Board 8 > SaveEstelle/LeonhartFour in Different Houses: Tales of X vs. Zero Edition [SELF]

(+) Yeah! (+)

okay I've retroactively decided to go ahead and add Milla to the Female Character Rankings 2.0 because I think I'm going to put off my Xillia 2 playthrough for a bit (I can adjust her if need be later)

The new Spider-Man game is coming out next week, and I doubt I can finish Xillia 2 before it drops. I don't want to stop partway through Xillia 2 because I don't like taking a break midway through story-heavy games (at least on my first playthrough). I think taking that week off when I was playing Xillia kinda made it hard to get back into it once I came back. I don't think I want to flip back and forth between them either.

So here we go:

Nagato > Maya > Yakumo > Kurisu > Chizuru > Estelle > Yukiko > Fina > Eru > Aqua > Makoto > Shoko > Mitsuru > Yui > Tessa > Takano > Yachiyo > Shiori > Daphne > Milla > 2B > Wagatsuma > Ritsu > Akane > Pepper > Brawne > Amy > Rin > Namine > Seo > Mitsuha > Peach > Botan > Sophia > Yurippe > Mikasa > Samus > Eureka > Art3mis > Valentine > Mizuno > Zelda > Vera > Elizabeth > Yuri > Cora > Kotori
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those are some cool girls

yes siree

that ranking is so long it took me entirely too long to find milla
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well it can't be helped

I've met many girls during this topic series
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So many girls

I guess I need to start a series so I can meet girls too
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Every now and then when I see some names on that list I for a second think they're from a different series altogether and get hyped that Leon has played/seen it and then realize alas it is not.

(Mainly Shiori)
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Actually I should take the Leon challenge and just start watching everything in the same order Leon did
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there is only one Shiori in my heart
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Shiori Shiomiya
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Mega Man X5 beated as X. See, Zero does still have the arm cannon! Let me use it!
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Okay, I beat the first boss as Zero. The game is trolling me because he does have his arm cannon again, but it only fires one shot at a time, it's super slow and weak, and you can't charge it. Oh well, his Z-Saber is way better against bosses this time around, at least based on the one I fought.
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It's been a while since a Friends episode outside of a season finale had such a poignant ending, but The One with the Fertility Test was rough.
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Episode 15 (Endless Eight IV)

Poor Kari Wahlgren. Her only line for eight episodes is, "Kyon, phone!" or some variation thereof.

OP2 is just the best. I love the way the animation flows in rhythm with the song.

YOU DEMON! YOU FIEND!

Oh hey, a rare episode where Nagato and Asahina aren't wearing one pieces.

Part of me wondered if that airplane that randomly flies in the background of this episode had anything to do with the solution. I'm bad at solving mysteries.

Poor Nagato, just sitting there with her straw in her mouth, unable to even drink her drink. It doesn't escape Kyon's notice. The discordant music when he chases her down here to ask her how she's doing is kind of unsettling. It's also kind of sad that she can't reveal how she actually feels, but I'm sure deep down, she appreciated his concern.

I think this might be my favorite set of yukatas between the Endless Eight episodes. Haruhi's black one in particular is really cool.

Strangely enough, the cicada catching contest is in a different location in this episode than in the others.

Even Asahina's t-shirt during the late night scene has that airplane on it. I like her twintails during this scene, too.

I like that they never show Kyon's face when Koizumi jokes about telling Haruhi that he loves her.

I guess I could call that airplane a Red Berring.

</rimshot>
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Episode 16 (Endless Eight V)

OP2 is just the best. The Kyon facepalm at the end is excellent.

NO ESP ALLOWED!

Whoa Koizumi in a speedo. Do not want.

IT'S SO BITTER MAY I HAVE ANOTHER

It's kind of interesting that Kyon and Koizumi have deja vu about the same things each episode, but they individually experience deja vu about different things. It's also interesting that Nagato buys a mask every time even though she's not beholden to the loop. She knowingly buys a mask each loop.

Haruhi's dressed up in full bug keeper regalia during the cicada catching contest in this episode, for some reason.

THE NUMBER YOU HAVE DIALED IS NO LONGER IN--*cue Asahina whimpering unintelligibly*

So good.

I like that they show Kyon doing the math of how long the loop has been going on for on his phone for some reason.

Kyon and Nagato have their discussion about why she never said anything about the time loop during the test of courage instead of at the batting cages this episode.

Kyon's narration sounding like he's about to puke as he gets spun around and around in that cage by Haruhi was a nice touch. Crispin Freeman was on point in this episode.

Man, they really got me good about maybe Kyon stopping her at the end here because he actually stands up, and they repeat Haruhi saying the last line and starting to walk away multiple times. It was a great tease. It's rather unique to see a sequence of events where the heroes consistently fail like this, too.

The camera spinning around the room in time with the seconds ticking by on the clock (as well as the clock stopping one second before midnight) is a nice visual touch.
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Okay, I'm at the midway point of X5 with Zero, and I collected all the parts to shoot the giant laser again, only this time, it missed. Now we have to recreate the plot to the movie Armageddon and ram a space shuttle into the falling colony to save the Earth.

