Rome's Rant: Otome Games

Hi Krome Fam...

Let me tell you what your girl Rome has been getting up to. It's about to get all "third person" up in here.   Rome has not two, or three, but FIVE (count 'em - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) OTOME games going at once!

But Rome, what's an "otome" game?  Well, it's basically - in it's most basic form - the overall name given to any kind of... dating simulators. In its most advanced form - "visual novel."  These have a wide range.  Some of them are quick games with very little shelf life, while other span for DAYS  with lots of story building, and character nurturing, along the way.

I feel like I lost you at "dating simulator."  I know, I know.  It's sounds odd, to say the least.  What exactly IS a 'dating sim' you say?  Well, again, there is a wide range, but in all of this - they all have one aspect in common.  Decision Making. 
Visual Novel is a truer term for many of the games out on the market, and many of the ones I will be featuring on the blog.  There's a storyline, which features a beginning, a middle, and an end.  Just, along the way, you are to pick one 'companion' to go through the story with.  The story, no matter what character you chose to tag along with you, will always have a something of a similar ending - story wise.  But, before I confuse you, we will explore more about this with each featured game!

In these games, YOU get to decide where the story goes, so to speak, by choosing one out of two, or four, choices you are given.  These could be choices based on answering questions, choosing the more appropriate words to say etc... Your answers affect the game in that it either furthers a relationship or decreases the relationship bond.  However, with some games I've recently been into, there's a relationship bar which has a different ending at each end, as well as an ending for the middle of the bar.  So, if you have an ending in mind that you want to go for, you might want to search the internet for a walkthrough for the path that leads to your ideal ending.   And yes, I currently have FIVE (count 'em - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)  walkthroughs loaded on my phone for each of the games.  Ha.

Are you hip to Otome games? Which do you recommend?  Stay tuned as I review/fan out/ about the games I'm currently playing! We can swap codes!

Lovingly,
Rome

Rome... how did you even know about this cool world of 'gaming?'  you might be wondering. Well, I am a bit of a 'gamer' you see. I adore RPG games, and am a huuge fan of the biggest RPG ever - The Sims (LOL).  So this is a way to have my sims on my phone, but in a pre-determined way?  I also am a lover of romance stories. So it's a win win! I get to 'write' my own mobile romance story! Plus some of the stories and characters are ADORBS! 

picture courtesy of: breadmasterlee.com

Rome's Rant: Remembering TVXQ!

I've said it before, it can be hard to 'Keep the Faith.' I'm having a hard time myself.

After a looong talk with EmpressB7, who's always helps me out in TVXQ! matters, and listening to the first few seconds of the new 'Jiggy' F.Cuz teaser (which sounded a bit like "Hi Ya Ya") - I suddenly had the urge and desire to listen to "Hi Ya Ya." After that, I listened to another song by them, and another and another.

So to fans having a hard time keeping the faith, I hope these videos help you out... Let's remember our boys together!

This is Hi Ya Ya. Check out Max's acting... so good! Yunho does his 'googley' eye thing, LOL. Haha, and 'cam whore' JJ can't seem to stop trying to seduce the camera.

Magic Castle, for Christmas. If they're beginning a capella (dont look at their style lol) doesnt blow you away? I dunno about you...

My Destiny. Hahah remember how creepy Micky is in the attic of this house? He would.

Surbiber... I mean Survivor. I never noticed how intricate the opening dance was!

SMILE SMILE

Summer Dream is a fun song! Watch at the end, everyone does what Xiah does! haha, it's hilarious! I just noticed it...

Here is a performance Empress sent me, they do something similar in the end. The great horizon dance makes it appearance as well as some other comical moves.

Let's not forget the greatness that is Bolero.

And there are so many more...

Feel free to drop your own Remembering TVXQ! videos.

For my birthday, my sister, who... got engaged today..., gave me "All About TVXQ! 3" I think I might go watch it. It's still unopened, lol.

Trying really hard to 'Keep the Faith,'

-Rome

For fun, "You Know You're DBSK Crazy When..."

Rome's Rant: Skip Beat!

OK, so it happened again. My latest OBSESSION is:
Skip Beat.

Guys... this show is amazing.

Skip Beat is about a girl (Kyoko) who, when about 3 or 4, was left in the care of this well to do family who had a son (Sho) she fell hard for. When older, Sho leaves for Tokyo to pursue his acting career, and asks Kyoko to leave with him. Of course, she says yes.

