The 3rd Birthday

My thoughts on "The 3rd Birthday", huh? I bought this game some time last Summer when I overheard about it from a friend from on a forum that I used to frequent. Long story short, I never made it past the 1st episode or something because I thought the game was ridiculously hard as balls. Runnin' past monsters known as the Twisted while trying to shoot them, or overdive into other characters while trying to survive was one hell a concept. 

Unfamiliar with the game, I decided to research upon it to find out that it is the sequel to "Parasite Eve 2". Anyways, I started picking it up again this Summer because I'm mostly bored, and it feels weird to know that I haven't finished it once. So I ran through it a couple days ago on "Easy" mode at first to get a better feel of the game. To my own surprise, the game was ridiculously short. It's like getting that shit-end-of-the-stick when you waltz into something expecting something rather grand. 

However, althought the game was rather short. The mesmerizing CGs as well as unique combat system made me enticed, so I kept playing. That and I can't even describe into words how adorable and everything "Aya" is. I mean, I guess moe could be a word about how I perceive of her, but anyways, enough about that.

As I'm playing, I become more confused because of how the story's played out. I didn't know what was left to right, or what just happened the episode before, etc. So I had to look up some things on GameFAQs to understand a bit more about the plot. After beating it, I thought to myself "Is there really a reward to beating this game?", and to me, there was.

I had apparently unlocked Aya Brea's "maid" costume. You guys don't even know my feels right now. I was ecstatic beyond belief. Running around with an assault rifle in a maid outfit, how kinkier can that get? Oh, don't tell me! Anyways, The 3rd Birthday really did a splendid job as a tear-jerker as well. The ending was far from what to be expected of my part, and I thoroughly enjoyed the game, excluding for it's confusing story and plot.

Story: 7/10

Music: 9/10

Combat System: 10/10

Characters: 9/10

Moe Level: Over 9000

Here. Now have a picture of Aya in a maid costume because I can and you know you'll enjoy dat fan-service.

Updates

Sorry for not being able to update this in so long. I really have no idea where to start in regards to updates. I know I have a few online friends, fans, and of the sort requesting that I update since they love reading stuff I blog about (about what though, I honestly have no clue since it's just a bunch of random clutter . . .). 

To start off, life is still stressful as ever. It sucks that I'm still trying to look for a full-time job and with little to no success, nor do I think I'll ever get one this Summer. I'm just destined for shitty luck, I suppose. I started playing Hisoutensoku a bit more, and of course, still working on my combo video that will probably never be finished at this rate.

Still going on Google+ as always, frequently checking out what's new in the otaku world. Haven't really been doing as much "FlatchestedMaid" stuff (Twitter, G+) as I originally planned on doing, but oh well. I've been sorta busy with this and that. I haven't lurked on /jp/ as much either to be honest. I feel like this blog entry is completely pointless. Why am I still typing? Ohh boy . . . 

In regards to real life stuff though, I should be able to graduate at the very end of this year. I'm just a tad worried since I did flunk Calc, so I might have to re-take that class, unless they'll somehow let it slide. Besides that, I'm seriously crossing my fingers right now. I'm seriously worried about finding a job after graduation, ya know, with my loans piling up and everything.

Who knew growing up was all a bunch of stressful shit, right? It'd be nice to just sit in my room all day and do nothing at times. In other news, I've been drinking more beer than before too. I've been rather interested in "Guinness Draught", and loving it. Besides all of this, I'm usually hiding from my friends (online and offline) since I have weird moments when I just don't feel like responding or doing anything.

Anyways, catch me on Twitter or Google+ some time. Peace out, homeslice.

-Mimoto / FlatchestedMaid

PS: Forgot to mention that I started playing Yu-Gi-Oh! again too. If any of you guys have YGOPro, feel free to tweet or G+ msg me or something. Maybe we can get together and play online? 

Touhou Hisoutensoku: Ascending from a Competitive to a Professional

Hey there, this is Mimoto again. In this entry, I'll be going in-depth on a player's state of mind when they're playing at a competitive level, and trying to get up to a professional level. Also note that this can apply to any fighting game, because most of it is honestly the same. 

