In the blink of an eye, I've made it through undergraduate studies. Looking back, this blog has also been around for 4 years.

In 2021, I got into CTF, and after tsctf-j 2021, I followed suit and built my own blog. After 4 years of evolution, the blog has become what it is today. Writing and deleting, deleting and writing, I haven't written many technical blogs, but there are quite a few narrative ones. Over the 4 years, through picking and choosing blog engines, patching and mending, the blog has changed from WordPress to Hugo, then to others, and finally settled on this messily modified Docusaurus.

The blog's domain has also changed repeatedly, from the initial novanoir.dev / novanoir.moe, to later ova.moe, and now to nova.gal, perhaps it will finally settle on this domain (wiping tears).

It feels like being scammed when buying virtual goods is not a one-time thing; I've been scammed by thunder strikes, pig-killing scams, and more...

I've always enjoyed folding up my blog, because it allows me to fully indulge in virtual light and shadow. Today, I moved my written blog posts to the Blog section, so I no longer have to worry about RSS issues. To distinguish them from technical articles, I named this series “Otaku Visit”—on one hand, public articles are like inviting others to your home as guests, letting people know your values and observe your life; on the other hand, as an Otaku, I believe a large part of my blog's audience are also Otaku, so it's a double entendre (laugh).

Seeing this title, you might wonder: What is Branch Talk? Isn't it something from Genshin Impact? Why is it already 03, where did the first two go?

My answer is, I don't know either. Today, when flipping through my 2021 class notes for a junior, I unexpectedly found this incomplete backup of an old article on my hard drive.

Inspired by "15 Questions for Independent Blog Self-Reflection"

Yes, the title is a bit grand. This article originates from some thoughts and feelings I had after a video call with my mother today.

Perhaps I may be judged as cold-hearted, but helplessly, this is who I am.

September is my big spending month. Originally, my living expenses dropped sharply due to renting, but I still have to pay for so many things, so I decided to downgrade my consumption.

Written on 2024/09/24.

Surveying my planned agenda, I listed three items side by side: “CTF challenge replays,” “research exploration,” and “project development.” All three stood equal, yet my mind was restless, unable to decide where to begin.

After much agonizing thought, I suddenly recalled my application for automatic recommendation to grad school and reflected on my more-than-three-year journey as an undergrad. Resolving to gather my focus, I sat upright, determined to record it all on this blog—for peers to enjoy and for my own self-awakening.

I should have taken many photos like the girl next to me during the movie to keep them as memories and as a basis for analysis. These photos would have added color to the article.

However, for the sake of immersion and identification during the first viewing, perhaps this can be saved for next time.

Viewing Conditions​

Chose to watch the first screening of IMAX2D on 23/03/24 at the Golden Harvest Cinema (Grand IMAX Laser Store). The theater features the IMAX Commercial Laser 12.1 system with a 297-square-meter screen, which was quite enjoyable, not to mention the impressive IMAX sound quality. I chose the seat in the 8th row, 15th seat, which was in the middle. Although I felt the 6th row might have been more immersive?

With a regular ticket price of 100 yuan (purchased for 60 yuan through a reseller on idle fish) and the 12:00 screening on Friday, these factors isolated most of the low-quality audience. Therefore, the overall viewing experience was excellent (although there was still some movement, and the couple next to me chatted a bit). There were about 30 people in the theater.

From my perspective, I would recommend watching this movie at a Dolby Cinema because the Dolby Atmos in Dolby Cinema does enhance the viewing experience of this film. Even though adjustments were made for IMAX2D, the enhancement in viewing experience falls short compared to the increase in ticket price. Of course, this is the ideal choice. You can choose your viewing location based on practical considerations such as distance, ticket price, service, or simply believe that people who commute four hours round trip to watch a movie are crazy.

Most people would think it's not worth spending double the time and money for a marginal improvement in the viewing experience or because they don't have the time or energy to understand it. For movies I like, I prefer my first viewing experience to be close to perfect, even if it requires a lot of time and money. I feel lucky that I don't have too many movies I want to watch xD

Film Review​

I will comment on the following points one by one, which will also help me organize my thoughts.

Plot​

For me, the plot of this work is not outstanding, and the story is very easy to understand. Therefore, let's try to avoid discussing the plot details and focus only on aspects like plot logic, pacing, and emotions.

The plot has some logical flaws— the whole premise is that Suzume falls in love with Souta at first sight. While this can be rationalized through the plot to some extent, there are other logic issues in the story that have an adverse effect on character development.

When I first started watching, I thought Suzume was a country bumpkin, falling head over heels for a handsome Tokyo guy at first sight. - A friend

Why does Suzume encounter so many people willing to help her? Isn't she afraid of being lured to Myanmar? - Friends, me

Well, this is just my bias. Suzume is very likable, so it's natural for her to receive help. I may have a narrow view of others based on myself.

