Saturday 30 June 2012

Strangers should just stay that way...Strangers!

Ok, so I am slightly annoyed because people that I don't know say that I 'can't accept people for who they are'. Why? Because I said if given the choice, I would not live in a society which finds the song 'Call Me Maybe' or One Direction are socially acceptable. This stranger claimed that I should be more accepting of people because his girlfriend is a 'fan of 1d'. Firstly, I don't know him, or his girlfriend, and seeing as I don't know either of them, I could not give a shit about their own music preferences. Secondly, I don't believe I ever said I dislike people who are fans of either of the aforementioned things, it's the money used to produce this rubbish to flood the publicsphere that is unacceptable. If that money is to be spent on entertainment production, it should be done so on people who have the talent to warrant such things. I'm just saying that there is no reason why I should have to get pissed by listening to crap music on my way to work. I don't know, I just reckon we should all go back to the 80's when music was good and required actual talent.

Anyway, onto a happier note, I have finished Usagi drop. I was misinformed, there are actually 10 volumes, it's just that the 10th volume is a series of bonus chapters that are related to the main story at different points of time. Due to the content, I would consider it a mature read. Before reading this series, I looked it up on Wikipedia and I was aware of what I was reading but it is still a bit weird. The story is about 30 year old chronic bachelor, Daikichi and how he adopts the illegitimate child of his grandfather, 6 year old Rin, after the death of Daikichi's grandfather (so yes, technically she is his aunt). The first half of the story is about the 6 year old Rin and 30 year old Daikichi adjust to their new circumstances and how they develop bonds with not only each other, but also others (for Rin, she befriend Kouki, for Daikichi he befriends Kouki's mum and other co-workers) as well as Daikachi's research into Rin's birth mother. The second half of the story focuses 10 years down the track, when Rin is 16 and is now a high schooler, and Daikichi is now 40 and still single. This arc focuses on Rin's emotional development as she realises her feelings for Daikichi are romantic other than familiar and Daikichi's internal struggle to accept Rin's feelings, as well as Rin's genetic origins. We see that the bonds created 10 years earlier are still around today, with Kouki and Rin going to school together still and with Daikichi still working for the same company and still consults Kouki's mum. During the second arc, we see what happens in the 10 years between, including the delinquent years of Kouki, and Daikichi's proposal to Kouki's mum (which she declines). By the end, Rin is told, that Souchi (Daikichi's grandfather) is not her biological father and it seems she has a decent relationship with her biological mother despite the fact that she abandoned Rin. Apparently Daikichi knew since the beginning that him and Rin were never blood related through Souichi's will (we do get to see the will at the beginning of the story, but because of language differences, this part was lost in translation, which was unfortunate). The story ends two years further in time, Rin has just graduated high school and now her and Daikichi are discussing their future as Daikichi accepted Rin's feelings because he simply can't refuse her (They plan to marry and possibly have children). It is quite a nice story, it does deal with some complex and dark themes such as abandonment and death, and was quite enjoyable considering it breaks my personal rule of not dating anyone who is old enough to be your father. The only disappointed was Rin rejected Kouki when he confessed, which was a shame, because in the manga world, Kouki grew up fine ;).

Next on the list is Kakan no Madonna by Saito Chiho which is complete in Japanese at 7 volumes and nearly completely scanlated in English with upto chapter 1 of volume 7 being scanlated.

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

Thursday 28 June 2012

Lady GaGa 2012!!

So as previously mentioned, the other night I attended Lady Gaga's first of five Melbourne concerts. I have previously gone to her 2010 concert which I thoroughly enjoyed, and she definitely did not disappoint this time round either. As I predicted, the concert not only consisted of her singing and dancing but also a narrative about her little monsters slowly becoming the dominating species. The beginning was awesome, because I got to see a unicorn even though it wasn't real. My seats weren't the greatest (death by mosh wasn't an option, so i chose to buy seated tickets) but the show was still magnificent.