Either way, they've definitely made Zero easier to use in X5, although he feels like a glass cannon now.

Also, I gotta say, for my issues with this game, the backgrounds are pretty fantastic at times.
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So I got a text yesterday asking if I wanted to go to Tokyo (from work). No other information provided, except a small rumor an assignment there might be coming so I don't know anything about it (length, compensation, how far outside Tokyo yet still calling it Tokyo, etc)

I had to say not interested due to no information (otherwise they take it as a committal lol), but I kinda wonder if I'd do it. They may be super desperate to fill slots when I get back on Monday, if they aren't able to convince ten people. they supposedly had 9 showing interest yesterday so we'll see.

I just don't want to get signed on to a like 5 year assignment in a place where I can barely eat the food, can't speak the language, and barely make any money since the living expenses they provide aren't enough. I've seen people screwed, even though it immediately sounds pretty sweet.

So now I'm spending my trip to Canada constantly wondering if maybe I should have just not responded so they fed me more info. Oh well.
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Yeah, that would be a tough thing to commit to without knowing all the facts up front.
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Sound Effects is the best Whose Line game
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I'm listening to a nominally sports podcast and they're talking about the glories of Mario Kart 64

good podcast
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Now Playing: Mega Man X5 - X vs. Zero

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qYAvmiKRs" data-time="

Getting ready to head into that part of the game as Zero. Been listening to this since I did this fight as X the other day.
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To think we could have ended up instead with X vs Sigma in the Rivalry contest.
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so bad

still wish we had gotten Mario vs. Sonic
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Got the Black Zero upgrade, whoo. Just the Sigma fights left to go.
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Monica: Ping pong? Honey, they have ping pong! Let's play!
Chandler: I don't think so.
Monica: Why not?
Chandler: Because you know how competitive you get, and while I say it's cute, others disagree and I'm lying.

Chandler the best
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Charlie: There was another reason I decided to end it with Joey. I kind of realized I was starting to have feelings for someone else.
Ross: Huh. Can I ask who?
Charlie: I think you know.
Ross: I think I know, too, but I've been really wrong about this stuff in the past.

I can relate to that so hard

(also Charlie is a girl)
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Anyway, Friends season 9 complete, which means we're nearly done with the Joey/Rachel stuff at last.

Only one season left! Maybe I'll get back to watching Dragon Ball after this.
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Episode 17 (Endless Eight VI)

OP2 is just the best. FUNKY ROOKIE GAME

Koizumi is carrying around a yellow and purple polka dotted floating tube for some reason this time around. Either way, it's an improvement over the speedo.

Poor Mikuru, wearing an ice pack on her face after getting drilled in the face by the ball Haruhi kicked at her.

Wow, the silence in the awkward conversation between Kyon and Nagato feels longer than usual here.

Kyon is wearing a shirt with the letter sigma (not pronounced KEY or KYE) on it. We're crossing universes here!

Now Koizumi is the one decked out as a bug keeper.

A never-ending endless summer vacation.

Man, the tension at the end of every episode is always palpable. Even Koizumi is having a hard time maintaining his ever-present smile.
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Was lowkey dreading/bracing for the DLC Final Boss on my Bloodborne NG+ run given the trouble he gave me in NG. ...So naturally I won on my first try. It was the optional boss in the DLC who was the real pain.

Started NG++ simply because there's only one trophy left between me and the platinum and this shouldn't take long to get and I have plenty of time until Torna. Plus gives me an excuse to try a new weapon again.
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LeonhartFour posted...

Only one season left! Maybe I'll get back to watching Dragon Ball after this.

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Episode 18 (Endless Eight VII)

I really thought this would be the last episode when I saw that big "August 8" at the beginning (I later found out that was the date this episode aired).

OP2 is just the best, although I really think Nagato should come before Asahina when they're introducing the characters (keep it in order of introduction for the show overall).

Nice Back to the Future reference with Kyon imitating Marty McFly's rather...unique sleeping position.

MISS ASAHINA PLEASE SPIN AROUND

Koizumi: I was having a chat with Miss Asahina earlier.
Kyon: (Next time call me, and you stay home!)

So good.

I like that this is the one episode where Kyon actually halfway considers Koizumi's suggestion of telling Haruhi he loves her before he trips over his words and quickly changes his mind.

Kyon's apathetic laziness is his fatal flaw in the first part of the series, and Endless Eight demonstrates that better than anything since it took him over 15,000 tries to break the loop. He was always content to put it off until later or let someone else figure it out, particularly Nagato. At the end of Disappearance, he pledges to become an "active protector of the world" and depend on the other Brigade members as little as possible, and he actually sticks to that commitment in the later books.
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too bad Scrubs isn't on Netflix because I'd be up for re-watching that next
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So I just got a letter from my insurance about my dental appointment last week. Apparently, my insurance covered all but one dollar. I wonder if they just made a typo or clerical error.

do I just need to go down to the dentist's office and give them a dollar or what
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They might let you pay online!

