Fall 2009

for all the anticipation i had for Fall 2009, i've only picked up 10 shows, 8 of which i've already rambled about in mid-aug.

in order of me watching each episode 1's,

Nyan Koi!
the comedy is very much lacking, given that this is supposed to be a rom-com. high chance of dropping this, but i'll give it another few episodes before doing the actual deed.

the only saving grace is perhaps Fukuyama Jun who is voicing 2 characters inside, especially that of Tama the cat. been too long since i've seen him in anything comical, since the last 2 shows had been Code Geass and Valkyria Chronicles.

Seiken no Blacksmith - The Sacred Blacksmith
if it wasn't for the last 5 min, i would've dropped this at episode1. as such, because of the very cool magical sword-forging process, i'm keen to continue with the show.

i could do without Cecily repeating her mantra ("i'm a knight, blah blah blah") for the 3rd time in one episode. who knows how many more times it'll be sprouting out of her mouth.

the only good thing is that Lisa is very likable compared to the former. and she is of much more use too. without Lisa, Luke would never be the sacred blacksmith. and Cecily would never be able to get her very own katana.

Tentai Senshi Sunred S2
finally, the start of something good in the season. we start off this season with the reunion of "Weather 3" which Sunred used to be part of. regardless of their disbandment, they still kicked the asses of all the villains.

which still looks more like them being the bullies than the heroes of the show.

they even have their own OP. maybe they'll use it from time to time, like Hetalia with the Germany and Japan-version EDs.

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun
spin-off from last year's Index, Mikoto becomes the main lead and sets to take Touma's place as defender of the city. she'll probably do a better job since she actually does have a special power. ie. generate electricity.

reminds me of the other electricity-generating character, Eneru from One Piece.

see the similarities?


could do with less yuri-scenes with Kuroko, but have to accept that she's part of the main cast now. i think the only part where it wasn't irritating was when she was doing her Judgement job and using her teleporting power.

Tatakau Shisho - The Book of Bantorra
the first serious show where it had me hooked within the first 5 min. different from the other library-inspired anime, Toshokan Sensou, this involves librarians with magical powers who serve to protect books containing memories of dead people.

the character designs looks great. there's magic. there's mystery. and there's a Jeanne d'Arc-like character who looks like the key to the entire show.

all in all, it looks promising enough to watch to the end.

Tegami Bachi - Letter Bee
fantasy series where postmen called Letter Bees deliver packages while battling giant insects called Gaichuu that roams the lands. not much has happened in episode1 except the introduction of the 2 main leads.

after going through wiki, it seems that Gauche eventually becomes the antagonist (typical), while Lag goes on to becoming a Bee. the settings and story looks interesting enough to this point, so it'll probably be worth finishing.

Miracle train
i'm watching this for the cute guys, i'm watching this for the bishonens, i'm watching this for the ikemen.

there's really no other reason why i'm watching this. the plot is cheesy as it is, train stations personified as bishonens and going around helping troubled passengers (ie. women).

i'm watching this for the cute guys, i'm watching this for the bishonens, i'm watching this for the ikemen.

i'm totally amused that Morita Masakazu always voices the same type of character in these show.



whether it's Alfred (Marginal Prince), Kazuki (La Corda) or the latest Ryogoku (Miracle Train), even Ichigo (Bleach) bears strikingly similar traits. typical case of stereotyping.

so if you're looking for plot, DO NOT watch this.

if you're looking for cute guys/bishonens/ikemen, and can stand all the cheese that'll be oozing out of this series, please continue watching and swoon.

my favorite? Ruppongi Fumi. KYAA!


Kobato.
with the end of Tsubasa RC on Oct 7 and the near-end of xxxHOLIC, CLAMP's latest work features a girl going around healing wounded hearts. expect familiar faces to appear, much like Tsubasa and xxxHOLIC.

almost all of CLAMP's works have been adapted into anime (TV series, OVA, OAD, etc), so it was only a matter of time before Kobato gets its own adaptation.

comparatively to the previous 2 works, this is definitely a more light-hearted series. although knowing CLAMP, there's bound to be lots of hidden secrets and plot-twists.

Kimi ni Todoke
the series i've been looking forward to, many would make the comparison between this and Yamato Nadeshiko, but aside from Sawako and Sunako's almost similar looks, everything else is very different.