To start off, let's talk about playing style. With the same characters, the mechanics will stay the same, but the style of how the attack is executed depends on the player. Did you know that there are different styles of playing a single character? You can camp, play aggressive, be tactical, defensive, or even reversal, etc. 

I'll tell you guys a funny story that I personally witnessed on IRC (on #hisouten) about two certain Suwako players, which I won't name, but they were arguing about playing against each other, or who was the best. Something like that. I just got done with a match, and they were complaining about who was the best or something. I started laughing because at the level that they're at, their playing styles are probably so different that you can't make a direct comparison. Unless they think the same way and have the same tactics, you can't judge who is the better player unless you're playing face-to-face / next to each other IRL without lag. 

Differing styles affects a player's state of mind. Personally, I know my own playing style because I used to record videos of the characters I play, and how I play them in the past. I tend to rush out as fast as I can and go all-out, and try to pressure my opponent as much as possible, giving them little to no breathing room. I'd be labeled as an Aggressive player because of how I think. But I also know my own flaws, once I get pressured, the table turns and I have trouble thinking about an escape route to get out. 

From a competitive player's standpoint, I do know what to do when the situation demands it for the most part, but I have to actively think with every decision I make. A professional player is a lot different, because they don't really actively think. They think passively, because they already know what to do, and as soon as the situation demands it, they would execute the input before they had even realized it. Where as if it happened to me, I'd have to think of what to do.

See the difference? That's a huge difference from a competitive to a professional player. There's actively thinking about something, and passively thinking. One requires thinking as it happens, the other already knows what to do, and does it without thinking about it right in the spur of the moment. 

I really think that's what defines a player's understanding of the game and their own character(s). If you understand your character well enough (or trying to), and you have a strong passion for the game in a way that you want to constantly strive to improve, you should be a competitive player. But if you instinctively know what to do when the situation demands it without actively thinking, while fully understanding your character, you should be labeled as a professional player. Even right now, I'm still trying to know what attacks I can chain from one input to the next on Sakuya, and I've been maining her for about a year and a half or so? I frequently go on IRC to play, and if I lose, I tend to reflect back on why I lost, and learn from it. 

I'm also in the middle of making a combo video. Hopefully, this'll help me improve over time too. Though remember this, knowing inputs and what follows after doesn't mean you can always execute them in the midst of a real match. That's the hardest part. It will always be the hardest part. I hope this blog entry was helpful and motivating for players that wants to strive to improve and get better.

Not everyone starts out at the top. Everyone has flaws. Even the top players have a weakness. Watch every sudden move they make, look for patterns, watch for openings, and go at it. 

2D Love: A Deeper Concept

(click to see full size)

Note: This entry is going to be heavily inspired by some of my online friends, as well as my own experiences from truly understanding the concept of "2D Love". I won't list out any of their names to conceal and protect their identity, that and because I'm awesome like that.

I get this a lot from weeaboos and normalfags alike:

"How can you love something that isn't real?"

Let's make this fair, then I'll start from the basics. Normalfags, they idolize their reality TV stars, right? They 'exist', but they're unreachable. What about loving or idolizing a character from a famous movie? It's the same thing. If you want to butt heads with me about the concept of 2D love, go for it. I'm all ears, mah nigga. 

2D love is represented when a person loves a specific or multiple 2D characters. As an example, one of my favorite 2D character is Izayoi Sakuya from the Touhou Project series. She's a maid. Now at this point, you're probably thinking "You must love that character because you love meidos and she has dat ass, dos legs, and dat bod". You're getting there, but no.

The reason why people love 2D characters is because of that character's "concept". What is a concept? 

 "A general idea derived or inferred from specific instances or occurrences."

So what's the basis for Sakuya? When I look at the character, I see a strong sense of duty or obligation, and a strong sense of motivation and confidence. That's what I would want, personally. Sometimes, people should look at the things outside-of-the-box (meta) than just at the words for what they plainly are. Sometimes, you just have to use your eyes, stretch it out, and go in a bit deeper. Are you deep yet? I don't think so. Go deeper, motherfucker. DEEPER.

I've also recently been reading Katawa Shoujo as well. This even opened up my eyes about the type of females I'd possibly like as well, and just to show you guys a treasure I found (click it to open it fullscreen, bros):

See this shit? Do you see this shit? Even Visual Novels can open your eyes, mang. Just open your eyes, and you'll see, your eyes are open. Wake up, normalfags. 

