Please Read…ITS IMPORTANT!

Posted on by thatbakakid

Hello everyone. I just want to let you know that I will be deleting this blog. It is because I am going to start fresh with a new one. I’m sorry readers. I want to create something better and more “professional” looking because as an aspiring journalist, I want to create something that’s worth something. It’s kind of hard to explain but yeah. I will follow all of you guys back and let you that it’s me, thatbakakid. The content of this blog will be similar to my new one, but I want to make it look really professional and actually use it for important stuff..so yeah. This is goodbye! đŸ˜„

Time to Study Japanese!

Posted on by thatbakakid

It is one of my goals in life to become fluent in Japanese. Why do I want to study this language you may ask? Well, ever since I was in the sixth grade I have always been interested in Japanese language and culture. And I also hope to someday live in Japan. I love watching Japanese films, listening to J-POP, watching anime and J-drama, etc. Those were some of the things that attracted me to the Japanese culture. The pop culture is what interests me the most!

I have been studying Japanese ever since I was 12 (I am currently 16). But, I have been studying inefficiently for the past couple of years. And because I had to be focused on school, family and friends, etc. it was really hard for me to make time to study Japanese daily and efficiently. And also at the time, I hardly had any access to the Internet and because of that I couldn’t practice my Japanese like I needed to.

Now, I have made the decision to get back on track with studying Japanese! I have plenty of textbooks to study from, plenty of supplies to take notes with, and my handy iPad to use if I have a question for Google and to use to practice my Japanese with native speakers! I can confidently say that I already know how to read and write Hiragana and Katakana by heart and I’m already studying the basic kanji.

I think what I struggle with the most when it comes to learning Japanese is definitely grammar. Because of the different sentence structure and particles and all those complex rules, it makes learning Japanese very, very difficult! Also, speaking Japanese is even more difficult because I have never actually spoken Japanese often enough to feel comfortable speaking with natives. I have used sites to practice my Japanese (by text), but never anything like Skype. But, this time around I will pace myself and make sure to put in much effort and practice I can!

Also, because of the fact that I decided to post this on my blog for you guys to know I also wanted to add a new category to my blog, “Nihongo”. I know many of you are also studying Japanese as well and many of you are probably fluent or almost fluent and maybe some are even just starting out or even struggling. I want to post tips for studying Japanese and some great websites and textbooks that I would like to recommend to you guys to use because they help me along the way and they can help you too!

I will also make another new category, “Culture”, which I will be posting articles about Japanese traditional, contemporary, and pop culture. Let me know in the comment section below what you think about the new categories! Also, if you’re currently studying Japanese let me know how long you have been studying for, your level (beginner, intermediate, advanced, fluent, etc.), tips for studying, what you’re struggling with, etc.!!

Review: Animal Crossing New Leaf

Posted on by thatbakakid

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Publisher: Nintendo

Developers: Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development, Monolith Soft

Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Release date: November 8, 2012

My rating: 4.9/5
This is by far my favorite franchise by Nintendo! If you’re the type that’s obsessed with life stimulation games, then ACNL (acronym for Animal Crossing New Leaf) is the game for you! You are mayor of your own town and your job is to satisfy your citizens by improving the village. Seasons come and go, time passes by, and exciting things are always happening whether you’re there or not! Out of all the Animal Crossing games previously made, this is the best out of all due to the new features and amazing 3D graphics!

The game still stays true to the original with the features of digging for fossils, catching bugs, fishing, decorating and expanding your home, making your own clothes, and helping out the citizens with their needs and wants. But, the new features are what makes the game truly unique. In ACNL, you have the option to choose and change your towns ordinance. By taking advantage of this feature, it can be really helpful to satisfy how you play. Whether you want your town to be wealthy, to be green and more flowery, for citizens to be early birds or night owls, etc. it’s all up to you! Besides, your the mayor!

Another feature is that you and the citizens can contribute by donating Bells (the currency used in this game) to start projects to build benches, bridges, campsites, street lamps, etc. and by doing so it can unlock new features such as opening and expanding shops. You can also chat and play with up to three friends via WiFi! It is so much easier than the GameCube where you have to have your friend physically come to your house with their memory card just to play!

My favorite feature is the fact that there are more customization options! In the Animal Crossing for GameCube, there was a major lack in style and clothing to choose from and let’s face it, the clothes were just ugly! In ACNL, you have more options such as shirts, pants, shorts, skirts, dresses, shoes, hats and even costumes! You can even change your hairstyle and its color…even your eyes! It makes your character feel more unique and has a special touch.

