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Carriage Stop

Onrpg.com screenshot contest Entry #3

By Gibbz

Server: Ancestral Ruins

Date 7/27/2009

Title Carriage Stop: "Am I in the Right Place?"

Yike: Huge Dragon

Entry # 2 to Onrpg.com Screenshot Contest
By: Gibbz 7/22/2009
Title: Yikes, Huge Dragon

Springtime: Love is in the Air

Screenshot Entry for Onrpg.com and Ether Saga Event

By: Gibbz 8/20/2009

Server: Ancestral Ruins

Anime- Inspired Recipe: Sakura’s Sushi Rice (Fate/Stay Night)

Rice is one of the main ingredients used in making sushi. Here's an easy recipe to make sweet sushi rice for your sushi recipes.

Ingredients:

· Cooked White Rice
· Japanese Rice Vinegar
· Cane Sugar

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, heat about 1/4 cup of rice vinegar over medium fire. Add sugar to the rice vinegar while constantly stirring the mixture. Add sugar to taste. More sugar means a sweeter mixture. Heat for about 5 minutes or until the mixture’s color turns bright brown which means that the sugar has been mixed to the rice vinegar.
2. In a bowl, place the cooked white rice and let it cool. Mix the sweetened rice vinegar to the rice to the semi-cooled bowl of rice. Make sure to add the sweetened rice vinegar to the cooled white rice because mixing it to newly cooked hot white rice will evaporate the mixture.
3. Add the sweetened rice vinegar mixture to the rice gently by using a spatula. Gently, separate the gains of rice and make sure not to mix too hard to prevent the rice from becoming starchy.
4. Let the rice cool and add to your favorite sushi dishes.

Anime-Inspired Recipe: Hajiki's Fried Rice (Gad Guard)

This fried rice dish is an excellent side to all your favorite dishes. The combination of sweetness, saltiness and spiciness from different sauces gives it a unique, mouth-watering kick.

Ingredients:

· Cooled Cooked White Rice
· Scrambled Eggs
· Minced Carrots
· Diced Sweet Chicken Sausage
· Minced Green Onion
· Chili Garlic Sauce
· Oyster Sauce
· Soy Sauce

Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a non-stick cooking pan, preferably a wok.
2. Put ¼ teaspoon of Chili Garlic Sauce and Minced Carrots and cook for 3 minutes or until carrots soften. The Chili Garlic Sauce can be quite spicy and flavorful so a small amount will be enough.
3. Add Scrambled Eggs and Diced Sweet Chicken Sausage and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add 4 spoonfuls of Oyster Sauce and 4 spoonfuls of Soy Sauce. The saltiness of the soy sauce and the sweetness of the Oyster Sauce make a good combination that compliment the spiciness of the Chili Garlic Sauce. Add more sauce according to your taste.
5. Add Cooled Cooked White Rice. With a big spoon or a spatula in both hands, gently mix the rice into the sauce mixture. Be careful not to smoosh the rice because it will give the fried rice a starchy texture.
6. Add Minced Green Onion for color and cook for an extra minute.
7. Serve while hot.

Anime Review: Elemental Gelade

Elemetal Gelade illustrates how love and trust overcome the boundaries of race.

Main Genre: Fantasy/Action
Sub Genre: Romance/Drama
No. of Episodes: 26
Publishers: Geneon, Funimation.

Synopsis: In the fantasy world of Guardia there exists a mystical race called the Edel Raids. Their exterior appearance are identical to that of a human female except for a shiny colored stone embedded into their bodies. This stone is called the “Elemental Gelade.” This stone gives the Edel Raid the supernatural ability to merge their souls with that of a host and create a weapon with magical powers for the host to utilize; this process is called “React.” Cou Van Giruet, an aspiring sky pirate, stumbles upon the sleeping Reverie Methelence (Ren), an Edel Raid with vast magical powers, and accidentally wakes her up from her long sleep. While all of this was happening, Cou’s airship was suddenly attacked by masked ninjas bent on kidnapping Ren. Cou tries to protect Ren but is clearly overpowered. Moved by Cou’s actions, Ren decides to “React” with him and gives him the means to fight. Cou and Ren are now on the run from the mysterious organization set on kidnapping Ren and using her powers to take over the world.

Art Style: This series utilizes bright vibrant colors as well as pastel colors for the characters and environments. Once-in-a-while, the series uses super-deformed style during comic scenes. The use of straight lines in the art style is more evident than the use of curve lines.

