Chikara Kokoro

I'll claim #41 Water.

Recently I've been listening to Casker too much for it to be considered healthy. They have the typical bossa nova sound of pretty much every indie K-pop band, but with an additional infectious happiness that I can't help but love. The lead singer's soft vocals make me feel as though I'm relaxing in some remote coffee shop. Casker is the soundtrack for my morning routine. [YOUTUBE=모든 토요일 (Every Saturday)]qlO7G5tYIsg[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE=너에게 (To You)]5LddtabDxuk[/YOUTUBE]

What I listen to really depends on what I'm studying. When studying chemistry, I listened to Mika's [i]Life in Cartoon Motion[/i] to prevent myself from falling into a spiral of despair. If I'm studying a language I'll probably listen to classical music and/or techno to stay immersed. Hearing people saying words while I'm trying to memorize vocabulary is very confusing to me. Otherwise I tend to listen to the light and fluffy music I always do- Her Space Holiday, Andrew Bird, The Bird and the Bee, etc.- because listening to familiar music makes it harder for me to get distracted.

[quote name='Ace']Honestly, I think the racial insensitivity card has been thrown around far too freely in opposition to this film.[/QUOTE] Most of my points were intended to hearken back to things that Disney has done poorly in the past. Does the fact that Disney's Mulan has little to do with either Chinese history and culture or the original poem prevent it from being an immensely enjoyable film? Of course not. Still, as you mentioned in your first post, Disney hasn't put out something of quality in quite a while. That point is, of course, debatable, but Pixar and Hannah Montana have been sustaining Disney for a while now. Admittedly I have yet to see Bolt, but I have not enjoyed a fully animated film that Disney has released on their own since Lilo & Stitch. That gives about 7 years worth of films- 5 animated movies- that do not give me much reason to put my faith into The Princess and the Frog. Thank you for your perspective on things, and I wish this post could come across more pro-Disney. I guess what it boils down to is my preference for being pleasantly surprised over being disappointed.

Honestly? When that laugh and "It's goin' be good" came at the end of the trailer I groaned... Racial sensitivity isn't exactly Disney's strong suit. I mean... voodoo? Really? I enjoyed E. D. Baker's book, and this is clearly only similar in terms of the very basic plot and name. Home on the Range has left me scarred, and it's going to take a lot more than Enchanted to restore my faith in the Disney animation department. I'm attempting to be cautiously optimistic, but it's difficult.

When I first started reading this I wasn't all that interested, but as I kept on going (especially after you developed Gilson, who I will refer to from now on as Gil XD) I just became completely addicted to the story. I think this would work best (especially for you with your artistic talents) in comic form, but either way I really hope to read more. The girl on the right looks incredibly familiar to me, but I have no idea as to why. Is that Luciana? I thought you said she had long hair?? Now I'm confused... Major kudos for setting this in Brazil, it's not a very common location (in fact, I've only read one comic set there), but one that I would love to hear more of. Is this going to be written in Portuguese then? I could probably at least attempt to read it, but it always confuses me because when I first hear somebody speak it it sounds like Spanish (but then two seconds later I realize it isn't and I get all kinds of confused). Back on topic. I like how you started with something exciting, and then brought it back to the beginning at the end. It's somewhat confusing in prose, but in comic form I think it would be good. Your descriptions are somewhat confusing at times, but once again, I think you can express yourself better with the addition of art I like the direction of the dreams, as well. Still, try to leave out verbal cliches like "NOOOOOO!!!" because they've been used so much they can come off as humorous. A better idea would to have him perhaps say "no" repeatedly, but since you're using this to come out of a dream sequence I guess it's okay. I like that Gil isn't the perfect image of machismo with the whole crying thing, but that might turn some readers off. Personally, I found him adorable, and I thought that the scenes that included him with his friends were very funny. They felt like something that would happen with my friends, which isn't something I notice often with works that people post on the internet. The grandapa character also reminds me of my own grandfather, which makes me smile, and smiling is good. :D It took me a while to warm up to the story, but after Gil goes to school and especially after Marconi's death scene (very cool) I have one thing to say... You better finish this! (in other words; keep me updated, mmk? ;)) If this is going to be in English you might want to consider getting a native English speaker to run a grammar check on your dialogue before posting your comic/story in its finished form anywhere. I'm impressed with how much you wrote and how well you did, but it might be a good idea to ask someone for help (heck, if asked nicely enough I'D be more than willing to help you). Edit: Wooow... I wrote a LOT. Sorry! I hope it helps.... ^^;

Kind of late, but I have a Macbook Pro, and on it I use the GIMP for graphics (signatures, avatars, wallpapers, etc.) and Photoshop Elements that came with my Wacom tablet for drawing. Unfortunately, the GIMP doesn't have a native format on Mac yet, and for some reason this means that, unlike on Linux and Windows versions, there is no pressure sensitivity recognition for tablets. If it weren't for that I would only use the GIMP (that's just my personal preference, though). Also, to answer jigglyness' question, Macbook Pros don't come with any image editing software pre-installed (except iPhoto, I guess, but I don't use it/know what it does ^^; ).

