Flower of Thanatos

Back to KL (again.....)

2009-01-27T00:57:00.003+08:00

(Ranting mode on)

I friggin' hate this city!!!! Not only I have to endure that damn traffic jams everyday, my apartment still don't have any internet connection yet >_<.

I've already ~~wasted~~ spent most of my time in UM last time and now I have to continue working here. Not to mention the awfully boring workloads need to be done.

P.S: Imma going to find a new job near my hometown ASAP

(Ranting mode off)

The only thing that comforts me when there's no internet to turn to...

Btw, Happy Chinese New Year to all of you out there. Have fun and drive safely...

Ar Tonelico: Oh I Wish I Played It Sooner...

2008-06-03T11:58:00.004+08:00

Please insert it gently and J-J-JAM IT IN!!!!

After my internet connection mysteriously went down for a few days (thanks to Streamyx), I decided to play again my dust-covered PS2. Browsing one DVD and another, I noticed there were a lot of RPGs I haven't try yet.

When I found the Ar Tonelico, I thought the game must have been the typical save-the-world-from-badguys-who-want-to-destroy-the-world-with meteor type of game. But recalling the nice Hymmnos Concert music CD from the game (which I have for several months), I decided to give it a try.

Misha and Aurica

One of the main points of the game is the Reyvateils or Song Maidens who act as a support in battles. While in most part, the game will look like any other RPGs, but later on you will have the option to "dive" into the Reyvateil's subconscious domain, known as the Cosmosphere. This is where the game turns into a Visual Novel.

Overall, although the game maybe kinda outdated, but the addition of the Visual Novel aspect as well as the nice comedic (and some innuendo) scenes apart Ar Tonelico from the rest of the RPGs. The game also boasts with 7 Endings to choose from according to path you're took. So you need some couple of hours to go through all of the Endings.

Shurelia-sama

Next post, I probably do some review on 11 Eyes or maybe 'ef - the latter tale'. I've yet to finish both games yet. Oh and here some Shurelia's Pic for your enjoyment. Ciao!

Eroge Intro Music

2008-05-08T12:02:00.004+08:00

After MIA for almost half a year, finally I took the initiative to start a new post for this blog. I'm kinda busy and lazy (more on the latter) to actively update it, but I will try to post more after this.

Back to the topic...

While Anime music may have getting more popular, Eroge (or Ero Games) music still remain underrated or unknown to the world (Probably due to the small niche of otakus that play this type of game and the perception of people to Eroge). Nevertheless, like Anime, they also have great Intro/Outro and soundtracks.

Some of my favorite are from Da Capo, Air, Seinarukana and the overly popular, Nursery Rhyme's True My Heart.

Here are some of other great Intros. I suggest you ~~download~~ buy the Singles. It's really worth your ears.

1. Lunatic Tears (11 Eyes)

2. Eternal Fantasy ～愛は世界に遍く花のように～ (Eternal Fantasy)

3. Eternal Feather (Ef - A tale fairy tale of the two)

4. Distorted Pain (Gore Screaming Show)

If you guys have other great songs, please share your thoughts here. KTHXBAI!!

The Path of No Return....

2007-12-30T00:08:00.000+08:00

.............omg.......

It seems my post are updated once in a month....

Sheeshh... need to cut some slacks a little bit. Anyway, as mentioned in my previous post (Dengeki G's Festival Comic), it finally arrived yesterday after waiting for the whole week. (Then again, maybe it was delayed due to Xmas)

Aside from the G's Festival Comic, I also ordered the January edition of Dengeki G's. There's nothing special about the mag though. It only comes with a cute Clannad keychain.

If you already read about my previous post, it's the freebies from the G's Festival that I really want. Nevertheless, the mag (although it's as a thick as a yellow pages book) is kinda exciting as it sports with nice comics adapted from some PC visual novel game. Except that I don't have the proficiency to read Moon language...

Again.... the magazine comes with,

1. Clannad Mousepad - Although it kinda weird as the mousepad is so small compared to normal one. (In fact calling it a mousepad would be an insult to my current Razer Mantis.....). Oh well, at least it has a nice pic of Nagisa and Fuko ^__^.

2. To Heart2 Another Days Handphone Cleaner - I'm not sure how reliable this thing is... but i think it can wipe out the dust on the lcd...

