Full Metal Alchemist


The Elric Brothers, Al and Ed.

It's been quite a while since I first watched the first several episodes of Full Metal Alchemist. I've put the series aside since then since I got put off a bit by the flashback episodes, but this holiday break has finally allowed me to revisit the series in earnest. It helps that the series is now a big hit in the US, where it has been recently released. Aside from the anime (and the manga, still a Japan-only release), there are a couple of PS2 games out, so it's testament to this title's appeal.

Full Metal Alchemist concerns the adventures of Edward and Alphonse Elric, the young sons of a famous alchemist. After their mother dies, the two exceptionally gifted children use their powers of alchemy to try and bring her back. The attempt, a forbidden act as dictated by the Law of Conservation ('In order to gain something, you must give something of equal value'), fails, costing Edward his arm and leg and Al his entire body. In order to save his brother's soul, Ed binds it to a suit of armor. Years later, the two- a diminuative cyborg alchemist and a walking, talking suit of armor, search the world for the legendary Philosopher's Stone, in the hope of gaining back what they had lost. Despite what may be first assumed, the title of 'Full Metal Alchemist' refers not to Alphonse (the suit of armor), but to little (and elder) Ed, an alchemist genius who can use his powers even without drawing an array, or special alchemist's circle.

This unusual, and somewhat dark premise forms the backbone of a complex saga that involves powerful magic, action adventure and themes of sacrifice, loss, guilt, brotherly and familial love and always going forward no matter what. For an anime that has an exceptionally clean and 'cute' look to it, FMA is a predominantly melancholy, even sad, series. There are points in the title that are heartbreaking and emotionally powerful, offset slightly by a few moments of comedy and the brothers' inherent cheerfulness (and Edward's exceptional sensitivity to any remarks about his height). However, the story proves to be quite engaging and gripping once you get into it.
Aside from the brothers' quest, there are subplots that involve the agenda of Roy Mustang and his cohorts, a group of military alchemists who may or may not be allies to Ed and Al. Then there are enemies, such as the mysterious Scar, a man with a magical arm who seems to have made it his crusade to kill every alchemist in the world. And then, there are the Homunculi, a group of inhuman, behind-the-scenes villains who are named after the Seven Deadly Sins.

Mixing a coming-of-age saga with complex conspiracy and pretty cool magical powers, Full Metal Alchemist is an exceptional series that mature fans of anime should definitely check out. I've already cleared 18 episodes and I'm ready for more. Find it on VCD or DVD at your favorite anime and toy shops in the Metro.

From the Sanctum...

May you all be with the ones you love tonight.

May your tables be laden with the bounty of your labors.

May you be safe and happy and filled with joy at a year well done.


Merry, Merry Christmas to Everyone.

Last Minute

I'm in a net cafe in Megamall. Came out of the house to finish up my last bits of Christmas chores, buy a couple of esoteric items, and deposit blood at the Blood Bank that is Comic Quest. The lines and crowds are still as thick as ever, and working ATMs are pretty hard to come by. Anyway, I don't expect to leave The Sanctum after tonight until well after Christmas- so I've got to finish it all now.

Darn, I'm hungry.

At Last

Today's the last working day of 2004.

WOOHOO!!! YYEEEBBBBAAAA!!!!

From tomorrow till January 2, I'll be on vacation. That's about ten days of vegetating. Yum!

So, I hope to accomplish the following:

1. Read my unread comics pile.

2. Finish the last few K.I.A. pages.

3. Unlock all the costumes in Dead or Alive Ultimate.

4. Finish Metal Gear Solid 3 again.

5. Try to play some other games on Xbox and PS2.

6. Start writing some scripts and storylines for my 2005 projects.

7. Watch some of the Film Festival movies, particularly Enteng Kabisote, Sigaw, Lastikman and Spirit of the Glass.

8. Enjoy the new Sanctum.

9. Figure out how to send pictures to my parents' 3100s.

10. Watch some DVDs.

YEEEEAAAAHHHHH!!! 5:30 already. Gotta go.

Boxed Fantasy


Box full of troubles.

