Once more, with feeling.

Anime Expo 2011.

2011 marks the first year I’ve been to Anime Expo, and it was damn good fun.

Waiting in line was terrible though. Jon and I were standing in a line for an hour before we entered the LA Convention Center, but we got to see a lot of cosplay. I saw Tifa, Yuna, ninjas, Link, and a lot of other ones. 

Entering the center showed a lot; tons of people sporting their cosplay, their bought merchandise, and their cameras. I was pretty amazed on how large it was, and how many people were there. When I looked at some cosplays, people really put effort into it, and made my cosplay as Junpei Iori put to shame. But oddly enough, I got a lot of requests for a photo. I didn’t think there’d be many people that played the “Persona” series, but I got some fans. 

The interview for Sawashiro Miyuki-san was the main reason I wanted to come to AX. I love her voice in her voice acting in anime, so I was relieved I didn’t miss out on the interview. I even got to see Danny Choo as he was translating for Sawashiro-san. I’m kinda bummed out that I didn’t get a photo or autograph from them, but later on, I found out that AX had a lot more surprises.

I got to see various people that are famous within the web; one of which is Arin Hanson, or Egoraptor. Meeting him was a true shocker; I didn’t think I’d see him, much less see him work there in his booth. I even got to see one of the makers of Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged, Takahata101. Both of them were funny guys, and it was fun talking to them.

I also got to see Kathleen Zuelch, Griffon Ramsey, and Monty Oum, collaborators in the Red vs. Blue series. I never thought they’d have a booth set up there, but there they were, playing RvB: Revelations to the public. It was nice having to meet them.

I even got to have myself broadcasted on live stream on Crunchyroll, where apparently, people who were watching the broadcast on their computers noticed me and typed “JUNPEI” or other messages concerning my outfit. It was a fun sight to see.

Maybe the most exciting was the Persona photo shoot, where people who dressed up as any character of the Persona / Shin Megami Tensei series was allowed to come up and pose for photos. I met a lot of people who were familiar to the series like me, and we all laughed at the same things, like Kanji and his animal crackers, Yosuke having to take a piss at the most unfortunate moments, Junpei not being a hit with the ladies, and more. I loved seeing a Yuka-tan there, and other fellow Junpei’s. I did see traps though, but those were all in good humor.

AX was truly enjoyable. I loved every second of it.

-Willy.

An experiment.

I’m sick, and apparently it’s because I have too much in my mind.

So, as an experiment, I’ve decided to do something to relieve myself of this thought overcrowding and make a story. It was actually something I’ve wanted to do for a while - ever since MFI came up and we had to make a story for a film in that class.

So, enjoy the characters, and when I get better, I’ll ATTEMPT to write down the story. Cheers.

___________

Scott ‘Yuzuru’ Na - 2nd son of the Na family. Named ‘Yuzuru’ to represent the Japanese side of his mother’s heritage. Outgoing, friendly, and ambitious, he is the valedictorian of Bell High School. Loved by many, he is considered to be the pride and joy of his parents. He is also very curious, and rather oblivious of the world he lives in.

Emile ‘Tae-Min’ Na - 1st son of the Na family. Named ‘Tae-Min’ to represent the Korean side of his father’s heritage, he is the older brother of Scott and Noel. He once used to be the top student of Bell High School, until he delved into a life of football. Having failed at joining the varsity team, he has given up on his dreams, and had become nothing. He is secretly jealous of Scott, and treats him cruelly. Although he has lost his luster, he still retains his knowledge, and knows all there is to know about street-smarts from his peers.

Sariel Yu - Teacher and mentor of Scott and Emile. A rather happy-go-lucky 23 year old, yet very wise; his intellect seems to be rather scholarly for his age. He often jokes around that he likes younger women. Although Emile’s parents are distrusting of him for his steep plummet in his life, Sariel is one of the few who truly believes in him. He is known particularly for his peculiar silver-gray hair, and rumor has it that white feathers trail mysteriously behind him…

He tends to always be with a young black-haired girl named ‘Nanasaki Ai’.

