ErutanXiku

'Eryth Sea' hehe, that's a nice tribute Saying that Xenoblade Chronicles is its own game is nice - I think this is where SE is failing with their new titles; rather than creating new things, they're too busy emulating the previous titles or emulating things from other games and repackaging as something new. I thought Operation Rainfall was only interested in games being released in America? After all, I heard what triggered its creation was the displeasure at Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story getting EU localisation only since those games were announced for EU release before Operation Rainfall began? Incidentally, I also heard that even though Xenoblade Chronicles has been given the go ahead for NA localisation in response to Operation Rainfall...there haven't been many people placing pre-orders or showing interest in it, but that may have changed. I'm really excited for The Last Story and I can't believe Hironobu Sakaguchi is coming to the Midlands MCM Expo to promote it...I really have to go - the man has been such an inspiration for me.

Thanks for the review! I have yet to play this since my brother likes to watch my gameplay, but he's at Uni. I could have played this over Christmas, but he chose instead for me to play Skyward Sword and that was a fulfilling and great game in itself. I do have some concern over your choice in phrasing it as the 'FF7 of it's generation,' simply because it will open it up to all kinds of negative criticism (like with The Legend of Dragoon - people branded it an FF7 rip-off when it had zero similarity to it, apart from being an epic game), but I understand what you mean in that what FF7 meant to most gamers, Xenoblade Chronicles means the same to you...or rekindled that feeling. I look forward to playing this even more now!

Yeah...I remember my first year...it was so easy and most of the subjects were recaps for me. It's good that it's like that because, to expand on what you said, you get students from different backgrounds taking different routes to get on the same course Thanks for explaining Art History to me - that's actually pretty interesting - I may take it up! Hopefully it'll be similar to what you described Will there be any focus on artists themselves, like Da Vinci; Picasso; Van Gogh; Monet or is that completely different territory?

Oh my! I meant to reply ages ago! I am so very sorry...! How is reading Shannara going? I've only read the first three books (Sword; Elfstones and Wishsong) and I really enjoyed them. I've been meaning to pick up the rest, but haven't yet. The sounds interesting and perhaps a little similar in setting to the Assassin's Apprentice, only that one's about the illegitimate son of the King. I've been meaning to look into Asimov - had no idea Bicentennial Man was based on one of his books. When I found that a few movies I liked were based on books by Philip K Dick, they were immediately put on my reading list...but unfortunately, I haven't got around to them yet. My list just keeps growing, but I barely make it through my books... I've only just made it halfway through Temeraire and I'm not sure about whether I'd pick up the rest. It's not that I don't enjoy it - there are some golden moments between the characters...but it's just the way it's written. I have no issue with it being set during the Napoleonic Wars, but hmm...something about it reminds me of how let's say...Twilight's written and I didn't like how that was written. The way the words flow, just doesn't sit with me...I am interested in knowing what happens next, but I'm not willing to put myself through reading the way this woman writes...so I am in a dilemma - suffer through the writing for the sake of the story, or forget about it completely? Perhaps I'll know when I get to the end...

Yeah...unfortunately the topic was locked before I became aware of it (I only visit it rarely) so I couldn't throw my two cents in. It could be assumed that the word 'Otaku' had a negative connotation already (I mean, who wants to be labelled a shut-in?) but the murders (where the killer was wrongly profiled as an Otaku) only made the matter worse. It's only recently (I guess?) that some people are trying to change that perception, but meh, just thought it may have been of interest. Both sides made some valid points and both sides were just as stubborn I think, with the admin wielding divine judgement. Ooh Algebra...I loved Algebra! Did you say what course you were doing? If so, I apologise if I missed it or forgot (both are likely...) I ask because you appear to have a varied range of subjects there. I never understood what Art History was about...I'm looking to take some adult learning courses in my local area, but the description for Art History wasn't all that enlightening...

