Fate/Zero 7

For this episode, it introduces the relationship and support one party has for the other.  For example, the relationship Rider and his master shares is that of trust and promise; Kiritsugu and Irisviel, on the other hand, share a rapport which we would like to call commitment to one's duty; Tokiomi and the head of the church share a relationship that clearly shows the urge to win by using all means necessary.  The first half practically talked about that.  The second half was instigated by the intrusion of the Servant Caster into Saber's territory and from this scene, we could see the fatality of the previous fights with Lancer.  I like the fact that the creators did not simply create a miracle where Saber could defeat Caster when inflicted with a curse.  This gave the show a bit more realism.

While Saber was fighting against Caster, her master was fighting against someone who should have been dead but isn't.  This was quite a good contrast as it shows how Servants' battles differed from Masters' battles.  Overall, this episode was quite entertaining and at the some time, built up on what we could expect to see from each Servant and Master.

A Small Update

Hi, it has been quite some time since I last posted something and have stopped with my reviews of the animes.  Personally, I am addicted to this game called Elsword and hardly had time to update this blog.  So, to compensate for that, I will try to put up the reviews as soon as possible.  I am planning on dropping Nurarihyon though since it doesn't interest me anymore.  That being said, I will try and look through the new animes that are coming up and if I find any of them intriguing, do expect a review or two in the upcoming posts.

On a side note, I took a quick glance at the Yu-Gi-Oh! website and discovered that the Gold Series 2012 seriously packs a lot of punches!  This box contains all the cards that were sorely missed by the players and it's about time Konami actually takes some actions and release something viable once in a while.  The reason for releasing such a darn good set suddenly?  I think it's because Konami is frantically trying to gain back the acceptance of their fans and supporters, something which Konami has lost vehemently over the past few years.  However, I am dubious to how far Konami is willing to gain back the fan's acceptance.  As the adage goes, Rome was not built overnight.  If they really want to gain back the support, they must first realise their mistakes and ban all those cards that are currently distorting the meta and release more balanced cards in the future so that players can actually play using their own skills.  I mean, come on, look at the current winning list.  It's basically dominated by Angels, Tour Guides, Inzecter and Rabbits (I must admit Inzecter gave me quite a surprise there).  If they don't do something about this, I am afraid more people will be leaving the Yu-Gi-Oh! society.

So, do look forward to tomorrow for the first Fate/Zero's post after a long time.  It's episode 7 tomorrow, followed by 8,9 and 10.  I guess I have said what there is to be said.  Well then, take care. ^^

Fate/Zero 6

Alright, as promised, the long awaited review of the 6th episode of one of the most exalted animes of this season.

This episode basically depicts the relationship of each character.  From this episode, we are given a clearer understanding of each character.  From what I could see, Irisviel is like a newborn bird, full of energy and curiosity but at the same time vigilant and will not fail to listen to advice.  Saber, on the other hand, is portrayed as being very loyal and obeys the code of the Knights.  She does not pardon any misconduct that tarnishes or belittles one's dreams and ideals.  Caster is visualized as a complete Psycho (the aggravated version of Gilles de Rais, for those of you who are interested, he was a French noble who later resorted to black magic, which pretty much gave the creators this idea) while his partner is a young and ignorant punk who knows nothing (my guess is they will be the 1st to be gunned down).  Albeit being cold-hearted, Kiritsugu surprisingly has a soft side to him.  In this episode, there's a scene that shows Kiritsugu observing a child crying as if she has lost something.  This suggests that Kiritsugu actually cares for others well being though he does not show it to Saber.  Lastly, Gilgamesh is a conceited snob!  Well done creators!  You actually showed Gilgamesh as the stuck up snob he should be and Kirei as the talented assassin priest who knows naught what he desires.

This episode focuses more on the lives of the Masters, a good pickup from the previous episode that showed the fight of the Servants.  From this, we, as the audience can understand more of why each Master has their appointed Servant and from here, one can roughly guess the wants and dreams of each Servant.  So, my rating for this episode would be an 8/10.  I would like to have a closer look at Tokiomi and Kariya's lives since they were not given any mention in this episode.  Overall, it's quite enjoyable but for those of you who dislike episodes with a lot of chatting, then this episode won't be so good.  Anyway, I will be leaving for a road trip for a week, so this blog would pretty much remain stagnant until I return.  Hope you enjoy reading my entry and until the next time, take care. ^^

Review: Nurarihyon no Mago 2 16

Alright, so for today's review, I will be doing Nurarihyo no Mago 2 episode 16.

Compared to Fate/Zero, this anime seems pale.  Not just in terms of the artwork but also in terms of the character development.  But we will leave that for some other time.  Let's look at the gist of this episode.

In this episode, Kubinashi and Kejoro are fighting against Sutendoji (one of the elite kyoto yokais) while on the other side, Aotabo is fighting against this insect dude.  For the first battle, we are briefly introduced to Kubinashi's past and how he came to join the Nurarihyon's group.  On the other hand, we are exposed to Aotabo's past and what made him the way he is today.  Riko is only given a mention towards the end of this story.  This episode focuses more on the side characters in the Nurarihyon clan and for a change, the anime actually followed the timeline of the manga, which I am particularly fond of.  Compared to the first season, the second season provides more life to the side characters and not just leave them out.  This is a good development for this anime and I am sure there will be other better episodes to come.

The only thing I don't like about this anime is how powerful the enemies are portrayed to be.  I mean seriously, if the enemies are as strong as how the creators stipulate them to be, then it would be literary impossible for Riko and his comrades to take them down.  As far as I am concerned, none of them can even come close to the level of the Kyoto Yokais.  I am really anticipating the ingenuity of the creators and see how will Riko overcome this issue.  If it is something overly exaggerated, then boy, this will fail.

So, until next week's review.  See you~ ^^

Exam's Over!

As stated above, the exam is finally over!  Yes!!!  Just a few more weeks from now and Summer, here I come~ But before I dwell further into this post, I would like to announce something.  I am now on a hiatus from Yu-Gi-Oh!  Much to my disappointment, YGO has failed to change over these few weeks I have been gone and the same old decks are still topping each and every tournament (Six Sams and Agents) but as of late, Karakuris are emerging as victors too, which is quite a surprise for me.  Well, since I am not going to post about YGO, what shall I be posting then?  The answer is inevitably easy.

I will be doing some reviews on ANIMES!!  I won't be doing a lot though and looking at the current release rate of the animations I am watching, it will be at best 2 to 3 posts per week with intervals in between.  So, without further ado, let me introduce the animes I will be reviewing for this season.  In chronological order:

1. Fate/Zero (this is by far the most solid anime I have ever seen and it is absolutely wonderful!  MVP!)
2. Nurarihyon no Mago 2: Sennen Makyo (I won't be doing this on a regular basis but if I have time, I will do it)

So, onto the first review for today.  Note: I am only going to do this starting from the latest episode, any prior episodes that you want to read can be found here: http://psgels.blogsome.com/.  I highly recommend this blog as it provides a very insightful review on most animes and if you follow his ideas, you can't digress much.

Fate/Zero 5

I must say, by far, this episode is the best Fate/Zero has shown me yet.  For those of you who don't know the previous episode, it was about Lancer fighting against Saber and before they could engage in a do-or-die match, Rider interrupted them and then we have this episode.  I won't give too much of a spoiler but just my thoughts.

So here, all the heroes are gathered and it is like a battle royale where everyone fought against one another just for the sake of crushing the opponent.  If you have watched Fate/Stay Night, which is surprisingly the epilogue of Fate/Zero, you will know who the man in golden armour is.  I must say, the artwork has leveled up considerably with more shadows and more skillful drawings.  The characters were all given a lot of vigour by the creator and no matter how I see it, Lancer is as good as Saber and Rider, with Archer being the most lethal hero of them all.

I can't wait for the next installment and hopefully, that will be better than this episode as we will probably be introduced to a strategy meeting in order to defeat the other Masters seeing that the servants are all darn powerful.  I love Kiritsugu as he is portrayed as being cunning and astute in this episode.  He knows what must be done to ameliorate the predicament he is in and won't hesitate to eliminate the source if he must.  A true blue cold blooded man.  Now that is what you call a good main character!

Stopping for a while...

As what the title implies, I will be stopping this blog for a while.  Mainly due to examination purpose.  I will continue with this once the exam is over and everything is sorted out.  Until then...Take care.

Thoughts on Dark World against Emperor

I watched a duel on youtube between Dark World and Dimensional Emperor and I have to say, that emperor deck sure runs well.  The fact that emperors are teching dimensional prison means that they have the ability to lock down all those Dark World plays and consequently, giving you a default win.  However, in the end, the Dark World player lost.  Why did he lose?  Because he made a very bad move, he did not side decked.  In the video, he just kept on pushing forward albeit it being a wasted effort.  I guess that's what you call going the extra mile to prove that your deck can function good even without side-decking...Hello, even if a deck is powerful, it isn't omnipotent.  Thus, comes to today's topic, how to make sure that your dark world stays alive.

Firstly, against emperors, there is only one particular emperor that you must watch out for and that is none other than the boss of the monarchs, caius!

The reason why I say this is because this card is absolutely devastating for Dark World monsters, especially grapha.  Once this card hits the field, it will automatically remove your Grapha from play and there is literary nothing you can do to prevent it unless you have the proper answers to this card.  The other thing is dimensional monarch engine allows no outs for Dark World effects and if they happen to run Vanity's Fiend, then brother, you can scoop.  Nowadays, with D.D. Crow and the likes running rampant, it is a wise choice to side in some cards that can effectively stop your opponents from harming your deck.  But in order to do so, you must sacrifice speed if you want to make sure that you can bag the game.

The first tech card, which is also the less run is Imperial Iron Wall.  This card stops ANY cards from being removed from play so yeah, basically, even you cannot activate the effect of your own DW monsters for gate's effect.

Another good tech would be kycoo since you can just side out your scar (OCG) or bronn for it.  When Kycoo is on the field, your opponent cannot touch your graveyard.  However, if you are running a skill drain build, I suggest you stick with the first tech since skill drain will destroy your kycoo and ultimately yourself.  If you are not running skill drain, then good for you, you can run kycoo and if you feel like it, you can run Chaos Hunter too which is a free +1 when it hits the field.  Why do I say that?  First, you can dump your grapha for her, then as long as she's on your field, your grapha can sit idly in the graveyard while waiting for a chance to prance at your opponent.

Do note that 1 Shadow Imprisoning Mirror will kill all these monsters' effects.  So, before you run these monsters, make sure that your opponent does not have Shadow Imprisoning Mirror and if he or she has it, take out your DWL and side in more MST and Dust Tornadoes to blast away that annoying mirror.  Generally, if you want to, you can just side in more spells/traps buster to destroy the traps and spells on the field but it does not offer a solution for the cards in hand such as D.D. Crow or monster's effect like Banisher of the Radiance.

In short, there are too many ways to kill Dark World but too little outs to these problems as you will definitely compensate speed for security.  At times like this, you can clearly see that Hyperion still stands at the summit of the boss monsters as he can just banish any agent from either his hand/field/grave which means unless you have rai-ohs or traps set up, you cannot touch this guy.  So, my verdict for today?

"I am only strong if nobody touches me."

"Give me your best shot"

Hyperion rules the meta!  And I don't think this will change unless Konami suddenly opens their eyes and discover that they are horrible at making good cards.  Learn from MTG please because as of this very moment, your game has slanted to the SUCKS side.  Until next time, take care~

Random YGO

"Am I cute?"

Sometimes when you look at these fanarts, you just don't feel like quitting YGO.  Oh, let me rephrase that, when you see fanarts like these, God!  How you wish you can take Yugi's place!

Skype Dueling

Alright guys, I am going to do my own personal game report.  Don't have any TCG cards so it's a big No No for me to participate in any regionals here (just a side note, I am running on OCG cards).  So, I am going to do some report on my Skype Dueling experience.  May try to upload some videos if I have the chance but chances are...Meh...Alright, so I played against 3 players with 2 different decks but I am going to report on the duel with my Dark World deck since that is my main deck which I am quite proud of (but lost nonetheless to 2 extremely good players).

"I am powerful but not almighty"

Alright, so my first duel was with a guy who ran Disaster Dragon.  I won 1 round and lost the other 2.  Can't quite remember how it happened but the setup was like this.  1 REDMD and 1 Drago on the field.  That completely locked me down.  My second loss was due to insufficient LP.  I had Tragoedia with 6 cards in my hand and if only I had a little bit more life, that game would have been mine as he summoned Prime Material instead of Drago.  Oh yeah, gemini imps just stopped my plays.  It killed my DWD and my Card Destruction, hence I was stuck with all the DW monsters in my hand while he used his REDMD and Drago to kill me piece by painful piece.  Screw that Imp and Drago.  So, my Dark World deck got pawned!  Verdict: XOX
Drago is the MVP here, completely locked down my plays.

"Wanna run DW?  Screw that!"

My second duel was against a guy running Monster Mash Agent Angel (only 3 spells and no traps).  I got pawned hard and there was literary no way I could make a comeback after getting hit with Leviair and BLS.  For the first win, he SSed Chaos Sorcerer and banished my Grapha, I graphaed his sorcerer only to be obliterated by BLS + Honest combo.  I won the second round with Grapha love.  The third round was ridiculous.  I had no graphas in hand, no draw outlet and my hand consisted of one Fabled Raven and one Beiige, I had one grapha in my graveyard but he had one Krystia and one Hyperion on the field, not to mention he blew up my field spell.  Crap~  Krystia and Hyperion combo just proved to be too overwhelming and again, locked down completely.  So, verdict?

Have a great day and until next time, take care~

Best Anime of The Season

I am now currently watching an anime called Fate/Zero and I daresay it is by far the best anime of the season!  It has a superb plot development, nothing too exaggerated, no single party too overpowered and all of the characters are given a breathe of new life and equal screening time (here's to hoping that this will last).  The anime is absolutely wonderful and I have never felt so excited over an anime before.  23 minutes felt like 3 minutes only and my goodness, this insatiable craving for anime has returned once again to my body.  This feeling far supersedes the desire I have for YGO and movies.  Well, without any more delay, let me present to you Fate/Zero, in the flesh:

As you can see from the above picture (apologies for it being so puny), the artwork is simply fantastic and the details given to each character is just so intricate that you would hardly recognise the flaws in the story, which is none!  And the best part is....The characters ACTUALLY blink!!  You heard me, it is as though the characters are living humans themselves and blink their eyes every now and then.  You can't imagine how great this is for me.  Not to say that I am bragging but I have very high expectations for animes and every now and again, I was gravely disappointed by what they had to show but not this one; this one is just perfect!  Alright, enough of the self-appraisal.  Now, onto the story and why it is just that nice.

The story demystifies the Holy Grail war (the one that you read in the bible) and in order to acquire this Holy Grail, 7 Masters are pitch against each other and they have a battle royale to choose the rightful owner of the grail.  Now, these Masters are not fighting alone, the Holy Grail grants them each a Servant or in more common terms, a fighter that will fight the other Master's Servants in order to defeat the opponent until one last person is standing.  Now, the sad thing is, this was set before the Fate/Stay Night anime and if you haven't watched that, you should go and watch it albeit it has no connection or whatsoever with this one.  The eight Servants are divided into their own respective classes, which are Sabre, Lancer, Archer, Caster, Berserker, Rider and Assassin.  I doubt I will need to explain these classes one by one since I believe you can infer the abilities of each class just by reading them.

Now, the reason why I say this anime is wonderful is because it is not some gibberish that was thought up on the spot but story that has a real reference to the story it is telling.  For example, the Saber class, Arthuria Pendragon is actually based off the famour hero, Arthur Pendragon (5th/6th King of England) and the Archer class, Gilgamesh, is based off the legendary hero Gilgamesh from the Mesopotamian era.  The characters all possess certain characteristics that coincide with the heroes they are representing.  The plot is still in its developing stage but by golly, it has already completely taken over my soul and I can't wait to watch the next episode.

Lastly, the music.  What is a good anime without its music?  There are some animes that have great artwork, great plot but the music destroys it.  However, this is highly subjective and what works for me may not work for you as the adage goes: "One man's meat is another man's poison."  In my opinion, the music used in this anime is simply superb!  The music could completely convey the atmosphere at that particular part of time to the viewer and before you know it, your heart rate has increased and you are eagerly anticipating the next course of event.  The denouement used is also wonderful.  It does not tell you what will happen next directly but rather, it lets you cogitate on what might unfold in the next episode.

Ever since Spice and Wolf, I have not been so riled up anymore.  I will be doing a full review of this anime once it finishes, which is sometime next year if everything goes well and I will make sure to include every last minor detail into the review.  So, until next time, take care~

The Gateway to the Underworld is Here!

Hi guys, just a quick update.  I went to youtube recently and found a lot of SDGU structure deck unboxing as well as a live duel with the new Dark World deck.  For those of you who are interested in the live deck testing, here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhvyZnM_4xY.

Also, a side note, I will not be posting YGO constantly, will be putting up some posts with my life-events and happenings around me which I find interesting and worth sharing.  Until next time, take care~

Quick Update and Announcement

I am sure most of you have heard the big update on the latest OCG structure deck (Dragonic Legion).  Yes, Konami has just unveiled one of the two Ultra Rare dragons and as far as I can tell, that card is quite good but not broken, at least not to the extent of Hyperion or Grapha.  It is on par with Snoww and Earth though being a good +1 fodder for their respective theme.  So, without further ado, let's analyze the card shall we?

So, basically the effect goes like this:
"You can remove 1 DARK and 1 LIGHT monster in your graveyard from play to special summon this card from your hand.  Also, you can send 1 DARK and 1 LIGHT monster from your hand to your graveyard to special summon this card from your graveyard.  If this card is sent from the field to the graveyard, you can select 1 LV5 or higher DARK dragon-type monster and special summon it onto your field."

The effect is quite good considering the best DARK dragon you can target from your grave is Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon and he is going to be reprinted in this deck, yahoo!  So, basically, you can pitch this guy and REDMD into your grave via future fusion and send one light and one dark monster into your graveyard to special summon this guy back.  Then, you can do either a kamikaze or dark hole to get REDMD and another dragon of your choice onto the field.  Quite neat if you ask me.  However, like I mentioned earlier, this is at best a Snoww or Earth.  This card acts as a facilitator and not more than that.  It does play a good role as a LV6 beatstick, taking into account most LV6 only have 2400ATK.  Now, all we can do is wait patiently for the DARK variant to be revealed, whether he will be more powerful or not is up to the judges to decide.  I do hope trade-in and white stone legend will get reprinted in this deck since this deck totally need those cards if they want to run well.  Other than that, this structure deck could be something good to look forward to.  If the cards are good, I am going to buy 3 boxes of this and finally replace my Machina deck.

Furthermore, next week I will be quite busy with assignments and test preparations, so I won't be blogging a lot.  Until next time, take care and good night.

世界的奇才

今天我刚读完一个伟大人物讲的题目。读完了以后真的是让我恍然大悟。就在那一瞬间，我从小至今的人生观完全变了。什么是老师，什么是教育，如何评论莫个人成功还是失败，今天大部分都揭晓了。我不得不在这里感谢南怀瑾老师，他所说的一切，凭经验真的是难得又丰富。

我读了蛮多哲学家的分析但没一个能和南怀瑾老师所讲的相合辩论。他所说的每一个子都有它存在的意义，实在是太神奇了。如果你有机会的话，不妨买一买他的书本来读读看。真的是世界数一数二的奇才！

Single Card Review - Pot of Duality

Good evening world, it's your one hell of a blogger, Bong here with today's single card review, pot of duality.  Now I know the TCG has been overjoyed recently because they just got their most anticipated card of the year reprinted, in the form of a super rare in a tin no less.  What was once a 160+ USD card can now be bought at a mere 8USD.  So, why was this card so expensive and why was it hyped to such a degree?  Let's have a look at the card itself shall we?

"I am dirt cheap now~ Yeah!"

Let's evaluate this card.  Okay, this card allows you to choose one of the three cards chosen and add it into your hand.  After activation, you can neither conduct your special summon nor activate a second pot.  Balanced?  More than that.  However, it is also broken in some sense too but thanks to its drawback, the effect is not as grand.  The effect that lets you choose one of the three cards revealed is groundbreaking enough.  Think about it, you are on the verge of losing and you revealed Dark Hole.  You activate it and turn the whole table around.  It's completely possible and totally practical.

Let's just look at the current meta decks.  Although almost all the decks focus on special summoning, they still run 2 to three pot of dualities in their decks because it just boosts the consistency too much.  Think about the days when we had graceful charity, it's exactly the same principle just that the remaining two are shuffled back into the deck instead of being discarded into the graveyard.  So what if you cannot conduct your special summon this turn, it doesn't mean that you can't conduct it during your opponent's turn.

In short, this card is very good even in this format, so you should definitely try running it to improve your deck's consistency.  That's all for today, take care.

Random Post

Yo guys, how are you?  Just came back from a buffet dinner with my friends.  Had a lot of laughs and ate until my stomach felt like it was about to explode.  So, basically I will not be doing any post today but will do a card review on a single spell card - Pot of Duality and its efficiency in this format.  There are some interesting reads which you can go and read up yourself.  In my opinion, these blogs are awesome and if you have the time, you should definitely drop by there and learn about the stuff they have to say.  A few include:
1. http://duelistcodex.wordpress.com/
2. http://duelinglegacy.blogspot.com/
3. http://duelsociety.blogspot.com/
4. http://lfnandygo.blogspot.com/

These 3 blogs give very good insights on the current meta and should definitely be added by every single duelist out there, you won't regret it.

Dark World Build

So, I decided to do a little deck profile while I feel like it, so without further ado, I present you my contemporary dark world deck. Comments and fixes are always welcomed. Enjoy. ^^

Single Card Review - XX-Saber Darksoul

Okay, so today I will be doing a post on XX-Saber Darksoul.  Darksoul is probably an old card that everyone knows but I just feel like doing it because OCG has finally gotten it, yippee!  Back to the topic, in my opinion, dark soul is one awesome card that all Saber Build should main at 3.  Well, before I go further into this card, let's look at its effect shall we?

"Hey yo, Darksoul's in the house."

So, it is basically the Snoww of X-Sabers and the best thing is, its effect triggers at the end phase.  This means that even if your opponent has a rai-oh, you can just kill it during the main phase and at the end phase, you still get to search your monster!  Plus, this card is weak enough to get killed by any monster, so the effect is bound to trigger.  Heck, even ryko can kill it~

"Did someone just mention me?"

Furthermore, darksoul can be searched out literary by any relevant searchers out there.  Sangan, mystic tomato etc.  You name it.  He can also be brought back by Boggart Knight and Faultroll meaning that you can sync him off for another "X-Saber" monster during the end phase.  This card can practically generate tonnes of advantage as long as you can survive.  And before your opponent knows it, you have assembled all the cards required to turn the game to your favour.  His effect is good but it is not broken, that's what makes this card so nice and balanced.

There are numerous ways to shut this guy off and the most prominent one being the different dimension.  Note his effect "sent to the Graveyard".  This means that as long as he doesn't hit the graveyard, he is as good as dead.  Killing this card will cripple a lot of plays and ultimately result in your defeat.  So, making sure you have the appropriate counter is imperative to pulling off a good game.  MST, saber slash and other spell destruction cards can be useful in countering this strategy.  Making sure opponent's monsters that can skewer this card do not hit the field too.  Having some grandpas by your side is always a good idea.

"Fear not my child, we are here"

Seeing that X-Saber is not a budget deck in the TCG (thanks to the wave 2 tins), it won't be a bad idea for beginners to invest in this deck and try it out.  The effects of X-Sabers are pretty straightforward and if played correctly, you can create an explosive play of your own and your opponent will be left baffled by the plays you have done.  So that's it for my post today.  Take care and have a nice day.

Photon Shockwave TCG is screwed...

Good evening world!  Just a small update before the big post about my latest DW deck sometime next week.  I just took a quick glance at the new PHSW spoiler list at Konami's official site and was perplexed by what I saw.  For those of you who haven't seen it, here's the link: http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/products/bp-phsw.html and for those of you who want to check out the respective card's effect, here's the link: http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page.  Check and read it up yourself. xD

So, to the main topic, why do I say that this set is screwed?  Firstly, this set has way too many powerful cards and I just reviewed one not long ago, you can probably see it somewhere down there, don't feel like giving the link here when you can just scroll down and find it.  Exercise your finger a bit boy.  Alright, an example of a powerful card, our cute and fluffy rabbit with a pair of goggles:

I give you the cute and flabby white angel, rescue rabbit!  This is technically a rescue cat but with more restrictions.  However, its effect is darn good and you can effectively fetch out a mean guy to spank your opponent's ass for you.  If you are running a dino, then say hello to:

"You mess with me, you mess with GOD"

Basically, I am talking from the OCG point of view where powerful cards more often appear as common or rare, seldom we get powerful cards in the form of super and ultra.  But for the TCG people, boy, do I pity them.  The cute rabbit you saw up there?  It's a freaking secret in the TCG which means, let me calculate....1 in a few boxes perhaps?  In OCG, you can open the packs blindly and you are bound to get 1 rabbit but in the TCG, well, you guys know the deal.  Every last good card in the PHSW set is a secret and that means...

"You ain't gonna get me unless I want you to"

Other "secret agents" you have in this set include Agent Dark Smog, Agent Wind-up Rabbit (God knows his effect) and a few other guys whom I can't remember their names, must either be too ugly or too whacked to be remembered.  As stated in another guy's blog, he said that PHSW is going to be the next DREV set where you get all the good cards but your wallet is gonna bleed like mad, you might consider blood transfusion later. And the general trend now in the TCG is if you have no money to buy these sets:

That's all, good night and pleasant dreams.

重燃的火焰

听了这首歌后，我那沉睡了许久的感情又再次浮现了。http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAaxh8OuzHk&feature=related  

看了那火辣又可爱的脸蛋后，我pedophile的基因现在在呼唤我，命令我去把那可恨的第三季下载。有时不得不承认，那些女生的声音真的是死不好听呀。可恶，要是我的声音也能像这样的话，我早就在我自己的胖哥楼翘脚饮茶咯。可恶的明星呀！给回我的血汗呀！你们这些靠粉丝资助的ham ga chai!!

是不是想要她呢？我的女儿来的，不要乱乱来噢。。。xD

Single Card Review - Dark Smog

Howdy there duelists, how was your week?  So, today, I will be reviewing a card and that card is *drum rolls*...DARK SMOG!!  It is the upcoming TCG exclusive and by golly, it has one hell of a whackass effect.  So, let's get down to business shall we?

(No picture as the current picture looks like crap!)

Dark Smog
Continuous Trap
Once per turn, you can target 1 monster in your opponent graveyard.  Discard 1 Fiend-Type monster and banish the target.

Okay, let's analyse this card from several perspectives shall we?

1) It's a continuous trap.  I read on pojo saying that this card is bad and stuff as it's a continuous trap card and will most likely be prone destruction.  Hey, look at Gate of Dark Worlds, it is a FIELD spell and yet people run it at 3.  Why?  Cause it's just so good.  Being a continuous trap card means that you are not limited to a one off discard.  You can use it as long as this card is on the field and you have big stuff in your hand.  This card, combined with Dark World Dealings and Gate of Dark World can actually make Goldd and Silva worth running.  In the OCG, Goldd and Silva just clog up your hand as most of the time you would want to discard either your grapha or your snoww but with this card, you can discard Grapha with Gate and discard a summoning folder with this.  Works like a charm.

2) Grave control.  The fact that it banishes an opponent monster from the graveyard is good news in itself!  This means that you can effectively lock down Agents, Frognarchs and even other Dark World decks!  When you have full control over the graveyard, then there's literary no way your opponent can stop you unless he has a Godlike hand.

3) Discard fodder.  I don't think I need to mention this but whatever cards that allow Dark Worlds to discard themselves and is not regarded as a cost is darn good enough!  So people, pack your deck with the monsters you need and show em who's boss.

4) Trap Card.  The last factor is it being a trap card.  In essence, this means that it will not provide you with the burst you need like from Gate of Dark Worlds since you need to set it down a turn.  But this also means that you can use it as a bluff and work your way around your opponent's spell destruction cards.  You can set this, let your opponent MST it and later play Gate for convenience.  And if this card survives, you can use it as an alternate source of discard and fill your grave with Fiends for Gate.

In short, this card is not that good and I would recommend running 0 to 1 copy and not more than that.  Why?  Reason is simple.  It is at best a tech card.  Moreover, if your opponent has no monsters in their grave, this card is literary dead and you don't want that to happen right?  I am not entirely sure about the efficacy of this card but would probably do some test decking to see how it goes.  So, until next time, see ya~

有时呢。。。

有时我不得不想下，为何上天会如此的玩弄人类。给一个例子：

乍看之下，任何人都想将她成为他的女朋友但。。。现实可是好残酷的呀。这位美少女实际上是个美少男！！瓜才好！想来想去，你们女生到底在做什么？？打扮和装可爱是你们的强项，为何连一个男生都打不倒？！

终而言之，世界已经开始进入另一个阶段了。。。

Day 30 - Final Offering to Death Aspect

This topic was meant to be a free topic so while I have the chance, I would like to say my final farewell for a great guy in my YGO life.  This man has been the man I look up to ever since he started his blog.  He is the one who gave YGO a breathe of new life, offering a wide range of innovative and novel ideas to the community.  His insights into YGO had always been very fastidious and as long as one followed his advice, chances are one would win the game.  Having him around the community was truly exhilarating and those moments will be dearly missed by all.  My only concern would be the newbies entering this game will have a slight disadvantage compared to the veterans.  Nevertheless, I hope that no matter where he goes, prosperity follows.

Death Aspect, may you find a better life out there and God bless you!

All the Posts in 1 Post

Hi there, sorry for not updating my blog for such a LOOOOONNNNNGGGGGGG time~  Generally, there had been numerous attempts to update my blog but laziness was just too overwhelming so now that I feel the drive to do so, I will finish with all the 30days blog challenge.  Here goes:

Day 21 - Most Memorable Event
Although this should have been a long post, I will keep it short to make room for my other posts.  Okay, so the most memorable event was hanging out with my friends back in Kuching and in New Zealand.  Well, before who I am today, I was an introvert and hardly mixed with anyone.  If you ask my secondary school peers, they would tell you everything.  Hence, spending time with my friends and laughing together is a very pivotal thing in my life and I cannot imagine how I would have been had I not met up with all these wonderful people.

Day 22 - Most Deceitful Event
Well, I had a lot of bad happenings in my life but the worst would be my relative beating her kids like nobody's business and that she thought that she was the best.  Sigh, maniac~

Day 23- Happiest Moment in my life
Everyday I'd guesses.

Day 24 - Saddest Day in my life
The day I lost my grandmother.  She was the spiritual support and the one who gave me the most encouragement throughout my life.  I took her for granted when she was still with me and didn't give her the full respect she deserved.  Reminiscing, I was really a fool and a good-for-nothing grandson.

Day 25 - How you would be in 10 years
God knows.

Day 26 - Your future girlfriend/wife
Perfect of course!

Day 27 - Your Future Children
As long as they do not give me a headache frequently and stay true to my parents' teaching, no complaints here.

Day 28 - What are your ideals
1 - Be honest and never hide behind a mask
2 - Be jocund as life is too short
3 - Be a MAN, do the right thing!

Day 29 - What do you wish to achieve
I want to become the best damn teacher the world has ever seen.  I don't want to just teach students about all those technical knowledge but provide them something better, something more meaningful, a goal!  I want them to live up to themselves and set a goal that they are able to achieve.  When they succeed, I don't want them to feel conceited and complacent, I want them to be able to share the fruition of their work to the world and make this planet a better place to live in.

Day 21 - Most Memorable Event (Intro)

Gosh!  This is going to be a looonnnng looonnng read!  So, for this post, I am going to write the full description tomorrow.  Gotta sleep now, my eyes are killing me.  By the way, I apologise for not updating my blog for quite some time.  Sloth and slack seem to have gotten a good hold of me, crap!  So, until next time, take care and stay sweet~

Rampage Time - Part 2

Day 20 - 10 Things I Hate
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.   PRETENTIOUS PEOPLE!!!!
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Straight from 1 to 10, there's nothing that infuriates me more than pretentious people.  I admit, I am a bit pretentious but at least I speak my mind when the time calls for it.  I loathe fucking retards known as pretentious people that don't know how to toll the line between being an asshole and being a kind soul.  So, to all you fucking pompous faggots, you know who you are, GO TO HELL AND BURN THERE!!

Rampage Time - Part 1

Day 19 - 10 Things You Love

In chronological order:
1. Life
2. Family
3. Friends
4. Foods
5. One Pack
6. Hot Girls
7. Hot Guys (Oo0-lala)
8. Good singers
9. Sports
10. Love

I won't dwell into these things since most of them are very explicit except 5 and 7.  For No. 5, one pack.  I always believe in my own saying that one pack is the foundation of everything.  Girls may dig six packs but I honestly believe that there is no greater treasure than the gift of a one pack.  For the 7th, I am not gay per se but I do admire their build (not six packs) and they motivate me to go to the gym everyday.  You might be wondering why there isn't a mention of books or wisdom.  This is because I believe that these two things are perpetual and there seems to be no point loving something that you will forever be obliged to acquire.  That wraps up the first rampage, on to the second!

Day 18 - Your view on the life after and what is to happen

Regarding this issue, there has been a lot of debates and debacles saying that we will either go to heaven or hell after we die.  There are also speculations that we will just be reduced to dust when we die or our souls will go wandering and become ghosts.  The list goes on and on incessantly and I believe will continue to do so even when my generation has all passed away.

I personally, based on my religion, view the after life as simply another excursion.  If what is written in the holy sanskrit is correct, then this body made from flesh and bone is but a container for my soul and that my soul will wander off towards its next journey when this earthly body of mine withers and dies.  As I don't know what the after life has in stored for me, hence I will try to accumulate as much good deeds as possible so that when I reach the podium, I will not be judged so sternly.  Sadly, I have gathered so many sins that I don't think my punishment will be anything light.  From owing money, to lying, to bullying, to deceiving, to watching porn and all those bad stuff, done them all, experienced them all.  So, what is to say about the good deeds?  Can't recall any that I did.  Oh well, so be it.

"Everyone can become a Buddha."  The wise words spoken by Gauthama Buddha will forever ricochet in my heart and next time when I have children, I will make sure they grow up to become respectable individuals, not like their dad who has so many sins.  All in all, always be prepared for the after life and make sure you have no regrets when you leave this world.  Then, you will truly obtain bliss/nirvana.

“心静，言顺，法立，行正。”

Single Card Review - Archlord Krystia

This card is single-handedly the most powerful card that was ever created by Konami.  Why do I say so?  Let's skim through the card shall we?

Okay, 2800ATK beatstick that stops special summoning, which is the core method to win this format, and returns to the top of your deck for recycling later.  It is a normal summon monster, so even if it gets hit by solemn warning or rai-oh, you can just monster reborn her back and the opponent will go whoop de doo when you do that.  Combined with the right cards like master hyperion and co., this card can be lethal!  Furthermore, it is a light attribute monster, making it a folder for BLS and it is also Honestable.  You can also pitch it for cards from the sky if you find that it is clogging your hand and net you two new cards that might turn the table on the game.  Simply put, this card is a total mayhem and if you have no outs to it, then it is recommended that you scoop.  As far as my dueling experience is concerned, whenever this card hits the field and you have no answers, then chances are you will lose.  Getting a beatstick that is stronger than her that doesn't require special summoning does not exist!  Even if it does, you will not have enough tribute folder for it.

So, how to get over this card?  The answer is quite simple actually and sometimes you need to gamble a bit and do some calculations on when's the best time to sack her.  For example, when she is SSed to the field and if you have to choose between solemn warning and bottomless, for Christ sake, go with bottomless and banish this girl for good!  If you don't have either, then God bless you bro.  Mirror force and dimensional prison are another alternative but honestly speaking, with Hyperion and 3 MST on a rampage, having it there till you can activate it is a miracle!  Another solution is to run it over with honest but if your opponent has an honest too then just scoop.  Until this very day, this card is still very formidable and no matter when, you should always reserve your trump card against it if you were to face an angel deck.  Setting up a good field before she hits the field is a good option too.  Fill your field with 3k beatsticks that she can't get over would indeed be brilliant.  Skill drain offers a slightly less advantage over her but with skill drain, you can SS again and potentially spank her ass!

Well, that's all for today's single card review, until next time, take care.

Day 17 - Your View On Life

Ah, life.  What a wonderful and miraculous word.  The word bears infinite meanings and possibilities for each and every living being.  When you are alive, there's no such thing as impossibilities nor is there such a thing as uselessness.  Life has so much installed for us that it's impossible to ever feel weary or fatigue.  Life, in itself, is the greatest blessing every living thing (men, mammals and plants) can have!  So, don't waste it on some stupid act such as smoking and dealing with drugs.

So, be happy and live life the way you want without feeling regret at the end of the day! ^^

Day 16 - Your View On Society

My view on society is quite simple actually.  Civilization has been going downhill and more and more fallacies are emerging like mushrooms after a rain.  That's what I have been thinking recently but some events and real life shows have forced me to reconsider.  Only after that that I noticed that this seemingly rotten society still has some light in it.  There are still good people inside this society who won't give a second thought to lending a helping hand and this has really inspired me to become a better person myself.  Where there is light, there is darkness and sadly this darkness is much more prevalent than the light but I would like to hope.  I would like to put my hands together and hope that this society is not as pathetic and corrupted as it has been portrayed to be but that the society is making a change for the better.

As they always say, a revolution will only follow when humanity has hit rock bottom.  The way I see it, a revolution is slowly happening throughout the world and soon, a better one will emerge.  Civilization is defined by its society and unless we have a good and proper society, don't bother claiming that one race is more superior than the other, it would only make you look like a complete fool.

5 Consecutive Posts

Firstly, I would like to apologise for not updating my blog for the past few days.  This is because I was distracted with other events that were happening in my life and animes just tied me down good.  So, now that I have some time and it's half time for RWC2011, I decided to write a few things that were listed in my 30 days blog challenge.  Rest assure, it won't be that long to read.

11th Day - What you look forward to in life
Well, the one thing that I look forward to is basically the same as everyone's.  I am most certainly looking forward to the day I can get married (with my ideal girlfriend of course) and have my own children to love and care for.  Being a wonderful teacher is important too but the most primitive instinct of humans is to continue their lineage and in this sense, marriage comes first!  But before marriage, I am hoping to find my ideal girlfriend.  When I mean ideal, I don't mean the perfect girlfriend.  Ideal means she fulfils all my criteria and until this very day, I have never disclosed the criteria I have for my girlfriend and don't plan to do so.  It is something only my brother and I know.  Well, let's just wait and see what life has installed for me.

12th Day - What You Expect From Your Friends
Hmm...I would expect reciprocity from my friends.  I mean, if I am honest with them, it should only be normal for them to do the same.  I, for one, loathe people who are pretentious the most!  Damn them and may they burn in the flames of hell!  Besides that, I don't mind being on the losing end.  As I have stated previously, my family's teaching has always been, "it is better to give than to take".  Thus, I am not that keen on being taken advantage of if I can help it.  However, that doesn't mean as my friend, you can cross the line.  Although I can be pretty tolerant, it's best not to mess with me as all hell will break loose if you ever get onto my bad side.  Beyond that, everyone is welcome to be my friend! ^^

13th Day - What You Expect From Your Future Clients
Well, my future clients are all gonna be tiny little toddlers who have either little or no idea about the structure of the world at all.  I don't expect much from them but I do hope that I am able to provide them with all the necessary knowledge they will need when they advance in life.  Nonetheless, if there is something that I expect from them, it's that I expect them to be able to have fun and enjoy learning when they are sitting for my lessons.  I don't wish to become a grandpa and nag until they fall asleep.  I want to become a teacher whom they can confidently confide in and at the end of the day, as they say "thank you", I want it to be something from the heart and filled with appreciation towards what I taught them.  In that essence, I don't mind getting a below average class.  As long as they are keen to learn, that is more than enough reason for me to teach them.

14th Day - What You Aspire To Become
Ever since I was still a child, I have always aspired to become a teacher.  I can't quite recall the reason for such an aspiration as I had it when I was still in primary school and never gave much thought to any other careers.  I am quite the adamant person and once I have set my mind on something, it's impossible for me to change my mind.  Now that I think about it, I don't want to become a teacher.  I want to be the best damn teacher that anyone could ever wish to have and that my students are going to become the best individuals the world has ever seen.  It doesn't matter what my colleagues or higher ups have to say about my teaching methods, as long as what I want to convey can get across to my students and that they have learnt something, even if it is only 1%, I will be more than contented.  Because as they always say, learning is a life long process.  Even at 1%, I will expand on that and eventually, by the time my students have finished their primary education, they will be intrinsically motivated and inspired to do better in life.

15th Day - Your View on Gender
I have always believed in gender equality.  It doesn't matter whether one is born a male or a female, they should all be given the privilege to access the basic human rights and have their say on a certain topic.  I find it very unsightly that people always make comparisons between genders and argue this and that.  I mean, come on, everyone has something that they are good at and something that they are weak at.  So what if girls are better than boys in areas such as language and mature faster than us, it is their biological disposition.  We are good in a lot of fields too such as using our common sense and understanding things.  Honestly, I find all these research about a gender absolute nonsense!  No matter how many research has been done, it will not change the fact that every single one of us is a human being!  So, all the researchers and scientists out there, get a life! Malaysia, especially, need to loosen up and let the girls have a chance to be at the higher managerial posts.  Even though men are good at common sense and understanding things, their ego ruins everything.  Women, on the other hand, can remain composed even at the most drastic moments (this has been proven times and over) and they are more affectively connected to their subordinates, making it a pleasant experience for everyone.  However, do be cautious of women's dark side, they may be weaker than men physically but they can be far far far more brutal than men when it comes to politics.  That's why no matter where or when, choose carefully!

Day 10 - Favourite Hero

My favourite hero is, without a doubt, my grandmother.  She was always the hero in my heart and not just because she was kind and loving, she had this certain aura around her which made her so powerful and strong.  I still remember whenever my brother and I got into a pinch because of our mischiefs, she would get us out from it and tell us nicely what should be done.  She was always my model and never was a day gone by where I didn't wish that I would become someone like or better than her.  Indeed, until this very day, she is and forever will be my hero and no hollywood heroes can possibly come near to her.

Day 9 - Favourite Movie

From back then until now, my favourite movie has been and always will be (until a better one comes along) "The Shawshank Redemption".  The story is about a man named Andy who was prosecuted based on false charges and ended up in Shawshank Prison.  There, he met a man, Red, who dealt in illegal trades in prison and was the man he would later confide in and become friends.  Throughout the movie, various scenes are shown whereby abuse of power and illicit steps were taken in order to acquire fame and fortune.  When one of Andy's cell mates was assassinated, he figured that he had been in prison for about long enough and absconded to freedom.  In the end, he revealed all of the warden's misdeeds and the corruptions in Shawshank.  Not long after, Red's parole went through and he was reunited with Andy to begin a new chapter of their life.

This movie is very heartwarming and it totally appeals to me.  The movie has given me hope that not all bad things are a curse, they might as well be a blessing in disguise.  The movie also taught me a very important lesson and that is to hold true to our beliefs and never waver until the very end.  Andy firmly believed that he was innocent and carried out his role as a just and civilized man.  In the end, his efforts were rewarded and eventually became the deciding factor in his escape.  Overall, I would recommend this movie to anyone regardless of age.  My rating: 9.5/10.

Unveiling the 30days blogging thingy list

Day 1 - Introduction about yourself and 15 interesting facts
Day 2 - Meaning behind your blog name
Day 3 - Your first love (screw this!)
Day 4 - Your parents
Day 5 - Your religion
Day 6 - Your hobby
Day 7 - Favourite Food
Day 8 - Favourite Phrase
Day 9 - Favourite Movie (recent one)
Day 10 - Favourite Hero (anybody)
Day 11 - What you look forward to in life
Day 12 - What you expect from your friends
Day 13 - What you expect from your future clients
Day 14 - What you aspire to become
Day 15 - Your view on gender
Day 16 - Your view on society
Day 17 - Your view on life
Day 18 - Your view on the life after and what is to happen (based on your religion)
Day 19 - 10 things you love
Day 20 - 10 things you hate
Day 21 - Most memorable event
Day 22 - Most deceitful event
Day 23 - Happiest moment in life
Day 24 - Saddest moment in life
Day 25 - How you would be in 10 years time
Day 26 - Your future girlfriend/wife
Day 27 - Your future children
Day 28 - What are your ideals
Day 29 - What do you wish to achieve
Day 30 - (Free topic)

Here's the lineup for this month.  We are currently on Day 8 and I cannot guarantee the read will be pleasant but I sincerely hope that after reading my post, it will leave something good in you.  Cheers.

Day 8 - Your Favourite Phrase

My favourite phrase, from the past until now, is "the only thing we can give and keep is our word".  In short, our promises.  Throughout my life, I have encountered various types of people, ranging from honest fellows to sinister felons.  But there's one similarity that I have observed in both these characters and that is that they will keep their promises regardless of their character.  Even the most vile and wicked person will keep his promises to the one he loves.  Alright, let's not talk about the abstract stuff, we shall bring this topic back to the early years of our lives.  When we were still children, innocent as we come, we would try to realise all of our promises no matter how absurd those promises were.  Ah, the good old days.  However, eventually and gradually as we get older, our personality starts to take a turn for the worse and what was once innocence and pure turns into something filthy and pungent.  It is quite sad considering that how humans strive to be perfect and yet, they always neglect their own personal flaws. 

Promises are not something we can take for granted or make lightly of.  A promise, to me, is like a contract made between the recipient and the host.  When promised, both parties should endeavour to fulfil the promise.  That's why we should not make empty promises and promises that we can't possibly keep.  Sometimes, these promises may slip through out minds and this may lead to a misunderstanding between both parties.  Hence, it is pivotal that we make a note about the promises made.  One can forget but one must try their best to remember.  I believe no one would like a tatter-tale who cannot keep any secrets.  The same goes for people who can't keep their promises.  You can get away once or twice but nonetheless, you will accumulate dissatisfaction and disappointment from your audience and this will ultimately, leads to your demise. 

Sadly, not many people understand the gravity of their own promises and this is especially prevalent in the government and people with a high social status.  They have this misconception that as long as they have money and power, they can escape the bonds of promises and it is acceptable that they break people's hearts by not fulfilling their promises.  However, divine retribution is not as kind as we think it is.  For instance, look at Malaysia, their government has long made empty promises to the citizens and now a remonstration has taken place just outside the parliament.  Forlornly, they still won't introspect and rectify their errors.  It doesn't take a genius to figure out the ending awaiting the Malaysian government.  Indeed, as I have pointed out earlier, they can use their power and money to cover up this incident but alas, leakages and informants are just too common nowadays that the world will definitely get wind of this situation.  Hence, as responsible adults and individuals, we must keep our promises and even if we were to be corrupted by fame and fortune, we must not forget the dignity as a human being.  To break one's word is the same as tearing one's soul apart.

So readers, what I have said here might seem as meaningless preaching and not worth the time you spent reading it but please remember, what goes around comes around.  If we don't do self-reflection from time to time, our words will come back to haunt us.  Until next time, take care.

"Don't make your friends weep please"

Day 7 - Favourite Food

Hmm...Now this topic be one sweet topic.  Generally, I have lots of favourite foods but the best one would still be PORK!!  Truth be told, there's no better food than pork.  The tenderness, combined with its juiciness and all those crispy parts, it is simply irresistible!!  So that's that.

Day 6 - Your Hobby

Ah, how I have waited for this topic.  Well, I have a post done previously specifically about my hobby and now that I have been asked the same question again, I shall reiterate.  I have 3 hobbies and they are, in chronological order, 1) Anime 2) Yu-Gi-Oh! 3) Reading.  As you can infer, I am not that much of an avid reader and truth be told, I only read books that I think are worth my time and effort.  I know I am a very fussy person when it comes to books but I mean seriously, who wants to waste 1 whole day to read a book that has no value or content, I won't!  Hence, the genres which I like and have a liking for are romance (happy endings) and mysteries.  Romance is a given since I am a bachelor and am learning diligently the secret to a successful love life but mystery is the real impact here.  Stories like sherlock holmes and the client just leave you yearning for more and trust me, that parch for good stories like these are insatiable!

