S-CRY-ed

S-CRY-ed is one of the more unusual anime,and that's saying something. The thing is, it's never really clear what it's about, but if I had to guess, it's about two characters that are polar opposites, Kazuma and Ryuho. For those who are familiar with Dungeons and Dragons alignment system, in addition to good and evil there is also lawful versus chaotic, the latter being a better way to describe these two. Neither character is really the bad guy, both are the hero, it's just a matter of how they go about doing it.

First let's start with the back story to explain the world. Unlike many anime that explain the important parts in detail, this series just sort of throws it out there and you have to pay attention. The story takes place in the future after the Great Uprising, an earthquake that caused part of Japan to form a huge plateau isolating it from the rest of Honshu. The really wierd part is that some people born on the new plateau developed the ability to alter their surroundings and became known as alter users. Each alter user has a specific alter with specific limitations that can not be changed except through refining, which can be accompished twice, though it's very rare for anyone to achieve the second refinement. The first refinement is usually accompished by training with HOLY within HOLD, the organization that tries to regulate and control alter users. It is very difficult to tell whether HOLY is the good guys or the bad guys, as it depends on which character's point of view you have.

The first episode introduces us to Kazuma, an alter user with a harmonizing alter, an alter that actually assimilates with the alter user. It seems to be rare and we don't see very many in the series, my thoughts on that will come later, for now we will focus on Kazuma in particular. Kazuma's alter is the Shell Bullet, his right arm becomes armored and allows him to fight dierctly against other alters which is generally impossible because alers are usually formed out of any solid material by the alter user and can maintain their form as long as the user maintains focus. For extra power, Kazuma can propel himself with his three bullets, spikes protruding from his shoulder that provide him with bursts of power but each time one of the spikes disappears and when he uses the third and final bullet his alter deactivates leaving him defenseless, so he always has to get the job done in three hits and they have to be timed to count. He has gotten vey good at his, but despite his power, he keeps a level head and uses his power to work as a mercenary to provide for himslef and Kanami, a young girl who he cares for. Kanami is herself an alter user, but her power is very different from everyone else because she scries people's minds so she can always know what Kazuma is up to even when they are seperated, but the power is not known to many nor is it particularly useful at first, it's just enough to put her in danger.

The second episode interestingly covers the exact time frame as the first episode only from Ryuho's perspective. Both episodes end with the definign first battle between these two alter users and Ryuho's alter Zetsuei, name after his dearly departed dog and taking the form of a humanoid in a straight jacket with tentacle like ribbons that allow it to do whatever Ryuho needs it to do. Ryuho uses Zetsuei to capture alter users for HOLY and this time his target is Kazuma, who puts up more of a fight than anybody else ever has. Ryuho is loyal to the govenrment and believes in following the rules and obeying the and enforcing the law. He actually is the son of a govenrment official and feels obligated to do what is proper.

After the first two episodes more alter users come up and all serve to push forward the conflict between Kazuma and Ryuho.For one thing, the alter users are being trained to refine their alters, but while making the alters more powerful it also makes the alter users more obedient to HOLD. For Kazuma this is a form of abuse, for Ryuho, this is the way of the law and order. The situation escaltes and Kazuma manages to refine his alter, turning the pikes into a wheel that allows him to use his Shell Bullet as many times as he wants without deactivating it. It also adds armor around his eye and apparently adds power in general. However, it also seems to put more of a strain on him, when he powers down his arm seems to be limp and useless and he can't open his right eye. Ryuho comes back at him with a refined Zetsuei which breaks free of the straight jacket and can now use its arms as projectile weapons. This finally leads to the final showdown where both of them refine their alters into full body armor. While they do fight each other in the final episode using all of their power, in the episodes leading up to that grand finale they actually join forces to fight an alter user who is trying to become the most powerful of all and take the plateau away from them. Another interesting plot point is that Kanami's power is part of this plan and halfway throug the series, Ryuho befriends Kanami, so he wants to protect her as much as Kazuma does which actually puts the two most powerful alter users on the same wavelength for once. It is epic and you have to see it to believe it.

Now about harmonizng alters as opposed to the standard alter, it would seem that it seems to reflect one's sense of independence. Only three harmonizing alters are shown in the series, Kazuma's Shell Bullet, Ryuho's final form of Zetsuei, and Straight Cougar's Radical Good Speed Unlimited. It should be noted that other alter users usually form their alters as separate entities and they all seem to feel like lonely outcasts due to their alter powers making them different from everyone else. Kazuma alone exhbits only his harmonizing alter and he is stubbornly independent, demonstrating that he doesn't need abybody, whereas other alter users are filling the void by creating a companion or a tool to accomplish their goals whereas Kazuma only needs himself. Straight Cougar uses a refined form of his alter to modify cars when he is with HOLY, but when he meets with Kazuma, he uses the harmonizing form to put armor on his legs, and at that point in the story, he is acting independently of HOLY. Finally, Ryuho develops his harmonizing alter when he breaks free of HOLY and acts independently himself.

