Feymeryl

I'm so guilty of being inactive again for a while. Can't help it, I'm sorry. ;w;

Premium account is almost over, not really wanting to get an extension of it, though.

Also, when thinking about cosplay again, I need to save up a lot of money the coming year, so chances are that I won't start on a new cosplay for a while yet -sad-. I actually have a few that I'm planning to do:
Louise from Zero no Tsukaima
Suzuriha Inori from Guilty Crown
Noumi Kudryavka from Little Busters
Neptune from Hyperdimension Neptunia (monochrome version)
And I even thought of cosplaying my female BJD, lol.

Note that 3 out of 5 are pink haired characters...I seriously don't do it on purpose! D8


Also, I'm not sure if I can make myself work on cosplay much. Right now, I'm making stockings for my BJD and it's taking weeks because other things keep asking my attention all the time. I guess that the harder to make cosplays I should just buy and the easier ones, I could always try to make sometime, if I have time, that is. But for a long while at least, I won't be able to do both making or buying anyways. That said, I DON'T want to skip on conventions too much. I think I'll go 1 day on the 3-day conventions. I'm skipping Tsunacon anyway since last year was kind of a disappointment (not disappointed in the friends I was able to make, though! 8'D ). Perhaps I can add MGC Experience and/or Nishicon to my list of to-go-cons (which are Animecon and Abunai, lol) and check those out. They seem to grow in popularity the past few years so I'm kind of curious. Yep, economy-crisis is everywhere, sigh-le-sigh.

Don't know what to add to this journal, so I'm ending it with happy holidays wishes. x'D


I want to wish everyone Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year~!
Make 2013 a great year for yourselves~! 8D

This is going to be a rant journal about game-fans, especially JRPG fans and about anime fans, so if you don't care, you don't have to read it. x'D


For a while now, I've noticed increasing...Criticism at games (new games) and (new) anime. Tales of series "fans" state that the recent games are going more and more downward, while most of the games they talk about, in question, haven't even reached the west. So I'm like "How the F*** can you say something about it already?". Or, for example, Tales of Graces F. Fans had to litterally beg, sign petitions, spam facebook etc. etc. to get this game in the west at all, afterwards, people are complaining about the game being "too boring", "I don't like the battle system! It makes it harder to combo!" (well, that's probably just you, because I can combo better with this battle system, ahum~) so I'm like "well, don't go complaining if the game company doesn't want to release the game here in the west!". I mean, it sounds so...So...Ungratefull towards the people who worked so hard to get these games here. Okay, if the games really are bad, I can agree with it, but Graces F isn't a bad game.
For me personally, I find Graces F a fine, pleasing game and it's one of the fewer games I could actually play for a month in a row without needing a break with another game (I normally can't play games more than two weeks...So more than a month says something big to me).

They're ALREADY complaining about Tales of Xillia, which hasn't even come out in English yet...They only use reasons that were TOLD to them that are a bit less and use that to complain..."The game isn't completely complete!" you just read that on the blog, play it yourself first plz. "the game probably feels bland and boring, like Graces F" You haven't played it yet, so don't complain about something you don't know. And no use comparing older games to newer games. Every game has it's plusses and minusses and um, I like it when things are different in each game. And another fact is, Graces F was originally a Wii game, now on PS3 with extra content and story attached. Xillia is a full PS3 game and is going to be much bigger than Graces F. LOGIC MUCH?!

I even heard one say that "tales series were becoming equilavent of Call of Duty" and that just snapped something in me. How the F*** can you compare a shooter game with a JRPG game? Seriously?! Come on, people! Stop being such bitchy fans already!


Now Anime...Recently I've seen alot of haters of anime, while these anime aren't that bad (I personally found them good). The only thing that's "wrong" with the anime is, that they're popular (and the ones I'm watching, are popular for a good reason). In fact, that's the ONLY valid reason I can find on the forums about these anime. All other reasons are just picking and obsessive searching of every fault of an anime. Or it's "I don't get it!"...Even when it's clearly explained in the anime how and what etc. Sigh.
I even had one say that he or she was unhappy about the fact something didn't happen...Well, guess what, that one something DID happen, at the ending during the ending credits. So much for watching till the complete end?


