Thoughts on Sweet Pool, 6 years later...

So. I got a new PC early 2020, which means reinstalling any BL visual novels I had. I've long since dropped Omerta but I still have Lamento in my folders. It's a pain to go through everything again, but nothing is as much of a hassle as replaying Sweet Pool. One, the game is at odds with the english patch and I have no idea when the save function will decide to stop working; second, the english patch is incomplete and buggy in of itself. I managed to complete everything with little incident (I expected the saves to fail so no big deal), thanks to the fanbook.

The game is still as disgusting as I remembered. Ahh I feel oddly nostalgic. I remember playing the game alone in my shared dorm room, feeling sick whenever I use the toilet, restless nights and anxiety for a whole week... it scarred me, yet I think of this game fondly.

The last time I played may have been 5 years ago, but I can remember most of the important details, thanks to 4shiki's great review of the game. The game relies heavily on exposition for its world building, coupled with disgusting imagery and insane biblical references.

Despite being a visual novel, the main theme is not romance, and as the steam page appropriately describes: 'something deeper and darker than love'. There are three characters whom the protagonist Youji can 'romance', but none of the 6 endings are good. Only Tetsuo's route has any resemblance of a twisted love with 4 endings to his name. The game has rape (what vn doesn't), cannibalism, gore, cults and the disturbing supernatural. There is nothing sweet about Sweet Pool. The tone of the game is sombre and unsettling, but it just makes the briefest moments of intimacy even more real.

Whatever that happened between Youji and Tetsuo isn't particularly romantic. It's all stuff you could observe in a typical tooth-rotting fluffy shoujo manga and I can count all these moments with only one hand! 

After some thought, the only clever description I can come up for this horrifying game is 'omegaverse with hemorrhoids'. 

在家颓废

 嗯。MCO开始就在家颓废。

其实3月到8月都有在做正经事，只是上课变成online，很没有上课的感觉，「上班」也是到7月才开始。8月学期结束之后就算毕业了，有同学马上立刻就上班，有些休息几个礼拜才开工，而我……就在家继续颓废呵呵。

关系没搞好人缘不好就是没那么容易找到工作啦，暂时就帮前辈带班，也算有赚钱啦……

不过这几个月也在做些有的没的……9月出炉的同人游戏花了5个月，3月开始学编织做到现在，5个月内画了好多画（多到自己都快崩溃了还继续画，真的要命），可是很奇怪的就是那么多时间还是没有把没读的小说看完。

（今天看了一本少年，出版商快点翻译啊啊啊啊啊）

Review: Hikaru no Go

Current mood: Early 2000s Jpop man...

It's quarantine and there's nothing to do but hang out in the ssmy discord all day listening to people gush about their favourite animes. Hikaru no Go... Hikaru no Go... it's such an old title! It was everyone's childhood (apparently, because I've heard of it but never had enough interest to read it) illustrated by Obata, who then later became famous for Death Note and Bakuman. The art evolution is slow and you wouldn't see his signature style until late into the series. Anyway, what was I talking about???? Right! Hikaru no Go is essentially a sports manga, if you consider playing a chess-like board game sports (it is, in fact sports). There's some supernatural elements in it but not to the level of KnB or puriten if you get my drift. The sport in question is a board game called Go, which is stereotypically depicted to be only played by balding old men.

Review: Ao no Flag (Blue Flag)

Current mood: ...

I joined a Sasaki and Miyano discord recently (and became a server mod wow!), it keeps me productive during the pandemic. Two members started gushing about the final chapter of a certain series, which caught my attention. They were very passionate about it, so I went and dug myself a blackhole into a world of teenage romantic angst.

Review: Tales of Xillia 2

Current mood: FOR YOU JULIUS, I SHALL FORSAKE THE WORLD

I'm playing an 8 year old game. I always have a knack for completing sequels first huh... (Actually, yes and no. I finished Jude's side of Xillia so technically I've finished 90% of the story, but since I haven't played Milla's side yet, I'm not writing a review. I used to have a draft for it but that was nearly 5 years ago, I deleted it since my opinions have changed and some content isn't relevant anymore). To put it in simple terms, Xillia 2 is similar to FF13-2 in terms of plot. There is just too many similarities between these two games. Fair warning: I may get emotional suddenly in the review so pardon me. Like Berseria, knowing the spoilers do not automatically make you immune to feels.

Review: Promare (2019)

Current mood: I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW I WILL BE HERE FOR YOU WHEREVER YOU GO YEAH I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW-

Around the time Weathering with You is set to air in local theaters, something else was also airing around the same time in the US. It's not as popular as Makoto Shinkai's latest scenery porn film, it's colourful, it's loud, it's hammy, it's - PROMARE. It's a crime for it to not be aired in Malaysia I swear my countrymen have no tastes and don't know how to appreciate a good hammy movie (among other things). It's all over my twitter timeline, people in the US going to see it 5 times, 15 times, 24 times! The US gets extra showings because of its popularity, Japan just recently stopped airing it since its premiere in May and there are still showings in Taiwan!!! For the first time I wanted to pour my heart and soul and money onto a movie I really want to see and it's. not. AVAILABLE! I wanted to wait for the blu ray to release in February 2020 but I caved. I needed to see it. I need to experience it. Even though it's not in a theater. I'll still buy it when it releases so don't worry.

Review: Yakuza 6

Current mood: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Look. I tried to find PS3 Yakuza titles but I all I got was Dead Souls and I'm not getting that until I can bring Baby Girl to karaoke. Dad took me to the new mall that opened and in there was a Playstation store whaaaaa so I went in to have a look. I found Judge Eyes sold at over 200 bucks, not gonna buy that even if I really wanted it. Then there was Yakuza 6, sitting on the shelf with a 159 price tag... Yeah I caved.

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 2019

Whaddaya know, the last ESC post was three years ago!

This year it's in Israel and it was a controversial decision to host ESC there but Israel won last year so the producers only have the jury and themselves to blame. There is a reason why my passport doesn't allow travel to Israel. And that reason is good ole religious conflict! Setting the religious controversy aside, this year is a whole mess from Madonna as guest performer and Iceland's bold move... there's a lot to unpack.

The first semi finals was on FIYAH! The percentage of unique performances and non-English non-ballad songs peaked in SM1! You won't believe some of these performances, ESPECIALLY AUSTRALIA.