With the Dream Suite you are able to visit ANY players town with just their Dream Address code. You can even visit your favorite YouTube celeb town! I haven’t made a lot of use out of this feature, but it is quite interesting and their have been some popular creepy towns that tells a story that are well-known to ACNL fans such as Aika’s Village which tells a story about a young girl and her doll and how her life is tearing apart…just thinking about it gives me the chills! Also, another thing I like about the Dream Suite is that you can pick up anything that you see outside the players village to bring back to your town for keeps!

You can make use out of the Nintendo 3DS feature of Streetpass also where you can pass by another player with a 3DS and obtain information such as his/her Mii, games they currently playing, where he/she is from, etc. If you pass by a player with Animal Crossing, you are able to visit their home and even purchase items they have within it! You can also see a players villager information such as their town name, the day they started playing ACNL, the badges they earned, etc.

Lastly, the graphics and sound are absolutely perfect for a cute and peaceful game like this one. ACNL is full of color and with each chibi-looking animal citizen makes the game very lively. I don’t usually play ACNL in 3D (because on the first generation 3DS, the 3D is a little unstable which makes it a bit uncomfortable to play in 3D), but the 3D are just beautiful and it makes all the colorful trees, flowers, citizens, and even little details stand out.

Those are the majority of the new features this game have to offer. I don’t know what else to say to convince you to get this game! All I can say is that this game is amazing and is perfect for casual gamers. There are many who spend upon hours and hours playing this game and making it their life. It is very easily to become addicted to once you’ve got the gist of the game. I have spent a little more than 150+ hours playing ACNL and still working hard towards my village! So basically this game is for those who are fans of Nintendo and life stimulation, but I feel like any type of gamer can get into ACNL if they give it a chance! There are no cons to this game but then again it is not a perfect game which is why I gave it a rating of 4.9 out of 5! Feel free to let me know in the comment section below if this game interests you or if you do own this game then give me your opinions about it and if you agree or disagree with my rating!

Review: Space Dandy

Posted on by thatbakakid

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Release date: January 4, 2014

Genre: Animation, Action/Adventure, Comedy, Science Fiction

My rating: 3/5

LONG STORY SHORT: Just a dandy guy in space on a hunt for aliens!

I’m going to start off by saying that this anime is eh. No, I’m not saying it’s bad neither am I saying it’s the best. I watched the entire series and I will say that it could use some improvements as far as the plot goes.

Space Dandy is basically about a guy named Dandy, a space explorer, who is on a hunt for aliens. He is rewarded cash for every alien he discovers (if they have never been registered). He is not the only one hunting though as there are also aliens going after him! He also has his good friends QT, a rundown robot, and Meow, a cat-looking alien. Also, from time to time Dandy will bump into other aliens who he will become acquainted with and help out with their problems. Other than that, there is pretty much nothing else to this anime.

It does live up to the aspects of being a comedy, action, and sci-fi series and the characters’ attitude and personality are perfect for an anime like this one. The only problem is the plot! The plot is not bad it’s just that there needs to be more to it than that! For example, it would be interesting if they were to focus more on the supporting characters other than Dandy all the time. I’m going to be honest, I like this anime, but I don’t love it. It needs some improving.

As far as the characters, I find them all to be very humorous, especially Meow (my favorite character in this show)! Meow, I would describe him to be somewhat like me. He is humorous and can be sarcastic with people at time and he loves to be on his phone all the time on social media. He is also bit of a food junkie! He seems very much like an otaku as well! Dandy, a dandy guy who is fashionable and is always brave and determined. He is also a surfer dude and he can be kind of a flirt too. QT, the smart one of the group (obviously since he is a robot). And usually helps out with the technical stuff on the ship.

Well, this anime is okay, but then again this review is all based on my opinion. I think that you guys should check this anime out yourself and see what you think. It is available on YouTube and I think Crunchyroll. I watched this series on Toonami. If, you have seen this series before and you agree or disagree with my rating (3 out of 5), please let me know in the comment section below!

Review: Sword Art Online

Posted on by thatbakakid

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Directed by: Tomohiko Ito

Released date(s): August 13, 2013 (USA), July 7, 2012 (Japan)

My Ratings: 5/5

LONG STORY SHORT: Kids get stuck in a virtual reality game and have to fight their way through to survive.

The time has finally come for me to write a review on my favorite anime Sword Art Online! This anime offers a little bit of everything including fantasy, action, romance, drama, and adventure. It’s year 2022 and a new game called Sword Art Online just been released. On the day of the release players from all over Japan logged in using a device called Nerve Gear, a device worn over the eyes and let you play as your character with your mind.

After enjoying their first time in the game socializing with other players, battling, going on quests, etc. the players soon realize that they cannot log out. Turns out they are all stuck in the game forever unless a player is able to reach level 100 and defeat the boss. There is a catch that if you die in the game you will die in real life! As you watch more and more of this you will notice that the importance of characters will change (main characters), but there are two major characters that are focused on throughout the entire series who are Kazuto Kirigaya (also know as Kirito) and Asuna Yuuki.

