Metal Gear Ac!d

Genre: Action, Spy / Espionage, Shooter
Platform: PSP
2004 Konami Corporation. Screenshots and images courtesy of Amazon.Com.

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Amazon.Com Product Description:
The legendary Metal Gear series comes to the PSP in METAL GEAR ACID. Experience a whole new gameplay system that focuses on deep tactical strategy with an entirely new Metal Gear storyline. As the role of top-secret agent, Solid Snake, players will make calculated decisions to plan out their infiltration strategy and accomplish the mission in a turn-based style of game. Through the use of strategic battle cards, players are given different abilities and stealth tactics to achieve the mission objectives. METAL GEAR ACID delivers the trademark stealth-action experience in a completely new game for the portable gaming audience to enjoy.

One Amazing Ac!d Trip >>> by Voldemort

Although the PSP is chock full of ports of PS2 games made to be played on the go, but don’t let the Metal Gear franchise fool you: Metal Gear Ac!d is not a port of any existing Metal Gear game in any other system. In fact, unlike the other Metal Gear games, Metal Gear Ac!d, one of the launch titles of the PSP, is definitely an innovative addition to the celebrated franchise in its own right.

Metal Gear Ac!d picks up on the story of Solid Snake in the year 2016, which is nowhere indicative of when in the Metal Gear Solid series this game actually takes place. Regardless of the continuity considerations, Ac!d departs from the traditional Metal Gear gameplay by instead employing a card game system that completely changes the complexion of the game.

Story: A+ (10)

I can’t outline the story in detail without giving away some unwanted spoilers, but the summary is that while in the middle of a mountain climbing expedition, Snake gets called in by a CIA agent named Roger to help track down a scientist in Lobito Island of the Moloni Republic in Southern Africa. This scientist apparently holds the key to a top-secret research program known only as Pythagoras.

The Pythagoras program is necessary because it is one of the demands of whoever it was that has hijacked Jumbo Jet flight 326, holding 517 passengers hostage, including Senator Viggo Hach, a presidential favorite come the next U.S. elections.

Snake has his work cut out for him, though, as the Moloni Republic doesn’t want to cooperate, so not only does he have to go find Pythagoras himself, he also has to contend with mercenaries in the Republic who are after the same thing as well.

While that is the story in a nutshell, there are going to be plenty of twists and turns along the way. Nobody in the story may actually turn out to be what they seem, and that includes Snake himself.

The story is engaging, and had me on the edge of my seat after I completed each mission. I was eager to know more about the story as it unraveled before my very eyes, and it’s hard not to love the very gripping storyline that covers everything from betrayal to intrigue to conspiracy to mistaken identity.

In talking about the story, it is inevitable to mention that you will find a lot of endearing characters in the game as well. Solid Snake is a given, but look out for names like Alice, Leone, Minnette, and Teliko, as these are just a few of the other characters who have definitely made the game all that more fun to run through for me.

Gameplay: B+ (8)

While the gameplay of Ac!d is definitely revolutionary, the learning curve is extremely high. This is the main thing that keeps Ac!d from getting a perfect mark in this category.

Ac!d’s gameplay is all about the battle system, primarily. What really makes it good is the fact that it seamlessly weaves together a turn-based strategy approach with playing cards, effectively combining luck of the draw with strategic skill for a very impressive package.

With each turn, you are allowed to play at least two cards. For each card you play, you have any of three options: USE, MOVE, and EQUIP. When you use a card, you simply do what its text indicates, be it shooting, attacking, or other assorted actions. When you move with a card, you simply move a given number of spaces with the card in question instead of using its ability. Equipping a card, on the other hand, puts the item in question in your equipment box, and effects for it vary.

