Time Hollow

I know I sort of started this “blog” as my outlet for my love of anime. But sometimes anime becomes a part of game play—well—okay most of the time lately. Because a large part of the games we see lately have anime/MANGA style art.

The latest time sink for me? TIME HOLLOW. Oh, JUST the preview I saw on Gamespot was enough for me to want to check this game out (forget the fact they only have the preview in Japanese). The premise is cool—Ethan wakes to find his family gone. His life completely changed. He becomes the owner of the Hollow Pen, a device that allows him to create a hole in time. Throughout the game it’s up to you puzzle out what happened because each time he punches a hole in time he inadvertently changes history.

Add to that beautiful graphics, a spectacular soundtrack—great opening movie—let’s say I sat down with my daughter to just “try it out” as she played her DRAWN TO LIFE game.

Uhm…that was 7:00. It’s now after 9:00!! Yikes! Between this game, TRACE MEMORY and THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU—I am in a HEAP of trouble.

And I’m definitely looking for the soundtrack to this puppy—just the opening song is incredible.

Tales of the Abyss—SQUEEE!!!

Oh wow. I’d just bought (replaced) my PS2 game, Tales of the Abyss yesterday, and then came home to find that the first two episodes of the new anime for the game had been uploaded to my favorite anime site! Needless to say—I got very little done for about an hour as I watched in utter fascination as the anime’s story—usually a little more in depth than game story—unfolded. 

The anime starts just a little bit ahead of the game—and to me gives a bit more explanation into the 7th Fonon, as well as Luke’s role in the Score held by the Order of Lorilei (sp?). What really attracted me was the brilliant animation. The colors, and hearing the same opening as in the game. The action is just incredible in that opening with promises, snippets of things to come! 

The anime opens close to the game opening—though Luke’s already sneaking out of his room and bumps into the Gardner, Pel. I was a little surprised by Luke’s voice—having gotten used to the English voice actor Yuri Lowenthal, who is also known as the voice of Yuri in Kyo Kara Mao as well as Ben Tennison in Ben 10 Alien Force. So this voice took a few minutes to get used to.

Enter Guy—one of my favs—who sees the household staff searching for Luke. Knowing his charge—he finds him in a tree. Luke has a guest: Princess Natalia. Now, it’s been a few months since I played this game—but was Natalia actually in the beginning of the game? Reminding Luke of his pledge of marriage? I’m not sure. Will have to plug back in and restart it.

But as expected, this pledge happened before Luke was kidnapped by Malkuth — and Luke’s memories from birth until his return are gone. What I liked about the anime was that it gave a brief glimpse of that time—and a sweet little glimpse of a very young Luke with that spiky red hair.

Natalia isn’t going to be put off though—and insists that they are engaged. It was planned at their births and there is a bond. She toddles off with a hope that one day Luke will remember his pledge.

Like in the anime—but with a bit more punch and pain—Luke stills has these headaches with a voice that call to him to listen. You see it briefly after he leaves Pel in the Garden. Just after Natalia leaves you really see one of the spells—a whopper that leaves Luke unconscious.

Even when he wakes he’s still wobbly—and there’s more of the sense that something was done to him during his time in Malkuth. Once recovered his father calls for him, pretty much like in the game. He finds his Sensei—Teacher—waiting with his mother and father. 

Van Grants is a member of the Oracle Knights and the Fon Master Ion is missing. So Van Grants is leaving to help look for him. But he still offers to train Luke before he leaves. And like the game, the two of them spare in the garden just before Tear enters the arena.

She challenges Grants and Luke intervenes—which connects the 7th Fonon and the two of them vanish. The two are transported into a forest where they battle Ligers and stumble into a carriage driver who thinks they’re part of the Black Wing — a group of thieves attacking people on the highways. 

The two of them ask for passage back to the capital and realize too late—they’re no longer in Kimlasca, but in Malkuth. 

So ends the first episode. I am just thrilled at this. There are reportedly 26 episodes total, and I’ll be back on the PS2 playing this game! 

That is…once I finish my current book.

D.Grayman Anime Ending

Or that’s what I’ve heard. I’m not in the know to find out for sure, but I recieved word from a friend who lives in Japan that the anime D.Grayman has ended with #103. The MANGA continues on strong, but with the dropping DVD sales and viewers, the present production of the highly acclaimed MANGA series by Katsura Hoshino, ceased production at the end of the boss arc infiltration of the Black Order’s headquarters in England.

For me personally—I hope the anime will get picked up to continue. I do enjoy MANGA, and the art is to die for in several of the series. But I’m a huge visual person and enjoyed the voice actors for the characters. My personal favorite is Lavi (or Rabi), Bookman’s apprentice. I have to say—I think voice actor Kenichi Suzumura (who also voiced such greats — for me — as Ayumu in Spiral, Ranmaru in Tokko, and the incredible Zack Fair in Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII) had a lot of fun playing the forever-a-kid Lavi, who showed us time and again that he was more than a bookman—recording the events. But unlike a bookman—he couldn’t NOT get involved.

I reeeeeeally hope someone picks up this series. If only to see the day that Allen kicks Kanda’s irritating butt.

