The Point

By , 4 March, 2011 1:03 AM

I have been just abso-fucking-lutely lazy.

Lemme get some quickies out of the way. Previous titles I’ve played, as well as my REALLY quick, short impressions, are as follows. Bloody Rondo was unbelievably disappointing shit but I <3 Luna and Alice despite their motherfucking routes, Draculius blew my fucking mind so go play Draculius now omg, Damamuko was meh and it made me want to rip my penis off, Orange Memories = Hinoto fuckans despite the occasionally crap art, HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT RYUHEI AND SOL IN SOUKYUU NO SOLEIL, and of course, KAMIDORI TRIAL KAMIDORI TRIAL KAMIDORI TRIAL. Which blew my mind and got me fucking obsessed, you know, over a fucking trial. Yeah. I’m gonna slave over that trial like I slaved over VERITA’s trial (gunning both Celica and Ekria to Lv. 400 fuck yeah).

I’m going to come out with reviews for both Bloody Rondo and Damamuko, because they disappointed both me and my penis. Well, okay, Alice was delishuz and both she and Luna made my penis very, very happy, but that’s about it. Probably a review for Soukyuu no Soleil too, once I get around to finishing all the fucking routes and not just Odette’s. The sight of both Sol and Ryuhei (in a sense) just kinda blew me away, so I forgot to do that. Cause, you know…it’s fukken Sol. And Ryuhei. Fuck yeah. Soleil fans unite! I’m sure the entire two of us can have a super-awesome discussion over the entire series’ closure (or more like lack of it).

An impressions post is definitely gonna be up on Kamidori’s trial. Cause April 22 is just so fukken far away. While it is a (VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY) tiny glimpse as to Eushully’s new direction after the end of their Ikusa Megami series, the combination of lighthearted +very haremy action + more eroero themes definitely has me going ( ̄u ̄;) ハァハァゼェゼェ…I mean, O(≧▽≦)O ワーイ♪ Plus it never hurts to talk more about Eushully’s awesomeness! EUSHULLY BANZAI! That. and, you know. April 22 is so. Fucking. Far away.

The agony. Oh, the agony.

神採りアルケミーマイスターDemo Movie + Stuff

By , 5 January, 2011 8:10 PM

What’s this? No Christmas or New Years post? Yeah, well, I got tired of doing that shit two years ago or something. Anyways, Kamidori Alchemy Meisters Demo Movie up – download is here. In case you haven’t heard of this title, stop living under that rock and take a look around the website.

At first glance, Kamidori looks like a less-chaotic Himegari Dungeon Meisters, and I’d partly be inclined to agree. Partly, because, Kamidori doesn’t really so much look like it’s a light-hearted take on Himegari, but rather, Tayu Uta’s feel with Himegari’s system. Which I am totally okay with, seeing as Eushully’s gotten over the male lead archetype reminiscent of the one in Tayu Uta.

And in case you might be led to believe that Kamidori’s gonna be all cheerful and happy with butterflies and rainbows and sparkly shit, please remember that this is Eushully that’s producing this game. The demo alone already shows the main characters getting embroiled in a war, which should be interesting. Knowing Eushully, that’s just going to be the bare tip of the iceberg.

By the way: if Rifia and Evalyne are extra characters via append (remember, they’re heading to where Kamidori takes place), but Louie, Carian, Fami and Petrene are following the both of them…does that mean Louie and company MIGHT show up in Kamidori as well?

I personally love how Kamidori ties into the main lore (that is, the 戦女神 series) with the aforementioned disaster (the demon dragon incident, most likely). If I recall, this is the first time a title outside of Ikusa Megami gets linked to it, which is intriguing to say the least. I’m sure Kamidori is going to have a story that will stand on its own, but I’m curious as to whether they’ll include any connections or references to the events of VERITA.

Gameplay wise, I’m very much taken aback and deeply interested with the new system additions. I’ve always wondered how it would feel if Eushully tried their own hand at making an Atelier series clone, and it seems Kamidori’s the title for it. In the screenshots I’ve seen of the missions, it seems that Eushully has limited the number of units deployable to four, which is fair for making more challenging scenarios. Himegari had up to a total of nine deployable units, and all I did back then was just send out everyone and just blitz through an area.

Lastly, Yuera and Seraui are still bitching HOT. I always felt that I’d make Yuera my main in Kamidori, and that feeling just grows stronger with every additional information released. Also, I’m curious as to exactly how popular Sylphine’s route in Himegari must have been…not that I’m saying that there’s a direct connection between the popularity and impact of that ending to everyone who played Himegari, and Kamidori’s lighter-than-Himegari feel. Just curious.

