BLOG -- Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy @ Sony Centre (Decemer 6th, 2014)

So this is my second time attending Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy. And after the concert, I already know that it won't be my last. Simply put, Distant Worlds was an awesome show, and I can't wait to attend the next one.

If you want to read about my first experience of Distant Worlds, here is the link: http://ironixgirl.blogspot.ca/2012/04/blog-distant-worlds-music-of-final.html

Yes, I'm re-using the same screenshot from my last blog about Distant Worlds.

Me and Final Fantasy (Current Status)

So in my previous blog about Distant Worlds, I talked briefly about my history with Final Fantasy. Now I'm just going to update you on which series I've been exposed to since. And frankly, not much has changed.

The Final Fantasy games I've beaten are still just IV, V, and VI. I guess I can also add XIV: A Realm Reborn, but that probably won't end for a long, long time, hahaha. In terms of exposure, I've still played just some of I, III, VII, VIII, and IX. I haven't experienced anything of X to XIII, though I am hoping that will change in the future. I would totally like to have more of an appreciation for the music and not get spoiled the next time I attend Distant Worlds.

Currently, even though I'm terribly addicted to Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Final Fantasy VI is still my favourite of them all -- game-wise, story-wise, character-wise, AND music-wise.

The Little Details

Date of Concert: Saturday December 6th, 2014
Venue: Sony Centre (Toronto, Ontario)
Time: 8:00 PM
Ticket Price Total: $84.00
Seating: Balcony Aisle 1, Row D, Seat 53
Went with: Sister, her fiance, and two friends

7:30-ish PM -- @ Sony Centre

So what did I do as soon as I got in? I went straight to the souvenir stand. I was really glad that they were not selling JUST a poster and T-shirt, like at previous video game-themed symphonies I attended. There were actually stuff I wanted to buy. A crowd was already forming, but I knew that it would be wayyy worse after the concert. I might be a little off on the soundtracks, but the souvenir shop was selling these items:

Programme -- $10
T-shirt -- $20
Postcard Collection -- $20
Static Arts Trading Figure: Tifa -- $35 
Static Arts Trading Figure: Cloud -- $35
Static Arts Trading Figure: Sephiroth -- $35
CD (Music From Distant Worlds) -- $15
CD (More Music from Distant Worlds) -- $15
CD (A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy) -- $15
CD (Earthbound Papas Album) -- $25
CD (Final Fantasy IV Original Remastered Soundtrack) -- $45
CD (Final Fantasy V Original Remastered Soundtrack) -- $45
CD (Final Fantasy VI Original Remastered Soundtrack) -- $45
CD (Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack) -- $45
CD (Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack) -- $45
CD (Final Fantasy IX Original Soundtrack) -- $45
CD (Final Fantasy X Original Soundtrack) -- $45
CD (Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack) -- $45
CD (Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack) -- $45
CD (Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack) -- $45
CD (Final Fantasy XIII-2 Original Soundtrack) -- $45

Below is what I bought:

From left to right, top to bottom:
-CD (A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy) -- $15
-CD (More Music from Distant Worlds) -- $15
-CD (Earthbound Papas Album) -- $25
-CD (Music From Distant Worlds) -- $15
-Postcard Collection -- $20
-CD (Final Fantasy VI Original Remastered Soundtrack) -- $45

Even though I already have the original soundtrack of Final Fantasy VI, I was curious just how much of an "improvement" the remastered version would be. I was tempted to buy the figures, but since I never beat Final Fantasy VII, I had no real attachment to any of those characters. Now if they were selling figures of Locke, Celes, or Terra from Final Fantasy VI... <3.

Programme

If I missed listing any performances, please let me know.

FF Series: Prelude
FF VIII: Liberi Fatali
FF Series: Victory Theme
FF I, II, III: Main Theme Medleys
FF IX: Melodies of Life (vocal: Susan Calloway)
FF V: Main Theme
FF VII: Main Theme
FF VIII: Eyes on Me (vocal: Susan Calloway)
FF Series: Chocobo Medley (original arrangement)

-- INTERMISSION --

FF III DS: Main Theme
FF XIII -Lightning Returns-: Light Eternal
FF XIII: The Promise
FF X: Hymn of the Faith
FF X: Zanarkand
FF VI: Character Theme Medley (Terra, Kefka, Celes, Locke)
FF VI: Balance is Restored
FF IV: Battle of the Four Fiends
FF XIV: Answers (vocal: Susan Calloway)
FF Series: Battle Theme Medley (Clash on the Big Bridge [V], Fight with Seymour [X], Those Who Fight [VII])
FF Series: Main Theme

Encore
Final Fantasy VII: One-Winged Angel (with Nobuo Uematsu!)

8:00 PM-ish -- First Half

So, unlike my previous blog about Distant Worlds, I'll just be summarizing how I felt about the concert, instead of describing what happened. I guess my writing style's changing. Anyway...

Just like in other video game symphonies I've attended, the orchestra was on the stage while a big screen was above to show accompanying game footage to each piece.

The main themes were okay. The Chocobo Medley was upbeat and fun. Liberi Fatali was great as usual. What really stood out for me, though, were Melodies of Life, and Eyes on Me. Those songs -- wow. Susan Calloway was great as the vocal. I could really feel the emotion. I cried a little during Eyes on Me.