Themes: I honestly thought that Elemental Gelade was going to be another cliché anime but was I wrong. There hasn’t been an anime that described and explored the destructive, harmful, and often regrettable effects of racial discrimination since Daimos. In the world of Elemental Gelade, the human-like creatures called Edel Raid, as mentioned before, are the main focus of the story. Unfortunately, despite their human-like appearance, the Edel Raid, are considered as mere tools, weapons, valuable commodities to be bought and sold. The treatment became so bad that an organization composed of humans and Edel Raid alike called Arc Aile was formed to stop this heinous treatment. The treatment of Edel Raids improved because of the formation of Arc Aile but in most parts of Guardia especially the rural parts where Arc Aile does not have any authority, the Edel Raid are still considered objects. War between humans and Edel Raids has been going on for centuries. The Edel Raids despised the human for the heinous treatment that they have received through the centuries. They were objectified, abused and taken against their will. The humans, on the other hand, feared and hated the Edel Raids for the powers that they possessed. Humans believed that should be controlled while others believed that they should be locked away from the rest of the world. It is only through Cou and Ren that the world stood a chance of finally attaining peace because they served as examples for others that despite their differences, humans and Edel Raids can love each others, trust each other, believe in one another and fight together for a brighter, peaceful future.

Closing: Just by looking at the art style of Elemetal Gelade, one would assume that it’s a “kiddy” series and that the target audiences of the show are children but I firmly believe the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Elemtal Gelade has so much more to offer. It is a story filled with action, adventure and emotions that you wouldn’t expect from an anime targeted for younger audiences. This show also effectively creates awareness about racial discrimination and that these differences make us unique and special in our own way. It is by accepting these differences that we become better people.

Ratings: 4.85/5 Stars Excellent

Recommendations of where to buy:

Rightstuf.com $52.49
Bestbuy.com $49.99

Below is the Opening Theme for Elemental Gelade. Source: Chaosloki, youtbe.com

Anime Review: New Legend of Snow White Pretear

A new age twist to the classic fairytale.

Main Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Sub Genre: Drama/Comedy
No. of Episodes: 13
Publisher: ADV Films

Synopsis: Awayuki Himeno was a normal teenage girl with normal problems. One of which was trying to fit in and get along with her new family after her dad remarried the widow-heiress of a huge conglomerate. Unfortunately, things turn out for the worst when she finds out that she is the legendary Pretear, a magical princess destined to fight and save the world from the evil forces of Fenrir who want to suck the life force of the entire world. With the help of the seven elemental knights of Leafenia, Himeno constantly struggles to juggle her issues with herself, with her new family and her new responsibility to protect the world.

Art Style: The use constant use of pastel colors for the environments are visually pleasing. The animation, in some instances, is reminiscent of Saber Marrionette style. The opening & ending sequences effectively illustrates the story and the themes.

Themes: Love, honesty, betrayal and the constant search for the answer to loneliness are the most common themes of Pretear. Himeno was able to grow as a person throughout the whole series because despite her loneliness and fear of rejection, she agreed to become Pretear in order to save the world even though she did not have an idea of what being a Pretear enatils. This was the first step of her gradual change from a person who used to mask her emotions with a smile to a person who understood that being hurt and hurting other is a natual part of being alive and by reconciling with these people, she found out that she felt closer to them, ultimately diminishing her feelings of loneliness. In contrast, some of the characters in the series chose to close their hearts because of their fear of rejection. Their loneliness became such a huge part of their lives that it consumed them leading to the path of hate and self destruction. It is difficult to shatter the preconceived notions of ourselves and the perceptions of other but being honest with one's feelings will surely get the point across.

Closing: Preater is one of my favorite anime because even though the whole series only spans 13 episodes, it is a story jamm-packed with emotions, comedy & drama. It is story that you will definitely would want to watch again and again.

Rating: 5/5 Stars Excellent

Recommendations of where to buy (as of 3/23/2009):

• BestBuy $29.99 - $34.99


• RightStuf.com $29.99


• ADVfilms.com $39.98 (buy or watch online)

Below is the Opening Sequence of Pretear. Source: Toudaiji, youtube.com

Art Book Review

Software publishers of the RPG niche games such as Atlus and NISA have been offering a lot of bonus content to the games that they localize in the United States. Most of the time, you have to pre-order the game to get the bonus. Sometimes they are packaged with the game. Art books, Soundtracks, Posters, Keychains are some examples of the goodies you can get when you pre-order/buy these games. I must admit that as an Anime/RPG fanatic, this strategy works in giving hardcore gamers an huge incentive to buy these games even before they come out as opposed to waiting for the prices to go down in a year or so. Even Konami is adapting this strategy with the newly released Suikoden Tierkreis. Today I'm going to review the following bonus art books from the following games:

• Ar Tonelico
• Ar Tonelico 2
• Eternal Poison
• Persona 3
• Persona 4
• Luminous Arc 2
• Suikoden Tierkreis

Let's Get Started:

Ar Tonelico Melody of Elemia Official Artbook (52 Pages)

Pros - Eye Candy Artwork of the Character & Enviroments, Detailed Descriptions of Characters, Environments, Game Mechanics, Terminology & Timeline. This is an example of an art book that doesn't stop giving. What makes this art book special is the amount of information that you can get. It's amazing at how much detail & effort went into putting this artbook together. The descriptions of the environments & terminology used in the game paints such a vivid picture of the world of Ar Ciel. Artbook was packaged with the game. Hardcover.