Why did she suddenly forgive the cat? Can't she continue walking just because she sees a cute cat? - Friend

(That's true) xN

Of course, considering the limitations of the movie's length, such compromises can be deemed acceptable. However, this does not negate their impact on the viewing experience.

Apart from the logical flaws (which are important), the pace of the film is very comfortable. My emotions followed the movie throughout the viewing, and I often had moments of contemplation. While telling a somewhat sad overall story, it also included some light-hearted moments to prevent the atmosphere from becoming too heavy (comparable to the chest-tightening scenes in Your Name). In the process of advancing the main storyline, it also included elements of friendship, family affection, enriching the content while laying the groundwork for the budding romance between the main characters.

When I saw them (forgot their names) giving Suzume clothes and a hat, I initially thought it would lead to a plot where they gain many things during the journey and use those to achieve a specific goal or accomplish something. But it didn't happen (which would have been somewhat cliché)— these two characters had no role in the subsequent plot. I think the second subplot was unnecessary. It neither propelled the plot nor had a significant impact on character development; it felt repetitive and dragged on. In my opinion, using this part of the content to outline some background or provide more emotional depth would have been a better choice.

Let's discuss what the plot intends to convey. I am not a survivor of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake or the 2011 Japan earthquake, and while my hometown is prone to geological disasters, I have not experienced any severe calamities firsthand. Earthquakes have been part of casual conversations and occasional memories for me.

As part of a disaster trilogy, the portrayal of disasters in this movie is commendable, but Makoto Shinkai does not want it to stop there. The juxtaposition of the "ruins" imagery against the imagined or transmitted words and laughter of the people who once lived there is intricate. The reasons for a place becoming ruins are varied— severely affected villages due to earthquakes, abandoned amusement parks due to financial struggles... Whatever the reason, ruins no longer hold new memories for people, but the imprints of the people who once lived there remain in the ruins. They do not dissipate with people's changes or the passing of life. When the changing people revisit, when the descendants of the survivors return, facing the ruins, what would they see and think?

As for the ending plot, I won't reveal spoilers, but I must say it was unexpected yet reasonable, giving a sense of realization and serving as a fitting conclusion.

Well, after giving it some thought, I have to say it, or else it won't be complete.

The concepts of "Tokiko," "Sadaijin," "Choking Stone," "Otafuku," and others, due to my lack of knowledge about Japanese mythology, I am not in a position to comment, so please forgive me.

Personal Rating: 8/10

Artwork​

There is no need to say much about Makoto Shinkai's art style. Before the premiere (because of the promotion), I had already seen many comments comparing it to the Deep Sea art style. Coincidentally, I also watched Deep Sea, and its ink-and-wash art style is truly stunning. In one sentence, I can only say: it may not surpass Deep Sea, but it's something I love.

Makoto Shinkai's landscape paintings have always been praised, and this work maintained and even enhanced that quality. The scenes of the earthquake disaster and Takashi in particular were truly breathtaking for me (especially on the big screen...).

At this moment, I really regret not taking more pictures, even if my phone's camera quality is not even up to a thesis defense standard.

Here are some screenshots I took during the viewing that left a lasting impression on me

Furthermore, the artwork of those scenes was meticulous, each related to several major earthquakes in Japan's history and many symbols with special meanings (like that boat). For further details, please refer to other articles.

However, Suzume's tiny eyes in the distance were genuinely hilarious on the big screen (

Personal Rating: 9/10

Music​

Phenomenal. The music undoubtedly elevated the viewing experience of this film. While I find it challenging to describe it with more professional language, I'll just go ahead and start raving about it.

Although I listened to the entire OST as soon as it was released and fell in love with several tracks that are still on repeat, I must say, the songs' alignment with the visuals in the movie was just too cool.

When the BGM Tokyo Skies accompanied the scene of the expanding earthquake disaster, I was in a state of SHOCK. My mind went blank, maybe I was already in a "WOC" state where I had no memory, that scene is likely to linger in my mind for a while.

Truth be told, many of Makoto Shinkai's shots in this movie were not outstanding, but combined with the music, they blended perfectly. Is there not some truth to the statement that it's truly a Shinkai x RADWIMPS collaboration? This duo's performances in Your Name and Weathering with You were already breathtaking, but this time, working with Jinnai Kazuma (sorry for my limited exposure) truly delivered a knockout punch. Others like Night Ferry also struck a chord; emotions surged as soon as the familiar BGM played in the movie.

Lastly, the theme song. Suzume feat. Tomoaki is divine. Where did RADWIMPS find this singer? The melody they incorporate, present in tracks like Determination-Departure, is present in various OSTs; every time it played in the movie, my heart skipped a beat, and it seems it will resonate for a while.

The main theme by Yojiro Noda, Kanata Haruka, at the end was indeed powerful. The sister sitting next to me had her emotions on high alert; as soon as the song played, she broke down in tears, making me feel like shedding manly tears too.

