音時雨 ～Regentropfen～

Suddenly I'm addicted to the concerto for flute and harp, K299. It's so sweet. In terms of my way of interpretation, flute = lemon and harp = honey => a refreshing taste!

Akiko's "wokashi" trailer is out, and thus my goal that to finish the over 1 month drawing was delayed again. I was completely drowned in the vocal version of "otoshimono", and couldn't stop looping even the short sound clip for almost half day. I'll see for how long I can loop when the full version is released. Sep. 16, I CAN WAIT!
Yet I don't think there's a point to release such a sample CD on Comiket. She could just use sound cloud or youtube instead.

"Otoshimono" simply stimulated all my synapses. Today, my mind was flooding, with quite a lot of imaginations. My current status must be having only 1 SP (=sanity point in Shadow Hearts). I even doodled a draft, which would be my next drawing, at work! But too bad I forgot to take it with me when I left. Hope no one touched my desk after. XDD;;

Now let me return to the topic of the long-lasting unfinished drawing.. no, it's not finished, finally.

My belated birthday gift~

Hinamatsuri Variation

Basically the same as a traditional hina-dan, but the five musicians are the main reason to use "variation" in its title. Apparently I'm much more with western classical music, and, I did think it would be fun to do so. From left to right, the five are usually arranged by the size of their instruments. So I kept the rule: harp, cello, violin, flute, and vocal. Perhaps only the vocal can be seen "unchanged" from the original.
Plus, it was such a different experience to combine western orchestra instruments and the traditional Japanese outfit. Yes, it was fun, really!

While to make the background wasn't a hard work, it was a heavy-duty process. Yesterday, when I was going to quit Photoshop, I checked and was amused by the giant temp file:

23 Giga! It indeed took a while to save the file. xD

FYI, initially the background and overall make-up were supposed to be patterns of wagashi, but I changed my mind and used chiyogami instead. Although I was thinking to drawing them individually, I quickly gave up the idea as it would then take me forever.
For the hina dolls, main references are this and this. All chiyogami patterns were directly obtained from here.

I don't own a set of hina dolls in real life, so at least let me own one with my desired design~
Not only the musicians, but also the female emperor.
=> 私の世界に男なんかは要りません！！例えどんなにスコット君が好きでいても、私はレオン×ハニガンを応援します！(´∀｀*)

Speaking of "Otoshimono", I tried to play its main melody, in a reversed fashion. The result was.. a bit weird, but very amusing. It first popped up when I picked up the sheets that fell onto the ground. And for a moment, I couldn't tell how I should place them until I saw the clef -- a piece had no sharps/flats or any other text. Maybe it could be a new way of self-entertaining, that to play a piece...
like this... ↓

Akiko's new release "wokashi" has been delayed to September 16. Not really a problem as I'm so good at waiting (?). And it indeed reduced my new orders' arriving jam (I've been ordering weird items since April and the coming one will be so crazy that I never imaged I could actually buy).
Although I wanted the special pack, as a fanatic with a yet parsimonious mind as the bottom line, I eventually moved to aim for the Animate special since it includes an extra CD. That was in the end of July, and today, I happened to have another visit, for no specific reason -- and the tracklist has been updated!

All are new songs as expected (although I don't mind if "Akakakushi" being there). I'm so happy that "Otoshimono" will now have a vocal version (my new year's wish now comes true!). And then, my eyes were fixed onto track 5..
↓

That's Akiko Shikata after all! I'm not surprised.
判る人は自然に判る…
--People who know the truth know what I mean. (´・ω・`)

Besides, track 3 is titled "百鬼夜行 (Hyakki Yagyou)".. I clearly remember I fell in love with another track with the same title from xxxHOLiC's soundtracks -- seems it's a magical title! and for track 6, long time no see, Ken-san! xD
>>Pure Japanese style. I feel like to play some Zero again (I've been stopping playing this series for a while after the exhausted ghostlist completion for all of Zero 1-3...).

On last Sunday, I did my first "serious" php script. So far, what I've done was limited to "include XXX" and that's the end of story. But, blame that an index.php is configured to be recognised by default while index.cgi is not, I had to do a deeper dive into it as none of available scripts/templates/etc I found online served what I was aiming for.
I did have a hard time finding out the proper built-in function, but at least I didn't spend much time on figuring out how to use them.
While I agree php is apparently a better solution for web based scripting, it can't be helped that I'm already dependent on Perl and tend to add a "my" on every new variable! Others are like "#" for commenting, and "$fh" for an opened file. :3
↓

There's no magic on google plus so every feed generator has to utilise its API. As long as I can assure this, I'm better with what I've done. If you can make something exactly suits your own specific need, why use others' stuff that isn't 100% satisfactory?