Anyway, since attending the concert, it as come to my attention that one song she performed was somewhat controversial. At the time, when Gaga was talking about the song, I thought it may have been a setup as some shows (mainly circus performances) use this ploy to gain audience attention. Thinking back, I guess I was slightly stupid seeing as Gaga already draws enough attention to herself as an artist as it is, so there is no need as to why she would need to use such ploys. Anyway, it has been in the news, her song 'Princess Die' which she said may or may not be on her next album, but the song is about death, mainly suicide. Anyways, I actually filmed the performance of the song, so I am one lucky duck that I was a part of the audience for something so unique and apparently controversial, so here it is:



Other than that, I have a few other videos from the concert, these are amateur videos shot on my phone, so they aren't the best of quality, but just a taste of what I experienced:


On another note, Usagi drop is taking a while for me to read, it's not that I haven't had time, it's just that it's once of those series that takes a while to read chapters. With any luck I should be done by tomorrow :)

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



Tuesday 26 June 2012

Loosing Sleep

Ok, so I am a bit angry at the moment, but I think it is within reason. I had to spend a whole day renovating a house for someone I don't even know for free. I don't understand why I had to get up at some early hour, travel to this random's house and help them renovate a home so they can live in it, I mean, if I was actually a tradie that was professional and got paid, I wouldn't have an issue, but why couldn't these people do it themselves, especially when it takes up my time and not theirs >_<

On another note, I get to go to Lady GaGa's first Melbourne show tonight, so I am just a bit excited! I went to her last Melbourne show in 2010 and that was amazing. It seems the concerts I go to have a high performance value. I also went to Katy Perry last year and both her and GaGa have shows that have them singing, but also the added narrative in the concert, so it is almost like you get two shows in one, so yeah, looking forward to it.

Moving on, due to my schedule of renovating randoms houses, I haven't had much time to read, but I have read Yumemiru Taiyou by Takano Ichigo. I could tell from the beginning I would like this story, because this is by the same mangaka as Orange! It is complete at around 10 volumes but scans are only done thus far up to chapter 33 (volume 8). The story is about the lead girl, Shimana, who decides she would like to leave home due to recent changes in her family. When she runs away, she runs into a strange man wearing a kimono who offers her a place to live ( a boarding house of sorts). After a few conditions are met, Shimana moves in. As the story progresses, Shimana starts to crush on Asahi (not the beer) only to have her heart broken. After a while, despite a pursuant Zen, she develops feelings for Taiga (weird man in the kimono) and confesses to him. Although Taiga accepts somewhat, he admits that 'he likes her, but doesn't like her in that way' but that he will try, also, we are introduced to Taiga's father, who is hell bent on some plan to bind Taiga to him by removing him from his current surroundings. Up to the scans, it is obvious that Taiga likes Shimana, but hasn't figured it out for himself, which is really cute! I know how it end because bxsweebly translated the back end of the series, although, from my plot summary, I think it is obvious how it would end. Personally, I adore this series, however it seems that others don't agree because they don't like the ending. It is a shoujo series, so don't expect a complicated plot with dark undertones, because if you are, I think you are reading the wrong genre.

Next on the list is Usagi Drop, It is complete at 9 volumes in Japanese and scans and is something for the older readers considering the plot.

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

Sunday 24 June 2012

Getting back to business

Yes, I am finally able to stay up long enough to write a decent update, although given the amount of time between drinks, it will most likely be somewhat abbreviated.

Firstly, I must say, so proud of my swannies, beating Geelong on Friday night, I must say that I take back every bad thing I ever said about Andrejs Everitt, he is now my hero after kicking the match winning goal. So now I have bragging rights over 90% of AFL supporters, as my team sits pretty in second spot. I am content ^.^

Ok, so as I mentioned what seemed like forever ago, I have read Galism, what i didn't realize is that it is by the same mangaka who wrote Bijo Juku and I Love HS, so I must say I was a pretty happy chappy when I found out. I absolutely love the three sister heroines, Ran, Nobara and Yuri, they are a set of siblings that do things their own way. I guess I am glad to see this within shoujo manga, because more often than not, I find the female leads crying every two pages, and I think anyone would agree that it is super annoying. The story is about the sisters who try to unravel the evil plans of the principal of the school which they attend. The principal's son Yuudai is dating Ran, while her step son, Kento, not only wants to stop his step mother from inheriting the school, but also has feelings for Ran. As you can see, the characters are all inter-related and the plot does get a but messy at times. There are a few ongoing gags, such as the grandfather plotting to get his grandsons to get along (even faking his death at one point) and the older two sister's efforts in interrupting Ran's first time with Yuudai (more like stop it from ever happening). The art is good, as one would expect with this mangaka, so overall, rather enjoyable, especially the comedic aspect :)

I have read a couple of manhwa series too, Fallen Angels and Become Habituated to Kiss. Fallen Angels by Han Yu Rang, I must say was a bit of a disappointment. So far, 20 chapters have been scanlated into English, but I definitely won't continue with the series once more chapters are released. Unfortunately, the title is about as interesting as the story gets. I found the plot difficult to follow and rather boring. Kind of a shame considering I tend to love Han Yu Rang series.

