Tag Archives: 2017

Anime Rewind #2

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Hey peeps! It’s time for another Anime Rewind! This is a new feature where I talk about the anime I’ve been watching lately, my thoughts, how many episodes I’ve watched, and more. I’ve watched a decent amount of anime since my last Rewind, so let’s jump into it!

First, let’s recap anime that I mentioned in my last Anime Rewind.

  • Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – I’ve watched episodes 6-12 and I find that the season is progressing slowly and really focusing on the arc of the Ghost. I mean, it’s fine, the arc is interesting and I have a lot of questions, but I wish it was a little more fast paced? Like, I want to see more of them training and becoming ninja, but maybe that’s just my bias from my Naruto days, haha! I do really like how Boruto is developing as a character and how he really differs from his dad, and I like how he’s forming friendships and how they all work together for a common goal and don’t look down on him. There’s opposites to the original Naruto series than to this one, and I think it’s going to get better from here on out.
  • Tsukigakirei – I’ve watched episodes 6-11 (one episode was a recap and it’s like…why? It wasn’t needed.), and OMG the visuals are still spectacular in this anime! The animators really outdid themselves, especially during the festival episodes (those wind chimes, tho!). I have to say, the cuteness level? IT’S OVER 9000!!! *ahem* I seriously squee almost every episode and episodes 9 and 10? Ahhhhhhhhh! Too much cuteness, it was so good. I also like how they’ve introduced a lot of shorts at the ends of episodes and how we get to see other characters that the show doesn’t focus on and their relationships. Too much cuteness. Go watch it if you haven’t!
  • The Royal Tutor – I watched episodes 6-12, which was the season finale, and I HAVE ALL THE EMOTIONS! I love this show so much and though I thought that a couple episodes were kind of flat in the way of plot, I still enjoyed them because the characters always bring life to the situations around them. It was nice to see a slow progression of plot and how it built up to the last episode (where I almost cried omg), and I really really REALLY hope there will be a second season because I think there’s so much potential for a lot more comedy and a bit more darkness to come. 5/5 show. Go watch it!
  • My Hero Academia – I’ve watched episodes 2-8 of season one since the last time I updated and I. Am. HOOKED. This show has so much more depth than I was expecting, so much comedy, so much character development in the works… I don’t even know how to describe it, but I can tell you that I for sure love it and I need to keep binge watching it. Seriously.
  • Kanka Bancho Otome -Girl Beats Boys- – I’ve watched episodes 5-11 and WHY. MUST. THESE. EPISODES. BE. SO. SHORT!? It’s such an addicting and good series, but the episodes are only 8 minutes long and ahhhh I need to know what happens next! But pretty much I’ve been enjoying how the story’s been progressing and introducing different characters and situations and there’s a lot more depth than what was originally shown. It’s also very good at leaving off on cliffhangers, which drives me crazy. But it’s still really good!
  • Brothers Conflict – I finished off the first season, which was super addicting, and I’m SO SAD but I won’t spoil why I am sad. I just hope that there will be a season two because I really need more from this show! I thought that the main character could’ve used more personality, which she started to show more toward the end of the season, but I hope that with a new season we’ll see more of her. I give this season 4/5 stars.
  • Tokyo Ghoul – I’ve only watched episodes 3 and 4 since the last time I talked about it, and I can tell you that it differs from the manga a bit, which distracted me, and it’s super bloody and stuff, but that’s to be expected from a series like this. I do plan on continuing, just… I didn’t realize how much the blood and stuff was going to bother me, haha.

Alright, that’s it for ones I’ve continued to watch this past month that I talked about last month. Now let’s move on to ones I’ve started watching this past month that are new!

Shows

anohana

Anohana – episodes 1 & 2, ongoing – This anime is about a boy being haunted by the ghost of a girl he was friends with a child and how it’s pretty much his mission to get all of those friends from back then back together again and so far it’s good. I’ve only watched two episodes, so I haven’t really gotten a feel for it, but I can tell I’m really going to enjoy it when I do keep going. I just keep putting it off to watch other things, really.