Bloody Rondo’s trial was released 31 December 2010, and is available here. Look it up if you’ve got an interest in vampires and that stuff. From what I’ve played, it’s a jumbled mess of events and serves to only give us sneak peeks of the characters involved, so don’t expect to understand much of the story’s premise via the trial alone. It’s also got some preview H scenes, which are around five to six lines of dialogue at best per H scene preview. I’m rooting for Luna, Linette, Francesca and Alice, whoohoo.

I like the system’s appearance, keeping with the whole bloody vampires thing. I also like how some of the events look animated, the use of cut-ins, and I definitely love the seiyuu line-up for Bloody Rondo. An all-star seiyuu cast, if you can call it…it’s just insane. I just hope it won’t end up anything like Hyakka Ryouran…all-star ensemble, but bleh.

There’s also Damamuko’s trial, here. It’s interesting, and hilarious from what I’ve seen so far. My only gripes would be that the lead is too damn whiny about what happened between him and Reona during the past, and that the h-scene in the trial felt forced and totally out of place. Long live Rin versus Reona!

Now to die one day at a time until April 22 hits.

Much Love for Harems

By , 15 December, 2010 3:50 AM

It’s time for that again! Yes, yes, I know I made like two posts on the matter, but what can I say. You can’t keep a good harem meister down for long, this world just holds many wonders that must be explored! Battles to be fought! Bishoujos to be conquered! Routes to be completed! Such is the path of the enthusiast!

So allow me to indulge in my enthusiasm by creating my updated harem list (which obviously will not stay canon for long considering the titles to be released next year, THANK YOU KAMIDORI ALCHEMY MEISTER) involving bishoujos from the games I’ve played that were released on 2008 onwards. Plus, it helps knowing that all this was done for fun, just in case some people take this in an overzealous manner.

But before that, the rules!
- Total count of 8 bishoujos + 1 maid
- No anime adaptations
- No characters with similar seiyuu
- Only one girl from a title is allowed

So with that, douzo!

1. Tenrou Kunagi (天楼久 那妓); Title: 大番長-Big Bang Age-; CV: 岩居由希子(Yukiko Iwai)

LIKE HELL KUNAGI ISN’T GONNA BE PART OF THIS LIST. Merry has his Airi, I have my Kunagi! The day Kunagi gets taken off MY list is the day I die! After all, Kunagi is an invaluable asset, due to her insane agility and how early you get access to her in-game. I’ve defended entire territories with just Kunagi alone, as she would just evade everyone’s attack while lashing out with her own nasty counterattacks. It takes some training and a lot of focus on Kunagi, but it is damn well worth it.

Character-wise, “focused” helps in describing her character. Kunagi’s the kind of character that can barely be fazed by anything that happens (except for things that happen in bed, kukuku~), not because she’s an ice queen but because she has an inner calm that comes from a strong resolve and presence of mind. I suppose part of that is due to her having lived as a wolf for some time, as well as the events in her past and the burden she chose to bear . She’s not an ice queen nor is she emotionally distant from everyone as she does involve herself with others, which is a good balance as her character leans away from extremes. Plus, in any fight, it helps to have a calm, reasonable head in order to adapt to anything and stay one step ahead of the enemy, and Kunagi’s exactly that. Not to mention, being utterly hard to hit is a major plus.

During lovemaking, Kunagi is just crazy awesome. She’s not only open to the act, but is also willing to serve in order to pleasure her partner, or be served in order to be pleasured. She still gets embarrassed moments, of course, and tends to initially reject anything she’s unfamiliar with, or seems abnormal, but once she gets drowned in the pleasure – the whole thing with her just turns crazy hot. And once she starts to lose herself to the pleasure, her crooning, passionate moans just echo in my head, reverberates through my body, erases all thought and makes the entire scene just THAT much more succulent and sensual. Gives me the chills. Never mind the reprimands and the physical payback that she’d deal out afterward thanks to being ashamed, but it’s all PART OF THE LOVE, BABY. Also the hilarious fact that, gameplay-wise, fucking her restores up to 50% health…is this an incentive for me to go out there and get injured just to get some healing fuckans?

It’s a damn shame that she can’t maintain her adult form due to the stress that it takes on her, but hell…considering the rest of my harem’s members, I’m sure there’s no problem I’ll be able to solve. And her outfit sense? I love that shit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone resembling Kunagi, which is a good thing considering how generic and identical looking characters are in contemporary titles.

2. Narukana (ナルカナ); Title: 聖なるかな; CV: 一色ヒカル(Hikaru Issiki)

Yes, I have a fetish for women wearing Japanese-fashioned outfits. It’s apparent with Kunagi, and it’s also apparent with Narukana. I also have a thing for utterly gorgeous, graceful bishoujos with long, dark hair. But that’s not the full extent of it! If Kunagi is a wolf on the battlefield, Narukana would be a goddamn tsunami wailing down on her enemies without mercy. The most-beautiful, most-powerful and most-merciful (all of those are self-proclaimed) Narukana, the incarnation of Rank 1 Murakumo, definitely has a spot in my harem.

