song. Actually they are very famous as the repertoires of school chorus team. Which relates to the fact that the animation Nichijou is depicting the “everyday life” of high school students and teachers(+ a cat and a professor, etc.).
Hakase was a very, very, very well depicted character. She is a child, after all. And the original artist(or mangaka) ARAWI Keiichi must have observed a lot of children of her age. She doesn’t only seems or talks like a child. She thinks and acts like a child. She IS a child. Rebecca MIYAMOTO from Pani Poni Dash!, who is another super-genius girl, is not quite like that. She is a child, but not really a child. She is more like a “manga-ish” child, who doesn’t resemble to real children who we see every day. On the other hand, KOIWAI Yotsuba from Yotsubato!, a normal(except her green hair) young child girl, thinks and acts like a child, too. This difference affects the whole narrative of episodes related to these characters. I won’t dare say which one is better for the show.
I first got to know this song by my favorite RPG Fallout: New Vegas. It had a companion-related side quest named “I Forgot to Remember to Forget” and its motive was clearly based on the lyrics of this song.
Now it’s one of my favorite song. But I don’t either sing or listen to this song much. Because I always try to remember to forget. When I forgot to remember to forget, I listen to this song for a while. It colors me blue.
Lyrics:
I forgot to remember to forget her
I can’t seem to get her off my mind
I thought I’d never miss her
But I found out somehow
I think about her almost all the time
The day she went away
I made myself a promise
That I’d soon forget we ever met
But something sure is wrong
‘Cause I’m so blue and lonely
I forgot to remember to forget
Original MB and its standalone expansion WB is both a great game. But WB is far better than MB, so if you lack another 5 bucks to spare, just buy WB.
WB is a kind of game which makes its player level up during the gameplay, not his/her game character. Game character do level up, but if the player lacks some skill or experience, they WILL fail to use their character to its finest. The easiest moment of experiencing this “player level-up” is at the training field. At the first play, most of the player will find themselves end up beaten down to the ground. Finishing all 4 levels of training session(novice, regular, veteran and champion) is quite hard for the first-time player. But after some play, they will recognize that the training fight gets easier and easier, and even would be able to finish the sessions with level 1 non-warrior-type character.
The largest obstacle of the gameplay is finance. Entrepreneurship needs a lots of money, but without it the player cannot dare dream of mobilizing a large warband, not to mention conquering all the Calradia. Even if one have established business at all the cities, ending up earning 10k denars a week, they will find themselves out short of money anyway. Lordly optioned armor or Spirited optioned horse costs like 10k+ denars, which is just… crazy!
Even if one has a lots of money, either by a nice (and very long)gameplay or a cheat, they will find out that there are yet more obstacles. Level, skills, relationship with lords, renown, honor… and the right to rule. Money is just a start and if one didn’t cheat his/her character would be already at a mid-high level(and the player would be very much experienced, too).