Become Habituated to Kiss is by Hwang Mi Ri and has about 17 chapters scanlated thus far into English. I found this one much more entertaining and to my enjoyment. Again, this story has the strong, but somewhat airheaded female lead, which is always entertaining for me. The female lead, Kang Da Yeon, saves a handsome man, Kang Oh Hyuk from being beaten by a group of thugs (yes she beat the thugs up, if that happened in real life how bad ass would that be), and he 'repays' her with a kiss. From this point onwards, Kang Oh Hyuk takes a liking to Kang Da Yeon as he finds her entertaining and relieves him of his boredom, to the point that he at one point tries to blackmail her into living together (the blackmail was rather funny I must say, thing along the lines of Bridget Jones' Diary). True to Hwang Mi Ri's work, the characters also seem to have respective family issues to deal with.

I have also read Sekai de Ichiban Dakarai by Banri Hidaka. It is complete, but I don't know how long it is (at least 10 volumes) but only 2 and a half of which have actually been scanlated. The story is about Kazuha and Maki and the development of their relationship. As for the ending, thanks to them  being minor, re-occuring characters in Hidaka's next series, V.B Rose, we know that they end up together and get married (^o^). Anyway, I tend to think of this as a prequal for V.B Rose, most likely because I read V.B rose first, but it is like an ongoing saga as such. I got annoyed writing this paragraph because I typed it and then accidently deleting it before saving it, so to my frustration, I got to write this last bit twice (-.-;)

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





Saturday 23 June 2012

Searching for the light

Because my sickness has left me in the bottom of a hole which I'm trying to climb out of as quick as possible, which is why I have been MIA recently. Due to me being sick, I have been sleeping much of the last 72 hours. Although I have plenty of stuff to talk about, this is more of an update to say that I am still alive and haven't fallen off the face of the Earth...yet.

Anyway, until next time :)

Wednesday 20 June 2012

Sickness should just go away!!

So yeah, I have been kind of sick the last few days, which has been absolutely no fun. It seems to be a combination of stomach virus and migraines, so yeah, I definitely am beginning to miss food...and sleep, the migraines hurt to the point that I can't sleep. Sigh, I have taken many migraine tablets and aside from the fact they make me trip balls they do make me feel better, so I guess I should keep taking them. Also didn't help that there was an earthquake yesterday, which is rare for Australia because we are conveniently geographically situated in terms of tectonic plates, but still, when you are just reading in bed and your house starts to shake, automatic response is that you shit yourself (metaphorically of course)

For starters, still going with NANA, but only 2 episodes left to go. I have tomorrow off, so I have to get on Youtube to check it out seeing as my DVD player has decided it is going to hate me.

Also, I am currently watching the Amazing Race Australia. All I can say is they definitely choose the more eccentric participants to compete in reality format shows.

Moving on, As previously mentioned, I have read Do you Remember, Mogwa? by Han Yu Rang and since I last talked about it, two more chapters have been scanlated and released (Lucky >.<) because when I initially read it, the chapter that it ended on was really suspenseful, so I was really glad to not have to wait too long. I have found this series rather interesting. It is about a girl who is traumatized by an experience when she was 8 years old. Basically what happened was Sun Jong (the main girl) was kidnapped by her mother's friend when she was 8. The woman held her captive while she killed herself, exclaiming that Sun Jong's mother is a murderer and such. This experience leaves Sun Jong unable to communicate and also makes her incapable of looking at her own face. From that day on, Sun Jong has since worn a mask and refuses to talk to anyone except her grandma. Moo Kae is a presumably homeless boy/man (thus far his age has not been disclosed, but I think he is meant to be around 18) who Sun Jong's grandmother takes in on the condition that he befriend her grand-daughter. Moo Kae reveals little about himself, however we do know that he himself has lost his memory. Per Usual, there is also the villainous rich girl, Min Hee, who will do anything to get what she wants, which in this case is Moo Kae, lies in order to befriend the socially awkward Sun Jong and to break up the friendship between Sun Jong and Moo Kae in order to have Moo Kae all to herself. Anyway, I thought that the concept of the mask because she fears her own face was really interesting, I guess it is a more serious approach but at the same time similar to Usotsuki Lily, where En can't look at his own reflection without breaking the reflecting surface. 