A recent splurge I did recently was on a boxed set of Fighting Fantasy books, an 8-box set consisting of titles written by writers Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. Sure, they're derivative, cliche and really probably don't count as high fantasy literature, but they're damn fun. And they made my elementary and high school years quite entertaining. These books are part of the interactive-book rage that included Be An Interplanetary Spy, Choose Your Own Adventure, Which Way, Time Machine and countless other lines of pocketbooks. I purchased the set at Powerbooks at Greenbelt 3, while picking up gifts for friends. Good thing I was flush with Christmas Party prize money so I could afford the 2K set. Heh. I hope I get to read these books before they become classics AGAIN. Gotta make a point to at least browse through the hills of uread reading material I've amassed in 2004. Or at least put reading them into my New Year's Resolution. HOHO!

Ninja Babe needs your help!


"Who, me?"

Every so often, SOTA Toys, though action-figure.com, holds a vote on which characters from the Street Fighter universe gets included in the releases of their SF Series action figures. I only found out recently, and AFTER the voting for Series Three. I found out then that my favorite SF character, Ibuki the ninja girl, lost to Sakura by only a narrow margin.

Well, THIS time, I wanna make sure my super-cute SF assassin gets immortalized in action figure form. I ask you, gentle blog reader, to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE vote for Ibuki to be included in Series Four of SOTA's Streetfighter figures.

To vote, just fill out an e-mail with your votes for the following categories:

Category 1 "The Headliner" - Akuma, Zangief
Category 2 "The Big Guy" - Birdy, Hugo
Category 3 "The Female Fighter" - Ibuki
Category 4 "The Good Guy" - Guy, Charlie, Fei Long
Category 5 "The 3rd Strike Character" - Remy, Necro, Oro

Now, of course, I don't care whom you choose in the other categories, as long as you VOTE FOR IBUKI.

In case you don't know shit about Street Fighter, I can save you the trouble of choosing from the other categories- you can just cut and paste this generic vote.

1. Akuma
2. Hugo
3. Ibuki
4. Guy
5. Oro

Send your e-mail to streetfighter@action-figure.com. Put as the title 'Series Four votes'.

I really need your help on this one, gentle blog-readers. Please don't let me and my favorite ninja girl down. Deadline for the votes is on January 16, 2005 so vote now! Thanks in advance!

K.I.A. Update

It never fails. Despite all the well-laid plans of mice, men and indie comic producers, things still rarely go on schedule. Though I actually started on the Kai project LAST Christmas, it still hasn't come out in the time I wanted. Yes, I had wanted to release K.I.A. within this year (it had originally been planned to be out on my birthday), but things just didn't work out. Deadlines had to be extended. Pages were added. Artworks redone. And of course, budgets put together.

Well, let's just say that K.I.A. is a personal, pet project and it is being paid for from my own pocket. At the time of K.I.A.'s conception, I had just started in my present place of work and I felt I had adequate funds and then some. But of course, things got into the way and money rerouted here and there... Okay, I spent money on other stuff, so sue me. Heh. Local comics, as many of my friends already know, is a bleak and losing business here in the Philippines, if you don't have the moolah and connections to back your stuff up. You could have the best comic around but if you can't get it to people (ergo, have a distribution network), you're pretty much shot in the foot from the start. And it really didn't help that I got fat and lazy in 2004, being content more to just watch other, younger and more energetic talents rather than produce things myself.

Still, K.I.A. will push through. Comics are still my passion, my way of expression and I want K.I.A. to happen. I also want it to succeed, where most of my past works have either only barely done or flatly failed. That's why I'm taking it slow this time (which is, unfortunately, still not a guarantee for success).

Anyway, the Christmas shopping's pretty much done. Once I get into my vacation, I'll finish the last few pages, wait for the final contributions and get the whole kit and caboodle ready for production. Once we have product, I'll start the business end of the deal. Hopefully we'll have K.I.A. out within the first quarter of 2005. And then I can start moving forward again, on perhaps a new Angel Ace issue or a follow-up to Kai's new adventures.

