Oct

31

Ad-Aware

Filed Under Software | Leave a Comment

There’s a problem with Ad-Aware 6 build 181 that causes the automatic update process to freeze after downloading 5 per cent of the reference file.

(Apparently somebody mucked up the reference file name because Ad-Aware is attempting to download a reference file from 2002.)

The workaround, as described in the Ad-Aware forum, is simple enough: manually download the 656kb ZIP file containing the reflist.ref file and extract it to the Ad-Aware folder. Launch Ad-Aware and you should see the latest reference file loaded.

Oct

27

Kamen Rider Ryuki

Filed Under Kamen Rider, Reviews, TV | Leave a Comment

One madman, desperate to save a doomed loved one, concocts a game which will see 13 battle to the death for the ultimate prize: one reality-altering wish.

This is the world of Kamen Rider Ryuki.

As is typical of series in the Kamen Rider franchise, Ryuki has an outrageous premise. It’s a little bit Highlander, it’s a little bit Digimon and a whole lot of Kamen Rider. It revolves around a mirror world populated by a menagerie of monsters and it is there that the battle of the 13 riders is fought.

Each of the thirteen riders has a reason to play the game. One seeks to revive his comatose lover while another is dying and seeks immortality. One simply wants to improve his lot in life while another craves power. A few try to stop the killing while others are less altruistic and simply revel in meting out death and destruction.

You could say Death, the rider of the pale horse, is the 14th rider as death — and the five stages of grief — play an important part in the series. Many of the characters are dying or doomed to die. Many desperately seek to change their fates and the fates of others. Some will succeed but only at great cost.

The lead, a naif named Kidou Shinji, is presented with difficult, painful and unfair choices as the series progresses. Is saving ten lives worth sacrificing one life? What if that one life happens to be someone you care about? What if you have friends among the ten as well? What path would a true hero take? This being a tokusatsu show, chop-socky action naturally takes precedence over Moral Philosophy 101 but I appreciate the emotive layer since it elevates the action above random acts of senseless violence.

The battle scenes are typical of the newer Kamen Rider series: lots of style and ambition but the CG special effects often tend to fall slightly short in execution. I’m often left wondering at the things they could accomplish if they had a bigger budget but the effects, as they are, do well enough.

Comparisons with more recent Kamen Rider series? Ryuki lacks 555’s panache and accessibility but unlike 555 and the bland Blade, Ryuki packs an emotional punch. There are many moving, stirring moments in this series and some depressingly sad moments as well.

Considering how grim and depressing the series can get, I was surprised to find it to be much funnier than 555 and Blade. Kidou Shinji is probably the goofiest character to ever henshin and the supporting cast is capable of some entertaining hijinks as well. And bearing in mind how over-the-top Kamen Rider henshin sequences can be (e.g. Alternative 0’s absurd transformation), Kitaoka’s mimed henshin in the hilarious episode 30 is by my reckoning the funniest scene in a Kamen Rider series.

I caught the VCD boxset (22 VCDs containing the series and the 13 Riders Special) and a DVD of Episode Final, the Kamen Rider Ryuki movie. (I had earlier purchased a VCD boxset containing the first 15 episodes of the series and was immediately hooked.) The set is a Hong Kong bootleg but it has a veneer of legitimacy because it’s been approved by the local censorship board.

The VCDs are in the original Japanese and have been subbed with Chinese and English subtitles which are onscreen simultaneously. If that wasn’t annoying enough, the subbers weren’t especially conscientious about getting the English subtitles right. If the character’s named Goro and is referred to repeatedly as “Goro-chan” what would possess the subbers to refer to him as “Inagaki”? Truly, an enigma worthy of an Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World episode.

The Episode Final movie, which posits the battle of the 13 riders was the result of a missed play date, is only notable for the debuts of Kamen Rider Femme and Kamen Rider Repaint Ryuga, and its final third which builds strongly to a … non-ending. The 13 Riders special, on the other hand, has nothing commendable about it aside from its gimmick: viewers could choose their preferred … non-ending.

A Malay-dubbed version of the show is being currently being shown locally (noon Saturday on NTV7, fact fans) and the really neat thing about this is that the merchandise has been brought in and at very nice prices as well. Here’s hoping the powers that be will eventually bring in Faiz and Blade as well.

Ryuki links:

  • TV-Asahi and Toei have official sites.
  • Jillun’s site is the definitive English-language Ryuki site with excellent character bios as well as write-ups of a few episodes of the series, the special and the movie. This is the place to go to if you’re curious about the series.
  • The Japanese WikiPedia entry for the series has some fascinating notes.
  • This Trends in Japan article notes women in their thirties make up the largest share of Ryuki’s audience after kids aged 4-12.
  • In terms of action figures, the recent collector-oriented Souchaku Henshin (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) and S.I.C figures (1, 2, 3) stand out but I’m fond of the R&M (Rider and Monster) Sets (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) as they’re a lot more fun not to mention a little more faithful to the designs seen on the show. Japanese toy fans K and Yone have reviews.

Oct

25

Does defeat taste like pea soup?

