The Year of 2016 in Review

Impression of 2016

Ferocity at its apex / merciless in its wake / Oh fear thy, the tempestuous force / tilting the earth with its trample / scattering the only shards of sanity / Yet when I wade through the abyss / I cannot help to tremble in its majesty

If 2015 was the rough sailing through the storm, then 2016 is where the storm gathered its strength and made its landfall. It lost the glorious luster while the ruggedness of hardship intensified. It was a year that I have entered the dense forestry, pricked by thorns of uncertainty, but ultimately stood my ground and inched forward--the familiar scenery that was oddly comfortable.

Personal

Living in a new city has brought me encounters with many new friends: some are acquaintance in passing, some are comrades in arms, and some are more intimate. 2016 is a year worth of celebration where old bonds are mend and new bonds are made, as I traveled more freely to see corners of my world. Waking up to an unfamiliar ceiling and taking detours into the unknown--life-work balance is important after all.  

I am officially a member of the Potter's Guild of Baltimore now. There is still a long long way before where I want to be, and I will not stop learning on the way, by my own desire or by osmosis. But there are definitely a few things that I am comfortable and happy to make no matter what for the foreseeable future. The emergence of a self-defined style, if I am allowed to say it more grandly. It is both a joy and a challenge. So to finish off the series I recently started will be a goal for the coming year, and let me tease with this,

"A sin comes in different forms, but always empty in its center."

Intrigued? I hope my work will live up to my expectation.

On a completely different topic, 2016 was also the first general election I have participated in the United States. Not sure if it is my luck or not, but the political process this time is quite an oddball in all perspectives. Also, it may not be surprising that all my blog posts, except the review on Stellar Glow, were referenced to the election. The Sword of Promised Victory is about a blonde woman trying to carry her family's legacy; Kotomine Kirei is about a man's intention to bring about utter destruction (or salvation) by the collective will; Mr. Trap on the Schrödinger Street is about the unbending will to seek justice and how machination from the powerful few can endanger the populous. Something as innocent as an anime blog is actually a political commentary? Maybe, you could read more to find out. As for the result of the election, I do not dispute with facts; however, please expect me to fight on for my causes with even greater tenacity.  

Career-Wise
Job searching is not easy, and I am still at it. You will not be updated.

Otherwise, the postdoc life is not bad. I am still doing a lot of lab setups, but also a lot of organic syntheses. Not quite any seventeen-step total synthesis, but a lot of scaling up of simple reagents. I guess you can easily outsource the work I am doing to a company probably with half the time, but probably not with say 30% of the budget. In the end, no matter what people may say, good postdocs are economical, readily available, and can do pretty much everything. Are good postdocs easy to come by? Who knows, it is likely shopping on Ebay. The deviation of your shopping experience scales parabolically with reviews.

So what's after this? Postdoc is a temporary position in most cases. Hmm, people tell me that I should prepare for industry or I should prepare for academia. Well, I am going to give a simple answer that as long as I get to do good science, it really doesn't matter where I end up.

Entertainment-wise:

Top tracks of the year:  

1. Trust in you (sweet ARMS, Date a Live II)
2. Ichido Dake no Koi Nara (Walkure, Macross Delta)
3. Fly High!! (Burnout Syndrome, Haikyuu)
4. Paradisus-Paradoxum (Myth & Roid, Re:Zero)
5. Tír na nÓg (Celtic Women)
6. Ten Kakeru Hoshi (Suara, Utawarerumono:  the False Masks)
7. Lost in Thoughts All Alone (Fire Emblem Fates)
8. Hoshi to Hana (Yuki Yuna is a Hero)
9. Light for Knight (Mimori Suzuko, Lance N' Masques)
10. Clever (Claris/GARNiDELia, Qualidea Code)

Games Completed: World End Economica (oh boy, that needs a separate review), Stellar Glow (see review, surprised that I finished it), Titanfall 2 single player (Yes, I brought Titanfall just to play the single player, and man it was awesome)

Games in Work:

Grisaia no Kajitsu (Sachi is just so badass that I am stalled), Ar Nosurge (MAN, this is a long and convoluted game), Starcraft 2: LotV, Fire Emblem Fates

Memorable Purchases:

Surface Pro 4, Spice and Wolf Collector's Edition, Fire Emblem Fates Special Edition + DS XL, and Guild membership fees (that check really makes me feel accomplished, in a way)

Seasonal Anime Impressions 

I am going to spend a bit more time talking about a few series this time. I always ran out of stream by the end of the summer season, haha.

