tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1557533741750102682024-03-13T04:49:57.191-07:00Magedark's BlogAllen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-16335748893661952552011-04-03T21:56:00.000-07:002011-04-03T21:57:30.598-07:00The Pitfalls of the New Age: Trust (2011)I've never done this, but after seeing this movie, I decided to write about it. I'm not a big movie goer, so I decided to watch something today. Unfortunately, the theatre close by has sparse selections, so I chose the movie <u>Trust</u>, on sheer whim. And I know, it would be a difficult one to watch.<br />
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<u>Trust</u> is the story of a 14-year old girl, Annie, who is raped after meeting up with an older guy she met over the internet.<br />
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That's the basic summary there. <u>Trust</u> was difficult for me to buy, and watch. I knew the girl was going to get raped, and the anxiety was frightful, to say the least. Nevertheless, I stuck by and watched the whole movie. Rape is a tough subject to talk about, and this movie does well in traversing the topic. The mom and dad, upon hearing the news, are devastated, but Annie doesn't initially share their views, believing the man loves her. News of the rape affect the father the most, as he dedicates himself to catching the rapist.<br />
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Honestly, I can't say much without spoiling the movie as a whole. It's a piece on the struggle rape brings upon a family and its victim, as well as the perils that befall the new age of technology as well the naivetivity of the new, rapidly growing, technologically proficient generation. This also brings up the nature of protecting kin from such events that occur in the movie.<br />
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The movie is short. Less than two hours. And the progression Annie goes through for her rapist is chilling, and frightful. We can only protect our loved ones so much, and yet with all this new technology seizing attention from children and teenagers, the job becomes increasingly difficult. I won't talk about the ending, but stay for the credits as I always do.<br />
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Trust me.Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-32708085699228327222011-03-12T18:12:00.000-08:002011-03-12T18:12:05.383-08:00Finals and Coffee BeanFinals are looming, meaning Tuesday and Wednesday for me. I'm at The Coffee Bean right now, taking a short break from Boolean Algebra, while waiting for my Jasmin Dragon green tea to seep for stronger taste. As of now, I've been here for about 3 hours, and have drunk green tea, and a white chocolate lattee.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I got sick again today, which is very annoying. Just boarding here took more effort than necessary -_-. I'll have to buy some more medicine later. I had Quiznos after the first time I tried it, which was well over 5 years ago. The taste and service has improved since then, so maybe it isn't so bad. I'm thinking about getting into footbag, but we'll see. I'm too sniffly to figure it out right now.<br />
Back to studying.Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-12217843778950105492011-02-22T14:00:00.000-08:002011-02-22T14:00:48.948-08:00Short -Really Short- VNCollege is winding down a touch, and I've been rereading some old VN's, as well as some new ones. I'm going to make a short, paltry one for fun. Time to actually use what knowledge I have of programming to do something.<div><br />
</div><div>Story to come, as I work it out.</div>Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-49219328902219630362011-01-23T19:56:00.001-08:002011-01-23T19:56:26.356-08:00RESTART-Coming soon-Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-92144306682053418612010-05-04T19:12:00.000-07:002010-05-04T19:13:40.220-07:00Yuri : Demons, Hell, And The Girl Of Your Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/2396/tetra.png" width="281" /></div><br />
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The concepts of shinigamis, demons, nuns with guns, London, and gore are not unfamiliar motifs presented in many different mangas. Granted, this story has all of these, but an underlying yuri-esque theme that is quite vague initially, but so worth the read. I'm happily reviewing for you my (currently standing) all-time favorite manga series, <u>Teragrammaton Labyrinth</u>, by Ei Itou. Loaded, figuratively, not literally, with action, gory scenes, demonic presences, and a girl wielding a scythe contribute to my undying love and recommendation for this series.<br />
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Publisher:<br />
The publisher of Tetragrammaton Labyrinth is Seven Seas, a somewhat obscure (I think) company who double in licensing as well as original works. This series is part of their "Strawberry" yuri line, which has been, as of late, undergoing tough sales and times. Other examples of their work/licenses include Aoi House, Kashimashi, and Amazing Agent Luna.<br />
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Volumes:<br />
6<br />
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Story :<br />
As already explained, this is a European, Gothic (I think) era demon based plotline. Very simply put, it's about two girls, Meg and Angela, who dedicate their lives to slaying demons for their church. Initially, it starts as simple demon exterminations, but the story slowly develops into one of hope and desire, and a sense of belonging.<br />
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Characters:<br />
Meg: One of the two main starring characters. As lifelong partner to Angela, she dedicates her time and money to Angela and the extermination of demons. Still a strong Catholic (I think) girl, she tries to see the best in people, and occasionally stops Angela from doing things too rash.<br />