The Equipment part is what makes the game a bit complicated. You see, the best weapons are equip-type weapons, and it’s unclear how to actually shoot with them, as the tutorial says you need to use the appropriate ammo when using such weapons. Oddly, there are no ammo cards. Apparently, your “ammo” would be weapons that actually have the same ammo type as the weapon you currently have equipped, such that a PSG-1 Sniper’s “ammo” would be another PSG-1 Sniper, or maybe a Dragunov Sniper.

Each card you employ has a corresponding COST, which is a measure of how much time you consume in using the card in question. You cannot take another turn until your total COST approaches 0 after you’ve used all your remaining moves for the turn. Therefore, it is a good idea to watch your COST lest you end up being stuck while your opponents take turns in rapid succession and find you or kill you before you even get another one.

The gameplay is very solid in this department, and in fact, addictive. The fact that the cards in your hand determine what actions you can perform means that you would want to get powerful cards to enhance your deck, and thus the desire to collect the best cards would result in playing and replaying lots of missions just to have the appropriate amount of points to purchase the cards in question. I’ve literally spent ten hours more than I should’ve in gameplay just to have enough points to buy booster packs to make my deck better, and the fact that the cards you get per pack are random makes the addictiveness factor of finding certain cards all the more exciting.

Graphics: B+ (8)

The cel-shaded graphics of Metal Gear Ac!d are definitely attractive, but is nowhere near the current level of graphics that we know the PSP can actually achieve.

This fact, however, does not give Ac!d a free pass to anything beyond a B+, as while the graphics are pretty good, they’re nothing spectacular, when contrasted to fellow launch titles like Burnout and Ridge Racer.

Music & Sound: B (7)

The music and sound is pretty appropriate for the game, although the lack of voice-overs definitely takes away from making the game topnotch in this department. The sound effects are standard fare for the Metal Gear series, and the Music tracks, while limited, capture the feel of what is happening onscreen: slow when sneaking around, fast-paced when on the run.

The music and sound are there, and are good enough for what they’re supposed to do. Beyond that, there really isn’t much here, as this isn’t the game’s strongest suit at all.

Replayability: B+ (8)

Ac!d is a game you’d still play even if you finished it already. This is because upon completion of the game, you get a card you can only get from completing the game, and the same thing happens upon completing it a second time: you get a different card again.

At the same time, there are a lot of cinematics from using certain cards, including shots of hot Japanese models in bikinis, so you might want to try doing that as well, aside from completing your collection of all 204 cards, which will keep you busy for a long while as you continue to play the game in an effort to fine-tune your deck.

Furthermore, as a heads-up to those who plan to get the sequel, 1/100th of your remaining points and any one card from your collection can be transferred via save file to Metal Gear Ac!d 2 at the start of a new game, so there’s even more incentive to go ahead and buffer your save file.

Overall: B+ (8)

Metal Gear Ac!d is a very fun and engaging game that’s hard to ever get enough of. From the amazing storyline to the innovative gameplay system, this game is definitely one of the bright spots of the PSP.

This game is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys turn-based strategy games, collectible card games, Metal Gear fans, and anyone who wants to go on a fun Ac!d trip.

PLAYER STATUS:
DIFFICULTY:
COMPLETION TIME:
HIGHEST LEVEL ACHIEVED:
RATINGS: Gameplay 8; Battle 8; Story 10; Visuals 8; Characters 10; Sounds 7; Replay Value 8

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

Genre: Drama
Parental Guidance Recommended
2004 Mahiro Maeda, original novel by Alexandre Dumas, Gonzo, Animax, TV Asahi

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Amazon.com Product Description:
Albert is a young man of privilege in Paris, but the trappings of his aristocratic birth leave him bored and unsatisfied. Seeking adventure, Albert’s restless spirit leads him to a festival on the moon – and to the Count of Monte Cristo.

An enigmatic man of charm and wealth, the Count of Monte Cristo’s charisma and sophistication captivate Albert. The fascinated youth invites the nobleman to mingle within the upper echelons of Parisian society, and the Count is soon courting the favor of France’s most powerful families. Little does Albert know, as his new friend walks the ornate halls of the highest class, the Count of Monte Cristo wants only to bring them crashing down through vengeance.

