#flowtonair

The last slot in my Explorer of Stories series. Housamo appeared in the recommended section of Google Play Store in November during my exams, but it was not until December that I finally downloaded it and played.

And man, is it an experience.

I was so quickly enamoured by the class representative, Shiro Motoori. I fell in love with him the moment he expressed nervousness when meeting the Player for the first time in Chapter 1, because it was how I felt towards him as well. I just couldn’t believe it.

I couldn’t help but fall more and more in love with him as the Main Story progressed. I placed my utmost faith and trust in him, and turned to him often to check on his status. I was so overexcited whenever he appeared on screen, and I eagerly flustered him to giggle at his reaction. He was just so perfect, and so i was absolutely shattered when I found out what happened to him at the end of Chapter 6, and the beginning of Chapter 7, which is where I am up to in the story.

Don’t worry, Shiro. I will come save you from the darkness, and keep you by my side.

I was introduced to Sonic when I was about 2 years old, in 2003. My father would buy me the DVD volumes of the European Sonic X, and so I grew up watching and re-watching those few episodes. I wanted nothing more than to be like Sonic.

I used to feel insecure about myself because I wasn't a fast runner, and I wished to be as fast as Sonic. But eventually, I came to learn that you aren't defined by just your athletic abilities, but everything else you can do.

Looking back upon him now, it is clear my persona's outfit stems a lot from this childhood hero. It is comprised mainly of blue, my favourite colour thanks to Sonic, and is made to be a mobile, practical but stylish outfit.

I personally really enjoy drawing Sonic. I’m proud that he looks pretty accurate to the Sonic Chronicles art style, which is a game I adore.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeons Red Rescue Team on the GBA was the very first Pokémon game I ever played, when I was around 5 years old in 2005. I didn't really understand the plot as maturely I would have now, but I certainly had enough of a grasp on English to play it.

My first real Pokémon game was Pokémon Platnium, in 2008. I was hypnotised by the beautiful Infernape facing off against Giratina on the back cover of the DS box, and so I got it. Later on, I got Soul Silver and picked the Fire starter, since I was a Fire starter fan. I misjudged Cyndaquil, and fell in love with the beast that it evolved into. After plenty of name changes, I took inspiration from Capcom's Ace Attorney and named my Typhlosion, "Justice".

I lost the game, but Justice, and my Infernape, "Firey", live on inside my heart forever more.

There were also a couple of Ace Attorney games on my DS R4, and it took me a while before I played them. I was only 7 when I did, and I couldn't get beyond the first cases for the most part. I couldn't understand what was going on, and it took years of maturing before being able to fully comprehend the stories.

And I'm so grateful I went back and completed them.

Capcom's Ace Attorney series are such fantastic visual novels that allow you to exercise logic and problem solving, which is also really good for developing one's understanding of English. Where people may have learnt words from books, I learnt from these beautiful text games. I also got to learn about the occasional importance of trial and error when I couldn't solve something. It made me realise how much I wanted to see the characters through to the ending, and was too stubborn to look up an online guide. It made me want to do things myself.

Miles Edgeworth taught me the most about careful analysis, in his Investigations game. He was a character I looked up to, but also someone I could relate to in humourous situations. It was lovely to watch his character development over the course of the series; see him mature and change his beliefs when it was flawed. It felt like he was a real person.