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Kiznaiver – episodes 1-5, ongoing – OMG I LOVE THIS ANIME. The anime style is so cool and so fascinating to watch, and the story is unique! I haven’t really heard or read or seen anything like it, but it’s the concept of sharing pain among others and how these unlikely individuals have to get to know one another and go through tasks together without getting each other killed pretty much. It’s really good and you can ship everyone with everyone and omg I need to keep watching, why haven’t I finished it yet?

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Rommate – episodes 1-6, ongoing – Now this isn’t the greatest anime out there but it’s so hilarious in a cheesy way that I can’t help but watch it. Plus each episode is 3 minutes long, so that helps. It’s just one of those guilty pleasure anime to watch to pass the time. Not a lot of character depth or plot as it’s in first person, which makes it interesting as YOU are the protagonist, but uh, it’s entertaining nonetheless.

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Tonari no Seki-kun – episodes 1-21, ongoing – This is SUCH a funny series about Seki-kun who is always doing some random thing at his desk during class and of the girl, Yokoi-san, who endures his antics and even gets in on them sometimes. It’s SO FUNNY. Omg. Seriously, go watch it. I can’t even describe it. It’s just a silly anime that has different ways of killing time by Seki-kun. So cute. I ship them.

Movies

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The Girl Who Leapt Through Time – THIS. MOVIE. WAS. SO. GOOD. I had read comments in the video when I watched it on YouTube about how people weren’t expecting to cry and feel all the feels at the end, and guess what? I CRIED AND FELT ALL THE FEELS. This movie had me on the edge of my seat and not only was it entertaining in that the main girl could go back through time and change things for the better, but it also had depth and showed the consequences of those actions. It had subtle romance, the anime style was simple but still lovely, and the characters were all loveable. Oh man, I want to watch it again now and I highly, HIGHLY recommend you check it out, too! 5/5 stars for sure!

doukyuusei

Doukyuusei – This is a boys love anime movie and it follows this boy, Hikaru (blond), who is in a band, and another boy, Sajou (glasses), who is studious, and how they are in the same choir class at school. Sajou isn’t able to see the notes on the board even with his glasses and so he pretends to be singing during class and Hikaru notices, so he offers to help after class. Well, slowly they kind of fall for each other and there’s light drama and so much cuteness and future happenings and I want them to be together foreverrrrrr~ If you like boys love, then definitely watch this anime. 5/5 stars.

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The Anthem of the Heart – This movie is about a girl who sees something she shouldn’t as a child and an egg (yes, an egg) makes her mute. As a teen she is volunteered to be on the student council for the class with three other students who wouldn’t otherwise come together, and though there is a lot that happens in between, it’s a very sweet story about accepting the past, overcoming fears, true feelings, being honest with yourself and others, and it’s so good. The characters were dynamic and the plot was lovely. And I will say: one of my ships sank, but there was a dingy waiting nearby for another ship, so it’s fine. Also, the music in this? BEAUTIFUL. 5/5 stars.

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Koe no Katachi – Remember when I reviewed the A Silent Voice series a little while ago? Well this is the movie adaptation! It was finally subbed so I was able to watch it and I enjoyed it! They cut out some major parts from the manga that I thought would’ve made the movie better or explained characters better and stuff, but I also understand that it’s hard to fit seven volumes of material into a two hour movie. The animation was beautiful, and the voice acting was well done. They hit many of the major points from the series, but like I said, it could’ve had more. Also, the ending was very different from the way the manga ended, which frustrated me. But if you watch this without having read the manga, I think you’ll enjoy it to the fullest. 4/5 stars.

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The Garden of Words – This was a bittersweet movie filled with hope and longing and a desire to be saved. It was EXTREMELY visually stunning (like I’ve never seen such beautiful visuals in an anime like this, especially with all the rain), and it was also just very pleasant as a story. It was a sort of romance between a 15 year old boy who wants to be a shoe maker, and a 27 year old woman who is a teacher kind of at the end of her rope. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it at first, but I thought that the subtleness of the romance was great and that the story itself was just… beautiful. 4.5/5 stars.

