Gavin

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Am immensely bored.[/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Picked it up a few days ago for the 360 and blitzed through the campaign. I have to admit I'm actually quite disappointed with it in comparison to MW2, the story doesn't feel as tight or as well told, the long video/scripted sequences at the beginning of each mission (which you can't skip even having beaten the level previously) feel cumbersome. I've got major issues with the allied game A.I. which really seems to have taken several steps back in comparison to the MW2 A.I., or perhaps it merely puts you in situations which requires you to rely on the A.I. more. This isn't even mentioning half the bugs I came across which range from slightly annoying to downright requiring a reset of the level to bypass. Zombie mode is however a lot of fun although I've yet to play it with anyone else. Only played the proper multiplayer a little because of issues with getting games.[/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Gaara's speech was pretty cool, and it seems some of the coming fights are going to be very personal. I'm curious as to how Kabuto even knows about Sai's brother and why he hasn't resurrected someone like Jiraiya for his army. I'm also very curious as to what Itachi will have to say to Sasuke now that he's back again.[/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]I have to admit I'm quite enjoying the slice of life style to the arc (although I get the feeling that's ending soon). After the horrific pacing of so much of the last arc, it's nice to have things flow properly along with the humour which has been missing/horribly timed for a long time. The whole thing feels like early Bleach which makes me enjoy it more I guess. [/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]To be honest I'm slightly apprehensive as to whether or not Pysren can be wrapped up in the handful of chapter it has left (if the December ending is true). Spoilers for this week make it sound as if Mithura's plot was going to kick off another arc with a completely different feel to it, on top of the world's reaction to the revelation of the existence of psychisers.[/size][/font]

[indent][font="Tahoma"][size="2"][center][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/leonardhoward.jpg[/img][/center] With rapt attention the Butler had watched his descendant gasp and splutter as life flooded back into his previously deceased form. Pallid, blood-spattered skin slowly regained the pink tint of living and dull eyes shone again with inner fire and spirit. The coughing and retching had echoed throughout the great hall for at least a minute before Leonard Howard has regained enough composure and wits to apparently ascertain two highly important facts: firstly that he was no longer dead despite having been impaled by a large section of wood and secondly that one of the Manor's spirits was hovering over him with a distinct interest. To his credit the man reacted with a well concealed apprehension as the elder ghost hovered wordlessly over him, content to allow the spirit to complete his scrutinies lest he be stripped of his so recently reacquired mortality. "[b]Tell me about yourself Howard, where you come from and who your parents were.[/b]" The policeman reacted with expected surprise at the Butler's line of inquiry, slowly drawing together a cohesive response in his head to satisfy the questions. "[b]...I was born in the lower west side of the city, in an averaged sized apartment. My parents were two ordinary people, my father was a policeman, a sergeant in the city police force, and my mother was a school teacher. I was the eldest of three children, a boy and two girls. I performed satisfactorily in school and when I finished I served briefly in the army at my father's request before joining the police force. When I was twenty my father was killed during urban riots over taxation along with several others. I strove to become a capable and respected officer to honour his memory...[/b]" Flashes of memory stirred within the Butler's mind, the sounds of shouting and explosions, earnest cries for help and terrible wailing sobs for mother's far away. For the briefest moment the Butler closed his eyes and found himself gazing at an entirely different landscape with vivid clarity. He was kneeling in a roughly hewn trench, a bolt-action service rifle gripped tightly in his hands, the solid feeling of wood and steel comforting over the horrible din surrounding him. The Butler turned, his attention drawn to another figure several yards to his left further along the trench, his form jammed against the sandbags and dirt as his shook with uncontrollable terror, his rifle abandoned to the muck and water below his boots. The Butler found words forming themselves in his mouth as he clambered through the narrow trench attempting to reach the unknown man. "[b]Sir we have to withdraw from here! The enemy is advancing on our position and our defensive line has been shattered by the latest artillery assault![/b]" He could barely hear his own voice despite shouting, the man whom he now recognised as the major in charge of their regiment continued to hug against his cover with his eyes screwed shut. His once impeccable crimson and white uniform was smeared with filth, as were the blonde locks of his hair that lay matted to his head with sweat. Familiarity continued to dawn, an image of a frightened young man, barely twenty years old despite his rank along with a name blossomed in the Butler's mind. "[b]Garma! Get up for God's sake! If you don't give the order to retreat and reform our lines not only will we all die but we'll open up an entire flank for the enemy to take advantage of.[/b]" Dark hazel eyes met his own for a moment, abject terror replete within. "[b]I...I can't...I can't move Gabriel, oh God I'm so scared...Father said this would be an easy assignment...We'd just sit on the western front...He they'd never be able to mobilise troops here...Oh God this wasn't supposed to happen! I want to go home, I want to go home.[/b]" ...Gabriel... It was his name...How had he forgotten it ? How could he remember so much and have forgotten his name ? Gabriel said nothing for a moment, merely watching the man he'd grown up with cower now that playing soldier to please his father had become a terrible reality. He balled his right hand into a fist and slammed it hard into Garma Rosengard's jaw, then hoisting his friend's unconscious form up onto his shoulders as he trekked back down the trenches towards their temporary headquarters where he'd find a radio and hopefully salvage something of the debacle Garma's cowardice and incompetence had created. It was true the enemy shouldn't have been able to push their front as early as they had, but Garma's assertion that his men needed to assert themselves as soldiers and lead "daring raids" into adjoining civilian settlements in order to "capture supplies and information" had likely galvanised enemy forces to prevent further...incidents. Though it made him sick to the pit of his stomach to watch the results, Gabriel had been powerless to prevent them. Merely a lieutenant and Garma's adjutant his position in the regiment, much as his position in Rosengard Manor, was to serve, just as Gabriel's father served the Master and Mistress in the capacity as their head butler, a position Gabriel himself would likely go on to inherit provided he survived the coming battle. In an instant Gabriel felt every inch of air pushed from his lung as pain exploded from his shoulder, and hot lifeâ??s blood poured down his back. The sensation was enough to jar the spirit from his memory and leave him once again staring down at the wary figure of Leonard Howard.[/size][/font][/indent]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Sorry sorry, crazy busy the last two weeks because of university. I'll write something up tomorrow I promise. [/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Indeed, Ageha is turning quite dark isn't he ? I wonder if Melcheese actually requires Ageha to be in a negative frame of mind to use properly without damaging himself. Maybe he'll even take over as the final villain Matsuri was worried he'd become.[/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]I'll get something up this weekend featuring Leonard and The Butler, midterms this week and last week so I've not had a whole pile of time to write.[/size][/font]

