Agent Zako

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Posts posted by Agent Zako


  1. Speaking of animation quality, the first episode of Gundam Thunderbold went up on youtube a few days ago and I have yet to post it here. It's only 18 minutes long, and is drop-dead gorgeous. It takes place alongside the latter part of the original series, but don't worry if you're not familiar with it. All you need to know is there's a war, Zeon are the bad guys, and the Federation are the good guys and have the Gundam(s). People live on Earth and in Space colonies around Earth, and Zeon are all space colonists, but not all space colonists are Zeon. English subtitles are in the close captions.

     


  2. One day soon, the whole world will know what it's like to go eat Italian food.

    While the Berserk hiatus is a bummer, it was inevitable. Miura at last graced us with the end of the legendary Boat Arc. I'm super excited to see post-Golden Age arcs finally get animated, even if it's just a new trilogy of movies. A new TV series would be perfect, though. There's no shortage of material for one.

    T1g and Double45 like this

  3. I watched 8 episodes of One Punch Man today. I love it already (although still not topping Orphans as my favorite of the season [so far]). I want to run out and buy all the manga available RIGHT NOW, but ,alas, that will have to wait.

    Also, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic is literally perfect.


  4. Some said this day would never come, that the legends were false. They said Guts and crew would never see dry land again, not in our generation at least. And now the doubters have been silenced, as Kentaro Miura has seen fit to gift us mortals with the end of The Boat Arc. Praise be to Miura!

    unless this is the wrong island and they get right back on

    pheonix561 likes this

  5. A teaser and info just came out for the new Macross anime, Macross Delta. Looks to be about two different idol groups, one all female and one all male(? they're so pretty), who may or may not be Valkyrie pilots. I'm not sure. A preview special will air on New Years Eve, which might include the first episode of the series.

    'Minori Suzuki, the 18-year-old winner of the newest Macross singer auditions from Aichi Prefecture, will play Freyja Wion, an aspiring idol who is full of spirit and who is always smiling. Five girls form the "Tactical Sound Unit" Walküre, the first major songstress group in the Macross anime franchise. (Macross 7 had the Jamming Birds group, and The Macross Digital Mission VF-X game had the group Milky Dolls.) The Walküre group battles the Var Syndrome that is consuming the galaxy, and there is also the mysterious Aerial Knights Valkyrie fighter team of the Kingdom of Wind.'

    http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-10-29/macross-delta-tv-anime-unveils-teaser-staff-characters-valkyries/.94760


  6. But yeah, it's probably the best anime I'm watching this season so far. I just don't want any of my beloved characters to die... but I know it's coming. Stop them from doing it, Zako. Especially if anything happens to Kudelia or Cookie or Cracker, 'cause they're the cutest.

    I'm afraid it's out of my cold, steel hands.

    Bysayb5.gif

    Anyhow, One Punch Man isn't the only anime this season with a theme song by Jam Project. But since nobody cares about Garo, this fact will forever remain a secret.

     

    Knuckle likes this

  7. I don't recall anyone saying there were nano-machines involved in the process. It appears that the interface connects directly to the nerves in the spine. It's possible I missed a line, I guess.

    Anyhow, the new Gundam series continues to be great. Aside from the superficial similarities with previous Gundam series, Iron-Blooded Orphans is doing some new things I haven't seen before in this franchise or out of it. Mikazuki and Orga are super interesting, and I have no idea what's going to happen next, besides things eventually moving to space, but that could happen a ton of different ways. I haven't felt this kind of excitement watching Gundam week to week since 00.


  8. It's been quite the ride, but I'm glad if Monogatari is able to end on a high note. We still have the Kizumonogatari films to go after Owarimonogatari, if the internet is right. I've still got Tsukimonogatari to watch, but it won't take me too long to catch up.

    In other news, Iron-Blooded Orphans looks to actually be only 25 episodes long. I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse about it, since the only other "traditional" Gundam series of that length was G-Reco, and, while I still enjoyed most of it, that show had terrible pacing issues. If this is the length Gundam series are going to be from now on, the sooner they figure out how to stuff a typically huge war story with a large cast into half the time, the better. Here's hoping this series does it well.


  9. Metal Gear Solid 2 feels more complete for sure, but it did have significant  parts of the ending sequence in New York cut post-9/11, so I do think the comparison has some merit, despite not being 100% perfect. I watched the cut Mission 51 content right after beating the game, and would still call Phantom Pain a masterpiece regardless, or at least as much as MGS2 is. Sons of Liberty plays very well, and is mechanically solid, but I don't think it's gameplay is anywhere near as fun or engaging as Phantom Pain's, especially before Fatman. Basically, I think the most experimental and cerebral Metal Gear since MGS2 is definitely Phantom Pain, and both had very vocal negative reactions upon release, despite the complaints being much more justified with TPP. Like I said, not a perfect comparison, but it works in my mind at least.