Catch-ups:  Love Live!, Yuki Yuna is a Hero, Haikyuu

The longshots:  Cowboy Bebop, Gintama

Notable OVA/Movies:  Kizumonogatari, Gundam Thunderbolt, Gundam the Origin, Persona 3

Winter 2016

Series of note: Erased, Grimgar of Fantasy and Ashes, Durarara!! x2, Konosuba, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, Schwaresmarken, Nijiiro Days

Series that filled time and possibly happiness: Dimension W, Gate: Season 2, Luck & Logic, Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle

Maybe at some point:  Assassination Classroom, Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm, Dagashi Kashi, Haruchika

Overslept alarm clock:  Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2

I was pretty happy that the winter season was really diverse, and some of the titles this season are really awesome. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu was probably one of the strongest drama titles in 2016, while Erased the same for mystery. I liked Horimiya a lot, so I am very happy with the anime adaptation of Nijiro Days. The biggest downer this season is probably Dimension W, which had a lot of uncapitalized potential in character setting but never truly explored the dynamics in a more careful manner. I still don't know what I got out of Luck & Logic--at least I got fan service in Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle. Dagashi Kashi has a lot going for it, and it was unfortunate that I never got into it too deeply. Gate is at this point, pretty forgettable, if not infamous. 

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: In the era where light novel adaptations overwhelm audience with vast but shallow details, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu brought truly complex characters together for an unforgettable adventure. The triangle of Kikuhiko, Sukeroku, and Miyokichi highlights the mismatch between desires and reality. Tragedy befalls not due to one's villainy but to deliberate indifference. Of course, the incredible voice acting for the rakugo pieces brings forward an art form of a completely different tradition. 

Erased:  the strength of Erased is its villain, Gaku Yashiro. The machination of a single man brought forth the desperation of the protagonist in many hopeless situations, cruel yet amazing at the same time. For the longest time, I was misled by the portray of Kenya, and the series eventually points its finger to the true villain. However, the existence of one almost-all-powerful villain also created the series's downfall, especially when foiled with the all-powerful protagonist. The struggle of the charismatic villain at the end seems so meaningless. I am not complaining about a perfectly happy ending, and surely it is a reward for persistent heroism, but it does make the protagonist slightly less relatable comparing to say Re:Zero.

Konosuba:  A light-hearted stab on this "transported into fantasy world" genre. Irony of realism comparing to fairly manufactured angst in namely SOA. It puts us who wish for special talents into our places that we get by thanks to the connections we make, even though those characters can be a bit peculiar at times. Its unpredictability probably rivals Oregairu:  it makes me cringe at times because some of references I have surely encountered in real life. 

Grimgar of Fantasy and Ashes:  Probably the greatest foil to Konosuba that everything in this series is under a pastel seriousness. After watching a few series, there are times that you get the premonition that a character gets his or her back story in the episode just so he or she will depart forever with a trace of inspiration left to the protagonist. Death in the series felt sudden and empty with an agonizing after taste comparing to fairly manufactured jerk in namely SOA. It is a slice-of-life series with uncertain but permanent consequences.

Durarara!! x2:  As expected, Durarara likes to throw the audience in chaos and then slowly sorts out the giant mess of plots and characters. 

Spring 2016

Series of note: My Hero Academy, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Kiznaiver, Kuromukuro, Re:Zero

Series that filled time and possibly happiness: Asterisk War 2, Joker Game, Macross Delta, Bungou Stray Dogs,

Maybe at some point:  Flying Witches

Overslept alarm clock:  Concrete Revolutio

The bomb:  Haven't You Heard? I am Sakamoto

Oh really...:  Bakuon!!, High School Fleet

Winter is the season of drama, and Spring is the season of action. It sure packed in quite a bit into one season. Re:Zero is probably my pick for Anime of the Year and deserves a separate review. I was surprised that P.A. Works decided to go mecha and pulled off Kuromukuro. Well, it is certainly a slice-of-life series at its core. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress was positively amazing in the beginning, so was Macross Delta. I couldn't get into Concrete Revolutio or Fly Witches but the few episodes I have seen are pretty impressive. Sakamoto now belongs to the too-good-to-watch (trademarked) series; it is hilarious, and I don't even know where to begin. Joker Game was really good, but a bit too episodic for my taste and a bit lacking in overall narratives. Asterisk War is just flashy. Bungou Stray Dogs really shined in its second season and its first season was rather mediocre.

