This time I'll talk about an artist that I am pretty sure you've seen one of his artworks at least. If not, then meet Yoshitaka Amano!

Yoshitaka Amano (天野 喜孝, Amano Yoshitaka; born March 26, 1952) is a Japanese visual artist, character designer, illustrator, a scenic designer for theatre and film, and a costume designer. He began his career in 1967 at Tatsunoko Production working on anime such as Speed Racer and later became the creator of iconic and influential characters from anime such as Gatchaman, Tekkaman, Honeybee Hutch, and Casshern. In 1982 he went independent and became a freelance artist, finding success as an illustrator for numerous authors, and worked on best-selling novel series, such as The Guin Saga and Vampire Hunter D. He is also known for his commissioned illustrations for the popular video game franchise Final Fantasy.

In 1987, Amano joined Square (now known as Square Enix) to work on a role-playing video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System: Final Fantasy. Amano produced conceptual design pieces for the game in both traditional and computer designed artwork. At this time, he also worked for another video game company, Kure Software Koubou, producing box cover illustrations as well as some character designs. This work included designs for Kure's First Queen series. Following Final Fantasy VI in 1994, he stepped down as the conceptual, image, and graphic designer of the series. As of 2025, he continues to provide promotional and character artwork for the following games and to design their title logos.

Amano became the world's highest-earning artist in 1996, earning $40,000,000 (equivalent to $80,000,000 in 2024) that year from sales of silk screens, lithographs and etchings based on his book illustrations. His work began receiving international recognition following the release of Final Fantasy VII in 1997. In 2006, Hironobu Sakaguchi, the former designer and creator of the Final Fantasy series, recruited Amano and composer Nobuo Uematsu to work on video games at Mistwalker.

Source: Wikipedia

"So what makes this legendary artist, well, special? Let me show you."

The PC-9800 series, commonly shortened to PC-98 or simply 98 (キューハチ, Kyū-hachi), is a lineup of Japanese 16-bit and 32-bit personal computers manufactured by NEC from 1982 to 2003. While based on standard x86-16 and x86-32 processors, it uses an in-house architecture making it incompatible with IBM clones; some PC-98 computers used NEC's own V30 processor. The platform established NEC's dominance in the Japanese personal computer market, and, by 1999, more than 18 million units had been sold. While NEC did not market these specific machines in the West, it sold the NEC APC series, which had similar hardware to early PC-98 models.

Source: Wikipedia

Why is it important?

Now that we've passed the boring introduction, I can finally share my excitement about this ancient computer, which was released 43 years ago (3 years earlier than the release of Super Mario Bros on the NES).

• Do you like older anime art styles?
• Do you feel nostalgic when listening to 16-Bit era music?
• Do you love reading and playing visual novels?
• Are you a bit of a pervert?

If you answered yes to one of them then you'll also like learning more about this; PC-98 games have some of the most beautiful anime art I've ever seen. Let me show you some screenshots to prove it.

"Yes! HG"

"Yume no Sei"

"Seirei Senki"

"3×3 Eyes Sanjiyan Henjyo"

"Akiko Premium"

"Dead of the Brain"

"Magyokko Paradice"

You probably get the idea by now and these are just the tip of the iceberg.

Now, there's some good and some bad news for you. Remember the last question I asked in that list earlier?

The bad news is that many games are eroge (adult games). Which means that you will witness the most vile, horrendous things you'll ever see when playing them. BE WARNED!

Oh, yeah. The good news is that some of these have like, really good stories. And thanks to a small community, they're receiving fan translations.

My recommendations for a beginner would be:

All of these games below have some ecchi elements in them.

Policenauts (Adventure)

Dead of The Brain 1 and 2 (Horror)

The Farland Story Series (Strategy)

Rusty (Castlevania-like)

Nocturnal Illusion (Visual Novel - Very NSFW)

Today, I want to share some information about the flowers I've discovered while browsing on the internet. They are beautiful, they are unique, they are lovely. I'm sure you'll like them too!

