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The Vision of Escaflowne Episode 22 – How to Blame Your Dragon

Damned Dimensional Rift Attuned Gargantuan Organic Neutotypes. Always ruin everything…

Things pick up for this marked improvement over last week’s. I have always remembered this is the episode where Folken officially defects to an actual side of the conflict. However, this is also an episode with a whole slew of other things I noticed I forgot since my last viewing of it. It is disappointing, since it is not just the plot of the episode that is great (never mind the music), but the world building and especially the animation. read more

Juu-kuchiby Juu-kuchi•
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Otaku Evolution Episode 71 – Arcade Gamer Fubuki

Stack those quarters up and grab a slice, because we’re gonna get the controls greasy and play… er, I mean watch, a little ecchi comedy called Arcade Gamer Fubuki, about a girl whose panties give her the ability to GIT GUD. Japan, you’re so forward-thinking, a girl gamer who doesn’t mind showing off the goods. Empowered by her underwear, literally! Progress marches ever onward. Also, for some reason, she’s friends with Excel from Excel Saga (or, at least a character played by her). read more

Penguin Truthby Penguin Truth•
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The Vision of Escaflowne Episode 21 – Elegiac Nekomancy (Or: Don’t Put Your Catgirls in the Fridge)

This is one of the weaker episodes of Escaflowne for me. To be sure, it isn’t TERRIBLE, but after a rather exceptional cliffhanger (which in the original Bandai release bookended Volume 6), it’s underwhelming. Picking up right after her surrender, Murphy’s Law is revived due to Van’s intervention, and messes up Naria and Eriya’s luck, revealing the flaws of the fate alteration experiments. The events of the first few minutes are sortof anticlimactic, not just because of the aforementioned cliffhanger, but also after that Next Episode preview with only one line from Folken: “Why don’t you understand, Van!?” read more

Juu-kuchiby Juu-kuchi•
Motor King – 1/100 Zaku Tank Quick Review
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Motor King – 1/100 Zaku Tank Quick Review

I recently picked up a built Motor King’s 1/100 scale Zaku Tank. Unfortunately August has me running around super busy so it was nearly all I could do to simply build this thing in the first place. So, instead of a super long wordy review, here’s a relatively short one with some simple photos. If you want more specialized photos, like the runners or how the kit looks with the LEDs installed, check out Samuel Decal’s Facebook album.

For starters, I don’t really know much about Motor King, so I’m not sure what they’ve done before. As such, I can’t really compare it to any of their past kits, but I can compare it to Elyn Hobby/Mechanicore as I have built some of their third party kits. More on that in a bit. When you get MK’s Zaku Tank you get 16 runners, one of which clear, one of which is a handful of polycaps. You also get 10 LEDs and enough cables and resistors to write them up into a single circuit. Soldering not included. I’m fairly certain everyone is supposed to get the LEDs, but at least one person I spoke to was left hanging. The wiring diagram is printed in the manual, and a few screws come in the same bag, so I don’t think it’s a pre-order only bonus (I didn’t pre-order). There are some water slide decals in there as well. read more

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The Vision of Escaflowne Episode 20 – The Hitching Hour

Ah the great Royal Weddings of our time…

Prince Charles and Lady Diana…

Prince William and What’s-her-face…

Shining Armor and Princess Cadance…

…are couples that will never see “Dryden and Princess Millerna” near their names at any time in the future. Obviously, the wedding does not end up well for them (I mean c’mon, the episode is titled “False Vows”), but it is done in a way that only can happen in the world of Escaflowne. If you have only got here: No, this is not a bad thing. read more

Juu-kuchiby Juu-kuchi•
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Otaku Evolution Episode 70 – Heroic Legend of Arslan (OVA) (Episodes 3-4)

Ugh. Do you know how many times I had to tweak “Adagio for Strings” so it wouldn’t be flagged by YouTube? Three times. I guess that specific performance was licensed. Don’t forget folks, that despite classical music being largely public domain, the people who actually perform it tend to have contracts and copyrights and such. I only needed a few seconds, though, FFS.

Anyway, enjoy my second look into the OVAs for The Heroic Legend of Arslan, based on the books by the dude who made Legend of the Galactic Heroes! Surely it is just as good, though, right? Riiiight? (No.) read more

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The Vision of Escaflowne Episode 19 – A ‘Shipper’s Worst Nightmare

Can there be anything worse for somebody who ships two people, especially in real life, than a machine that can alter fate in such a way to put one with ANOTHER person should not be the other’s bae? In my more advanced age where I am aware of the various idiosyncracies of popular w00b culture, be it dating sims or the aforementioned ‘shipping, I cannot help but think playfully in this regard. It is good fortune, however, Escaflowne handles it with quite the serious tone, since Dornkirk is quite aware of Hitomi’s powers. It is also amusing since Dilandau and his Dragonslayers were the first to notice her, yet the former being incapacitated and the latter being all dead put the kibosh on Dornkirk being informed beforehand. Is this ANOTHER element shifted around during the series shortening? Maybe? Who knows, who cares, what we get is still good. read more

Juu-kuchiby Juu-kuchi•
PG Banshee Gundam – Complete
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PG Banshee Gundam – Complete

Build Review

As is tradition, I’m going to open up with a lengthy recap of this build. I always figure some folks out there will benefit from knowing my trials and tribulations as they work through their own builds. If you’re not interested skip on down to the pretty pictures at the end of his article. If you like this build please check out my last PG Unicorn, which I built and painted in a single week, or my last painted kit, the 1/100 Elyn Hobby Kshatriya.

Paints

The first thing you’re probably looking to ask, “What’s that sexy purple?” Well it’s Mr. Crystal Colour’s Amethyst Purple (XC04). For the most part it’s straight on top of the gray frame, but in various areas it’s properly painted over gloss black. More on that later. The rest of the colours used on the kit include… read more

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Otaku Evolution Episode 69 – Baccano!

In this special episode for my birthday, I’ve decided to cover a favorite anime of mine (though, I’ve already covered four favorites this year, kind of being easy on myself), Brain Base’s Baccano!, based on a series of Japanese light novels written by Ryohgo Narita. I also did a bunch of difficult production flourishes and animations for this one, so I’d appreciate feedback (read: praise). What happens when a bunch of gangsters, thieves, and psychos vie for control of a train? Well, find out! It’s the show that skips around in time but is always compelling, and I think you’ll be satisfied by what you see. read more

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The Vision of Escaflowne Episode 18 – Apple Advisory Episode

…Why else would Isaac Newton, fresh after discovering gravity, start research on destiny and its properties if it wasn’t for some rogue apple knocking his noggin? Or maybe this entire series is all just a dream, a fever dream of a dying scientist who never figured out how fate works? If it is a just a dream, how is he including 20th century Japanese high school girls in it, nevermind also speaking Japanese, hell why is he imagining himself as a Japanese product meant for television in the particular year of 1996? read more

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