Not-So-Happy Endings

Ever seen a good anime that had an ending you just weren't sold on? From bittersweet endings to unfinished ones, there are just some endings that left me feeling like something was missing.

                                                                                                                           

{SPOILER WARNING AHEAD}

1. Spirited Away

This movie is a masterpiece from start to finish, as most Studio Ghibli movies are. However, no one can deny the bittersweet feeling that settles in once the credits roll. (SPOILERS) She just had this grand adventure yet now she's back in her world with so much time having passed (proof being the moss covered rocks, the fully grown trees that weren't there before, etc) her entire life here has changed, and she had to leave all her new friends behind. But still, that doesn't ruin this movie, it just leaves a bittersweet feeling. The only thing to hold on to is that beaded hairband and the promise with Haku that they'll meet again.  

2. Princess Tutu

Princess Tutu was a quirky series from the start, with a duck who turned into a girl who then turned into a ballerina magical girl, it sure was strange. However, it was easy to get interested in the odd plot of Princess Tutu finding the shards of heart that belonged to the boy she's in love with. The ending however, left a bittersweet ending, one that made the viewer wish they could change what happened. (SPOILERS) Now in love with Fakir, Ahiru should've had a happily ever, right? Well, I guess she did, if you can count being stuck in the form of a duck as a happy ending! After sacrificing all she could give and being unable to turn back into a human, her ex-enemy Rue and ex-love Mytho live happily ever after, but she's left as a duck, being unable to communicate with her own loved one, leaving a sad feeling. But at least Ahiru and Fakir are still together in the end!

3. Mirai Nikki / Future Diary

Regarded as a classic with the famous yandere character Yuno Gasai, Mirai Nikki was a fantastic anime. With 11 people trying to kill you, and only a diary and a stalker girlfriend to help you, it's hard to survive! Yuki's not the brightest or bravest kid around the block, but he sure does try to survive. A very interesting anime that has you yelling at the screen. However, the ending was a tad confusing, even odd. (SPOILERS) With Yuki becoming a God and spending centuries alone, only to find Yuno again? Well, I guess he was happy in the end. But it definitely wasn't what I would've liked to see as the ending.

4. D.N.Angel

14-year-old Daisuke discovers that he has another person living within his body, the legendary Phantom Thief, Dark Mousey! Now his biggest problem has gone from confessing to the girl of his dreams to getting away with stealing cursed objects! (SPOILERS) Dark and Daisuke have become friends, but now it's time for Dark to sacrifice himself! Although Dark disappearing is probably the best thing for Daisuke so he can continue on his normal teenage boy life, knowing that Dark is gone leaves the viewer with a lonely feeling.

5. 91 Days

Angelo Lagusa watched as his whole family got murdered- and barely escaped with his own life. Now that years have passed, he's determined that he's going to get revenge on the 4 people who were responsible for his family's death. Angelo's bloodthirsty need for vengeance will stop at nothing. A thrilling and complicated series filled with action and drama, it was a great anime. (SPOILERS) Accomplishing his goal, and making a sort of friend along the way, he leaves everything behind. Kills the man he considered a brother just to get further ahead. Now that his goal is goal is achieved, he thought he would be at peace, but that isn't so. Instead, he's left with an empty nothingness, and ends up getting killed by his almost friend. A fitting ending for someone as twisted as Angelo, but as a viewer, it made me sad, after rooting for him and wanting him to find peace. In a way, I suppose he did. 

6. Boku dake ga Inai Machi / Erased

Although I was personally very fond of Erased, and overall I think it was an incredible anime with some exciting and heart-touching scenes, and it may even be one of my favorites, the ending was a little disappointing. Going back in time to find the person who killed 3 of your classmates and your mother, Satoru is a 30-year-old man in his own 11-year-old body trying to solve the crimes and find the truth. (SPOILERS) While I understand the point of Satoru losing those years of his life because he saved those other kids, and technically he still got to live out those years of his life in the original timeline (in the timeline when Kayo was killed) it was unfortunate that Satoru didn't get to live out those years of his life in the new timeline, and when he finally woke up from that coma, the girl he liked married one of his best friends! But still, Satoru ended up having a happy life in that timeline (becoming a famous mangaka and a hero) so I suppose all's well that ends well.

