Okaaaay...
So it's now 2014. And I haven't done much with this blog. I'll try to update as often as possible with reviews. I've got some figures, gunpla, and books lined up. Hopefully I get to writing them very soon.
Biyernes, Pebrero 7, 2014
Sabado, Oktubre 5, 2013
Are you afraid of the dark? Trese's got you covered.
I think it was back in 2010 or 2011 when I first saw Trese: Murder on Balete Drive at this boutique in Los Banos (101 boutique). The cover intrigued me, I thought it was some kind of an art book or maybe a little novel. But as I read the synopsis at the back, intrigue became desire, and I immediately bought the book (along with the 2nd book, Unreported murders) and sped off to our house just so I can finally read about the "underworld".
Before Trese, I tried to research about different "komiks" being made in the Philippines. Alas, I'm always busy during the annual Komikon hence I was not that updated with the local comics scene. Opening the pages of Murder on Balete drive opened my eyes to a lot of things, and the fact that there are many ways to write a comic book without resorting to the usual overly powerful looking people (you know rippling biceps, 8pack abs, pecs that can move mountains and all). And never would I have believed that there is a nice way to talk about Philippine Mythology.
I dunno, I've been into paranormal stuff (especially those in the Philippines) for as long as I remember and never have I seen a story represent Philippine lower mythology like this. Majority of the stuff that featured creatures of mythology were usually in the ancient times or usually they're from the provinces or something but the creators of Trese (goodness bless them for this work of theirs) were able to incorporate the ghosts and spooks to modern day Philippines. I want to go into detail but I have no plans of spoiling anyone.
Trese is made by the incredible tandem of Mr. Budjette Tan and Mr. Kajo Baldissimo. Mr. Budjette handles the story while Mr. Kajo is in charge of the art. Though I think they also provide suggestions to each other. As explained in one of the books. The story and the art go hand in hand, complementing and supplementing each other. This is why Trese works so well. As such, I don't think I would want to see a Trese novel. It just wouldn't be the same and it wouldn't feel like I'm reading a Trese material.
Anyway, here's my review:
Art style: Everything is in black and white. People would say "ermergerd it's like Japanese manga" but NO. I will tell it to you now, black and white really works well with Trese. The smart use of black and white give everything a far more sinister look and feel. It had a noir feel. The characters are well designed too. It's not too heavy on the eyes, and it's not too flashy like Japanese manga or american comic books. Of course, there was a noticeable change with the art style when it reached book 2 or book three, but the change was for the better. The text used was good too. Not too big and not too small.
Story: Do I have to say more? Right from the 1st story I was already hooked. After I finished the 2nd book I went back to the shop to get the 3rd one. It was that incredible. My copies are already in bad condition as I continued to read and re-read the books every week. It makes me want to discover what kind of secrets the writers placed within the panels and pages of Trese. Looking and hoping for some clue as to what might happen next. It's also interesting to note that you don't have to buy book 1 to appreciate book 2 or book 3. Almost every chapter is a stand alone, almost like a filler but there will always be something connecting them all. The characters are pretty much well written, almost each one of them having a backstory that is not YET ventured into. But that's not much of a con since that means there are more chances for more TRESE stories. The mysteries are pretty good and the plot twists usually makes me go "WHY DIDN'T I SEE THAT EARLIER?".
Price: I really can't remember the price But I am very sure that the 1st 3 books didn't reach 300 pesos when I bought it. And for the quality of work, I would have been willing to pay more than 300 pesos. That's how good it is for me. Plus I have this weird feeling that in the future, these comic books will be a collectible.
Overall and final verdict: 10/10. Get this book especially if you dig x-files, supernatural, etc. etc. sir Budjette and sir Kajo really come up with better and better stories wit each book. Anyone, even children can appreciate this. It's like a superhero comic, but it's not exactly a superhero comic. It's very pinoy and it is currently one of my favorite pinoy komiks.
Side note: There are 5 Trese books already available in the Market: Murder on Balete Drive, Unreported Murders, Mass Murders, Last Seen after midnight, and Midnight Tribunal. But there are Trese short stories in other publications as well (which ones they are, I will research into). For now I wait for book 6.