Gabriel Cunningham - A 34 year divorced man with a cigarette butt always in his mouth, Gabriel is somewhat known to be a comedic man. He works in a small clinic, where he diagnoses people of their illnesses. He was said to be a very prestigious surgeon, but it is not known why he stopped working as one. He and Sariel seem to be best friends, along with a few other doctors at Resurgam Hospital.

Kyle Winston - Unknown.

____________

I LAUGH AT THE CAMEOS. And if you don’t know ‘em then it’s better for you.

And Kyle’s description is unknown for a reason. That, and I’m rather fatigued.

There’s the somewhat main characters. Now, enjoy.

-Willy.

The Lights of Life.

Oh God, I have GOT to type up more. This is… my post in a VERY LONG while.

Well, 2010 ended with a bang and 2011 is upon us. For some, it’s the start of a new tomorrow. For some it’s going to be a tough year (talking to you juniors out there), and for some they’ve already run into some hard times into the coming of the year (my respects to my friend Eric Kim who lost his grandma on New Year’s Day).

2010 wasn’t the greatest of years for me, being junior year and all. I feel glad that that god-forsaken years done and done, but I’ll slightly miss it. I met a lot of people, made some new friends, built on the relations I have, and although I ran into a lot of hard times in 2010, I guess it’s good to have gone through so I can anticipate it and avoid making it happen. I can say that while the year wasn’t the best of years, it was one of the most influential for me. Won’t say why, but take my word for it.

And 2011… well, I’m hopeful that this will be a year to remember throughout my life. C’mon, it’s senior year - why wouldn’t I be, right?

Here’s hoping everyone will have a year to remember in 2011.

__________

Listening to “Lights of Life - Meguro Shoji”…

-Willy.

Have I lost something invaluable?

I had a talk with a friend. You know… the serious talk.

Kunsu was a Korean friend I’ve known for a while. He’s a year older than me, and when I was studying the bible with him, I got to know him as a good guy. He helped me out a lot, talked to me if I had my doubts, and I helped him out whenever he had trouble speaking “hard” English.

But recently, my doubts toward God have been increasing. It was serious enough that I just wanted to rethink if I should be devoted to a religion. I never was devoted to one in the first place, but I wanted to believe that there was a divine being watching over us, and so I forced myself to. But that short perseverance faded, and I thought to myself that I should just stop my studies and think it all over again.

And so, Kunsu and I had a talk at the park Saturday. I said that I wanted to call the studies off, and wanted to think it over, but Kunsu stated that I couldn’t do this alone, and pleaded that the studies should continue. I rejected all of his replies, and eventually, I just left him there at the bench because he needed time to think. I went inside my house, and a few minutes later, I looked outside my window, and for the first time, it looked like he was in a sad, pensive state before he drove away in his Mercedes.

I couldn’t sleep that night from the guilt.

And now, it just so happened that he sent me an e-mail concerning that talk yesterday.

_______________________________

Willy,  

I really hope everything to turn out well.

I really do.   I still remember the night. Moment of great importance; probably one of the most memorable time of my life.        

That night, my heart was overflowing with appreciation to God; I could not cope with such such an immense feeling. I simply did not know how to deal with such great feeling that I was experiencing.    

That was when I made my dedication prayer. the time when I promised Jehovah that I will serve him with all my soul. the night which I promised Him that I will live my life for Him through times of distress or comfort.  

That night has passed and gone, and it has been about four years now…   Though I cannot say it was always easy, I can say I do not regret a bit for dedicating myself to God. I am happy that I can have relationship with Him.  

Willy, though the servants of God may despair, they will soon rejoice. though the servants of God may fall, they will soon rise. though the servants of God may be hated by others, they will be loved by many. though the servants of God may die, they will live..  

It is truly sad in my part that I can no longer converse with you about this way of happiness and true life.    

Willy, you are a good person. one with honest heart and sincere mind. I admire your sound qualities, and I know God does also.  

