Dagger

You can safely assume that any Region 0 is a bootleg. It's not about which sites look most professional. Pay attention to the item's description and image (Chinese subs are an automatic no-no, for instance; tri-fold cases are usually very sketchy; just because something has an English dub doesn't mean it isn't a bootleg). Make sure you're getting a licensed series--subbed DVDs of unlicensed anime are invariably bootlegs as well. If you're skeptical about a store, try comparing their listings with [url=http://www.rightstuf.com/][u]Right Stuf[/u][/url]. If anything looks fishy, bail. ~Dagger~

If the preview was any indication, episode 17 is going to be another [spoiler]Daddy Yagami-driven[/spoiler] thrill ride. They could have only been picking the good clips, of course, but the animation looked episode-1 quality. Oh, and going by the names of future episodes, [spoiler]the first arc may well end sooner than one might think.[/spoiler] ~Dagger~

[SIZE=1]The raw I saw had a preview... basically just shots of [spoiler]Light and Misa both bound up in separate cells. Light's narration was about discarding his useless/rotten pride.[/spoiler] As for episode 15--well, perhaps I should just mention that L/Misa is one of my favorite hypothetical couples in the series and leave it at that. Kukukuku. [/Ryuk][/SIZE] ----------------------------- Okay, episode 16. I know people were curious/worried about it, but if [url=http://randomc.animeblogger.net/image/DEATH%20NOTE/DEATH%20NOTE%20-%2016%20-%20Large%2020.jpg][u]this[/u][/url] isn't [spoiler]a face of absolute innocence,[/spoiler] then I don't know what is. More thoughts once I actually get to watch it. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Shinje][size=2']Dagger, while "homosexuality" as a word might be relatively modern, the Bible is clear in it's descriptions of such acts. From leviticus' "Man should nto lie with anothe rman" to the Sodom account in Genesis (the men wanted to have sex with the visitors, who were men.)[/size][/quote] That's the trap you're falling into--equating "homosexuality" with the physical acts mentioned and assuming that it means the same thing as what we refer to today. Heck, even the idea of strict heterosexuals--people who never experience sexual attraction to those of the same sex--is a relatively modern invention. Sexuality itself was in the past not a component of one's personality distinct from larger social and political concerns. ETA: (And by that I mean the notion of it as a distinct, core component of one's individual being didn't exist.) I have doubts in my ability to explain this clearly, but I'll try. This example is not Biblical, but it might help indicate how drastically different past paradigms of sexual behavior were from ours, and how (as a result) they can be very difficult to understand. The ancient Athenians didn't embrace homosexuality in the way that they are often characterized as doing. Rather, sexual behavior in their culture was something that ideally took place between superiors and inferiors. Therefore, it was okay for free male citizens to have sex with women, male youths, foreigners or slaves, but not with one another. (Presumably it was uncontroversial for women to have sex with one another, as they were inferiors to begin with, and their behavior wouldn't have political/social implications... it was strongly frowned upon for a male citizen to subordinate himself to an equal by having sex with him, as that had implications beyond the private arena.) It's also worth mentioning that in those times--and not just in Greece--sex was regarded as less of a mutual act than an act performed by one person upon another (whether same-sex or opposite-sex). This attitude carried over into the Middle Ages and perhaps even beyond. I mean, this is far less on-topic than Fasteriskhead's line of reasoning, so I would encourage you to pursue that instead, but it's worth taking into consideration. Regardless of whether you choose to interpret the Bible through a modern perspective or wish to read it literally, there are instances in which it helps to remember just how different our cultural mindset is now... whether the issue being dealt with is sex & love or whatever else. ~Dagger~

Because I waited so long, most of the nominations I wanted to make have already been done by other people, who worded them much more cleverly than I ever could have. Yay! See, kids, sometimes laziness does get rewarded. :animesmil [b]Adahn:[/b] Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) I want to reach through my computer and throttle this guy. Even so, I can't accuse him of not putting thought into his threads. Just when I'm ready to dismiss him as a typical Net pseudo-philosopher, he posts something that's well-expressed and makes a whole lot of sense (regardless of whether or not I agree with it). It's even easier to make snap judgments about people online than in real life, and I'm nominating Adahn because he keeps me on my toes. [b]Raiyuu's Androgynous Avatars:[/b] They could be a forum game in and of themselves. Test your anime gender IQ! ~Dagger~