Gameplay-wise, Narukana is just a beast, dubbed the “can I win now button” by those who played Seinarukana during it’s release. And by hell does that nickname truly live up to her performance. Despite being an innate Red element, she can freely use all five elements for attack, defense or support, and her stats as well as her skills puts her above everyone else in terms on combat performance. She can literally tear up an entire battlefield all by herself without breaking a sweat – provided of course that IT or clear rank is of no concern. And it’s worth noting that her power is exponentially limited due to these two factors: one, that Murakumo has been sealed into various parts, and second, that Murakumo’s true power only shows once a wielder contracts with it. Truly a powerful and fearsome Eien Shinken, and that’s not counting the fact that Murakumo’s power is Naru mana!

But to focus too much on the weapon is to lose sight of the bishoujo that makes it so valuable! Narukana, as the incarnation of Murakumo, didn’t just manage to tug my heartstrings because of her power, but also because of her absolutely awesome, mind-blowing greatness (any less praise would be deemed unworthy by Narukana, you see). Shallow, childish, self-centered, arrogant, airheaded, petty, trivial, insensitive (I should stop here before I meet my untimely end) on the surface, yet actually compassionate, caring, responsible, and considerate deep within, the character that she presents to others is a result of her insecurities and doubts due to her – Murakumo’s – nature as a “cursed sword” and “bane of existence”. The scenes of her selfishly helping herself to Nozomu’s manga and snacks while reading all day, or pretending to know the solution for helping Nozomi, Satsuki and Salles, were indeed adorable and amusing, but her true worth shines when her facade is all cleared away. Once Narukana revealed her nagging doubts and her suppressed feelings, that was it for me. GAME OVER MAN.

Sure, she only had one H scene in-game, but who’s to say that there can’t be any more? (*´Д`)ハァハァ

3. Shihoudo Narika (四方堂 ナリカ); Title: 超昂閃忍ハルカ; CV: 青葉りんご(Ringo Aoba)

Aoba Ringo playing a pink-haired twintail tsundere pettanko ninja whose weapon is a huge four-bladed shuriken that is actually a four-winged pink snake thing when not in use? What’s there not to like? Part of the cheerleading club, and is competent with cooking and other household chores, she’s also a brutal landlady – capable of detecting and pinpointing any and all porn that might be hidden in the vicinity. As if I’d NEED any other porn when Narika’s around, ha! Fast and agile (as fast as Kunagi, if Widenyo is to be believed) thanks to her petite figure and training, I’d rely on Narika for information gathering and spying, particularly on enemies – after all, that’s what ninjas were originally used for. I’d also rely on her for providing cooking, washing and the like for me and the rest of my harem members; while most of them are living breathing beings capable of mass destruction in the blink of an eye, basic cooking skills seem to have passed them by.

Of course, seeing as she’s a tsundere, I’d have to carefully balance her tsuntsun and deredere! Not that tsuntsun Narika isn’t any cute…just that she might end up not making food out of too much tsun, and I don’t want to starve to death. With regards to fighting, seeing as she’s a Sennin, she’s definitely capable of holding her own in combat with her martial skills and her big-ass shuriken. If her abilities aren’t sufficient…there’s always the ichaicha road to power! Besides, seeing as Chouko Sennin mode requires a lot of…*ahem* power-ups to be done, it’s definitely a welcome option to power up Narika everyday!

Seeing as her power is fire, it’s appropriate for her fiery tsundere personality. It’s also perfect for keeping the fires of love burning, baby! Narika is definitely open to a lot of things when it comes to fuckans…just that I’d prefer to stay away from the stuff that’d turn her into Dark Narika.

4. Asuku San (明日宿 傘); Title: いつか、届く、あの空に。; CV: ひと美(Hitomi)

The unforgettable oneesan figure with a more-than-murderous killing intent hidden beneath her gentle facade. If I ever wanted an entire city obliterated without resorting to Narukana, I’d bring her to that city, tell her they ran out of ice cream and that they think she’s fat, and run the flying fuck out of there as the carnage begins. She faced down a freaking tank with absolutely no damage, after all – and then sliced the shit in half! She’s probably deadlier than Hei of Darker than Black when it comes to assassination. Shit won’t be pretty once she’s done wreaking havoc, guaranteed, and I doubt anything would survive once she’s on the warpath. Seeing as not only conventional weapons, like tanks, don’t have any effect on her, but also magic and such, San is the absolute counter-measure to ANYTHING. Maybe even a nuclear warhead. I don’t know. Just hope you don’t end up on the opposite end of her “parasol” or have to find out.