~Atri

Fire Emblem 16: Three Houses Trailer Breakdown

During E3 2018 Nintendo announced a new Fire Emblem game available in Spring 2019 on the Switch. After a thorough analysis of the trailer here are my thoughts and observations about the highly anticipated Fire Emblem 16 (Three Houses) along with the official trailer.

Synopsis: 

The game takes place in Fódlan, where the Chruch os Seiros exercises great power over the land and its people. As the main character, the player must not only fight on the battlefield but interact with other characters to build relationships and gather information.  

Characters: 

From left to right: Edelgard von Hreslbegr, Claude von Regan, Dimitri Alexander Blaudad

Edelgard from Adrastea seems to be the main of the three with a known "aristocrat" class and able to use either axes or swords.  Claude is an archer from Leicester, and Dimitri is from Fergus and uses lances. Not much other information is known about Claude or Dimitri. 

Although clearly there is one character per the different houses, they are all dressed in a similar manner (black clothes, capes, pins, braided accessories near the neck) that leads to the possibility that they have an alliance formed or at the very least are not enemies, but that is unconfirmed and just speculation. 

Player character:

Default name: Byleth

He appears to be a teacher to Edelgard but possibly teaches all three of the known characters but not much information has been released about his connection to the game yet. It is unknown whether or not the player character will be customizable or not. Hopefully, it's more similar to Fates and Awakening in that regard. His name, at least, seems to be changeable. To me, he looks a bit like an emo Marth that had a crossover with Kingdom Hearts, but attractive nonetheless. 

Map:

Here is the most extensive map currently released by Nintendo. It features the main focus of the game, Fódlan, and some surrounding countries. Hopefully, there will be the chance to explore the other lands, but that is currently unknown. This game seems to be unconnected to the previous lands of Fire Emblem games. 

Art style:

The art style is different this time around, this time resembling games closer to the Persona series than previous Fire Emblem games. In my personal opinion, although I think the style is lovely and has very pretty art, it doesn't give off the same Fire Emblem feeling to me. It feels more babydoll otome shoujo game than a war-stricken tactical game. 

From left to right: Corrin (Fire Emblem: Fates) Ann Takamaki (Persona 5) Edelgard von Hreslbegr (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Supports:

Although only three characters (+ the player character) are currently known, the question of supports has still been raised. Will there be the classic C-A supports like Awakening and Fates, or something closer to combat only conversations like Echoes? Will there be S ranks as well? 

There has been no news on this but I'm holding out hope for S ranks, as I found this to be an enjoyable part of the game. Echoes didn't put any importance on the bonds forged between units and was an extremely insignificant part of the game, unlike Awakening and Fates.  

Gameplay:

This game features a revamped battle menu with new options. "Attack" and "Magic" are now separate command actions. Along with that, there's also "Combat Arts" and a new "Formation" command. 

Which leads to the questions: why are magic and attack separate options? Are tomes still a weapon option in this game? Can any character cast magic, and will it take HP like in Echoes?

As shown from this screenshot from the trailer, sprites are no longer displayed on the battlefield instead, there are full models of the characters. In my personal opinion, I will miss the sprites. Although the full models are definitely very 2018 I enjoyed the cute sprites featured in previous Fire Emblem games. However, there will still be very small versions of the classic sprits featured on the small general character stats menu, so not all is lost.

This screenshot also shows another interesting new feature: it appears that after moving a character, there will be red arrows that show what enemies are likely to target your units based off where they have moved. In this case, Edelgard moved close to the enemy units and now all enemy attention is focused on her. An interesting feature that will be helpful in battles for better strategies. 

New stats: along with the classic ATK, HIT, CRIT, AVO, RNG there are a few new ones displayed: 

END: endurance

RSL: resilience 

AS: attack speed

There is a slight new display screen while in battle before taking on an enemy, newly tilted and almost 3D. It shows the standard HP, ATK, HIT, and CRIT info. 

As seen near the corner above Edelgard's name in the screenshot, skills are also still present within this game. 

