2018: Review

   Hey Facebook, I saw your "your year on Facebook" thingy and it's crap. Cause memories are so much more than just a bunch of images you steal off our profiles. So I decided to do my own thing. Here goes. 2018 has been an unbelievable roller-coaster of a year for me personally. It really is extraordinary to see where I started the year, the people I got to see along the way, the places I got to visit, the incredible journey I made (both figuratively and literally), and where I find myself at the end of it. I got to make the most of the foundations I laid in 2017, but in doing so I had the rude awakening that there was more work that needed to be done in order to reach the final goal. It wasn't all "sugar and rainbows" either, as this year helped me mature in ways that I didn't think were necessary.
   The dawn of the new year found me in the Emirates for what I assume will be the last time. Looking at those spectacular fireworks at the Galleria Mall (Shopping Center) in Abu Dhabi, I still remember how long they went on for and the great show they put on. Those Emiratis really like to go all the way in everything that they do. I enjoyed my time in the country, I got to visit the Louvre and get a better feel for cultural heritage. Seriously, the amount of historical findings from several different time periods worldwide that were gathered in that single place was astounding if you were to think about it. I singled out the Japanese Meiji era samurai outfits (of course) but also the exhibition they had on the French Renaissance. I also got to visit Dubai again. I haven't made it to Tokyo or New York just yet, but I think Dubai will always have a special place in my heart. The malls, the skyscrapers, the metro that is above ground and lets you see the whole city, the beaches, the Burj Khalifa that reaches for the sky and the Burj Al-Arab, the Palm and just the luxury that this city exudes. I could've easily lived there, in a small apartment on the 48th floor with a killer view. I would like to return there some day.
   February found me returning to Athens to tie up loose ends. And even though people tell me otherwise, I knew inside that this was the last time I was going to be there. For those two months that I was there, I wanted nothing more than to get out. I finally got my driver's license in my hands (a procedure that I had started since September of 2017 and even though my "instructor" tried to get more money out of me). The only way I can think of to describe that city is as a black hole that squeezes the life out of anyone unfortunate enough to get tangled up in it.
   I stayed till mid-March. That's when the day I had been planning for since the middle of August 2017 finally arrived. I jumped on the plane (for the third time in the year already!) and headed down to Australia. A journey that I dreamed of making for the last, I dunno, 20 years or so, was actually happening. I still remember not knowing what to do with myself during those long hours on the plane, trying to stay calm but being all excited and hoping that the people sitting next to me don't think I'm some sort of a weirdo that needs to be escorted outside. Music helped a lot during those hours cause there was no internet.
   Along the way, I had the fortunate opportunity to stop at the Changi airport in Singapore. And oh my word, what an experience that was! There is a true reason why they call it the best airport in the world. I have been in shopping centers that would feel embarrassed to call themselves that if they saw this place. I feel like I will repeat many of the words I said about Dubai earlier, but it was so huge, so glamorous, it had so many shops, all the luxuries you could want, it even had four terminals connected via driver-less train! I have been to some nice airports (the one in Qatar really stood out) but this one was through the roof. I remember it had a food court and right across the hall there was this huge TV screen with comfortable couches showing Premier League games. Or, in other words, football heaven! There were also these machines that would massage your legs all around the place, free of charge! When I say through the roof, I mean it!
   Eventually, I reached Melbourne. Initially not as good as I imagined but the city has started to grow on me as I find more and more things I like about it. I really like the areas around the central business district. The place I stay in is great. Big, comfortable, nice neighbors (had some troublesome ones at first but that's all in the past). 
   There were a few problems when I first arrived of course. But I got through every hurdle on my own. I learned that being self-reliant is necessary when living in Australia as life moves in a much quicker pace than it does in Greece (since people actually have jobs here) and there's very little free time. I had to learn a few survival skills that I didn't have; cooking, laundry, etc. Thankfully though they weren't many cause I had been taught well. Also, it was during these times that I was surprisingly thankful for my unsuccessful attempt to go and make a living in London a few years back. I may not have made it, but it did teach me a few things that come in handy today!
   I was also extremely lucky when it came to the job hunt, as a fortunate encounter led me to the door of one of the most well-known Greek community newspapers, where I still am till today. It's really funny how things work out. I knew I was going to reach out to this industry at some stage, that was my goal in coming to Australia, I just didn't think it would happen so quickly. They have opened up a whole world for me and honestly I'm just grateful for the opportunity to work there. While it may be a little frustrating to have pointed out to you on a daily basis that it turns that the one thing you thought you were really good at, you're not that good at it, I don't let it get me down and I strive to become better all the time. 
   Thanks to them, I got the chance to meet with Real Madrid former right back Alvaro Arbeloa at their museum opening. I have also attended many other events and quickly picked up on how things operate regarding football in Australia (extremely disappointed, I must say). I was also at the 60th anniversary event for the newspaper. So many things, so quickly. My head just goes spinning at times.
   Last July, I made my way back to Sydney. I got to see all the cousins and aunties and uncles that I hadn't seen since I was 12 years old. I got to visit my childhood home, my yiayia's house. I visited yiayia's grave too. Those moments were too great for me to realize that I was actually there, I had actually made it home. I tried to take it all in but I just thought that, no matter what I did, it would all just sink in later. As it has. When I got the chance to finally meet up with my other five younger cousins, we had so much fun and for that one night that we went out I was so happy, but at the same time it made me so incredibly frustrated for all those times we've missed and for how much time I wasted in stupid Greece when we all could've just been hanging out like this. I got so angry with myself and I still do when I think about it because it's too late now. We're old.
   I also had the chance to go to many events of my own personal interest since I've been to Melbourne. The Madman Anime Festival, the "A New World" Final Fantasy concert at the Melbourne Recital Center (or whatever it's called), many great soccer matches, but I think, above all else stood PAX Australia. It was such a huge gathering of people with a common interest, the whole area was buzzing with positive energy and excitement, so many great games of course, not to mention the place was huge. I mean the Melbourne Exhibition Center is no joke! My legs got tired just walking around the place and I can go on for miles.
   Speaking of games, at some stage in August I realized that I just needed to go back to basics and bought myself a freaking PlayStation. The experiences this year has offered were through the roof. God Of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, Detroit Become Human, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, even Shadow Of The Tomb Raider was great! And I even missed out on some. I really wanna try out Dragon Quest XI. 2018 was a milestone for game development and design and I had so much fun playing all of them. But of course, with Kingdom Hearts 3 coming out at the start of 2019, everything else just gets cancelled out.
   It has also been an experience for my taste buds coming to Melbourne, and a bit of an interesting one, I must say. Even though I've been to many places across Europe and the Emirates and tried many different dishes, there was something... unique about the food I ate at some of the places I happened to visit in this city. I realized that I'm not much of an "explorer" when it comes to food and I like to stick to what I know. After all, if I like it, there must be a good reason for it. I especially won't forget the Mexican tuna-tacos (it was meant to be chicken) and the soup that tasted like soap, I think it was Thai, I don't remember. But I also got to have ramen finally! And, as I imagined, I bloody loved the stuff! So, with that in mind, I think I need to try to be more accepting and more open to new experiences. After all, you only live once.
   Reading this, someone would think the year was all fun and (video) games, but there were also plenty of hardships, lots of lonely times as well. I mean, coming to a new country and a new city, it's to be expected that you don't know anyone, don't know where to go and you need to learn to cope on your own. And it's at these moments that your character is truly tested. It was a scarier process than I expected it to be and for a long time, I was disoriented. In this sort of situation, you try to latch on to anything that gives you even a small sense of familiarity. But, eventually, if you set your sights on what you want, focus on it and leave out everything else, then you make it through. At least, that's what happened in my case. 
   All in all, it was a milestone year for me, one that I will never forget and honestly I think it was the most important one of my life. It had its ups and downs, the bad with the good and some things went right while others went so wrong that they can't be fixed and will be kept as a reminder for similar situation in the future. But overall, this year was significant and that's the most important thing to take out of it. Looking back on this year's events only fills me with the confidence to move towards even greater things in 2019. It's funny to think that all of this, this entire year happened all because one night in August 2017 something clicked in my mind and I thought "that's it! I'm going to Australia". So weird...
   (In closing, I'd just like to say this: people might read this or some other things that I write or post on my social media profiles and say or think that maybe I should keep things to myself. While this is in part true, it's not in my capacity to be silent. Never was, never will be. I believe that the right function for all these is for to allow ourselves to look back on our past and see things we may want to correct, change or even just to see how we were 'back then' and have a laugh about it. A diary of sorts, if you will. A second purpose for me writing this and putting it online is that, maybe someone out there is having a crappy day and they happen to stumble upon it. And reading this might help them come to the realization that there are others out there struggling just as much as they are, yet they keep moving forward, instead of doing something dramatic like all that stuff we see online almost on a daily basis. A bit hopeful, I know, but if I get that reaction from even a single person, then that would be more than enough. Anyway. Bring on 2019!!!)

