Winds of Change

I've been looking for this movie for YEARS now and I'm very disappointed in it.  The music though was better than I imagined.

• It was so painfully slow.  It might be worth a watch if they cut out a lot of the looking around and standing.  The whole time you're just sitting there going "DO SOMETHING"
• I didn't see those centaur people.  I needed cute centaur people.
• there's like 5 minutes of watching this goddess bathe.  You're just sitting there going "DO SOMETHING ELSE"
• The ending is all "well, everyone's dead.  The end." but sanrio does that with it's movies and it's greek myth so whatever
• There needed to be more ambient music in between the songs.
• I'm really picky about my sound effects and they just really did a lazy job with some of them.
• They really needed to focus more on the mythical creatures rather than the two characters.

As for some of the good points.

• as much as every one bashes the character designs.  I really like them.  They feel more like the carebear style than disney.  It's an interesting clash.
• some of the backgrounds (whenever they had them) where interesting.
• if they tightened up the timing and shortened the thing to like... 30 minutes?  it would be watchable.
• I really enjoyed the story with the three sisters.
• THE MUUUUSIIICCC

meh, it was just so empty though.  what a waste of an interesting idea.

Neo Angelique Special: Nyx's Route

Jeeze, what a creep.  He's 26 forever, but just the fact that he's been around for over 200 years makes me really uncomfortable.  Well, It could also be the fact that I've seen the anime he had some really rapey scenes.  It got me thinking about if he's unable to die but can't heal miraculously.  does that mean that he's lost all his original teeth?  his eye site would be completely gone.  He uses a cane and has a monocle... which he says is because of a childhood injury but still.  This is like the demon / angel pairing that every one writes at one time.  It's interesting, that's to say for sure but it's like getting the hots for a grandpa.  EEEEEWWWWW... oh wait... I should probably take that back I have a few favorite old man characters that I find somewhat attractive.  I bet he smells like mothballs and medication though.

WHAT THE HECK IS THIS!?  This ending.  This is not Angie's room... That's not her bed, you see her bed in game.  She's sleeping on the far right.  That bed is big enough to fit ten people.  The more endings I unlock the more I'm convinced that they're doing the do.  These two are so doing the do.  How in the world did Nyx get so attractive all of a sudden?  what it with open white Victorian undershirts that are so umf!

So Nyx's story follows the first part of the anime till you reach the end.  You talk about how he can't grow flowers and have a lot of tea together.  You go to a ball and he speaks really low and rumbly to you. mmm...   He freaks out whenever you get close to water. You know, the usual.  In the end you just go and fight erobos like it's no big deal.  It was a little boring.  nothing exciting or different like Rayne's and Hyuga's route.

I know that there are different endings, I just don't know what to do to unlock them.  I'll just go through all the guys and see what happens.  Still no Roche though.  

Neo Angelique Special: Rayne's Route

Like I said, it's been a while since I've seen the anime, but I don't remember Rayne being so quite and sweet in the anime.  I thought he was the thrill seeking jerk that every show has.  The bad boy.  In the game though he was always very soft spoken.  Even when you were being attacked by monsters he spoke in almost a whisper.  I could recognize this voice actor anywhere.  He's my favorite.  and yes, this too goes back to my Yugioh days.  This voice actor plays Joey in the Japanese version and that's where I fell in love.
Rayne's art is a little... geehhh.  Some sprites are cute such as when he's suprised, his eyes really stand out.  Others though, like him holding his gun are really gross looking.  It's the hair.  Luckily the animated end scene and other sprites makes up for all that.  Nyx has some really scary looking sprites too.  I'm just so use to having really fantastic art in my Otomes that this one stands out as being really ugly. (not as ugly as quin rose though OH HO HO HO)  However, the art hasn't deterred me at all since I love the characters so much.  You see, other otomes are just "I wanna bang him.... I wanna bang him.  GET ME IN HIS BED NOW."  Neo Angelique though.  You really feel for these characters.  They treat you with so much respect and sincerity that even the little things like embarrassing Rayne in the conversations makes me unbelievably giddy.  They have these fears, flaws and stupid life choices that make them more believable as characters where other otomes, like the "shall we date" series are just flat money making eye toys.
I wasn't going to go for Rayne first.  I thought he was just the main jerk that the games always push on you, but then he got really sweet.  So soft spoken and reserved.  It was the voice that won me over.  I went through his route 3 times trying to trigger everything and I've missed 4 stills for him.  His story focuses on artifacts and his relationship with his brother.  In the game, Yorgo kidnaps you for you power, not Elenfriet.  During your adventures with Rayne, you find that he really likes Sailing and sweets such as apple pie.
Best part was when you find an artifact shaped like a ring.  Before you're lured into a trap, Rayne gives it to you and asks what hand to put it on.  I was so excited because I was like

At that point I realized that I really do understand more than I give myself credit for.  I didn't even need to think twice or question what it was that I was suppose to do.  no quick saving, no cultural boundaries, in that moment I understood all.  I'm actually surprised I recognized  kanji for left and right that fast.  GET THAT THING ON MY RING FINGER.

