Neutral Drow reviews: Little My Maid

NeutralDrow

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Mar 23, 2009
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BrotherhoodOfSteel said:
Hahahahaha... I guess Drow has already seen it. Before I say nice review, I have to say the 2 minutes that I ended up experienceing that game, made me feel like I should call my grandfather, and ask him if I could borrow his old Mosin-Nagant for a few minutes. It is the game that made me understand a bit more about why they're the internet's punching bag.
I saw the name on this one other flash site I go to. Thing is, I don't even have a problem with them. Their porn just frightens me.

scotth266 said:
I suppose that this "High Tail Hall" game is something to be avoided? I mean, I've seen what Newgrounds likes to pass off as "Dating Sims": "Get physically/emotionally abused by slutty/horny women that do not exist in reality until they become your willing sex slaves" would be more appropriate.
I don't know, I haven't actually played it. Furry porn just doesn't do it for me.

razer17 said:
Again very well written review. I have gotten hold of all the titles you have reviewed so far, except Xchange, so thanks for reviewing them, and letting us know what's good in the world of ero.

Also, I like the style of your reviews, with the sub headings for each part. Some people don't like it, but I personally feel it's easier to read when it's split up, and it makes your review more organised than others.
Well, Sturgeon's Law, you know? I'm only playing and reviewing a shortlist already (well...a second shortlist, since there's no way I'm touching some of the stuff that's already been translated).

And the other, that's good to know! That's actually my exact reasoning for the format; kind of funny, since the first time was just ad hoc (and someone pointed out that Technical wasn't well-defined, which certainly helped). But yeah, paragraphs are all well and good, but I can't help but feel I'm just writing an essay instead of a review with just those...
 

scotth266

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Jan 10, 2009
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NeutralDrow said:
Oh god, now I'm definitely avoiding that.

Hmmm... I need to write a review soon. Transformers 2, here I come.

(Yes, I'm going to buy it on DVD, for the sole purpose of reviewing it properly.)
 

NeutralDrow

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TsunamiWombat said:
Review Request: Fate/Stay Night, the Anime
That is, in fact, on my to-do list (along with the manga). I think it'll be a while, though. I'm planning it to be a corollary to the game review (like I did with Tsukihime).

Tide-over summary:

The Fate/Stay Night anime is a surprisingly good adaptation of the game's Fate route (Saber's scenario). The characters are recreated with marvelous faithfulness, and most of the points in the route are at least touched upon, if not explained in as much detail as the game.

Two additions to the Fate storyline are worth mentioning: the confrontation at school between Shirou and Rin (and then Shirou and Rider), which is transplanted from the game's Unlimited Blade Works route, and the Archer vs. Berserker fight at the castle, which was in Fate, but offscreen. Both add a bit of well-done tension to the story, and the latter even catapulted Archer to instant internet fame (if you speak 4chan, he's the source of "Gar"). As well, the late Caster arc is a rewritten composite of spliced-together elements from the Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven's Feel routes. This arc does a good job of providing needed screentime for the characters Caster, Assassin, and Kuzuki (who played only small roles in Fate), and also gave part-fanservice (no, not that type), part-exposition to several other things about Sakura's past that would have gone unnoticed (including strong hints about Rin and Sakura's prior relationship, and a cameo by Zouken Matou).

The artwork is a little harsher than Takeuchi's style, especially with regards to shading and coloring, but such a style still works very well. The soundtrack is also very good, and I personally think Kenji Kawai's rendition of the song "Emiya" is even better than the game's. However...the animation sucks. I mean it's awful. I don't know if most of the budget just went to the other aspects of the anime, or what. I'm aware anime as whole is known for certain "false motion" tricks when it comes to animation, but the over-reliance on those tricks here and the way the characters move make the anime feel just plain lazy, something that's near-crippling in a series that's heavily action-based. There's something wrong when the original visual novel beats out the animated adaptation for exciting, fast-paced fight scenes (nothing against the visual novel, mind you; they really did do those scenes well).

As a small note, that animation weakness thankfully doesn't apply to the opening and ending animations, which are some of the coolest I've ever seen.


This actually has a remixed track from the game ("This Illusion"). Like with "Emiya," I actually like this version better.


The song from this one had to grow on me, but grow on me it certainly did.


What's that, you ask? What's so special about an ending where someone just stands there?

Shut up.

This ending makes me cry. You really have to be a Saber fan (and know what Realta Nua is) to understand.

