Viewpoint - Planetarian: Reverie of a Little Planet

I am pretty sure if you are even a little into visual novels, galges, eroges and the like, you would have at least heard of Key if not played their games. Key is pretty well known for their Utsuges which literally mean "depressing/melancholy game." 

Now hold on. Yes, indeed their VNs usually end up with heart wrenching side effects and virgin tears but that's only because it's always a masterpiece! This is half true. So please read this to the end before deciding whether or not should you give it a try...Do it for the poor little robot if not for yourself....

Well then. Let's get started on this review/recommendation. The title is 'Planetarian ~ Reverie of a little Planet'. A story of undying loyalty, of sorrowful yearning...of salvation and hope. It is the 4th visual novel released by key and the best in quality in ratio to the quantity as far as I am concerned. The length is only 3~4 hours at average reading speed! 

To describe the story in a word, I would choose "Love". No it does not include two individuals who fall in love with each other. But I just feel that it is the most appropriate word to use here. Sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter yes? 

The setting is in a post apocalypse World where it never stops raining acid rain. You are a Junker who made his way into what was a metapolis to look for exotic loot. And the whole story takes place in a shopping centre where you meet the most precious entity that is too good for this sinful world.*Off topic. Guess who destroyed Earth? Yes, correct! Humans destroyed Earth and themselves again!

Tada!~ I present to you the very being that will change your entire life living as a garbage man. Her name is Yumemi Hoshino(Reverie Planetarian in translation) and she is not quite the normal person. She talks way too much and is the very embodiment of the sirens themselves. As an old Junker once said to you, "Do not talk to the girl in the city. She is not a being of this World." 

So did you follow his advice? Of course you don't! I tend to not like cute moe chatterbox archetype three quarters of the time but Reverie(I am using Reverie because I really like it.) is so much more than just a blob of moeness. Oh wait, before I forget she is a robot, so do disperse your lustful miasma right now. Yes, a robot but that's not the reason why she isn't 'a being of this world.' I am not going to mention the obvious since if you have half a heart, you will get what it means after you read the VN. 

Reverie is a robot who was working as an attendant for a planetarium way before the apocalypse. And has been doing so even after everything was destroyed. From her steadfast work ethic to her child-like naivety, it is hard to do anything but feel for Reverie. Even her personality quirks, whether it be her head-cocking when she doesn’t comprehend to her incessant questions, it's hard not to like her. She feels so natural even in a dying world. Just like the very last embodiment of tranquil purity. 

The story is basically just the interactions between you and Reverie, of a Junker finding the starry skies in a World where the stars are but a thing of the past. Two characters and two locations. Makes for a good short tale yes? (Yes it's heart-warming but as I stated at the beginning in Red...)

10 - Masterpiece, 9 - Excellent, 8 - Great, 7 - Very Good, 6 - Good, 5 - Fine. 

And so considering all factors, I will rate this a score of ⑨ for Excellent. Forgive the circle. Being a resident of Gensokyo, I just had to do that.

At last at the very end ,I must urge you- dare you even if I have to for you to give Planetarian a try. It's just 3 hours. Nothing much for a healthy human. As I said, do it for little poor Reverie if not for yourself. The Junker has no name so YOU(player) are the one she's speaking to.(Though you will never be as good in gunfights.) 

So please. Bring salvation to the poor soul who has been waiting for your return for 29 years and 81 days...the Phantasmal Border of Phantasms 

Alas their bright future was not to be.

Do You Know...Your Metals?

Do you know how the chemical symbol in the Periodic Table came about?

Editor’s note: The chemical symbol in the Periodic Table (picture above) pays homage to the Latin name of the elements. For example, Ag is used for silver (picture below) and this comes from the Latin word for silver i.e. argentum. 

Do you know what is the most common metal found on Earth? 

Editor’s note: While aluminum (picture above) is the most common metal found in the Earth's crust, the most common metal found on Earth is iron (picture below), mostly because it makes up such a large part of the Earth's core.

Do you know that all but one metal is solid at room temperature? 

Editor’s note: At room temperature, mercury (picture above) is the only metal that is in liquid form. As it is also sensitive to temperature changes, it is a good medium to measure temperature, hence, it's use in a thermometer (picture below).

Do you know that sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium and francium are also metals? 

Editor’s note: They are known as alkali metals and are extremely reactive elements. Just putting them in water can result in an explosion. They are carefully stored in oil to prevent this happening.

Chemical reactions change the structure of the element. See the difference between sodium metal (picture above) and sodium chloride or salt (picture below). 

Do you know which metal has the highest boiling point? 

Editor’s note: Tungsten (picture below) has a very high melting point, after carbon it has the second highest melting point of all elements.

