Well_known_bear's recent activity
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Comment on She fell in love with ChatGPT. Then she ghosted it. in ~tech
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Well_known_bear Link ParentThanks for the detailed responses! The last point does seem to be the real sticker for adoption. As good as VR can be for providing unique experiences in specific cases like this one, it's always...Thanks for the detailed responses!
The last point does seem to be the real sticker for adoption. As good as VR can be for providing unique experiences in specific cases like this one, it's always competing with just doing the same thing on your existing screen with less cost / friction.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Well_known_bear Link ParentI've been VR curious for years now, and reading about experiences like this always tempts me to jump in, particularly with how cheap entry level headsets like the Quest 3s are getting. When I look...I've been VR curious for years now, and reading about experiences like this always tempts me to jump in, particularly with how cheap entry level headsets like the Quest 3s are getting.
When I look into it, though, there are still a few caveats which are making me hesitate:
- I need glasses, and apparently there's a risk of them grinding up against the lenses and damaging both if you don't order custom inserts.
- You need a pretty decent framerate / resolution not to get sick, and my GPU is mid-range at best.
- Valve is about to put out the Frame, which seems like it'll deliver on the tech specs while 'just running' games without having to finagle with side loading or deal with Meta.
- Uncertainty about how much use I'll actually get out of it. Out of an informal poll among my friends with VR headsets, none of them used theirs regularly.
I wish I'd gone and tried one out before the pandemic when stores actually had test units. These days, it feels rare to even see them on shelves!
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What are your predictions for 2026?
Thought I'd post the thread this year as I haven't seen it pop up yet. It's been an eventful 2025, and we certainly live in some interesting times. If you made predictions for this year, how did...
Thought I'd post the thread this year as I haven't seen it pop up yet.
It's been an eventful 2025, and we certainly live in some interesting times. If you made predictions for this year, how did they turn out? What are your predictions for the next year?
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Comment on New Neon Genesis Evangelion short to premiere at event in February 2026 in ~anime
Well_known_bear (edited )LinkChief supervisor / writer will be Anno Hideaki Director will be Asano Naoyuki (animation director for Evangelion 3.0+1.0) Gainax veterans Tsurumaki Kazuya / Higuchi Shinji / Todoroki Ikki will...- Chief supervisor / writer will be Anno Hideaki
- Director will be Asano Naoyuki (animation director for Evangelion 3.0+1.0)
- Gainax veterans Tsurumaki Kazuya / Higuchi Shinji / Todoroki Ikki will also serve as supervisors
- Short will only be 13 minutes long
Hopefully it'll see a subsequent release outside the event too.
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New Neon Genesis Evangelion short to premiere at event in February 2026
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Comment on This life gives you nothing - Your attention is all you have. Wasting it is annihilating in ~life
Well_known_bear LinkThanks for the link. It's trite now of course to say that screens can have a negative effect on us, but I found the directions in which the author takes the subject to be interesting. To take just...Thanks for the link.
It's trite now of course to say that screens can have a negative effect on us, but I found the directions in which the author takes the subject to be interesting.
To take just one point, back when I used social media, I definitely experienced a similar "Tetris effect" where my brain reflexively sought to frame all new stimulus in terms of how it could be shared and, perhaps a little shamefully, how it would be received by random strangers on the internet. Suffice it to say that this kind of thinking only leads to a kind of constant low-key misery and dissatisfaction with life.
I have been social media free for a number of years now and thankfully, my brain has unlearned this behavior. What the article raises for me, though, is whether I'm still unconsciously framing and "redirecting" experiences in other ways (similar to the camera experience described by the author) - work, TV, gaming and so on could all still be having that effect on me.
Not to say that I'm going to throw all of that away and live in the woods, but it's given me some food for thought as to:
- at least recognising this kind of reframing when it happens; and
- at least being conscious about whether the trade-off is worth it.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Well_known_bear LinkYet another season starts to wind down. It's been a relatively quiet one for me, but next season is looking packed. Jujutsu Kaisen S3 Feels like this went a bit off the rails in S2 with the loss...Yet another season starts to wind down.