And that’s all I’ve watched in the last month! I hope you all find something that you’re interested in from my list and check some of these out because they’re all really good in my opinion!

Let’s Chat! ^w^

What have you watched recently? Have you watched any of the ones I’ve listed here? What are your thoughts? Any anime show or movie suggestions for me? Let me know!

Armchair BEA Day 1 – Intro & Best Practices in the Online Book Community

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Hi there peeps! I totally forgot to set up my first post earlier for Armchair Book Expo! If you don’t know what this is, I participated in 2015 and last year and had a lot of fun, but basically it’s for those of us who are unable to attend the convention Book Expo America, but who still want to participate in talking about all things books with the community.

First up, the introductions!

  1. I am . . . Rayna!
  2. Currently . . . Answering these prompts and writing this post late! 😀
  3. I love . . . anime and manga, drawing, my husband, Christ, my friends, Kakakshi Hatake, 707, learning, and other things. Oh, and of course, books.
  4. My favorite . . . book? Uh, well, that’s very hard to choose, so I’ll say my favorite genre is fantasy and sci-fi! Okay, that’s two answers, but still…
  5. My least favorite . . . April Morning. So boring. I’m not into classics as much as I want to be.
  6. My current read . . . A Court of Wings and Ruin (and a huge list of manga that just keeps growing…)
  7. My summer plans . . . My husband and I are going to Disney World the last week of August! 😀 Otherwise, just working, hanging with friends, my birthday. That’s it.
  8. My buddy . . . my hubby!
  9. My blog/channel/social media . . . Well, if you’re reading this you’re on my blog, so…. But here’s my Instagram, Twitter, tumblr, and YouTube channel.
  10. The best . . . thing ever is being happy doing what you’re passionate about.

Alright, now that you know me a little better, let’s move onto the SERIOUS TOPIC.

Best Practices in the Online Book Community

So when I think of this topic, I think about many things. The prompt ranges from time management to social media exposure to ethical obligations and beyond. I think what I want to focus on is posting the content that you want to read.

When it comes to the online book community, there are many factors that go into being a book blogger: consistency, reading books (duh), reviewing, replying to comments, etc. And I think through a lot of that we can get lost and forget why we started to blog and why we wanted to talk about the books that we love.

Writing about the topics that you’re passionate about when it comes to discussions rather than joining the hype train (though there’s nothing wrong with that) can make the difference between a discussion that has a lot of potential and a lot of back and forth constructive commentary, to discussion that falls flat and doesn’t get any feedback on. It’s important to remember to state your own opinions without getting too full of yourself or of hurting others in the process.

It’s a delicate balance, but when you write about the things that you actually want to talk about, whether it be book tags or hauls or reviews or whatever, by you talking about it because you actually want to talk about it will not only have an effect on the way you write your post, but on your readership as well.

Your readers will understand you more and get to know you more, and they’ll also know that you’re being a lot more genuine in your posts than just by going along with the mold.

Talk about the things you want and don’t be afraid to do so. It’s your blog, your space, and you’re allowed to talk about whatever is really on your mind and heart. (Of course, if you have other obligations that you promised to do, you better make sure you do those, too.)

Let’s Chat! ^w^

Are you participating in Armchair BEA? What are some of the best book community practices you’ve picked up over time? Tell me all the things!

Beautiful People – Parental Edition

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Hey peeps! Welcome to another round of Beautiful People! It’s hosted by Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up & Further In. If you want to know more about Beautiful People, you can check out the FAQs page here.

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This month’s round of questions is all about the parent-child relationship between your character and their parent, or if they don’t have a parent, then their caregiver, guardian, or parent-like figure.

Today I’m going to be talking about the parents of one of my new characters I just created: Penelope. She’s a nerdy girl who is really into anime and manga, and she also cosplays. She’s very fun and has a great sense of humor, plus she’s pretty smart. She’s a bit overweight, though, and deals with mild anxiety. I kind of really like her and so I wanted to explore the relationship between her and her parents, particularly her mom since Mother’s Day was earlier this month.

