The Lifestyle of Lynnfoxx

Vampire Prosecutor Season 1 End

2012-01-03T03:12:00.000-05:00

Well back to the wonderful world of Kdrama!

I think I've just about seen one of the best asian dramas in all the years of my experience in watching dramas, and I kid you not, though the title may seem really odd and stupid, the storytelling and characters are not your usual suspects.

Of course, last fall when Vampire Prosecutor was about to air for the winter season drama of 2011, I would have watched it anyways to see what kind of rules and twists they would use for 'yet another vampire story' during this time and age of vampires everywhere.... But the first episode was pretty impressive, not on the story alone but directorial view and style and acting. There wasn't any kind of hint of 'paranormal romance saga' - in fact, I'd say it was a pretty beefy episode that really almost had no inkling of vamp-ness to it. Well, when i think about it, the pilot was all about setting up the story really and being a vampire had no real drive to the story (during the pilot, but is revealed later on).

The biggest thing for me was that the guy who actually was the vampire, the prosecutor, wasn't all that perfectly handsome or bishi as usual like most asian actors. He was a totally normal looking guy, no sharp features, but he nailed his part so perfectly, coming off as a really perfect stoic, and lonesome man (dead man?) in the world of unjust law. Him being a vampire was only a side thought, and didnt' take away from the story at all.

I dont want to spoil too much of the season but another main attraction of the drama was that there was almost little to none romantic story in the drama. There was slight tension perhaps, between the vampire prosecutor and his partner prosecutor, the human female, but it really only starts to build up near the end of the season, and even then, they don't share more than a handshake as I guess, they're both pretty tough prosecutors and their jobs are more important than their social lives. Good going writers!

I read in another blog about this drama was that this show was created from an independent network of writers and channel. Goes to show that in this economy, quality is really better than spending the big bucks and hiring the famous actors to make an ostentatious show with no storyline and awful plot drivers and same old fashioned romantic trios.

To top it off, the whole season of Vampire Prosecutor was so good and got such great ratings and reviews that a season 2 is being considered, or perhaps it's already being worked on! If so, I can't wait! And if you're curious, you can watch the whole first season at http://www.dramacrazy.net/

FFXIV patch 1.20

2011-12-23T06:52:00.000-05:00

December has come too soon, as well as this holiday season! And in my area, it's still warm on some days, haven't seen a hint of snow which makes me kind of sad. But for the gaming world, I'm glad patch 1.20 has been released for FFXIV. For a long time, there was a huge lull as indicated by this blog as well, of not really much to do within FFXIV. But with the coming of 1.20, there were so many additions to content, quests, and fights, I think Square Enix did a pretty good job of wrapping up for the holidays before all their workers take a break from fixing this game.

Also, with the announcement of SE going to charge for the game starting January 6th, 2012, this was good timing to have added such a juicy patch for many to try out beforehand. Well, at the same time, I do hope the billing will help filter out and get rid of trolls and idiots from the game.

The moogle prime fight is pretty amazing. Haven't beaten it yet but it's much more fun than ifrit which tends to be just a running and timing fight. I don't care much for ifrit since the weapons are too ugly for me in my opinion but I really want to try to get all the moogle weapons, or at least the top few that I like, namely for conjurer, archer, and maybe even pugilist though a lot of people seem to think the moogles sticking out at the end of the fists are overboard designs.

I like them just cuz they're simply goofy and overboard. I don't think i'd ever really fight with these except for random exp or stronghold parties. I dont know, but I think they are cute and ridiculous.

I can't wait for mog houses/estates to come. I hear perhaps in the next patch (in February) they will be added but I can't be sure. I guess it's only rumors for now but since people will start to be paying for the game, they better get more worthwhile stuff coming out soon.

Long time, No adventure~

2011-11-05T19:04:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time since my last post. Just wanted to post real quick about FFXIV since it's really all the news I feel like writing about. Too much work in real life to get into other shiny entertaining things but I do hope to write a bit more this winter season.

Sakuya as archer, during a quest

Firstly I got my second 50 fighting class in FFXIV, archer. Nothing to brag about really though since there are a ton of archers already since the darkhold dungeon was released. Working now on a mage and perhaps one more melee DD~ pugilist most likely. On getting 50s though, I did achieve 50 on my blacksmith, armorer, and weaver. My tanner is at level 49, just a couple 10k away from 50. Then I'll have a few more crafts to finish up to 50 and be done with crafting for a while. Hopefully before they start charging.

Since the last patch, or perhaps since 1.18, lots of updates, news, and information has come out regarding the future of FFXIV. Besides the billing cycle that's to come the end of this year, there was a slight mention of implementing new races down the line. Of course, firstly the obvious which is just the opposite genders of miqotes, highlanders, and roegadyns. But then I remember skimming real quickly about being able to play a demon race. I guess that must be the 'horned humans' people have rumored/guessed about. During a cutscene/quest, I myself guess this is the type of race we might be able to play:

Raya-O-Senna, NPC during a quest, sister of Gridania's leader

And finally, I got around to finish the main storyline quest(s) of FFXIV/Limsa Lominsa... I won't give away any spoilers but this dude, from one of the cutscenes, really reminded me of darth vader... lot of stuff felt very star wars-y. There's another dude that really was like Darth Vader, even his voiceover sounded like him! I won't reveal what he looks like, people will have to do the quest and see for themselves!

One of the NPCs in L46 Main Storyline Quest

Into the Dark Complete!

2011-08-02T22:13:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday I was finally able to complete the Into the Dark Quest (Ul'dah), defeating the ogre and clearing the room we needed to clear. We were unable to get to the final boss, Batraal, but it was still relieving nonetheless to complete it and accomplish one thing at least since the patch in FFXIV.

With the seals reward we got, I bought myself a shiny new sword!

Now I'm hoping a solid scale mail will drop from one of the chests in the next runs I get to do ^^

Dungeon Run, so close, yet so far!

2011-07-31T01:50:00.001-04:00

In FFXIV, since the 1.18 version update, the week-old, rank 45 dungeon, Dzaemel Darkhold, in Coerthas, has been the hot activity around town.

Tonight I went with the RS LS and a few other friends. We were very close to defeating it this time around. I'd say, this is my 3rd or 4th night trying to accomplish the almost impossible that Square Enix has created, but I like it!

