Fullmetal Alchemist

...people cannot gain Anything without Sacrificing something. You must present something of equal value in order to gain something. That... is the principle of equivalent trade in Alchemy... We believed that was the Truth of the world when we were young...

I came across this animated series a while back while looking for an anime show to watch and enjoy. Its set in an alternate world coexisting with ours where Alchemy was developed and heavily used as a science as opposed to magic.

It follows the journey of redemption for the Brothers Elric, Edward & Alphonse; who, when faced with the death of their mother as children, erred tragically & disregarded the Laws of Alchemy. This grave mistake cost Edward his left leg & Alphonse, his entire body. In a desperate effort to save his brother, Edward sacrificed his right arm to affix his brother's soul to a hulking, giant suit of armor, and thereafter had to be fitted with advanced prosthetic limbs, for his lost arm & leg. Thus their journey to seek the Philospher's Stone to recover that, which they'd lost, began

Alchemy is a science where one understands the structure of matter. Breaks it down... and then rebuilds it. If used correctly, It could turn plain lead into gold... Since its a science however, the principles of nature still apply. You can only create something of a certain mass, from something of the same mass... It is the principle of equivalent trade...

Now while all this might sound unbelievably dark, for a cartoon - I must point out, its one of the most engaging series to come out in years. For all the sacrifices to be made in equivalent trade, theirs was the greatest. The path the boys chose is fraught with deadly encounters, life lessons and political intrigue. It has deeply sad moments, counter-balanced with lots of anime style humor, and of course - loads and loads of frantic battles. This is helped by the fact that Edward & Al happen to be pretty damn powerful at alchemy. Above all, it emphasizes the bond & loyalty between the two brothers. All these components make a show truly worth watching to the end

My Cubicle a.k.a ...work sorta sux especially after too much James Blunt

Enjoy, & pump that volume up

Pink is the new... black?

The latest attempt into tapping into that largely unexplored girl-gaming demographic. Pretty colors... I wonder how it tastes, though

On a similar note - i'm starting to notice a surge in the number of iPod owners in Kampala. According to some dailies, its the latest fashion trend so everyone's treating it like one. I say, down with the oppressor. iPod? - iDont

The Geek Beat

Comic book geeks are among the most unusual and idiosyncratic subcultures currently existing in the mass-media, pop-culture candyland the world over. Our peculiar crowd is one which prides itself (like many subcultures do) on being different, atypical, and not a part of the "normal" scene. We are "outsiders," if you will, and we like it just fine that way. In fact, we're very pleased with our identity. We embrace the geek label and make it our own -- something to be proud of rather than something to be mocked.

Geeks come in all flavors and types. The common ground, however, is a stubborn pride in their hobby; even those of you who are businessmen and jocks and act apologetic when admitting to your buddies you subscribe to fifteen different comic titles, you know if someone makes a joke about the X-Men your preternatural reaction is to jump to their defense. You may stay quiet for fear of humiliating yourself, but inside your mind you are loudly protesting the loser who doesn't understand the inherent awesomeness of Professor X's mental prowess or the sheer tragedy of Rogue's inability to touch another human being. They just don't understand.

This fierce loyalty leads to many an interesting debate between comic geeks. Some of us are dedicated only to a particular or group, while others follow a label (Marvel or DC, for instance). When these fans meet and interact, they will often argue amongst themselves as to the merits and flaws of their varied interests, spiritedly defending their particular love against the equally insistent love of other geeks. But when the dust settles, there is a common respect and understanding among the community -- because even if the other guy mistakenly thinks The Hulk can whop The Thing 9 times out of 10, he still understands. He gets it. He, like you, feels the irresistible magic compelling him to read.

Perhaps as powerful as the unity felt among geeks is the simple disdain (and in some cases, visceral hatred) felt towards the casual fan. You know him, he's the guy who says "Oh yeah, I really LOVE the X-Men. They are so awesome. Iceman is totally my favorite," but when you start chatting with him you realize he doesn't even know Iceman's real name. This guy, you think to yourself, is not a real fan, a True Believer. He doesn't understand. Maybe with some effort and a lot of reading he can grow into a member of the subculture; but if he never feels that magic he'll never earn the respect of the real fans.

