Gundam SEED

Ok, now I have reviewed the tame, the funny, and the slightly risque anime, so now its time to go on... Now this anime is meant to put to rest the notion that some scoffers have, that is, all anime are for kids. True, not as vicious as those who claim that all anime are sexually explicit, but almost as annoying. Let me tell you, scoffers, if you can feel the same way after you finish watching this anime, I take my hat off to you. Well then, let me begin. Oh, a word of warning, the next paragraph is the background story of the anime, explained piecemeal throughout the anime. So if you are interested in watching the anime as it is, without all these extra information, please skip the next paragraph.

In this mecha anime (mecha is short for mechanical, this term refers to anime where the usage of robots or mechanical devices are a main theme), in the near future, or Cosmic Era, genetic manipulation has advanced to such a stage that the populance has been divided into two: 'pure humans' and genetically modified humans, called 'Coordinators'. Mutters against genetic modification and the envy of pure humans towards the more agile, more talented Coordinators have caused strained relations between the two groups, finally erupts into war when the humans begin killing the 'non-human' Coordinators. The war finally came to a head when the human military, the Earth Forces send a nuclear onslaught to the space colonies of the Zodiac Alliance for Peace Treaty, ZAFT (the military protecting the Coordinators), causing complete destruction of a heavily populated space colony. This tragedy is given the name Bloody Valentine, and the war that followed, the Bloody Valentine War. The highly technologically advanced ZAFT (perhaps due to their genetic advantage) retaliated by sending MS (mobile suits, a machine-cum-body armour piloted by the Coordinators) with Nuclear Jammers to the Earth, thus negating the Earth Forces' significant nuclear arsenal. The war then went into full throttle, with battles taking place on land, sea and outer space.

In the midst of war, Kira Yamato, a brilliant student was living a quiet life in a neutral colony run by ORB, the powerful nation that maintained a strict neutrality, welcoming both humans and Coordinators to its doors. However, his life was turned upside down when he and his friends were attacked by ZAFT forces in his professor's lab. In the confusion, Kira meets a strange girl, and while attempting to rescue her, comes across five MS in a military base belonging to ORB. He is separated from the girl and finds himself with an Earth Forces officer, who is desperately protecting the MS from the onslaught. As the injured officer and Kira make their way across the MS, Kira comes to terms with what he learns: that the military base was actually used by the Earth Forces with permission from the ORB government to develop a new model of MS, based on technology used by ZAFT. Then he meets someone he did not expect to see: an old friend, working on the side of ZAFT, Athrun Zala. As the two friends respond to meeting the other with shock, the factory starts falling apart. Athrun immediately jumps into the nearest MS and flees with it. Kira and the officer then jump into the only remaining MS, as the others have already been stolen by ZAFT soldiers. In a fit of pique, some ZAFT units started attacking the colony itself, endangering the lives of Kira's friends. Seeing this, Kira takes over the controls of the MS, easily defeating several ZAFT MS. As the invaders flee, the officer, impressed with Kira's skills, swears him and his friends into the service of the Earth Forces, inside the Archangel, a massive space battleship originally meant to house the five MS. As it turns out, Kira is actually a Coordinator, an 'enemy' to the Earth Forces. Though reluctant to fight on any side, he is the only one possesing the skills and reflexes to pilot the MS. He learns that these MS are a prototype of a new version of MS, one that would render all other MS ineffective and clunky comparatively. All the five MS were developed for various areas of combat, such as close range melee attacks, far range artillery, stealth and speed, but his MS, the GAT-X105 Strike, was developed for all-round combat, able to adapt itself into whichever way battles turned. As he somewhat reluctantly pilots Strike to protect his friends aboard the Archangel, he faces the guilt of killing, betrayal, opposing loyalties, manipulation, friendship and love, as he quests to protect his friends, and to return peace to the universe.