We had gotten a good routine to getting to the ogre with ample time (around 40-43 minutes left on the clock) and by our 5th try, we were cracking away at it slowly but surely! Unfortunately we weren't able to defeat it and with our real lives' time running out and fatigue coming in, in our last run, we had gotten it down to about 20% HP before we all wiped.

Nonetheless, it was a good experience for me personally as I really enjoyed the challenge and the standards SE has remade for the game. I do hope to get some good drops in the next few runs but firstly and foremostly, just defeat this ogre and finish the quest!

Rank 50 Fisher ～FFXIV

2011-07-21T10:36:00.001-04:00

So in FFXIV, I finally achieved Rank 50 Fisher! It's my second 50 next to my gladiator. (Shield 50 doesn't really count since you can't play shield as a class). It's been a long run, a VERY very long run. I don't think I've even touched Disciples of War/Magic for the past 3 months or so. And though I've crafted, I think the final push to R50 fishing was like being in an insane asylum. I was stuck in the same spot doing the same thing over and over, and I didn't even log in to any other games or my god, check any of my social websites!!　∩(´∀｀)∩♪ （Luckily, there's netflix and lots and lots of Korean drama.）

Sakuya @ La Noscea seas

Yet, I really am happy I got somewhere with Disciples of Land. It's proving useful in ways the general ffxiv public haven't quite realized yet. I think I will be doing Botany as my next DoL job since it yields not only wood/branches, but also items for culinarian/weaver/alchemist. The only thing that makes me a little frustrated with having gotten fishing to 50 is that Square Enix has decided to put the DoL jobs on the backburner and not introduce any new content for them. So much for legendary fish monsters and rare items to fish for. ( *´д)/(´д｀､)

But on the plus side, now that I am a top gear fisher, I can fish schools of fish with 10 attempts on each cast. It's plenty of pulling in lots of needed items like my current red/blue coral need for goldsmithing which will bring me to GLD 50 once I get stacks and stacks of red/blue coral! I've found a great spot for it but I'm gonna keep it a secret for now!! before all the other people who decide to come back after the patch, want to find out!

Undergoing a Makeover

2011-07-16T23:59:00.001-04:00

It's about time Lifestyle of Lynnfoxx undergo a complete makeover! The last blog was dark and heavy and components all dragging the eyes everywhere. So, this time around we're going to be making a lighter, simple looking blog. We're still working on it so please be patient while we clean up a bit and add more splash to the site!

Also, I apologize for not having written in a very long long time. Life and work is busy and well, haven't had time to seriously play the games I want to play. I mean, FFXIV is alright but it's become a grind and without content, SE is losing many many valuable players. I'm still holding on though, doing lots of my crafting and disciples of land. Almost got my fishing to 50 though - it's at 49 and I hope I can get to 50 before the next patch comes on July 22, 2011.

Besides that, I've been exploring around Second Life. Just started remodeling my house... burning down the old one at the beach and creating a whole new skybox, all for my own private purposes... muhahaha... but seriously, it's fun to create in Second Life, i just wish i had more time to do so. I'd be able to open up my little jewelry shop if I could.

Anyways, the summer in NYC is always hot and sticky, so make sure to stay cool, drink lots of fruity drinks and smoothies!

Peko peko

2011-07-16T00:23:00.001-04:00

Kaiseki sashimi!

Lady Gaga - Born This Way

2011-03-08T03:51:00.000-05:00

Wow, so very awesome video of Lady Gaga's Born This Way!! I love all the birthing references and the madonna one in the end!! I love the beginning too, sooo creative! For a moment, I thought I was watching a movie~~ then she got started singing and dancing. but damn, Lady Gaga should make a short film! I'd definitely watch it since I'm an indie film lover! heh~~

Peace = yes!
prejudice = NO!

Rock on Lady Gaga!

A daytrip to Mor Dhona~

2011-01-21T23:54:00.000-05:00

In spite of being poorly executed and poorly updated thus far, I still continue to play the online game Final Fantasy XIV in hopes it will redeem itself in the near future. I don't mind it thus far, as there is no monthly fee and the graphics are as good as it gets for any MMO out there, but still, the developers over in Tokyo, Japan had better get their butts off their seats and start shoveling all the excrement they have produced lying underneath the Square Enix building.... So, while in the dark realm of despair and hopelessness for the future of FFXIV's continent, Eorzea, I am sure the creation of Mor Dhona was the tip of the iceberg for darker maps to come.

I was able to visit Mor Dhona for the first time this week as a friend, Xhile, was able to teleport a group of us to a nearby camp, so that we could attempt to scurry our way to the top of a hill to view the ancient carcass of a "flying ship" and the dragon(?) that destroyed it. Screenshots below~

Almost wipeout... but Ayce lived! ironically!

Self portrait shot~

Another angle of us with dragon tower

Britney Spears "Hold it Against Me"

2011-01-12T05:53:00.000-05:00

Wow so Britney Spears is back (again)... yeah mhmm, i can hear ya'll be like, say whu===??? But actually, I must be like, an in the closet Spears fan cuz I actually kind of dig her new single, "Hold it Against Me"... Well, I think why I like it is cuz she's utilizing the techno aspect into the song, and when the chorus breaks into a very breakbeat interlude at 2:10, I'm really liking it then. But I still dislike her voice and think she's terrible as a singer, but for this song, I think she could fit into all those female vocals that sing for the vocal trance music. Haha~

What do you think of her new single?

Hyun Bin sings "That Man"

2011-01-10T03:47:00.000-05:00

Ohh why does drama pull my heart so~~! The most recent episode of Secret Garden, episode 17, really loves to make people cry... I mean, everyone is crying, and people are sacrificing things you wouldnt expect... it's that common theme of how delicate the human condition is and how far love will stretch for it. But I won't go on about that, you'll have to see the drama for yourself to understand what I'm talking about.

What I really wanted to say is that Hyun Bin, the leading actor in Secret Garden, (and uber hotness) finally released the male vocal version of "That Man" (female version is "That woman" by Baek Ji Young) which I listen to at least 5 times a day while this drama is running. This song just makes me all torn inside, bittersweet, and I'm sure if I could understand Korean, I'd probably tear up every time I heard this song. But at least, I'm happy, that they made a song for the men, for all the men out there, who felt as Hyun Bin's character had felt, for a woman, felt so much for a woman, and it was put into a song, sung by a male vocal rather than female~

Powerful Men

2010-12-22T22:41:00.000-05:00

Ahhh!! Some crazy news today, well more like this week~ All in the world of Asia as well.

