Cyber-Anime

2006-09-12T23:04:00.000+08:00

Get Schooled

Three schools. Four classes. One terrified nation. You decide your fate.

Ran Online is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) with a scholarly twist, apocalyptic atmospheres, and hell-yeah combats. This dark yet fresh diversion from the bubbly-happy-bright MMORPGs of fantasy flight and bouncing Porings emphasizes the small shred of hope left for mankind in an era of death and doom.

An immensely destructive phenomenon called The Omen descended and plagued the Asian nations 18 years ago, spreading mayhem and causing disaster to spread like wildfire through a terrible solar eclipse that shrouded the skies in death and darkness. Cruel meteors showered mercilessly onto the earth, and as chaos and paranoia engulfed mankind, the world isolated Asia, a poor quarantined land leading itself to damnation.

Two years after this apocalypse, the mysterious institution calling itself the Sacred Financial Group founded four schools in what seemed to be hopes of rebuilding the torn land by honing the brightest and most talented students in the nation. However, beneath Sacred Gate's serene epitome of Eastern calm, Mystic Peak's picturesque classrooms and lush green fields of blooming flowers, Phoenix Campus' expansive libraries and scientific facilities, and Leonair's mystical atmosphere, lies a secret no one dares to delve deep into. The students are being trained at their hardest, taught the most dangerous combat skills, and raised to become killers and survivors in this cold and harsh world. It is apparent that these students are somehow being trained to prepare for something...an ominous doom that is merely lurking in the dark corners of the land...awaiting its time to unleash a terror far greater and more horrific than before. Extraordinary force fields built around the schools cannot protect them forever; already the Leonair Campus has fallen mysteriously in a blink of an eye, all its students and faculty devoured by this imminent evil overnight. Many have ventured to this graveyard, but none have returned. It is only a matter of time now before the rest of the schools fall one after the next...unless you do something about it.

In this game of teamwork and survival, you choose among four major courses. For the females, there is Archery, the expertise of which lies in pinpoint accuracy and perfect dexterity. Shamanism requires mastery of the ancient art of merging the physical and the psychic, harnessing the true power of the human Qi to master Zen and destructive magic at the same time. Men, on the other hand, have two other courses to choose to enroll into. Swordsmanship reinstates the basics of skill, strength, and agility to battle out the darkness beyond. Brawling releases the untapped powers of students, awakening the beast within their physical core through the use of martial arts. Through these courses, a student can choose his or her school and bravely be one of the final defenses mankind has against the descent of doom.

Filled with quests and tasks given by the school faculty, personnel, staff, and other civilians, Ran Online promises to be an exciting play as opposed to the usual hack-and-slash games that have nothing but levelling-up to do. Ran also proves to be one of the more difficult games to play, as mere power levelling will not get a player very far in terms of experience, strength, and money. Gold is a rare resource in the game and weapons, equipments, and skills are acquired when certain levels and status points are achieved, making this game something not that appropriate for novice gamers. The fact that gameplay is COMPLETELY FREE, however, makes it extremely addicting, especially since the Game Masters (GMs) make it a point to give 2x experience points every midnight. High-end graphics, full map rotation, and kick-ass rock music pump gameplay up even more, and emoticons are portrayed by sprites exactly as they are as oppsed to thought balloons or other symbols. Controls ala-Diablo make combat readily available, especially in club wars (think fraternities) and school fights. The game also has a Player Kill system, which, when activated, allows all students to fight and battle it out beyond campuses, giving each student the opportunity to defend his/her school against the other students. Way to show school spirit, huh?

The only drawback to this otherwise completely awesome game is that in order to become stronger and affluent, one needs to purchase items and change of costumes from the Ran online item shop at www.ranonline.com.ph through e-points, which can be bought at any network gaming store. And since, like I said, the game is highly addicting and is free to play, an average gamer actually spends more money buying e-points for enhancements rather than buying load for a regular paid-for MMORPG without even realizing it. Smart move for E-Games, don't you think?

Overall, Ran Online is another game you definitely won't want to miss out on. It is a breath of fresh air from all the usual MMORPGs, and the tasks themselves can keep you occupied without mind-numbingly hacking and slashing away all the time. So pick up your course syllabi and get ready to defend your school in this game of epic choices and battles. After all, when your parents ask you what you are up to, you can always say it's for "schoolwork"^.~

your humble co-mod,
FuJinGrL (Love and Peace!)