Sawako's life goal is to make friends, while the latter's life goal is to stay as far away from people.

i love all the seiyuu cast! especially Kazehaya's seiyuu; you can't get more "100% freshness" besides Namikawa Daisuke. though after episode1, i still think he could've put in more "freshness" as Kazehaya.

Darker Than Black: Ryūsei no Gemini
gosh, i had forgot almost everything about this show, except it's about a group of people called contractors who gained special powers after a meteor landed on earth. will probably have to re-read the summaries on RC just to recap.

judging by the title and short 12-episodes run, the sequel seemed to be focused on just one story. which is a good thing, since it also means the story will move along fast. it's still exciting to see Hei in action. waiting for the appearance of Yin.

FAIRY TAIL
true enough, episode1 was good and i'm more than willing to continue watching. lots of similar characters to Rave Master, but that's pretty much expected.

Plue even made a small comeback, not as a main character, but as a summon-able spirit of Lucy's. i also thought of how similar it is to FF8 when Lucy was summoning Aquarius.

and i like most of the seiyuus, with Kakihara Tetsuya (Gurren Lagaan's Simon) as Natsu, Kugimiya Rie (Toradora's Taiga) as Happy, and Hirano Aya (Nana's Reira) as Lucy.

unlike most otakus, i usually prefer Kugimiya Rie when she's not voicing those rich-and-spoilt female characters. her role as Happy reminds me of how she voiced Nene in Potemayo.

--------------------------------------------

so that's about all there is to Fall 2009. slight disappointment, but i guess i can't compare it last year.

hmm.

it's a good time to catch up on my dorama for the next 3 months.

Hetalia Ep 37

Episode 37: Russian visits the Axis Powers

Italy running to Germany after his 'nightmare' was so funny, especially with him calling France right after that.

十萬個為什麼

為什麼 為什麼 為 什 麼

為什麼天空會有雲
為什麼飛機會飛行
為什麼月亮有時圓有時又不圓
烏拉博士 來說明

十萬個為什麼告訴你
（十萬個為什麼）

為什麼 為什麼 為 什 麼

為什麼孔雀會開屏
為什麼螃蟹要橫行
為什麼海水有時低有時又 變 高
烏拉博士 來說明
十萬個為什麼告訴你
（十萬個為什麼）

為什麼 為什麼 為 什 麼
歡迎小小朋友作貴賓
可愛動物陪伴你

wahh very hard to find.. i only managed to find the lyrics.. youtube dun have the theme song..

OP Impel Down collection

presenting the Impel Down set collected just last week,

the 1st set i bought with no Sanji inside.


1st row (L->R), Magellan, Hannyabal, Zoro, Robin, Marguerite
2nd row (L->R), Bon Clay, Luffy, Boa Hancock, Buggy, Mr. 3

Hagu VS Hagu

it's really difficult to bring Hanamoto Hagumi to live-action.



after finishing the dorama Hachimitsu to Clover, between Narumi Riko (dorama) and Aoi Yuu (movie), i much preferred Yuu-chan as Hagu.

Hagu almost always gave off a spaced-off/innocent feel.



while Riko-chan (left) can pull off the spaced-off look, she looks too mature to give off that innocent feel, while Yuu-chan (right) had that "look" the moment she appeared on screen.

ironic, since Yuu-chan was 21 when she was cast, whereas Riko-chan was only 16.

but as i've said, it's already difficult to bring Hagu to live-action. i should be grateful that there were at least 2 actresses who could personify her.

other thoughts,

there were many parts they didn't cover, most importantly the scene where all 5 of them spent the day looking for the four-leaf clover, which was instead replaced with Takemoto searching for it alone.

they slightly twisted the ending and didn't use the real reason why Hagu chose to stay with Shuuji. but i guess it would be weird since the Shuuji in the dorama was much more a father figure-like character, even compared to the anime, and has never in any way, indicated that he loves Hagu like how Takemoto and Morita does.

it was obvious that Ikuta Toma did a better job as Takemoto than Sakurai Sho. not that i'm being particularly biased, but i always thought Sho's smiles look a wee bit forced.

they totally left out Morita's past and focused more on the romance between him, Hagu and Takemoto.

i love the dorama Nomiya and Miwako!

especially Miwako who is played by Takizawa Saori. she fitted the role perfectly, looks and all!


i have never been a fan of Kashiwabara Takashi (柏原崇), but gosh! he looks good as Nomiya.


they extended Romaiya-sempai's (who only appeared in the OVA) role in the dorama. the interaction between him and the guys are always funny to watch.