So starting with some old news, our happy-go-lucky Lee MinHo is becoming the ever so famous City Hunter, the Japanese manga about a detective/cop who is a womanizer but also trips when he sees a beautiful woman. I was reading that he was preparing for the City Hunter role by 'becoming a powerful man' since his last two dramas, Boys Before Flowers and Personal Taste, he was rather fruity and a pretty boy in both.

Lee Min Ho from Boys Before FLower

I haven't seen any images of the City Hunter drama nor know if they have even started shooting it, but since another Hallyu star, Rain (Ninja Assassin, Full House), aka Bi [in Korea], came out with his drama, Fugitive Plan B, there have been lots of talk that Lee Min Ho cannot live up to the 'powerful man' standard. The Rain drama not only has a 'powerful man' in the story, but the stories are both so similar, in which womanizing detective/cops are carefree and go the own way to solve cases while falling in love with a beautiful woman,' the station producing City Hunter is scrambling to find ways to counter such early critiques. Then again, I don't believe there have been any dramas of such nature (detective, thriller, unsolved cases, womanizing, action, etc) that it's really easy to compare these two.


...and then changing into a cop detective in the upcoming City Hunter

But I can see how City Hunter may fall where the current Fugitive Plan B is successful. Besides Rain's all-encompassing stardom, not only within Korea, but internationally as well, he has got to be in most people's eyes, a pretty good image of a 'powerful man.' I mean, his worked out body for Ninja Assassin blew me away. And even if his English was terrible, at least it was super eye candy for me. Lee Min Ho on the other hand, is purely face-eye-candy. I mean, unless in the past 6 months he's also been working out like mad and gained 50 lbs of muscle, I am not sure if he will be able to get City Hunter the 20-30% ratings that Fugitive Plan B has been enjoying until the very end.

Rain's workout for Ninja Assasin

Kdrama: Fugitive, Plan B

Well, I guess it'll just have to wait and see.

Onto more pretty boys~ in the currently airing Secret Garden, which has also been enjoying 20% ratings, I've just found out that Hyun Bin, the leading man who plays a powerful and rich asshole from the nethers of the Asshole Kingdom (joke) is going to be singing the male counter version of "That Man" by Baek Ji Young. I love this song and since I'm rarely a fan of many love songs, I think this is a song with a melody sung in Korean with a beautifully haunting and little sad voice, that fits so perfectly for the theme of the drama which seems to revolve around the idea of The Little Mermaid (the unhappy version).

Speaking of Hyun Bin, on that note, it seems that another sad thing is that he's to be leaving early next year for his military service for South Korea. Because of this, he's been giving it his all to the Secret Garden drama, and it shows, from the body swaps to the complete asshole role, to even kissing his male cousin on the lips (in the story that is, not real life). I think it's pretty crazy but I guess artists need to go all out and crazy on their work before going through the kind of discipline such as military service.

Poster for the drama Secret Garden

I'll miss you Hyun Bin....

but not THAT much.

Heh.

J-drama is back!!

2010-11-09T17:22:00.004-05:00

For a while there, I thought the run of good J-dramas saw its end nearly after the Boys before Flowers boom was over. There weren't a lot of strong, captivating storylines surfacing and nearly everything was trying to milk the teen romance/comedy theme until the dead horse was just a bloody pulp.

So I guess it explains the few Korean culture and drama posts I had written. Korean dramas are always good to fall back on when nothing good is on tv or I've exhausted my Youtube surfing. But now awaiting the next Korean dramas (Secret Garden, City Hunter with Lee Minho!!OMG, and trying to work on Fugitive Plan B with Rain), I delved back into trying out some new season premieres of J-drama this fall~ it looks like the writers in Japan realized they needed to work on better plots and characters and they did deliver!

First up is ギルティ悪魔と契約した女。 Besides having Tamaki Hiroshi in it which is always a total sell for me no matter how bad the drama is... well, hmm, no, I wouldnt finish the bad drama but I'd still like to see his work; This drama is all about revenge! yes, good old revenge 12 years in the making. And any revenge story that takes over 10 years to craft, should always be good. Let's hope...

Then, just today as I was refreshing the Mysoju site, I saw 獣医ドリトル which stars Oguri Shun and Inoue Mao (both stars from Boys before Flowers) and i just love Oguri Shun because of his chill personality! After blogging this, I am gonna go watch the first episode! heh!

And lastly, or thirdly really, is 黄金の豚 which stars Shinohara Ryoko, the heroine from the popular Unfair series and movie. I'm not really a fan of her, well, somehow I don't think she's really star material because she just doesn't seem unique or beautiful to me but maybe that's the attractive point about her to people in Japan. Well, nonetheless, as far as acting skills I think she is better than the average J-actor and for females out there, she certainly does a good job with the masculine tomboy type. So I'm curious to see how she will do in this drama. The story is interesting but not sure where it will go. (long story short: Ex-con woman hired by gov to catch ppl who cheat on taxes, etc.)

I'm so happy about having some good stuff to watch and kill time with again! (since the failed ffxiv doesn't keep me as occupied as I would have liked... but that's another blog post for another time)
And so happy Tamaki is playing sexy, badass and cool!!! <3 XoXOoxXOXXoXx drool....

Conan O'Brien, American Express: Extended Cut

2010-11-09T15:16:00.001-05:00

I do enjoy Conan O'brien over that 'other tv dude' and am so glad he's back in the business and using what happened to him in the last year to his advantage! I think he's in a higher and better place this time than if he had stayed host of the Tonight Show to this day. And he gets to be his own creative now too! Now creativity! that's the best stuff!

This commercial just rocks!

POLL, Please cast your vote!

2010-10-09T22:07:00.000-04:00

Thought on FFXIV

2010-10-08T21:04:00.000-04:00

It's already been about 2 weeks for me on FFXIV on Mysidia server and I have to say, the graphics are really stunning and amazing. But.... the game really sucks.

I'm so very disappointed and thinking, I should cancel my characters and wait a few months until Square Enix adds some improvements and more "fun" to the game. Of course, you can't really 'add' more 'fun' to a game but they really do have some fundamental concepts changed and might need an overhaul to get their fans back in place.