2006-07-09T15:37:00.000+08:00

Care for a little StoryImageFigure?

(pictures taken from http://www.popcultureshock.com/reviews.php?id=5031
http://noda-ya.com)

Welcome to the month of July! After all those anime series that have been featured here, we've decided to feature and review something else to divert a little bit from your watching tastes. For this month, Cyber-Anime is going to review six figure models from one of the most well-loved and kick-ass anime series of all time, the legendary TRIGUN. Yes, StoryImageFigure! has decided to release six high-quality collectibles so that die-hard fans of the immortal action series can relive and preserve the coolness factor of TRIGUN MAXIMUM forever...plus, own a little something else aside from the posters, cards, and the series itself. These six highly-detailed figures can more than measure up to the "angas" level of the show and bring back that futuristic wild wild west feeling that was definitely much missed after the 26 episodes.

The Trigun StoryImageFigure EX! series zones in on Vash the Stampede's expertise and skills as he faced off with the impeccable Gung-Ho Guns, and it features awesome action poses that really brings out the exquisite battle scenes that ensued in the show. The figures were detailed by the Japanese group called "Cerberus Project", and are all fully-detailed and painted, complete with appropriate stands and accessories, in a 5-inch figure package.

The toy series is available here in the Philippines in a set of six, or can be individually bought if you don't want to spend a big heck of money (because yes, the price is a little bit shocking) all in one blow. But the biggest drawback to buying them individually is that the boxes come fully sealed and without any windows, so it's impossible to find out which of the figures are what you want to buy. And what's worse, if you've already bought a couple, the next time you buy the rest, you would have to take the risk of buying the same thing you already have. This wouldn't be such a problem if each figure were just worth a cheap amount of money, but since it's the contrary, buying them individually would really suck. I had to resort to shaking the boxes one by one and determining by sheer sound (hanep!) whose figure I was buying, but that didn't work so I decided to just buy them as a set. I suggest you cash up a bit before you decide to buy the figures, so that you can buy 'em all in one go.

Another drawback to this kind of packaging is that once you open the package, you can't put it back inside and just keep it that way, because the box would be all ruined. And what would be the point of re-storing it inside the box if there's no window for the figure itself to be displayed while inside the box? That's why it's also suggested that you have a glass cabinet (or in my case, an ordinary cabinet wrapped carefully with stretched plastic cover) so that you can have your figures on display while keeping the dust at bay.

Vash the Stampede was designed to be in his uber-cool I-can-kick-ass look, as opposed to his usual I'm-all-for-love-and-peace-(and-donuts) look. His blond hair spikes up in all the right places, and his bangs flop on his forehead in all the right ways. You can totally tell how well-detailed it is, because even underneath the bangs, you can see the serious face extremely detailed even to the little dot that is Vash's adorable mole under his eye. Vash sports his red trench coat which is flying in all directions due to his action pose, which is leaning backward with his knees bent, his pistol (carved and painted to the last detail) pointed at eye level. The strips of his coat are separated and we are given the privilege to see the black wraps and buckles beneath the shiny red exterior. Despite the seemingly imbalanced position, the figure stands perfectly well. This is because he comes complete with a stand of weathered rocks to top off the coolness factor of the lead in this series.

The most peculiar (and therefore the hottest) preacher man in the whole of anime history, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, stands just as perfect as Vash in this figure series. Made to be displayed back-to-back with Vash, Wolfwood leans against the direction of Vash's back, his dark blue suit caught in mid-swing as the bottom parts are flung by the wind. The perfect details of his angry face give justice to the bad-ass weapon that this figure series didn't fail to pay homage to. Wolfwood clutches the handle of his humongous Cross Punisher, and every detail of the big shiny weapon merits a loud and awestruck "wow". His stand similarly themed with Vash's, Wolfwood too stands proud and balanced and ready to fight off the demons of his past.

The bad guys, of course, aren't to be beaten that easily. Raidei the Blade gives the perfect samurai feel by showing off his long blade and having his ponytailed hair and clothes ala-Kenshin swishing in action. Details down to the last fold in his outfit are incredible, and he stands on sandy puffs of cloud that make him seem, individually, not quite part of the Trigun scenario, but nonetheless as cool.