Now that was complex, right? You bet! If you are a machine-lover, you will go mad over the many types of MS and battleships represented in this anime. Sometimes I wonder where the mangaka gets his ideas... Battle strategies and tactics are also used unreservedly here, for those interested in military strategy. And the various emotions and actions of the highly complex characters fleshed out in this anime will appeal to those more in touch with their emotions. It is an anime that has something for almost everybody. Notice the almost? DO NOT watch this if you do not like war nor the sight of someone of killing someone. That theme is prevalent in this anime. And to those who have preconcieved ideas (like me during the first few episodes), the matter of who is right and who is wrong is not in black and white, but is a very greyish shade of grey in this anime. All in all, good artwork (especially those GUNDAMs, very well drawn) and storyline, if you do not mind the complexities. The characters are well fleshed out and are seldom not what they are... If war and machines are your cup of tea, this is the anime for you.

P.S. - GUNDAM is the name given by Kira to all MS developed during and after Strike's development. It is actually an acronym for what appears on the main screen in the pilot's cabin when the MS is started up. If I am not wrong, it stands for General Unilateral Neural Defensive Autonomic Manuever.... Hahahaha.... SEED refers to a state of mind for some humans (though more prevalent in Coordinators) where they lose control over their emotions, making them brutal and efficent killing machines, also known as a beserker rage. Familiar to some gamers out there, I am sure...

Love Hina

Alright! It seems that I have not been doing reviews on anime for some time now, so looks like it is time to start on a new series. Yes, the series' name is Love Hina. I have personally seen both the anime and the manga, so looks like I will have more to talk about this time. Oh, for the record, the anime is mildly 'tame' while the manga is slightly more... Well, I will get there soon enough. Let's just say that underaged children should be supervised when watching the anime, and should not really be reading the manga...

Okay! From centre and then clockwise: Naru, Keitarou, Shinobu, Motoko, Kaolla, Kit.

Okay then! What do you think of the artwork? Nice huh? This is the creation of Ken Akamatsu, a mangaka famous for his, errrrr, 'creativity' in capturing the human body on paper... Well, hope that wasn't too subtle... Errrr, right! On to the story! The opening episode shows a solitary figure by the name of Urashima Keitaro arriving at his grandmother's inn, called Hinata-sou, or translated as Hinata Inn. (hence the 'Hina' in the name...) A two-time ronin (exam retaker) aiming to enter Tokyo University (or nicknamed Todai), he was pratically thrown out of home for persisting to try to enter said university, even though he clearly wasn't scholar material. Now, the reason for this is a childhood promise between him and a girl from 15 years ago, at the very same inn, where they promised to enter Todai together, and find happiness. (This is apparently a myth they have, which is central in this story) Because of that, he has been trying his best to enter Todai, and failing, not to mention being avoided by the girls (for reasons obvious later). Entering the inn, he finds it 'empty' and proceeds to take a bath in the famous hot springs located in the inn's premises. Then he is shocked as someone walks him on him, who is none other than: Narusegawa Naru! This pretty girl walks in naked (well, I did try to explain), sits in the bath, assuming the person in the bath with her was a friend, until she realises her mistake. This signals a general scream for help, and the getaway of our hapless hero as he runs for his life, and bangs into four more other girls in only his bath-towel.... Guess you know what will happen next... No, fortunately for him, he bumps into his aunt, Aunt Haruka who mans the tea-shop just next door. After some frantic explainations and some protests on the girls' part, he ends up being allowed to stay in Hinata-sou (which was actually remade into an all-girls dorm in Keitarou's grandmother's absence, which accounts for the general lack of acceptance to him staying). However, he accomplished that by capitalising on a mistaken assumption of Haruka, who thought him a Todai student already. In short order, he had lied outrageously to cover the initial lie, and was exposed before his guilty feelings could make him confess. Expelled from the dorm, he was later found by Naru at his favourite joint: a sticker-photo booth (.......any wonder for the lack of girlfriends?) He is allowed to return to the inn, since his absent grandmother has named him the owner of Hinata-sou and the land surrounding it, provided he becomes the kanrinin (manager) of the place. That starts his life in adapting to living with the inhabitants of the inn, all of them with their own quirks and personality traits, and their habit of literally kicking him around whenever he crashes in by pure accident while the girls are in... ummmmm... compromising positions. Well, for starters, there is, of course, the hot-headed Narusegawa, whom you have met, the master of sending poor Keitarou packs of pain everytime, like in this picture:

Surprisingly, (or not) she is also the top scholar in Japan, also aiming for Todai because of a promise (It isn't... But yet, it is!) and whos obsession of studying has ruined her eyesight (that's why she mistook Keitarou for someone else...) and giving her a love life of zero. Moderation, friends, moderation... However, since she is the heroine, and Keitarou is the hero.... You get the idea. Then there is Maehara Shinobu, a shy and introverted girl who at first hates Keitarou for his lies and 'accidents' involving her, but later develops a strong crush on him... The ideal housewife, as she is the best cook among them and enjoys doing chores around the house, and also the most prone to crying... Then there is Aoyama Motoko, a child of the Shinmeiryu discipline of sword mastery, who spends her time sharpening her sword skills upon the balcony, and upon poor Keitarou... A tomboy, she can't stand Keitarou's so-called 'sissy' attitude and antics. And then there is Kaolla Su, a foreigner who is obsessed with electronics, mechas, guns, cannons, and kicking Keitarou as a form of greeting. The one with a smile carved on her face, she also has a mysterious side... And of course, we have Monno Kitsune, or Kit, the money-faced schemer and chain-drinker who enjoys 'tempting' Keitarou just for kicks.

Let me be frank, this is a romance-themed manga, though heavily tempered with 'violence' (hahaha, upon Keitarou, mostly!). At one point along the way, almost half of the residents fall for the blur Keitarou, with a few others joining the fray later, thus setting up a highly complex and confused love triangle (or more specifically, a hexagon of sorts...) that sorts of endears the story, though I really went through all that because of the sheer amounts of laugh factor induced. All in all, something girls would like and guys could learn to appreciate, though for varying reasons. Eye candy all the way, and humour slapped on without restraint. Truly something that readers and watchers (of a proper age!) can enjoy. =>

Genting Highlands Part 4

Alright, as promised, the last and final chapter of my trip to Genting Highlands! Well, remember that we left off at the Outdoor Amusement Park? Well then, it was time for dinner then! Had a buffet dinner at the Genting International Convention Centre, right beside the hotel. (Forgive me for the lack of photos, most of my photos were taken on-the-run, so they are either too blurry to be put up, or not there at all. =<) The lamb curry was good, but that was about it. Left as soon as they started putting singers on-stage, partly because the group decided to take off, and partly because those dimwits at the sound system pushed the volume and treble to the max, nearly breaking my eardrums in the process. Then it was time for some walks around the area. Luckily for us, Kwan Wen and Jeanette (one of the girls) had a friend from National Service days who happened to work in the area, and who graciously gave us a tour. (By the way, this was the same friend who held up our group earlier, but it wasn't actually her fault, it was "somebody's" lousy sense of giving directions...) So we went to the front of the Hotel to a very nice garden, where the next shots were taken...


Yeah, I still have a lot to learn, I know...=<>

Slept at 4.00, and woke up at 10.00, to start the second leg, the Indoor Theme Park! However, we did not buy tickets for the rides, as we considered them 'boring' compared to the ones outside... Anyway, scenery shots:


Yeah, slightly blur, I know... Anyway, a few points of interest: notice that there are a few landmarks here that look awfully familiar? Like the Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower? Apparently you are supposed to be able to spot a total of 9 international landmarks inside the mall, namely the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Australia's Sydney Opera House, our very own Petronas Twin Towers, the Singapore Merlion, the Statue of Liberty, the Great Wall of China, Japan's Mount Fuji and the Taj Mahal. I personally think that it is a scam, and I back it up with photographic evidence:

I rest my case. Anyway, lucky Yeong Tai was given three free arrows to spend at the archery range, so off we went.... He even had basic instruction!
Nice photos for the missus, YT, maybe I'll pass them along to you... And as for his archery... Let's just say he could do better. Then it over to the more sophisticated side: the rifle range. Each of us did 20 shots, and I didn't do too bad. Yeong Tai, on the other hand... As I said, he could do better... After all that, it was back on the bus and back to BP, and my nice warm bed... Okay, before we end, some more points of interest in the mall... The much-acclaimed SkyVenture skydiving simulation centre, which we gawked at but did not try out because of monetary problems and the reticience of the girls...
And this... odd device which is part of a 'raree' show... You are supposed to sit in the benches, peer into the box courtesy of the red peek-holes, and see whatever is in there, accompanied by the sound of gongs and chimes produced by the puppet-master (or whatever he is called...). Again, financial matters and the language barrier prevented me from giving a better description...

Phew! Finally done! Thank you to all the bored (and the not-so-bored) readers out there who actually took the time to go through all my rubbish... Much appreciated. Oh, and to those wanting to go there for a holiday, DO NOT think that 30 bucks will get you through two days there. Trust me, it won't. My wallet is half-empty as of now, for obvious reasons. =<>

Genting Highlands Part 3

Hi! This is the third installment of my trip to Genting Highlands... Well then, no need to go through with the lenghty introductions then, right? =p

Alright, this picture where you can *FINALLY!* see our friends Yeong Tai and Tai Seng's faces was taken from a bridge overlooking the ride, named Bumper Boat. Need to know how it works? Well then, a picture paints a thousand words, so...

Yeah, you get the idea. As for why I'm taking photos instead ofjoining them on the ride, errrrr.... because you have to wait for a full 10 minutes for the boat to come back? Hehehehe.... That's an evasion, btw... Ok then *changes subject*, the ride next to it is a family ride, the Boating ride. You can see part of the ride here, as it is adjacent to the Bumper Boat area, but for those who can't take the time to zoom in....

Arghhhhhh!!!! Oh, it's them... lolz I really must discard my habit of blasting my friends online... Hehehehe... Anyway, you just have a boat for two where you propel yourself along by pedalling all the way... You steer using a handy steel bar that is located in the middle... Like so:Opps, you can't see it either... Wait, are they holding hands or something? WAHAHAHAHA.... No worries, CG, they are not making out... Hahahahaha.... Anyway, after the water amusements, we stopped to take a few group photos...
Respectively, the thorns among the roses, and the guys... Even had some extra time to fool around and look for nice spots to take some scenery shots as well:


I also took some shots that can only be called 'fool-around' shots: Me with the famous Arena of Stars in the background, looks like some big time artists are coming next month, hence the practises going on inside... But all were in Cantonese, so being a 'banana' can't really appreciate them....

Oh yes, this shot! Wondering why on earth did I take this particular picture? Hmmmm, don't really know, but it kinda reminds me of something... *scratches head* Errrrrr... Oh yes! I remember now!

Errrr, hopefully you get that... LOLZ Well, next was the famous Flying Coaster where you can pretend to be Superman, flying through the skies as you go through a fast-paced ride, horizontal...
Hey, wait! That design is Spiderman's! And he dosen't go flying about like that! Oh well, maybe that way they evade the trademark and copyright infringements.... And about the above picture, I didn't see the photographers until the very last minute, so please moderate your laughter.... =< href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PQXOt9Urhw_pdLt9KGIgczXHxPQyxctefOSCyvnyn__5H1oXQk1e-brUo3PFBqyIqA2P_yzejkAyx9fvpoNuCLtMnBwDikf10ih2GAXiOuoBipOvvRy0PVRLCxNOWzvKCMZ9stkbits/s1600-h/P1130471.JPG">

THE SPACESHOT! The ride thats sends you easily a few hundred metres into the air, only to release you in midair and send you hurtling to your doom.... Hahaha, don't worry, it's safe, and it's not a execution device... However, those prone to heart attacks and pregnant ladies should refrain from this ride, and those with long hair, make sure your hair is under control... Just a precautionary measure, don't make me explain... And of course, the next ride is every bit as exciting...

