Friday, August 31, 2012

Happy 5th B-day Miku-Chan~



To wrap august up I've decided to a small Image dump in celebration of  Hatsune's Miku's birthday. The famous fictional pop-idol is celebrating her 5th birthday her. Hatsune Miku is based off a 2004 synthesizer software called Vocaloid. Well I could keep info dumping on Miku but just read the hyper-link I posted, al enjoy some nice fan-art I dug around the net for her birth day celebration.














Well that should wrap-up things nicely, I really hope you all really enjoyed those pics. Please feel free to leave some feed back, also enjoy this video I uploaded to you-tube as well, catch you later.

~Cecilthedarkknight


 

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Interview with the mistress of manga Debaoki~

My Personal Drawing~

Having run across many fun people on twitter, one person I have chatted with countless times is Deb Aoki. Among all of all the people I've talked to on manga, graphic novels and other kinds of comics, licensing issues and bootleg issues is far beyond my own expertise. So I decided to send her some interview questions based on the digital shift in the western market for manga, graphic novels, manga, comics or the state of illegal apps on Ios. I hope you enjoy reading these and give her shout out on twitter some time as a thank you.





1. How do you think the digital transition of manga in the west is
being handled by online sites and tablet devices?
A: I think it's going pretty well. After years of being at a virtual
standstill, a lot is happening in the digital publishing space for manga
nowadays. This is largely thanks to 1) the arrival of a lot of reasonably
priced devices on the market, 

2) the fact that more and more people own
them and 

3) many have discovered that it's fun to read comics on them.
We're seeing a lot more manga becoming available in English legally,
digitally than ever before.

Granted, I only have an iPad, and iPhone, and a laptop computer, so I
can't say how good or poor the experience is on other devices like Kindle,
Nook, or Android tablets/phones, but I'm pretty satisfied with what we
have available today. VIZ Manga, Dark Horse Digital, Yen Press, Kodansha
Comics, Digital Manga, Manga University, plus JManga, and various indies
like GEN Manga, ComicLoud, Manga Magazine, and several comics sites and
applications like ComiXology, Graphic.ly, Panelfly, etc. are all offering
manga online, in various ways. The selection is still relatively small
compared to all the manga that was published in print in Japan and North
America over the past few decades – but keep in mind that the shift toward
digital publishing is

The only downside is that buying digital manga means having to use digital
payment systems, which require a credit card. The downside to this is that
a lot of younger readers who enjoy manga simply don't have credit cards –
so it's not as easy for a teen or tween to buy some of these digital-only
titles / magazine subscriptions, whereas before, you could just go to the
bookstore or comic shop and buy what you like. Now, if you don't have a
credit or debit card, you have to ask your parents to buy online comics,
which I'd imagine must be a hassle.

But I think the manga publishers are aware of this, and I think they are
looking for some kind of solution. I feel like they have been pretty
responsive to fans' requests, so I see continual, steady improvement day
by day.
.but keep in mind that the shift toward digital publishing is a relatively new development



2. Do you think it's possible to create a free, yet legal site
dedicated to reading manga or doujinshi online??


To be honest, no. Not unless artists and publishers were willing to do it
just for giggles / be willing to forgo getting paid. I don't think people
realize the expenses involved with publishing manga, and how few people
(in US book-buying market) actually read / buy manga. Yes, there's a lot
of people who read manga, but it's but a fraction of the amount of people
who read manga in Japan. Manga is a niche within a niche of a niche – far
fewer people read manga online than say, read the NY Times online. While
the NY Times makes some content available for free, they do rely on
subscribers too, not just ad venue.

Online advertising only brings in so much revenue, and I don't see how
just ads would generate enough money to pay for expenses like translators,
graphic designers, editors, artists, and stuff like server/bandwidth
expenses, R&D to continually improve the websites/apps. If huge newspapers
and large mainstream online magazines are struggling to find ways to make
digital publishing as profitable as print was, then I don't think it's any
easier for manga publishers to do it either.

Besides needing to pay the people who translate, edit and do graphic
design on the manga you like to read, any online publisher also needs to
get agreement from the Japanese licensors: the publishers and comic
creators. Without OK from these people, nothing will happen – or at least
nothing legit.

There are doujinshi websites – in fact, Digital Manga is working with DL
Site to make translated doujinshi available online. But I don't think it
will be free.

There are free, all you can read webcomic sites out there too. But if
they're free, are the comics on there as consistently good as the manga
you buy from VIZ, Dark Horse, Yen Press, etc.? A website can offer all the
free manga/webcomics for free they like, but if it's not any good, then
that's no bargain for fans, now is it?