Midvalley the Hornfreak comes in his usual classy and sassy demeanor even in the middle of a battle scene, his black suit twisting perfectly and his musical weapon shining in its deadly glory. I personally find his stand weird, though, because it's some sort of musical score (or train track) I suppose, making it a bit difficult to stand him up. Zazie the Beast is made to look more mature in this figure series, and everything about him just screams "cowboy". From his bright orange scarf to his white vest, black shirt, and ammunition belt, he is the epitome of Trigun's cowboy atmosphere. He kneels on one knee with one hand raised, and his stand is some sort of round object that I can't seem to figure out what. Compared to the others in this figure series, Zazie the Beast is, to me, the least showy and the one which merits the lowest coolness factor. Still, if viewed as an individual figure, he is still pretty good, with all the details and the paint fitting in nicely to all his parts. Nevertheless, I don't think he is "Trigun angas" material.

The last of the Gung-Ho guns that I'm going to feature, is of course not the least. Legato Bluesummers stands in a pose of fearsome composure, his face and his manic eyes showing off an expression of deathly calm. Legato's white coat sways magnificently, all the details of his costume evident and complete down to the last skull and spike. His straight posture and his hand over his face makes him the least battle-y of all the figures, but that doesn't mean he isn't ready to intoxicate his enemies with death. My only complaint about Legato's figure is his stand--a scary-ass big ol' skull crushed a bit so that it's leaning on its side. Legato, thus, is leaning on one side as well, making balancing this figure a big pain in the ass. It really is too bad; Legato has all the right to be displayed up front and center. But due to this drawback, I personally had to stuff him to the side, where I could lean him against the cabinet wall. Boo. But of course, if you can stomach having him superglued, then he won't be falling down from time to time anymore, now would he?

The six lovely figures can be bought at any Kidz Station outlet, for the price of Php 499.00 each. However, if you want to get some good bargains, I highly suggest the anime and hobby shops located in Shoppesville Plus in Greenhills, where you can buy the whole set and haggle with the price you want. Also, you can get your pick of stores to choose from. I personally suggest 2Rats, as it's one of the most popular anime collectibles shop due to its variety of sales and its reasonable prices. I bought my set there, and after haggling with prices, I opted to buy the loose (meaning, out-of-the-box) set because of its cheaper price. The quality was still great, so it was a bargain for me at Php 2,100, meaning each figure was only worth Php 350!

So, if you're a die-hard fan of Trigun like I am, then this figure series will definitely not disappoint.

Til next time,
FuJinGrL, co-mod

2006-06-05T15:22:00.000+08:00

Verbrechen, Strafe, and Gluhen

If you're wondering what in the world I am blabbing about in the title of this post, then you probably haven't heard of the infamous bishounen assassins who work as florists by day and hunters by night (I'm not kidding!). No, anime friends, I am not having a seizure, nor am i being driven on the edge of insanity due to my anime addiction. That title is not some nonsense mumbo-jumbo I just cooked up to catch your attention--they're actually the titles of the sequels to everyone's favorite team of four: the unconquerable Weiss Kreuz.

Their team name is German for "White Cross", and is pronounced "Vice Kroitz". After the pulse-racing action, tragic past revelations, doomed fates, forlorn and hopeless hearts, forbidden love, uber-cool rivals, and heart-wrenching angst of the first season, the cold yet incredibly hottie killers are back with an OVA and a second season...with matching new appearances! Yes; Fujimiya Aya, Hidaka Ken, Kudou Yohji, and Tsukiyono Omi are slashing back to your screens by posing as kind florists during the day and as brutal murderers by night. The two-part OVA is a stand-alone episode, but it supposedly comes after the first season. A new mission makes the Weiss team carry upon their shoulders once again the cross and burden of having to assassinate, and this time, they soon find themselves faced off against each other. Why is Weiss fighting each other to the death? The assassins slay the dark beasts untouchable by justice, but have they finally found the punishment for their own crime of killing? Seeing that "vebrechen" is German for "crime" and "strafe" means "punishment", this just might be what the Weiss have to face. The battlefield is bloody and the smell of death is in the asphyxiating air, intoxicating them. The prologue before the opening of the first episode, Verbrechen, shows a scene where our humorus womanizer Yohji is pierced badly by Omi's darts, and childlike Omi in turn is wrapped around in Yohji's deadly strings. Reckless and wacky Ken is terribly injured by Aya's katana, and the cold steel of Ken's bugnuks have dug deep into the skin of the harsh and indifferent Aya. In the prologue, Omi cries out, "Why is this happening...Why? Stop it, everyone...! We...We're--" and SLASH! he spews out tons of blood because of Yohji's strings, barely able to speak now, his tears welling up. What a plea!!! It will really spark anyone's interest as to how things turned out this way and make any audience crave for more. Add a little cliffhanger here and there, with various plot twists and some interesting new characters; it's a shame that the OVA only runs on 60 minutes. This OVA is also a treat to Ken fans out there, because he gets a lot more action here than he did in the first series. Brutal and bloody with superior animation in comparison to the first season, this OVA is definitely one thrilling ride fans and non-fans alike should not miss. (Note to younger audience: The gory scenes of this OVA are not for you!)

