Updates and freebie news

There’s been a lot going on here. As you may have guessed, Mom and I had plans for last Christmas, but we ended up setting them aside when she had an emergency visit to the hospital. Thankfully, she came out it a lot better off than when she went in, even had some concerns allayed. She’s recovering quite nicely.

Christmas was unsurprisingly quiet, but pleasant. We pretty much took things slow. New Year’s Eve went the same way; the most exciting events of the night were home-made egg nog and a movie.

I’ve been on a huge Kingdom Hearts kick lately. I had been given the handheld games over the years, but hadn’t gotten around to playing them until now, because I didn’t know that they were fully fledged sequels and hadn’t been too thrilled with Chain of Memories. Birth by Sleep was interesting, fun, and answered several questions raised by the first three games. The story was a bit dark, but given its nature, that is to be expected. 

I’ve finally finished 358/2 Days. It’s pretty much an answer to the fans’ question “What happens when a new guy/gal is introduced to the Organization?” The answer seems to be that the poor sap gets showered in catty remarks and sarcasm, if they like him… or ends up running for her life if the Organization decides that she’s not human “enough” to respect. Roxas REALLY didn’t enjoy working for Xemnas. Needless to say, it probably explains Sora’s fury when he encountered Organization XIII’s remaining members; his anger was Roxas’s (and maybe Ventus’s?) anger. 

I played Birth by Sleep before playing 358/2 Days. Some scenes in 358/2 have a much more powerful punch if you play the games in that order. I think that Roxas really DID have a heart of his own, possibly two – specifically his own newborn heart, plus Ventus’s (hehe, does that make him a Time Lord?). He could have also just been Ventus, who would have been thoroughly disoriented from being forcefully separated from Sora when Xemnas/Xehanort found him.  

There are a few oddly realistic details in this colorful fairytale. However that's a topic for another day.

Speaking of which, all of that left me with a strong urge to build a few things, including a keyblade. 

I haven’t forgotten about the freebies. The two uniforms are pretty much together. I had to set back the release date because, in addition to the aforementioned hospital visit, the motion controls needed a serious overhaul. My original plan involved more body handles than these two currently have and came out very badly. I removed all but one handle and supplemented it with morphs. The tunics use the same maps. That should give you more options. You’ll see what I mean. :)

In any case, the Kunzite uniform is done and I’m fine tuning the other suit.( I will need to post an update, but it’s pretty much functional and you’ve been waiting a very long time) There are other goodies to enjoy, too. :) I wanted to post this stuff two months ago, but better late than never, right?

Mustard for Dibbler’s Pie

We all know about the “popular” series that get promoted to the moon and back. There’s a definite inclination to groan and wish them a speedy departure. However, sometimes truly beautiful art rides in on the coat tails of otherwise lacklustre experiences. What kicked this blog off was discovering non-brain melting ways to enjoy a few different series that otherwise I’m not particularly fond of. Specifically, I’m going to be talking about fan works for Twilight and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

Let’s start with Twilight. Meyer’s concept was not bad; it was just poorly handled. Used skillfully, it is fascinating and can make for a gripping story. Thankfully, this thought also occurred to other people.

 “Buffy vs. Edward”, an excellent parody and exploration of some of the more unhealthy attitudes espoused in Twilight, follows a theoretical journey from the first encounter between Buffy and Edward to the last. It feels like an actual Buffy episode, while retaining its own character.


Incidentally, its history also provides an excellent example of the Fair Use clause. If you have any interest in copyright law, you might find reading about the video most illuminating.

 However, the crowning glory of the theoretical “what could have been” for Twilight is the fan novel Luminosity. I cannot help wishing that this was the real Twilight, because there is so much to it. Alicorn took the outline formed by the original novel and fleshed it out, turning it into a living, breathing world. Luminosity’s premise is “what would happen if Bella was clever and loved to think about the world around her?” While not a grand planner, this Bella does think things through, and while on the whole, her efforts to help do good (at first), the novel also shows the dangers of relying overly much on one’s own cleverness. (in this case, one small detail Bella overlooks undoes her) It’s a surprisingly balanced story, and, even if you cannot stand the original books, is highly enjoyable.

The theme song for Breaking Dawn part 1 is lovely (and the only part of the film I like lol), and so is the PianoGuys' cover of it.I liked song (particularly the melody) before finding out that it was written for a Twilight film; I still think it is beautiful. :) Apparently this cover was made as present to a family member of theirs.




 The current MLP fandom never ceases to amaze me. The same passion that drove this fandom to howl all over the internet for months about a character's promotion also fuels far more creative - though equally involved - endeavors. One of the most impressive gifts this fandom has to offer is its music, including full, nuanced symphonies and soundtracks! Here is one of the loveliest of the fan albums I've bumped into. I was pleasantly surprised to find this in my messages one day (in a fan art group that accepts all kinds of fan art) It sounds like the highlights from an epic fantasy film. :)