More Killing to Come

Afro Samurai, the GONZO-made anime featured on Spike TV about a revenge-driven warrior voiced by actor Samuel Jackson, will be having a second season. The further adventures of Afro, according to creator Takashi Okazaki, will have the current Number One Warrior 'losing his way' and 'getting tired of killing'. Events will eventually wake Afro up to the true destiny and meaning of being the world's top warrior and bearer of the Number One Headband he shed so much blood for last season. Also mentioned, Afro's adversary this time will be an 'alluring' female warrior- since, according to Okazaki, seduction and violence are musts for the US audience.

Well. I certainly didn't expect this. While I found Afro Samurai watchable, I didn't find it particularly likeable. On the other hand, with a hot enemy babe on the horizon instead of scabby old men, this may just be the season where the makers get things RIGHT. Also, giving Afro more of a meaning to his exploits rather than just self-serving revenge may make him a more appealing hero. We'll see... the next season of Afro Samurai is set for sometime in 2008.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Double Episode Review

Two more episodes of Avatar, for a grand total of five so far. Five more to go before we get to the dreaded halfway point and season hiatus!

I KNOW SWORD-FU!

Sokka's Master is a pretty refreshing installment, finally addressing 'Boomerang Guy' Sokka's final realization that he has to improve himself to become more useful to the gang. After having to sit back (again) while the others defeat a crisis with their bending powers, Sokka resolves to get stronger. On a suggestion from Katara that they go shopping to cheer him up, Sokka eventually decides on finding a teacher to help him learn battle skills- a nice way by the by to reveal where Toph actually got her mad bending knowledge...
Anyways, the local swordmaster, Piandao, soon accepts this strange youth as his student despite having no references or offerings, and we go through a pretty hilarious and sped-up training segment with Sokka showing off as much resourcefulness as he does actual sword-fu. In the end though, Sokka's admiration and gratitude for his teacher is so much that he can't avoid not telling the truth about his true identity...

A very cool episode, if only for the fact that from here on in, Sokka should KICK arse, given as how he's been taught combat from a guy who apparently beat 100 soldiers single-handedly (according to the Nick website). The action and animation throughout this ep is pretty slick and cool, and the climactic swordfight between Sokka and Piandao is quite awesome- certainly right up there with the series' best action scenes.
Other than that- once again, cool humor from the rest of the troop, with a focus on the fact that Sokka is actually the comedian of the group, and no one else. Toph's little crush on Sokka gets a li'l bit more prodding, and finally we see a big development on General Iroh's side as well- intriguing, to say the least. All in all, a pretty good episode and my favorite so far in the season.

BAD GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN

The Beach has been the talk of the Avatar fandom world ever since word of it came out from the last San Diego Comic Con. A 'fan service' episode focusing mainly on the Ozai Angels (Azula, Mai and Ty Lee) and Zuko as they go on a short vacation. Just having the evil (but admittedly hot) Azula and the limber Ty Lee in swimsuits is worth the price of admission, but well, this episode is surprisingly entertaining and insightful as we see new sides to our resident antagonists. Azula, for example, has been so far unbeatable in battle and the most formidable female villain in US cartoons in recent memory, but this comes at a price- NORMALCY. On the other hand, the perplexing romance between ever-angsty Zuko and the indifferent kunoichi Mai continues and heads into some rocks. I don't know about some fans' opinions out there, but I think they make a perfect couple. Ty Lee is, as always, a chirpy glow in the midst of all the negativity from her comrades, and even gets to have not one, but two crying scenes. There's a bit more of Zuko anger, and he finally vocalizes what has been brewing inside him without a doubt since the start of the season- perhaps a bit too much spoon-feeding, but perhaps it needed to be said.

In the end, 'The Beach' reveals stuff about our villains- just enough to make us kinda-sorta like them a little bit more if you didn't already, but not enough to make it hurt when they inevitably get a beatdown from the Avatar and friends. It's a bit of a twisted little vignette that comes complete with a Fire Nation-type happy ending, that is simply unique. Great stuff, and certainly a cool installment along the lines and flavor of the similar 'Tales of Ba Sing Se'.

On the Avatar's end, the Gaang gets the short end of the stick this ep, as Aang's carelessness leads to him getting spotted by some Fire Nation sentries. However, it seems that the group's general incognito status won't be changing anytime soon as the only one who gets the message is the new character known as The Combustion Man (from the Nick website), the tattooed assassin hired by Zuko. Armed with a unique style of firebending, CM looks to be a formidable opponent. However, I found it cool that Aang isn't shown to be overly weak or kicked around too much; he's actually showing more expertise in the use of earthbending as well in the short but sweet segment between him and the assassin. Hopefully this bodes cooler action in future installments.