3. Kenshin Uesugi Hug Pillow Cover - Now we're talking... the only reason why I ordered the damn book. I've always wanted one of this but the usual price for these kinda thing would probably cost one of my arm. Too bad the pillow case is only one-sided, but for the price, I'm more than happy.

And finally the final touches....

Okie... hopefully I can update more regularly next time (Yea... right...). Anyway just stay tune and Have a wonderful New Year!!!! Kthxbai!!!

Sidenote: There is a high probability that after viewing this post, I would be avoided from the rest of the society.....

Trick or Treat!!!

2007-11-29T12:42:00.000+08:00

Waaa........ it' been a month since my last update >_<. Sorry about that... was seemingly busy these days... Anyways.... I've just received my Halloween Girl PVC yesterday from HLJ. Gosh.... it's been a while since I last bought a large scale figure....

There's no exact reason why I bought this. It's not like I know where the hell she came from.. but the whole composition of the set does really charmed me a lot..

For starters... the box she came from is certainly unique in its own way.. kinda remind me of a chocolate box....

To be frank... Initially I was quite afraid as the box is quite fragile and the fact I'm using normal SAL shipping method means that my package will less safe compared to EMS method. It took around 8 days to arrive from Japan. But thankfully, all is well

The figure comes with a lot accessories. Aside from the girl itself, the pumpkins she leaning on is movable and really helps a lot to shift the girl anywhere you like. Too bad the "not-so-scary" ghosts are fixed with their own base. Anyway.. the built quality of the accessories are really great and it did a good job to give a Halloween atmosphere.

As for the girl... it comes with a separable witch hat. Although it can be removed.. I still think she'd look better with her hat on. Oh, and another ~~exciting~~ feature is the outer clothing can be strip which makes this figure only suitable for 18 and above. And no... I won't post the pictures on my blog >_<.

As this is my first 1/6 scale figure, I'd say I'm absolutely SATISFIED with this figure. I tried to find any defects but thankfully can't find any. The overall built quality is impressive. The others accessories did a good job to add color to the girl. And it's certainly my best looking figure in my current collections.

Maybe the downside is the slightly price.. I even had to cancel my Kureha for this figure... But I still find it worth my bucks ^^

Cute girl..... Checked
Good quality..... Checked
Cool accessories..... Checked
Girl can strip..... Checked

FINAL SCORE: 9.5/10

Manufacturer: Enterbrain
Scale: 1/6
Released: Oct 2007
Price: 7600 Yen

Dengeki G's Festival Comic

2007-10-27T19:34:00.000+08:00

I WANT TO BUY THIS DAMN MAGAZINE!!!!!!

I've never bought any Dengeki or Megami magazine before although I did downloaded the scans. Considering how hard to get it locally (especially the more erotic Dengeki Hime) and the fact I'm having a hard time reading moon language make me hard to buy the mags..

So what's so special with the magazine, you ask?

Well, this is the first volume for the G's Festival Comic and it contains manga based on bishoujo games. But the part that I like most is the goodies.....

The magazine will include:

1. A mousepad featuring Nagisa and Fuko from Clannad
2. Cellphone cleaner featuring characters from To Heart 2
3. A Hug pillowcase featuring Uesugi Kenshin from Sengoku Rance

Obviously, the main reason why I'm going to buy this magazine is because of this hug pillow >_<. (Ooh, I'm starting to turn into a pervert....)
The magazine would most probably cost around 1800 yen (RM50.42). Considering you'll get a hug pillowcase, I'd say it's quite a bargain as the normal pillow case would be as high as 9000 yen (RM252.26).

More info from here

Thanks to Shingo for the heads up ^^

Btw, I've already pre-ordered these 2 figures (Arcueid and Akiha) from Meltyblood / Tsukihime. The official pictures haven't released yet at the moment though.

Ok, ciao!

I’M TAGGED, THEREFORE….

2007-10-09T22:00:00.001+08:00

Ok. I got tagged by Vixen. Oh, well. I guess I'll get it done quickly ^_^.

Rules:
Repeat subject header “I’M TAGGED, THEREFORE…”
Copy + paste these rules in your entry.

Complete these 15 totally useless statements & questions.
Mention who you were tagged by, followed by 8 people who you’ll be tagging.

If I was an opposite gender, what would my party clothes be like?
.................................... In this case, a picture is worth a thousand words

..... I'd be glad if you guys refrain from any questions in this matter........