(Just a few of the places and the people that I spent time with in 2018...)

A-League: The VIP club

   I've only been in Australia for a few months and I've been in touch with football in the country for even less of that time, but that has been enough to see some of its internal "diseases". The viruses that are eating it from within, keeping it trapped in the past while at the same time showing complete disrespect towards the roots of the sport and don't allow for even the tiniest sense of optimism for the future. Australian football, even within those in the Asian Federation where it now belongs, is mid-tier at most, and with the way that everyone is behaving, trying to protect their own self-interests instead of moving forward together for the good of the sport, it will only get worse.
   But why is this? There are some good players in the A-League, the teams are making investments and surely some young players are coming up, right? While that is true, that's unfortunately just a drop in the ocean of all things wrong with football and these "investments" could also be seen as a means of averting attention from the real issues.
   The true problem here are the A-League clubs themselves. Their behavior is abhorrent and is holding the sport back. The people in charge have been constantly difficult when it comes to the league expanding (the presence of the two Melbourne and three Sydney clubs were a deciding factor for who would win the bids for the A-League expansion, rather than actual merit). In fact, they pushed so hard against it to the point that the Football Federation of Australia (FFA), while initially planning to add both these two new teams to next season's championship, have now changed their decision for one per season so that they don't "upset the balance".
   Meanwhile, those in charge of the clubs claim that the FFA has been "holding them back, putting their own self-interests first rather that the good of the game" (which is partly true since the Lowy administration wasn't known as making the most positive changes to football) and have gone as far as to create the "Australian Professional Footballers Club Union", who's sole purpose is to break off the A-League from the FFA and make it an independent entity. But in which country, the world over, has this ever been seen? The way it works is that all leagues are run by their federation. That federation is part of a wider collection of federations, known as a con-federation (some known examples are: AFC, UEFA and CONCACAF) and all those confederations are under FIFA, the worldwide football organisation. If a league is NOT under a federation, then it is NOT recognized by FIFA and subsequently all its confederations, which means that if the A-League clubs do decide to go independent, they will lose all rights to play in the AFC Champions League, not to mention any other demerits FIFA, who are already watching developments in Australia very closely, might impose on them.
   But that doesn't seem to bother the boards of these clubs. After all, they're running businesses and the number one priority of a good business is to keep up revenues. Who cares if bringing in certain teams to the league might be good for the sport in Australia, when it could cost them their (already hard to find) precious customers. The narrow-mindedness of those in charge of the A-League clubs and their inability to see beyond what's in front of them even brought forth the revelation that although there are "ongoing discussions" for a "second division", there will be no form of promotion or relegation. Which automatically removes all meaning for it, since the National Premier Leagues and the Y-League are in place.
   If they had true intentions of going through with both a second division and an expansion of the A-League to "even up to 20 teams", as FFA chairman Mr Chris Nikou claims, then it could've very easily been done by establishing the second division first, selecting up to 20 teams for that league, then for the first few seasons allow only promotion towards the A-League and no relegation. However, the fact that they've chosen this roundabout method is evident of their intention to buy as much time as possible so that they can show FIFA and everyone else watching that "hey, look, we are taking steps forward", but at the same time maintain the current status quo for as long as they possibly can. With only one team added per season (the fate of the Wellington Phoenix is unknown at this point), somehow that doesn't seem like much of an "expansion" and the second division discussions have been "ongoing" for a while now and don't show any signs of going anywhere anytime soon. Even for the announcement of these two new teams, the FFA was unsure until the last few hours of when the announcement would be made.
   It's clearly obvious we're dealing with a very closed club. A few people who don't deal nicely to outsiders coming in and taking all these things that they have fought to have. A highly privileged group that consider football to be their own market and that they have every right to be "independent" to do whatever they want with it. Should the A-League clubs gain their highly sought-after independence then there will most definitely be no expansion and no second division (at least none tied directly to the A-League). At this point, maybe it would be a safer bet for the FFA to turn to the teams of the NPL and create a different top-tier league for Australia all together. However, considering what happened with the National Soccer League and the "cleansing" of the stadiums from all teams of ethnic background (denying Australia's football heritage in the meantime), that scenario seems really far fetched. But should the boards of the A-League clubs remain on their current positions to putting their own self-interest before the good of the game, then, unfortunately, football won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Κάτι αλλάζει ή μου φαίνεται..;