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Angela: Second of starring characters. Having "fallen from heaven," she is the immortal partner to Meg, and is cursed with the burden that her own partner is human. As a result of her long placed life, she has developed a relatively disposable view upon other humans, occasionally sacrificing others for the sake of her mission. However, above all, she wishes to become human once more.<br />
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Hisame (Miko): Originating from "the East," this girl is in search of lost artifacts of her country. Pragmatic and stubborn, she is the most level-headed on of the group, occasionally pointing out the more obvious, and sometimes lethal aspects. Undeclared partner to Edward.<br />
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Edward (Pops): Detective from London, he gets involved within the workings of Meg and Ann as a result of his girlfriend (I think) being tragically possessed by a demon, and having to be put down by Meg and Ann. Hot-headed, he tends to rush into situations unaware of what he may be doing wrong, and sometimes running into more trouble along the way. Fighting to revenge his lost love, he resorts to methods that may no longer make him human.<br />
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Art:<br />
The art is executed quite well in this piece. Having not read any other works by this author, I have no other comparison, earlier or later. The action scenes are detailed quite well, with an exception to some parts that could have been given more perspective. Ei in the notes ending the manga frequently explains how the research into the European architecture of the times really took a lot out of him; however, it is quite obvious all that researched paid off.<br />
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Finle[sic]:<br />
Tetragrammaton Labyrinth takes a conventional story on demons and a dominant yuri pairing to breathe a different type of atmosphere in the characters. Brought together by the grow problem of demons, these characters are oddly memorable, and their situations are at times understandable. The beauty and wonder of this series are something you'd have to read to experience, but if it clicks with you, you may not want to put it down.<br />
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Other:<br />
I finally got to writing this @_@. It's so procrasinatable; nevertheless, don't expect me to stop anytime soon.<br />
Of course, don't expect me to post like every single week either.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-54834605189995726172009-12-01T20:13:00.001-08:002009-12-01T20:13:28.288-08:00Update on lifeI'm still here. I swear.<br />
Practicing guitar for a while.<br />
-Stay tuned.-Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-26685589827861811762009-09-19T15:07:00.000-07:002009-09-19T15:12:34.910-07:00Why headphone amps are good (And why this review may be wrong)Ok, well I've been listening to my father's Sony SEN-R6400 Stereo System. I also<i> can't </i>find <i>any </i>information on this actual system, so I can't tell you much on it. It's a bit old as my dad puts it.<br />
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There are 4 systems to this set. There's an FM-AM radio tuner, tape deck, AV Control Amplifier, and the 6-CD changer. My dad also has a digital vinyl board connected to the system. I won't be testing how that sounds for now.<br />
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Anyways, a couple or so months ago, I found out I could plug my iPod into the AV control amplifier through an RCA cable jack. I dug one up, and I decided to test it out.<br />
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iPod is a 4th generation iPod photo, 20 gigabytes (Yeah, oldish. 2005) using Apple Lossless files. My only headphones I have are the AKG k240 Studio 55Ω (Sadly. It's not the best, but it works for now in this testing.) The amplifier is the AV Control Amplifier. And a lot of what I put could also be a result of my headphones, but there are distinct differences between an iPod and an amp that changes it.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><u>The song setlist is as follows</u><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">1. <b>Sam Cooke</b>-Chain Gang<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">2. <b>OreSkaBand</b>-Knife & Fork<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">3. <b>Jimi Hendrix</b>-Castles Made Of Sand<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">4. <b>川添珠姫 (広橋涼), 千葉紀梨乃 (豊口めぐみ), 桑原鞘子 (小島幸子), 宮崎都 (桑島法子), 東聡莉 (佐藤利奈)</b>-BAMBOO BEAT (Yes it's a lot of artists.)<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">5. <b>Boys Like Girls</b>-Love Drunk<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Just the iPod:</b><br />
</div>1. The left and right channels are defined very well at the beginning. When Sam Cooke comes in, the chorus is placed in the right channel, but Sam is placed somewhere near the left and the middle channels. There is few separation between the two channels throughout the choral parts.Still quite refreshing to listen to either way.<br />
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2. Ahh Ska. The walking bass is heard, but you can somehow feel that it seems isolated from the rest of the actual band. It's there, but it doesn't feel like it belongs there. The brass seems to be quite mixed together, and there seems to be no distinction between the instruments.<br />
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3. The beginning guitar can be distinctly heard in the right channel. You can hear the two guitars in the separate left and right channels, layered behind Jimi. His voice transitions are heard through the iPod. The bass seems a bit overpowering throughout the song.<br />