At 10am this morning, I was…
Paying the Astro and Streamyx bills at the post office

At 10pm tonight, I will be…
duh. look at the time of my post below..

Who should be the next Malaysian Prime Minister?
um.... a monkey or a chimpanzee? I'm sure it won't be any different from the current situation..

If my spouse told me to do without sex for a year, I would…
Cool! Now I can get rid of that b!tch and go for someone else

If I was a piece of a car, I would be the…
Spoiler.

DUMBLEDORE IS DEAD!!!
VOLDERMORT KILLED SNAPE!!!
VOLDERMORT DIED BY HIS OWN CURSE!!!
HARRY MARRIES GINNY!!!

If I was told one day that I would have to give up either 1) anything chocolate OR 2) ever seeing the beach again, for the rest of my life, which one will I give up?
I don't have the crave for chocolate and I don't really like the beach. Can I choose to give up both? Can I? Can I?

Singapore is good for…
plastic bags. Yup, very good, nice looking plastic bag. Best plastic bag I've ever seen

If I could only say 3 words before I die, what would those last words be?
I'm......your.........father....... *dies*

Who would I like to be left on a deserted island with?
My computer....... It's true!!! My PC is a she!!

Die by drowning or by fire?
Drown like Di Caprio?? No way!!! I'm not going to die like that fag.

What one single thing would you buy with your last RM9.95?
Magazines and an iced lemon green tea

If I opened a night club, what would I call it?
Se' X-club. Definitely going to attract a lot of people

Don’t cheat: what’s “bulbous”?
Ah!! I can't understand those hard English words!!!

I think my ass is…
not like this kind of ass

Btw, I'll be tagging these guys next

Sora
SoonKiong
lanie emon
aoshi

OK. Time for some grinding in Lineage II. Ciao!

Da Capo II : First Impression

2007-10-05T23:19:00.000+08:00

I have been a huge fan of the Da Capo franchise and fortunately they have just aired the first episode of Da Capo II early this week. Originally adapted from an ero-game with the same name, the plot would most probably consist of romance and harem. Playing the game myself, I'm quite anticipating the outcome of the series.

SUMMARY

The story takes place on the same island but set 50 years after the previous series. The protagonist, Yoshiyuki Sakurai lives with his non-related sisters, Otome Asakura and Yume Asakura. Both of the Asakura sisters are the direct descendants of Junichi Asakura and Nemu Asakura (the main hero and heroine from the previous story). In fact, most of the characters in this anime are apparently the descendants from the previous one.

Nanaka Shirakawa, granddaughter of Kotori Shirakawa

IMPRESSION

Although I prefer the OP from the game, the OP song from Yozuca does give a good vibe to the anime. The sakura theme of the song really resembles the actual theme of the franchise. As for the ED theme, it was done really beautifully and I think CooRie did a very good job as always.

The protagonist's little sister, Yume Asakura

The first episode briefly introduces most of the main characters (In fact, it was too brief). It seems like this episode are mainly about Koko Tsukishima's love confession to Yoshiyuki. I'm not really a big fan of Koko but seriously, a confession on the "first episode"??? I can only expect they will break up later on to give way for more intense plot development (Although not at School Day's level).

Koko Tsukishima confessing her love

Most of the voice actors from the previous series are back this time. One of my all times favorites, Yui Horie will be voice casting Yume (Although I would really prefer if she did Nanaka like the previous Kotori). Even the ~~old~~ previous Sakura is back. In fact, currently she is the only remnants present in this series so far.

Sakura, still young as ever

Overall, I'm quite satisfied with the first episode. I'm expecting more drama for this series especially since it's only have 13 episode (compared to 26 from the previous series). Although most probably the main story would revolve around the Asakura sisters, I really hope they'll have an Otome ending because ~~I LIKE OLDER GIRLS!!!~~ her plot is more serious than the others.

Otome Asakura, the protagonist's older sister

For those who had never watched the previous series, I guess it's fine to watch this since the stories would probably be less related. But it's really worth to watch the previous one just for fun.

Seriously, it's not that boring

Cute but Deadly............

2007-09-27T12:53:00.000+08:00

Hmm........ It seems like these days, there have been a quite number of anime, manga and games that feature female characters who appeared as cute or nice but later exhibit psychotic behavior.