 
  Έβαλα που λέτε το ξυπνητήρι χτες για τις έξι και μισί το πρωί για να ξυπνήσω να δω τον Ολυμπιακό να τα πάιζει όλα για όλα με τη Μίλαν. "Καλά τα πάμε", λέω, "ίσως και να μπορέσουμε κάτι να πάρουμε, έιναι και οι άλλοι χάλια, με προπονητή τώρα τον Γκατούζο που ακόμα κι από τον ΟΦΗ κλωτσηδών τον έδιωξαν". Υπήρχαν δηλαδή περιθώρια για έστω ένα θετικό αποτέλεσμα.
  Ντάξει, όχι για την πρόκριση, γιατί αντικειμενικά η Μίλαν έπαιζε για τρία αποτελέσματα: νίκη δική της, ισοπαλία, ή στη χειρότερη ήττα με ένα γκολ (ακόμη και το 4-2 όμως, όπως άκουσα κατά τη διάρκεια της περιγραφής, εναντίον μας θα ήταν, άρα ουσιαστικά με δύο γκολ το καθάριζε). Οπότε λες "όσο χάλια και να'ναι, έτσι όπως ήρθαν τα πράγματα, δύσκολο να το πετύχεις αυτό". Απλά να δούμε το ματς και να πάρουμε μια νίκη απέναντί σ'ένα σύλλογο που έχει κατακτήσει 7 Πρωταθλητριών. Αυτό από μόνο του δεν το λες και λίγο!
   Και ξεκινάει το ματς. Χωρίς να συμπληρωθεί καν το λεπτό βγάζουμε φάση, βλέπεις, ο τερματοφύλακάς τους ασταθής. Στη συνέχεια πάνε αυτοί να ισορροπήσουν αλλά το κρατάμε εμείς εκεί ακριβώς που το θέλουμε. Με σωστές τοποθετήσεις, με ανεβάσματα από τα πλάγια, χωρίς φθηνά πουλήματα τις μπάλας (κάτι που γινόταν πολύ συχνά παλιότερα), με κινήσεις από παίκτες προς τον κενό χώρο... Όλα δηλαδή τα δείγματα γραφής μιας ομάδας η οποία προπονείται σωστά.
   Το γκολ δεν ερχέται παρά τις όποιες μικροευκαιρίες (είπαμε, με ιταλική ομάδα παίζαμε, αν δε ξέρανε να δέσουνε και την άμυνά τους ας το κλείνανε το μαγαζί!) και ξαφνικά, γύρω από το 30ό λεπτό και μετά η Μίλαν αρχίζει να δείχνει γιατί είναι η... Μίλαν! Από το πουθενά βγάζει φάσεις επικύνδυνες, κάθε μια εκ των οποίων θα μπορούσε να είναι απειλή για τον τερματοφύλακα του Ολυμπιακού, ο οποίος όμως στάθηκε στο ύψος των περιστάσεων και δεν επέτρεψε να παραβιαστεί η εστία του σε αυτές τις δύσκολες στιγμές. Άλλωστε και οι τερματοφύλακες παίζουν μπάλα και γι'αυτό πληρώνονται, για να "ξελασπώνουν" την ομάδα όταν οι αμυντικοί τα βρίσκουν "σκούρα".
   Το ημίχρονο λήγει με ένα σκαστό φάουλ από μακρινή απόσταση του μαέστρου Φορτούνη (πώς γίνεται να παίζει ακόμα στον Ολυμπιακό αυτός;;;) το οποίο διώχνει δύσκολα ο Ρέινα. Το δεύτερο ξεκινά με έναν Ολυμπιακό που κανέις δεν έχει ξαναδεί.

   Και δεν το λέω από την άποψη του ότι "κατατρόπωσε την αντίπαλό του" και τέτοια. Όχι. Εμείς που παρακολουθούμε τον Ολυμπιακό από την αρχή της πορείας του στο Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ έχουμε συνηθίσει το Θρύλο σε μια ορισμένη συμπεριφορά την οποία δεν επέδειξε απόψε, γεγονός που μας κάνει να ελπίζουμε για ένα καλύτερο αύριο.
   Δέχτηκε φάσεις από τη Μίλαν. Σίγουρα. Φάνηκε απόλυτα συμβιβασμένος με την ιδέα του ότι δεν γίνεται να μη δεχτεί φάσεις, άλλωστε ποδόσφαιρο είναι. Αλλά ήξερε τι ζητούσε μέσα στο γήπεδο και πως να το ζητήσει, ακόμη και το πότε. Τα γκολ ήρθαν σε καίρια σημεία, την ώρα που η Μίλαν άρχιζε να "βολεύεται" με το σκορ και τα χρονικά περιθώρια είχαν αρχίσει να στενέυουν. Ακόμη και η μείωση του σκορ από πλευράς φιλοξενούμενων ήρθε σε μια στιγμή που όπως ήταν η ομάδα απόψε, την έβλεπες, δεν υπήρχε περίπτωση να μην έβαζε και τρίτο.
   Μπορεί να φταίει το ότι πέσαμε με τη Μίλαν. Αυτή τη στιγμή, είναι ο ιδανικός αντίπαλος να πετύχεις κάτι τέτοιο. Για όσους με γνωρίζουν προσωπικά, ξέρουν ότι έχω μια ιδιαίτερη "αδυναμία" προς τους "ροσονέρι" και θλίβομαι να βλέπω σε τέτοιο σημείο την ομάδα στην οποία μεγαλούργησαν ο Κακά, ο Σεβτσένκο, ο Πίρλο και τόσοι άλλοι. Πρέπει επιτέλους κι αυτοί, όπως και η Ίντερ, να συνέλθουν, να κάνουν σωστές επενδύσεις και να επιστρέψουν εκεί που ανήκουν, στο Τσάμπιονς Λίγκ.
   Αλλά είδαμε έναν άλλο Ολυμπιακό απόψε. Πιο μετρημένο στις κινήσεις του, λιγότερο ενθουσιώδη και παθιασμένο και περισσότερο λογικό, πολύ πιο ομαδικό και με τεράστια αντοχή (δεν σταμάτησαν να πιέζουν, ειλικρινά), μια ομάδα χωρίς βεντετισμούς (αν και ο Φετφατζίδης θα μπορούσε να είχε επιλέξει την πάσα αντί να εκβιάσει το σουτ σε δύο περιπτώσεις στις αρχές του δευτέρου ημιχρόνου), στην οποία ο ένας παίζει για τον άλλον. Θα σταθώ όμως στη λογική, αφού το να παίζεις με μυαλό και να μην παρασύρεσαι είναι μια πολύ μεγάλη υπόθεση για αυτό το επίπεδο.

   Ακόμη και σε ματσάρες όπως με Λεβερκούζεν ή με Μπενφίκα (από τις μεγαλύτερες σε έκταση και αξία που έχει επιτύχει η ομάδα στην Ευρώπη) δεν έχει επιδείξει η ομάδα τέτοια οξυδέρκεια, τέτοια επιμονή αλλά και υπομονή και τόσο καλή φυσική κατάσταση. Ήταν πραγματικά πολύ σημαντικό αυτό που πέτυχε απόψε (δεδομένου του αντιπάλου αλλά και των ειδικών συνθηκών), όμως πιο σημαντικός θεωρώ ότι ήταν ο τρόπος με τον οποίο το πέτυχε. Έτσι πλέον θα ανέβει και η αυτοπεποίθηση της ομάδας.
   Αρκετοί λένε πως η συγκεκριμένη πρόκριση δεν είναι κάτι το σημαντικό, πως "ε, και τι μ'αυτό; λες και δεν έχετε ξαναπάει στους 32...". Κι έχουν ένα δίκιο. Αλλά δεν είναι το ίδιο να προκρίνεσαι από έναν όμιλο με αντιπάλους τύπου Μπάτε και Βίντι (τυχαία ονόματα) σε σχέση με το να βγαίνεις αλώβητος από έναν όμιλο κόντρα σε Μπέτις και Μίλαν, αφού αγώνες κόντρα σε τέτοιους αντιπάλους απαιτούν το 100 τοις εκατό από μια ομάδα και της ανεβάζουν το επίπεδο. Ο Ολυμπιακός συνήθως πήγαινε στους "32" ή άντε μέχρι τους "16" κι έτρωγε τα μούτρα του. Μετά από αυτό που πέτυχαν απόψε οι παίκτες του Μάρτινς όμως, ποιόν έχουνε να φοβηθούνε;;;
  Μιλώντας για Μάρτινς, του αξίζει το 200 τοις εκατό αυτής της επιτυχίας. Η δουλειά του φαινόταν από το καλοκαίρι κιόλας όταν η ομάδα έχανε σε όλα τα φιλικά και γινόταν περίγελος κι εκείνος απλά συνέχιζε τις δοκιμές του χωρίς να ιδρώνει τ'αυτάκι του. Ήρθε η ώρα των προκριματικών κι εκεί έδειξε τι μπορεί να κάνει. Τον βοήθησε βέβαια και η διοίκηση, ότι ήθελε το είχε, αλλά με αυτά που έχει κάνει παίζει να'ναι ο μοναδικός πρπονητής στην ιστορία του Ολυμπιακού που Δεκέμβρη μήνα θα'χει την ομάδα στην τρίτη θέση και οι οπαδοί θα απαιτούν από τον πρόεδρο να του κάνει ανανέωση συμβολαίου! Και μακάρι να μείνει ώστε να συνεχίσει τη δουλίτσα του για όσο πάει.
   Και κάτι τελευταίο. Μπορεί στα χρόνια της δυναστείας του Ολυμπιακού να γινόταν λόγος για φαλτσοσφυρίγματα, μπορεί η ομάδα να κέρδιζε ψεύτικα πέναλτι, μπορεί να "λάδωναν" τους διαιτητές, μπορεί χίλια δυό μπορεί. Αλλά ποτέ, σε καμία περίπτωση ο Ολυμπιακός, ακόμη και απελπισμένος για τη νίκη στο επόμενο παιχνίδι του πρωταθλήματος να ήταν, δεν πέταγε Ευρωπαϊκά παιχνίδια, πόσο μάλλον όταν είχε ακόμη ελπίδες πρόκρισης. Αυτό που κάνει ο ΠΑΟΚ από τη τρίτη αγωνιστική των ομίλων κι έπειτα είναι μια απλή αθλητική ΞΕΦΤΙΛΑ. Ουσιαστικά παρατάει την Ευρωπή, αφού δεν την αντέχει, ώστε να παραμείνει πρώτος στο πρωτάθλημα. Δεν γίνεται το καλοκαίρι να αποκλείεις Σπαρτάκ και Βασιλεία και να φέρνεις "Χ" στη Λισαβώνα μέσα και μετά ξαφνικά να χάνεις στην έδρα σου από ομάδες της Ουγγαρίας και της Λευκορωσίας. Και το χειρότερο της υπόθεσης είναι η κοροϊδία με τις δήθεν δηλώσεις απογοήτευσης...

