A Sudden Return brings Poetry!

Hey guys, I’m back! Sorry for the months long hiatus! Did I even say happy new year waaaaayyy back in January? No? …. Oops.
I wrote this post before, but WordPress decided to go full idiot and delete it! Yayyyyyy!
I am not happy.
I’ll tell you guys about where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing subtly through the next few updates (whenever they may be). Unfortunately, school life does generally tend to get in the way of your hobbies.
I can’t remember what else I wrote, so here’s the poem that I meant to share. It’s inspired by a lovely manga known as “Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso”.

——-
your April lie

Spring was where it started
Shining brightly
Soaring skywards

In summer, it was
Sweet words,
Soft sighs

Fall, and there were
Forgotten kisses,
Friendly faces

Winter, then it
Withered silently,
Wasted

Spring again
And there it ended

And I forgot

Your April lie

———–

-Nikky

Copyright (lol) YA April 2015
This is not “public property”; this piece of creative writing is an original work created by me, “Nikky”, the owner and sole proprietor of the WordPress blog “My Highschool Nichijou” and author of every post on said blog unless otherwise noted. Do not, by any means or under any circumstances, steal, copy, or claim the poem “your April lie” in any way, shape, or form as your own. If you would like to use this work for a project or the like, credit me and my website as the source.
I am serious. I do have means and methods of proving myself as the owner and creator, but I do not want to have to use them. Thank you.

(I may have said lol next to “copyright” because of how odd it seems, but I am serious. If I ever enter this in a competition, whether at school or scholastic, I don’t want to deal with any crazy nonsense about this being on the Internet. I can just prove it so long as things don’t get to hectic. I may be a highschooler, but everyone needs a little reassurance, ne? I’ll put the notice at the end of each of my creative writing posts.
Side note: YA is my real life initials, btw)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Review)

Thank you to my lovely sis for buying this for me! You can find this review by me on Goodreads too!

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well.
Once upon a time, a girl read their story. It was magnificent.

4.5 stars worth of magnificent, really.
What is there to say about DoSaB?
Well.
Well..
Well…
I can’t put it into proper words.
It was like all over the place! Tugging me here and there and hither and thither with its plot and characters! Ahhhh!. It was ups and downs and loop-de-loops.
The beginning was kind of, ummmm, mainly because of the *ahem* subject matter. (please please please dont get put off of reading the book by me saying this! it gets better!) I was really, really lost as to where it was going. But then it was all for the introductory lulz, and it really kicked into gear from there.

The setting is amazing. Prague? Who would think to set there story there? I’ve never read a book set in the Czech Republic. And trust me, I’ve read a lot of books… Anyhow, my reading career aside, the places Karou visited were amazing too! The descriptions of all the sounds and smells and colors and oh! I was so immersed in it, it was like I could see everything that Karou could see. I was livin the dream, guys. No wonder I finished the book in about a day.

The names of these characters were just so, so, so worlds away! Not in the sense of “what the heck am I reading how do you even pronounce a name with a circumflex accent in it” but as in “ohmaigosh so purrtay so fitting so amazing~”. Karou, our lapis-lazuli haired protagonist with a vast array of skills, ranging from drawing to drop kicks; Brimstone, the chimaera father-figure who has watched over her since infancy; Issa, the half-woman, half-snake guardian of the threshold between our world and Brimstone’s shop, and also one of Karou’s caretakers; Zuzana, the (extremely likeable, if I do say so myself) short, attitude-filled best friend; Akiva, the mysterious attacker with captivating (drool-worthy, lets be honest) amber eyes who is certainly more than he appears; and many, many more. My descriptions, by the way, do these characters absolutely no justice. But I can’t go too deep…’cause…reasons. Anyway, I love pretty much every character. I say pretty much because there are a several exceptions. But to explain that and why I hate them with a burning passion would be major spoilers, sooo. Moving on.

Karou is currently number 2 on my list of strong-fantabulous-awesome-main-female-characters (it’s a mouthful, I know). She would’ve taken 1st place easy if it hadn’t been for that super lovey-dovey lull closer to the end of the book. That kinda threw her down to 5th place. Not that I hate romance or anything. No-sir-ee. Just that, it was, er, too gushy out of the blue much? But then the explanation for why it was like that–saw some of it coming, the rest was like, whoa–threw me for a loop. And there she went right back up to 4th place. And the icing on the bamf cake? That plot twist. She may be in denial, she may still be in love, but she sure as hell isn’t gonna stick around with–well, I’ll let you figure that one out~
And then there she was in 2nd place.

The plot was is amazing. It takes something-chimaera-that I’ve only read about a couple times before (FMA!)and makes it awesome.