Let’s see: ponytail, check. White-grayish hair, check. Weapon that functions as a parasol, that also functions as a perpetual black hole capable of producing food wherever and whenever in order to sate her insane appetites while still able to keep her ridiculously sexy figure, check. San also serves an important function, not just in battle, but also outside of it. Her tranquil, peaceful, easygoing demeanor would help keep everyone’s spirits calm and relaxed in everyday life. Her usual mannerisms makes me go “fuwafuwa” as it’s not just relaxing, but cute as hell. As a senpai and an oneesan, she also fulfills that role well: giving advice when it counts, helping out whenever she needs to, despite being an overall mysterious figure. I wouldn’t want to let her get into my food reserves though. She’d blow through those just as fast as she’d destroy an entire battalion.

Fuckans-wise, San might take a bit more convincing seeing as her H scene in the game was “forced”, but that doesn’t mean it can stop there! I demand San ashikoki! YES! San deserves much love, and I’m here to give it to her! Hmm, I wonder if I can win the way to her bed with food…

5. Fujita Nodoka (藤田 のどか); Title: PARA-SOL; CV: 理多(Rita)

Fujita Nodoka! Codename Keraunos, there is nothing her sword cannot cut! That’s actually in-game, and it is also Nodoka’s ability. Her ability to cleave heavily relies on her aptitude, however, so she can’t just cleave everything without breaking a sweat, unlike, say, San. She is more than capable of handling her sword and fighting enemies tougher than her, thanks to her being a PARASOL. As Nodoka, however, she is very versatile with household help, far better than Narika’s level as Nodoka learned how to become an effective maid. She can handle cooking with ease, laundy is no problem for her, cleaning is no sweat, shopping’s a breeze, and she’s particularly good with waking people up. “Coffee, me, or a knife slitting the jugular” is her usual offer early in the mornin-err, I think I’d like to skip that last option please.

Whenever she’s around others, she’s the perfect ideal wife given flesh. Reserved, friendly and helpful to everyone – but get her alone, and she turns into a completely different person provided that the person she’s with knows of her PARASOL nature. This violent side of her tingles my doM instincts so bad, I can’t help but swoon – and sweat profusely – whenever she does her violent “affectionate gestures”. In case I forget anything, Nodoka would be glad to help refresh my memory by swiftly stabbing a katana mere centimeters from my head! I don’t know how effective that would be, but she’d be more than happy to provide the assistance – whether I’d like it or not. It’s this insane tension that partly draws me to Nodoka’s character – the other part being her battle performance, of course!

When it comes to matters of more intimate concerns, Nodoka does not disappoint. Her affectionate, sweet nature reminds me of a cat, one that is as capable of snuggling close to you as much as baring its claws. Of course, that just makes the whole thing more exciting! She’s also willing to bump uglies not just in bed but also on the rooftop, or in the bath, as long as the mood drives her! Which is JUST PERFECT.

6. Sakaue Tsukuyo (坂上 月夜); Title: 天空のユミナ; CV: 里見小春(Satomi Koharu)

Tsukuyo! The adorably adorable miko in Yumina, who unlike her crazy tsundere sister Youko, believes that everyone should just get along. That’s not to say that she’s naive, just that she’s idealistic and pure-minded. Such purity, of course, matches her miko nature perfectly. Plus, when have you ever seen a miko kicking ass with her twin, albeit big-ass, fans alone? Unlike her sister Youko who uses black element, Tsukuyo uses blue element, which fits her calm and ever-gentle demeanor.

In combat, her use of fans and spell cards makes her a valuable member. While not as destructive as the other members of my harem, her graceful attacks as well as her ability to vanish enemy skills is a handy advantage. Outside of combat, she’s definitely a refreshing sight to behold, and I’m sure that she’s more than glad to play that role of being able to make everyone’s spirits relax.

When it comes to the fuckans, Tsukuyo isn’t as pure as her sister apparently believed – after all, a woman like Tsukuyo has needs and desires too! Needs and desires that I’d more than be willing to meet!

7. Saginomiya Sunao (鷺宮 沙生); Title: クレナイノツキ; CV: 中瀬ひな(Hina Nakase)

The words “ideal wife” would fit Sunao perfectly. She’s good with any and all household chores, which is even more impressive considering that she makes do without any of the convenience seen in any contemporary home. Plus, I really love Sunao’s design. While I think long black hair would suit her more, her hair is just fine the way it is. Sunao’s charm is more about her character traits – being the perfect wife – as well as her “Oni” blood. She’s also a miko, to boot!