AND BAM!  

 Actually I was really shocked that they went for it.  I did it as a joke really.  Ring pictures like this really get to me.  (speaking of which, I should talk about the Harutoki online game soon.  Theres a few on there.  Oh Ruby party.)

The ending was super sweet, Angie and him are sitting in his boat.  Her in his lap, arms holding her tightly.  He's all nuzzling her ear over her shoulder

and it's just so.  GAH!  No kissing though.  I wonder if their policy covers kissing too?  can they not show that I NEED MY LIP TO LIP CONTACT!

He was such a different character from the show but now I know for sure I have to watch it again.
oh it's just so great to actually see her with some one.
SOOO GOOD.

Neo Angelique Special

I enjoyed the anime for this game so much I thought I would stop struggling with harutoki 4 and buy Neo Angelique Special for the PSP.  I got it for 13$ including shipping and it arrived in a week or so. (on a horrible day to. I was so happy, I cried.)  It's been a few months since I've watched the anime but because I watched the anime first, this ended up being one of the easiest otomes to understand.  I have a very limited knowledge of Japanese.  Id say I'm a beginner still.  However, I knew what to expect and I already knew the world and it's terms and story.  I suspect that they meant for you to watch the anime and play the game at the same time.
Now, as for the differences between the game and the anime is that the anime takes all the character specific events and compile it into one story.  Rune, Bernard, Mathias, Roche, Jet and Elenfriet are all secret characters.  I've met Bernard and Rune but have yet to see hide nor hair of the others.  (Roche, you get your tight little tush over here right now!)  These secret characters also have events and stills and I've managed to get one but I'm still trying to figure out how to go about triggering their events.  Another difference is that the anime is more fanservice-y... which is somewhat depressing but still, the character endings are delightfully fluffy and fully animated in the style of the anime.
The game works on a flag system.  you have to see specific events in order to get that character's ending.  That means you have to be at the right place at the right time.  This can be tedious.  Even checking every area over and over again wont guarantee you'll get your event.  This was my main hang up on Harutoki 4 but it's a lot easier here... (unless I get stuck on every character, but after trying to get Rayne's route 3 times, I finally figured out where I was messing up and finally got his ending... with 4 stills missing GAHHHH)
Unlike Harutoki that is chapter based, Neo Angelique Special lets you wander around the world map with your guy of choice.  This is easier because you wont end up triggering some one else's route on accident. (besides the secret characters that is.)
A long with this you get this little bingo sheet with conversation topics that you pick up around the world.  this is where you're going to have trouble.  It's nice that it tells you where to get these topics in the menu but some are like "Just wait for the event" and then the event never happens.  You'll have one topic just sitting there that you can't find that you need to get hearts.  The hearts are how you trigger endings and to get hearts you need to find that topic somewhere on the map or during an event.

How to get through this game with less stress

• Do a hard save in different slots after every huge event.  It saved my butt being able to go back because once you reach certain points, you won't be able to get heart events.
• Don't get distracted, decide on the guy you want at the very beginning and stick to him.  Sure Rune and the other guys will show up and try to get your off that path.  If you follow the first suggestion, you can go back and get these guys later, otherwise you'll ruin both routes.
• Do check every area after main events, this includes going to the guy's rooms before dinner. Do requests last.
• Quick save before going to areas after requests, these areas are where you get conversation topics.  While your answer to a question there might get you like points, only one answer will get you that topic.  After a point you will not have an opportunity to get this topics so keep track of where you've been.

Other than this, it's been an pretty fun game.  The art is a little... meh but you get attached to it after a while.  Especially their little dinner and fighting sprites.  They're so dang cute.

I just love all these characters!  they're my babies!  gaaaaaaa I love this series so.