Of course, the game is much better, but that probably could have gone without saying. This anime is still pretty good. The only other complaint I can think of is that, for some reason, people who only watch the anime tend to have dreadfully mistaken impressions of Shirou, but that's a rant for another topic. I don't blame that on the anime itself for it.
 

TsunamiWombat

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Mistaken? In what way? I really liked Shirou, especially the man he had become at the end - great character growth.

Ahh the ending to that anime...so sad ;-;

...[/youtube]

I didn't even watch the whole anime, but the ending just... They fall in love, defeat the badguy... and she goes back to her proper time to die. And he accepts that he will always love Saber, and there will never be another quite like her. It makes me cry manly tears.
 

NeutralDrow

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TsunamiWombat said:
Mistaken? In what way? I really liked Shirou, especially the man he had become at the end - great character growth.
A ton of people don't see that, and come away with the mistaken impression that he's just a naive chauvinist. I don't mind people not liking the guy for whatever reason (though I think he's a great protagonist), but I see that particular unfounded impression so often that I actually have a pre-prepared rant on the subject.

Goddammit, Shirou Emiya's not a misogynist! There is no "Fate/Stay in the Kitchen!"

Shirou's motivation was not wanting the girl he doesn't realize he loves to get killed, a position reinforced by watching her get her ass handed to her by Berserker. Unfortunately for him, not only is fighting inevitable, it's what she does. Double unfortunately, he's got something of a martyr complex, and isn't used to having other people fight for him. Triple unfortunately, she's weaker than normal because his magic circuits aren't designed for sustaining a familiar, she can't fight too hard or she'll disappear, and he knows it. Therefore, he's got a girl he loves desperately, who's in serious danger if she fights (regardless of whether or not she wins), and who he's not the least bit qualified to protect.

The problem? He knows he's desperate for her not to be in danger, but he doesn't figure out why for a very long time. "Saber shouldn't fight because she's a girl" was the only excuse he could think of. This conclusion is further supported by the fact that he never, ever acts that way towards any other woman in the game...including Saber herself in the other routes!

Ahh the ending to that anime...so sad ;-;

...[/youtube]

I didn't even watch the whole anime, but the ending just... They fall in love, defeat the badguy... and she goes back to her proper time to die. And he accepts that he will always love Saber, and there will never be another quite like her. It makes me cry manly tears.
Very, very much so. Except the tears I cried weren't manly in the least. And the scene I was actually sadder at was at the end of their date, when they were fighting, when Shirou finally realizes his feelings...and I have sudden premonition of how it will end.

Didn't stop the ending of the anime from making me cry, though, even when I knew what was going to happen.

_>

That's part of why I love that main ending sequence so much. Because of what it resembles...

The PS2 port of Fate/Stay Night added a bunch of CGs and full voice acting, replaced all the ero scenes...and added another ending: Realta Nua Last Episode.

As Saber dies, she is told that what she wishes requires two impossible miracles. She must wait forever, and another must search forever, before her desire can be granted. That's part of what the ending sequence reminds me of, Arturia waiting forever for the one she loves to come.

<url=http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/fate_staynight/anatagamori.htm>Anata ga Ita Mori

"In the deep thick forest, there is a faint fragrance that is very dear
When I try to find the faces of the passing days, you laugh suddenly

When I reach out my hand to touch it, I feel like I'm dancing in the faraway space

I've always wanted to see you and am thinking of you always
Crossing the sleepless nights
While I cry, I try to embrace what's left of you in the midst of light and shadow

Hopelessly, I walk barefoot in the scorching sunset
While stepping on the ruins of a love that fades crimson

When I hold out my hand to touch it, I hear your voice

Right now the words "I love you" won't reach as the wind carries away my song
It disappears far far away
If I throw a clock of sand in the high skies, I hear the sounds of that day resounding

Scenery that I can't touch again
Fades away slowly

"Don't disappear," that hand and that hair, in the rapidly enlarging atmosphere and heavy memories
The light and shadow that you left is just too large

In the deep, deep forest..."

The ending strongly implies that it happens. Shirou finds his way to Avalon, where Arturia rests, and <url=http://img198.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=649g.jpg>the two of them are reunited.

<color=white>It's said that some dismissed this as pure fanservice, meant to satisfy shippers. These few were supposedly hospitalized by a sudden wave of pure hatred.
 

TsunamiWombat

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Really?

Just knowing that makes me cry even more man-girly tears ;-;

I never saw Shiro as mysoginistic, I saw his protectivness as CHIVALROUS, admittedly misplaced.