Many years ago I watched Fate/Stay Night, and I didn't enjoy it.
Why, probably because a friend of mine called it one of the best anime ever and hyped it beyond the roof, and at the time I couldn't temper expectations like I can do nowadays.
However I decided to give the series another try and I really enjoyed it, Fate does a great job of telling a story about existentialism, heroism, idealism and cynicism while also portraying all the historical characters in a respectable way.
And while I do enjoy Shirou, Kiritsugu, Kotomine, Hakuno, Rin, Sakura etc, everyone admits it's the servants who steal the spotlight and was the reason you decided to give the series a watch.
Therefore I present my Top 10 favorite servants thus far and two wishlists.
Why two wishlists?
Simple 1 wishlist consist out of characters that I personally feel would be good additions to the series and helping already established servants and characters develop further.
I also tried to pick 10 that aren't on a lot of peoples wishlists as far I know in order to be more original.
The second list consist out of characters that I believe could represent The Netherlands and Chile.
Why those two countries?
Simple, my father is Dutch and my mother is Chilean and I'm sure everyone has a historic character that they would love to either see in fate or represent their country.
First of my top 10 favorite servant :
10: Karna (You want this guy as your ally for the exact same reasons you don't want him to be an opponent)
9: Cu Chulainn (Despite being overshadowed by more famous and powerful servants he holds his own both in battle and in popularity)
8: Artoria Pendragon (IMO she's a good king who unfortunately made some mistakes that she's punishing herself way too hard for)
7: Gawain (Blames himself for the Battle of Camlann, but gets another chance to prove himself to be the knight Artoria knows he can be)
6: Tamamo no Mae (One of 3 great yokai, who eventually grows out of her selfishness)
5: Astolfo (He's an nice odd goofball and I love him for it, it's a breath of fresh air after seeing so many tragic figures)
4: Jeanne D'Arc (She may be a Saint/Paragon but she's still a down to earth good person)
3: EMIYA (He's a jerk with a heart of gold/knight in sour armor, yet he always tries to do what's good)
2: Charlemagne (He's basically a shonen MC who says F you to cynicism in a series that often deals with this topic and similar to Astolfo I love him for this)
1: Nero (Her story is a story about redemption where she turns into a good emperor)
Wishlist 1 :
Duke of Wellington/Arthur Wellesley (The Iron Duke who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo)
Scipio Africanus (Arguably Rome's greatest general)
Hannibal Barca (The Terror of Rome)
Charles Martel (Hammer of the Franks and Charlemagne's grandfather)
Genghis Khan (Supreme Ruler of the Mongols)
Charles XII/Carolus Rex (The Last Viking/Swedish Meteor/Last Warrior King of Europe)
Frederik II/The Great (Napoleon himself said if he was still leading Prussia he couldn't have defeated them)
John III Sobieski (King of the Winged Hussars)
Mehmed II/The Conquerer (The man who ended the Byzantine/Roman Empire)
Pyrrhus of Epirus (Pyrrhic victory is named after him, Hannibal based his tactics of him)
Wishlist 2 :
Thomas Chochrane (The Sea Wolf)
Lautaro/Lef-Traru (Toqui of the Mapuche)
Michiel de Ruyter (Saved the Netherlands by defeating the Anglo-France fleet which prevented their naval invasion)
Pier Gelofs Donia (Rebellion leader of Frisia, fought against Habsburg rule)
Abraham van Helsing (The Vampire Hunter)
It's Valentines Day and having seen some countdowns of people video game crushes I decided to share mine on deviant art.
I've noticed that your video crushes can actually tell what your type is as some content creators said their spouse often has similar qualities found in their choices.
Now my top 10 video game are:
10: Vert (Hyperdimension Neptunia)
Goddess of Leanbox, and the youngest goddess yet she arguably has the best balance of being both serious and playful, I also like how despite being a blond bombshell she's smarter than she looks and while she likes tea, she likes it even more when she's gaming.
