Procrastination Galore

So, I never actually got around to posting those FanExpo Costume pics.  I've been too busy playing Halo Reach.  I haven't got much time right now, so consider this "the review light".

Six and Kat (and some gunner no one cares about) travel in style.

Firstly, the Campaign is EPIC.  True, the voice acting can be a bit weak at times, but the story and the visuals make up for that fact.  Also, it's the only Halo game (not counting ODST, because it's an expansion) that isn't "Human Happy".  Let's be quite clear here.  It's Reach.  It's one of the greatest bloodbaths in the Halo universe.  Humanity doesn't win.  Humanity gets absolutely BRUTALIZED by the Covenant.  It's touching, in a way, watching people fight for their planet when you (and many of them) already know they can't win.  Still, LONG LIVE THE COVENANT!

To briefly sum up the rest of the game, Matchmaking is okay, a lot more balanced than Halo 3.  Firefight has been greatly improved from ODST, with the inclusion of a ton of options and even a versus (Spartans vs Elites) mode.  Custom games, however, have gone downhill quite a bit.  Suffice it to say, infection games have been greatly hampered by barely visible teammate icons, bizarre new Energy Sword physics, and several other glaring issues.  The most obvious of these?  No matter how you set it up, Active Camo seems to only make you invisible when you aren't moving.  Predator gametypes are officially dead.

Also, Forge Mode is now confusing as hell.  Sometimes there can be such a thing as too much variety, as is evidenced by Bungie's HUNDREDS of options.  That said, once you get past the initial learning curve, there's a lot you can do with the Forge.

Also on the subject of Forge (Halo 3 Forge, but still), here something to read.  Click to enlarge.

Before anyone asks, it's not my work.  It was done by a guy called Alfred Lam.  Here's a link to the first one, on his site.  There's an archive of them there as well.  Click!

Anyway, I'll be out of town for about a week.  Maybe I'll put up some more FanExpo pictures when I get back, if anyone's still interested.

It had to be done....

Well, part one of my "Stave Off Boredom" project is now complete. I now possess a YouTube account! Truth be told, I've never been that big a fan of YouTube. It's full of charlatans who want nothing more than to watch videos of other people injuring themselves in stupid ways (yes, I admit that's a stereotype, but it's largely true). However, there are also some very talented and/or insightful YouTube users. So I figured that I had to put aside my distaste and join.

And, being me, I couldn't help but upload a video of my own. Just something simple, for now. A little "AMV" I came up with.

[EDIT] I have since taken the AMV down, because I was unhappy with the quality.[EDIT]

Visit my channel here.

Of course, there's more to come. Part two is something I've been planning for a while, and should be up within the month (barring unforeseen problems).

He's up to Something....

Well, my Xbox is being repaired (again). And so, to stave off boredom, I've got a new project on the go.  Can't say what as of right now.

But believe me, I think it will be worth your while.

Toronto, Again

I'm posting on Sunday, yet again.  I was in Toronto yesterday (yet again).  Less than a week after FanExpo finished, I just couldn't stay away.  The problem is, the TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) was on, and the streets were even more choked with people than usual.

I stopped by this fun little Japanese Hobby store and picked up a couple of Gundam figurines.  These are random, so you never know what's in the box.  When I saw that one of the possibilities was a 1/300 scale MSN-04 Sazabi, my heart leapt.  The Sazabi is my favourite Mobile Suit of all time (subject to change, if something more awesome comes along), with the GN-Flag being a close second, of course.  So I picked one of the medium weight boxes (Sazabi is bulky, not fat!) hoping, but not really believing, that I might get lucky.  After all, the gods of irony and I have never exactly seen eye to eye.  But I guess fate threw me a curveball, because the moment I opened the box, what should I find but a Sazabi in all its miniature red glory!  Wait, I've had this dream before....

The other figurine was, perhaps befittingly, Allelujah Haptism.  After all, I did get Soma Peries at FanExpo, so I think that makes perfect sense.  Opposites attract, after all.

There's some interesting new lighting tricks at work here, for the enjoyment of you, the audience.  I'm thinking of upgrading my background, but you'll probably never notice any difference.