The second season, introduces to us a new Weiss team, with fresh new appearances. "Persia" makes Aya go undercover as a professor at Koua Academy, where instead of bright minds being developed, students are being driven to commit suicide for some unknown reason. The unfortunate events that have transpired in the school have become so common, so normal, so ordinary, that the students no longer consider the suicide phenomenon as alarming. What is behind these mysterious events, linked to the terrorism overhwleming the country? It's up to the deadly assassins to find out! The four killers make a stylish new comeback, with two new members as well: the Omi-like Izumi Sena and the athletic Aguri Kyo. Changes didn't come only to the team's appearances, but also to their personalities. Omi, with a shocking revelation I dare not spoil you with, has become more matured having undergone lots of emotional challenges, Aya is now mellowed-down and no longer hell-bent on the sole purpose of revenge, Ken becomes even more loyal like the reckless friend that he is, and Yohji comes with a good ol' story that might just spoil you if I told it. And if that isn't enough, the villains we love to hate, Schwarz, are also back with new looks and the same evilly hotness! Do we hear an old rivalry brewing? Yes, you definitely won't want to miss out on the head-tohead combat between the two groups. Gluhen (which is German for "glowing") has far superior animation compared to both the original series and the OVA because it is now digitally animated. Combine that with the same--if not more--stomach-churning action and perfect music accompaniment, and the thirteen episodes of Weiss Kreuz Gluhen will most definitely satisfy that craving you got after watching the first season.

Here are some sites where I got info and pics from. They're available for future reference:D

http://www.hopeforlorn.net/
http://www.tv.com/weiss-kreuz/verbrechen---crime/episode/350924/summary.html
http://www.maniacnun.com/weissthr.htm
http://ayakreuz.tripod.com/weisscharacters.htm
http://kagephoenix.tripod.com/WeissOAV.html

your humble co-mod,
FuJinGrL (Love and Peace!)

2006-05-02T14:36:00.000+08:00

What a sizzling hot summer we have in our country! Have you guys gone out to make the best of this season, Pinoy-style? If you're at home and bored after all that traveling, swimming, and sunbathing, we got the perfect boob tube enjoyment for you. "AVATAR: The Last Airbender" isn't really an anime, but it is anime-inspired to fit your tastes just right. This hilarious and action-packed series by Nickelodeon will keep your eyes glued to the TV screen and leave you hanging onto the edge of your seat. Avatar has run in 20 mind-blowing episodes in its first season, and Nickleodeon is currently releasing season 2, with a new episode each week. the now-released five episodes of the second season are of course even more heart-stopping than the first. So what's all the fuss about this cartoon anyway? You may think, at first glance, that this is just some ordinary Nickelodeon cartoon for kids, but lo and behold! It's nothing like that. Avatar rivals the action and animation that of even X-men Evolution and Justice League, and has a lot of CG effects. Martial arts and action scenes are completely animated, and you can see every move and twist and turn that the characters make, making Avatar probably even cooler than the said shows. The Asian concepts of Avatar makes the series an epic, and a great tribute indeed to Asian martial arts. To give you a background on the story of Avatar, let me quote what Katara, a fourteen-year-old waterbender (an expert in controlling water), narrates in the opening of every episode.

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. 100 years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an Airbender named Aang, and although his Airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Aang can save the world.

