[BLOG] My Music Interest: December 2015 Edition

Okay so the pic above is somewhat a placeholder for until I can come up with a proper logo pic for these type of posts (Don't ask. I'll have people nagging at me for make a wordy blog post without visuals.).

So anyway, no news this time but this is something I'm probably gonna be doing quite often, which I unceremoniously call "My Music Interest". But what is My Music Interest? It's basically a series of blog posts that I'll be doing either when I'm free, once a week or once a month. As for what it's about, it's where I share the songs I'm hooked up on lately, be it full songs or just short versions. Just something I thought I'd share just for my readers to learn a little more about me.

So anyway, let's get on with the first, shall we?
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PLASMIC FIRE by KOTOKO x ALTIMA

Okay so one of my all-time favorite bands is ALTIMA and on occasion, I do listen to KOTOKO. Both bands are a pretty big part of my otaku fandom. So hearing them perform this song pleases ALOT. And yes, this song is called PLASMIC FIRE and is the opening theme for the upcoming anime, Accel World: Infinite Burst.

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 1983 -Schwarzesmarken- by fripSide

Okay so here's a question: What do ALTIMA and fripSide have in common? 2 things:-

1. Both have Satoshi Yaginuma a.k.a Sat as member/composer.
3. Both are 2 of my favorite bands.

So anyway, the video above is the opening intro for the visual novel adaption of Muv-Luv: Schwarzesmarken and featuring the opening theme, 1983 -Schwarzesmarken- by fripSide. And yes, I absolutely love it. BTW, Schwarzesmarken is getting an anime adaption too.
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Can't Stop!! by Sanae Katagiri (Voiced by Azumi Waki)

So let's talk THE iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls. Yes, I am a fan. Anyway, no videos this time as there's a download for the single online and also because I want people to actually hear the song for themselves.
 

Anyway, what do I think of this song? Energetic. I'm constantly playing this song on loop most of the time. Though, atleast in my own opinion, this is one of those songs that is meant to be performed live. As for whether this song suits Sanae, quite befitting. The character's always been depicted as someone "genki" and given her background as an ex-police officer, absolutely befitting.
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Himitsu no Toilette by Shiki Ichinose (Voiced by Kotomi Aihara)

Oh look everyone, another iDOLM@STER song. Yeah this one's the solo single for Shiki Ichinose. This one's not as energetic as Can't Stop!! but it's not a slow song either. Rather, I find it relaxing. I usually listen to this song when I need to relax for abit, which happens alot lately.

As for whether this song suits Shiki or not, no idea. I never really saw her as a cute type of idol, which was how they were marketing her as, but given the song and her voice, I can see now why. Though, I still think she's better off as a Passion idol (Go read up on Cinderella Girls. They categorize the idols under Cute, Cool, and Passion, all based on background and personality).

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So yeah here's a sample of some of the songs I've been hooked up on lately. Leave a comment below on your favorite songs, music genre or singers/bands. You can also leave some suggestions too on what I should check out on. I'm mostly into J-Pop, J-Rock, Synthpop, Electronic Rock, Digital Hardcore, though I do listen to other genres from time to time.

Anyway, Shu Serian, signing off.

Source: Warner Entertainment Japan on YouTube, agesoftjp on YouTube, project-imas.com Wiki (for images)

[NEWS] All-new season of Samurai Jack coming to Adult Swim's Toonami in the US in 2016

Okay. A ton of you guys have already seen this and know this, but hey, Imma still blog about it. Samurai Jack, which originally aired from 2001 to 2004 before getting re-runs here and there, is returning with a totally brand-new season and has been confirmed to air on Adult Swim's Toonami block in the US in 2016, which isn't all that far. Most of you guys already know the plot but the story's simple: a nameless samurai from ancient Japan goes on a mission to slay the powerful demon Aku, but gets sent to a cyberpunk future ruled by Aku. Adopting the name "Jack", this samurai continues his quest to battle Aku while trying to find a way back to his time period.

Anyway, I'm excited. REALLY excited. I grew up watching this show and loved every minute of it. So this pleases me. Unfortunately though, I don't live in the US and a ton of shows on Toonami Asia are re-runs and mostly kids' action shows. Yeah kinda sucks. Which is why I'm hoping that Toonami Asia can do something and have this new Samurai Jack series air on Toonami Asia.

Anyway, a short trailer's below so go check it out and leave a comment.

So with that, Shu Serian, signing off.