It's been a relatively quiet one for me, but next season is looking packed.
Jujutsu Kaisen S3
Feels like this went a bit off the rails in S2 with the loss of focus on the trio of protagonists and all the elaborate but poorly explained powers, but I'm here for this so long as they keep up the exceptional animation.Jigokuraku S2
It's not as flashy as Mappa's other shows, but S1 was some solid action / adventure / cultivation fantasy and I'll be happy to watch more of the same.Oshi no ko S3
I still don't think the premise or writing is anywhere near as good as Kaguya, but the animation and performances are top notch and have carried the show for me so far. I've heard there was some fan discontent about how the manga ended, though, so I'm keeping my expectations in check.Enen no Shouboutai S3 Part 2
They've jumped the shark with this one and I'll only be watching due to sunk cost fallacy. The answers to all the mysteries set up in the initial seasons are ridiculous and there are way too many characters in play, slowing the pacing to a crawl.Fate / Strange Fake
I stopped being invested in the lore of the Nasu-verse after they turned it into a multiverse, but I'll admit that a lot of these Fate shows are pretty good on their own terms. I even enjoyed Prisma Illya, Lord El-Melloi and that dumb cooking show.In this case, though, the preview airing of episode 1 already feels a little too self-indulgent with all the cameos and references to other series. I'm also not a fan of the reuse of Gilgamesh (again!?). It makes the world feel small when they have access to anyone from all of history and mythology but keep going back to the same well, and I would have preferred to see some American servants to go along with the new setting instead (Paul Bunyan as rider? John Henry as berserker? The possibilities are endless.)
Trigun Stargaze
Basically season 2 of the CG Trigun anime, which was surprisingly good (once you get used to the CG art style) and very smartly paced. I love the original too, but it has a ton of filler and does a worse job of conveying the story.Vigilante: Boku no Hero Academia Illegals S2
Could do with being a bit grittier given the premise and a little less tied to the story and characters in the main series, but it's fine as the obligatory seasonal Bones action show. Working class Batman is a standout and I wish they had made him the protagonist.Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu
I'm intrigued by this one as a death game enthusiast, but the whole 'protagonist is a death game expert' premise might end up being a bit too meta for its own good. The detailed art in the trailer also looks quite nice, but it's Studio Deen, so who knows if the animation will actually be any good.
Honorable mentions for shows I won't be watching but liked the manga for:
Sousou no Frieren S2
Kind of regret not jumping on the anime train for this one, as there's a ton of fighting in the manga now and it's not the artist's strong suit, with the battle scenes often feeling very stiff and clinical - A is shooting B in panel 1; B is using a shield spell in panel 2 - and so on. It reminds me weirdly of the fight scenes in Akamatsu Ken's manga, where the panels are often filled with beams and explosions and people hitting each other, but there's no dynamism or impact to the composition or panel flow. I expect these scenes will look great when paired with proper storyboarding in the anime, though.Darwin Jihen
Possibly the most realistic depiction of Western characters and setting that I've ever seen in a manga. Also has the usual mature themes and handling of them that you'd expect from an Afternoon series.Kirei ni shitemoraemasu ka
Slice of life series about a lady running a dry cleaner in Atami who 'washed away' her own memories. Cute and relaxing. It also taught me that you have to leave your washing machine door open to air it after use, and I always think about this series when I do. -
Comment on Orbitals | Announcement trailer in ~games
Well_known_bear Link ParentFair enough! I think the requirement for 2 players is going to be the hurdle for me, although judging by the success of the Hazelight games, I expect there's a market for this genre.Fair enough! I think the requirement for 2 players is going to be the hurdle for me, although judging by the success of the Hazelight games, I expect there's a market for this genre.
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Comment on Orbitals | Announcement trailer in ~games
Well_known_bear LinkEverything from the designs and linework to the VHS colour palette and the yellow subtitles is so on point for the aesthetic they're going for, but I feel like the parts which are running at 60fps...Everything from the designs and linework to the VHS colour palette and the yellow subtitles is so on point for the aesthetic they're going for, but I feel like the parts which are running at 60fps actually detract from it since they feel unnaturally smooth next to the models being animated at the (proper) lower frame rate (24fps?).