He will be always waiting for you. He will be always searching for you.  

Please do not forget.. and thank you for our friendship.  

(Matthew 18:12-14) “What do YOU think? If a certain man comes to have a hundred sheep and one of them gets [lost], will he not leave the ninety-nine upon the mountains and set out on a search for the one that is straying? 13 And if he happens to find it, I certainly tell YOU, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that have not [lost]. 14 Likewise it is not a desirable thing with my Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish.

Sincerely,   Kunsu

_______________________________
…. what have I done? Have I really done such an abominable act to deserve this retribution?

-Willy.

Misunderstood.

I remember one day I went into my Economics class, and one guy I talk to in there asked, “What music do you like?”

I thought for a minute, and I said I liked various genres, and listed a few artists. But when I got to 2Pac, he was all surprised and said that “you don’t look like the type”. I couldn’t agree more - I don’t think anyone in the world would know that I actually listen to rap, much less 2Pac. But now I hear a few comments here and there about me listening to 2Pac’s songs, and I always wonder, what’s the big deal if I do listen to 2Pac?

I think the reason I started listening to 2Pac was because of my brother. I’d always take a ride in his car and he’d starting blasting 2Pac songs like “Picture Me Rollin’” or “To Live and Die in L.A.” into my eardrums. I always thought of it as annoying and a bad influence at first, but I kept quiet. Rap always seemed like nonsense to me - it always talks about drugs, sex, women, fame… it never talked about anything meaningful, and I would always want to spit at those kinds of songs.

But eventually, I grudgingly listened to the songs. But I learned that some of 2Pac’s songs were different compared to the lyrical trash I hear in other rap songs. 2Pac actually talked about things, like the racism he faced in the ghetto, the horrors he saw of rape, corrupt cops beating up on innocent blacks, etc.; and this all came from his two songs “Changes” and “Keep Ya Head Up”. Those two songs were what made me appreciate 2Pac’s music, albeit some or most of his songs sounded like buzzing in my ears to me.

But what gave 2Pac such a notorious title? Every person that only knows his name immediately thinks of him as a “bad person”, a “druggie”, a “bad influence”… I guess it’s because of the actions he took to gain his fame. He loved the world, yet he hated it. It all seems so misleading though. Compared to other rappers today, 2Pac is probably God. Rappers today seem to be idiots, in my opinion. Maybe I’m just naive or stubborn, but I never find a rap song today with a story in it these days.

I for one think that whoever thinks that way should listen to his songs, since most songs today seem to be devoid of any meaning. Maybe you should give 2Pac a try, oh you reader.

I feel tired now. Good night.

-Willy.

Killing Floor.

Like I promised, I’ll write up my view on Killing Floor. I almost forgot though. But ALMOST.

The first time I played Killing Floor was when I went to Jessie’s B-Day at Howies. It was fun, but I had more of an overview of it the other day. And I could easily say that while Left 4 Dead has better graphics than Killing Floor, the latter is way more enjoyable to play than L4D for me.

I liked how you can pick one out of varying classes. You can be a medic, a firebug, demolitions, a sharpshooter, support, commando, and a few others. I personally liked being a medic; they can get a nice rifle that has a ridiculous rate of fire with a built-in healing thing on it. You’re also more durable than some of the other classes, and I just liked healing people in general. Besides, the others were discouraged to do it.

So basically, the main objective of the game is to hold out against a massive wave of zombies with your buddies. You start out with a knife, a 9mm Tactical, a Med-Syringe, and a welder. As waves end, some woman will call out saying she’s got guns available for you to buy (and I’m sure you know where you get money). The first few waves are certainly easy, but they’ll gradually get harder as you fight more special zombies. And when you reach the end of all the waves, you’ll fight a big bad boss. A boss that I truly hated having to fight alone.

Although the game isn’t horrifying as a zombie survival shooter, it has its moments when you look behind you to see a twisted, contorted face with a mouth hanging open. I certainly loved playing the game, mainly for the cooperative gameplay.

