Well_known_bear's recent activity
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
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Comment on I built ProxChat - what is it? in ~tech
Well_known_bear LinkCould it be YikYak? It was similar in the 'chat with people nearby' sense and it was from around 13 years ago, although I don't think it was a web app.Could it be YikYak?
It was similar in the 'chat with people nearby' sense and it was from around 13 years ago, although I don't think it was a web app.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Well_known_bear Link ParentI feel like from about halfway (maybe earlier?) in this series, the author really just zeroed in on the central premise of 'characters who can come back in perfect health if they die' and...I feel like from about halfway (maybe earlier?) in this series, the author really just zeroed in on the central premise of 'characters who can come back in perfect health if they die' and everything else was just an afterthought to enable those scenes. The main story becomes an absolute mess towards the end, so anyone sticking around is only reading for the action and art.
I read this author's short THE POOL recently which is a much more coherent Aliens-esque (the James Cameron one) story.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Well_known_bear Link ParentDefinitely agree that the 2003 Kino anime had better composition. Just about the only things I liked better about the 2017 series were the improved animation and the stories which weren't featured...Definitely agree that the 2003 Kino anime had better composition. Just about the only things I liked better about the 2017 series were the improved animation and the stories which weren't featured in the 2003 version.
This is one of those series where I really wish they'd make more of the anime (although I can understand why it isn't exactly a blockbuster) or at least another show in the same vein. The only thing I've seen which has a remotely similar premise is Majo no Tabitabi which has a much more lighthearted tone.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Well_known_bear LinkBeen reading Junket Bank, a thriller about sharply-dressed men who gamble against each other in death games. The premise is that the protagonist works for a bank which secretly operates an...Been reading Junket Bank, a thriller about sharply-dressed men who gamble against each other in death games.
The premise is that the protagonist works for a bank which secretly operates an underground casino funded by the decadent 1%. These people show up to watch gamblers play against each other in increasingly deadly games as their winnings (essentially their 'power level') increase, while their agents (the employees of the bank who set up the matches) are also playing against fellow employees by staking their 'career time' on each match. Those who lose all of their money (or career time, in the case of employees) become seized as property of the bank.
Despite the dark premise, there's really no social commentary angle to it. It's purely dudes death gaming against each other, which I can hang with.
The series has been running for about 5 years now and there's an anime coming up for it later in October this year for anyone who'd prefer to watch that.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Well_known_bear (edited )LinkWe're nearing the end of another season, so I've been deciding on my picks for next season. Re: Zero kara Hajmeru Isekai Seikatsu S4 Still can't quite put my finger on what I like about this show....We're nearing the end of another season, so I've been deciding on my picks for next season.
Re: Zero kara Hajmeru Isekai Seikatsu S4
Still can't quite put my finger on what I like about this show. There's nothing really special about the characters or the story (much of which has been done in other series). Maybe it's how bad decisions are frequently met with actual negative consequences (even if the protagonist usually ends up just rewinding back in time) and the good guys are often outmatched and lose fights. There's a 'dark fantasy' feel to it that makes it a little edgy, even if it is otherwise filled with tropes.
BONES adaptation of the Full Metal Alchemist author Arakawa Hiromu's current serial. I've been putting off reading this in anticipation of seeing it animated so I have no idea what it's like, but I've enjoyed everything she's put out so far.
I've made a couple of attempts to get into the manga for this one but it hasn't clicked. However, I thought the Madhouse adaptation for Kaiji was fantastic and have high hopes they can do the same for this.
Honourable mentions for stuff I read the manga for:
Aggressively offbeat and weird heavy metal fantasy with a story to match. An oddly addictive read despite the incredibly messy art. The author's current serial Dai Dark is also every bit as bizarre and enjoyable.
Fantasy series with luscious art, beautiful outfits and great world building. It's kind of like if Harry Potter really dug down into the themes about the privilege of magic users over regular people and the extent to which magic that can, you know, kill people needs to be regulated even at the cost of not using it to save lives. The animation in the trailer looks excellent (by BUG FILMS which did the very nicely animated Zom 100 - first episode in particular is incredible), although it doesn't really capture the art style of the manga.
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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 )LinkPokemon Pokopia Picked this up after seeing the reviews. It's pretty good! The core gameplay feels a bit like a very large open-zoned Animal Crossing. Rather than managing a cozy little island...Pokemon Pokopia
Picked this up after seeing the reviews. It's pretty good!
The core gameplay feels a bit like a very large open-zoned Animal Crossing. Rather than managing a cozy little island with 8 residents, you're the landlord to an every-expanding empire of dozens of Pokemon across a sprawling map filled with mountains, caverns and ruins all waiting to be explored, restored and/or just looted. Every second I'm playing, I feel like I'm being pulled in five directions at once with all the different things I could be doing - setting up habitats, improving existing ones, crafting items and setting up infrastructure, completing quests or just pushing outwards a little further into the massive map and maybe uncovering some cool secrets. It's a little overwhelming, but at the same time, there's no time pressure, sweaty action or any kind of fail state. None of the mainline quests are difficult to progress, and no one hassles you to do them if you want to focus on doing something else instead.