This screen also shows that weapon durability is back meaning unlike Fates and Echoes, weapons are able to break again after a certain number of uses. 

Other new features: 

There is a new layout on the battlefield, including the mini-map. It now displays the type of weapons your units and enemy units are using, which is sure to come in handy when thinking of the weapon triangle. 

Random NPC soldiers are now displayed on both sides and in cutscenes, your soldiers will be seen fighting the enemy soldiers although this seems to have no effect on the game, storyline, or outcome of the battle it is a nice touch to make the battles truly feel like a battle. 

One of my constant complaints with Fire Emblem over the years has been that the battles only ever display your few units and it feels rather insignificant and unrealistic to think of a small band of misfit warriors (and sometimes their kids) raising hell and defeating dragons and enemy kingdoms alike.

It has been revealed that there will be an open exploration in parts of the games where you can freely move around your character (Byleth) in a similar yet more advanced way in comparison to Echoes. 

Hopefully, this feature doesn't just turn the game into dungeon crawling hell but instead adds an interesting element of exploration and real investment in the towns, views, and people around the unique places your army ends up at. 

Echoes was on the right track with exploration in towns, but it turned into a first-person point-and-click to talk to townspeople and collect oranges and bags of flour. 

Another new feature is called "formations" where (as pictured in this screenshot) you can presumably assemble your soldiers in a certain way to increase either attack or defense. Which is potentially very interesting.

Even with all these new features (both liked and disliked) I am still immensely looking forward to the game itself and any new information released about it. Feel free to comment your own feelings, theories, and thoughts about this new Fire Emblem game! 

~Atri

Top 10 Kickass Female Characters

1. Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

"I like guns because unlike swords and knives, you don't feel your victims die."

She's the toughest woman around. Recognized as the best sniper, she's a lieutenant in the military after having served in a war. She'll die for her job and her cause without a second thought, and she's covered in burn scars and tattoos and has secrets that she'll carry to her grave. Tough as nails, Riza has a sense of justice that's hard to come by. She's smart and agile, and she won't hesitate to shoot her enemy. With undying loyalty, she gets her job done properly and quickly. 

"War does not determine who is right... Only who is left."

2. Mikasa Ackerman (Shingeki no Kyojin / Attack on Titan)

"The world is cruel. It is also very beautiful." 

Her proud talent is slicing flesh. The top of her training class, she's a genius in every subject and worth 1000 soldiers. With unfaltering loyalty and the need to protect her friends, there's nothing she can't do. Levelheaded and brilliant, she excels in everything she does. After having stabbed a man straight through the heart in self defense when she was nine, she's been unafraid ever since. Both of her families were killed without her being able to stop it, and she won't let anything happen to her one remaining family member ever again. There are few people tougher than Mikasa!

"My specialty is slicing off meat. If necessary, I can display that talent at any time. So if there's anyone here who'd like to experience it firsthand... please, step right up."

3. Yona (Akatsuki no Yona / Yona of the Dawn)

"If it’s to protect you, I want to take up a weapon even if I have to sacrifice someone!"

A spoiled princess turned warrior, she's fought hard to get where she is and now she won't let anything get in her way. After being betrayed by the person she loved the most, Yona had no choice but to run away from the only life she's ever known and pick up a weapon instead. After a life of never being allowed to touch weapons, she trained herself by shooting 200 arrows a night. She's killed a man with a single arrow, helped plant a bomb and overthrow evil government officials, and now seeks to change her country for the better. There's nothing she won't do, and no lengths she won't go to to protect the people she loves.

"Before I question God, there are things I must ask myself first."

4. Sango (InuYasha)

"Please, body, hold fast until I can complete my final task."

After all she's gone through, she sure is one kickass girl. From refusing to submit to death even after getting stabbed by her younger brother, and then persisting onwards and fighting him when she had to, Sango is one cool girl. The only female demon slayer. there's nothing she can't do. Smart and strong, she's always thinking of tactical solutions to defeat enemies, and carrying her heavy weapon around all the time sure isn't easy! She's an expert in hand to hand combat, poisons, and a blacksmith.