There they are, in all their epic... plastic.  The Sazabi also came with a Beam Rifle and a display stand.

You may not be able to tell from these pictures, but Allelujah is tall.  Next to Soma, he looks ridiculously tall.  I know she was pretty short in the Anime, but the Soma Peries I got at FanExpo must be a different scale, or something, because she's simply dwarfed by Allelujah.

Maybe I'll take a picture of them side by side, so you can see just how laughably tall he really is.

However, after all that, the gods of irony couldn't resist the chance to flout my victory.  In the ultimate insult, they ensured that the Sazabi's weapon hand was clogged with paint, making it impossible to attach the Beam Rifle.

Why can the gods of irony not fight with honour?

The Last Days of Summer Break

People seem to have this bizarre habit of holding events in the last few weeks of the summer break.

Especially in Toronto.

As you may or may not know, the Toronto FanExpo is one of the largest "fan conventions" in Canada. With that in mind, it's obvious why it was held in the Metro Convention Centre, a colossal building right next to the CN Tower.

FanExpo ran from August 28th-30th, a sort of "conclusion" to the month. Unlike most other conventions, which are only geared toward fans of one genre (i.e. comic books or Sci-Fi), FanExpo is designed to appeal to fans of Anime, Sci-Fi, Comics, Horror, and Gaming. Of course this means a wide variety of vendors, artists, and celebrities are present at each show.

But wait, you ask, what kind of celebrities would be present at such an event? Well, the list was too long to mention everyone, but it included Leonard Nimoy, Billy Dee Williams, Linda Hamilton, Mary McDonnell, Beau Bridges, Walter Koenig, and even Bruce Campbell (this is my BOOMSTICK!).

I had the great pleasure of meeting some of my favourite voice actors, namely: Brad Swaile (Setsuna F. Seiei, Light Yagami/Kira, Amuro Ray), Crispin Freeman (Alex Row, Jeremiah Gottwald), Steve Downes (The Master Chief), and of course, Scott McNeil (Ali Al-Saachez)! I have pictures somewhere, but sadly I haven't been able to "retrieve" them yet. Perhaps at a later date.

Before I continue, it must be made common knowledge that this was not only my first FanExpo, but also the first convention I've attended. Hopefully the first of many.

Now on to the main event!

Upon entering the main hall, visitors were greeted by this statue of the Master Chief. What better way to set the mood?

See those white boxes? That's all comic books.

Even with his head mounted on a wall, the Balrog is terrifying

There's just too much!

For me, walking into FanExpo was like a dream come true, except that everything cost money! The vendors section was full of long booths, brimming with collectables, action figures, posters, books, DVD's and comics. Then of course there were the stores that practically sold nothing but Gunpla.

Of course, the Toronto Garrison of the 501st Legion was present, dressed as various characters from the Star Wars Saga. The members of the 501st sport costumes of very high quality, right down to the mouthpiece, which gives them that cold, menacing "Stormtrooper-y" voice. To create the feeling that these were real troopers on patrol, certain people were given a "Droid Hunt" badge. If a trooper approached someone in possession of one of these badges, that person would have to turn it over.

On the first day the trooper patrols were crawling all over the place, but as Fan Expo progressed they became less frequent.

The Fighting 501st: Vader's Fist on patrol

Droids?

This guy was fun. I took a couple of snaps of him, then as I turned to leave, thinking "he didn't notice my Droid Hunt badge, I'm ninja", he said "I'm not finished with you yet." Curses!

Anyway, according to the rules of the Droid Hunt, he took my badge away. However, near the end of FanExpo it was possible to pick up another as a souvenir, with a donation to charity. By that time I only had spare change left over, but gave all I could.

After all, good cause, plus 501st keepsake? How could I refuse?

It goes without saying that people would be Cosplaying at an event such as this. I was very impressed with some of the designs, however, I only took pictures of the ones I recognized.

Mal from Joss Whedon's Firefly/Serenity

For Z.A.F.T.!