Thanks to her Oni disposition, Sunao’s fighting ability would probably be on the same level as Kunagi’s, only more brutal as Sunao. Her value in my harem isn’t just for fighting, of course, as being the perfect wife material plays a large part. She’s not only talented in various things (like flower arrangement, never mind her clumsiness with anything regarding technology or the modern world), she’s also graceful, lithe, and most of all, loyal. She’s also competent when it comes to keeping her calm during times of crisis, as well as restoring order in order to avoid panic. Her versatility both in and out of combat makes Sunao very important to my harem!

When it comes to the ichaicha, Sunao is predictably shy and embarrassed about such things, but nevertheless tends to get herself swept up in the heat of the moment. After all, beneath that perfect wife demeanor lies a fiery spirit just raging with passion! I just have to make sure that she doesn’t run off with any of my underwear while she’s washing them, obviously, because Sunao gets…ideas whenever her passion starts to overflow. And I’d gladly provide more loving in order to sate those barely-restrained appetites!

8. Rekshumi Parabellum (レクシュミ・パラベルム); Title: 戦女神ZERO; CV: 緒田マリ(Mari Oda)

Finally, a twin sword user in my harem! Rekshumi Parabellum, also known as the Red Shield of Leuinia, with utmost dedication to Mizu no Miko. She’s an entirely capable general, something that my harem can benefit from during battles, as a commanding presence is necessary to guide all my WMD-grade bishoujos effectively in combat. Rekshumi’s also more than capable of fending for herself in battle; while she might not have spells or the like, her skills with the sword are more than enough for her survival. She’s a woman who pushes herself above and beyond the call of duty, all for the sake of dedication and accomplishing her goal in order to protect those she cares for. That dedication to Mizu no Miko isn’t just about loyalty; it also functions both ways, as Mizu no Miko can use Rekshumi as a conduit for her power should the need arise.

With such a straitlaced character, however, Rekshumi is fazed by things such as intimate relations with the opposite sex; something she believes to have outgrown, but, as her scene with Celica has proven, was not entirely the case. After being enlightened with regards to the intricacies of sex, Rekshumi seems to have a more open mind about it – provided that it does not deter her from her duties, of course. That I can live with!

Outside of combat, I’m not so sure how Rekshumi would help. She’s used to being surrounded by maids and living in comfort in her mansion in Leuinia, so I’m not really sure how that would play out. But when it comes to the loving, I’m all for it.

Maid: Ekria Femlins (エクリア・フェミリンス); Title: 戦女神VERITA; CV: 風音(Kazane)

Last, but nowhere near the least, my trump card, Ekria Femlins. As the Princess General of Karussha, she manipulated the rulers of various countries and had them oppose Louie’s Empire after a negotiation between Menphil and Karussha resulted in the murder of Karussha’s representative. Behind the scenes, she orchestrated events in order to spread chaos and war, brought about by the Curse of Femlins taking it’s toll on Ekria’s soul. In the final encounter with Louie and company deep within Femlins Shrine, Ekria ends up killing her sister Irina in order to liberate Femlin’s power further, but loses and ends up exiled by Louie. Torn by grief and despair, she seeks out Celica in the hopes that he would live up to his promise – that if she wishes to die, all she has to do is appear before him and say so. After a long journey of seeking death, she ends up becoming Celica’s first ever apostle instead, due to the similar nature of their fates and how both are viewed by the world as unwanted existences.

Not only is she cunning and strategic, as shown by the extent to which she manipulated events, people and circumstances in Genrin 2, but Ekria is also a formidable all-around mage and fighter. She wields a whipsword, and is more than deadly with it in battle; not only that, she can use powerful AOE magic (in Genrin 2) as well as utilize arcane, strengthening and ice magic (in VERITA). Due to the Curse of Femlins on her, Ekria’s ability is easily beyond the scope of any normal human. Including her becoming Celica’s apprentice, her abilities are vastly improved, and it’s safe to say that she can hold her own against any high-ranking Majin. Her knowledge of the arcane and divine arts, her commanding presence and ability, as well as her aptitude with her whipsword, makes for a very lethal combination once she’s on the battlefield.

While fearsome in battle, Ekria Femlins also excels at other things, such as: being the absolute perfect maid! In order to please her Master, Ekria brushed up on various things that maids do, and while she was clumsy at it from the beginning, her skills improved fast. After all, when you’re immortal, you have a lot of time to learn things. Her ability at cooking, laundry, cleaning, as well as providing overall service is top-notch, even god-like, so much that if she could win battles with her maid skills alone, they’d all be unrivaled, flawless victories. With a maid like her, I would hardly have the need for any other!