In most cases, initially they are presented as loving, weak and shy. They might also have some feelings towards a certain male character. However, due to some unexpected events in the plot revolving their relationship (eg. Heartbroken, betrayed), they may display occasional mental breakdown which will cause her to turn psychotic and aggressive (which may lead them to commit murder).

In other cases, the female subjects might even don't have any emotions for the male characters. Usually they turned psychotic or violent when angry or irritated.

Here are some few characters that are well known for these types of traits

1. Kaede Fuyou (Shuffle!)

Normal Mode
She is portrayed as a kind, timid and sweet girl and has deep feeling with the protagonist, Rin Tsuchimi. Unfortunately for her, it was an another girl (Asa Shigure) who was receiving most of Rin's affection. Eventually, she became mentally sick and tried to hurt Asa in the process.

Psychotic Mode

2. Kotonoha Katsura (School Days)

Normal Mode
In the beginning, she became Makoto's girlfriend with a help of their friend, Sekai. However later on, she found out Makoto is then stolen by Sekai. Feeling betrayed, she suffered some psychotic episodes and in one of the bad ends, she murdered Sekai by slicing her neck with a saw in broad daylight in front of Makoto.

Psychotic Mode

3. Rena Ryugu (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni)

Normal Mode
At first, she appeared as a nice and sweet girl who adores cute things. But later on after the male protagonist, Keiichi, suspects that the village had some dark secrets, she becomes intimidating and violent towards him.

Psychotic Mode

These darker aspects of personalities may not that popular or well-known compared to other otaku slang. However it does add the spices to the story to make it more suspense and intriguing.

But the part that worries me a lot is........

......THE FACT THAT I ACTUALLY LIKE THESE TYPES OF GIRLS!!!!!!!!!

OMG!!! I've just realized I'm a freaking masochist!!!! I actually turned on when thinking there's a cute girl trying to kill me.............

As a side note, after reading the manga version of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, I really hope I can watch the anime version. I haven't even watch the first season yet *facepalm*.

Show Me The Money!!!!

2007-09-20T22:41:00.000+08:00

Sigh, even after more than 2 week from my convocation, I still haven't got a decent job yet. Although my initial plan is to further studies, the application process itself would probably take months. I guess working for a few months wouldn't be a bad idea after all. In fact, I still need some funds to buy a new digital piano and considering my current pee-wee pocket money, there's no way I'm going to get one unless I have a stable income.

Despite the overly-hyped biotechnology propaganda from the government, there still hardly any drastic improvements in the local scenes. I wonder how many "true" biotech companies that actually exist here in Malaysia. It's kinda sad when our southern neighbor thrives with it's world class technology while we're still struggling with irrelevant issues.

Oh, well. For now, if I still can't find a suitable jobs, I guess I'll work as research assistant for the mean time.

Btw, apart from KOSMOS, I've just pre-ordered Kureha from Shining Tears X Wind. They should be out in a few months. (Oh Shi-, srsly need to get a job ASAP)

p.s. I have been slacking lately these few weeks. Therefore, I eternally swear I'm going to update my blog more often.

Indulging in the World of MMORPG

2007-09-01T12:00:00.000+08:00

There have been some problems with my old template so I had to change to a new one. Although I prefer the old one, but I guess I have to stick with this for a while until I've got the time to construct a new one.

I have been in a quite of slump for these few weeks. Although I'm online most of the time, I'm still busy with job hunting, postgraduate applications, watching anime, playing games, and making some preparations for my convocation next week.

ADDICTED TO LINEAGE 2

To be honest, I'm not really a big fan of MMORPG. It's not like I hate those games but the fact that they have the potential to make someone secluded from the rest of the community and spending some money monthly makes me shivers.

It was then when my brother gave me the Installation Disc for Lineage 2. I was reluctant at first, but upon noticing an image of a female elf on the cover, I swiftly start to install it. Since my old primary school days, I always had a fetish on elves especially females.

STARTING THE GAME

In this game, you'll have to choose one of the 5 races (Human, Elf, Dark Elf, Orc, Dwarf). Obviously I choose an Elf. The game is similar to other point and click games. You need to complete tons of quests, leveling up, making a party, joining a clan, make war with other clans, joining a castle siege, and of course trading.

My first impression on this game is it has some really cool graphic. And the world is sooo huge that it will make you cry if want to go to the other side of the map without any money.