Another side note: There's a secret when you combine the Trese books. :) You can check out more info about Trese through this page: http://tresekomix.blogspot.com
Anyway, that's that! Will probably edit this post when I get book 6. :)
Before Trese, I tried to research about different "komiks" being made in the Philippines. Alas, I'm always busy during the annual Komikon hence I was not that updated with the local comics scene. Opening the pages of Murder on Balete drive opened my eyes to a lot of things, and the fact that there are many ways to write a comic book without resorting to the usual overly powerful looking people (you know rippling biceps, 8pack abs, pecs that can move mountains and all). And never would I have believed that there is a nice way to talk about Philippine Mythology.
I dunno, I've been into paranormal stuff (especially those in the Philippines) for as long as I remember and never have I seen a story represent Philippine lower mythology like this. Majority of the stuff that featured creatures of mythology were usually in the ancient times or usually they're from the provinces or something but the creators of Trese (goodness bless them for this work of theirs) were able to incorporate the ghosts and spooks to modern day Philippines. I want to go into detail but I have no plans of spoiling anyone.
Trese is made by the incredible tandem of Mr. Budjette Tan and Mr. Kajo Baldissimo. Mr. Budjette handles the story while Mr. Kajo is in charge of the art. Though I think they also provide suggestions to each other. As explained in one of the books. The story and the art go hand in hand, complementing and supplementing each other. This is why Trese works so well. As such, I don't think I would want to see a Trese novel. It just wouldn't be the same and it wouldn't feel like I'm reading a Trese material.
Anyway, here's my review:
Art style: Everything is in black and white. People would say "ermergerd it's like Japanese manga" but NO. I will tell it to you now, black and white really works well with Trese. The smart use of black and white give everything a far more sinister look and feel. It had a noir feel. The characters are well designed too. It's not too heavy on the eyes, and it's not too flashy like Japanese manga or american comic books. Of course, there was a noticeable change with the art style when it reached book 2 or book three, but the change was for the better. The text used was good too. Not too big and not too small.
Story: Do I have to say more? Right from the 1st story I was already hooked. After I finished the 2nd book I went back to the shop to get the 3rd one. It was that incredible. My copies are already in bad condition as I continued to read and re-read the books every week. It makes me want to discover what kind of secrets the writers placed within the panels and pages of Trese. Looking and hoping for some clue as to what might happen next. It's also interesting to note that you don't have to buy book 1 to appreciate book 2 or book 3. Almost every chapter is a stand alone, almost like a filler but there will always be something connecting them all. The characters are pretty much well written, almost each one of them having a backstory that is not YET ventured into. But that's not much of a con since that means there are more chances for more TRESE stories. The mysteries are pretty good and the plot twists usually makes me go "WHY DIDN'T I SEE THAT EARLIER?".
Price: I really can't remember the price But I am very sure that the 1st 3 books didn't reach 300 pesos when I bought it. And for the quality of work, I would have been willing to pay more than 300 pesos. That's how good it is for me. Plus I have this weird feeling that in the future, these comic books will be a collectible.
Side note: There are 5 Trese books already available in the Market: Murder on Balete Drive, Unreported Murders, Mass Murders, Last Seen after midnight, and Midnight Tribunal. But there are Trese short stories in other publications as well (which ones they are, I will research into). For now I wait for book 6.
Another side note: There's a secret when you combine the Trese books. :) You can check out more info about Trese through this page: http://tresekomix.blogspot.com
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| My Trese Books 1-5 (couldn't get it right side up. oddly enough) |
Sabado, Pebrero 16, 2013
The Enthusiast Reviews: Toriko
Author's note: The following review was originally submitted to the facebook group named Anizone. As such I wrote this with anizone members in mind. :)
Food, one of the things that can start and end disputes and wars. A handful of soldiers can win a war against a battalion of soldiers in the desert if they can control the water source as shown in Jim Belushi’s TV movie entitled “Sahara”.
Now, I’m not sure if there are a lot of popular anime that used food in its plot. And today I am here to review the anime Toriko.