Just take a look at this review from Gamespot... it is a little harsh and I don't agree with everything the guy says, but he does nail down the basics on that it is clearly a very unintuitive interface (menus nested within menus of menus), and after learning how to play, there's just nothing left to do after doing the quests given to you which is limited to 8 within a 36 hour period. Then, the game just becomes a crafting grind which... who wants to play that kind of game from a huge mmo?? Moreover, who wants to PAY for a game where you craft?

Even the Japanese community is flaming down on SE... the fanboys of SE are most definitely very, very, very nervous... They tried to analyze where the game failed in 2channel and the consensus was just: PHAIL.

I feel sad and sorry for SE because they've had a wonderful chance, or chances to make great games. People say since Enix merged with Square, the quality started to go down. I don't think this is the case as the Dragonquest games and Kingdom Hearts series are very popular and I enjoyed them myself!

But perhaps SE needs to get off their high horse and listen to the community, then listen to the feedback from a more general audience and improve on constructive criticism, not make things that they like and fit the Final Fantasy series feel. Game are changing at a really fast pace now, and social networking is the next big thing to hit the smartphones... where will gaming take SE if FFXIV fails in the next 3 months??

ミシディアサバー入れないの？？

2010-09-26T21:43:00.000-04:00

FFXIVでミシディア（Mysidia)サバーに金剛寺サクヤのキャラを変わったけど、SquareEnixはこのサバーをもう終わったかい？？もう１つキャラ入れない。。。

FFXIVにやっと入ったぜーー！

2010-09-23T02:45:00.001-04:00

今日FFXIVにやっとINできました！「Corneliaのサーバ」　けどーーーすっごい疲れましたから、早くキャラを作ってリムサロミンサに入ってまだ何もしませんでしたｗ　もう寝ますからｗ
キャラ作るのは複雑なーと思っていました、６時間かかりましたよーーー　すっげーメンドクサカッタ！
ま～　明日続きますー頑張ります！Σd(ﾟ∀ﾟd)！

Happy 추석 to all Koreans :)

2010-09-21T22:59:00.000-04:00

So I learned tomorrow is 추석(Chusok), a Korean national holiday, similar to that of Thanksgiving in the United States, where families gather to say thanks and celebrate all kinds of wealth and givings of historical and traditional times. I think it's so wonderful to have this kind of holiday. It makes for a good excuse to get together with family you have not seen in a long time or just another reason to party on.

I guess a lot of the ladies will wear traditional dress on this occasion. To me, the Korean traditional attire is nothing like any other Asian countries. The colors are clean, simple, yet very brilliant, and the design is also amazing as well. Other Asian countries, especially the Southeastern islands and the whole area surrounding Thailand, seem to use excessive details and ornaments in traditional garments, which don't really appeal to me very much in the fashion sense. (They are still, all very beautiful, don't get me wrong).

Anyways, besides the beauty that comes out during this holiday, the wonderful food that arises is, to say the least, scrumptilicious!! (sp!lol)

I've always loved going to Korean restaurants and getting all the tiny bowls of appetizers and munching on them before the main dishes arrived. That was always Korea to me. And seeing some of these holiday traditional dishes just makes me want to try more new Korean dishes out there!

They also have a typical traditional food made specially for the Chuseok occasion called songpyeon, little rice cakes filled with grains like red beans, jujube, and chestnuts, and steamed over pine needles. To me, it looks like very cute mochi but I have yet to try these. I wonder if I ever can??

Nonetheless, culture is always fascinating and wonderful to me. I hope I can share this little bit of Korea with those of you who have come to my blog and read about this. Thank you very much. Go out there and explore the world with your own eyes, hands, and ears, and you will receive much more treasure than you'll ever need in a lifetime.

정말 감사합니다. 안전하게 그리고 휴일을 즐길 수 있습！！
☆^ヽ(*ﾟ｀∀´ﾟ)乂(´ﾟ∀ﾟ｀*)ﾉ^☆ﾟ━━━ﾟ.+:｡（ ´∀｀）(|__| ☆ |__|)（・∀・）ﾟ.+

Just Bento.

2010-09-20T05:05:00.000-04:00

While surfing the web for Japanese translations of strange phrases, I came upon a bento site for foreigners that was absolutely lovely and cute! I had to share it!

JUST BENTO is a site of a woman named Makiko Itoh who is bilingual and shows all sorts of ways to make cute little bentos for yourself, your children, your significant other, whoever... And it even has a bento planner widget or a meal planner if you can't pack things cutely into a tiny box. The amazing thing about this site that i found unlike other bento sites is how healthy everything is. There's isn't a whole lot of greasy or fried items and yet everything seems ravenously edible.

I just love bentos and there are some crazy bentos out there where people, mainly female, make some interesting pictures or food art with their bentos, like a Hello Kitty face or whatnot. Well, you can google those yourself but check out JUST BENTO for a quick lesson on bentos if you want.

Teenage Dream (cover)

2010-09-19T05:01:00.000-04:00

Wow my friend in RL, Chris posted this in his tweet and i dont know whether I'm thankful I clicked the link or regretful...

Do you believe in ghosts?

2010-09-18T00:51:00.000-04:00

So one of my favorite American TV shows is Ghost Adventures, where three guys travel around the world to haunted locations and try to use science to prove that ghosts (or spirits) really exist.

Half of this show I think is just fake. A lot of it I think is acting. But the really fun and cool thing that I like about the show is the evidence they capture using some really interesting technology. The tape recorder is very typical for capturing ghostly voices and sounds. But sometimes the Ghost Adventures team uses things like a UV camera or device which allows ghosts to channel certain words into a screen... well, it gets complicated to try to explain but this show, if in one word, compared to other ghost shows, is entertaining.

The new season premiere, which aired tonight, New York east coast timezone, at 9:00pm, was kind of interesting. It was in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, a place which I never expected to really be 'that kind of haunted.' I mean, the United States of America has such a short history, I would think very old places that have seen a lot of bloodshed and strife would be better candidates for haunted hot spots. Yet there were some pretty disturbing places shown at the show.

But besides visiting interesting haunted places, the team of 3, Zak, Nick, and Aaron, do their 'lockdown' as they call it, in complete darkness, no extra people, no extra help. I think this is very new and as being the brave guys as they are, they go into some very dark places I would never in a million lifetimes find myself in. I think it's a great setting for a show and i always get creeped out by the end of it with my arm hairs sticking out! Perhaps there are static ghosts through the television??

