Sunday, May 29, 2005

Gundam Seed...

Gundam Seed...

This is my most favorite anime. I have never loved an
anime so much. I think being a Mecha freak had a
little to do with it, but even without the 'Mechs,
this anime's story and character development are
top-notch and beautiful. I felt everything the
characters did, and I wept at the end. I have never
seen anything like it. The action sequences are
gorgeous. The animation is beautiful. It's just the
best. And they did it all in 50 episodes. Not like
Naruto where it takes 50 episodes just to get
anywhere.

If you do watch this, make sure to watch up to episode
11 or 12. That is when the episodes start outdoing
themselves. Every episode just gets better and better
until the end when they hit the top. The only
exceptions to this rule are the recap episodes where
they go back and tell you what happened so far.

Even though it has been awhile since this came out, it
is still worth the look. This will probably be my
favorite for a long time. It has been since 3 years
ago when it came out. I loved every second of it and I
hope you will too.

P.S.- Make sure to watch the Japanese version, not
that dubbed crap on Cartoon Network. If that is the
only way for you to see it, I understand.

Saturday, May 28, 2005

Alchemicals are here...


ExaltedTheAutochthonians
Originally uploaded by WlfSamurai.

Another Exalted hardcover to add on to the collection. This new type of Exalt, called the Alchemicals, are giant robot-like Exalted capable of many things. The book outlines them and their master, Autochthon, whom they live in.

The book also outlines scenarios for the invasion of creation by the autochthonians. Also, there is a scenario for the First and Forsaken Lion to envade Autochthon.

All-in-all, the book is excellently written. The amount of fun and interesting info also is great. Even though this book is 100% optional in any Exalted game, it is still a must have for any Exalted-lover or collector.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Awhile...

Well, even though my last post said that now I had the net again, it isn't working correctly. Hence the –not posting in awhile– thing. Anyhow, lots of stuff has happened since then. My girlfriend and I set up our new apartment and it is awesome. I have been running a D&D game every other week. I began running an Exalted game. I have a week or so of school left. We got a golden retriever puppy that my girlfriend was allergic to that my parents bought from us. But that is about it. Oh yeah and some of my ex-friends keep Instant messaging my girlfriend. Why don't I tell that story? It keeps plaguing me, so I might as well.

Awhile back I had a group of friends that I used to hang out with. We used to get together every Monday, and play a role-playing game at my apartment. One of them, one day, tells me he is gay and is in love with me. I didn't want to freak him out so I calmly told him that I am not gay. Another friend in the group knew that the first friend was gay and was trying to talk him out of telling me knowing that I was not.

Anyhow, the group of friends ended up shunning him and not inviting this now gay friend because he was always so depressed. They started ridiculing and making fun of him behind his back, and I made the mistake of joining in. I had never handled this kind of thing before, and was being shown by my friends that it was ok to be angry at him for all these things when it was not. I am not making excuses, I made these mistakes and I regret them because he is a good guy, and could have been a really good friend. These are things that I have always told myself I would never do.

Next thing that happens is a new guy, who is a co-worker of the one of the friends in the group, joins us. He seemed like a nice guy at first and has a girlfriend, something no one else, save for me, has. This guy's name is Dan. Dan is the kind of guy who can talk himself out of anything. He will sweet-talk you to get what he wants, and treats everyone around him like they are lower than him. If Dan thinks something, that is the way its going to be or he will get pouty or mad. I don't think Dan ever really liked me, mostly because I wouldn't take his shit, especially in MY apartment. One day we are over at my apartment and my girlfriend is there baking cookies (she wanted to I swear) and she gave me a kiss while we were playing. So Dan says, "Hey! Where's mine?" Now my girlfriend will never back down from a challenge, especially if people thing she won't do it. So she walks over and pecks him on the lips. I didn't mind because Dan's face was crazy. It was pretty funny. Anyhow, later on I find out that Dan's girlfriend, who he told about this, is all pissed at my girlfriend. My girlfriend calls his girlfriend and apologizes about. His girlfriend is still pissed. Then one night we were all eating out, my girlfriend included and when we got up from the table to all buy hats (long story) my girlfriend puts one of my friends phone into his pie, just the antenna, as a joke. When he comes back he is all pissed. Now, I agree that it is a shitty thing to do, but he continues to be pissed at her until they were no longer my friends. His phone still works.

A couple days later, I find I have a voice message. I listen, at first I am laughing at my drunk friend, then I hear other people saying, “Ask Josh why he is going out with his girlfriend?" It was Dan. He denies it, but I could tell his voice and the friend on the phone is says, “That was Dan." Then I hear Dan say in the background, “No, that wasn't me!" Same voice. I realize they are doing to me what they were doing to my gay friend, who they hate at this point and don't invite him to a lot of stuff.