I have to pay a pretty decent amount now because I still use my old dentist near my parents house whenever I go back home which is out of network for my university health insurance.
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LeonhartFour posted...

too bad Scrubs isn't on Netflix because I'd be up for re-watching that next

Wow i watched the first few episodes of that on Netflix years ago.

Keep taking their shit down.
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Maybe I should watch Sherlock next.
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Its pretty silly but in a good way imo
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Sherlock is awesome
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The One Where Ross is Fine is so good.
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Episode 19 (Endless Eight VIII)

OP2 is just the best.

It was pretty clear early on that this was going to be the last one because the pacing is noticeably faster than the previous ones (to fit in the new ending, of course).

RESTRAIN THYSELF CANST THOU NOT SEE THE "NO DIVING" SIGNS?

YUM IT'S STRAWBERRY-LICIOUS

"If anything, Haruhi's endless energy is one of her better qualities." One of the rare times Kyon doesn't act annoyed by this. His honest thoughts about Haruhi are often presented as asides or are quickly passed over. He doesn't dwell on them.

I like that even Koizumi can't hide his shock at Nagato telling them how many times they've repeated the loop. It takes a lot for him to drop his facade, even more than Kyon, and he recovers every bit as quickly.

MY TURN I SUMMON MY VETO CARD

I love this final sequence where Haruhi is starting to leave where it shows after images of all the versions of her from the previous episodes.

This show is always on point with great music for its climactic moments.

The reason Kyon and Koizumi could never figure out what Haruhi wanted to do was because they assumed it was something self-centered. The fact that she wouldn't let summer end without Kyon finishing his homework is proof that she's slowly been changing because it was something she wanted to do for the sake of someone else and not herself.

Nagato actually missing school is one of the extremely rare instances where she shows a moment of weakness.

A Royal Flush on the draw, huh. I wonder what the odds of that happening even are.
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Episode 20 (Sigh I)

I love the random nicknames Haruhi put on their headbands during the relay race.

"The look on Haruhi's face when she said that, full of confidence and shining brightly, must have been what Hannibal looked like when he crossed the Alps in the Second Punic War." Every once in a while, Kyon makes an analogy that shows he's smarter than he appears.

"I am always super serious." I can appreciate someone who takes fun as seriously as Haruhi does.

Man, the banter between Kyon and Haruhi during this episode is super great.

Haruhi not being genre savvy and not understanding how tropes work while discussing what makes a great movie is fantastic. Of course, since she can change reality as she sees fit, she ends up making herself genre savvy.

Haruhi: Oh, don't sweat the small stuff. Just follow my lead like always, and everything will be fine. You don't have to worry about anything at all.
Kyon: I'm worried.
Haruhi: Just leave everything to me. I'm going to plan the whole thing out.
Kyon: Now I'm really worried.

I like how episodes during the Sigh arc just end mid-scene. It's almost like it was shot to be one continuous episode, and they just cut it off when they run out of time.
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IIRC I believe the mid-scene cuts were done to make the arc like a movie. I've never tried it but I think it was supposed to flow like a movie if you stitched the episodes together and removed the openings and endings.
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Yeah, each episode picks up literally right where the previous one leaves off.
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Mega Man X5 beated as Zero

The game seemed easier as Zero than it did as X, especially with bosses, which is the exact opposite of how X4 was. The MMZ games are based off of MMX6's ending, right? X7 and X8 didn't come along until afterwards, so maybe I'll segue into MMZ after I finish X6.
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And now I've started Mega Man X6. X has the Z-Saber (and a gimped version of the Falcon Armor) from the start, so now I can have a saber and an arm cannon together again!

I've heard stories of X6's fondness for stupid spike pit traps (there's even an achievement for falling into a pit in Rookie Hunter mode, where touching a spike isn't a one-hit kill), and I encountered one in my first Maverick level. You literally can't see what's below you, so you just have to jump and hope for the best. Only died twice, although I learned you can't even touch spikes from the side.
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Hope saving Reploids doesn't drive you crazy
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Well, they're free extra lives, so I guess it's not too bad, all things considered.
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Oh hey, I got Zero back. That was fast.

So there's only Japanese voice acting in MMX6, huh? Must not have had a big budget for this one.
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My fantasy football draft is complete. Now I need to come up with a clever/punny name for my team. You don't need to know anything about football to participate! If you're good at word plays, give me ideas based off of these names.

Russell Wilson
Alvin Kamara
Jordan Howard
A.J. Green
Larry Fitzgerald
Kyle Rudolph
Dion Lewis
Robert Woods
Randall Cobb
Andrew Luck
Tarik Cohen
Allen Hurns
Adrian Peterson
Danny Amendola
Justin Tucker
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wow this episode of Friends just made me feel old

it's Rachel's baby Emma's 1st birthday and they're recording messages for her 18th birthday in the future

one of them mentioned that when she turns 18 it'll be 2020
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That looks like a pretty solid draft to me. How many people in the league?

My draft is on Monday.
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