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4. The opening instruments (bells?) are heard clearly, and can be heard through the opening. The background instruments can be heard supporting the vocalists in the beginning also. The blend is quite good. However, during the chorus, the instrumental doesn't seem very supportive or exciting at the least. It seems a bit muddy.<br />
The instrumental solo seems too balanced, so the soloing instruments don't stick out.<br />
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5. There is not much left-right distinction between the synthesizers (I think those were synthesizers) at the beginning. The rhythm guitar is too weak in the beginning before the chorus. The chorus is just blended with not much distinction. Listening carefully, you can hear two voices in the second phrase before the second chorus.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Through the AV Control Amplifier (Which I can control through the remote. Yay for being lazy!)</b><br />
</div>1. This song is what made me want to write this review. The chorus is actually located in the <i>left </i>channel. It was quite a shock to me. Sam Cooke is now leaning toward the right channel, but it almost seems as if he was watching the chain gang and speaking about them. The chorus is very distinctly heard. It's very nice, and you can tell they complement Sam very well. This song was very much improved through the amp.<br />
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2. HEY THEY HAVE A TRUMPET! Very distinct now. The trumpets can also be heard doing a forte-piano crescendo at the beginning. The walking bass is still distinct, but it now blends in with the entire band, while the vocals are very crisp and fun. The trumpet (Yeah only one) in the entire piece can be heard very well, seeming to lead the instruments. The tenor sax is heard backing up the trumpets most of the time, but it's heard.<br />
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3. I can hear the second guitar at the very beginning doing a small part. The lead guitar is much more prominent, and has little riffs throughout the song, but still layers under Jimi, which is good. The bass is more balanced in my opinion. <br />
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4. The bells are much stronger, and still remain prominence in the beginning. Rhythm section is actually heard, and is quite fun to listen to. There's also little different instrumental solis going on during the chorus that sounded mushed together on just the iPod. During the instrumental soli, it's heard quite visibly that the violins are taking the initiative, and sound very warm, but powerful.<br />
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5. The synthesizers are now separated between the left and right channels. The vocals (I can't remember his name) are much more upfront and aren't singing in the background anymore. Even during the chorus, you can hear the voice very clearly, not being overpowered by the instruments. A little caveat about this song in general, not related to the amp or iPod itself is that I don't enjoy the key change near the end. But, I digress. It's still a good song to listen to. <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Conclusion</b><br />
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After listening to that amp, it becomes very clear to me what types of songs are on my iPod. You can easily tell which songs are ripped from CD's and which aren't (Because some people like putting their songs on my iPod). A lot of stuff that I didn't hear before I heard now, and that's big. Of course, if you're going to be traveling a lot, you don't really need all this big and fancy equipment because of your limits. You'd probably just need good portable headphones (Like portapros or grados). Of course, if you ever have the time and equipment, try listening to your iPod through an amp. You may be surprised.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Disclaimer</b><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Yeah my equipment isn't the greatest thing ever. I'm just starting on my journey of no return. I'll probably come back one day and reevaluate this entire blog post. But one thing is for sure, amps can expose things you may never heard of, good or bad.<b> <br />
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</div>Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-76654553722104789862009-09-18T21:28:00.000-07:002009-09-18T21:29:21.347-07:00Update in progressYeah. Trust me. And by update, I mean this blog. Needs moar.Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-17593991963128901092009-08-23T18:35:00.000-07:002009-08-23T18:37:03.263-07:00Free demo VN of Kirakira, Suika, and Da Capo.Woo hoo! Mangagamer has just released the demos for -look at title.- I'm downloading kirakira and suika, and we'll see how it looks. <br /><br />If you wish, the demos can be found at <br />http://www.mangagamer.com/main/<br />Note: 18+ please.<br />Unless you're mature enough. Are you?Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-18643397306179961642009-07-12T04:19:00.000-07:002009-07-12T04:21:26.959-07:00PhilippinesShort blog entry due to horrendous speed, but I'm loving it here! Expect a full blog on the trip when I come back. But meanwhile, everything here is much cheaper...Too cheap.Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-76867488252603082382009-06-28T11:23:00.000-07:002009-06-28T11:24:46.437-07:00Billy Mays has diedhttp://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obit_billy_mays<br /><br />What?! NOOO BILLY MAYS?! WHY LEAVE US NOW?!