Craig P. Donson

By this, I assume you mean which couple would be the best to focus on in such a show. The most common pairings for comedic situations are those that are most confrontational, with other characters in the same grade to act as supporting characters.

---

The main campus and the annex have the largest amount of characters around which an animated series could be built. For the main campus, two most popular choices would be Risa & Miya and Mai & Reo. Risa and Miya would be the more popular choice, allowing for Nanami, Sara, Rikka, and Sayuki to get caught in their conflicts by way of approximation. For Mai and Reo, Kaede and Yuuna would be the supporting characters. Takako, Runa, Rena, Shizuku, and Eris would need to make appearances as well, but given their distance from the main campus at the current point in the canon, their roles could be reduced to somewhat incidental appearances.

---

For the New Generation, all six current characters can more easily interact with one another, without the distance issues posed by the main campus cast being spread across multiple grades. For this reason alone, they are more likely to be featured in an animated setting. A core cast of six is more manageable to consistently write comedic situations for, but could present fewer options than a cast of 10-15 with soft divisions across four grades. At this time, the two campuses have yet to directly interact with each other outside of Sisterly Guidance http://petalsgarden.axypb.net/trans/newgene/onayami.html but to do so would increase the cast size to 21, which may be very difficult to write a comedy series for.

---

This is all to say nothing about the three nurse couples in the St. Michael General Hospital, but there is comparatively little information available about them, and I don't believe their scenarios would be as suitable for a comedic series as the students.

View more

I am asked this question often, and I always hesitate to provide a definitive answer. The reason for this is twofold: I have not fully explored all couples' stories, which prevents me from giving a fully informed answer, and even if I have, I have not spent equal time on each couple.

---

This may be an unusual perspective, but my favorite couple is the one whose story I am researching and working with translators on at any given moment. As my understanding of each character and their dynamics with the other characters grows, I appreciate what makes them different from other characters in the series that seem similar due to shared archetypes. Put another way, I have not yet encountered a couple in the series I disliked.

---

That said, if you still want a traditional answer, I would say my favorite couple would be Kaede and Sara, on the virtue of having discovered the series by way of their second visual novel, Itoshisa no Photograph, and being most familiar with them as a result. However, even this answer is not valid, as based on my reasoning above, my favorite couple is currently Risa and Miya. This answer is subject to change as more translations become available, so if I am asked this question again at a later date, my favorite may have changed. I suspect the same can apply for many fans who rely on translations to comprehend the story and character development. This applies doubly to fans who have taken a liking to characters who do not have any translations of their stories, and I feel that those fans are being done a disservice by not being able to enjoy their favorites at a deeper level.

View more

This was a surprisingly difficult question for me to answer directly. The following is the most comprehensive answer I can provide at the moment, and I will expand on it in the future for those interested.

---

It is an augment for a natural attraction to female legs. The skin-tight fabric that constitutes tights and pantyhose changes the appearance of the lower body significantly. The complete coverage waist to toe makes for a kind of perfection--a completion--that is not intended with stockings. While much has been discussed about the zettai ryouiki phenomenon, it is directly at odds with my own preferences. Stockings leave the thighs exposed, whereas tights cover the thighs and allow them to enjoy the same benefits as the rest of the leg. In the rare occasion that the waist and hips are exposed as well, the effect is even greater, as the border between the waistband and the exposed upper body can create an effect I would venture is similar to the zettai ryouiki. I am averse to patterns, fishnets, and damage to the fabric, as the perfection is lost with even the smallest aberration in the fabric.

---

To repeat some information from the two "Apparel For The Petals" posts on Cray's Notes http://axypb.net/apparel-for-the-petals/ http://axypb.net/apparel-petals-part-2/ , the color and denier (thread density) can create a wide range of effects that other garments cannot, all of which heighten the femininity of the curves of the legs--in particular, the color gradient (preferably not beige or "nude" colors), reflectivity, and the ability of the tights to cover imperfections in the skin. Examples include white tights creating an image of purity, opaque black tights showing the wearer as proper and formal, and other colors having all manner of other effects depending on color warmth, none of which are possible to the same extent with bare legs or partial coverings. Needless to say, these effects impact the sexuality of the characters as well; the thighs and hips benefit most by being covered in tights or pantyhose.

---

All of this being said, it is the feet that are affected greatest by the wearing of tights and pantyhose. While the foot fetish is the most common worldwide, I have a particular fondness for feet in tights, pantyhose, and similar coverings, and do not care for bare feet except in allegorical contexts. All of the above points apply doubly for the feet and convey their own imagery, which is usually stronger than that of the legs. It is uncommon to see characters wear tights or pantyhose without shoes, but these cases are the most ideal in showcasing the above points.

---

In addition, it is becoming increasingly common for animated works to feature ensembles with at least one character in tights. In animated works, skin-tight coverings of different material can appear to be the same depending on their opacity and how they are depicted to reflect light.

View more

The most recent games I've played are Geometry Wars 3 and Nuclear Throne, two arena shooter games that have similar controls but contrasting design. Both games are similar in that they are very challenging to the point that the average length of single gameplay sessions are about the same. I feel that where they differ most is in their progression.

---

Geometry Wars challenges the player by constantly changing the playfield with enemy waves of variable density and speed. Although there is some degree of randomness, the player's abilities change very slowly and the layout of the levels are static. The player can set for themselves a helper drone and a limited super ability before the level begins, and the only upgrades available for firepower change the firing rate and direction. As a result, the player is encouraged to constantly shoot at everything without fear of depleting ammunition or self-destructing and focus on positioning against and dodging enemies with erratic movement patterns that generally do not fire back. There are a number of gameplay formats that engage the player's limited options in a variety of ways (some of which restrict them), which present in order in the Adventure mode and in the Classic modes at the player's demand.

---

By contrast, Nuclear Throne's procedural generation systems instead have the player character constantly change with many different types of weapons and upgrades, and the challenge comes partly from improvisation with the randomly selected options given to the player in each session. As of this writing, there are 12 characters with unique special abilities, rather than a single ship that depends on combinations of modules to enhance its odds of survival. The levels are linear and have randomly generated layouts and enemy placement. With limited ammo available to the player and enemies with more sophisticated AI, the focus shifts from careful movement to careful planning of attacks. Because most enemies do not have to be near the player to become a threat to them, dodging incoming enemy fire now shares importance with dodging the enemies themselves. As a counterpart to Geometry Wars, there is only a single gameplay mode with the ultimate goal of reaching the ending rather than the high score.

View more