All about みもと !

Wow. Where to even start? I guess it'd be nice for people that are reading my blog to know more about me, since you have to understand the foundation of a person to understand why they are the way they are in the present, right? I guess I wanted to work on this entry about myself because I feel as if I should review over how I've progressed over the years anyways. 

When I was about 11 years old or so, my dad bought his first computer. This'll be related to my life, as you'll see rather shortly. I already started learning about the internet at this age, and I registered at GameWinners forums under the name "KoolGuilMan". This doesn't mean anything. But I was watching Digimon at the time, and I thought that adding "K" and replacing a "C" in "Cool" was a hip thing to do. You know how kids are. Anyways, I started associating myself with a lot of people online. At the time, I didn't realize how childish I was, and that the people I interacted online weren't of the same age as I was, but I was a kid, so it's not like I'm going to know a lot.

My first PS1 game was also Digimon World 3, so I went on that forum just for the purpose of asking about questions that were related to the game. As time passed, I found myself giving advice to fellow forum-goers. I started playing "Tales of Destiny II" (Tales of Eternia) on the PS1 some time after, and by this time, I was probably around 13 years old. I was almost nominated to be a moderator on the forum, but I think that due to me being childish, I didn't get enough votes or something. 

As for my personal life, I never had any friends. I tried making some in school by being a class clown. Even though I was young, I realized that I wasn't like everyone else. I eventually made one friend some time during 7th grade, and I would often go to his house at 5:30 AM in the morning before school. We would talk before we rushed off to the school bus, and right after school, he would go over to my house and we'd play "Digimon Rumble Arena" on the PS1. I really enjoyed having a bestfriend like that at the time. Approaching my 8th grade year, I had to prepare moving to another town, etc.

I eventually left GameWinners near the time that I moved to a different town, and began going on other gaming or online communities. I eventually stumbled upon GaiaOnline due to a classmate at the time, and he is now a friend of mine now, even up til college. I was there for a bit, but the community seemed to reek of stupidity and filth. 

Nearing the final two years of my High School life, I guess I got involved in a game known as MapleStory. I was still rather anti-social, even nearing the final years of my High School days. During lunch hours, I would visit the art-room by myself at times, and just say there and ate lunch. I hated people, never fitting in anywhere. My final year of High School, I happened to get into a small circle of friends (though I guess we don't really talk anymore, and I lost contact with them). 

Even at the first two years of my college life, I didn't have a lot of friends. I think at this point, I'm not really depressed or upset. I just lacked the willpower to care. Some time around this, due to some familial circumstances, along with my 'girlfriend' at the time, I fell into a deep depression for months. I'm sure it was three months or something, and I lacked emotions for a while. Not having friends, it was harder to cope. But after a while, I got over it. 

I forgot exactly when, but I started browsing /jp/ because of an online friend. I realized how there 'were' people that were like me. People that hated normalfags. People that also had no friends. People that really shared a 'culture' that isn't normally accepted within society. This was when I cheered up and realized that the world wasn't what I thought it was. I stopped being mopey, and realized that there was way more to life. Instead of being upset or depressive about life or people, instead, I became rather pessimistic and negative. I don't really trust a lot of people I meet. I guess I could put up a facade when I meet people, so I won't let my guard down. 

Whenever I'm online, the world is different. I actually see a glimpse of sunshine in the online world, because people of all varieties exists. The world isn't as black and white as I thought it was before, though I have become a lot more pessimistic of human-nature as I grew. I socialize less and less, but I start to think outside of the box because of it, so it's not something I really regret. I started collecting figurines because I actually enjoyed being surrounded by things I love, and not because the characters are 'moe' or 'kawaii'. I started reading manga and anime because I could somehow relate my life to some of the characters.

My online persona at this time was more of a female's, a very pessimistic female. Depending on where I interacted, people perceived me as being a girl because of the fonts I preferred, or how I expressed myself. I'm alright with this. It doesn't bug me one bit. It's a part of me, and that's why I can't dislike it. I do enjoy socializing a lot more whenever I'm online too. I can relate to different people without being worried about how I look, or how I talk. That's the biggest disadvantage of 'real life'. Due to human nature, a person will have no choice but to judge another person based on their appearance at first. You can't simply deny that. It's true. Whether you try to hide it or not. You will judge a person based by how they're dressed, how they behave, and/or how much money they have that they stashed in their pocket. 

