Kyouran Kyōdai » GAR

Black★Rock Shooter, (Reviewing) The Game

TheFuzzy — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:50:10 +0000

I finished the game (or at least the first and “good” ending) rather recently, and as a fanboy, I am pleased with how it’s turned out.

However, I’ll be reviewing this game strictly from a gamer’s point of view (except when the plot itself comes into play), so the score may be lower than you expect.

I’ll try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible. But first, a short outline! =D

The Outline

The game puts you in the shoes of the titular character, Black★Rock Shooter, who shoots her way through enemies to get to her nemesis, White Rock Shooter. But I’m sure you already know that.

The game is split into stages AKA levels, and each level is split into several missions, which use parts of the stage as needed (to advance the plot, or for a side quest). Whole stages will be later accessible through Free Hunting missions, though there won’t be any save points between you and the boss. But more on that later.

Once you enter a mission, you can run around in the stage towards your objective, and when you get in contact with a mob or boss, you enter battle.

In battle, you kill enemies by shooting them with your Rock Cannon. Enemies will either approach you (slowly or quickly, depending) to hit you in the face, or dance around and shoot you. Most of the attacks in the game have very clear tells, so you should be able to dodge them, or block them just in time.

You can’t just dodge-spam or Rambo it out though; you’ll raise your Overheat bar. As your body heats up, you shoot less bullets per button press, and when you OVERHEAT, you’re a sitting duck while your body cools down.

Alternatively, you can use active skills and items, which don’t heat up your gun at all. Instead, active skills have their own cool-down timers, and items are in limited quantity.

Passive skills also come into play, though you unlock them over time through the course of the story (and then some). You can choose to turn them on and off any time before a battle, but unless you’re willing to give yourself a challenge, don’t bother.

Now that I’ve pretty much addressed the bread and butter of the game (you can find the rest out for yourself), it’s time for

The Review

While repeatedly returning to the mission menu while taking on the story feels a little jarring, it does allow you to “go back in time” in the game, essentially allowing another full playthrough once you’ve finished the game.

Most expected the game to be a real-time hack & slash game, and while it avoided being the latter, it managed to retain the qualities of a former, borrowing some elements from STGs (shooting-games) like constant bullet-dodging (though not to danmaku levels). Well done, ImageEpoch.

The Overheat system in battle forces you to “ration” your actions and delay them to let your body cool down a little. That means instead of going in guns blazing, you’ll have to work out a strategy to, well, survive.

Enemies don’t all act the same either; over the course of the story, enemies get trickier to take down, and the bosses really take the cake. The button-spam events at the end of each boss are totally unnecessary, since you will never lose, and feel like an excuse to watch B★RS engage her enemies DBZ-style.

The game does try to get imaginative, ranging from saving your bike from being eaten by mooks to rescuing a target within a time limit. Sadly, though, the most they do to your “head from start to finish while killing everything in the way” routine is to change one or two factors (e.g. you’re better off avoiding enemies, you have to deal lots of damage while killing enemies within a time limit, etc).

Thankfully, little in the game is vague though (barring the language barrier), what with all your objectives clearly marked on the stage map and field.

The bike mini-game feels like a breath of fresh air, but after dying a couple of times (or more), you’ll feel thankful it only lasts for a single stage.

Grind…is nearly non-existent if you’re just aiming to complete the story. The stages are made such that you’ll be able to go through all the story missions in order without too much difficulty.

In fact, I’d say levelling is almost too easy. You might miss out on a few useful skills if you don’t manage to unlock them along the way, though unlocking them is a simple matter of killing enough of X in a certain stage (sometimes with weapon Y only).

If anything, ImageEpoch succeeded in creating a traditional JRPG, but without the level-grinding.

For a JRPG (and marketed as part of ImageEpoch’s line of “true JRPGs”), it is amazingly…short. It takes approximately 12 hours (or 2 days of guard duty) to complete the storyline, after which the post-story content begins to unlock.