One thing that I'd like to say is that I was impressed and very appreciative whenever the conductor (Arnie Roth) introduced a piece and said they were performing it because it had never been performed before in Toronto. That tells me that they are trying to perform new pieces and give a new listening experience to the audience. So thank you for keeping track! :)

Oh, and just to mention, Nobuo Uematsu was there with us as well!! XD

9:00 PM -- Intermission

Nothing happened during intermission. I just did my StreetPass stuff on my 3DS. If you ever attend a video game-themed symphony and you play on a 3DS, bring it to the symphony. You will get a lot of StreetPasses!

9:15-ish PM -- Second Half

There were a lot of good pieces in the second half! Zanarkand was sooo beautiful. Such a sombre, hopeful, hopeless, yearning tune. For that piece, I just sat there, soaking up all the sounds and emotions and feeling... elated. Haha, music can really do that to me sometimes.

I also really liked the Character Theme Medley from Final Fantasy VI. Though... I think it would have been even better if it was a medley piece of ALL the Final Fantasy VI character themes. I would have especially liked to hear Rachel's Theme, Gau's Theme, and Edgar's Theme. I enjoyed Balance is Restored as well. Really, any piece from Final Fantasy VI is just a treat to my ears.

Answers from Final Fantasy XIV was performed really well. It's a little embarrassing, but that was the first time I ever listened to Answers in its entirety. Whenever it loads up after being idle on Final Fantasy XIV's main menu for too long, I would cancel the video and start playing the game.

The Main Theme at the end was really nice. I thought it was cute and smart to do a credits roll during that piece.

So... even though you're not allowed to record performances, I did with my cell phone. No video -- only the audio (and in really bad quality). You know, as a personal souvenir. And because I know that doing this won't stop me from continuing to spend money on the series (I mean, I spent over $100 just that day on souvenirs). If you'd like to listen, here is one recording (no video, so just hit play and continue doing whatever else). Remember: the quality sucks. So make sure to attend a Distant Worlds concert near you to possibly listen to it in its full glory. ;)

Battle Theme Medley

-Clash on the Big Bridge (FFV)

-Fight With Seymour (FFX)

-Those Who Fight (FFVII)

10:10-ish PM -- Encore

So the encore piece was the same as last time. While I'm not a big fan of One-Winged Angel, I was excited when Nobuo Uematsu went up onstage and sung along with the chorus. The audience was also encouraged to chant "Sephiroth" at the cued times. I didn't join in, but it was a really fun experience. Uematsu looked so... adorable, doing small bounces to the beat. I could really sense his excitement! XD The show ended around 10:30 PM.

Overall Experience

I was very satisfied with Distant Worlds. Not sure if I was going to get treated to the same tunes as last time, I was happy to feel that whoever put together the setlist (I think it's Arnie Roth?) was thinking about the audience experience.

And for that reason, if I can afford it, I am going to attend every Distant Worlds concert that comes to Toronto from now... until the day that reason doesn't seem present any more (if that would ever happen. Please don't let it happen!).

After the concert, the souvenir stand was totally packed... like I predicted, hahaha.

The souvenir stand BEFORE the concert.
Yes, it's a bit crowded.

And now...

The souvenir stand AFTER the concert.
I don't know if you can see, but some of the items were already sold out.

Now for something a little random:

Cosplay of Kefka and Terra from Final Fantasy VI.

If you enjoy playing Final Fantasy games and listening to its music, I highly recommend you check out Distant Worlds. My ears have already been satiated twice and I am still hungry for more.


If you have any comments, feel free. Thanks for reading! :)

REVIEW/THOUGHTS [MOVIE] -- Big Hero 6

Format Watched: In theatres (November 25, 2014)

Approx. Runtime: 102 minutes (1 hours, 42 minutes)

Language Watched: English

Type of Movie: Superhero, Comedy, Action, Science

Overall Impression: I absolutely loved this movie. Anybody who hasn't watched it, go watch it -- now! :)

SPOILER ALERT WARNING!!

This review will contain some spoilers -- or rather, there will be a "Spoilers" section at the end of the review to go into further detail about certain things. There may still be slight spoilers throughout the review, but I've tried my best to keep them at a minimum.

PERSONAL STANDING (Pre-exposures, thoughts, etc.)

So I wasn't completely sold on the movie at the beginning. From watching the trailer, I thought that it would simply be a superhero movie for kids with a funny, cuddly-looking sidekick. My impression wasn't really wrong, but man... there is just so much more to it!

Here's the trailer I watched:

My sister was hoping the song in this trailer would show up in the movie. It didn't.

Another song from Fall Out Boy shows up, though.

STORY

Big Hero 6 follows Hiro Hamada, a 14-year-old robotics genius, who ends up in care of Baymax (though I think it is more the other way around ;)), a robotic health companion created by Tadashi, Hiro's older brother.

Hiro sees that something evil is happening and bands together with his friends (along with Baymax) to fight it.

Now... just like in the trailer I saw, I'm leaving out a huge part of the story. In most ways, I think it is the story's core. I think mentioning it will lessen its impact if you do decide to watch Big Hero 6, so I won't say it (though I will mention it in the "spoilers" section). If you have seen other trailers, though, you may know what I'm talking about.

I will say this: I deeply enjoyed the story and the issue and idea it addresses (I will mention this in the "spoilers" section).

ANIMATION

I don't think I need to say much here, except that the animation was great. I watched it in 3D and everything felt very natural. Nothing really popped out of the screen, but you could sense / feel that everything was 3-dimensional. It was an immersive experience.