if i were to pick my best cast for Hachimitsu to Clover, these would be my best choices,

Takemoto Yuuta - Ikuta Toma (dorama)
Hanamoto Hagumi - Aoi Yuu (movie)
Morita Shinobu - Narimiya Hiroki (dorama)
Mayama Takumi - Osamu Mukai (dorama)
Yamada Ayumi - Seki Megumi (movie)
Teshigawara Miwako - Takizawa Saori (dorama)
Nomiya Takumi - Kashiwabara Takashi (dorama)

it was difficult for them to squeeze both seasons into 11 episodes, but overall, the dorama wasn't all that bad.

it could have been better if they were given more time, but at least they didn't try to put in things like Morita's past and do a half-hearted job of it.

repercussion of watching the dorama:

as my memory of the anime had become fuzzy over the years, i've taken to watching bits of the anime to see what the dorama missed out.

bad mistake!

it only made me wanna do a marathon run of the entire anime again. maybe with the somewhat disappointing Fall season, i might just have the time to do it soon.

Hetalia Ep 36

Episode 36: Japan VS America - New Year showdown

OP WANTED Strawhat Pirates collection

gugu was nice enough to help me collect this together with her own set 2weeks ago, although i didn't managed to get the secret variant, which ah gu did. (lucky cow!)

all 9 bounties

Hetalia Ep 35

Episode 35: Birth of the Modern Olympics

you never see France so enthusiastic about anything before.

hahahahahahahaha.

Hetalia Ep 34

Episode 34: Allies Drawing Lesson

i'm too old for this

after 2 days (20-21 sep) of the TA Amazing Race, i can only conclude that,

i'm too old for this.

even though i'm not even past 30yrs yet, i could feel the years eating away at me.

i only had 2 main motivations for the entire program,
Day 1: to not sleep on the streets of SG.
Day 2: to finish the race and hope that the ending point is in the West.

thankfully, i had a great team that wasn't the cheong sua type, and we never really run for anything, except for that one bus 131 that led us back to our night pitstop at TA2.

other thoughts,

i've never sweat so much since who-knows-how-long-ago, even without all the running. and i've sweat in areas i've never though i would. (dun ask, i'm not saying)

i dunno whether to be thankful that the weather was so good, or curse that it was bloody blazing hot. and i still can't believe i walked up and down Race Course Road in the blazing afternoon sun. without taking out my umbrella.

i hate sleeping in the TA2 choir room. mattress too thin, air-con too cold.
ALL my joints were aching.

seriously, i'm too old for this.

the moment i reached home, had a long thorough bath, drank green bean soup that mum made, and i was out within 5min on my bed.

when i eventually woke up, minus the toilet breaks and such, it was close to 10am today.

you know you're probably too old for these strenuous activities when you need 18hrs to recharge yourself (in this case, myself).
------------------------------------------------------
Singlish 101
cheong sua: hokkien for running up a mountain. usually used by army guys as an alternative term to "gung ho" which means to be enthusiastic, sometimes excessively so.

Hetalia Ep 33

Episode 33: too much for a shooting star to handle


Germany's wish(s),

i wish that Italy stops being a crybaby.

i wish that Italy stops being so crazy about the pasta he eats wherever he goes.

i wish that he wouldn't eat so much gelato he gets sick.

i wish that Italy starts making normal hand grenades.

i hope Italy's big brother stops picking fights.

Luffy sings Sakura Sakura

hilarious~

sakura~ *keng keng keng*
sakura~ *keng keng keng*
yayoi no sora wa~ *keng keng keng*
mi-watasu kagiri~ *keng keng keng*

eng translation:
sakura, sakura,
across the spring sky,
as far as you can see.

totally forgot about this until i chanced on it again on youtube.
hahahahaa....

Hetalia Ep 32

Episode 32: Roman-jiichan's night visit

AFA09

just got informed by moo moo that they've announced the dates for AFA09.

Date: 21-22 Nov 2009
Time: 10am - 9pm
Venue: Suntec Convention Halls 403-404

more guests have already been confirmed, including celebrity blogger Danny Choo, renowned cosplayer Kaname, together with the return of May'n and Mizuki Ichirou and many more.

BUT, still not signs of whether they'll be inviting any mangakas or seiyuus.

i want my seiyuus.

i can think of a whole list of people they could ask.

