[Download] Karneval Character Single #4 - Karoku + Uro

Yes! I finally found the dl (here) for Karneval character single #4! I've been craving for this CD since my Suwababy is singing!

The vocal coordination of this pair, Souichirou + Suwabe, still cannot beat CD #3 with OnoD and Hirarin. But I really love the instrumental accompaniment in this song. 

FYI: Their song is titled 'vanitas vanitatum'.  vanitas vanitatum means "vanity of vanities, futility (frequently as an exclamation of disillusionment or pessimism). The phrase is late Latin and comes from the Vulgate translation of Ecclesiastes 1:2." (thanks Google!) This makes sense considering the personalities of these two characters, in particular Uro is a trickster, and Karoku is a character full of mysteries.

Seiyuu appreciation post: Suwabe Junichi

Bonus double seiyuu post tonight!
Suwabe's latest tweet says that he's back safely in Japan and he's gone straight to the studio for a narration/recording session!
Oh Suwabe dear, you should take a small break and enjoy Taiwan, especially the food!! >o<

Seiyuu appreciation post: Suwabe Junichi, Ono Kensho + Suzumura Kenichi

There was a KuroBasu (Kuroko no Basuke) event in Taiwan today and Suwabe, OnoK and SuzuKen were invited as guests. After the event OnoK went to Yum-cha and sight seeing.

Check out the other snaps of their adventure in Taiwan at their twitters: Suwabe, OnoK, KuroBasu Official.

Pokemon: The Origin

The Pokemon Game Show was held in Tokyo yesterday, and revealed a whole bunch of new information on Pokemon X and Y. Not only that, they announced a special Pokemon anime episode to be released alongside X and Y!

The anime is called Pokemon: The Origin, and is based on the first games, Red and Green. It follows the adventures of Red, and his rival Green, on his path to be a master Pokemon trainer.

I am extremely excited to hear of this, a breath of fresh air from the lame main series. The art looks mature, but neat. I think it will definitely capture the original charm of Pokemon.

I can't wait for it to come out!
Rhycen

Miku Vocaloid 3 and the English version

Left or right?

Kagerou Project 2nd Anniversary Illustration Contest at Pixiv

Starting August 15th, Monthly Comic Gene and pixiv are collaborating to bring you the Kagerou Project 2nd Anniversary illustration contest!

The theme of the contest will be about Kagerou Project and winners will have prizes along with their entries printed in Media Factory’s Kagerou Days Anniversary Fanbook.

Contest period is between Thursday, August 15th 2013 to Tuesday, September 17th 2013 23:59 Japan Standard Time.

Entry details available at pixiv.

Judging will be by Kagerou Project creator, Jin (Shizen no Teki-P), Jitsu, Wannyanpu, and Mahiro Satou.

Kagerou Project to be adapted into anime

Japan's Tower Records revealed that anime studio Shaft and director Akiyuki Shinbo have been attached to a project inspired by vocaloid producer's Jin (aka Shizen no Teki-P) Kagerou Project (Heat-Haze Project). The anime will share the name of Jin's first album, Mekakucity Actors. ("Mekakucity" being a portmanteau of "mekakushi"/"blindfold" and "city")

Hinting at the format, they say that the airing date hasn't been decided.

Source: CR

Anime Review : Nerawareta Gakuen

Synopsis:

Spring marks the start of another new school year at a junior high school in Kamakura. A new transfer student, Ryoichi Kyogoku joins the 8th grade. Kyogoku has a very special proficiency in telepathy and has been ordered by his father to use this ability to scan other people's minds and take over the school.

He instantly gains popularity at school from his good looks and charisma and he sets about taking control of the school. As people begin to fall under Kyogoku's spell, he covertly manipulates his followers and pushes aside anyone who gets in his way.

With the school almost completely under the control of Kyogoku, only one boy seems unaffected—Seki. Does Seki have what it takes to save everyone from the clutches of mind control?