This feeling has created a real identity crisis for many comic book fans thanks to the recent avalanche of comic book movies. Essentially, it has caused the entire country to turn into the casual fan described above. We geeks have spent decades defending our hobby against those who dismiss comic books as childish until all of the sudden we find ourselves surrounded by a legion of people who call themselves X-Men fans, Spider-Man fans, or Hellboy fans. And these fans are really excited for the next movie to come along so they can see their beloved hero again, while the geeks among them shake their heads in sadness. These guys don't really understand comic books, right? They think Mary Jane was Spider-Man's first girlfriend. They think Rogue was a young lass who fell for an equally young Iceman. They think Wolverine was among the first X-Men and Beast didn't come along until years later. They don't KNOW, but they've co-opted our heroes and made them their own. They've turned our decades old subculture into a part of the mass-market, pop-culture candyland we are so readily used to despising.

And yet... we can't help but enjoy ourselves. The age of the comic book movie has been long awaited by fans of every type; and now that its here we are in our glory. Sure, some movies may disappoint, but hey, the Thing is on the Silver Screen smashing everything in all his glory, Nightcrawler has Bamphed in full Technicolor, Batman looks more like Batman than he ever has and even Frank Miller has seen his glorious Sin City perfectly translated into a cinematic masterpiece. It is a Comics Renaissance, and it has brought with it a powerful economic resurgence in a previously flagging market. When we bump elbows with each other while perusing the shelves of the local gaming shop we excitedly discuss the next project on the way, the next deal which is bringing another of our comics to the big screen. We agonize over whether it will be the next Elektra or the next Hellboy, we debate who should be cast for the leads, and we find ourselves thrilled with excitement and hope.

Sure, there are a few among us who like to think of themselves as "purists" and disdain every film as inaccurate and an abomination unto Jack Kirby, but for the most part we are willing to forgive some changes to canon and enjoy the films for what they are, as long as they encompass the real essence of the books. As long as when the credits roll we feel that same sense of irresistible magic calling us to the Story.

Its an interesting position the geeks are in, caught between our love of the Story and our disdain for the casual fan. It is almost irritating to have read every issue of the Fantastic Four, only to have most people think you mean Jessica Alba and Mike Chiklis when you tell them you are a Fantastic Four fan. You love Sin City starring Bruce Willis, but it hurts your soul when some Hot Topic poseur says "I hope they bring that guy back for the sequel!" You cringe when some friend watches the X-Men trailer and asks "why the heck are they bringing in that Angel guy, he just looks stupid." Ultimately you console yourself with the knowledge that while your beloved heroes have been hijacked by a fan base of pop-culture craze-seekers, it's okay because you really know what its all about, you are a true fan. Those other guys, those johnny-come-lately's, they just don't understand...

...Mark Beall (Cinematical.com)

15 Men...

Let me get this out of the way real quick. I saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest this weekend, and quite frankly, it was a bit underwhelming. I rather dont like those cheap attempts at making pple interested in sequels.

...Spoilers begin here so if u havent watched it, look away...

First off, let me start with what was right about the movie.

1. Davey Jones & The Crew of the Flying Dutchman. Remember the wonder u felt the first time u realised what Barbosa's cursed crew became when they stepped into the moonlight? Well, i took a quick look round in the cinema when this badass made an appearance - the magic was still there.

2. It was bigger. Bigger is always better. When in doubt, go big. From the special effects to Elizabeth's betrayal to the number of meaningless deaths which were there to glorify the menace that was...

3. The Kraken. This beast in itself deserves special mention. The summoning of the Kraken, Captain Sparrow's bane was always a welcome event. That and ...

4. The creative sword fights. These were interesting. Reminiscent of Jackie Chan shenanegans. The fight for the Locker Key & 2-sword-3-man fight against Davey Jones crew come to mind immediately.

5. The humor stayed intact. This in itself, is self explanatory. Jack was as hilariously tipsy as ever... or is that tipsily hilarious. All the other jokes didnt fall flat either.