That's that for this week! Next episode: The Avatar and the Fire Lord!

Destruction, Distraction?

Today, Makati was rocked by what was at first thought to be a gas explosion (it is now being suspected as a high explosive bomb). The incident happened all the way over at Glorietta, quite a way off from our perch at the other end of Ayala. As you'd expect, first reactions to the news of an explosion ranged from morbid curiosity to attempts at humor (which were, admittedly, a good way of coping with fear). It was only some time later as we saw footage of the damage on TV or on the Internet that the gravity of the situation weighed in.

The stricken part of the mall was a place I was very familiar with- the restaurant, Luk Yuen, which was supposedly where the explosion originated, was a place I had eaten in countless times. It was horrible to see the place, or at least the wide area around it- in ruins. It was like footage you'd see on CNN of some bombed-out buildings in some war-torn demilitarized zone. I never thought this would happens in Glorietta, of all places. I GO there.

The atmosphere in Makati was mixed- places where I went to- a production house near Pasong Tamo- had people crowded around TVs, commenting or wondering about the cause of this latest act of terrorism. People wanted to go home to the presumed safety of their homes, to be with their families. I was one of them.

Was this a terrorist attack? Or could it, as many are now wondering, just our own government exercising a measure to draw away attention from the latest scandal in Malacanang? Let's just say I would not put it past our politicians.

My God. Enough is enough. This is madness.

As of right now, 8 are dead, 113 wounded and 5 missing in this terrible event.

A Different Kind of Gadget Lust

Okay, I am beginning to sense myself inexorably being drawn to another gadget again.

No, it's NOT a phone. Rest assured, I am still even now enamoured hopelessly with my unlocked, hacked, customized iPhone. Nope, the new toy I am obsessing right now is... well, it IS a toy. A Playstation Portable, in fact. Yes, I already had one months ago, and sold it after I realized that I wasn't using it. Well, I've finally found a reason to play. It's called Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions.

Longtime gamers on the original Playstation (PSX) will probably know what I am talking about. In a universe of RPGs filled with spiky-haired heroes, melodrama and CG cinematics galore, Final Fantasy Tactics broke the mold by being a strategy-simulation game obsessed with menus, stats, levelling up jobs and shifting occupations. You spent as much time planning as much as actually fighting but... DAMN it was obsessively absorbing. Where do I spend my hard-earned Job Points? Do I level up or upgrade that skill? Do I work for a Samurai, Ninja or Dragoon? Is a damn Calculator worth it? What's the best frickin' way to beat that bastard Gafgarion's deathtrap?

The point of it all was an epic, albeit hopelessly confusing story of royal intrigue and high-stakes political conspiracy serving as cover for a diabolical invasion. Your main character, Ramza Beoulve, is a noble-born warrior who eventually finds himself having to fend for himself and a fragile principle of justice and truth in the midst of greed, war and ambition. I didn't know half of what really was going on, save that to progress, I had to build and train the most bad-ass, deadly, unstoppable army to walk the land. Which, unfortunately, could only consist of FIVE people. Gah. Still, once you got into the combat and got knee-deep into getting your soldiers onto their paths to becoming war machines, there was no turning back.

The game has now been recently released for the PSP, with all-new content such as new guest characters (notably Balthier the Sky Pirate from FFXII and Luso, a hero in another upcoming FF game), new battles and multiplayer and, for me best of all, gloriously lovely cinematics that bring the story to life in beautifully realized art-brought-to-motion and full voice acting. Really, I NEED to see the cinematics of this game. I want to see the story as I've never seen it before. I just have to.

This is the reason for me to get a PSP again. I have nothing else to get anyway- I already have the phone of my dreams. The next great PS3 and Xbox360 games are due in 2008. This is my project for the moment. I guess the road back to Ivalice starts now.

Long Weekend

Ah, holidays. That's one thing you can always count on the government for- the readiness to appeal to our inner sloth. Anyways, I am really looking forward to the long break starting tomorrow. On the other hand, while I will be able to catch up on sleep, I actually have an agenda I will try to follow through the break.