And I’m not going to forget about the *cough* other service that Ekria is willing to provide to her goshujin-sama. Ekria is not only completely willing and able when it comes to doing the naughty, but she can also take the initiative as well as be the one to try out new things. As long as she feels her goshujin-sama needs it, Ekria will do it! In the middle of the enemy’s castle staging a siege? All she needs is an isolated hallway, and bam. Instant gohoubi, all for goshujin-sama’s sake. (*´Д`)ハァハァ

Not only is Ekria the perfect unit in battle, she’s also the perfect complement outside of battle! Ekria banzai!

———————————

That settles it for my harem. While Merry sticks with harmony and balance, and warum with his supportive, understanding ladies who are more than willing to dish out footjobs and abuse in the guise of harsh loving, I find that I still go for WMD-grade bishoujos for my harem. Not that it’s a surprise, but most of my bishoujos aren’t just powerful out of potential alone – they’ve also had prior battle experience, making them more dangerous. Keeping a harem like mine might be perceived as bad for one’s health, but that’s what a harem is for! Unrestrained love! Plus I’ve also got bishoujos like Sunao, Tsukuyo, Kunagi and Rekshumi to calm everyone down out of battle, and Ekria to keep everyone disciplined – she does a hell of a job keeping discipline and order enforced. While my bishoujos might be WMD-grade, they’re still able to function (relatively) normal in society, and they’re not as unbalanced as one might think!

My no-need-to-worry list? Basically any type of household chore, food, clothing, survival in combat, and raunchy loving ichaicha. Any and all threats will be eliminated, and much love will be spread!

Dazed and Disoriented

By , 21 November, 2010 10:45 PM

Aah, Tokimi. Why did they tone her down so much in Seinarukana? I miss her crazier self in Eien no Aselia…;_;

Narukana’s route is easily the best route in all of Seinarukana, and not just because of personal preference. In her route, everything comes together so perfectly that I can’t really see another way for Seinarukana to canonically end and pave the way for their appearance in Eien no Aselia 3 without it becoming ridiculously cheesy (like how the fandisc shows it, with the whole brigade all together and all). While Satsuki’s ending – the ending the fandisc picks up from – is kind of acceptable because it does incorporate some necessary story elements, it’s just not as complete as Narukana’s route offers.

What makes Narukana’s route so complete? For me, these defining elements would be it: Jiruoru’s true character and nature, Narukana’s “curse”, and the resolution to the whole Et Ca Rifa incident.

In all the other routes, Jiruoru’s character is barely touched on; aside from his reputation for being the heartless God of Destruction, that he was part of the time tree’s creation, and that he was imprisoned along with Narukana. In Narukana’s route, Nozomu not only gets to briefly witness what transpired during Narukana’s imprisonment, but also feel firsthand Jiruoru’s thoughts. Jiruoru’s loss of himself was tragic – almost on the same level as Celica Sylphil’s – only Jiruoru was integrated into a “system”, along with Faim. His regret at being unable to not just grant, but “connect” with Narukana once they managed to “go outside” with his own desire was just as sad. Kind of adds a new meaning to the choice that you are given should you pursue Narukana’s route – by reaching out to her hand, Nozomu in effect “wakes up” to Jiruoru’s unspoken desire.

Which was why I was pretty much smiling during the entire exchange between Jiruoru and Narukana inside Jiruoru/Nozomu’s mind. Jiruoru realized that he had a second chance to make up to Narukana with Nozomu; despite Nozomu’s lack of power compared to Jiruoru (then again EVERYONE is puny ass weak compared to the fearsome God of Destruction), Nozomu’s will was adamantly stronger than Jiruoru’s own (Immortal Will, there’s a big clue right there), which Jiruoru felt was what he sorely lacked in order to be worthy of Narukana. Narukana, seeing that Jiruoru telling her that Nozomu would be the one who would become her owner, kind of dances around the issue – I think it’s cute. It also explains why, out of everyone, Narukana’s the only one who was fondly thinking of Jiruoru, and not just because they a history. Despite her lack of desire for an owner, I believe Narukana subconsciously knew that Jiruoru was the only one capable of wielding her, and that must have been why she had been looking for him for such a long time (enough to even go as far as to create Ruptna and then forget that she did so in the first place). Not just to be with him again, but to be “outside” again – to be free from everything that restrains them. Jiruoru with his place in the system and the way he was converted to be a part of it, and Narukana from her “curse”.