Also give her a little sister please, she deserves it
9: Nero Claudius (Fate)
I know what you're thinking, THE ROMAN EMPEROR WHO BURNED ROME AND CHRISTIANS!
Yeah but let me explain, the Fate series like to change some historical/mythical characters gender, I personally don't care as long as I can enjoy the story.
Now what I like about Nero is that she doesn't shy away that she has done terrible things and admit she has blood on her hands, however in the events of Fate, Nero basically gets a second chance to be a good emperor and boy does she proves it in my eyes.
She still flawed like she's narcissistic and prideful but if you compliment her she actually becomes a bit shy, probably because it's actually praise and not some trying to get in her good graces.
8: Kasumi (Dead or Alive)
The kunoichi of destiny, life hasn't been nice to her however she's a ninja and like a ninja from another series said 'ninjas are those who endure' and man does Kasumi endure a lot.
From family tragedy to people cloning her to create the ultimate weapon, every time things seems to go up for her they go down.
But does that make her quit, no if anything it makes her try harder and you gotta respect that.
Finally behind that badass sexy kunoichi, she just a young woman who wants to go back to the times where she could hang out with her younger sister while being watched over by their older brother
7: Laxia von Roswell (YS 8 : Lacrimosa of Dana)
Laxia really grew on me due because of how much she loves history and the fact she idolizes her father, when her father was shunned by the archeological community, he became a fallen hero in her eyes but during the story she learns her father was right all along.
She actually changes her character into becoming more accepting of other peoples flaws and even looking at situations from different perspectives.
And while she may be a noblewoman like her name suggest, she's willing to make her hands dirty and has no problem interacting with the common man, just give her some time to get used to you.
6: Tali'Zorah (Mass Effect)
You probably noticed that I like woman who are driven, love their family and willing to improve themselves as characters and Tali'Zorah embodies it.
She does her best in helping her own people but at the same thing doesn't blindly hate the enemy she grew up being taught to hate, she even sees the Normandy and her crew as extended family.
And while she seems vulnerable due to her history and being what she is, underestimate her at your own peril cause if she doesn't shoot you, she might just hack you.
5: Jill Fizzart (Fire Emblem)
Every Jill I encountered in games I like but Jill Fizzart is best Jill.
When you first encounter her she's an enemy who blindly hates Laguz and wants to eliminate Ike and his allies to gain glory for her country and father.
However after she joins Ike, she starts to learn that Laguz and Beorc are more alike then she thinks and what I like the most is that it isn't forced she's willingly learning.
She's even ready to fight against the nation of her birth because she can't support it's king anymore, just don't let her fight her father, that's too cruel.
After the wars are over she actually goes back to her home country to make it a better place.
From an almost Nazi-like huntress to a genuine knight of the people, it may surprise you to learn she's only a side character.
4: Chun Li (Street Fighter)
I don't think a lot needs to be said.
She's an Interpol agent who fight for justice with her shapely legs.
And she cares about the ones she loves and doesn't let negative feelings control her.
Also while she's an Interpol cop and a great fighter, I like that she can still act girly like making V-sign when she wins a bout.
Not many can look badass during fight and turn cute as soon as the fight is over.
In fact it always felt for me that Chun Li was the main protagonist and that Bison was her personal antagonist across the game.
But that might just be the fanboy inside of me speaking
3: Eleanor Hume (Tales of Berseria)
I loved Eleanor Hume the moment you first encounter her in the game
You learn that she's part of an organization that values logic over emotions yet when you encounter her, she's crying.
This showed to me that Eleanor is a very emphatic person and while she does follow the organizations logic, she also uses her heart.
Her interactions with the group starts out rough but at the end she sees them as family.
And after the end when the organization has fallen, she becomes the new leader and changes it for the better.
2: Makoto Niijima (Persona 5)
Makoto Niijima is the most relatable character for me on the list because of what she goes through the story, both mandatory and optional.
Similar to her I once did nothing but study and kept people at a distance so I could focus on my career while keeping my 'weird' interests hidden from everyone.