Red Dead Redemption 2 Review: "Ain't no country for ol' men!"

   This could very easily have been a multi-million Hollywood blockbuster production. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game so enormous, so detailed, so beautiful yet ugly at the same time that it captivates you. The work that has been put into it is obvious, every corner you turn. And it is my firm belief that this story has nothing to be jealous of from great Western films of the 60's or the 70's, in fact it could easily stand beside them. The fact that this game even exists and we as an audience can appreciate it for what it is, makes me think how far along we've come as a community. I don't believe we were ready for the original and I see now how further ahead for its time it was as a title.
   Yes, but what is it that makes it so special, you may ask? Well, yes first of all the visuals of New Hanover, Saint Denis, Strawberry, Blackwater and other areas I cannot mention to avoid spoilers are one of the main attractions. The wildlife you see in the swamps, the cold, harsh winter in the mountains and the stark contrast to the heated, moldy deserts, the stormy nights that give that ominous feeling, it's all right here in the early 1900's. And it is here that you can see just how difficult it was for people to do things we have such a convenience with that we take them for granted, like shower, call each other from afar, or even get from one place to the other. Things like the post, baths, or carrier horses have all but become obsolete in this day and age of technological advancements but back then, they were all they had to live by.

   And speaking of technological advancements, this game does a fine job of showing you the squeaky first few steps of the cinematography industry or the theater, meanwhile staying close with the story. It is truly remarkable how the game manages to keep the atmosphere of the age tied to the story and actually make it one of the core elements around which it develops. Arthur Morgan seems to be a victim of the old age and it is amusing to see his reactions to some of the things he comes into contact with during the course of the story.
   And speaking of Arthur Morgan, that is where the game focuses. Arthur is a member of a gang of outlaws (not criminals) that is run by Dutch Van Der Linde. The start of the game finds them having botched a job in Blackwater town and running from the authorities. Meanwhile, Dutch has a fewd with the leader of another gang called the O' Driscolls that sees them getting into a shootout during which they manage to save a young lady by the name of Sadie Adler. The story goes on from there. 

   You won't care for many members of the Van Der Linde gang, some you won't even remember their names, but what they go through and how they end up will have you screaming. This isn't a game about "happy endings", this is a story that shows how life can break even the best and strongest of characters and how sometimes just when we think we have nothing left to lose and we're standing at the edge of the precipice, that's when our true colors shine through. Honestly the term "test of character" is the best I can think of for the Van Der Linde gang. Even John Marston (who we know is the one that makes it out okay, since he stars in the sequel, released back in 2010) goes through so much in this that I feel players will want to go back and replay the original.
   Sometimes, what can make or break a game is its main character. Well, I can testify that Arthur Morgan is one of the greats. He belongs right up there with Nathan Drake, Joel, Solid Snake and many others. A true cowboy, he knows when to use his words and when to let his guns do the talking. He gives everyone a fair chance though and doesn't jump to conclusions. Morgan seems like he wanted to do other things with his life, better things, yet he never really had the opportunity to do so, being raised by Dutch and the gang. Morgan is a true man, that doesn't take the words "loyalty" or "family" lightly. Not at all. 

   Regarding pacing, I felt like things were interesting up until chapter six, then it began to tire me out a little and I was beginning to look forward to the end. Then, just as I thought the end had come, I got hit by the other HALF of the game that was equally tiresome since I could already tell where it was going to lead! We're talking about a notoriously large main scenario campaign that takes days (if not weeks) to complete. Most of it is good and the payoff is definitely worth it, however some of it I felt was a little unnecessary and dragged out for reasons that shouldn't be mentioned at all.
   Of course, Rockstar being who they are, there are over a hundred things to pass time alternatively or if you complete the main story. From playing poker, milking cows, fishing, taming strange horses to see which one rides best, hunting legendary animals or just hunting for food, crafting items, taking on bounties or just plain old shooting and killing people or throwing poor old Morgan off a cliff just to create a funny compilation video for your YouTube channel, you can do it all. The only limitation is that, compared to Grand Theft Auto V where things are more advanced, this is 1899, so you could only do so much at that day and age. But whatever there was, you can bet Rockstar has thrown it in there!

   This is a great, long story about people who needed to survive and find a place within a world that was leaving them behind, each in their own way. It may even be about redemption, as the title implies. And all that, wrapped up nicely in fantastic (yet based on real) environments, and so much entertainment that you could never get tired of it even if you tried. Red Dead Redemption 2 has gone beyond was is simply a video game by pushing the limitations of the consoles to their limits (this is the first time a single title required two disks). This isn't just game of the year. It is the one that will define this entire generation. 
   Even if you're not a gamer, or even a fan of western films, I urge you not to miss out on this story...

Kingdom Hearts 3 Preview: "Mickey... You're too late!"

   Alright, I promised last week I would dedicate an article specifically on my impressions from playing Kingdom Hearts 3 at PAX Australia, so here it is. Don't expect anything gigantic because after all, with the lines so big, the time we got with the game was very limited so I had to make my assessments very quickly, while in the meantime having people shouting in my ear (remember, this is a gaming expo).
   There were two choices for the worlds: the one was a battle against the titan-boss from Olympus Coliseum and the second was a large portion (I'm assuming, since we don't know how big it'll be just yet) of Toy Box, the world based on Toy Story. I jumped right into it, kicking things off against the titan boss. The game introduces the ability to run up walls, although I had a feeling it was available in previous editions but I could be wrong. It didn't feel really all that innovative to me.
   The boss fight itself was really clunky. Just smash the attack button until you get a prompt to summon the train ride. Yet even though I did get that prompt more than once and I did press the triangle button at the time I was meant to, the train attraction wasn't showing up or wasn't becoming available for some unexplained reason. Perhaps there was something I was doing wrong, I don't know. The game wasn't explaining it to me.

