"Kakurenbo: Hide and Seek" - A Review

Some kids learn of a game of hide and seek that takes place in a ruined city. Though they are warned that sometimes kids "disappear" when playing, they all decide to play. One of which, a boy named Hikora, has his own reasons for attempting the game. His sister was one of the kids to go missing...

When I first saw the commercial for this anime I knew it was the one for me. I am a BIG fan of anime and Japanese Horror and this looked like the best of both. And I was right. Kakurenbo is, without a doubt, one of the best animes I have seen.

The opening, descending down into the ruined city, is staggeringly beautiful. Everything else is as stunning. Smooth animation. Clear character detail. The works.

At 25 minutes Kakurenbo does not have enough time to wear out its welcome. It sets up its situation quickly, introduces its characters, and sets things in motion. Some characters aren't as fleshed out as others, but that doesn't matter much in the long run.

The story itself is a trifle obvious, but between the voice acting and the moody visuals this is not a problem. While personal preference suggests that I'd like the subtitled more, the dubbed version I watched was most excellent.

This was broadcast as a special on October 29th on Cartoon Planet. I don't know if it will be played again, but it is well worth seeking out. It is the first film made by YamatoWorks, and I hope more such quality works follow.

UPDATE: I saw Kakurenbo on sale at my local Best Buy, so you might be able to find it at you're local vieo rental place.

NaNoWriMo - The Day Approachith

Two more days until NaNoWriMo and I'm a wreck. The original outline I had in my head for "The Crawl of Chufule?" Scrapped. Simply does. Not. Work. At least, not right now. Maybe I can use it later. But for this? Nuh uh. No way.

Sooooo I'm working without a net. I know most of the major characters. Two of them, the main protagonists, I've been fiddling with for five years. I've written four or five stories with them. They should be fine.

Two others I believe I know, but they can be like shadows. Changing. Fluid. This will be their premiere story, assuming I can finish it.

A final two who are new. No substance at all. Not even names. I know who they should be, but beyond that... Nothing.

Then there is Chufule and His Cult. But Chufule is an Elder God and His Minions are little more than absurd creatures. I think I can handle them.

Beyond that is the Abyss. Void. Emptiness.

I have a handle. The last third of "Call of Cthulhu" and maybe some of "Brigadoon." But I don't think it's enough.

I've set out without a map before. Sometimes it's worked out. That's the exception to the rule, but I'm just telling myself that it doesn't matter.

Word count matters.

Finishing matters.

I can always go back and rewrite. Afterwards. It must be afterwards.

I'm nervous, excited, almost giddy.

It's a long wait now. Part of me keeps whispering I'm going to fail, that even if I do it, I'll not get it published.

If so, then there's always next year.

Or next month...

Haunted House Reflection

Last time I was in a "Haunted House" was when I was nineteen or twenty, I disremember which. It was set up in a local supermarket and I went with Brother Eric and his current Flame.

All in all, it wasn't bad. Pretty much what you'd expect. Turn a corner and you'd see a "Horrific Scene." Spooky sounds. Things jumping out at you. That sort of thing.

I make it sound all beneath me and everything, but it really worked. A lot of it was in utter darkness, which helped. It was also a lot of crawling around on the ground, which is something I'm not known for, then or now.

We were half way or so through the Haunted House when we came across a cage. In this cage was a guy dressed in a straight jacket and werewolf mask. He goes into his routine, which time has erased from my mind.

Well, the spirit of smart a-- possessed me and I said, "Hi Mom!" Gave him a little wave.

This, needless to say, wasn't supposed to happen. "Um, I'm not your mom."

"I know," I said. "I know."

You can't top a moment like that.

I've never been in a Haunted House since.

Who Won the World Series?

I would be remiss if I didn't record here that the White Sox have beaten the Houston Astros, thus winning the World Series 4-0.

I am not much of a baseball fan, so I didn't watch much of the game. On that, I lean Cubs over Sox. However, at heart I'm still a Chicago boy, and it does me good to see one of our teams go all the way.

Hurray for the Sox! Let's see it happen again!

And the Cubs? At least don't suck too much...

NaNoWriMo - Title

I'm all but certain I'm not doing "Foul Lady Fao." If things go well next month, it'll be a December project. I have high hopes that doing this will ease whatever psychlogical blocks I have and lead to more finished works. (Quality comes later...)

Instead, I believe I'll be working on a Fear Adventure novel I'm calling "The Crawl of Chufule." It'll be a mild parody of the Lovecraft Classic "Call of Cthulhu", as well as various other Fantastic stories.