While the post-story content continues to feature fully-voiced cutscenes (even some hilarious ones) and even goes so far as to reveal a “true” end to the game, it takes only 5-10 hours to finish all that. I’ve yet to complete this part though, but my estimate is from hearing about the end-game content from other chaps online who have already achieved 100% completion.

And by 100% completion, I mean getting every single achievement, unlocking every single gallery item, and bludgeoning that true last boss into submission.

Whether the game’s length (or lack thereof) is because of the writing or vice versa, the plot leaves a lot to be desired. Unexplained origins (other than B★RS’, at least), unjustified motives (except maybe due to insanity or pure boredom), and an unsatisfying ending which doesn’t even leave any room for a Sequel Hook (unless you count the need for a proper ending as one).

Like most PSP games, the textures in the game aren’t exactly crisp; even the star on B★RS’ back (which you’ll be looking at most of the time) looks a little blurred. Some parts really take the cake though, such as the forest stage, where the ground looks like splotches of differing shades of grey and green up close. Not to mention the fact that nearly every path in the forest looks the same.

Effects in the game are decent; they portray what they need to just fine, and nothing more. There is a constant bloom effect going on in-game though, probably to disguise the aliasing. Protip: it doesn’t help much, guys.

While the visuals aren’t much to admire, there is a plus point: loading times are blazing fast. If you’ve downloaded the game (legally or not) or used the data install option, nothing in the game takes longer than 3 seconds to load. The game runs pretty smoothly on my old PSP 1000, too.

The cutscenes in the game are well-animated, or at the very least, much better than God Eater’s stiff movement. The most important plot-heavy ones feature smooth, realistic movement, camera angles, and lip-syncing.

I have only one thing to say about the character and prop design: if you have a heavy metal or gun fetish, this game is for you. Huke definitely made his mark here.

While I’m happy they roped in Manabu Namiki for the music, ImageEpoch seemed to have forgotten something important. With all the skull, star and death metal themes in the game, where did all the rock go? Instead all we get is a lot of synth.

EDIT: Kudos to PAPAEDMUND for uploading the entire OST.

While the music doesn’t exactly live up to the expectations of the song that this game is based on (and it should IMHO), it does give a very “retro” feel to the game.

Which is actually kind of jarring, if you think about it.

Nonetheless though, the music ranges from the calm “safe zone” music to the fast-paced boss battle themes, and does sound good overall. If the game took a little longer than a couple of days to finish though, I think I’d actually be able to reminisce every time I hear the music outside the game.

The voice acting in this game is excellent, but that’s a given since it has an all-star cast. Given titular main character’s personality, Maaya doesn’t get as many chances to act out her role (at least, not as much as Miyuki’s role as Grey), but she makes up for it with her double role as WRS.

I will be honest: I cannot tell that they’re being spoken by the same voice actress.

I’m not going to talk about the limited edition content as part of this review, the main reason being that they don’t really contribute to the game itself. In any case though, tl;dr, here’s a quick summary:

Game-play: 7/10 – Decent and level-grind independent. The creative use of mini-games does liven up the gameplay a little more, though it does get a little repetitive after a while.

Visual: 7/10 – Graphics and effects are decent, though texture quality is low, and the use of bloom feels like an unneeded gimmick.

Aural: 7/10 – The good use of synth complements the game’s atmosphere, though it clashes with its death metal themes.

End-game Appeal: 5/10 – The game is way too short for a JRPG. Even the unlockables (which are there only to lengthen your play-time) aren’t all that hard to obtain.

Overall: 6.5/10

If I had anything else to say, it’d be that B★RS The Game was probably rushed. Greater emphasis was placed on the character design rather than the game itself, though the decent in-battle gameplay became its saving grace.

I am happy, though, that the gaming industry’s first attempt to turn a popular franchise into a game didn’t turn out to be a boring, turn-based dungeon adventure. To be honest, if it did, I wouldn’t have even bothered playing it, let alone reviewing it.

If you’re still considering getting the game, only get it if:

you love Black★Rock Shooter.
you’re bored and looking for a quick RPG to clear.
you’re into tech porn.