I have also read Chihayafuru by Yuki Suetsugu, which is ongoing at 17 volumes in Japanese and scanlated to the beginning of volume 7 in English (chap 37) and for some weird reason, chapters 89-93 are also scanlated (I haven't read these chapters because then I would be missing 50 chapters of valuable story!!). Anyway, I have found it a very interesting series thus far. It is about the sport Kuruta and the friendship the sport has developed between Chihaya, Arata and Taichi. To be honest, I don't really understand how to play the game, mainly because I can't read or speak Japanese, but I understand the concept of how it is played. I guess the easiest way to say it is that is kind of like a more difficult and extreme way of playing a combination Go Fish and chess. I am not suggesting that the two are the same by any means, Go Fish is easy, Kuruta is hard, it involves poetry and extreme strategy. One thing that I particularly like about this series is the prologue. The first 6 chapters of the story introduce the characters at elementary school level and lay the foundations for the main story when they begin high school, which starts at chapter 7. Anyways, I look forward to reading more of this series in the near future as this series is updated quite frequently (Lucky >.<).

For now, I am reading Galism, which is complete in Japanese with 6 volumes and currently 15 chapter scanlated in English.

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

Monday 18 June 2012

I'm in Hibernation Mode

I spent the entire weekend working, which is a bit of a bummer, but because of my efforts, I got Monday off, hence I spent the entirety of the day hibernating, except for when I had to clean my room, but other than that it has for once, been a relaxing day with nothing much to do. Anyways, as promised before the weekend, which seems like months ago to me for some reason, I am no in a way better mood, hence I am willing now to talk about stuff.

Last Friday, I went to the movies and watched Adam Sandler's new film 'That's my Boy', which also stars Andy Samberg and Leighton Meester with cameo appearances by Vanilla Ice, Ciara and Susan Sarandon. So there is quite a few names in this film, and to be honest, probably one of the better ones featuring Adam Sandler in recent times. It was by no means a 'Billy Madison' or 'Happy Gilmore' but still a good laugh in what is largely slapstick comedy. The humor is also very adult based, so definitely not one for the kiddies. The link provided is for the wikipedia page of the film, which has a comprehensive summary of the plot line of the film for anyone wanted more information.

Just a quick update with NANA, I still haven't watched the last five episodes but plan on doing so tonight, so I'll have my thoughts on that one in my next post.

As for Anatolia Story by Chie Shinohara (also more commonly known as Red River), I have actually finished reading it (yes, all 28 volumes) and because it is so long, there is no way I am summarizing such a storyline! I have to say absolutely loved this series, it is probably up there in my top 5 all time favourites for many reasons. Firstly, I am a massive fan of the old school manga. Red River started in 1995, so around the same time as Sailor Moon ended and just before Ayashi no Ceres began (both great 90's series). I regard the 90's as a great decade for shoujo manga and this one surely didn't disappoint. I also love any story with historical genre, but I loved this one even more so for many of the characters and events in the story were inspired by actual historic figures and events, which is really cool (source: Wikipedia). One thing I will say is that the themes and content is fairly gruesome and graphic with adult themes as well. A few examples of this include when a young servant boy, Tito, is killed and skinned by his murderer and his dead body is shown with his flesh missing, and in a fighting scene we see an enemy soldier actually sliced in half. I won't sugar coat it, a lot of characters die and there is a lot of bloodshed and war. I guess you could also say that there is this psychological element as well with Queen Nakia, the main villain feeling the need to place her son on the thrown at any cost to the point were she 'would even defy the heavens'. She plots numerous murders and schemes to ensure she gets what she wants. I also like how the author used Narration to explain some of the historical context of the story, especially towards the end, we find out that in real history what happened to some of the characters after the completion of the story especially the end, which states that 'around 150 years after the prosperity of Mursili's reign, the Hittite empire vanished into history' and then continues on with possible reasons as to why. It actually makes me want to learn more about ancient times, as I have already studied Ancient Egypt somewhat, so it looks like Wikipedia will be of great use to me in the near future. I will say, that some of the scans are of poorer quality that what some may be used to, in particular volume 25, however, if that puts you off reading it, your loss, you are missing out on one fantastic story. I am kind of disappointed though that I have finished reading Red River, because now I feel that whatever I read next will just lack in comparison.

Speaking of which, next on the list is "Do you remember, Mogwa" by Han Yu Rang. From what I have read, it is complete at 15 volumes Korean/14 and complete in Vietnamese and currently 9 and a half volumes scanlated in English. 