Here's to hoping...

NaNoWriMo Correction - I'm a Moron

When I was in second grade, my teacher, Mrs. Godfrey, gave us a test. The very first instruction says read all the instructions and do as they say. Then there was a list of questions, tasks, what-have you. At the very end was a very special instruction, saying for you to not do anything except sign your name on the page and take it back up to the teacher.

Needless to say, I was caught. Did pretty much the entire page. But I vowed NEVER TO BE FOOLED AGAIN.

(Children make vows in all caps. I remember that much.)

So comes my glory days at Marian Catholic High School. Freshman year. Mouth full of braces. I take a course on study techniques that will help me in no way whatsoever in the years ahead. And the teacher running the course gave us a similar test.

"Aha!", I said. I scanned the page, do this, do that, there it is, final clause! I do as I was bid and was, if not the first kid up there, then damn near.

Success! Brilliance!

Now that we've got that out of the way, lets add another wrinkle. I taught myself to speed read as a kid. Don't know how. As far as I was concerned, I read at normal speed and everyone else reads slow.

I have good comprehension, can tell you various bits and pieces, the works. Sometimes I miss things, but rule of thumb I catch everything.

So why is it that in a straight forward, easy piece of work, I can screw up important, key information? I went back to NaNoWriMo's FAQ and saw, big as shoes, that it's 50,000 words that needs done, and not 500,000 words.

I've been thinking 500 thou since I learned about the contest last November! I've been telling family members that is 500 thou! I plotted out an entire year of this with that number in mind! I DID THE MATH FOR EVERY MONTH, INCLUDING FEBRUARY, BASED ON THAT FREAKING NUMBER!

I am a complete idiot. A moron. A dweeb.

But it's also a weight off my mind. 50, 000 is such a smaller number. A happier number. I can do this. I will do this. It's only 1,667-ish words a day. I'm shooting for 25,000 words. I will not think about how long this post has taken and not reached 500 words...

I will also REREAD EVERYTHING BEFORE TALKING ABOUT A SUBJECT. I mean, geeze!

Oh, and I will make sure the next check I write (assuming there ever is one) HAS THE PROPER NUMBER OF ZEROES. Just to be safe.

The Hell...?! (III) - First Personal Jesus

Word is out on Anne Rice's next book. It is to be called Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. According to the article, it tells of a seven year old Jesus's life... in the first person.

This stems from Rice's reconnection with the Roman Catholic Church. She says that, in essence, from here on out she is preach the words of the Lord. Which must please her emo/Goth fans to no end.

I have never been Rice's biggest fan. I read Interview With a Vampire and liked it a great deal, but that's the limit. Her prose is impenetrable by me. Brother Eric swears by the Vampire Lestat, but has no use for the rest of the chronicles. In fact, I believe that Lestat is one of the few books Brother Todd the Illiterate* has made his way through.

So the news doesn't affect me the way it might some. But y'know, I just might check it out when it comes out. Who knows? It might be interesting. It might inspire.

It'll probably be unreadable by me and my mindset, but hey! I hope it works out for Rice.

---

*Obviously an honorary title

NaNoWriMo

Every November, since 2000, there has been an online writing event called NaNoWriMo, or, in full, National Novel Writing Month. It goes something like this: on the first of November, participating writers all over the world attempt to write a 500,000 word novel before the end of the month. For most who try, the only prize will be being able to say "I've written a novel."

This year, I've signed my foolself up for the thing. I do this for the same reason as everyone else, but for two other, equally valid reasons.

The first is that, if I actually do this, I hope will result from trying is that I'll have a novel to send out to publishers. Or, at the very least, the start of one. Which is more than I have now, let me tell you.

Now do I really think I'm going to finish by the November 30^th deadline? Hell no. I'm impressed when I pump out over 900 words in a day. I did the math on this thing, and I'm going to have to write around 16,667 words a day. I am not that much of an optimist. I halfway expect to burn out around the 15^th.

If I'm even going to give it a go, I'll have to write nonstop, without pause or second guessing what I've done. Which is the other reason for me to do it. Troll Cullen's voice gets damn loud at times, and I hope this contest will erode his hold on me. At least during creation. Let him play editor once I'm finished. Maybe it will break me of the habit of listening to his whining and help my writing over all.

I hope so.

In any case, I'm going to have to do before starting is getting my house in order, sometimes literally. To make a decent showing (I'm pulling for 250,000 words), I need no distractions. Which is what's occupying my time at the end of this month.

Which means that November will be a bit shallow here at Welltun Cares Presents, but I'll be back.

