Another singer you may know from a cover she performed with JubyPhonic a while ago, Rachie also specialises in English covers of Vocaloid and anime songs. Interestingly, she's also fluent in Indonesian and has recorded some beautiful covers in that language too. The animation may be simple but don't let it fool you. This song is contemplative and heart-wrenching, not least of all because it's relatable for so many people. This song is part of a massive collaboration to cover some older Vocaloid songs. The rest of the videos can be found here. It's worth paying attention to the lyrics in this one. They tell such a sweet story and Rachie's voice really brings it to life. I never get bored of this song - it's full of so many emotions, the animations are by Chris, an amazing artist, and Rachie's lyrics are awesome. This piece is so touching and singable! I swear, this gets stuck in my head all the time. XD The Kagerou Project is one of my favourite song series, so the music video being based on that was an added bonus for me. In my humble opinion, this is Rachie's best cover so far. She just sings it so well, there's nothing I'd want to change! The lyrics are a bit odd but it's more about the mood they create. Putting that aside, it's just so much fun!
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Life Is Strange is a video game by Square Enix in which players are able to reverse time whilst retaining the memories of the main character, Max. She's just returned to her hometown after many years in a different state but finds herself haunted by dreams of the town's destruction and multiple threats to the lives of her friends. I won't give away any more than that because it's most fun to discover the truth for yourself! My first impression of the game was pretty mixed. I instantly bonded with the atmospheric and unobtrusive background music but felt uncertain about the graphics. To begin with, the visuals seemed a bit jagged and rough, especially considering the beauty of Square Enix's more recent games like FF13. However, given time, it's easier to appreciate the brushstroke style which gives the game a very individual and charming feel. As for the gameplay itself, the controls are fairly intuitive and are explained at a pace that won't overwhelm you. What will tax your brain is trying to decide how to act in each situation. Life Is Strange constantly presents choices which will affect future events. The difficulty comes from trying to imagine what the consequences of any action will be. Max's time reversal has limits so it's important to choose wisely! You're thrown into the story somewhat abruptly and are given the reins straight away. What draws you in is the depth of each and every character. Every one feels like their own genuine person, making the game all the more enjoyable and real. In turn, the story is paced well and the addition of a diary feature allows you to read as much of each back-story as you wish. The game handles several mysteries concurrently without detracting from the significance of any one. It's worth pointing out that, being in the mystery genre as it is, Life Is Strange features some rather dark topics like abuse and murder, so I wouldn't recommend it to younger players. So far, my sister and I have been greatly enjoying Life Is Strange and look forward to completing the game. The artwork, choice-driven story and flawless soundtrack certainly justify the many positive responses it's received. The game is currently available from many different stores for PS4, XBOX ONE and PC, with specific details found here: http://www.lifeisstrange.com/index.php . It's split into five episodes which can be bought separately, so you can try the first one for a lower price before committing to the whole game, if you prefer.
For more information, check out the official website, here: http://www.lifeisstrange.com/index.php
Known in Japan as Tanabata, the Star Festival is a traditionally celebration usually held on July 7th, though the exact date varies by region. The celebration is based on the legend of two lovers, Orihime and Hikoboshi, who are represented by the stars Vega and Altair. The story goes as follows: Orihime was the daughter of the god of the sky; the two of them lived in the heavens and every day, Orihime would diligently weave for her father. As time went on, the god grew concerned for his hard-working daughter, fearing that her chores would prevent her from ever finding love. He decided to introduce Orihime to Hikoboshi, a young cow herder who worked in the fields across the river, Amanogawa. (We know this 'river' as the Milky Way.) The pair quickly fell in love, abandoning their duties and, sadly, angering Orihime's father. As punishment, he separated them across the Amanogawa once more, such that they could never meet again. Naturally, Orihime was devastated and her tears weakened her father's resolve. Relenting, the god agreed that the lovers may meet once each year, on the 7th day of the 7th month, on the condition that they resumed their work. A year passed and the day came when Orihime was permitted to cross the river to meet Hikoboshi. However, she arrived at the Amanogawa's bank only to discover that there was no bridge. Her hopes dashed once more, Orihime broke down in tears. Taking pity on her, a flock of magpies offered to help her cross. They made a bridge by hovering over the river, allowing Orihime to step on their wings and walk across, into Hikoboshi's waiting arms. Historically, the traditions associated with Tanabata consisted of a mixture of Chinese Qixi and Japanese Bon customs. One of the main features of these was making wishes for better skills. For girls, this would be crafts like sewing, whereas boys would pray for better handwriting. Over time, these traditions drifted apart from the Star Festival, though it is still common to make wishes by writing them on strips of paper and hanging them on bamboo plants during the festival. These days, other customs include large-scale festivals where brightly coloured streamers are hung around the streets, with an array of food stalls, carnival games and firework shows. Adriana Figueroa, aka Adrisaurus is another fantastic female singer on Youtube. She's been posting a wide range of covers for a few years now; these include Final Fantasy, Undertale and songs from other films and games. More recently, she's also written a few orginal songs, all of which are stunning. 5) Beautiful Cruel WorldIn stark contrast to the Attack On Titan series itself, Adrisaurus' English Cover of this song is pretty and elegant yet infused with heart-twisting emotions. 4) Still AliveAll the Portal jokes... (*≧▽≦)ノシ)) 3) Wanderer's LullabyThis original song is soothing and beautiful. The lyrics are thoughtfully written and are sure to cheer you up on a glum day. 2) Surely SomedayProfessor Layton covers are few and far between but Adriana has done a few and they're all amazing! This one's my favourite but you should check out the others too. :) 1) Yeul's ThemeAny fans of the Final Fantasy XIII games might want to have some tissues to hand for this one! Honestly, I think Adriana's cover easily competes with the original version. The backing guitar is subtle enough to let her voice really shine. The only thing that's missing is a cute fan drawing of Noel and Yuel!