Another theory, Kazuma's alter is actually his arm, not just the armor, but the arm itself, an later his eye. We see his arm splitting into three parts lengthwise between his index and middle fingers and between the ring and pinky fingers. The lines continue to be visible even when his alter isn't active and when he ends up joining HOLY briefly he agrees to wear the uniform but refuses to give up his glove, suggesting his hand may be held together by the glove. Later when he refines his alter he can't pen his right eye, suggesting that he may have lost his eye in the new alter. Also, in the finale Ryuho takes the arm clean off and Kazuma reforms it. I blieve Kazuma actually never really ahd an arm though tthe series, haing lost it the first time his alter manifested and he uses a sub form of alter to maintian his arifiicial arm.

One last thought before I go, go back and listen to the theme song again. maybe I've watched too many dancing shows, but I think it would make a good Paso Doble.

Mongoliad Book One

I am preparing to write another Kindle Worlds fan fiction and this time I will be taking a shot at a Final Fantasy type story set in real world history of the Foreworld Saga. Cid, Gilgamesh, Tiamat, a dragoon, and Gilbert the Spoony Bard will all be a part of a story I'm researching/brainstorming titled Dragon Hand. But I'm getting ahead of myself, first let's talk about the original story, Mongoliad.

Ogedei Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, led the Mongols in an invasion of Europe in 1241 AD. First they entered Russia, then went through Poland at the Battle of Legnica and conquered Hungary in the Battle of Mohi(which involved the Knights Templar) before setting their sights on Bulgaria. Ultimately, the Mongols were stopped when Ogedei Khan drank himself to death; without their leader driving the invasion, the Mongols retreated. That is the true history of the Mongol invasion of Europe, the Mongoliad takes a unique angle on this history, by which I mean dramatic fiction.

The fact that Ogedei Khan was an alcoholic is part of the story, told in every other chapter from the perspective Gansukh, a Mongol who has been tasked by Ogedei's brother to monitor his drinking. The fact that Ogedei's brother arranged for someone to curb the great Khan's drinking is historically accurate, however little is known of exactly who this was. In this book, Gansukh was a Mongol warrior who was very used to a rugged life on the steppes, and is suddenly thrust into life at Kharakorum, the de facto capitol of Mongolia. While some might appreciate this turn of luxury, Gansukh has trouble adjusting and requires the assistance of Lian, a Chinese woman who used to be of high standing but has been reduced to a slave after her people were conquered by the Mongols. A romance seems to develop between them, further complicating Gansukh's life as does his rivalry with the leader of the guard. We know ultimately that Gansukh will fail to save Ogedei Khan, but the question is whether it was truly Ogedei's drinking or an assassination.

For the latter possibility we look to the main narrative of the Ordo Militia Vindicis Intactae, also known as the Shield Brethren, an order of knights and monks similar to the Knights Templar, but with a bit of Shaolin style thrown in. The very beginning of the book introduces Cnan, a Binder, while I don't know precisely what that means, it seems to be a person from India. Perhaps this reference was better known at one time, but I was not familiar with the term. In any case, Cnan was a survivor of the Battle of Legnica and is told by a man named Ilian to find the OMVI which she does manage to accomplish. The order was involved at the Battle of Mohi and have their own personal vendetta against the Mongols and decide to assassinate Ogedei Khan. The one catch is that they have been invited to a "Circus of Swords" the tournament in which the Mongols are forcing the remaining warriors in the conquered territories to fight for entertainment in an arena. If they don't show up, they know they will be found out, so the group splits up sending a contingent to fight at Legnica while a dozen quest to kill Ogedei Khan. Leading the group is Feronantus, a man who seems to be the quintessential leader, older and experienced and level headed enough to wrangle the warriors. Other notable members include Raphael the healer, Yasper the alchemist and Percival and Roger, a pair who you just can't help but love. Percival is a charming knight who seems to relish combat as well as women, despite the fact that the Shield Brethren take a vow of chastity. Percival is arguably the hero, if not the scene stealer.

The story alternates from chapter to chapter telling us the story of the various members of the Shield Brethren and the story of Gansukh, leaving us with a measure of tension as to exactly how the story will end. Interestingly, Gansukh's story makes the reader rather sympathetic to the Mongols and it's sad when you realize that he will have to fail for the heroes of the OMVI to succeed, but as he is isolated half a world away he is not in direct conflict and you can only wish he would achieve a victory that you know he will never have.

This is the first installment in the trilogy and I will have to read them before I can get to my own story, but so far I am planning on centering on Princess Catherina of Hungary who around age 12 or 13 was lost when her family fled from the Battle of Mohi. Lacking details of what actually happened to her, I am suggesting that she actually became a ward of the Shield Brethren, specifically Claude Dragonhand, named for his hyperkeratosis that gave him a scaled hand. Along with his healer Cidolfas, Gilbert the Bard, and a Binder(tentatively named Shiva), they struggle to protect the young princess while surviving the Mongol occupation of Europe, particularly a Persian mercenary named Gligamesh. Sounds fun huh?