For myself, I somewhat believe to a certain extent that spirits do exist out there yet we as human beings, are unable to understand the relevance of the afterlife or beyond to our own existences. So therefore I am considered agnostic to many. But having this tiny bit of belief allows me to enjoy this kind of haunted show. For others who don't get scared so easily, you're no fun. :P

New Kdrama, New Look, New Shoes

2010-09-16T23:47:00.001-04:00

So first off as this blog post says, I've started watching Personal Preference/개인의 취향 which starts the lovely Lee Min Ho from Boys Before Flowers.

Here's a blurb of the plotline:
Jeon Jin Ho is a straight guy who pretends to be gay in order to become Park Kae In's roommate. His hobbies include organization and ironing, and he’s known for his stoic poker face. He’s a stickler for cleanliness, but he also has a talent for figuring out a women’s feelings. Kae In is very trusting even though she has a habit of being betrayed. However that doesn't stop her from giving people the benefit of doubt and Jin Ho is no different. How will Kae In react when she finds out that her gay roommate is not actually gay at all and that he has fallen for her?

It starts a little slow I'll have to say, but then picks up in the 2nd episode when the character of Jeon Jin Ho starts to live with Park Kae In. Well, I haven't gotten too far yet so i'll stop there. But those of you who are interested, it is streaming on mysoju.com as well as some other nice dramas.

For this blog, I've installed easy access toolbar in the bottom as well as changing some widgets. I just discovered Wibiya and trying it out now. I hope it picks up some speed with people who visit. I will have to get this blog out more.

Lynnfoxx now has a Facebook page all to her own now and tweets should be normally coming in now. I think I'd like to change the look of this blog's template but just can't seem to find any templates that I like.

Kim Beom～ 김상범

2010-09-16T22:15:00.000-04:00

So I have just finished watching Boys Before Flowers/꽃보다 남자 and Dream/드림and if I could describe the very perfect face for my dream date or dream man, it would have to be Kim Beom.

I know, I know, I've gone through Matsumoto Jun, and Hiroshi Tamaki and all those other fruity guys, who else should I mention anyways?? lol

But I think this one is the winner, why? Well, for his baby face and his composure. And he's Korean, the most realistic acting there is in the Asian world! I love the sound of his voice and I really really hate him for that. It makes me want to rip my hair out and wish I never discovered him. You know how that feels, like a first love that just won't come true and you know it! Haha, ok just another fangirl whining so pay no attention to me.

But really, if you haven't seen Boys Before Flowers, and enjoy K-drama, you are sooo missing out on the K-pop culture! One of my cousins just flew out to Korea for a language translation job and I am sooo jealous! Well, it's not like I'd ever be able to meet Kim anyways but hell, i'll see him in my dreams! For the girls, more images of the lovely Kim Beom (pronounced like bum) below.

Maybe next idol post I'll blog about a hot, sexy, female asian celeb.

Kim Beom as a K-1 trainee...HOT! (Now if ever i'd watch sports, i'd have to watch beautiful men do it!)

One week to FFXIV CE!

2010-09-16T01:53:00.000-04:00

Doing some overhaul work on this site before I go pick up my FFXIV Collector's Edition next week at Gamestop! I can't wait... but actually, funny thing is, even though I got in since the beginning of beta, i opted out of the open beta just because I know it's gonna happen all over again and why waste my time on a broken product when I can just put my efforts into the official one. Ahhh! But I can't sit still for a week!

I'm still contemplating what race to make, female midlander or catty miqo'te.... I like the miquotes this time around (as oppsed to the mithra in FFXI). They are beautiful. The human females are beautiful too but I just can't stand the girly run that they have, swinging their arms left and right like they've never exercised or played a sport before. It feels so condescending to the female species. ┐(´д｀)┌

But well, who knows, I'd rather be taken for a female gamer than mistaken for a male gamer playing a female character, so I most likely may make a Midlander. Maybe I'll make a miqo'te for my 2nd character for something else. If there is a purpose for something else... have yet to understand the skill point allocation system and how i can level efficiently with the fatigue system.

I AM A CASUAL GAMER.

so hurray for ffxiv. and boo to all those male testosterone gamers out there. There's xbox for that, which I myself indulge in time to time. But ffxiv is not for testosterone and bloodsports. :D hehe

On another note, Lynnfoxx has started a new Facebook Fan Page, which you can link to below in the new toolbar below. Same with twitter, though Twitter is the real me, real life accounts, and the like... One could say, more ways to increase e-stalkers but hopefully I'll get some good following going and have some enjoyable tweeting going around.... I wonder if i should make a post about why i've never tweeted for such a long time.

Ah the internet is just getting way too complicated for me. >.> I think i'll go shopping. :) <3

Linkshell Poster 2010 Contest Entry!!

2010-09-01T23:34:00.000-04:00

Oh my gah=== I can't believe August is finished... now THAT was a crazy month! And next to that, I was able to finally finish my entry for the eorzeapedia LS wants you contest. I took the whole damn time to make it too, i wish i were a better/faster artist. I have a friend who works at Disney who told me once, "A good artist can most well draw about anything given, but a great artist is consistent." So true my friend, so true.

Well, that said, here is my entry and below is a slideshow of how i came about with the image. I don't use Photoshop like most people probably do... it's very hard for me actually. I use a japanese program called SAI that i highly recommend to those who want to do very fine line art. It's so smooth and the sensitivity with the wacom tablet is really good. I just wish i was a better cartoonist... I can't draw any cartoons or anime very well. I wish I had more time because people always look back and wish they could change this or that. if I could change anything, i'd change the layout... feels too squished and crowded. But I do like the font of the title! haha, the designer in me talking! :P

But oh well, it's done, i gotta get back to work now! I hope people will enjoy the image!　
ｶﾝﾊﾟ━━━ﾟ.+:｡（ ´∀｀）(|__| ☆ |__|)（・∀・）ﾟ.+:｡━━━ｲ!!

FFXIV... the beginning of all beginnings!

2010-07-12T18:41:00.000-04:00

All I can say is... the wait is no longer excruciating!

And for those of you who already know why!!! yatta!