    As for the twist, I'd say it was actually built up, but not very much so as not to risk spoiling itself. To me at least, the mystery of who Ishmael is was blatantly presented at the very beginning, and hindsight implies that Snake didn't know Russian at the start simply because the Medic never knew in the first place and not because of the shrapnel, and then before the ending the genetic test with Eli comes back negative. The Eli bit was definite foreshadowing, even if it is really late-game. The twist was far from out of nowhere.


  10. I beat MGSV a couple weeks ago but never got around to reporting back here. Basically, the game is still absolutely fantastic. I have never played a more fun action or stealth video game, and still pick it up from time to time. I would have liked more story, but what plot was there is legitimately important, especially some end-game information you get for finishing the story. Super spoilers ahead

    The more I think about the final twist the more I come to like it. Sure, it's a bummer that Phantom Pain actually gave almost no insight into the life of Naked Snake during this time period, but I don't feel cheated since, from history's perspective, MGSV is still a vital part of the legend of Big Boss. Also, it was such a typical fourth-wall breaking move on Kojima's part to say that we, the players, made Big Boss, and by extension Metal Gear as a whole, what it is. Hideo Kojima's last metal gear ends with the biggest "thank you" to his fans he could possibly give. MGSV's story is controversial now, but I think it will end up like MGS2 and everyone will appreciate it more in a few years time.


  11. 19715156381_9e615f4091_o.jpg

    Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans just started, and it was pretty good first episode. Very traditional Gundam first-episode stuff: introducing characters with their factions, naming some of the tech specific to this setting, and starting the conflict off tragically. My only real complaint is that all the info being dumped was a bit much to take in, but I'm sure the next few weeks will clear up things. The music is good, and the animation was gorgeous, especially when the fighting began. This show is set for 50 episodes, and it could drop the ball eventually, but right now it's looking good and I'm excited for next week's episode.

    Fierce Muffin likes this

  12. Metal Gear is totally worth getting into. Not only are they fun to play, but it's an amazing experience watching the conspiracies unfold, the odds escalate, cinematography and gameplay improve, and characters develop over the course of these games. You lose a lot when you just hear or read about Metal Gear instead of getting hands on.

    As for Phantom Pain, I'm at about 30% completion right now. One of the last things I've done was

    capture Eli

    and, yeah, this game is that good. It's not even fair to call MGSV a "stealth" game; even though there are occasionally missions that require stealth, it is almost never mandatory. If it gets the job done, that's enough. And even as far as I am in the game, I'm developing new weapons and items that open up new, crazy strategies, and figuring out creative ways to use tech I've had almost since the beginning. Still a ways to go from the end credits, so I'll save my thoughts on story until then.

    なべ and T1g like this

  13. Windows 10 has been working well for me for the most part. A lot better designed that 8 was. The biggest issue I've had with Windows 10 is that ever since it was installed, Firefox became really finicky with most video players that aren't YouTube. I don't know how much of that has to do with Windows, but the timing lines up.


  14. I'm getting towards the end of Persona 4 now and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the series. Cass is pretty right about the characters and writing. The story and characterization are top-notch, and P4 is one of the few JRPGs that I've played that is actually, literally, very heavy on the Role-Play part of Role-Playing Game. The game is designed in such a way that each of the players' decisions regarding school, work, friends and extracurricular activities build on each other, giving a relatively unique experience depending on the person. That aspect of Persona, and the personal investment it breeds in the player, can't be translated to a book or film, and is inevitably lost in adaptation, despite the story remaining in place.

    Also, yeah, Half Life and Uncharted are both excellent when it comes to blending game-play and story. Half Life with how the entirety of the games is a seamless point A to B adventure in first-person, and Uncharted in its balance of cut-scenes for major character interaction alongside big action set-pieces, all of which are playable. The "downside" being how they're both linear and scripted, but that allows for a tight experience and still has room for replayability in each scenario.


  15. I vastly prefer Coke to Pepsi, but Pepsi's still alright. Also, I generally prefer the Coke brand over the Pepsi one, largely because I've also burnt out extra hard on Mountain Dew, and Sprite happens to be my absolute favorite soda to indulge in.


  16. Well, unless you mean literally watching every single thing on the website, that sounds like a matter of personal taste. I still have a lot of things on Crunchyroll I want to watch, including super long anime like Galaxy Express 999, Slam Dunk, and Fist of the North Star, so I won't be running out of things to watch legally for a long time. And in the mean time I'll continue to torrent whatever either isn't available legally, or whatever I don't want to wait a week to see in my entitled impatience.

    Also part of the reason I haven't pirated many games is a lack of a decent gaming computer. That has changed however, so we'll have to wait and see if I change my kinda law-abiding ways...


  17. I don't really pirate games, unless the occasional visual novel counts. Not game related but my piracy policy changes depending on what media we're talking about. I've plundered quite a lot of anime in my time, but it tends to be stuff that either has no official western release, or is extremely difficult to find. If there's a legal streaming option I rarely turn it down, as my Crunchyroll history will attest.



  18. I really hope they make it their goal. It is a lot of money they're asking for, but they've made a lot of progress in one day. This project could legit be a big step forward for robotics in general, too. Seeing all the people on-board makes me feel all warm inside.