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

Friday 15 June 2012

A huge step backwards

I don't think I have ever been as disgusted by so called 'work colleagues' in my life as I was last night. I work three jobs, this one being on a casual basis, but for no reason whatsoever should I be subjected to the humiliation I had to endure last night. Here is a post from my Facebook I would like to share with everyone:
Absolutely disgusted with work yesterday! It's unbelievable how 4 fully grown men could make the girls, including myself, carry a van and a half full of glasses, alcohol and crates of soft drinks up and down 2 flights of stairs while these same men stand there having a smoke and a drink on the job, yelling at us girls to toughen up and grow a pair while bad mouthing our efforts. People like this don't deserve a place amongst our society. If they have so little respect for women in the workplace as they did yesterday, then maybe these pigs should go back to the 1950's where they obviously belong
I find it not only atrocious that people like these still exist within today's society, but I have to acknowledge them as my colleague and work superior. The way I and a few of my other colleagues were treated was not only disrespectful to us, but exposed the sexism that is still prevalent in society. Being told to 'man up and grow a pair' by my male superiors is disgusting, considering that they themselves should grow a pair for the way they treated us. It is appalling that the women, including myself were forced to undertake tasks of manual labour and heavy lifting while the same men sit outside having a smoke and a beer (while allegedly "working"). There is also no reason whatsoever, which makes it acceptable for someone to mock me because I speak with an "Aussie Accent". I'm sorry, but the last time I checked a map, I believe that I live in this country called Australia, so isn't an Aussie accent only natural? I am embarrassed to say that I have to work with these kind of people, and it clearly shows that the ideals of the 1950's where the 'whatever men say, goes' mentality is still used in such a degrading manner today. In my opinion, bigotry based on gender and other aspects of humanity is unacceptable, and I believe that there should be no reason why I should endure this attitude in my place of employment.

I am a bit too pissed at the moment to want to discuss everything else, so for now I'll leave it there. In terms of what is coming up, I am up to episode 42 of NANA, so that will be done with in a couple of days, I am up to volume 17 or there bouts in Anatolia Story and I also have a few things to talk about with Adam Sandler's new movie 'That's my Boy"

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

Wednesday 13 June 2012

The Nightmare has ended

The nightmare has ended! I never have to deal with accounting ever again. Words can not describe how glorious this feels. Hello 6 weeks of absolutely nothing. Actually I lied. Turns out the internet won't have my undivided attention as I have picked up heaps of extra work at my jobs, which makes my bank account very happy. The first thing I did after my accounting exam was sleep. How good it felt after being up until 4am the night before studying just so I could understand what the heck I had to do. The only downside is that when I am not working I will be bored out of my brains, but I'll find something else to do in the meantime.

Okay, so I have read a few series over the past few days, not that they have been long or anything. One of the series I read was Kimi no Tame ni Hiku Chopin by Nagae Tomomi. There is little information about this series at the moment, but there are currently two chapters scanlated into English and I know there is at least 4 chapters so far, but that's it. It seems promising I must say. The story is about a girl who moves from Hokkaido to Tokyo in hopes of finding a boy she remembered playing the piano with as a child. She finds him but he doesn't remember her. When he hears her playing the piano, he remembers that playing the piano can be fun, something he had forgotten long ago. In the meantime, the girl's playing, along with a pendant she received from her guardian in Hokkaido, awakens the spirit of Chopin. Because there is two chapters, that is about all there is to the story so far. The art is very cute, although it does make the female lead look like she is 14 when she is in fact a university student. I haven't used character names because what in in the scanlations and what the summary says is completely different so it's just to remove any confusion as such.

I have also read Tenshi no Hitsugi by Higuri Yuu. To be 100% honest, I absolutely hated it. I was pretty keen because as I have previously said, I love reading the tragedy stories because they usually are unconventional. However, this one annoyed me beyond belief. It is based in Vienna, 1889 and chronicles the forbidden romance between crown prince Rudolf and Lady Maria and how their life and death revolutionized Austria, and how the 'God' Sato tried to avoid the tragedy (obviously being manga, it is based primarily in an alternate reality). Luckily, it is only 5 chapters in length so it was not very time consuming. I don't really want to go into it, but the characters are beyond annoying so as a reader, I couldn't sympathize with the characters at all, hence it really can't be called tragedy. I'm actually not going to talk about this anymore because it is just to frustrating.

 Moving on, I read Honganne. Another of Hwang Mi-Ri's many series, it is complete in Korean at 11 volumes, with just 3 chapters left to be scanlated in English. I love korean high school gang manhwas. I can't get enough, but because it is a korean high school gang manhwa, it is the same to other series out there, still, it is a good read. There are a few things that differ from other works. It is probably one of the first Hwang Mi-Ri series where the main characters have families. Usually the main characters are orphaned or unwanted or have neglectful parents. This series also uses the 'sister complex' with the main character's older brother obsessively protective of his little sister to the point he hospitalizes any guy who approaches her. I kind of feel sorry for her, if I had an overbearing sibling, I would probably feel trapped to some extent. All in all, I am greatly anticipating the final 3 chapters to complete this series!