2 days ago, beta started. And I am a happy cat.

Pre-order FFXIV CE and SE !!!!

2010-07-07T22:00:00.000-04:00

So the long awaited news finally came last month, where the release date of FFXIV was announced, for early birds who want the Collector's Edition (like me), you can order from Gamestop or Amazon. I pre-ordered onsite at Gamestop and online at Amazon, you just never know. And might as well give one to a friend who will play with me. Also got a Standard Edition so that I can get the extra item. Yeah, it is overkill but I went to the conventions and everything for FFXI so it's not that overkill. It's my hobby, and you're supposed to spend time, effort, and your own earned money on something you enjoy and have fun with.

Well, when the CE comes out and i go pick it up, those 8 days earlier than the rest of the world, I'll be makin my character asap and letting you all know which server I'm on, who I am, and the nation and race I pledge loyalty too!!!

Azul 2010 Headshot

2010-07-07T21:52:00.001-04:00

Azul 2010 Headshot, originally uploaded by LeylaVayandar.

Here is my headshot for Miss Azul 2010 contest.

It's basically a bridal shot. Yes, cleavage is always a must.

Azul's Crimson Bride

2010-07-07T21:51:00.001-04:00

Azul's Crimson Bride, originally uploaded by LeylaVayandar.

This is my most recent photo entry for the Miss Azul 2010 contest.

This full body shot features Azul's crimson bride outfit, with Virtual Impression black pearl earrings and necklace set, and Tukinogawa Rose hair.

Of course, because of the veil, you can't really see the hair but at least I HAVE hair. It was hard to get the veil see-through when I was processing the model with the background image. But I think it turned out well.

A mix of a strong color, and character, with a soft, airy, and eerie background of champagne colors, gives for a nice atmosphere of mystery and elegance.

Fashionable Equipment in FFXIV trailer~

2010-06-15T22:09:00.000-04:00

If this is what a mithra 2.0 can look like in FFXIV then i definitely am going to make one as my main in FFXIV. I didn't make a mithra as a main in ffxi because of the whole gender issue and catcalling (no pun intended) but this time around, I really love the fashion and detail put into it, and as I love fashion in real life, how could I avoid roleplaying a fashionista in a Final Fantasy game!!

FFXIV Benchmark &Trailer

2010-06-15T19:48:00.002-04:00

So today (or yesterday) the benchmark for FFXIV came out and is available here.

Yay!!! So I installed it and watched what all the other alpha testers could watch. The graphics are so much better and I just can't wait to get my hands on the game now! Now it makes me crazzzzy for more information! and releaseeee date!

oh yeah, and to just torture us fans some more, they released a new trailer with tons of 'mysteries' such as the 'boy with horns on his head' ... possible new playable race???

すごい興奮してるね！　もう我慢できないよ、このｆｆｘｉｖを遊びたいな～！　今日Ｅ３で新しいトレーラーが来た！　みなさん、楽しみですね！！！　━(_ﾟﾛﾟ)人(ﾟﾛﾟ)人(_ﾟﾛﾟ)ｼ━ｯ！

Nicotto Town・

2010-06-13T06:23:00.000-04:00

スマイルラボとスクウェア・エニックス、ニフティの3社は9月29日、ブラウザベースのコミュニティーサービス「Nicotto Town」の正式版サービスを開始した。

Nicotto Townはスマイルラボが開発するコミュニティーサービスだ。ブラウザ上で利用できるFlashベースの仮想世界を中心に、ブログやカジュアルゲームなど各種のサービスが利用できる。

スマイルラボでは8月22日よりNicotto Townアルファ版のクローズドサービスを提供してきた。現在のユーザー数は6000名ほどで、デイリーで平均1500名がログインしていたという。ユーザーの男女比は男性対女性で4対6、年齢層は男性が30代を中心としているのに対し、女性は10～20代が中心となっている。

仮想世界は現実の世界をベースにした手書き風のデザイン。東京の天気にあわせて雨や雪が降るほか、春に桜が舞うといったエフェクトも予定する。なお安全性を考慮し、仮想世界サービスの利用時間は毎日10時から24時までとなっている。

この仮想世界上では、ユーザーは仮想通貨「コイン」でアバター向けにファッションアイテムを購入したり、カジュアルゲームやユーザー同士のチャットを楽しむことができる。

アバターと並ぶ小倉優子さん

アバターは重ね着にも対応するため、50～100のレイヤーデータを持つという。スマイルラボ代表取締役社長の伊藤隆博氏は「最後発であるからには最高品質と考え、デザインだけで4カ月かかった。アバターはサイズも大きく、服の縫い目も再現できるため、今後はファッションブランドなどとの連携も検討している。10月中には何かしらのショップを提供する」と語る。

また正式版の新要素として、「家」の所有が可能になった。「韓国のCyworldでは部屋、米国のSecond Lifeでは土地という概念があるが、日本人には家が必要。『知らない人が突然部屋に来るのは困る』という声もユーザーから挙がった」（伊藤氏）。そのほかタレントの小倉優子さんお気に入りの限定アバターアイテムをコインで購入できるキャンペーンも実施する。

Poupee Girl・プーペガール

2010-06-09T14:46:00.000-04:00

I found this wonderful cute site for fashion and sharing fashion among other "gyarus" called Poupee Girl.　For those of you who don't know what a 'gyaru' is, it means 'girl' (or gal) but pronounced in Japanese, the katakana becomes 'gyaru'... however, 'gyaru' connotes a girl anywhere between the ages of just exploding puberty and starting to wear and tear around the face midlines.... (omg like ME ALL THE TIME.. ｛puts on some Oil of Olay Regenerative cream, yeah!}) These girls are always in style and wearing the most fashionable things, but they aren't celebs or anything, just your regular ordinary high school, college or next door neighbor girl wearing and accessorizing to no end.

It's a fun little site because in sharing fashion and whatnot, you can also collect 'points' in the form of jewels and ribbons, and with those points, buy little vector clothing/fashionables for your avatar. It's totally like the paper dolls from the 80s that you could dress up and cut out more clothes to dress them up except online and with more variety. Of course, on Poupee Girl, you can actually 'buy' stuff with real money but who wants to do that when you can get stuff for free (for your avatar).

BORING!!