Sword Art Online has had an equal amount of both positive and negative reviews. I will admit though that some of those not-so-great reviews for this anime does have a point in which I’d took into consideration when determining the rating for this review. As for the rating, I’m giving it a 4 out of 5! Why a 4 out of 5 you may ask? Even though Sword Art Online is my favorite anime, it does have its flaws. The first few episodes started out a little poorly because everything was progressing a little slow and it took about a couple of episodes to get to the point. It also feels like some parts are missing throughout like in-depth details. Other than the cons there are way more pros!

As a gamer, I really like the idea of plotting this around a virtual which is the reason why I have fallen in love with this anime! When I was younger, I had a passion for playing virtual worlds and to see an anime that uses this concept is fascinating to me. The design and artwork of the characters and the virtual world are truly outstanding. You will also become very attached to the characters (and may even become a little emotional at times for them). Honestly, when I watched the last episode (I didn’t even realize it was the last episode!) I will confess that I did shed a tear or two.

Random but not important, but the theme song used for this anime awesome as well and sometimes I would be singing it to myself out of nowhere! Lastly, I would recommend this anime to anyone. And to the people who have a passion for gaming as much as I do will surely be fascinated and love Sword Art Online as much as I do (hopefully)! Even though there is some hate here and there for some people, I feel like Sword Art Online has potential and that it will soon rise to the top and become a classic!

Creative Blogger Award – wanimu

Posted on by thatbakakid

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It’s a little difficult for me right now coming up with something to say for this post since I have been using this blog for only about two weeks and already nominated for the Creative Blogger Award and I’m currently trying to wing this. Well, I would like to thank Ruki from Wanimu for nominating me, thank you so very much! I’m really happy she nominated me even though my blog kinda sucks right now hahaha and from being nominated it will really help put my blog out there to the anime and gaming blogosphere. Her blog is really sugoi and she has a great sense of humor which is one of the reasons why I love reading her blog, so go check it out! ^_^

RULES:

  • Thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog.
  • Share 5 facts about yourself.
  • Nominate 15-20 bloggers and add their links.
  • Notify the bloggers you included.
  • Keep the rules in your post to make it easy for everyone to know what to do!

5 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

  • I have a huge obsession with anything that is categorized as ‘life stimulation’ (especially The Sims and Animal Crossing).
  • I could eat McDonald’s french fries every day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert! @_@
  • I own a PS4, Xbox One, Wii, Wii-U, 3DS, Gameboy Color, Gamecube, and PSP.
  • You will never see me without a hoodie on…I FREAKING LOVE HOODIES.
  • I hope to become a journalist someday and either work for or own my own anime and gaming magazine or website.

NOMINATIONS:

I’m going to keep this list quite short because honestly I don’t feel like having to list 15-20 blogs. Plus, I am in school right now writing this post and I want to be able to publish this post before I leave this class.

That Baka Blog

Otaku Highschool Life

Anime Reviews by Someone Who Isn’t a Weeaboo

Make sure you definitely check out these blogs, trust me you’ll love them! Also I would like to thank Ruki from Wanimu once again! ARIGATO GOZAIMASU~! ^_^

Review: Attack on Titan

Posted on by thatbakakid

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Directed by: Tetsuro Araki

Original run: April 6, 2013-September 28, 2013

My rating: 5/5

LONG STORY SHORT: Giant humanoid creatures devour and kill innocent citizens and a suicidal maniac named Eren Yeager, his friends, and comrades decides to put an end to it.

What is more scary than a human that’s a thousand times bigger than you and kill just to kill? After watching this, I don’t know! Attack on Titan is creepy and disturbing as much as addicting. I watched the first season, twice, and still remember how I felt after watching it for the first time. At the time, there was a ton of commercials on Adult Swim advertising the premiere of Attack on Titan on Toonami. I never heard of it or knew anything about it and it didn’t seem like something I would get into, but I decided to give it a chance. I stayed up until one something in the morning just to watch it and boy was it worth it!

Most animes I have seen usually hold out on all the action until halfway through the series, but not Attack on Titan! The very first episode already started out bloody, brutal, and intense (I was afraid to fall asleep that night after what I saw)! Attack on Titan is basically about a young boy named Eren Yeager (main character and protagonist) who is curious about what life is like beyond the walls and hope one day to become one of the Scouts, but little does he know what they have to face.

Outside the walls are giant, deadly, humanoid creatures called Titans who ends up breaking through the walls and devouring innocent citizens. No one knows where these creatures came from or why they are brutally murdering humans. We don’t know if humans are just part of the Titans diet or if they are killing just for the heck of it. After Eren mother have been brutally killed and murdered by a Titan in front of his eyes, he went crazy and sworn that he will kill every single Titan.