Natsuyuki Rendezvous Review

As an animation major, I've heard a lot of flack when it comes to Anime.  It could be because of the frame rates and sometimes poor animation but I've never seen shows that speak so loudly about life from any other country.  It's more open for serious stories and experimentation.  I'll always love anime because of the untold stories that it dares to tell.  Natsuyuki Rendezvous is one of those shows that could only happen in anime because of this freedom

Story

I've already gone through the basics of the story in my first impression post, but the story really started to become interesting the moment Ryousuke lends his body to Shimao.  It's nearly the perfect "What if" scenario of a widow and if her dead loved one had a chance to see her one last time.  What would they do?  Shimao tied up loose ends left undone after his death but near the end I really did hate him.  At first I thought he was innocent but that's because I was applying my life and beliefs to the story.  In a way Shimao is a vengeful spirit.  Left to roam the earth because he can't let go of a "possession."  The ending was very satisfying but had just of that anime "horribly depressing ending" to it where you can't take your mind off of it.  It did make me cry but not in a bad way.  The show was actually very light hearted and was a lot more pleasant of a watch than Wolf Children was.
The Good
the story is so satisfying, especially after going through a death of a loved one yourself.  I've never seen a character in book or show that mirrored my mother as much as Rokka did.
The Bad
It may be a little hard to understand a lot of these complex emotions or scenes if you don't know a young widow.  Also it may be a little hard to watch if you become attached Shimao at the beginning.

Characters

There are only four characters in the whole show.  Rokka, the young widow.  Shimao, her deceased husband and Ryousuke, a 22 year old nobody.  The fourth character is Shimao's sister that shows up every once and a while but for rest of the show, it's just these three.  I really didn't like Ryousuke at first.  I though he was selfish and immature but half way through the series his
character changed and surprisingly, you find that Shimao is very controlling and almost villainous.
It was hinted at at one point by the way that he worded things.  I noticed by the way he would refer to Rokka that he had become very possessive and abusive and Ryousuke eventually confronts him about it.  My perception of both of these guys flipped in that one scene.  Two sentences were all it took.  All these characters are delightfully complex and grow over time and I love how Ryousuke eventually came to accept and even help shoulder Rokka's emotional burden.  It was exactly what I needed at the moment.
The Good
There is a moment in the end where the character do a complete 180.  While it was hinted at here and there, I thought they were just trying to distract me from what was really going on.  They're all very realistic and human.
The Bad
It takes a while before you know who's good and who's bad and if there really is any villain. Also a lot of things that Rokka does could be confusing or annoying to any one who has not been around a young widow.

The Art

The backgrounds, flower shop and ending theme are just absolutely gorgeous.  There's art shifts here and there when Ryousuke is out of his body but they never pull away from the story.  The music is great, especially the end.  It just left me feeling so good.

The Good

Fantastic backgrounds and colors.  The flower arrangements were really cool

The Bad

Josei style takes a bit to get use to.  It's a little jarring at first but it grows on you.

Over all score and find thoughts

Story: 9/10 Very interesting and unique romance for those who've ever wondered what passed loved one's would say to them now. The only problem is that in the end, Shimao ended up sort of like the bad guy and that can be very offputting to a lot of people.

Characters: 9/10 Excellent character growth and you sincerly feel their emotions with them.  Only problem being that it might be hard to relate to them since this story sort of for a nitch group of people.

Art: 9/10 Beautiful backgrounds but it might be hard to like because of the ugly clothes and Josei style.

Overall score: 9/10 This show is very deep and I wish that people would give it a chance, especially if they know a widow.  It explores that untapped emotions and complications of falling in love again after a death.  It's one of the most real and sincere anime that I've ever had the pleasure of watching.  I may be biased but I do think that it should be given a chance, especially if you like romance.  It may be a bit slower for some thought so just be prepared for 5 episodes of basically the same thing.

I'd love to watch this again int he future and I know that with each watch I'll see something that I didn't the first time. I loved it so much.

