May 07, 2022
Too many shows....
Kono Healer Mendokusai - Something Kukuruyo said about it made me want to check it out.
Komi-san wa, Comyushou desu - I read a lot of the Manga. Oddly, I haven't really watched through the first season yet.
Spy x Family - The hit of the season for me. (Apparently you don't pronounce the X).
Koi wa Sekai Seifuku no Ato de - The Miss Kuroitsu of the season.
Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari - Haven't dug into it yet, but since the first season was so good, it's on the list.
Yuusha, Yamemasu - Only watched the first episode. I'm a bit afraid it will be Business Administration Lessons in fantasy trappings.
Shokei Shoujo no Virgin Road - Interesting concept at the start, made even more interesting by the possibilities raised by the girl's powers.
I've started making uTorrent categories for seasons instead of my previous system of labeling things Watching, Watched Current and Completed and other leftovers from previous attempts at categorizing things.
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April 16, 2022
Dark, but awesome
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April 10, 2022
Love after World Domination
aka Koi wa Sekai Seifuku no Ato de
I laughed my ass off at multiple times during the first episode of this. Now, I in general have a liking for shows that kindly poke fun at genre tropes. (I still need to finish Miss Kuroitsu though), and this is definitely in that category.
When the Red leader of a Sentai force falls in love at first sight with the newest general of the evil organization, you know it's going to get complicated....
The animation could be a lot better, but the story has heart.
I laughed my ass off at multiple times during the first episode of this. Now, I in general have a liking for shows that kindly poke fun at genre tropes. (I still need to finish Miss Kuroitsu though), and this is definitely in that category.
When the Red leader of a Sentai force falls in love at first sight with the newest general of the evil organization, you know it's going to get complicated....
The animation could be a lot better, but the story has heart.
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April 05, 2022
Isekai are now snarking at each other....
Just grabbed the first episode of Shokei Shoujo no Virgin Road (aka The Executioner and Her Way of Life) where our Isekai'd hero is tossed out when they find he has no powers. She presents herself to him as a priestess of an order that takes care of "Lost Ones" like him (but as you can guess by the title, she intends a different kind of "taking care of" him).
While she's giving him the score, we get this nifty little exchange:
Mutou Mitsuki: "Oh, I see, I get it now! This is where I use knowledge from home to make a name for myself! What stuff do I know...? Oh, What about Mayonnaise?"
Menou: "Ah yes, Mayonnaise. It's pretty tasty."
Mutou Mitsuki: "Eh, You know what it is?"
At which point she explains that Lost Ones have been coming for a long time and they all come from Japan, and leads him around a corner to a part of town with lots of Japanese signs. A lot of Japanese has merged with their culture. And then he realizes that she's been speaking to him in Japanese, not some kind of magical translation.
I'm sure the both of you who read this blog get the reference....
Mutou Mitsuki: "Oh, I see, I get it now! This is where I use knowledge from home to make a name for myself! What stuff do I know...? Oh, What about Mayonnaise?"
Menou: "Ah yes, Mayonnaise. It's pretty tasty."
Mutou Mitsuki: "Eh, You know what it is?"
At which point she explains that Lost Ones have been coming for a long time and they all come from Japan, and leads him around a corner to a part of town with lots of Japanese signs. A lot of Japanese has merged with their culture. And then he realizes that she's been speaking to him in Japanese, not some kind of magical translation.
I'm sure the both of you who read this blog get the reference....
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April 02, 2022
Lupin the Third
Ever want to dive into the origin of one of the earliest and most long-lived anime titles aimed at adults instead of children, you need not hoist the black flag. Streaming Service Pluto.tv has Lupin the Third Part 1 in their On Demand library. I've recently completed all 23 episodes. And then I went and read up on it, because it turns out there were some interesting things that happened in the background.