For starters, I'll have to work on a short comic piece I promised to someone, and the deadline is fast approaching. My, oh my the weeks do pass like quicksilver when you're wasting it all away. Actually, the trick is actually deciding what to do- whether it be a K.I.A. short story or something totally new. I'm edging for the latter, but we'll have to see what happens. Anyway, I am really going for finishing this within the weekend, so please, wish me luck.

On the other hand, I really want to finish Bioshock as well this weekend. Bioshock is this awesome shooter on Xbox360, and the story and setting, mood and atmosphere are all amazing- my favorite game this year by far. Unfortunately, while I blazed halfway through the game a few weeks ago, I got sidetracked and left it by the side. I want to finish this already so I can go into forums again with no fear of spoilers. It shouldn't take too long and shouldn't detract too much from my comic chores.

I'll continue making new wallpapers and encoding videos for my iPhone as well. My current library is still nowhere as nice as my previous DIVX gallery, but I aim to keep on churning it out. Man, I'm still hot for my little iToy after almost two weeks, and that's good. Even better is that the phone has so far been very stable and free of any hang-ups, so coolness.

Oh, and of course there's the little matter of waiting for the latest episodes of Avatar and Ghost Hunters. WOOHOO! Fun, fun, fun.

Well, that's that. This weekend, if all goes well, should be very productive as well as restful. Later then!

The Next Filipino Movie Hero?


From the page to the box office...

News just bursted today that Arnold Arre's Andong Agimat has been taken under the wing of UNITEL's head honcho, Tony Gloria as his pet project. As one of the leading production houses in the Philippines, UNITEL has been lately getting into other projects, such as film. Andong just may become the next big Pinoy movie comic conversion since Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah.

According to Gloria, he's willing to put in a lot of resources into making Andong a hit. Depending on how the project sells, Andong may be a movie, a TV series or both- 20 million pesos won't cut it; 50 million would have been preferable but the project just may have a budget of 30-35 million, which is no small sum. Aside from that , UNITEL's best technology, such as HD cameras used in Hollywood films like Superman Returns will be used. Gloria has even mentioned that he's eyeing Robin Padilla in the role of the titular bad boy hero.

Of course, I'm quite excited at this bit of news- Andong is one of my favorite titles from Arnold, and I can't wait to see the characters and action leap from page to screen. I'm still taking this with a grain of salt given the record of Filipino movies so far, but I'll allow myself to be optimistic.

Andong Agimat is an action-fantasy set in a modern-day Philippines where mystical creatures and beings with superhuman powers walk among normal men. When Maria Makiling, a goddess in the flesh, gets lost in the grimy alleys and hostile streets of an evil-infested Manila, there's only one man tough enough to lead the fight to rescue her... Andong Agimat. Copies of Arnold's graphic novel are still out there in Power Books, Fully Booked and other good book stores. Find it!

Man, I'm excited in comics again. Hah!

Hanging with the Avatar


Things get a bit hotter...

This is actually a double-review of two episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender, since I managed to not watch episode 3.2 last week. Instead, I watched both The Headband and The Painted Lady tonight, back-to-back. Now I'm kinda regretting it (it's a long wait to 3.4 next week)... maybe I should just gather episodes en masse like I'm doing with anime. Anyways, here's what's happening in Avatar World.
The Headband has Aang and company arriving in the Fire Nation and donning disguises to travel through enemy territory. Predictably, Aang attracts attention despite wearing a headband to cover his arrow, and finds himself smack dab in the middle of a Fire Nation classroom. Soon he's fighting school bullies, getting a new girlfriend and setting up a dance party. Wait a minute... a DANCE PARTY? Yep, even though the freedom of the world is at stake, Aang still has time to get down and boogie. On the other hand, he does raise a good point that it's a fine chance to get into the minds of the next generation of Fire Nation-ites. On the other side of the fence, all is not well with Zuko. Struck with the fear of his newfound life being ruined if the Avatar is, as he suspects, indeed alive, he visits the imprisoned Iroh for some advice. But when Uncle refuses to even look at the Prince, Zuko takes another move that further distances him from the ranks of the good guys...

I didn't expect to like The Headband too much- but despite the weird premise, I enjoyed this second chapter of Book 3. The Gaang's new looks are pretty cool (even though Toph's soleless shoes don't seem consistent throughout), and the characters' interactions are as funny and entertaining as always. The highlights of the episode includes the moments where Aang refers to little tidbits into the past and the dance party itself- Aang and Katara's dance number (them actually doing their katas, I think) was wonderful and quite well-animated. In fact, I'd say this episode is a nice return to quality animation as opposed to the previous episode. Overall, a bit slow-paced but worth watching.

