That International Life and Friends

My first semester overseas as an international student has come to its end a few days ago, but it did not really sink in until all my friends flew, or are now, flying off. Some are coming back next year, and some are not.

Then I had the time to ponder how ‘fate’ is such a funny thing : some of the people I’ve met here, had been close to or were about to get close to, are now leaving, and I may not see them for a long time – or perhaps I may never even see them again.

Cottlesloe Beach

During the course of this  period,  I would say 2009 in terms of life changes were vast – considering I had done my first internship, finished my first novel, lived on my own for the first time, went to University for the first time, went out almost daily (shh, don’t tell my parents), got used to life in Western Australia.

Looking back, I had lots of fun this awesome year especially the past five months, despite some minor hiccups.

Yes, people, it’s another reflective post. Don’t click more if you hate people being sappy about how life is quirky where it takes you or whatever

Garnet Cradle Review : Sariya ♥

Otome games, I think should have great guys, fabulous graphics, excellent voice actors, storyline that doesn’t make me want to hurl the laptop out the window (only to retrieve sheepishly later), and most importantly, a combination of all the aforemention that will make me still think about the game and its guys even after the game is long finished.

I’m glad to say that Garnet Cradle has achieve this with its final route, its sad end having made me cry as much as I did in Hiiro no Kakera with Takuma’s route (though infinitely Hiiro no Kakera has more drama), and the true ending the BEST EVER ENDING (well okay not really it just feels good because I finally finished the game), if lacking in the CGs I actually wanted to see.

Now, onwards to my ramblings of Sariya, the hot coffee-coloured guy with one blue eye and one green eye and  the excellent white Arabianesque costume that keeps getting dunked in water ♥

Even if you don’t exist, I shall declare undying love and add you to my harem of favorite 2D good-looking sweet males ♥

Forevermore

So basically I’m in this super-happy mood right now listening to a certain song on loop over and over again, and I was inspired to write a poem as I was listening to the song.

Thanks Garnet Cradle and Shinnosuke Tachibana’s singing for being my inspiration *laughs*

Here’s the poem!

Garnet Cradle Review : Sakurazawa Kiichirou

Even though Daisuke Hirakawa doesn’t play an older brother this time around, I still kept getting Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo flashbacks from his route.

In here, there was this line that was EXACTLY like what Onii-chan in Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo said, in which he told the heroine that she should have a well-balanced meal and diet plan and that she doesn’t need to go on a diet.

I love Sakurazawa Kiichirou. He is awesome. Out of the four which I have played, he is my second favorite (Sou is still my numero uno – Terashima Takuma!).

Men which can lift girls up like that easily are my type. Though the image still looks kind of wrong.  Like, he’s going ‘Whoopee! Are you having fun, being tossed up like a kid?’ and she’s like having this ‘AARGH ARE YOU BLIND I’M SEVENTEEN NOT FOUR‘ expression on her face.

But I still love Kiichi-senpai ♥

Garnet Cradle Review : Sairenji Rihito

Well.

The only thing i have to say about Sairenji Rihito’s route is – well, I pretty much get the storyline now, having gone through it three times.

Okay over let’s move on to Sakurazawa Kiichirou in the next post.

. . .

As you can see, I have this huge prejudice towards Rihito now thanks to his role in nearly killing Touya and spouting some possessive rant towards Miku and his unwarranted role in telling Miku that her feelings for Sou are of the fatherly/brotherly type (hello, my feelings, I should know thank you).

In any case, finishing his route made me feel like this would be the route for girlfriends who want to mother their boyfriends, because half the time we deal with his kiddy insecurities, despite his achievements in life.

Or maybe it’s the “You wished for a prince charming to save you when you were younger (or even until now)? Well, be careful what you wish for, it might just come true!”

And horrifyingly so.

Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 3rd Story

I’ve been hugging this news to myself for about twenty-four hours, but only after euphoria has passed slightly I remembered to post about it whilst in the midst of my Garnet Cradle marathon as well.

Brace yourself for 2010, TMGS fangirls, for a new prince and a whole new touchy-feely (in the literal sense) is about to come your way!

*one very hyper chocoholic bouncing off the walls*

My DS will once again see sunlight in 2010

Well, I’m planning to play Vampire Knight DS after Garnet Cradle so it’ll see light then anyway but still.  I haven’t been this excited for a game since like, ten months ago.

*continues bouncing off walls in hyper fervent*

Garnet Cradle Review : Shirato Sou

I just completely realized that I have been blogging pretty much every day now thanks to the fact that my exam has ended and I’m basically just sitting around waiting to pick up my assignments plus go home to my PS2.

I love bumming around, reading thick-set fantasy novels (the Liveship Traders trilogy  by Robin Hobb) and playing  otome games as my ‘Week to Myself’ plans.

I also love fangirling over Sou-chan/Nasuru, even if there’s this little bit in his route that made me go :”WHAT?!?!”

Also I swear it’s like the love story of the siblings and Miku as Tsubaki is always in the way because she thinks her brother poses the most danger to her beloved princess and she always dismisses him.

Considering the route, I guess she’s right – but I still LOVE Sou-chan anyway.

I shall always defend a man who can save me from 3 -5  assassins and goes, all growly and stuff, “If you even land a single finger on my princess, I will kill you.”

*swoons*

Garnet Cradle Review : Teshigawara Touya

Why do I get the feeling I’m rambling to myself even more nowadays? Blogging is like a form of talking to myself.

Hmm, do I ramble too much?

Anyway, back to the game de la moment, Garnet Cradle.

I’ve finished Touya’s route about two days ago, and Sou-chan’s route yesterday – shall attempt Rihito-senpai tonight, but first, Touya’s review before I forget.

And whoo boy. Warning: Do not put earphones and volume on loud while playing Touya’s route, because he sure does a lot of shouting.

My ears still hurt.

Garnet Cradle Review : Prologue and Chapter 1

And I thought Hiiro no Kakera was confusing.

Clearly, I haven’t played Garnet Cradle yet (which I hadn’t, by the way, when I was playing Hiiro no Kakera, considering Garnet Cradle wasn’t even formed yet)

Garnet Cradle isn’t just any visual novel.

It’s THE epic visual novel. In fact it’s so epic I spent 10 hours straight staring at the screen and wondering “WHERE IS MY HAPPY ENDING ALREADY?!?!”

No wonder they made Sariya the last possible capturable option, so that people such as moi will doggedly continue playing this game so as to reach the ultimate prize : Sariya.

By the way, those on slow Internet connections better be prepared for the deluge of screen caps I’ve taken with wild abandon, and shall post up here with wild abandon.

Standards and Snobbery

Allow me a certain moment of fangirlism over the art of two upcoming games which is that of Bloody Call and 誰にでも裏がある-true or lie? (roughly translated to  Everybody Has a Dark Side – true or lie?) before I lapse into the topic of the day, weaving it seamlessly with the art of said two games.

I am actually very attracted to 誰にでも裏がある-true or lie?, even though I didn’t give it much thought before I saw THIS.

Thoughts of Shiba from TMGS swirled in my head as I stared at this, totally mesmerized.

They just don’t make guys like that anymore. You know, the kind of guy you look at and think . . . nothing, because you are mesmerized just seeing him work.

Or maybe it’s just the lack of sleep causing one to hallucinate that to stare at said picture more, the more you can see a guy engrossed in his work the way people rarely are anymore.