<br />Man, he was literally the biggest commercial star, and now he's gone T_T. <br /><br />1959-2009<br />(Too many greats dying!)Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-14387750000862658672009-06-25T22:07:00.000-07:002009-06-25T22:10:12.779-07:00Condolence to Michael JacksonWell in case some of you may, or may not know, the king of pop has died. Michael Jackson, after living 50 years of the greatest music ever has died of a heart attack at UCLA. However, full information regarding his death is still skimpy, until the autopsy is formed.<br /><br />Michael Jackson, living a life reaching the top. The top where few have ever reached, and he reached even further than that. His album Thriller has sold over 50 million copies, easily making it the greatest album ever. He then ran into controversy, and was about to go on a unprecedented world tour, before this tragedy befell him.<br /><br />I will miss Michael Jackson. His comeback would have rocked the entire world. May he rest in our memories, and may his music live on forever.<br /><br />Michael Jackson<br />1959-2009Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-18412236139213521962009-06-25T19:46:00.001-07:002009-09-19T15:09:50.119-07:00Update on VN regulationshttp://www.minori.ph/<br />
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Well well well. Looks like minori is finally giving a fairly decent explanation for blocking foreign ips. They say they're surprised because so many foreigners complained about it (Maybe it's because minori is popular overseas than in Japan. I'm not sure.)<br />
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Apparently, minori as well as many other eroge companies are being challenged with the issue of the "Freedom of Speech".<br />
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There is a bill going on that wants to restrict the eroge industry heavily, and it's all summarized/copy and pasted right here. "Currently, The bill that allows to limiting the content (It is censorship. Isn't it?) to all EROGEs is being discussed in the Diet because intellectuals and politicians said "Japanese EROGE were being problem and troubled with the foreign country. Therefore we should make EROGE hidden away from foreign country, and also its content should be limited and censored"."<br />
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Now, this part ticks me off. "Intellectuals and politicians". What is that supposed to mean?! Politicians have a power that apparently take presence over the intellectual, and I assume that the intellectuals mentioned are also politicians in some way. What about the intellectuals who actually support the eroge companies? What about us hm?<br />
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The foreign countries (I think one of them is US, but I can not be sure because there's really no information) say that eroge cause trouble for the foreigners and should be<br />
a. Hidden from countries not Japan<br />
b. Censored and limited<br />
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Well if you're going to hide these games from Japan, why bother limiting and censoring them anymore? minori is right. Their freedom of speech, along with the eroge industry are being heavily challenged just because their games are just "ewww" for foreigners. What about games then? Resident Evil 4 didn't exactly look well due to the zombies resembling certain people. What about Grand Theft Auto? Why are these games ok for the general public, but not eroge?<br />
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I'm getting mad over this issue. I really just wish someone would rise up and ask everyone what the hell are they doing. Because if they limit the eroge industry, they'll start limiting much much more.Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-29099575963112334322009-06-23T14:36:00.000-07:002009-09-19T15:10:23.552-07:00Recent VN Regulations and Restrictions<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ok</span> well, time to spill forth and collect the news that have been affecting a certain sect of the Visual Novel industry. To be specific, it's the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">eroge</span> industry. Now for most of you, you probably won't give a damn, and don't really care, so you don't really need to read this. But it is quite interesting to read anyways.<br />
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The beginning came from this article on <a href="http://zepy.momotato.com/2009/05/28/rape-games-are-now-banned-in-japan/">Canned Dogs.</a><br />
"TBS news <a href="http://news.tbs.co.jp/20090528/newseye/tbs_newseye4143799.html">reports</a> that all rape games will be banned from sale or production in Japan. It has been decided. It is estimated that this particular genre takes up about 10% to 20% of the entire industry but the PC software independent review committee has made the decision to ban all these games."<br />
To sum it up for you, it wants to ban rape games. Simple, right?<br />
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<a href="http://zepy.momotato.com/2009/05/28/rape-games-not-really-banned-and-i-hate-tbs/">Oops.</a><br />
TBS apparently jumped the gun on the Ethics Organization of Computer Software (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">EOCS</span>) meeting, and kinda brought the news too early. Whoops.<br />
<a href="http://zepy.momotato.com/2009/06/02/production-and-sale-of-rape-games-will-be-banned/"><br />
Results.</a><br />
<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Ok</span> well, looks like they confirmed it this time that rape games will be banned. That's good. I wasn't a big fan of the rape genre though. But as you can see from various comments on these pages, there's a lot of backlash from the community over this decision.<br />
<a href="http://zepy.momotato.com/2009/06/03/the-fax-from-the-eocs-was-sent-out/"><br />