As for what is next on my agenda, It is Anatolia Story, which is just a casual 28 volumes in length completed. So this one is probably going to take me a while, especially considering all the extra work that I have picked up.

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





Tuesday 12 June 2012

Evening Quickie

Ok, so just a very quick update (if you misinterpreted the heading, then you sir, have a dirty mind). I just don't want people to think I have fallen from the face of the Earth.

In reality,  I have been isolated in my cave studying for accounting and I am so screwed. Night before the exam and I still don't get it. Let's just hope I get that 40% minimum pass. But as of tomorrow night, after a long catch up sleep, my undivided attention will be once again directed at the internet, so expect a super long update. You have been warned!! 

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

Sunday 10 June 2012

Weekends aren't for studying

I really hate accounting! Like with a passion, because I won't need it in the future because I have no desire to ever be an accountant. I don't understand why I have to do this accounting exam, especially when I have to spend my weekends studying. Oh I hate accounting! 3 more days until the suffering ends!

Also, thanks to a bunch of old men at the bar I work at, my bar/work name is now 'Dominica'. I have somehow been given a persona simply for working. How does this even happen. Whenever I leave for work now it is 'bye Dominica, see you later'. I am pretty sure I could be on my way to split personalities. Maybe I can use it as my stage name, Although I don't know why I need a stage name. Maybe I shall pen a book and write it under the name 'Dominica'? Watch this space maybe?

Also, I am very glad that my swannies didn't embarrass themselves by nearly losing after having a 48 point lead. I am annoyed at the number of Essendon supporters who 'blame the umpires' for their 4 point loss, but when you have more scoring shots than your opponent and you lose, then it is their own team's fault for their crap goal kicking. Honestly, with 2 goals and 15 behinds to 3 quarter time, then frankly, there is no-one else to blame but yourselves, so quit it.

Alright, so moving on, I have been reading Cinderella Fella by Kim Hee-Kyoung, which is a Manhwa series, Complete in Korean at 6 volumes and still ongoing in English scanlations, with scanlations currently at the first chapter of volume 6. As you can probably assume by the name, the story is a modern day adaption of the classic fairytale of Cinderella with a few changes. The male lead, Gyu Yun is the son and the heir of a womanizing company president who is the urge to clean anything he finds dirty. He is also the school council president and top ranked academically. His stepmother wants nothing more than to ensure that either of her two daughters succeed the company and will do anything to get rid of any obstacles. Gyu Yun meets and develops feelings for an interesting girl with an IQ of 180 who also has unkempt hair which Gyu Yun can't look away (he wants to fix her messy hair!!), who is actually quite pretty with her hair done (not in messy braids) and without her glasses. The plot thickens when Gyu Yun is told that he has a fiance (arranged of course) who wants nothing more than money and status and his stepmother takes things to a whole new level of evil when she plots the murder of Deb (Ruci's mother, Ruci is an illegitimate child of the company president) and the attempted murder of Gyu Yun himself. How will this all end? I will like to know too, but I can't read Korean, so I guess I will have to wait for the scanlations like the rest of us. The art is different from standard shoujo manga/manhwa but it is by no means bad, it is actually quite good artwork. Anyway, as I said, it is a modern day adaption of Cinderella with some changes, but if anyone who likes Cinderella should enjoy this spin-off.

I have also read Kimi Shika Iranai by Yoshizumi Wataru, which is a short series, completely scanlated at 2 volumes. As per usual the art is the standard I have come to expect from Yoshizumi Wataru, so for those who like the mangaka's art, then you should enjoy this one. The story is about the developing friendship and romance between the two leads Atsumu and Akane and the struggles they face due to Akane's relationship history. Despite being 16 years old, Akane is already a divorcee. If that's not enough, at the beginning of the series, Akane is still in love with her now ex-husband, Kyou and only got divorced because of their different beliefs on extra-marital affairs (Kyou didn't see it as a big deal) as the series progresses, Akane begins to develop feelings for Atsumu until Kyou needs to be transferred to 'A doctorless town in A prefecture' and Akane decides she will go with him. It is only when Kyou's transfer is cancelled that Akane realizes she only would have went with Kyou out of sympathy and now she really does love Atsumu. The series ends with a scene six moths into the future when Akane and Atsumu sneak away from an 'ohanami ai' (flower veiwing) where they share a kiss. The end. To be honest, it wasn't my cup of tea. Mainly because all of the characters by this mangaka seem to have some ridiculous complexes. I remember reading Datte suki nan Damon and the male lead in that was only every interested in women with boyfriends already and claimed he could never love for real. Same case here, with Akane finding it difficult to love after her divorce, which I understand would be difficult, but it's just that it feels like I have read this before with Datte suki nan Damon, but with the genders reversed.