We'll see what happens.

Ghosts of Christmas Present

I've written before that this year's Christmas was melancholy. That's being optimistic.

All month long we've been seeing misfortune heaped upon misfortunte on people, big and small. The people in villages destroyed by storms. Fans and supporters who lost an admired icon. Parents who've lost children to disasters. Men stranded far from home by circumstance. Countless people won't find Christmas cheery or comforting this year.

But of course, when you go out into the streets and the malls, it seems as if everything is business as usual. The songs are still playing. The shoppers are still crowding. The decors are still up and shining. But perhaps, just a bit, they're a little subdued this time.
This year hasn't been kind to many, but what can we do but live as well as we can, pray that the bad things don't happen to us, and try to lend a helping hand when we can. If you've been lucky enough to reach Christmas unscathed, take that as a gift already. Everything else is profit and waffle.

Just check your plugs, switches and fuses, and don't leave the Christmas lights on through the night. Keep your purses and doors secure and your houses cozy and tight. Greet your friends and your family and give the gifts that come from the heart. With only a few days left till the day, let's not take any chances.

Headquarters



It took a while, but the Sanctum's done. But though I have unloaded quite a bit of stuff and had new shelves installed, there was just barely enough space to go around. Still, the place looks a lot better than ever before. Once the paint fumes fade completely, it'll be home from now on.

Now... to start thinking up the next diabolical scheme to rule the world... MAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!

Shopping

I finished the bulk of my Christmas Shopping today. Got my parents their new Nokia 3100 phones, which they really loved (yay!). Despite being a total technophobe, even Dad seems to be getting into the new, easy-to-use Nokia. As for Mom, she's taking to the new mobile like a fish to water, since her old phone, a 3530, seemed to work pretty much the same way.
Bought apparel for my bro and sister, and their spouses. I'm giving cash to the kiddies. All that's left are the household help, whom I'll probably get gift baskets or something within the week. I really made it a point to get things done today, since I really don't relish wading through the mobs at Greenhills or Megamall again very soon. All these saps just sap away your strength so quickly.

Well, I've got three days to rest and relax till the last couple of workdays for the year. Nice. Today's ROTK Sunday, with the college gang. Should be fun. Heh.

Mint Green

The Sanctum's walls are mint green. Mint Green.

Turns out that's the only colored paint we had in the quantity required, and mom didn't want to buy any more additional paint. It's a nice color, I guess. Really.

I've heard a long time ago that the color of the walls of a room may actually affect how you feel.

So whenever I'm in The Sanctum from now on... I'm going to feel... mildly jealous?

Hmm.

Anyway, the paint's drying. The new shelves are up. The TV's in the alcove, snug as a bug in a rug. Just waiting for the fumes to fade away before I start cleaning up, putting comics, magazines, books, dvds, vcds, toys and other shit where they should go, install the DVD player and make the place liveable and lived-in once more.

Plus, I'm expecting guests later today. Let's see what happens in the Sanctum Warming later today.

It's early morning...

... and unfortunately, the Sanctum's not totally done.

Actually, it's ALMOST done. The ceiling's whole, and painted. The smell of it is strong in the air. Dust all about. Everything's still a mess. They'll be painting the walls and stuff tomorrow. I may have to move out ALL the stuff inside the room to make way.

Thinking of having the carpenters add some more shelf space. That would be neat. The Christmas break's started for me- four day weekend before I go to my last one and a half workdays of this year. Then it's all clear to Christmas and New Year. Should use part of that time to fix up the homestead. Then the rest to enjoy the bounty of the past year, and to finish up the last traces of 2004's plate.

It's been a long year.

It's about time.

Breathe.

Sanctum Sacrilege


Crash, crash. Crumble, crumble.

Early this morning, workmen came in and started tearing down the rafters. Don't worry, it was intentional... the Sanctum's being renovated. All month long my mom has had the house's old 'dirty' kitchen totally redone, extended and rebuilt (now it looks like a restaurant-sized kitchen). On the tail end of the construction, she had my room built as well. On the agenda was the ceiling, the creaky and cracked wood of which was to be replaced with new wooden beams, and the entertainment center area, which would be rebuilt to accomodate the new TV. The whole place would also be repainted, to do away with the unsightly tape-smears (and so, down with the anime posters...).