The Questions

1. Overall, how good is their relationship with their parents?

Penelope is very close to her mom and dad, but more so her mom. She finds that she can confide in her mom with about 95% of any problems she might have. Though her parents got divorced when she was younger, around six, she was of course devastated, but her parents continued to be friends after the divorce for the sake of their daughter. Penelope is also close to her step-dad, but not as close to her step-mom, but they’re still friendly to each other.

2. Do they know both of their biological parents? If not, how do they cope with the loss/absence and how has it affected their life?

Yes, she knows both. She spends the weeks with her mom and every weekend with her dad.

3. How did their parents meet?

Her parents met in high school in chemistry (no pun intended). They were young and in love and had Penelope soon after they graduated, when they were about 19 and 20, respectively (mom is older by a few months).

4. How would you feel if they were told “you’re turning out like your parent(s)”?

Penelope would find that as a compliment because she thinks her parents are two of the greatest ever. Of course they have their differences and squabbles like any teen/parent relationship, but for the most part they always laugh and love each other. (But Penelope hopes that compliment will be more along the lines of she’s like her mom than her dad, but shh, don’t tell him.)

5. What were your character’s parents doing when they were your character’s age?

They were graduating high school, the same as Penelope is, and her father was going into the welding trade, working alongside a family friend to get all of his hours in before he started his own business a couple years later, and her mom was going off to the local community college to earn a two year degree in finance.

6. Is there something they adamantly disagree on?

Not really. The biggest thing is that Penelope wants to get a tattoo but her dad isn’t too keen on her getting one, while her mom says to just wait until she turns 18, then she can put as many on her body as she wants. (Penelope only wants two.)

7. What did the parent(s) find hardest about raising your character?

Her mom thought it was hardest as a recent college graduate, fresh out of school, without a home to call her own. They had an apartment and made it work, of course, but she wishes she had had the home she has now to have raised Penelope in.

As for her dad, she found that all of the girly things that Penelope was into a young girl was hard to get into and play with her, like dress up and dolls and stuff. But he made it work because that’s his baby and he is not about to break her heart. (He’s the fun parent.)

8. What’s their most vivid memory with their parental figure(s)?

Penelope remembers her first day of kindergarten very clearly, as they lived only two blocks away from where she was registered. Her dad had called in to let his work know that he’d be late as it was his baby girl’s first day of school, and her mom didn’t have to go into work for another hour or two. They walked to the school, hand in hand, her flowy pink and white sundress twirling in the light breeze of August as they made their way to the school. Penelope remembers the sunlight streaming through the trees, casting the shadows on the sidewalk, the couple of people walking their dogs, her parents smiling and talking to her about how excited she must be – and how excited they were for her – to be starting school. And then when she waved goodbye to them and they held onto each other and waved, holding back their tears. She remembers the feeling of happiness, and she holds that memory dear.

9. What was your character like as a baby/toddler?

She was a happy baby! Always smiling and laughing, though of course she had her moments. She was difficult to potty train, but once it happened, it was the best thing ever. There weren’t too many problems, though she did have a couple of ear infections and a slight bladder problem.

10. Why and how did the parents choose your character’s name?

Her mom’s grandmother’s name was Penelope, and as a remembrance to her (as she passed away a year before Penelope was born from cancer), they named her Penelope. Her nickname is Nel and she prefers to be called that by her family and friends (though she does love her full name, too).

And there you have it for their month’s set of questions! I actually had a lot of fun thinking about this because I never really think about my characters’ parents in so much detail. Though I’m glad to have done this because it gave me more of glimpse into her life with her family.

Let’s Chat! ^w^

How is the relationship between your character and their parent(s)? Have you given much thought to it before? What’s the best memory your character has with their parent(s)/guardian(s)/etc?

Anime Boston 2017

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Well, I went to my first anime convention in almost ten years. I went to Anime Boston back in 2008, I believe, and I haven’t been to convention since, but I went with my husband this year and let me tell you: it was a blast.