The beginning episodes a bit darker and more brooding than the series later became, but the tone changed partway through, that's because they replaced the director... with Miazaki. (And you can see that influence with things like the changes to Fujiko's design, Clearly Miazaki has a bit of a fetish for bobbed hairstyles.)
It's also interesting to see the origins of some characters, like how the Samurai Goemon joined the crew, and how he wasn't exactly a regular until later on.
It's also interesting to see the origins of some characters, like how the Samurai Goemon joined the crew, and how he wasn't exactly a regular until later on.
But yeah, if you want to know what they're talking about when they say "Green Jacket Lupin," that's where you can go. And it's Free, although with ads - Mostly repetitive ads for Geico and Paramount +.
I'm now getting started on Part 2, but they only have the first season. This is the start of the "Red Jacket".
I'm now getting started on Part 2, but they only have the first season. This is the start of the "Red Jacket".
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March 20, 2022
Argh! I wish they'd TELL me they were gonna be assholes!
What the hell is the point of following a circle's individual releases when they withhold the last episode for their batch, and delete all the other torrents to boot? Why did I waste my time? Why do they want me to waste MORE time downloading files I already have? Sure, I can tell uTorrent to not download those previous 10 episodes, but even if I change the location of the existing files to the folder with the 11th, a Re-check won't necessarily integrate them. And now my whole organizational system is fucked up.
Yeah, just be up front and say "Don't bother supporting us until the batch comes out."
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March 06, 2022
takt op.Destiny
I mean, REALLY? And the photo was particularly uninspiring too.
And then I visited a link that isn't on my regular blogroll, Tenka Seiha, even though I bookmarked it ages ago. And there was an episode by episode review, and it was definitely not positive.
But you know, I was kind of disenchanted with what I was watching, and there were so many screencaps, and I kinda liked the character designs. And well, there are worse reasons to search out a Batch.
Nothing indicates that other Musicarts were formed by human sacrifice. This may be part of why Destiny is so wild and defective. Every other Musicart has a surfeit of personality. (And there are apparently a lot of them, mostly seen in the background at the Symphonica headquarters).
So, this is supposed to be my anime blog, so I should probably post a thing or two about shows that I've watched.
Interestingly, one of the ones I recently completed was one I skipped entirely in the fall season. (And most of the things that I did mark on Anime Chart I still haven't finished.) But can you blame me? It had this incomprehensible description.
Durch Leiden zu Freude - L.V. Beethoven.
Music is the light that illuminates people's hearts-- and that "light" was suddenly taken from the world. The world changed the night the black "Kuroya Meteorite" fell. Grotesque monsters known as D2 emerged from the meteorite and began to overrun the land and people. As the D2 were drawn to melodies people played, eventually "music" itself became taboo.
However, those who opposed the monsters appeared.
They are the "Musicart," girls who draw power from music. They possess the great operas and musical scores of human history and use them to defeat the D2.
With them are the "Conductors" who lead the girls.
The year is 2047. The United States has been devastated by the struggle against the D2. Takt the Conductor and Destiny the Musicart travel together to New York. In a world without music, Takt longs for it. Meanwhile, Musicart Destiny hopes to wipe out the D2.
Will the melody they produce together be joy or despair?
I mean, REALLY? And the photo was particularly uninspiring too.
And then I visited a link that isn't on my regular blogroll, Tenka Seiha, even though I bookmarked it ages ago. And there was an episode by episode review, and it was definitely not positive.
But you know, I was kind of disenchanted with what I was watching, and there were so many screencaps, and I kinda liked the character designs. And well, there are worse reasons to search out a Batch.
And it was actually pretty decent for what it was. Grouchy, brooding hero. Defective flat-aspect techno magical girl, at least one sane person to keep them on track. Road trip through the US that showed more than cursory research (Okay, maybe not the Vegas part). Good guy organization actually headed by bad guys, but not everyone is bad.