Well, I had to go sleep in my parents' room for the morning, I had to unplug all the equipment and move out some stuff, and the dust is going to cover EVERYTHING. But in the end, the Sanctum will be gorgeous and at the very least, dead cat-proof! WOOHOO!!!

Hopefully, all the construction would be done by tonight and tomorrow. If all goes well, I'll be coming home to a brand new Sanctum. Inconceivable!

Christmas Bash

Last night, the office had it's annual Christmas party at one of our officemates' residences in the south. As with our previous year's celebration, there was a theme which involves costumes, and this year it was famous pairs, or couples.

Well, I have a history with crappy costumes (pretty much since I prepare for them only about, oh, several hours before the event). Last year, with a 'carnival' theme, I came as a fortune teller using ANYTHING I could find in the house- tablecloths, a black armwarmer and some crystal globe I swiped from the living room. Well, this year I upheld that tradition.

My partner and I came as Crispin and Basilio, the ill-fated brothers from the Jose Rizal novel, Noli Me Tangere. Well, of course we had this grand idea of not coming in as your usual little kids in camiso de tsinos and tsinelas (old-style white undershirt and slippers). We had this whole concept of coming in as grownup versions of the two characters. I counselled coming in full barong tagalogs, but eventually my partner convinced me that a better storyline would be having Crispin and Basilio converted to Islam due to their persecution at the hands of the Spanish friars (which was their fate). So, we came wearing muslim attire (malong) and carrying deebeedees (dvds).

Suffice to say, we missed the whole point that you have to be recognized immediately on sight as who your 'pair' is supposed to be. And I guess it was quite obvious that two Muslim dvd pirates are worlds away from two urchins from the nation's most famous novel. So we WON Worst Costume of the night. But we got a cash prize!!!! YEEEEEAAAAAAHHH!!!!

Anyway, the night was nice with lots of food, music and laughter despite the overall melancholy feel of this year's Christmas. We're all hopeful of a better celebration next year. And a better cosutme, I guess. Heh.

Phone Folks

I've finally gone on and moved forward with my decision to get my parents both new cellphones for Christmas. Now, while I would have wanted to get them spiffy hi-tech convergence devices like myself, I don't have the funds, nor do they have the like for such things. No, I'm getting them some nice, all-around phones to enjoy for the new year. I've pretty much decided on either Nokia 3100 or 3120 units, which have color screens, MMS, clear polyphonic ringtones and good, compact form factor. They're inexpensive, easy to use and very nice... perfect! I'll probably try and get the gifts this weekend, and give them in advance... better to avoid the last minute crush. Perhaps next year, if business is a lot better, I'll get my mom a phone with a camera. She'd love that. Heh.

Lastik Fantastik


That's gotta hurt.

Mars Ravelo's stretchable hero Lastikman gets an update for the times with the Mango Comics release. The 56-page, full color prestige format book (Php150) was worked on by two of local comics' most popular names- Wasted creator Gerry Alanguilan reaches into the side of his psyche that spawned his own wacky Crest Hut Butt Shop for the wacky, action-packed story, while After Eden's Arnold Arre stretches even his distinctive skills to the limit (heh) to come up with some spectacular panels. All this with colors by Edgar Tadeo and Ryan Orosco to make everything come alive from the page.

Anyway, haven't gotten my copy yet, but I will asap. I've heard good things, and I can't wait to see how it came out. The Mango Comic version, by the way, has no relation to the upcoming local movie of the same name. Lastikman the comic should be available in comic stores and bookstores in the Metro right by next week or so, thanks to some issues with printing. Grab a copy on sight!