The MJOLNIR MK V & VI

I'm no expert, but I think these guys serve The God Emperor of Mankind

On the third day, I wore my homemade Z.A.F.T. officer's uniform (the white one). Not entirely finished to my liking, so no pictures of that yet, but I will get some taken once it's all done.

Fan Expo may be over, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to look forward to. After all, it'll be returning next year: 2010!

We'll be back next year! Rebel scum.

Somehow in between all my running around to get stuff signed, I still had some time to myself, and used it well.

Yay, loot!

As you can see, I did a bit of shopping. I got all this for about $140 (Canadian, of course).

By the way, you may notice some signatures on the Gundam 00 DVD. In blue, Brad Swaile, the voice of Setsuna. The other signature is Scott McNeil's, the voice of (yep, you guessed it) Ali Al-Saachez!

I was exhausted after FanExpo, but just a few days later, I was at it again. This time at the Rotary Brantford Charity Airshow. Brantford, for all those of you who don't know, was once the home of Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone. But that has nothing to do with aircraft.

And aircraft is why I was there in the first place.

The Snowbirds: Canada's aerial acrobatics team

Some consider them a Canadian symbol. The Snowbirds, 431 squadron, is a group comprised of active members of our armed forces. They perform all kinds of tricks and maneuvers, including some lethal looking loops.

This, of course, is our Avro Lancaster bomber. One of only two (2!) left in the world that can still fly. This one is usually kept in the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, less than thirty minutes from where I'm sitting as I type this. The other airworthy Lancaster belongs to the Queen of England, and she doesn't let the public take flights in hers. That's right, it's possible to take flights in our Lancaster, although I think there's a waiting list (don't quote me on that).

Yes, that is an F-18. We do have those.

I'm sure there are some people who believe that our Air Force consists of Biplanes and lumberjacks with wings tied to their arms. I reject your blatant stereotyping with the power of the fighter jet.

Accelerate!

It's hard to tell from this picture, but that jet is going wicked fast. Ironically the clearest picture I took all day, with less blurring than the planes moving one third that speed.

In Soviet Russia, trainer plane pilots you!

Do a Barrel Roll!

It's been a great summer, but for once I'm actually exited about going back to school (blasphemy!), mostly because I finally get to choose all my classes. That means I'm going to be spending most of the year on a stage or around video cameras, which should prove to be awesome. Next stop, Hollywood (or Vancouver, if I can't get Stateside)!

Just one last thing. I took so many pictures at FanExpo and the airshow, that I don't have the upload space to put them all in my Flickr photostream. So, unfortunately I won't be able to upload the others for about a month, but if anyone thinks they'll still want to see those photo's around that time, just say so in a comment sometime between now and then.

Thus concludes my last post for the summer.

Halo: 343 Industries

Recently it was announced that the Halo universe will take a new direction in the form of seven straight to DVD Anime shorts, entitled "HALO Legends". These shorts are being created by five production studios: Bones, Casio Entertainment, Production I.G., Studio4º C, and Toei Animation. You may know them, you may not. 

The project is being overseen by 343 industries, a Microsoft team lead by former Bungie employee Frank "Frankie" O'Conner. They handle Halo's conversion from a video game to other forms of media.

If you haven't already seen the Comic-Con trailer, click the banner below.

While I have heard mixed reviews about this (and I had to grimace at the fact that Toei, creators of Dragonball, are getting their hands on my beloved Halo), I will of course be buying Halo Legends.

That being said, my curiosity was peaked, and I took a quick glance at 343 Industries' Halopedia page.  Turns out they're overseeing a lot of new comics and such, but what really caught my attention was something called "The Forerunner Trilogy", a novel series currently being written by Greg Bear.

Sounds intriguing, doesn't it?

Danny Choo - The Master Has Taken Notice

Well, It's very late (or early?) here, and I was sorting through my e-mail when I noticed a message stating that Danny Choo has added my Flickr profile as a contact. It was a month old. While I must apologize to him for my lack of vigilance, I am extremely grateful for this, as it is the first step in my GRAND PLAN FOR WORLD DOMINATION! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!

In case you're not familiar with him (and here I'm going to assume that you've been living under the proverbial rock, or in some cases, a very real, extremely grimy rock) , I shall enlighten you.