The character designs were also very nicely done. They succeeded in designing Baymax to be a huggable robot -- 'cuz that was all I wanted to do during the whole movie and even after. Even now I still want to hug that cuddly, adorable robot.

VOICE-ACTING/CHARACTERS

The voice-acting was great. Everybody had their own distinct personality and it was well delivered. Extra props to Ryan Potter as Hiro and Scott Adsit as Baymax. I felt so much sincerity and care from them.

CHARACTERS

I enjoyed the characters in Big Hero 6. Even though you don't get much backstory from some of them (like Hiro's friends or Hiro's aunt), you do get personality and a sense of their interests and what they care about. Seeing them express their concerns, I was able to care about them as well. My favourite character is... Baymax (surprise surprise).

BAYMAX

He is funny, cuddly, and adorable. Despite his voice expressing little or no emotion (since he is a robot) and always keeping calm, I could still sense the emotions behind his words and actions. And as he learns about things that weren't initially programmed into him, developing his personality, seeing what he does based on what's important to him... it is so cool.

I totally want my own Baymax, hahaha. <3

MUSIC

The music fits very well with the atmosphere. Most times I didn't notice the music and just let it enhance whatever I was experiencing. One funny thing is that I could tell it was done by the same composer who did Wreck-it Ralph (Henry Jackman). The style of the music felt somewhat similar.

The theme song for Big Hero 6 ("Immortals" by Fall Out Boy) is great. From reading various Youtube comments (because I searched out the song a couple days after watching the movie), opinions are split on whether people liked the song or not. I really enjoyed it. I find that it could have various interpretations (though most often around the same core idea), and my interpretation of the song just really speaks to me about the movie (I'll talk about my interpretation in the "spoilers" section). I want to sing "Immortals" for karaoke one day.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend watching Big Hero 6. There is way more here than just a children's superhero movie. I already have plans myself to go watch it again.

Thanks for reading! If you want some more input about something I didn't cover, feel free to ask. :)

Now I'll do the scrolly thing so you don't see the "Spoilers" section right away. Then I'll add some more scrolly things after the "Spoilers" section in case anybody wants to comment, but not see the spoilers.

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SPOILERS

"In most ways, I think it is the story's core."
"I deeply enjoyed the story and the issue and idea it addresses."

So what I left out about the plot was Tadashi's death, and Hiro trying to come to terms with it. Even though Hiro accepted the fact, I think he was still looking for resolve and trying to move on.

I really like that even though other things happen in the movie, it never strayed far away from this issue of loss and dealing with it, and I think that makes Big Hero 6 very relatable and heartfelt.

This is a little off-topic, but I am glad that there was no romance whatsoever in this movie. Now, I am a hopeless romantic, but... I think it could have been distracting if there was any. I felt it just wasn't the movie's focus so kudos for not including it. If you're wondering where or how that thought came about -- haha -- it's something I've noticed sometimes when watching a movie -- having some "obligatory" romance -- though I guess this could be something to discuss in a future blog.

---------------------------------------------

"My interpretation of the song just really speaks to me about the movie."
"I deeply enjoyed the story and the issue and idea it addresses."

Well, I can't really talk about the song without sharing the song, can I? So here's the song:

"Immortals" by Fall Out Boy.

In a nutshell, I think the song is about Hiro not being able to move on but instead living out / protecting Tadashi's will to help others. Every time Tadashi's will is expressed, either through Baymax's personality or Hiro adopting the drive / desire to help others, Tadashi is still alive (i.e. immortal). Thinking about the song in that way really touches me and expresses what I think is a key idea in the movie -- that even though somebody may be gone, they're not gone forever... If a part of that person still lives with you, through your memory, through your actions, whatever -- that person will still "be with you".

If you read my spoilers, thank for reading! Now to finish with more scrolly things. If you disagree with anything or just want to say something, feel free to comment :D

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BLOG -- Recap of November

So November was pretty busy -- gaming-wise and non-gaming-wise. Darn me for playing games that just suck away my soul and time (it's not just Final Fantasy XIV that's doing it anymore... though it still does suck a lot of it, hahaha).

One thing I'm happy about though: I blogged again. Finally! ;)

Outings/Events in November:

- Had a Gaming Day with my sister, her fiance, and a friend. 

- Attended the company's Holiday dinner party.

- Hung out with friends x2.

- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn achievements: I've beaten Ramuh Extreme, Shiva Extreme, Coils Turn 5, Coils Turn 6 (before the patch that nerfed it), Coils Turn 7 -- wooooot!! :D

Exposures:

- (Dessert shop) Bobbette & Belle -- I tried their hazelnut chocolate mousse tart. It was too sweet in the end.

- (Restaurant) Sushi Marché -- The salmon sashimi was good. Everything else I tried was just okay.

- (Restaurant) Tofu Village -- This is a Korean restaurant that has good food.

- (Play) Silver Dagger -- This was an interesting, twisty play. I really enjoyed it.

- (Video Game) Super Smash Bros. (Wii U) -- This is in my "Exposures" section and NOT in my "Currently Playing" section because I actually don't own Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U. I actually don't own the Wii U either. This game was really fun. I tried out The Villager, Rosalina & Luma, Wii Fit Trainer, and many others. Whenever I do get the game, I want to try maining The Villager, Rosalina & Luma, Princess Peach, and, of course, Pit (he looks so cool, hahaha). 