Just a word on Bakuon!! -- I don't think high schoolers can afford their own motorcycles. What, you are letting your parents pay for your insurance. Surely, high schoolers are not going to operate destroyers for class credits either. 

My Hero Academy:  Classic Shonen. Enough said. Thumbs up.

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress:  Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress probably has one of the best opening episode in the season. The intensity of the music plus the fluidity of the animation plus the classic feel in character designs all contribute to the enormous promises at the beginning. But the villain seems cheap and probably brought the downfall to an otherwise great series. The slip into plot mediocrity at the end is really painful. 

Kiznaiver:  It is a thoughtful and beautiful show in concepts and moments, but the overall composition is rather messy. Maybe choosing an extremely deadpan main character is a low bar to show character growth, but his role faces a lot of challenges from other more colorful characters. It is unique, in a very good way, much like Utena. 

Kuromukuro:  This is supposedly P.A. Works dig at Mecha anime. To be honest, the mecha is rather unimpressive; however, it does play into P.A. Works' strength in world building and dramatic relationships. 

Re:Zero:  This series is so awesome that it will need a separate full review. I mean...Rem is the waifu that broke the internet. 

Summer 2016

I spent most of the season counting on the next episode of Re:Zero, Kuromukuro, and Macross Delta.

Series of note: The Heroic Legend of Arslan:  Dust Storm Dance, Fate/kalied liner, Alderamin on the Sky, Planetarian

Series that filled time and possibly happiness: This Art Club Has a Problem, Rewrite, Qualidea Code, ReLIFE, Shokugeki no Souma, Tales of Zestiria the X, Regalia:  the Three Sacred Stars, 

Maybe at some point:  Sweetness and Lightning, Mob Psychoo 100, orange, Taboo Tattoo, Love Live! Sunshine!!

No, no dessert tonight:  91Days, 

So, what about Queen's Blade:  Hybrid x Heart Magias Acadmey Ataraxia (MY EYES, sound effects filled in with screams of agony)

I was really excited for Rewrite and also considered it one of my favorite visual novels (not the best, just like how Date a Live never made onto my top fifteen anime but remaining a long-time favorite). I was let down.
I was really excited for ReLIFE, because the manga is fun and deep at the same time. I marathoned it, and I regretted that.
I thought Qualidea Code had a good opening and ending, and the story seems to be promising. I ended up with a mess of really out-there characters in a ha-gotta story.
Tales of Zestiria looks great, but why insert a commercial for the new game. Regalia and Kuromukuro are both mecha series that played into mediocre drama. Macross Delta fell so hard on Mikumo's development.

Well, at least I have Re:Zero.

Alderamin on the Sky/Arslan:  Despite the deceptively ordinary cover art and somewhat meaty (?) character designs, Alderamin on the Sky is a serious contender for the best series in the season (unfortunately that's when Re:Zero really starts to get awesome). I love the character interactions, the politics, and overall strategies evolved in combat (no power-level stuff like SAO). A series that makes you weigh the livelihood of each pun instead of charging in shounen style. Arslan is very similar to that, but a bit more on the dramatic side. These two are similar in overall presentation, while Alderamin focuses on skirmishes and tactic maneuvers. Arslan focuses more on political and strategical maneuvers. Well, that's the difference between a platoon leader and a crowned prince.

Fate/kalied liner:  The darkest arc of the magical girl knockoff of Fate/Stay Night. My highlight is probably the return of Emiya Shirou and the dread of Heaven's Feel that has been lacking in the present of anime adaption of Fate. I guess I can go on and on about Heaven's Feel (or you can just read the blog post), but with a bit of manga spoiler, the next segment is going to be awesome!

Planetarian:  Too short and too beautiful to summarize. Read the novel first.

Fall 2016

Series of note: March Comes Like a Lion, Bungou Stray Dogs 2, Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2, Haikyuu!!, Hibike! Euphonium 2, 

Series that filled time and possibly happiness: Working...??????, Izetta the Last Witch, gi(a)rlish number, Brave Witches, 

Maybe at some point:  Occultic:Nine, Magic Girl Raising Project, Flip Flappers, Drifters, 

That sure looks good:  Yuri!!! on ICE

I know people are raving about Yuri!!! on ICE. It is good, so I will not rave about it like fangirls. Izetta probably had the most promising opening episodes in the season but the story really went to a strange place, reminding me of Dimension W. Gi(a)rlish number is certainly cringe worthy at times, but fortunately the character development pulled off.

