Origins Part 4: The Other Half of the Elephant

Where were we? Oh yes, the trailer for Brawl. Needless to say, the first time I saw that, I felt shivers down my spine from the theme music, and the way each character was animated...it filled me with that longing again, that longing that I  needed to have it. I became obsessed.

Everyday after school, I'd rush over to the computer to the Smash Bros. Dojo, the official game page, and see what new updates were added. Sometimes, it was just an item that you would be able to use in the game. Other times, it was a new stage you'd be Brawling on. My favorite updates were the ones concerning the games single player mode, The Subspace Emissary.

Ever since I had been little, I'd always been combining my favorite TV show universes into one mega-verse where they became super heroes and had to save the day from the neverending supply of villains. Subspace Emissary was exactly what I daydreamed: A bunch of universes crossing over into one, and all the heroes teaming up against an ultimate evil. Every cutscene I'd watch I kept getting more and more excited. The graphics were beautiful, and I felt like if I just went one step closer, I'd be in this fantastical world.

This is what I did when the game got its release date. I did this over the course of a month, and then later, after Brawl came out, I colored it. Not my best work, but I was still just staring out.

 



I remember the day I got Brawl. I had gone to school, Monday, thinking about how badly I wanted Brawl now that it was out. I went home while my parents went to Wal-Mart. My dad called me later, telling me that there was one more copy of Brawl left. I told him to get it while I rushed to finish my math homework. I couldn't believe it. The universe I had been checking up on constantly for over a year was finally about to be mine.

 

It was around this time my mother was doing very well. I thought that cancer was now over, and I would never have to deal with it ever again. Well, I was wrong. Later in the year, she discovered it had come back, only not in her brain, but it began to show up in other places in her body. She had to go to Las Vegas to receive a special kind of chemotherapy that took a week to endure. For me, that meant a week with my sister.

 

Now, I love my sister. She is amazing. But this is when my world got very dark. I felt like no one cared about me. I didn't matter in the slightest. The only person that mattered was my mom, because she was sick. No one knew how badly I was hurting. I felt alone and I felt unimportant. I just wanted friends I could trust. My sister didn't like Smash Bros, so I had to turn to Mario Kart when I stayed with her. That was fine with me. I got good at Mario Kart. My favorite part was if I wasn't going to win first place, I could quit and start over again. You can't do that in real life.

 

I did get lucky, though, and I found friends that I felt safe and at home with. They gave me hope, they got me out of the house, and they helped me to keep from becoming one of those video game nerds who live in their parents' basement and never see the light of day. Ironic right? How I became less of a nerd while becoming more of a nerd. Mostly because most of my friends are just as nerdy as me. Granted, I'm probably the most versed in video games among my friends, but that's okay. You gotta have the nerdy one, right?

But this nerdy one held a secret: her mother was dying. And try as she might, she couldn't ignore it forever. And eventually, her worst fear became realized on July 25, 2010. In a way, my mother's death was a blessing. She had been suffering for almost three years, and towards the end, I could see in her eyes that she was tired of fighting. That she wanted to just be done with this.

So there's the elephant. Video games became my escape and my therapy. They inspired me to keep going on, to just take one more day. Now, of course, I consider many of the characters my friends, albeit my imaginary ones. They have been with me since the beginning of this whole ordeal, and I doubt I would have gotten through it without them.

They kept me from find other means of escape: drugs, alcohol, self-harm. I could have easily found relief in those things, and, I might not even be here if it wasn't for my video game friends. I'd rather be addicted to something that inspires me to keep going on than to be addited to something that's slowly killing me.

To me, video games aren't just a hobby, they're my personal life saver. And I'm not about to give them up any time soon.

Edit: Sorry this one took so long to post. I had a hard time admitting the elephant in the room. But I admitted it now, so...yeah, we can move on


The Doodles are Coming....but later

Yes, I know I promised the doodles today, but something happened that I'd rather talk about, so I'm gonna do that instead.

For the first time in months, I played Super Smash Bros. Not Melee, or Brawl, but the orginial title. The game that started it all. Just seeing the title screen, hearing the first few strains of the opening credits, brought back a rush of nostalgia. I felt like I was a kid again. My thumb began to get sore from the tough, plastic joystick pressing into my skin. My fingers slowly began to remember the combinations they had learned ages ago, ones that newer, faster techniques tend to replace. The game goes slower than my Brawl-inspired reflexes care to remember, yet I know what I need to do. I didn't spend years playing by myself and not learn how to play as pretty much everyone.

As I'm currently sending the other players flying off the screen, I feel that pent up tension start to leave me. It flows out through my fingers into the character I'm currently controlling. My brain, racing from the stress of the previous month, starts to calm, things aren't as bad as my overactive imagination makes them out to me.

Just a few days ago, I had a wave of homesickness for my games, just by hearing a few select tunes on my Grooveshark (it's great! Free, and only the songs you want). I feel my hands ache for the hand-eye coordination that can only come from me watching someone dart around on a screen, comprised only of pixels. I need to play a game. I need to push buttons. I need to do something that makes me feel awesome, even if I didn't do anything really serious in life. I have to feel in control, just for a few minutes.

Right now, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is playing softly in the background. Instead of a longing for it, a desperate need to go home and bring Pres to college with me, it's only anticipation. It's a gentle melody, reminding me that it's waiting for me at home. Waiting for me to pick up the controllers and own the galaxy like I need to.

I never realized until tonight how video games have become my therapy. I own that world, even if it's just my interpretation of it. But I'm okay with that. Because it's mine, and that's what matters, right?

Iconic Theme Tune

You all know the Super Mario Bros. theme song, right? I think it's a little bit insane how that simple melody created over tweny years ago has become synonymous with the series as a whole. I think what makes it more special is that, at the time, no one know how popular it would become. Those early game themes have now become main motifs throughout the series, and hundreds of songs are now part of that universe's playlist.

But I'm not here to talk about the blip-y eight-bit music tracks of the 80's. I'm talking about a recent series that came into existence ten years ago.


I'm talking about Kingdom Hearts, a Disney-Final Fantasy crossover. This simple, gentle tune plays at each and every title screen in the series. Despite the fact that this is very much a hack-n-slash type game, they chose this piece as the title screen. Occasionally, particularly during the most heartwarming/tearjearking cutscenes in the game, you'll hear snatches of this melody. What does it mean?

I think that's what this song is trying to say is that, no matter how dark, how grim, how awful things can get, there will be peace in the end. That the happy ending will come, but you may have to wait for it. It doens't matter that you say good-bye, you'll eventually come to a hello once more. That through all things, friends will still be there.

Hey! When are we gonna see those doodles you keep aluding to?!

Who are you? What are you doing on my blog?

I'm the impatient person on the other end wanting to see these "doodles" you keep referring to!

Hey, it's coming! Sheesh.

Don't you sheesh me! Now hurry up with those doodles!

Okay, okay! The doodles are coming on Wednesday! Also, I have a question for you, readers! What do you think "Dearly Beloved" is telling you? What are other musical pieces are telling (please be specific. Don't just say, "it makes me happy" Tell me what makes you happy and why!) you? C'mon! Let's have some reader/writer interaction! :D

Origins Part 3: The Elephant in the Room

Yes, there's been an elephant in the room. Yes, I'm going to address it. And yes, sadly, it relates to my origin as a nerd girl.

After several years of Simming, it so happened that at that year's New Year's Eve party (it was about 2006-2007), my cousin (same guy who let me play his version of Sims 3. yeah, my family is pretty much awesome) brought his Wii over. We spent all night playing it, not even aware that midnight was fast approaching. I started to fall in love with that piece of plastic. And, several months later, I voice my desire to own one.

Unfortunatley, I timed my wish just as the huge Wii-Sales Rush hit. Wii's were like unicorns, rare, and gone the next second. You couldn't just walk into any store and buy one. You had to call ahead, know when the guys at GameStop were getting their next shippment in. It was like playing Whack-A-Mole. Only less fun and more time inducing. Time wasted? I don't know. It took a while, let's just say that.

Finally, in May, my dad announced he was off to go Wii-hunting. I wished him good luck, though seriously doubted he would get one. After all, all our other attempts hadn't gone well. Why should this one work out for us?

After a long day of school, expecting to come home to disappointment, my parents handed me a card with a handwritten note in it. It was praising me for doing well at my piano recital. At the end of it was "Wii think you need to clean your room though." There was about a second of the misspelled "we" registering in my head before I was up the stairs and ripping the covers off my bed. There, resting against my pillow, gleaming white in its glossy cardboard box, was my very own Wii. I screamed with joy, and my dad and I went to setting it up (My mom was technologically inept). I spent the next several hours in Wii Sports joy, returning to school with sore arms, which those who had not truly played Wii did not believe a video game could make your arms hurt.

During the set up, I was given the task of naming my Wii. I thought of B.P.E., short for Best Present Ever, except my brain wondered, "What if I forget what that stands for?" So I chose a similar theme, but going for PRES. And Pres has been sitting proudly attop the subwoofer ever since.

A few weeks later, I convinced my parents to buy me this game:

Now, this wasn't the first Zelda game I played (it was one of the handheld ones, Oracle of Seasons, I think), but it was the first one I managed to finish all on my own. I spent the entire summer playing this game. I have to confess: I totally cheated. Meaning, I found a guide, and followed all the instructions and didn't really solve the puzzles on my own. However, despite my cheating, something very strange happened to me.

Now, Link is pretty hot. No, seriously, have you seen him?! One sec.

*Girly sigh of adoration*
Those blue eyes, that blonde hair...that beautiful determined expression. Man, he is gorgeous! But I didn't start out that way. Instead, he was just a guy. A guy who had a horse, a fancy sword and sheild, and wore a funny green windsock hat. Oh, I failed to mention that Link went shirtless once.

Yeah, my intitial reaction was, "LINK! PUT YOUR SHIRT BACK ON YOUNG MAN!" And it still kinda is that way right about now. I'm more into Link's "GRRrrr" expressions. They look a little like this.

Mmm-hmm. :) That there face is part of what won me over. The rest of it was his compassion towards others. He was a big brother to all those who knew him. Nothing would stop him. If you so much as even threatened anyone he cared about, you better hope you have a fifty foot wall made of adimantium between you and him. Even then, he'd find a way to reverse engineer it. This is what won me over. By the end of the game, I was a full on fangirl of him. I wasn't expecting to fall in love with someone that didn't exist. I wasn't expecting him to occupy a good majority of my doodles. He became my hero.

So, my game collection slowly began to expand, as I slowly descended into the joys of gaming. But something changed in early December.

"They found a tumor."

My mother stood next to me, we were both at the kitchen sink. Only a few months before, she had begun flailing like a puppet uncontrollably. No one knew why. And none of us knew what was wrong. We had a double episode on Thanksgiving, a sign that something was really wrong. For a moment, I swallowed. Decided to be brave, be strong for her sake, I said to her, "We'll get through this. This is just a test." How very right and wrong I was.

 She had a brain tumor. Melanona, they told her, and a very unusual place for it to metasticize (that means create a tumor). On December 15, she went in for surgery. I held her phone in my pocket the whole day, receiving text updates from my dad. I felt alone. I felt out of control. My whole life, my whole future changed with those four words. I imagined my wedding day, without my mother; I imagined the birth of my first child, without my mother. College graduation, birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, her birthday: all without her. I stopped thinking about the future. There were too many what-if's, and what could have been's that I couldn't even begin to try to think about. It all meant the same thing: My mother might die.

My brother-in-law had brought over some Gamecube games to play on Thanksgiving. Seeing as everything just went to pieces, he had left them there, sitting in the grey bag by Pres. Despondant, alone, and needing something, anything, to distract me from my endless solitude and so I could seem like I was still strong and brave, I began to play Smash Bros. Melee. It was a perfect fit for me: I was in control, if I didn't like something, I just chucked it off the stage or sent it flying with a well-aimed kick. More importantly, cancer, or any of its other cousins, didn't exist in this universe. The only thing that mattered was winning against Bowser or Ganondorf.

My father wasn't pleased that I was burning his new projector lightbulb up with video games. I agreed, but he didn't realize how badly I needed this world. Writing, my other hobby, forced me to think. And thinking always lead back to Mom or cancer in some way. I needed a world where I didn't have to think. A world where I could smash problems into oblivion.

Well, I won't keep depressing you with my sob story about me and how video games ended up saving my life. I'll leave you with something that kept me going in my lonely sophomore year, when I had friends, but I didn't quite trust them with something as weighty as my mother probably going to die. So, I've addressed half the elephant in the room...you'll get the other half...next week, I guess?

And yes, that is Link with the awesome Triforce Slash. Also, this theme is FREAKIN' AWESOME! Wait, I need a Rainbow Dash smiley for that. /)^3^(\ (<<---"So Awesome!")

Friendship: It's Magic!

Okay, Blogger decided to do away with their old settings, so now I have to figure out how to use this new one. Lovely.

Well, here goes nothing! I told you I would discuss that weird video I posted on Monday on Wednesday. Well, it's Wednesday! And I am now here to tell you that I am a Brony. Or Pegasister, but I prefer Brony, since it rolls off the tounge better.

So, once upon a time, I happened to turn on the television to find a bunch of multi-colored ponies lecturing on how to be a good friend. Ultimately, I wasn't impressed. However, as luck would have it, I stumbled upon its TV Tropes page (Warning, that site will make you read everything concerning any game you've played or show you've watched) and began to read some of the entries. Wait a second, I thought to myself. There's no way My Little Pony has Crowning Moments of Awesome!

So I ventured to the internet to discover more about these candy-colored ponies that apparently I had misjudged. Much to my surprise, they were all available on Youtube. And so began my marathon watching of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

So, at first, I was afraid this song was going to ruin the show for me, but I was surprised. Not only was it catchy, it also spoke the truth: Giggle at the Ghosties, and they do disappear! More importantly, I love how Twilight (the purple unicorn) goes, "Tell me she's not." And Rarity, (the white one) "She is." It's so deadpan, and totally in character for all of them. That's what drew me in.

The characters were well-developed, yet there was room for improvement for all of them. Each episode dealt with something each character went through, whether it be pride, dealing with a jerk-friend, or standing up to bullies, and at the end, Twilight notes what's she's learned on friendship. In the first season anyways. The second season brought the Mane Six (the main cast) into the friendship report fold.

While it may sound cheesy, part of the beauty that is this show is that the episode writes the lessons, not the other way around. You're not hit repeatedly over the head with "BE NICE TO EVERYPONY!" Instead, you're shown it, and you can even glean lessons that aren't even outright stated in the episode.

At the time of my emerging love for the show, my current roommates weren't being the very best friends to me. They were ignoring me, and any interaction we had felt forced. While they say they didn't mind me hanging out with them, I just kept getting vibes that I was very much unwanted. And because of this show, I realized that they weren't being good friends to me.

I remember watching episode after episode, watching as Twilight and her friends grew closer together while my own relationship drifted apart. I became jealous of multi-colored ponies that didn't exist. Here they were, sticking up for each other, learning to overcome their own personality differences and remain friends in spite of that, learning that something just can't be explained, but that doesn't mean it's not real. And I wanted to get sucked into my screen, into the world of Equestria, where Friendship is Magic. Because there, at least, I would be able to have true friends, not fair-weather ones (no, literally. After Christmas break, it was like my "Free Trial of Friendship" expired).

Eventually, my drama filled life reached a boiling point, and things just...were never the same after that. However, my final story concerning Friendship is Magic hits really close to home.

So, I had finally caught up with the show and was now waiting each week for the next episode to appear somewhere on Youtube. I had learned of the Brony community, and how they were rapidly expanding, and how some people just didn't understand how fully grown men would be watching a show made for little girls. And finally, my birthday rolled around. This was my first birthday away from home, and I hoped that things with my roommates would finally reach a happy conclusion. At first, things seemed that way. My car was stuffed with old Statesmen (my college newspaper), my presents buried alive somewhere in there. It was like I had my friends back, just like we had been at the beginning of the year.

But it didn't last.

I had requested that the two roommates in question meet up with me and my friends later that evening at the mall to do girly stuff for my birthday. On this same day, my birthday, a certain episode of Friendship is Magic aired, called "Party of One." It told the tale of how Pinkie Pie, a certain pink, bouncing pony I instantly latched onto and considered my Equestrian double, invited her friends to a party, only to have them each reject her offer. Becoming suspicious, she forces Spike, Twilight's baby dragon/assistant/little brother to fess up on why her friends now hate her. And then, this happened.

(As a side note, Pinkie's full name is Pinkamena Diane Pie. There was a flashback when she was a filly. Apparently, she has naturally straight hair.)

When Pinkie's mane deflated I knew exactly how that felt. I knew exactly what Pinkie Pie was going through. Allow me to clarify: Pinkie's life revolves around having parties and making ponies smile. To have that taken away from her, by her best friends, is pretty much tell her she has no point to exist. And I'm very similar in personalty to Pinkie (seriously, ask any of my friends). And to be rejected by the people who are supposed to like you no matter what...I bonded with Pinkie in this moment. I knew there was a reason I liked her so much.

Oh yeah..This happens too. Totally a show for little girls, right?

 



Luckily, for everyone involved, Pinkie's friends were just throwing her a surprise party, and they weren't disowning her. And at the end of that episode, I thought that, just maybe, my roommates would pull through and show their true colors.

They did.

At the mall, having a grand old time, my friend receives a text from one of my roommates, saying that they aren't going to come. It's too cold to wait for a bus. I knew that it was not too cold with a jacket on, and I knew they had plenty of jackets. It was an excuse. An excuse to stay way from me. I asked why they hadn't told me that they weren't coming but I didn't care about that. I cared that on my birthday, of all days, they chose to avoid me and not celebrate with me. That was the final nail in their coffin.

Luckily for me, ponies helped me find who my true friends were and are. I even made a friend because of this show (granted we had a lot of interests in common already, but this was the point that we both excitedly gushed over). (You know who you are ;) ) I feel the need now to sign this off via Twilight Sparkle and her friendship reports.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I learned that friendship truly is magic. If you don't know who your true friends are yet, keep looking. They are the people that make you better, that make you want to be better, and will be willing to be a shoulder to cry on should you need it. Nothing about you will turn these true friends away. You will always find a way back to each other, no matter how much time has passed. As long as you have these people, you can never fail, and you will always find happiness.

Your Faithful Student,

Janessa

SMILE!

I'll explain this one tomorrow. But for now, I hope you actually smiled. If not...wow. You must have no soul.


So, what's on today's musical agenda? Well, due to me "link spamming" I'm going to have to limit my links to music. I think for today though, I'll talk about music in general. I mean, I can talk about Pony music all day long, but I'll save that for my post tomorro-Wednesday! Wednesday. I know what day of the week it is.


I never realized how much I loved to listen to music until I got my own mp3 player. Okay, it's a Zune. If you have no idea what that is, it's the Microsoft version of the iPod. But I love my Zune, so take your pro-Apple product placement elsewhere. Anyways, when I got it for Christmas, it was something new, since before, I had just been toting around my hilariously outdated CD player (I mean, come on. I was in high school. I'm not about to take that to gym class (granted I wouldn't do it anyways. Can't trust high school lockers)). Finally, I had portable music, and it fit (mostly) comfortably in my pocket.


I finally got smart and started doing the stereotypical angsty teen with headphones on the bus. This was mostly because I didn't want to drive to school, and there wasn't anyone to talk to on the bus. That, and we were all so sleep deprived conversation at 7:30 in the morning was next to non-existant. But it was something magical. In that 10 minute bus ride, I could go on an adventure with music blasting in the background. I have always made up stories to go with music, whether the music has lyrics or not. To do this at seventeen, when I was trying to be so much smarter--


Actually, there's another reason I fell so in love with my music and my stories. But that's not for here. That's going to be Friday's post. And then...a lot of things are going to make sense. A lot of things. Essentially, I'm about to lay myself bare. I mean I put My Little Pony at the top of my blog. How much more bare can you get? A lot more. But for now, I'll just keep singing along and smiling.

Orgins Part 2: Simulated Life

Ready for part two? So when we last left off, I was busy being on my own. At this time, I was kinda getting out playing Barbies (not really. But still.) and with my other little toys. So what was a 9 year old to do? Well, something happened to me at this time.


I found The Sims.


To put the Sims simply (hah!), it's life. And you get to play God. Dead serious. Have someone you hate? Make a sim, and then starve/burn/drown them as sweet revenge. Want to create the perfect man? Done and done. Oh, and congrats on your six kids, by the way. I remember the first time I saw it, something inside me just clicked. More importantly, I was filled with that wonderful childish desire of "I need this. I need to have this in my house."


Eventually, I did. And what was the first thing I did? Create my own family of course! With the addition of my long-lost twin sister, I might add. However, our family was cram packed into a super tight house that didn't have enough beds for everyone and we ended up going without dinner some nights. Eventually, I moved us out of that house and into a lot where I built my first ever house.


Now, I've seen some amazing Sim houses, which is part of the reason many people play the game. I lack any of this ability; the best I can do is a box. And all of my houses were boxes. Big, gianormous boxes. Well, building aside, I recall one night I was playing happily, minding my own business when I heard a musical sting, followed by the scariest tune I ever heard. The Sim Burglar was coming to pay a visit. I quit the game and to this day, when I play the Sims, I have to mute the sound at night so I don't hear that horrible noise.


While my run-in with the burglar didn't end my Sim career, I learned the arts of cheating, and soon, my Sims were living in the laps of luxury, and I could finally get to the good part of actually playing the game. What happened while I played was something magical. I loved creating Sims. Something as simple as a dress would inspire a story that I had to chronicle, or at least play out. With each new expansion pack, the stories kept coming, now with twists. Granted, it was only something like, a new dog, new magical powers, a sudden vacation. But it all mattered to me.


Eventually, the Sims ended its first generation and entered its second, this time, venturing into true 3D. Not only was 3D introduced, customization was wider, and now, Sims had genetics. Before, if a Sim had a baby, you'd hope and pray you wouldn't get stuck with one of the ugly/permanent hat heads. This time, facial features, eye color, hair color all could be mixed and form into a new Sim.


With Sims 2, I only got the first two expansion packs before I became a Nintendo Nerd and the Sims got placed on the far-back burner, but I would always dabble in it from time to time, remembering how much fun I had with it, and even seriously writing a Sims story or two.


Convinced that Sims 3 was of the devil, I staunchly refused to get it until one night, my cousin let me play his copy of Sims 3. My hatred for the uncanny valley slowly melted into that same glee that had first consumed me almost 10 years ago. Before long, I had my own copy of the game and was now able to make anyone I wanted, especially since EVERYTHING could be customized. It's one of the things I miss about being up here at college, especially since I doubt my laptop is strong enough to run something so complicated as the Sims 3.


I think that's enough for today, kids. I'll see you next week where I talk about my true emergence as a complete and total nerd. (And maybe we'll finally see these doodles I keep talking about?)

Oohkay.

So apparently I've been "link spamming," according to Blogger. Oops. Wasn't aware of that. I was just trying to share my nerdy love with others!


If anyone from the blogger team is reading this, I'd like to say I started this blog for a class, and we're required to post 3 times a week. I'm sorry if my incessant sharing of my childhood made you think I was spamming the crap out of my blog. I'll try not to be so "link spammy" from now on. But you really should put a file out there, discussing that if you share too many links, your blog will be marked as a spam blog.


If anyone from my class is reading this, and their own blog is hosted here on Blogger, heads up! Too many links will get you marked as "Spam."


This reminds me of a joke: Why does Ganondorf hate to go on the internet?


Because of all the Links!


Okay. TTFN!

Wacky Wednesday: Beyond Video Games

I failed to mention in my origins story that I grew up on a healthy diet of Star Wars and watching cousins play Mortal Combat or whatever fighting game they owned. So, this post is less of me and my video games and me and my other interests.


I guess let's start at the beginning, shall we? (part of this will be in the orgins story, but this is kind of its own thing as well) So, as a young kid with no one to play with, and video games weren't such a big thing back then, what did you do? You watched TV of course! And it was there that I found my love for anime.


Anime is a Japanese Cartoon, simply put. But what's always drawn me to it is how strong the characters are. The expressions that they make still influence me today (My mom always said I need to stop acting like a cartoon character). More importantly, I loved the style of it. The way the animation was done was well beyond anything most American studios could pull off (keep in mind, I'm writng this retrospectively here).


So, what were my animes as a kid? I can easily name 3, and I think it's safe to say I'm gonna post some more links! I'll put up each intro, then discuss each one post the intro stuffins.
Sailor Moon:

You gotta admit, for a seven/eight/nine year old, a girl with super powers was freakin awesome.


Pokemon

If you didn't sing along, you have no soul.


And you gotta have Team Rocket! Before they became the never-ending comic relief.

Yeah, I miss the good old days of Pokemon. Now it just sucks.
Digimon


Yet another video that wouldn't let me embed. :( Well, here's the link. Copy Paste away!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6gaeJkLNWE
I would often imagine Ash and Tai getting into fights over which "mon" was better. Yeah, it was a lot of fun in my imagination.


So, now about each anime: To sum up because I have yet to talk about all my favorite books, I love the characters. So much. I love how a perfect combination of voice acting and animation comes together to tell a story. And it works. (Granted, the Sailor Moon dub got a bit weird, and I never actually finished that series) But Sailor Moon, Pokemon and Digimon were all my gateway drugs (if you will) into Anime. Nowadays, I'm into Ouran High School Host Club, Princess Tutu (seriously, watch it. It is so well done), Fullmetal Alchemist, and Brotherhood (a more manga acurate version of FMA, since the first anime kinda ran off with its own story) and recently, Rozen Maiden (recent as of last year). Once again, characters are king, and I just love to watch them evolve and change over the course of the series.


Speaking of characters, HAVE YOU SEE AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER?! No? Shame, you are missing out. It's anime-esque, but it shows that with the right people even "kids cartoons" can tell a good, moving story.

These are some of the few hilarious moments (and one really heartwarming one from Avatar. Sorry, James Cameron. This came first.
Oh, and I can't forget Legendo of Korra! The Sequel Series that was only orginally supposed to be a 12-episode mini-series but Nickelodeon asked for more and now there's gonna be at least 3 more season of Korra being awesome! :D

Here's the preview for Legend of Korra. Now go watch The Last Airbender and then watch Legend of Korra. It takes everything from the first series and makes it totally awesome. Seriously, you will be moved to tears at some parts.


Well, okay. I think its safe to say I've rambled on about my favorite shows now, so I'll let you all go with a little something I like to call...Animaniacs. :)



Now I need a marathon of all my favorite shows.

Musical Monday: Lindsey Stirling

I love Lindsey Stirling. She is a great artitst. This is the first video I ever saw of her. I don't remember how exactly I found her, but I did, and I'm glad I am. First off, I love this composition of the Zelda tunes. It gives you a feeling that something amazing is going to happen, that you've just embarked on the best adventure ever. I always share Lindsey whenever I get a chance. So, if you like this (or you don't, but you'd have to be either deaf or heartless to do so), feel free to check out her other pieces as well. For you cover happy fans, she has a Game of Thrones one, a Skyrim one (for you more hardcore gamers out there,) and a Lord of the Rings one. Seriously, check her out.


While we're on the subject of Video Game tunes, I think it's amazing how much they effect the mood of the game. How, even if you can barely hear it, it makes the difference of either being totally freaked out that a zombie is gonna pop up behind you, or that things are nice and safe, and you can go break that pot for some serious cash.


My favorite thing about video game music? Well, there's a happy trend of the game's soundtrack being orchestrated. And I am a sucker for orchestrated music.


This one is from the Xbox 360 game, Kameo: Elements of Power. It was the launch title for the 360. Fun fact: It was going to be for the Gamecube, but Rare got bought by Microsoft, so it was then ported to the Xbox...waited a few years, and then launched with the 360. I think this is one of the 360's most underrated games.


http://youtu.be/9NaBl4BRSsE
(Sorry, i can't embed this one. :( You'll have to go listen to it for yourselves.)


This gem is from Super Mario Galaxy. I heard this, and I literally stopped just to hear the music. That's never happened before. I mean, doesn't everyone make up stupid little songs to go along with the background music while they're plowing through a stage? No? Just me?



I'm gonna leave you with the Skyward Sword mini-boss fight music. Despite the fact that I was getting my butt handed to me by this dual-wielding skeleton and I had no idea how touchy the Wii-Motion plus really was, I fell in love with this music. Zelda knows how to make you feel epic when you're getting beaten within an inch of your life.

Freaky Friday: Orgins Part 1: Birth of a Nerd-Girl

Hello everyone! My plan for this blog is to post every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, since I have an amazingly long amount of time on those days in between my classes. I haven't deciced the overall themes yet for my weekly/daily postings, but Fridays will always be Freaky Fridays.


Why? One: It sounds cool, Two: I like alliterations.


Once upon a time in a land kinda far away was a little girl. Obviously, she was me. Being the last in the family, and having a huge 9 year age gap between me and my brother, this meant that play time with siblings was a big no-no, especially since they had tickling powers, swirly powers, and the power to bring over their equally big and scary friends. So, I played by myself. Besides, no teenage boy would be caught dead playing Barbies with his little sister. My own brother wouldn't let me watch my shows after school. He had to watch stupid shows like Jeapordy (if I spelt that wrong, please forgive me).


Around 1997 (maybe more like 1998, I don't know, the exact year is fuzzy), my brothers pooled their funds and purchased a Nintendo64. Now, we were strict SEGA people. We had the Genesis, that other console whose name escapes me right now, and the Game Gear, a ginormous handheld device that could probably kill a small dog if you dropped it from high enough. At this time, my brothers were beginning to get into gaming. I would watch as they played Warcraft (you know, the big game BEFORE WOW ever existed), Starcraft, and fearlessly as they played Diablo (Okay, I did get nightmares once in a while...). Since I wanted to play too, I picked up that awkward N64 Controller and played Mario Kart, easily sailing past my brothers into the the beyond.


Okay, that last bit, total bull. I actually couldn't figure out that stupid controller for the life of me. With my brothers lapping me, and my cute, beginner's luck streak ruined before I ever got a chance, I threw the controller down in frustration and marched away, claiming it was stupid.


Well, I did pick the controller up again, and I eventually got the hang of it. But I refused to play with my brothers (side note, I do have a sister. She just was at college when all this took place and she thinks video games are stupid anyways). After all, they could easily beat me, and I had a very bad case of soreloseritis. My infliction was so bad, I once rigged the Sorry game so I could get all or most of my pieces out on my turn. They have never let me forget this.


Sore losing aside, there were time where I'd sit and watch my brothers play, just as they did on the computer. Occasionally I'd pick up the controller and pretend to play along. Turns out on some games that activated co-op mode, though I didn't know what it was called then. For me, it was "Oh-my-gosh-what's-that-noise-is-that-me-making-the-robot-move-I-can-shoot-with-this-cool."


But before long, I was left on my own again. Mostly because my brothers left on missions (Yes, I am Mormon. If that's an issue, go read someone else's blog.), and went to that big scary place down south: BYU. Or college, in general. And since that left me all on my ownsies, I had to start entertaining myself again.


Well, that leaves me at the end of part 1. Part two will be coming sometime in the future, as will some of my doodles.

Brain on Fandoms

Welcome to my little corner of the Internet! Here be monsters, fairies, and other mythical creatures (like ponies!). You may be asking yourself, what is this all about? What exactly am I doing here? I'll tell you: ME!


Okay, actually, it's less about me and more about me, my doodles, and my interpretations of characters and stories that aren't even mine. These guys have invaded my brain, and, consequentially, the margins of my notebooks, my everyday thoughts, and occasionally, my dreams.


But, in a good way, they have also affected how I see the world. And, literally, without them, I don't think I'd be where I am today. Despite the fact that they aren't real, (and my head tends to paint them as saints rather than the flawed people they actually are) they are some of the best people I've ever known.


You know those commercials that warn you what drugs do to your brain? While these guys are far from drugs (though they might be just as addictive), they have addled my brain.


This is My Brain on Fandoms.