He runs the site dannychoo.com, a massive collection of photos (and such) of figurines, life in Japan, and all that good stuff. While I'm sorry to say that I've never signed up, I'm a fan of his work, especially the mecha stuff, like this article, which deals with Armored Core.

So here and now I'm making two vows: (1) To join dannychoo.com some time in the near future, and (2) to check my email and update this site every Saturday (unless I can't physically get to a computer).

In other news (if it can be called that) I have now finished Code Geass (both Lelouch of The Rebellion & R2). I'm surprised to say that I almost felt some kind of emotion at the end (something sort of... nice, compared to my usual blindingly zealous rage). But I'm not going to spoil the ending for you, you'll have to see it for yourselves, if you haven't already.

It's definitely going on the list of my favourite Sci-Fi Anime series. And Lelouch is now going somewhere high up on my "List of Bad-assery", with Grahame Aker, Char Aznable, Alex Row, and all the others (Boba Fett's on there too, even though he's not an Anime character).

(My, I do use parenthesis a lot when I talk, don't I?) (I do.) (It's a bad habit.)

(I'll stop now.)

Photography Trip: Toronto

Yesterday's Toronto trip was, on the whole, a success. As you may or may not know, Toronto is the capital city of the province of Ontario. It's also the home of the CN Tower, one of the tallest free-standing structures in the world. I couldn't actually see the tower from where I was, so I don't have any pictures of it at the moment, but there's always next time....

Anyway, my photography teacher organized a field trip to the newly renovated Art Gallery of Ontario. I was one of the only people who had been there before, so I gave a couple of friends my own little "Guided Tour". Some of the stuff in there is pretty weird (like golf bag totem-poles), and I think most of us enjoyed it (I know I did).

The AGO, with a new look designed by Frank Gehry.

But the best was yet to come, because on our lunch break, we split up to take photos in the city.  Just a few blocks away is Toronto's Chinatown district, a "city within the city".  Chinatown is a bustling marketplace, filled with shops, restaurants, and houses.

The Heart of Chinatown

At the centre of all this is Spadina Avenue, a busy street that cuts right through the city.  Streetcar cables and tracks crisscross at the intersections, adding to the air of confusion that makes Chinatown so interesting.

A shopping centre on Spadina Avenue.  Note the overhead Streetcar cables.

Just up the street from one of the shopping centres is a small store called AnimeXtreme, my primary source for Gunpla and other Anime products.  Since I don't get out to Toronto very often, I made sure to stop in and do a bit of shopping.  Once again, I now have no money.  Oh well, looks like I'll have to get a summer job, so that I can come back and buy more Gundam stuff that I don't really need.  XD

The storefront of AnimeXtreme.  The sign out front has been enhanced to make it easier to read.

But wait, you say, what did I buy when I was there?  Take a wild guess.  Yes, that's right, it was Gunpla.  How did you know!?  You're not a mind-reader, are you?  Can you guess what number I'm thinking of?

The Long Haul

Sorry, I haven't got any pictures or reviews or anything today, just some personal news. It's a long weekend here, due to Victoria day, so I've got Monday off. Without my Xbox it's probably going to be insanely dull, but I can try to enjoy myself.

This week looks more promising, however, as I'm going to Toronto on a field trip. If I can, I'm going use my lunch break to swing by Anime Xtreme, a little store in the Chinatown district, and pick up some stuff. Hopefully, that is. I'll try to get some pictures down there, but I probably won't have much time.

I'll post more on Toronto and Anime Xtreme later.

Anime Review: Gundam 00 Season 1

What could be more appropriate for the first review of this blog than one of the best Gundam series of all time?

I'm talking, of course, about Gundam 00.

For the sake of readers who haven't seen the series, I'll try not to give too much away, but it's hard to write a review without a few spoilers. For the time being, I'm not going to cover season 2, but a review will be coming, so you'd better watch it soon!