So, the feeling I get, from both games and anime fans...Are they expecting THAT much that they end up being completely disappointed or something? I mean, I see often "oooh this anime is going to be SOOOOOO awesome!!!!1111!!!" and afterwards "I don't like this ending, it sucks!". Is it just me, or are they just overhyping said anime (or game) and ruining it for THEMSELVES? I mean, don't go overhyping a new serie if you don't know what you will get...

Whenever I start a new anime, or new game, I go into it with ZERO expectations and more often than not, I'm pleased with what I see or get in said anime or game. Is it just me or what?

What I can't stand especially, are reviewers. I have completely stopped reading ANY reviews as they're first of all, opinions, and most of the time I completely disagree with it and what I mostly read in those reviews...It can make me so angry sometimes because it's either unfair, not true or, or....I don't know! ARGH!


So yeah, that's basicly keeping me busy for a bit. I, myself, aren't affected by these...I don't even know how to call them? As I always watch or play whatever I think is interesting, anyway.


Sorry for the rant, hope you guys don't mind~ /(>w<)\

To talk about something random I've been thinking about lately. Manga.
With the "death" of the English Tokyopop manga branch, and Del Rey manga I can't help but think about those manga that deserved a place in the western market of manga but ended up incomplete or out of print. In fact I own a few of them, incomplete, that have potentional, but end up staying incomplete forever, if not, for a long time.


A few examples,
Elemental Gelade is a manga I got into after watching the anime. I fell in love with the anime, but fell even more in love with the manga. Out of 18 volumes, only 12 have been released in English. In my opinion, it's one of the better manga I have on my shelf. It has been recently picked up by a Digital manga publisher, but so far, they have only released what was already released in the first place and aren't planning on printing the manga on paper either. I just can't buy a manga digitally, it ruins what manga means to me. I want something physical in my hands. Reading a manga in your hands is a very different feeling than reading it online. Although the only choice I have for the last 6 volumes, is to read them online.
Still I'm hoping for a different publisher to pick this one up.

Another one I picked up a long time ago, is Fairy Navi Runa. This one is actually based on a children's novel in Japan. I bought it, unknowing that Del Rey already decided to drop it after 2 volumes (out of 7). The artwork is beautiful and I just refuse to sell it away. When I read the first two volumes that I have here, I just felt sad that Del Rey decided to just drop it (and later Del Rey pretty much died) because I felt it had so much potentional. What makes it even sadder, no one has ever decided to (fan)translate this manga online so I have nothing to continue on. Not even the novel has been translated.
I'm hoping for this one as well, to be picked up by a different publisher and get a second chance. It totally deserves it.
In fact, I recognized the art-style of a different manga serie I'm planning to read. Mamotte! Lollipop is drawn by the same person and even has an anime.

The Witch of Artemis. Only 1 volume released in English, out of 3. Another one I felt like a nice, short story I can read. The art is cute and the story seems interesting. Tokyopop English manga branch died so this manga ends up incomplete. Just like Fairy Navi Runa, this one hasn't been (fan)translated online.

Now ones that has released all volumes in English, but is rare to find;
Magical x Miracle. A fine story to read and not so much magic in it that you would think at first when you see the name. The artwork is cute and pretty and just lovely to look at. I actually read it online first and decided, even after I knew that Tokyopop releases are going to be hard to get, to try to collect them. I'm actually now halfway, with 3 out of 6 volumes in my possession. And that mostly thanks to conventions! It's another story I'd like to see given a second chance.

DN Angel. Oh boy, this one has a tough life! Not only has this manga way too often halted because the author goes on hiatus, now the English manga is hard to find thanks to Tokyopop's "death". Despite that, the Dutch version is still being released and continues on. I actually got the first volume as a present. It actually feels really awkward to read manga in Dutch, something is missing, something just feels weird. But for this manga, it's the only way to collect them now. My close friend, however, has most volumes in English so I can always read those. I just want to collect the manga in Dutch since I'm not in the mood to go hunt down all manga that are rare to find that I want. And one manga serie in Dutch isn't that bad. At least I can say I have it!


