Camp NaNoWriMo conclusion and Rocky Horor Picture Show Hoopla

Firt off, I'll just get this out of the way, I failed Camp NaNoWriMo, I only got about 15,000 out of 50,000 words written. I suck. However, I will not give up on 7th Moon Mecha, I will just conced this will take a while. It took six months for me to write the last draft, and ten years to get that far through three drafts, so yeah, this one will take some time, but I will write it. And no, not a lot of progress on what I last said, I'll update you when I get to the next arc, whenever that is.

Among my many distractions, last night I went to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show the right way, with a group that presents the movie with audience participation, going by the name Hoopla. For those of you do not know, the Rocky Horror picture show is arguably the best worst movie ever made. It is bad actually, horribly bad, even the fans agree it falls apart halfway through, but somehow it becomes the most amazing experience when you go to a theater and watch it with a dozen fans so dedicated that they perform the movie along with the film and heckle the screen and set up jokes with the actors giving punchlines owing to extremely awkward timing in the original filming and a little audience participation as well. Of course it's a sing along, but there is so much more, including strangers taking off their clothes, $2 prop bags that you don't understand until the vets get involved, and silly string at uncomfortable times. The only preparation I can give you is that if they ask you if you want them to take your virginity the easy way or the hard way, only take the easy way if you actually want to disrobe in front of strangers, and know that Brad is an Asshole and Janet is a Slut, and you must point that out every time their names are said. Aside from that, well, there is no preparation, the plot, the gags, none of it makes any sense, but it is tons of fun, so if you're in Western New York, look up Hoopla for their next show, otherwise look up your local troupe for when they will put on the wierdest viewing party you will ever see.

Tora Con 2017

So I didn't make it into the Artist Alley to sell my books, but I did get to host a panel where I showed my trailer with Steve Blum's voiceover and my video game...to a grand total of six people including three staff and volunteers and my artist Alex Demchak, and the guy who recorded the voiceover with Steve Blum, so not too much progress. Alex and I talked about the graphic novel version of 7th Moon, and it seems progress is being made, slowly but steadily. I also got to check out their maid cafe, a vocaloid concert, and took in a few other panels including the Tora Idol contest where some otaku competed in a Japanese singing contest...some were good...

Most interesting was a panel on yokai and pokemon. I learned that there is a type of catfish that is named after a yokai and lives int he waters off of Fukushima that abandoned the area just before the tsunami, because apparently they knew, and now scientists are watching the catfish in case this happens again. I also found out that Jynx is not in fact a negro minstrel caricature, but in fact a caricature of white women from Hollywood who dye their hair blond, get collagen injections in their lips and get dark tans, so it's still racist, just in a different way than we thought. but most interesting was a revelation about Shishigami, the deer god that inspired a pokemon, but more importantl was a central character in Princess Mononoke. Now, we all know Princess Mononoke is an environmental fable, but it takes a new level in Japan for those who understand the significance of the deer god, Shishigami, which is their most ancient god, predating the gods of Shinto. Here's the big deal, since the deer god is represents the most ancient roots of Japan, the deer god in Princess Mononoke is not just another nature god like Moro, Nago, and Okkoto, this is the supreme deity of nature, lording over the other three on a scale that can not be understood by the uninformed western audiences. Shishigami doesn't just represent nature, he represents the Japan that is being taken over by the Shogunate. This isn't just the end of nature, it's the end of an era of Jpanese history. This also makes the relationship between Ashitaka and Yakul his elk a litle more meaningful, since Yakul is a deer, he is akin to Shishigami, possibly an avatar, and the fact that they get along and are unconditionally loyal to each other despite the otherwise antagonistic relationship between man and nature demonstrates that Ashitaka is uniquely allied with nature, which was already apparent, but now it means even more because it shows Ashitaka's traditional background.

Okay, now I'll leave you with some pictures of cosplayers and a video from the maid cafe.

Ghost in the Shell, Your Name, and Camp WriMo Week 2

I tried to write, but it was also my birthday this week so I have been celebrating, and by celebrating, I mean I am trying to go out and party as much as a socially awkward otaku can and watching movies I've put off for a long time.