Somehow Japanese food always tops the cuteness scale. From dainty sushi to adorable bento lunches, the astounding attention to detail never ceases to amaze. With that in mind, we embarked on a quest to gather the best Japanese food-themed clothes we could find. Nekomura Iroha is a Youtuber whose channel is mostly dedicated to collecting piano covers of popular Vocaloid songs from NND. There are a really wonderful selection of pieces on their channel, all neatly arranged into easy-to-browse playlists. It's worth noting that this Youtuber uses the screen name 'Nekomura Iroha' because the Vocaloid for most of the pieces they upload is called that. They aren't the actual musician, but someone sharing the music of others. :) Here are a few recommendations to get you started:
It's amazing just how different piano covers can sound compared to the original. You might even find that friends who don't enjoy most Vocaloid songs actually like these versions. :)
You might already be familiar with Pocky - after all, it's one of the most famous snacks from Japan. In case you aren't, it's a thin biscuit stick which is coated in a flavoured cream or chocolate layer. Sadly, supermarkets here usually only stock this treat in its more common flavours... However, in Japan, it seems as if the only limit is your imagination! See below for a taste of some of the wackier varieties on offer: Anime-Planet is a website dedicated to anime recommendations and reviews. If you're looking for something new to watch, want to discuss a series or just need a way to keep track of what you've seen, this is a great site! You can mark manga and anime depending on your current progress (watching, stalled, etc.) and get personalised suggestions for similar series. There's also a forum where you can chat with fellow fans about characters, shows and more.
Both of us have accounts on Anime-Planet, so you can check out what we've been reading and watching here: KiraKiraSoul: http://www.anime-planet.com/users/KiraKiraSoul kezakake: http://www.anime-planet.com/users/kezakake Strategy RPG has always been one of my favourite game genres. In particular, I love games like Final Fantasy Tactics so, for ages, I'd been hoping to find something similar on the app store. Until recently, all I seemed able to find were games which looked promising at the outset but quickly became tedious or impossible. Fantasy War Tactics is different. As you'd expect in most games of this genre, the battles progress as the player takes turns with the CPU to move their characters and execute moves to deal damage to the opponent. Winning battles awards you with loot and experience, enabling character upgrades and unlocking the next stage. However, it's not as simple as you might think; as the name implies, tactics are a major part of the game. Every monster and hero has one of three attributes (rock, paper or scissors) which provides an advantage over enemies of the weaker attribute. As well as this, attacking from the side or behind - or from advantageous terrain - boosts attacks in a similar manner. Best of all, if the target is within range of other heroes, they'll team up and perform a group attack. Combining all of these effectively will allow you to dominate the battlefield. What makes Fantasy War Tactics stand out is the vast array of heroes that are available - there are a whopping 58 characters so far! Each of them possesses four unique skills, different stats, special costumes and their own storyline. Even more impressively, only one of them, Seira, requires an in-app purchase. Everyone else can be obtained from the main story, bonus levels or by collecting event items. With such a varied cast, it's easy to tailor teams to your playing style, making gameplay far more fun. Speaking of the characters, it seems appropriate to mention the game's plot. Without giving too much away, the so-called protagonist of the game is the incredibly egotistical, self-proclaimed 'Lord'. He's hell-bent on taking over the world and yet, inevitably, ends up saddled with the task of saving it. Along his journey, he recruits - willingly or not - the aforementioned menagerie of characters to join his cause. This mixture of personalities provide frequent entertainment as they interact with one-another comically. Overall, the main story appears to be lengthy and rewarding, offering many hours of gameplay. Aside from that, the game is generally well made. The graphics are pretty good, both for the 2D pictures and 3D models. The music is nothing extraordinary but there's little to criticise. Similarly, the sound effects are standard but well placed, emphasising various jokes and developments. Additional elements, such as guilds, PVP tournaments and daily dungeons add some variety to the game, whilst longer events offer the chance to obtain powerful heroes, equipment and more, regardless of your level. The only criticisms I can make are the odd (forgivable) spelling mistake and the need to repeat levels so often. Unfortunately, many heroes require the return to their boss level numerous times before they can be recruited. This is especially true of the Lost Island levels, which may necessitate hours on auto-retry before the characters can be obtained. All things considered, Fantasy War Tactics is exactly the game I've felt was missing from the App Store for too long. Reminiscent of some of my favourite series, it lives up to the genre's reputation with an engaging and rewarding experience.
Fantasy War Tactics is currently available for free on both Google Play and the App Store.
If you'd like to see some of my hints and tips on how to enjoy the game to the fullest, click below. |
Author(s)Two sisters hoping to share some of the things we love. :3 Archives
February 2017
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Photo used under Creative Commons from Naoki Ishii