Source : Scotland Loves Animation

Hanging Story Line (4)

     I don’t mind cliché themes here and there, but this movie is built on it. First, you are introduced to a mistaken pervert (Seki Kenji) who is in love with the big-breasted airhead (Harukawa Kahori), and a violent yet really emotional girl (Suzuura Natsuki) who loves the pervert. And to make it even worse, another character is involved in this complicated love triangle. Meet the typical hot transfer student (Kyougoku Ryouichi), a psychic from the moon. Yup, a psychic from the moon. You would expect a lot of sci-fi elements in this movie but instead, the first half of the film focuses on the character development and relationship, and the idea that cellphones are wicked creatures that destroy communication.

The psychic element

     After the careful build up in the beginning, you would expect the same for the ending. Unfortunately, you couldn’t be more wrong. Slowly, Kyougoku takes control over the mind of the other students, giving them psychic telekinesis powers, manipulating them but for what reason, the movie does not seem to answer. And as expected, the underdog main character can’t be possessed and he has to save the day, which he eventually does in the most confusing and incomprehensible way. To top it all of, Seki does it in the last five minutes of the film. . One of the worst endings I have seen in anime and I usually tend to think I have an open mind.  

Beautiful Watercolours (9)

     Unlike the story, the artwork is spectacular. The watercolour backgrounds are gorgeous and colourful. Some scenes are a little too bright but it is easy to overlook. Character designs are decent, the characters having unproportional bodies. The animation is smooth, fluid and sometimes even breathtaking. It really is a shame that the art is wasted on a terrible story line.

Kyougoku, the transfer student, and Harukawa

Good Soundtrack (7)

     Nothing spectacular but the sound clips of nature and the piano are beautiful and fit in nicely with the animation. The seiyuu cast is okay. Hanazawa Kana and Ono-D, as usual, do a great job. Although he’s young, Honjou Yuutaro provides a surprisingly nice voice for Seki. The opening and ending song are good but they aren’t anything amazing.

Cliché Characters (5)

     The individual characters themselves are okay, a little cliché but okay. Put them together, and it becomes unbearable. I really did like that they tried to build the childhood relationship between Seki and Suuzura though I am a little disappointed that all that effort didn’t do much to contribute to the story. The love triangle (square or whatever you call it) between them is unrealistic. I have seen love triangles among my classmates but the one presented here seems too forced and sudden. It is kind of disappointing, because there was potential for each character, for each romance, but the psychic element had to come in and screw up everything.

Confusing Experience (5)

     I was literally lost. There were too many things happening at once and too many different elements that were tossed together that I got confused. I had to playback several scenes because I thought I misunderstood something, but I came up with nothing, no hidden lines nor symbolism. The movie just jumped from one cliché point to another with nothing to connect the pieces.

Overall : Fine (5)

     Nerawareta Gakuen is too cliché and too confusing of a movie for me to enjoy. Sure, you can simply watch this movie for its art but don’t expect a wonderful storyline with it. A better alternative would be Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (The Girl who Leapt Through Time) or Summer Wars.

Nankurunaisa
sana_salim

The Humble Origin Bundle!

The humble bundle is back at it again, and this time, with an impressive collection of triple A titles!

The Humble Origin Bundle features 6+2 games, all by EA. As you can guess from the title, the games are all available for download through Origin, but only a few of the games are available on Steam.

The pack features:

• Dead Space
• Burnout Paradise: The Ulitmate Box
• Crysis 2
• Mirror's Edge
• Dead Space 3 (wheres DS2?)
• Medal of Honor

Pay over the average to unlock:

• Battlefield 3
• The Sims 3 + Starter pack

Get this epic deal while it's hot!

Game Spotlight: Gone Home

I am a huge fan of indie games, and this one has me extra excited!
Gone Home is an indie game by The Fullbright Company, due to be released on the 15th of August. It is a first person mystery exploration game set in the 90's.

The premise is: You are a girl that has just returned home from travelling abroad. However, when you arrive, you find that your large house is completely empty. The objective of the game is to explore the house, picking up clues as to where your family may be. The entire house is searchable. Every door, cupboard, drawer and closet can be opened and interacted with.

As stated before, the game will be available on the 15th, for the price of $20.00 US. I am very eager to put my sleuthing skills up to the challenge! I wanna solve a mystery!

The Fullbright Company website

Patiently waiting
Rhycen

Seiyuu appreciation post: Free! boys part 2

Found some high res. scans of the magazine that interviewed the Free! boys (in half-cosplay). Thought I'd like to share them. Note that Hirain and Yonaga's mine.