I didn’t really know what to expecting since it’s been about ten years since I’d been to Anime Boston and it was very different this time around, but in a good way.

Anime Boston took place from March 31-April 2 and we went on Friday and Sunday (but I wish we had stayed the whole weekend, which we’re going to do next time). There were SO many people there, but it was such a good time.

So my husband and I did, in fact, cosplay. I wanted to do a different cosplay on Sunday, but let’s be real: ain’t nobody got time for that. We did a couple’s cosplay as Naruto and Hinata from Naruto Shippuden.

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We actually had a decent amount of people come up asking to take our picture together and to also let us know that we were bringing their OTP dreams to life. xD It was so fun. One person even asked if we were a couple and I told her we were married and she was like, “OH MY GOD, IT CAME TRUE IN REAL LIFE!” I couldn’t help but laugh!

There were also so many awesome cosplays that we saw while we were there! I was so happy to be in a place with people of a like mind to me because let me tell you: the looks we got on the train? Yup, we were the “weirdos,” but it’s fine because we did see other cosplayers on the train and one even waved to me (she also smiled at me on the train home, which made me feel all kinds of happy).

When you go to an event like this, you really feel among comrades. You’re among thousands of people (seriously) who love anime just as much as you do (if not more) and who love Japanese culture and who love to cosplay and dress as characters and who are just having a great time with one another.

Here’s some of the cosplays we saw (in slideshow form!):

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Every one of them was so cool, although I’m sad because my phone decided to eat one of the photos I took of a cosplayer dressed as the Corpse Bride. Sad panda.

Of course there were way more cosplayers than just the ones I took, but I managed to scrounge up the courage to ask for pictures and everyone was so nice about it.

So let’s talk about the event itself: my husband and I went with one of his friends on Friday, but he just sat for over four hours waiting for the Dealer’s Room to open, so for that time my husband and I walked around taking in all of the sights – I even showed him the windows I remembered from when I was there all those years ago, hahaha! So for a few hours we just wandered and got some pictures taken before Artists’ Alley opened at 10AM.

Oh. My. God. I was in heaven when I went in there.

Like, seriously, that was a dangerous place to be in…. for my wallet. I bought SO many pictures, but in my defense, a lot of the artists were having sales of buy two get the third print free, sooooo… yeah… That happened.

I bought probably over 25 pieces of individual art. I have no self control. But it’s fine, I know for next time to bring all the money just for Artists’ Alley (and to control myself LOLOLOL like that’ll happen). My favorite piece I bought was a Tokyo Ghoul piece made by baimon and I just… *melt*

And then, when the Dealers’ Room was about to open, 15 minutes before I got to go in early because I’m a Crunchyroll Premium Member and I had the card for my badge, so that was exciting because once the crowd went in there? OMG I COULDN’T BREATHE. SO many people were in there! Ugh.

But I got a few things from there, including the 12th signature volume of Tokyo Ghoul which isn’t being released until April 18th, so YOU KNOW I JUMPED ON IT AS SOON AS I SAW IT. And when I asked if I could buy it, the guy was like, “No.” very seriously, but then my face fell and he laughed and said, “Of course.” I was like, “why would you do that to me!? ;-;” So I bought it and was very happy.

Here’s what I got:

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I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t get at least one plushie. Let’s be honest, here. Also, it was a very Tokyo Ghoul weekend for me… I got four pictures of Ken Kaneki… FOUR. I’m slightly obsessed, it’s fine…. plus a keychain (also Touka) and a plush… It’s fine.

But overall, the experience was phenomenal. My husband had a great time, too, and definitely wants to go again next year. He said he wants to do a much more complicated cosplay next time, and I’m just like, “Okay, but you’re gonna make me do all the work…” Whatever, I’m excited and can’t wait to pick my next character to cosplay.

If you’ve never been to convention like Anime Boston, Comic Con, Katsucon, whatever, I highly suggest going. It’s so much fun and I definitely think you’ll enjoy yourself. We didn’t get to any panels that I wanted to go to, but next year I’m going to do my best to try and go to a few.