Now what am I going to write for this contest? I haven't decided. I'm torn between three potential ideas:

1. Foul Lady Fao - This was my initial idea for the contest. It stems from a single question: "Whatever Happened to the Woodsman After He Saved Little Red Riding Hood?" The novel goes into the consequences of that act, as, it turns out the wolf was the child of the title character and she wants revenge. It's a combination of three fairy tales and I know it beginning, middle, and end. What really sells it for me is that it isn't a series book. I won't be typecast right off the bat when (if) it's published. Also, I'm not as attached to it as I am my second choice...
2. Fear Adventure - Of course, there is always the other novel. I know the characters well, indeed, and it would be fun to do. Problem is, unlike Foul Lady Fao I have no set plot (this could be an advantage, of course...) Adding to this is that Fear Adventure is meant to be a series, which adds to the risk of typecasting. If it wasn't a comedy, this wouldn't be too too bad; but it is, the only fantasy/comedy series I have in fact. Then there's the fear I'll burn out on them all together... But still, they call me up and say, "Why are you passing on us, you twit?"
3. ? - And then there's just jumping in and faking it as I go. No prep, no nothing. Just a hell of a lot of screaming as I go. This almost certainly guarantees I won't finish; I've never finished anything with no prep before. But it. Could. Be. Anything. Anything at all. Damn tempting.

I've got time to decide. I'll discuss it with Brother Eric, who is considering joining me in this insanity.

I'll post more on the subject as the date nears. Here's hoping this will help out my writing over all.

---

UPDATE: I made the teenest of errors in the above post. I blather on and on about that particular screw up here.

Well, Crap

I just noticed. Little Wizard Dude (current background) has no thumbs. Fingers, yes, thumbs no.

=Sigh=

I love that picture to death, but it has more problems... Originally the staff hand was big enough for six fingers... Yikes.

Low Ebb

No, no. I'm not formatting my hard drive... again. I've hit a dry spell blogwise. Not writingwise, thank heaven, just with the blog. The ideas, they have not grabbed me. Normally I'd post art, but I did that all last week and I've burned myself out a bit (still have that promised picture to go... Haven't forgetten that at least.)

And that's all I've got for right now. Personally, I'm none too concerned. Creatively I have ebbs and flows. This is just low ebb. It will pass.

It could be worse. I could have "discovered" free verse. Like so:

The tree
It shades
th' warm places of
my
soul.

Ouchie.

Site Update - Minor Change

Doubt anyone will notice...

Site Update: General Matainence and Burn Out!

Today I spent some time reformatting my entries. I might also do a little bit of double checking on the spelling front later, iffin I feel up to it. And then again I might not.

I'm feeling a wee bit burned out discussing pictures, so expect more text in the coming week. Before that I hope to get up the promised fourth Dark Crystal image.

Until then.

Super Deformed Generic Hero is Go!

So I said one image on Saturday, right? Right? Well, that's what I've got. The second image isn't coming as well as I had hoped. There's a perspective issue I need to figure out, and I want to take a bit of time on it. Which means learning more about the art form. Which means improving my craft. Which is a good thing.

Anyway, here be the Super Deformed image. I'm not sure if "chibi" is the right word to use in this case. My grasp of Japanese as used by anime fans isn't the great. I suppose that means I'm not a true otaku, but a sad, sad pretended.

Just like most of my life, really.

Luckily the drawing came out damn good. Otherwise I'd be pretty morose.

---

At left is the inspiration for the drawing, and not the actual source. It's Locke (or, as I've always called him, Cullen^*) from the videogame classic Final Fantasy 6. It's taken directly from the Playstation manual, I believe (I lifted it from some sight or another.)

At one point I considered doing a web comic in this style. I abandoned the idea in part because I wasn't certain I could keep it up. Much like I thought I wouldn't keep up this blog...

Mainly, however, I abandoned it because the characters looked like mutant children. And unless you're writing about mutant children, that isn't the way to go, I think.

---

This is the drawing. I was going to show the original drawing but Blogger isn't in a good mood right now. Oh well.

The hands are intentionally drawn that way. I figured I could work on niceties such as fingers as the comic progressed. Ho ho. Be that as it may, I like his first a great deal. Worked out pretty good.

The shirt's a dark blue. Maybe should have come up with another color, but I couldn't think of a better one. White didn't feel right, red seemed wrong. And nothing else felt right.

---

^* If I can change the name of a character, I will, with only a few exceptions, name the main male character Cullen. This is either because there are so few Cullens in any fiction and I like seeing the name pop up, or because every now and then nice things will be said about video game Cullen and I get a vicarious thrill out of it.