Finished...

Watching:

- (Movie): The Judge -- This was a long but good movie. Robert Downey Jr. was great as usual.

- (Movie): Big Hero 6

- (Movie): Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen -- This was sucky and long. In the middle of this movie, I was thinking 'Should I continue watching a movie for the sake of experiencing the whole series even though it sucks?' I ended up watching to the end, but I didn't enjoy it, ha...

- (Movie): Sharknado -- This was... ridiculous. My gosh, some of the lines were so horribly delivered. It's one of those movies to watch and laugh at.

- (Movie): After Earth -- This was... umm, not that good. It was okay. I mainly watched it so I could watch Adam Johnston's video review about it, which I find pretty funny.

- (Movie): Nymphomaniac Part 1 & 2 -- My co-worker told me about this movie series so I checked it out. Part 1 had some interesting ideas. Part 2 was terrible, in my opinion. Both movies have a lot of sexual scenes and content (disclaimer!). It was very hard for me to relate to the main character. I... wouldn't recommend this movie at all.

Playing:

- Nothing this month.

Reading:

- Nothing this month.
 

Currently... 

Playing (not all at once):

- (PS4): Destiny
- (PS3): Borderlands 2  
- (3DS): Bravely Default
- (3DS): Weapon Shop de Omasse
- (3DS): Liberation Maiden
- (3DS): Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale
- (3DS): Theatrhythm: Curtain Call  
- (GBA): The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition  
- (PSP): Persona 
- (PSP): Crush
- (PSVita): Persona 4 Golden  
- (Wii): Fortune Street 
- (PS2): Atelier Iris 2 
- (PC): UnEpic  
- (PC): King's Bounty: The Legend

Watching:

- (TV Show): The Walking Dead (Season 3) 
- (Anime): Yu Yu Hakusho (don't remember)
- (Anime): Shakugan no Shana (Season 1 -- Episode 19)
- (Anime): Log Horizon (episode 3)
- (Anime): Sword Art Online (episode 14)

Reading:

- (Manga): Judge by Yoshiki Tonogai 


That's it for November. Here are some photos I took this month.

 A dish I always like to try out at Korean restaurants.

 My first match against my sister, her fiance, and our friend.
I'm the Villager.

 Another match. This was pretty hilarious.

 Our first match paired up with Amiibos.

 Amiibos I ended up buying after my Game Day -- and I don't even 
have a Wii U nor Super Smash Bros, haha...

Have yourself a wonderful week and thanks for reading! :)

BLOG -- Recap of October

So this is kinda strange. When I think of October, I think of this crazy-busy month where so much of my time was spent on various activities. Now... as I fill out these sections for what I did in October, I see that I really didn't have such a busy month. Why did I feel like I didn't have enough time almost all the time? 

To touch on something else, I'm a little disappointed in myself. I don't like that I did not write any blogs this month. I'm... not happy about that -- especially when there were things I definitely could have blogged about.

In November -- I gotta write about something!! The timestamps of my thoughts... I can't let them slip away! ><''

Outings/Events in October:

- Attended 2 weddings on the same day (neither of them were my weddings, mind you!). 

- Had a karaoke outing with my team mates.

- Hung out with a friend x2.

- I got my Novus weapon on Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, yayyy!!

Exposures:

- (restaurant) Dumpling King -- This place had some really yummy dumplings.

- (Youtubber) Adam Johnston -- I got exposed to this person in a pretty random way. I had this sudden urge one day to listen to reviews / thoughts on the Silent Hill movies. I found his video (under the username YourMovieSucksDOTorg) and listened to it (I couldn't watch it, 'cuz I was at work at the time). I liked what I heard and decided to listen to more of his stuff. Though slightly creepy at times, I generally find his thoughts funny and observant. He also has a music channel anUnkindnessvideo that features music he's created (which is so cool).

- (Play) The Thing Between Us -- This was a play about two girls who become close friends. However, one of the girls is very dependent and clingy, often using their close bond to twist the other girl to comply to her wishes or needs. It was interesting to see the dynamics of their relationship. The acting was very well done, too.

- (Song) "First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes -- One of my co-worker friends shared this song with me, and I'm glad that he did. This is hands down one of the best songs I've been exposed to so far this year. It is positive, sweet, but also with a hint of nostalgia and something bittersweet. Listening to this makes me think of so many things, both happy and sad. There is one line in particular that when I listen to it, I often get affected because I can relate (in a way). The line is... "I'm glad I didn't die before I met you."  

Finished...

Watching:

- (Movie): Gone Girl -- This was a very good movie. Great script. Great music. Great acting. Interesting thoughts. But -- what a mindf*ck, hahaha. I've been tempted many times to watch it again.

- (Movie): Divergent -- I had some issues with some of the plot points, and the whole idea was a little weird. But all in all, it was an okay movie. If I was to be placed in a faction, I would be a divergent, lol.

Playing:

- Nothing this month.

Reading:

- Nothing this month.
 

Currently... 