2010-06-05T00:02:00.001-04:00

Life is BORING waiting for E3 to come and get started!! Well, work is busy as usual and life is just.. nonstop. But at least this is like the driest run of the FF14 weather. It's like Square Enix went into hibernation and it's parched, dry, dead, nothing, nada to look forward too and it's just killer. I have gotten to the point where I just almost don't care anymore. Not one thought of FF14 or anytihng FF comes to mind during my days passing by, and for some time, it can be kind of blissful but then it just gets boring. I mean, can you really live without some kind of entertainment in your life?

With E3 just weeks away, I'm beginning to hope that some huge surprise or trailer or new invites to beta will come about but I also don't want to be disappointed so i'm trying to suppress my desire to imagine what's to come. I've even stopped perusing websites and fansites regarding ff14... my sudden departure is surely not missed anyways. I'm the type who becomes active when there IS shit that's about to hit the fan IN A GLORIOUS WAY. Not when things are on hiatus and OH SO boring.

Well, on another note, I started back on reading my current manga 会長はメイド様 (Kaichou wa MAID-sama) which is really cute and great if you like high school romance/comedy, hot perfectly rich boys, and maids. Why can't someone like Usui come and sweep me off my feet!?!? (￫‿￩)

Real Life Lifestyles.

2010-05-07T23:20:00.000-04:00

Real Life has been really busy recently. Taxes are over in the US. and moving all my clothes and stuff from Japan to here has been a big hassle. Now things are a little more settled, I can continue working on my designs! And i can't wait because I am doing printwork for a wedding next so that's kind of crazy and fun. It's so funny because I live a crazy and glamorous life but this girl i'm helping design stuff for just wants very simple traditional work done. Well, no problem for me but each to her own! Guys, remember, when the time comes for your fiance to prep the wedding, SHE handles the reigns and your input should never overpower hers.

On another note, check out these really nice wedding cakes!

十二神ってだれだっけ？Alpha Test End/Beta Start?

2010-04-12T05:35:00.000-04:00

◆ミコッテ / サンシーカーの記述より◆
自らを「太陽の使人」と称する、ミコッテの一部族。太陽神アーゼマの信徒が多く、昼間を活動時間の中心とする。縦に細長い瞳と淡い色の虹彩の印象的な目をもつ。

◆ミコッテ / ムーンキーパーの記述より◆
自らを「月の防人」と称するミコッテの一部族。月神メネフィナの信徒が多く、基本的に夜行性。鮮やかな戦化粧を顔に施している者が多い。

◆海の都リムサ・ロミンサの記述より◆
エオルゼアにある内海・ロターノ海に浮かぶ島にある、海洋都市国家。海の神リムレーンを守護神としている。湾内に点在する無数の小島や岩礁の上に渡された白い橋が作り出す気品のある町並みは、吟遊詩人から「リムレーンのベール」と謳われる。

◆豊穣の神ノフィカ◆
森林と河川を領する田園都市国家内部を流れる無数の運河に面して作られた水車と巨大な木造建築物によって町並が形成。守護神は豊穣の神ノフィカ

◆商売の神ナルザル◆
岩砂砂漠を領する交易都市国家。高い防壁と内にひしめく興行施設、中心部のドーム状の居城によって街の外観を形成。守護神は二面を持つ商売の神ナルザル

◆ギャザラー / 採掘師の記述より◆
かつて鉱山都市であったウルダハ発祥の鉱業技術を習熟しているため、鉱脈探査や土木作業など仕事の幅は広い。彼らのあいだでは定説となっている大陸漂流説から、放浪の神オシュオンを崇める者が多い。

◆クラフター / 裁縫師の記述より◆
衣服のクラフター。繊維を集めて糸を紡ぎ，糸を集めて布を織り，布を集めて衣服を仕立てる一連の仕事を一手にこなす繊維の専門家である。紡車を回して人々の命数を紡ぐとされる女神ニメーヤを信奉する者が多い。

でも他の５つの神はまだ知らないので、待ってしかないです。

これもアルファテストのインフォです：
１週３回程行い、毎回4時間程度
ワールド名：Shadowlord

4月08日(木)：第１回αテスト(終了)
4月13日(火)：第２回αテスト

基本的な仕様の安定性や負荷調査を行ったあとに、
βテストのフェーズ1へと移行

:::: Invisible Children ::::

2010-03-24T02:43:00.009-04:00

So recently I had read a People magazine sitting on my mother's office desk and found out that I had just missed the Oscars for this year and that James Cameron was NOT a winner for his true blue Avatar movie. So I had to, just HAD TO, go onto Youtube to watch all the special moments of the Oscars 2010, including when Ben Stiller presented Best Makeup dressed up as a Na'vi which was FRIGGIN AWESOME because of those contacts he wore. And then after about like 5 youtube videos of the Oscars, I discovered that they had incorporated into the entertainment sections, hip-hop dancing for the Best Song category.

So that video was pretty awesome which then in turn made me discover a channel about a group of dancers named League of Extraordinary Dancers, better known as LXD, who pop, lock, break, and all of the above. (I used to be a former dancer back in the day, hiphop mainly and a little bit of fluid popping. And I am female!) So I was looking forward to watching some dance videos but instead, the LXD channel on Youtube turned out to be some guy's (Jon M. Chu) channel for making a film ABOUT dancing, and not just some random dancing videos.

So I was blown away by the new wave of dancing the LXD is trying to do/promote/etc. They aren't just another BBoy/Girl group or vying for ABDC (on MTV). I'm really glad to see a group like them trying to create something further beyond hiphop and the current dance styles we have now. I mean, it all started with tribal movements to classic baroque ballet to modern and contemporary dance and so on.

And I'm a fan of it all. But then I caught a video in memory of Michael jackson, easily the best pop dancer/entertainer ever born. This video was of a little boy from Uganda, so cute!! who was dancing to all of MJ's popular moves. And why Uganda, I wondered, and moved on to read the info to reveal a website for something called "Invisible Children."

Invisible Children is yes, another charity organization, zomg another one, you are thinking, I'm sure. But it's for the next generation. And always it's the next generation that can better the world for YOU when you're all old and mangily. Yes, these kids are really far away from you perhaps, but all they need a small piece of anything from you. I myself give clothing and money donations. Yeah, I wish I could one day go and help out somewhere in the world where help is needed by alas I am bound by my own selfish needs and comfort of American society. Boo to me! But I vow to do my part if you will too!