Great post, Fasteriskhead. It's also worth noting that the concept of homosexuality [i]as we understand it[/i] only crystallized during the past century. The word itself wasn't even coined until around 1892. We ought to tread carefully when applying contemporary ideas of sexual orientation to passages written way back whenever. Whatever Paul was talking about, it wasn't what springs to mind when we think of homosexuality. And not just that, of course--our ideas of romance, love and even [I]heterosexuality[/I] are utterly modern. ~Dagger~

Vagrant Story doesn't even have parties, so the comparison can only go so far. It does feel much more like an action game than FFXII, since you won't accomplish anything without chaining attacks (which is done by pressing buttons when your character strikes) or using defense abilities (ditto, except that it's when enemies strike you). I think I'm at least two-thirds of the way through, so I probably have a decent feel for it. Taking care of regular enemies is a lot less hands-off than in FFXII. My main problem with it is that although the dungeons are fun (I've been playing it in almost every spare moment, and I have yet to get bored), the bosses are a pain in the neck. You're almost forced to use the exact same technique on all of them. ~Dagger~

Haha! It took me [i]six hours[/i] to get through the first dungeon in Vagrant Story. I fail so hard. I think I went through the same area at least ten times before realizing that I could use the area map to, you know, find out what these rooms were called. :animeblus It's still too early for the story to be anything less than opaque to me--all I've managed to pick up is that Sydney is the skankiest male RPG character short of Kuja. But the battle system kept me entertained even during ungodly amounts of backtracking, and the puzzles are fun (they remind me of the calculator game Block Dude). I don't really get the whole weapon-making thing yet... all things with time, I guess. ETA: Nothing about this game has truly leapt out at me yet (well, except for the super irritating boss battles)... but hot damn is it addictive. And I've gotten a feel for combining stuff, so the weapons/armor system has become less stressful. ~Dagger~

Ooh, Ergo Proxy volume 2 comes out in a couple of days. It has also occurred to me that although I have Black Lagoon pre-ordered, I am so not going to be able to hold out until the release date. I see a pre-DVD marathon in my future. But that's neither here nor there, because I wanted to link to the old [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a9OvJPLbTk&eurl=][u]Seirei no Moribito[/u][/url] trailer. It's seriously hawt stuff. As far as new anime on DVD go, I'm falling behind, but I'm going to try to watch the first discs of [url=http://www.soltyrei.tv/][u]Solty Rei[/u][/url] and [url=http://www.utaware.net/][u]Utawarerumono[/u][/url] in a timely manner. Nor am I caught up with newly airing shows--although apparently [url=http://www.majin.tv/index.html][u]Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho[/u][/url], which wasn't even on my radar before, has gotten off to quite a smashing start. (Of course, the main point of this post is still Seirei no Moribito. Watch and salivate.) ~Dagger~

[quote name='Phenom']I do have Chrono Cross coming in the mail soon, and I'm looking into buying Xenogears and Vagrant Story. (Sadly, all I can do is wait for them to stock up.)[/quote] Wow, are we on the same wavelength or what? I just received Vagrant Story & Xenogears in the mail, and I have Chrono Cross (plus FF Anthology) on order. I'll probably play Vagrant Story first... I've been mad hungry for Xenogears ever since I finished Xenosaga III, but the wait is kind of fun in its own right. :catgirl: ~Dagger~

In anticipation of the long and dreary ride back to school, I'm getting a DS Lite tomorrow (hopefully I'll find a pink one :catgirl:). What games should I try to pick up along with it, or keep in the back of my head to buy later? I already have the first Phoenix Wright and will probably get the second sooner or later. I'm very interested in Trauma Center and FFIII. I tend to lean toward RPGs, although I'd be willing to try anything that's fun and makes good use of the stylus (I'm curious about the Metroid Prime game). On a related note, I had the chance to toy with Warioware before it made its way to the US, and I remember absolutely loving it. Now it'll cost me something in the realm of $40. Does it hold up well over time? ~Dagger~

