Month: May 2014
Mirai: You, Me, And Onodera Kosaki
One of the best things about being young is having the future ahead of them. If a youth is wise enough and won’t pull off that “f*ck it, I’m young” or YOLO crap and plan ahead, he or she can become who he or she chooses to be. However, not everyone knows what they want to do for the rest of their lives, including the sweet, smart, and pretty Onodera Kosaki.
I’ve always known what I’ve always wanted to be and do in life. Sure, I could’ve and should’ve gotten the right heading seven years earlier if I wasn’t such a pussy and fessed up that I can’t be a nurse because I’m a total klutz who cracks under pressure, but better late than never, right? As for Onodera, she is in the best and worst time of her life to decide for her future. Best, because she is still just a teenager. If she gets it right, she’s gonna have a huge headstart and be at the top of her chosen field at a young age. Worst, because you know how teenagers are – whimsical with their decisions because they are much too young to realize who they truly are, who they want to be, and what they want to do. I mean, some sixteen year-olds, if not most of them, are not mature enough to make a choice that can affect the rest of their lives, or even realize that a choice like that has to be made, so Onodera not knowing what she’ll be doing for the next twenty to forty years is actually normal. Of course, she has to decide at one point, but her epiphany that she hasn’t really thought of the future is already a big step towards it, so I’m sure she’s gonna do fine (James, look at you worry about a fictional character). With Nisekoi being catered mostly for the teenager demographic, I’m sure Onodera’s existential crisis will be a wake-up call to many of its readers, so I would like to commend Naoshi-senseiĀ for deviating from the manga’s usual teenage love themes and teaching the kids something vital about real life.
We all have to earn money to survive. Aside from that, on a more socially and existentially relevant level, we all have to find our place in the world, the one thing we have to do. It doesn’t have to be something only you and you alone can do, and it can’t always be what you want to do (although it’s more fulfilling if it is, so you better try and achieve that), but as long as it gives you a sense of purpose and importance, provides food on the table, pays the damn bills, and allows you to experience life’s simple pleasures, then it’s more than enough.
So to my beloved Onodera, as well as everyone experiencing the same quandaries as her (you’re not my beloved tho): life, and the future, is what you make of it. If you’re young, you don’t have to decide now, but you’ll have to sooner or later, so take your time and choose carefully. Go and be what you always wanted to be so you won’t have any regrets. If you don’t make it, then it’s okay, because what matters is you tried; it just means that fate has something else planned for you. If you’re a bit old and are currently in the path you chose, get serious, because next thing you know the future has become the present. If you are young, a bit old, or even really old, and want a shift in your direction, then take this quote by C.S. Lewis: “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” But don’t just read it and think everything will be fine; put all your heart and energy in your new goal, because half-hearted and half-assed attempts to get to the future you want will get you nowhere.
May we all get to the future we always dreamed and hoped for. š
P.S.: Onodera, since you want to be a good wife, why not take up HRM, Culinary Arts, Interior Design, or Economics? š
Once A Student, Always A Student Part 1
My college years were a blast, for it was a time of many firsts and lasts, the end of an era and the beginning of another. I went to a big school full of different people and beautiful women, had real friends for the first time ever, fell in love, got rejected, but realized it wasn’t the end of the world and moved on, got allowance money just for going to school, learned to play real DoTA, watched movies, drank and got drunk, partied, went swimming, actually did my student responsibilities in order to graduate, and learned valuable course-related and life lessonsĀ – that’s what my university life was all about. When it was over, I entered the world of work, which was fun and almost felt the same as college because I also made friends and kept doing some of the things I did back then (including falling in love and ending up with the same result), except studying, but college had a charm of its own that cannot seem to be replicated by doing the same things I did before. I can never replace or bring back the feeling of my college days, but Saturday came awesomely close to it.
Apparently, I haven’t written about it yet even though I should have because it’s something pretty major, so I’ll take this time now to inform my public that I am studying once again. This time, I’m taking up Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in De La Salle University. Of course, I know that graduate school feels nothing like taking up an undergraduate course, which is livelier and more exciting, and I thought that my preconceptions have been confirmed, as my classmates are hardcore professionals – accountants, teachers, and an IT expert. Around them, I wasn’t the youngest, but I felt the least mature, so much so that it seems as if there is something wrong with me and I need a wake-up call to grow up – a wake up call that is long overdue and probably will never come. However, come Saturday, it felt as if there was nothing with me, as if I belonged, as if I was fated to take the course.