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Comment on After 42 years, Gainax officially closes in ~anime
Well_known_bear LinkThe actual talent that built the studio left for Trigger and Khara long ago, but still rather sad to see a name with such a history shut down. Time used to be that they were churning out hit after...The actual talent that built the studio left for Trigger and Khara long ago, but still rather sad to see a name with such a history shut down. Time used to be that they were churning out hit after hit in every kind of genre, and you could go on their site and see new illustrations by their artists ever week.
For anyone with an interest in the glory days of Gainax (or just the history of anime in Japan in general), Otaku no Video is a must see!
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Well_known_bear (edited )LinkI'm also watching Lord of Mysteries as part of this season's Chinese animation dive. The first thing which strikes me about the show is that the animation is remarkably good. The action scenes are...I'm also watching Lord of Mysteries as part of this season's Chinese animation dive.
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The first thing which strikes me about the show is that the animation is remarkably good.
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The action scenes are all very dynamic, and they don't skimp on frames or art consistency even for less important scenes, small movements or characters who aren't in the focus of the shot. The character designs also lean towards the realistic and have a pleasantly chunky, thickly-shaded style to them which makes me think a bit of the Netflix Castlevania show.
However, the show does have a heavily post-processed look (lots of gradients, filters, particles and CG effects) which people may or may not love.
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On top of the animation, the backgrounds are unusually detailed and I suspect that most of them are actually just composed out of 3D CG models, as there's a lot of sweeping camera work showing them off from different angles. It wouldn't surprise me if they used AI in the workflow, as it would require a tremendous amount of effort to produce this level of detail by hand, but if that's what they did, none of it leaps out to me as looking bad (other than some of the models for things like carriages and buildings looking a bit janky due to unusually low texture detail compared to the surroundings).
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In terms of the story, it's basically Chinese isekai progression fantasy, complete with jobs, levels, skills and so forth.
This isn't usually my jam, but at least it's not the usual "light novel JRPG Europe" setting, instead being more of a 1900s Lovecraft / Aleister Crowley occultism / "revealing the arcane" sort of deal with a bit of SCP Foundation thrown in. The usual genre tropes with the protagonist planning out his character build and using his knowledge from Earth are definitely there and kind of obnoxious, but there's enough of a proper plot outside of that stuff to make it worth watching.
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Speaking of the plot, the first episode has to be one of the worst on-boarding episodes I've ever seen. There's literally zero time devoted to establishing who the protagonist is (or even the fact that he comes from our Earth) or what the rules of this setting are. Instead, it launches straight into four or five separate storylines and the introduction of a dozen different characters and locales, the relative importance of which are not even hinted at.
However, the show does narrow its focus into a much more manageable single storyline from episode 2 onwards, so it's worth pushing through to at least that point before deciding whether it's for you.
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Comment on How did you choose your podcast app and would you switch to a different one? in ~tech
Well_known_bear Link ParentAlso a fan of AntennaPod. Free and open source. Easy to set up but also has a ton of options available to get things to run exactly the way you like them, including automation, organisation,...Also a fan of AntennaPod.
- Free and open source.
- Easy to set up but also has a ton of options available to get things to run exactly the way you like them, including automation, organisation, appearance, etc.
- Regularly updated but works bug free and without any weird unnecessary features being pushed / enshittification.
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Comment on Prime Video pulls eerily emotionless AI-generated anime dubs after complaints in ~anime
Well_known_bear LinkFrom the article:From the article:
In March, Amazon announced that its streaming service would start including “AI-aided dubbing on licensed movies and series that would not have been dubbed otherwise.” In late November, some AI-generated English and Spanish dubs of anime popped up, including dubs for the Banana Fish series and the movie No Game No Life: Zero.
In videos shared by users, some of the AI-generated voice work was eerily deadpan. In one telling video Ash Lynx from Banana Fish tries to awaken a child who has been shot while speaking in a detached, dry tone. “Don’t leave me please,” he states like a robot before confronting someone without any anger in his voice. The person responds in a similarly emotionless manner.