In terms of a RPG character, my current status must be HP 1/999 and MP 0/999, while the numbers were given for the sake of an easy looking. Why I switched to do the php coding was in fact driven by my Saturday's MP draining out experience -- both of myself and my laptop.
Regardless a cache of 10 GB has been so normal for me..

So what's the situation? I'm crushed by my girls? or my dream hina dolls? ^^;

Since my girl's birthday had already passed, I'm allowing myself another week for HP/MP refill, and give it a final finish during this weekend -- although I think my HP will still be just around below half for fairly a long while in future.

At the very beginning, Happy 9th birthday to my little girl! ヽ(・∀・ )ﾉ
I can feel you growing year by year, if that's not day by day. And you definitely grow faster than me when I was 9. So what I was doing back to the age of 9? Seems I don't have any clear memory -- it began a year after I guess. Perhaps I can still dig out my ancient age diary book, but it's way too embarrassing for me to have a read. orz

Actually, I'm tending to be more off-line recently -- which I don't mean I can live without electronic devices -- but it's all mainly about:

1. a cat -- no wonder that I'm the type who can be healed by just staring at a cat's photo.

2. an elegantly curved magical box -- still awkward but I believe it will eventually come.
Yet I don't want to bring too much here. Maybe I will sometime (much) later.

3. a shogi board -- I just began for less than even a week, but I'm already in it, deeply. It has much more fun than chess. The captured pieces can be turned into your own side, and most pieces can do a "transform" after going across the "borderline". While still not memorising all the pieces' moves, it's still quite challenging to me, and I simply keep failing, but losing is fun too (and I'm definitely not M)!
Also, I feel so good in another sense. At least in future when people ask me what's my favourite sport, I have an answer.
Meanwhile, I was wondering, what will happen if I have a computer vs. computer? That I'll have a try soon or later.

Thus, even though about 3 weeks ago I got the idea and made the overall draft arrangement, and I finished most basic outlining/colouring 2 weeks ago, all my attention has been transferred into those mentioned above. It could be strange as none of them is completely new to me, but this was just what happened.
So sorry I can't make it for your birthday! >_<
Maybe next year I'll give you a full hina-set! ^^;

Last night, I finally saw the get windows 10 app gave me some good news. My upgrade was ready! But since it was close to zero hour I did the upgrade tonight.
I initially had Win 7 home, then I hacked it to Win 7 Ultimate. When Microsoft just (?) released Win 8 I purchased it by only half of the regular price, and a year after from Win 8 to Win 8.1 with some huge improvements, and now, the free Win 10 upgrade.

Due to this or that, all of my OS fighting ended up with a fresh installation. This time, I decided to trust Microsoft and let it go. The experience was indeed good. The upgrade began like a regular system update, then from copy files, getting drivers to personal configs, I watched all the changes. The biggest thing was about the drivers, which could be observed easily through the change in screen resolution. Before I was worrying that might be another hassle in dealing with my laptop specific drivers (my previous lesson made me uploaded them into an online cloud), but it didn't happen this time. Display is good, touch pad works (even the long term problem of scrolling in Opera is fixed on Win 10!). Then the files, just like from win 8 to 8.1, not a worry at all. Nothing was lost, including my custom mouse pointer files stored under the "system32" dir. And finally, all my programs are there, my settings for each program (such as fb2k and notepad++, even the cmd colour and size) are all untouched.
The classic windows' start menu is back -- I don't really care about it though. I've said for a lot of times, that I need to thank win 8's removal of that so I get used to the mighty cmd shell. Win 10 is supposed to have an even better performance compared to Win 8.1. As I'm not good at such I'll (positively) believe what they claimed.

However, standing out from all these good things, I couldn't stop being bothered by its snow white window title bars. I don't understand why an advanced OS doesn't let you to choose whatever colour you want. It's not a small phone that to get a good colour scheme doesn't really matter. Plus I'm fairly sensitive to colours, being unable to see the colour I want on the title bar only made my eyes hurt.
At first I wanted to accept it. It's the new OS' decision. But I thought I should at least have some attempts before giving in (of course a 3rd party program isn't of my taste either). And quickly I found it's not unchangeable, thanks to this article.

Now I'm eventually satisfied. Windows 10 with colours on the window title bar!! <33

Microsoft accepted people's feedback and put a simple start menu for Win 8.1, now I wish they can listen to what people say again and let us changing the title bar colours without this hack on their Win 10.1 release.