Once a tardy delinquent, always a tardy delinquent, even on the first day of class when you’re supposed to put your best foot forward and show your classmates that you, just like them, are a mature, responsible, and disciplined adult. Well, it was their fault that I was late because the venue wasn’t posted online and in the registration form so I had to ask personnel and run around unfamiliar school grounds, but as a mature, responsible, and disciplined adult, I should’ve went to school at least thirty minutes before and allotted that time for looking for my room assignment. When I got there, the class, composed of four guys, all of which seemed gay, and two girls, was discussing with the professor, a tall and huge white man with white hair who was probably in his late forties, about how everything was so confusing because we all had the same problem, which kind of justified my tardiness.
After I introduced myself and my reason why I took up the course, it was the professor’s turn to introduce himself. His name is Mark Curry, and his not-so-short background story was nothing short of amazing. He was born in Ireland, but grew up in South Africa, and then traveled to many other countries in Africa, Europe, Israel, Korea, and then ended up working as a professor in the Philippines. Because of his travels, he has met people from all walks of like and seen wonderful places I have yet to be in but probably never will. Once he’s done with his super-condensed life story, he started on his introduction to the subject, ranted about how there is no money in writing and so most of us in the course are probably doing it for self-satisfaction purposes, how writers are now kind of an endangered species because everyone just wants to have money, and how the greatest minds of our generation took banking instead of arts – a sign of how messed-up our priorities are. After making us read aloud a few selections from esteemed writers, he gave us our assignments and called it a day. It’s astounding and ironic, how we’ve been told that the road we’re in does not lead to gold, yet I have never felt so inspired to be a writer. Truly, I was fated to take the course.
When class was done, I hung out with Steffi, Joyce, and Adrian at the gazebo. Steffi is a cute fair-skinned chinita with long washed-out red hair. She’s a bit on the plump side, but it suits her (Fernan knows where this is going). She’s an International Studies major specializing in Japanese Studies, so she knows conversational Japanese, which I think is awesome. Joyce is a writer for Entrepreneur magazine, which is under Summit Media. Apparently, she’s burned out from magazine writing, so she decided to give her life a new perspective and direction. I’m can’t exactly recall what Adrian does for a living, but I think it’s TV writing. As we talked, it felt as if the whole classroom vibe was going along, but it didn’t come full circle until we stayed in the classroom even after it was announced that Poetry Writing was cancelled. There was a part of me that wanted to go right away so I can play with Fernan and the others, but the other part wanted to stay so that I can know more about my new classmates, especially Steffi (sorry Fernan). As a side bonus, I got to know Carlo and John better. Carlo is a graduate of AB Literature from University of Santo Tomas. Yay, a fellow Thomasian. He writes cover stories for magazines and does PR work for companies. John, on the other hand, who I thought was gay because of the way he talks but is actually straight because of his extensive sex-periences with women, is a graduate of La Salle, is a Linguistics major, and works for a Linguistics company. Our first agenda as classmates? Discussing what we do for a living, our drinking-related experiences, asking each other taboo questions, guessing each other’s preference in a romantic partner, and…sex. Yes, this isn’t the UST College of Nursing where everybody pretends to be a virgin. Besides we’re all in our twenties, so we’re open to that topic, even though Steffi and I don’t have any experience let alone a relationship in like…ever. Wow, Steffi’s kind of a rare gem.