Essays (plus Christmas duties with family) are beating me to a pulp. Don't know when I can post again, by the latest it will be January 1st. So I was wondering if someone could take care of Nellie in terms of plot until I have enough time to write? I would really appreciate it.

Augh... college applications are kicking my butt... Supposing I don't procrastinate on these more than usual I'll be able to post again on Friday. Looks like I have some catching up to do plot-wise, but on to the essays! :animestun

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']Personally I think with the increase in digital media, it would be a smart move for the companies in Japan to start providing legal subbed copies one could download for a reasonable fee. I know I would pay for such a service.[/QUOTE] Deep down I agree with this. It's a good idea, but I like to preview anime that I think I might like before it's licensed. Anime like Ouran High School Host Club, in all honesty, I would never have looked at if it weren't for the buzz surrounding them on the internet. After watching the first episode of that anime, fansubbed, I knew that I would buy it as soon as it was licensed. I think internet buzz helps out the American industry at least a small amount, and maybe this is why fansubbing sites are not shut down all together. Fansubs also have an important role in saving classic shows such as Hunter x Hunter and Rose of Versailles that, despite their strong stories and characters, will never make it to the States because of "dated" animation. At this point it is clear that Kurapika will never be gracing my DVD collection, and so I'm glad for fansubs just for the reason that I do not have to live a life without him ;)

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/helen-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER][FONT="Garamond"] Nellie never associated the words bright and early with Princess Augustine, yet there they both were riding in a car on its way toward the family of some kidnapped alchemist. On a normal day, the thought of family members being kidnapped would have struck concern into her heart. In her immediate family scientists and alchemists, potential victims, were in abundance. She did not dwell on this, for this morning the princess' personal guard was still recovering. Every moment she stayed at the party and every flute of champagne she drank could be felt in her body and her lagging mind. Five hours of sleep an alert Royal Police Guard does not make. ?[B]Oh, Nellie! What have I told you about getting sufficient hours of sleep?[/B]? Augustine asked. The princess stared at her guard's face, just below her eyes, and Nellie could only assume that it was at the inevitable dark, puffy circles that had made their presence from lack of rest. The guard did not respond. After several years of working for the heiress, she knew that Augustine would continue to chatter and cluck without any outside input. In small doses, Princess Augustine was almost enjoyable to be around, but how odious she could be was made quite clear after daily contact. Surrounded by metal, Nellie let the words slip through her ears; she would become more alert the moment they left the car. ?[B]...and I thought we got rid of this boyish aspect of yours[/B],? Augustine continued. Nellie concluded that the princess must have been having either a very good or a very bad hair day to be spending so much breath on another person. She could never tell. ?[B]Women of this era are beautiful flowers, my dear. Wearing the uniform of a [I]man[/I] is unacceptable[/B]!? This argument had been held before, and it inevitably resulted in Nellie wearing the most [I]frou frou[/I], flowery dresses imaginable for weeks at a time. Still, on a day in which they would be walking through the houses of people she never heard of, Nellie would not risk mobility for the safety of someone she was paid to protect. Her hand rested over her sword- clearly designed for a woman with its thin blade and decorative guard, but with the same potential power as any other- as a reminder of the precautions she had taken for a day she felt quite uncertain of. ?[B]Allow me this indulgence just for today, Your Highness[/B].? Augustine puffed up her cheeks in a most unflattering manner, a mannerism that indicated her frustration, before responding. ?[B]Fine[/B].? [B][I]Ga-BOOSH![/I][/B] The car jolted to a halt, Nellie drew her sword out half an inch, and Augustine's hand fluttered unil it rested above her chest. Steam billowed up in thick clouds around the hood of the immobile vehicle. ?[B]What was that[/B]?!? Nellie shouted at the driver. He shrugged, recovering quickly from the shock of the stop. ?[B]I guess it broke[/B].? ?[B]You guess [I]what[/I] broke[/B]?!? ?[B]The engine[/B].? ?[B]And what should we do about this[/B]?? The driver gulped, he had heard rumors of the Royal Police Guard's violence towards people of lower classes, and he had no desire to experience that pain. He stepped out of the car, walked around to the side of the car next to the sidewalk, and held open the door. ?[B]Wait[/B]?? he intended the sentence to have more authority than how it came out. Augustine's voice reflected her confusion as she spoke, ?[B]You want me to wait outside and risk ruining my beautiful, pale skin[/B]?? ?[B]Yes[/B]?? Nellie let out a breath in a way that reminded the driver of a fire-breathing dragon in nightmares he had as a child. She stepped out of the car, her boots, the only ?fashionable? things she wore that day, slamming against the concrete. The sun was not yet above the buildings where they stood, and a breeze blew through the buildings just softly enough to not tousle one's hair. She spoke so that each word was so enunciated there was no room left for misinterpretation. ?[B]Are you sure we need to be out of the car for you to repair it[/B]?? ?[B]Yes[/B]?? She leaned against the car and looked inside at Augustine who was staring at her reflection in a small, pocket-sized mirror, smiling like a child with a piece of candy. ?[B]You can come out, Your Highness. It's a nice day[/B].? The driver offered the princess his hand, and she stepped out into the sun, parasol held as low as it could be to protect her precious skin from the sun's rays. She fidgeted from one foot to the other. The driver stared at Nellie. ?[B]Do you want me to start working on the car[/B]?? ?[B]What do you think[/B]?? ?[B]Yes[/B]...?? ?[B]If you have to, arrange for another transport. Princess Augustine can not be late[/B].? ?[B]Yes, ma'am[/B]!? He ran to the front of the car and lifted up the hood, sending even more steam spiraling skyward. Nellie looked around the street, keeping tabs on every person that walked by. Adrenaline gave her the capability to be vigilant as the princess prattled on about the potential dangers of the sun. [/FONT]