Otherwise, look elsewhere.

Here’s a Preview of the figma of B★RS’ Mecha Form

TheFuzzy — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 02:00:17 +0000

While the magazine scan doesn’t reveal anything about the terms and availability, the figma looks smexy. I had a feeling this was bound to show up sometime though, what with WRS’ lack of a fighting partner in action-figure form. Totally dig the new hairstyle, not to mention THE WINGS.

My guess is that it’ll probably be out near the end of August, that is, around the time the game’s released.

Source: Futaba Channel via 萌え豚NEWS

Also, kudos to xs27 for the heads up!

Hear The Protagonists’ In-game Voices in B★RS The Game

TheFuzzy — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:00:02 +0000

Neither of these videos actually have any real gameplay (save for a mini-game), but we’re getting there!

First up is the titular character, Black★Rock Shooter herself:

Maaya Sakamoto actually sounds more high-pitched and emotional than I expected. In fact, it doesn’t seem to fit the cold “air” she built up in B★RS’ deep voice at the end of every trailer (including this one, yes) and the “awakening” event. The difference is jarring enough to make me cringe a little. Eek.

Also, a Blacktrike dodging mini-game at the 20-second mark? Looks pretty…meh. I expected some drive-by shooting at least. =(

Second in line is the prototype, Grey:

While I didn’t know what to expect of Grey, Miyuki Sawashiro actually takes on her persona pretty well, coming across as a cold warrior, emotions dulled by the constant battles. Or so I think, since I can’t actually understand what she’s saying.

Also, if the B★RS x Grey ship wasn’t confirmed yet, consider it engraved in stone now. Pomf!

These videos were revealed over the past couple of weeks, and WRS’ character movie should be coming up next. Let’s hope the voice director doesn’t make Maaya screw up this time. >_<

Sources:

Presenting the OP of B★RS The Game

TheFuzzy — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 03:35:47 +0000

FUCK YES.

I know ufotable’s pretty talented, but I’ve only personally seen their work in God Eater Burst. This…this just takes it to a whole new level. d(^v^ d)

We see that there are multiple City Eaters at work here, and a total of 5 out of the 8 Apostles are revealed. The new faces consist of 3 guys (there goes that all-girl harem fantasy), and so far, only the details for the red one have been revealed.

His name is Azuma (アズマ), and he’s the 2nd Apostle. His outfit is very asymmetrical, and his left eye is covered by a metal “scar”. Herald of meridian calls it a “spine”. He also wields a blade, and appears to be able to perform fire-based attacks.

Here are some more screenshots released alongside Azuma’s reveal. So it’s mission-based…I expected as much from a PSP title.

Famitsu also launched a special page detailing all information they released before Azuma’s reveal. The game’s website got updated too, obviously.

If the OP is anything to go by though, it seems this’ll be one epic title, at least before the release of the PSVita. Gah, my patience draws thin.

Sources:

Famitsu
2channel (somewhere >_>)

B★RS Awakens & Unleashes WRS Trailer

TheFuzzy — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:10:10 +0000

Source: Pixiv by Nami

There was an event on the Black★Rock Shooter: The Game website yesterday involving entering a few key codes into the page.

The key codes could only be entered after 7PM, and after the right key codes were entered, B★RS would awaken in the capsule, only to go “Who are you?” before the new trailer was revealed.

The key codes, if you’re curious, were:

8313-4820-3684-6534-2257
9113-3274-1289-3235-1682
4124-1000-5000-6571-1888
3031-8888-1467-6593-8135
8251-6310-5401-3256-6147
8513-2455-9314-7123-6321

~~I’ve no idea how one would procure the codes, so my best guess is that it was through trial and error.~~ The codes were released by industry partners and company employees over Twitter through the course of the day. Don’t bother trying it out now; BRS has already permanently awakened, and using the keypad only displays an error message.

(Thanks for the heads up, cowboybibimbop!)