I stayed because of Steffi, but that reason changed when Niobe (not sure if Naomi or Niobe, but I prefer Niobe. I will confirm next week) walked into the room. Chinita, fair-skinned, slim, carnation lips, jet-black hair, black-and-white striped top, gray skirt – she looked like a manga character. According to John, she’s a Palanca awardee. And if she has received such an award for her writing, could it be that she is…NO NO NO JAMES! DO NOT JUMP! Well, I didn’t jump, but when our class was “disbanded”, I walked next to her and asked her stuff – an obvious sign of jumping. Apparently, she’s also taking up Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, but she’s been in the program longer than we have been, plus she graduated way back in 2008, which makes her a *drum roll* SENPAI! MUST.MAKE.SENPAI.NOTICE.ME…but I left that for next time, because I had to leave for UST with Carlo, since he was also going there. Goodbye Niobe. I hope you are everything I think you are. Oh James, here we go again…
New school, new and more interesting subjects, new potential friends, a new infatspiration, the same old feeling – this present that leads to a new future feels like the past. Truly, once a student, always a student. And once a student’s day is done, he goes home. But this student goes to his second home, his alma mater. After all, you know how students are – they always have to have an after-class hangout.
To be continued…
Final Fantasy XIV: Around the Whorl
“Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook or tie down its tongue with a rope? Can you put a cord through its nose or pierce its jaw with a hook?”
-Job 41:1-2
When we last heard of our heroine in Eorzea, it was Valentione’s Day, and many moons have passed since that, so it’s due time you all found out how Aya and her new beloved land is faring.
In any land, time brings changes, and Eorzea is no exception. Thus, Aya, the ever-enthusiastic adventurer that is she, faced the challenges and sought the rewards these changes brought. Thesee changes include Auriana of Revenant’s Toll no longer exchanging Tomestones of Philosophy for Darklight equipment, and instead trades the more powerful iLvl 100 equipment for Tomestones of Soldiery. Also, new and harder dungeons, which yields Darklight equipment and Tomestones of Soldiery, have been opened.
If you think you’re brave and strong enough, then step right up and have the fight of your life in the arena of Halatali Hard Mode.
Return to Copperbell Mines Hard Mode and slay titans once again.
Stop the goblins’ infernal machines and machinations in Brayflox’s Longstop Hard Mode.
Find your way through the Lost City of Amdapor.
Aside from that, the opportunity for heroes to upgrade Relic Weapon even further from Zenith to Atma, and then to Animus has been unlocked. To say that it’s a daunting task is the understatement of the Seventh Astral Era, so much so that she has yet to do it, but it’s very much worth it, so she intends to undertake this difficult this endeavor in the future once her plans have been cleared up.
Our heroine has recently aided the people of Doma, whose home has been destroyed by the Garlean empire, in seeking asylum in the country of Ā Ul’dah. Using her influence as the land’s savior, she negotiated with the syndicates to give the Domans refuge. Unfortunately, the land does not revolve on charity alone, and so the syndicate refused to let them stay in Ul’dah. Thankfully, Revenant’s Toll is more than willing to accept anyone as long as they are willing to work, and so the Domans found a new home.
Not only is our heroine a paladin and a summoner, as she is also a detective, so it’s only right for her to help the devilishly dashing detective, the exquisitely eloquent investigator extraordinaire Sir Hildibrand. On their search for a mysterious weapons thief, the heroine was drawn to a fight against the legendary duelist Gilgamesh…and his loyal companion Enkidu (the green chickens).
He’s not big; I just got shrunk.
Exploring new dungeons, gaining better equipment, helping nomads in dire need of refuge, and solving a crime may be without a doubt heroic deeds, but they all cannot compare to Aya’s most difficult task yet. Just when she thought the land has been saved from the primals and the Garlean empire,Ā the greatest threat of this time emerged from the abyssal depths of Limsa Lominsa’s briny waters – Leviathan, Lord of the Whorl.
mike.azevedo.blogspot.com
NOT THAT LEVIATHAN! This one!
Being the heroine of all of Eorzea, she, along with her fellow heroes and heroines, sank the powerful primal serpent of the salty deep in a battle at sea of biblical proportions.
And so Eorzea, most especially Limsa Lominsa, has been saved from Leviathan’s fury that seeks to flood the land.
Eorzea has changed, for the better or worse, and can never return to the way it was before. But no matter how much it has changed, no matter how many new things come and many old things go, and no matter if the tides turn towards or against her, Aya Toujo will always stay and will always stay the same, always ready to defend the land she has grown to love.
