On the Verge of Lunacy

Most of the studies on folklore focus on European literature. But just as rich are Asian tales of deities, monsters and heroes. Let’s take a look at some of these. The most well-known are the Epic of Gilgamesh which has two versions in Sumerian and Akkadian; Mahabharata by Veda Vyasa; the Persian epic Shahnameh by Ferdowsi; and Ramayana by Valmiki. Ramayana has different versions in the region including the Burmese version Yama Zatdaw, the Malay Hikayat Seri Rama, the Javanese Kakawin Ramayana and the Cambodian version Reamker. To document all the epics of Asia would fill a book. I’ve picked some examples from each country below. The Book of Dede Korkut is an epic of the Oghuz Turks or Turkomans. It is made up of twelve legends. The first story is about Boghach Khan, while the twelfth narrates the rebellion of the Outer Oghuz. Dede Korkut is supposed to be the narrator of these tales. The Epic of King Gesar , is the epic cycle of the culture hero Gesar of the k...

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal Publisher: Ubisoft Edward Kenway disguises as Duncan Walpole and meets the Templars who are looking for the Sage. The Templars use the excuse of cleaning out of pirates in the Caribbean while they search. Research cubicle at Abstergo Entertainment The Story Edward Kenway woke up to discover that he was shipwrecked near an island and that another survivor, the assassin they faced earlier, was with him. He claims that he needs to get to Havana and tried to negotiate with Edward. The assassin runs off and Edward chases the guy, later discovered to be Duncan Walpole. Edward kills Walpole then decided to take the latter’s place and meet the Templars at Havana. Walpole was a rogue Assassin working for the Templars. Edward wasn’t aware however that the Assassins were also watching him. They knew about Walpole’s deceit but the Order was put in danger because of Edward’s involvement. He learns that the Templars were looking for ...

Nagai Kei only hears about the Ajin in the news and during discussions in his biology class although they have been known to exist for 17 years since they were discovered in Africa. Considered dangerous because they cannot be killed easily, Kei develops a fear for them when he learned from his class teacher that Ajin are not human. He feels horrified at learning they were used for experiments. In a freak accident while on his way home, Kei is hit by a truck. With a lot of eyewitnesses present, Kei realizes he wasn’t killed. He recovers fast, still covered in blood, and stands up to look at the people on the sidewalk. He announces to them that he isn’t an Ajin and runs away after stunning the audience with a scream. Kei just before he was hit by a truck. Kei is pursued by authorities. Who will he turn to for help? Kei becomes the third Ajin to be discovered in Japan. A manhunt ensues led by the law enforcement and Tosaki Yuu, a government official of the M...

Isaac Dan der Grimnebulin found a new exciting project when a Garuda named Yagharek asked him to make him fly again. Isaac asked his friend Lemuel Pigeon to get word across the criminal underworld that he needed samples of species that can fly. It didn’t matter what it looked like. Meanwhile, his girlfriend Lin, a khepri, was commissioned by a Mr. Motley to make a sculpture of his likeness. Lin was terrified when she got a good look at her new patron. Isaac doesn’t know about it and Lin was ignorant of Isaac’s research. Isaac unknowingly unleashed a terror in the city unheard of before. His rush to recapture an escaped specimen unearthed the city’s dirty secrets including sentient beings from unlikely places. Set in the city of New Crobuzon, Perdido Street Station is the first of the three novels set in Bas-Lag. In Bas-Lag, thaumaturgy and steampunk technology exist side by side. It has blurred the lines of different genres including horror, fantasy and science fiction...

This 12-episode sequel to Durarara!! features the same cast of characters and a few additions. Celty Sturluson seems to have become a favorite target of the enforcers and the media following the chases. Apparently, there is a bounty on her head and the police were not the only ones looking for her. The murders of a serial criminal named Hollywood is also a favorite subject by the media. The killer wears a different getup in every crime scene. Ryuugamine Mikado is approached by a classmate who claims to know his connection to the Dollars.  Ikebukuro seemed peaceful six months after the events of the first season, but there is a lot going on in the background. The series retained its signature storytelling which uses different perspectives from so many characters then tie them all up towards the end. It tried to replicate the pace and the intensity of the first season but it has failed in its job to keep me interested. They just added a few more characters th...