Of course, not all manga are doomed. There are some, popular, ones that are saved by other publishers and gets a re-release or reprint. Some in omnibus format.
An example is Chobits. Popular, yes. I actually have the original Tokyopop manga and proud to have them.

Shugo Chara, for the last 3 volumes, was taken over by Kodansha. A very popular series. Unfortunately, I grew out of it and decided to put my complete Shugo Chara on sale. Also, I don't always like the art style of Peach-Pit.

Air Gear met the same fate as Shugo Chara, being released by Del Rey at first, but then taken over by Kodansha. Right now I have all Del Rey volumes complete, but am not in a hurry to get the later volumes yet that are released by Kodansha, even though I'm a big fan. It's a long serie and I tend to want to complete shorter series first.

Venus Versus Virus. I'm actually still reading it. This one got re-released in omnibus form as well. The last one has recently released and I'm saving up to get that one so I can finish this manga. It's something different than all the happy or magical stuff. It's got a thriller feel to it. The anime actually disappointed a bit but the manga has the puzzle pieces the anime was missing. Although it has some very obvious cliché's in it, it's still a good story to read.

Last example for today, Alice in the Country of Hearts. I read alot of reactions of fans, when they heard Del Rey was gone. Fans were angry and sad that this manga ends up becoming a rare piece (I can't remember if all volumes were released or not beforehand). Thus the happiness of said fans was great when Yen Press decided to pick it up and re-release this in omnibus form. I, myself, have only read about one chapter, but I can tell that I want to read more of it and that I'll like it. Very much. I'm actually waiting right now for the last omnibus to be delivered so I can finally start reading this.


There are a lot more examples, like Tokyo Mew Mew, Kamichama Karin but I just can't name them all in a journal. x'D


Despite the many that are saved by other publishers, I'm still very sad that others are left in the dark. May it be the author's choice or not to do so. The only thing fans can do is contact publishers or authors to see if there's any interests in releasing in the west or not.

I'm sorry for this long journal to just talk about manga, but I felt that I had to at least talk about it. It really is something I think about often and had the need to just talk about it for a bit.

~Feymeryl

Hello~


I actually bought stuff for sewing recently. (thanks everyone for your opinions on the poll on buying/making cosplay! \(0w0\) )
I really thought a long time about it, but I think I AM going to at least try making cosplay myself. Although I'm not confident on it, which is why I'm going to start out small with making clothes for my BJD first (also alot cheaper in case I mess up badly).
There are a lot of handy tutorials around, too. Both here on DevArt and on Youtube that help out alot. First I'm just going to practice by hand to get the hang of it. When I think I'm getting the hang of it a bit, I'll go find myself (perhaps second-hand) sewing machine to go to the next level.

I probably will upload my sewn clothes for my BJD's on my other account,

Also something I've noticed, many things LOOK complicated but I realised that if it's too complicated to make in one piece, break it down in smaller pieces first. Eventually all those pieces can be sewn together, or with other materials like buttons or zippers to keep it together as a whole. At some point I might even try recreating the cosplay I currently have, which was bought, since I have a real example of it now. And since I wasn't exactly happy with how things went with getting that costume custom made (I got extra costs while the mistake wasn't mine to begin with...It wasn't the seller's fault either though but his workers'), I can adjust everything to how I rather want it to be with my own version. I think I might be a bit more happier if I have it made myself.

Well, before all this, I seriously didn't care about having my cosplay bought, but I always noticed that even when I was cosplaying my favourite characters (I only did 2 cosplays so far, though. I sound like I cosplayed alot x'D ), there was something I felt was missing. Also, I couldn't be proud on my cosplay since I didn't make them myself.
If I get a hang of making cosplay I can even think of entering competitions with it at some point, like Fashion Show or Cosplay Acts. Those ARE things I'd like to try out at least once sometime. It's what makes a convention even more fun.


Well, I guess it never hurts to just try it out. If it turns out it's not something for me, I can always say "Hey, at least I tried!"
Although I have been interested in sewing for a few years now, I just never took the initiative to actually do something about it.

I guess the time has come for that to change~


Yes this entire post was about sewing. (^w^)/
(I've been using those emoticons a bit lately, they're actually fun to use!)