On the Verge of Lunacy

Kantarou Ichinomiya was gifted with the ability to see youkai (demon, monster, spirit). He was bullied as a kid because of this ability however, but he has always found comfort from his youkai friends. One day they told him that he should find the oni-eating tengu (literally ogre-eating heavenly dog or goblin) to become stronger. Many years passed and Kantarou by then was an exorcist and folklorist, but he still wanted to find the oni-eating tengu. He soon discovers the shrine where the goblin was confined and was able to successfully release and name it  Haruka . By giving it a name, Kantarou becomes Haruka's master. This is a review of the series that brought back my interest in anime. I have seen this a few years back but until today, it remains one of my favorites. The manga was made as a collaborated effort between Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama. It consists of 12 volumes and was set during the Taisho period. The anime consists of 25 episodes. After...

This first-person shooter game is the sequel to one of the best-selling games of this genre. The single-player campaign follows up on the story from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. I played the four following characters: Private 1st Class Joseph Allen, Private James Ramirez, Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson, and John "Soap" MacTavish. Although I did not play the previous game, the story is quite easy to understand.  The opening shows that Imran Zakhaev has taken control of Russia. But this is just one part of the story. One of his underlings, Vladimir Makarov has begun campaigns of terrorism. Joseph Allen was recruited into Task Force 141 by Lieutenant General Shepherd. He was sent to an undercover mission in Russia as one of Makarov's men. This mission in the game is optional because it's quite sensitive. It shows Makarov's massacre of the people at the airport in Russia. All I had to do was shoot innocent people (I discovered that Makarov would kill me...

Publisher : KOEI Developer : Omega Force This sixth installment of the Dynasty Warriors (Shin Sangoku Musou) series has 41 playable characters and the new Renbu system and stage targets. It also features the Skill Tree where players can choose which skills to use when upgrading the characters. It tells the story of the Three Kingdoms period at the time when the Han Dynasty lost its power. It all started with the uprising of the Yellow Turbans. People who sought power saw this as an opportunity. Three states rose to quell the chaos in ancient China: Wei (or Cao Wei), Shu (or Shu Han) and Wu (or Dong Wu). The previous games also included the factions from Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu, Meng Huo and Yuan Shao. Wei is led by Cao Cao, Shu by Liu Bei and Wu by Sun Jian. This period in China has been adapted in many forms including this video game series. I'm glad they included Sima Yi in Musou Mode because it tells how he was able to manipulate everyone in the end. Most of the characters' outf...

Developer : Criterion Games Publisher : EA Burnout Paradise is not just a racing game. The game is set in Paradise City which becomes your playground where you can compete in five different events to level up your driver's license to unlock cars and more events. The five events are: racing, road rage, marked man, stunt run and burning route. There are also bonus missions such as: power parking, super jumps, road rules, showtime, smashes and billboards. It's a very addictive game. I found I could not put the controller down once I got used to navigating the menus. It was a bit confusing at first and I did not know what the other events are for.  I love this game because it is not just about speed. I found a good use for my destructive abilities. Road rage is my favorite event. I could finally use the big, noisy cars in a race. The same cars are pretty useful in marked man as well. Stunt run is a bit tricky, and in order to win the burning route and unlock special cars, you ha...

Desmond Miles  suddenly found himself becoming the specimen for a search of the Pieces of Eden. Abstergo Corporation is using Desmond's genetic memories to reveal what had happened to his ancestor Altair ibn La-Ahad . Altair is a member of the Secret Order of Hashshashin. Looking at his genetic memories was made possible by the use of the machine called Animus. Desmond was taken back to the time of the Third Crusade and takes control of the actions and memories of Altair. Assassin's Creed is a game that will teach you how to master the art of killing. The first scenes show that Altair was trying to stop Robert de Sable from taking an artifact known as a Piece of Eden. But in doing so, he broke the rules and even put his comrade Malik in danger. Altair was stripped of rank by the leader Al Mualim. He now has to complete nine assassinations in order to get back everything he has lost.  In time he learns that there is a tension between the Assassins and the Knight Templars a...

PlayStation 3 Exclusive Developer : Naughty Dog Uncharted: Drake's Fortune features the adventure of Nathan Drake as he uncovers the tracks in the clues left by Sir Francis Drake 400 years ago. He searches for the treasures of El Dorado but what he does not know is that he will find more than he was looking for. With the help of his friend Sully and the reporter Elena, they escape a group of pirates, treasure hunters and mutated humans. After acquiring the diary from Sir Francis' empty coffin and ditching Elena somewhere, they search through the remains in the Amazon river. Here they discovered a German U-boat and the group of treasure hunters led by Roman and his assistant Navarro who heard about Nathan's plans. Roman shoots Sully and Nathan was forced to escape. Later he met up again with Elena but their plane was shot down. Nate was captured by Eddie Raja but Elena was able to rescue him. They also found Sully alive and who had chosen to cooperate with Roman and Navar...