Ahh it looks like you're having heaps of fun! So glad you've settled in How's your assignment going? It's frustrating where there are some lecturers who lack teaching skills, while possessing the knowledge. Just a rewind, not sure if this would be of interest, but I came across this thread on another forum I troll (am I allowed to admit to that?) and thought of you: http://forums.kametsu.com/showthread.php?t=14616 It's a debate on the 'Otaku' term - while I know it's been covered and Ryuki's given us the correct definition, I wondered what opinions you may have had on this?

since both are the same kanji, it's no problem to me. but perhaps it could be confusing to others. either way, gold can be considered to be currency anyway, ã­? Aah...that makes sense! Thank you for explaining that - I didn't know they were the same character yep. I think the Oxford dictionary has improved a LOT lately. my original dictionary was quite bad and had the japanese words arranged in english alphabet order ... well the latest edition has it in proper japanese order. I have the Oxford Japanese Mini Dictionary (2009) and find it to be quite useful. but it's not the ideal for learning reading. for reading, I use Gakken å°å­¦æ¼¢å­—１ï¼ï¼ï¼– that is available from ebay as far as I know, that's where i purchased it. I think I can get the Oxford one quite easily, but I did a search for the Gakken one but couldn't find it...I did however manage to find an app that covers the basics on Hiragana; Katakana and Kanji. It seems to be okay so far... Thank you again for the recommendation Just a quick question - the word for Welshman > Uueruzu-jin; is it written with the 'U' character because there is no 'We' character? So writing it like that gives it a similar sound to what it's supposed to sound like? (Weeruzu-jin)

I apologise for interrupting the lesson, but may I ask a question regarding the following? Japanese days of the week are named after the Eastern elements (Fire/Earth/Water/Wood/Metal and two celestial beings (Sun and Moon) As I remember, 'Kane' is the word for 'Money' and 'Kin' is the word for 'Gold' (a precious metal...) I guess you could still consider 'Pay Day' to make it easier to remember, but wouldn't that be confusing the words 'Kin' and 'Kane'? I really should learn to read Japanese text...Romaji can only get me so far...Would you happen to be in a position to recommend a good dictionary? I've got maybe two phrasebooks which have a little mention of the characters, but it's done wonders for my pronounciation.

I dunno...after watching the latest episode, I feel like the overall series is going to be pretty 'meh'...the pacing is just horribly off. I realise that they're probably commissioned to do a particular number of episodes, but I feel they could have spread a few stories out a bit. The characterisations are a bit off too - A question...what do you reckon happens to their tails? Kit and Kat have theirs and Panthro used to...what happened to them? :/ I do like the 'bigger picture' and the story they're trying to tell, but I wish it was paced better with clearer characterisations...

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No worries I found more info on the 'Otaku' definition on Wiki if that helps... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku I was also going to make the point about it being offensive in Japan (especially after the Otaku Murders) but I think the profile is lifting a little, such as when a Japanese politician described himself as an Otaku about Politics.

Wow...your orientation (we called it Fresher's Week at my uni) sounds so cool! I've always regretted not standing my ground and living on campus...would have made things a lot easier, especially when taking part in the events I wanted to take part in. I hope you have a wonderful experience As for 'Otaku'...from my experience, it has a meaning similar to 'Geek' or 'Nerd' and can be applied to all hobbies/interests, but more often with computers. I think Metal Gear Solid gave a definition when you meet Otacon (which stands for Otaku Convention) I've never heard it translated as 'Your House' or being used as a formal form of 'You'...must do research

I haven't been online in a ages (over 3 months) because of crappy internet and my ISP being stupid) It's hopefully been fixed now, so I can get back online in a few weeks and get back into the long list of online-heavy games I have... Sorry it's taken so long to address this Odin - would be happy to play a few rounds of MvC3 WKC is a pretty good game; I've finished the story twice (to get everything) and I only have Questing left to do before moving onto WKC2.

Just watched this last night and I liked it very much - I'm going to treat this as an AU as it sort of meshes everything together... Regarding characters... As for the episodes...

Glad you like it so far - for a moment, I felt like a raving fangirl *shudders* I do like it because of its concept and the characters - I feel it's pretty well thought out, and has a certain amount of 'realism' to it regarding attitudes and development. Regarding your Blue Dragon question...perhaps, I could help? I don't know what your stance on dubs are, but I managed to find it here: http://english-dub.kametsu.com/blue-dragon The first 24 episodes are dual audio, but the rest are only English... Have you tried searching http://www.baka-updates.com - they have a pretty good database of stuff that's been released, but they're not too good at housekeeping because some of the torrents could be dead. They do, however, sometimes have the groups website or IRC address (if they have one) so you can take a look through those, but again, they're not too good at listing whether a group is still active or not.