Developer: Mojang Publishers: Mojang, Microsoft Studios, Sony Computer Entertainment Minecraft has five game modes to choose from. These are Survival, Creative, Adventure, Spectator and Hardcore. In Survival Mode, the player gathers blocks and builds to gain experience points as well as try to survive different physical dangers. He has a health bar, hunger bar, and armor level. You could die in Survival. In Creative Mode, the players cannot be attacked by creatures or be killed. Some unique items are available for crafting. Hardcore Mode is the same as Survival Mode but the difficulty level is harder. When the player dies he can be sent to the Spectator Mode, wherein you can’t interact with any object. In Adventure Mode, you cannot break or place blocks like in Creative and Survival Modes. You can interact with objects however. The best way to experience the game is to pick Survival Mode. Survival has difficulty levels. I picked this one so I can create as well ...

Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE! Is a parody of the magical girl genre. Never has any series made me laugh at the concept alone. I was expecting a lot of funny scenes and most surely, the anime didn’t disappoint.  From left: Naruko Io, Zaou Ryuu, Hakone Yumoto, Kinugawa Atsushi, Yufuin En and Wombat The Earth Defense Club of Binan High School had no activities whatsoever. The club members loved to chill out at the Kurotama onsen (bathhouse) owned by Hakone Yumoto. While discussing an ingredient used in oden, a creature that looks like a pink wombat falls into the water. He calls himself Wombat and said he wanted to protect Earth. The boys protested and when the commotion caught Yumoto’s attention he spotted Wombat and proceeded to cuddle him, much to Wombat’s horror. Tawarayama Mangan-sensei passed out Wombat later takes control of the teacher Mr. Tawarayama and forms the five-man club. The boys suspected that the teacher had died and that Wombat had to...

Just before World War II began, the most powerful countries of the world were wary of each other's powers. One strategy to gather information is through sending spies. For such a purpose, Lieutenant Colonel Yuuki has created the D Agency to select and train the best. Applicants were screened through various tests. Those who survived were trained in various fields essential for their future missions. To be effective spies, they must be able to blend into the background and convince people of who they are.  First Lieutenant Sakuma was sent to D Agency for a mission. He describes the men as monsters because they were calm, cold and calculating. The series has 12 episodes, each one about a different mission. The characters all look plain and almost indistinguishable, staying true to the series's objective of presenting Japan's ultimate spies. Lt. Col. Yuuki (middle) witht he 8 spies of D Agency Spies playing two games at once. The visible game is p...

War, one of the Four Horsemen Developer: Vigil Games Publisher: THQ Released on January 2010 Darksiders is inspired by the idea of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from the Book of John in which was stated that there were seven seals held by God. Opening the first four of these seals will bring out the harbingers of destruction, heralding the Last Judgment. These creatures ride horses of different colors and symbolize events leading to the Apocalypse. The four beings come out in the following order: Conquest (riding the white horse), War (red horse), Famine (black horse) and Death (pale horse). Collectively, they are called the Four Horsemen. The Watcher and War on Ruin The Story In Darksiders, the player takes on the role of War. The mythology behind the Four Horsemen is slightly different from the one in the Bible. Heaven and Hell have been in a constant war with neither one gaining enough advantage to secure victory. Because of this ...

Miyamizu Mitsuha from Itomori is bored with her life. When she wakes up one day, everyone around her was weird, claiming she was acting silly the previous day. Clueless as to what they meant, Mistuha didn’t think there was anything wrong with her.  Tachibana Taki from Tokyo woke up feeling strange. He was quite sure he was a girl. His suspicion was confirmed when everything that he did that day seemed unusual. He realizes that he must be another person placed in the wrong body. This suspicion was confirmed when they both realized their spirits were switched. Mitsuha’s classmates tell her she sometimes doesn’t seem to be herself. Now that she knows about the body swap, it all made sense. Meanwhile, Taki found  entries in his journal that he certainly didn’t write. Add to that their hazy memories of the events from yesterday. They don’t seem to remember the body switch. The only evidence are the notes. They left these messages on paper, their cell phones and by writing ...