You see, there is an Avatar reborn into every generation, but when the Avatar died, the new Avatar reborn vanished and could not be found for a hundred years. During this time, The Fire Nation attacked the Water Tribes, the Air Nomads, and the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation is now nearing its victory after a hundred years, but it wasn't long before Katara and his brother Sokka (who is not a Waterbender like Katara but is from the Water Tribes as well) found the new Avatar named Aang, trapped in an iceberg for a hundred years. The story goes on as Katara and Sokka help Aang, a mere twelve-year-old, discover the true powers of being the avatar in order for him to save the world from the winning Fire Nation. Aang must master all four elements before it is too late.

Joining this intricate plot are various interesting characters, an aggresive sixteen-year-old banished prince of the Fire Nation named Prince Zuko who will stop at nothing to capture the Avatar with his superb firebending abilities, his wacky but extremely able uncle, a cute and cuddly flying bison named Appa, a small lemur named Momo, various Fire Nation officers and admirals hunting both Zuko and the Avatar, a group of teenage bandits with a leader called Jet, a crazy earthbending king of Omashu, and many other benders that weave into and out of the story to make Avatar a truly remarkable masterpiece. Every action scene is pulse-racing, every battle is unique, and every character is commendable to the brim. Once you start watching, you will definitely wish you wouldn't have to wait for a whole week before the next episode comes out. Top this off with spine-tingling Asian music and the actual art of martial arts incorporated into the element bending of every clan, and you'll soon see why fans of all ages all over the world are going crazy over this comical yet fast-paced series. Nickelodeon has certainly outdone themselves this time!

Here are various sites where you can get more Avatar information and goodies:
www.avatarspirit.net
www.firebender.com
www.airbender.net
www.musogato.com/avatar/

Well? What else do you want me to say? Get up and gear on to catch Avatar: The Last Airbender, only in Nickleodeon!

co-mod, FuJinGrL (Love and Peace!)

2006-04-06T12:14:00.000+08:00

Enter post-modern Japan...

Now that summer is here and our brains are all relaxed, it's time to flex those thinking muscles again and keep them busy with the action-packed and mind-whirling adventure that is Ghost in the Shell:Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG. Enterpost-modern Japan where almost everyone has a cyberbrain, capable of communicating through thoughts alone. Cyborgs and androids abound the city, and every person has at least one cybernetic part due to the devastating results of the third and fourth world wars. Amidst this futuristic world, where crimes still overwhelm not only Japan but the American Empire and Eurasia as well, a band of brave and highly skilled individuals are called forth to liberate the Japanese citizens of this horrid life. Public Safety's Section 9 stops at nothing to maintain public peace.

Section 9 is an elite team of specialists that works alone and apart from the government militia and the Prefectural Police, and its members exceed those forces in far greater quantities in skill and intelligence. Batou, the muscles of Section 9 and usually the Major's partner, has cybernetically-enhanced eyes and is capable of any field work without fail. Ishikawa, the cyber expert, hacks into anything and anyone to supply Section 9 with vital information for their investigations. Saitou is the silent and deadly sniper of the team; combine his tactical strategies with his left eye that is patched to conceal his target enhancement, capable of sniping almost anything, and you will see how deadly this man is. Pazu, the aloof womanizer, is not only an expert in the field but is also the key to Section 9's underground information. Boma, despite his chubby appearance, wields a deadly knowledge on explosives and hacking techniques. Togusa, the only member of Section 9 who is not at least 50% cybernetic, is the investigative specialist who was formerly a member of the police. His preference for old-model guns and his wife and kids make him more human than any of the members of Section 9, and this is perhaps his greatest strength. And finally, Motoko Kusanagi, the only female in the group, is the unconquerable Major respected and trusted by the whole of Section 9. She leads the team with her incredible expertise in all fields, her accuracy in information analysis and hacking, and her ruthless demeanor in battle. Leading this team is Chief Aramaki, who in his old age does not work in the field itself but is the brains of the team and responsible for Section 9's connections and negoiations, sending out orders as to where Section 9's jurisdictions lie. Together, these elites are capable of sending anyone's bad ass out of town.