Chimaera. Chimaera. Chimaera. The word just rolls off your tounge strangely, no? The ‘ch’ makes a harsh ‘k’ sound. The ‘maer’ sounds like and looks like a mangled version of ‘mare’. And the ‘a’ at the end makes sound of an exclamation-‘ah’. An odd word. Just like the creature(s) it describes. And boy oh boy does it make for an interesting plot. It’s fun to read about Chimaera, but it doesn’t seem like it’s easy to write about them. Gotta keep track of all those hooves and fangs and horns and tails and wings, who has what and where, and so on. Laini Taylor does this masterfully. Each description seems to not only fit but emphasize the character’s personality and traits. There’s this one line from the book about Brimstone pretty much sums it up: “His crocodile pupils closed to black slashes, as they always did when he was angry, but if Karou thought she had seen him angry before, this was to be an education in rage.” (Probably my favorite line, btw). Now then, Brimstone is meant to be a big, imposing Chimaera, having a body covered in scars, two giant horns on the top of his head, “legs like that of a golden lion bearing raptor-like feet. His head is ram-like with hide instead of fur and gives way to scales around his flat, ovine nose, and reptilian eyes.” So, imagine this guy getting pissed off at you. Intimidating, right? I know I’d be scared out of my mind. It’s the stuff like that–descriptions of a character’s eyes, of their snake tails, of their fire-y wings–that really help the story fall into place.

So. I guess that’s what I have to say about Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Pardon me if it’s all over the place, but hey, it’s my first official review of a book! I would recommend this to, hmm, just about anyone. I must say, certain things didn’t quite, let’s say, float my boat, but in the grand scheme of things, I was just being nitpicky. It was a fabulous read! Now, I hope the rest of the series lives up to it…
-YA

P.S.-Can I take a moment to say that the beta couple was just too adorable? ZuzanaxMikolas is the best!

10 misconceptions Japanese people think foreigners have about Japan

But I’m Too Lazy…

So, I was supposed to get back to y’all on the plots post from earlier, but, as the title says, I’m too lazy~

Actually, though, it’s because I’ve been busy for quite some time and don’t have time to make a proper post. So that’s postponed till tomorrow, sorry. Luckily, I can tell you what I planned to talk about: some book plots, some Pokemon plots, what I’ve been doing, random facts that I feel the need to share, and a tv show I’ve been watching. If you’re interested in any of that, come back some time soon for my next post. In the interim, here’s a time-lapse video of me drawing. Well, coloring, really, but who cares!

Hmm. The video won’t upload for some reason, sorry. Have a picture instead!

Plots, Subplots, Plotplots, and the Grievances In Between

*re-upload; the original disappeared for some reason or other*
Hola World! I’m back!! But before I get started on the meat and potatoes of this post, I’m gonna start with a side salad drenched in a rant. Heh, I’m so punny~

I’ve been thinking recently about writing-you know, short stories, novels, series, one offs, fanfiction, all that jazz. And I came to a few realizations-the first of which is the subject of today’s rant: the “rogue hero” plot. And oh my gosh I can’t believe I never realized it, but I hate that plot line with a burning passion. Now I know ‘hate’ is a strong word and stuff, but trust me-if there has ever been a fitting time for me to use it, then it is now. Anyways, I don’t know, but it’s like it just aggravates me to see the hero on the run as an enemy of the state or whatever because of the words of some over-zealous media reporter or the like. Suddenly, all the “dirty secrets” that the hero had up to the point are hung out in the open for the public, usually with the added bonus of a slander campaign by the villain (you know-getting framed, wrong time wrong place situations, I was actually trying to save you situations, etc., etc.). And then, your hero is on the run, because somehow, all their friends distrust them and for some reason all their enemies are more likely to believe the hero than his allies-turned-hunters; I think the line “With friends like you, who needs enemies!” really sums this one up.

Don’t get me wrong, I love love love a nice long solo-hero party-of-one arc, which is usually shrouded in secrecy-that’s some good stuffs right there. I also adore a good betrayalton– but that’s pretty tricky to pull off because a) there either has to be subtle hints leading up to it or it has to be outta the blue (which usually slaps me in the face and leaves me excruciatingly bitter) and b) it just has to be extremely well planned-treachery, deceit, trust no one, rethink your ideals, punishments for war crimes, the world isn’t so rosy, take off the tinted shades, and the kinda stuff that leaves you gripping your heart in anticipation.

