Month: June 2014
Ne(w/o)bie: Virgin x Virgin
“I wish I was a virgin, a virgin like you. I wish I had a burden, wish that I had a dream. I wish I was as simple as you seem…”
-A Virgin Like You, The Ark
Last week, over a few beers, Fernan told me that he is 100% sure that Neobie (now I know how her name is spelled) has a boyfriend. Yesterday, over some Japanese food, John confirmed Fernan’s predictions.
We were supposed to have some brainstorming at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf because Sir Mark was going to be absent, but the whole session became a free cut because less than half of the class came on time. John asked us who wants to join him for some lunch, but none of my classmates wanted to follow. Between staying in the library with Steffi, who’s kind of cute, and the rest of my classmates, and John, who’s a pretty cool dude who’s got a lot of stories to tell, I chose the latter. In hindsight, it seemed not like me because I always choose women before brethren unless it’s Fernan, Paolo, Ivan, and Nhel, but looking back, I have made the right choice, for it was the choice I was destined to take – the choice that led me to Neobie.
Just like Fernan, John has predictive powers, so in hindsight, I shouldn’t have been too surprised if he knew that I fancied Neobie. However, in the excitement of the exact moment when he was calling up her up, telling her to follow us to this small Japanese restaurant inside a small condo building, I have forgotten about his psychic capabilities. Before Neobie arrived, John told me that I shouldn’t pull off anything stupid because she’s already got a boyfriend. “Paano mo nalaman!? (How did you know!?)” I asked him in shock, so he gave me the whole “wavelengthing” explanation again. Once again, Fernan was right. This time, on two things – the first one is on the first line, and the second one is on just focusing on Nicolette. Oh I will, but you know me – I don’t live in the future, but in the present. And in that present that is the present, there she was, a gift of the gods…
Chinita, fair-skinned, slim, carnation lips, (copy-pasted until this point) jet-black straight hair that reached to her shoulder, light gray sweater, dark gray above-the-knee skirt, black high-cut sneakers – Neobie, in all her glory. First things first: her name. N-E-O-B-I-E. Kind of like newbie, but has O instead of a W. She’s Neobie, and I’m a newbie. How…apt. The two of them talked about their lives, and I only butted either when the topic was impersonal or I was talked to. In my times of silence, I looked at her, playing with the wooden and obtuse triangular prism-shaped food service number (or whatever the hell it’s called) as though it was a toy car. She played with it like a child without seeming like one, completely retaining her graceful and hime-like aura. When her order came, she used the spoon and fork rather than the chopsticks, yet she was still a hime.
After the meal, we made our way back to the library. Wherever we went, men’s eyes were on us, for royalty was passing by. When the wind blew, she held down her skirt as she walked like the most beautiful duck there is, more beautiful than that bastard of a swan. When she can’t get out of the library, she was like a cute and innocent girl trapped in glass. Everything she does is magic, her ways goddess-like. As we talked inside Neobie’s classroom before her professor arrived, I understood why.
If there’s something Fernan and I were wrong about, it’s Niobe’s knowledge of the “dark arts”, as she has not even the slightest inkling of it, for she has no desire for it. In a world of heterosexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals, transsexuals, pansexuals, and other -sexuals waiting to come out of the closet, she is asexual. She may have a boyfriend, so that makes her heteromantic (just google the term), but she feels no drive. If sexuality are colors, she is colorless. She is pure. Pristine. Immaculate. Divine. Holy. Transcendent. She is a rare white flower whose petals are easily bruised by the wind and crushed by the fingers. She is the goddess of chastity. Truly, just like how I described her last time, she is a manga character.
Ironically, her closest name variation, Niobe, in Greek Mythology, was a woman who had fourteen children. Neobie, on the other hand, is a deity who is unadultered by this world. Oh Neobie, in another world, in another life, let’s live our virgin lives together forever until the end of time.
Oh my idol, proof that there is more to human behavior than the pursuit of pleasure, purge this realm of depravity.