"No! If you can't go on...then we'll die here together!"

5. Biscuit Krueger (Hunter x Hunter) 

"There are liars who only lie when there's a reason to, and there are liars who also lie without a reason." 

Bisky is one of the toughest girls around. Although she's vain and doesn't like to show off her muscles, instead preferring to appear young and cute, in her true form she rivals that of characters from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Over 50 years old and one of the strongest nen users and martial artists in the world, she's deceptive and able to trick her opponents easily. She's incredibly strong and there aren't many forces in the world that could take her down. She's stern, wise, and not someone you want to get into a fist fight with. 

"I let you punch me out of pity because my original form won't hold back. I usually... end up killing my opponents."

6. Morgiana (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic)

"I want to fight for the people who are being oppressed." 

After struggling her way out of years of slavery, she remains as one of the only surviving members of her race, the Fanalis, known for their extremely powerful legs. She can kick literal tigers with poison fangs and come out without a scratch, and has a yell that can paralyze any creature dead in their tracks. She's tough and will never give up, she'll bleed from her eyes and every pore of her being before she admits defeat. She'll die for her friends before letting anything harm them. She's strong, strong-willed, and ready to kick ass.

"You think you've seen me at my best? Prepare to get left behind in the dust."

7. Bishamonten (Noragami)

"It may be a grudge that drives me to slay you, but regardless, it is my duty to bring justice to all evil!"

The God of Fortune, Bishamon is one tough lady. She goes out of her way to help troubled young souls of the departed and give them a home as one of her shinki, despite the tremendous toll that can take on her body. She's lost her family of shinki multiple times and fights to take revenge for them. She's a pro fighter and able to handle a multitude of weapons from pistols, whips, and giant swords, and she pushes herself to the limit to accomplish all of her goals with a bullheaded determination. 

"If you hurt me, then so be it. Do you think that there is any human in all the world who has never hurt another? You are all so kind... It hurts you to hurt others. That is why I have been hiding my pain as well."

8. Celty Sturluson (Durarara!!)

"The world isn't as cruel as you make it out to be."

A headless being; a creature symbolizing death; a Dullahan from Ireland that came to Japan in search of her head that was stolen from her. Celty rides the streets of Japan on her motorcycle doing odds and ends, saving the day and putting bad guys in their place, and doing it all without a head. She's kind, down-to-earth, and has amazing perspective on the world around her. Celty is determined and ready to fight for who she loves, and is fiercely protective.

"But I don't care. I'm me, that's enough. My days are always the same, no real big hopes or despair. And it's still like that. But I'm overflowing with satisfaction! I'm here and you are there. If I am your salvation, then you are mine."

9. Uryuu Minene - Number Nine (Mirai Nikki / Future Diary)

"I wanted somebody to save me too."

Coming from a troubled background, Minene has decided she has never needed love in her life. She's a survivor and an expert in escaping from any situation. Growing up without any love or support, she's incredibly tactful and intelligent, and an excitable terrorist. She's determined to escape and move on from her past at any cost, and she'll do anything she needs to do in order to get by. Her utter stubbornness to survive is almost unparalleled, she's an impressive fighter. 

"My childhood was filled with blood and strife. I have never needed love. Not then, now now."  

10. Falangies (Arslan Senki / Legend of Arslan)

"As long as it is a man, and not a god doing the governing, he can never be perfect."

Cold and aloof at first, she has a presence that demands respect. Awed at for her beauty, and she's got killer aim with her bow and arrows. She's able to talk to djinn and able to remain stoic and calm in any dangerous situation, and has a level-headed way of thinking. She's ruthless towards anyone standing in her way, shooting them down one by one. She's mysterious and the best female fighter in her country. 

"The throne itself does not have a will of its own. This is how I think of it. Depending upon who sits in it, it can be a seat of justice or it can be the seat of inhuman cruelty." 

~Atri

Introduction ♡

~ Welcome ~

My name is Atri! I've been watching anime and playing video games since I was really young, and even now as an adult it's still something I'm very passionate about. I'm just here to post about my opinions, news, reviews, and whatnot. I hope you enjoy my blog!