The Terms of the Contract.</a><br />
Funny comments from the companies people, (especially <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">VisualArt's</span>) but that's not the main focus of this article.<br />
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<li>Words such as “training” (調教) or “slave”, among others, are not allowed in the title or packaging</li><br />
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<li><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">HCG</span> involving sexual violation cannot exceed 20% of a game’s total <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">HCG</span> count (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">ie</span>: can’t try to build this up by having lots of everyday life CG events)</li><br />
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<li>Even if it’s below 20%, anything that is promoting a criminal offense is not allowed</li><br />
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<li>Anything that promotes rape, confinement, stalking, domestic violence, and portrays it in a way that the offender gains something out of it is not allowed</li><br />
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<li>New games that have already passed the review process by the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">EOCS</span> are considered “safe” from this</li><br />
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<li>Regulations stated in the fax are completely different from what was being discussed in the emergency meeting yesterday</li><br />
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<li><b>New regulations starts 5<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">th</span> of June</b></li><br />
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This looks fine to me, but do points 2 and 3 seem a bit contradictory? Lessee, sexual violation is not a criminal offense? That seems weird?<br />
But as I stated, I wasn't a fan of the rape genre, and so, here's the first step into the current "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">VN</span> Crisis."<br />
"Oh yeah, hypnosis is okay, apparently."<br />
As you can see from the posts again, there is much different split opinions between the two sides. Those who support the ban state...Well I can't pull anything out right now. It's too complex for me.<br />
But those who oppose the ban are on the state that it's not the rape games that cause people to rape, as Japan has a low rape percentage (That's true actually.)<br />
<a href="http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/06/05/japan_rapelay_ban/">Obviously.</a><br />
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No comment.<br />
<a href="http://zepy.momotato.com/2009/06/12/non-human-heroines-might-possibly-be-restricted/">Wait. What the HELL DID YOU SAY?!</a><br />
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Here's a good one.<br />
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"<b><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Norn</span> also reports that the various sides are still having negotiations right now, but there is currently a possibility that games featuring non-human heroines (robots, elves, cat girls, vampires etc) may no longer be accepted for sale.</b>"<br />
This is something I must take a stand on. What is the different between non-human characteristics and humans? The only difference is that heroines such as robots, cat girls, and so on are given human characteristics through a fairly common literary method called anthropomorphism. But where do you draw the line between humans and non-humans? Read the comments for more debating topics.<br />
<a href="http://zepy.momotato.com/2009/06/23/online-dl-shop-reveals-new-restrictions/">List of banned items</a><br />
For those too lazy to click on this link, the following will be<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>restricted</span> (Noticed, not banned.)<br />
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<li>Rape</li><br />
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<li><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Loli</span></li><br />
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<li>Gang Rape</li><br />
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<li>Sexual violence (陵辱)</li><br />
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<li>Cruel sexual play (鬼畜)</li><br />
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<li>Reverse rape</li><br />
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<li><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Shoujo</span></li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Forbidden sex (相姦)</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Reverse sexual violence (逆陵辱)</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Forced (強要)</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Multiple play (複数プレイ)</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>School council (生徒会)</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Bestiality</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Bondage</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Threaten</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Train groping (車内わいせつ)</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enjo_k%C5%8Dsai"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Enjo</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Kousai</span></a> (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">wikipedia</span> link)</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Incest</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Torture</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Bind tightly (緊縛)</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Pregnant</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Rape (強姦) (another way to refer to rape)</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Slave</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Pregnant woman</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Imprisonment</li><br />