[quote name='Gavin' date='07 October 2010 - 09:58 AM' timestamp='1286441919' post='700952'] [font="Tahoma"][size="2"]3 weeks to the next chapter, I'm expecting something new at least. [/size][/font][/quote] [font="Tahoma"][size="2"]...Which to be fair to say is what we've got. [strike]Apparently we've had a several month time skip in which Ichigo's powers have not returned and instead the manga will focus on Karin's emerging powers along with helping Afro-San defeat Karakura's hollows. There's mention of a bag and a thief and that's really it for translated spoilers. Oh and people have different haircuts. Somehow I'm not really surprised Kubo has trolled us like this, Ichigo has had no real demonstrated closure on any of his major plot points (Grand Fisher for instance) so I'm hoping the switch over to Karin is only a temporary thing.[/strike] Better translated spoilers out. It's been seventeen months since Aizen's defeat, Ichigo is still without powers while Karin has been developing her own. Ichigo claims to be happy without powers but it's pretty obvious in his attitude that this is not the case. Rukia has not visited Ichigo either in the preceding time period. Towards the end of the chapter Ichigo helps retrieve a backpack from a thief while demonstrating his reflexes are still top notch. The owner removes a Shinigami Representative Badge from the retrieved backpack after Ichigo has left and comments on what a wary man Ichigo is (so in essence similar to Shinji's meeting). Much better than the previous translation's plot. As I said before I'm surprised Ichigo hasn't tried to regain his powers if he does indeed want them back because so much of his previous plot motivations remain unresolved though I imagine the reacquisition of his powers will occur soon.[/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Like anything it has the potential to be good. However to compete with modern shounen mangas I think Toriyama would have to come up with some very fresh ideas for a new series, not just pulling another Super Saiyan level out of his rear-end and creating ever more powerful villains to fund the former. Personally I'd like to see a new series centred around one of either Goku/Vegeta's descendants quite a bit after the ending of GT (by which I mean after Goku Jr and Vegeta Jr) which would deal with the emergence of a hero in a similar manner to Dragonball, while combining the sci-fi element of Z's aliens without having every threat being the direct fault of the Saiyans. That said DBZ holds a very special place in my heart as the first anime I genuinely got into, and seeing it commercialised with another series like DBGT and the haphazard writing there-in would be a huge disappointment. [/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]This week's chapter sounds very promising. Although I'm not blown away by the idea of the timeskip it's handled considerably better than others I've seen. [/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Indeed. As much as I hate to say it, I'm kinda looking forward to Sasuke's return now, if only because it means less moron Naruto.[/size][/font]