Just finished Deadman Wonderland the other day and am now reading the Manga Tiger & Bunny anyone? I got into it a few weeks back and have now caught up - it's quite entertaining and interesting. Reading about the characters on Wiki didn't quite give me the right impression of them, but my brothers and I are hooked! A lot of people find the first episode kind of slow, but it does pick up. I guess the only thing I'm in a twist over is that it's not based on a Manga so I can't read ahead to see what happens [emote=onion]nofair[/emote]

...Is...is that the only one in existence? *_*

Just watched this over the weekend...it's a much better movie than I thought it would be (I went in with very low expectations). However, I feel that there were some things that didn't feel right but the story was good, I could see it work. I'm pretty sure, though, that I read somewhere that this movie only deletes what happened in X3 (I liked X3)...from what I see, it deletes what happened in all three movies while keeping certain things that were established, like Mystique's way of transforming *shrugs*

Perhaps one of these recipes will ease the pain? Tesco Real Food: Heartbreak Healers

No hard feelings Ryuki That recipe is an interesting one - I found another way of making it that involves shaking to create the namesake of bubbles. The recipe I found also suggested the use of other milk alternatives to condensed milk (well, it uses Creamer and you can use anything as a substitute as it's down to your preference) so you can use Milk or Cream. As for the sweetening, you can use sugar but it recommended to use a Syrup made up of a mixture of white and brown sugar...though you can again substitute something else with a similar consistency - I plan to use Agave Nectar. Here are the methods if you want to look at it: Method One Method Two

i'm sure you realise that telling me that i have to understand the difference, does not magically make me understand. if i don't see what the difference is, then you telling me i have to understand is not going to do it, it just sounds like an attack. I understand there is a difference. most people won't. they listen to a few words and then make up their mind. upon hearing 'milk tea' they will have already decided what it is and ignore the rest. plus, the description i have been given, sounds very much like milkshake to me. trust me, if there was somewhere close to me that did it, I would have already tried it. and it is fair to say british people are people of habit. since i am british and lived here my entire life. I'm pretty sure i remember you saying you grew up somewhere else, or spent a great deal of time elsewhere. your sphere of influence is not a traditional british background. you see society from a different perspective to how I do. I live within a british family who have lived in britain all their lives and among this society. I frequent cafe's and i watch what people choose. they almost always choose exactly the same thing and are no inclined to try something new. they kick up a fuss any time anything is changed. some people, I have merely suggested that they try something new and ended up in an argument. I am very much interested in hearing about your perspective on things, but please don't attack my post in such a way. i don't feel it is very fair. Wow, I did not mean for it to come off as an attack - my tone of writing was in no way aggrssive. I didn't say that you simply had to understand the difference - I said you had to try it to understand the difference - something which I know you haven't done. I was merely advocating the idea that if the opportunity arose, that you should try it. I wasn't attacking you at all, just reinforcing the idea that you should give it a go, which I'm sure you will since Durendal likes to sing its praises As for where I grew up...I was born and raised in the UK, the only considerable time I spent away was at most 3 months in Fiji when I was really young, like 8 or 9 years old, so I kind of still consider myself to be British born and bred, just (as you said) with a different perspective on society. I too like my habits - I walk into a shop, choose a dish/drink I'm familiar with and like the taste of, but I often do that after having tried whatever else interests me on the menu. Apart from that, I'm always open to new culinary experiences, provided they're safe for me to consume. I know the majority of people probably don't have as flexible/curious a palate as I do, but when you said that all British people are creatures of habit it kind of felt like to me that you were attacking my idea of opening up a Tea House one day - telling me not to even bother because, due to habit, it wouldn't even get off the ground because it's not what people are used to. People aren't used to Japanese Food and there's plenty of restaurants in the area. I think mainly, our views of people are evidently based on our different experiences - all my life I've seen people stick to habit, and I've seen those same people be a little adventurous. Of course, you'll regret some choices when the food isn't as good as you thought it would be, but if you like your dish (or don't) you're inclined to try something else that's different on the menu hoping it'll taste just as good or better :/ I'm sorry that you took my comment negatively, but I wasn't attacking you. Going back to the tea, I'm keen on making my own at home - it'll probably be the only way my brother can try it without me dragging him off to China Town XD Also, I like the idea of making one with fresh fruit.