I would like to point out that the doctors didn't just agree to it on the spot. The parents' motivations & intentions underwent a great deal of scrutiny, and I believe that the medical professionals involved in the case would have gotten an inkling if something were off. They have experience dealing with disabled children and their families and doubtless were aware of what to watch out for. ~Dagger~

I like Hijikata as well. (Oh gosh, I can't wait for your reaction to episode 15, haha). Also, Okita's expressions are even more psychotic in the manga (!). As for Saitou... the anime tends to deploy him for comedy, but he's a rather fascinating character beneath that. Definitely the Shinsengumi member with the biggest Zen factor. He gets used more in the manga--then again, everyone does, as the manga's story goes a lot further. In terms of personal philosphy and general attitude, Kenshin's Saitou is much more similar to Hijikata. ~Dagger~

Lunox, you rock my world. :catgirl: + When I'm wrong about something, I'm usually pretty good at recognizing & admitting it. My parents and I used to have epic fights because I was so pigheaded, but now all it takes is an opening volley of disagreement for me to laugh at myself and realize that I'm being an idiot. - I like having friends around. I like having stupidly profound, personal conversations with my friends. But it's rare for me to have an emotional investment in even my closest friendships. Although I appreciate them as the nifty people they are and enjoy spending time with them, I don't care about them from the bottom of my heart. Also, I'm long-winded. ? With some exceptions, I don't like waxing eloquent about my personality--either positively or negatively. I'd much rather wax eloquent about my taste in books or something. ~Dagger~

I found another set of DN avatars lying around. [size=1] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/cover5.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] Misa [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/cover13.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] Misa [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/cover20.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] Misa [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/cover7.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] L [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/lxnaomi.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] L & Naomi [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/Untitled-1.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] L [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/m.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] Mello [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/light2.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] Light [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/cover25.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] Light [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/cover23.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] Light [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/cover21.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] Light [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/cover19.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] Light [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/cover18.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] Light [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/cover8.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Death Note [b]Name:[/b] Light [/size] I think I made these at the same time as my last big batch, so hopefully there are no duplicates (I did check, but...) ~Dagger~

[quote name='NIKI12345']I was just wondering my friend wanted to mke some money and so I was just trying to find out.[/quote] Sorry, dude. We get paid in [strike]sexual favors[/strike] long sessions of stroking one another's egos, not cash. ~Dagger~