<br />
<br />
<li>Impregnation</li><br />
<br />
</div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Hmmmm</span>. This looks like common sense to me. But in my opinion, the two main topics may affect me are the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">loli</span> and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">shojo</span> aspects. And in reading this regulation term, you see that nothing of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">yaoi</span> genre is affected much <_<.<br />
<br />
And just recently, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">minori</span>, a big (or pretty popular) company has now banned any foreign <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">IPs</span> from entering their site because<br />
<br />
"Some foreigners seem to be having an antipathy against <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">EROGE</span>.<br />
Therefore, We prohibited the access from foreign countries, to defend our culture.<br />
Sorry for you of the fan that lives in a foreign country."<br />
<br />
More strict regulation because of much of the foreign outbursts against <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">EOCS</span>.<br />
(But ironically, minori website is set in the philippines domain, and I don't think the philippines can access it either.)<br />
<br />
What does this mean to you? Probably not a hell of a damn lot.<br />
<br />
But to people who are into the genre of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">VN</span>, this seems to be the first step into regulation, but it could mean a step too far in one direction, and this could end up being a very big issue.<br />
Or not. It just depends.<br />
My Stand<br />
Ugh my opinion. Well, I see how rape is a bad thing. I don't need a damn regulation to tell me that rape is bad.<br />
<br />
"Dear Tony,<br />
Unlike the readership of the Daily Mail, we, your humble readers, do not need to be told that rape is "depraved", "sick" or "twisted" -- we are intelligent enough to know this for ourselves.<br />
Please stick to reporting the facts and desist from trying to tell us what to think or feel.<br />
Yours,<br />
A. Reader. "<br />
Quote from one of the articles mentioned above sum this up nicely. But they ban rape as a beginning. Now they're moving into the grounds of different aspects of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">VN</span>. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">shojo</span> aspect, the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">lolicon</span> aspect, and the bondage.<br />
<br />
Many people accuse <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">EOCS</span> of being feminist, and it looks kinda right in a way. There seems to be no mention of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">shouta</span> aspect or <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">yaoi</span> within games, but maybe it's because they're not popularized as much.<br />
<br />
I can only see what happens next. I a bit sad over these news, but I have a bad feeling it's going to start delving into a more common genre, and will start affecting more than just <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">VN</span> readers.<br />
I can see murder being another target...Wait. How come EOCS hasn't tackled that just yet?Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-56551278057373754512009-06-21T20:50:00.000-07:002009-06-21T20:55:35.752-07:00Future PlansOk well, the VN is going well, despite not having any character art yet, but it just started progress eventually. I do think progress may take a break during July though, because I will be in the Philippines, unless my dad decides to bring his laptop. Other than that, there's not much else to say.<br /><br />It'll be done when it's done. No, that won't be anytime soon at all. Probably won't even be this year. So just sit tight, and just wait. This is a big project after all.<br /><br />In other news, I should probably redo my review layout. It seems kinda messy for me. Eh. Later.<br /><br />10106/50000 (Woo hoo! 10000 word mark! And by the way, that 50000 mark is just a goal for me to reach in writing. Could be less, could be more. We'll see.)Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-13056281614937483482009-06-18T00:33:00.001-07:002009-06-18T00:34:56.008-07:00Ren Route statusI managed to get past the dramatic part, and am easily flowing right into the story. It's flowing quite well, and since my goal is 10000 words for the weekend, I should be having a couple people proofread my script for grammar errors and spelling. Just know that this project is definitely moving forward.<br /><br />7748/50000Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-9086676232537929932009-06-17T21:31:00.000-07:002009-09-19T15:11:13.208-07:00~Moonshine~The Story Of Dependence, And Letting GoThis is a review of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">al</span>|together 2008 4<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> release <a href="http://altogether.insani.org/2008/4.html">Moonshine</a>. This is an extensive (I believe) review, and will contain <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">spoilers</span> so you have been <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">warned </span>from here on out.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
(Summary. Everything in this summary will be explained in the analysis, so please bear with me)<br />
