A Quick Information Dump For Clannad

Official DVD Cover

The following is not a review just a small info dump on what clannad is, my review will be up in few days so look forward to it.

Yes this has been a long time coming and I do really apologize for the wait on this review so with out further ado let's get the ball rolling. Clannad is an "all ages" visual novel developed by key and published by visual arts on April 28th, 2004 on the PC with a full voiced version released 02/29/2008 with everyone from the original anime cast. Like most key-visual art games the original version of the visual novel had no voice over work until the series got a anime adaption. 

This particular visual novel is so popular in fact that it has ports on nearly ever console and handheld that I can think of. It was release on the  PS3, PSP, and Xbox 360 by Prototype with same full voice over's from the anime cast. This visual novel was also the first key-visual arts series to get a full spin-off called "Tomoyo After It's A Wonderful Life" that continues off of the Tomoyo arc from the main game or TV anime OVA. I will do a review for that one was well as soon as a translation patch is up for it. The following review also contains spoilers so if you want to play this visual novel/game head out now.

Despite this visual novel being as popular as it is, there is no official release in the states for it. So if you really want to play this game you can probably guess what your going to have to do However please at least try to import a copy for the game to show your support for this franchise or at least buy the DVD sets and movie that happen to be licensed in the states by Sentai Film-Works. Show some support for s franchise/series if you really it so they can continue to make series that you like.

Now with all this aside lets get to the main point of review, how does Clannad hold up after all of these years?? I has held up wonderfully despite being nearly eight years old now, it still holds it's own from even the newer 3D visual novels/eroges that are coming out now. With it's wonderful cast of characters, music and plot development there is something here I believe nearly any-body can enjoy. Clannad is classified as a Bishojo Game "or pretty girl game". That's all the information I will dump for now just keep your eyes peeled for the review.


-Cecil The Dark Knight

Now Launching My Live-Stream Account

The pic above is not related but just cute. Now some of you might be asking what the hell is live stream? It's exactly what it sound likes in the title people, a website where I am able to stream off of my computer and show you games, movies, step by step instructions for how to do things as well. I will be launching it tonight at 8pm my time by playing the first full arc of umineko for your enjoyment. Please feel free to drop by and have a good time, I do hope to see tonight.

Yes this post is not as long as my other or well thought out I just wanted to point this out for you guys/gals. This is something that has been stuck in the back of my head for long time to do but I just never got around to it until today. Let the good times and I will be reviewing "Aria Scarlet Ammo" Tomorrow by 4pm the latest. I hope you hall have fun time the link to my channel is below.

Visual Novel Play

-Cecil The Dark Knight

Happy Mother's Day 2011

This is way off subject I know but do owe my mother so much in my life that I can not help It. Just feel free to read the letter I wrote her for mothers day 2011

To my mother:

           Mom I do really appreciate all that you do for me even if do not show it all the time. You help me out so much in my life and I truly do love all the help/advice you have given in my life so far. There are hardly no words that can express my gratitude towards but you know what I am going to try my damn best to do so. I do realize that I am not a model son nor have really earned my keep but I do thank you for putting up with my hobbies and bull crap.

           I just wish that I could be more of help to you instead of being the way the I turned out. There is no blame on you at this point ever action that I do take is my own responsibly from now on the only thing that I truly ask for is your supportive advice through this late time in my life. You might not see but I am no longer a kid anymore 4 more years and I will be 30 years old and by then there will be some major milestones accomplished but I need your love and support.

         I might need your help this summer to get a car my driver's license so that with your support I can become more independent. It is just due to fact that you will be home more this summer in which I can get more training because dad still has to work all this time. I need your push and tough love to help me so that this obstacle and finally be pushed aside in-turn I will be able to get a job and support the family like I am suppose to.

          

           To close all that I truly have to say is that I love you mom, you mean so much to me. I don't know what would happen at this point in time if me or Tim where to lose you nor do I wish to think about that. I thank you so much from the bottom of my hear for being so good to me and loving me so much, I know this letter is not much but as of now it's the only thing I can offer you. I do hope you have a wonderful mother's day.

Review on my 2nd anime for spring 2011 "Nichijou/My Ordiany Life"

Nichijou (日常 Nichijō^?, lit. Regular Life), or know as "My Ordinary Life" in English. This is a anime adaption based on manga written by Keiichi Arawi first published in 2006 by "Kodokawa Shoten" in their manga magazine "Shonen Ace". The manga is a simple 4 panel comic like "Azumanga Daioh" or "Lucky Star" so you can already guess what the anime is going to be like.  Another slice of life/comedy anime which is something that I happen to personally love. However this is a genre that still gets mixed reviews so I will do my best to present a fair/equal review that anyone will be able to understand.