Natsuyuki Rendezvous: First Impressions

I've already mentioned my family's situation a few times in my blog but I've never directly talked about it.  Unfortunately it's given me a few severe triggers when it comes to violence and death scenes in movies, especially suicides or anything that's close to it.  One thing that I was not expecting though, was how impossible it would be fore me to watch movies about young widows.  Just mentioning Wolf Children to me ruins my whole day.  Sure it was a cute movie but it just makes me sick to my stomach thinking about it.  I wish I could watch shows like this and not have any kind of reaction to them.  To just shrug them off as fantasy or just a story but I cant.
Natsuyuki Rendezvous is starting to become one of those shows for me.  I've only made it through 3 episodes but I know that it's going to make me cry a lot in upcoming episodes.
The story is about a quiet and dull college student named Ryousuke (same voice actor as Nozaki-kun... I'll review that later) who falls in love with a young widow who owns a flower shop.  After getting a job there to get closer to her, he finds that he can see the spirit of her deceased husband.
Despite the subject matter, the show is actually really sweet and funny at times.  The drama comes from Rokka's husband trying to keep Ryousuke away from his wife and I can relate.  Ryousuke is kind of a  horny loser.  While at first it just seems like her husband is just stuck in the past and doesn't want to let go of his wife, I can see that he's just trying to protect her from this guy.  I'm sure that the two get to know each other better and that Rokka and Ryousuke will end up together with her husband's best wishes.  That's just my guess though.  If I know my anime, they like quickly thrown together and disappointing endings.
What I love most about this show is just how real Rokka is.  At first I was a little put off by how fast their relationship was moving but then I realized that my mother had told me many times how much she missed intimacy.  How she'd ended up in these kinds of situations with her new boyfriends (despite being mormon)  Rokka, unlike most female protagonists in anime, wants intimacy.  It's interesting whenever a show brings this up because many shows and culture treat women as a force to be acted upon with no real will or feeling.  We're taught that the only kind of women that want it are sluts.  We forget that women are human with flaws and wants.
On another note, Rokka is still in mourning even after 3 years.  While most people would be upset that she's still sensitive about the subject, it's very real.  You never do get over a death of a loved one and I hope they bring this up.  I still think Ryousuke had no right to say anything bad about her husband even though he's been a road block the whole show.  He deserved worse than a slap.
To be honest, I'm starting not to like Ryousuke.  At first he was cute and shy but now he's just... Desperate?  Selfish? I'm not sure what it is but the more I think about it, I'd try and scare him off too if he doesn't change.
The music reminds me of Mr. Rodger's Naughborhood for some reason.  It's got that same feeling to it.  It's a nice change but I won't be looking for the OST.  What I will be looking for is the end song.  It's absolutely gorgeous!
As for the animation and style, I'm liking it because I like more Josei styled anime now that I've gotten older.  It's simple but nice.  It's also fun seeing Rokka's husband floating through things and what they got to do with that.
I'm excited to see more episodes but I'm afraid of where it's heading if Ryousuke doesn't change and be a little more sensitive towards her predicament.
I'll try my best to get through this show.  It will either become a favorite or one I'll never want to touch again, it's walking a very fine line.

Harutoki 4: Sazaki's Route

So I bought myself Harutoki 4 for my birthday.  I'm so just....  It's so different from 5.  I like the ability to walk around.  There's a lot more freedom.  It's more of a gamble though.  In 5 it shows where character events are happening and shows the picture of who's event it is.  Maybe they had it planned for this one because there are similar qualities like being able to see where things are happening on the map, but it's completely pointless if it just shows the main story event. Anyway the game is just gorgeous!  I love the main theme and end song.  I especially love the ancient Japanese mythology theme.  More fantasy this time.
So, I went for Sazaki first because 1. I'm old, he's old.  2. He's a Pirate 3. HE'S A BIRDMAN 4. He makes the funniest bird shrieks whenever he's surprised or upset.  I really love him as a character.  His personality fits right into that hot blooded silly guy type that I like.  So most of his route is you and him being separated because, well, you're a princess and he's a pirate.  The first few events that you catch are you partying it up with him, flying around with him, chilling with him away from every one else at a festival.  He's just so.  gah.  The spunky ones get to me every time.  Best part of his whole route is when you've been captured and you think you'll never see him again and the jerk shows up at the window.  He's usually pretty loud but then he
starts whispers, it's just sooo goood.  I don't know why but I was crying at this part, it was just so sweet.  Well, the rest of the Hachiyou were captured too and you refuse to leave without them so he goes to save them.  In the end he flies off with you back to the flying ship island thing.  (I'm thinking it's just called the tengu ship)  I'm so happy that they brought back the tengu as characters in this one.  I'm really starting to realize how bad 5 was.  I did learn a bit of Japanese history from it though.  This one is interesting because I know a lot of this mythology but I didn't realize that I did until now.  The manga Dream Saga is where I'm most familiar with the setting through.  Dang I just am in love with this game.  I was a little frustrated with the menu and how to trigger routes at first but it was just because I was so use to 5.
KAAAAAAAA!  I'm missing a still for him!