Let's Talk About: Sumire 16 Sai

I know I said the Let's Play video would come out with the next post but I lied. I have to tell everyone about this great manga.



It's a "Slice-of-Life" type that's kind of gimmicky, but the best part is it's realistic. The manga features a girl named Sumire Yotsuya, the only problem is she's actually a puppet controlled by a middle aged man. She's not a magical puppet, or a robot but literally a mundane ventriloquist's dummy. She attends school and participates as if everything were normal and she never breaks character.

The story lines are really fun to read and it's a mixture of whimsy and sobering reality, halfway through the series you passively begin to think of Sumire as a real girl and you realize the characters do too.

The most interesting character doesn't have any lines, why does the old man attend high school as a sixteen year old girl?

It's a really funny series with interesting character dynamics, from Sumire herself, to a weeaboo English teacher, to her Yakuza boss friend. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes manga, it defies genre as it's very well written.

Let's Talk About: Delays

New post will be coming up soon, making a Let's Play video is kind of hard and I'm trying to find a good balance between game volume and voice.

Let's Talk About: Playstation Network

If you haven't heard some serious news as of late is the breach of security on Sony's Playstation Network



This is some pretty serious news and raises a few questions. How was this allowed to happen? Can players have prevented it? Should players be expected to? What's Sony's liability in this?

CNN has an article that answers a few of these questions.

Honestly this is a serious breach of trust to its consumers from a  business standpoint. I personally don't own a PS3 because the only decent games from what I've seen are Disgaea 3 and Little Big Planet but if my Steam account were somehow hacked I'd be disappointed but to not be informed that it may be hacked by Valve would be a serious breach of my trust as a consumer and I'd be hesitant to purchase more Steam games.

But if you own a PS3 you have my sincerest condolences not only because of the hack but because you wasted your money on a terrible console.

Let's Talk About: The End of The Semester

I'm not sure about everyone else out there but I'm absolutely swamped with work. Once I get a few of my projects done you can expect a fresh new post from me. I'm sure you're fidgeting with anticipation but it will have to wait.

Let's Talk About: Power Puff Girls Z

Japan: Taking your childhood and improving it since 1983

 

 

Yeah, I watched Power Puff Girls when I was younger big whoop wanna fight about it?

Isn't he fabulous?

All joking aside it is/was a decent cartoon. A simple premise, interesting stories and villains from the iconic Mojo Jojo to the demonic flamboyant Him.

Power Puff Girls Z is a dramatic re-imagining of the characters from the original, while the art style change is drastic the character design stays very true to the original. The new design makes the show a bit more serious, at least as serious as Magical Girl anime can get.

Presumably from cultural differences Power Puff Girls Z is a bit more mature in regards to the way the characters act. The "Rowdy Rough Boys" are potential love interests rather than gender contrasting antagonists and the characters have more definition to them.

However this character development comes from the change in story. Rather than being the result of some Frankenstein-esque experiment to create children (which looking back is really creepy) people were exposed to something called "Z-Rays" which are a far cry from but similar to the mysterious Chemical X.



The Power Puff Girls are also more "developed" *cough* in the regard that their personality traits create a more interesting dynamic and are less of a stereotype. By all means the tomboy attitude of Buttercup, the ditziness of Bubbles, and the heroism of Blossom are defining characteristics for the characters but the more mature tone of the show allows for more reflection on this social dynamic. Also since they are not sisters in Power Puff Girls Z their interaction takes a different tone as they're a bit more impersonal with each other and aren't "obligated" to love each other.

Honestly it's a great take on the show if you watched the original Power Puff Girls and a lighthearted Magical Girl Anime in its own right.

Buttercup is a badass.

Let's Talk About: Stress

Everyone gets stressed from time to time. Hell, personally this week really threw me for a loop, college classes, the requirements to transfer out of a two year school, journalism classes (to make my blog extra fancy). Day after day stress rears its ugly head.

"Did I pass that midterm?"

"What's my total grade?"

"When is that essay due?"

Of course stress is hardly a unique concept exclusive to college students. It's an omnipresent aspect of your life affected by things ranging from your socioeconomic status to social obligations with friends. The key thing is how we manage stress and allay any panic we feel. I barely get through a day without feeling physically ill thinking about tomorrow. I realized it came from having my life in disarray, it helps to plan, know what you're going to do tomorrow so you know what to expect?

Boring?

Tell me that when you've never felt better about yourself, staying organized is great to keep an anxious mind occupied and soothed. Take a deep breath, get a soothing drink and put things into perspective, you're your own worst enemy.

Sometimes it helps to think of the world as a whole. Things have been going on for millions of years, your problems are a bump in the road that you can handle.

Let's Talk About: Hipsters

Everyone's favorite chic geeks it's hipsters. Aptly named for the creature's strange tendency to ironically conform to ideals of non-conformity. Never has there been a more snobbish clique before, even outmatching the so called "preps" they hold with such disdain. From expensive pre-torn clothing to retro gaming shirts Hipsters always cling to what contrasts best with the current common culture.

All four are wearing makeup.

Remember guys, if no one questions your sexuality; you aren't doing it right.

Girls need to make sure they look as nerdy as possible while still making sure they're sexy. After all, Edward Cullen doesn't magically form a boner for just any special snowflake.

Sadly the Hipster's obsession with retro fashion has thrown respect for more classy styles of dress out the metaphorical window. Want to present yourself formally in a unique way? Maybe a waist coat like Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka? Sadly unless you resign yourself to the typical suit and tie businessmen don every day you're merely imitating the everyday dress of a hipster.

One can only hope that one day formality and spiffiness will make a return in the common culture and hipster will retreat to their more edgy counter culture affair so we can once more frolic in our sports coats, fedoras and pocket watches without shame.

This used to be an actual style of dress, not the joke it's become today.