And I is done.

-Willy.

An epiphany.

Hold up, hold up, hold up. I’m not done for today. Not just yet.

Today, my family put up a party for my cousin Justin. He’s going to USC this Saturday to hole up there for the rest of his university life. So it was a day of grilling burgers and hot dogs. And yes, they were tremendous.

So after we were done eating, I went up to my room to play some guitar and some seconds later, Justin came up to my room and looked through my window. I was thinking he was getting nostalgic, since my room was actually his room a few months ago, and that he’s leaving in a few days.

So I asked him that question, and he looked at me funny and said, “Do you want to get beaten up?” I replied that only Andrew frightens me, and he muttered an “Oh my” under his breath, and when I went out of my room, he pulled down my shorts…. hahah. I said nice try, and then I guess he thought I was provoking him, and he poked my hips, but I got kinda used to those. So I said, “You did your best.” I guess that only provoked him more, but he stopped, smiling all the while.

But after that odd charade, he came up to my room a bit after and asked me if I had signed up for any colleges / universities. I hadn’t. He told me to start now, because he had done them all in October. I wondered why he told me that advice out of the blue, after he acted kinda weird earlier.

I guess maybe it’s because I’m listening to somewhat nostalgic-ish music right now, but maybe he acted that way for a reason. I always knew Justin to be a quiet guy. He rarely talked to me about anything - he acted very cool, to the point where I thought he was very uncaring, always said stuff about Macs being superior to PC’s, and it was only one time where I was stuck with him with his friends that I knew he was actually rather loud. Other than that, he was an enigma to me.

Maybe it was just now that I knew that he cared. Or maybe it was just because he’s leaving for a bit. But I guess I just came to a realization about this. I don’t know. Maybe it’s when you come to that age where you realize you kinda just get emotional about the old times. Anyway, I just wrote this, and I may have been redundant due to my fuzziness in my mind right now.

Maybe I shouldn’t have written this post in my condition right now.

-Willy.

Continuum Shift.

Well, I promised that I’d write about Continuum Shift today. And so, here it is.

Although I didn’t have so much time to play with it, there were some noticeable changes to the gameplay. Aside from the new characters added to the series (some DLC), there is no guard bar on the top of the screen now. There is now another representation for the guard bar, and it’s these bullet-looking icons near your character’s portrait. Each character seems to have their own respective amounts of these icons, and when they all go to pot, your guard is broken and you are immobilized for a few seconds.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that there are now no shortcuts to your Distortion Drives, Astral Heats, and etc. moves. GREAT.

Playing the few characters I was used to playing with yielded some changes. Some attacks were changed, so I had to adapt. Noel was the easiest to get used to. All that I noticed about her is that her regular strong atk. is changed into a much more faster move, so not much to remember there.

The Astral Finishes were not changed, save Haku-men’s. His “Kokuujin Ougi: Akumetsu” was dramatically shortened, which I detested. His Astral Finish is too awesome to be shortened, and yet….

And as for the new characters, I do like how Hazama and Tsubaki play. I’ll just need some time getting used to their techniques and using them into combos. Both appear to be rather swift attackers, especially Tsubaki. And although her Astral Heat isn’t a problem for me to tap in, Hazama’s is ridiculous. I hate his with a vengeance. The other new characters, such as Nanaya, Valkenhayn, Platinum are characters you’ll have to download off of XBox Live or the Playstation Network. Noel’s true form is only unlockable if you’ve beaten the game and attained the true ending…. ugh. Hate having to do everyone’s storyline just to get her’s, especially having to do it the RIGHT way.

But the game was enjoyable. I liked every second of it. Shame that very few know about the game though…

And for tomorrow’s post, I’ll be talking about the game I found to be all too entertaining, “Killing Floor”, a zombie survival FPS.

-Willy.

Starcraft II and a number of games.

Well, it was Tony’s birthday today, and we went to Howie’s Game Shack for the occasion. It was like a big PC fest, and I got to play two games I dearly anticipated on playing: Starcraft II and Blazblue: Continuum Shift.