The Corkscrew! See that beautiful corkscrew right there? Try going through that at a hundred miles an hour and you will feel pure adrenaline rushing through your veins..... MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA..... A must-try there, together with the SpaceShot... Only make sure that you do not pee in your pants... lolz

Okay folks, watch out for the fourth and last part of my trip to Genting, coming soon! Ciao!

Genting Highlands Part 2

Okay, second part of my Genting Highlands trip entry. A little late, but couldn't be helped, I was errrrr.... Busy! Yeah busy! Oh never mind, you won't believe me anyway...=p Anyway, due to some deft and clever manipulation on the part of Vincent, who was also our 'tour guide' of sorts, we were all signed on as part of a Johor Super Savers deal, which meant that we paid for the entire duration of two days and one night stay in the hotel, the bus expenses, and a buffet dinner for the total price of... RM 55. Thanks Vincent. So, this is the hotel we stayed at:

Now, anybody who has been to Genting before can attest to the fact that this particular hotel has a very... uh, interesting look...

Hey, I personally think it is quite 'attractive', in a sense.. Lolz... Anyway, we checked into our rooms, which were definitely MUCH larger than those at the 'old' tower of the First World Hotel. Hehehe, thank goodness... And at least the shower dosen't have a transparent door... Okay, I digress... Stashed our bags and went to start the PARRRTTTTTYYYYY!!!! Managed to get to the meeting place ahead of Tai Seng and Co, even though we started off at the same time... Goes to say how much sense of direction differs from one to another... Okay, sorry Tai Seng, just messing with ya... This is the meeting place:

The entrance to the Genting Outdoor Theme Park (yeah, I know it is 'senget', but thats nice as well! ....Right?), where we waited for the tags to be given out by Mr 'Tau Yu', Vincent... That is, for the majority of us... A few people (who just happened to be in my group) had decided to buy off their tickets from a friend working there, at half-price! Unfortunately, half-price tickets are not easily shipped over, so in the end we (the rest of the group) elected to go in first. Now, a few things I noticed:

Yeah, a dragon bush, two bears flanking a fountain, and a giant star on the ground near the Spinner. Talking about the Spinner, we actually got on it once before the stragglers joined us for the second round.. lolz

This is the Spinner. What it does is spin you around at different angles and at speeds high enough to get your heart racing. Coupled with the cool air and the sensation of you hurtling into the air at any moment, it can get you high.=> Oh, better watch your landing too. Because your feet are definitely gonna be cold (especially if you're wearing slippers), hitting the ground hard would not be in your best interest, as Yeong Tai can testify. OW!

See Tai Seng sitting there on the steps? There is a reason for that... and that is the same reason why I am snapping photos instead of going on the ride... =<>

Alright! The Cyclone! As you can see, it is the oldest roller coaster in Malaysia, so it is kinda short, but still fun. And you get to go through the track in a 4-seater, so it's not that bad. Still gets your heart pumping... LOLZ. And from there you will see the Teacup! That annoying little ride where you sit in a teacup upon a platform that will turn you around at a comfortable speed. Of course, you have the option of turning the teacup itself using a handy wheel in the centre of the teacup in any direction and speed. Be careful though, at best, you will get a little high and wobbly-kneed, but at its worst, you won't have the stomach for another round... Literally! Hehehe. BTW, no photo here, forgot... Next is the kiddy ride, the Flying Jumbo, which was taken by our dear friends Yeong Tai and Kwan Wen, as well as the 4 girls that tagged along.

Okay, vanity speaking here! None of my friends can do a perfect shot of two fellas going round in circles at speeds you cannot chase after... Well, maybe some of them can but not all of them! Case in point, one of the four girls on the ride tried snapping me and Tai Seng as they went round. As expected, all we saw was ground.... Okay, last picture before I call it a day! This was taken at a bridge point where the management claimed you would get a perfect photo... And it was! Sort of...
See, not bad at all right? Okay, time for my siesta! Watch out for more updates soon on my Genting trip! Ciao!