Battling the Cold

If I havent't said it before, then I will say it now, but Melbourne is just way too cold during winter. I had to venture outside today and I deeply regret it. I wish summer would come, just not January, because January means the Australian Open here, and it always gets strangely hot for those two weeks.

Anyway, as previously mentioned, I have been reading and have now finished Handsome Girlfriend. My only criticism is the ending, but I tend to find a lot of Yoshizumi Wataru's works to be quite rushed and open ended. I think an extra chapter or two showing whether or not the characters succeeded in their chosen professions would have been nice because the end just leaves you assuming everything works out for everyone. Anyway the story begins with Mio and Ichiya at the beginning of beginning their respective careers. The most simple way to put this is that the story chronicles the two main characters relationship with each other and the relationships and bonds they develop with those around them who also work within the entertainment industry, both in the spotlight and behind the scenes. What I did find confusing about the story is the timeline. I found it very confusing, because one minute they are 15, then next they are 17 and I am sitting there thinking, when did this happen? Anyway, it was a cute story none the less.

I have also read Sugar Princess by Nakajo Hisaya, which is "on hiatus" after two volumes. Firstly, the chapters are very short, only 20 pages long, which makes this a quick read, but because of this, I feel that the story lacks depth. Even though it is on hiatus, it doesn't mean it will ever be continued, which also is a problem because the end of the second volume is platformed for that story extension. Anyway, the story is about Maaya, a middle school girl who has never ice skated before. At the rink, where she skates for the first time, she catches the eye of a scout who encourages her to take it up as a sport. She agrees, meeting Shun, a high school student who is adament he will never skate pairs again. After the provisionary owner of the rink announces he plans to close down the rink, the condition is set that if Maaya and Shun are able to place at a local exhibition competition. They practice a routine that Shun did with his former pairs partner, his deceased sister Aya. By the time of the competition they are confident of placing in the competition, until the MD that contains their music for their routine goes missing. They quickly find a substitute MD and perform and place second in the competition, saiving the ice rink, until the provisionary owner claims that their lack of responsibility for losing the MD is unacceptable and that their deal is null and void. It is then that it is revealed the provisionary owner stole the MD to sabotage Maaya and Shun and then the real owner emerges saying he never intends to close the ice rink. The story is put on hiatus when it seems that Maaya and Shun will continue skating as a pair. Obviously you can see how this can be continued, as Maaya is still an amatuer and a bunch of professional skaters were introduced, clearly meant to becoming a major factor further along the story when Maaya and Shun become more elite in the ice skating world.

Anyway, that's about it for now, until next time :)