Hmm... methinks that Nellie will be traveling with the Princess (would that be in New Czenoble or High Czenoble?). Anyone who wants to bump into either one of them (hopefully not literally) might be able to come along :D

[B]Claimed.[/B] I could use some work on making line art (I tend to let the color speak for the image/cover up my sloppy line work ^^; ). [B]Edit:[/B] I've finished the sketch, but the line art is taking me a while to finish. It'll be up soon. [B]Edit #2:[/B] Done! This was a lot of fun because the visor and the hair reminded me of my old Sailor Moon fan art days. Lunox, if you let me know what the character's color scheme is I'd love to color this image (I need the practice :D) [URL="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Pomato/Lunox_character.png"][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Pomato/Lunox_character_thumb.png[/IMG][/URL] My character's name is Carma. She's a bodyguard/assassin, and she uses throwing knives (not kunai) as weapons. Obviously her makeup and outfits are quite colorful, and her outfits, much like her personality, leave little to the imagination XD [URL="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Pomato/carmatopple.jpg"][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Pomato/carmatopple_thumb.png[/IMG][/URL][URL="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Pomato/Carmalicious_Character_Sheet_by_Pom.jpg"][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Pomato/Carmalicious_Character_Sheet_by_-1.png[/IMG][/URL]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/helen-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/dawlish-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/daedalusavatar.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER] [FONT="Garamond"]Being the only female amongst the four children of Daedalus Almagest led to many aggravating moments for Nellie. The current one seemed to double her usual frustration in dealing with Almagest men. After almost two hours, she and Dawlish were still arguing about clothing choices. She knew that he would look stunning in the light green outfit she bought him for his last birthday, yet he refused to admit it. She was cursed to be surrounded by males who knew nothing of modern fashion. In the middle of this argument, Nellie and Dawlish?s father, yet another example of poor fashion sense, came to the doorway of the room. Dawlish greeted Daedalus coldly, and Nellie resisted the urge to scold him for doing so. The amount of time Daedalus spent with his children would never match that which he spent with his machines. Nellie accepted this as truth since a young age, and she wondered how it was possible that her brother had not done the same. She touched her father?s arm. ?[B]We were just discussing possible outfits for tonight. Weren?t we, Dawlish?[/B]? Dawlish nodded. She began to walk her father out of the room. They would already be late to the party, and she decided that celerity was the most important factor of the moment. She turned to her brother, one of the few people who could equal her in stubbornness. ?[B]Put on that navy monstrosity if you must, but be quick about it![/B]? Closing the door behind her, she faced her father. She wondered if he had any nice looking clothes in his other than the military outfit he currently wore. Nellie imagined that there must have been, and with no other thoughts she was left to wait without anything in her mind. The silence that rested between them filled her lungs, nearly suffocating her. ?[B]How is work going?[/B]? she asked. ?[B]Good[/B],? Daedalus replied. ?[B]Good.[/B]? The silence resumed its attempts to remove all of Nellie?s breath. She tapped her foot. What seemed like an eternity later, Dawlish left his room, victorious, wearing a navy blue suit and matching top hat. She looked at the ceiling and smiled. ?[B]What will I ever do with you?[/B]?[CENTER] ---------------------------------[/CENTER] When they arrived at the birthday party, now already well underway, Nellie made sure that Dawlish?s hideous hat was checked at the door. She saw the desire to work on his machines in his eyes, an expression that reminded her of their father. Nellie smiled and touched his hand. He sighed. ?[B]I will be counting the minutes until this ends, Nellie.[/B]? ?[B]You do that. I, on the other hand, will be talking with people. Be good.[/B]? With this last command she departed from her eldest brother?s side in search of her youngest. Harrison, with his overwhelming desire to become a member of the Royal Police Guard, never failed to amuse her. She had a feeling that this night she could use all the amusement she could get. [/FONT]

