Hello everyone! Today marks the 7th year since I started drawing. And once again, it was kind of a disappointing year when it comes to my drawing.
While I did more illustrations than last year, the same thing happened. After the rush for the new doujin, and the Christmas illustrations, I pretty much stopped completely. But the reason was different this year, it wasn't being burned because I drew too much for the doujin, it was pure frustration. My art regressed last year, and everything I tried just didn't work, and became worse. I am currently unable to draw bodies without using a model, and unable to draw any other face angles than profile. It's weird, especially for that last point, since I was able to do other angles before that. I feel like I'm just getting worse, but it might not be visible on the illustrations I did finish because while my face drawings got worse, I got a little bit better at light and shadows, as well as clothes folds, so the finished product looks good enough. But I had to use models. And my last drawing, you can see all the characters looking to the left, because all I can do is faces view from profiles.
I guess every year, when it comes time to post this anniversary post, is when I start drawing again, so I'll keep trying and hopefully I can go back to at least my level from like a year and half ago.
Anyway, here's my own favourite drawing per month of the last year.
Please take a minute of your time to vote on which was your favourite
drawing from me in the last year, I'm always happy to see the results,
and if you leave a message, it can help me get better.
Once again, I'm gonna ask you all to vote on your favorite among my drawings this year.
This year it's weird because I though I didn't do many illustrations, but I actually did a lot more... but it didn't feel like it. I still also working on making a new doujinshi.
Let me know why you choose the one you did, if you feel like it, and I'll use the comments to get better!
Sad Uzume
Witch Orange Heart
NepNowel
Lucky Christmas
Choujigen game Konata
Pixiv 100 followers Thank you
Odelia
Nico B&W
Nepgear rkgk
Neptune 10th anniversary
New year Ema Miyuki
Smug Konata
And just in case the same problem happens with the poll as 2 years ago, here's the direct link to the poll http://www.strawpoll.me/20874297
Hey everyone! I decided to make a top 10 of my favorite games of the decade. While making it I realized I hadn't played many games in the last decade, so if the game you think should there aren't it might be because I haven't played them... or it might just be because they aren't worth being in the top 10 of the decade! I'm not a game critics so I'll just give small notes about why these games deserve to be in there, and not comprehensive reviews. (My list don't include remakes of games previously published in another decade)
#10: Portal 2
I ended up putting Portal 2 in the 10th spot here because it's been a very long time. I remember I loved the game and enjoyed making the multiplayer stages with my friends.
The game wasn't as ground braking as the first one, but is still a very good game. It's the last good game Valve ever made (crossing my fingers here for HL:A).
#9: Overwatch
I've put Overwatch here as number 9, but there's a note. Overwatch is a constantly evolving game, and as such, the quality varies a lot over time. This being a Blizzard game, of course that means the game got worse and worse. So I place here, Overwatch as it was up to around 7 month after it's release. The constant meddling with the game rendered just a pain to play over the years, and Blizzard also destroyed any sense of wanting to be associated with that game by being asshole outside of the game to their players.
#8: maimai
Unless you've visited a Japanese arcade, you probably don't know what maimai is. maimai is a arcade rhythm game developped by Sega. It was the most natural to play Rhythm game, and had a really good selection of songs. The level balancing was really great and was challenging and fun to play for people of all skill levels.
I use the word "was" here because while maimai still exist, the current version of it added a couple of things to it, including the center tapping and the big holds, which break the fully natural feel of maimai. The song selection also got worse (probably due to licensing) and the last version also removed all player progress and collectible from the game, which is pretty heartbreaking after playing for 5 years. I think the game is still fun overall, but the current incarnation wouldn't be in the top 10. This game is number 8 as around up to Murasaki.
#7: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Exactly the opposite of the last 2 games on this list, Final Fantasy XIV started as a bad game... Or so I heard, since I didn't play it when everyone said it was bad.
The developers realized it was bad, and remade the whole thing into a very good MMORPG. But while the game itself is fun to play, what pushes it into top 10 territory, and up to number 7, is the story, especially the story from the Heavenwards and Shadowbringer expansions. Heavenward while not being intense and great all the time has the strongest and most emotional moment of the game, and Shadowbringer story was just stellar all around. The music also deserve a mention as it is incredibly good... especially in Shadowbringer.
#6: Nier: Automata
Another Square game, developped by PlatinumGames this time. Nier is the higest profile game on this chart and requires the less explaining. It's a great game, with incredible character design, great gameplay and combat mechanics. The music is also very very good. Yoko Taro is fucked up in is head, and we can only thank god for it.
HM Break:
Here's a couple of games I liked that didn't make it into the top 10.