I am still watching NANA, I am currently about half way through the anime, and it is deffinately inspiring me to attempt to read the manga again. Future readings are slim pickings at the moment, with my random number generator selecting the corresponding numbers of manga series that are only a handful of scanlated chapters, thus making it hard to offer an opinion on the series (this is why I don't read oneshots).

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

Thursday 7 June 2012

I Nearly have my Free time back!

YES! Another exam is over and done with and now I only have one more to go! Words can not describe my happiness that by next week, I will no longer have to do accounting. So what am I doing to celebrate? Working! But enough of the boring stuff.

I have finished reading quicker than anticipated, which is another bonus!! I have finished Arata Kangatari by Yuu Watase and as I said previously, despite it being a shounen series, I absolutely love it! I had kind of given up reading shounen series, but now I might be willing to start reading them again. For the record, the only other Shounen series that I am currently reading is Magico. I guess I liked Arata Kangatari because it does hold resemblance to many of Yuu Watase's other works despite being aimed at a different demographic. I like the sci-fi and supernatural themes as well as the art, although different from shoujo style, which usually has a lot more toning and definition in the features of the characters and such, it is still very eye catching. I guess because the style is something that I enjoy, it even attracts the female audiences. I also like the action scenes when there is all out fighting, which sounds violent, but the way it is done is suspenseful. It also addresses many issues that are relevant in today's society, the most obvious being bullying, which is highlighted particularly in the first ten chapter. Anyways, I plan to read this series now whenever it is updates  (added to my favourites >.<) and look forward to reading more of it in the future. It's just so good!

I have also finished reading Gokinjo Monogatari by Ai Yazawa, and it was so good! I like how the main characters from "I'm not an angel" made a little cameo appearance and I am looking forward to reading the sort of sequel 'Paradise Kiss'. Oh I loved the fashion context of the series, I do quite like my fashion, so I absolutely worshiped all the cute outfits the characters wore (I wish I had those outfits). I like how it was nicely summed up. The initial story is left quite open ending with an image of Tsutomu and Haruhiko at the airport, but the extra chapter was a nice summary of how the characters ended up in their journey through life. Oh my, the only negative I have about it is that I wish it were longer, although in saying that, i felt that the story was thoroughly planned from page one and it didn't rattle on or fall into the trap of cliche`s like other series which have exceeded the best before date. Anyway, I could just go on and on about how awesome the series was. Just a warning, anyone who hasn't read it and is planning to, you may find the female lead Mikako a bit annoying, she is very dependent and can do little on her own when making life choices. Thankfully though, this is addressed towards the latter half of the series. So yeah, get on it guys.


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

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Winter Nights

Are damn cold!! I am in a state of torment as to whether or not it would be socially acceptable if I took my blankets with me just so I can say warm. What can I say, I am not made for the cold. Oh well, the hot chilli sauce in my cupboard keeps me warm through its sheer spiciness.

Anyway, I went bowling with a couple of friends tonight. Unfortunately, I didn't win either game, came second in both games :( but it was a memorable night for many reasons. Firstly, when I got there, my friend kind of broke the window of my car and now it wont wind up. My solution to this was to use my umbrella cover the open window so people don't break into the car and to keep out the cold and tie the umbrella handle to the steering wheel using headphones so no-one stole my umbrella because it was my good umbrella. Anyway, I took a photo of the situation because this could only happen to me:
not the best photo but it was night time so what do you expect? As I previously said, I came second in both games. I took a photo of the scoreboard for one of the games and edited it slightly for privacy purposes
   I only lost by four points! And yes, the score is correct 'Friend 1' really only did get 13, and we cheered whenever they hit the pins.

At the moment, along with watching NANA, I am simultaneously reading two series: Arata Kangatari by Yuu Watase, which is ongoing at 15 volumes and Gokinjo Monogatari by Ai Yazawa, which is complete at 6 volumes. So two series by two very well known and respected Mangakas and thus far I am enjoying them both. I am actually surprised how much I am enjoying Arata Kangatari because it is a shounen series, which I rarely read, but that is never a bad thing I must say. I hope to have finished both series within the week if my schedule allows it.

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

Sunday 3 June 2012

Oh, Hey There!