Second from the top is Yu-Gi-Oh!  I don't think any further elaboration is required.  I have devoted myself to the card game since Form 1 and have spent, I don't know, a few thousands on this card game.  Well, some might say that I am stupid or a total imbecile for investing on trash like this that holds no innate value and lessons but hey, a guy has to have a hobby aite?  I love the way this card game works.  You can either fool the enemy to play their trump cards while reserving yours or go all out and wait to see your opponent's reaction.  In such a meticulous game like this, a single miscall will result in defeat.  Thus, players like us just love to play psychological warfare with our opponent.  "An unknown figure can instill immeasurable fear even in the most skilled hunter".  So, this is more to a observe your opponent, watch his plays and respond accordingly if you want to win.  The last format was an utter bull that lets newbies and amateurs take the trophy home but this format (albeit my reproaching in the earlier post) actually helps differentiate players who are skillful and those nuisance amateurs.  Therefore, this format is like antibiotics for the long term disease we call "luck".

However, my favourite hobby would always be watching animes.  This is a given since I am a true blue otaku (which means geek in japanese terms).  I have been an otaku ever since I first started watching anime at a young age of 10.  Of course, at that time, I didn't know that it was called an anime and simply watched it because of the superheroes and heroines.  It was only until later that I unveiled my hidden desires for "perfection" and that is the key element that hooks people like me into the anime realm.  Indeed, it is more realistic to live in the 3D world and hang out with your girlfriend that you can actually touch and talk to BUT in anime, the girls are perfect!  Perfect as in they behave the way you want them to and the development of the story can be superb too.  Some of the animes resonate with our experience and thus, making it more appealing to the audience.  Not only that, some animes actually teach you facts about the world that you have never known before.  For example, I never knew that the first recorded book was called "Epic of Gilgamesh" and that this Gilgamesh fellow was a half god half man warrior.  It was only after watching an anime that I actually went and did some in-depth research to know more.  So, there are goods and bads about animes but we should not let the bad overshadow the goods.

In short, everyone has a hobby and each individual's hobby differs from one another.  It is due to that that the world is so diverse and what hobby you have defines you.  So, don't be a lazy bum and not own any hobby!

"What you can never attain in reality even through plastic surgery!"

Day 5 - Your Religion

Well, my religion isn't something big to talk about.  I am basically a merge between Confucian, Taoism and Buddhism.  My family has been keeping faithful to this religion for as long as I can remember.  The lessons that I learnt from my religion are invaluable and they have shaped me greatly to become who I am today.  Unlike most people who like to take, I discovered that I am the one who likes to give.  From the benefactor's point of view, this is nothing more than making losses but as my religion points out, it is better to give and help than to take and consume.  Due to this, my family, if viewed from this angle, is on the losing end but I don't think so.  At the end of the day, when you have done everything in your power, you will feel good and feel at ease.  That's why no matter what others say, when I have given and the recipient is happy, I will be overwhelmed by a sense of joy too.

Thus, what you believe in doesn't matter.  I sincerely believe that all religion has its own way of teaching and that the teachings are good and upright (not sure about satanic though).  So, never condemn other people's religion or exalt your own.  We are all human beings and there's nothing to gain from condemning each other besides staining one own's soul.  So, until next time, see ya~

Day 4 - Your Parents

Every parent is different and the same.  That is what I truly believe and when I say different, it is not limited to how they look or behave but also to the way they bring up their children.  One child's family can be very doting while the other very strict, it is totally possible that you find parents who have gone over the extreme for their children.

My parents can be said to be a good split.  My father is very stern and my mom is very compassionate and thanks to that, my upbringing has been filled with joyful and painful memories.  According to 易经，a stern father and a compassionate mother (aka my parents) will eventually give rise to a responsible and well behaved child.  Well, this holds true especially in my younger brother.  He is the kind of child that almost all parents, if not all would want to have.  Good grades, good athletic abilities, good social skills and most of all, good manners that make up the whole package.  He is the epitome of what you would call a perfect child.  Physical complexion aside, he is your fairy tale's prince charming.  Well, let's stop at there, shall we?

My father is a businessman and has been dealing in earnest for his entire life.  His motto is "honesty is the best policy" and though he doesn't look like it, he really despises heinous acts and selfish remarks.  Due to this, he set very high expectations for both my older brother and I and of which, we have never failed to fall short.  He does not believe that children need to be dotted in order for them to succeed, he is more to the type, if you want your child to succeed, give them the necessary materials and let them build up their own identity.  In that respect, he has groomed us to become who we are today and I guess you can say that I am grateful for that.  I will never forget the spartan years I had when I was still a child and all the beatings I received from my dad that made me such a tough piece of work!  However, my dad is very lenient when it comes to food and he would always bring my brother and I to eat whenever we had co-curricular activities and because of that, I always look forward to Saturdays when we had co-curricular activities.  Not to mention my dad is very knowledgeable when it comes to Chinese traditions and history and I doubt there is anyone in Malaysia who could compete with my dad when it comes to these knowledge about China and thanks to his constant teachings (naggings when we were younger), I have a certain amount of knowledge regarding China and its roots.  In addition, I also got to know about my own roots and my family ancestral tree and how my name was thought of.  Thanks to my dad, I am proud to be a Chinese!

On the other hand, my mother is the kind and understanding type.  She has a different philosophy and believes in the saying that "a child needs love to grow" and is the total opposite of my dad.  I remember there was once when I stole some  money from her purse and received a beating from her.  Boy, I remember as if it was yesterday, I was beaten so badly that I cried like mad on my bed and eventually cried into a slumber.  After some time, I felt a warm hand applying some ointments on my bruises and when I took a peek, I saw my mother, with tears in her eyes, applying that ointment over my bruises.  At that time, my heart jerked so much that tears wouldn't stop pouring from my eyes.  It was on that very day that I swore I will never let my mom down again, I would achieve all the targets she sets for me and would make her proud when I grow up.  Thanks to the kindness she showed me, my brothers and I all have nurtured a heart that knows how to care and give and the three of us view taking as something that is trivial and not worth making a fuss over.

My dad and mom do have some similar traits in their upbringing.  They emphasize a lot on education and will not mind going the extra mile just so that the three of us can excel in our learning.  They always tell the three of us the same thing, "It doesn't matter what grades you get as long as you tried your best."  Those words still reverberate inside my head vividly and there's no way I can forget those words.  Contrary to the both of them, my grandma was the actual driving force in my life, she was the one who have me the most encouragements and support.  In my family, my older brother would get more attention from my mom and my younger brother would receive more attention from my dad and being a gloomy person in the past, I always had negative thoughts about being an "extra" and doesn't belong.  I always perched on the wood railings outside our house and stared off into space.  My grandma would always come and sit down beside me and talked with me regarding the any issues that came into her mind.  I truly enjoyed her company back then as it reminded me that I am not alone in this world.  However, all good things must come to an end, my grandma passed away a few years back and I never cried so much in my entire life, even remembering it brings tears to my eyes.  My grandma's words of wisdom are etched in my heart and even if my memories were to be wiped out, I would  never forget the lessons she had taught me.

So, that concludes my post about my parents.  They are not the best parents out there but in my heart, I couldn't ask for better parents than them, they are No.1 in my heart and soul.

"What better parents could you hope for?"