Narukana’s character as a selfish, loudmouthed impatient know-it-all is a pretty hilarious (and effective) mask for what her character really is. Once the ball gets rolling in Narukana’s route, and that it’s revealed that Narukana (or to be precise, Murakumo) is a cursed existence, that mask starts to makes sense considering the context of her background and her nature. Murakumo, the cursed sword that produces Naru mana, effectively making it unwieldy unless one had a death wish – and therefore immune to its own basic instinct of having a wielder (or so Narukana says). The moment Narukana’s insecurity was shown was the moment that I really felt for Narukana as a character, as she seeks escape from not just her seal but also her fate. Given that she’s shown repeatedly that she WANTS to be wielded by Nozomu after she helps him smack the Naru-corrupted Management God in the face hard (sneaking in his futon once, and the “manga” incident twice, not counting others) yet has to restrain herself for fear of killing Nozomu, that for me marks her inner conflict. It’s pretty much obvious with her kiss to Nozomu, and again during her battle against Naru Yaga, after Naru Yaga’s consumed Satsuki, Euphoria, and Nozomu. Her mask is effectively taken off and she just flies into a rage, trying to kill Naru Yaga to the utmost of her abilities.

Sure the gattai scene detracts from the seriousness of Nozomu making his contract with Murakumo (you have to admit, it IS very hilarious), but the scenes after Naru Yaga’s defeat are pretty sweet. Naru High Eternal Murakumo no Nozomu in his melancholy, brushing off Tokimi and Euphie’s concerns and departing off without an idea as to where to go, is a brief glance at the melancholy that has pervaded Narukana’s existence for a long time. The “reunion” scene brought tears to my eyes, haha. NARUKANA AND JIRUORU NOZOMU, FINALLY FREE AND TOGETHER! WAI WAI! Not without a price, of course – they’ve run smack dab in the middle of the war between Chaos and Law Eternals, with the latter opposed to their existence, and the former sitting on the fence as to how to treat Naru High Eternal Nozomu and co. Another Ikusa Megami parallelism, but whatever – in a sense, Nozomu has become similar to Celica, an existence that is reviled and hated by the entire Eternal pantheon (only Nozomu doesn’t lose his memories every so often, and should he fuck other ladies, his own ladies will kill him). Only not that extreme, as Chaos Eternals seem to not just give a fuck about Nozomu and co. unless they get in their way. Except for Tokimi, and most probably High Eternals Yuuto and Aselia, though I don’t know how those two would take to Nozomu and co’s existence.

All of the above’s also part of why I like Nozomu’s cut-in CG during Immortal Will so much. He looks so calm, collected, so complete in a sense compared to his cut-in CG appearance in Namebreaker, and it’s not hard to figure out why – even if he is fighting another Eternal, albeit Naru-corrupted and with a Rank 2 Shinken, and with the fate of entire worlds in his hands. I’d like to think that it’s because he’s finally fulfilling his purpose, becoming Murakumo’s master and choosing to walk the same path as Narukana. Regarding the Eien no Aselia -Seinarukana Arrange- that plays during the fight with Naru Yaga, I actually didn’t attack until the first loop of the song ended as I was too busy being frozen in place, mouth agape and brain going “WAIT WHAT IS THIS SONG WHAT I THINK IT I-OH FUCK ME YES IT’S THAT SONG ALRIGHT“.

This is why I’d say that at the end of it all, Seinarukana’s a fancy love story involving swords and stuff – only it drunkenly staggers towards that goal. I love the whole love story between Narukana and Jiruoru Nozomu a lot, it’s just too bad that the fandisc felt the need to pick Satsuki’s route over Narukana in order to get some cheap gags (at Narukana’s expense). Admittedly the Rehme fuckans is fine with me, but seriously, that could’ve been done with Narukana’s route as a starting point too – maybe they were just being lazy about it. I want to dismiss it by just closing my ears, going LA LA LAA and telling myself that it’s a fandisc, but it does put some things on the table – things I already know, unfortunately (like how Law Eternals are after Nozomu and co., Nozomi and co. trying to hook up with Nozomu again, and Nozomu having the power to create his own time tree).

I love Seinarukana, but unfortunately Narukana’s route isn’t really enough to hold the title up, even if the other character’s routes are interesting, compared to Eien no Aselia. It strikes me as funny that it’s the non-human characters in the Eien no Aselia universe that I feel are the ones who are well-written, interesting and completely likable to the point that I can emotionally identify with them. In EnA, it was Aselia who held my affections; seeing her grow and develop emotions, up until the incident where she lost her will, then became an Eternal with Yuuto were very touching moments for me (I cried like a bitch once Yuuto and Aselia became Eternals, and went FUCK YEAH IT’S TIME TO KICK ASS at the final battle with Shun, what with the music playing). In Seikana, it’d be (clearly) Narukana, the incarnation and will of the Rank 1 Eien Shinken Murakumo, who gets to be my favorite character, for reasons stated above and more.

Okay, on to Ikusa Megami. Oh man.

Why is VERITA so underwhelming? I keep asking myself that and yet I can’t come up with any definitive answers. Zak suggested that maybe Eushully’s just bad with multiple story progressions, referring to ZERO and the Chapter during which you controlled Hishera after she took over Satia’s body for herself and citing the weakness of that particular chapter with regards to the story. I’d like to agree, but it can’t be simply because of the story structure alone, even though I argued otherwise in here.

