The holidays are coming up and already there are stores putting up the supplies and armaments (which is what I call gifts for the holidays) in October when Halloween candy was still being churned. It's at this time where I get active in helping people find what they need. Anything at all, but not many requests at this time. I'm sure it'll pick up. So I'm here to give you recommendations on what to get your special someone. You don't have to follow what I say, I'm just giving clues to what you want.
First off the gamers. I'm a gamer, we are all gamers regardless of age, nationality, generation, if we play something it's going to be a game. It's basic logic. For the video gamers out there, you have a lot of your plate. Normally I would go for the fall lineup that's already out. New Vegas, Black Ops, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, etc, since most gamers these days don't care for nostalgia.
However being a little different than your average gamer I would go for the original experiences and other games that were somehow overlooked. Like Trauma Team on the Wii. Who cares if it has blood showing, surgeries show blood, but in this case it's not real. But what you do see is one of the best games of Operation ever. Also you get to play as 6 different doctors: Surgery, EMT, Forensics, endoscopy, diagnostics, and Orthopedic. Give it a shot, it's very engaging and well worth the low price. If you are slightly advanced and into romhacks and emulation, A Super Mario Thing is the best collaboration hack I've ever seen and it's as weird and surreal as the person it was inspired from. There's also Hyper V if you like hard romhacks from Japan and the Second Reality Project which is very unforgiving at worst times, but still fun for that savestateless challenge.
For the readers out there and movie goers it's a win win situation with Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Normally I wouldn't give recommendations since your taste is different than mine, but this is one instance where I would say go buy the comic book and the movie. For one the source material is very very good, Brian Lee O' Malley brought out something different from the comic book side and the movie is a visual treat. The blu-ray is the one I would recommend, not because I don't have a blu-ray, but it comes with a DVD so it counts. From what I hear there's 22 hours worth of extra content on the blu-ray. A day's worth of stuff that was cut out of the movie. Other blu-ray movies would be just previews or standard commentary, but a full days worth. That's why I would say get it. And there's a downloadable beat-em-up/rpg which is pretty much a love letter to River City Ransom. $10 bucks gives you a great experience and $2 more gives you Knives. Edgar Wright is three for three in my book. Nice job, sir.
Music is a very vast and different market, especially for me who has adapted to Japanese pop and rock during the last 5 years or so. Mostly, it's based on what you like. People seem to like what they hear on the radio. There's a guy I know named TITS (Todd in the Shadows) who reviews pop music. Yeah he pains himself and is a bit arrogant and snarky to tell you whats good and whats sh*t, I would go listen to him. If your the gamer/token anime aficionado, Elisa,Fripside, Abingdon Boys School, TM Revolution, Larc en Ciel, Kawada Mami, are all good. Hell even my friend Tommy Tallarico has a bunch of albums you can check out. He did the music for Earthworm Jim for crap's sake. In fact what I would recommend is getting the blu-ray for Video Games Live. That's right, I'm going to plug his concert which is what I do on the side. Video Games Live has a bluray/DVD that lets you see the concert that tours around the world showing more than video game music awareness. It's in the hearts of gamers and neophyte retro gamers, and is an amazing experience to check out. Who knows, it might come to a city near you. Check out www.Videogameslive.com to see if it's coming near you.
Speaking of anime aficionados (otaku is a derogatory, but still shows who the anime fans are), last I heard a lot of people in the states are showing their Hetalia love and I would check it out. It's an acquired taste on an anthromorphization of WWII. Hetalia or Idiot Italy is who we see. And Germany is his brother. America likes hamburgers like we do, and it's generally fun. For the drama out there, Toradora is also very good. Don't tell anyone I said that, they would tear you up for it. Instead, go for Clannad. Yeah I'm a little behind, who cares? This is probably the best show I've ever seen because it really pulls you in and tugs on your emotions. After Story the continuation is where it truly shines. Sure the ending was an asspull and whether you believe in the Second Reality (project) or the actual reality, it is an emotional roller coaster and you'll really feel for the characters and the relationship that they build. But I warn you, it gets really bad around episode 16. Not bad bad, but if you lost someone recently and you watch this, it will really screw you up. And yes, I'm normally a guy who is not fazed by anything sad . It's a part of me, but when ep 16 came around, I just wanted to cry more, but couldn't push it out. Oh crap, now I'm crying, thanks a lot! Wagnaria recently picked up by the guys who brought you Disgaea will bring it out next year. Well worth a clue that I would like that kinda gift.
Manga wise theres alot of titles and series out there to pick up now. Haruhi and Lucky Star are a couple of guilty pleasures, Higurashi When they Cry is horror and will whet your appetite for that genre. Yostuba is alway recommended for a pick me up, she is too innocent to sully. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is rather hard to follow, but still funny to look at because of the detail in the manga and how the jokes are drawn and written. Within the Light is a very sweet series about a mother raising a son with autism. There are alot more titles to check out and it's really up to what you like to read.
If your a streaming person the latest fall lineup in japan is so far churning out some really good stuff. Panty and Stocking is great if you want a contact high. Seriously, watching it will make you question Gainax's prescription or else what the crap they are taking to top what previous episode you saw. Ore no Imouto or as I call it Little Fangirl Otaku is the best manga to anime adaptation I've seen so far. If Kyosuke is as plain as he is stupid in his relationships, then it'll end up as a harem end. Can't say for sure though. Ika Musume is a Squid girl and that's all you gotta know about it, but it's fun. Heartcatch PreCure is a guilty pleasure, sure Erika kinda bugged me, but it's pretty good. Arakawa under the Bridge is more wtfness for Ko and the bridge dwellers. This time I saw an amazon and theres more to Nino and her relationship with the former rich son guy.
Movies side, again Scott Pilgrim. However there are some movies that have received some good reviews like Inception and the Social Network when it comes to DVD. Expendables which is older actors blow shit up real good...and no I'm not correcting that, that's how you best describe the movie. if you are of a fangirl who likes crappy badly written "Harlequin" romance novels, then I wouldn't recommend getting Eclipse. Seriously. I don't care if it's a chick flick or that there are fans, big fans, and devotees, Twilight sucks and I felt less than a man for being dragged to it.
These should be well worth seeking out (except for Twilight) and should give you an idea on what to give that special person. I've also learned that some people like gifts that were handmade by you. There's someone I know who made me a scarf, a cap, and wrist warmers (gauntlets) out of yarn. It's pretty sweet. In return to that nice and waifu gesture, I made a DVD box set of her favorite series. The feeling is mutual, but again that's what I did. Ask that person you wish to give something what they like and you'll think of something related to it. If someone likes baseball and they are San Francisco Giants fans, give them a world series t-shirt and hat, cause they won this year.
With all that, I leave the shopping and gift ideas to you, and if you have any requests at all to find anything, let me know @ Rarefindit@gmail.com.
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