To make a bit more sense of the description. Two meteors strike the earth roughly in the heart of the US. One brought terribly destructive monsters that in particular hate rhythmic sounds like Music. The other brought their opponents, the Musicarts. However it took research by the New York Symphonica (Which became quasi-militarized in the process) to awaken their true potential. They really don't go that much deeper into the background.
The Monsters, the D2, basically own the center of the country. And of late they've been relatively contained. Or dormant-ish. The country pretends not to be post-apocalyptic. But Music is frowned upon because it can bring an attack, at least if you're close to a D2 controlled area.
Takt, the brooding hero, is the son of a famous conductor, who lost his father in a D2 attack. He still lives in his modest home in Oregon, constantly playing Piano in his soundproofed garage.
His friends, Cosette and Anna are the only ones who keep him company, much to his annoyance. Cosette, the younger sister idolizes his music, plays as well and is so genki and enthusiastic that it drives him up the wall, while she is immune to his moods. Anna, the older sister, is far more practical, and does her best to make sure he's at least fed. They've lost touch with their oldest sister, who is in New York working for the Symphonica in research, along with their mother. This family connection is also why Cosette wears a small stone on a chain that apparently is a tiny bit of the meteor the Musicarts came from.
Things have been so calm from the D2's in this part of Oregon that they are having a small music festival sponsored by the Symphonica, which has given the all-clear. (This is SO in character for Oregon). Cosette urges Takt to play, but he's too self-centered to do it. But she manages to coerce/shame him into a duet by stealing his piano, which was well received right up until the D2 attack. They blow up the Piano, Cosette, and Takt's right arm is severely wounded.
To make a bit more sense of the description. Two meteors strike the earth roughly in the heart of the US. One brought terribly destructive monsters that in particular hate rhythmic sounds like Music. The other brought their opponents, the Musicarts. However it took research by the New York Symphonica (Which became quasi-militarized in the process) to awaken their true potential. They really don't go that much deeper into the background.
The Monsters, the D2, basically own the center of the country. And of late they've been relatively contained. Or dormant-ish. The country pretends not to be post-apocalyptic. But Music is frowned upon because it can bring an attack, at least if you're close to a D2 controlled area.
Takt, the brooding hero, is the son of a famous conductor, who lost his father in a D2 attack. He still lives in his modest home in Oregon, constantly playing Piano in his soundproofed garage.
His friends, Cosette and Anna are the only ones who keep him company, much to his annoyance. Cosette, the younger sister idolizes his music, plays as well and is so genki and enthusiastic that it drives him up the wall, while she is immune to his moods. Anna, the older sister, is far more practical, and does her best to make sure he's at least fed. They've lost touch with their oldest sister, who is in New York working for the Symphonica in research, along with their mother. This family connection is also why Cosette wears a small stone on a chain that apparently is a tiny bit of the meteor the Musicarts came from.
Things have been so calm from the D2's in this part of Oregon that they are having a small music festival sponsored by the Symphonica, which has given the all-clear. (This is SO in character for Oregon). Cosette urges Takt to play, but he's too self-centered to do it. But she manages to coerce/shame him into a duet by stealing his piano, which was well received right up until the D2 attack. They blow up the Piano, Cosette, and Takt's right arm is severely wounded.
Well, there was a bit of magic in that stone, because it used the available materials to construct a Musicart - Those Materials being Cosette's remains and Takt's arm. Cosette transforms into a waif-like magical girl named Destiny, armed with a weapon that transforms between an energy rifle and a sword. Meanwhile Takt's arm transforms into a brief fountain of gore, and then is missing for the duration of the fight. Destiny is monomaniacal about fighting the D2, and goes instantly into overkill, which has a negative effect on Tact. Fortunately once the fight is over, she transforms back and Takt regains his arm, seemingly healed, except for a new kind of scar/injury.