The Painted Lady is a Katara-centric episode, for the most part. The Gaang arrives at a fishing village in dire straights, thanks to pollution from a nearby factory. Katara finds herself unable to let the suffering villagers go without aid, and so the legend of the Painted Lady- a local magical spirit- is revived. Like the Headband before it, the premise seems wild- Katara's impulse to aid some Fire Nation citizens when they should be worried about their present quest seems ridiculous (at least Sokka voices this out more than once). But Katara isn't an ordinary, rational-thinking person. Once again, she shows that she's a hero, probably even more than Aang at this point, and that she's not one to turn her back on someone who needs help.
A little bit of action (one-sided anyway) at the end, some special effects and a fair bit of humor involving a schizophrenic villager and some mud-filled fish round out this episode. Still a 'filler' episode since it's not really about the main quest, The Painted Lady is again an entertaining installment in the series.

For both episode 2 and 3, Aang and Katara got the most exposure. Katara showed off how capable she has become as a waterbender and as a martial artist (hopefully this will continue to be consistent) in her graceful dance with Aang and her performance in The Painted Lady. Unfortunately, Sokka and Toph get relegated a bit to the background- hopefully this will be remedied in the next couple of installments. Next week's episode, Sokka's Master looks to steer the Gaang back on serious matters, as Boomerang Guy tries to make himself more useful by taking up sword lessons. But will he survive his crash course?

Till next time, Avatar Rules!

Living the iLife

It's been about a week since I got my Apple iPhone. Since then, I've been through the whole spectrum of emotion, from elation and joy when I first got it, to sheer terror and utter despair when the phone's system went kaput and I was forced to restore it back to a 'LOCKED' state, to the exhausted relief when I say my Globe SIM working again after a tech tinkered with it in Greenhills. But despite all that, I don't regret a thing. Getting this phone has been the most fun I've had in my life as a mobile gadget enthusiast, and despite it being a 'pirate'/rebel/unlocked/open-line/renegade unit, it just makes it all the more fun. Unlocked units have, at this point in time, all the perks- the use of any SIM and network, access to third party apps (free over WiFi), the ability to customize themes and more. As long as there is support for this platform- and it doesn't look like the Rebel Alliance of hackers and Mac enthusiasts will be tiring anytime soon- I'll be fine living like a mobile Jack Sparrow on my Black Pearl iPhone.

I'd say to all of you guys and gals interested in getting an iPhone, ask yourself this question. Can you wait? If you can, maybe it's probably safer to just wait till next year when the phone is released locally as a legit unit, probably under one or both of the big Telcos. There has been scuttlebutt that Globe will be getting the phones, and releasing it under a plan (I've heard talk of 5K plans). There's a chance that the units released here next year may be upgraded models- maybe bigger memory? 3G? Who knows... maybe it will be worth it. At the very least, it will be safe- you can have the use of any services and extras that will be coming with the phone, and if anything goes wrong, you have your warranty to protect yourself.

For now, all there is really is the WOW factor of owning the most hyped-up (even if it does live up to that hype in many ways) mobile gadget ever, the ability to do stuff Apple would never let you do otherwise, mostly for free, under your own terms instead of having to subscribe to any plan or scheme from the big companies. The pitfalls? If something goes wrong, you have to rely on the shop's warranty or your own tech know-how if you're savvy enough. The thing is, YOU yourself can actually unlock phones yourself (given the right conditions) if you have at least a laptop or computer and an internet connection, and the patience to research. Or just have a really techy friend (or someone in the know at PhilMUG.

But if you do want to have a 'pirate' iPhone, you may need to hurry a bit. The latest firmware phones aren't cracked yet, so what is already here is pretty much the only stocks of unlocked or unlockable iPhones you can get. I don't think there's a drought of iPhones- they're still probably readily available, though at some hefty prices. You just have to look for the best deals.