Pretty damn sad, but I will never let that stop me. heh heh heh

The Hell...!? (II) - A Very Smurfy War

Unicef has a new antiwar ad coming out over in Belgium depicting the bombing of the Smurf Village. They even received the okay from the Peyo estate.

Bombs dropping, Smurfs dying, and all that remains is a lone Baby Smurf, sobbing in the wreckage.

Here's a quote for you, from the article:

Julie Lamoureux, account director at Publicis for the campaign, said the agency's original plans were toned down.

"We wanted something that was real war - Smurfs losing arms, or a Smurf losing a head -but they said no."

Next, of course, is the Smurf sex education ad. Or we can educate people on the evils of child molestation with the adventures of Bad Touch Smurf. The possibilities are unlimited, folks.

And people say we Americans have no taste. Sheesh.

Dark Crystal Sketches - urRu Mystic

Here's the deal: This is the last of my first batch of Dark Crystal Sketches. I have, as of Wednesday, October 12, 2005, drawn a new batch of sketches. These I'm not too giggly about. Especially the Garthim (a potential spelling error that no spellcheck will help me with). However, I'm going to tweak them a bit and have at least one of them up on Saturday.

Tomorrow, however, I'm putting up two full figures I'm rather proud of. They're sort of "Chibi"... it's hard to explain... but I think they're really rather neat and I'd like to show 'em off.

And now, without further ado, my favorite of the first batch, the urRu Mystic.

---

As a kid, I used to have the Dark Crystal novelisation (as well as the cool-as-hell board game). So I have no excuse for not knowing that the Mystics were called the urRu. And yet, for most of my life I've thought of them as just the Mystics.

This particular urRu is, I believe, Jen's Master. He is not what I based my picture on. Mine is just a generic character.

---

This is the initial sketch. Looking at the "source", it looks like a lot of the lines on his face were carved in, like ritualistic tattoos. I have them as wrinkles. Oh well.

Also, do you see any ears on that bad boy's picture? Me neither. Wonder where that idea came from?

---

Here we have a partially completed picture. He hasn't gone grey yet, it seems.

Note that I've cut down on the image a tad towards the back. The hump wasn't looking right to me. When in doubt, cut it out. Especially when working on the computer. It can always go back later.

Speaking of missing things, take a gander around the base of the head, near the neck. Whoops! Our urRu friend here has no neck. That will never do.

---

So I fixed it. As well as a few minor adjustments here and there. The ear offended me so I cut it out. I wanted to differentiate the foreground hair from the background hair, so I shaded it. I shaded a bit more of the face on top of that so that the background hair would look right.

It's not the greatest job, I should have done something with the clothes, the exposed hair could use a bit of shiny, la la la, wah wah wah, negative negative negative.

I like it. I looks like it's inching towards a professional job.

Note to Cullen

Dear Main Cullen

Y'know, Cull, I know this is the internet. I know that standards are looser here. I know that "Close enough for government work" is your motto. But I think that maybe, just maybe, you should learn to use spellcheck. It might be nice, what with your claiming to be a writer and all.

Just a thought. Maybe you like looking like an illiterate.

Yer pal,
Troll Cullen.

Dark Crystal Sketches - Jen

I want to tell you, that final Aughra image is really growing on me. Too bad all of my Jasc enhanced works don't do that.

Speaking of which...

Here, for the approval or mockery of the masses, is another sketch inspired by the movie the Dark Crystal. This one is of Jen, the Gelfling hero.

---

Jen has to be one of my favorite heroes in Fantasy. Too often in my youth I would watch a television show or a movie and the lead male is some arrogant, know-it-all jerk. Not Jen. Humble, frightened, bright Jen journeys through his world as best he can, as kindly as he can. What he encounters in his travels might not make sense to him, but he gamely keeps trying.

Still, it's a wonder he didn't get killed the moment he stepped out of his hidden valley...

---

This is the initial sketch.

I am extremely fond of this one. I could list some of the flaws I see now, but why be petty? They're all minor stuff, especially when compared to how the Aughra sketch turned out. He has his boyish innocence, and while the nose isn't spot on, it's close enough for government work. This is a sketch to be proud of, I think.

Of course, that didn't stop me from fiddling with it on Jasc...