Moonshine starts with a boy referred to as "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Onii</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">chan</span>" throughout the story by Mai. He has been working in an advertising firm, and is diagnosed with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myotonic_dystrophy">"<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">myotonic</span> dystrophy"</a>, which, if my "research" is correct, similar to muscular dystrophy. Basically, your muscles will waste away (I think). Because he has been diagnosed to no longer be fit physically, he is coldly fired from the company.<br />
<br />
From there, he works at what is called a "half" bar. He meets a 'girl' there named Mai, and starts to develop a relationship with 'her'. Mai invites him to go out one day, and he obliges.<br />
<br />
They go for a day on the town, and they run into a karaoke event. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Onii</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">chan</span> signs up and urges Mai to sign up also, but she is very downcast through the entire event. After he finishes singing, she is quite sad, and wishes to leave. The boy is puzzled to why she won't sing, but they then leave. Hamburgers, movies, and a jeweler later, they end up in the park where they met up. From there, it is revealed Mai was unable to sign up for the karaoke because someone knew her as a 'girl' and said they couldn't let her on stage.<br />
<br />
Mai is in tears and dismay at this point, so <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">onii</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">chan</span> takes her back home to relax. From there, they develop a habit of going to his home and going out on their days off. It is then told that Mai used to live with another person, but left because "It felt like our place was a sanctuary, and not a home." As Mai was living with that boy, she put off her own dream of becoming a jeweler, and knew she had to leave.<br />
<br />
After the narrator is told this, Mai comes to his house, but stays alone more often. At their final meeting, she tells him she's going overseas in order to work under her grandfather, who is a jeweler. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Onii</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">chan</span> is naturally overwhelmed, and doesn't wish for her to go. It is a very painful parting, and they part their ways.<br />
<br />
<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Onii</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">chan</span> moves back with his sisters, and time passes by. At the end, it is then shown that Mai's dream had finally come true, because one of her works had earned a prestigious reward.<br />
<br />
<br />
(Analysis)<br />
The narrator has been cursed with this disability that has been "given" to him. In the Japanese culture (I believe. Please correct me if I am wrong) a company worker's job is their life. It sometimes even takes precedence over their own families. The culture usually calls for someone to be employed for life at a company, and being fired from that company is a terrible prospect, as it becomes very hard to find another job after that. Those who can't work as much as a "normal" person are perceived to be dead weight within this world. Luckily, he finds a job working at a 'half' bar.<br />
<br />
Someone who is a 'half' is literally a boy caught between the genders of the boy and the girl. The workers are referred to as 'girls' and are stated to fall into two different categories:<br />
Guys opting for partial or full gender reassignment surgery<br />
Guys born with their "looks" and opt for some makeup and wigs to fit the girl image<br />
These 'girls' can not be called guys, but can not be called girls either. 'Girls' fall then under the same category as the LGBT community can be considered. These 'girls' are shunned by the community, and thus find work in these bars for entertaining their "customers" and such. This "new half", as it's called, is rising within the world, but is still not accepted by the general public.<br />
<br />
Mai is a 'girl' who is born with the looks of a girl, and uses little, if any, makeup to support his image. Mai is treated as a girl by the narrator, but knows very well he is a 'girl', but doesn't care too much about it. Mai invites the narrator to go out with him, but is very concerned by the prospect of actually being with him in public. In the narrator's words, he states "...I realized--even though she never let on to it, there was some part deep down inside her that felt inferior about being a 'girl'. " The public <span style="font-style: italic;">is </span>able to spot a 'girl', and both of them know very well it will not look good as a image if a guy going out with a 'girl'. Nevertheless they go.<br />
(Skip the date part, because it's not really that important.)<br />
<br />
At the park, Mai reveals why she was unable to sing. "You know how I'm a 'girl', right? Well, there was someone there at the reception who knew me and said I 'wasn't suitable' for the festival. They said they couldn't let me up on stage." These 'girls' are being criticized against for being born 'girls', or opting that path. "You know, I can never be a girl, and yet, I'm not a boy, either. I wonder just what I am...?" Where do transvestites and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">halfs</span> fall under the gender spectrum?<br />
<br />
Mai starts coming to the narrator's home, but then slowly realizes it too is becoming like "a sanctuary, and not a home." Thus, she breaks off from the narrator and says goodbye, in order to fulfill her dream.<br />
<br />