This PlayStation exclusive is the sequel to Resistance: Fall of Man. It follows up on the Chimera invasion in the United States and the desperate battle of the infected soldiers called the Sentinels against this threat. Lt. Nathan Hale is a member of this special task force. The infection they carry is kept at bay through special inhibitors that last for a certain time. The game begins with the extraction of Hale by the Special Research Projects Administration. They were shot down later and had unknowingly released the Chimera Daedalus who is to become the protagonist of the game. It was at this time that Hale was introduced to the Sentinels. Later their base came under the attack of the Chimera. Then they pursued a Chimera battleship and were able to save the Liberty Defense Perimeter from being breached. Hale at that time was long overdue for another shot of an inhibitor but he chose instead to rescue the scientist Fyodor Malikov, who later revealed to him Daedalus' identity. D...

When I first saw the cover of this game, I thought that it is related to the original series of the same name. And that the Prince in the cover is the usual Prince but with a different costume. I was in for a surprise. The main guy with the red and blue scarf is a Prince in name only. He was wandering in the desert looking for his donkey when the princess Elika stumbled upon him literally. Little did he know that what he was about to find was a battle to save the City of Light from Corruption. For thousands of years, Ahriman the God of Darkness has been striving to conquer everything that he does not possess. The God of Light Ormazd retreated and refused to fight against Ahriman. But this only made the latter bolder in his ambitions. As the Corruption spread however, Ormazd and his Ahura, the Warriors of the Light, were forced to confront the growing darkness. They sealed Ahriman in the Tree of Life. The Ahura were in-charge of guarding the prison but as the years passed, their powers...

First Season of Saiunkoku Monogatari Episodes : 39 Manga written by Sai Yukino and illustrated by Kairi Yura The Story of Saiunkoku (or Tale of the Land of Coloured Clouds) tells the tale of a smart, ambitious and hardworking girl named Shuurei. Because her father does not earn enough money to make ends meet, she has to do odd jobs. Her dream however was to pass the National Exams and become a government official. Her chance to get a shot at her dream came unexpectedly through an offer of becoming a concubine to Emperor Ryuuki. She was tasked however to teach and motivate the emperor to participate in court discussions and become a better leader. Lured by the prize money, the young lady from the Kou clan accepted the advisor's offer. The young man Seiran who has a mysterious past went with her to the palace with a temporary assignment as her bodyguard. While spending time with each other, Ryuuki became fond of Shuurei. Her perseverance finally paid off and Ryuuki became interes...

Today I reread a novella of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. The book tells how the manservant Emancipor Reese met his masters Bauchelain and Korbal Broach. Readers will recognize the three characters if they read the series. The tale began when Mancy's employer dies and he was forced to look for a job. The city he lived in at that time, Lamentable Moll, was agitated because of a rumoured killer who disembowels his noble victims. Sergeant Guld began an investigation. The King's daughter was also involved when she was found in the crime scene of the killer's latest victim. The Mortal sword of the Sisters was also involved when he vowed he would deliver justice himself. The readers who are already familiar with Bauchelain and Korbal already know who the culprit is so it sort of takes away the anticipation of the things to happen. Mancy's personality however is interesting to make me continue reading. Their past was not also mentioned in the series, so this is a sor...

Title : Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy Part one: Dragon Hunt Part two: Shadows of Ice Part three: Ghostlands Illustrated by Kim Jae-hwan Written by Richard Knaak This three-volume manhwa follows the aftermath of Arthas' destruction of Quel'thalas and the Sunwell.  The main characters, Kalec and Anveena, met at Lordaeron when Kalec was wounded. Kalec's pursuers killed Anveena's parents while they were looking for the two. They were attacked by another enemy, Dar'khan, and binds their magic by placing neck collars on them. It would have been over if they were not saved by Kalec's future mate, Tyrygosa. Later Anveena finds a dragon hatchling among the ruins of her home.  They then travelled to Tarren Mill to have the collars removed. They were found by the dragon hunter, Harkyn, the one who shot Kalec earlier. Fortunately Anveena was able to escape and met the paladin Jorad Mace.  Kalec and his hunters however were ambushed by the undead led by Dar'khan. He l...