   I enjoyed smacking around the few Heartless and seeing the functions of Sora's new sparkling Keyblades. However the battle system hasn't really changed; if anything, it feels like it has dumbed down from previous editions. It was exactly like KH: 0.8 A Fragmentary Passage where all you needed to do was press X until the triangle prompt showed up and you got an even stronger version. Flashy as all hell, but ultimately not much choice or strategy into it. I used a few of the spells as well yet there didn't seem to be much of a point for them being there.
   Then I got to the titan boss itself. Holy crap. I couldn't see anything! All I did was smack its legs until their HP went down to 0, meanwhile spamming Curaga cause there was nothing I could do against its stomp attacks that kept taking away nearly half of my own health. After that was done, I had to follow some flashy, star-like things on my screen in order to make it up to its two heads (couldn't I have done that in the first place?) to start smacking it around some more. That's when the train-ride prompt issue came up. Eventually I got to summon it, but because I was so low on both HP and MP and I couldn't find where the Item menu was to restore any of them (if there even is one), I had to wrap it up quickly so as to avoid the dreaded "Game Over" screen and thus missed out on seeing the fancy ride.

https://twitter.com/alex_kid7/status/1055971044119371776

   After that was done, I went into the Toy Box world and watched the opening cut scenes. I have to admit, I don't know if that really is Tom Hanks and Tim Allen or not, but it does sound like them. In between all the getting-to-know-each-other, a short fight with some Heartless breaks out in Andy's room (I'm sure you've seen it by now in the trailers) during which I experimented a little and switched around with the Keyblades during battle. I got to use the rolling cups, that are based on a Disneyland theme ride, and also the mechanical claws that eventually turn into a drill from Monsters Inc. 
   And I need to say, while I was using all these weapons and they were pretty and my screen was filling up with sparkling lights and gorgeous colors, I had trouble understanding their function. They were hard to control (the teacups especially were going all over the place), there didn't seem to be any special elements or weaknesses towards one type of Heartless to a specific type of attack, so I was left to wonder if all this game is is just a bunch of showing off. I remember a lot of tough battles in the Kingdom Hearts series that involved strategy, however they were mostly the boss fights. The rest have just been about smacking the Heartless or Nobodies until they're not on your screen anymore.
   A lot of my excitement dropped after this experience. Yes, it was pretty (however I do feel that the trailers did it more justice than the game is worth and that is yet another issue that will eventually come up; Toy Box was nowhere near as impressive as an actual Toy Story movie) and yes, some of the fights were fun and I do want to know where the story of the three orphans from Destiny Islands will end, however in this day and age where games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin's Creed Odyssey and God Of War are popping up every two months, I feel like Kingdom Hearts 3 just may not be able to give fans what they expect from it.
   To put it in the words of one of the main characters "Mickey... You're too late."

What it's like being at PAX

 

 

  As soon as you approach the Melbourne Convention Center these days, you will see the above sign. It welcomes you "home". "Home", as in a place where you belong. And truer words have never been spoken. Gaming is something that nowadays connects 65+ year-old's to 14 year-old's, whether that game is called Pokemon Go!, Fortnite or Candy Crush. The community has spread out so wide that you would need to have your head stuck persistently in the past to not be able to see this, as some communities still do unfortunately.

   So here I was at PAX Australia, finally. And even though I had been to such a big gaming event in the past (check out my post about Paris Games Week a few years back), I knew that this was going to be something to remember. After all, there are only a few conventions worldwide that go under the name "PAX" and most of them are in the States, plus this year they were partnering with EB Expo to make the event even bigger.

   I wasn't wrong either. As soon as I stepped into the expo hall, there were big booths with all the greatest soon-to-come or fresh-out-of-the-oven hits by PlayStation, Nintendo, Xbox and PC. Of course there were independent developers as well (commonly known as "indies" within the industry) and a lot of them were from Australian Universities. There was a special area dedicated specifically to them titled "PAX Rising", which from what I know happened for the first year ever.

   An area that caught my attention was the "Classic Gaming" space, where you could see where it all began. You had your Atari's and your Commodore's all on display and you could also try out some of the first games. I saw someone playing Alex Kidd on the Mega Drive and my mind traveled back quite a few years to Sydney where me, my cousin and the son of my mum's friend who was around the same age as us would sit around the TV and play that game. Also there were a few Super Nintendo's there but by now I'm used to seeing those.

   Another great space that I noticed wasn't as loud as the game hall was the Tabletop lounge, where people played card games (not on motorcycles). I noticed the Final Fantasy game is getting quite some traction, something that I am personally not okay with as I consider it an exploitation of the series, but that's a discussion better saved for another time. I was really pleasantly surprised to see just how many people are still in touch with these more traditional forms of entertainment. I didn't stick around for any of them due to my lack of time, but I would never dismiss them. Besides, I still play the Pokemon TCG every now and again.

   And speaking of Pokemon, I think it's time I get to the nitty-gritty of this piece: what games were there? Which games were absent? Which ones did I play and what was my opinion of them? Okay, here goes.

   As soon as I got into the hall, the first thing I noticed in front of me was a Smash Bros Ultimate wall of characters and above that, a screen advertising the game. It was fully playable and there was even a tournament going on. I didn't get to try it out unfortunately but people were going berserk over it. I did spy on some Cloud Strife wins though (attaboy spikey!)

   Around the corner from that though, there was another huge line of people (seems to be a common theme at these events) waiting to try out Pokemon Let's Go! Eevee and Pikachu. Thankfully I was smart enough to wait until the closing hours of the show and seeing I wasn't in a group, they let me try it out for a bit. However, what I have to say about it may not excite Pokemon fans. The game is extremely underwhelming. Imagine taking the essence of Pokemon Go! (which is going outside to look for the creatures) and simply putting it on the screen. That's all it is. Alright, the animations in the battles look gorgeous, I'm willing to give it that much, but they could've done much more than keep it tied down to the Kanto region. That really holds back an already limited title. This looks like 90's mechanics in 2018's visuals. Not good I'm afraid. I hope what Game Freak have under wraps for their next Pokemon console title is a lot better cause I got bored after 10 minutes.

   Next to the whole Nintendo booth was a line waiting for one hour to play (what else?) Kingdom Hearts 3. I'm gonna do a separate piece with my opinion regarding this title, however the love so many people have for it got me excited enough on its own. If there's gonna be a launch event somewhere downtown, you can bet your goofy boots I'm gonna be there to "share the magic". It was a long wait to try it out but as I said to someone who asked me about it "I waited 10 years for it, another hour or so won't bother me."

   Right across from Kingdom Hearts 3 (and Jump Force, they kinda had a shared booth being under the Bandai Namco umbrella. I got to try it out again and I really like Jump Force) was the Playstation booth. PS pulled a bit of a BS move in my opinion as they kept both Days Gone and the Resident Evil 2 Remake in hidden rooms. So unless you were willing to wait in line, standing for over an hour for RE2, or even worse download an app and book your time to try out Days Gone (clear exploitation and a way to get their name on people's phones), there was simply no way you could see those two titles. Completely unacceptable marketing strategies and especially towards the people that made them who they are today. It's like they're afraid of showing the titles to too many people cause they had no faith in them. I'm scared to think of what would happen should they had brought The Last Of Us II to this event.

