The Mage with the Rings

*spoiler alert*  If you want to watch Kamen Rider Wizard visit TV-N and contribute to their awesomeness and appreciate good fansubs.

So to have something to write about I started the latest in the Kamen Rider franchise, Kamen Rider Wizard (or if you're saying it in Japanese Uizarudo).  It opens with an explanation that magic is the precursor to science and many have forgotten magic but few still know of it and those are, yeah, wizards.  Which leads to us being introduced to Haruto as he looks out at the city atop a streetlamp and through a doughnut before taking a bite.  He is quickly interrupted by one of his familiars, a fire spirit, called Garuda. Who informs him of some Phantom activity, so he pauses his snacking to summon his motorcycle and ride off into the city.

Next, the scene changes to what appears to be a sting operation.  With two detectives being informed of the situation, the male a man named Amino asking, his partner a women named Daimon Rinko if she is comfortable with doing this operation to which she replies, "Protecting people is a cop's duty." which seems to annoy her partner.  Inside construction workers are being overwhelmed by the monsters of the series called Phantoms, these particular grunts are called Ghouls.  The police are quickly overwhelmed and Rinko comes face to face with a more powerful Phantom, Minotarous.  And like many Rider's before him, Wizard literally comes driving through the wall, tripping up some Ghouls as he doughnuts to a stop.  Spinning as he steps off his bike he materializes his weapon a gun that fires silver bullets, totally pulling a Wanted moment as the bullet passes right by Rinko striking Minotarous' and blowing one of his horns off.  Who comments that his opponent is a Wizard, as he attempts to blow-him-up with a spirit bomb-like fireball.  Much to everyones surprise Haruto is fine, his ring of fire, absorbs the blast in his transformed state.  {The thing I loved about this is that it goes right into a cold-opening of the theme song, Magical Showtime by Rider Chips} 

The next bit showcases the awesome stunt work of Mr. Seiji Takaiwa and the other actors in the Ghouls outfits.  The costume design reminds of a mix between Agito and Den-O with a shred of Ichigo mixed in there, the grunts look like Ultra from Ultraman Mebius with devil horns added to the heads.  The swordplay is VERY good and impressed me on the level that Shinkenger's Shinken Red opening fight, cold-opening did. {One thing that kind of annoys me about his weapon, not the fact that it changes from a sword to a gun, vice versa, it's that to do his finisher he's got to shake hands with his weapon...}  Title card pops up then the promotional stuff.

Haruto calls his hangout to inform one of his partners a girl named Koyomi, there is also a scene with an eclipse, Haruto watching people explode and demonic wings burst out of him.  Rinko appears and talks to Haruto who mentions some thing, like, the people being attacked are possibly Gates which means, a person with large magical potential.  The purpose of the Phantoms are to create despair and break that persons spirit releasing the magic stored inside them hence creating a new Phantom.  Her response is one that you'd expect, but she does him one up and handcuffs him.  Needless, to say, I was colored impressed by the latest installment and while it doesn't stray to far from the convention, I have hope for it.  It seems more exciting then the last season which I can't seem to get the enthusiasm to finish.

work time lag.

Seems like this is most of what I write about as of late...  I didn't think this place would be as much of a stress point as it is, allergies have gotten to me, of course, it might be an infection judging from the crap coming out of me.  Motivation is not my friend lately, I'm motivated at work, sure, but once I step through the door at home it all disappears.  This includes being apart of some weight loss group, it's true I probably don't need it but I'm still losing weight as is so having a group to converse with and with any luck my weight loss will slow down a bit but since I'm only loosing 2 1/2 pounds a week it's a normal amount to loose.

Why do I wait so long to start these things?  I have to get ready for work again.  I've tried to work on MA at work which doesn't usually pan out for me but here's to trying again.  This stalemate in the progress of the book is sad for me and MA needs to make progress if not by me then maybe I should let the book go, give  it to someone who can do it justice...  that's food for thought.

Things, they be happening.

So I'm blogging a little before work, if anyone else were up right now they might think I'm a little off, which wouldn't be too far off... I was just practically making myself cry thinking about this horrible game I tried when I was up north a few weeks ago.  The Bible Story and how you can make your character spin, for no good reason, other then to just do it.

On the sentai front there are new rumors about next season and I'm excited probably a little preemptively but ANOTHER dinosaur season, I could dig it.  This post will be short because I mostly just wanted to get the word out... that and finish getting ready.  I'll probably post again when I get home tonight... and I'll hopefully have more to talk about!