Toriko is an on-going anime that started airing April of 2011. It chronicles the adventures of Toriko, the bishokuya (Gourmet Hunter) and Komatsu, a young and aspiring chef from a 5 star hotel, as they travel their fictional world in search of the best, rarest, foods to be part of Toriko’s full course meal.
Before the review, let’s define some terms found in this review (also found in the show)
1. Bishokuya/Gourmet hunter – individuals whose specialty is to capture/acquire rare ingredients/foods.
2. IGO – stands for International Gourmet Organization, a global organization that maintains order in the gourmet age. The IGO can be thought of as the government for the show. According to one of the characters, the IGO’s main objectives are as follows: discovery of new ingredients, research and development of the said ingredients, and circulation of food and the public order
3. Bishokukai – criminal organization that aims to steal very rare ingredients for their own benefit with the goal of controlling the world. They are in constant conflict with the IGO.
4. GT Robo – also known as Gourmet Telexistence Robo, is a specialized robo used to investigate areas that are considered inaccessible to normal humans. It allows the user to get ingredients without going in harm’s way (a la Surrogates), but the robot transmits back the senses to the operator(sight, smell, and even taste). In the anime, the bishokukai are commonly seen utilizing the GT Robo.
5. Gourmet cells – special cells discovered and harvested from the “phantom jellyfish” by the bishokuya god. The cells have regenerative and strength enhancing properties. And when they are transferred or implanted to the cells of another organism, the recipient will have improved qualities.
6. Capture level – rating that the IGO gives to ingredients/animals/creatures that show the difficulty of acquisition. Capture level is based on several factors: fighting strength, rarity, guardians(for ingredients), and environment to name a few.
1. Bishokuya/Gourmet hunter – individuals whose specialty is to capture/acquire rare ingredients/foods.
2. IGO – stands for International Gourmet Organization, a global organization that maintains order in the gourmet age. The IGO can be thought of as the government for the show. According to one of the characters, the IGO’s main objectives are as follows: discovery of new ingredients, research and development of the said ingredients, and circulation of food and the public order
3. Bishokukai – criminal organization that aims to steal very rare ingredients for their own benefit with the goal of controlling the world. They are in constant conflict with the IGO.
4. GT Robo – also known as Gourmet Telexistence Robo, is a specialized robo used to investigate areas that are considered inaccessible to normal humans. It allows the user to get ingredients without going in harm’s way (a la Surrogates), but the robot transmits back the senses to the operator(sight, smell, and even taste). In the anime, the bishokukai are commonly seen utilizing the GT Robo.
5. Gourmet cells – special cells discovered and harvested from the “phantom jellyfish” by the bishokuya god. The cells have regenerative and strength enhancing properties. And when they are transferred or implanted to the cells of another organism, the recipient will have improved qualities.
6. Capture level – rating that the IGO gives to ingredients/animals/creatures that show the difficulty of acquisition. Capture level is based on several factors: fighting strength, rarity, guardians(for ingredients), and environment to name a few.
Now, on to the review!
Plot: Toriko is first and foremost, under the action/adventure genre combined with food and monster hunting. And just like most shows under this genre, you can expect it to have a lot of fights. The fights may be part of the ingredient acquisition, or part of the conflict with the bishokukai. It also features a lot of food and a lot of eating. So be ready to feel hungry when you watch this show. Toriko also makes use of technical and scientific ideas (i.e. genetic engineering, use of pheromones etc. etc.) but it is used in such a way that younger audiences can understand it. As of writing, the anime has reached the 61st episode and has just entered the 10th arc. The show is very straightforward and there are only several filler episodes, two of which are special crossover episodes with the anime One Piece. The show has a good balance of humor, action, food, and dialogue.
Graphics: Art-wise, Toriko is a drawn in your typical shounen manner. Majority of the important characters (With the exception of Komatsu) are drawn like they were the demigods while the villains have a variety of designs, from the weird to the grotesque looking. But though the art style follows the trend, it does not mean that the characters are not memorable. The effects used for Toriko’s attacks are well made too, like when Toriko makes use of his intimidation skill.