Okay, no new OP for #14, which makes me wonder when they'll introduce it. If I had to bet again, I guess I'd say (manga spoilers!!) [spoiler]at the kick-off of the good Light/Yotsuba arc.[/spoiler] Anyway--it was an awesome, awesome episode (and seeing the cliffhanger on which it ended filled me with the evil urge to giggle gleefully at those unfamiliar with the manga). Due to the continually brilliant voice acting, I think the anime has started to bring out a better sense of how much [spoiler]Misa unintentionally confounds and pwns Light.[/spoiler] Hey, manga readers, was [spoiler]the full dialogue with Takada[/spoiler] added in for the anime version? [spoiler]I quite enjoyed it, and I'm pretty sure she at least had a cameo or some kind of mention in this part of the series, but I don't recall her actually conversing with Light or anything.[/spoiler] Either way, I thought her voice suited her character to a T. Another instance of smart casting. Comedic highlights of this episode: [spoiler]Apparently Light uses "Gentle!" rather than Google as his main search engine. What would they have instead of "I'm feeling lucky"? "Please treat me gently" leaps to mind, but that's probably because I've seen a few too many hentai, haha. But my favorite part was how, after Misa's dramatic show of jealousy, Light's mommy comes to scold him about keeping a girl in his room too late in the evening. Ownz0red. Plus Misa & Ryuk's mutual "Yoroshiku~!", Light's abject disgust at the fact that the main obstacle in his way is a lesbian shinigami, Misa's NFL-worthy tackling (am I watching DN or Kanon?), Matsuda's whispered remarks about seeing L asleep...[/spoiler] oh, and the list could go on and on. By the way, I could have sworn that someone was holding a Wiimote in the next episode preview. :animeswea On the dramatic front, the most important developments are [spoiler]L's ingenuous declaration of friendship and Rem conceding to Light about killing him.[/spoiler] So how do you guys feel about the former? [spoiler]Is L sincere? Half-sincere? Lying through his sugar-encrusted teeth?[/spoiler] Word has it that there's a canonical answer for this in the supplementary volume of the manga--if one considers that which an author states outside of his or her actual work to be canonical. But we can get into that later. I thought that the anime carried off those key segments of the episode with aplomb. I really felt [spoiler]Light's incredulity when L said he was the first friend he'd ever had, and I also sensed the hollow, hard-to-process impact it had on him when Rem agreed to kill L. They succeeded in conveying the complexity of Light's reaction (which again, ironically, heightens his similarities to L): he's glad, naturally, to have things going his way, but he can get lost in his enjoyment of the tooth-and-nail fight to stay one step ahead. When he doesn't have to do anything to work for his winnings, it's not as easy for him to just relax, accept it and celebrate. Then again, it'd take the apocalypse to stop him from at least gloating...[/spoiler] In sum, a strong episode. It made me reflect on the fact that DN has very few female characters worth remembering, and even fewer worth rooting for. But in that sense, at least, the series is equal opportunity: the women, when they appear, are as flawed and problematic as the men. (Manga spoilers, though only for names-->) [spoiler]Naomi, Sayu, Sachiko-mama, Weddie, Hal Ridner, Takada, Misa... am I missing anyone? Hal is my favorite by quite a bit (no Rem here--I'm just talking about humans).[/spoiler] I've seen plenty of complaints that DN portrays women in a very unflattering light, pun intended. While Misa-Misa is a few doughnuts short of an L, in reality DN tends to portray [i]everyone[/i] in an unflattering light. That, in its own way, can be refreshing. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Adahn] [size=2]I didn't read every post, but I would like to pose a question. If you had a nine-year old daughter with static encephalopathy keeping her mentally at 3 months old, what would you do, and why?[/size] [size=2][/size] [size=2]I would let her grow and develop normally, and I would also redirect my research towards finding a cure for her. I would hope that some change would be brought about in her brain by going through puberty, and if not, I would do everything in my power to restore brain function.[/size] [size=2]I understand that she may never be able to think, but she can still taste, touch, smell, and see. I would surround her with nice things and bombard her senses. Just because she's only got a three-month old mind doesn't mean she can't be happy. The last thing I would do would be to put her through a painful, desensitizing surgery. She's already living a shadow of a life. Why should I want to make it darker?[/size] [size=2][/size][/QUOTE] These aren't bad ideas... but how on earth would you find the time to put all of them into action? Looking after a three-month-old is a round-the-clock job. Taking care of a adolescent girl or full-grown woman too heavy for you to lift in your arms would almost require a Time Turner to work. (Her parents are already experiencing great difficulty moving her around.) Between trying to make enough money to support the child and her other caregivers, managing your household affairs and actually taking care of her--from feeding to changing diapers--there's just no way you'd be able to aid research on her behalf. [QUOTE=Adahn] [size=2]Can you honestly tell me that if a woman on her period happened to be wearing white pants, and blood was showing, that she would not be ashamed? Would it not be equivalent to releasing one's bowels or urinating on oneself in public?[/size] [size=2][/size][/quote] Can you honestly tell me that if a man, by some freak accident, ejaculated all over himself in public, that he would not be ashamed? Would it not be equivalent to releasing one's bowels or urinating on oneself in public? This is a natural, unavoidable part of being a man, and it is so stigmatized that you take it completely for granted! ;) ~Dagger~

I wonder if we'll get the new OP in episode 14? There's definitely one coming soon, and apparently it's going to be [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7smvamE4QHc][u]this baby[/u][/url] (