Today I'm going to be trying to finish up NaNoWriMo and I have auditions tomorrow, but with any luck I'll be able to post soon. I also wanted to throw in that, mostly due to my character's occupation, I'd like to know more about the royal family and their lifestyle. Not sure if that's something being saved for later on, but I would like to know anyhow ^^;

Let me know if I need to change anything. [FONT="Book Antiqua"][COLOR="Purple"][B]Your name:[/B] Helen ?Nellie? Almagest [B]Your age:[/B] 33 [B]Your position inside the Almagest family:[/B] Leonhart Almagest?s niece [B]Your portrait:[/B] [URL="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/Pomato/Helen_portrait.png"]Helen[/URL] [B] Your occupation:[/B] When Helen completed her military training to become a member of the Royal Police Guard she was temporarily stationed at the aerodrome of New Czenoble. Although the occupation was usually reserved for men, she held her own for the short time that she worked there. She had no qualms with the way some of the Guard treated local workers, and she often treated them the same way. The moment a more ?proper? position was found for her she was relocated. Since then she has been working as the personal bodyguard of one of the heirs to the Crystalline Throne, Augustine Beauteous. [B]Your story:[/B] Yet another party meant yet another night of observing the heiress amongst her flock for Helen Almagest. She leaned against the wall several feet away from Augustine?s group, the desire to discuss the best manner of tightening corset strings eluding her. She glanced at the people dancing in the center of the room and pondered what it would be like to dance with a man, always keeping the heiress in the corner of her eye. Then he appeared. ?[B]May I have this dance?[/B]? he asked. Helen sighed, wondering how a man could be so rash to speak to a woman clearly above his station. She surveyed his appearance. His clothes, although expensive, were a year out of fashion. His stature, rather like that of a young flamingo, stretched too high to be warranted by confidence alone. Her analysis determined that he was most likely a businessman new to the world of riches and power. All things considered, she could think of one response to his question. ?[B]No[/B],? she said. Undaunted by both the guard?s rejection and her glare, he spoke yet again. ?[B]You are an Almagest, correct?[/B]? ?[B]Yes?[/B]? she said. Her voice trailed off as she noticed a stray thread on the tip of the pinky of her right glove. Helen resisted the urge to pull if, for doing so would ruin the entire glove. While her mind wandered she came to the conclusion that her relationship with the Almagests was much the same as that string?s relationship with her glove. A single change or tug towards or away from her family could tear apart the gossamer threads that connected them. The family name allowed her to do whatever she wanted, and this was the only source of warmth she felt involving the Almagest family. As the daughter of one of the family patriarch?s siblings, she had no motivation to learn the family disciplines alchemy and technology. She thrived in only two situations: in battle and in social gatherings. The notion of sitting behind a book all day gave her nothing but a yearning to break things. Without her realizing it, the man continued to talk. This fact changed nothing about their encounter. ?[B]?it is remarkable that such a beautiful woman would take up such a violent occupation.[/B]? Paying no attention to the compliment, Helen looked at Augustine, who was now on the topic of how to cultivate silky-smooth skin. ?[B]It is not remarkable at all[/B],? she said as of in a daze. ?[B]It is nothing short of inevitable.[/B]? With the realization of the time she had wasted, she left the businessman. She joined the group of aristocratic women. They bored her as well, she admitted, but at least they were on her social level. The party continued without further interruptions to her waking reverie. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[quote name='Sandy'] Although the guard is very male dominant, there can be a few women serving there, for example as personal guards of female royalty. [/QUOTE] Could ?female royalty? include one of the three heirs to the Crystalline Throne or would it be better to think of another character? [quote name='Sandy']If you want into the game, you better hurry, because we will close the sign-ups at the start of the next week (Wednesday most likely).[/QUOTE] Oh dear! I'll get it done soon... I hope.