Playing (not all at once):

- (PS4): Destiny
- (PS3): Borderlands 2  
- (3DS): Bravely Default
- (3DS): Weapon Shop de Omasse
- (3DS): Liberation Maiden
- (3DS): Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale
- (3DS): Theatrhythm: Curtain Call  
- (GBA): The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition  
- (PSP): Persona 
- (PSP): Crush
- (PSVita): Persona 4 Golden  
- (Wii): Fortune Street 
- (PS2): Atelier Iris 2 
- (PC): UnEpic  
- (PC): King's Bounty: The Legend

Watching:

- (TV Show): The Walking Dead (Season 3) 
- (Anime): Yu Yu Hakusho (don't remember)
- (Anime): Shakugan no Shana (Season 1 -- Episode 19)
- (Anime): Log Horizon (episode 3)
- (Anime): Sword Art Online (episode 14)

Reading:

- (Manga): Judge by Yoshiki Tonogai 


That's it for October. Here's one photo I took this month and a few Youtube videos.

 The table display for my friend's wedding reception.
That wedding reception was really very magical and sweet.

 "First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes.
There's just no way to talk about the song and not share it, too.

"Fragments" by An Unkindness (Adam Johnston):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-vtKmtr7U0

One of Adam Johnston's songs that I really like. He's got some 
really nice piano-playing skills.

"I Won't Care" by An Unkindness (Adam Johnston):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL26mo-75mc

This is my favourite song from Adam Johnston. I wish 

it was available to buy somewhere. A couple disclaimers: 

1. This song is darkish with what I consider to be intense, heavy lyrics in the second half.

2. This song is about a person thinking about suicide and going through with it in the end.

Now... in case you are wondering... the song doesn't portray going through suicide as a positive act. I know I've had such thoughts in the past, so I can really relate.

Thanks for reading! Happy late Halloween!

You all have a good weekend! Don't let the vampires bite! :)

BLOG -- Recap of September

When I thought about my time in September, I thought this month would be slow-ish, with a lot of "me time" to take advantage of. Boy was I wrong! September ended up being a very busy and hectic month, with events happening every weekend (I just wanna stay home and play Final Fantasyyyyyy, lol). There were also some unfortunate things going on, with one very nice thing (that I will keep a secret at this time).

There were actually a couple blogs I wanted to do during September, but I guess I'll try blogging about them this month (if I have the time).

Outings/Events in September:

- Attended part 2 of the bachelorette party from August. 

- Attended the RePlay symphony (a video game music symphony).

- Attended TIFF for the first time (and watched 3 movies...).

- Stayed over at my sister's place x2.

- Karaoked with a friend for 2 hours.

- Celebrated my grandfather's birthday.

- Hung out with a friend visiting from California.

- Hung out with a friend x3.

- I got all my crafting classes to level 50 (max level) in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, woot!!

- I beat Leviathan EX on Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, wooot!!

- Something secret! (I will not say what this is at all) ^__^

Exposures:

- (restaurant) Chipotle -- I kinda forgot what I had, but the food was okay.

- (anime) Hunter x Hunter (older version) -- I watched two episodes and thought it was okay. It looked it could make a fun video game.

Finished...

Watching:

- (Movie): Sin City: A Dame to Kill For -- Very good. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was so cool here.

- (Movie): Breathe -- I did not enjoy this movie at all. It was the first movie I watched at TIFF. I felt sick, nauseus, and with a big headache. The acting was good, though.

- (Movie): Over Your Dead Body -- The 2nd movie I watched for TIFF. Being directed by Takashi Miike, I was counting on it to have some really disturbing bits (and it did). Well done, Miike. It was an enjoyable movie (not because of all the disturbing bits, mind you!).

- (Movie): Labyrinthus -- The 3rd movie I watched at TIFF. I really liked this movie. If it ever came out on DVD, I would consider getting it.

- (Movie): Compliance -- Very well-acted. It just saddens me a bit that this movie is based off of actual events.

- (Movie): Maze Runner -- Very enjoyable! If I have time, I will blog about it.

- (Movie): The Princess Bride -- I've watched this movie so many times now, and I still love it. Sooooo romantic! <3 <3

Playing:

- (DS): Legacy of Ys: Book I & II -- It took me long enough! I kept playing this on and off. The music is good, and the story is intriguing. I just wish there wasn't so much possible backtracking that I felt I had to use a walkthrough to play through both games.

Reading:

- (Manga): Midnight Secretary by Tomu Ohmi -- I've read this before and I'm really glad the series got licensed. I should blog about this in the future.
 

Currently... 

Playing (not all at once):

- (PS4): Destiny
- (PS3): Borderlands 2  
- (3DS): Bravely Default
- (3DS): Weapon Shop de Omasse
- (3DS): Liberation Maiden
- (3DS): Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale
- (3DS): Theatrhythm: Curtain Call
- (GBA): The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition  
- (PSP): Persona 
- (PSP): Crush
- (PSVita): Persona 4 Golden
- (Wii): Fortune Street 
- (PS2): Atelier Iris 2 
- (PC): UnEpic  
- (PC): King's Bounty: The Legend

Watching:

- (TV Show): The Walking Dead (Season 3) 
- (Anime): Yu Yu Hakusho (don't remember)
- (Anime): Shakugan no Shana (Season 1 -- Episode 19)
- (Anime): Log Horizon (episode 3)
- (Anime): Sword Art Online (episode 11)

Reading:

- (Manga): Judge by Yoshiki Tonogai 


That's it for September. Here are a couple photos I took this month and one Youtube video I was exposed to.

 A cereal shopping spree! Thanks to my workplace for this "gift".

 Sitting in my seat for the RePlay Symphony.

Nevereverland by Nano. Even though the song is quite sad,
I like it a lot (especially like the beginning).

Thanks for reading!