GITS S.A.C. 2nd GIG is the sequel to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, which was the TV animated series created after the original GITS movie. Because of the audience's wonderful response to the animatedmovie, the creators decided to make GITS: S.A.C. to appease the audience's thirst, and now, 2nd GIG. Both series are composed of 26 episodes, each capable of standing on their own but much better understood if watched as a whole. "Stand Alone Complex" refers to the occurence of a phenomenon that has no original, yet oddly similar. All may be copycats, but there is none to copy from. The origin is unknown. Of course, to better understand this complex, you have to watch the series, right?:D

For those who haven't seen GITS: S.A.C., here's a site with detailed episode summaries, because it's better to watch 2nd GIG after having watched the first series.

http://yellow-menace.com/modules/zmagazine/article.php?articleid=239

With GITS: S.A.C. 2nd GIG's high-quality graphics, intense animation, filled-to-the-brim action, explicit gore, mature themes, and analyze-this-until-your-head-hurts cases, this series is definitely not for the young and faint-hearted! But if you're upfor the challenge, then you definitely won't regret watching this! Top that off with uber-cool background music and hell-yeah kick-ass opening and ending themes, and you'll see why GITS the movie had so many fans that hungered for more in the first place!

And if you're still not convinced, check out the official site

www.ghostintheshell.tv

and wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Shell:_Stand_Alone_Complex

to learn more.

Til here, anime-lovers!
FuJinGrL, co-mod

2006-03-10T09:15:00.000+08:00

Hello there, addicts and anime lovers! ^.^ Welcome to the month of March here at Cyber-Anime. We have another review for a spanking good anime, which isn't a series but a two-part movie. And since it's the month for women, we have our cute and lovable yet empowered heroine, Mink! She's fun and spunky despite the challenges in her life, and she is determined to finish her tasks at hand to the very end. She is ready to overcome all challenges in her adventures and in whatever path she takes, and boldly goes where no half-dragon, half-human has ever gone before! what anime am i talking about? Of course, it's none other than the Laugh Out Loud classic, Dragon-Half!

Mink is not your typical bubbly and hyperactive girl, because she's half-dragon. How did this happen? Well, her father, a dragon slayer, was once sent on a mission to slay the red dragon by the King, but instead, her father fell in love with the dragon he was supposed to kill. So now, Mink's dragon-slayer father and her red-dragon-but-turning-into-a-beautiful-woman mother are living together happily in the same house. All's supposedly well, but the King is enraged at what Mink's father did, so he sends various silly subjects to hunt down the red dragon. Now, Mink, in her teenage years, simply loves Dick Saucer, who is a famous pop singer (and unfortunately, a dragon slayer too). She dreams about him constantly and goes on an epic journey in search of the People Potion to make her fully human and very much likeable in Dick Saucer's eyes. When this knowledge reaches the goofy and really stupid King, he plots to lure Mink, in hopes of capturing her mother. It all boils down to incredibly hilarious antics, silly characters and sidekicks, and stupidly adorable villains that have tons of SD moments and really good humor. It certainly promises to give you bouts of laughter that leave tear stains in your cheeks long after the movie's over! Your stomach will ache like crazy and will leave you wishing the movie was a long series instead. This is the perfect way to end the school year--with a huge, stress-lifting laugh.

Dragon-Half has a seven-volume manga, so if you feel like wanting and craving for more (and you will), you can buy the manga if you wish. Also, the OVA has an extremely adorable and nonsensical ending entitled "My Omelette", which basically has Mink dancing weirdly to "Papara furi furi!" You can get manga information and download the ending mp3 and other various sounds here: http://members.tripod.com/~HgStorm/DragonHalf/dragmisc.html

With that said, kick off your school shoes and plunge into Mink's fantasy world for a barrel of laughs you will forever remember!!! Enjoy!

your humble co-mod,
FuJinGrL

2006-02-05T23:24:00.000+08:00

DIRGE OF CERBERUS

Because of the very timely pick for the months of January and February, we at cyber-anime are going to have a quick feature of a game very much related to Final Fantasy: Advent Children. In fact, it's the final sequel for the Final Fantasy VII masterpiece, the completion of the exquisite storyline of the best Final Fantasy game ever made. And to make things all the more sweeter, the main character this time is none other than the brooding, tall, dark and mysterious Vincent Valentine and his helluva kick-ass gun, Cerberus. For any avid fan of the FFVII series, for any action-geared player, or pretty much for any bishounen loving girl out there, Dirge of Cerberus will certainly be worth your hard-earned money.

