Current mood:	pensive
Current music:	Neil Finn

So High and Denied
My, my, my – doesn't time just fly by when you're having fun. Really, I doubt you could put together a sufficient expression with just a keyboard to give that comment the weight that I'd like for it to have, so I'll have to make do with putting out shortcomings in the art of typing instead. The last time I wrote anything in here I was just getting into a re-playing of Skies of Arcadia and trying to figure out what my essay question was actually asking me. Both of those have been finished now. Although I had forgotten its full charm and simple cinematics in parts, I had also underestimated the occasional random battle tedium, and as such I think I've come away from Skies feeling much the same about it as I did before. It's very much classical, and openly plays to formula, but it does this well and with character, and although it drags through what start feeling like motions at points in the middle, it comes together well enough to be forgiven. I did get all but two members in for my ships crew though, which made the ending a little more rewarding. The essay I don't really feel like talking about. I know what I want to think of it, but I'd rather wait and find out the other opinion before I start to ramble. For now my film studies is over, along with certain associations. I wonder if I'll see the likes of Hanika and Leo ever again? Unfortunately I'll probably just get over such things with frightening ease and move back into my regular routine while simultaneously all but forgetting everyone I'm not in regular contact with.

It's a little sad, but my life hasn't consisted of much more than these two things over the past three or so weeks. My Dreamcast has started playing up really badly also, and only a last-ditch effort with a pair of tweezers seems to have fixed it. Time will tell just how well fixed it has been, however, and it may be time to get a converter so I can use my Japanese machine.
Last week marked post-essay time, and it was really quite bizarre. My body took on the attitude of the main horror of the first half of the year being over, and as such decided to start a rest cycle that it wasn't completely welcome to. To be fair, I perhaps should have let myself just sleep in and take a half-day off to recover instead of trying to jump straight back into regular routine. I failed reliably at getting up before six, and had trouble keeping focused for a small handful of days… it probably would have been worth taking time to sleep in properly once and just take it slow for a day instead. Saturday turned pretty hectic, also, although this was from a more recreational perspective. I headed down with Chris to see 2046, which was really cool, and definitely a soul mate for In the Mood for Love. Certainly, I was the more prepared for what it offered, having seen the previous movie, whereas Chris was quite surprised by its slower pace and lingering visuals. Common ground was found in thinking it was worth the effort though, and effort it turned out to be as that one trip into the city took up most of the day and sapped the entirety of my remaining energy. I pretty much collapsed after getting home. Again, I should have rested up earlier – this is what happens if you try to just keep going without a designated break after working a ninety-hour week.

Gamiko is back up, which is cool, even though it missed e3 entirely. Not that there was much surprising shown – just the expected sequels and tech demos. Personally I was happy enough with this, especially with seeing the FF7 intro reborn: it may not signal the remake that half the world has been screaming for, and it may turn out to be exaggerated bollocks in terms of what the Ps3 can actually do, but just seeing it felt special. Rediscovering the simple magic of the game (I ended up loading it up and just letting the opening credits just run for a bit) without actually playing it was terrific stress relief, and also helped eliminate an amount of boredom that came with the essay writing. It was right for the time. In sadder news, my long time preferred games store and prime Sydney anime stockiest seems to be shutting down in about a month's time. I was going to send my Saturn to Sean for a bit of tweaking and supplying of some classics that I never got to play, but I'm thinking I'll have to delay it a bit so I can throw what money I can spare on some anime both to take advantage of the convenience and as my own way of leaving a single rose on a closed coffin. Seems like mid years will likely be spent watching the likes of X or Fruits Basket.