Another incredible part in the art of Toriko is the audience-submitted monsters/ingredients. The animation staff has done a good job of getting audience participation in the production process. Fans of the show send their designs of creatures and ingredients and the staff chooses the really nice ones and incorporates them into the show. The good part is, the staff is able to turn an 8 year old child’s artwork into something incredible and tasty.
As mentioned earlier, the character designs of Toriko is rather generic (spiky hair, big physique), so what makes Toriko different? Well, what sets Toriko apart from other shows is the ability of the show to let the audience taste a certain ingredient/dish. Using a combination of narratives and character reactions to food, the audience is able to have an idea of how a certain food tastes. If cooking master boy used angels and crying old men to show that the taste is heaven-sent, Toriko uses funny facial expressions and strong narratives to show how tasty a dish is.
Music: So far, there is only one OP theme for the show, “Guts guts” sung by the incredible Akira Kushida, while there are 6 ED theme songs sung by different artists. The ED theme songs along with their respective artists are as follows: Satisfaction (FT Island), Deli delicious (Sea☆A), Sabrina (Ieiri Leo), Love chase (Tomohisa Yamashita), Samba de Toriko(Hyadain), and Sono na wa toriko(Kondo Takashi). As for the bgm, most of the music used gave off an epic feel.
Characters: There are several important characters in the show. I will be doing a quick description of 2 characters. 1st of course, is Toriko, our title character. HE is one of the four heavenly kings(shitennou) of the Bishokuya. He has the important traits of a shounen hero, insane levels of strength, a sense of adventure, and a never-say-die mindset. He has several weapons on his arsenal, namely:
- Fork and Knife: Right hand positioned like a claw, while his left hand is positioned in a chop.
- Intimidation: used to scare away creatures.
- Kugi punch/Nail punch – toriko focuses his strength on his right hand so he can create a punch strong enough to destroy things or knock monsters out.
Up next is Komatsu, a 5 star chef who works in Gourmet hotel. He is a timid but enthusiastic chef who accompanies Toriko during his hunts. He is mostly afraid of the things he comes across during his travels with Toriko (since most of the monsters he encounters can kill him). Despite that fact, he has gone to places no normal human can go to and come out of alive. Komatsu may not be a fighter but he is a highly skilled cook. He knows which ingredients can go well together and he is a highly skilled chef. He is also very observant of his environment and always on the lookout for new potential ingredients. While the show is focused on Toriko’s quests, most of the development can be expected of Komatsu, since he is a newbie to the world (and perils) of the Bishokuya.
All in all, Toriko is worth watching. It successfully combines several themes, action, adventure, food, and monster hunting to come up with a unique show. The art style, although it is not the best quality of the show, works well with the plot and theme of the show. Having crossover episodes with One Piece is also a nice touch, along with the audience participation.
I think the weak point of this show is the humor. Since the show is aimed at a younger demographic, some of the jokes used might not pass as funny to more mature viewers. So if you’re someone who’s looking for a show with a complex plot and a dark theme, then this is not for you. But if you’re someone who likes food and battles and monster hunting, then this show is for you.
Lunes, Disyembre 3, 2012
1st post, MG 1/100 Gundam Heavy Arms WIP and review
Master Grade 1/100 Gundam Heavy Arms EW version(Katoki Design)
Anyway, first up is my WIP and review for the MG 1/100 Gundam Heavy Arms EW. Please do remember that I'm a newcomer with making WIP reviews on blogs. So please do bear with me.
As everyone who watched Gundam Wing knows, the Gundam Heavyarms is well, armed with heavy weaponry. He's got a gatling gun(his main weapon), a army knife on his right hand, he's got tons of missiles(that didn't seem to run out in the TV. lol) he's also got a concealed beam saber on his left arm(customized for Heero Yuy when he fought with Lieutenant Zechs Marquise).