Now I'm pissed. I go to find out, they don't like my girlfriend now. So instead of talking to me about it, they stop inviting me to stuff. That seems to be the way they are handling it. It's the exact thing they did to my gay friend. Now I regret taking part in it because it wasn't about him, they just handle things like that. After a couple of heated conversations, I tell them not to call me anymore and to leave my girlfriend and myself alone.

They leave another voice message with Dan speaking saying it wasn't him and joking around like its some big joke. I'm thinking, “I don't care who it was, someone did it." Either way, I get Instant Messaged by Dan who tells me that I am being a Dick about all this and that they like me, so I shouldn't have a problem. Talking to him is like ramming your head into a wall, he manipulates everything you say, and will readily use it against you. I gave up, and blocked him after he said, “If you don't want to talk why don't you block us?" I didn't want to have to, I didn't know this was highschool. But I gave him his wish. I just wanted to stop talking to them and to never hear from them again.

Next thing that happens is, I'm getting ready to move and the gay friend calls and wants to come pick up something we all bought together and pay for my half. Fine. When he comes over though, he tells me that he heard from all the other people what I did, how I didn't invite him to things and that I was not honest with him. I said to him, “There were some things I was not honest to you about. And I didn't stop them from not inviting you and I did make fun of you. For all of that, I am sorry, but they initiated that all." Apparently, they decided that they should get him on "their" side before I did. So now they are just using him, he hates me, and is their "best friend". And who is heading up all this? Dan. Now, Dan harasses my girlfriend online, he IMs her and then signs off right away. The things he says are terrible. Once he said, “Why don't you come over right now and have sex with me." The other night he said, “I hate you!" and signed off. I just want to be left alone. I don't know what my girlfriend or I did to deserve this. Just when I start to forget, they do something stupid to remind me. I am tired of it. And the only person who I do care about hates me and is being used.

Anyhow, I just wanted to get that off my chest. That was why I had all those depressing times in my last blogs and such.

Until next time.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Back on the Net...

Well, the move is complete. I have uprooted again and I am in a better place now. As of today, I have the Internet again so the blog will pick back up. Sorry for the tiny pause. I will make up for it with the amount that is going on in my life now.

Thursday, April 14, 2005

A MAJOR change in thought...

I am considering changing my major from Graphic Arts to Sociology. Sociology fascinates me on so many levels and has given me answers that other things just have not. It allows me to see the reasons behind many things. I have always been hung up on the why. Like, for example, homework in a class that I am very good at. I usually do worse in a class that I am well versed in as opposed to a class that I am not very good in. Why? Simple, I always question the why behind the homework in the class that I am good at. Why should I do the homework when I know everything and it all comes so easily to me? I suppose for me, things have to have purpose for me to do something. That is ironic, however, in the fact that I play role-playing games. They serve no purpose other than to give me entertainment. So many questions.

Back to sociology though, tonight's class answered the question I had in the last post. When can I consider myself a man? Why am I called names when I haven't done anything but care for others? Because it is not the accepted perception that society puts to being a "man". To be a "man", you have to be above everyone. You need to Treat women poorly, gain "respect" by putting others down, and use physical force to show power and control. I have felt these pressures in so many aspects of my life and I ABSOLUTELY disagree with this. Women should be treated with nothing but respect and equality. A true man is caring, honorable, and kind. In trying to be the typical "man" society describes for me, those things will never fit in, thus the frustration. I understand now that I am approaching my problems from the wrong perspective. I am approaching them from the perspective that something is wrong with ME. The real problem is that something is wrong with society's perception of what a "man" is.

I will leave you with this. When violence is reported, do you focus on the story more if a man committed the crime or a woman? If the man committed the crime, it is almost normal. If a woman commits a crime, the whole article/story is focusing on the fact that it was a woman who did it, and then in turn it becomes a bigger deal to you because it is out of the "norm". Remember, it is always the privileged that are not examined.

Confused...

Has someone every HIT you with words? I mean literally, it felt like their words were a punch in the face or gut? I hate that feeling, especially when you KNOW the person saying these things is respectable and right in so many ways. It seems ironic to me though. Words mean nothing right? Actions speak louder than words right? But then why can they have such an effect on me? Why is something that someone said mean so much to me?

Last night I got that punch in the face. And now, I am questioning everything that I live for. What do I live for? I don't even know and that might be the problem. I thought I had already stepped into the realm of manhood, but obviously, I am still just a child on so many levels. My next question then becomes will I ever be able to tell myself, "Now I am a man"?