Anyways, this is an awesome anime to watch no matter what type of anime you prefer! The plot, the characters, and the environment combined together creates a sadistic, twisted feeling that will have your heart-racing. There are also a lot of life lessons to this anime which you will see the characters go through such as learning how to let go and move on, taking chances no matter how risky, and making sacrifices even if it means being put to death.

Well, I scratched the surface enough to give an idea of what this anime is about without spoiling it, but then again I’m pretty sure most of you reading this right now have probably already seen Attack on Titan. For those who haven’t seen Attack on Titan…what is wrong with you?! Where have you been?! How can you live with yourself?! YOU NEED TO WATCH ATTACK ON TITAN! Even though Attack on Titan isn’t my number one favorite anime I always recommend it to those who have never watched or heard of anime and to those who tell me they just can’t seem to get into it.

Attack on Titan is very easy to get into no matter if you’re an anime addict or a complete newbie to the anime world (unless you’re the type that’s totally against violence and/or have a fear of death or blood, etc.). Attack on Titan never fails which is why I’m giving it a perfect rating of 5 out of 5! Feel free to comment below your opinions on Attack on Titan and if it deserved a perfect rating! Also if there is any anime that you would like me to watch and write a review on let me know in the comment section below!

Review: Battle Royale

Posted on by thatbakakid

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Directed by: Kinji Fukasaku

Release Date(s): December 16, 2000 (Japan), June 8, 2011 (USA)

My Rating: 5/5

LONG STORY SHORT: Junior high school students go on a “field trip” to a remote island where they are forced to fight and kill each other to the death until one is standing.

I’m not obsessive about action thriller and gore, but when there is one that keeps me at the edge of my seat I’m hooked! Battle Royale is one of those movies and should be watched again and again. It’s basically about 800,000+ students boycotting school all over Japan and the government is falling apart. It’s focused on 42 juvenile delinquent junior high school students in class 3-B.

After getting stabbed by one of his students, Kitano decides to resign then ends up working for a program called BR (Battle Royale) which is a program where students have three days to kill each other until one student is standing. Each student is given a bag with food, water, a compass, a map, and a weapon (honestly, the weapons that they are given sucks). When the third day comes to an end and if there is more than one student remaining, the rest of the students will be killed by the explosive collars around their necks (brutal much?!).

I love the idea and concept of this movie. I cannot imagine being in this life or death situation. Honestly, I would be one of the first people to die! Other than murderers, dead bodies, and blood there is a lot of betrayal going on throughout the movie. If you were put in a life or death situation with people you are very close with and care about, could you betray them to live? I honestly don’t know what goes through people minds in a situation like that so it’s difficult for me to answer truthfully of what I would do in that situation.

Another thing I noticed about the movie is that it is very, very similar to “The Hunger Games”! After realizing that it makes me wonder if “The Hunger Games” is a rip-off of this movie. They both have the same concept in general: kids killing each other until one stands. Anyways, my point is that Battle Royale is such a great movie and I don’t see one reason why someone wouldn’t be the least interested in watching it. The plot was well planned out, the characters personality and backstory ties up, lots of drama and action going on, etc.! And by the time you finish this movie, you will definitely be questioning yourself.

I don’t know what else to say except for the fact that I highly recommend you to watch this movie! There’s even an official trailer on YouTube if you’re still not convinced! Other than the rip-off (“The Hunger Games”) Battle Royale is the only movie I know that has this concept which I would consider it a classic! I’m giving this movie a 5 out of 5, this movie was made to perfection!

I’m Just That Baka Kid

Posted on by thatbakakid

Hello internet people! No need for my name, I’m just that baka kid. I guess what I can say about myself is that I’m just your weird 16-year-old who spends my whole life playing video-games, watching hours of anime, living life on the internet, and obsessing over fictional characters that don’t even exist.

What can I say about this blog? Well, as a hardcore gamer, anime addict, and full out geek you should pretty much know the type of blog this will be! I will be discussing various of different topics ranging from video-games to anime and manga to cosplay to music, etc. My blog may not look like much, but don’t underestimate me yet because soon my blog will be thriving with eye-catching articles, viewers, likes, comments, followers, etc.!

My main reasons for creating this blog is because I wanted to share my passion for the things I love and my hobbies. It is my dream to go to college and become a journalist and hopefully get the chance to live and travel to Japan, the home of anime! I would also like to find others with the same interest because honestly there is no one that I know that loves gaming, anime, manga, etc. as much as I do.

Explaining my blog would be a somewhat difficult task for me to do, so all I can say is wait and see for yourself! And before you decide to put down your phone, laptop, tablet, etc. don’t forget to share this blog on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and all the others in-between! SPREAD THE WORD!