Cosette's retransformation though is not back into the cheerful genki girl everyone loved. But a blank slate with only one goal in mind, destroying D2's wherever she detects them, and she's got a really good detection range. And whenever she transforms, Takt loses an arm which turns into a conductor's baton that Destiny returns to him. With the Baton he can at least direct her fighting so she doesn't tunnel-vision on a single opponent. She is exceptionally powerful, but that power comes at Tact's expense.
They meet a traveling Conductor/Musicart pair who point out that this is not normal. And urge them to seek help from the Symphonica. A quick battle with a wandering D2 results in Tact's home being destroyed, sealing the deal. a road trip ensues, from Oregon, to Vegas, Texas, Louisiana, Virginia, and eventually New York.
Observations:
Destiny sports the same type of red-rimmed eye effect as Zero-two in Darling in the Franxx, but as far as I can tell, nobody involved in this was involved in that.Nothing indicates that other Musicarts were formed by human sacrifice. This may be part of why Destiny is so wild and defective. Every other Musicart has a surfeit of personality. (And there are apparently a lot of them, mostly seen in the background at the Symphonica headquarters).
The first bad guy they encounter is the second in command of the Symphonica. You can tell by the fact that his Musicart is the clearly demented "Hell". He is jealous of Takt's power, and basically wants to take him out as a threat to his position. This eventually puts him at odds with the leader, who wants to subvert him to his cause. His variation of the evil scheme is that he wants to use the D2's as a sort of force for Eugenics. Causing them to attack populations he judges as inferior. The music festival was one of his set-ups. And Destiny's appearance put a crimp in his plan.
The leader of the Symphonica has identified so strongly with the D2's that his plan is to eventually surrender all of North America to them. And part of that involves building a structure in the Symphonica headquarters that will summon a huge mass of them and destroy the otherwise untouched city.
Anna can't accept that there is nothing of Colette left in Destiny. And she keeps calling her Colette for at least the first half of the season. Destiny indulges her somewhat merely because she and her Conductor need her for transportation and support.
Crazy eyes... And they get crazier.
MUCH crazier.
No question in my mind, he stuck it in crazy. Regularly.
It's important to make a good impression. In the Wall.
The leader of the Symphonica has identified so strongly with the D2's that his plan is to eventually surrender all of North America to them. And part of that involves building a structure in the Symphonica headquarters that will summon a huge mass of them and destroy the otherwise untouched city.
Anna can't accept that there is nothing of Colette left in Destiny. And she keeps calling her Colette for at least the first half of the season. Destiny indulges her somewhat merely because she and her Conductor need her for transportation and support.
Couple of pics:
(You can find WAY more at Tenka Seiha) (For some reason I was focused more on faces in my choices, and Hell. Damn my white hair dark skin obsession) (Click to Embiggen)
Waif-Fu personified!
Crazy eyes... And they get crazier.
MUCH crazier.
No question in my mind, he stuck it in crazy. Regularly.
Hell, The leader, and Heaven
It's important to make a good impression. In the Wall.
Not a Beach episode. But I did want a full costume shot. And you can see how Takt's damage has spread. It's nearly lethal at this point.
But at least in the end she's learned how to love. Near Necrophilia is love, right? Love the shoes.
But at least in the end she's learned how to love. Near Necrophilia is love, right? Love the shoes.
In the end, he's put in suspension until they can figure out a cure. Destiny continues to be studied at the Symphonica (and she starts to fill out that dress quite a bit more), and Anna enlists, having resigned herself to having lost everyone and having nothing better to do.
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March 03, 2022
Faster please....
You gotta watch it with Comcast. When your contract is up, the price on your package starts to climb. But if you're quick enough, you can sign up for a new package with improved connectivity for what you were paying, more or less.
Forex, I had a 75 mbit service that was about $75, which was better than the 50 mbit service I had previously that was costing me nearly $100, quite a few years ago. In fact, that package had officially been discontinued. So was the 75 mbit package. I signed up for a 100 mbit package that was $45. Although I never seemed to get that speed. Still seemed reasonable for a year or so, until the bill went to $48 one month, and then $58 the next.