Title : Midnight Tides 5th book of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series Author : Steven Erikson For the first time in the series, no Malazan was involved in the fifth installment although Erikson leaves enough names and places that will be familiar to the reader. The story focuses on the Tiste Edur and the Letherii. Two nations that are so different from one another. The book also shows the Crippled God's direct involvement with other beings providing the readers a glimpse of his plans and the extent of his madness. Although the focus of the story shifted, the book's theme is related to the fourth book, House of Chains. Midnight Tides highlights the relationship between leaders or gods and their followers and the identity of nations. The Letherii and Tiste Edur viewed each other as different people yet they both believed in destiny - that they are both destined for greatness. The Letherii sees conquest as an opportunity to expand and to expel outdated a...

A few years back I downloaded a game to pass time. I did not realize I will spend the next two years playing skirmishes and Defense of the Ancients for hours and hours. This review is a bit late but I feel that as a fan I have to write something about it. Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos and Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne follow up on the story of the aftermath of the Burning Legion invasion. The game begins with a warning sent to Warchief Thrall through a dream. The Prophet delivers this message as well to the other armies. Fans of the Warcraft universe will soon find out the true identity of The Prophet. The Orc campaign is one of the many stages the player has to go through to unlock the other campaigns.          Another campaign involves the humans. Prince Arthas Menethil is introduced. Later he would join Jaina Proudmoore to discover the source of the plague. The discovery led him to kill Kel'thuzad. The chase led him further into a trap that he would later ...

Title : House of Chains 4th book of the Malaza Book of the Fallen series Author : Steven Erikson This book begins with the story of Karsa Orlong. Those who have read the first three books in the series know him by the name of Toblakai. A quarter of the book is spent relating his journey to discover the place of their people in the world. The book spans all the previous three books so readers have to take note of some events that were mentioned earlier in the series so they do not miss the significance of said events. The readers also encounter the elder races here for the first time. These include: a Forkrul Assail, Tiste Edur, the Eres, and Tiste Liosan. Half of the story is also told from the point of view of a Tiste Edur and a T'lan Imass for the first time. The nature of the Tellann Ritual is examined here as well. The story focuses on the two important things that makes up this series. Readers will be presented with Korbolo Dom's long-term plans for the Malazan Empire...

Niko Bellic came to Liberty City to live the 'American Dream'. Instead he found himself entangled in Mafia wars and drug dealers. Despite all the criticisms and controversies connected to the franchise, GTA 4 has provided players a more complicated character and a memorable story. Before his cousin Roman convinced him to come to the city, Niko's was searching for answers from his past and trying to start life anew. Roman's gambling debts  and love affair plunged them into trouble. One death led to another and Niko found himself in the similar path he took in his past. He found friends along the way, but those friends consisted of arms dealers and steroid junkies. Niko was later betrayed by Dimitri Rascalov and when things got complicated in their group. Niko and Roman managed to escape and moved to another part of the city to start again. But this time Niko motivation was to get his revenge. Niko took jobs from a vigilante, drug dealers and befriended men connected t...

Title : Memories of Ice 3rd book of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series Author : Steven Erikson This book is more related to the first in this series. Several characters are introduced for the first time including new players. Familiar character present in Gardens of the Moon are also reintroduced. The plot of the series is finally presented here. The Crippled god shows up in the first part of the book. Whiskeyjack also returns, as well as Paran. This book serves as a turning-point to the story. It's filled with revelations about important characters, including the introduction of some of the young gods, elder gods and elder races. The book begins with a flashback of an important event that took place sometime in the past. At this point in the series, the reader must have a sharp memory of the previous books and pay attention to the events that will take place thereafter. References to other characters and events are scattered throughout the series and the significance might b...

Several adaptations of Greek Mythology in media have appeared over the years. Some were successful while the others have failed to represent the ancient Greeks. Among the most memorable I've encountered is this series. Not only was it able to illustrate the heroes, monsters and gods in myths, but also brought to the fore the often ignored question - what happens to the Greek pantheon after they defeated the Titans? It is unique because the hero in this game is not a hercules-achilles-jason clone. The protagonist is a minor figure in Greek mythology. Kratos (Cratos) is a servant of the gods and one of Zeus' children, which is close enough to the real version (Cratos is not a child of Zeus, but one of his servants along with Nike). And unlike most heroes, he does not carry weapons to save humanity. He seeks revenge to cleanse his past. The series began when he sought to kill Ares, the God of War.  He was finally able to kill Ares with the help of the other gods. The portrayal...