Miasma Failures

I had a thought that maybe that should be the name for any works existing within the Miasma Universe but not necessarily with Jennie and co.  Also, I've been playing with the idea of the Tri-trilogy, if many didn't know that was the original concept I played around with, but that is even older then MA, I was in 9th grade science class and had this crazy (very idiotic) idea to make a 9-part movie about... ... .... ... ...  Golf.  Each film would roughly be about a pair of old friends playing 18 holes and either remembering their hectic, action packed lives or Dude, where's my car?! type situation happen.  Either way, the idea never took EXCEPT the fact I wanted to do something of that magnitude.  Maybe Star Wars had something to do with it also?

But speaking of MA, so over the last few nights, I've had something of a reoccurring dream.  It's the book, of course, in a grand sort of way, being told to me as Stronger by Kelly Clarkson plays in the background.  But it gave me an insight to something I could definitely use.  I don't want to go to far into it for the simple reason that it could ruin a few things but along with the bit of foreshadowing, it showed many of the other characters as they evolve throughout the universe.  Some more than others.

5am again?

Yeah, that's what I'm saying as I stared at my alarm... who invented this time?!  Who thought being up now was a good idea.  Haha not I says this man, not I.  So because last weekend I was able to get time off I am on punishment duty from the head honcho himself... though I've noticed that even with punishment in effect I'm not being punished, yet.  Work is so slow that I doubt anyone COULD be punished.  So instead of my typical 50+ hours we might be beginning the era of 36-40 hours which doesn't sound too bad honestly... and if someone knew how to schedule people would only work 8 hour shifts for us full-timers and the part timers would work what they can because 80-90% of them are in school anyways.  I watch the clock as it unevently continues to flow forward.  Just imagine this, that without boredom of some kind, the invention of the word and measurement of how long something should take wouldn't exist!  A numerical equivalent of nothing to infinity was simply created out of one things boredom.  I find myself thinking a lot, which can and cannot be it's own vice and you marvel at what is "normal" and what is "odd".

They say, love is a trap door, that you really can't look for.

So, let's see.  I had a very trying day at work, even got lectured about being a leader for the part-timers. I had a semi-serious conversation with a girl whom I have some history with about about our interpersonal relationship.  Mostly I wanted to see if there was room for moving to another level, but yet again I was a bit like Icarus with wings of wax and such... The title comes from a song I've listened to these last couple weeks.  A beautiful song and it helps keep my uninterrupted selfish drive for overcoming my sad human interactions.

I often wonder what I'm doing, what I should be doing and where I want to go with my life.  I want to leave a mark, whether that's with people, a place or in some other form as long as I have something that shows I lived on this planet I think I'd feel an accomplishment has been reached.  I wondered, like so many times before about this universe, and a conversation I had with a friend and my father a few years ago.  It's normal, right?  To daydream about acts of heroism to be amidst some form of action but you never know what you'll do until it happens right?

Also, I finished watching my blu-ray copy of Rebuild of Evangelion 1:11, which reminds me how much I want to do with Miasma and I came to a small epiphany with how Jennie will be developed through out her tenure and in many ways it reminds me of how far the book as a whole has come along since I started it way back in 2004.  Seems a life ago now when I hashed out a hasty idea for a girl in a friends basement.  She's evolved like me into something more mature, even when I regressed her in age.  Jennie is and will always be me.  She shares many of my interests, imagination, skills, strengths,  insecurities, and other weaknesses.  But like Evangelion, Miasma Angels is going through a rebuild and I finally feel like I know where I want to go.  I'm excited to hear what people have liked about my book and interested to hear where they found weaknesses or areas that desperately need tightening up.  I thank all of them for being so kind in taking the time to read it, and help me with the gross mistakes.

Psychological warfare.

It's almost 4 am and I have to leave for work.  Yeah, that's right.  So I can work at 5, WTH is with this place it's so dumb.  But what can you do.  I don't think Dustin will be there as long as I will be that's a give in.  But what can I do.  Someone suggested that this might be some kind of test to see if I'm promotable.  Good gawd I hope not.  This place sucks enough as is, and I don't think being IN the system, I can do a damn thing.

But I really want to work on May's thing when I get home, maybe I'll steal some scrap paper and doodle something out in the bays tomorrow.