Playing MHP3rd again

Ever since i stay in Beijing i didn't touch MH3U anymore since i did everything that i wanted already but to be Honest waiting for MH4U really kills. So it was such a coincidence that i can find Japanese friends to play MH and thus i picked up MHP3rd once again which was i played the last time like 3 years ago. While i have finished most of the mission in P3rd, i haven't farmed for high end gears or the DLC stuff so this is such a good opportunity to get back to the series again.

While P3rd doesn't have as much content as 3U, the game is still very enjoyable since there are couple of things that make P3rd a memorable MH series. Up until now i think Yukumo is the best village design by far even though Pokke is more nostalgic and while the cats are jokes compared to Chacha and Kayamba, they do make good looking accessory since there are more options to decorate them. As you can see i just made my Alatreon gear which is much worth it compared to the 3U one which are terrible for the effort to get the weapon. At the moment I am going to hunt Akantor and Ukanlos since they would make great practice when i face them in MH4U. Also i am going to get the Uniqlo armor set which looks quite good and honestly DLCs i got in P3rd are much better than the one in 3U since you got plenty of weapon and armor assortments which are cool looking too.

Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari

I am revisiting and rewriting this article because it deserves a proper retrospective.

When I first wrote about Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari, my focus was primarily on the light novel rather than the manga. At the time, the manga adaptation had only just begun serialization in 2014, so there wasn’t much material to discuss. Looking back from 2026, it’s quite surprising and impressive that the manga is still going strong.

I wasn’t a particularly avid light novel reader back then. However, after the success of Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, fantasy-themed light novels became noticeably more popular than they had been before 2014. Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (The Rising of the Shield Hero) was one of the early series that helped popularize the modern isekai fantasy boom.

Kishin Taisen Gigantic Formula

SRX little brother

A little bit too much Anime and Manga post from me recently but i find another worthy mecha series to discuss. I still wonder why i overlooked Gigantic Formula even though it was one of the better Mecha anime after 2005(which is not much btw). The concept of the series is very interesting and i think Pacific Rim borrowed some ideas from Gigantic Formula for their Jaegers . The story of Gigantic Formula is about 12 Nations in war called Wisest World War to gain the right to rule the world which is kinda like G Gundam's Gundam Fight fighting with giant mecha called Gigantic powered by Head Statue resembled 12 Greek Deities. Unlike most mecha series which mainly focus on the main protagonist, Gigantic Formula over the perspective of pilots from each nation through the eyes of the main character which kinda make them peeping toms. This aspect surprisingly make good drama even though the pacing of the story is abit slow. Gigantic Formula also handle Politics and Mysticism adequately which was rarity in Japanese animation.

I really like mecha design from Gigantic Formula which are very well designed and it is kinda a waste that it is not used for SRW which i hoped it will change someday. The major letdown of this series is that the way the series concluded is rather disappointing despite the major buildup from the 24 episodes and it wasted as Gigantic Formula goes to cliche route which i will just let you figure out yourself. The series is kinda lack of intensity for a mecha series but at least the protagonist is not an emo one even though he is teen. I also think the anime could have used better character designer and english speaker consider the Engrish in the anime is just horrid. Anyway if you haven't got any mecha anime on your list, go watch Gigantic Formula. I hope someday this series will show up in SRW and the 12 mechas fight together instead of pitting against each other and tagging with Pacific Rim will be awesome too!

Akame ga Kill!

At first i was hooked to look at this series by the anime even though i don't really read this kind of stuff a lot anymore but i suppose i will discuss about this series abit. Akame ga Kill is one of those manga that is is borderline Shonen/Seinen since it got Fanservice, Hotblooded battle and Grimdarkness. The story is about a boy joining a group of assassins called Night Raid trying to overthrow Empire who are controlled by corrupt nobles wielding special weapons called Teigu. For a manga series in recent period i would say Akame ga Kill is quite grimdark with plenty of Gorefest despite colorful range of characters. Depending how it goes, the series can get grimdark enough to make Berserk blush as the Despair can be still higher. While i wished Mine the Pink Miku survived i think it is unlikely she will in order to make the series even more grimdark. I won't be watching the anime unless the series completed already but i will read the manga until the end to see how it goes.

Unless there are some drastic circumstances,
i think Tatsumi still better paired with Pink Miku rather than the Ice Queen

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien

It has been few years since i read Muvluv but i think i haven't discussed about Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien which is some of the reason that makes me go read Muvluv. I don't really exactly remember this anime anymore but certainly it leaves a memorable remark on me. Unlike Muvluv which got Lighthearted Drama, KGNE had very heavy duty Love Triangle and Mature drama which sets it apart from other Slice of Life. The story is basically about 2 best friends Haruka and Mitsuki who had a crush on the same person but Mitsuki let Haruka confess to Takayuki. While her relationship is abit rocky at first, Haruka gets on really well with the Takayuki until one day she got into serious accident that leads her to coma. Long story short years passed as Mitsuki become Takayuki's lover in Haruka's stead which started when Takayuki goes very Heartbroken due to Haruka's accident and now Haruka awake again from her long years of coma which starts the stormy love triangle that no matter how it ends up everyone will always get hurt and thats what makes KGNE so appealing.