Takamiya Naho received a letter ten years from the future. What was even more uncanny was that she wrote the letter for herself. There were instructions in the letter about saving a transfer student named Naruse Kakeru. At first she didn’t believe it. The Naho from the future expressed her regret of failing to do a lot of things and for not making the right decisions. The letter tells the young Naho to do her best to make Naruse happy. She found out how important the message was when she read that Naruse would no longer be around ten years from now. Naruse Kakeru and Takamiya Naho Naho and Suwa Hiroto with baby from the future Orange is a sad tale of friendship, loss and young love. It takes the character type of Naruse, a lead male character who has a painful past, even further. It explored the helplessness of depression, a psychological illness greatly misunderstood by most people. Naho on the other hand does not have qualities that set her apart fr...

The sequel of Noragami introduces new characters and a new complication in Yato and Iki Hiyori’s relationship. Yukine is now at peace with his role as Yato’s Regalia and they have become close friends and companions. However, Yato is still poor and struggling. Despite that, Hiyori refuses to leave Yato’s side even if the others have advised her to have her soul fixed. The danger of severing her soul is still present. In the previous season, Bishamon was introduced as a deity who held a grudge against Yato. In Noragami Aragoto, that past is explored as it was revealed that Yato made a terrible crime. There were hints about Yato’s dark past in the prequel, but it was not until Bishamon decided to go for a full pursuit that Yato’s sins were exposed. Bishamon had a problem with one of her Regalia, similar to what happened to Yato and Yukine earlier. Will they be able to stop Bishamon? How will Hiyori react? And what other forces are after Yato? Bishamon In my rev...

At the rise of the Demon God, it was prophesied that six heroes called the Braves of the Six Flowers will rise to meet the challenge. They are chosen by the Goddess of Fate and given a mark to distinguish them from other people. You cannot wish to become a Brave but that did not stop Adlet Mayer from wanting to be among the chosen. He proclaims himself as the strongest man in the world. When he was captured and detained after interrupting a competition between two warriors, he met Princess Nashetania who claimed she is one of the Braves. Adlet was chosen as a Brave that night while in detention when a mark appeared on his body. They travel together. On their journey they heard tales about the Brave killer on the loose. They meet Flamie who was revealed to be the Brave killer by the knight Goldov, Nashetanya’s sworn protector. Flamie wanted to fight the Demon God herself, being a Brave as well, but Adlet was relentless in convincing her that they should all travel as a ...

Tachibana Hotaru believes in fighting for the right. As the high school Student Council President she believes it is part of her duty to protect the weak from bullies and malcontents. She is sometimes mistaken as a boy because of her short hair and demeanor. It was therefore not surprising that she wanted to avenge her best friend Kanae when she was conned by a host. Hotaru looked for the host Matsuoka Masamune. She was challenged by Masamune to a survival game. Tachibana Hotaru Hotaru lost when she took a bullet from a toy gun so she was forced to join Masamune’s team Toy Gun Gun to pay the damages in the host club during the confrontation. She was introduced to the other member Yukimura Tooru, an erotic mangaka, who at first refused to accept her. When they won for the first time together, Yukimura relented and accepted Hotaru as a member. Matsuoka Masamune Yukimura Tooru Hotaru didn’t think so badly about the survival game anymore. In fact she was star...

This second installment of the Kharkanas Trilogy explores the effects of Draconus’s gift to Mother Dark. In particular, it delves further into the emotional torture brought about by war, a war that began because of one man’s love. Kurald Galain is in the throes of a civil war. Anomander Rake leaves Kharkanas to seek for his brother Andarist who is still mourning the brutal murder of his betrothed. Silchas Ruin tries to shoulder the responsibility left by his older brothers by gathering the Houseblades of the noble families and recreate the Hust Legion. But will this be enough to stop Vatha Urusander’s Legion led by Hunn Raal? Rall wants Urusander to marry Mother Dark to depose Draconus. Moreover, those opposing Mother Dark’s power found an ally in the former high priestess Syntara who is forming the Cult of Light. Meanwhile, Hood gathers an army to fight Death. The Jaghut, Jheck, Dog-Runners, and Toblakai and those seeking for answers join Hood. Magic is also bleeding u...