You all have a good rest of the week and take care! :)

BLOG -- Fan Expo Canada 2014

So Fan Expo came and went -- and now I am going to blog about it. It was a really fun, busy time. Unfortunately, I ended up missing a lot of the panels in favour of perusing the Artists Alley in detail, so this year's entry will probably be much shorter than last year's. The few panels I did end up attending were neat and cool. I also saw some really nice cosplay (which supposedly caused me to miss Stan Lee and Nathan Fillion who walked right by me on Saturday [crap!]). I also cosplayed, too (though I did not feel very good about it -- the costume was tooo tight, lol)!  

There was no Sports Expo this time, but that didn't affect me at all.

Even though this entry will most likely be shorter than last year's, I should still warn you: this blog will be pretty long. I'll be covering each day of Fan Expo Canada -- what I did, what panels I attended, and any thoughts. I've lumped all my pics of cosplayers into one section. If you want to see just that, search for "Photos of Cosplayers". For the section of what I've bought, search for "My Convention Purchases". :)

The Little Details

Dates of Fan Expo Canada: August 27 - August 30, 2014
Location: Metro Convention Centre (Toronto, Ontario)
Ticket Price Total: $158.00 (Premium admission; Deluxe 4-day admission was $115)

Thursday
Time Attended: Not Applicable

I have nothing to blog about for Thursday since I wasn't feeling well and didn't attend the con. Sorry! :(
 

Friday
Time Attended: 2:00 PM - 5:45 PM

I would have gotten to Fan Expo earlier, but I was meeting with a friend flying in from California (to attend Fan Expo) earlier that day. I ended up experiencing a lot Fan Expo with him, so unless I specify anybody, any mentions of "we" would be referring to my friend from California and myself. Once we got inside the convention, we went straight to the South Dealers room to the Artists Alley. Either the artwork improved or I just noticed more stuff... but I spent a lot of money there! I didn't think that my daily Fan Expo budget would actually be used up, lol...

Swag from the premium admission. I guess the comic is nice, 
and the lunch box is cool.

Misc. Photos for Friday

The celebrity photo op prices. Some of the prices 
are quite up there!

Lego... bat-something? My sister took the pictures of the Lego stuffs. 
They were in the South Dealers room and I didn't explore 
outside the Artists Alley at all.

Lego Batman.

Lego... uhh... something from The Hobbit?

Lego Rocket and Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy.

Saturday
Time Attended: 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM; 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Ahh... nothing beats attending Fan Expo on a Saturday morning. In case you couldn't tell, I am being sarcastic.

Fan Expo crowd on a Saturday morning.

This year, I tried cosplaying. I wasn't really sure about it, since the costume I bought from eBay turned out to be too tight on my body and too loose on my hands. In the end, though, I tried it out (with the help of my sister). I cosplayed as a Hyur in her starting gear from Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. It... was not a very pleasant experience, lol. Every now and then, one of the zippers would poke into my skin (which my sister and I tried remedying by putting a band-aid where I'd get poked). As well, my feet were dying from walking around in low-heeled shoes for so many hours. The only upside is that I may never need to wear this costume again! The downside is that nobody recognized where I was from at all :( A pic of me in my cosplay is in the "Photos of Cosplayers" section.

Besides agonizing over my cosplay, I got two autographs. The first one was Ryo Horikawa's (the Japanese voice-actor for Dragon Ball Z's Vegeta, Detective Conan's Heiji Hattori, and other series). I was surprised that there was a very small line-up for him. I really hope that it's just because it is the morning. I wish I had said more to him when he signed my autograph board (shikishi). All I said was, "Can I take your picture?"

A pic of me (with my face greyed out) and Ryo Horikawa.

After that, I lined up to get my second autograph: Meg Turney. This was more for a friend than anybody else, 'cuz I didn't know a thing about Meg Turney. She must be popular, though, since there was already a longish line 30 minutes before her autograph session, and there was a longer line by the time she showed up. I ended up getting two autographs from her: one for my friend, and one for myself. My friend totally owes me for all that waiting, lol!

A pic of me (with my face greyed out again) and Meg Turney.

Then we went back to the South Dealers room to the Artists Alley for a couple hours. I replenished my daily budget for Fan Expo and nearly spent it all again. I also came across some artist booths whom I bought from last year.

One booth I was excited about was Xiao Bai's booth. I've bought her art for the past two years, and I was super giddy to see the artist finally present! All of a sudden I was like, Oh my! I gotta get something signed!! But I've already bought a lot of her artwork from the past years! Ahhh, what to do??! I had to spend some time, trying to remember what I've already bought from her. She does such beautiful art.

A pic of Xiao Bai. She is so pretty like her pretty artworks!

After that, I bought four prints from another booth and then my friend and I went outside to have a late lunch. Since we both had premium admission, we had no troubles getting back into the convention.

E-Manga Promotion with Ryo Horikawa, Vic Mignogna, and Todd Haberkorn -- 6:00 PM

A pic of the panelists. I can only name the last three 

(from right to left): Todd Haberkorn, Vic Mignogna, Ryo Horikawa.

This panel was okay. It was a promotion for an e-manga mobile app where you could read manga with English or Japanese voice-acting. So far there are two manga available (Rainy Cocoa and Magical Dreamer). One neat thing they want to implement (if there are enough users) is the ability to have yourself voice-act a role. Currently, I am not completely sold on the app, but they do have some really nice voice actors on board and the app seems cheap enough (about $2 for each title, I think). I will most likely check it out in the future.