For a Slice of Life the drama in Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien is quite heart wrenching and tearjerking sometimes and you can find it easily relevant because the cause and effect of the decision in this series are rather realistic. The songs too from the anime are very emotional and i think Minami Kuribayashi best songs are from this series. Again in this post i will use the opportunity talk abit about Muvluv, considering KGNE had some ties with it even though not directly related. I used to like Muvluv until it becomes piles of abomination that is tryhard and pretentious which what the series become after Alternative. Extra/Unlimited is very enjoyable experience and Alternative too though it is the point where it begins to show up its defects. Anyway if you read Muvluv before you should go watch KGNE if you haven't and don't skip the OP and ED to experience a journey full of emotions! Also watch the OVA if u want Haruka Ending

Starting watching Gundam Build Fighters Try

Slightly late watching the series but it seems like it is going to be a fun ride just like the previous Gundam Build Fighters. Just now i caught up the series until the 4th episode and i would say i am really hyped with Gundam Build Fighters Try. GBF is a good medium for Bandai to have all Gundam series have appearances without worrying too much about messing up canon storyline and appease avid Gundam fans at the same time. While it is still over the top like previous GBF i can still stomach it up considering the mecha actions are still really good. GBF doesn't do enough justice with G Gundam series but now Try will make up for it and i will look forward the time when the protagonist will shout  俺のこの手が真っ赤に燃える！and hopefully some Domon cameo will show up. I am not too interested with how the series with end up but i think GBF Try will be enjoyable ride as long as Bandai keep the focus of the series toward new and old fans balanced.

Ragnarok the Animation

One of the weekly anime that i watched back in middle school when Ragnarok Online was really popular at the time and it was the only consolation for me since i can't play the PC game for some reason. I marathoned this series recently and find out surprisingly that i didn't miss any single episodes back then. While it is far from good Ragnarok Animation is quite memorable for me since it is decent RPG adventure anime. But i do find half of the main characters are annoying especially Yufa and Maya. From what i know the gaming fanbase hate this series for some reason but i guess because some of the stuff in the anime are unrealistic when compared to the game like beating MVPs with 1st class job. In the end i would say the anime could have been better if it has stronger relation with the game.

Since i got plenty of time during weekend in Beijing, over past few weeks i played RO on Private Server which i can say the game mechanics has aged already. I used Mage character which just become Sage which i really like because it is very versatile for me even though it is not powerhouse. My impression of RO as a game is that the Game is just overly reliant on equipments just like Ragnarok Odyssey. While i am expecting the game is Grindfest since it is MMORPG, the effort is just way too much especially if you are farming for the cards which is for me 10 times worst than getting the rarest drop in MH. Also i find the PC Game are not particularly creative after Yuno Chapter as the locations and monsters are just very uninspired. Nevertheless i will just play the game for the sake of making up the lost time which at the moment i am just burning those undeads in Glast Heim with my Firewalls!  

Non Scale Cybuster Possesion form kit

Since Masoukishin 2, i have been expecting Possesion form of Cybuster to get a kit eventually and few while ago in some Japanese Hobby show my expectation hits the target once again! There is no apparent release date or pricing yet but judging from the size i think it will cost at least as expensive as Neo Granzon or even more which probably will be around 10k Yen. Considering the 1/144 regular version of Cybuster alone was 7800 Yen which i had one. I hoped other Masoukishin will get a model eventually in particular Granveil and i recalled even Jaohm got a Garage Kit. However with how the last Masoukishin game turns out i think the chances are bleaker. I didn't play the 4th one but i heard it was disappointing which was kinda expected since Pride of Justice was terrible already, it seems either Winkysoft doesn't have the capacity to continue the series or Banpresto forced them to tie the series up. Nevertheless how the series turns out, i still recommend to play the first Masoukishin because the charm of the series was in that game and Masoukishin got the best version of Cybuster's theme.

You can see the possesion form of other Masoukishin here from my review of PoJ

and this was my review of 1/144 Cybuster

Shiro no Koukoku Monogatari

I don't often discuss Manga series that haven't finished yet however i find this occassion exceptional. While Japanese anime industry is in decline, however Light novel is still going strong with interesting story. Shiro no Koukoku Monogatari or roughly the Story of White Kingdom is such title with Manga adaptation that catches my eye and another of those title that got potential. The story is about a guy who killed himself and wake up just to realize he is now a man with white hair, who signifies important role. As White haired people in his current place is one of a kind and chosen to rule as a King and at the moment the Kingdom needs a king to prevent its collapse. If you like Fantasy classic JRPG i think you will like the manga especially if you are in Seinen demographics. It is a rarity for JRPG style story got into Seinen ranga which means no Beta Protagonist for ya! The manga is so far translated until 2 volumes but it is enough to impress me and as long as it keeps itself coherent i think it will make a good series.