[quote name='Phenom' date='21 October 2010 - 07:44 AM' timestamp='1287643477' post='701203'] And people wonder why I hate Naruto's character so much. [/quote] [font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Heh. I've actually noticed without Bleach to read as well I'm not even bothering to remember to check out Naruto when it's available.[/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]And yet more animal penises this week on Naruto while next week Kishi takes a break to find yet more animals to expose.[/size][/font]

[quote name='eleanor' date='18 October 2010 - 01:52 PM' timestamp='1287406343' post='701125'] I mean I think it's pretty obvious it's a video for people who already support the cause and a way to raise money [/quote] [font="Tahoma"][size="2"] *Shrugs* Still think it does more harm than good in attempting to legitimise the cause. Is it totally wrong of me to want to see a similar "Right Wing" retort to that? Just to compare which comes across as even more idiotic.[/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]That was ******* moronic. Not gay, don't care if someone is gay and I do support their right to marry or at least support their right to be as miserable as most other married people. I fail to see the point of this video completely beyond shock value.[/size][/font]

[indent][font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Listlessly the old ghost had drifted through the walls, rooms and corridors of Rosengard Manor. Initially he'd brushed off Angel's inquiry as to the nature of their collective pasts as pointless musings, but the gnawing doubt had set root in the back of his mind and granted him scarcely a momentâ??s peace. He had been a loyal servant in life, and continued to be such in death, such an identity had sustained him for decades but now the slightest reflection of that nature caused it to slip through his fingers like sand. The Butler cast a longing glance in the great ivory and gold trimmed wall-mirror of the dining hall, hoping to divine some greater knowledge from the reflection. Dark eyes framed by small glasses gazed back at him wordlessly, his suit, aged by current trends, still the picture of military order and impeccably clean. â??The Butlerâ?, he tried to recall when he had started referring to himself as such, surely heâ??d used his own name, and had it used in turn by those around him. The words felt hollow in his mouth as he ran them over his tongue. Turning he found himself attracted to the body of the fallen policeman, a broken section of timber impaled through his chest. His features still bore the terror of an unexpected and violent death, dark eyes staring lifelessly, and yet longing at anyone who took them in. Transfixed, the Butler removed the offending debris and began to study the manâ??s features with greater scrutiny. The eyes, the brow, the shape of the mouth were all startlingly similar. Had it been so long since heâ??d looked upon his own reflection that he hadnâ??t noticed it originally? Not his own, no, not fully. A child? No, the span of time wouldâ??ve been greater than that, and the man hadnâ??t demonstrated a familiarity with the manor such a position would yield. Grandchild perhaps? He needed to know. For the first time in he didnâ??t even know how long the Butler was consumed need for his own wants instead of those he'd served utterly. Flesh was simple to mend, at a gesture it began to reshape itself, erasing any trace of the previously mortal wound. The spirit was more difficult, it required concentration to draw the soul of a deceased individual back to the scene of their death, and those who had died violently were even less inclined to return and would fight any such compulsion that attempted to force them. Fortunately the inspector had been dead only a short time, his spirit would be closer to the material world, not yet fully integrated into the ethereal. [center][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/life.jpg[/img][img] http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/leonardhoward.jpg[/img][/center] Slowly the silvery white stream materialised above the corpse and filtered back into its former shell. The Butler watched with rapt attention as the heart began to beat once more and with a gasp Leonard Howard gulped the air of a living man once again. Now, the Butler resolved, he would have his answers. [/size][/font][/indent]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Looks to be a very interesting chapter, honestly I more so want to see the more after it. Heh.[/size][/font]

[quote name='The Professor' date='15 October 2010 - 01:20 AM' timestamp='1287102059' post='701096'] [font="Comic Sans MS"]This week's [b]Naruto[/b]: We see an armadillo's penis.[/font][/quote] [font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Would've been a far better chapter if they'd dropped the Naruto/Bee scenes. I like the way Naruto has finally gone full DBZ with the inclusion of flying.[/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]I'll get a post together at some stage tonight or tomorrow. Got a little side-tracked yesterday but the post is done now.[/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Weren't Ian and co. trapped in some kind of field that prevented their PSI use though ? For the kid to be able to get around that indicates he's special in some respect. Mithra's plot is a little FF7 for me, I'm interested to see how it plays out but I'm not hugely compelled by it. Seeing the intended fruition of Miroku's plot was interesting too, at the end of the day he did intend to repopulate the world and start anew. [/size][/font]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Interesting chapter this week, Ian's kid makes me very curious.[/size][/font]

[quote name='Baron Samedi' date='02 October 2010 - 03:24 PM' timestamp='1286029486' post='700852'] [size="1"]Hai guyz, wots goin on in dis fred ay?[/size] [/quote] [font="Tahoma"][size="2"]BARON! :D[/size][/font]