That may sound a bit hypocritical, but don’t get confused– a betrayalton plot and a rouge hero plot are two very, very different things. On one hand, you don’t know the reason for the deceit and the writer has you on the edge of your seat waiting for the “big reveal” or if you know why you’re waiting for the redemption of the character; on the other hand, you know the hero’s been framed, you either know exactly who did it or you can put 2 and 2 together and find out who did (if you can’t though-that’s the one time I will have even slight approval for this contrived plot), and the hero quite literally has barely any person– so actually like one– trustworthy enough to turn to or who has good faith in him/her. So yeah, two different things. Plus, as a little added bonus in the rouge hero plot, suddenly everyone on the god-given green earth that the hero has just risked their life to save have 1) turned their back on the hero or 2) are totally freaked out by and wary of the hero’s very presence around them! Another thing is that it leads to an extremely disjointed narration; I mean, you want the focus to be on the hero, but you still hafta see what his allies (and occasionally, the antagonists) have to say about the whole situation. So you as the the reader are stuck with a story that flashes in between the protagonists, the close friends, the side side characters, and every now and again the c-listers who you don’t really care about; heck, the majority of what’s happening you don’t really care about! You just wanna see what’s going to happen to the once beloved hero– but you’ll be damned if you think that’s gonna happen quickly! Good grief the entire thing is a melting pot of negativity and confusion and your hero just happens to be the beef in this stew. And I definitely don’t want a fair-share of that hot mess.

Anywho, If you’re wondering about the Sonic-themed featured image, it’s from StCO-Sonic the Comic Online. And guess what! It just happens to be featuring a rouge hero arc about everybody’s loveable jerk-with-a-heart-of-gold, Sonic. Go figure. Anyways, creds to the awesome artists, Team Möbius! StCO is a fan driven operation, so everything is drawn by different people of varying degrees of skills and a wide variety of styles. These guys are one of the best I’ve come across, and I just had to show how awesome they are!

Um, I know I said I was just starting with a rant, but this turned out to be a lot longer than I thought it would be (note: I never, ever plan out a post-I just go out there and do it; you’re reading me candid, folks). So I guess later today there’ll be a part two to this post, nya-hah~

So, see ya in a flash!
-Nikky the raving critic

P.S.-I noticed just how negative I was being and just how much of my personal opinion was shoved in there, and I must say I impress myself with just how much hate is in there. Truth is, I do occasionally enjoy these plots. Also, I’m not criticizing any author’s writing style (even though I do kinda find these plots in the most random situations, making them seem very contrived on their part); If anything, they’re doing a good job of keeping me hooked with hate to find out what happens next. Unfortunately, I’ve nearly dropped a few books because I was sick of that plot-but I’m not the type of person to go around dropping books and series’s just because of one bad egg. I just think it should be a little more short and sweet, a little less obtrusive. I mean, come on, a whole planet of people you’ve rescued, and no one wants to help you? Pssh, please. If you had real supporters from the get go, this would be over a lot faster…but then again, there is the whole impostor subplot-nevermind, that’s a whole bother can of worms.
You know, I have no clue where I’m going with this P.S.. So Imma just stop while I’m ahead.

A Letter To The Daughter I May Never Have

Shoutout to a Great One: Brawl in the Family

Hey everyone, guess who’s back! And boy do I have something to discuss
**************
I just want to give a shout out to a glorious, funny, inspiring, and long running webcomic known as Brawl in the Family. You probably havent heard of it, but dont worry-I was in your shoes at this point exactly last year. Maybe youre wondering why I suddenly brought it up then. Well, it’s because…it’s ending. This came as an extreme shock to me-I was in tears.

To those of who haven’t read it, you most likely wouldn’t understand why I was crying, but to someone who has been reading it, if even for only a year, like me, this is big, depressing news. The creator says its due to the comic being time consuming and growing ever harder to come up with jokes for, and that he’d rather have 500 or so great comics than 1000 sub par ones. And while it pains me to say this, I completely agree. It started as a simple comic-a gag of the day kind of thing, featuring characters found in Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl. And it just kept on getting better and better as time went on. The number of laughs I got reading each strip are incalculable. The amount of joy I felt seeing it update or reading a story arc is immeasurable. The amount of times I would read the creator comments and share his sentiments or research the topic he discussed is unbelievable! I cant express clearly how much of a ride reading this wbcomic has been. I would hate — no, loathe, to see it degrade as time went on. But at the same time, it kinda hurts me to let it go, and a part of me wants to see it go on into both the near and far future. But that is asking a lot from the creator, as I have cone to realize, so I have to let that go, I guess.