That is the very reason why tungsten is used to make filaments (the parts that illuminate and give off light) in a light bulb. 

Do you know what an alloy is? 

Editor’s note: Steel, as shown above, is an important alloy that is created from a mixture of metals, mostly iron. There are many different types of steel including stainless steel, galvanized steel and carbon steel as shown below respectively. Steel is commonly used to make a number of products including pipes, knives, machines, train rails, cars, motors and wires. 

Bronze (picture below) is a metal alloy made from copper and tin. Copper makes up the larger amount, usually between 80 to 95%.

Do You Know...Your Architecture?

Do you know that the Leaning Tower of Pisa leaned at a greater angle before 2001?

Editor's note: In 2001, the Leaning Tower of Pisa was shifted to an angle of 4 degrees after it was previously leaning at an angle of 5.5 degrees. 

Do you know that the roofs of the Sydney Opera House are covered with tiles?

Editor's note: In fact, the roof is covered by a total of 1,056,006 tiles. 

Do you know what the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, was used for?

Editor's note: The Colosseum is an elliptical amphitheatre that was completed in 80 AD. It held around 50,000 spectators and was used for a variety of events including gladiator contests, animal hunts and mythology-based dramas. 

Do you know that that the Taj Mahal is not a castle like what most people think it is?

Editor's note: The Taj Mahal is a famous mausoleum or an external free-standing burial chamber of a deceased person, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It becomes a everlasting love symbol and architectural landmark in Agra, India, that attracts millions of visitors every year. 

Do you know where is the world's largest office?

Editor's note: The world’s largest office building by floor size is the Pentagon in Virginia, USA. Over half of its 604,000 square metre floor area is used used as offices. 

Do you know that what is the longest-reigning tallest building in the world?

Editor's note: The Empire State Building in New York was the first building to have over 100 floors and was the longest-reigning tallest building in the world from 1931 until 1972.

The current tallest building is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE. It reaches an amazing 828 metres in height. 

The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are the world’s tallest twin buildings, standing at a height of 452 metres.

Do you know how fast are the elevators in tall buildings?

Editor's note: Tall buildings need fast elevators in order to handle the commute efficiently and recent developments have led to elevators that can travel up to and sometimes over 1 kilometres per minute.

Do You Know...Your Earth - Part 2?

Do you know what is the difference between a magma and a lava?

Editor's note: Magma is the hot liquid rock under the surface of the Earth. It is known as lava after it comes out of a volcano.

Do you know that Hawaii is slowly moving towards Japan?

Editor's note: Hawaii is moving towards Japan at the speed of 10cm a year. This is because they are on different tectonic plates and the natural movement of the plates are causing the phenomenon.

Do you know how tsunamis occur?

Editor's note: Earthquakes that occur out at sea cause huge waves known as tsunamis, which is capable of reaching land and endangering people.

Do you know that the earth is not exactly round?

Editor's note: The Earth is not perfectly round. It is elliptical. The furthest distance between the North Pole and the South Pole is around 20,004 kilometres or 40,008 kilometres round trip i.e. the North Pole to the South Pole to back to the North pole on the other side. The distance of the Equator is 40,075 kilometres. In geography, these measurements give rise to a semi-minor axis and semi-major axis respectively.

Do you know that earthquakes happen more often than we think they do?

Editor's note: Although earthquakes happen often and some can be deadly, most are very small and not even felt by humans.

Do you know that there is one kind of rock that can float on water?

Editor's note: The volcanic rock known as pumice is the only rock that can float in water. Pumice stone are often used by beautician to remove dead skin cells during a manicure and a pedicure.

Meteor Explosion In Russia

The remote Russian city of Chelyabinsk was rocked by massive meteor (see Editor's note 1) explosion on 15 February 2013 when a 10-tonne meteorite streaked over the city. Scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) estimated the force of the blast that occurred upon entering the Earth's atmosphere was about 30 Hiroshima bombs. Fortunately, there was no major damage as it occurred high in the atmosphere.

Residents of Chelyabinsk said they witnessed an extremely bright burning object in the sky. Video footage of the meteor explosion showed a fireball streaking across the sky followed by a very loud sonic boom shortly after. NASA confirmed that the object was actually brighter than the sun.

As the asteroid comes in contact with the atmosphere and it converts all the energy and creates a shockwave. Some people reported that the air in Chelyabinsk smelled like gunpowder after the explosion. The blast damaged about 4,000 buildings with pieces of shattered broken glass littered throughout the city. More than 1,200 people suffered minor injuries due to the broken glass while a few was sent to hospital for further examination. Officials have pledged to replace all the broken windows within one week. As the people of Chelyabinsk try to return to their normal lives, works have started to replace broken windows with new ones throughout the city with drilling works starting early in the morning.