The exploration in particular is the standout for me. I love coming across ruins and having that moment of recognition where I realise what it's meant to be from the original game. More than once, I've squeezed into tiny one block gaps and thought 'there's no way the designers thought to put anything here', only to find a long secret passage leading to a neat little reward. There are gates with tantalisingly inaccessible rooms lying beyond, mysterious flooded passages and holes in soaring ceilings and hidden shrines and shortcuts all over the place, all inviting tenacious / nosy players to find a way in.
The only minor complaints that I have:
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There's a loading screen between zones. It's not a long one, but you'll see it a lot since you're incentivised to move between zones pretty frequently - your storage isn't linked, and you'll often want to go to a zone to round up some Pokemon to help out in another. I really hope there's some kind of linked chest system later on to alleviate this, or at least a much larger chest.
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This game has so much stuff in it that your chests will constantly be overflowing. Even if you have a system for organising by category, it's a real pain when you want to dump a bunch of stuff from your latest looting expedition and your chests just don't have the room, or if you're looking for one specific piece of furniture and can't remember which chest you put it in.
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There's some live service game cruft like a daily login stamp card, daily missions, daily shop items and seasonal events. I'm not really a fan of this kind of FOMO game design, but the game gives you so much in-game currency anyway that you don't really need to do any of it.
Otherwise, it's solid enough that I'm curious how the next Animal Crossing is going to distinguish itself.
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Comment on Hisense TVs show ads during normal operation in ~tech
Well_known_bear Link ParentYeah, that's the comprehensive way to do it. There are pre-made lists floating around too, but I find they don't necessarily block everything. Another option is just to block everything and...Yeah, that's the comprehensive way to do it. There are pre-made lists floating around too, but I find they don't necessarily block everything.
Another option is just to block everything and whitelist the stuff you do use. I ended up just doing this and whitelisting YouTube.
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Comment on Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster released on Steam in ~games
Well_known_bear LinkBig fan of the original game. I played the original (OK, strictly speaking, the Japanese "For the Sequel" re-release) on the 3DS and it was the closest I've ever come to feeling like I was playing...Big fan of the original game. I played the original (OK, strictly speaking, the Japanese "For the Sequel" re-release) on the 3DS and it was the closest I've ever come to feeling like I was playing a new 'classic' Final Fantasy game of the kind they used to make before FF7.
I've played both of the sequels and while the gameplay loop is still solid, I don't think either of the stories or gimmicks are as well executed as in this one.
For anyone else who loves this series and wants more while hanging out for Bravely Sword to maybe eventually come out, check out Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light on the DS. It's the progenitor to the Bravely Default series in all but name and has a very similar system and style of storytelling.
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Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news
Well_known_bear LinkOsaka University finds that plush toys feel cuter when held by someone. Study based on sample of around 400 Japanese and American people.Osaka University finds that plush toys feel cuter when held by someone.
Study based on sample of around 400 Japanese and American people.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Well_known_bear Link ParentI read an interesting article the other day where a Kadokawa light novel editor-in-chief said that their main readership within Japan was in their 50s-60s, although he believed the overseas...I read an interesting article the other day where a Kadokawa light novel editor-in-chief said that their main readership within Japan was in their 50s-60s, although he believed the overseas audience was younger.
This came as a bit of a shock to me as a lot of light novel content is very shounen coded with mostly young characters (putting aside the recent 'middle aged guy protagonist' boom). I wonder how much the character age is a factor in terms of sales.
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Comment on Hisense TVs show ads during normal operation in ~tech
Well_known_bear Link ParentI own an LG TV and already block all of their domains via my router (I would jailbreak it too if I could!) Once they have my money for the TV, I am unconvinced that they have any incentive to push...I own an LG TV and already block all of their domains via my router (I would jailbreak it too if I could!) Once they have my money for the TV, I am unconvinced that they have any incentive to push anything to it which doesn't enshittify it.
You need only look at the remote control which has 6 large unreprogrammable buttons for 'services' to know what sort of people are running these companies.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Well_known_bear (edited )LinkBeen reading Asano Inio's current serial, MUJINA INTO THE DEEP. In a broad sense, it's a story about a dystopian near-future Japan in which the aging population has gotten out of control and...Been reading Asano Inio's current serial, MUJINA INTO THE DEEP.
In a broad sense, it's a story about a dystopian near-future Japan in which the aging population has gotten out of control and everyone over 85 is stripped of their human rights and moved to a containment area to die off. This opens the door to a whole class of people (Mujinas, literally 'badgers') who have for one reason or another renounced their 'human rights card' and become objects. Crimes against Mujinas are not judiciable, and by the same token, neither are crimes committed by them, leading to many of them becoming assassins, mercenaries and so on, but at the same time, the freedom afforded to them has given rise to an admiration for their 'rooftop culture' (named after the rooftops where Mujinas hang out to avoid being tracked by the surveillance which is now everywhere) which has spread among the younger population.