What made ZERO epic was because it was reminiscent of the stuff of Greek tragedies, and that was a big thing for me because I fucking loved Greek tragedies. Celica wishing for power in order to simply protect the powerless, and getting it at a heavy price – the deaths of his loved ones and the loss of himself as well as gaining the hatred of the entire world. That’s a pretty big fucking thing for me, and seeing the theme unfold in Celica’s story was even more so. At the end of ZERO, Celica continues to live for the promise he made to live and reunite with Satia, even if he does not remember what promise he made or who he made it with; he continues to help those in need, but new evils are born from actions he perceived as helpful and made with good intentions; he fights to protect those he can protect, but is just barely able to win against Satia’s goddess body.

In VERITA, most of that goes unspoken but shown – there’s even a brief throwback to Celica’s history via the events that occur with Ekria, before she decides to become his apostle. Two cursed existence reviled by the world, finding solace in each other, though not in the sense that you’d think. Admittedly, the most powerful scenes for me were the ones that involved Celica – the moment he threw himself after Ekria after she jumped off the cliff, and during the fight with Marsteria – because they were reminiscent of the events that ZERO had. That was pretty much it for Celica-defining moments for me.

Louie, at first, felt like he was just a tacked-on character who was included just because, but that changed later on once more of his character was explored. Let me get this out of the way first – FUCKING HELL, THERE IS A SEVERE LACK OF GENRIN 2 CHARACTER PRESENCE WTF, WHERE ARE MY RIONNE AND TINA AND SERIEL AND RHEANA AND NINA AND MIRA FUCK WHY ISN’T FAMI RECRUITABLE WHAT THE HELLLLLLLLLLLLL?! Louie’s motivation was primarily creating a country wherein humans and nonhumans could exist together, thanks to Irina who made Louie realize that that was his true desire. Irina’s loss clearly took a huge toll on Louie, as he can be seen still trying to cope with her loss. Hell, his entire story, once he got the facts from Paimon and Zahaniu, was to save Irina from Buleard’s core and resurrect her, while still keeping true to the ideals that he and Irina believed in. There is also the tension between Ekria and Louie whenever they meet, which makes the scene whenever both of them encounter each other interesting, but not so much. The true history ending shows Louie running off after Rifia (and possibly making babies along the way with Fami, Petrene and Carian), so there’s still a slight chance we might get future Genrin installments. I hope so, because much like Celica, Louie is too much of a badass to just put aside.

VERITA had it’s FUCK YEAH moments, off the top of my head those being; Zephyra realizing the existence of the Godslayer, Kuu coming to the rescue, Celica and Louie’s first encounter, the three Majin fight (fuck that was scary the first time I went through it), Louie rampaging through Zahaniu and co.’s base, Ekria fighting “Fate” (though this was a bit cheesy, really), Celica going berserk and going on a rampage, and then Celica and Louie grudgingly teaming up against the demon dragon (poor delishuz Rashena). I also loved the scenes that connected to ZERO, such as Marinya becoming Celica’s apostle, or Abirus’ rebirth. Even the hilarious ones got me laughing, like Rita and her loathing for centipedes, or Amdosius trying to run off with a pillar. But VERITA still paled in comparison to ZERO – maybe ZERO plus the expectations for VERITA put the bar far too high, is what I’m thinking. Most of what happened were a recursion of what happened in ZERO, or expectantly mentioned in previous titles, but were not enough to make a big enough impact on their own in VERITA. That, and trying to merge Ikusa Megami ZERO and Genrin no Kishogun 2 – two big titles on their own – into a single title and being able to match or even exceed either of them in both scale, epic and impact, is, while ideal, actually a very difficult thing to do.

…Ugh, I wish there was a recruitable, playable Dianne and Zephyra, and that Rekshumi and Levia could join you. ;_; And that Ekria had combat skills with her whip swords, ’cause she was a pretty great fighter in Genrin 2. I’m off to cry in my corner now.

PS. I should stop writing about 聖なるかな.

神採りアルケミーマイスター

By , 19 November, 2010 11:52 PM

Eushully’s upcoming game, set to be released Spring 2011. Yeah, it just got announced, but what kind of crazed delirious Eushully fan would I be if I don’t dedicate a post to it, right?

Site is here! Enjoy! And yes, it is very much like Himegari, only more…refined, I suppose.

In case you need to know what I think…all you have to do is just look to the right. My twitter account should be flooded to hell soon with what I think of it, complete with HNGHs and DELISHUZ.

PS. I forgot to add, but the VERITA Guidebook also comes with Append 3 for VERITA. Apparently it adds extra stories for both Celica and Louie!

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