Let Chat! ^w^

Have you ever been to Anime Boston or any other convention? What was your favorite part? Have you ever cosplayed? Who did you cosplay and do you have any photos you’re willing to share? What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone going to their first con? Tell me all the things!

Hobby Corner: Final Fantasy XV – Favorite Game of 2016

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Welcome to another edition of Hobby Corner, a monthly edition I introduced to talk about my hobbies and interests other than reading. It’s always important to not forget these things, so here I am to talk about some of mine.

This month’s topic: video games!

More specifically I’m going to be talking about this epic game called Final Fantasy XV and OMG I LOVE IT SO MUCH I CAN’T EVEN HANDLE THE EMOTIONS.

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Final Fantasy XV is pitched as a Final Fantasy game for first timers and long time fans and I have to agree with that statement. I’ve been playing the games since FFIX and though I’ve never beaten on other than FFX or FFXV, I still love the games, the gameplay, the stories, the worlds, the characters, the art. There’s so much about these games that I love and adore and I think that FFXV didn’t hold back when it came to all of these.

FFXV is an open world roleplay game (RPG) that follows four young men on a road trip style journey to save the world, essentially. It follows a prince named Noctis and his three men retinue: Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto. Each of these young men have skills and strengths in different areas, and though you play only as Noctis, you get to spend so much time with all of the characters and learn and grow with them.

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P.S. Yes, this photo is from my own gameplay.

So these four goobs are just the best group of friends and I love them to pieces. Noctis (the far left of the picture) is kind of brooding, but he’s also got a lot of weight on his shoulders since he’s the prince and he’s going to be marrying Lunafreya to make ties with another country. So he’s got stuff going on, but I also love using him in battles because he’s really strong and has awesome weapons that you can get throughout the game.

Gladiolus (or Gladio, who is next to Noctis and Ignis) is the strong one of the group and also the oldest. He’s been Noctis’s guard for many years now and they’re very much like brothers. He’s a softy, though, but he can get angry at times.

Ignis (the one with the glasses) is the brains and the voice of reason in the group. He’s also the cutest, in my opinion. He also loves to cook, so there’s a huge meme online in the FFXV fandom about Ignis and him always shouting out, “Aha! I’ve thought of a new recipe!” It’s hilarious and OMG HE MAKES SO MANY PUNS IT’S PAINFUL.

Prompto (the one holding the camera) is the goofball and the one who’s got a very interesting backstory and secret about him. I love him and he’s a precious cinnamon roll and deserves all the love of ever.

The open world concept plus the road trip aspect is SO BEAUTIFUL. The landscapes are very detailed and well laid out, and the battle system is also open concept unlike some of the earlier games where you would go and get stuck in a battle when the screen “breaks.” It just makes it easier to escape battles when you don’t want to fight, and also gives you more room to be kickass.

The story is also a tragic one, but also beautiful and fun, and it goes from just the four guys wanting to go out and drive to Altissa so Noctis can get married, but there’s a LOT that happens right from the get go and it’s making me emotional just thinking about it.

There’s TONS of side quests to level up the characters as well as just gain experience and see more of the world. I love iiiiiiit.

I think the biggest and best part of the game that fans old and new love: YOU GET TO RIDE THE CHOCOBOS. Don’t know what a Chocobo is? It’s the most adorable thing of ever and you get to ride them and they’re cute and so useful! AHH!

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At the Wiz Chocobo Outpost.

All in all this game was amazing. I became incredibly attached to the characters and I bawled like a baby at the end of the game. I recently started a new game and all of the emotions came flooding back and I can’t wait to play through it all again and cry again.

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Certificate of Completion upon completing the game. You get to choose from any of the pictures that Prompto has taken and you’ve saved along your journey.

Let’s Chat! ≧◡≦

Have you ever played a Final Fantasy game? Which was your favorite? Have you played FFXV? Who’s your favorite character? I can’t really choose between any of them because I love them all too much. What about the chocobos? Did you enjoy that feature? Tell me all of your thoughts on the game!