All posts by Darklaharl

Gaming News

NCG Recommends: Ranma 1/2

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Back in 1989, Japan saw the release of Ranma 1/2. The animation recieved poor reception and  only lasted 18 episodes before it was cancelled. A few months later, it was reworked and went on to produce 143 episodes! I am glad they reworked it because Ranma 1/2 is one of my all time favorite anime/manga; it was actually the first manga series I really got into.

The story follows Ranma as he tries to live a normal life while being cursed. His curse? He turns into a girl every time he is splashed with cold water and back into a boy when splashed with hot water. He tries to keep this a secret from his classmates at first, but as the series progresses many characters discover his secret. Reoccurring elements of the story are the girls chasing Ranma wanting to be his fiance, or his rivals wanting to beat him in martial arts. It is actually a very funny series because Ranma is not the only one who is cursed: his father turns into a Panda, one of the girls chasing him turns into a cat (and Ranma is super afraid of cats), his main rival turns into a pig who happens to be in love with one of his fiances, and more!

The cool thing about the series is that it doesn’t completely follow a set story. Most of the time you can grab any old volume and read without missing too much. Of course, you should read the first volume to get a good idea of the main characters. This series comes highly recommended, give it a watch/read!

Have you picked up this series yet? If so, what did you think? If not, do you plan on checking it out? Let us know in the comments!

Gaming News

Berserk (2016) Blood and Guts

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3 years ago was the last time we saw an animated Berserk story, but now it’s back to continue where the story left off. Personally, I had never watched Berserk when it originally debuted. It wasn’t until two years ago that I sat down and watched the series in its entirety. Even though the style was a little dated I really enjoyed it, and of course the ending made me demand more!

Spoilers for older anime: In this continuation Guts, our Hero? is out for vengeance against the betrayal of his best friend Griffith. Alone after his comrades are killed and his lover raped and driven insane, Guts will stop at nothing to kill Griffith and the other demon apostles. The 2016 anime picks up where the manga begins.

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If you’re a fan of the older Berserk, I definitely recommend the new 2016 series. The art style is definitely different than the previous incarnations, it has a little or a lot more CG style art, but I don’t think it’s much of a distraction ( it is actually kinda neat), especially after the older 1980’s-1990’s look, which sadly, I am not a huge fan of.

Are you a fan of Berserk? Are you watching? Let me know in the comments! I’m hoping to see the Berserk armor debut in this new series.

 

Gaming News

Tier1 Full Metal Jacket Earbuds Review

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Headphones come in so many different varieties that it’s hard to decide which kind to buy. Do you want great quality sound? Does the material matter? Are they easy to use? Portable? Bulky? Eventually I said screw it, and starting using whatever is available.

Now, after getting my hands on Tier1’s Full Metal Jacket earbuds (FMJ’s) I started questioning life itself: why have I been using sub par quality headphones? I scrounged up all the headphones I have and did some comparing and found out I really do prefer the FMJ’s and here is why.

Features:

  • The earbuds themselves come in a magazine shaped carrying case, which is pretty neat if you’re into that sort of thing, but more than a gimmick, it’s actually a very good storage case to keep your earbuds untangled.
  • The cord is covered in plastic which I feel made them harder to tangle and easier to untangle.
  • The earbuds and jack are made of machined metal making them pretty sturdy and allowing for less interference.
Not machined metal mic
easy to use carrying case
Machined metal casing

I really liked the audio. The quality was much better than any of the other headphones I own. I believe the machined metal truly did help the audio quality and the fact that they are in ear helped cancel out ambient noise.  The in-line mic also captures your voice crisply and clearly and can be used on your mobile device or your controller.  The only thing I did not like completely about these earbuds was the plastic covered wires, after being in the carrying case for a while they start to take on the shape so when you remove them they like to twist and bend. If you like straight wires then don’t use the carrying case. Overall, for the price of $29.99, I definitely recommend these earbuds.

If you are interested in getting your own pair, you can find them here.

Gaming News

D.Gray-Man – Hallow

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I’m back with another recommendation!

No doubt, some of you have already heard of D.Gray-man which originally began running in Manga form back in 2004 and then an Anime back in 2006. If you have heard of it, then you know it was going through some tough times; chapters stopped coming out at one point leaving us all on edge as to what was coming next.

Now, we can rejoice! D.Gray-man is back with D.Gray-man Hallow Anime and chapters being released monthly. I am a big fan of this series. The main protagonist, Allen Walker,  is 15 at the start of the show. He uses his left arm as a weapon to destroy the akuma. The basic jist of the series is that the Noah clan, lead by the Millennium Earl, are out to destroy all of humanity. The Black Order stands in their way with its members being people who can use the special weapons called “innocence” that destroy the akuma.

If you already know about the series, then you can continue watching the anime were it left off, with Allen’s group getting stronger and moving their base of operations to a new home. For everyone else who hasn’t watched, lucky you! You have 103 episodes to watch and catch up before watching D.Gray-Man Hallow. Go! watch! I think you will like it.

Gaming News

Jitsu Wa Watashi wa… aka My Monster Secret

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The world of Anime and Manga is vast, there are so many out there that sometimes I don’t know what to watch next! If you also have this problem, then let me give you a recommendation.

Jitsu Wa Watashi Wa translated as “Actually I am”, or the English name given “My Monster Secret”, is a Romantic Comedy anime. The main protagonist is Asahi Kuromine, a high schooler who can’t keep secrets. Everyone can tell if he is lying or if he’s worried which is how he earns the nickname “basket with holes” (even more than a regular basket). Asahi has a crush on his classmate, Shirogami Youko, who turns out to be a vampire. Asahi must keep her secret at all costs or else she will have to move back home and he will never be able to see her again. Things only get more comical as other classmates, Akemi Mikan and Nagisa Aizawa, to come to terms with their feelings for Asahi and also keep their own secrets from being exposed.

I really like this as both Anime and Manga. It’s one of my weekly reads and every single chapter has made me laugh out loud. The manga itself has already surpassed the Anime which has had its first season end back in Sep of 2015. There has been no word if there will be a season 2, yet.

There you have it a recommendation from me, will you check it out? If you do let me know what you think!