I realize I’m singing high praises for this comic. And there are a myriad of reasons as to why, and they extend way past just making me smile. One reason is because it inspired me to make a webcomic. That sounds fairly…mundane, I suppose, but for me, this was a bit earth shattering. Up until I saw this comic, I had always wondered if I had the stuff to make a webcomic of my own. And I would always put myself down and say something along the lines of “yea right. You couldn’t make it-look at these artists. They’re a million times better than you. How could you even hope to be like them?” But then I read one of the creator comics on BitF about how he started draing it as simple notebook scketches-look at how popular he is now! And that was the day i realized that I could do it too.

Another reason is the comic itself. It’s just so, well, simple! Simple premise (if any at all), fairly simple art (with varying degrees of detail as time progressed), simple character choice and design (the creator makes all the characters look so easy to draw compared to what they really look like) that all mesh togther perfectly!  It’s not overly complicated and doesnt try to sell itself as something its not. I’ve read many, many, many things that have done this, so i can say with certainty that Brawl in the Family does not. It’s always what you not exactly expect, but rather hope it will be. (Confusing statement, I know, but its hard to word it the way I want to)

It also never fails to deliver, another reason its a great comic. You can just about always expect a laugh- the times you don’t are when a story arc is being told and in the process keeping you excited for the ending. This is also important to me, as whenever i waa feeling a bit blue or not quite my usual chirpy self, I could read a random strip and pretty much instantly feel a million times happier. BitF is juat that kinda webcomic. A quick read, but yet very gratifying!

I could go into detail about many other reasons as to why it’s a great webcomic, but I think I’m rambling. I barely rember what I came here to say…

Oh! Now I do! Its to say that if you have the chance and spare time ho and read this wondorus webcomic-its completely worth it. I’m sad to see it go, but happy to spread the knowledge of it’s existence.

The comic still has a few more strips to turn out, so this isn’t my final goodbye.

Reading ’til the end,
– Nikky the fangirl

P.S. To the creator of Brawl inthe Family: you have made my day time and time again. I wish you all the best in the future and whatever endeavors that may entail. Never stop being awsome! Thank you for everything! And goodbye!

Lackadaisical Summer Day

Picture it. [Imagine]

Five kids, all sitting around downstairs, with varying degrees of comfort between them. The AC blares like a jet engine in the background, barely doing anything to abate the palpable heat.

One of the kids, a girl, sits at the dining room table, studying for her upcoming NYC permit test. A variety of songs are played as she tries to pick the best background music. [Focus]

Meanwhile, the other four-2 girls, 2 guys- sit on the disgustingly hot suede couch in front of the tv, burning in the sweltering 90°-or-more heat. Not that they really mind it, though, as they’re completely enthralled by the game the boys are playing. Video game to be specific. Super Smash Bros. 64 to be exact. [Happiness]

All you can hear are screams of happiness and shouts of indignation, controllers clicking and curses flying, laughter in a constant stream. The sound effects of punches connecting and K.O.(s) occuring  stll manage to ring out clearly among the chaos–well, as clear as they can be, rendered through those old N64 speakers. Everything has a funny ring to it when it comes through those things. [Being loud]

In the background, the sun sets slowly, casting a golden orange glow on the houses across the street. The trees sway lazily in the late afternoon breeze, their shadows covering the parallel parked cars that line the streets. [Silence]

The repetitive tune of the ice cream truck drones in the distance, reminding the youngest girl of a delicious chocolate vanilla swirl in a sugar cone, something she’d been wanting since the start of summer. She contemplates getting up from her cozy perch on the couch, only to remember she’s flat broke. Not that it really bothers her anyways. She was wearing a giant t-shirt, and just about ready to fall asleep for the second time. Why disturb perfect laziness? [Summer]

OHMIGOSH I didn’t forget Nintendo!

*×Watch video to understand image×*

Today marks 2 weeks and 1 day since Nintendo’s e3 thing-a-ma-bob. I promised a review but as I thought about it, I realized my words just could not explain the awesomeness that had occured.

Skip forward and life happened and I just now am getting back to you, but no shaming me! I got sick yesterday (yaay!) and couldn’t write out my ingenius thoughts so I have aptly decided to just leave you with the video of the conference. I am so lazy…

The Video

So watch and enjoy I suppose. Unless you already have by this point…

-Fashionably Late Nikky

P.S.-Did this all on my phone! Should I be proud? Maybe!

Image credits: fanart from NeoGAF

Amazing Eye Make Up Artistry

Blown Awayy!! Which is your favorite?

THE EDITOR'S JOURNAL

These amazing creations are by Israeli artist Tag Peleg who elevates a  simple daily routine carried out by roughly half the world into amazing artistry. Everything I love: imagination, artistry, skill and a bit of fun too!

Cool huh?

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Source:

Tag peleg

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