The story of this dark and doomed game begins as the city of Kalm is attacked by a mysterious group dubbed the Deep Ground Soldiers, which plunges the towns in chaos and destruction. Apparently, these DG Soldiers were once ShinRa's secret projects and were trapped underground during the pandemonium that the Meteor caused, burying them beneath the surface. Now, they rise and cause onslaught and terror in the towns, and for some reason, they are searching for one man and one man alone--Vincent Valentine. Here begins the quest of our gun-slinging enigma, aided by his old comrades and people from the World Restoration Organization (an organization headed by Reeve Tuesti even bigger than AVALANCHE that aims to restore the world to peace after the Meteor and Sephiroth chaos). As the game goes on, we find more about the tragic life of Vincent Valentine as his shadowed past begins to unfold.

Just a little recap about this former Turk's past as was oh-so-covertly shown in Final Fantasy VII: (SPOILER ALERT!) Vincent used to be a member of the Investigation Sector of the General Affairs Department of the ShinRa Electric Power Company. This group performs black operations including assassination and kidnapping, and is nicknamed the Turks. Vincent, being one of them, was tasked to escort a doctor named Lucrecia Crescent to ShinRa, and during what was supposed to be his job, he fell in love with the scientist, although his love was unrequited. He later on found out that Hojo, a scientist at ShinRa, and Lucrecia got together and bore a child, and Vincent accepted this as long as Lucrecia was happy. But things weren't quite as happy as they seemed, for Hojo was experimenting on the fetus of their child to see the effects of Jenova on one unborn. Lucrecia, for the sake of science, agreed, and consequently became sick and weak. Angered by this, Vincent confronted Hojo in the ShinRa Mansion's lab and was shot by Hojo in the stomach. Hojo then continued to experiment on Vincent's body, and we later find Vincent locked in a coffin in the game. Not much is known besides that, and Dirge of Cerberus promises to uncover more of Vincent's tragic life.
The return of some of our beloved FFVII characters, namely Cait Sith, Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockheart, Barret Wallace, Yuffie Kisaragi, Cid Highwind, Lucrecia Crescent, etc. is one thing to look forward to, and another is the new theme song for this game which proves to be another timeless masterpiece along the lines of "Eyes on Me" from FFVIII, "Melodies of Life" from FFIX and "Small Two of Pieces" from Xenogears. The song is entitled, "Redemption", and will surely not be easily forgotten. Below is the lyrics of the said song in its English translation:

Your form which returns gently to heaven
What else can I do, besides avenge you?
I watched it for the longest time, until my tears dried up.

And the sorrow overflowing from the scar which can't be erased,
I swore that I would never forget it.

I'll flap my broken wings and erase it all some day, you'll see,
Until the last bell ringing the dirge completes.

You told me to live as if you were to die tomorrow.
Fail not and be what we were now
Face as if we want to have forever

Bright red tears traced by a trembling finger,
I had nothing to lose, nothing to lose
It crashes through the dark memories.

The last smile wavered, and disappears,
And the warmth is all that's left.

Your kind and gentle words can't heal me now,
This body's only dedicated to the never ending fight.

Because everyone returns to heaven, some day,
You'll never need to say goodbye.

Break out!

I'll flap my broken wings and erase it all some day, you'll see,
Until the last bell ringing the dirge completes.

Your kind and gentle words can't heal me now,
This body's only dedicated to the never ending fight.

REDEMPTION...REDEMPTION...

(http://www.ff7-doc.com/page/gackts-redemption-lyrics)

Dirge of Cerberus has just ben released last January in Japan, and will soon be released in the US early this year. Hopefully, it won't be long until it grazes the Philippine Playstation 2 consoles and gives us inexplicable delight. With this game's third person shooting style ala Devil May Cry (not to mention Vincent looks like Dante, too), Dirge of Cerberus will surely end the legendary Final Fantasy VII series with a cloak-swishing bang.

your humble co-mod,
FuJinGrL (Love and Peace!)