Exciting Brief News:
1. Mitose Noriko is going to have a mini-album, yet everything about it remains a riddle.
2. Mitose Noriko + Hirota Yoshitaka are planning to make "Yorlga 2". Just wish it doesn't take years!

I like (big) dogs, but I definitely will go with cats.
↓ "What is that living thing upstairs?" xDD

While wait for my free upgrade of Windows 10, I did an upgrade for my other laptop. It used to be running Linux Mint, but perhaps due to some firmware issue, it had random problem during sleep/re-start/etc. in which I always ended up with a force power-off.

I initially was planning to upgrade from Qiana to Rebecca, but I changed my mind for no reason, and I got the hybrid between Ubuntu and Chromium =;gt Chromixium. As I was worrying whether a pure Chromium would have too many limitations (Previously I chose Mint as I have issue with spelling/pronouncing "Ubuntu" orz).

Up to this moment, everything was running well -- although I'm not sure whether it's proper to install a netbook orientated OS onto my not-that-bad-laptop-level spec -- but at least I got the 64-bit candidate version.
Another good thing, before I never got Google's Mozc working on either Mint or Ubuntu, seemed there were some gaps between the OS and the program itself. The installation was okay, but I just couldn't activate it. However, it's painful without it (apparently the embedded Gmail alternative can't be an acceptable long-term solution), so I re-challenged it. Luckily, from someone's post, he suggested using Fcitx instead of the default (?) iBus, and thus I got the IME working without spending too much time!

Some points that I really love Chromiux (although might be true on Chromium but I didn't bother to test any more): looks and works much lighter than linux, satisfies a non-linux heaver user's needs, the OS itself supports the global Google account with sorta individual software-ish apps, the interface is more similar to Mint (= Windows-ish) rather than Ubuntu, and, the one I love the most, pressing the "Windows Button" brings me to a complete "system menu" right in place so you don't have to show desktop first.
However, on the other hand, it lacks the right-bottom show-desktop button that I'm so addicted to on Windows, and there's no windows preview while hitting Alt+Tab, and the desktop is completely empty!! I'm so used to my 4-icon-forever setup on Windows and now I'm struggling with the somehow "rich" taskbar. ~_~

I'm happy with this OS, and quickly did the first customisation for the terminal profile. But perhaps a better idea was to choose a similar theme before doing my own colouring.. I can't read! lol

I should be able to follow Akiko singing "HOLLOW", but I always end up to read the Japanese translation instead. Not mentioning the Italian, I'm just bad at old English as well.

The point of bringing this song is, I'm now literally a hollow shell.
My mental state has been so unstable since this morning. If Haruka's new best albums can moe me to death, Akiko's news on her coming soon concept album then takes my spirit away.

↓↓↓

WOKASHI -- Akiko's first Japanese style concept album!

(I'm so glad that I checked twitter this morning or I'd miss it.)

The special website is using "Otoshimono" as the BGM. Interestingly, when I just got the news, that piece indeed went across my mind. I was wishing there's a vocal version for that since its release in the end of last year!
-- Although it remains a riddle whether it would be.

However, what "wokashi" may stand for? sweetie (お菓子)? grotesque unusual (おかしい)? or invasion (侵し)? or all together? (゜-゜;)

So far, <Akakakushi>, <Hiraitesanze> and <Class::CIEL_NOSURGE;> are of a pure Japanese style (are there more?), and I love these a lot! Simply think about a collection of such songs will carry me into the world of endless crimson, a.k.a. 朱隠し (´・ω・`).
Yet I hope (and believe) she doesn't include these songs as I want new works!

But the bad thing is, it's of the C88 release, which means much more trouble to buy it. ~_~
At least a small compensation, Akiko's CD jacket proved CATS >>> dogs!!

~~Japanese style, so there must be sou!!

>>> To reach for my lost spirit, time to turn on the switch of shoujo-ai imagination!
I've made up my mind earlier this afternoon, the keys will be hinamatsuri and wagashi, with (huge) variation~

Around 20 °C, cloudy with light showers! That is the summer I'd love!!

Sometimes even I myself don't understand what and how I think.
For example, my top 3 Yuri songs are:
- 梶浦由記 / Emily Bindiger - my long forgotten cloistered sleep
- 志方あきこ - 空蝉
- KOKIA - 大事なものは目蓋の裏
it may not be true for most others, but they indeed drive me into a super yuri mood -- and thus delusions begin to surge in my head~ °w°
if just I know why I have such reactions it would be even more superb!