[QUOTE=medafunk] Light's mother and sister sure seemed surprised at [spoiler]Misa's appearance[/spoiler]... Slightly awkward... :animeshy: [/QUOTE] They took out the best line of all: in the manga, when they watch [spoiler]Misa walk up the stairs to Light's room, Sayu mutters under her breath that she can see her panties.[/spoiler] And when I was following the 2ch thread about this episode, a good 70% of the comments were complaining about the lack of [spoiler]panty references.[/spoiler] Heh. @Syk3: I wasn't exactly saying that the storyline was slow in an objective sense, but to me it [i]felt[/i] slow. Possibly I wasn't in the mood for DN--I don't know. ~Dagger~

I'm (very) tentatively looking forward to [b]Ar Tonelico[/b]... Actually, that could be the only new game I end up buying this year. There's a lot of stuff I plan to keep a close eye on--Eternal Sonata, FFXIII & all that's associated with it, Blue Dragon, White Knight Story, Lost Odyssey--but it'll be ages before I even think about getting a next-gen console (much less two of them!). And anyway, I play games at such a sedate rate and was so behind the curve in getting a PS2 that I still have a lot of stuff to catch up on. Honestly, I'm more worried about snatching up the PS1 titles I want before they become ridiculously expensive. More than a few are already lost causes. :animedepr ~Dagger~

Most of the games I played in 2006 weren't released in 2006. But out of the newly released games I [i]did[/i] play, [b]Xenosaga III[/b] wins, hands down. It's not a perfect game, and I wish to God that they'd been able to make the full six-game series, but it was still so great that I almost feel spoiled for new RPGs now. Since I loved switching up my party constantly, one aspect of it (as with Xenosaga I and II) I appreciated was how your reserve characters also gain EXP after battles, albeit not as rapidly as your active characters. While I don't know if I could pick a favorite battle system out of the three Xenosaga games (I even liked the much-reviled system featured in II), the system in III seemed to bring together the best aspects of its predecessors. The plot went in some pretty wonky directions. Even so, by the end I couldn't have been more satisfied with how they chose to wrap things up. I was sitting there in the dark at two in the morning with tears pouring down my face (and I could swear that the ending movie was, like, three hours long). Xeno III was an epic experience that had basically everything I look for in a game. ~Dagger~