For more information, you can log on to http://lineage2.com.my/. It's still in open beta so it's free of charge in a mean time.

SCREENSHOTS

There's always a place for some yuri

PANTSU!!!

Solo hunting, Deshou? Deshou?

Elf in armor FTW!!

Irina Marcillen : Reminiscing My First Figure

2007-08-01T21:17:00.000+08:00

It seems like these days I'm visiting more figures-related blogs. Watching those pics makes me want to get a SLR camera for myself although I don't have any grands to do so (and the skills of course). I guess a normal digicam will do for now.

Nevertheless, it did somehow pushed me to post up my figures pics too. Admittedly, I'm not one of those guys who bought numerous figures per month, I'm just an average joe who collects figures which are nice to my eyes (and under my budget, of course).

One of my earliest purchase is Irina Marcillen from Genrin no Kishogun 2 (Princess General 2). It is originated from an erogame from Eushully. The game slightly differs from your average point and click erogame. It has a classic RPG element embedded in the game although the game obviously can't be compared to a FF style RPG.

I bought the figure for RM195 (around USD60) at Xl-Shop. In fact, it was my first figure I bought from XL. During that time, it was like my Golden Age for figures as I started indulging myself in the world of ~~poison~~ otakuism. (Including the heavy influences from Carol, Masaru and Hajime)

This 1/8 scaled figure is quite high quality. I could hardly see any paint defects or abnormalities. She's wearing a removable translucent robe and skirt which you can see through her inner cloths.

But I guess the main attraction point is the angel-like wings. They are attachable and in fact the only way to remove the outer cloths is by unattached the wings first.

I have been with Irina for more than a year although most of the time I sealed her inside her box to avoid direct sunlight. But I never even regretted buying her. She's really worth the bucks.

As a side note, I really need to learn basic photography skills. I think I have to put more lighting to the figure. Getting a DSLR is apparently quite impossible for me right now though...

Revoltech Dark Saber

2007-07-18T13:50:00.000+08:00

After waiting for 11 days, I've finally recieve my package from Hobby Link Japan. This should be my 2nd time ordering figures for them. The first one is Gothic Lolita ~~Guan Yu~~ Kan-u Unchou (Maybe I'll post the pics later).

Luckily there were no defect on the box :)

This time I bought the Dark Saber version of Kaiyodo Revoltech. Previously, they also produced the normal version of Saber, although I didn't manage to get them. As a side note, Dark Saber only make it's appearance in the Heaven's Feel arc in the Fate Stay Night game.

The package were sealed with plastic (Probably to avoid damage)

The box itself

Along with the figure, the package includes 2 swords (one of them are the normal Excalibur), an additional face with mask and the base for support.

The figure has several articulation joints which makes movement possible. Although there are some parts that lack proper articulation but I guess that was acceptable since excessive joints might make the figure uglier.

Eeek!!! Wait!! I'm a friendly dragon!!!

Overall the built quality are pretty impressive. For the price, I guess it's really worth the money especially if you're a Fate Stay Night fan (I bought it for RM77.10 @ USD24.08 incl. shipping).

Aego M: Entering the world of audiophile

2007-07-11T08:07:00.000+08:00

After being 'posioned' by several reviews, finally I've got my hands on the "so-called" best 2.1 speaker under the RM1000 range, the Aego M. Previously I'm using the Logitech Z680 (also acclaimed as one of the best 5.1 speaker for PC), but it seems like I'm spending more time listening to music rather than playing games or watching dvd.

Unfortunately, music is not the Z680's forte since the bass are so boomy that it technically reduces the songs clarity. But don't get me wrong though, the Z680 is an awesome speaker if you're playing games or watching movies or listening bass-thumping music like rap or techno. It's just that most of my music collection are vocals, pop and instrumentals.

The package

I've bought the package online from Davis via PosLaju. Fortunately there were no defects on the box. The package is surprisingly not that heavy. Roughly it should be around 9 kg.

At first glance, I thought the subwoofer would be very heavy, but I was wrong. In fact it was very light, I could lift it with one hand. (My z680 in the other hand is amazingly heavy and it was quite painful to move the subwoofer from downstairs).

As for the satellites, despite their small sizes, they were unexpectedly heavy. It's like lifting 2 balls of irons. Although I'm impressed the built and design did not turn out to be cheap or plasticly like other multimedia speakers.