Similar to her I felt useless and wanted to prove that I was not a burden
And similar to her a conversation with someone made me realize what I wanted to become in life.
For the rest she ticks all the boxes, she's driven, she loves her family and is willing to learn to improve herself.
However there can only be one number 1.
1: Bastila Shan (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)
KOTOR is a game that's very dear and near to my heart and Bastila is one of them.
She ticks the boxes, driven, loves her family and willing to learn to improve herself.
But what I love the most is how she realizes this.
She's a Jedi and therefore not allowed to make emotional attachments yet it's because of said emotional attachments that's she saved from her own darkness.
Call it cheesy but I love (pun intended) that she's saved by that exactly that, love.
Also while the Jedi Council may just wanted to use Revan as a puppet, Bastila actually believed Revan could be redeemed and guess what, she was right and in turn Revan saved her.
I've recently been thinking about Naruto as a series and what was the message that Masashi Kishimoto tried to tell with his story and why do I still love it despite the flaws and criticism I've heard over the years.
I know he gets flack for 'betraying' his theme of 'hard work overcomes talent' but I honestly believe that isn't the actual theme he's conveying in Naruto.
I honestly believe the people who believe that's Naruto's theme don't truly understand the series.
Now if that's what you draw from the story, that's fine after all stories/art is subjective and up to interpretation, I simply disagree with that interpretation.
At the same time I wish to share my interpretation cause if you disagree you need to offer something in response.
I personally believe Naruto's theme is about 'Bonds and that you should cherish them'
Why do I came to this conclusion?
First of look how Naruto starts and how it ends.
It starts with a boy who becomes an orphan and is hated/disliked by almost everyone, at the end of the series he's the village leader beloved not just by the people in his village but in the entire world.
And how does Naruto becomes this?
The easy answer would be by working hard, but in what way is he working hard?
He's not just working hard to become a strong ninja because everyone tries to become stronger for both good and bad reasons.
My answer is that he's working hard to form bonds with the people he knows.
In the first chapter/episode he forms a genuine good bond with Iruka which is the reason why he saves him from Mizuki.
In fact if you watch over the entire series Naruto forming more and more bond corresponds with him getting stronger.
In his own words he grows stronger by accepting more as his precious people something he realizes when he meets Haku.
In fact the first time he suffers a big defeat is when Sasuke breaks his bond with him almost like severing it made Naruto weaker.
Naruto is always devastated when he loses someone precious to him, however it's thanks to his own believe in the Will of Fire he's keeping such bonds alive even after some of them have passed away.
Every villain/antagonist he faces is someone who tries to destroys his/her own bonds, the opposite of Naruto.
The final battle of the series is Naruto 'someone who trying to forms bonds with everyone' against Sasuke 'someone who wants to sever every bond he's ever made'.
And it's Naruto who is the victor.
I feel this is the core theme and reason why Naruto is a series that managed to capture the hearts of a global audience, he's not just the title character, he's the heart of the series.
I'm a lifelong Naruto fan and I will stay one for the rest of my life, and I feel this is the best way to show/tell everyone why Naruto didn't just appealed to me but why I cherish it.
You could say I formed a bond with the series.
Small challenge for every Senran Kagura.
Create an OC.
Rules.
Create the character in this order :
1 : Name.
2 : School (Pick a canon one, you're allowed to use those from the mobile games like Tengu/Maisen, for Milky Pop and Arc Angels they can be back-up singers/musicians)
3 : Profile. (Date of birth, Age, Blood type, Height, Measurements, Hobby, Favorite Food/Drink, Ninja animal, Weapon)
4 : Background.
5 : Personality.
6 : Appearance.
7 : Abilities.
8 : Trivia
Now I'll start with mine.