Unfortunately, the TV version of the kit is yet to have a master grade(only the wing TV has a master grade). But Bandai came up with something that's as good as the TV version. Which was make the EW version of the unit. In the Endless Waltz OVA, it was already the Heavy Arms Custom(4 gatling guns, 4 chest gatling guns), no army knife and no concealed beam saber). Bandai released this early 2012 if i remember correctly. (I actually got this kit back in March/April 2012). This kit is a surprise birthday gift from my girlfriend (I was planning to buy one myself and I thought she bought this one for her. but to my surprise... it's mine. lol.).
A. Box
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| with this alone you know that this kit is heavily loaded with weapons and shit |
The boxart is more than enough to show you that this is one heckuva unit. Photo shows he's not called heavy arms for nothing.
When I first saw the box art I was like, heck, it's like he's saying everyone is just bullet fodder or something. And I haven't even started on anything yet. lol.
B. The runners
When I first saw the box art I was like, heck, it's like he's saying everyone is just bullet fodder or something. And I haven't even started on anything yet. lol.
B. The runners
There are around 14 runners I think. 3 of which are ABS while one is the Polycap runner, there is also one runner that has the clear part but there's only 1 piece. The wire where you'll put the parts for the link belt of the machinegun is separate and does not belong to any runner group. Of the 3 runners which are ABS, 2 are identical so basically there are only 13 runners. The stickers (foil and clear) and the dry transfer decals are sealed together in a small plastic.
C. The Build
C. The Build
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| My workplace ver 1.0 |
Building the HA EW is no easy task. it's smaller than the usual kit's I've built (Exia, Zeta) and just like the Crossbone Full cloth, i also had a hard time with some small parts. anyway, 1st things' first:
The cockpit:
As you can see, the cockpit assembly is pretty small. probably made out of 4-5 parts. There's no gimmick to the cockpit btw except you can open the doors(which i'll be showing later.
There really isn't much to do with assembling the head since it's pretty straight forward. Although I like how the parts of the head were prepainted. The v-fin could use a little touch up. Maybe a little gold can do something for it? Several stickers will be placed here. one for the eyes, and another for the front camera. i think there's also another one for the hind cameras.
Side note: I decided to paint the head part gold for some odd reason. I guess I thought it looked real good with gold in it. :P
The Upper Body:
To continue, you'll be attaching several parts to the cockpit. The yellow parts, and then the gatling gun and then the machine cannon near the neck part.
Note: there is a part that you attach on top of the chest gatling that are pretty brittle. so be very careful when you remove the part from the runner. I nearly made a mistake there. Also, the chest gatling could also use some paint. Maybe touching it up with gunmetal would do the job.
I found assembling the arms enjoyable. Since as I looked at the manual I already noticed that there is a lot of parts that I can paint. I noticed that the missiles on the shoulders were made separate from the shoulder armor parts, i decided to paint them red since as they were, they were too bland. And painting the missiles would make them appear separate and removable. :)
I was unable to take several photos during the construction since it was nearing 2 AM when I did this. Anyway, the blue part on the chest is attached separately. Be careful when cutting it since the top blue part should touch the other side.
It's a bit hard to insert and I made the stupid mistake of cutting a part. Luckily I had some spare cement for a plane I worked on a few months prior to this build.
The Lower part of the body
The cockpit:
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| Mr. Barton is so small |
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| Bye bye Trowa~ |
As you can see, the cockpit assembly is pretty small. probably made out of 4-5 parts. There's no gimmick to the cockpit btw except you can open the doors(which i'll be showing later.
As you can see, to close the cockpit you only have to attach the cockpit's doors. There's not much you can do during the construction of this part.
The Head
The Head
There really isn't much to do with assembling the head since it's pretty straight forward. Although I like how the parts of the head were prepainted. The v-fin could use a little touch up. Maybe a little gold can do something for it? Several stickers will be placed here. one for the eyes, and another for the front camera. i think there's also another one for the hind cameras.
The Upper Body:
To continue, you'll be attaching several parts to the cockpit. The yellow parts, and then the gatling gun and then the machine cannon near the neck part.