---

I submit this image as an example of what I refer to as "inking" on Jasc. I tend to use that particular shade of green because it's so vibrant in comparison to the greys around it. When I need to make adjustments to the line (which happens more often than I like to admit) I do so with a bright red. However, I don't do any of the main inking with red. It draws the eye and makes corrections a bit harder. At least for me

One other note on the process: I enlarge the original to 400%. This helps with some of the detail work as well as with the lines in general.

---

Here is the final image, and you know what? While I like it, I don't think it's as good as the original sketch. I lost something in translation. Looks a bit too... I dunno. Lacking in personality.

Oh well. That happens sometimes. It's a good picture, I think. Just not what it could have been. As I still have the original, I can try again at a later date.

Course, this one might grow on me like the Aughra one did. One can't tell sometimes...

---

Next time: A Mystic.

Dark Crystal Sketches - Aughra

Here is the first Dark Crystal sketch, that of the Seeress Aughra, as well as an image of the lovely subject for comparison. Bear in mind with this sketch, as well as the others, that I did it without references, as well as having not seen the movie in a few months.

Of the three sketches I'll show here, I like Aughra's the least. It really didn't turn out as well as I could have hoped and in the end... Well, let me get to that.

---

At left is the original. I forgot quite a few details when doing this sketch. Mainly the wrinkles. Endless wrinkles.

On this is the exact parting of the hair and the bump in the middle of the head... So on, so forth.

But what I came up with is...

---

This.

Seriously lopsided, but not without character. The essence is there, I think. Just in simplified form.

I originally wanted to have her holding her eye in her hand... but that fell through. Hands and I don't exactly mix.

Anyways, I photographed the image, opened up Jasc Paint Shop Pro and did a little inking on the computer. With the addition of color, as well as a bit of cropping, I had...

---

This.

Which, why with faults, isn't that bad a sketch. (Sitting here, by itself, without looking at the other Dark Crystal stuff.) I was perfectly happy to give it a day when Troll Cullen happened to stumble towards the front of my mind.

"You're not showing that are you?" he whispered

"Shut up, you. It's fine. You're just a nasty know-nothing who wants to spoil my fun.."

"That might well be true," he said as he was leaving for wherever he waits. "But at least I'm not posting crappy pictures."

I hate him.

---

This is the finished version, brought about by a bunch of cutting and pasting. It is very, very good, I think, and I wish I had drawn it first. Nice symmetry

One of the glories of Jasc is how well you can fix things up. It's also one of the problems: no matter how nice the picture ends up I always feel like I've cheated. All of the lines are mine, the style is mine... and yet it really isn't completely mine

Oh well

---

Tomorrow, Gelfling Jen!

Goofy

As I try to regain my footing writing-wise, I decided to cut myself a little slack and post a bit of art that I've doodled. At left is our first subject, that of the Disney Character Goofy. Unlike a lot of the pictures I've posted up here, I've done very little to it by way of Jasc. A little cleaning up of the lines, but that's it. My fear was, I do more than that and it would look like it was from a Disney caliber artist, and I'm really not there yet. Though the thought that I'm heading that way does make me a little giddy.

I hated the hat while I drew it, but with a little distance I can see it's the best thing about the picture. Nailed it, by God. Everything else is a touch off. Specifically the eyes and the ears, but the whole thing is a wee bit wrong.

Having said that I must confess that I ADORE this picture. Part of it was because of how I could "see" the various shapes I would need, but more because later the same night I did a second sketch of similar quality. I don't do that often enough, as far as I'm concerned.

The next few days, we will look at some more Cullenish works. Specifically my sketches of three characters from the movie the Dark Crystal, as well as one or two of my own devising.

Ugh

I'm back. Regular posting will resume from here out.

I was going to talk about the whole mess, but right now I'm just too close to it for anything like reasonable analysis. The whole thing was, more often than not, hampered by massive ineptness, and I wish to God I could blame someone other than myself. Sadly, this is not the case.

From what my brothers and I have gathered, I might have bad mouthed Viewpoint when Viewpoint was not at fault. It is entirely possible it came on my computer by legitamite means, and the update I mistook for intrusion. The additional problems (i.e. the lack or Add or Remove) might have been a part of an earlier problem (back towards the end of June.)

I don't know.

What I do know is that my computer is much better now, I have no Viewpoint anywhere on the silly thing, and I feel incredibly dumb. Which is typical, when it comes to computer thingy mabobs.

I'd like to thank hbrennan for his offer of help. Unfortunately by that point I had gone through my first reformatting. (Again, don't want to go there right now.)

I also want to thank beckoningchasm for the advice and good will.

Now back to work.

going to need a couple of books on computers... not computers for dummies... maybe compters for absolute idiots... nah, too advanced...