Ah, right, the trailer:

The fact that she’s one of the bosses you’ll be facing is further emphasised in this trailer, but “in the palace on the moon”?! Wow. I get the feeling there’s some reality-bending going on here.

The cast list is still the same as the first trailer, and it’s confirmed that Maaya Sakamoto will be voicing both WRS and B★RS. Stop bawling, you Kana Hanasawa fans. Maaya’s not exactly a 2nd-rate voice actress either. >_>

The trailer still doesn’t show any gameplay though, so…inb4 PV3? =3

Ah yes, the figma.

The WRS figma will be bundled with the limited edition of the game, now named the Black★Rock Shooter: The Game White Premium Box. The figma was also on display at this year’s Wonder Festival, which means more delicious snaps for us to admire.

And some official shots:

The figure is just…BAD-ASS AND SEXY. Forgive me if you’ve heard me say that for any of the previous B★RS figurines. I mean, I could tell she was bad-ass from the illustration, but seeing her in this 3D form is just…I dunno, epic? XD

Her mecha-like parts can be removed, and since she’s not shown in the trailer with them on, one can only imagine how epic the battle with her will be. Hopefully it won’t be too hard.

She’s also a skirt short from zettai ryouki, but I guess almost unzipped pants are fine, too. =3

The figma is an exclusive to the White Premium Box, so even if you just want to get your hands on this figure (and you call yourself a fan?), you’ll have to fork out quite a bit. If I recall, you can get it at Amazon for 8,826 JPY or AmiAmi for 8,560 JPY. Better get it quick though; the new trailer attracted tons more figma enthusiasts.

Yup, not regretting pre-ordering it darn early. Also, Grey and B★RS Game Version figmas WHERE?!

(Nendoroids too!)

Sources:

Here’s Miku Kicking Butt In M.U.G.E.N.

TheFuzzy — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 11:30:55 +0000

And no, I’m not talking about that old M.U.G.E.N. character data (though it does pique my interest a little).

Monty Oum (you may know him as the creator of Dead Fantasy) has recently released a little preview of one of his side projects. Take a look:

Not only has he made a (partly) working psuedo-3D character sprite in the 2D fighting game engine, he manages to pull of combos reminiscent of typical BlazBlue gameplay. Even he’s surprised to admit he’s gone this far with his first character.

(;._.)

Don’t get all excited now; it’ll probably take a year or so before we all get something playable. Still, it’s something to mull over; I never knew you could use leeks like that.

Black★Rock Shooter The Game – Preview Screenshots & Concept Art

TheFuzzy — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 07:30:16 +0000

Remember the scans from Famitsu in our last post? 4Gamer recently posted the screenshots from it, plus a few more, and added a little bit of background info to boot.

The beginning of the game appears to be taking place in San Francisco, where the last 12 humans are making their last stand.

Apparently these are soldiers from the PSS (Primary Support Service) force of the UEF (sound familiar?), and their job is to support B★RS. Ironically, thanks to their possession of highly advanced technology to counter any threat, they’ve become the last humans on Earth and are thus totally alone in their fight to save it. Not counting B★RS herself.

Also, I’m not sure how shooting like madmen makes you better than the rest of the world, but let’s just go along with this. >_>

The graphics look quite good, especially since we’re limited to PSP graphics here. You can see the third-person gameplay in action here, though I’d rather wait for an actual gameplay video before I start to judge it. The game will be in real-time, though, no doubt about it. =D

The UI’s pretty minimal, with only a health and overheat bar at the bottom and a reticle for aiming the gun.

Here’s a clean illustration and some in-game close-ups of the game’s titular hero. I’m still not sure what those wings/blades on her back do (equipment to provide speed?), though.

And here’s Nafe, the 5th Apostle. Her arm structure kind of reminds me of STRENGTH from the OVA, though they’re less like blocky hands and more like claws. If you’re a cosplayer looking for early reference pictures, I suppose these will the best so far. Good luck though. ^_^;

I’m not too entirely sure what this is, but 4Gamer says it’s apparently a mysterious power known as 「ネブレイド」. The best English translation I can think of is “Nevraid”, but if anyone else has better ideas, you’re welcome to voice it in the comments. =D

CNRT appears to be one of the many robots you’ll be fighting, though he doesn’t appear in any of the screenshots above.