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With about 20 minutes left for the convention, my friend and I checked out the North Dealers room, which had a lot of the sci-fi and horror booths. It was kinda creepy, lol.

Misc. Photos for Saturday

Batmobile?

Creepy doll from Annabelle. The doll would start moving 
once you posed close to it, eyahh!

Pyramid Head from Silent Hill.

A nurse from Silent Hill.

A dog from Resident Evil.

I... don't know what this is (little help, anybody?).

Sunday
Time Attended: 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Sunday was a day filled with panels I wanted to attend, but couldn't because I wanted to finish off the Artists Alley. I couldn't give up on the Hatsune Miku panel, though, and as soon as we got to the convention, we went to the room and I started the line for the panel. I told my friend to go to the Dealers room since he still had stuff to buy for his friends. I spent the next hour or so street passing and looking at all the cool cosplay.

Miku Expo Revealed: Road to Hatsune Miku Expo 2014 -- 12:15 PM

I kinda thought that this panel would be similar to last year's panel about Hatsune Miku, what she is, and all that -- like an introduction to her. But it was not that at all. Since the Crypton team couldn't attend, we were shown a video documenting the process behind readying the Miku Expo in Indonesia. It was pretty interesting! Some topics addressed included the song list (do Miku fans in Indonesia enjoy the older songs? Do they like the newer songs? What songs are they familiar with and are popular?) and Hatsune Miku's image (how do Miku fans in Indonesia generally perceive Hatsune Miku? Is she seen as cute? Cool? Something else?). Then we were shown some song clips from the Miku Expo. It was amazing! Some songs I especially enjoyed were "Melt" and "Romio & Cinderella" (that one almost made me cry). Then came the giveaway of all merchandise on the table. I didn't win anything :(

A promotional flyer thing for the upcoming Miku Expo in the states.
I wish I could go! :(

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After that, I went to the South Dealers room and I finished up going through the Artists Alley. In the middle of it, I ran into my sister, and we went to this specific booth selling buttons and struck a deal to buy one of every button from a specific series for a small discount (yay!).

20 Years of the Best AMVs -- 4:00 PM

So I didn't realize that this year was Fan Expo's 20th anniversary (dear dear, I am older than Fan Expo). So Vlad Pohnert (the host) took us through the best AMVs for the past 20 years (skipping some years since there was just not enough time). Since I was really into AMVs in the past, I was curious if any I had seen would be mentioned. I was also curious if I would be exposed to some new (well, new to me) AMVs. And I was, on both accounts! The ones I have watched that were mentioned:

-Best of 2001: "Blue Mercury", created by Aluminum Studios (featured Sailor Mercury from the Sailor Moon series)

-Best of 2004: "Shounen Bushidou", created by Istiv Studios (featured a bunch of anime series, with a ton of lip-syncing)

Below are the new AMVs I was exposed to:

Best of 2006: "Hold Me Now", created by Marissa Panaccio. The AMV features 

Princess Tutu, and supposedly this AMV moved a lot of sales for that series. 

I think if I saw it back then, it would have worked on me as well. 

I am totally going to blog about Princess Tutu one day! <3

Best of 2012: "Something Beautiful", created by Siny. 

This AMV features various Ghibli movies. It's so beautiful. 

I also really like the song.

This was totally a nice panel to end off with.

Overall Thoughts

Fan Expo Canada 2014 was really fun. It was too bad that I missed a lot of panels, but then I ended up buying a ton of nice stuff from Artists Alley. Next year, I will definitely up my game plan -- and maybe not get sick on Thursday, lol. Just like last year, the cosplay was varied, but with a bunch from Attack on Titan. I also saw a lot of Marcelline cosplay (from Adventure Time) carrying ax basses.

I'm already looking forward to next year.

Photos of Cosplayers

As mentioned earlier, here are some photos of cosplayers:

Merida and Elinor from Brave.

Anna and Elsa from Frozen.

Characters from How to Train Your Dragon (I don't remember their names).

From Bioshock.

Super Sonico, and I'm not sure who.

Spider-Man and Black Cat.

Star-Lord and Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy; Psylocke from X-Men.

Spider-Woman, Hulk, and Iron... Woman? (I think she has a name, but I don't know)

Bumblebee and Optimus Prime from Transformers.

Characters from Game of Thrones, I think.

Sokka from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Sailor Pluto and Sailor Moon. 

The main protagonist (female and male version) from P3.

Catherine and Vincent from Catherine.

Somebody from Danganronpa.

Terra from Final Fantasy VI.

Characters from League of Legends.

Snow Miku!

Megurine Luka, Rin, Len, Hatsune Miku.

Meiko, Len x4?, Rin x2?, Hatsune Miku x5, Megurine Luka, Kaito.

Me (with my face greyed out) as a Hyur from Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
This angle looks pretty good and I'm covering much of the costune (a big plus, lol).

Cosplay I wanted to take a pic of, but missed my chance
-Finn from Adventure Time (Finn was in full body, too, just like Jake from last year! I waved to Finn and as he was passing by, he high-fived me! *squeeeeeee!*)
-Princess Tutu from Princess Tutu (I actually didn't see her, but my sister did. She got a picture, but it was a bit fuzzy. I wish I saw her! D:)
-Vega from Street Fighter (it was such a good cosplay, too, [abs and all] lol!)