Bungou Stray Dogs 2:  When the main character acts admirably, everyone around is elevated. This holds true for Bungou Stray Dogs 2. Although I still hold doubts if both Atsuhi and Akatugawa can hold up as the main character, the series cannot live with Dazai. The first season sets up the two very important arcs that are great on their own, Dazai and Oda's backstory then forward to the three-way battle between the Armed Detective Agency, Port Mafia, and the Guild.

"Although the head may err, the blood does not." YOLO

Haikyuu!!: Just when you thought this anime can't get any better with the rematch of Aoba Jousai and Karasuno. The best paced shounen I have seen in a while.

Hibike! Euphonium 2:  Season 2 focuses on two third-year characters that were put on the back burner from Season 1, Mizore and Asuka (and the yuri drama is back on!). Consistently and extremely high production quality, a pleasure to watch.

Mr. Trap on the Schrödinger Street

Even at the world's end

Avarice invites ill intents

For the enactment of justice

Should the delusion of Avalon burn?

Together with the earnest wishes of millions



Yet we are here on Terra

Hatred bears self-conceit

Forth the cry of gripe

Should the circus of institution crumble?

Though still stand dignity and reason



No doubt that a day will the heaven fall

And what left in the ashes of quibbles

Lives cheapened to playthings

Puppeteers simply change hands

Shows go on with a sly smile



We all know what should not be permitted

We all know what needs to be done

When the day of reckoning comes

Raise your voice and offer a prayer

For the fight, it has just begun



Nothing in our hands will be perfect

but with nothing in our hands

it is perfectly stupid

I pray that the battle be neither absolute or holy

but simple, civil, and rational





The side of the night is at -250%



(Facebook Repost)

Kotomine Kirei

Rejoice, Fakers,
For your purpose shall be fulfilled
Witness the true face of evil
The agglomeration of madness and malice
the phantasm that will mark the end of the world

For whom the revolution that never stops
the end is near
For whom the anarchy that yet descends
the end is near
For whom the icon that never persists
the end is near
For whom the decision that yet concretes
the end is near

O brave souls, twisted souls, tormented souls
the torrential beast silently watches all
Your glory, your sin, and your agony
enshrine every aspect of humanity
and will erupt in unprecedented chaos
erecting a monument of what we cannot escape

Do not avert your eyes
Do not close your hearts
Embrace the tempest just beyond the horizon
and touch the nature's contempt

Review of Stella Glow for 3DS: the Faint Glow that is Not Quite Stellar

[Containing SPOILERS; You have been warned]

The first time I heard about Stella Glow is when I finished playing Fire Emblem Awakening. However, at the same time, I also got struck on Ar Nosurge fighting the 8th Dimension. The short story¹ is that I need a tactic RPG to hold me over till the release of Fire Emblem Fates, ideally with good music but not too much grinding. Since I was also a big Touhou doujin fan in the past, ideolo's distinct use of bold black lines guaranteed that the 2D sprites are beautiful to look at (and possibly to fantasize as well, because I doubt Atlus will spend that much on animating the sprites). Wal-lah, Stella Glow seems to be the perfect fit (recommended by Amazon Prime by the way)--a game that is supposedly a Fire Emblem with Song Magic with deliberately composed character designs.

Sounds good to me, and here is my money, Atlus.

I mean is it even a surprise that #FE is combining Fire Emblem and Persona?...and here is my money again, Atlus.

So I went with the launch edition, coming in a nice card box that said "English audio blends with songs from Japan's top voice talents." Should have done my research that the game is almost ENTIRELY in English audio, with exception of songs in Japanese.

Zetsuboushita! (The Lack of Nihongo Audio) Zetsuboushita!

No, not quite. To be honest, the English voice acting was quite alright. A lot of the characters turned out well (like sluggishness in Mordimort and quirkiness of Veronica, Ph. D.?). The part that really bothers me every single time is the difference between a mature speaking voice and a fairly pubescent singing voice of Hilda. Maybe I should not be. For a thousand-year queen witch nabe shogun, there are a lot of inconsistency to state in the character setting. Of course, the crystal garden fabric poster is a dead give-away for Hilda to become one of the main heroines. In addition, I thought Sakuya's singing voice is a bit too deeper for the snappy teenager edition. However, the English tsundere rendition has its own merits...?