I feel like I kind of neglected my blog for a few days because life has been rather busy! But that's is good, it means there is a lot to talk about :)

All I can say is that I am so, so happy that I have completed one of my university exams. Just a shame that I still have another two to go :(. But I feel that I did well, I am very proud of the fact that I got to use the metaphor 'Some people are hermits', lets just hope it all turns out well :)

I was fortunate enough to go on a rampage in the city on Friday, which means I got some more manga and anime. I even got to make some onigiri, here is how it turned out
Pretty good for a first attempt if I do say so myself. Anyway, I bought the last two volumes of Chiyou yo, Hana yo (Butterflies, Flowes) by Yuki Yoshihara, mainly because I love her work and the last two volumes won't be scanlated because they are licensed. I am so happy to say I now own a Yuki Yoshihara manga, I love it so much, and this one is no different. I love the comedy and the pervertedness of her series, I always have to expect the unexpected. I won't say too much about this series, I have already posted a comprehensive summary of the last 10 chapters from my mangafox account, so click >>HERE<< if you want to read my spoilers for Chiyou yo, Hana yo.

I also bought the anime for NANA. I have only watched the first three episodes so far but I am so far enjoying it. I had a hard time reading the manga and gave up because the undertones were quite heavy and I just found it too depressing, but considering how great everyone says it is, I hope the anime will enlighten me so I can re-attempt to read the manga. Yes I have succumbed to peer pressure, what of it? I think I will have a lot more to say about NANA in the near future.

As I said in my previous post, I did read Crazy Girl Shin Bia and I have to say I absolutely loved it. I quite like historical series, and I liked how this was set in an alternate reality that was a reflection of history. The story begins with Shin Bia, an orpahned school girl who is the Jjang of her current school. She is targeted by a rich kid, who tries to get his cronies to attack and rape her. At the same time in an alternate reality, Celestial Bia predicts her death is near, and says that there is a way to make Ju prosperous without her, that is to transfer the other Bia to the world where Ju is. Back to the real world, Shin Bia jumps out the window to a certain death to avoid the rape scenario, which at that same time, Celestial Bia jumps off a cliff in her world to allow Shin Bia to take over the life of Celestial Bia. Trouble ensures, with Shin Bia having no clue of palace rituals, as Celestial Bia is engaged to the future emporor Yoo Baek, who Shin Bia dislikes. There is also Yiu Hoo, Yoo Baek's half brother and Mo Yeung, the hostage prince of Ah Jin who plots to take over Ju, who both love Bia as well. Most of the story is based on the relationships Shin Bia develops in Ju and the journey she goes through to become stonger than the original Shin Bia and lead Ju to ultimate victory over Ah Jin. To fill you in, Over the story, Shin Bia and Yoo Baek fall in love with each other, Bia's maid, Ka Yeon is a spy from Ah Jin working for Prince Mo Yeung who she loves, Bia tries to escape to her original world and has secret rendezvous with Mo Yeung to do so, Yiu Hoo's mother does everything she can to kill Yoo Baek and Bia to make Yiu Hoo the emporor, Some princess (don't remember her name) comes to try and break up Yoo Baek and Bia, Bia gains the powers of the original Bia and then some, Ka Yeon tries to kill Bia, but almost kills Yoo Baek instead, Bia is blamed for it and nearly killed, Yoo Baek uses his last bit of life to clear her name, he dies but Bia revives him with her power, Everyone finds out that Bia is not the Celestial Bia, causing a fight between Yoo Baek and Bia, When Yoo Baek realizes he loves the new Bia instead of the old one, Bia gets kidnapped by Mo Yeung, War breaks out between Ju and Ah Jin, Mo Yeung's betrayals are revealed and becomes obsessive with Bia, Yoo Baek gets imprisoned by Ah Jin when trying to rescue Bia, Ju defeats Ah Jin, Yoo Baek and Mo Yeung have a battle to the death, Yoo Baek wins, Mo Yeung is still alive and forces Bia's sword saying that only Bia may take his life, Ka Yeon poisons herself to die with Mo Yeung, Yoo Baek is crowned emporor and Yoo Baek and Bia marry and as a result Ju becomes the most prosperous nation in the past 1000 years. There is a 60 page epilogue set  a year after Yoo Baek and Bia get married and it is about how Bia wants to explore more but Yoo Baek wont allow it and how Princess whats-her name wants to marry Yiu Hoo. The epilogue ends with Bia and Yoo Baek travelling the world together and princess whats her name and Yiu Hoo getting married. There! 19 Volumes of manhwa condensed into 1 paragraph. Sorry if it doesn't make sense lol.

Moving on, my footytips are done and dusted for the year, after another shocking round where the teams that should have lost didn't. I have to say, very happy with my Swannies, 92 point winners, that's one good thing to come out of this round :)

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