Daddy Issues (A Father’s Day Special)
This morning, I greeted Father a happy Father’s Day. He thanked me, and then told me that someday, I too will be one, just like him. Where in the flying foxes did that come from?
Well, honestly, I want to be a father too. Someday. In the very remote someday. I just want to work on having a decent girlfriend first. But a girlfriend becomes a wife, a boyfriend becomes a husband, a wife becomes a mother, and so a husband disappears becomes a father. It would probably be nice, turning Nicolette a beautiful girl into a beautiful mother who will bear me a beautiful child. If that would happen, then the eternal question of all expectant parents will ensue – is it a boy or a girl?
Hopefully, a daughter first…or only a daughter. Well, having a son would be pretty nice too. I’d teach him what threads to choose, what games to play, what manga to read, which girls to hit on…y’know? Then again, I’d be a bad example when it comes to manliness (not that I’m gay, and not that being gay is wrong, it’s just that I’m not very manly), so he’d probably turn into a geek/nerd like me. With those qualms in mind, I think it’s better to have a girl. I’d tell her how to dress so that no perverted evil would go near her, how men think so she’ll stay away from their vile ways, what to prioritize in her life, such as studies and career, and what manga and novels to read. I don’t want her to be a gamer girl, and I don’t want her to watch a lot of movies, so she’ll stay nice and sweet. And since I will raise a fine daughter, she will have a fine husband. Or a wife. I don’t know really. Nobody knows.
Wow, I’ve been twenty minutes into the future and back, only to realize the two factors in the present that are stopping me from being a father: I don’t have a stable source of income, and I don’t have a girlfriend. The first one can be remedied once I get off this damn job, while the second…I don’t know. I’m not very good in getting one. Well, I could’ve gotten one before, but I’m not so into her. I don’t know how things are with Nicolette, but we’ve been talking quite often recently, so it’s probably good, but I don’t know. Maybe there’s gonna be a next girl, or the next girl, or the next…
Whatever. Whatever happens happens, I guess. I’ll just greet all current fathers, to-be fathers after nine months, and missing fathers a Happy Father’s Day. I’ll join with the festivities probably six to ten years from now.
Edge of Tomorrow: All You Need Is An Adaptation
We all have bad days, and I’m sure we want to redo them until we get it right. But what if it’s the day you get sent to battle to kill or be killed by highly advanced extraterrestrial lifeforms? Such is the premise of the action sci-fi flick Edge of Tomorrow.
With the entire world at war against an alien race called Mimics, Lieutenant Colonel Bill Cage (Tom Cruise) is assigned by the UDF General to fight in the frontlines. Despite Cage’s refusal, he still gets sent anyway, and gets demoted to private as punishment. Since he doesn’t have any actual training, he dies rather quickly, only to find himself revived…the day before. The day plays out exactly the same, until he meets Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) on the battlefield, who tells him to find her when he wakes up. Thus begins Cage’s seemingly never-ending battle where he fights, dies, and lives again, in hopes of winning the war and ending the cycle.
I’ve already watched the movie and was supposed to make a detailed review of it, but then I discovered that the film’s source material, the light novel All You Need Is Kill, also has a manga adaptation, so I decided to repeat everything. And the repeat was way better. I mean, the movie was pretty good, so much so that I’d give it a solid 8, or even an 8.5, but you just can’t beat an adaptation closer to the source material no matter how many times you redo. Plus, Rita Vrataski is way cuter in the manga.
In the manga, the protagonist Kiriya Keiji, is just a regular private. I really wish they did the same thing in the movie, but there’s no way Tom Cruise can be just a regular private considering his age, so they had to make him as an officer and work from that point.
Also, Emily Blunt, despite being beautiful, gifted, and definitely got that super-sexy stare during that hot and sweaty push-up scene, is nowhere near the cute Rita Vrataski in the manga.