(24 episodes)

Revenge never looked that good! >>> by lensman

The Count Of Monte Cristo is one of my all time favourite novels. A story of love, betrayal, revenge, death, madness and redemption. I remember reading this when I was a kid and being drawn into the story, learning to care about Edmond Dantes and his quest for revenge on the men and women that he felt wronged him.

It is also a novel that hasn't been adapted well on screen. I have watched most of the big-screen adaptations and none managed to capture the spirit of the original novel. And don't even get me started on the recent movie adaptation.

Once again anime succeeds where Hollywood fails. Gankutsuou, while adding supernatural and sci-fi elements, and not exactly following the plot of the original, especially in the later half of the story, manages to convey the atmosphere of reading an Alexander Dumas novel perfectly.

The show goes to great lengths to achieve that feeling. From adding a somber French narrative at the start of each episode, to the vibrant portrayal of future Paris as it is frequently romanticized in the past, and the bizarre costumes that the characters wear, Gankutsuou manages to draw the viewers inside its universe and make them part of its world.

In adapting the novel, the creators of Gankutsuou took an interesting approach. The story is not being told from the point of view of the count, but from the point of view of Albert, who is the son of one of the Count's targets for revenge. The focus is not on the Count's story but how his revenge schemes affect those around him. This approach allows for the real human drama and madness to unfold and provides some incredible moments.

As far as protagonists go, Albert is about as child-like as they come. He is naive to the point of stupidity. He is stubborn like a child. He frequently has his head in the clouds. He gets frequently carried away by his emotions and he refuses to listen to sound advice that his friends give him. As such, he is the perfect puppet for the Count to manipulate in order to get to the targets of his revenge schemes. And yet, throughout the course of the series, after the disasters that befall his family and friends, he manages to mature, get to pull his stuff together and bring a happy end to the story... As happy as it can be in the present circumstances.

The Count, like the original novel, is the most interesting character. He clearly has a good motive to do what he does, and he lets his plan unfold flawlessly. There is one major difference between the novel and the anime though. While the Count clearly repents for his actions in the novel, he is absolutely remorseless in Gankutsuou. He doesn't feel a bit of guilt for using people that didn't do him any harm to achieve his ends. He doesn't care about the innocents that get hurt. He is ruthless and merciless.

Even though the portrayal of the Count in Gankutsuou is more one-dimensional, it oddly works really well on screen, mainly due to the fact that the people that he exacts revenge upon deserve it. Villefort is a ruthless bastard that likes to sentence people to death for crimes such as petty theft. Danglars is a money-hungry vulture that has no qualms about selling out his own family for money. Fernard seems like a pretty likeable guy, but when the niceties are over and he shows his true colors later in the show, we no longer feel sympathy for him.

Aside from the major change in the count's character, several other liberties were taken when adapting the novel. Some side-stories in the novel are reduced or scrapped altogether, and several characters that are alive by the end of the original novel don't make it to the final episode's credits. I, for one, didn't mind those changes and personally thought that it allowed for some tighter and better storytelling.

Trying to describe the visual aspect of Gankutsuou is really difficult. There is a certain aspect of the animation that will definitely irk some, namely the way the costumes and hair of the characters appear on screen. To put it simply, there is a singular pattern that remains stationary while the character moves, creating a truly weird effect. Yu get used to it, after a while, and it adds a lot to the show's atmosphere.

The 2D artwork of Gankutsuou is truly mind-blowing. Apart from the psychedelic patterns, the character and background designs are gorgeous. Every single cell of animation looks like a well made oil-canvas. The lighting, the expression, everything is made in such a way that you become absorbed into the Count's world. They look impressive enough on the screenshots, but you should really see them move to appreciate the outstanding work and effort that Gonzo put into it. The 3D artwork...