JManga is trying to offer a new strategy with JManga 7 where they'll offer
serialized chapters of new manga online to read for free, with the hope
that you'll pay for the complete volume later. This is promising, so we'll
see how it goes. But make no mistake – if the vast majority of the JManga
7 readers only read the free content / don't subscribe/pay for the premium
content/early preview privileges, and don't buy more JManga manga, then I
don't think this experiment will last very long.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, manga publishing is a business, not a
charity. Manga publishers and artists deserve to make money for bringing
us great manga. There are too many reasons why "free, all-you-can-eat"
manga websites aren't financially feasible in the current business climate
for book publishers, not just manga publishers.



3. What are your thoughts on scanlations and the amount of sites or
apps dedicated to hosting said illegal material?
I think scanlation is something that started out with good intentions (I
love this manga, I want other people to love it too) that has just gotten
way out of hand.

It's created this perception with some fans that manga has no value, that
you should never have to pay to read manga, that it should always be free
to read/consume and that anyone who draws, writes, translates manga should
do it simply for love, not money.  That's bullshit.

It aggravates me that the people who make money off scanlations and those
bullshit apps are not the original artists, or even the people who do the
translations. These websites DON'T pay the artists/translators who create
the content on their websites, but they profit from hosting content that
they didn't create by selling ads. Sure, it's profitable to run this kind
of website. They don't have to pay those inconvenient expenses like paying
licensing fees, or paying translators or graphic designers a living wage.

I have a lot of friends who are comics creators – heck, I'm a half-baked
cartoonist myself. I don't know if you can ever understand how it feels
until someone you created is stolen, and is used to make someone else (not
you) money; money that you will never get a share of. Worst of all, it's a
situation that you'll likely never be able to stop.

For me the bottom line is, did you get the artists' permission to post
that work? Are you sharing whatever revenue you're making from your with
the comics creators/artists and the editors, translators, etc. who drew,
wrote, edited, translated, scanned, cleaned up, etc. those pages that
you're posting on your website? If the answer is no to both of those
questions, then you're not doing the creators of the manga you love so
much any favors at all.



4. Do you think that people should be careful importing risqué
manga such as kodomo no jikan or comic lo given recent issues lately?
Let's just say I wouldn't do it.

Ryan Matheson spoke at Comic-Con, and the manga/artwork that got him
searched, arrested and thrown in jail for in Canada was relatively mild. I
think the political climate is such that it doesn't make sense to take
risks with importing potentially problematic material.

The problem is that manga has a visual style that often depicts characters
as younger than they really are. And for people who aren't familiar with
manga/anime art styles, if they see a comic character with large sparkly
eyes and small build, it looks like a child. And if that said character is
seen doing 'grown-up' stuff – then well… you see where this is going?

And come on. Is Kodomo no Jikan really that good of a manga? I haven't
read it myself, but I can think of tons more interesting manga that I'd
rather read, rather import from Japan. It's not like there isn't smut to
be had via US publishers (Digital Manga'sProject H Hentai imprint comes
to mind). It's not worth it.



5. This goes back to question three do you think that it would be
okay to import a manga from Japan then download the scanlations for your
personal use?

By visiting a scanlation site, you're still supporting them, financially.
Your presence on their websites = traffic, and the more traffic a given
website gets = they make more money from the online ads posted on their
site.

So even if you buy one copy of the manga, when you visit a scanlation
site, you're creating traffic to the site, which = money for that website,
and therefore, you're encouraging these sites to continue. By allowing
these sites to continue to make money, you're facilitating making an
unauthorized copy of said manga available online, and making it available
to many, many thousands of people who will never buy a legal (Japanese or
English) edition of that same manga.

Yes, some people will discover this manga via reading it on a scanlation
site, and may become a big fan that will buy the manga through legal
channels when it's available. But honestly, the vast majority won't spend
a dime on it. And that's more lost potential sales that your purchasing of
a single legal copy can't quite compensate for.

In the end, you're still causing a net negative effect to the artist /
comic creator. Your math may differ from mine, but that's how I see it.

6. To wrap this up what are some of your favorite manga
series/genres and why?
Hm. I love all kinds of manga. My first love is shojo manga, and that's
probably my favorite. But I also enjoy seinen, shonen, and josei manga.  I
like romances, comedies, action manga, slice of life manga… literally, all
kinds.

I like manga that teaches me something new while entertaining me. I also
love manga that shows a real mastery of the art. I like manga that makes
me laugh. And I'm a sucker for sports manga, because I don't actually
enjoy watching sports on TV, but I like the drama and real-life action in
these series that make me appreciate a sport I'd otherwise never get into.