My beliefs like honor, justice, selflessness, compassion, and above all kindness, have gotten me nowhere. It seems that the only way one can get ahead anywhere is through selfishness and hurting others. I have hurt others, but I have always told them that I am sorry and truly meant it. I have never tried to hurt others to get ahead or to feel above them. Actually, that is a lie, I have and I regret it everyday. I am so tired of being described with words like "pussy", "woman", and "child" just because I care about others. I guess that is the way it should be though. If I care, I obviously am gay somehow automatically, or am of the other sex.

As far as last night goes, I will always be sorry for what I have done, which doesn't make it okay. I never wanted to be the person to let people down and it seems to be the only thing I am good at right now. In fact, being that person was always one of my biggest fears. Too late now.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Naruto!!!


Naruto
Originally uploaded by WlfSamurai.

If you like anime, this is one of the best. For myself, it is not THE best but at least runs a close second. There is something in it for everyone, although it gets into more fighting as the show progresses.

The show is mainly a story of teenagers growing up in a "Hidden Village". This is a village that trains the countries ninja for battle against other villages or whatever may threaten the world. The main character, Naruto, is the child of disaster. Born with a seal on his stomach that encases the Nine-tailed Fox, an evil demon of immense power, within him.

Hi-flying action. Heart-felt drama. Great-characters. What else can one ask for?

My favorite part of anime has always been the art. Art is what got me into anime in the first place. Naruto has excellent artwork and animation in it. It is a long series, and takes some time to develop, but the wait is worth it. Check it out!

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Wold Map


Wold Map
Originally uploaded by WlfSamurai.
I thought I might start discussing my Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting with a map of the world. I have created quite a bit for this world already, but there is still so much work to be done. Everything in it, save for the rules in the book and most monsters, is original. I started creating this about a month ago and have just built on it ever since. It is called The Eight Towers setting based off the eight towers in the center of the world. I run this world every other Friday for a group of friends who all play characters in it (I will discuss their characters in another post).

For this world, I have only developed three continents: Arcadia, the continent directly south of the middle continent, Xiora, the big continent in the Northwest (that is where the players are) and the middle continent with the eight towers on it. The names of the other continents will be posted as they are created. Also, I will go into greater detail about each continent as the players explore them or there is more spoiler free information.

As for general statements about the world, the world is taught to hate dragons. The mortals of the world feel abandoned and tricked by the dragons after the Dragon War when a large group of dragons forged a war upon the entire world. There weren't any dragons to help the mortals, so the mortals had to fight the war themselves. Even though this war occurred 1,122 years ago and there is no one to remember many things about it, it is still taught to the children that dragons are terrible beasts that should never be trusted.

Obviously this is a fantasy world, and in fantasy worlds, there are fantasy gods that are created for the world. The gods play a big role, and are the driving forces of the mortals within the world. The major ones are:
-Bahamut, god of dragons
-The three sisters, Anu, the sun goddess, Mania, goddess of death, and Freya, goddess of magic.
-Aegis, god of the elements
There are also 5 lesser gods and a number of other gods that are the children of the greater gods on the list but they do not need to be listed out.

For now, that is the general overview of the world. Short but sweet. Obviously, I have left out quite a bit, but there might be players watching and I would rather not ruin it for them ;). I will post a discussion of the characters the players are running in my next post of the world.

Excited...

You know what is interesting is that I really don't know what I want to do with this blog, yet I am still so excited about it. I have a few ideas, but I am just waiting to come to a decision. Publishing material and stories from the Dungeons & Dragons game I run might be one thing. Movie reviews maybe. Book reviews. Videogame reviews. I think it might be a number of things. We will just have to see what it turns out to be.

Monday, April 11, 2005

Ashitaka


Ashitaka
Originally uploaded by WlfSamurai.
The basis for the Wolf Samurai. I have loved anime since I saw my first at the age of 13. Princess Mononoke is one of my favorite animes, and the main character in that movie was Ashitaka, an honorable, trustworthy, and caring man who saves the land from demons and gods. At the time the Princess Mononoke came out, I was starting what ended up being my most favorite and longest running Dungeons & Dragons campaign, The Groven Myth. I decided to create a character based on Ashitaka but not exactly like him. The character that I ended up making and playing turned out to have the same name and beliefs, but looked quite a bit different. He was also a samurai and was from a race called hengeyokai. This race could shape-change into an animal pretty much at will. The animal that Ashitaka could shape-change into was none other than the wolf. I loved and cherished that character so much I started using the name WlfSamurai for many things on the web. And that is how the name came about.