Gundam 00 is the first Gundam series set in the Anno Domini timeline. 2307 AD, to be precise. The Earth's fossil fuels have become severely depleted, leading to the creation of three massive orbital elevators, which are used for solar energy collection. These are controlled by several large groups of nations. The Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations (The Union), consists of America, Canada, Mexico, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The Advanced European Union (AEU), comprised of Europe, Greenland, Iceland, and Africa. And finally, the Human Reform League (HRL), consisting of Russia, China, India, and much of the rest of Asia. These three groups compete against each other and the Middle East's oil reserves in the hopes of controlling the global energy market. This often leads to conflict, and innocent lives lost. Now the private paramilitary organization "Celestial Being" has begun armed interventions with the use of the mobile weapons called "Gundams", in the hopes of ending conflict forever.

The story on this series is brilliantly written, keeping you in the dark not only about the plot, but about the main characters histories as well. Just as you begin to guess where the plot is going, it takes a massive twist, usually for the worse.

Everything about the series is designed to give it a very "modern warfare" feel. The themes of religious conflict, terrorism, discrimination, and government corruption run rife throughout the first season. Even the main character, Setsuna F. Seiei, is a former child soldier. Forced to commit unforgivable atrocities, Setsuna is outwardly cold and unshakeable, but on the inside he's a pretty torn up and guilt ridden character.

"I am a Gundam!"

Unlike the previous series, which featured garish and impractical Gundam units, the Gundams in 00 have a distinct air of realism about them. They are angular and unrefined, and compared to the original RX-78-2 Gundam, barely human. This actually makes them more appealing in my opinion, because it helps add to the "real world" theme.

Exia, Setsuna's Gundam

The other Gundams: Dynames, Kyrios, and Virtue

The other Mobile Suits in 00 fit this more modern theme as well. Unlike most of the vast majority of Gundam series, everything actually looks how it should for the job it's required to do. The Union and AEU units resemble conventional fightercraft, even in their alternate humanoid form. This is most obvious in the Union's Flag model, with a lightweight frame and a myriad of wings and jets built into its' back. The AEU Hellion is another such example. These Mobile Suits are built for flight, and aerial dogfights are preferred to the brutality ground combat. On the other hand, the HRL's Mobile suits are, for lack of a better term, walking tanks. The mainstay of the HRL forces is the MSJ-06II-A Tieren ground-type. These units focus more on armour and firepower than maneuverability. For me, the Tieren is the Mobile Suit that best represents the "modern" style.

Overflags and Tieren GTs: Two sides of the same coin.

But perhaps my favorite part of 00 is the Gundam Throne units. I'm sure that at least some of you have played the ever popular Armored Core™ series. Every aspect of the Thrones resemble AC's, most likely this was done as a tribute to the series. Take their physical appearance, for example. The Thrones have elongated torsos and a simple body frame, complete with double jointed legs and boxy, irregular armour. Even their weapons are an almost perfect match, from the shoulder-mounted High-Mega Cannon, right down to the grip of the Throne Eins' beam rifle.

The Thrones: Bringing Sexy and Armored Core back.

So, what's the verdict? Well, out of ten (ten being the highest)...

Story: 9/10

Characters: 8/10

Mobile Suits: 10/10!

Other Units (Tanks, Mobile Armours, etc.): 7/10

Voiceover (JAP): 9/10

Voiceover (ENG): 6/10

Visual Effects: 9/10

Sound Effects: 8/10

Soundtrack: 10/10!

Theme Songs: 7/10

Overall: 9.5/10

Definitely one of the best Gundam series so far.  And guess what, season 2's even better!

As a side note, the new Last Exile Complete Series boxed set came out yesterday, but I had trouble finding it at the major stores. It turns out that the only place around here that had it was a smaller dealer with one, and only ONE, copy in stock. So I rushed over there and bought it. Now I'm broke, I need a job. XD

Shiiiiinnnyyyyy....

The artwork on this series is amazing.

Looks like a user's manual. :)

Last Exile is quite possibly my favourite series. It's fun, but still serious, and the characters and environments are amazingly put together. I've always been a fan of the Steampunk genre, and Last Exile is one of the best Animes of its kind. If you've never seen this series, I suggest you get your hands on a copy. Even if you have seen it, you'll definitely want to watch it again.

Well, that's it for now, but I'll be back soon with more!