Mini Stop

This morning I got to have some time to myself at a Mini-Stop, and I discovered a Choco-Nut flavored ice drop from Selecta Ice Cream. It totally captures the classic flavor of the 'masa' chocolate. YUMMY! I also got to taste the new Krispy Pao, which makes for a nice savoury meal along with the usual krispy wonton. I also saw, but was not able to try, the somewhat disturbing new combo sandwiches- SPAGHETTI sandwiches! As in, there's spaghetti noodles and sauce stuffed into a hot dog bun along with chicken or hot dog strips. Yeah, I eat pasta with bread alll the time... but for someone to actually sell a pasta sandwich is kinda new, I think. Something to try the next time I pass by our friendly neighborhood Korean convenience store.

What Could Have Been

Last night, despite having to do a bit of overtime, I was able to pop in a Features disc from the ROTK Extended Edition DVD Set into my new Sparkle DVD player for a bit of LOTR goodness. I watched several featurettes, all of which were quite interesting along the topic of bringing the Tolkien novels from the page to the script.

The coolest part involved an alternative yet ultimately abandoned scene which had the Dark Lord, Sauron actually taking to the field and battling Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) in combat. This was of course not in the books, though it was felt by the filmmakers at the time that they needed a suitable act of valor for Aragorn to accomplish on the battlefield before the Black Gate (since the creepy Mouth of Sauron character really wasn't a fighter).

So it was that they had this whole thing with Sauron appearing before the outnumbered Men of the West, first materializing as an angelic being of dazzling beauty. The apparition is supposedly that of Anatar, which was Sauron's guise thousands of years before when he tricked the races and created the One Ring. As the scene goes, Aragorn soon sees through the holy light, and Sauron reveals himself (pretty much as he was in the Battle of Golgoroth at the beginning of the Fellowship of the Ring). There are actual scenes showing Aragorn and the warriors of Gondor and Rohan battling a gigantic armored Sauron (though we don't see soldiers getting knocked into the air as in the FOTR battle) which was kinda neat.

In the end though, Peter Jackson and the writers felt that the whole thing just wasn't right, since it took the focus of the story and the weight of the problem to Aragorn, instead of to Frodo the ringbearer. So, the whole thing was eventually scrapped, with Aragorn's personal opponent being changed from Sauron to an Armored Battle Troll with CG, and the roles of the armies of men being relegated to fighting to distract the Eye and its forces from the real threat of the ringbearer.

Personally, I kinda liked the whole Sauron vs Aragorn thing. In the end though, I guess ROTK is better with what was eventually used. Just another cool little detail and footnote in this wonderful series of films. Can't wait to get deeper into the EE dvds and see what else I can discover.

Beyond Soccer

I loved the wild martial arts comedy Kung Fu Soccer with Stephen Chow. Fans of Mr. Chow are no doubt waiting for his next work, and I am too after seeing the hilarious trailer to Kung Fu Hustle.

Stephen plays Sing, a wannabee gangster who is somewhat hampered in his efforts to become a member of the dreaded Ax Gang because of his general incompetence. The Axe Gang in the meantime is continually being stymied in its goal to conquer and control a sacred street where almost everyone is a martial artist or has super powers. Sing finds himself trying first to take over the street himself, but later he finds out that he has an even greater destiny to fulfill.

The trailer to this movie is being shown often on AXN, and it's hilarious. There's super-powered martial arts stunts, slapstick humor and the wonderfully flashyl CG effects as only the Hong Kong filmmakers do. I'll be sure to check this one out when it becomes available here in our parts, by late December or early 2005.

GOT IT.


The end of an age is right here.

With this final acquisition, I have completed my Lord of the Rings Extended DVD Set Collection. The final film was the biggest of the series, with the most special effects shots and the longest additional scenes- almost a whole hour of new footage to further complement the already glorious story.
I'm looking to start watching the documentaries and featurettes tonight. Soon, very soon, I hope to hold a LOTR Marathon, watching all three extended cuts in a row. When? When I have time to, of course. Perhaps on a weekend or over the Christmas break. That's my LOTR event of this year, the last one before we all move on and the films make for the Grey Havens of movie history.

Will we see another film trilogy or series to match LOTR, as Star Wars (the original films) did for the previous generation? We'll see.