In practice, it's a bit of a weird mix between full blown action katana fights on rooftops and human drama / society commentary. The latter is the more compelling element, with a focus on the dregs of this awful society and the humans that exploit them (a bit reminiscent of Yamikin Ushijima-kun at times), including a plotline about the political origins of the Mujina that is clearly inspired by modern day news stories like the Epstein files.
If you can stomach the abundant sex, violence and just overall bleakness of the story, there's some compelling writing here. I really liked in particular the juxtaposition of the Mujinas and the 'human' characters (who frequently lead just as if not more miserable lives) and the contemplation of whether it's better to live as a cog within a society that provides for its participants but also demands that they continuously consume and sustain the system or essentially as an animal outside it.
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Comment on Khara releases Neon Genesis Evangelion 30th anniversary special on Youtube in ~anime
Well_known_bear Link ParentThe bit at the start is just some manzai comedy for which the bowtie is commonly worn. I see this as just a silly bonus episode which breaks the fourth wall. Nothing about it is canon. The...What's the trope significance of the comedy duo with a bowtie? Is Shikinami supposed to be the comic foil while Sōryū is the straight man?
So I guess this means canonically, there's nothing romantic between Shikinami and poor Kensuke? Or simply not brought up to Sōryū?The bit at the start is just some manzai comedy for which the bowtie is commonly worn.
I see this as just a silly bonus episode which breaks the fourth wall. Nothing about it is canon.
Can folks who understand Japanese help me with her reaction to the dream about her mom praising her telling her she's a good girl and a genius? Seems a bit traumatic....
The different skits are each an attempt to find a way of being for her character that she can accept. In this case, she isn't convinced because she doesn't see herself in the way her mother describes.
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Khara releases Neon Genesis Evangelion 30th anniversary special on Youtube
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Comment on Andy Nguyen has successfully ported Linux to the PS5, running GTA 5 Enhanced with ray tracing in ~tech
Well_known_bear LinkImagine a future where Sony brought back Linux support for the PS6. There would be a kind of beautiful symmetry between duelling PS + Linux vs Xbox + Windows platforms. I expect the big winner in...Imagine a future where Sony brought back Linux support for the PS6. There would be a kind of beautiful symmetry between duelling PS + Linux vs Xbox + Windows platforms.
I expect the big winner in that situation would be Steam, though.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Well_known_bear Link ParentI'm a fan of Asano Inio in general, and the first 2/3 of Oyasumi Punpun is arguably his best work (also quite liked Dead Dead Demons Dedededededestruction and Umibe no Onna no Ko), but the last...I'm a fan of Asano Inio in general, and the first 2/3 of Oyasumi Punpun is arguably his best work (also quite liked Dead Dead Demons Dedededededestruction and Umibe no Onna no Ko), but the last third leading into the ending didn't feel nearly as strong to me and is a bit of an orthogonal turn away from the mix of wonder and despair that made the first parts so good. Would be interested to hear what you think!
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Comment on Xbox confirms 'Project Helix', its next-gen console that will also play PC games in ~games
Well_known_bear LinkI'm curious as to whether MS will move towards keeping at least some of their games exclusive to Xbox now that Sony and Nintendo are both following that playbook. Creating a solid install base is...I'm curious as to whether MS will move towards keeping at least some of their games exclusive to Xbox now that Sony and Nintendo are both following that playbook. Creating a solid install base is going to be their top priority coming off their present situation.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Well_known_bear Link ParentI enjoyed the cooking show. It's silly but wholesome and you can learn a bit of cooking if you follow along. Prisma Illya has some neat ideas but also a lot of fan service and awful episodes, so...I enjoyed the cooking show. It's silly but wholesome and you can learn a bit of cooking if you follow along.
Prisma Illya has some neat ideas but also a lot of fan service and awful episodes, so it's kind of difficult to recommend. The Sekka no Chikai movie (which is about Shirou and barely has Illya at all) is great though.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Well_known_bear Link ParentBig fan of El-Melloi despite it absolutely not working as a detective show. The answer to every mystery is always literally 'a wizard did it'. The real appeal of the show definitely lies in...Big fan of El-Melloi despite it absolutely not working as a detective show. The answer to every mystery is always literally 'a wizard did it'. The real appeal of the show definitely lies in soaking up the Type-Moon-ness of it all.
Will you also be watching the less serious shows like Prisma Ilya and the cooking show?
What I had in mind was a 'stranger visits a different country each week with a society that has its own unusual rules' show. Kind of like if it was The ones who walk away from Omelas but every week it was something different.
I've seen or read all of these, but probably the only one I'd say is close to that is Galaxy Express 999 (where most of the time, it's not an actual country but an alien planet with weird sci-fi stuff going down).