Source: Adult Swim on YouTube

[NEWS] Brazil and Australia ratings reveal Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan in the works

Okay okay I know I know. I've been busy with real-life shit like work and stuff. Also, the pic above is just a fan art as there's no official art right now, but the subject is related.






Anyway, ratings over at Classificacao Indicativa in Brazil and Australian Classification in, well, Australia reveal something pretty big: A new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game for PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 AND Xbox One. The game's called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan and is being developed by Platinum Games and published by Activision. You guys have seen them collab before in Transformers: Devastation and I also previous blogged about Platinum Games' other upcoming work, NieR:Automata.

Anyway, it's no secret that I've been a MASSIVE fan of TMNT ever since I was a kid. Watched all the cartoons and movies and still love it to this day. I remember when I was little, I would pester my parents to buy me a TMNT action figure, especially of Raphael (because Red was my favorite color), every time I spotted an action figure.

So anyway, what do you guys think? Leave your comments below and I'll see you in the next blog post.

So with that, Shu Serian, signing off.

Source: fanpop (for image), Classificacao Indicativa, Australian Classification, @AusVGClass on Twitter, @gematsucom on Twitter, Gematsu, AlphaOmegaSin on YouTube

[NEWS + OPINION] Singapore-made Action-RPG Masquerada: Songs and Shadows coming to both PC and PS4 and the Saga with MDA.

Okay so Masquerada: Songs and Shadows is an upcoming Action-RPG for both PC and, now, the PlayStation 4 being made by Singapore-based Witching Hour Studios. Here's a brief description of the game from the developers, directly from their press kit:-

Unravel the conspiracies enshrouding the city of Ombre in Masquerada, an isometric action RPG set in a lush 2.5D Venetian fantasy world of masks and magic. Players will follow Inspettore, Cicero Gavar as he returns from exile to solve a kidnapping that will shake the foundations of the legacy-obsessed city to its core.

Frenetic combat is taken to a new level of control, as players are capable of tactically pausing the action on the battlefield and issuing orders to their party of three. There are five controllable party members throughout the game, each with their own meaningful storylines to discover in a colourful yet gloomy city where the Masquerada, the holders of masks, lord over those who do not.

These masks represent the only way to use magic in this world, making the Masquerada a force to be reckoned with across Citte della Ombre and the countries that surround it. They are conduits of power, providing their wielders access to skills unique to the mask’s class and element. More masks can be collected throughout the game, each of which provide a different, unique power capable of changing the tide of battle.

The five playable characters each have their own classes, of which there are three distinct types: the Sicario (rogue), the Pavisierre (tank) and the Dirge (bard). Cicero is a Maestro, a hybrid class, and draws from the skills of all three main classes. Each class will have access to 8 to 10 different abilities, all of which possess their own skill trees.

Players will be able to dominate the battlefield by taking advantage of synergies between each character’s skills, while skill modifiers allow for even more varied applications. For example, with Zephyr – Cicero’s teleportation spell – players can choose an offense-oriented modification that blasts out hot air when Cicero re-appears. Alternatively, a defensive modification could blast cold air to freeze enemies at Cicero’s original location, buying him time to recover or cast other spells.

Positioning on the battlefield has additional importance in Masquerada. All player characters, NPCs and enemies have armour (whether physical or magical) that must be dealt with before being able to hurt them. With flank attacks, armour can only mitigate half the damage dealt to a target, and attacks to the rear cause full damage to a target. As such, planning to position one’s magic attacks becomes vital.

In a city so rampant with magic, religion has little cause to exist. As such, people do not believe in an afterlife. Consequently, people are highly concerned about how they will be remembered after death. Ombrian society, as ruled by the Masquerada, has addressed this by having people commemorated in songs about their deeds, hopes and dreams. However, only the Masquerada themselves are eligible to be remembered in song, deepening the rift between the haves and have-nots, and driving home the bleak reality that those without masks cease to exist beyond death.

Now, this obviously is a new IP and probably from the get-go, probably won't get much notoriety. But there's a few key things to note, one of which being that this is probably THE first video game from Singapore that isn't a generic smartphone game or an educational game but a purely entertaining game for gamers. So this is a pretty huge deal.

Now, the other thing: The MDA a.k.a Media Development Authority a.k.a the Government organization in charge of regulation of media content in Singapore a.k.a the dictators of Singapore's media industry. They had actually tried to censor this game. Why? Because of one particular character who is gay and also because of their anti-LGBTQ laws. Despite this though, the developers are still pushing forward to include this gay character in the game.