#1 Wisteria

Clusters of pendulous blossoms spill like lavender waterfalls from wisteria vines, each pea‑shaped flower soft and slightly curled at the edges. Their scent is sweet and heady, filling spring air and drawing bees and butterflies. Colors range from pale lilac and deep violet to creamy white and blush pink, often fading delicately toward the tips. Flowers hang in long racemes that sway with the breeze, creating a lush, romantic canopy when the vine is in full bloom. The overall visuals are both elegant and exuberant.

#2 Fuchsia

Fuchsia flowers hang like tiny lanterns, their slender tubes flaring into delicate, petal‑fringed skirts that sway with the slightest breeze. Colors like rich magenta, fiery coral, soft rose and white often blend vividly. Nectar-rich and elegant, they attract hummingbirds and pollinators, offering a quiet peace in shaded gardens and hanging baskets. Each bloom is a playful joy.

#3 Snapdragon

Snapdragon flowers stand upright like tiny, colorful chimneys, their two-lipped blooms opening and closing when gently squeezed. Petals form aesthetic shapes in shades of cream, yellow, pink, red and deep maroon. Their crisp texture and subtle fragrance welcome bees and butterflies, while the blooms persist from spring into fall.

#4 Delphinium

Delphinium spikes rise like towers of sky, their tightly packed blossoms forming striking vertical columns in shades of cobalt, indigo, pale blue and creamy white. Each flower has a soft, ruffled edge. Delphiniums prefer cool roots and plenty of sun, rewarding careful staking and rich soil with cascades of blooms.

#5 Lilac

Lilac blossoms gather in density. Their tiny tubular flowers cluster in shades of lavender, deep purple, soft pink and pure white, creating clouds of color against heart shaped leaves. Shrubs bloom reliably after a cold winter, offering a nostalgic, garden center that lifts quiet mornings.

"Looking at the posting history on forums like these is like looking through a time portal."

I read some of the earlier topics and what other people posted. It's a very distinct kind of feeling of nostalgia, to see people laugh, cry and get excited over something many years ago. Some were arguing with each other, some were telling how much they love them as friends. Their posts remain here, like a silent relic, but they are nowhere to be seen. I checked their profiles, almost all of them left this forum a long time ago.

Quote

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die." (Roy Batty, Blade Runner (1982))

"Internet forums are not only dying; they're now on life support."

This is nothing new. It's been like that for over a decade now. People are choosing new and different ways of communicating, which is not a bad thing at all. But, not every new thing labeled as an improvement is actually one. We are losing genuine human connection now more than ever with the introduction of predatory algorithms and the AI. Don't get me wrong, these are nothing but tools. Though, who is developing them often use it for profits and sometimes even for evil purposes.

An algorithm doesn't care about your feelings, your unique personality, your hopes and dreams. It only focuses on what generates more money to its creators. Same as AI.

"The destruction is inevitable."

This is my take, controversial sure but whatever you think is too. It's best to have different opinions and beliefs.

We'll never understand the true value of something until it no longer exists. A happy memory is kept in the deepest part of your mind, because, well it's now a memory.

When the internet becomes so optimized to generate more money in less time, when every opinion is discarded if it's not a popular one, when every new feature is locked behind a paywall or a subscription...

Then...

Then we will look back to the old internet. We will reminiscence the good old days. And then probably try to revive it with many attempts, but soon realize it's not the same anymore. And then we will begin rebuilding on top of the wreckage. How do I know all of this? Because that's how the human cycle has been since the dawn of time.

"What we need is love, positivity, justice and respect."

A bunch of cliché words. But sometimes a common pattern in nature is a successful one.

In the age of social media, we are now isolated more than our ancestors. We are now able to communicate faster, but we don't listen to each other anymore. We are now able to get information quicker, but that information is often false. We are arguing, mocking, trolling each other in the comments section on many platforms.

And look at where we are now, because of our wrongdoings as humans.

"In the end, you will only be remembered by your actions by those who remain on this planet. So just try to be good. Show some love."