Magic of Rochester: Red Ellen and coming soon Waking Dream

It's Valentine's Day again and I thought I should write about something romantic. It occurred to me this would be a good time to remind you all of my paranormal romance, Red Ellen, the first in the Magic of Rochester trilogy. I confess, it didn't actually originate as a romance, just paranormal. I have seen many interpretations of the supernatural world as it might work in modern times and one thing I found they all have in common is that the only supernatural creatures that seem to exist in the modern world are the ones that at least pass as human. I wondered why this was, and then I realized the answer was simple, we hunted all the others to extinction. I don't know if you realize this, but much of the mythology of the world suggests that in days of yore, legendary heroes made a name for themselves by killing monsters. Given that mastodons and dodo birds didn't survive humans over hunting, it seems likely that if dragons ever existed they probably got hunted too, and even unicorns probably weren't safe from poaching. So it would seem that if anyone would survive it would be those that had enough human nature to hide in plain sight. This narrows down the pool to five groups, undead that used to be human, shapeshifters that appear human when not in alternate forms, fairy changelings that use the illusion of glamour, spirits that are incorporeal so it doesn't matter, and wizards and other magic using mortals that actually are human except for powers that are only a giveaway when used. So once I figured out the basics of who and what could actually exist, it was simply a matter of figuring out a story to go along with this. My first idea was simply a war between undead and fairies with the others caught in the middle, but that went nowhere, I just simply didn't have any one party to actually care about. Then came the new genre of paranormal romance, all I had to do was put a girl in the middle of the action and watch the boys fight over her, it practically writes itself. Seriously though, I did eventually figure out a way to use it as an allegory for coming of age with the boys representing stereotypes of what a girl wants. Hey, after all these years of one-dimensional female characters in supporting roles in male driven stories, it's about time to turn things around. I really do like this story, I like having a fairy princess defend her kingdom against undead with the aid of werewolves and wizards. This isn't a parody, it's a sincere effort, although I really hate how vampires are romanticized beyond recognition, so my vampire is a hardcore villain, but much as in real life, the bad boy has his charm. Also, I want to point out Rochester, my hometown, is the setting because I feel there is just way too much focus on New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Miami. Seriously, if aliens read our media, they would think 99% of Americans live in those five cities. The rest of our country needs to start representin' especially upstate New York. Yes, world, there is a New York outside of the city, and it's pretty cool up here too, so stop ignoring us.

Now I already talked a lot about Red Ellen when I was writing about in back in November, so I'm going to use this opportunity to give a preview of the sequel Waking Dream. "Changelings always come in pairs, the one the fairies take, and the one they leave behind. For the three changelings of Rochester, their other halves have come back to claim the lives that were stolen from them. Ellen must face her true heritage as a fairy princess in the realm of her birth and her cousin Jasper's loyalty will be tested when he realizes that his true relative is the one Ellen replaced. The real question is, why are they coming back now?" This book will take place in the year Ellen turns 18 and introduces the other half of each changeling pair. Slate and Shale are the ones who were swapped with the dragons that were Jasper's and Jade's great grandparents, making them 97 years old by this time, but fairy magic has been sapping their humanity with each subsequent generation of the dragonkin and now they are only one more generation from losing their last shred of humanity and becoming full dragons. The only physical human trait left is their left arm, mirroring the dragonkin Jasper and Jade, although the glamour allows them to appear s if they were 18-year old humans. Jasper and Jade will need the help of the spirit Fickle Luna of the Ever Changing Moon to defeat them and protect their place in our world. Ellen's situation is very different, and a lot more complicated, especially since she was swapped for the daughter of the brother of Jasper's actual mother, meaning that his loyalty is divided between the girl he's known for two years and the one that actually shares his blood. Of course, the boys are all dragged into this, and Nate the vampire may actually be more involved than anyone knows.

Read Red Ellen and prepare for part two Wakign Dream due sometime after November National Novel Writing Month.

Monty Oum

A few months back I wrote about RWBY, a computer animated American anime series. This series was created by Monty Oum who also provided the voice for a character in the series, Lie Ren of team JNPR(juniper). Tragically Monty Oum passed away this week. I don''t know if RWBY will come back without him, but if it does, it will not be the same, and Ren will not be the same without Monty Oum providing the voice. I never met him, but he truly inspired me with RWBY, proving that it is possible for someone who is truly passionate about anime to make their own independently regardless of nationality(yes he was Asian, but he ran the entire project out of America). RWBY wasn't just a fan made show posing as the real thing, it had incredible action sequences rivaling some made by Hollywood studios and featured music that was set perfectly for the mood, it is a masterpiece that I believe was underapprecaited because there is no way we could have ever appreciated it enough. Oum made waves throughout the anime community during his life, and the tragedy of his death has made waves thorugh our community as well. In his honor, I have nothing more to say this week than, "We all miss you Monty."