Me, I'm a bit wiser after my early birthpangs with the iPhone, but I seem to have reached a nice cruising level where I am just happy and content and excited for whatever comes next. I see myself staying with my device till a highly upgraded version appears (say, with 30 Gigs of memory, 3G, blah-blah-blah) eventually. For now, I'm still giddy with delight and still having that thrill whenever I send a text, watch a video or listen to a tune. Making new wallpapers is my new hobby. Heh. Anyways, happy as a clam am I. More as things happen, when they happen on the good ship Black Pearl. Later then.

iBlogging

Hey, how cool is this? I'm posting this using Safari on my iPhone. Typing is best done with one finger. Unlike the usual touch screen that requires the use of the tip of the fingernail, it's actually the soft, fleshy tip of the finger that works best. Also, it's better to type in English so the auto-correct function actually helps you instead of changing your words at the last minute. Anyway, I reckon with a few more days practice I'll be typing like a pro. Anyway, back to work, I guess.

myPhone


Yeah, yeah, I got it.

Over the weekend I went out and just got myself the Apple iPhone (the 8GB version, not the discontinued 4GB model). Of course, I'm not alone- quite a few people have availed of the much-hyped device after the thing was unlocked for use with any SIM thanks to hackers extraordinaire that have defied the dictatorial will of the Mac Lords. I've been thinking about it last week every day, and on Saturday I acted on these thoughts. I traded in my 80 Gig iPod, added some cash, and got my iPhone. It was a bit funny to know that I was the first buyer of an iPhone from that particular stall I availed at, and there was a fair bit of commotion as me and sellers alike ooohhed and ahhhed at the phone as we unboxed my specimen. I have to say, once I had the thing in front of my, I was hooked. It looked so much prettier in the flesh than in all the Youtube videos I've been subsisting on online. And darn, it feels so solid and nice in the hand despite it's svelte slimness.
The sellers were inexperienced with setting up the phone, but they did manage to insert my SIM into it, so I wasn't completely left up a creek without a paddle. Still, it took me walking around V-Mall being very self-conscious and fiddling with the phone before I finally managed to make a successful call and be convinced that indeed, I had bought a replacement for my PDA Phone and not a slimmer, smaller-capacity iPod.

Anyway, after getting home my first order of business was, of course, to input my contacts and sync the phone to iTunes on my PC. It actually took most of the night to do the former- I had to do it by hand (at least I was able to get some practice using the virtual keyboard anyway). The rest of the night and early morning hours was spent getting the darn thing to talk to my computer so I could use it's prodigious media powers. It was a pretty chore, since I had to find and install Windows XP Service Pack 2 and then update iTunes to the latest version. Once all that was done though, I was able to sync my iPhone, loading it up with some videos and tunes.

What can I say? The darn thing is gosh-darn gorgeous. Just sitting there, it looks like a sleek slate of obsidian, ringed by silver. It's seamless and smallish-looking (it's a lot smaller than my XDA IIi), with most of the face taken up by the lovely, huge, 3.5 inch screen. It's all about the screen, I have to say, though side by side, in plain real estate my O2's screen is actually bigger... but the iPhone's has better resolution, brightness, colors and contrast. Watching video or even just looking at pics is damn fine on the iPhone's screen. Damn fine indeed. And better yet, unlike regular iPods, you can listen to music or sounds without the need for earphones, so this is indeed a media player you can just whip out in a moment for use.

But of course, even though it's a heavenly media player, is it a great phone? Let me say that it has lots of quirks. It certainly has lots of flaws like the inability to send a text to multiple recipients, no custom ringtones, weak-sounding text alerts and no cut-and-paste functions. But then, I knew all that coming in (I've read pretty much every review online). My likes overweigh all the dislikes and hiccups.

I'm already pretty used to just using my fingers to type, prod and use a touchscreen. I can live without MMS. I really don't need the functions that I can't use (Stocks? Weather? Maps?), and I don't really use PIM or email functions on a mobile. The camera, even though only a still camera, is quite excellent, even in low light situations, and that's more than I can ever say for my previous phone's almost useless camera. And the memory- you can only use about 7.2 Gigs, but that's a lot more than my previous ceiling of 4 Gigs with SD Cards. I don't need or use 3G or EDGE. If I can get the WiFi and Youtube apps to work, that will be a bonus. Most of my content I love to find, encode and sync on the phone myself. I'll miss DIVX and the TCPMP, but the quality of MP4 softens the blow. I'll have to build up a whole new library of videos again, but that's already a hobby of mine so no problem.

All that, and the phone's damn gorgeous.

I'll still be learning how to use the thing, getting used to the idiosyncracies and little cranks in the week ahead most likely. Right now, I'm just having so much fun just playing with the physics-enabled scrolling. I guess I have to get a belt case since just putting it in my pocket is a no-no. But even with the hassles of starting up my new mobile phase, I'm pretty happy- it's been a while since I got really excited about a phone again, so I'm enjoying the rush once more. WOOHOO!!!