My Convention Purchases

As mentioned earlier, I ended up spending a lot at the Artists Alley. I didn't even venture into the South Dealers room -- I had no time for it. This year, I was way more open to what I bought.

I might as well say this again, but when buying fan stuff, I often have this frame of mind:

1. Does the art style align with my tastes?
2. Does this work express the kind of fandom that expresses me? (like, if I saw a poster of Zuko and Kitara holding hands and gently smiling, I might get it, because it expresses how I feel about their relationship -- a sense of deep understanding for each other)
3. Is this a piece of work that will evoke something in me every time I see it?

I think this year, I was focused more on points 1 & 3 and just went with the styles I liked and whatever evoked something in me, even if I never watched / experienced the series before. I did do that last year as well, but not to this degree. I also bought stuff from artists I've bought from in the past years. I think I am becoming a fan for some of them (!).

Just like last year, I bought a ton of posters. I guess for what I've bought that I haven't yet watched / experienced the series for, I'll note it like this: (*)

Here is what I bought (if anybody could help me fill in the blanks, it'd be greatly appreciated!):

Death (?), and Elsa from Frozen; Jack Frost from Jack Frost.
Whoever thought of pairing Elsa and Jack Frost were brilliant!

Pretty (signed!) posters from Xiao Bai.

An original design (the girl with the cat); Asuna and Kirito from Sword Art Online (SAO)(*); Yuno from Mirai Nikki(*). 

Link from Legend of Zelda; Zelda from Legend of Zelda.

Original designs from Daxiong. I mentioned last year that I would buy his prints.

More prints from Daxiong. He has a collection that involves 
characters attached to dragons. It's pretty cool.

I don't know who and where this is from. All I know is that it speaks to me a lot.

Somebody from League of Legends (LoL)(*); somebody from Touhou(*); somebody from Danganronpa(*).

Asuna (?) from SAO(*); Zero from Drakengard 3(*).

Characters (or is this the same character?) from Attack on Titan(*). 

Characters from Attack on Titan(*).

Cute cat posters.

Original prints by Shilin Huang (and zinganza?). I've bought her 
stuff last year. I really like her stuff!

Okami poster(*).

Asuna from SAO (I think both posters are Asuna?)(*).

Somebody from Rozen Maiden(*); Link & Zelda from Legend of Zelda. 

Somebody from Penguindrum(*); tons of Hatsune Mikus (yes, I bought two posters).

Sayaka & Kyoko from Puella Magi Madoka Magica(*); characters from RWBY(*).

Characters from LoL(*).

From Left to right, top to bottom:
-Elsa from Frozen 
-Anna from Frozen
-Olaf from Frozen
-Jack Frost from Jack Frost
-Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon
-Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy
-Hatsune Miku
-Rogue from X-Men
-Mulan from Mulan

This really cute T-shirt featuring a character from Dark Souls(*).

The Path to Hope: a Magical Girl x Pokemon anthology. 
This is a book from various artists that pairs
magical girls with pokemon. It's pretty cool!

One of my favourite pages in the anthology. 

Dumpling plushies, SAO(*) bookmarks.

Groot bookmark; Link bookmark; Takoyaki plushy headband (so cute!).

Buttons from Dark Souls(*) (from two artists!); Tonberry button from Final Fantasy.
For the Dark Souls buttons on the right, my sister and I ended up buying one of each the artist had. The artist was selling over 30 Dark Souls-themed buttons! They are at my sister's place so I don't have a pic of them right now. 

A 2015 calendar featuring original art and a bookmark.

Some business cards.

Some more business cards. 

Shilin's Tumblr link. In case you can't read it, it says:
http://zinganza.tumblr.com/

So, to calculate the "damage" to my wallet:

Meg Turney Print (for a friend -- not shown above): $20

Poster (Frozen, Death): $25

Posters (by Xiao Bai): $20

Poster (SAO, Mirai Nikkai, [original -- girl with cat]): $30

Posters (Legend of Zelda x2) + plastic poster cover: $60

Posters (by Daxiong): $40

Poster (by Suika14): $15

Posters (LoL, Tohou, Danganronpa): $20

Posters (Attack on Titan x4, SAO, Drakengard): $45

Poster (Kitties x3): $20

Poster (by Shilin Huang): $30

Poster (Okami, [secret]): $20

Posters (SAO, ???, Legend of Zelda, Rozen Maiden, Penguindrum, Hatsune Miku x2,  LoL x2, RWBY, Puella Magi Madoka Magica): $110

Postcards (Mini Portraits x9): $36

T-Shirt (Dark Souls): $20

Magical Girl x Pokemon Anthology book: $25

Dumpling Plushies: $20

Bookmarks (SAO x2, Legend of Zelda): $5

Bookmark (Groot): $1

Octopus headband: $12

Buttons (Dark Souls x4, FF): $10

Buttons (Dark Souls x20): $30

Calendar: $15

Miscellaneous Gifts (not shown above): $44

Total "Damage" This Year: $673.00

Total "Damage" Last Year: $317.00


Owww... my wallet is very hurting... but I don't regret it. I really do like all the stuffs that I bought.
 
Thanks for reading (if you made it this far)! If you have any questions about anything I experienced at Fan Expo Canada, or just comments and questions on anything, feel free to comment!

Have an awesome week! :) Now back to renewing my Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn subscription and losing my soul all over again... oh, how I've missed ye! <3