What merits? Real life tsunderes are rare--if people snap at you, they probably are not likely to hold affections for you, even secretly. Game world is game world indeed, so idol dating is completely alright for my version of Alto. Yes, no head shaving for idols in games, although I was surprised that all the fans were instantly converted without any mishaps.

Alto...where did I hear that before...right...surprisingly the name of main character in Ar Tonelico 3.

On the other hand, your conveniently-plot-deviced-water-witch-childhood friend is probably going to get shafted. It is almost a trope now. Too bad the official-website did not have a character popularity poll, but the first- and second-place finishers on Gamefaqs end up with Hilda and Sakuya, as expected for strong female characters. In terms of supporting characters, Anastasia was interesting and also endearing, but unfortunately her screen time was fairly limited. Elmar was actually not as annoying as I would initially expect, especially when he actually demonstrated leadership during the time of crises. Klaus/Xeno was also interesting as an ally, especially his dessert loving alter ego. But man, he is such a boring and shallow villain. It would be much more interesting if Xeno was convinced rather than simply brainwashed.

Although Marie and Eve are supposedly people I should be caring about, the emotional attachment was relatively minor. It was even a bit disturbing that I preferred the normal ending than the true ending.²

Even Ar Tonelico let you really save the world if you try hard enough.

By the way, Hilda best girl (What do you mean I can't get Anastasia? Oh, right..."Stab")

In the end, the voice acting is passable. Music scores, which carried hopes of a strong point with the abundant voice talents, ended up passable as well. In other words, they made fairly limited impact on me as a gamer, unlike the Ar Tonelico series, where some of the stage themes were absolutely superb. I heard this is supposedly a spiritual successor from Luminous Arc, but I never played it so I cannot tell if those two are comparable.

Game mechanics are simple, but bosses at the end of the game are fairly challenging. It is fairly easy to abuse move disabling songs with Alto equipped with song orbs to gain gauges, a tactic I did not find necessary throughout. There are a few subtle touches on terrain effects and character movement affinities, but it was not a quintessential part of the game. Unlike Fire Emblem, where your characters are decidedly fragile and exit permanently upon death, Stella Glow allows some breathing rooms where resetting was not a part of the daily routine. For that, I give them a plus--Sunday gamers like me are not slaves to random number generators.

However, the game mechanics have some simple imbalances, which can be easily discerned within the first few chapters. High speed and high movement characters, with area damaging skills and counter abilities, have an absolute edge over anything else.

Simply put, Rusty is OP.

And team formation, which was essential in Fire Emblem to protect the glass canons, became more or less obsolete in Stella Glow. Sure that character boosts are nice; sure back attack does more damage and provokes no counter attacks--yet the actual effects on combat gameplay are rather underwhelming. Similarly, unlocked new skills do make battle flow differently. Although the small details make the combat system refreshing, it seemed each character is locked into a particular role in the party with few options, once their abilities and skills are determined. Sakuya and Hilda, traditionally the support bombard squad, are perfectly capable on the front line. That said, I do find the orbs to be an essential part of the battle system throughout the game. Pairing the right characters with the right weapon effects was rather enjoyable. The limitation on inventory, where characters can only use equipped items, also made decision making in battles a bit more challenging.

However, these game play gimmicks in the end do not hide the shallow characterization and even shallower ideology and the good-versus-evil plot line. The top voice talents for each character, probably the biggest selling point besides the gorgeous 2D sprites, are nowhere close being preserved through the localization. A saving grace (?) is that the innuendoes are preserved without distortion, just like pickled vegetables...if you are into that kind of things.

In the end, with uncertainty on Gust's next move on the Surge Concerto and the official American release of Fire Emblem Fates, Stellar Glow will fade into obscurity among other JRPG that made to the West but did make quite enough impact to be remembered. I personally did not find replayability to be a significant decision or quality of a video game, aside from online multiplayers. Of course, you can replay the entire game to max out relationship gauges, but I have a fairly narrow taste on characters, and there is this thing called Youtube.

In the end, Stellar Glow is an entry-level strategy RPG that brings straightforward characters, simple gameplay, and an unfulfilled promise of top Japanese voice talent. Although not a master piece, it certainly gave me the entertainment for a transition downtime.

[¹The long story is that I don't mind grinding at all. Heck, my Morgan's mother is a Rally-based Bride Emmeryn that passed down Lancefaire. For Ar Nosurge, I eventually grind through 8th Dimension, albeit after a few tries. Considering how much I ground for Kanoyeel's CG, I guess I only need to believe that the boss is a bishoujo in disguise and will purge like Soma in AT3.]