...Well, this is where Gankutsuou is sadly slightly off the mark. It's not actually that bad in itself, but mixing it with the show's awesome 2D visuals feels like mixing oil and water. They don't go well together. This brings the overall visual quality of the show down somewhat, which I think is a shame.

While the visual aspect of Gankutsuou is what will stand out, it's the sound that truly hits home. The music sports a wide variety of styles, from simple classic piano music to elaborate techno, and helps convey the atmosphere perfectly. The ending theme is a hard rock song that describes the Count and it comes up at exactly the perfect moment in every episode. The opening theme is a bit too melodramatic for my taste and is the low point of the show. That is not to to say that it's bad, it's to say that it's not quite as good as the in-series music and the ending theme.

A special mention should go to the voice actors in both the English and the Japanese versions. Jouji Nakata (our beloved Alucard) is perfect as the Count, while Kikouko "Belldandy" Inoue manages to give a truly heart-wrenching performance as Mercedes. The English Cast, especially the count, is doing a great job of keeping up, and the voices really fit the characters well. The fact that you don't have to deal with the "Americanization" of Japanese names (every time I hear a Japanese name in English, I cringe, no matter how good the translation is), due to the names already being in English, certainly helps.

In fact, Gankutsuou, because it's an adaptation of a well known story, because of it's really well made artwork, and because the voice acting and translations are top-notch is the perfect title to use in order to introduce anime to people not just as an entertainment medium for a bunch of hardcore fans, but as an art form.

So buy it today, and show the non-believers how good Japanese Animation can get.

Individual Rating: Art/Animation 8; Story 9; Characters 10; Sounds 8

Howl's Moving Castle

Genre: Fantasy
General Audience
Credits: 2004 Diana Wynne Jones, Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, TOHO

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Amazon.com Description:
In Hayao Miyazaki's latest animated masterpiece, journey beyond imagination and enter a "breathtaking fantasy world" (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) filled with adventure, humor and heart. Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a spell on Sophie. In a life-changing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard Howl's magnificent flying castle and enters a magical world on a quest to break the spell. Featuring the voice talents of Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, and Billy Crystal, Miyazaki's artistry comes to life on DVD with inventive characters, unique storytelling and richly detailed animation.

Let the child in you explore...>>> by skysenshi
Based on the novel Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, this movie is one of Hayao Miyazaki's best works to date. While it wasn't as groundbreaking as Spirited Away, Howl definitely carved its niche.

We are introduced to yet another plain-looking heroine, Sophie, who is young but as stiff as an ironing board. She meets the dashing, yet overly narcissistic Howl, and her life changes drastically. While wondering about the mysterious stranger, she unwittingly grabs the attention of an old witch who then turns her into a crone in order to catch the elusive Howl. Sophie, knowing full well that she cannot remain where she stood, sets out — back pains, rheumatim, and all — to search for Howl.

There are many conventions that this motion picture deviates from. For one, Howl isn't your typical Miyazaki male protagonist. He isn't very strong and reliable. In fact, he is hopelessly flawed. He is vainglorious, moody, spoiled, and his personality changes when his hair color does. He is cordial and formal when blonde, temperamental when red-headed, and silly when raven-haired. Why do you think every other bishounen fangirl drools over him? There are so many facets to Howl that one can't help but fall in love with him. I, for one, completely understand Sophie's fascination with the guy.

Sophie, on the other hand, carries the same dynamism that Howl has. For someone so conservative and prudish, she certainly attracts a lot of interesting friends. Her experiences with these magical beings help her grow as a character, and ultimately as a heroine. I had a wonderful time watching her get flustered by the supporting characters' antics. What many adults consider her weakness — her overly kind heart — I find to be her biggest strength. Normally, I would balk at seeing such an underdog, but her persistence remains under the radar. She does get sly when needed. That, for me, defines what a true backbone is. One doesn't need to be a certified bitch to express one's clout, and Sophie proves it many times in this animated feature.

