nana, and something about assassin’s creed

I’m really running out of subject matter here. Ever since the last anime season came to end, it’s as though all the momentum that was gained has come to a complete halt and thus, the situation warranted a complete lack of blog entries (which yet again resulted in a degradation of my mental state from mindless idling), except for that one plight which plagued my psyche insistently. Am I finally over it? Let’s see…

So admittedly I was flung into the midst of an internal conflict where two facets of my being fought for domination with the victor being the sole determinant of whether or not I would return to that one accursed MMORPG. It was a close battle, as I had nearly succumbed to my impure desires; however, through willpower and the aid of my friends, I persevered, and now with a still-unstable confidence, I can announce that this time that which leaves despair in its wake has been dispatched of, and I’m free from its evil grasp! I’ve decided that I will not be returning to the World of Warcraft (which I am proud of if I do say so myself). Anyhow, putting the grand and over-dramatised details aside, let’s move onto a more positive subject.

I’m a few years too late for this, but last night I decided to watch the first Nana movie, and additionally, I gave Assassin’s Creed for PC a whirl, which is described in greater detail towards the end of the post.

First things first: for me, watching a movie requires a certain level of boredom on my end, complimented by an indescribably distinct mood which I have trouble putting into words (in a sense, it’s sort of akin to starting a new anime); the reason is my diminutive attention span and overall adeptness in losing interest at an alarming rate. My incentive actually stemmed from the fact that Glamorous Sky - an image song used in the theatrical production - happens to be my favourite in the tracklist of the Nintendo DS rhythm game Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2, which is henceforth referred to as “Ouendan 2″ for the sake of simplicity and convenience. Following my curiosity, I looked into the movie, though before we continue, keep in mind that I was oblivious to the content of the source material. and still am; however, I believe that’s to my benefit because I’m bereft of expectations and not inclined to draw comparisons, allowing me to view it as an independent work (which it is, really).

Nana - the eponymous title of the film - is a movie first released in late 2005 based on a popular shoujo drama manga of the same name, which similarly received an anime adaption. It’s honestly a wonder that I haven’t watched this until now, and I’m rightfully lamenting upon my ignorance of such a great title. What really sets this movie apart is its simplistic, yet compelling premise, which I was immediately sold on. Completely unaware of it, a coincidental meeting between two girls who both share the same name (Nana) sparks a pivotal event in their lives, subsequently setting off a chain of events which transpire and develop into intricate personal issues; thus, their story begins.

Nana futatsu!

Sharing the same name is the extent of their similarities; what I found to be extremely interesting about the film is the most notably contrasting sense of character that the two possess - one is a seemingly callous punk rocker with her past being a crucial driving point of the story; once a proud member of an amateur band on the way to the top, a certain incident caused her to lose many important things and she finds herself on the path of redemption, simultaneously harbouring the pain of a tragedy which changed her life. Though she exhibits a rough exterior, she also greatly treasures the value of her friendship with the other Nana, and readily supports her in her times of need.

Mika Nakashima as Nana O. Could there have been a better choice?

The other Nana is a simple Japanese girl with a fairly ordinary mentality; she moves to Tokyo to live with her boyfriend (though he rejects her stay, insisting that she work to live on her own which can be misperceived as an act of affection), but her lack of aptitude for specific tasks make it difficult to hold a job and earn a living, which is subsequently followed up by an assortment of other predicaments. The stress piles further up as she is frequently harassed by her co-workers due to her easygoing nature, lack of ambitions, and vulnerability to condescending treatment (which Nano O. proclaims clearly near the beginning of the movie). Her friendly personality allows her to befriend the other Nana, and she continually strives to aid her in her endeavours. Nana K’s character occasionally narrates a stream of monologue which speaks of the events in hindsight, alluding the feeling that the story is being told from a present perspective regarding the past.

Aoi Miyazaki as Nana K / Hachi.

Despite their incongruous personality matchup, the two develop a special friendship; throughout the heartache they both suffer as a result of the numerous hardships that ensue as the story progresses, they are steadfast in their resolution to aid each other without hesitation - this very fact alone had me hooked on the film because of its insightful exploration of such themes, and its clever way of intertwining the lives of two very distinctly different characters. The movie keeps a focal emphasis on the subsequent calamities which plague them, with the main theme being how the two support each other in every way they can. As to not go into detail about the film, I will cite its very accurate portrayal of the real world; in the land of manga works where things are often exaggerated and emphasised for a dramatic effect, it’s more often than not a rarity that you’d come across something that faithfully represents reality. Conclusion? Nana is an absolutely fantastic movie. It’s a pity that the second one apparently fails to live up to the reputation gained; I guess a lot of it can be attributed to the fact that one of the actresses was changed, which sort of causes everything that was built-up in the first movie to come tumbling down.

Anyway, I mentioned something about Assassin’s Creed earlier? I don’t own a 360 or a PS3, so I was essentially ruled out of playing this game until the PC version arrived a few days ago. From the research I conducted on it, it’s something that tends to spawn mixed opinions, with many critics citing its repetitive nature (which is a broadly acknowledged sentiment), but others conversely lauding the many positive aspects. Such feedback has probably instilled a good amount of negative presumptuous thoughts on the consumers’ end, and I think that’s doing the game an injustice; while it’s not the most amazing game ever made, I’ve certainly played a lot worse. Yesterday and today, I’ve been playing it on and off whilst briefly assessing the prominent elements which comprise the game and make it what it is.

Assassin’s Creed is a third-person stealth game based in the near future where the player assumes the role of a man named Desmond Miles who was captured because of his link to his ancestor Altaïr, whose legacy dates back to 12th century Israel. The game brings forth an original concept known as “genetic memory” - a phenomenon which states that memory is in fact carried down via genetic material throughout the generations. A zealous scientist who oversees the project utilises a machine called the Animus which allows the user to explore and extract the memories from the genetic structure of a patient; by doing so, the player is sent through the memories of Miles where he takes on the role of his ancestor Altaïr, allowing those involved to witness firsthand the events that took place during that point in time.

Killing people in this game is the most fucking amazing feeling ever.

Due to its originality, the plot came off to me as an interesting premise because of its modern setting which utilises machinery to explore the past, and its additional fictional dealings with memory on a genetic level, though as mentioned earlier: the game has been the subject of many diverse opinions and has thus become quite controversial. Sure, it’s a justified supposition that it can get fairly repetitive at times due to the fact that the reconnaissance missions are uninspiring at best, with the investigations being not quite up-to-par, and apart from that, you’re left with the simple task of assassinating your enemy; however, I’m willing to overlook that because of the style that oozes from this game, and the way that the developers hammered-down the execution of maneuvering through the cities, because there’s nothing cooler than being able to jump from rooftop to rooftop in a streamlined fashion.

I’ve yet to beat the game as I haven’t played it too much, so that’s a superficial take on it. While it does harbour its share of flaws, the ability to interact with your environment and use it to your advantage in this game is a positive aspect; it also carries a certain sandbox-element along with it, but don’t expect anything along the level of San Andreas, for example.

~ by Espydon on 12 April, 2008.