Summer Livestream
I participated second time watching livestream which was showcasing upcoming events and content planned for the game. Well, upcoming if you play on the CN server - players on the TW server (like me) still have to wait about a year before we can get our hands on any of this. I was already excited long before the stream started and somehow managed to get way too hyped over a few promotional banners alone. Seriously, could they please turn these into actual karmas so I can collect them in-game too??!
Once again, a large portion of the stream consisted of music videos, dance performances, and for some reason that Goldman's rapping still echoes in my head. Probably the most random segment of all was a puppet show. Unfortunately, the language barrier meant I had absolutely no idea what was going on, but at least I've gotten better at recognizing the Chinese voice actors; last time I wasn't even always sure who was speaking. XD
The overall atmosphere was very summery. The boys appeared on a beach performing hula dances, and each of them briefly introduced various summer activities they had prepared for MC. Surprisingly, these segments were fairly easy to follow thanks to the visual effects and props accompanying their stories. For example, Lucien's cozy outdoor movie patio setup looked absolutely wonderful. ♥
And then, of course, the most important part: the trailers for the upcoming events!! 😍
My quick ranking based purely on the artwork: Lucien > Victor > Gavin > Kiro
The new Summer UR set looks absolutely amazing, and I'm definitely saving for this one! I love colorful designs, and this set is bursting with bright neon colors. Pink especially dominates many of the illustrations, which is great because in my eyes anything pink automatically looks better. ♥ The overall theme is a fun mix of music festival and pool party aesthetics. Aaand, of course, there's plenty of bare skin too.
Cowboys could also include one part of the theme, considering that two out of the four boys are wearing cowboy hats (or three, if we count Gavin's promotional banner, lol). I wouldn't call myself a fan of country music or Wild West movies, but for some reason I have a soft spot for cowboys. I was disappointed to miss Lucien's cowboy-themed Fragrant Sunshine karma last month, so thankfully I'll get another chance to lasso my cowboy. 😏
Is it just me, or do some of the animations look a little awkward? Kiro's and Gavin's unevolved cards in particular have moments where the movements feel a bit stiff, and some of the bent fingers look strangely unnatural in motion. Or maybe that's just a common feature of the interactive sections on UR cards? I've always skipped those anyway because they tend to make me feel a little uncomfortable, lol.
Fortunately, all of the evolved versions look gorgeous! I genuinely admire the entire set. Kiro's poses are perhaps a little basic compared to the others, and Victor's one reminds this shower karma, but at least we can see MC's face this time, I especially love the way she glances sideways toward the "camera". 😏 What a great view, Gav's face against starry sky background and MC's flexibility is incrediable when Gavin holds her feet up in the air in one of those "extra shots". Aaand Lucien's card... wow. Things get pretty wild there: He's biting the hem of MC's shirt at the same time when MC literally crushes his head between her thighs!! 🆘
Sorry but I need to protest: Why do all the evolved cards feature amazing outfits with headbands, stickers, and all sorts of fun accessories, while the purchasable outfits are mostly just shirtless versions of the boys? Give me the cool accessories! Let's also take a closer look at MC's outfits, since we'll be getting those as well. I wish we could have clear fullbody pictures her outfits too. Her hair appears much longer than usual and includes lots of interesting details—braids, ribbons, hair clips, colorful accessories, and other decorative elements. It's a nice change, although I hope her face doesn't end up looking too different from her usual appearance. For example, some of last summer's SP hairstyles felt a little distracting to me because they changed her look so drastically. I actually preferred the Fire UR outfits, where her hairstyle remained mostly untouched. Also, can we please get the glasses from Lucien's card as part of MC's outfit? I desperately need a date outfit with glasses!
Oh right, there was also a new ER set announced. I almost forgot about it — I was already preparing to end this blog post. xD That probably says a lot about my level of excitement. The artwork is beautiful as always, and it's cool that the items/symbols are inspired by real cultural elements, but I'm just not particularly interested in the long-haired versions of the boys. I also probably don't know enough about Chinese culture to fully appreciate all the references and details. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the cards themselves; I'm simply not the target audience for this set.
So, to sum everything up: an absolutely fantastic UR set is on the horizon! Well, for me it's still about a year away, but you get the point. At least I have plenty of time to keep collecting coupons.. I still need to think carefully about what I'll do when next year's first UR set arrives, because I'm not entirely sure I'll have enough resources for both events.
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