Inb4 infiltrating the (flying) City Eater to kill the Apostles. *cough*

Calling the game loosely based on the (heavily-merchandised) OVA is an understatement. This is literally taking BRS and throwing her into a setting for a typical JRPG. I do sympathise with all the raeging fanboys on this one, but as much as I don’t really like it, I’m still a gamer, and the whole “3rd person shooter RPG” thing appeals to me. Besides, huke’s in on this too, and his character design so far doesn’t disappoint. And then there’s ufotable doing up the animated cutscenes.

Source: Pixiv by 想影真心

Though I guess the game would’ve been more widely accepted by aforementioned fanboys if it were a little more like this. Heh.

So, hyped up for the game? Or is it a failure?

Source: 4Gamer via 2channel

[Updated] Black★Rock Shooter The Game – Details, and More

TheFuzzy — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 08:13:32 +0000

Hearing about the juicy details after a long stay over at [censored] made all my misery go away. THANK THE LORD.

Anyway, yes, Imageepoch ran their press conference a couple of days ago. I ripped the trailer from the stream before they closed up the recording for good yesterday (and it isn’t too soft like the other rips), so give it a watch:

(480p’s available btw)

The game is said to be a cross between a third-person shooter and an RPG, but judging from the trailer, it looks like it’ll have some first person elements as well. I’m not sure at what point the titular main character ever wields a handgun though, so I think that’s just a cool cinematic of some sort.

The only cast seen in the trailer (apart from B★RS herself) are a muscular commando and his ~~merry men~~ soldiers, all of which who would’ve made Captain William Rush proud, what with their inability to take aimed shots (as opposed to spraying all over the place).

Oh yes, I forgot the aliens.

The game is set in the year 2051, where Black★Rock Shooter awakens, only to find the world decimated by an alien invasion in 2032 (remember the teaser?). There are apparently only 12 human survivors left on the planet, and your/her job is to defeat the invaders, the 7 Apostles, and their Armerments AKA their massive robot army.

The trailer doesn’t show much though; in fact, it only consists of scenes from (which I think are) the beginning of the game, when B★RS awakens in the midst of a battle. Shame we don’t get to see any live gameplay just yet, but the game engine does look promising.

I did find a couple of scans from Famitsu which delve deeper into the gameplay and even reveal the design of one of the Apostles (gasp!).

While still maintaining the art style (huke’s still in charge of the art after all), B★RS has been given a little makeover. Her katana has been replaced by a blade matching the dark, metallic theme of the game, and her Rock Cannon even has a blade attached to it. She also has what appears to be either two giant blades or wings fixed to her back.

The HUD appears to consist of only a HP bar and a heat emission bar, which will probably display that “OVERHEAT” warning if you’re too trigger-happy. The targeting reticule is that blue star. Heh.

No sign of any free-roaming here; all the battles will occur in a small area, which is expected from a PSP game. There’s no sign of any overworld or area-to-area travel a la Monster Hunter just yet, but don’t let that get you down.

And here’s the 5th Apostle, Nafe! Sporting a short skirt, giant metal arms and a hoodie with metal usagimimi, she does seem like the kind of person you wouldn’t want to mess around with. They’ve also already made her in-game model, so it looks like the game’s progressing rather well.

I’m not too sure what purpose CNRT (the red transformable mecha) serves in the game though. Translation, anyone? >_>

Also, the long metal worm-like thing in the second scan? That’s a City Eater. o_O

(Tip of the hat to duckroll for his analysis of the scans.)

There’s no sign of the second character in the poster image (the first image). Will she be a support character?