Lol, that's kind of what I always planned to do - open a place that sold Tea from everywhere and all the interesting preparations I could find. Though, I think I'd draw the line at anything similar to that 'Luxury Coffee' that comes from feline poop. I think the misconception is that Tea is boring, when it used to symbolise exotic lands. I gave up coffee and turned to tea for the health benefits - I've lived (am living) the lifestyle I'm planning to sell, I suppose :/ As for the image, I want it to be unique but kind of quirky, hence the choice in uniform I have in mind, but I want people to feel at ease and like they're looked after. I'm going to talk to my mum about it and start working on this for real - I've had the idea bouncing around for a year or so now, but have always worried about how it would reflect on me in regards to my odd aesthetic choices, when really it's not about that. I have some perfect ideas for opening a place - either right on the street where I work, which is a very nice area, or somewhere similar closer to the town. We'll see how it goes - it's bound to be a fun adventure

Ryuki, British Milk Tea is not the same as this Milk/Bubble Tea - you have to try it to understand the difference :/ Just like how British Milk Tea is not the same as Indian Milk Tea/Chai. The main difference is in the preparation. Also, it's not fair to say that only the British are creatures of habit - everyone is, which is why you need a USP to capture their interest. Don't underestimate people's capacity to try new things - sure there'll be naysayers, but I think despite people's tendency to be rigid, there are more people looking for something to spark their imagination - to add zest in an otherwise grey world. Durendal, usually, yes. Tea in the UK is consumed hot/warm - fresh out of the pot (just like coffee). Though, when I ordered my Bubble Tea I was given the choice to have it either hot or cold...my friend suggested cold and I went for it. I think next time I'll try it hot and report the difference, but I'll also have a cold one to make the test fair Though, having given up coffee...what I really miss is the variety in preparation of coffee - you walk into a cafe and you can order Frappe's; Cappuccino's; Latte's; Mocha's; Espresso's...etc. My favourite was the Frappe - cold Milk Coffee! When you look at the list of teas, it's either fruit/herbal infusions or the classics Earl Grey; Darjeeling; Ceylon etc. Nothing different about its preparation, just standard hot water and milk...so you can understand why I'm so happy about Bubble Tea - cold Milk Tea and it tastes good! Not to mention healthier (to those who care) - more milk and less caffeine, so I suppose there would be a market for this. In regards to the Tea House question...we sort of do, though you can drink tea anywhere - cafe's; hotels; pubs; most restaurants...which is why I think it may be odd/difficult to open a place that only serves varieties of tea and desserts. Though, no-one ever got anywhere without taking a few risks...and I might be inclined to make this one.

Perhaps some Chinese restaurants may have Bubble Tea...but I haven't noticed it on some of their menu's as of yet :/ I think some do alcoholic cocktails with the tapioca pearls...but again, I only saw that in Chinatown... I have been wanting to open up a Maid Cafe/Tea House in these parts, but I wonder if being served tea and desserts by a person in a maid/waiter outfit would be a little weird...

I think it's probably more milk-flavoured tea...since there seems to be a lot more milk than tea :/ I don't know, but it's very tasty! I feel like going back to try the other flavours and varieties they have...but China Town is too far to make the journey all the time...well, it's only 45 minutes by train but the fare is too high! I'm not sure how I feel about the iPad...it's just an oversized iPhone and my fingers don't like using touch-screens too much. I would buy one, however, if I could use a pen with it then I can use it as a portable graphics tablet, which is something I really want and my brother's going to help me build it once I buy all the materials... Lol, I'll be sure to take a lot of pictures and yeah...thanks for reminding of another reason why I should finish fixing my PC quickly - all the pictures I need to put up! Thing is, I'm not sure where the best place is to have them viewable...not too keen on Flickr because of the size limit...would DropBox be better? EDIT: I only ask because I take heaps of photos, but I guess I could pick a few of the main ones and share those...