I'm really interested in joining this RP, but there are a few things I'd like to have explained before I feel comfortable posting a sign-up. The occupation of royal police guard interested me the most, and I have a few questions concerning that job. What kind of weapons/armor do they use, if any at all? Is there a gender limitation (i.e. males only)? The answer to the second question is most likely yes, considering that this is based on proper Victorian society, but I didn't want to close any doors. Also, the possibility of blood relatives who weren't yet aware of being related to the Almagest family was brought up, and I was wondering how this was possible with the last name law. Is there a way for this to happen other than illegitimate children?

The moment you think something is perfect is the moment it's not, so you have to keep on working to improve. It's hard to accept sometimes, but it's very true. I have a similar experience as Ezekiel, in sixth grade I thought I was the best artist ever. Then one day a girl saw one of my pictures and laughed at it. I went on an angsting rampage and destroyed the majority of my artwork (but I recycled it!!). Since then, I live with the philosophy that there is always room for improvement. It's very common to feel that you suck even if you don't. The important thing is not to complain about this to other people because it gives off the feeling of fishing for compliments. Most artists feel that way, so accept the feeling and do your best to improve.

That is a lot of detail, and I am very impressed with the amount of time it must have taken you. The geometric structures/buildings in the background are well proportioned and drawn, and the inking does a good job of showing depth. The characters, although anatomically not perfect (but how many people can say they don't make mistakes with anatomy?), both have interesting designs. I wish you would have spent more time on the girl because she seems to be less thought out than the rest of the picture. On the whole it's a good piece, but with the lack of detail in the faces it seems like something that's waiting to be colored. Coloring will improve the appearance of it, but maybe you should spend more time making the expressions more, well, expressive. Just so this ends on a positive note, how did you get all of that fabric to look so nice? Wow! Those folds are insane. It's hard for me to stop looking at them wanting to fly off into the breeze

The order, to be perfectly honest, doesn't really matter. I choose characters and develop them first, and then I create a plot about those characters (e.g. What if a priest from 14th century France met one of Queen Elizabeth I's ladies in waiting) and go from there. I create a script, then draw it (in the order of characters, panels, words), but once again the order of those steps can be moved around to accommodate how you work best creatively. As far as the left to right or right to left issue goes, it may be up to you, but it annoys me when people who use the Romance languages choose the right to left format. English is read from left to right, so the comic should be formatted in that way. The only reason that manga is read right to left is because Japanese is written/read that way and it's the way that their eyes naturally read books. Viz and other manga companies used to flip the artwork so that it was read more naturally by American audiences, but this often distorted the original artistic intent of the mangaka. What I'm getting at is please please please if your "manga" is going to be in English have it so it can be read from left to right.

Claimed. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish this tonight... hopefully Edit: I apologize for the sketchiness (i.e. laziness) of the picture. With any luck the color makes up for it XD My character?s name is Antigone; feel free to draw her in any outfit you want (if it helps, she's a princess).

Suggestion number one: Don't make Japanese names for your characters. In all likelihood you are not Japanese. The reason that Japanese magnaka use Japanese names is because they [i]are[/i] Japanese and those names are more accessible to their readers. Assuming that you're American, I see no problem with using American names. They are just as, if not more, interesting than Japanese names, they are less likely to be a shoddy translation (see my user name... it means nothing, I regret it very much, but I'm too lazy to change it :P), and they haven't been used ten-thousand times before. Here are two sites that are very useful for finding names: [url]http://www.behindthename.com/[/url] [url]http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names.htm[/url]

It might be helpful to imagine the character's personality before figuring out what they look like. Knowing your character on the inside will help you on imagining what they make themselves look like (ie hairstyle, clothing, and makeup) as well as what facial expressions they're most likely to make. For example: a female "tomboy" type character would most likely avoid having long, flowing hair and wearing nothing other than dresses. It's my belief that characters seem more realistic if their personalities are created before their physical appearance. In terms of learning how to draw, I highly recommend watching lots of animation (I prefer Disney and Miyazaki films) and reading books on traditional drawing. It may seem harder (mostly because it is ^^; ), but learning how to draw the anatomy of real people will save you a lot of time later on.

This idea sounds oddly similar to about five other webcomics I've tried to read...