Catherine
Disgaea 4
Blaster Master Zero (different enough from the original, but still similar enough to be considered a remake)
#5: Katawa Shoujo
I don't like Visual Novels. Yet this game captured me. The way the delicate subject is addressed is full of respect and really show you how each character is a great person well beyond the visible. The art is cute, and the music enjoyable. It's a short yet incredibly enjoyable adventure, and it's free!
#4: The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince
This game is just way too adorable. It's a really short game, that is super cute. The art style is very unique, reminding you of old picture books. The story is also a picture book style story. Every little detail of the game is adorable, the idle animations, the way they change depending on how far away the characters are. The gameplay is relatively simple and the puzzles aren't too hard (except one of them which is optional) but it's a game you should really play.
#3: Splatoon
Splatoon was that really unexpected awesome game. I bought a WiiU exclusively for this, and I don't regret it. It was super cute and super fun. Had a lot of fun randomly dropping into friend games and owning them, or joining them and having fun in ranked. The Ultimate Collaboration with Ika-Musume made all this even better, and my Inkling girl was rocking that white dress.
Splatoon 2 was a bit less fun for me, no Ika-Musume, and I can't really tell why but I think it was just generally less amusing... and eventually became impossible to play at all once they decided you needed a subscription to do so. So Splatoon 1 is the superior of the 2, and my #3 top game of the decade.
#2: Megadimension Neptunia VII
I love the Neptunia series, but this game was just way better than all the other ones before. Every aspect was better. The story was better, the music was better, the gameplay was better, the characters were better. The Neptunia series is full of meta and really niche humor, only for otaku, but this one is so good it's the only one I would recommend to everyone, even if they aren't already deep into Otakuism. Uzume is the best girl, and I want to protect her forever.
#1: Doki Doki Literature Club!
The best game you can't describe in any way without spoiling it. Seriously, if you haven't played this game, what the fuck are you doing here. It's free. Go download and play this immediately.
This time I'm on time for this post!
today Marks the 6th year since I started drawing. Unfortunately, it wasn't really a good year for me again in drawing. This year again I did very few full illustrations, a bit of that was due to making a new doujinshi though. So for the first few months of the year I didn't draw any full illustrations, except the cover... so you'd think after the doujin I would have more time, but it was the opposite, as every times before, Once the doujin was done (and after I did my Christmas and new year illustration), I got kinda burned out and stopped drawing for a while.
Then DAM made a contest on Pixiv, the theme was Touhou and
music. I actually entered the contest, and obviously didn't win, but
I'm still pretty satisfied with the drawing I did for it.After that I tried to work on my art, and of course I got discouraged. lost my will to draw. I started a ko-fi account, hoping that people tipping me to draw them a doodle would force me to stay motivated, it worked for a few weeks, basically all my friends trying to help, but then it died... I never did push it though. I'm really bad at this kind of marketing, because I don't feel like my art is really worth paying for... so I feel into another art block....
and that one lasted for a long time. and I think I am probably still in it. I registered to comiket again hoping that having a doujin to work on will get me out of it, but I still don't know if this is a success or not...
as for progress. I think I showed progress in the beginning of the year, the art in my doujin is definitely better than thee ones before, and I also got faster. I got better at just drawing by eye without using any 3D models for the body shapes too. The problem is, after the 2 art blocks, I don't think I ever got back to the level I was at the end of the doujin.
Anyway, here's my own favorite drawing per month of the last year.
Please take a minute of your time to vote on which was your favorite drawing from me in the last year, I'm always happy to see the results, and if you leave a message, it can help me get better.
When we planned this trip, the only thing we had planned at first was just to go see the OSK Sakura Night Sakura Taisen Collaboration in Kyoto. (which was a very nice show btw! I might do a quick post about it at some time. some weird mix of cabaret and other stuff, with some Sakura Taisen songs and the voices actresses). We had to sleep in Kyoto, so we tried to think about what else to do around it, and while Kyoto isn't really THAT close to Toyosato, I still proposed it, and we decided to go. I had wanted to go there for years, ever since I learned it was possible to visit it, and it was finally my chance!
At that point I didn't even know there was a birthday event going on that week-end. We found out like 3-4 days before leaving when someone noticed on the guided tour of the school (that we had reserved) website, it said the auditorium was unavailable for visit. I quickly remembered it was sometime used for events and checked ToyosatoTeaTime website, and yup! there it was! It's Mugi and Ritsu's birthday event! Even better! a nice coincidence!
The next day, we learned about the horrible news of what happened at KyoAni, we though about cancelling the tour a bit, felt almost insensitive to go visit K-On! holy place right after this tragic incident... I already talked about this in my last post, so I won't say more about it here. But in the end we decided to do it anyway. We also added a trip to the KyoAni studio to pay our respects to the fallen and their families.
The day after going to KyoAni and watching the OSK Sakura show, we woke up around five and took a very early train toward Toyosato via Hakone.