2006-02-04T20:43:00.000+08:00

Advent Children Character Pics

Cloud Strife

Tifa Lockhart

Barret Wallace

Vincent Valentine

Yuffie

Aerith

Red XIII

Cid

Marlene

Sephiroth

Kadaj

Loz

Reno

Rude

Source: www.adventchildren.net

2006-02-01T22:40:00.000+08:00

The Month of Hearts

hi guys! it's another new month, and that means there's definitely something new to go crazy on here at cyber-anime!

so what's been up with you guys? has school been hard on you? homework weighing you down? remember, there's no harm in kicking back once in a while. after all, we ought to give time to enjoy our youth, right? and what better way to enjoy our young days than by new anime crazes? :D

here are just some of the things to look forward to or do this new month:

a new review is coming up for this month in a few days. watch out for it!!!
did you guys know that there's this incredibly cool and free site on manga? it's called "manga.bww2.com" where all you have to do is register in a few simple steps and you can download all the free manga you want! how cool is that?

and as if that wasn't cool enough, there's another way awesome site for music-lovers out there! manga.bww2.com has a sister site called "anime.bww2.com", where this time, you can download all the anime music and anime episodes you want--all for free!!! without annoying pop-ups and advertisements, too.

so go crrraaaazy this month and download away!!! mind your disk space, though ^.^

that's all for now, anime-lovers and friends! check back for the new review, coming up!!!

your humble co-mod,
FuJinGrL (Love and Peace!)

2006-01-08T10:21:00.000+08:00

Picks for the months January- February:

Anime Pick of the month:
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Bishonen Pick of the month:
Cloud Strife

Bishoujo Pick of the month:
Tifa Lockheart

*Watch out for the reviews and some cool stuff about our picks for the month!

posted by: sakura fujin, mod

2006-01-04T18:51:00.000+08:00

BLEACH

Another new year, another new anime to get hooked on!!! If last year's anime craze was the kunai-wielding, shuriken-swinging, ramen-gulping Naruto, this year's newest phenomenon to hit your television screens i non other than Bleach, the new on-going series whose main character looks suspiciously like our beloved chinky-eyed and whiskered Konoha ninja! Bleach is another hands-down-get-on-your-knees-and-cry-from-the-beauty-of-it-all hit from Studio Pierrot, the same team of idols who brought us unsurpassable joy when they released Ayashi no Ceres, Fushigi Yuugi, Flame of Recca, Great Teacher Onizuka, Ninku, Power Stone, Saiyuki Reload, Tokyo Underground, Yu Yu Hakusho, and of course, Naruto (hmm... no wonder Bleach's main character has a striking resemblance to Naruto...).

Kurosaki Ichigo is Bleach's 15-year-old protagonist, who has maybe what you'd call a third eye, because of his ability to see ghosts. He gets attacked by one of the evil spirits called the Hollows, and is rescued by a Shinigami (a spirit guide or Soul Reaper to life after death--kind of like Botan from Yu Yu Hakusho, don't you think?) girl named Kuchiki Rukia, who lends him her powers to fend off the Hollows. The series is filled with Ichigo and Rukia's misadventures, as Hollows are always after Ichigo's strong spiritual energy. After a while, though, Rukia is punished for giving her powers away, so now Ichigo enters the spirit world and teams up with four other cool characters to save his Rukia. Intriguing, don't you think? Of course, you shouldn't just take my word for it; go see it yourself!!! With all the legendary animes of Studio Pierrot, you definitely won't doubt the quality of Bleach. Here are some sites if you ever want to download the series:

http://www.bleachportal.net/
http://a.scarywater.net/naruto/
http://www.bleachdj.com/gallery/

Here are some cool pictures of Bleach. Enjoy!!!

Isn't Bleach cool or what? :D

your humble co-mod,
FuJinGrL

2006-01-04T18:43:00.000+08:00

Happy new year, fellow anime-lovers!!!

Another new year has passed and here we all are, still celebrating the Japanese magic that is anime. Thank you for sticking with us all these years!!! We apologize for any inactivity or boredom we might have caused to this group, but new years spell new beginnings, and so we introduce our brand new cyber-anime blog! This is a place where you guys can check in anytime for news, updates, reviews, events, or simply to pass your time. Aside from this blog, of course, we have lots more in store for you guys for the year 2006, like anime birthday and quotes and reviews and contests/events, so strap on your forehead protectors and enjoy the ride! :D

a humble co-mod at your service,
FuJinGrL