Legend of Zelda Ocarina Of Time 3DS

It would be crime to say that oneself is a gamer, without having played a single Zelda game. Or so  the internet claims. From  personal view point, Ocarina of time is interesting but definitely not for me. I liked it, no doubt about that, but I don't really feel that it is the 'Best Game Ever Made' or that sort of thing. It was a greatly unique experience, but I don't think I'll be playing through it again anytime soon, because it wore me out a little.

The story was great, much like a cinematic movie (only with you controlling the main protagonist) and it kept me forging through it to see what came next. It must have been mind blowing when it first came out on the N64. Despite not being a fan of puzzle based games, I have no doubt that I would have been mesmerized. I mean come on, time travel, exploration and a heck ton of puzzles to spend countless nights with? I imagine that it was a magical experience for everyone who played OOT back then.

Animation wise, this Zelda remake looks really beautiful. I've seen screen shots of the N64 and doubtless, the 3ds one takes the cake. While galloping through the Hyrule fields with cutie Epona, I found myself just going in circles just to admire the lushness of the grass and the ridiculously blue sky in-game. Playing on the 3ds Xl was a treat, but the gameplay on the 2ds was just as good, only less immersive.

It surprised me though, that what I loved about this game was not the game play nor the story. It was the soundtracks. Some of the songs captured my heart, and I find myself putting on my HD 598s just to enjoy the game, while Link just stands idly in-game. One of my favourites was the Minuet of the Forest and the song of the storms.

As for the gameplay, it took some time for me to get used to. It was challenging at first, but after getting out of the Deku tree, I sort of got a hang of it. Let me just say now that I dislike puzzles intensely. I didn't even get through the first game of God of War before I threw my hands up and called it quits. The puzzles in the OOT were amazing, but were hair pulling and I cannot describe how frustrated I was. But...the feeling of utter satisfaction that filled me after I completed a difficult puzzle, or finished a temple was pure bliss. A sense of accomplishment that I never knew I would feel, always raised my spirits without fail. My guess is that many players have felt similarly, back in the day of the release.

I really do want to love this game. But unfortunately, it is not a game that I would claim to be my absolute 'favourite' although it has left its mark on me. I can say that I would be picking up Majoras Mask sometime in the future, though i doubt it would be so soon.

And I have to say that this game is something that everyone should play through at least once, just to experience what captured the hearts of gamers back in the day, and still allow the current generation of gamers to reminisce fondly on when they nearly broke the hinge of their ds while playing through OOT. I wouldn't call myself a 'gamer' in that sense  as I like playing for fun. Curiousity got me to buy a copy of OOT and I was not disappointed.

Plot : 9/10

Gameplay : 8/10

Animation : 9/10

Soundtracks : 10/10

*keep in mind that i am rating this based on my personal opinion and does not mean that what i feel represents what others think of the game.

Recommendation: 5/5

Nagi No Asukara

There are just some Animes out there, that can just make you...feel. It's a challenge to stand out in a market saturated by stereotyping and more emphasis on 'moe' 'shonen' 'harems' and 'ecchi' than good story telling and characterizations. Now, I am not saying that there are no good animes, but rather the disappointment that Animes like Nagi No Asukara are few and far between. And its even harder to find such series with impeccable animation, so beautifully animated that you literally feel like you're in it.

First, let's begin with the plot. Goddamn, this series reminds me of why i dislike romance animes with love triangles. The drama never stops (I kid you not) even after several plot twists or revelations. But surprisingly, this is more of a good thing for Nagi No Asukara. The anime is really brilliant in its pacing, and the plot keeps you far more intrigued then you'd ever thought it would. It sure did for me!

I love the setting, and the way they created such a world. The underwater scenes were absolutely breathtaking, and there was just the right amount of folklore and backstories inserted into it, so that it didn't feel dry, nor did it feel like an info dump. The ending wasn't much to speak of, i would say that it clears up some things, but personally, i felt that it wasn't all that satisfying. It varies with different people, so I wouldn't let something as minor as that prevent you from watching it.