Awakenings
Avatar: The Last Airbender 3.1

I've seen it! Thanks to the glorious Internet, I was able to watch the latest episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender a scant few hours after it was shown overseas. Well, what can I say? The episode picks up a few weeks after the final battle underneath Ba Sing Se- long enough for Aang to grow a full head of hair, and long enough for lots of stuff like the Fire Nation's occupation of Ba Sing Se to happen. The Avatar is in for a rude awakening in hostile-looking surroundings, as he finds himself on board a Fire Nation ship. Fortunately, it turns out the ship is under control of the Water Tribe and headed for the Fire Nation. Despite losing the Earth Kingdom's military might, plans are still underway for an invasion of sorts on the Day of Black Sun.

The Awakening is, to be blunt, mostly setup. We find out what happened since the last time we saw our beloved characters. Some are taken off the active board quite matter-of-factly, like the Earth King. For such an important character, he just goes off ala Kane in Kung Fu to 'travel the world' (with Bosco the Bear) instead of worrying about his occupied land (but I think he'll be back with reinforcements soon enough). Some familiar faces from the past show up, but sadly, not the ones I was hoping for. Aang has a bit of an angsty stage here, as he can't seem to accept that the world now thinks he's dead. Whereas Sokka and the others sees this as an advantage, Aang sees it as a dishonor- if everyone thinks he's dead, there's no more hope. He's failed in his duty and purpose as the Avatar.

On the other side of the equation, Zuko returns home to the Fire Nation to face a hero's welcome and a reunion with his father, the Fire Lord. Unfortunately for little Zuzu, Azula has made sure that his newfound redemption is a double-edged sword. My, my how does that scheming witch sleep at night? Very soundly, it seems!

The highlights and Pros of this episode? The new status quo is pretty cool. Katara and Toph get to show off their amazing powers. Sokka's still the fund for funny lines. Quite a few familiar faces return or make an appearance. Ozai's is finally revealed (not what I expected, really). Once again, great voice performances throughout. Finally we're getting into the Fire Nation. The ending scene made me gasp. WHOA.

Cons and Iffy Stuff... How the HECK did Zuko suddenly hitch up with Mai? Supposedly this happened in a side story, but such a thing should have been shown. No Iroh this week. No Suki or Kyoshi Warriors yet. Aang just flying off on his own was really pretty stupid, but what the heck- the kid's brain was frazzled. One thing about the episode- a lot of things are apparently taken up in the Avatar Nickelodeon Magazine (just out recently), such as Zuko and Mai going steady, and the gaang's adventures prior to capturing their present ride. I wish they didn't do this, but I guess with just 20 episodes to go, they have to cut corners somewhat.

Also, the animation style is the somewhat cutesy style from episode like Tales of Ba Sing Se, which is not bad (not as bad as in The Chase), but not my favorite quality in the series. But I think other episodes, like The Painted Lady will be done by the show's better animation teams.

I am really curious as to how the show will go on from here. As Aang is supposedly dead to the world, the gaang does have a bit more freedom to move in the sense that they're no longer being actively hunted. Aside from the overall plot of defeating Ozai on the Day of Black Sun, there's still Aang finding a Firebending Teacher (I'm still rooting for it to be Iroh) and Zuko's new life path to be followed. Well, at least we can be sure next week there will be another piece of the puzzle added to this fiery mix.

Next Episode: The Headband!

Avatar Day

Today is the day. Well, actually, for us Pinoys yesterday was the day, but we're one day ahead. Today, September 21 in Canada and the US, is the debut of Avatar: The Last Airbender's 3rd Season, The Book of Fire. In a few hours, the first episode, "The Awakening" will be showing and finally breaking the months and months-long fast for Avatar fans. Starting tomorrow, the episode should be available in the usual channels for those who know where to look.

Man, it's been a wait. But it should be worth it. Starting from today, there will be a new Avatar each week for ten weeks. It's gonna be HOT. With fire, I mean. Moving on.

Off the Rack

If there's something really unsettling about being sick (aside from the obvious that your health is in danger), it's the fact that you're on the shelf and in storage, out of sight and out of mind. You feel that the world is passing by without you and may soon think that they're better off without you. On the other hand though, it's for your workmates and people's benefit that you keep any virus and sickness to yourself and to no one else. It's nice that the Internet allows contact and stuff to be done regardless of whether I'm at my desk or not, but there's always that nagging feeling that I should be there.
But then, when you're sick, you're sick and you can only get sicker if you stress yourself out. It's a vicious cycle. The best thing to do is just relax, let the body heal and just redouble your efforts once you're back 100 percent.