Cons - You can never have enough Ar Tonelico.

Rating: 5/5 Stars, definitely a must-have

Ar Tonelico 2 Official Art Collection (20 pages)

Pros - Eye Candy Artwork of Characters & Environments, that's it =( Boooo!!

Cons - Compared to the amount of detail the 1st Artbook had, this one pales in comparison. I must say, I was very dissappointed but alas, I'm an Ar Tonelico Fan so I must have it. Artbook was packaged with the game. No Hardcover.

Rating: 3/5 Stars, Eye Candy Art Work for the hardcore gamer

Eternal Poison Librum Vespera (100 pages)

Pros - A whopping 100 page artbook of Eternal Posion Eye Candy Art work with detailed Character/Majin & Environment Descrptions & Creator Comments. This artbook has a more mature, darker, gothic tone. What makes this artbook special is section that covers the Majin Artwork. The creatures are so fascinating. Makes you ask yourself, "what were the creators thinking when they drew these?" Makes you want to catch em all.

Cons - A Hardcover would have been nice. You had to pre-order the game to get it.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars, A must-have for those who would enjoy a darker version of pokemon

Art of Persona 3 (52 Pages)

Pros - Eye Candy Artwork of Characters, Environments, Persona. Detailed Descriptions of Characters. Creator Comments. In-game 3D Sprites for main characters are also included for your viewing pleasure. The Artbook was packed with the game. Cd sountrack inluded in the Artbook.

Cons - Not much infromation on game mechanics, the whole persona compendium would have been nice. No detailed decrptions on secondary characters & villains.

Rating: 4.75/5 Stars, definitely a must-have for Persona fans

Persona 4 Visual Data (100 Pages)

Pros - Eye Candy Artwork of Characters, Persona & Environments. Creator Comments. Creator Design Sketches. Contains a lighter tone that its predecessor.

Cons - No Detailed Descriptions. Bigger and Chunkier but the space was not utilized well. One picture/sketch would usually take more than half of a page. Cd Soundtrack is no longer included in the Artbook and you had to pre-order the game to get it. Hardcover would have been nice.

Rating: 3.75/5 Stars, Definitely a must-have for Persona fans unfortunately a toned down version of its predecessor

Luminous Art (60 Pages)

Pros - Eye Candy Artwork of both Luminous Arc & Luminous Arc 2 Characters. Detailed Character Descrptions & Cerator Comments. Soundtrack was packaged with the game.

Cons - No Artwork on Environments that shows the world of Luminous Arc. Quality of paper used for the artbook diminishes the quality of Artwork. Smooth, Glossy Paper would have worked wonders. Nothing on game mechanics. No Hardcover. You have to pre-order the game to get the artbook.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars, Must-have for those who love the fantasy genre with emphasis on knights, witches, wizards etc.

Suikoden Tierkreis

This one is a little complicated because instead of an actual artbook, Konami placed their Art work on a Cd that doubles as a Soundtrack.

Pros - Eye Candy Artwork of Some of the Characters, Environments. The soundtrack plays while you sift through the artwork.

Cons - No Detailed Descriptions of Characters, Game Mechanics Etc. It's a little inaccessible if you don't have a laptop with you at all times. It would have been nice if the artwork featured all the 108 stars of destiny. I believe that a regular artbook would have been better for my personal library than a digital one.

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars, A solid effort for a first try, Konami

Thank you for listening to my Art Book Review. If you would like to get your own copy of the artbooks, 50% of the time someone is selling them on ebay so get them while you still can.

Anime & RPG Gakuen Opening

Hello and Welcome Everyone to the Grand Opening of Anime & RPG Gakuen (Academy/School in Japanese) Blog. It's pretty much a blog about "Anime, Role Playing Games and Eveything In Between." Why Academy/School you ask? My goal is to create a learning environment for people who love Anime & role playing games. The blog will feature Anime & RPG reviews and everything else Anime/RPG (Manga, Cosplay). I can't believe I've amassed such a media library through the years and I'm so excited to share two of my greatest passions to you all: Anime & RPG. Let's get started.

Upcoming Projects:

Art Book Review -Which games have the best art book bonus

RPG Reviews:

• Ar Tonelico
• Ar Tonelico 2

Anime Reviews:

• New Legend of Snow White Pretear (Complete Collection)
• Elemental Gelade (Complete Collection)
• Ouran High School Host Club (Season 1)