Plot gets an (8/10)

Characterizations are well done and go hand in hand with the plot. Although the ending was sort of meh, I must admit that the message Hikari sends is a rather good one, and not to mention interesting. I can't mention it for the sake of spoilers, but I must say that I wholeheartedly agreed to what he said.

One of my favourite characters from Nagi No Asukara would be Chisaki and Hikari. I feel that Chisaki is the embodiment of how love affects people in real life. She is shown to be in love with Hikari at the start, and even after coming to a revelation years later, she delivers a profound message, in that you never really stop loving someone. Even if you are separated, or you begin loving another, ultimately, you will never forget those feelings. Bittersweet yet hopeful, is the words I would use if I had to describe the ups and downs of Chisaki's characterization throughout the anime. Ultimately, I feel that she is a character that people can relate too.

On the other hand, Hikari shows his continuous growth through out the show. From a narrow minded and sheltered boy of the sea, he tries to put aside his resentment gleaned from the older generation toward those who live on the land while trying to come to terms with his feelings for Manaka. Despite not being very realistic, Hikari's growth was by far the most interesting out of the four childhood friends. Of course, the side characters also play an important role in our main character's development, but overall, I loved Chisaki and Hikari's development the most.

Characters get a whopping (9/10) and the only reason it doesn't get full marks from me, is due to the fact that while Manaka was an interesting enough character, i felt that her character development was next to zilch, other than certain revelations and some tinny scenes where she showed how much she had grown.

Animation gets a (10/10) and the score is pretty self explanatory. Just watch one episode, and you'll realize how good the crisp, quality of the scenes are. I felt like this anime was spoiling me, with the amount of beautiful scenes it threw at me at 1080p.

Soundtracks and OSTs also get a (10/10), the openings and endings were phenomenal and there were scenes in which i would close my eyes just to listen to the bgm. If I had to choose, I would say that Nagi no Asukara's soundtracks would top Madoka Magica on my list.

5/5 : Recommended for EVERYONE, regardless of whether you like romance or not. Give it a try, i think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatte Iru Light Novel

Since the amazing experience that was season 1, I started on the first few episodes of season 2. To be completely honest, I had hated the new character designs at first. It was all so...bishonen like. Not that I have anything against bishonen, it's just that it looked wrong on Hikigaya Hachiman. His face was previously full of sharp lines, dead fish eyes and had sharper facial features. Now, it seems to have been sanded off, into a round pretty looking face.

I guess that i felt that it was going against his character, who was said to be unattractive in a sense. Thankfully, the change in designs did NOT change other character's reactions/interactions with him. You could say that it sort of grew on me as well.

With the usual pace of release for subbed episodes, I got impatient and started on the light novel.

Yes. From the very first one.

It was kinda painful to read about all the events that i had already previously seen, but it was a good refresher as well. I loved reading about all the events in first person perspective (Hikigaya's) and it made me enjoy the novels all the more.

The first few novels have a rather cheery and light hearted atmosphere, focusing more on comedy. The interactions between members of the service club were stellar, and I could really see why this novel is as popular as it is. At first glance, I felt that the writing was too 'simplistic' or 'amatuerish'. But that is just me being a lowlife, so ignore that.

But as I continued reading, the writing became a thing of beauty.

 The way the sentences melded together, the flowery but hard hitting paragraphs that conveyed the emotions the characters felt...it was absolutely wonderful.

After the first few novels, the atmosphere starts to take a rather different turn. I think it was the sixth or seventh novel maybe?

The problems of our main characters (namely Hachiman, Yukino and Yui) begin to surface. Their problems were always there, but it was at that point where things started to change. Wataru Watari brought another level to writing that I've never seen before. The novel began to show their true colours, their beliefs, what drove them to act as they did. It was addicting, to see the them try to fix themselves, piece by piece and for them to admit their short comings.

There were times the novel made my chest clench in pain, and flutter with unbridled joy at others. Wataru Watari's writing is truly a thing of beauty. I look forward to seeing how season 2 does the anime justice, and what happens on vol 10.