The Status of the Ednia Project

I hope everyone has been enjoying the short sections on the Ednia project. There are still a lot of world-building I am trying to accomplish before diving into plots, so there will be a while before the entire story focuses on the journey of Sharron Miles. At this point, I am very happy that I was finally able to complete the Perspective series, showcasing some personnel that would directly affect the mindset and the actions of the said protagonist.

As a recap to the work has been previously posted here, I am just going to give a little bit of contexts.

Exchange series Prelude Part I Part II  Part III

On this day, I swear to you that this sword in my hand will answer to no one but you, who carried the blood of Le-Tel. Take my life to be your spear confronting your foes and your shield sheltering from harm. Your smile will be my ultimate glory. 

Mind Game series Prelude Part I Part II

If I have the chance to save the world again, would I do it as a dutiful tool performing its function or as a being with doubts and concerns? How many sacrifices is the maximum I can do away that the world would be saved? 

No, do you not understand? You cannot save the world without making sacrifices.  

Match with Kathy series Prelude Part I Part II Interlude Part III Part IV

I never wanted to become your enemy. You have always been a kind person, and I have always admired that. When we reincarnate in the next life, would you consider becoming my friend?

Of course, more will come, but at some slow paces. There are a couple of ideas being tossed around, but for now. 

Now, previews for the next three Ednia projects are

Wanderer on the Prairie series

Theme:  I know you are born to the nobility. But at least try to blend into crowds. 

Lady of the Lake series

Theme:  Maybe my prayer will not be answered, and that is also acceptable. 

First Encounter series

Theme:  You are one weird kid.

Happy New Year, everybody.

The Year 2013 in Review

Impression of 2013

If I want to summarize the year of 2013 in one adjective, it would probably be chaotic. So many moments have passed and yet the time felt so short (I feel old...in more than one way). It is nonetheless a productive and uplifting year.

Personal and World-wise:

Personal Achievements:  first year in renting an apartment and commuting mostly via bicycle. Nothing burnt down. The power did go out and I had to replace the fuse. We ended up replacing the oven afterwards.

Dad coming to the US during Fourth of July. A darn good time. Harpoon brewery tour earned a 4.5 star. First time whale watching.

Cousin's wedding in China. I was that emotional, but man, time flies fast.

Li's wedding back in Iowa. Guys, good luck, have fun, and do your best.

One of the ten people on dating sites is a scam. I am rather amused by that.

Congratulations to the Chinese Space Program. The lunar rover makes me proud.

A big sigh to the government shutdown. Guys, you are getting paid to do nothing. Well, you should all be fired.

Prayers go out to the victim of the marathon bombing and tsunami in Southwest Asia. I also donated to the earthquake relief in China. I didn't really feel the lock down. Sorry, I will try to stay more informed next time. I get my news from ESPN, IGN, Crunchyroll, Science, and Nature.

NOLA, you are teh behsht.

Career-wise:
Graduate school is still ongoing. I will keep going forward.
A big turning point is the end of the third-year oral. From that point on, there are no more bureaucratic formalities. From that point on, research is the only thing that will define me. Not everything is going according to plan right now and time is starting to run out. It is like down by 7 going into the fourth quarter with two time-outs--time to make things happen.
I am pretty confident on the electrodeposition project, but maybe I just have not been beating myself up for the progress. Things are not moving at top speed, probably because I hope someone will be able to catch up. It feels like waving to the rest of the touring group across the Grand Canyon.
NDI films have a lot of promise. I still have a lot of catch-up on synthesis, so it is time to settle down.
Can I make something non-zinc? Sure. Not everything, but sure something. Do I really care what that something is? Maybe. I just want to stop screening reaction conditions for a while.

Academic/Career Achievements:  passing 3rd year research proposal, second manuscript on layered deposition is out, third manuscript in work, 1 in BE cell made and good so far, finishing the NDI-Pyrazole story with Casey.

Entertainment-wise:
I have significantly expanded my anime collection and begin to shift my focus onto the last generation console (I mean from PS2 to Xbox 360 and PS3). It is also a year of following competitive SC2 casts, which have become a major source of entertainment for me (Jaedong vs Dear at BlizzCon, best game ever played, although my favorite player is still Polt).