Now this something that is really hard to review not due the fact the show is bad it is due to the fact this show has a huge barrier of entry. Okay now follow me on this one  take shows that have panty shots or nudity for example. No matter how good the story nor how matter they develop the characters people will not watch it. It's the same for this show, the humor is for a niche market or certain kind of fans there for some will just hate because of that. Setting up culture boundaries between people to where you have to look up the jokes online is also hard for mainstream fans to do, cuts out time/enjoyment from the show thus some people will be turned off. Due to this fact I will be giving this show two scores in order to represents where I stand and where mainstream fans please try to understand this.

Alright now on to the summary for the first half of the show or what could be seen as the "main plot". It focuses on a group 3 high school girl freshmen by the names of Mai Minakami, Mio Naganohara and, Yūko Aioi who have the biggest personality differences between anyone I have seen in a long time. This usually deals with the daily antics they get into with each other such as Mai purposely doing things to mislead Yuko and make her do things that she wouldn't normally do. Now on to the other half show which would be about a young 5 year old "Professor, her robot caretaker "Nano" with there talking male cat "Sakamoto-san" who just show off more crazy/bizarre routines but what makes it so interesting is the fact that the professor actually acts like a real little girl instead of an grown up character wanting to screw the male lead."I will talk more about this more clearly in later post"

There are other characters that I will mention as well, like a junior named Kōjirō Sasahara "who has a fascination with riding his goat to school",  Misato Tachibana " she has an weapon arsenal that could make the NRA jealous and keeps Sasahara in check." and my favorite random character Tsuyoshi Nakanojō "who has the best animated Mohawk ever and it's known why due to fact his hair doesn't grow on the sides...WTF?" The characters In this show are just random hit or miss as well. Meaning that you will either like or hate some of the characters from the get go but this can be said for nearly any form of visual medium.

That's I can really say  for the story to be honest with you. It just a random collection of scenes with running gags put together that seem to work flawlessly for me since I am such a hardcore fan but this will not work for all. The only real life show I can compare this to is "Seinfeld" so if you liked that show you will love this anime. Okay now onto a high point for the series which happens to be the animation. Just the smooth flow off the screen flawlessly to a point it feels makes me feel as I am doing a paint by numbers in real-time.

Everything is just so clean, clear and crisp thus making everything nice to look at. As I just stated above the hair animated in this show is probably some of the best rendered hair that I have seen in the past ten years" cromotie high school was the last". Hell even watching this show on in low quality still looks better that most anime series that where put out in the early turn of the century. The only chink or flaw in the animation is that it's to cutesy for some, thus driving shonen fan-base away.

Okay moving on to my favorite part of this anime is the music which I absolutely love. Yeah that's being hugely biased on my part but I don't give a shit. What surprises me even more is the fact that "Hyadain" a well know flash musician that  has made videos from old games like Final Fantasy IV or Super Mario Bros Did the OP for the show called "The O-o-o-one-sided Love of Hyadain - C", as seen above.

It seems that his music has had such a hit with mainstream people it caught on enough for him to do a record deal which is fine with me. Now that's all well and good but rest of the music is also what makes the series just plain enjoyable to watch. From the high funny piano music to the low key soft music that could help anyone some fall asleep. I do know one thing I will be buying this soundtrack when it does come out.

 

Overall as a series this is just a fun anime to watch to mellow out if your having a bad day. Now there is a hit or miss for a few people and even some episodes for some. If you love this sorta show I highly recommend that you watch it but if the barrier is to hard for you to get through just don't I do not want you watch something you will not like. That's all I can really say for the show nothing major happens no plot to destroy the world or ground breaking material here just wacky fun for all. You can fine the show legally at crunchy roll for simulcast this season.

Age Rating 13+

My Ordinary Life Legal Steam

Music 5/5


Animation 4.5/5


Plot/Story 3/5


Characters 3.5/5


Overall Rating 4.5/5

-Cecil The Dark Knight

Weekly Reviews

Okay now just to get this off my chest I will be doing a weekly review aside from normal post like this. Yes I do know that i have been lacking lately in the department but look forward to one every Tuesday. Now the reviews I do will be on a 1-5 scale on anime and visual novels. I will not do 1 to 10 scale due to the fact that anything below a 5 isn't worth a shit on that scale. So it  makes more sense to me to use the 1 to  5 scale. 

Okay not that I have this aside there will hopefully be others here that do reviews as well due the fact this is a joint site project as of now.  I want some others to help to get this started and I am still looking for 4 more people to do so, just contact me if you wish to help out. Now with all of this aside I do wish to think those that have visited here so far and already made  me hit a 1000 hits in only two weeks, thank you all so much. Please enjoy this video below as thank you.