Tides Hunting: Birthday Clash
Summer hasn’t turned out the way I hope it would. No money = no woman, no beach. Well, thanks to Paolo’s birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN BRO! I BET YOU HAD A GOOD ONE!), I had the next best thing at Tides. I may have gotten no woman, but not only I did have a good view, but some practice. There may have been no saltwater, but there was alcohol. That, for me, plus the fact that my friend Paolo had a bangin’ birthday, is more than good enough for me.
It was just me, Fernan, Paolo, and Paolo’s friends Adrian and Albert last Friday night at Tides. Aside from Wella, who was at the time still on her way, we had no women, nor can we get one on the spot, as were seated between the speakers and a table occupied with two guys. Then came in three pretty fishes came along – one petite yet voluptuous fair-skinned chinita in red, one slim fair-skinned chinita with long-flowing black hair in black, and one morena in leopard print; such a shame the table beside us is already taken. I thought that, save Wella, it’s going to be a total German drinking session – nothing but beer and sausages – then I remembered that it did rain that night. And when it rains, it pours, as blessings came back our way. The three girls, who I thought got away, was actually destined to cross paths with us, as they transferred to the table beside us when it was vacated. Thus, a clash was inevitable.
Before a clash, you need to assess the opposing team’s attributes. Unfortunately, because she fell totally under my criteria, I only checked out their carry – we’ll call her “Keri”. Keri has beautiful, iridescent, and leaf-shaped chinita eyes, milk-white skin, small crimson lips, and a sizeable chest. With her actions and attire, it was obvious that she was prepped to flirted on, and yet she didn’t come off as a bitch; she just seemed like a girl who wants to have some fun with her girlfriends. She’s a good and totally legitimate carry. But of course, I didn’t totally not check out the other two, and I have to say that the not-as-pretty-but-nevertheless-pretty girl in black, who kept checking Fernan out, is also quite something. Her name is Mayet. I know; I talked to her…after Adrian initiated.
I don’t know how or when, but I saw him engaging the three without any problems whatsoever. He’s just conversing with them so spontaneously that the three especially are enjoying it; Mayet kept laughing and talking, while Keri was intently looking at him and interjected a few words when she felt like it. Then again, maybe Adrian wasn’t the one who I initiated; it could’ve been the girls, who asked him to take a picture of them using their tab. I don’t know which of them could’ve done it, but it’s either Mayet or Keri. It was more likely Mayet, as she was closer to him, plus she looked a bit more approachable, since Keri, despite being definitely pretty and seemingly looking for some action, isn’t the type who would initiate. Pretty girls like her don’t, ’cause they have this mindset that making the first move would reduce their air of superiority.
A bit later, Wella arrived. Mestiza, pretty, sexy, and of considerable height. Damn, Paolo’s birthday was definitely rocking. And since he already got his girl, he didn’t have to get one. But of course, I should get one too, so when I noticed that Adrian was gone and the spot beside Mayet was vacant, I thought it was my chance. Unlike Adrian, I’m just a semicarry, but semicarries can also kill. At that time, Keri wasn’t there – a shame, but I knew that I had to make my move lest totally have zero kills, so I did. Besides, I remembered the Fernan Principle:
The Fernan Principle states that if you have to choose between two heroes that can be killed, choose the one closer to you. While it may not always cause a crippling loss to the enemy team, it will gain you gold and experience, which is so much better than a few HP and Mana lost and the feeling of disappointment.
And applied the Fernan Principle to their semicarry I did. How does a James initiate a clash? I don’t have the confidence to ask her name right off the bat, so instead I asked her something stupid.
Me: Magkapatid ba kayo ng kasama mo? (Are you sisters with Keri?)
Mayet: Bakit? Kasi pareho kaming chinita? (Why? Is it because we’re both chinitas?)
She then puts both index fingers at the side of each of her eyes. So kawaii. I mean, she’s not as pretty as Keri because she has a lot of facial lines, but she’s very much chinita, which is a big plus for me. Besides, her minor flaws make her more approachable.