The reason why Guilty Crown fails

 Didn't watch this much hyped anime when it was released few years ago until now which i can see why people are disappointed with this anime. To sum it up the main issue that comes with Guilty Crown is because this project is way too ambitious and thus fails to deliver in the end and if you ask how bad the series fail it is as terrible as or even worse compared to Valvrave. To be fair Guilty Crown had a chance to be a good anime since it has good pieces, but somehow when the pieces are stringed along it falls apart because execution is terrible. Thus what causes this series goes wrong is basically people problem as the staff behind Guilty Crown are not good enough to use the pieces.

The first 12 episodes went just fine but from episode 13 onward there on the anime just went downward spiral with horrible trainwreck until the end. I think most people watch Guilty Crown for Inori considering her design is a rarity but her character execution is just not good enough. From what i get Inori's character is supposed to be an empty shell who slowly regains her conscience but again terrible execution failed this part. As for Shu or more known as Shoe he is just Beta protagonist and nothing more considering he lose the chance to redeem himself in the end. In conclusion what makes Guilty Crown set itself apart from other wasted potentials(which Japan anime industry got a lot by this point) is because it got huge amount of budgets and supposedly solid staffs but doesn't prevent itself to fail miserably. But to me GC shows me that 95% of Japanese anime with High School setting doesn't deliver btw Inori's GSC figure are gorgeous tho.

Lego Hyaku Shiki Review

From some lineup called Diamond Blocks

Ai Yori Aoshi

Early September I have been moving to Beijing for my Study which is why I haven’t been able to post anything on Blogger or Wordpress considering both websites are blocked in China for some reason. On the post today, I just finished reading Ai Yori Aoshi manga which was really enjoyable read considering I am never a big fan of Slice of Life. I watched Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi back when I was in Highschool and my biggest impression of the series comes from the main heroine Aoi Sakuraba.
 

Aoi is one of the best representations of Yamato Nadeshiko in manga/anime series out there with contemporary setting considering her kind usually found more in Meiji Era kind of story. Her love story between Kaoru is not overly dramatic yet touching and her perseverance is quite admirable. Before I read the manga I never really understand why Aoi wore her Kimono most of the time in the series but as I finished the manga, her kimono symbolise very important theme which is implied in the title itself; “Love deeper than blue” as her Kimono will change color over the time and so does her love with Kaoru grow even stronger over the time. A very good Seinen Romance title if you haven’t read it and I think I will play the VN eventually as well.

Danganronpa

If Phoenix Wright and Umineko have a lovechild, you get Danganronpa! I picked this up on PSP on recommendation of a friend and i can see how it got some kind of popularity. The story of Danganronpa is about 15 High School Students from Elite school trying to survive sinister from a bear called plot named Monokuma. The main theme about Danganronpa is all about despair and what makes this series unique is that the portrayal of grimdark stuff in this game is rather colorful, wacky and over the top at the same time. The core gameplay of Danganronpa resembles Phoenix Wright with 3D map to explore and the trial got some more variation. The game also include mechanism called "Free Time" where you can spend sometime with other classmates like Social Link to acquire skills helpful for the trial. Overall the mystery element of the game is mediocre but still enjoyable as at the end of the game, you will find the plot twist quite predictable. I will look forward to the second Danganronpa which i will get it for my Vita whenever available since i am quite curious with the continuation as the series got cliffhanger ending in the end.

SPT Blue Comet Layzner

- Revised February 2026

Another Ryosuke Takahashi work completed leaving only Panzer World Galient and FLAG on my watchlist. I had high hopes for SPT Layzner mainly because of its awesome opening, but unfortunately it turned out to be one of Takahashi’s weaker works. Even worse, it doesn’t escape his recurring penchant for mysticism.

I first encountered Layzner through Another Century’s Episode 2, and later got more exposure to it via Super Robot Wars J. The story follows a half-Earth boy who tries to save Earth from his alien race by piloting an experimental robot called Layzner. The series eventually shifts tone dramatically and becomes almost like Fist of the North Star in the second half.

SRDS Alteisen Riese

After plenty of Kotobukiya's experimentation with D-Style i guess they are confident enough to craft one for SRW now. Sometime around mid of this year Koto announced SRDS lineup which started with Alteisen Riese. I had to say the proportion of the model perfectly match the SD sprites from the game and even looks way cooler than your average SD Gundam Kits. The kit will be released around november this year with the price of 5200 Yen which is even more expensive than the non scale Alteisen Riese. Personally i find the price is abit too steep for the initial product for the lineup but finished product does looks really gorgeous indeed and this could possibly achieve something that the similar lineup that Megahouse had few while ago unable to do. If i ever get back to make my modelling i will probably get Riese and definitely get Wildwurger especially if it comes with the gimmick. i hope Riese will not be the only product of this promising lineup

here is the review for my non scale Alteisen Riese