  

Local authorities have deployed about 24,000 troops to help in the relief effort. They have also identified three potential impact sites where the meteorite could have landed. Two sites are located near Lake Cherbakul while the third is located farther northwest near the town of Zlatoust. One fragment of the meteorite was believed to have landed in the frozen lake as local fishermen found a large crater which might possibly be the result of the impact. The crater has a diameter of 6 meters. A team of six Russian divers searched the lake for fragments of the meteor however; they were not able to find anything.

Three days later on 18 February, scientists claimed they have found fragments of the meteor near Lake Cherbakul. A team of Russian scientists conducted tests on rocks that seemed unusual and confirmed that it has similar composition with a meteor. The fragments were made up of metallic iron, chrysolite and sulfite.

After confirmed news of meteor fragments found near the lake, it sparked a worldwide interest for these fragments. Russian space debris hunters are selling so-called ‘genuine’ pieces of the space rock as much as US$10,000 per piece on their websites. Local authorities have responded by cordoning off the area around the lake and prevent any media or space debris hunters near the lake. This is to ensure smoothness of the investigation by Russian authorities and scientists. Thus, deter space debris hunters from having the opportunity to sell the fragments to buyers in the black market for quick and easy money.

Editor's note 1: The terms asteroid, meteor and meteorite often get misused. Here are the correct definitions of those terms.

An asteroid is a rocky object in space that's smaller than a planet and is loosely known as space debris or leftover fragments from the formation of the solar system. There are millions of asteroids orbiting the sun. Some can be as large as hundreds of kilometres wide such as asteroid Ceres which is 940 wide. Asteroids have no atmosphere but many are large enough to exert a gravitational pull.

A meteor is an asteroid or other object that burns and vaporises upon entry into the Earth's atmosphere, like the one that was seen over Russia. Meteors are commonly known as shooting stars.

If a meteor survives the plunge through the atmosphere and lands on the surface, it is known as a meteorite. Meteorites are usually categorised as iron or stony. As the name implies, iron meteorites (see top picture below) are composed of about 90% iron while stony meteorites (see bottom picture below) are made up of oxygen, iron, silicon, magnesium and other elements.

Editor's note 2: An asteroid half the size of a football field also buzzed past Earth on 15 February, the same day as a meteor hit Russia. At its closest approach at 2:24 p.m. EST (1924 GMT), the 45-metre asteroid 2012 DA14 cruised within 27,000 kilometres of Earth. The encounter marked the closest fly-by by such a big asteroid that's ever been known about in advance.

Total Defence Day 2013 - United We Stand

On 14 February 2013, ITE College east celebrated total defence day at the atrium. There were many exhibit boards regarding about total defence that were placed in the middle of the atrium. Students and teachers were free to view the exhibits to understand more about total defence that day. The boards gave information about what are total defence and the five aspects of total defence which is Psychological Defence, Social Defence, Economic Defence, Civil Defence, and Military Defence.

The commemoration also showcased a flash-mob, exhibits and videos made by the students, a demo of the Virtual Commando program as well as a sign-up booth for the National Education Gaming Competition. Needless to say, the flash mob was a great success.

Total Defence was first formed in 1984 to highlight that it plays a part in every Singaporean’s life we must be united to defend and protect our country from all forms of attack be it military or non-military and to maintain peace.

Psychological Defence is about everyone’s commitment to the country for a better future and to progress and prosper as a united nation.

Economic defence is where the government, business organise themselves in a way that our economy will not break down in war or under the threat of war in the future.

Military Defence is regarding about the SAF Singapore Air Force and the Singapore military. It is essential to build a strong Military Defence in Singapore like having guys go through national service so that we will be prepared when disasters occur.

Civil Defence is safety and basic needs of the whole community so that life may go on as normally as possible during emergencies.

Social Defence is about the different races and religion living together in harmony and spending time on the interests of the nation and community.

Total Defence in Singapore is a preparatory strategy based on the understanding that besides military action, a country can be weakened in other ways such as:

(a)   Wrecking its economic systems,

(b)   Tearing apart its social fabric,

(c)   Targeting the nation’s beliefs and commitment to defence, and

(d)   The inability to recover from disasters, both natural and man-made.

After the event, a impromptu survey was done amongst the spectators. When asked what Total Defence meant to some staff and students, their responses had been nothing but positive.

Total defence means defending our country and be thankful that we feel save here as the arm forces are doing a great job ~ Monica and Farhana 

Total defence reminds us all to view Singapore as their home, remembering the fear during all the turbulence times and how we have come so far since then. Also, makes us think how we can contribute to Singapore so that it continues to be this peaceful way ~ Hafiz, PI1204K