[²YOU CALL THAT THE TRUE ENDING? A LONELY GIRL SINGING FOR THE ETERNITY TO KEEP HUMANITY SAFE? HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING FROM AR TONELICO? That's why Phase 3 exists.]

The Sword of Promised Victory

Faith is for the transient people.

A spark that brightens the vast empty space
A ripple that tickles the everlasting eternity

It brings peace of acceptance
exclamation of camaraderie
and fulfillment of a greater destiny

Yet it is not perfect at times

It brings condescension of ignorance
malignancy of segregation
and rejection of a greater union

A refuge for our likeliness
and a cauldron for our conflicts

Then
whose responsibility to make so?
how far would these hands extend?
what means are not justifiable to the end?
All against the wheel of fortune,
ever-turning machinery of time...

The concrete limitation of being human


Yet indecision
among overwhelming confusions
does not obscure the spot of hope,
the eternal sunshine guided by reasons
and an unparalleled optimism

Thus, I placed my fate
into the hands of my brothers and sisters
entrusted with common decency.
Together a haven is built
not to shelter our fears or faults
but to cherish our shares of duty.

Victory may seem intangible
and by my arm's length,
out of reach
But in each of our heart,
a sincere wish for the happiness of all
will become a golden blade that pierces through the blinding darkness


PS: I will be switching to embedded code from pixiv on all the images that I manage to find, so look out for some updates on old pieces. 

Chronicle Keys

Through the morning mist
The shouts of the golden horns
draw the curtain of dawn

Over the night frost
The dew on the silver thorns
brew the gown of twilight

Cycling suns and stars
My footsteps never paused and never halted
Where is my destination
What will be my consolation

Ambition makes me sneer
Despair makes me hollow
Indignation makes me screech
followed by endless sorrow

It is too late to stop
It is too late to return
Maybe the road is full of madness
But there is nowhere to turn

Straightforward I say
Into the dark and uncertain fray
Even gods I will slay
If they do stand in my way

But no, this is not what I wanted

"Neither elegance nor dignity,"
fury stroke a march on cord
Give me instead,
a method to make a gentler world

A song that will free the hearts
A song that will link our hands
Turn another page in the chronicle
Turn another key for a future
not ordained by an oracle

I offer my prayer and my labor

Again, Blossoming of the Earth

Even if the world comes to an end
With a crumbled destiny that no one can mend
Stroke the melody of silent howls
Again, blossoming of the earth

Would you change the world?
Or, would you change yourself?
Trivial daily boons
swept away by the maelstrom of fate

Passing flurries of cherry blossoms
Last regret and first yearning
And the world ends
with the fulfillment of servitude

Bustling fields of sunflowers
Assured decay and chanced salvation
And the world ends
with the antidote to loneliness

Palliating wellsprings of daisies
Selfish wishes and encumbering duties
And the world ends
with the cognizance of reality

Star-crossed paths of catnip
Simple happiness and despairing chaos
And the world ends
with the promise of reunion

Blood-stained ladders of roses
Vanishing self and encroaching madness
And the world ends
with the atonement to sin

Life blossoms one thousand times
Withering fated and unaltered
in the desolated search with endless failures

Would love be the singularity?
Possibilities will rise from ashed branches
Burden is not yours alone

Keep dreaming
Cry out in the acrimony of the powerless
Repudiate weaknesses and corruptions
and march forward with all my might

Go on
Your million-year journey
When you finally rest
we will meet again

Ah, these ineffable feelings...


*Reconstruction from previous post of "Again, Blossoms of the Earth."

Heavy spoilers, maybe.

It took a while to finish the video, but hopefully it will stay out of the audio claim mute. Yuuhei Satellite's song was really the driving force behind the reorganization, as Senya's vocal is just amazing. BTW, this is their original and not a Touhou remix.

With regards to Rewrite, I definitely enjoyed it better than Clannad due to its more simplified flag paths. I seriously don't have that much time for gaming, so cramming the humor, the action, and the Key-special heart wrenching story into one package was rather thankful. So the heroine ranking follows:  Lucia = Chihaya > Kagari > Akane > Kotori = Shizuru. Maybe I am not a fan of classic Key heroine archetypes. Yoshino and other side characters didn't really fit into the music, so their cameos are rather limited.

This will make up for my blogging absence in the past nine months. Enjoy!