This is a story if everyone living in a society where they are neither accepted by anyone, and can only find a place to belong within the people who are just like them. Born with a disability, the narrator has no choice but to work at a place whose workers have circumstances that particularly rivals or even takes over the hardships of the narrator. Because neither of them are normal, they can only find a place to belong with people who are also not accepted by society. Mai is one of these people, who has been torn with his dreams. He has great trouble with being a 'girl' as is apparent by the karaoke incident. However, he knows deep inside that is who he really is, but no one else in the public is able to accept that, and therefore opt to toss him aside as not normal.<br />
<br />
People place emphasis on being accepted by society, and working in their dreams, so they won't regret life. Sadly enough, acceptance and the dream do not always come hand in hand. Mai has been living with people who understand her situation, and are able to help her because they know her hardships. However, being comfortable with living fogs the image of one's true dream. Being accepted by people who understand you is an amazing experience that you don't want to lose, yet those people in the end must give it up. If one does not give that feeling up, they become dependent on each other, and they end up crushing their very own dreams that set them apart. Mai is terrified by this prospect, and wishes to not live in a sanctuary, but a home. A sanctuary is where one can feel at ease, and relax. But one can't stay in a sanctuary for very long, and everyone has to find a home. A place where they and only <span style="font-style: italic;">they</span> can truly belong. And the sad truth is, no one can have the same home. We all belong in different places. Thus Mai leaves the narrator, and in crying, the narrator asks Mai "Are you really happy to exist inside a memory?" They both part ways, and in doing so, they both being to slowly just live, in only their memories.<br />
<br />
It is a crushing story about living outside the box. No, living in one's own world where the box doesn't exist. The box that begs you to come to, the society of the world. Yet, when the box doesn't exist in your own world, you realize you can never be a part of this society. We live and we find people we are comfortable being around, and we think every waking moment of the day. Whether is be a girl, a guy, or even a 'girl', we grow on them. Yet, we must rip ourselves off the dependence on other people, and forge our own paths. Sanctuary's are amazing places, but nothing beats home.<br />
<br />
We all meet friends like us, and friends quite opposite to us. In the end we have to say goodbye to everyone, and go forward. We must learn to change, in this society where change is inevitable within everyone. Mai realized that, and the narrator is painfully forced to make that decision. We must change with the tides of our own dreams, and must not be swept away by the island. The island of rest, where it seems you can stay forever. But, we must swim for our dreams and progress.<br />
<br />
We must change and move forward. I say this to all my friends I know and will leave behind one day...<br />
"Moving forward doesn't mean I'm facing the direction you are."<br />
<br />
This is a story of all of those living in the interstices of society, and in the sanctuary's of their friends and family. Everyone will cry when they must change, for it is nothing they ever want to accept. But Mai realized it had to be done, or else their dreams wither away and so will they.<br />
"What happens to a dream deferred?"<br />
"...Nothing happens to the dream, but the person, ultimately, dies."<br />
<br />
(Final Word)<br />
Moonshine is the prime diamond in the rough for visual novels. It speaks of the issues that cripple many, and yet are ignored. That is why this visual novel has had varying review from disgust, to understanding. It speaks of the truth, and the hardships the people face. Not the public, but the people who are living their lives under some disability or so. I would read this over and over again, and still be touched by this novel. It did not touch my heart, but it instead touched my soul.<br />
<br />
10/10Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-19094354855418512512009-06-14T21:45:00.000-07:002009-06-14T21:49:04.961-07:00Ren's route statusIt's going very good right now. The route is taking somewhat of a dark path, and deals with the issues of dealing with yourself and what it means to truly live life. I can't really say much without spoiling it, but I have a feeling this will be a very good read.<br /><br />6621/50000Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-37370958084570594082009-06-14T02:27:00.001-07:002009-06-14T21:49:14.687-07:00VN ProgressCurrently working on the Ren's route. I have a feeling this will be the second or first in terms of most depressing route. We'll have to see<br /><br />5796/??????Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-2310074578994583272009-06-13T00:02:00.000-07:002009-06-14T21:49:25.963-07:00Visual NovelsYeah, I'll post it here. Currently working on a visual novel project. We'll see how far it goes. It'll be made from Renpy, and I'm in charge of story. I'll update every while on the word count as it goes along now. Tata.<br /><br />4968/??????Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155753374175010268.post-52870620788490193332009-06-08T20:23:00.000-07:002009-06-08T20:26:17.943-07:00First Entry.Omg. What a blog. Mainly, if you're reading this, I'm going to use this blog for like...Blogging purposes. I'll detail you know, like news and commentaries, and stuff like that. Probably mostly updates on this VN I'm doing and stuff like that.<br /><br />It's a blog. What do expect me to post? News?Allen Romanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14840968916668501078noreply@blogger.com1