Name : Nami
School : Maisen 2nd year
PROFILE :
Date of Birth : 11th of March
Age : 17
Blood Type : O
Height : 180 cm
Measurements : B90-W60-H85
Hobby : Swimming
Favorite Food : Raw Herring
Favorite Drink : Black Coffee
Ninja animal : Blue Shark
Weapon : Scuba/Diver's knife
Background :
Nami is the daughter of a Dutch fish seller who married a Japanese woman who used to be a kunochi.
She lived in the Netherlands till she was 11 then she went with her parents to live in Japan after her father opened his own fish shop in Nagasaki.
Excelling in sports as well as working in her father fish shop together with her mother she eventually joined Maisen and became a kunoichi.
Personality :
Nami is nice girl who's great listener and hard worker even when under stress thanks to working in her father shop during busy hours, she can however be very direct of not outright rude at times, I.E. she tends to drop honorifics very quickly.
This also mean that when she disagrees with something she's not afraid of speaking out.
She has bit of a complex regarding her height, being tall especially by Japanese standards combined with her love for swimming it has given her a build that makes her look very intimidating, and while she likes using it to mess with bullies it has caused some people to be afraid of her which is something she doesn't like.
Finally she loves cooking but can only make recipes that includes fish, if it's a meat dish she will mess up but if it's a fish dish it's always excellent, when it contains neither it tends to be average or bland.
Appearance :
Nami has shoulder length dark blonde hair with a blue headband, ocean blue eyes and fair skin.
She wears the Maisen school uniform when at school.
At work she wears Dutch traditional clothing which all employees wear.
In her free time she prefers to wear hoodies with jeans and sneakers.
She also has multiple swimsuits with her favorite being an orange one piece.
For formal occasions she has a blue kimono with orange tulips.
Finally her shinobi tenshin outfit is a wetsuit with steel-toe boots and a scuba/diver's knife.
Abilities :
Being a kunoichi she has heightened physical abilities but thanks to both swimming and kickboxing she has above average strength and endurance, her speed however is lacking.
This is different in water where she's extremely fast.
In close-quarter-combat she uses kickboxing alongside her knife, she tries to create an opening using kicks before slashing with her knife.
Her ninjutsu consist out of water manipulation, she can spit out water in the form of projectiles or as a high pressure beam to cut, she can also manipulated larger bodies of water to trap her opponents or manipulate their shape to form animals to attack.
Her ultimate jutsu, is Nami expelling so much water it forms a lake, trapping her opponent in said lake, combined with her high speed swimming abilities she's basically a shark and her opponent a helpless prey.
Tirvia :
-Nami means wave
- I made her tall, since Dutch are known for being very tall.
- I based her abilities, hobbies and background around water because of the Dutch saying 'Water is our oldest friend and foe'
-Dutch love to drink coffee to that's why I made that her favorite drink and raw herring is a national Dutch dish.
-I choose her fighting style to be kickboxing because while it originated from Japan, the Dutch a extremely good at it, I.E. the Dutch won 15 of the 19 K-1 World Grand Prix.
-Her father shop is located in Nagasaki cause the Dutch used to have a trading post on Dejima close to Nagasaki.
Recently I have been listening to Alestorm since I really like Gloryhammer and Christopher Bowes, the keyboard player of Gloryhammer is the lead singer of Alestorm.
First I'll write the album and than my 3 favorite songs of each album.
Also what are your favorites songs of Alestorm and do you have any other bands you recommend to me?
Captain Morgan's Revenge: Over the Seas, Captain Morgan's Revenge, Nancy the Tavern Wench.
Black Sails At Midnight: The Quest, Leviathan, To the End of Our Days.
Back Through Time: Back Through Time, The Sunk'n Norwegian, Scraping The Barrel.
Sunset On The Golden Age: Walk The Plank, 1741 (Battle of Cartagena), Sunset on the Golden Age.
No Grave But The Sea: Mexico, Fucked with an Anchor, Rage of the Pentahook.
Curse Of The Crystal Coconut: Fannyballs, Call of the Waves, Pirate's Scorn.
Seventh Rum Of A Seventh Rum: Battle of Cape Fear River, P.A.R.T.Y, Under Blackened Banners