The plot itself is fantastic, enough for me to want to buy Ms. Jones's book. Like Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle has that Alice in Wonderland feel, wherein you drop your real-life activities, set off for a dream world, and embark on a grand quest that defies time and space. The castle, with its walking spider legs, will take you to different places that have varying rules and nuances. The experience is incredible. Similar to all previous Miyazaki masterpieces, Howl is full of symbolisms — many of which overaged and overly jaded critics will never comprehend. You just have to learn to sit back and enjoy the film for what it's worth. If you are a person who overanalyzes, stop thinking and let the child in you be entertained.

Howl's Moving Castle made me thank heavens for DVDs. Before Spirited Away, I couldn't fully appreciate Miyazaki's productions because I watched nearly all of them through a VHS player. You just have to see Howl on DVD. The wondrous textures, playful colors, and crisp artwork are nothing short of superb. The musical scoring is equally as brilliant.

Highly recommended.

Individual Rating: Art/Animation 10; Story 10; Characters 10; Sounds 10

Hourglass of Summer

Genre: Bishoujo Game
Platform: DVD Player / Playstation 2 / XBox / PC (DVD-ROM)
2002 PrincessSoft, 2004 Hirameki International Group, Inc. Illustrated by Suigun Murakami.

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Cover Description:
The main character is living the normal life of a High School student. Right before summer vacation, he makes up his mind to ask out beautiful Kaho Serizawa, but the very next day he wakes up to realize that summer vacation is over and he had "Day Dropped," or time-slipped, to September 1st.

Going to school in a state of confusion, the main character finds his grief-stricken classmates, who tell him that his girlfriend Kaho has died in a tragic accident on August 31. How did he start dating Kaho, when he doesn't remember asking her out? And what were the tragic events that lead up to her death?

Day-dropping back and forth into time, the main character grapples with the problem of how to overcome his terrible fate awaiting the girl of his dreams.

A summer vacation that crosses the boundaries of space and time.

AnimePlay ruins a perfectly good story. >>> by skysenshi

I will never ever request for an AnimePlay DVD ever again.

My greatest regret is that I still have 2 more AnimePlay DVDs to "play" and review. Don't get me wrong. I have been a bishoujo gamer for years so I have nothing against b-games in general. Thing is, with AnimePlay, you just wish it were hentai so you'd have something raunchy to look forward to in the middle of a soon-to-be-snoozefest. Let's face it, b-games can get pretty boring because of the lack of activity going on in there. They're basically digital novels. When developers insert some hentai scenarios in them, you elicit a truckload of reactions—from shock to disgust to horniness. When you remove all that from a b-game, you may find yourself falling asleep in the middle of a decent storyline.

That being said, I must reiterate that Hourglass of Summer is an interesting read. The male protagonist, Kotaro, suddenly finds himself jumping back and forth in time. It's not the type of time traveling experience where one stays a long time in the past or future. Kotaro slides between close dates! Like, today he'd be experiencing tomorrow, and tomorrow he'd be experiencing yesterday. Confused? I know I was. I could certainly imagine how befuddled the poor dude must be, which is excellently portrayed in the game. Despite the numerous leaps between close dates, the plot is cohesive and you definitely could tell that the writer is a master of pre-destination paradoxes. The longest path has the deepest storyline because you also form bonds with all of the other girls. The best ending isn't just the best because it's the true path; it's the best because you get to familiarize yourself with everyone's complexities on a very emotionally intimate level.

There are five girls to choose from: Kaho, the sweet girl-next-door; Ai, Kotaro's extremely annoying childhood friend; Mana, the swimmer; Tomomi, the science professor; and Lee Jane, the time cop. In case you can't tell, Kaho is the "right" girl. I find her a bit too default, though her route is endearing and rich in content. She's the type of girl who will not tell you that you're being a jerk, but will just give you the cold shoulder. The other girls that definitely struck me were Tomomi and Lee Jane. I love Tomomi's path because you see very little of Ai, although I figure there's a lot more to her story than is being told. Still, it manages to come off as something similar to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Lee Jane, on the other hand, is perky and lovely. Unfortunately, her ending feels as if she were given to Kotaro as a consolation prize for ruining his chances with Kaho.