If they wanted to be more accurate, they should’ve gotten Emily Browning. Great God almighty, I should be doing cast calls for a living. Unfortunately, the producers did a more realistic approach with the movie so that it would appeal to more people, and I don’t think a petite chick like Browning in the heat of battle swinging a broadsword is very believable. Damn, seeing Browning kick ass…I think I’ve seen that in Sucker Punch before. Still, I want to see her do it again.
And since we’re recasting, I’d probably go with Kiriya Keiji instead of Lt. Col. Cage, and I’ll have Takeru Sato play him. HOLLYWOOD, PAY ME! I HAVE GOOD IDEAS, DAMMIT!
If we’re gonna talk about the battle suit design, the one in the manga is definitely cooler than the one in the movie. Of course, I definitely understand that they had to modify it because of budget constraints and physical feasibility, but you can’t deny that the manga version is just badass.
Also, the manga version explores the characters deeper. While I do understand that the film can’t do that because it’s action sci-fi, not to mention that it’s easier to understand and feel their emotions and thoughts – their exasperation from dying over and over, the reason why they fight, and their sadness – via text format rather than a visual one. Also, because unnatural advantage of novels and manga, I feel “closer” to the characters, especially with Keiji and Rita, so their love story is just so damn good. FERNAN, YOU GOTTA READ IT! Although to be fair, Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt had chemistry too, and the first and last kiss was definitely a sight to see, but you just can’t beat the heart put into this.
And this.
And this.
Then there’s the fact that the manga has more pretty women.
Her name is Rachel Kisaragi. I won’t tell you her role since it’s a spoiler and she only appears in the manga. As an incentive, I’ll show how sexy she is.
And then there’s this girl, who’s Rita’s mechanic. She doesn’t have that big of a role in Keiji’s character development, but she’s definitely cute. If I was Keiji, I would’ve went for her. If she had a bit more time in the limelight, I’d be rooting for her. You guys know why.
As of this point, the manga may be better on most aspects, save one – the mimic design.
In the manga, mimics are spherical creatures with spikes and mouths. Description-wise, it doesn’t seem much, but it’s freaky-looking enough to evoke a sense of fear and disgust.
In the film, mimics look like feral hounds made from some sort of liquid metal. They can also shapeshift to a certain extent, so it makes me think that they’re not just mindless aliens, but are highly advanced bioengineered weapons. In fact, the whole “living weapon” vibe kind of gives me a theory that mimics are not really the alien invaders, but are just weapons sent to Earth to wipe all life from it so that those who created them can claim the planet for themselves. Damn it, why didn’t the manga and the film explore this!? HOLLYWOOD, SHUEISHA, WHERE IS MY MONEY!?
So, basically, all I did was say that the movie was good, but claim that the manga adaptation is better. Focus on an area, defend the film, say the manga is better, repeat. Anyway, both Edge of Tomorrow and the manga adaptation of All You Need Is Kill are both good adaptations, although the latter is definitely better because of the certain inherent advantages of print media. If you want to have a point reference and understand the story from the get-go, read the manga and/or the light novel first. If you want to see an awesome big-budget action sci-fi film full of special effects and A-listers without any prejudice and have better appreciation of the manga and/or light novel, go for the Hollywood adaptation first. See an adaptation. Repeat. Compare.
P.S. You already know which Rita Vrataski I prefer. No, I’m not an otaku who prefers 2D women.
P.P.S. You don’t see an underwear-only shot of Rita in the movie.
Video Games
“This is my idea of fun, playin’ video games”
-Lana Del Rey, Video Games
Stop playing video games – that’s what sister and mother thinks what I should do to improve my life. It’s just a simple and harmless suggestion, yet it always leaves me enraged every single time they bring it up. Maybe I’m just taking it the wrong way, as they’re not restricting me, but just strongly discouraging me. but whenever they tell me that, it makes me feel that my way of life, my very existence, my raison d’etre, is wrong. I don’t really understand how can not playing video games can put my life in “the right path”. And when I say “the right path”, I mean their definition of the “right path” – social conformity and a career with a high pay and a chance for promotion. After all, I was always in the wrong path – a video game-playing, manga and novel-reading, and anime and movie-watching 23-year old licensed nurse who had a chance to be handsomely paid abroad but opted his dream of being a writer, a dream society thinks is stupid and childish because there is no money in it.