In addition to anime viewers complaining about the quality of the dubs, some expressed anger over voice actors being passed over in favor of subpar generative AI.
On Tuesday, Gizmodo reported that “several of the English language AI dubs for anime such as Banana Fish, No Game No Life: Zero, and more have now been removed.” However, some AI-generated dubs remain as of this writing, including an English dub for the anime series Pet and a Spanish one for Banana Fish, Ars Technica has confirmed.
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Prime Video pulls eerily emotionless AI-generated anime dubs after complaints
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Comment on I built an arcade cabinet for my 4 year old and need some Switch game recs in ~games
Well_known_bear (edited )LinkA simple and chill puzzle game like Suika Game with no time or enemy pressure might be a good introduction which allows them to get comfortable with video game controls at their own pace. Animal...A simple and chill puzzle game like Suika Game with no time or enemy pressure might be a good introduction which allows them to get comfortable with video game controls at their own pace.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is also a pretty gentle introduction to a lot of gaming mechanics like items and inventories, crafting and building, planning ahead and even a bit of action.
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Comment on Netflix kills casting from phones in ~tech
Well_known_bear Link ParentPossibly a reference to this story? I also have a preference for open source solutions where possible myself. Even when a privately-owned service is currently fine for my needs, there's no...Possibly a reference to this story?
I also have a preference for open source solutions where possible myself. Even when a privately-owned service is currently fine for my needs, there's no guarantee that it won't be enshittified down the line.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Well_known_bear (edited )LinkMahou Shoujo no Majo Saiban / Magical Girl Witch Trials Death game / murder mystery / courtroom VN. Thirteen girls are imprisoned in a mysterious mansion and told that they have been isolated from...Mahou Shoujo no Majo Saiban / Magical Girl Witch Trials
Death game / murder mystery / courtroom VN.
Thirteen girls are imprisoned in a mysterious mansion and told that they have been isolated from society because they are witches in the making, doomed to eventually awaken to an irresistible compulsion to kill.
This game received a fair amount of buzz in Japan (and seems to have sold well enough for the developer to immediately announce a bunch of other games), so as a death game / social deduction / VN tragic, I thought I'd check out what all the fuss was about.
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First off, the game isn't shy about wearing its influences on its sleeve - It's very transparently Danganronpa wrapped in a Madoka Magica setting and aesthetic:
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Each character has their own unique (in this case, magical) skill which often plays into the mysteries, although not everyone is keen to reveal what theirs is.
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Everyone is forced to live under a specific set of rules about when they can be outside their rooms, when food and water is available, when they need to shower and sleep and so on. Failure to comply with the rules is punished by the obligatory death game animal mascot.
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When a murder occurs, you have to investigate, gather truth bul- er- items of evidence and then use them at the ensuing witch trial to make your case, following which - you guessed it! - a vote is taken on who is to be executed as the culprit.
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The visuals are nice and colourful and the writing is decent enough, with plenty of mysteries about the setting and the various characters established right away and a snappily paced introduction that doesn't drag out the tropes of the genre (although it has a lot of those). The murder mysteries also feel pitched at an appropriate level of difficulty.
However, the music and prose are quite understated and the game doesn't feature anything like the off-the-wall humour, bombastic visual style or frenetic electronic soundtrack of its inspiration.
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On the gameplay:
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The trials largely work the same way as in Danganronpa. In each round, the characters hold a timed discussion with certain lines having highlighted keywords, and your job is to work out which of those to rebut or support. The main differences are that:
- You don't respond directly with evidence - instead, you choose the keyword, the response you're proposing to make from a list, and then the evidence to support it where needed. I rather like this approach, since it's easier to tell whether you actually agree with the proposed input before making it.
- There's no life bar and (as far as I can tell) no fail state as long as you answer correctly within the extremely generous time limit. I can imagine people being divided on this, but I've always thought that a life bar system was a bad fit for games like this since being forced to do a runback is just a waste of time when you already know the answers.
Unfortunately, you'll still occasionally run into the issue common with this genre where you know the answer but aren't sure how the game wants you to frame it, particularly with more complex answers involving several different elements.