Game Day blog #5

Hey all! Rhycen here, back with another edition of the Game Day blog.

So, last Friday, I finally received my copy of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, and I've been having a ton of fun with it. I started as a Shinx named Cooper, with my parter as a Squirtle named Tanks. It's a great game, and there's not much more to say about that.

Over the past few days I've been slowly hyping myself up to pick up Monster Hunter again, and also to start playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which I recently purchased on Steam. Due to uni work and the such, I haven't been able to game as much, but I do what I can. I have actually played Skyrim before, and I got about halfway through the game. The copy I had was not entirely legitimate, so I'm happy to pay for it now. Hopefully it'll be much more of a pleasant experience with bug fixes and the like. I'm eager to install some awesome mods.

TTYL
Rhycen

Karneval anime OST

Finally I have time to listen to the Karneval anime OST (download available here). I'm in love!! This is amazing music. Why did I not notice it while watching the anime? Oh right, I was too absorbed listening to OnoD and Hirarin's voice (lol). I can't wait for the next set of character singles, #4 is by Karoku and Uro (aka Suwabe!) and #5 is Gareki (aka HiroC). My favourite character single is definitely #3 with Hirato and Akari, aka OnoD and Hirarin, with both of them singing in their low smexy voices! You can download their single here.

Brothers Conflict - Episode 7 [v.P]

Hey Bro! It's that time of the week again! Conflict 7: Limit.
I am drooling and kissing my computer screen right now thanks to this week's endcard! I've already set it as my wallpaper.

That kiss mark!!

Audio samples released for the remaining Free! character singles

The official Lantis YouTube channel posted today the audio samples for Rin, Rei and Nagisa's character singles, to be released September 4th, 2013.
Check them out below!
Rin sounds exactly like Tokiya... ORZ
Nagisa is too shouta! -nosebleeds-
I...uhh...wasn't expecting that voice Hirarin.... I don't think these songs suit Hirarin's voice, it's too low for him.

Hatsune Miku V3 English to be released on August 31, 2013

Crypton Future Media has finally announced an official release date for the Hatsune Miku V3 English Vocaloid software: August 31, 2013.

August 31 was the exact same date six years ago (2007) when the Japanese version of the Hatsune Miku Vocaloid software was released. The date is widely acknowledged by fans to be the birthdate of Hatsune Miku.

Hatsune Miku V3 English is an all-in-one package that comes bundled with everything you need to start creating songs with the virtual diva right away. It includes:

• Piapro Studio VSTI vocal editor
• PreSonus Studio One Artist Piapro Edition
• Over 200 virtual instruments for your immediate music production

The entire software package, which supports both Windows and Mac operating systems, will be sold for US$149 (excluding tax), and available digitally online through the Crypton online store service, Sonicwire.

For more information check out the official website here.

Source: SGcafe

Latest Pokemon news: Mega Forms?!?

That's right kids. Mega Forms!

Today, Japanese magazine CoroCoro has revealed that the newest instalment in the Pokemon series will feature the ability to transform your pokemon into super powered Mega Forms in battle.

The Mega Pokemon revealed so far

This is what we know so far:

• An item called a Mega Stone is required to transform your Pokemon.
• Different Mega Stones are required to Mega-Evolve different Pokemon.
• Mega Stones are only available through special events.
• Mega Evolutions are temporary, only activated in battles.
• Fully evolved Pokemon are able to Mega Evolve.
• Pokemon can change types in Mega Form.

Personally, I don't really like this new feature. It doesn't fit my description of what Pokemon is. But alas, that is not my decision to make.

Finally, a Mawile evolution!...Technically

The mega Evos are only available through events. This means that there may be many people who won't have access this feature in the game until an event occurs. If they're going to put this feature into the game, why restrict it? It seems kind of a half-baked feature at the moment.
I'm assuming that it works by activating it during a battle, possibly using up a turn. If this is in fact the way it works, then I can see how it would add a new level of complexity into battles.
Of course, we don't know all the facts yet. I hope it turns out ok in the end. At least the forms look pretty cool.

New information is still being released! Check back soon for updates.