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| Shoulder missiles painted red |
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| with some armor |
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| arm assembly. |
I found assembling the arms enjoyable. Since as I looked at the manual I already noticed that there is a lot of parts that I can paint. I noticed that the missiles on the shoulders were made separate from the shoulder armor parts, i decided to paint them red since as they were, they were too bland. And painting the missiles would make them appear separate and removable. :)
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| Attaching the head and arms to the body. |
It's a bit hard to insert and I made the stupid mistake of cutting a part. Luckily I had some spare cement for a plane I worked on a few months prior to this build.
The Lower part of the body
The lower body, mainly the skirt, the feet, and the legs took a bit of time. There are some interesting parts here and there and it took me a while since i got fascinated with the engineering done with this kit. Again, I painted the missile pods red using the welcoat acrylic paint. poor paint job ikr? =))
The knee armor actually moves upward when you bend it. There really isn't that much to talk about with this part since there aren't that many gimmicks or whatever. The only gimmicks I noticed about this part of the gundam were the missile hatches(which opens), the knee armor that moves upward, and the missile pods which look bad ass on its own.
Backpack
There really isn't much to say since there are no elaborate engineering stuff done for the backpack. it's very basic and there is a lot of room for detailing. I, for example, painted the boosters silver(for some odd reason) . I guess I thought it looked cooler that way.
Weapons
Now we go to the weapons. first up is the Army Knife. As far as I remember, the TV Heavy Arms also had an army knife on one arm. but i think it didn't move the way the HA EW did.
Building the weapon is pretty simple since there are only around 2-3 parts i think.
Btw, I painted the blade of the army knife metallic silver. Though i think i should have used gunmetal but what the hey! it'll just get dirty since he'll be using it on them Leos. hahahaha!
Now, the last stop is probably what i waited for when I got this kit. The Beam Gatling Gun with the shield.
Just like most of the parts of this kit, the beam gatling is pretty easy to assemble too. Just some parts and then poof~ But spray painting the barrels, now that's difficult. I tried masking(And failed big time, imo). just so i can control which parts will get the silver color. I decided to stick with the silver color due to the fact that i don't have any gunmetal lying around. :/ Anyway, here are the assembly photos:
Probably some of the hardest parts of this build. painting them barrels after masking them
Removing the tape showed my mistakes. LOL.
Accessories
So now we enter the fun part which is the accessories. The Heavy Arms EW doesn't have that many accessories unlike the Crossbone full cloth or the FA Unicorn, but it does have a badass gatling gun. but before we get there, let's talk about the back pack first.
Weapons
Now we go to the weapons. first up is the Army Knife. As far as I remember, the TV Heavy Arms also had an army knife on one arm. but i think it didn't move the way the HA EW did.
Building the weapon is pretty simple since there are only around 2-3 parts i think.
Btw, I painted the blade of the army knife metallic silver. Though i think i should have used gunmetal but what the hey! it'll just get dirty since he'll be using it on them Leos. hahahaha!
Now, the last stop is probably what i waited for when I got this kit. The Beam Gatling Gun with the shield.
Just like most of the parts of this kit, the beam gatling is pretty easy to assemble too. Just some parts and then poof~ But spray painting the barrels, now that's difficult. I tried masking(And failed big time, imo). just so i can control which parts will get the silver color. I decided to stick with the silver color due to the fact that i don't have any gunmetal lying around. :/ Anyway, here are the assembly photos:
Probably some of the hardest parts of this build. painting them barrels after masking them
Removing the tape showed my mistakes. LOL.
Originally, only the end of the barrels were supposed to have the silver paint, but as I said, i'm a newcomer to spray painting small parts. Another sidenote: I painted the bullet chain with gold since i thought most bullets looked like gold. hahaha.
So there you have it, I am now finished with the assembly of this badboy. I guess it's time for some shots~
Some shots
So there you have it, I am now finished with the assembly of this badboy. I guess it's time for some shots~
Some shots
The Verdict
What can I say? I definitely recommend this kit. It might not be accessory heavy but it has some pretty nice gimmicks. The design looks awesome and arguably, this is the best looking kit from the MG EW line. There's a lot of room for detailing but you can choose not to detail him and he'd still look good. If you're having doubts getting this kit, believe me when I say it's worth the money.
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