Music Discovered:  Yuuhei Satellite (Daichi ni Saku Senritsu, Kodoku Tsuki, Iro wa Nioedo Chirinuru wo), Kurt Hymneth (Ar Tonelico Hymn collection),

Manga Discovered:  Knights of Sidonia, Yandere Kanojo, Nisekoi, Girls of the Wild,

Games Completed:  Halo 4 campaign, CoD Ghost campaign, Ar Tonelico, Ar Tonelico 2, Ys:  the Ark of Napishtim, Akiba's Trip, Oreimo, SC2:  HoTS campaign, Ef:  a tale of memories, Rewrite, Rewrite:  Harvasta Festiva

Games in Work:  Rewrite Quest, Eternal Sonata, Valkyria Chronicles, Memories Off series, Diablo 3 (co-op with Mike),

Memorable Purchases:  Fire Emblem Special Edition 3DS, Fate/Zero Box Set 2, Mahou Sensei Negima Vol 1-31,

Starting with the seasonal anime impressions

Jan:  Absolutely the worst season this year with nothing new and remarkable, some new highlighted titles include Puchimas!, AKB0048 Next Stage, and Nekomonogatari Kuro. However, the second halves of Psych Pass, Robotic;Notes, and Shin Sekai Yuri are absolutely fantastic. I am also watching Little Busters, but the overall adaptation is rather mediocre.

However, it was a season to catch up with older releases, which were of high quality. Kids on the Slope and Waiting in the Summer from almost a year ago are both amazing. I also finished watching Utena, which I prompted brought the new boxsets from Nozomi.

April:  Overall an incredible season. RDG is another P.A. Works highly-promising-yet-under-delivered series. Translation between medias, namely novel to anime, is still difficult due to the mind setting of the audience. In terms of active participation, novels probably require the audience to be more imaginative, which I personally felt is a part of the deeper appeal of RDG. Hataraku Maou-Sama on the other hand is an unexpected gem. It is a season of good Mecha, with Gargantia, Valvrave, and MJP. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU and Railgun S also ended on my weekly rotation.

Of course, Attack on Titans.

And I also tracked Date A Live and Oreimo (oh come on, you know harem sells for a reason: fantasy)

July:  Since Attack on Titans, Railgun S, and MJP are still ongoing, it is almost by default not a bad season. It is the Moe Mahou Shoujo season of 2013, with Day Break Illusions, Fate/Kalied Liner (acceptable), Rozen Maiden, and others. It is a season I dropped heavily. The Eccentric Family ranked on top, followed by God Only Knows.

Yes, I watched Free!. Yes, I watched Highschool DxD New. No, I didn't watch Watamote. And I am planning to watch Gatchaman Crowds if the female lead can stop talking. Once Monogatari is done, I will marathon it (I did. I ended up liking Kaiki a bit, but it might be a lie). Silver Spoon is on the waiting list once I have time to pick it up.

October:  Arpeggio of Blue Steel is very good, especially considering the graphic approach the product is using. I like Tokyo Ravens, a very standard shonen. Golden Time, Log Horizon, and Outbreak Company are quirky but fun. I am not sure I can take either Kyoukai no Kanata or Samurai Flamenco seriously, but I did watch them. Maybe Nagi no Asakura will end terrifically, but it is P.A. Works. It has potentials but is not yet True Tears.

Galilei Donna...it is a trap.

But yeah, it has been a good year.

Year in Review, Category Winner

Best Paper:  X-ray analysis on the nanogram to microgram scale using porous complexes. Nature. 2013, 495, 461. DOI: 10.1038/nature11990

Best Moment:  New Orleans, LA. Holding an opened can of PBR while walking down the street.

Best Game:  Rewrite

Top Thee Anime Series:  Attack on Titans, Revolutionary Girl Utena, the Eccentric Family

Top Three Music Tracks:  EXEC_CHRONICLE_KEY (Ar Tonelico:  Melody of Elemia), Daichi ni Saku Merodii (Nureta Kami ni Furerareta Toki), Sanka (Rewrite OST)

Best Beverage: Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro

Best Meal:  Dijon, New Orleans, LA.

Greatest Professional Achievement:  Machined a teflon cell cap for spec-echem

Greatest Personal Achievement:  Six glasses of wine