Rhycen out.

images from serebii.net

Seiyuu appreciation post: GRANRODEO

I'm too tired to scroll through walls of missed Twitter, blogs and forums to catch up with anime and music news for today. So just gonna be lazy and post a photo of GRANRODEO, the duo band created by seiyuu Taniyama Kishow (left: vocals) and e-Zuka (right: guitarist).

Anime Review: Mawaru Penguindrum - A Hidden Gem

Hello World, a new face appears. Let’s start off with a brief introduction.

My name is Henna Salim, and I am Canadian, a female and a lover of anime. I will be posting reviews on various animes. I will try my best, so look forward to it!

Note: I am Canadian, so the spelling of some words may be different. Example: colour, favourite, etc.

Synopsis:

Takakura Himari has an illness, one that gives her just months to live with her older twin brothers, Kanba and Shouma. In order to create lasting memories with Himari, the siblings go on a trip to a penguin aquarium. Shouma decides to buy a penguin hat as a souvenir for Himari, but she disappears, and is found on the ground, dead. In the midst of the twins’ despair, she is miraculously revived by a spirit possessing the penguin hat. In exchange for extending Himari’s life, the spirit demands for an item: a Penguindrum. Unaware its significance, the twins desperately begin their search, while unraveling hidden secrets and broken pasts.

A heart-warming and thought-provoking story:

Mawaru Penguindrum starts off simple: find the Penguindrum or else your sister will die. However, the viewer quickly learns that is not the case. There are several elements that are crucial to developing and advancing the story. Fate is the first and it is constantly referred to. Does everything happen by fate? Is there even such a thing as fate? Some question its purpose while others embrace it wholeheartedly. Symbolism is the second important element in this anime. Every detail, picture, or object has a purpose. Nothing shown in the anime is unnecessary, which is a bonus for viewers, like myself, who hate meaningless scenes.

From there, the story unfolds rather slowly at first, focusing on character relationships, often using consistent and natural comedic relief that really draws you into the anime. This slow pace is essential, because once the true motives are discovered, the plot escalates towards a dark and violent end. Several plot twists occur, leaving you edge with questions and longing for answers. Hurdling towards the end, this anime drills one question into your mind: how far would you go for someone you love?

Unlike Angel Beats, which concluded with its sad scene, Mawaru Penguindrum’s perfect execution continues until the very end, leaving the viewer in tears and their hearts shattered. Though the painful ending is hard to accept, it completes the masterpiece that Mawaru Penguindrum is.  

Highlights of tonight's Suwabe radio show

Picture not entirely related
 to tonight's show.
I just randomly selected a pic
from my Suwabe folder.

Suwabe Junichi hosts a radio show on the first Wednesday of every month (at 10pm JPN). Tonight his guest was Satou Rina, who voices Ema, the main female in Brothers Conflict. 

Of course the topic of BroConf was brought up in their conversation, but only after Suwabe blabbered about whether they like bananas or not (and why).

The following is a list of nicknames that Suwabe gave the Asahina bro's + Juli:

Masaomi - Lolicon Doctor
Ukyo - Mama Lawyer
Kaname - Perverted Monk
Hikaru - Business(wo)man-crossdresser
Tsubaki - "Fantastic" Seiyuu (I guess 'fantastic' in the sense that he's self-centered?)
Azusa - Glasses-Seiyuu
Natsume - Gamer
Louis - Beautician
Subaru - Basketball
Iori - Murderer
Yuusuke - Delinquent
Fuuto - Idol
Wataru - Child
Juli - Rat

They then held their usual discussion of the guest's wikipedia page (at which point I started zoning out), including Satou's thoughts of having Suwabe-san as senpai, since they both belong to the same voice acting managing company; about her pets and hobbies; and then about cars.

The main theme/questionnaire for tonight was "What kind of siblings do you want the most?", where the audience mails in their answers. The results were:

1) Older sis - 21%

2) Older bro - 58%

3) Younger sis - 10%

4) Younger bro - 7%

5) None-only child is the best! - 4%

(I'm not surprised at the results, pretty sure most of the audience are females lol)

At this point in time, I'm pretty much close to dozing off, but I think I heard Suwabe say that Eguchi will be guest at his next Battle Spirits radio show, and that Hirakawa Daisuke (Ukyo) will be guest on his next Suwabe radio show. (I'll correct myself on this once the official guest list is announced)