Anyway, my opinion? I'm a hardcore gamer and I absolutely love Action-RPGs. Plus, this game appeals to me a ton. And yes, I fucking hate the MDA for nitpicking on one character. I don't totally hate them but I do hate them for asinine reasons like this.

Anyway, I'll see you guys at the next blog post. Shu Serian, signing off.

Source: PlayStation on YouTube , Witching Hour Studios Press Kit , Siliconera (1, 2), Gamasutra

[NEWS] Pre-PSX The King Of Fighters XIV trailer now up online, press release and trailer confirms Andy Bogard as a playable character.

Okay so I haven't made any blog posts in over a week, huh? Well, it's actually because I'm currently working on an anime review and video game review.

Anyway, SNK Playmore has just released a new trailer for The King Of Fighters XIV, along with a press release, confirming that a playable demo of the game will be showing up at the PlayStation Experience and that Andy Bogard, a staple playable character in most of the KOF games AND Fatal Fury games, has been confirmed as a playable character, alongside the likes of series protagonist Kyo Kusanagi, Kyo's main rival Iori Yagami, Leona Heidern and Chang Koehan.

Anyway, trailer is below so go check it out and leave a comment what you guys think. And yes, they still haven't updated the graphics. I get it. So keep it tasteful, 'kay?

Anyway, Shu Serian, signing off.

Source: SNK Playmore on YouTube , Press Release from SNK Playmore , Crunchyroll (where I found my sources)

[NEWS] Luck & Logic Trading Card Game and Anime Project announced, PV revealed.

Okay guys so just today, a new multimedia project got revealed known as Luck & Logic. The project is a joint collaboration between Bandai Visual, TCG juggernaut Bushiroad, animation studio Doga Kobo (famous for Plastic Memories, Himouto! Umaru-chan and Aria the Scarlet Ammo AA), visual novel and project developer Nitro+, animation studio Yuuhodou and record label Lantis and spans various forms of media, primarily an anime and TCG.

Additionally, the setting, story, cast and staff for the anime got announced too. First up, the setting and story:-

The story sets in a world where a concept known as "Logic" governs all aspects of life, including emotions, talent, memories, and even gods. In L.C. 922, people faced a sudden crisis. In Tetra Heaven, the land of legend, a hundred years of war had come to a close. The gods who lost the war searched for a new place to live, and found it in Septpia, the human world, which they proceeded to attack. The Logicalists attached to ALCA, a special police agency whose duty it was to protect cities from assaults by foreigners (angels), were compelled to act in defense of cities, whether they wished to or not. And depending on their ability, Logicalists could initiate trance with goddesses from the other world, and stand a fighting chance on the battlefield. A civilian named Yoshichika Tsurugi, who lacked "Logic" and lived happily with his family, was caught up in an attack, and took shelter along with many people. He meets a beautiful goddess named Athena. In her hands, she had the "Logic" that Yoshichika lacked. Now both Yoshichika and Athena head to their destiny

And now, the main cast:-

Kensho Ono as protagonist Yoshichika Tsurugi
Sumire Uesaka as Yoshichika's Trance partner, Athena
Risa Taneda as Tamaki Yurine
Nao Touyama as Tamaki's Trance partner, Venus
Sora Tokui as Chloe Maxwell
Chiaki Omigawa as Chloe's Trance partner, Valkyrie
Inori Minase as Mana Asuha
Fumiko Orikasa as Mana's Trance partner, Artemis
Risa Mizuno as Veronica Ananko
Izumi Kitta as Veronica's Trance partner, Nemesis
Aimi as Yukari Nanahoshi
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Orga Brakechild

Next up, additional cast:-

Hozumi Gouda as Jarno Arino
Ai Kayano as Hieri
Kana Ueda as Pieri
Ryuu Nakatani as Quetzalcoatl
Suzuko Mimori as Logigraph
Kousuke Toriumi as Lucifer


Oh and lastly, the main staff:-

 Original Story: Septpia
 Original Idea/Series Composition: Yuuya Takahashi
 Director: Koichi Chigira
 Assistant Director: Takashi Naoya
 Original Character Design/Concept Design: Mari Shimazaki
 Character Design: Rei Aoi
 Sub Character Design: Katsuhiro Kumatani
 Creature Design: Kenji Ando
 Mechanic Design: Yuuji Tani, Makoto Kobayashi
 Concept Design Assistant: Ayako Sata
 Chief Animation Director: Yuzo Hirata
 Art Director: Hirotsugu Kakoi
 Color Design: Kei Ishiguro
 Director of Photography: Takafumi Kuwano
 3D Director: Eiji Inomoto
 Editor: Fumi Koeda
 Setting Cooperation: Norimitsu Kaihou
 Music: Tatsuya Kato
 Music Production: Lantis
 Sound Director: Hozumi Gouda
 Anime Production: Doga Kobo
 Production: Project Luck & Logic