Some of my current faves include Blue Exorcist, Kekkaishi, Ooku, Eyeshield
21, Cross Game, Slam Dunk, Drops of God, Chi's Sweet Home, Yotsuba,
Dorohedoro, A Drunken Dream, GoGo Monster, Children of the Sea, Summit of
the Gods, and Skip Beat.

Hope that helps. Sorry to take so long to reply. Let me know if you have
any follow-up questions or need anything else.

Thanks!
-Deb
Deb Aoki
Guide to Manga
manga.about.com


About.com | Need. Know. Accomplish
About.com is part of The New York Times Company



Update:
I did have a quick chat with Deb on twitter on Kodomo No Jikan and explained to her what kind of series it was. I think that she understands that it's not completely just smut or baseless sex acts/lolicon but she did help point out the usual truths on the matter. This is the said quote below from our conversation on Aug 30th 

there are just some titles that are too hot to handle in the US, and that's just how it goes. it's another reason to learn JP.

-Cecil The Dark Knight~

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Ha Ha You Need Desire~


I've decided to have a little fun by making a page for my favorite meme OH DESIRE that originated in 4chan. The ending theme to the anime helped spark a huge load of photo-shopped images, you-tube videos and even some great copy-pasta that I'll share here with everyone. I realize that this meme is nearly dead by now but the DESIRE in my heart will never die.



Are ya ready kids?

Aye aye Goldsmith!

I can't heeeeear you!

AYE AYE GOLDMSITH!

OHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

WHO LIVES ON AN ISLAND OFF BY THE SEA?

KINZO GOLDPANTS!
SPONTANEOUS AND DRUNK AND A SORCERER HE BE!
KINZO GOLDPANTS!
IF SACRIFICING YOUR FAMILY IS SOMETHING YOU WISH!
KINZO GOLDPANTS!
THEN JUMP OUT THE WINDOW AND GO FUCK A WITCH!
KINZO GOLDPANTS!
READY?!
KINZO GOLDPANTS! KINZO GOLDPANTS! KINZO GOLDPANTS!
KINZOOOOOO! GOLDPAAAAAANTS! HA! HA! HA! HA! OH DESIRE!






If you got a chuckle out that parody copy-pasta I hope you enjoy this letter Kinzo left to his desired children.

Hey Siblings,

My name is Kinzo, and I hate every single one of you. All of you are greedy, retarded, no-lifes who spend every second of their day looking at stupid ass epigraphs. You are everything bad on Rokkenjima. Honestly, have any of you ever gotten any gold? I mean, I guess it's fun making fun of children because of your own insecurities, but you all take to a whole new level. This is even worse than jerking off to portraits in my hall.

Don't be a stranger. Just hit me with your best shot. I'm pretty much perfect. I am a self-taught human sorcerer, and I own an entire island. What hobbies do you have, other than "jack off to naked drawn Western people"? I also get tons of gold, and have a banging hot girlfriend (She just burned me; Shit was SO gold). You are all faggots who should just kill yourselves. Thanks for listening.

Pic Related: It's me and my witch





Well I hope you all enjoyed that little reminder of DESIRE that still lurks in my heart. I really wish that I could add more to this meme but sadly you need to DESIRE this to make it come back. I shall leave you with this you-tube clip everyone enjoy~

-Cecil The Dark Knight



Thursday, August 9, 2012

What Anime on My Ps3?? A Review of Crunchy-Roll App~

 Disclaimer
This is going to be a quick review based on my two hours of using the crunchy-roll app for the PlayStation 3. Please keep in mind that I am in no way affiliated with crunchy-roll, or Sony Entertainment of America. This review will not have any ass-kissing bias towards any said company, nor am I'm being payed to even review said app "although I need the damn money as it is." With this out of the way onwards with the review~

This is going to be a little unorthodox from every review I've done until now. I am just going to list the pro's and cons of crunchy roll's media app version 1.0. I will then proceed wrap this up with some final thoughts on what I think needs to be improved. Please keep in mind this is not the same as reviewing a piece of media/entrainment. If you really enjoy this style of review I will do more in the future but this is solely based on you the readers think of this style, well gets rolling~

PROS:
1. This makes anime more accessible and easier to use on the casual market.
2. This helps cut down on need of streaming devices you hook up to a TV or monitor.
3. You don't need a extra subscription to accesses said app "Xbox-live gold for example"
4. The quailty on most anime series is very decent.
5. New/existing members get a 30day free trial "This does exclude those who have already used their free trial if you are an existing member"
6. This is crunchy-rolls first game console app and if it succeds there might be more in the future.