Thanks to the small factors of the speakers, my desk space is larger now. They say the satellites are best positioned 1.5 apart to obtain better soundstage.

Testing the Sound Quality

As for testing purposes, I've played 3 songs with (technically) different genres.

1. Kouya no hate e - Wild Arms 1 Op song ( Instrumental)
2. Summer Days - Summer Days game Op by Yuria (pop)
3. You Raise Me Up - Romeo X Juliet by Lena Park (ballad)

For the first song, the 2 guitar sounds really amazed me. The sound were very clear and there was no distortion either. When the other instruments came in, I can really hear each of them. The bass were also accurate and tight and the strings made me carried away.

As for Summerdays, the vocals were clear and there was no distortion even during high pitch. The drums were also clearly heard. I could even follow the bass line playing at the back. During the acoustic guitar solo, the sounds were marvelous. I guess this speakers really are suitable for instrumental after all.

For the last song, You Raise Me Up (finally an English song), the piano sounds were very clean as if I can hear the sound of the piano being pressed. The vocals were very clear and beautiful too. The soundstage were significantly better compared to my older Z680.

Conclusion

If you're using your PC for music listening especially vocal, instrumental or classical, than this speaker would be great for you. The bass is not as loud as the Z680 but they are accurate and tight (instead of the boomy bass from Z680). However, if you're into movies or playing games, then this speaker might disappointed you. You might as well get a decent 5.1. But so far, I'm satisfied with this speaker and there 's even more room for improvement. I'll guess I need to find more funds for a new sound card and better interconnects and speaker cables.

The Coming of Age.....

2007-07-01T18:36:00.000+08:00

Wee. I've just celebrated my birthday last Friday (29/6). Although there was no grand celebration (we used to have parties during my school days), at least I got something I need :P.

As usual, we had our dinner at Tebrau City before watching Transformers. IMHO, the movie is great :). The sound and visual effect were astounding. There were some hilarious scenes too.

The only flaw I found is the Autobot's dialogs were too choppy. But I guess it's acceptable since they are some kinds of alien robots.

Oh, and I think there was some slight errors regarding the characters. In the movie, the Decepticon's Devastator was portrayed as a Tank. But if my memory serves correctly, the Devastator should be the combined form of the Constructicons.

The Constructicons

Ergh, nevermind that. Maybe someone like Carol can clarify it for me. He's an expert on these kinds of stuffs especially from ~~boring~~ western comics :P.

Putting aside that, for my birthday present, as usual my dad gave me some pocket money (which is what I've waited for). Unexpectedly, my mum presented me this.....

LOL!!! It's a set of replicate katana and wakizashi (smaller sized katana). I have no idea why she bought this... Since it's a replica, the blade aren't sharp (damn) but it's still heavy. It makes me wonder how the samurais draw their blades fast.

The unsheathed katana

A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!

Well, at least I'm glad I still receive birthday presents (considering my age). A huge thanks for my beloved parents :X.

In the meantime, I'll use the "funds" to make some preparation for my upcoming Aego M :D.

New Instrument

2007-06-20T11:18:00.000+08:00

LOL. I've just downloaded the complete 1st season of Heroes and started watching it (I know, I'm like several light years behind you all. So, I'm doing the honor to post this pic myself)

With that, you can say I'm pretty oblivious to the the real world. I haven't train Battlefield with my fellow clan mates for a quite time. Heck, I even haven't patch the latest C&C3 patch yet. And more importantly, I haven't started doing the research proposal for my postgrad. (Noooooo!!!!)

Putting aside all those things, last weekend I've been to the Yamaha Musical Fair in Jusco Tebrau City and guess what I've bought?

Woot!! My first guitar. I've bought the guitar pack which includes most of the basic things (amp, bags, cable, tuner, etc.). Since it was the last one, I didn't have any choice to pick other colors.

Originally, it was my lil brother who were eagerly to learn one. But since he doesn't have any cash, He insisted I buy it first so he can pay for it later. (And god knows, when will he have enough cash to pay it back). Oh, and speaking of god knows, I've tried performing the lead guitar part of the song, "God Knows" by Aya Hirano, but perhaps it wasn't a good time ~~yet~~ to post it in youtube.

I wonder what instrument will born next?

As a side note, I've just got back my 19" LCD monitor from Samsung (the monitor that had been struck by lightning). Fortunately, I didn't have to pay a thing. LOL!!!11!