I'm not saying online people are 100% pure, I know I personally am not. My point is that in the online world, I can communicate more efficiently and more effectively to how I desire, and that's how I've always enjoyed it. I guess I could go on and on, but I have been browsing /jp/ for almost 2 years now, I believe. I go on some IRCs and I'm in some online communities here and there too. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I also enjoy helping people out. I usually don't mind sharing music albums or anything Touhou related, if it's within my power to do so. 

Also, I must say that nowadays, I really do enjoy flatchests. I've found a love for them because large chests are disgusting, and just reminds me of cow udders. If you take this in the wrong way, and get offended, then feel free to 'yukkuri' the fuck out of here. 

Anyways, thanks for reading. I'm sure this was quite a boring read, but if you could somehow make it past this, good job.

My thoughts on Comiket 81 !

I really am rather surprised in regards to the content of Comiket 81. So far, I must have downloaded about over 20 albums. Most of which, I honestly am enjoying. I'll do some reviews on a couple tracks, but I'll doubt I'll critique a full album. Anyways, starting off, I want to say that some circles that really impressed me are the following:

Demetori

Foxtail-Grass Studio

Halozy

Hatsunetsumiko's

Liz Triangle

Rolling Contact

Yuuhei Satellite

This was Demetori's only album in how long now? I think everybody lost count, but everybody's pretty much left speechless. Go on /jp/, go on Doujinstyle, they'll all say the same thing in regards to Demetori's major comeback. Personal opinion, but I thought that the song "リジッドパラダイス ～ Dawn of the Dead" was their best track in the entire album. This song is an arrangement of "Rigid Paradise" from Touhou 13: Ten Desires. You can actually hear Demetori's arrangement of the track for yourself down below:

Moving on now, I'm also shocked at Halozy for providing such godly vocals. "Shining／STREAM", which is actually an arrangement of "Night Sakura of Dead Spirits" from Ten Desires was done by うさ. Both vocals were great, and I thought うさ really made the entire song alive by singing like she did. I felt like she didn't miss a single beat, and she wasn't bored with the song at all. That's great. I wish more vocalists sounded amazing like she did. She's loud, clear, and her vocals really flows with the song's pacing. You can hear her singing below:

I'm not even done talking about Halozy, man. Shit. Their arrangement of "The Gensokyo the Gods Loved" fucking blew my mind and balls away. There's no words to even explain how much I loved this arrangement. The song's rhythm was very well balanced, and the vocals that accompanied it was very melancholy and harmonizing. It just felt like it fits together. Maybe a bit TOO well. Song is called "恋のセレナーデ" by ほたる:

I mean, holy shit. Can you hear these vocals? These are pretty god-tier vocals right here. I'm not just saying that either. I'm pretty picky about my vocals. I like "3L" a lot, and people knows that, and I don't praise her for 'every' single song, because I'm just 'that' picky. Anyways, moving on. -cough-

Hatsunetsumiko's (発熱巫女～ず) did a great job with their album too, which is titled: "Re:Clockwiser & A Narcissus" for this particular C81 release. I honestly thought the album would have had more original content, instead of rehashing stuff again and just making them remixes of their older works, but eh. The only song I enjoyed was "Silent Story" by 陽花. But that was what made this album for me too. Silent Story is great for listening if you're just looking for something easy to hear while doing work, ya know. The vocals are pretty decent, and as expected of her. This should be the next RAINY STARS or something, -joke-. Anyways:

I know I didn't cover over every circle, but I'll probably do that next time. This was definitely my first entry for this new blog, and I hope everybody will continue to read, because I plan on doing more reviews and discussing about other misc Touhou-related content.

Just for myself to remember:

Blue text = Music or otaku related content

Red text = Touhou Hisoutensoku related
Black text = Personal life

Alright, that's it for now. I'll be seeing you guys in the next entry of "Memoirs of a Flatchested Maid" ! ! !  (  ╹◡╹)ﾉ  ~☆

-Mimoto (みもと)




PS: