I won't have a weapon of the week today. Sorry, but I have an economics test to study for.

Mechanime Update: Nobunaga the Fool

I'm a sucker for this show. Or should I say fool?...Sorry that was terrible.

When I reviewed Nobunaga the Fool, I gave it a 9/10 without much difficulty. I thought it was a great anime, with a creative concept, endearing characters, and great writing. Since then, I’ve watched up to episode 12, and my opinion of it remains unchanged. This follow up isn’t so much a re-review, but a chance to talk about any changes or developments in the plot.

Just a warning: I will be getting into spoiler territory, since I can’t really explain some of these points without some spoilerific examples.

Also, before we begin, I have a correction to make. In my review, I said Nobunaga was the heir to the Owari clan. This is incorrect: his clan is the Oda clan, and Owari is the area they control. Its not a huge mistake, but I still feel the need to correct. Anyway, on to the actual update.

The Regalia

That little trinket can give your mech wind turbines! Some assembly acquired, batteries not included.

The special macguffins of this series are the Regalia, special pendants that, when in the right hands, can augment the abilities of the pilot’s War Armor. For example, the Regalia of wind gives the War Armor a set of turbines that can create powerful wind storms, and the Regalia of light allows the pilot to use a barrier creating staff. The Regalia become central plot elements as the series goes on. The attachments themselves are very cool, and allows for some ridiculously awesome moments, like Hideyoshi using the Regalia of wind to create a tidal wave that destroys an entire fleet of invading ships.

Shift to Character Development

Hideyoshi is my favorite character due to his backstory and good nature.

In the more recent episodes I’ve watched, the focus seemed to shift away from action and more towards character development. Characters are given more developmental moments and backstory moments, while the fight scenes are short. This isn’t a problem though; as I’ve said, the writing of this show is excellent. If anything, I’m now more attached to these characters given their recent development. And there are still plenty of awesome moments, like were Kenshin (a rival warlord) defeats an attacking army by creating a fissure for them to fall in.

Actual Consequences

"Questions? Yes, Nobukatsu?"
"Uh, yeah, why did you kill me?"

Let me just tell how refreshing it is to see a show that features characters facing consequences for their actions. If one of the heroes here messes up, it shows, and it actually impacts the characters and plot. For example, Mitsuhide, in order to ensure the Oda clan unites behind Nobunaga and not his brother Nobukatsu, assassinates the latter and blames a rival clan. However, there are several scenes where Mitsuhide feels regret, including one scene where he wakes up from a night terror. After seeing so many shows and movies were most protagonists get no worse than a slap for messing up, its great to see actual consequences.

Oh Look, Fanservice!

Write your own witty caption, I'm a bit distracted.

Yeah, this series has some fanservice. Compared to some more modern animes, its not too bad, but its still noticeable. Most of it comes at the expense of Jeanne’s giant breasts, but there is one moment where the camera is fixed on Himiko’s butt. I mention this because Himiko still has the body of a prepubescent girl. While the line accompanying the fanservice is fairly amusing (“I’ve honed my skills with years of fantasies!”), its still a little girl. But as I said, its not too bad, and as of episode 12, I can count the incidents of fanservice on one hand.

Freaking Ley Lines, How Do They Work?

Insane Samurai Posse!

A central element of the plot in later episodes are ley lines, and honestly, I have no idea what they are. I probably wasn’t paying attention, but its not explained clearly what they are. From what I could gather, they’re the energy given off by the Earth, and the Regalia may or may not use them to activate their powers. Like I said, its not clear, but this may as much be my fault as much as the show’s.

That ought to cover it. Once again, I urge you to watch this anime. Until next time, see ya.

This has nothing to do with anything, I just really love this pose.

Liberal Rant: Vaccines and Autism

Thank you, Stuart Carlson.

One thing you should know about me is that I am autistic. Specifically, I have a mild case of Asperger's Syndrome. Its nothing serious; it just means my brain is wired differently. For example, I’m able to do the same thing many times without getting bored, but I’m more susceptible to loud noises. There are millions like me; it is estimated that 1 in 68 children born in America have some form of autism.

So what causes autism? Honestly, we have no idea. Autism is a very complex thing, and even though we’re studying it quite intently, there’s still a lot we don’t know. There’s reason to believe that it's genetic, but its not linked to one gene sickle cell or Huntington’s disease. There’s also a good case to be made for environmental causes. However, there is absolutely no good reason to believe that vaccines is a serious cause of autism.

I can’t believe I have to say this, but vaccines don’t cause autism. And believe, every study that has said so has been thoroughly discredited. The most famous example and starter of this nontroversy, the Wakefield paper, has been disproven many, many times. The guy who wrote it actively manipulated his data, and he actually had his license revoked. There exist other papers, like one by Brian Hooker, which features faulty statistics and manipulated data, and one by Mark Geier, which contains very serious mathematical errors and even omissions. So yeah, the case for vaccines causing autism is pretty weak.

Kinda puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Hate to say it (actually, I don’t), but the facts are on the side of vaccination. Its been proven that there’s no link between thimerosal, an ingredient in several vaccines, and autism. There’s no link between mercury and autism either. In fact, the chance of you getting an adverse side effect due to a vaccine is literally one in a million. To put that in perspective, the chances of getting hit by meteor is i in 250,000. Let me repeat: you are four times as likely to be hit by a meteor than to have a negative reaction to a vaccine.

So if the science is so real, how come there is still skepticism surrounding vaccines? Honestly, I blame bad reporting. Modern new outlets give equal attention to both pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine cohorts, giving the illusions that a) both groups are equally important and b) that this is a controversy with no clear answer. Of course, this isn’t the case at all, but with journalist giving both sides equal clout, the myth persists. Sorry, but its the journalist job to report what’s right; stopping at just getting both sides is just half the job.

Another question, which is more of a personal one, is why anti-vaccine activists feel the need to vilify autism. Why would your children being autistic seriously worry you. I know some forms of extreme autism can reduce someone’s abilities immensely, but that’s just extreme cases. Autism is a spectrum, and those cases are just one end; there are tons of others that can function in real life. In fact, here’s a short list of people with autism:

• Dan Harmon- writer on the television show Community
• Temple Grandin- author and food animal handling system designer
• Satoshi Tajiri- creator of the Pokemon series
• Courtney Love- frontwoman of the rock band Hole
• Dan Aykroyd- actor who starred in movies such as Ghostbusters
• Tim Burton- director of films such as A Nightmare Before Christmas
• Stanley Kubrick- director of films such as The Shining

"Ray, if someone asks you if your autistic, you say yes!"

I’m not saying autism is great; far from it. But to treat it as a serious threat is just as wrong.

Bottom line: vaccinate your damn kids. The benefits are huge and the chance of something messy happening is about 100 time less likely than your kid getting hit by lightning (no, seriously, the chances of being hit by lightning is 1 in 10,000).

Weapon of the Week: Rift Inducer

The black holes created by this weapon somehow doesn't suck you up. Because reasons.

Franchise: Ratchet and Clank

Appearances: Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Ratchet and Clank: Before the Nexus

Type: Gun

Some people grew up with Mario or Sonic as their big gaming icons. I, however, am among the rank that grew up with Insomniac’s furry halfpint hero and his robotic sidekick. Ratchet and Clank is by far one of my favorite gaming franchises, and without him, I probably wouldn't be as into gaming as I am now. With a great sense of humour, creative worlds, and endearing characters, the series has very little not to like.

But what really makes this franchise something special is its gameplay. The games are filled with frantic firefights in which you level armies of baddies with a huge arsenal of crazy weapons. Each game brings several new, fun toys to blow stuff up with. From a whip of pure plasma to a grenade launcher that turns your foes into pigs, the sheer number of kickass weapons make R&C stand out from other games. Today’s weapon is one of my all time favorites.

Stars need to implode to create black holes? Nonsense! All you need is this thing!

The Rift Inducer is a Gadgetron weapon introduce in Up Your Arsenal, the third game in the series. When used, this gun will create a black hole that can suck in enemies. As the weapon levels up, the black holes fired can combine and form a bigger rift in space, and at its highest level, the holes can shock nearby enemies, weakening them to the point that they can be sucked in.

The concept of the Rift Inducer is genius in and of itself. A gun that can create miniature black holes is a crazy awesome idea, and the idea of basically erasing your foes from existence is just as. However, I love the Rift Inducer for being one of the most powerful weapons in the game. The black holes created can deal with packs of small enemies with ease, and when it gets the ability to combine two holes, you can pretty much suck anything barring bosses into oblivion.

The Rift Inducer is one of my favorite R&C weapons, and the lack of black hole weaponry in gaming today is a problem that needs to be fixed. Next time, I’ll look at a prime assassination tool. Until next time, see ya.

Liberal Rant: The Crisis in Ukraine

When I was a middle school student, I was taught that Taiwan would be the most likely cause of World War III. At the time, it made sense; Taiwan was and still is trying to obtain its independence from China, who has no intention in losing it. The western world would love to see an independent Taiwan and China seems willing to fight for it. However, given recent events, I believe WW3 won’t be caused by Taiwan; it will be caused by a fight over Ukraine.

Right now Ukraine is in the middle of a civil war. Ukrainian forces have been fighting pro-Russian rebels for quite some time now. The rebels have proven to be a surprisingly tough opponent, which many have attributed to Russian support. Of course, Russia denies any connections to the rebels, which is puzzling given how well equipped and supplied they are. What, did those weapons just materialize out of cold air? Did the rebels just have some spare Grad rockets in their garage?

But I digress. Right now, the UN is debating on new sanctions on Russia. This may seem like an empty gesture, but the current sanctions are actually working. The ruble is in a freefall, with its value dropping 50 percent. And with the recent drop in oil prices, Russia is feeling the burn more than ever. Its forecasted that Russia’s GDP is to drop 3 percent, and the Kremlin is planning a 2.34 trillion ruble (about $35 billion) stimulus aimed at Russian banks. The sanctions are definitely hurting Russia right now.

Of course, this won’t mean anything if Ukraine doesn't roll back the rebels soon, and I mean soon. Ukraine’s economy right now is in the tank. Its currency, the hryvnia, is at an all time low, and the Ukrainian government is considering cutting off utilities in rebel held areas. With the economy being so strained by the fighting, Ukraine is asking for monetary aid from western countries. Don’t get me wrong, Russia’s economy isn't doing to hot either, but its more likely to outlast Ukraine’s if things continue.

And believe me, things will continue. Both sides have too much to lose to back down. Ukraine is fighting to keep itself whole, and Russia has too much to lose by backing down after all that posturing. Of course, there’s a more rational reason for why Russia wants eastern Ukraine. Historically, Russia has been brutally invaded from the west (remember World War II?) and a buffer would be ideal in case another invasion ever happens. In Russia’s mind, letting go of Ukraine is letting go of something that could save them in case of another European war.

Then there are the rebels. They've said many times that they are willing to fight to the man to make Donetsk (the area of main fighting) its own autonomous region. Given how close eastern Ukraine identifies as Russian, this is understandable. Even if Russia stops supplying the rebels, they’ll go on fighting with a zealous determination. They’re just as dedicated to their cause as the Ukrainian government forces, which is pretty terrifying.

With all this in mind, its easy to see Ukraine as the starting point of another World War. National sovereignty is a cornerstone of an international society, and violating it is not something that can go unpunished. While the west is hesitant to get involved in a war with Russia, they will ultimately have to if things continue to escalate. This may sound like chest-thumping war mongering, but the reality is that if Russia continues its policy of expansionism at the expense of other nations’ sovereignty, then they will have to be stopped. In a day and age were the entire world is interconnected, national sovereignty is a must.

I’m not advocated for going to war with Russia, but I think its a very real possibility, and we are quickly running out of other options. At this point, I think the best thing outside of sending troops into Donetsk is spending monetary aid. Since the US is already supplying government forces with armored trucks, we should focus on making sure Ukraine’s economy doesn't go totally belly up. I certainly don’t want to see a war in Europe, but in order to avoid it, we’ll have to get involved, even if we don’t want to.

Note: Wow, this wasn't very liberal, was it? Don’t worry, it can only go left from here. I chose to write about Ukraine mainly because its an issue close to me; a friend of mine has a boyfriend in Ukraine.

Weapon of the Week: Gunleon

Pictured: a badass looking repair mech. Not pictured: the army of enemy mechs destroyed by the badass looking repair mech.

Franchise: Super Robot Taisen

Appearances: Super Robot Taisen Z, Super Robot Taisen Z2

Type: Mecha

Super Robot Taisen is a Japanese strategy game series that features mecha from various anime series. The long running franchise debuted in April 20, 1991 on the Game Boy, and featured robots from Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, and Gundam. The game was a massive hit, and spawned a franchise that now includes over 50 games. Since the legendary series is getting ready to release another installment, I’d figure I’d talk about one mecha specifically for the Super Robot Taisen games.

Ever since the 2nd Super Robot Taisen (also released in 1991), Banpresto have been creating their own original mechs to fight alongside the other robots. There have been so many that Banpresto have created several game featuring nothing but their original mechs. Some of my favorites include KoRyuOh, a fusion of a Grungust and a mythical golem, Soulgain, a robot that fights with energy bursts and fisticuffs, and the topic of this Weapon of the Week, Gunleon.

Introduced in Super Robot Taisen Z, Gunleon was originally built to be a repair mech. Unfortunately, its piloted by the infamous Rand Travis, who’s much better at destroying things that he is fixing them. Alongside his plucky co-pilot Mel Beater, Gunleon is Rand’s mode of transportation on his search for his former employer. Gunleon’s powers are further explored as the story unfolds, but I won’t spoil anything because a) I think you should play Super Robot Taisen Z yourselves and b) I still not sure about them myself (I think this goes without saying, but Japanese games often don’t make sense).

The uploader was kind enough to add english subtitles! Not that you need them to enjoy wrench-chucks, but it is appreaciated.

Gunleon is one of the best units in the game. Given that Gunleon is a repair mech, it can restore the HP of adjacent units. However, the true draw of Gunleon is its destructive power. Using tools like wrenches and chainsaws, it can deal a ton of damage to pretty much everything. Its high damage output, when paired with its high HP and sturdy armor, makes it an unstoppable wrecking machine capable of smashing enemy ranks. Of course, it isn’t perfect: all of its attacks use EP (basically fuel/MP), so if you don’t use your more powerful attacks sparingly at first, you’ll be up oil creek. Still, Gunleon’s destructive capabilities are among one of the best.

I await the day Gunleon enters a Original Generation game and shows everyone how a real lion fights. I also eagerly await another localized Super Robot Taisen game, even though its chances of making it or doing well are slim to none. Next time, we’ll talk about a weapon from one of my favorite franchises. Until then, see you next time.

A quick update.

Been playing Ducktales Remastered. It makes me feel nostalgic despite having never seen Ducktales. Don't ask me how that works.

Hey y'all, how we doin'?

A couple things I want to tell you guys, just to let you know what's going on.

-I'm planning to a political post soon. It'll be about Ukraine.
-My current Mechanime project is Martian Successor Nadesico.
-I'm working on something Wii U related.

School has been pretty busy, so I can't tell when these will be posted. Hopefully it will be soon.

Thank you for your patience, and see you next time.