A few story/character comments now that I'm done... Okay, I lied, it's actually a lot. But I should note that I enjoyed the game as a whole immensely, even if it was shorter and easier than I would have liked. The gameplay was tremendously fun throughout, and I liked playing with every single character (which is a first for me in the FF series). I wish I'd had more time to make my secondary party (Fran, Basch and Penelo) as strong as my first, but I wanted to finish before heading back to school. [quote name='Veritas][size=1][color=gray]BK, I agree with you 100%. The characters had the potential, but like they never formed them into fully 3D characters. They were just so 2D, with almost no relations between each other, no backround, and ultimately no heart. [B]I think part of the reason why is because other than Cut-Scenes there is almost no dialogue.[/B] There was a severe lack of plot, or at least execution of the plot.[/color'][/size][/quote] Bingo. The last FF game I played before this was VIII, so the difference was quite stark. This could have been easily remedied, though. There are two changes I would've made in terms of what happens when you enter a non-fighting environment. First off, you should have the ability to make your on-screen avatar any character of your choosing (with certain characters being unavailable under specific circumstances--for instance, in the visit to the [spoiler]Viera[/spoiler] village, you would have to pick someone other than Fran). In locations like Rabanastre, key NPC dialogue should change in response who you've picked as your avatar (that is, people there would recognize Vaan but wouldn't know Balthier). Second, while you're in these locations, the rest of the playable characters should be available to talk to (either scattered around, doing their own thing, or just standing there, depending on the expansiveness of the place in question). Giving you the option to talk to them there would go a long way toward establishing a personal connection with the characters. I don't think the characters are any more 2-D than those in past FF games. Going back to FFVIII, since I still have it on the brain, you only really get to know two characters (Squall and Rinoa), and only one of those undergoes heavy character development (Squall). All of the other playable characters can pretty much be summed up in one sentence. In FFVII, the only people who get any significant character development are Cloud and Tifa. The thing about FFXII, unlike in the past few FF games, the protagonist (Vaan) isn't the main character (Ashe). I applaud this--it's refreshing for the viewpoint character to be someone ordinary, and for the Chosen One to be someone else. The problem is that, due to the low number of cutscenes and almost complete lack of dialogue beyond the cutscenes, you never really come to see things from Vaan's point of view. It's more of an omniscient perspective, which distances the player from the characters. They have rich histories with tons of potential for angst, doubt, and what have you. While I'm not advocating the emo-tization of the cast, the fact that their respective pasts are often revealed in one or two lines (Balthier: Hay guyz, [spoiler]I used to be a Judge[/spoiler]) forces you to guess at what they've gone through and how it's changed them. The graphics are lovely, but not so advanced that I can deduce exactly how torn Ashe feels just by squinting at her face. So, yes, it would've been nice if we could have gotten into the characters' heads more. There were a lot of opportunities for this. Instead of just testing Ashe with a phantom of Rasler, the [spoiler]Occuria[/spoiler] should've done something like showing her [spoiler]an illusion of his death and tempting her to use the Nethicite to save him.[/spoiler] Then the player would be much more invested in her declaration that [spoiler]what's done is done, and even Nethicite doesn't have the power to alter the past.[/spoiler] I bought into the bonds between all of the playable characters, so the writers must have been doing something right--I just felt that I was missing out on how they'd gotten to that point. I would've loved to see a scene of, say, the rest of the group jokingly ragging on Ashe, or her becoming quietly envious of the easy, playful dynamic between Vaan, Penelo and [spoiler]Larsa.[/spoiler] There were some great little bits of camaraderie in there--Fran and Balthier bumping fists, for instance. So yeah. I wanted to see a lot more of the characters, but that's because I liked them. I guess I'd better buy a DS in time for Revenant Wings. Now, the story. I don't think the story itself is problematic. Yeah, empires and resistances and saving the world are all overdone, but any FF plot can easily be reduced to something dull. Two things hamper the story here. First, the juicy stuff--Ashelia's transformation into Ashe, Warrior Princess, Balthier [spoiler]the Judge[/spoiler], Fran [spoiler]leaving Eruyt Village and[/spoiler] eventually becoming his partner, Basch and [spoiler]Gabranth/Noah[/spoiler] going their separate ways--is all in the past. Second, although [spoiler]Doctor Cid[/spoiler] makes a great & amusing sub-villain, the main villain is uninspired at best. One gets no sense of why he wants power (perhaps he's a passionate historian on the side?). Ultimately he's a plot device with nice hair and an ugly final form. The playable characters have no feelings of ambiguity toward him. There's not much urgency involved in defeating him because [spoiler]the Occuria[/spoiler] are much more powerful than him, anyway. It should've gone something like this: [spoiler]Pharos --> Bahamut (defeat Vayne, who, before dying, asks Ashe to defeat the Occuria; defeat Venat--perhaps possessing Larsa or some other innocent) --> another dungeon, a trip into the past, a pilgrimage, I don't care what --> confronting the Occuria on behalf of humanity.[/spoiler] I can't swallow the idea that [spoiler]destroying the Sun-Cryst means destroying the Occuria's influence. If they have the power of gods, they can make another one.[/spoiler] I agree that neither the story nor characters felt fully realized, and in another game this might have been a huge problem for me, but the gameplay was good enough to make up for it. Of course, it helped that I didn't hate any of the playable characters. Either way, it's a huge, huge step up from FFX. Bring on XIII! ~Dagger~

Haha. Apparently [url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-01-11/ouran-high-school-host-club-video-game-coming-to-playstation-2-in-japan][u]there's going to be[/u][/url] a female-oriented ren'ai (romance) [url=http://www.ideaf.co.jp/host/top.html][u]PS2 game[/u][/url] based on Ouran. (Life imitates art?) [size=1]And if there's ever a PC version, I'm totally buying it.[/size] ~Dagger~

Urgh. (