You'd think that all the above makes an excellent movie. well, not quite

Maybe somewhere down the line, i forgot what Pirates of the Caribbean was about. Maybe i never even got it in the first place. I always thought it was abt the return of the swash-buckler movie. Adventure on the high seas, meaningless fun and idiotic Jack Sparrow, who is, at heart, a good man. Well problem numero uno

1. Inconsistency. I felt as if there was a sort of, lack of consitency of character. Jack was actually willing to let Will Turner suffer an eternity of service with the crew of Davy Jones & keep Elizabeth for himself. He & his crew were also willing to sacrifice 100 poor souls for his one life to Davey Jones. This doesnt make sense. Jack is supposed to be a good man - and i'd think,... more loyal to Will.

2. Elizabeth's Betrayal. Maybe it was used as a plot device but this just plain sucked, literally. Sucked the fun out of the movie. She betrayed both Jack & William at the same time, when she smooshied Sparrow(hehe), chained him to the mast and left him to die. Also, her quick turnaround & remorse for what she had done was also weird

3. Deaths. I was rather alarmed at the number of people who got fed to The Kraken. I'd count close to 150 (Jack's worth 100), but really i don't think all of it was worth it. Part 1 got away with just one death, Barbosa's (... i know, i know - he didn't really die) I'd particularly warmed up to the crew of the ship that fell prey to "Elizabeth's Ghost" only to see Davey Jones' boys chop them down.

4. Inconclusive & annoying ending. Self-explanatory. I dislike being set-up to look forward to a sequel to any movie. All along, Jack is searching for the Dead Man's Chest (more importantly, its contents). For crying out loud, its even in the title, but nooo.... we never see it get used even once. Fine everyone fights abt it but comeon! Oh, & Jack dies, then someone's gonna pull some occult crap to get him back from the Underworld (read World's End)- grrrr

In short, this movie sorta reminded me of Matrix Reloaded. Morpheus and his followers spend the whole episode adhering to a prophecy, that is supposed to be fulfilled when the One enters the door - only it turns out, the Prophecy was a tool of control & they have nothing - yeah - stupid Davey Jones' heart. Oh, & i really liked Matrix Reloaded.

However The Matrix trilogy had one up on this one. IT WAS MEANT TO BE A TRILOGY IN THE FIRST PLACE. This one will only be one cuz of the money its pulled in...

In short(...again), i liked it, but it could've been better. Kudos to the first one.

[Update] The trailer for The Last King of Scotland is up at Apple.com. check it out here

The race for sleekest & sexiest portable media player alive is a tight one. Many times i wonder how long the Sony PSP is going to stay on top, when devices like this keep dropping. This baby here is the QCOX device from Curon. Its a Windows CE 5.0-based device sporting a 4.3-inch screen, 30GB HDD, DMB tuner and TV out. Apparently it has a snazzy Flash-based UI to keep up appearances. :-)

And whats that cool-looking thingy to the side? Oh, thats just there to sit & look pretty - a mode switching wheel to "choose different functionalities" whatever that means.

[Update] Finally got the pic to show. Some bit of html trickery

"Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil... But a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future where my evil is law. Now the fool seeks to return to the past and undo the future that is Aku!"

I'm a nut for intro's like this. How can one not be intruiged. Just started watching this show which has been around for quite a while, Samurai Jack. And, i have to say, i've slept through 60% of the episodes. This is not to say it is a boring show, on the contrary, it quite interesting...& uh... different. It has hilarious bits everywhere & the combat is intense & some episodes go their entirety without dialogue - and it works!

I've always been a fan of Genndy Tartakovsky. I liked almost all the stuff he created, right from the Dexter's Lab series to the more recent Star Wars: Clone Wars (of which i've seen only volume 2). Apparently some say, those animated Star Wars: Clone Wars movies, that acted as fillers between the time-span between Episode II & III, were far better representations of the Star Wars Universe than either episode. I agree whole-heartedly. The style, humor, tone, pace & intensity of Samurai Jack was carried across very well. I like

In the Beginning...

First Post... hmm. I really hope i have as much time for my blog as i hope to. I am Pierre. Fascinated with all things art. I totally dig my videogames, movies, anime, music, art, design - name it, I'm there.

Naturally, i'm also into computers, gadgets & cars. I'm doing some fooling around with how my blog's gonna look. So this is basically a filler post

I'm glad there's lots of kewl kids down here in Uganda who've been blogging since 2004?! jeez. I'm talking abt that Matrix freak-fan & the gurl who wants to be loved

I blogged for a rather short while, back on Gamespot. Any videogame nuts should check that out.