Oh and that's not all. Kensho Ono's new single, STORY, will be the opening theme for the anime while Emi Nitta's new single, Meiyaku no Kanata, will be the ending theme. Also, a CM for the TCG is now up:-

Anyway, Starter Decks L&L-SD01 Brave Logic and L&L-SD02 Rinne Logic and Booster Set L&L-BT01 Growth & Genesis are all set for a January 28 2016 release while the anime is set for a January 9 2015 premiere.

So anyway guys, anyone excited? Who's gonna be playing this new TCG or watching the anime? I know I will. Looks like a ton of fun.

So anyway, Shu Serian, signing off.

Source: Crunchyroll, Anime News Network, PR Times, Anime! Anime!, Luck & Logic Anime Official Website, Luck & Logic TCG Official Website

[NEWS] JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable Anime Staff, Cast and Premiere Date revealed.

Okay so I guess I probably need to post something up here, especially since I haven't posted a thing for some days since Nintendo Direct. Anyway, earlier on Tuesday, more info got revealed for the next JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime adaption, Diamond is Unbreakable. Specifically, staff, cast AND premiere date among those things. First up, the cast:-


Yuuki Ono (Zenkichi Hitoyoshi in Medaka Box, Taiga Kagami in Kuroko no Basuke, Isami Aldini in Shokugeki no Souma) as Josuke "JoJo" Higashikata
Yuuki Kaji (Haruyuki Arita in Accel World, Amata Sora in Aquarion Evol, Eren Jaeger in Attack on Titan) as Kouichi Hirose
Wataru Takagi (Genta Kojima in Detective Conan, Obito Uchiha in Naruto, Garrod Ran in After War Gundam X) as Okuyasu Nijimura
Takahiro Sakurai (Suzaku Kururugi in Code Geass, Tentomon in Digimon Adventure, Haseo in .hack//G.U.) as Rohan Kishibe
Daisuke Ono (Joutarou "JoJo" Kuujou in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, Sebastian Michaelis in Black Butler, Shintarou Midorima in Kuroko no Basuke) as Joutarou "JoJo" Kuujou

Next up, the staff:-

Director: Naokatsu Tsuda (Director for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Series Director: Toshiyuki Kato (Storyboarder and Episode Director for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Chief Director: Yuuta Takamura (Episode Director for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Series Composer: Yasuko Kobayashi (Series Composer for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Character Designer: Terumi Nishii (Character Designer for Mawaru Penguindrum, Servant x Service and A Town Where You Live)
Stand Designer/Action Animation Director: Kenta Mimuro (Action Animation Director for the second cour of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Sub-Character Designer: Shun'ichi Ishimoto (Animator Direction Cooperator and Assistant Animation Director for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Prop Designer: Yukitoshi Houtani (Prop Designer for the second cour of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Art Setting: Kaoru Aoki (Art Setting for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders) and Junko Nagasawa (Art Setting for Yu-Shibu)

Color Key: Yuko Sato (Color Key for Aquarian Age and Yumeiro Pâtissière)

Art Director: Shunichiro Yoshihara (Art Director for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Director of Photography: Kazuhiro Yamada (Director of Photography for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Editor: Kiyoshi Kirose (Editor for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Sound Director: Yoshikazu Iwanami (Sound Director for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Music Composer: Yuugo Kanno (Music Composer for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
Animation Production: David Production (Animation Production for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)

Lastly, it's been confirmed that the anime will be premiering some time in April 2016.

So anyway, what do you guys think? Excited? I know I am. Leave a comment below and do let me know if you wanna see more anime coverage. I don't get many viewers but I checked the statistics for the blog and most of you seem to like my blog posts on video games and Tokusatsu so I'll mostly be sticking to that, but I do hope to branch out more to other things like anime so do let me know what you guys wanna see. Thanks.

So with that, Shu Serian, signing off.

Source: Anime News Network, Anime_Voice on Twitter (ANN's source), Dengeki G's Magazine (Cache of now-taken original article)