   From the games that I did get to see from Sony, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice surprised me with how wonderfully vibrant it looks. It's definitely not a NiOh copy because I remember trying that game and it was way too grim. In Sekiro you can see the cherry blossom trees and what separates Feudal Japan from other places and times. I am definitely more invested in this title. There was also a small lounge-like area in which one of the people from Media Molecule, developers of Dreams explained how the title works. I wanted to see it but unfortunately didn't have the time as it clashed with some other things I wanted to attend. 

   Of course every other major title that has already been released was there: Spider-Man, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, the only one I didn't see was Red Dead Redemption II but we all know that Rockstar play by their own rules and never join these parties. At some stage I noticed a huge video wall with Vegeta kicking the crap out of Kakarot (pure joy) and it got me thinking how much DragonBall FighterZ has stuck with audiences. It has been everywhere, I even saw an event in Greece before I left.

   Ori and the Wild Forest was the one thing that really grabbed me from the Xbox booth as everything else is already pretty much available on other consoles. The lack of demand is evident from the fact that Kingdom Hearts 3 was available to try out in the Xbox area as well, yet not even a quarter of the people were gathered there as they were in the actual KH3 booth. Maybe they didn't notice or maybe most of them just grew up playing the franchise on their PlayStations, I don't know...

   Speaking of PlayStation, one really nice touch by the Japanese giants was a form of "museum" they had in their own booth in which you could see each of their consoles, the year it came out and a bit of a story behind it. It's unbelievable that we're already 21 years from the first ever PS console. There were also some great consoles on display, such as the Switch Pokemon Let's Go! edition or the Xbox One X Fallout 76 edition. Bethesda had their very own dedicated space at the expo as did GameSpot but sorry folks, I couldn't find them. VR also had a strong presence throughout the halls of the event. Apart, from PlayStation's own separate PSVR titles, there was a separate area in which people could try out hovering, driving, playing cricket, and all other forms of virtual reality activities. Even though I have my opinions about how I don't like the way this is being forcefully marketed upon the public, I have to admit some of it seems fun.

   It wasn't all just games though. There were a lot of interesting panels as well. I attended three of them. Although I'm not too sure about the first one, as they had game developers trying to answer questions while eating spicier levels of chicken wings, to the point of someone getting the hiccups and the whole thing just deteriorating into a mess (as was the point from the beginning I'm assuming). The second panel was a lot more informative but also a bit cleansing, as people gathered and shared their stories regarding how gaming impacted their lives. It was challenging to get up in front of a room of tens of people, with a camera on my face and talk about my life's story and how I've been living for the past 20 years in a society that thinks that if you're a gamer, you're just a waste of time, but I did it anyway. Finally, the third panel was regarding video game reviews that was truly interesting and fun at the same time, yet I feel left me with more questions than answers: if a gaming site or a reviewer is promoting a specific game title, can they truly be trusted as subjective and not bias? How do you conduct a proper review? Do you emphasize more on your personal experiences on your titles or do you mainly point out what the game mechanics are? Do you honestly pay attention to comments when you have hundreds of them coming in?

   Anyway, those were my impressions from my very first (yet definitely not last) PAX event. I really enjoyed the show and next year I'll be there for the whole three days and not just the one. These types of events bring the whole community together and I was pleasantly surprised to find people who are hard working, smart, and have now found their own place in Australia's society (some of them work for ABC). One image that stuck to me as I was leaving though were these two older women (must've been in their late 50's-early 60's) trying to take a picture with a huge Poke-ball and Pokemon Let's Go! sign that was near the entrance, with one of them saying "get me closer to Pikachu!" Then it hit me... we really are a huge community.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey Review

 

  With the way things have been going in my life for the past few months, video games had to take a back seat until I had settled in Australia. Naturally, when I was able to afford a PlayStation 4, I had a back log as big as the library down the road. And we're just talking about triple-A titles, nothing minor. So far I've had the chance to play Detroit Become Human, Shadow Of The Tomb Raider, God Of War and Assassin's Creed Odyssey. All great titles and we've also got Red Dead Redemption 2 coming out in a few days.
   But if I had to choose one out of all these titles to crown it as "the best", it would be Assassin's Creed Odyssey (ACO). Ubisoft pleasantly surprised me with the way it encapsulated every single element into this game, without trying too hard on one or leaving another unpolished. ACO is without a doubt complete, it demands great effort from the player to get through, yet offers so much in return.
   The initial choice between Alexios or Kassandra might seem insignificant, however without going into too many spoilers, it is very heavy. And I personally believe that Kassandra was the correct choice in what she is meant to be for "Deimos", rather than the other way around. It is difficult to speak about this without getting into spoiler territory, however those that have *that* in their lives would completely understand and near the end of the story, even though I was playing as Kassandra, I found myself becoming a lot more invested and attached to Alexios.

   Speaking of choices, the game offers so many of them. There's never any hand-holding apart from the initial stages at Kephallonia. After that, you're pretty much free as a bird and anything you do is up to you. However, dialogue choices are where this game truly shows its diversity, giving players a whole series of different decisions that are in complete harmony with how things used to happen in that day and age, but also let the user's own character shine through, rather than just being an observer of cut scenes as is most time the case. There are even times when ACO shows you that no matter how different the age, some dilemmas will always remain just as troubling. For example, I remember an argument Kassandra was having with Hippokrates (yes, the Hipokkrates) about a sick patient who wasn't going to get better and just asked for a quick death. The doctor wanted to keep him alive in order to learn from his illness, yet I (as Kassandra) chose to set him free and gave him a mercy killing, leading to a heated debate with Hippokrates. I could've chosen to keep him alive. And there are hundreds of different dialogue choices that shape the story, making each playthrough truly unique.
   Speaking of unique, having lived in Greece myself for over 20 years and traveled around many parts of it, I can honestly say that Ubisoft have given a very faithful representation of what it feels like to travel around the country either by land or by sea and why it is that people flock there every year for their vacations. I was shocked to see the salt pans that I remember from my holiday island of Kimolos (right across from Milos, in the game I found them at Lokris) and riding on Phovos I got to reminiscing about how we used to get in the car and go out into the country with the family. I also remembered how much I hated being on the boat, going out to the islands (more of a city person here). All of those emotions and memories came rushing back just by playing a game.

   However, the harshness of the time is portrayed through the story perfectly as well. People taking the law into their own hands all too often, way too bloody battles, carnage, but also the first form of politics, of medicine, of theater, everything is shown off here. It really paints a clear image of why many people died young in those days. I wasn't a fan of the portrayal of Aristophanes and his "happy" attitude, but that's something that I'll touch upon later.
   The game progresses via quests and even though they're usually your typical "go there-kill him" or "get that" kinda quests, the story that's behind them or what you have to go on afterwards makes them intriguing enough to maintain interest. Plus there's some variety in the form of forts, conquest battles and naval battles. Forts require a player to literally take down a fort of a meager 6-7 to an entire platoon of 30+ soldiers and demand a bit of strategy (this is where the "assassination" part really comes in handy), lest they summon reinforcements and you're left to deal with an uncontrollable situation. Conquest battles on the other hand are just a battlefield of carnage where you need to stay alive. The first time players are put on there will seem like an unbelievable challenge, yet it gets easier the more abilities they rank up. Finally, there's naval battles. The "Adrestia", as is the name of your ship, goes up against others of the Spartan, Athenian or pirate fleet. The thing to keep in mind with these battles is that most of the time you'll only need to target one, but there's be three or more ganging up on you when you do. Just strike once, leave, heal, rinse, repeat.