In Tokyo, they live in a luxury apartment which SHE has to pay for, she works two jobs, pays ALL the bills, cooks his meal, etc... He, in turn, treats her like sh.t. But she sees it as him being tired from work, and his frustrations over trying to beat Japan's heart-throb, Ren Tsuruga, getting the better of him. 

 Whatever.


One day she delivers food to his work and over hears his true feelings for her. He calls her plain, boring, and states that he is just using her to take care of him. She swears revenge on him, and to which he states that unless she enters the showbiz world, she would never get close enough to even touch him (hurt him). So, she does what any vengeful person would do, and decides to enter showbiz.

OK, that's all in the first episode. But it gets so so much better. Listen to Rome. Check it out. I haven't watched an anime or read a manga in a while, let alone one I've enjoyed as much as I have this one, so... it comes HIGHLY recommended.

Taiwan has plans of making this drama with the beloved Ariel Lin, who, after much thought, I believe can pull the role of Kyoko off.  There are also talks of Jerry Yan playing Ren.  The anime gets really intense. It's about acting and how to properly execute an action as well as convey a character.   As an anime, it's easy to get caught up, and believe that the character really did become another person.


It's gotta be incredibly hard for a real actress to do that. But, I believe that if anyone was to do it, Ariel can. She's my favorite taiwanese actress (little known fact) and she does great work. As for Jerry.... well... he can pull off the "mean" part of Ren... and the aloofness. Those are the characters Jerry always plays. I am a bit afraid that Ren will turn into a Dao Ming Si or a Dong Fang Xian, two roles Jerry Yan has portrayed in the past.  Because of him past roles, sure, I can see how Jerry playing Ren... but it wouldn't be the Ren from the manga or the anime.

Either way,  I'm anxious to see how this drama would turn out.

P.S. - Japan has a freaking video game of this show! You KNOW it's good when there's a video game. So, if you're bored... looking for something to get into, or check out. Check this out for sure.

Watch the anime here: http://www.crunchyroll.com/skipbeat

-Rome

Rome's Rant: The Jaebum Thing

When I first heard about this, I thought, "damn, how's he gonna get out of this."

This is how I view this issue: It's like finding out your lover of 2 years cheated on you during the first or second month of being together.  Even though they did it a long time ago, it still stings like hell. What do you do? It happened a long time ago, and you know for sure now that he/she deeply cares for and about you, but the fact remains that he/she cheated on you...

Many blog entries I've read are feeling for Jaebum. I'm actually feeling more for his fans and his group. Even though he is being hit by the public, how did his members and the people around him feel when they first found out about the comments he made? I'm sure those are the people who are hurt most, because they know him personally; and, it just sucks to find something like that out about a close friend, regardless of how long ago the hurtful action happened.

The second thing I thought of was Nickkhun, and other ppl who've gone through a similar adjusting process. But, something to consider with Nickkhun is that he doesn't have the "Korean" aspect to him like Jaebum does. And so, I think part of the hurt of the public is over them feeling a Korean is rejecting Korea. Regardless of whether he is Korean-American.

I'm not offering any solutions to this. Because, quite frankly, it sucks (for lack of a better word). I'm not Korean; however, when I read those myspace comments, I was actually taken aback a little.  Part of the Korean public might be over-reacting - what with writing up a petition to send him back to America (lol), but I feel for them. I really do. They feel betrayed. But something as extreme as the petition kinda translates over to the lover scenario. Some people would want their significant other to pack up and live elsewhere. It's a knee jerk reaction of sorts. But once the situation has been given some time and thought... there comes a resolution.

In the public's defense, it's one of those issues where an apology helps but doesn't come close to fixing anything.  In this case, people can only let time do its thing.
I'm undecided. I dont know what stance to take to be honest but I know I'm not, at all, for the petition to bring him back to the states, it's laughable. Again, I think with time the part of the Korean public in favor of the petition will think it over and be willing to forgive Jaebum.

When all is said and done he did write that as a kid. I have a younger brother and lord knows he has said and done things that have been very hurtful, but were brushed off because he's a kid. But again, for the deeply cutting stuff, it takes time to get over.

I highly doubt 2PM is going anywhere over this. Jaebum might have to do more than an apology to get back in the general public's good graces, but this is only a set back for 2pm, not a career breaker.
-Rome