Actually, I'm just pissed that I wasted my nice haircut after all this time locked up in The Sanctum. Oh well.

Game Ads

As an advertising person and as a gaming addict, I find it quite amazing to see how ads and commercials for games have progressed since the days of Asteroids and Pac-man. Yeah, a lot are still just slick CG cartoons and there are still those 'out there' spots, but quite a few ads for videogames these days are surprisingly touching or poignant, or exceptionally well-orchestrated with unusual music to evoke different emotions. Or maybe I'm just reading into all this a bit too deeply. They're game commercials, after all. Here are a few of my recent favorites...

This is a spot for the Xbox360 shooter, Gears of War, which has since become one of the most critically-acclaimed and popular games today. The ad features the game's protagonist, Batista-lookalike Marcus Fenix, in some very dangerous situations, set to unusual music.



The Launch commercial for Bioshock, an Xbox360 shooter that has since become a blockbuster acclaimed for an incredibly well-told story and highly imaginative gameplay. It's the use of the classic song Beyond the Sea (sung by Bobby Darin)that elevates this from being just lots of slick action to creepy-cool slick action. The slick CG doesn't hurt either.



An even more recent one, this ad for Halo 3 (which is pretty much guaranteed mega-blockbuster status), the third part of an epic trilogy in which humans battle an alien threat called The Covenant. After a cliffhanger Part 2, Halo 3 promises to 'finish the fight'. The ad campaign includes an earlier spot called 'Museum' where we see an aged war veteran recalling the events of the final battle. This ad, 'Believe' just features the amazing diorama created for the game's promotions, set to a stirring score.



All of the preceding spots are for the Xbox360, so let's put in some stuff from Sony. Here are a couple of movie-quality commercials/trailers for the highly cinematic slash 'em up, Heavenly Sword.

On the Outside

I was finally able to muster the will to leave The Sanctum today, forced more or less by the need to buy a new lithium battery for my TV's remote. So I hied over to Megamall, a place I haven't been in for about two weeks. Now, that isn't really a long time- but for me, who once lurked among the stores and arcades in Ortigas sometimes daily, it was a stretch. Anyways, I've really gotten over my malling phase- I just needed to get my stuff and leave.
The battery was tricky, the search taking me from one corner of the mall to the other. Eventually I found the small disc-shaped power source (also used in watches and specialized electronics, I think) in National Bookstore, of all places. I tried looking for a copy of Mangaholix Presents #2, but it wasn't out yet (I was told by Mangaholix honcho Emman that copies would be coming by Monday or so).

I went over to the Fourth Floor electronics and tech floor, where I looked for the latest cellphones and devices to ogle. Contrary to my earlier posts about it, the O2 XDA Flame doesn't seem to be all that hot. Yeah, the huge screen should be cool, but darn- according to reviews and comments online, the battery life sucks, the device's new system (which includes a 3D engine from NVidia) is pretty picky and doesn't even work with the essential The Core Pocket Media Player. In all, the cons are many and seem not worth the sacrifices.

I saw that the Nokia N92 is out, and it looks quite nice. At about 21K it's not that expensive and I kinda find it intriguing to have Mobile TV. The service costs about P488 a month for unlimited access to a bunch of channels, including CNN, MTV, National Geographic, History Channel and Jack TV (No Animax or Hero TV?), which seems pretty fair. Unfortunately, the service is from Smart currently, and I'm on Globe. With the hassle of switching providers, I'll just have to make do with my own content for now, I guess... or just buy a Smart Prepaid Sim to try it out.

Anyways, back to the Sanctum I went, after depositing blood at the bank (AKA Comic Quest). Still collecting Countdown in the hope that it turns out to be awesome. Really HATED Amazon Attacks... who would have thought a series with armies of hot warrior women would SUCK so much? World War Hulk rocks hard though. Nice stuff all around despite some stumbles.

I wonder what'll be hot the next time I venture out? That'll be something to look forward to. Anywy, closing The Hatch now.