First up, Ghost in the Shell. Let's get this out of the way, it sucks that they whitewashed the cast that should have been Japanese. Having said that, I really think they did the best job anyone in America is ever going to do with this and if we can just shut up and enjoy it, this could be the beginning of a franchise, perhaps a whole new era of anime adaptations. But who am I kidding? We're al going to bitch about this until it's DOA. In my humble opinion, this movie was good, and perfect for introducing the character of Major Motoko Kusanagi. It is not the same as the original anime movie, but rather takes from 2nd Gig, the second season of the tv series. I can understand why they went this way, it is a good story and preserves the spirit of Ghost in the Shell. This story explains who and what the Major is and her significance in the changing world. The world itself is shown in such a beautiful style that if it weren't for out of place caucasians it would be flawless. However even the white folks have their place in the story. Batou's eyes finally ge a full explanation, they get burned out by an explosion and replaced so he looks like the Batou we know and love. Speaking of appearances, once you get past the Major being white, you realize she's actually pretty dead on, hair, costume, everything, she is badass. Speaking of badass, Aramaki, the official boss of section 9 gets my full respect in this film, particularly near the end. The ending is incredibly satisfying, although I don't want to give too much away, there is a spider tank(tachikoma) that would make for the ultimate boss battle in a game adaptation, and there are some other details that really make it worthwhile including an explanation for who Motoko really is...all I'll say is that her body is synthetic and doesn't necessarily match what her original body actually looked like, so you will forgive that she's played by a white chick, a very clever writing trick. So the main story is that the Major, who believes her name is Mira, is the first cyborg with a fully synthetic body, literally her brain is all that is left of her original body and it is now housed inside an android body, the ghost in the shell, which they rather heavy handedly describe in so many words in the beginning exposition to make sure the audience knows right away and isn't left figuring it out and missing the story. She has no memory of who she once was but is told that her family were immigrants and they died trying to reach Japan, attacked by terrorists. She is placed in Defense Section 9 along with Batou, Ishikawa, Saito and a few unnamed agents under Aramaki, and together they fight cyberterrorism. One year into her assignment, the Major as she is now known more by her rank, is handling a meeting where a robot geisha has been reprogrammed to assasinate a scientist from Hanka Robotics, the company that made the Major. The robot had been hacked by someone known only as Kuze. While investigating this further, more scientists from Hanka are killed by Kuze and they track him down only to find a trap where Batou loses his eyes. Then the truth comes out about Kuze and the Major's connection. The story mainly follows the intent of the franchise, questioning what is real when the artificial mimics reality so well. I particularly found the character of Dr. Oulette moving, the doctor who created the Major and performs maintenance on her. She takes a moral turn that some people may find unexpected, but you have to remember that the major represents Dr. Oulette's life's work, and she becomes very protective, so no matter how corrupt you may think she is, when it comes down to it, she does care about her creation more than her own life.

Next, Your Name, okay Funimation, you got me to watch the movie. This movie is about two teenagers whose lives become intertwined when they start to switch bodies with each other and live out every other day as the other one. At first they think it's just a dream, until there are real world consequences, then they begin to realize it's real and they need to take care of each other. They form a unique bond that becomes critical when the switching stops and the boy, Taki, realizes that the girl Mitsuha died. Not only have they been seperated by physical distance between Tokyo and a small rural town called Itomori, but they have also been seperated by three years that she lived in the past. The second half of the movie is about Taki trying to make one last trip to save the town knowing that it was destoryed by a meteor. There really is no way to convey the emotion in watching these two fall in love without ever meeting each other, knowing each other only by the notes they leave to each other, but it is truly beautiful and draws you in until the very end. No detail is unimportant, every little thing matters in the end, from a string to a jar of sake, from a landscape to a pen mark,

So back in my writing, in 7th Moon Mecha, we jus got through our first battle of the Three Kingdoms portion of the story and it did not turn out the way they expected. I haven't fit in as much as I would have liked, but I did finish a chaoter, so that's something. Also it didn't help that Dangerous Ariana came back to Final Fantasy Brave Exvius and I'm trying to make sure I get all of the event items. Not easy at all, but just wanted to let everyone know, if you missed it last time, heres your second chance. Well, back to writing for me.

Camp NaNoWriMo Week 1 7th Moon Mecha

This week was not highly productive sadly, but I did complete chapter 3. So far the espers are crossing the sea from Japan to China as prisoners of Lord Mao of Wei. The national security of Japan is now dependent on Hidariude and the others piloting the Nagasaki Trojan in the service of Lord Mao along with the Japanese traitor Himiko who may not be who she seems. This is setting up for a re-enactment of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms which may be familiar to players of Dynasty Warriors. This is actually only one part of the larger story which will go global, a world tour from Asia through Europe and even to North America. The common thread is that everywhere they go, there will be mecha involved, and Hidariude will be pilotign the Trojan in every battle. Well, That's all I've got for now, I really need to get back to writing, so see you next time.