Cancelling the Apocalypse: Jaeger Style

One of Pacific Rim's theatrical posters

Pacific Rim first hit the theaters last July 11, 2013. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, and written by himself and Travis Beacham, the movie tells the tale of humanity's struggle against Kaijus - giant, extraterrestrial beings laying waste on Earth - through Jaegers - equally colossal mechanical humanoids piloted by, usually, two pilots. 

It was from a fissure between two tectonic plates on the Pacific's floor from which the first alien lifeform -- the Kaiju -- entered our world. Its first target: San Francisco. With the present weapons, it took six days before jets, tanks and missiles took it down. Six months after, the second Kaiju hit Manila, and the third, the fourth, the fifth, and so on. 

It was then humans realized that there's no end to it, and that they needed a new weapon. Thus, the Jaeger Program.

The Jaeger Program aims to make "monsters" -- giant robots -- to combat the Kaijus. Although, there were setbacks during the early stages of the development, for the neural load to interface with a giant machine was too much for a single pilot. Ergo, the two-pilot system was implemented, dividing the load between two people so it may be tolerable, and the Jaeger program realized. From there, humans started winning, but the problem is not quite over yet. In fact, far from it.

Follow the Resistance -- humanity's last line of defense against the Kaiju after the Jaeger Program was discontinued -- in this pure brawn, adrenaline ride.

The last four Jaegers; left to right: Crimson Typhoon (China), Gipsy Danger (USA), Striker Eureka (Australia), and Cherno Alpha (Russia)

Of Joints and Resins: Ball-Jointed Dolls in a Nutshell

Iplehouse's Limited Edition Aurora

A ball-jointed doll, or BJD, is any doll with ball and socket joints. In modern usage, however, especially when using acronyms BJD or ABJD (Asian ball-jointed doll), ball-jointed dolls predominantly refer to resin, Asian ball-jointed dolls, and this blog post will be featuring them exclusively. 

Asian ball-jointed dolls are cast from polyurethane synthetic resin, with parts strung together by thick elastic. They are highly poseable, and range in size from as small as 10 centimeters with the biggest dolls being around 60 centimeters in height. Meanwhile, as greatly varied they are in size, is also their diversity in terms of visual aesthetics; some dolls are realistic, and can be mistaken for real people, while others are high-fantasy with anthropomorphic parts, and some are just plainly designed to follow the anime fashion. Nevertheless, all are attractive in their own unique ways.

DreamofDoll's Code No. 11

Japan, China and Korea are the top manufacturers of BJDs, with producers not limited on large, international companies, but also single-person hobbyists. While hobbyist producers are often gone unrecognized, the opposite can be said towards the other sector. Presently, among of the renowned names in the field of BJD production are Volks, U-Noa, Luts, Custom House, Doll in Mind, Dollshe, Dream of Doll, Elfdoll, Dollzone, Soom, and Iplehouse.


Despite being highly priced, with the most expensive raging up to a thousand US dollars for a complete set, BJDs are highly coveted by hardcore and casual doll collector and lovers around the globe. Oftentimes, buyers order from the manufacturer's site directly and have them shipped to their side of the planet. Also, there are also middlemen in this business. By serving as a relay point between the customers and the warehouse, they can cut delivery costs and ultimately the cash needed by a person to get herself a doll. However, for the sake of security, most would opt to use the former method, as it is safer despite being less friendly on the wallet. And given the chance, I, personally, would be doing the same.

Dew by Luts

__Celly says____

Honestly? I hated making this post. Really! I mean, look at them things! They're bloody tantalizing I'd love to slap my monitor on my head. 'Nuff said.

Alright, violence aside, ball-jointed dolls are among of the very few girl stuffs which I, a partly-male soul trapped in a female's body, drool over. That, or my artistic nature is talking. Either way, I know how much I've restrained myself from squirming in envy as I was making this page, and how much allured I feel as I was hunting for pictures to add in this blog. Although, admittedly, some dolls did freak me out, nevertheless, I still love these resin things, despite the overwhelming complexity of feelings I have towards them. I mean, who can say no to that ridiculously good-looking lady on the top or those insanely hawt fellows over there? At least, who could without the aid of financial restraints? >:B

And now, to draw more drools, some more pictures.

From left to right: Dollzone's Raymond, Iplehouse's Tedros, and Soom's yet to be named

From left to right: Dollshe's Ausley Love, Fairyland's Chloe, and Elfdoll's Vivien

All images belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended. 

An Arms Dealer's Perspective

"Her name is Koko, she is loco, I say oh no,' says two of the tracks from Jormungand's soundtrack, Time to Rock and Roll, and Time to Attack. And while it is needless to be redundant, I must say it again: Koko is loco.

Jormungand's logo as it appears in
its second season's opening

Jormungand is a twelve-episode anime from White Fox studios while its second season, Jormungand Perfect Order, also has twelve episodes. The series is faithfully based on a manga by Keitaro Takahashi of the same title. The first season of the series aired on Japan from April 10, 2012 to June 26, 2012, while Perfect Order, aired from October 10, 2012 to December 6, 2012.

As already is apparent, the series focuses on the escapade of an arms dealer, Koko Hekmatyar, and her hell-raising around the world in pursuit of, ironically, world peace. Although not exactly the cup of tea on most peace advocates, to those who are not, Jormungand is sure to deliver one fun and exiting ride.

After all, she is Koko, she is loco, and she's an arms dealer.

Koko Hekmatyar, Jormungand's
all-too-awesome arms dealer

The series start with the entry of Jonah -- a boy soldier with tremendous fighting aptitude who serves as one of the show's main protagonist -- to Koko Hekmatyar's team. The team was rather phlegmatic of Jonah's entry, except, maybe, of their reaction regarding how the wee boy already "got iron". Nevertheless, upon the young Jonah having proven his mettle and ability on his first mission, they welcomed him to their ranks. From then on, everything was history, and shows only the spree of Koko and her team around the globe selling weapons to various military, mafias and militias. Shallow and aimless as this may sound, the series' main point was hinted on as early as the first episode, wherein Koko mentioned to Jonah how she was selling weapons for world peace.

This is where the series' second season kick in.

Jormungand Perfect Order jump starts with one of Koko's team, R, dying, with his death revealing how CIA had planted a bug on Koko. Although the presence of Scarecrow, a CIA agent, had already made viewers aware of the agency's interest in Koko, it is from this point on the timeline where bigwig institutions such as the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), NSA (National Security Agency), and SCS (Special Collection Service) have begun acting more aggressively to leash the arms dealer who was, in their judgement, becoming too dangerously powerful. 

Koko, on the other hand, continues her occupation as an arms dealer, while dodging the said agencies on one side and picking items off a list for her goal of "world peace" on the other. As the story develops, we were hit by the revelation on why Koko has been so hard-working in getting as rich as possible, and on how she used her cash from arms dealing into building the compulsory world peace she had mentioned on the anime's maiden episode.

Koko Hekmatyar's squad; from left to right: Mao, Wiley,
Valmet, Lutz, Koko, Lehm, Jonah, Ugo, Tojo, and R

__characters____

Jormungand's roster of characters is a myriad of variation which makes the show more interesting than it already is. From the sly Koko, to the epitome of cuteness that is Jonah, and up to the maniacal Hex, one would not get bored over how this diversity rolls over itself.

The series' central characters are mainly Koko and her team. Composed of ten members, including Koko herself, they are mostly former military personnel with varying personalities, pasts, and specialties. Koko aside, their names are Jonah (the kid soldier), Lehm (the oldest team member and secondary sniper), Valmet (close quarters combatant), Lutz (primary sniper), Tojo (intelligence specialist), Wiley (demolition expert/bomber), Mao (artillery officer), Ugo (the driver), R (the, uh, pretty boy).

Aside from them, other arms dealer teams are also featured. First of, is the Kaspar Hekmatyar team which includes himself, Chequita, Edgar, Alan, and Poe. The second to be introduced is CCAT's Curry group of three: Mister Curry, Mildred, and Lew. Next is a Euro Group representative: Amalia Tolohovsky and her bodyguard. Then there's the Daxinghai Corporation of Chen Gouming, Karen Low, and Lee.

Aside from arms dealers, we were also introduced with the many men and women of 'law'. Starting from the CIA, we were introduced to Scarecrow, Shokolade, George Black, Hex, Spin, and other unnamed people. We also get to meet Tony Plame, Woody, and some other characters from their respective factions. Japan's SR Squad was also mentioned, with the most prominent members of it being Yosuke Hinoki, Kurosaka, and Kaburagi.

There's also the more 'humble' of men. They include the Orchestra -- Chinatsu and her master -- the assassins Dominique, Lilliane, and Gregoire, the Balkan Dragon Dragan Nikolaevitch, and many others.

And lastly, the scientists Amada "Miami" Minami, Elena Baburin, and Leila Ibrahim Faisal.

__Celly says____
Jormungand is my present favorite anime, followed by Ergo Proxy and Psycho Pass (but we won't focus on the other two now because we're basically sitting in Jormungand's page). 

Anyhow, I knew I would love Jormungand when I first laid eyes on a picture of Koko Hekmatyar. The white hair, the equally white skin and her grin which you just know hides more than you could imagine is just the embodiment of a perfect villain which I, strangely, have always been fascinated towards. And as I guessed, I did not just love Jormungand but I love love love it. 

What I like about Jormungand? Aside from it being one adrenaline and blazing guns filled joyride, it also features the cunning of a girl arms dealer over the more complex thatch of conspiracies and an ultimate project. Unlike most animes which rely on mere looks and fanservice, Jormungand has a lot more to offer than just visual spectacle but of mental puzzles, some more and more of them tools of mass murder, and the most outrageous of methods in deceiving others which would surely lead one to raise a few hairs.

All in all, Jormungand is a pretty enjoyable anime with more brains than what seems to be like a simple holocaust trip that it implies on its earliest of episodes. And while we're at it -- me, at least -- we suddenly realize how we like to be arms dealers ourselves. 

Uh, no.

How to Train Your Dragon Review

"The only problems are the pests. You see, most places have mice or mosquitoes... We have...

DRAGONS."

How to Train Your Dragon

a not that fiery of a review 

Theatrical poster for Dreamworks'
How to Train You Dragon

__synopsis__

Set in the fictional Viking settlement of Berk, How to Train Your Dragon focuses on the tale of a young, wimpy Viking named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, just Hiccup in short, and his adventures (and misadventures) alongside an unlikely best friend and a certainly cool companion, the stuff of legends -- a dragon.

Loosely based on a book series of the same title by Cressinda Cowell and produced by Dreamworks Studios, How to Train Your Dragon, or HTTYD in short, was released last March 23, 2010, receiving an 8.2 out of 10 rating from IMDb and 98 per cent from Rotten Tomatoes, was phenomenal as to earn nearly 500 USD worldwide and inspire further productions such as a television series, three short films, and two video games.

__plot__

Vikings are tough, except for Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. While the rest of the world can go fight dragons, he can stay and sharpen swords and axes and well, remain lame.  He's a wimpy Viking, you see, and a "talking fishbone" as he calls himself who can't lift a hammer and barely carry a proper sword. Although the poor, outcast boy has a gift: a knack for inventing things and being good with an anvil and hammer (a small hammer). And with this gift, his calibrations, some pieces of wood, metal and rope, he caught a dragon that no one has ever seen before and lived to tell the tale -- the Night Fury.

Funnily, instead of killing the dragon to gain the respect of his fellow Vikings, the young Hiccup decided not to and instead befriend the grand beast, who he named as Toothless. He ended up becoming his best friend and partner, and it was also from Toothless that Hiccup learned how everything Vikings know about dragons are wrong, that there was no point in killing each other.

__cast__
Jay Baruchel as Hiccup
Gerard Butler as Stoick the Vast
Craig Ferguson as Gobber
America Ferrera as Astrid
Jonah Hill as Snoutlout
Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fishlegs
T.J. Miller as Tuffnut
Kristen Wing as Ruffnut

__Celly says__
A personal favorite of mine, How to Train Your Dragon has always been on my watch list whenever I need some cheering up or when plain bored. It has an interesting setting (or Vikings and dragons are just my cup of tea), and a fine, manly tear-jerking story supported with an equal amount of visual candy and some, if not all, fairly likable characters. 

Its main charm however, in my personal opinion, is the Hiccup-Toothless tandem. I mean, come on, Toothless is just so cute and bad-ass at the same time, while Hiccup's brain and skill with the hands and his general clumsiness is also as adorable. I could watch them both doing their thing and have fun with it. In fact, I'd love to join, given a chance.

Alright, enough dreaming. Aside from HTTYD's awwww-inducing strength, it was also kind to remind us how who we thought were merely no good punks turn out to be victims themselves. In the movie, dragons attack Vikings so they won't be eaten or simply for self defense, while Vikings look at the beasts as no more than mongrels who, as Gobber said, always go for the kill when them Homo sapiens were blinded of the other side of the coin. The same applies in real life, that we are too judgmental we forget how we are not the only ones with problems, but others as well. We tend to only preserve our own butts, and disregard how we step on others lower than us in pursuit of selfish gains. Perhaps, we should do as the Vikings did in the movie: to look beyond ourselves. That, or we need a good spank on the head before we learn of the concept of generosity. 

Well, not that I'm preaching. ;D