Filed Under Football | Leave a Comment

Let me just set up the Match of the Season (Thus Far) for you:

  • Arsene Wenger saw his very first unbeaten run as an Arsenal manager end at Old Trafford.
  • Wayne Rooney, who as a 16-year-old ended a 30-game unbeaten run Arsenal had put together two years ago, was celebrating his 19th birthday today.
  • Arsenal have gone unbeaten in the Premiership for 49 matches and were hoping to make it 50 at Old Trafford.
  • United were 11 points behind Arsenal before this match and it was a must-win game for United despite it being October. Losing it would have meant United needed to win all their remaining matches and hope that Arsenal, unbeaten since the start of last season, would lose several matches.

As expected, it was a tense, gripping match though not a particularly entertaining one.

Ferguson would’ve been in the soup had he lost this match — and as it happens he was in the soup anyway — but he had always maintained United could win it.

And win it United did. United’s 2-0 win meant Arsenal had tasted defeat for the first time in 50 Premiership matches. (Reports: BBC, Soccernet, ManUtd.com, Guardian, pix.)

It’s a pity the match was marred by some wimpy refereeing. Mike Riley had decided to play it lenient early in the match and a number of fouls went uncarded. However, his attempt to calm things down by talking to the players did nothing to reduce the simmering tensions between these two sides and Riley was soon reduced to flashing the yellow card.

But the ref really earned the ire by getting some crucial decisions wrong including United’s two penalty claims. Rooney dove and bamboozled the ref into awarding United a penalty while Ronaldo, who was later hacked down by Cole in the Arsenal box, had his own legitimate penalty claim dismissed. To be fair, it’s worth pointing out that even Sky colour commentator Andy Gray got both decisions wrong the first time around and you really needed the benefit of a replay to be absolutely sure.

(Wenger, as you might expect, was whingeing about the penalty that was given but curiously silent about the one that wasn’t.)

The dubious nature of the penalty call aside, you have to admire the guts van Nistelrooy showed to take the penalty. Cast your mind back to the last time United were awarded a penalty against Arsenal at Old Trafford. Arsenal’s unbeaten run stood at a mere seven and van Nistelrooy could have stopped it there and then had he not missed. One wonders how many times that thought must have played through the Dutchman’s mind as Arsenal went on to win the Premiership and create history. Too many, I think. The man stepped up again and this time fired a low shot to his right and the screaming celebrations that followed should have told you he had just exorcised some demons.

United’s vaunted forward line has been criticised for not producing the goals but it was three United forwards who combined for the second goal. Saha passed to Smith who could have gone for goal but instead unselfishly passed to Rooney to tap it in.

It could’ve been 3-0 had Lehmann not saved Giggs’ attempt earlier after the Welshman had been put clear by a Scholes ball.

The lowpoints? Some of United’s aggression was a bit distasteful to watch. Van Nistelrooy raised his studs and caught Cole painfully just below his knee as the Arsenal man came charging in and the Nevilles clattered into Reyes several times. Arsenal gave as good as they got but I don’t really like it when United resort to that kind of ugly football.

United are now 8 points behind Arsenal and United’s fans will be hoping this win will kickstart the team’s season. It didn’t happen earlier after the wins against Liverpool and Fenerbahce but perhaps this win will do it.

The danger now is United will turn complacent against lesser foes. United’s next Premiership match is against Portsmouth on Saturday so we’ll find out one way or the other.

Oct

23

Survivor: Monster Island

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I’ve just finished watching the premiere of the latest Survivor series. (They’re calling it “Lost” for some strange reason.)

The big twist in the latest series is there’s only one tribe instead of the usual two but I have a feeling the survivors will eventually separate into two tribes a few episodes down the line.

There are only 14 survivors this time around and this being the first episode, we didn’t get to know them much. That said, Harry Knowles, the most famous of this season’s survivors, needs no introduction even though he’s dyed his hair and is being billed as “Jorge Garcia” for some strange reason.

The episode focussed heavily on Jack, a doctor, who has taken it upon himself to organise the tribe. He seems a decent enough guy but if there’s one thing I do know about Survivor, there are one million reasons why you need to be ruthless to win the game. Jack, attempting to strengthen his position in the tribe, has made an early alliance with Kate and Charlie. Kate seems dependable enough but I’m not sure about Charlie. He looks like a merry, mischief-making hobbit. Watch your back, Jack!

The first episode played out in the usual fashion: tribe gets stranded on the beach, builds a fire and gets drenched in a tropical downpour. (No doubt the survivors will make building a shelter the main priority in the next episode.)

The first immunity challenge, “Find the Transceiver,” was straightforward and Jack’s little gang managed to locate it in the jungle without too much difficulty. Unfortunately, the pilot (I didn’t catch his name) couldn’t activate the transceiver — so much for 14 months of flight school! — and he was duly voted off the island. The episode ended with a shot of the pilot who was so distraught about being the first person voted off, he was left red-faced and speechless.

This is a pretty good start and I’m looking forward to future episodes.

Quote of the episode: “Well, fear’s sorta an odd thing.”

Oct

23

“Turn that ****in’ radio off”

Filed Under Music | Leave a Comment

Favourite songs of the moment:

For more free and legal songs, hop, skip and jump over to MP3 4U.

(Link obtained from MeFi.)

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