So I went looking for a better deal. 100 MB package, with twice the upload speed (12 mbit from 6) for $50. Signed up, reset my modem, and hit speedtest. Only got about 50 down, but got the 12 up. I thought it was their problem because I DID get 75 on the 75 mbit service, at least when I checked. But I thought, maybe it's the modem.
It was the modem, it was a 4x4 channel modem, not even supported any more. So I hit Amazon, found a reasonable 16x4 cable modem for $25. I got it today, hooked it up, and BOOM, 120 mbits down, 12 mbits up.
However, once I hooked the rest of my network back up, with my WiFi router between my switches and the cable modem, speed dropped to 90 mbits. Turns out this old WiFi router only has a 100 mbit ethernet port. Which wasn't a problem on the slower packages.
So, back to Amazon. New routers seem to think that you will ONLY run WiFi... really, I only do that with my phone, and rarely a Kindle. But I do need that much connectivity. Cheapest thing I could find with gigabit ports was still twice the price of the modem. But I seem to recall that was the case last time....
For now, I'll plug the old router back in because I also remembered you can't just plug a switch directly into a cable modem. It doesn't have the smarts when they're that cheap. Next week though....
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February 20, 2022
It's a gas gas gas
Just a quick 3D printing note.
A friend of mine upgraded her generator to a dual-fuel model, and needed a home for her previous one. I graciously volunteered to take the poor thing in. 10 years old, barely used. But it has a 4 gallon tank and my lawn-mower sized gas storage capability was dwarfed by it.
So one visit to the Mart of Walls later, I had a 5 Gallon gas can with some Rube Goldberg rejected monstrosity of a nozzle on it. ("Flip up the dark green paddle and hold it with your palm against the light green plunger, wrap your fingers on the top of the nozzle and squeeze against the powerful return spring, and wrestle the thirty pounds of gasoline with your other hand, and note that this is an inflexible spout that will not allow you to fill a car's gas tank, and will probably douse your mower entirely. There is also an internal restrictor that will cause gas to flow out if you try to fill the can too fast. All of these features are designed to make you give up and buy an electric mower. The spilled gas will release far more hydrocarbons into the atmosphere than the unusability features will supposedly prevent.")
So one visit to the Mart of Walls later, I had a 5 Gallon gas can with some Rube Goldberg rejected monstrosity of a nozzle on it. ("Flip up the dark green paddle and hold it with your palm against the light green plunger, wrap your fingers on the top of the nozzle and squeeze against the powerful return spring, and wrestle the thirty pounds of gasoline with your other hand, and note that this is an inflexible spout that will not allow you to fill a car's gas tank, and will probably douse your mower entirely. There is also an internal restrictor that will cause gas to flow out if you try to fill the can too fast. All of these features are designed to make you give up and buy an electric mower. The spilled gas will release far more hydrocarbons into the atmosphere than the unusability features will supposedly prevent.")
Thingiverse to the rescue. I found a nice plain cap. And another one with a convenient little spout to which you can easily attach some vinyl tubing to (with a nifty plug to stuff into the end of the tube when you're done). Amazon provided some vent fittings - basically all metal Schrader valve housings with no valve, but a nice cap - which arrived in two days even without Prime. I also found a replacement cap design that fit the shattered vent cap on my ancient can that was actually usable (as it predated the government fucking up gas cans and had a gooseneck nozzle and a separate vent.) I printed them all over the course of a day from PETG and I am quite satisfied.
Other than the fact that I had to buy 10 feet of tubing for $25 when I needed less than two, and that was more than the cost of the can....
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January 15, 2022
Audible
So, the audio book for "In the Wings" just dropped, and I'm totally blown away by the fact that the audio sample they used for it is from my story "Barn Find".
(Audible link, no commission. If you go to the one on the sidebar, there should be.)
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