Here’s the staff and cast list for the game. Credits to cowboybibimbop for translating the entire list:

STAFF

Director: Kazuya Niinou (Etrian Odyssey)

Scenario: Kazushige Nojima (Final Fantasy VII, VIII, X)

Animation Studio: Ufotable

CAST

Sakamoto Maaya
Sawashiro Miyuki
Jisen Masanori
Nakahara Mai
Sugita Tomokazu
Hikasa Yōko
Shimoyama Yoshimitsu
Kamiya Hiroshi
Shimoda Asami
Akimoto Yōsuke
Hamada Kenji
Hoshino Mitsuaki
Hōki Katsuhisa

I find it strange that they included Sawashiro Miyuki, who voiced Yomi in the OVA, and not Hanazawa Kana. I wonder who’s voicing the star of the game.

Imageepoch has also released the pricing info for the game (it’s at the end of the trailer, too). The standard edition costs 6,279 JPY (approximately 99 SGD), and comes with nothing else. Good for fans on a budget.

The limited edition (AKA the White Premium Box) costs a whopping 10,479 JPY (approximately 165 SGD), but comes with these goodies:

A box of “gorgeous” visual works from huke.
A Black★Rock Shooter figma, white ver. (tentative)
A Black★Rock Shooter Art Works booklet. (tentative)
The limited game soundtrack by Basiscape.

The game’s slated to be released in summer (around July, perhaps?), 2011. In my opinion, the game’s shaping up to something totally epic, and it’s joining my list of must-plays on the PSP, along with Patapon 3 and God Eater Burst.

Imageepoch is also planning another B★RS game, but this one’s going to be an omake free-to-play browser game on Nico Nico Douga. Titled Puchitto Rock Shooter, the game’s art will be based on CHANxCO’s style, and will be completely separate from the canon of the first game and the OVA.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but this looks like the actual overworld, with blue star buttons. Not very diverse, but hey, it’s free.

A variety of sprites of B★RS. Too cute.

Looks like B★RS won’t be alone on this one either; she’ll have 3 more friends/enemies joining her. And one of them’s Black★Matagi. ( *A*)!

Puchitta Rock Shooter is slated for release in spring, 2011.

I can’t wait for the gameplay trailer(s) for the official game, and I can’t wait to play both games. >_<

What about you? Are you gonna get it when it comes out?

Sources:

B★RS The Game Official Game Site: [1] [2]
Puchitta Rock Shooter Official Details
2channel
Red Blaze

Also, you can check out Danny Choo for his press conference photos and coverage. Lucky bugger.

UPDATE: Apparently NIS America’s planning to localise Imageepoch’s games in North America and Europe. How long will it be before we see B★RS in English, eh? Thanks to rrw for the heads up.

Also, pre-orders for the game (both editions) are open! Amazon (8,907 JPY for limited, 5,337 JPY for regular) or AmiAmi (8,560 JPY for limited, 5,140 JPY for regular), pick your poison. I don’t think local stores are going to have pre-orders available just yet, what with the summer release and all. There is a ~15% discount till the end of December though, just to ease some of that heartburn from splurging a little. =3

Fall 2010 Anime – First Impressions

TheFuzzy — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 13:35:27 +0000

Also, happy moe day. Today must be especially significant, what with it being 10/10/10.

Anyway I realise I haven’t actually touched the blog even though it’s my week-long block leave from camp, and I deeply apologise for being so last-minute on this. That said, I’m not dead; I’m just having too much fun enjoying my free time.

Anyway, here’s a list of anime of the fall season that I’ve watched so far.

MM!

Taro Sado’s your average high school student, but he has a problem: he’s a masochist. The good news is, he’s willing to get rid of his “condition”, and joins the school’s 2nd Volunteer Club to do so. The bad news? The president, Isurugi Mio, is a sadist, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I can’t help but feel that this one is very similar to Maria†Holic, in that both protagonists are “different” because of a past incident or trauma. That said, though, Sado’s at least willing to change for the better. The mouse button gag in the first episode was hilarious, especially since I didn’t quite get it until much later in. Also, inb4 SadoxMio.

Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt

The titular characters, Panty and Stocking, are pretty much fallen angels forced to defeat spirits in Daten city. The former has a knack for getting it on in bed (no, I’m not pulling your leg here) and uses her panties as her firearm, while the latter has a sweet tooth and turns her stockings into swords.

At first glance, the animation style, which is reminiscent of Western cartoons (like The Powerpuff Girls) might turn you off, but don’t let it. It is hilarious as hell. The animation quality is also pretty excellent, too, and GAINAX occasionally switches to the more familiar Japanese animation style briefly during certain scenes, like this one (RISQUE WARNING).

Just watch it, if you can handle the crude jokes, that is.

Star Driver

I believe no summary is needed for this show, except that it is a mecha anime, and that you should watch this clip.

GALACTIC PRETTY BOY

If you laughed like hell, go ahead and watch. Otherwise, stay away from it. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously (despite how the cast behaves), so if you’re expecting Gundam 00, look elsewhere.

My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute!

Siblings Kyosuke and Kirino are so far apart, they don’t even look at each other in the eye. That is, until Kyosuke finds out Kirino’s a closet otaku of lolicon games and anime. And then things go up/downhill from there, depending on your perspective.

After all the hype I heard from my friends (and the Internet in general), I didn’t find the first episode to live up to it. Still, the first episode introduces us to a plot which I imagine will lead the siblings to more than just a brother-sister relationship; a situation a lot of us want but will never have. Aww.

Well, that’s it for me. I’d also write about others like Shinryaku! Ika Musume (the first picture in this post), but I gotta rush back to camp really soon. It’s hilarious too, don’t worry.

Farewell, and adieu!

Meiko’s “Palette” PV Awesome as Ever~

Fariz Asuka — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:18:29 +0000

Meiko’s “latest” 3DPV titled “Palette” is an awesome piece of work that was recently released on NicoNicoDouga.. It is quite nice to see a 3DPV of Meiko; Usually it is either, Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Twins or Megurine Luka.. I really love the song after my friend recommended listening to this old song..

Just like usual, lemme show you the epic PV~

【MEIKO】 – Palette:

Here is the lyric (Romaji) to the song..

“Palette” Lyrics:

たりない色は水色
閉じた瞼に広がっている
雲の切れ間から覗く澄み切った空の水色

こんなにも不確かで不完全な私という存在は
「貴方」で形成されてた

想い描いたガラス製のパレット一つ
貴方との記憶が鮮明に映った

繋いだ手の暖かさが　貴方とのつながりが　そこに残っていた
繋いだ手の暖かさが　私という生命のたった一つの証明
貴方との記憶は色彩に満ちていた

望んだ色は赤色
この体に流れている
私という存在が生きてると実感する色

掠れた声で歌ういつか聴いた子守歌
伝えたい言葉が浮かんでまた消えた

今でもそっと目を閉じればいつでも思い出せるあの時見た景色
触れた手のひら　目を閉じればいつでも思い出せる貴方の体温

もう二度とは戻れない日々の事。色褪せた写真が残る
もう大丈夫、笑えるよ。このまま歩いて行ける

Now, regarding the music itself.. The song was actually made 2 years ago.. Thats right, it was created way back in 2007, dated 12th December by composer “作者” or “nocchi1031″.. Being an early VocaRock song, I find it very sweet and melodious.. The chorus on the other hand is very well-tuned and I find it very catchy.. The intruments played perfectly well together, complimenting Meiko’s voice.. A true wonder for quite an old song..

For the animation itself, one initially think that the graphic looks like those from the old Resident Evil games.. Thats what I also think of when I first watched it.. Even the backdrop where Meiko is singing seems like one.. Meiko’s movement in this PV is quite fluid; no rigidity or perhaps little or no lag at all, apart from one part where her mouth didn’t synchronize with the song.. Other than that, I love the singing part during the chorus, very surreal..

Well, thats all I have for today’s review.. Very sorry to those who always visit my blog to see it hanging there.. Abit busy with schedules for this month but most probably everything should be sorted out within the end of next week.. Till then enjoy~