Kotaro, like many other anime/b-game heroes, has a signature best friend (SBF) named Takeshi. The great thing about it is that he isn't like most SBFs. Takeshi is funny and reliable, which is a rarity. SBFs are usually just props. Takeshi shone.

Graphics-wise, the artwork is beautiful. Kaho and Lee Jane are exceptionally gorgeous, albeit there are times when Kaho looks bigger than her supposedly overbearing dad. The voices, except for Ai's screeching, are usually pleasant and convincing.

I have one major gripe that definitely turned me off AnimePlay DVDs forever. Remember that I complained about Amusement Park? Hourglass of Summer's interface isn't as friendly as Amusement Park's. There's an 8-letter password that would serve as your "save point" and each letter has to be inputed individually. When you retrieve your password, it doesn't show you the entire thing. You have to press the arrow keys to uncover the rest of it. I don't understand why they can't just show everything in one go. I find that violates every rule of Human-Computer Interaction, because you are using a remote control—not a keyboard. It also takes quite a while for each letter to register, so you're in danger of hanging in the middle of your password session. Furthermore, I had problems figuring out when to get my password. Unlike Amusement Park, where your password is automatically displayed, you have to fetch your Hourglass of Summer password by pressing the triangle button on the PS2. When I used a normal DVD player, I could barely figure out how to do that without being thrown back to the beginning of the game. The only upside I could name here is that Hourglass has a password per chapter, not per story branch, so you can just fetch "save point" anytime you want to take a break. They don't tell you that in the manual.

One more thing I wish they'd come up with when developing bisjoujo games, especially AnimePlay DVDs: English audio. This way, you can actually do other things while listening to the story. It's the reason why podcasting is so hot. It cuts your errands time in half because you can multitask. I notice that I do tend to waste time on AnimePlay; I end up sleeping during the long dialogues—something that only Xenosaga made me do.

Overall, I think you're better off waiting for the anime version of this game...if you can even call it a game. I believe they wasted money on designers/programmers who could do a lot better if they were given real games to work with.

PLAYER STATUS:
DIFFICULTY: Easy
COMPLETION TIME: 6-8 hours
HIGHEST LEVEL ACHIEVED: -
RATINGS: Gameplay 3; Battle -; Story 9; Visuals 8; Characters 9; Sounds 8; Replay Value 1

Anime Toonz Volume 3: Kristine Sa Lime

Anime Toonz Volume 3: Kristine Sa Lime
Credits: 2005 Jellybean Recordings, Inc.

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Track Listing:

1. Minna no Kimochi (Every Heart) - Inuyasha
   Gomi Full Remix
   
2. The Real Folk Blues - Cowboy Bebop
   Masi & Mello 12" Raw Vocal Remix
   
3. Urusei Yatsura no Teema - Urusei Yatsura
   DJ Jinnai Full Vocal Remix
   
4. Jajauma Sasenaide - Ranma 1/2
   YMCK Full Vocal Remix
   
5. Candy Candy - Candy Candy
   DJ Jinnai Full Vocal Remix
   
6. Find The Way - Gundam Seed
   Architekt9 Dub
   
7. Jajauma ni Sasenaide - Ranma 1/2
   Beta Full Vocal Remix
   
8. Urusei Yatsura no Teema - Urusei Yatsura
   Bit Shifter Dub
   
9. The Real Folk Blues - Cowboy Bebop
   Masi & Mello Dub
   
10. Minna no Kimochi (Every Heart) - Inuyasha
    John Creamer & Stephane K Full Vocal Edit
    
11. BONUS TRACK: Forever Love - X
    Vocals by Maria Kawamura / Adam Marano Club Mix

Thoroughly Enjoyable >>> by skysenshi co-written with Sean Sanchez
After a long long wait, fans of Kristine Sa can enjoy hearing her once more. She has released not one, but two Anime Toonz CDs. These contain remixes of some of the best and popular songs from well-loved anime like Inuyasha, Cowboy Bebop, Urusei Yatsura, Gundam Seed, and Ranma ½. When you peruse the album cover, you’ll see listings and short blurbs of some US and internationally renowned DJs, with DJ Jinnai leading the helm. Remixes are done by DJ Jinnai, Architekt 9, Bit Shifter, Gomi, John Creamer & Stephane K, Masi & Mello, and YMCK. Of course, a short bio of the beautiful and talented Kristine Sa is featured on the very first page.

We're done with the Lemon Edition (Yellow CD). Up next is the Lime Edition, which I call the Green CD. Again, this could be identified by the album cover's color. As I have mentioned previously, I am not a fan of remixes. There’s something about original arrangements that make me want to preserve their sacredness, so I had to undergo a huge paradigm shift—even discussing the album with Sean, a friend who’s wild about remixes—weeks before (and after) the CDs arrived at my door.

The Lime Edition is distinct from the Lemon Edition in that the songs here are songs that are really reminiscent of what you'd hear while clubbing. Lemon is all about experimenting and having fun, Lime is all about gyrating, drinking, and flirting on the dance floor. It features seven anime theme songs, with four of them having two different versions each.

Kristine's Sa's vocals are downplayed here, given airy and etherial effects, which I believe is a perfect approach for this particular album. This is most obvious in Every Heart Gomi Full Vocal Remix. Norman Cook method was used and the speed of the song was just right, with the vocals being able to catch up to the beat. The John Creamer & Stephane K Full Vocal Edit rendition of Every Heart, on the other hand, made use of heavy base and drum beats, which made it seem like a dub kind of mix. Propellerhead method was applied, but if they wanted a K-Full Vocal Edit, they could've combined Propellerhead with the Norman Cook method. The remixer could also make use of more effects within the song such as flanger, scratch and reverb.

The Real Folk Blues is remixed twice by Masi & Mello. The 12" Raw Vocal Mix has a combination of Propellerheads and Norman Cook methods and lengthy instrumentals were used to stretch the song. The chorus could've been given more of an oomph had it been looped and a fading ending could've been more appropriate than an abrupt end. The Dub Mix uses Propellerheads, with drum beats and heavy base predominant all throughout. Reverb and echo special effects were also applied, as are lengthy instrumentals. Sean loves this remix the most because he believes the way the instruments battled against each other was perfectly done.

I find Kristine Sa very enchanting here. If you didn't find her seductress side in the Lemon CD, you'd most definitely find it here. The DJ Jinnai Full Vocal Remix of Urutsei Yatsura no Teema isn't the playful-cutesy track you've heard in Lemon's Bit Shifter Full Vocal Mix. This one's playfull, all right, but it sounds as if Ms. Sa means to tease her listeners.

On a slight change of note, I would just like to state that my personal favorite is Candy Candy. The reasons? DJ Jinnai did a particularly good job in this remix—making it sound like something you'd hear from an old Sega Megadrive game. DJ Jinnai's talents have been proven, no doubt about that. But Candy Candy also holds a special place in my heart. I believe Ms. Sa may have been too young to have gotten hold of the anime but she definitely captured Candy's fun side. I really appreciated that.

Lime Edition also has a bonus track: X's Forever Love, with vocals done by Maria Kawamura. While you can find this in AnimeToonz volume 2, it's great that they decided to feature this in volume 3 as well. It's so...80s, in a nice and endearing way. Don't expect Ms. Kawamura to have the same voice quality as Ms. Sa, though. They're completely different artists.