   Then there's the annoying (yet interesting as an idea) mercenaries. If you don't keep in line or if you commit something that is against the law (murder, theft, break into a nation leader's house), then someone puts a bounty on your head and some strong soldiers called "mercenaries" come after you. They offer good rewards for beating them but they're extremely difficult to take down, even if they're on the same or even lower level, so having one of these coming for you while you're trying to invade a fort is a bad combination. The more crimes you commit, the more the bounty goes up and even more and stronger mercenaries come after you. If you hit level five, you have all of Greece looking for you. Getting rid of them is fairly easy though. You either kill the one who put the bounty on you, pay the bounty itself or just hide somewhere until they stop looking for you.
   Battle mechanics are solid as well. While the idea of a second wheel is useless when you're in battle (when I have four people coming at me, I can't as well press L1+down and then again L1+O just to use a single technique, I need to have them all handy), the four you can use are enough on their own and once you level them up, they become pretty beastly. I never used any arrow or assassination techniques, but maybe that's just my play style. I focused on the warrior skills. The weapons and armor system is ingenious and greatly rewarding for hoarders like myself. While you may not use your old equipment, you never get rid of it or just sell it off cause you can dismantle it into material that you find other uses for. For example, I used the material from my old armor to upgrade my ship or when I was up against a real *ahem* bull of an opponent and I had no way out, so I desperately needed to craft more arrows.

   ACO doesn't tell players much. In fact, it tells them barely what they need to know. Because of that, I missed out on the fact that you needed to synchronize almost every location (see that eagle icon on your map? don't miss it!) which meant I couldn't go back to key areas such as the house of the Olympians unless I was willing to spend the time riding there on horseback. Also, there were a few glitches here and there (the game bugged out on me twice in over 50 hours of playing), however considering all they had put in it, I'm not surprised. Greece's depiction was faithful regarding some things, yet almost comedic when it comes to others. I understand that this is a work of fiction, but to have Sokratis the great philosopher goofing around like a jester is a bit insulting and sends the wrong message. Or Periklis who had a whole century named after him (the 5th century BC is known as "the golden age of Periklis), to show him as depressed and ready to commit suicide. Just no.
   Anyway, considering all it does right, these things feel like picking needles in a hay stack. And literally, ACO is so huge, players need close to 50 hours just to get through the main story, although the way this game is made, it's hard to tell where the main story and the side quests lie. At its core, ACO is entirely player driven and whether it turns out as yet another Greek tragedy or a great story of family in a war torn world, that's up to the choices made by the users. It reminds us what separates video games from other forms of entertainment and is truly a shining achievement. Kudos, Ubisoft!

In defense of Hiro Mashima's work

 

 
   A few days ago, the final season of the Fairy Tail anime began to air. It will involve the final battle between the magic guilds of Ishgar and the nation of Alvarez, which Zeref rules over. However, the manga of Fairy Tail itself is being continued with a new addition, "The 100 Year Quest". To add to that, mangaka Hiro Mashima is continuing his own work with the creation of an entirely new story called Eden's Zero.
   Many have criticized Mashima's work. It is often dismissed as "too cheerful", "corny", "too obvious", "not realistic enough" (this coming from an industry that considers the notion of ninjas walking on water and shooting fire out of their mouths acceptable) and even extremely sexist, as the depiction of naked teenage girls has become a common theme within his chapters.
   Yes, if you're reading a Mashima-manga, you can expect that no one is gonna die. That everyone is gonna make it out unscathed on the other side, even if they're dealing with extremely unfavorable odds. If you turn to the final chapter, you're more than likely gonna see the same main characters from the very first one, all sitting there, smiling, like it's another day at the beach.
   It was the same with his first attempt at a manga, Rave Master, that had a much smaller cast than Fairy Tail but the same premise. Main hero, main heroine, small creature, some other guy also joins in along the way, they fight, they learn secrets about their identity, blah blah blah. And after just 14-15 chapters in, Eden's Zero is starting to feel like a lot of the same as well. In fact, it feels much more like Rave Master than it does Fairy Tail, but that's an entirely different story.
   So yeah, unrealistic, even within the realm of manga, and extremely suggestive. Those are two words that someone could use to describe Hiro Mashima's work with. And yet, for some reason, it seems like he is the only mangaka that has the ability to pull on the heartstrings in such a unique way.
   Watching Naruto for close to a decade, I only cried once: when Naruto met his mother, Kushina, whom he had never seen before in his life. It was a touching and emotional scene that was very well done and showed how much the young hero had been through and how much we had been through with him.

   However, Fairy Tail manages to do this in almost every single episode. The messages it conveys about friendship, solidarity, a sense of belonging, bonds, having a place that feels like home and people around you that are willing to help you are so strongly emphasized that it's hard to hold back the tears. I'm not ashamed to say, I don't remember how many times I've cried, even while watching re-runs of the show.
   The battle with Phantom Lord when Lucy realized she found a new place to call home, when Wendy found out her guild was just a lie, the death of Simon at the Tower of Heaven, the times in Edolas when Happy found out the truth about why he and Carla were sent to Earthland, when Ultear decided to face the truth about her mother, Acnologia's attack on Tenrou, the return of the team after seven long years in stasis and the tears in the eyes of young Romeo, Natsu's proclamation during the grand magic games' chariot event, Fairy Tail's return to number one (which is something that predictable, but still emotional in the way that it happened), Grey's battle with his dad and the return of the dragons that had raised Natsu, Wendy and Gajeel and especially Igneel's death, all these were moments that struck at the heart.
  Fairy Tail even managed to bring tears to my eyes through its manga, since there was a point early on in its final season that hasn't been animated yet. Lucy and a few others return to Magnolia where the guild used to be. They go there in the hopes of meeting everyone after it disbanded over one year ago but she desperately attempts to keep her expectations low, seeing as all she did was sent out a few letters and it's not as if everyone would gather back just because of that. And yet, there they all are, waiting to see her again. And, in her own words, it brought so much joy to her, it even hurt her.

   The thing is, this is a work of fiction. And even though it might not be as philosophically heavy as Naruto or main characters might seem to have immunity to death or you might even see ridiculous things happening like Erza smashing a meteor with her two legs broken, it's still nice to have that sort of escape, and to see a group of friends that go through troubled times only to come out stronger on the other end because they have each other. It makes you feel a little bit better about life.
   Mashima knows how to do this well. He's good at creating pick-me-up stories with happy endings, no matter how difficult things may seem and he always tries to push forward the message that "we're always stronger if we're together". In my personal opinion, as sappy as his work may seem, that's an optimistic outlook on life to maintain. 

The anti-hero's appeal

   A new form of character has begun to appear in modern serializations. Whether we're talking about manga/anime, comic books, TV series or even video games, this new stereotype has made its way through all of them and has grown in popularity, with fans familiarizing themselves more with these types of characters. The one in word is of course the anti-hero.
   The anti-hero is someone who people know won't claim victory in the end. After all, this isn't his story, it's the protagonist's and more often than not, the anti-hero's role is to simply make them stronger or as a hurdle that they need to overcome. The anti-hero doesn't fight for "good", he fights for whatever reason he finds reasonable and doesn't care about anything or anyone else.
   The reason for the anti-hero's rise in appeal is that people are more fond of these types of characters due to the fact that their development is a lot of times far more interesting than that of even the over-used hero who surpasses all obstacles and goes on to do what needs to be done. The anti-hero will go through all forms of twists and turns, he might not even survive till the end of the story and can easily be used as a "sacrificial piece" by daring story-tellers in an attempt to cause a big reaction among their fans. And that's what makes it intriguing. 
   The anti-hero, a lot of times, might even start off as an evil villain, as someone to be seen as a threat from the viewpoint of both the hero but also the audience themselves. But what's most interesting about this new type of character are the motives behind the actions.