I have been listening to Sparkles from Your Name for 7 years, I wonder how long I can listen to this OST?

Personal Rating: 10/10

Ramblings​

Indeed, a good film should be watched alone.

However, if anyone is willing to accompany me for a second viewing, I'd be more than happy to join.

References​

https://eiga.com/movie/96308/review

https://zhihu.com

As you can see, my nickname is Nova Noir (or Nova No1R, Nova No1r, and various other variations), but what's the story behind this nickname? What will be the past, present, and future of my online alias?

This article originated from thinking about the online nickname "Lantern" while taking a bath, along with thoughts about his real name, and extrapolating from there (although I have never met "Lantern" in person, but coincidentally heard him giving a reverse fundamentals course to my roommate, and then went to observe and learn from it).

The Beginning​

My first contact with the internet began with the QQ number registered by my family. I vividly remember my first nickname, which was carefully decided after discussions with my mother, called "爱吃屎的懒羊羊" ("Lazy Lamb Who Loves Eating Poop"). I admit that this name, even by today's standards, is quite abstract, but for an 8-year-old, it seemed reasonable. CF was the first online game I played, and around third grade, I chose my first nickname, which I still remember as "丗堺" because I also used this name on MCBBS, and it is torture every time I have to enter this name, probably around 2012, a time when my mind was filled with alien symbols.

However, during this period, nicknames were frequently changed, and I only remember "丗堺" distinctly. Can these nicknames from that period really be considered nicknames?

Tieba Era​

While still in elementary school, I discovered Baidu Tieba for browsing things like comic books. Posting was easy back then, as you could directly post content without using Baidu Cloud (although I did save some on Baidu Cloud). During this time, I chose my first non-alien nickname: Haunt, also known as HauntChoc.

I can't recall the origin of this name. I guess I saw the word "hunt" somewhere but didn't want to use it directly, then found the rare word "haunt" on Baidu. As I got into Minecraft, I started using this name, gaining some popularity on the MinecraftPE forum (with 20,000 followers). I wrote many trashy ModPEs and a funny JavaScript (ModPE) tutorial.

Teaching JavaScript + Android to a primary school student who had no technical knowledge actually had a good effect. Since he didn't understand anything technical, he used simple language (based on his own understanding), which surprisingly worked well.

This period lasted until around 2016, as I remember getting into CSGO in 2016 and rarely used it as my Steam name after that.

Golden Age​

As for the origin of the nickname "Nova," and when I started using it, and why I abandoned the nickname "Haunt," I cannot recall clearly. Its appearance was sudden, much like the word "Nova" itself, denoting the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently 'new' star.

Initially, this name was used in my CSGO games for a period (although I mostly used names of anime characters, "Nova" wasn't any character I had seen before). At this time, I was active on Max+, and I made some good friends there (although we rarely play games together now, we still chat daily and share pictures). They needed a nickname to call me, and for some reason, they chose "Nova" from my Steam nickname.

Gradually, I started using Nova regularly, but faced issues with duplicate names. Also, I felt that having such a long nickname like "Nova" with no additional identifiers was inefficient and lacked uniqueness. In March 2017, after the release of the Spectrum Case, I chose "neo-noir" as a suffix, which resonated with my skin. This has been consistent till now. Interestingly, neither "Nova" nor "noir" was chosen based on their meanings; I simply thought they sounded cool.

Around 2022, after entering university, I realized the importance of Chinese identifiers. Having a Chinese nickname can leave a lasting impression among Chinese-speaking communities, especially on platforms like GitHub, which are primarily in English. Besides, I felt that a nickname without Chinese characters looked empty on common social apps. Adding Japanese characters could work, but it wouldn't have the same impact.

Hence, I started thinking about translating "NovaNoir." Obviously, "Nova" and "Noir" are two completely contrasting concepts; while their English combination may have a unique aesthetic, in a Chinese context, it could evoke a "cringey" feeling—something like "魅影新星" or "暗夜新星," but the pun on "新星" didn't sound elegant. After much thought, I settled on 黯星座 ("Dark Star Sign"), a name that felt less edgy and somewhat satisfying.

To The Future​

This should have been the end of the story. "NovaNoir" has become an irreplaceable identifier for me. Friends call me "nova" in games, classmates use "nova" in everyday life, and I use "novanoir" for gaming and competition names. I even own two domains, novanoir.dev and n.ova.moe. This coincidental yet long-standing nickname remains dear to me, and I may continue using it indefinitely.

This brings me back to why I wrote this article. When you see "nova," and then my name, what comes to mind?

As I grow older, I find myself liking my Chinese name more. My parents did a great job naming me with an elegant, high-quality, and pleasant single character. So, even though nicknames don't necessarily have to be related to real names, or only a few can be related, I suddenly wish my nickname could be one that others immediately understand the origin of.

After all, who wouldn't love a cat named Miu/Miyu that meows?