Since I'm on this topic, I went to read the lyrics of Utsusemi again. And I think I got a (weak) linkage between this song and Zero 2 -Crimson Butterfly-'s theme song (especially when the word "utsuro" comes into my sight). No wonder the lyrics writer is Amano Tsuki~
or perhaps that's how this song belongs to a yuri song?!

Zero. With my crappy (rank E) playing skill, I had just completed the ghost list of 1 and 3 (while referring to various playing guides continuously). At least now I can fully focusing on a smooth playing experience and no need to worry about missing a flying-by ghost -- though I still need to complete 2 first, and seems I have to do another two rounds as some photos are difficulty limited -- I actually prefer the normal end but I want to play on nightmare.. u_u

Also, I dropped the plan to get PS3 versions of Zero 1-3, as they don't have Japanese voice included (wtf)!! Calling "Oneechan" is definitely cuter than "Mayu"! (つд⊂) But the benefit (?) is that I don't have to struggle with the ghost list, as I'm not dreaming for all S ranking in the missions. Impossible!

Being keeping using cameras recently (both in Zero series and in real life), I did a few basic comparisons today:

conclusion: apple is rubbish.
conclusion II: I want Sony's newest compact camera but eventually I decided to save money for more CD's/games. xD;;

Haruka's best collection box will be out in early August, and the CD jackets she posted on twitter had already moe-d me to death (so that's my spirit who is actually doing the writing right now).
Meanwhile, Annabel's new single will come out by the end of August. At first when I heard about the title 「夜の国」 I thought it's a new album (or at least a maxi). Such an attractive title should have more songs in it but the reality isn't always like what you expect... (￣д￣;)

-- No idea how long it had been, Opera Stable hasn't fixed the dead Ctrl+Tab and now I'm using the Developer version, and css from some pages are rendered weirdly..

The temperature finally decreased since last weekend's heat-up. Although I don't want to bring it up I have no choice here:
↓
あついかゆい、かゆい　うま…

Looked upon the sky with lots of cloud clusters, my mind was full of the desire of a downpour.
-- Actually, not a downpour, but it did rain a bit today.

There's no way I can love summer. With various flowers it's beautiful, but meanwhile, the bugs.. in another sense summer is the scariest season.
When it's hot, everything in my daily life goes off-key (literally off-key for some instruments) and collapses, which can be proven by the increased chance of bumping into this or that, and my head simply goes blank, or is overwhelmed by a huge mixture of all horror games I've done (earlier it was Silent Hill 0 plus Biohazard 4, and more recently with the addition of Zero -crimson butterfly-.. lol).

And I kept dreaming about to hide somewhere as my aestivation, probably in the Manor of Sleep: the snow, the complicated and maze-like design, and the cute ghost girls.. that's the most ideal place isn't it!

As it was too hot for me to make my brain work properly, I decided to spend the two 31°C days with Zero 3 -shisei no koe-.
Only after one round clear, I still didn't dare to challenge its hard mode. While I didn't remember much details, I ended up with 11 hours in total to clear the second time normal mode (my 1st time play was around 17 hours). From rank E to rand D, yet I lacked quite a lot of points to fully upgrade all the three cameras.. orz So later on I tried the missions, and failed hard. For most (95%) missions it couldn't be better than a miserable E rank, and I wanted to point out, the time of retry was much higher than Zero 1 or 2's missions. I don't mind if you make the S rank to be difficult to obtain, but at least let poorly-skilled players like me finish them without being frustrated: Mission 1-3, 6-4 and 8-1 really trapped me into despair that I wanted to punch the staff who designed such harsh missions on the face!
If Hunters are the trauma of Biohazard, the Stroller Grandma is the trauma of Zero 3!
-- So that I never dream for All-S-Rank in any of the Zero series (because I know it's impossible). ~_~

However, Zero series is definitely the most beautiful (and moe) horror game (especially Zero 2)! It's just normal if I scream while doing Biohazard of Silent Hill, but in case of Zero, I usually get so excited like "Mio and Mayu are so cute (with the dark yukata or the gothic lolita costume plus glasses °w°)", and this is probably why I tend to do Zero at late night without feeling tired (or stressed).
So if someone is weak at horror games but still wants to have a try, this will be the No. 1 recommendation.

Regardless how touching the ending is, I couldn't stop to poke in when Rei pushed the boat with Reika and Kaname's bodies: don't "read" the lyrics/poem, "sing" it! You have a nice voice and I believe you can stay on-key!

Next, I'll eventually do Zero 3 in Hard mode, (and Zero 2 in Nightmare mode).

Lemon is awesome. As I drank more water with lemon concentrate, my mug cup became just shiny clean as new. It works much more efficient than the regular dish soap, or toothpaste!