Bolt from the Sky

2007-05-31T00:29:00.000+08:00

OK, previously I've never had any problem with lightning or thunder (eg. running around, hiding in cupboard, etc.), but recently due to an "event", I have added one new word to my dictionary; "keraunophobia" (you can google it if you want).

Last sunday, my house was hit by a lightning and damaging several electrical appliances along the way. There was no physical injuries though. Most of the electrical goods damaged are network-related items (telephone lines, Astro, pc).

Here's the list of the damaged items:
1. My 19" LCD Monitor (Urgh! My main rig!!!)
2. My motherboard's network adapter (Luckily, getting a new wouldn't be expensive)
3. My bro's 14" TV
4. My father's PC
5. My bro's PC (his lcd monitor survived though)
6. Telephone line upstairs
7. Astro decoder in the Living Room (luckily the one upstairs still survived)
8. The main house alarm system
9. My bro's handphone charger (Ok, no big deal)

(picture somewhat related)
The main concern should be the alarm system, Astro and MY 19" LCD MONITOR!!!. I don't even have the mood to watch anime or playing in a 15". I've already sent the unit to a Samsung Service Center as it is still under warranty. Luckily they didn't ask too many questions (As far as I'm concerned, damage cause by power spikes or lightning are not covered by warranty).

I guess I might try getting one of those surge protector and hope it can prove what it claims. In the mean time, I'm going for an all out war against lighting or thunder related things

These guys are also included in my hate list

GXL 2007 Season 1 Battlefield 2142 Tournament

2007-05-21T13:00:00.000+08:00

I guess this would be my first time participating in an official gaming league. I've just started playing BF2142 for a few months and now would be a perfect time to test myself against the real world :P.

Currently I'm representing the Malaysian Battlefield Team 2 (MBT 2) to play at the GXL 2007 which started last Saturday. Although technically we were not ready yet, we were challenged by Singapore's [Bf.Nut] (which is one of the Asian Champions) last Saturday. Pitifully, I got a fever on that day, so we were clearly defeated (ok, lame excuse..). Anyway it was a good match and a good experience for our team. We just need more practice and teamwork for our next 11 matches. Hopefully we can win the next time though.

Oh, and credit should be given to the Australian shoutcaster, Gamestah Radio, for their exciting shoutcast and commentaries on the match.

You can download the commentaries here
http://www.gamestah.com/files/bf2/bf2142/gxl

Yet Another Tiberium Wars

2007-04-17T23:06:00.001+08:00

After supporting pirated softwares for the past 12 years, I still couldn't believe I ordered an original Command & Conquer 3: Kane Steelbook Edition worth RM189. Well, to be honest, why would I buy the original when I can easily get the pirated one for RM10-15.

Well, the fact that that most pirated games are problematic (unable to play online, no sounds, no movies, etc.) really turn me off. Besides the additional freebies from this collectors edition are soooooo tempting.

Aside from the game dvd, the package includes:
1. Bonus Disc containing Behind the scenes, Bloopers, Strategies, Deleted Scenes and wallpapers
2. One C&C 3 Frosted Bag
3. Razer Mantis Control Mouse Pad (retail price for this is around RM68-75)
4. One GDI Dog tag
5. One GDI T-shirt

The contents of the package in the frosted bag

The full contents unleashed

Surprisingly, the t-shirt fits perfectly!!

I never expected the mouse pad would be that huge!!

The translucent green dog tag attached

Although RM189 might be too much (for a game that can be bought for much less), but I really satisfied with it. This is my second original game after Battlefield 2142 and from the looks of it, I might go for another ori-games next time.

A cat is fine too....

2007-04-01T12:30:00.000+08:00

Cats have always been a part of our family. Even if a cat died, there will be always a replacement, either by mysteriously come to our home on its own, or someone put a box full of cats in front our house, or relatives giving away cats.

"There is something 'fishy' about the title"

Despite how people describe animals as "brainless" or "stupid", I think they have their own intelligence and can make use of its own brain. Cats are also quick learners too. Even though in average I have about 10-15 cats at a time, it's not that hard to feed them. Every time when I'm going to feed them, I will shout "FEEDING TIME!!!!" and they will run to me. Few days later, when I about to shout "FEE-", they will still swarm me even though I don't have food on my hand.