Itazura na Kiss to end…

This anime caught me completely off guard. And it’s not something I would have normally chosen to watch. I mean—no one has super powers. There aren’t any screaming, flying through the air stunts, and no bloody, gory sword slashing parts. Itazura na kiss (It Starts With a Kiss) is nothing more than a love story, of a young girl named Kotoko who develops a hard crush on the smartest, brightest boy in her school, Naoki, and basically—he rejects her. Yet Kotoko isn’t ready to give up, and the touching Manga and anime are the story of how she persues him and in the end, wins his heart.

The anime is fun, emotion filled and a masterpiece (me having also watched the 1996 television adaption online as well) of the human heart. Kotoko with her determination, her attitude of never-giving-up, breaks the cold mountain that is Naoki. And through a rocky beginning where Naoki has to struggle with his first realization of how poisonous jealously can be—to having their first child—my heart was totally captured. 

Recently I learned that the series creator, Kaoru Tada, passed away suddenly and tragically in 1999 before the MANGA could be finished, and so it iwas her husband, Shigeru Nishikawa, who made sure the anime got the ending the MANGA never did. Luckily his wife told him what that ending was before her passing a month later. I watched the final episode last night, and was so satisfied I am putting this anime on my YOU MUST SEE THIS BEFORE YOU DIE list. 

What surprises me is why no company in the USA hasn’t snatched this puppy up yet!

Tales of the Abyss: New Anime!

Even though my copy of Tales of the Abyss was one of the casualties of my recent house robbery, I am at present in search of a new copy (they didn’t get my memory card!). Why? Because I personally loved the game and am a huge fan of the Tales series by Namco Bandai games. I am also waiting with excitement for the new Tales game to appear on the Wii, Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, released date of November 14th (and I just downloaded the OVA for the first Symphonia to watch). 

But even more exciting for me is the news that Tales of the Abyss will be an anime! Yay! The hero Luke Fone Fabre, is one of my all time favorite game characters—especially since the story of Luke is incredible and heart breaking at times. Tales of the Abyss proved to be a surprisingly good game, and I hope the anime will keep to the story line—no matter how many episodes there will be. 

Plot Summary taken from AnimeNewsNetwork: Luke fon Fabre, the spoiled son of a noble from the kingdom of Kimlasca-Lavaldear, has been confined inside his father’s mansion ever since he was kidnapped seven years ago by a rival country, the Malkuth Empire. Now Luke’s memory of the life he led before is missing, and a strange voice, which only he can hear, has been calling out to him ever since. One day while training with his mentor, Van Grants, a strange woman called Tear breaks into the mansion with the sole intent of taking Van’s life. During the struggle Luke is transported far from home, along with Tear, and now that Luke has finally gained the freedom he’s been dreaming of, what awaits him in the outside world will shatter everything he’s ever known about himself.

CRISIS CORE

WOW…Look what I found on Deviant Art! A GREAT image of the players of CRISIS CORE!

From top to bottom, left to right… Angeal, Zack, Kunsel, Cissnei, Aerith, Cloud, Sephiroth and Yuffie!

Credit – click on picture to take you to the artist’s Deviant Art page.

D.GRAYMAN ROCKS

Just watched D.Grayman 79! KANDA YU is dah man! That was like cool! Way cool! I’ll do a bit more later, as I need to get to work. But….DA-YAM!!

Gackt—I mean Genesis

is kicking my butt. I’ve tried going up against him six times in CRISIS CORE. And each time I expire quite quickly. I hope this is the toughest boss in the game—’cause I’m done for.

Good thing? I FINALLY GOT TO MEET CLOUD!! Awwwwww…..

All right already…

Okay…so yeah I agree a little bit. Steve Burton’s scream at the end of Crisis Core isn’t as great as Takahiro Sakurai (is that the right guy?). But still…I think Steve did a good job for the English version of Cloud that he created in Kingdom Hearts and Advent Children.

So poopy. I LIKES IT!

Moon Phase

I was very pleased with this anime! Vampires, adorable guys, lecherous grandfathers and scary/hubris infested cousins. Loved it! As I said earlier—I think—Kouhei is the Vampire’s Lover—meaning he is immune to the Vampire’s Kiss. Which of course just chaps Hazuki’s ass because that means she can’t make him into her slave.

But that also makes him a powerful tool because his blood can enhance her own vampiric power. Now, Hazuki’s master/father is a vampire that wants that power, and once again Kouhei finds his life in danger several times, and always it seems Hazuki is there for him.

But the baddie does eventually get her back and awakens the vampire personality inside of her called Luna. And well Luna—she does things to Kouhei that puts him in intensive care!

The series moves on once that crisis is averted, with a weakened Kouhei and Hazuki’s resolve to make sure he’s okay. It’s also discovered why Hazuki herself is special—because she’s a daywalker! And she had no idea!

Hazuki’s father manages to illicit help that sets the house/antique shop on fire and Kouhei and Huzuki—believing Grandfather is dead—flee to his Uncle’s house in the mountains where Kouhei wants to learn how to use magic. Even though he’s always been told he’s a magical retard.

Truth be told—Kouhei’s far from it. In fact, Kouhei is the most powerful magician in the family—only his magic was sealed when he was very young because his mother was afraid it would attract the attention of bad people, and prevent Kouhei from leading a normal life. Kouhei believes in order to protect Hazuki, he has to release it.

And he does. Only—well—you’ll have to see what happens! An anime full of twists and turns, BEAUTIFUL animation and fun dialogue (if you can get past Hazuki’s anime fits)I recommend it 100%.

But then again, there are so few animes I don’t like. And if I don’t like it, I don’t list it.