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There are decisions you can make outside the trials too, but most of them seem to just be a choice between a swift death and continuing the story. There's even an option in the settings (on by default) where it'll show you whether a choice leads to a game over.
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A couple of minor annoyances:
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When you get important new information, the game will notify you that your journal (containing information about the clues, characters and setting) is updated, but there's no option to go directly to the page that got updated, and nor is there any marker for the pages with unread new info. It's not a big deal as long as you're paying attention to the text, but a bit frustrating if you want to read along as it gets updated.
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Sometimes, the answer isn't in the evidence file at all and you have to actually recall the fine details from the story to work out the solution. It would have been nice to have a timeline or case summary feature where you could look up that info in case you forgot.
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The game doesn't support controllers, which I find to be the most comfortable way to play VNs. However, it does let you scroll forward with the mouse wheel, which is the second best way.
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Ultimately, I feel like I should like this game more than I actually do, since the premise has promise and I don't miss the bits of Danganronpa's gameplay that they actually cut like the skills, the shooting, the minigames and the awkward 3D exploration, but the lack of any original elements to replace those things leaves it feeling a bit bland and without its own identity. Still, it might be worth a look if you're into the genre.
(Note: This game currently only has Japanese and Chinese language options, but should be available in English shortly.)
Also finally finished Final Fantasy VII Remake.
My issues with the combat aside, I came away feeling quite good about the game:
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The more I played, the more evident it became that this was a game made for people who already played and loved the original (and its spin-offs) - to the point where a lot of the last third probably just feels like nonsense if you haven't got that context. Now you can argue about whether that's a good way to make a "remake", but the part of me that played the original as a kid and thought "What if they made a whole game that looked as cool as these FMVs? That would be so sick!" can't help but resonate with that, because yeah, this is that game.
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Although I could take or leave a lot of the new story in the base game, I liked Intergrade. I couldn't stand Yuffie in the original game, but the voice acting, expressive character animation and additional backstory all add up to make this new version much more likeable than just some annoying rando you run into on the world map. Yeah, she's still fundamentally the same dumb kid, but that naivety is actually utilised by the story and given contrast by the addition of Sonon. I hope they give Vincent a similar treatment.
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Comment on Treadmill advice in ~health
Well_known_bear LinkIf your apartment has a parking garage, you could run there when the weather is less than ideal. I just run laps in a visitor parking area which is essentially abandoned most of the time. This is...If your apartment has a parking garage, you could run there when the weather is less than ideal. I just run laps in a visitor parking area which is essentially abandoned most of the time.
This is obviously not as nice as running outdoors (and you do have to watch out for the occasional person slowly driving through), but it's free, doesn't take up any room or require maintenance and won't disturb anyone.
If you live near any other sort of public area with a roof (park with a sheltered area, etc), it might also be possible to make it work there, but I found the parking garage to work best since it's for residents only and there aren't many people passing through.
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Comment on Netflix to produce new series from 'Hana yori Dango' author (Prism Rinbukyoku) in ~anime
Well_known_bear LinkNew 20 episode Netflix series Prism Rinbukyoku (Prism Rondo) written and character designed by Hana yori Dango author Kamio Youko. Drama about a Japanese art student studying abroad in 1900s...-
New 20 episode Netflix series Prism Rinbukyoku (Prism Rondo) written and character designed by Hana yori Dango author Kamio Youko.
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Drama about a Japanese art student studying abroad in 1900s London.
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Animation by WIT Studio (first 2 seasons of Attack on Titan)
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This line of thinking is really reminding me of the instructions for conjuring and treating with demons in occult texts like the Lesser Key of Solomon.
Paimon teaches all arts, philosophies, and sciences, and secret things; he can reveal all mysteries of the Earth, wind, and water, what the mind is, and where it is, and everything the conjurer wants to know.
[Gushion] tells all past, present and future things, shows the meaning of all questions that are asked to him, reconciles friends, and gives honour and dignity.
Buné makes men eloquent and wise, and gives true answers to their demands and also richness.
[Flauros] gives true answers of all things past, present and future, but he must be first commanded to enter a magic triangle for if not he will lie, deceive the conjurer, and beguile him in other business.