Backbreaker

It's funny to think that with a job that predominantly has me just sitting in a chair thinking all day, typing or drawing can actually cause back pains. But bad posture is certainly a problem for white collar workers and office staff, so much so that after a while we just don't realize our muscles and bones are all misaligned or off-whack from hours and hours of being bent in the wrong shape. That's why people should always take frequent walks around, breaks, stretches and other things to keep you off the seat and desk for regular intervals. It sounds easy to do so, but darn... sometimes you just get so 'into the zone' that you just forget to do these things. One look at the window, and it's noon. You start typing of surfing or thinking, the next time you look at the window, it's midnight. TIME WARP!

This week was particularly busy, with us all banging away at the grey matter and me attending a TV shoot that lasted up until dawn the next day. It was all a bit much and I just had to take a breather. Thank goodness for the weekend.

There are so many things I still have to do, and time is running out. I just have to get back in the zone for stuff that I really care for, even though recently I've been neglecting them for other stuff. It's just so easy to sleep it all away these days. But despite all that, I'm actually feeling pretty good about things. I should start taking vitamins again, I think.

Heavy Metal


Marvel's latest war machine at the theaters.

The Iron Man teaser trailer just hit recently online, and I must say, as a non-fan of the comic or the character (especially after the Civil War event), that I am interested. For one thing, Robert Downey, Jr. makes a pretty smarmy and cool Tony Stark, which is great- it's nice to see him as the good guy. He gets the alcoholic part down pat, at least. I'm actually kinda less convinced and iffy with the actual Iron Man stuff- it certainly looks CG at this point; hopefully they fix this up to look better in the final film. The next, full trailer should give more a sense of what the whole story is, who the real enemy will be for this Marvel Comics adventure. This should be good, but then I find myself thinking about DC's Steel movie with Shaquille O'Neil... Yikes! Crossing fingers then. Anyways, this is set for May 2008. A lot of time to shine things to the fullest.

Status Quo

These days, the pace of work at The Salt Mines has reached a fever pitch. It's been ages since I've been able to just 'take off' for a jaunt down to The Black Market to pick up some bootleg DVDs or go strolling around a mall. There's now always something, whether it's a shoot or a print ad needing my attention lined up and waiting to pounce just after I've taken care of the last wave. Which is kinda like those midieval siege movies where the defenders are taking down those enemies climbing up siege ladders. It hasn't yet reached a point where I'm stressed out- it's a nice mix, I guess, where you are busy but everything is still under control but just shy of you freaking out and reaching for a cig. And I don't smoke.

Then again, I tell myself that maybe I don't go looking for bootlegs anymore since I just do all my 'shopping' for movies at home, thanks to the internet. Or maybe because I'm not really that fond of malling anymore... I know what I want and I usually just go to the mall to get it, then go straight back home.

A year or two ago, I lived for going out on Saturdays, just spending money on food, movies and whatever with the barkada. These days, after a busy work week, I'm pretty content to sleep away an afternoon, surf and blog when I want to, and play the odd game of PS3 or Xbox360. Or work on comics, but that's rare. I may have gone past my 'painting the town red' days, finally finding my true face, as a homebody.

Or maybe I'm just getting frickin' old. Heh.

Anyways, it's nice to have a balance of work, pressure, challenge, reward and relaxation that I've kinda settled onto these days. I can't ask for more, really, especially in the light of how hard life is these days. Every now and then, I'd like to mix it up with something else, I guess. But it's nice to know you have something to fall back on.

Avatar Love



Here's the newest, 30-second spot for Avatar: The Last Airbender from Nick. Starting September 21, TEN STRAIGHT WEEKS OF AVATAR. Ten episodes of bending adventure. Sure, there'll probably be a lengthy hiatus or break after, but darn... ten episodes. That's half the season already. This is going to be awesome. NEXT WEEK. It begins. WOOHOO!!!

Mangaholix Presents #2

More Filipino-made Manga!

According to Mangaholix's Deviantart Page, the second issue of Mangaholix is due out later this week... or it may already be out as you're reading this. Anyways, I was probably mistaken when I posted that Ninja Girl KO will be out in this issue- I haven't even seen the finished, finished, lettered art for episode 1 yet. So most probably, Michiko and Anton will be making their debut NEXT issue.

For now though, you can support local manga artists by hieing off to National Bookstore and plunking down the change for an issue of Mangaholix Presents #2. As with issue 1, the stories include Pulis Pangkalawakan, Fist Fight Manifesto: Midknighters, Kraust and Aporia. Oh, and there's even a nice interview with local otakudom's cosplay princess, Alodia! So what are you waiting for? Support Pinoy comics now!