"Need moar training!! Need to kick some dawgs ass"

In another case, there is this female Siamese that I really fond with. Every time I saw her, I will call her "ma pêche" (or "my peach" in French). Normally this will continue with ~~bondage play and tentacle raping,~~ a squeeze and a hug. After those numerous ~~abuses~~ incidents, she will always run away from me whenever I cried "ma pêche".

6 months later, when I've came back home from UM for semester breaks, all my cats will still recognize me and came to me. But when I called "ma pêche" again, the particular Siamese will run and hide in terror. That traumatized cat must have some superb memory!!!

"Enemy spotted. Requesting orbital strike!!"

As an extra, I know this is old, but I like to see my cats doing something like this too.

It's a small footage showing an American Shorthair standing with its back legs.

Tsukihime: A Tragic Tale Under the Crimson Sky

2007-03-16T22:30:00.002+08:00

I must say, I'm quite a sucker for everything related to Japanese anime, manga, games, and figures. I've been playing various games but nothing can be compared to Tsukihime.

Tsukihime is a visual novel doujin game created by TYPE-MOON. (Yep, the same that created Fate Stay Night). Being a visual novel, its main points are the in-depth and mysterious story. Oh, and by the way, the game is strictly for those above 18 since it has a quite number of violence and erotic materials (read: sex scenes). Originally, the game is in Japanese but fortunately a group, mirrormoon has fully translated it.

The story begins with a little boy, Shiki Tohno who just had a life-threatening accident and upon waking up in the hospital, everything in his views are filled with strange lines. The poor boy getting frustrated with his eyes ended up with a fateful meeting a woman who taught him about life and gave him a pair of glasses that enables him to see normally.

Eight years later, Shiki who has been staying with his adopted family was summoned by her little sister, Akiha Tohno to his original home. She was also accompanied with 2 other girls who worked as maids.

That day changed his life completely, he met with a foreign woman whom he had never met. A strange feeling engulfed him and told him to remove his eyeglass and follow her. Upon arrival to the girl's apartment, without any words, Shiki cut her into 17 pieces!!!

After he had realized what he had done, he tried to forget it and thought it as a dream. However, the next day, the girl were back to normal and demand a responsibility for Shiki's action........

The Characters

Arcueid Brunestud

Main heroine of Tsukihime. She was cut into 17 pieces by Shiki but were revived later. She was actually a vampire known as the "True Ancestor". She has been living for hundreds of years in a pursuits of other fallen vampires (or known as Dead Apostle). She came to he town where Shiki lived to hunt a vampire called Roa.

Ciel

She is Shiki's senpai (or senior) at school. Although actually she's an exorcist from the Church Organization who are specialize in exterminating vampires. She's also in a pursuit for Roa.

Akiha Tohno

She is Shiki's little sister although in reality they weren't blood related. Tohno's lineage were cursed with demon's blood and many of them either died in a early age or by madness. Akiha is also struggling from the pain to control her power. She loves his brother more as a woman than a sister.

Hisui

A maid in the Tohno's household. She seemed like a cold and expressionless girl but in reality she has a lot of expression. She and Kohaku are twin sisters. She is entrusted to be Shiki's personal maid and specializes in cleaning. 8 years ago, she was a cheerful girl and always playing with Shiki and Akiha in the garden. However, after a certain incident, she started to close her expression.

Kohaku

Also a maid in the Tohno's household. She is Akiha's personal servant and specializes in cooking. In the game, she always smiled and seemed cheerful (completely the opposite of Hisui).

******spoilers*********

Despite her cheerful appearance, her smiles were actually fake and her heart doesn't have any expression. She was planning for revenge towards the Tohno family. Hisui and Kohaku were brought by Akiha's father when they were little. Both of them were from a family that acts as "synchronizer". Akiha's father need their ability to control his power due to its demonic blood. However, the methods were through body fluids exchange (sexual intercourse). Since little, Kohaku were sexually abused and this traumatized her mind. Every time when she was abused, she will thought herself as a doll that can't feel anything.

MORE PICS

Arcuied teaches Ciel a lesson

Akiha in her demonic hybrid form

A fitting end for Kohaku??!!

There's also an anime version derived from this game, called Shingetsutan Tsukihime. You can check it out but be warned though the anime is nothing compared to this game.

p.s.: The images were taken directly from the game