Yeah, they’re just telling me to stop the video game-playing part, but it’s as if they’re telling me to live my life as they see fit. Well, I’m sorry, but I can’t live that way. I can’t live a life not of my own. However, the life I want to live, this life of my own, is a lie, because a true life means a work-work-work-work for more money-money-money-money and promotion- promotion- promotion- promotion lifestyle. Why? So that you will enjoy life to the fullest the only way there is, which is to taste gourmet food, wear trendy clothes, go to far-off places, and have a family. Well, if that’s the case, then I’d rather live my own lie of a life. I probably won’t be broke, although I probably won’t be rich either, but that’s okay, because all I need is some money for instant noodles, the PC, the electric fan, the bed, the internet connection, a few clothes, water, electricty, rent, and movie tickets and beer buckets on the weekends. After all, writer + gamer + anime enthusiast + movie buff + love for novels and manga = unsuccessful in life. That equation is unquestionably and indisputably correct since Greek times.
But you want to have a girlfriend, right? Well, yeah, but a girlfriend can become a wife, and you have to feed a wife and her broodlings. If you’re not feeding her, or worse – she’s feeding you, then you’re a failure of a man. Since I probably won’t have enough money for a future wife and litters since I want to be a writer, I’d rather not have one. Of course, I don’t want to die a virgin, so I’d probably try my luck in bars and hopefully I’d be able to silver-tongue a hammered hot chinita and will have awful drunken sex with her for the first and last time ever. Aya Toujo? She does not…NO JAMES! Hold on to her, for she is your sliver of hope for love, your 0.000000000000000001%. She will love you with all your heart, bear you a child, live with you through thick and thin as long as you have a job, and then you’ll quit your games because you have the one girl you’ve always wanted. But of course, I can vanish off the face of this planet after six decades or less and not find her or someone relatively close, so I’ll probably never have a girlfriend. And sicne I won’t have one, I’ll never talk to that cute accountant Marian in Eng501M class.
Travel the world? I’ve been around it, thanks to Google. Besides, the only country I must visit in this life is Japan, the rest are just bonuses. But you haven’t seen life on the Amazon, the historical cities of Europe, and the dunes of the Sahara! Well, have you been to the Shadow Forest, the magical city of Geffen, and the sands of Ul’dah? Besides, I’ve already done my fair share of travel. I’ve been to Singapore – a beautiful and clean country. I’ve been to Boracay – white sands and crystal seas. I haven’t climbed a mountain before, but it only takes Php2000 worth of pocket money to do so. Well, honestly, I want to see the beautiful places of this ugly world and not just Japan, but being a writer is tantamount to being broke.
No family and won’t see the world – this is what a video game-playing, manga and novel-reading, and anime and movie-watching 23-year old writer’s future will be. Well, he could just stop being who he is and wants to be just to have those two, right? Well, he’d have done so if it’s as easy as flicking a switch. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way, and in a world where money is an important resource that he knows he can’t get much, he has made his realistic choices. Between a family of his own and himself and the things he wants to be and do, he chose the latter. Between a life full of highs and seeing to the highlights of the planet, he chose the former.
Maybe someday I’ll quit playing video games. Maybe I’ll quit my other outlets too. As well as my dream. Maybe I’ll be swallowed by the system and follow the three basic needs to be considered as a sane member of society: money, career progression, and family. Maybe I’ll cease being me, but that’s okay, because at least I have I am finally what people calls as successful. At least I have proven myself right, that society demands conformity, and those who refuse, it destroys. And society is a part of reality. And if reality is good and fair and not savage and cruel, then why does it have such a diabolical facet? Now you know why I reject reality. Now you know why I watch anime and movies. Now you know why I read manga and novels. Now you know why I write fiction.
Now you know why I play video games.
I put the I in the UNIVERSE. I hope I can put U too. 