Our conversation was actually going somewhere farther than our names, when suddenly, her backup came – a pretty chinita who is morena and has dyed blonde hair. Damn it. It’s raining chinitas. And damn it, I just got interrupted and can no longer go back to my talking spree with Mayet. Just when I was already on a roll…
I didn’t get any of Mayet’s contact details, but I did get to have an enjoyable chat with her, plus a little bit of self-confidence. I don’t know if I would’ve been able to talk to Keri if fate had been kind, but when I remember the Fernan Principle, I always realize that things didn’t turn out half-bad. But yeah, I do regret that I have didn’t get the chance to have connections with Mayet. Heck, it was the first thought I had when I woke up yesterday. Seems like the semicarry beat the carry.
P.S.: Keri’s cherry on top of her cupcakes became more defined after Adrian talked to them. Good observation Fernan. Damn, I wish I got a taste of that…
P.P.S.: Right before we left, Mayet was telling that Keri that I thought they looked like sisters. It was definitely going to be a total reverse set this time, but we were already leaving at that time. O cruel fate, why!?
Til Death Do Us Part, Remember Until Forever
SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2, SWORD ART ONLINE, AND RUROUNI KENSHIN, DO NOT READ THIS, UNLESS YOU DON’T MIND THE SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN DULY WARNED.
They have done it. I thought they’ll be putting it off for the next installment so that we can all prepare emotionally, but they didn’t; the bastards just couldn’t wait. I couldn’t ask why her, for this has happened before a long time ago, forty-one years ago to be exact. Damn it, I wish they didn’t cast Emma Stone for her part so that the unfortunate incident would’ve been far less tragic. By now, you already know what I’m talking about. If you still haven’t had the faintest idea, leave now, lest be spoiled.
Of course, I am talking about Gwen Stacy’s fate in The Amazing Spiderman 2 – the same doomed fate she had in the comics. While I wish they could’ve spared her, I couldn’t blame them either for sticking to the source material and breaking all of our hearts as an end result. To some, letting a beautiful and smart blonde with high hopes and dreams and so much love for our friendly lover-boy Spiderman fall to her destined death was either a possibility expected yet not hoped for, and to some it came out of nowhere. Nevertheless, foreseen or not, it still managed to make us all cringe as her body hit the floor and choke up as Peter realized she was gone forever. The worst part? She was played by Emma Stone. I mean, you don’t and shouldn’t kill Emma Stone; that’s just wasting God’s gift on earth. Man, how do you recover from that?
Oh God she was wearing the same thing…
Must be hard after the death of someone you loved so much, especially if he or she is everything you’ve ever wanted. If I were Peter, I’d probably tear Harry from limb to limb, quit being Spiderman, and never love again…but that’s just me. Heck, if Gwen were my girlfriend, I’d quit being Spiderman so that she and I wouldn’t be in danger and our lives would be like that of normal lovers. Great power comes great responsibili-what? NO. Screw responsibility, screw NYC, I’ll just do sweet nothings with her. In fact, it’s a wise thing to do; after all, supervillains only arise because of superheroes since crime steps up when justice does. Anyway, I’m digressing, back to the point – if I were Spidey and Gwen dies on my watch, then I will bid farewell to saving the day and finding another flame.
But of course, that’s not the heroic thing to do, especially in fiction, because as life goes on, the day will always needs saving, and the chance for a new love will always come. After all, even if the heroes have had someone on the level of Gwen Stacy, their next romance could be just as wonderful, or even more. Since they’re heroes, the life of their love interest will be in danger again, and they’re going to have to save him/her just like the last time. Thanks to the desperation to make sure that history never repeats itself, the lessons from the tragedy, and their love for their new muse, they will succeed. Here are few of the many examples of heroes that loved again despite failing to save their first love and succeeded in saving their current one.
Kirito (Sword Art Online)
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I’m sorry Sachi-san, there are just not enough O’s in this world to make a NOOOOOOOOOO long enough that would express the pain of your eternal parting…
When it comes to gaming, Kirito is one unbelievably talented teenager. Unfortunately, in a virtual-reality MMO where death in the game world means death in real life, not even his mad skills could’ve saved his first in-game girl from a dungeon full of high-level monsters. Well, he did get an item that revives dead players from an event boss that he soloed, but he couldn’t use it on Sachi because it should be used within ten seconds of the player’s death. Because of his failure to prevent Sachi’s demise, he carried regret deep in his heart all throughout the game, as well as a sense of duty to make sure nobody, especially Asuna, dies under his watch.