Right when stepping out of the train you can already feel you're in a good place.
No sign of K-on! stuff so far, but we get inside the building of the station itself and it's already there, a map of the city with the Toyosato Former Elementary School taking the spotlight.
As soon as we step out we're welcomed by this really shy Azunyan hiding behind a post.
The K-on presence in the city doesn't seem as big as it is for Lucky Star in Washinomiya or for GuP in Oarai, but still there was a lot of shops with posters and more of these pedestrian boards on the way to the school
MIO! Don't cross the street with your eyes closed!!!
And then we reached the school, the very beautiful and well maintained school.
Since we had taken the guided tour we headed to where the library used to be, it's now a building with a cafeteria, and places to eat and socialize, as well as a K-On! goods museum, more on that later since we didn't get to see this immediately, our tour guide arrived and we went to the front of the school. To be noted here, when we singed up for the tour, they asked us if we wanted one that focused on the architecture or K-On!, we said "a bit of both". So we expected a bit of both, but the whole tour was 100% about the building history and the architecture, not a single K-On! word was said. The guide even tried to make us go pretty fast trough the K-On! club room, but I just ignored it and took my sweet time in it. The information he gave us was interesting, but I really wish there would have been a lot more of "so this is where this happens in the anime".
The Hare and the tortoise is a really important theme throughout Toyosato.
The Hare and the tortoise are ready for the race
But of course the tortoise won!
So apparently this stairway is pretty important in "I want to eat your pancreas"
Then we finally reached the mythical club rooms. I think the right one was the jazz club room, and the left one the Light Music club room, obviously, complete with Mugi's tea sets and kitchen, along with the cosplay rack.
Because of what had happened a few days earlier, the boards we're filled with words of love for Kyoto Animation.
After that the visit continued, since we took the tour we had access to some rooms that are normally closed to the public. The science classroom was especially really nice, and way too advanced for an elementary school. We also visited the Guest room, a recreation of an old classroom and the kind of museum for the architect. You can see pictures from this in the full album that'll be posted below. This post is already picture heavy and I haven't even reached the birthday event yet!
After that we headed towards our last stop of the tour, the auditorium, because of the event we couldn't go in, but we were allowed to go to the second floor, and rested a few minutes there while watching the band doing rehearsals.
After that we headed back to the starting point, the old library, where the tour ended. We walked around in the library and saw the temporary memorial set up for Kyoto Animation, full of flowers.
We then headed in the K-On! good museum, you can see all the pictures in the full album, but here's some of my favorite
After resting a bit there, it was time to go to the Birthday event.
The event was in the auditorium, and because of the events preceding this, started with a minute of silence for KyoAni. The party was a bit hard to start because of that, the main host seemed to have hard time with it, but another host took over and got things started anyway.
The even was super nice, they started by talking, then brought out the wonderful cake. It was really a nice cake.
And then... They proceeded to cut the cake, in what was one of the most dramatic cake cutting I ever witnessed.
After cutting the cake, they took it away outside, and let everyone come to the front to take pictures of the shikishi's, the Standees and other items they had on display.
After that everyone went outside to eat the cake... I just started a Keto diet so I didn't eat any. I even had to refuse the offer from someone who offered me his part. Thank you so much again ^^;
After a while, everyone went back inside, and the Mini Live started. I unfortunately don't remember the name of the band, I'm pretty sure it had "tea time" in it's name though. They did 5 songs, I don't remember the first one, but it was a Tsumugi character song, the set list was:
Unknown Tsumugi song
Drumming Shining My Life
Listen!!
U&I
Singing!
God Knows
God knows? yep, that was pretty funny actually. After finishing their 5 song set, they got an encore. It was apparently the first time it happened to them so they had not prepared another song. The bassist was also new to the band so while the other members knew Fuwa Fuwa Time (which was requested by someone in the crowd) they couldn't play it. So they ended up choosing God Knows, which everyone was of course ok with! (Poor guitarist). The live was really fun. I filmed some parts of it, you can see it here.
After that, and until the end of the event, we played some games to win some prizes, first was Bingo, then there was some JanKen battles, and there was also a big dice with only mugi and ritsu's faces on it, and you had to guess which one it would fall on.
Even the standees were up for grab, I so wanted that Ritsu standee, but I didn't get it.
After that they announced the date of the next event, the YuiAzu Birthday Party.
Aparently they always end their event with a big call from everyone to say "K-ON! DAISUKI!" (I Love K-On!) but because of the events of the days before, they changed it this year to "KyoAni DAISUKI!!". and on this call, the event ended and we left.
There was a couple very nice Itasha in the parking of the school that I took picture of on my way out. The nicest one being the really cool K-On! one with Yui on top.
And that's it for this post!
I hope you enjoyed it. There's a lot more photos of the school, the event and the Itashas in the full album, please check it out too!