CONS:
1. This app is only available to people that live in north america "Canada and the United States" as of now.
2. There are issues with lag/buffering on higher res shows that render some unwatchable.
3. This app has playback issues on certain series that will even cause this said app to completely crash.
4. You need to be premium anime member or drama member to use this app and login using your username from crunchy-roll. "you can not use this app unless you have crunchy roll paid subscription."
5. It is very hard to navigate through the menus on the ps3 controller.

So to basically sum this up the crunchy roll app, despite it's faults still has room for improvement and potential to grow, this is the first version of said app after all. Based on the huge demand for want of this app I can see an update coming pretty soon to fix some of these minor issues. The only thing I would change myself is the requirement to login with a premium membership, however they are still treading the water here on the consoles so give it time until then I rate the app as follows.

User Interface: 3/5

Buffering/Streaming Rate: 2.5/5

Picture Quality: 3/5

Sound Quality: 4/5

Design: 3/5

Overall: 3/5

-Cecil The Dark Knight~

Edit: An update was released on 8/8 to  version 1.01 that did address some of these issues I stated in my review. I would have updated sooner if I was actually paying attention like a normal person.. but leaving that aside I highly suggest you update when you are able to since this helps address the streaming/buffering rate issues. I'll catch you all around later~

Obligatory rika pic nipa~

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Sixteen questions for eroge/visual novel fans~

Anything to drive away boredom~
To kick my self off rolling again I found some questions that all visual novel/eroge fans should answer from one of the many blogs I read daily. I personally find this the easiest way to start up my blogging activities again. Below are just my honest answers to said questions. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a newbie in regards to non mainstream visual novels so don't get all pissy at me for not mentioning more obscure titles and always enjoy~

1.Who is your favorite female visual novel character?
This is a really hard decision to make because there are so many female characters I do like. Since I'm only able to pick one it would be saber from fate/stay night.

2. Who is your favorite male visual novel character?
Hands down I pick Battler Ushiromiya from Umineko.

3. Which character is the cutest?
Given her personality traits I would have to choose Rika Furude from Higurashi

4. Which Male or Female character is the hottest?
Since I prefer the mature ladies I would have to go with Akiko Minase for Kanon

5. What is your favorite visual novel soundtrack (or song)?
Out of all the visual novels I've played it would have to be clannad.

6. Which is your favorite visual novel opening animation?
I'm going to have to go with Stein's;Gate PC port op.

7. What is your favorite scene in a visual novel?
You all know how much of sick twisted bastard I can be so this is pretty easy for me. I choose the Corpse Party chapter five prologue which left with some soupy feelings.

8. What qualities in a VN character do you gravitate most towards?
There is only one quailty I really search for and that's a main character who is actually given a personality or human traits/flaws.

9. Which character in a VN is most similar to you in terms of personality?
I really hate to say this since I am unable to explain why but I'm alot like Matoko from School Days.

10. Who is your favorite VN Artist? 
Itaru Hinoue who did the first three classic key/visual arts games.

11. Who is your favorite VN writer?
 That would have to be R7 you dumb ass.

12. What is your favorite thing about visual novel/eroge?
Overall it's the way in how the story is presented to you into a format that only works within this given form of media.

13. What is one thing you would eliminate from all VNs to make them more perfect?
Childhood friends that never age.. dacopo I'm looking at you.

14. Do you think you’ll ever stop playing VNs?
At this current state in my life I gotta go with no.

15. Are you open about the fact that you play VNs with people you know?
Yes I'm actually open about the fact I play these type of games with my close family and online friends.


16. Which visual novel was the biggest let down for you?
None as of yet.
 
Now follow the golden fairy out~

Friday, August 3, 2012

It's Time To Get Things Rolling Again~

BAKA INU!!!!!



Now that I have your attention with the top three tsundere's from J.C. staff adaptions. I will  let it be known I will have at least six new post up before this week over so look forward to them. I'm taking a short vacation so I can relax while I type out some news articles, reviews and convention news from the major cons this season. 

Yes I also admit to being a lazy bastard on some respects by not having done any reviews in two months so far, well all I can say is just get the hell over it already! One of my biggest surprises I do have is that I'll be doing reviews on tech devices as well. Now this should wrap up things here, I'll get these post done as soon as I can and host edits/hyper links on this page. Until we meet again I bid you all adieu~

First Edit: One thing you some you might have noticed is my massive overhaul on my school days review I did last year. The major reason for this is due in part that some of the mistakes have been bugging the hell out of me for the past year now and they need to be addressed to make the review seem more professional before submitting it to jast-usa. Just click the hyper-link below to read the updated review.

School Days vn revised review

Second Edit: I have a review coming out soon for the roku HD box and the crunchy-roll ps3 app so look forward to them

-Cecil The Dark Knight