Kenshin Himura (Rurouni Kenshin)
Before becoming the mild-mannered guardian of peace of the Meiji restoration, he was the infamous assassin Hitokiri Battousai of the Bakumatsu era. Before the sweet, caring tsundere that is Kaoru Kamiya came into his life, there was the elegant, beautiful, and stoic Tomoe Yukishiro who changed it. For Tomoe, whose fiancee has been killed, Kenshin is the love that came after, while Tomoe is Kenshin’s first. Pretty sweet, right? Well, if you think sweet means pretending to love the one who killed your lover, then it’s sweet as cherry pie. Yes, Kenshin was the one who slew Tomoe’s fiancee, but he didn’t know that Tomoe is the fiancee of the man he killed, so he had zero suspicions whatsoever, She, on the other hand, was going to keep her plans rolling in motion, untilĀ she realized how much they love each other. Thus, she decided to not give up on the plan. Unfortunately, in an attempt to rescue her, Kenshin accidentally killed her, as he was temporarily blind while she was in the way of her blade. Because of what happened, Kenshin vowed to never kill again after the Bakumatsu era and always protect Kaoru. Poor Tomoe, whose fate is worse than Juliet…
I’m sure that Peter, Kirito, and Kenshin all loved with all their heart their past loves.Ā I’m sure they’re all wracked by guilt and blame themselves for what happened even though it’s not their fault and could’ve done nothing to prevent the untimely demise of their muses. Love and guilt – a perfect combination to impede the moving-on process of the heroes. But of course, no matter how great the love and/or guilt may be, heroes, just like us regular human beings, move on and find a new love. But don’t think that moving on and finding a new love makes the love they shared with the one that passed away is either forgotten or fake, no; it just means that they have accepted what has happened. After all, I’m sure Gwen, Sachi, Tomoe, and any other true lover would wish their love to find a new love again once they’re gone because they’d want their significant others to be happy. But even if the heroes have moved on, they still carry the weight of the past, making them more vigilant with the welfare and safety of their living muse, since they cannot afford the same thing to happen, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Heck, I’d do the same if I were them.
However, perhaps the greatest and most difficult things to get off the mind of a person whose love has died are the “what ifs”. Of course, if their love didn’t die, they could’ve still been together and never would’ve been with the one they’re with right now. Unfortunately, that’s how some fates are. Who knows? Maybe the current one is actually better, maybe not, but you can’t really contest fate. For me, Kaoru is better than Tomoe. While I have no doubt that Tomoe really did forget about her plot to kill Kenshin, Kaoru wholeheartedly trusted him and changed his life for the better – something Tomoe, who had a lot of emotional baggage, couldn’t have done. Sure, I prefer Sachi over Asuna, but the former would probably hold Kirito back, and he can’t afford that, lest they’d both die. Asuna, on the other hand, is a more competent swordswoman, making their in-game survival more assured. But what if Sachi…LIKE I SAID, I can linger in the “what ifs”, but reality is made of “how it is”, so I’ll have to live with it. What’s important is Kirito moved on and became happy with Asuna. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about? Love and happiness? Why would you hold on to your deceased lover, no matter how perfect he or she may be, if it’s just causing you pain? That’s not what they would’ve wanted. MJ versus Gwen? Damn it guys, I can’t answer that. You can’t make me choose between a cute blonde and a sexy redhead.
The dead may have left this life, but not their love, which makes the living keep on living, because as life goes on, there is hope – hope to find a new love, and in turn a new happiness. The dead, if only they can talk to us, would wish for the one they love to find someone new and be happy again, unless they’reĀ the crazy-possessive type, . However, the one thing the dead asks is for them to never be forgotten by the one they love.
P.S. Shailene Woodley will be playing as Mary Jane Watson. Damn Sexy.
P.P.S. To those who are saying they don’t want to watch the The Amazing Spiderman 3 because Gwen died – you have to. I am sure that in Part 3, Peter will redeem himself and save MJ. That moment will be glorified, I assure you.
I put the I in the UNIVERSE. I hope I can put U too. 