   I find the manga Naruto a very good source of inspiration when it comes to this. During the end of first part of the story, titular character was taken out to train for three years under his master, with the looming threat of an evil organisation dubbed the Akatsuki (trn: "Red Moon") approaching ever closer over time. However, after fighting these supposed villains, Naruto and his comrades soon discover that each and every one of them have justifiable reasons of doing what they were doing. And the higher up they went in hierarchy, the more difficult it was to not actually side with these characters and even view them as villains at all anymore. It's no coincidence that every character from this organisation has his/her own fan base (except Zetsu, no one likes him).

   However, if we're going to talk about Naruto and anti-heroes, it would be criminal not to mention Sasuke Uchiha. A character that started the series as Naruto's best friend, then went on to murder his own brother, tried to start a killing spree of his own home, then decided he would save the world instead after realizing that he needed to grow up. His influence on Naruto and his own, personal journey throughout the series, from revenge, to anguish, to overcoming all that in order to find a solution to unify his world and then even beyond that to see the hand that Naruto was constantly extending toward him, was truly one for the ages. A trade-mark anti-hero, yet one that audiences always knew would survive.

   Speaking of anti-heroes and manga, the series that pretty much created the archetype was that of Dragon Ball, as there were so many characters that fit that role, it's hard to keep count: Yamcha, Tienshinhan, Piccolo, even Frieza is beginning to look like one these days. But to no other does it seem to suit better than the Prince of all Saiyans, Vegeta. In fact, it seems like he was born to play the part, as he was originally introduced as an enemy to protagonist Goku (or "Kakarot", as Vegeta himself prefers to call him) and was sent to Earth originally to conquer it, although he also tried to destroy it after "Kakarot" put up too much of a fight. Vegeta then had to bare witness to a humble, lower class Saiyan surpass him in power and defeat Frieza, the one that had enslaved his race, killed his own father and destroyed his home planet. Vegeta trained night after day in order to prove his superiority over Goku and set things right within his own mind, however other things kept getting in the way and eventually Goku gave his own life to save Earth, leaving Vegeta with a feeling of emptiness. In the following seven years, the Saiyan prince tried to find out the source of Goku's power, thinking it might even be the desire to protect his loved ones, so he had his own little family yet nothing changed. Eventually the proud Saiyan did get his rematch but nothing had changed, as Goku hid the lion's share of his power from him in order to spare him from the shame of defeat, leaving Vegeta bitter and angry. After a while, Vegeta managed to catch up to Goku in terms of strength, yet he seemed to have calmed down quite a lot from the first day he set his foot on Earth, due to the influence of his family (he even told his son Trunks that he was proud of him and had a second child) and not seem so fixated on his Saiyan pride anymore. Instead, he would appear more willing to fight and risk his own well-being for someone besides himself, showing a complete shift in his character. Vegeta is a stereotype anti-hero, one that shows just how much these types of characters can impact the overall story.

   There have been others, such as Uryuu Ishida from Bleach, who was from the opposite faction than the main character (thought he) was. More specifically, as Ichigo Kurosaki was (thought to be) a Soul Reaper, Uryu Ishida was a Quincy; one's job was to cleanse a hollow and maintain the balance of souls, the other's was to completely annihilate them from existence. The two were actually classmates yet considered each other rivals, although nothing too severe. Yet during the manga's final arc, "The 1000 Year War", where the Quincies declared war on the Soul Reapers, Uryu sides with his fellow Quincies and fights with Ichigo, leaving the main character to ponder the reasons behind his former friend's actions. However in the end it is revealed that all this was nothing but a ploy and the two join forces to defeat the main antagonist and Quincy leader, Juha Bach.

   Another great source for anti-heroes is Fairy Tail, as quite a few characters that fit the role can be found here as well. First and foremost is Gray Fullbuster, who plays off nicely with main character, Natsu Dragneel, as one is an ice wizard and the other breathes fire. However, Gray's story is much deeper than that. Having lost both his parents due to an attack of a demon in his hometown, Gray goes down the path of revenge. Eventually, as he looks for a place to go, he stumbles on to a woman and a child. The woman, who's name is Ur, decides to take him in and teach him the ice magic that he masters later on down the line. However, during the course of his training, Gray finds out that the demon that destroyed his village is rampaging somewhere nearby and even though he is not ready, decides to go after it. Having heard this, Ur rushes to save him and is eventually forced into using a forbidden spell called "Iced Shell" that uses her own life force to encapsulate the demon in ice. Gray is left mortified and alone once again. He eventually stumbles at the gates of the Fairy Tail guild, where he overcomes his grief through the help of the many new friends he makes. And through the numerous adventures he and his guildmates go through, he discovers Ur has a daughter called Ultear, he reconnects with the demon that Ur trapped in ice and he even meets with the father he thought was dead.

    Another great anti-hero from Fairy Tail is Gajeel Redfox, who's first appearance in the anime resembles a bit that of Vegeta, as he tries to destroy the guild and kidnap Lucy, one of the protagonists, but is stopped by Natsu. The connecting element between the two and one that made Gajeel even more appealing to fans is that they're both dragon slayers. In a shocking turn of events, Gajeel decides to join the same guild he tried to destroy and atones for his sins, letting Laxus take out his frustration on him without fighting back, and even becomes one of the toughest fighters of the guild. But apart from an ongoing relationship with Levy McGarden that helps smooth his character and a few power-ups here and there, not much else is offered in terms of development.

   Finally, two other characters that have showed up more recently and put on the anti-hero suit are My Hero Academeia's Shoto Todoroki and Katsuki Bakugo. The former comes from a broken home, as he was born as an experiment, when his father, Endeavor, who possesses the strongest fire quirk had multiple children with his mother, who had an ice quirk, in order to create a perfect being who had both and would become the number one hero. Shoto was that being but his birth led to his mother being isolated and for that, he despises his father and wants nothing to do with him. Bakugo on the other hand just seems like he's got a bad temper from the start of the show. Childhood friends with main protagonist, Izuku "Deku" Midoriya, he constantly belittles him, telling him there's no reason for him to sign up to the Hero Academy. Izuku's sudden string of successes frustrate Bakugo to no end and his easily angered character is seen as something exploitable by the actual villains of the series, who kidnap him and try to convince him to join them. However, in a surprising turn of events, Bakugo pretty much tells them to shove it, pointing out that he is a stern admirer of number one hero All Might and wants nothing more than to be just like him some day. The progress and evolution of both these characters and how they will play off Izuku is something worth paying close attention to.

   And one from another industry. With Kingdom Hearts 3 so close to release, it felt appropriate to mention Riku, who was always the dark to main protagonist Sora's light. The two have fundamentally different stories, however their paths always lead to the same end. Riku's power usually stems from the darkness and even though he was the main antagonist in the first game of the series, down the road he even became a playable character, as he tried to learn how to control that power and eventually grow above it, becoming a keyblade master and leaving his past behind. There was even a time when Riku rescued Sora. At the start of Kingdom Hearts 3, Riku is considered to be a stronger character than Sora.
   Those are but a few anti-heroes that can be named. There are a ton of others, some don't even survive yet still have compelling enough story lines that leave them adored by fans even more than the protagonists. Such is the connection that people feel to a character that can make mistakes, is left vulnerable and can change in every way possible (either good, bad, or morally gray) throughout the story. Because yeah, heroes are good, but anti-heroes? That's where all of us are.