I’ll start off on Starcraft II. Ever since the game was announced like… years ago, I’ll admit, I was dying to see it. It seems to run in my “asian blood”…. but anyway, I had tried SCII on my computer with a trial version Paul gave me (props to you, Paul), but it was my first time playing Starcraft II at such high quality and speed. What I’d give to have one of Howie’s’ desktops….

I chose Terran first, since they’re all-around versatile. I found myself training a lot of marines, mainly for the use of stimpacks, decent damage in groups, and a nice 55 HP upgrade from the Combat Shield research. Of course, it was hard to keep them alive - the only medic you can get now are the medivacs and you need to train at the Starport, plus the fact that they’re more costly than Brood War’s medic you can train at the Barracks.

Reapers are another favorite of mine. I trained an army of them, and they can harass well. With their speed and ability to jump up and down walls, they’re the perfect escape artists until the enemy gets their aerial units. They also deliver more damage to light units with their pistols, and a good 30 damage to buildings with their explosives, so training an army of them and sending them to an enemy base will yield some great results…. pity that they can’t take much damage though.

Other new units I had to get used to, and everything seems to be more pricey. Depleted vespene geysers won’t yield anymore use to you, and I was surprised at how much the ghost costs. I do like their snipe ability though, so I’m not complaining. Vikings were incredibly useful - they can become both an air-superiority fighter to a ground attack unit. I didn’t use many other units than the ones stated. Other than the siege tanks, the Thor, Battlecruiser, and other units didn’t get to my liking, possibly for their cost.

As for the other races, the Protoss had to make me think. I seemed to run out of resources quickly when I wanted to produce units, so I had to make more trips for expansions. I was also disappointed at their lack of anti-air. While sentries and stalkers helped out a lot on that factor, I lost a lot more units than I should’ve during my skirmishes because I wasn’t quick enough to produce air units like the phoenix. However, I was utterly amazed at the durability of the Immortals, the new substitutes for the old Dragoons. Their “Hardened Shield” ability reduces all heavy damage to 10, while being unable to shield itself to light damage. I survived a few matches thanks to those Immortals. I also won’t forget the Colossi. While they are susceptible to anti-air due to their height, they do wonders against light units.

Zerg was the least enjoyable. I didn’t seem to like playing them as I did in Brood War. The new way to play them was confusing, because of the new additions to the hatcheries and the Queen, so I never really tried.

And I’m tired for today. I’ll write about Continuum Shift tomorrow.

-Willy.

The Schrödinger’s Cat of Inception.

I watched Inception today. And at the end, I saw a cat. Not literally, of course. Figuratively.

********I will warn you that there are spoilers.********

Inception was a great watch. Each scene will make you think critically on what is going on, what you can deduce from the things they tell you, and at the ending, what you believe is right. I’m of course talking about the Schrödinger’s Cat.

The Schrödinger’s Cat is what you’ll experience at the end - the possibility of two conclusions with each being fully plausible of being true. Cobb, near the end of the movie, completes his deal with Saito and the crew all wakes up on the airplane they were on before the whole fiasco started. You see them all at the airport, and Cobb gets to return home to his children. We believe at that moment that all is well now - it’s a happy ending. Cobb’s got the thumbs up to return to the U.S and gets to stay with his kids.

But at the end, Cobb twirls his top, or totem, on the table at his house when he gets back. Referring back to earlier events, you heard that the top either spins unceasingly or topples, to determine whether he is dreaming or awake, respectively. So at the end, when the top kept spinning and the screen went black before it toppled over, I was wondering what was true. Hey, it could’ve been real and he’s actually there with his family. Or maybe he was stuck sleeping and everything after the kicks was just a dream.

I think that’s what got my attention in watching that movie. I was thinking it ended on a happy note, but that ending gave me something to wonder about. It truly did make me think.

Inception was fun. I would like to watch it again if I could.

-Willy.