However, I think now more than ever charity and the bettering of our world is really important. I mean, 30 years ago, life was just advancing into a new technological age. But now just looking at the desolation and laziness of big cities/countries of the world because of our technologies, you would be able to believe 2012 isn't just a movie.
Nonetheless, everyone HAS a minute to spare, a dime to spare, an extra T-shirt somewhere you can give away. I mean, if you can read this blog, you've got internet. You've got money. You've got a roof over your head. So yeah, take your little lazy butt and do some good in the world. Cuz it's is the best feeling in the world to receive kindness from a stranger, especially when you are a child born into poverty and thinking about when your next meal is gonna come.

Windows 7 Ultimate

2010-03-21T19:42:00.000-04:00

先週Windows 7 Ultimateを買っちゃった！すごいスムーズなGUIになったと思っていたけど、テマとかアイコンとかちょっと使いにくいです。もちろん、綺麗で安固のはいいでも、APPLEのGUIをコピーが感じます。まー　MicrosoftのBill Gatesから逃げられないなので、しょうがないね！(´；ω；`)ｳｯ…

So I got sucked into buying Windows 7 Ultimate (listens to wallet die)! and I have to say it is rather smooth and stable so far. But I still find it's new features and perks somewhat echoing the aspects of the Apple OS GUI most times. Nonetheless, Bill Gates has managed to infiltrate most of the world's systems, there's not much to do about it for us designers/gamers and the like.

Second Life Viewer Beta 2.0

2010-03-21T02:15:00.000-04:00

So I downloaded and installed the new beta viewer for SL which seemed smoother, cleaner, and simpler. Well, actually it's not. Beyond that, I had problems hearing any voices... well, I couldn't hear ANY voices at all. Only lots of typing.

So I was about to reinstall the old SL... when after about 3 hours of searching Google, i came upon a small thread where a guy had written that SLVoice.exe is unable to recognize sound devices with names longer than 31+ letters. So I didn't want to rename my sound device and just reverted back to "Default" for Output device and voila! I could hear again! So much hassle for such a ridiculous bug.

I can see how the new UI is trying to clean up the old clicking and searching for items in your tens of thousands of items and galore, but it seems like just a new way to do the same complicated thing as before. I mean really, there is no easy way to go about SL. I mean, basically it's like training for Linux.

GUI's are always difficult to create and the most criticized aspect of most games. But then again, could you even consider Second Life as a game? I think it should fall in the over-glorified version of all social websites and 3d adult games in one little client. It could and should consider a renaming to Under Life or so.

FFXIII Chapter 6

2010-03-16T20:08:00.000-04:00

Well I've gotten around to chapter 6 and i'm really liking Sazh's character. He seems the most real to me and has a good voice actor. Well, I hvae yet to see the rest of all the character's developments so I can't really choose which one is my favorite character right now.

So far there's been no new news about FFXIV except beta and a website update. Looks like i'll just have to continue cleaning my room and hoping real life won't get too busy that I can't even play it on release date.

On another note, it's far too early but I'm wondering what I should be for Halloween....

Lots of Updates!

2010-03-13T06:05:00.000-05:00

So the NA/JP websites for FFXIV have been updated. It's really nice to see how surnames will look. I am guessing perhaps there will be a list to choose from. It would be too awesome if we could make our own surnames though if we had the ability to, I would really appreciate it. Of course then we'd see a whole bunch of NA players make some silly two-worded names or even just sayings (FU comes to mind.)

On FFXIII, I have to say, it's one of the best so far and I really am loving the graphics and smoothness of the battle system... On the downside, I am beginning to feel like the technical terms are getting very muddly, even within the story itself. Of course, for fans, the lore and etc. should be exciting. But for the new players or first time FF players, this might all be a bit overwhelming.

正直、本編よりも分かりやすい。
まだ、FF13買ってなくて気になってる人はこれでも読んどくとストーリーがつかみやすくなるはず。

それにしても、専門用語増やしすぎは良くないわ。

And now for some awesome cosplay!

Omg the dude didn't even forget about his chocobo!!!

FFXIV in Famitsu. FFXIII's graphics.

2010-03-11T06:12:00.000-05:00

FFXIV info has come out in the latest Famitsu~ Shows a lot of new info on the weapons and types of classes.

What really intrigues me is that the shading of the skin/cloth/materials looks different than most other games. I wonder how the engine for it was built ~ A 'crysta' engine or "White Engine" I think... if i remember. Supposedly a new one for PS3 and for FFXIII as well.

Currently playing FFXIII and it's really beautiful and amazing. The voice acting is actually not bad and matches the lip-syncing. I wonder if they had some english-speaking animators to help the animation team out?? Especially in adding Australian accents to the different characters for development. Really nice work ... cuz I could remember when FF7 came out and that was supposedly mind-blowing. Then FFX came out and that was pretty good but still weird to see the lips not syncing quite right.

Now that FFXIII is almost really smooth in all aspects of the RPG series itself, I can't imagine what the next FF... FF15!? will be like... or in 10 years, what will that be like... I just hope they don't use real humans. But they could adapt James Cameron's technique to the face acting and BAM! the animations would be on a whole new other level.

FFXIII released today!

2010-03-09T21:14:00.003-05:00

and I got it! Went to Best Buy this morning and picked it up. Nope, I didn't preorder it.

Well I've got both the JP and NA versions so twice the chances of getting into the beta. Hopefully yes but if not, that's alright. I've already got my hands full in RL~

Periodic Table of Final Fantasy!

2010-03-06T05:22:00.000-05:00

I was surfing around reading about random gadgets and things and I found that some guy put together a bunch of FF characters into the periodic table of elements! Crazy!!... but unfortunately the characters don't really have any kind of order as the elements do, otherwise that would be even more crazy...

なんかすごいイメージを探しました。たくさんファイナル・ファンタジーのキャラは周期表（しゅうきひょう) に入りました！これは見事ですけれども、後先が無くて残念ですのっと思っていました。まーいいでしょう～！

FFXIV Beta Testing.

2010-03-04T07:05:00.000-05:00

So it has been announced that the beta testing will begin March 11, 2010.

The Vanafest attendees are all attendees! (damn them! unless I get a beta part as well) Anyways, so far there's been no information on any testing really so until March 11, things won't be in the news.

Just can't sit around and wait now though...