Koyasu-sama, Seki Tomokazu, Miyano Mamoru, Yamaguchi Kappei, Fukuyama Jun, Sakurai Takahiro...

i could go on, but i'm already ranting.

in any case, i wouldn't be able to go early for any of the days. gotta attend a wedding lunch on sat and church activities end at 3.30pm on sun.

*sighs*

i hope i don't miss the exciting stuff.
____________________________________________________

on another note, i have a feeling me and moo moo are gonna spend alot of money there if alot of One Piece merchandise is gonna be on sale.

heehee.

moo moo just started so i'm sure she'll wanna expand her collection as much as possible.
____________________________________________________

PS. birdy's birthday today. even though she might not be enjoying herself cos she's still slaving away at work, here's a birthday song to cheer you up.

happy birthday to you,
happy birthday to you,
happy birthday to BIRDY/MADAM!
happy birthday to you!!

from moo moo to birdy.

Happy Bird Day to u..
Happy Bird Day to u..
Where r all my little birdies??
Happy Bird Day to u...

heehee.

birdy, where are our little birdies?

*cheeky grin*

Hetalia Ep 31

Episode 31: Hetalia Gakuen no Christmas

mei-chan no shitsuji

i'm conflicted.

who should Mei end up with?

usually with this kind of situation, i would always side with my favorite guy, be it in the j-drama (dorama) or manga.

but not this time round.

it was obvious that the dorama was going for the Rihito x Mei pairing, and i was more than happy with that since Rihito was played by Mizushima Hiro. and they did nothing but put the 2 of them together for the entire series.

the manga on the other hand, had some really stiff competition going around.

besides the current arc that had more than enough bishonens with Mei's grandpa rounding up all the prospective husband-to-be's, we see a 17-year-old Kento.

i was already rooting for Kento during the Lucia arc. but he is absolutely stunning in the current arc.

and delicious-looking. (ohohohohohoho.)

i'm practically swooning all over the place.

a picture speaks a thousand words. so let the pictures speak for themselves.

dorama full cast

not as much bishonens as hanakimi, but the ladies made up for it.

the 3 main leads.

Shinonome Mei (Eikura Nana), Shibata Rihito (Mizushima Hiro) and Shibata Kento (Sato Takeru).

i'm not the only one

from August's Her World.

Hetalia Ep 29 & 30

Episode 29: invincible Russia?

R: "it's snowy down there, so i don't need a parachute."
apparently, nothing does seems to be able to kill him. remember Busby's chair from Ep26?

Episode 30: England & the Tengu

i burst out laughing at Japan's version of the ED.

upcoming fall anime

looking through the upcoming Fall season at Moonphase, already there are many series that have caught my eyes.

1) Darker Than Black: Ryūsei no Gemini - direct sequel to the last DtB from 2 years ago.
2) Kimi no Todoke - been wanting to read the manga for ages. maybe this will prompt me to read it soon. (18/08 -> started reading online. very nice! will wanna get from kino soon. heehee)
3) Miracle train - lots of cute guys. 'nuff said.
4) FAIRY TAIL - i have it on word by birdy that the manga is good. let's hope this doesn't flop like the Rave Master anime.
5) Tatakau Shisho - The Book of Bantorra - don't know much, but the character designs looks cool, medieval setting, and has nice-sounding OST from PV. should be good. *cross fingers*
6) To Aru Kagaku no Railgun - spin-off from last year's To Aru Majutsu no Index, with Misaki as the main lead.
7) Kobato. - YAY! another CLAMP work. something to tide over while awaiting for Tsubasa's next OVA.
8) Tentai Senshi Sunred - YAY YAY! Season 2! more laughs and gags at chain-smoking superhero.

and probably much more, which i will pick up after RC does its usual Fall preview in 1 month's time.

very much looking forward to Fall.

heehee.

Hetalia Ep 28

Episode 28: Christmas in July

in case anyone is curious, Christmas in July IS a unofficial holiday.

Strong World full trailer

need i say more?

this is gonna be so awesome!!

TGIF (Rap II)

not as funny as the 1st one, but still an effort nontheless. =P

From: Birdy
Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 3:19 PM
To: Roar Roar; Moo Moo; Meow Meow
Subject: RE: [AU] TGIF (Rap II)

Hee.. okie~ oh ya, i thot of a linking one:

Rap II:
Meow and Moo~
Moo and Meow~
One at home, one downtown~

Both same now, coz' no e-meow (mail)
But no "fan nao", I've got mobile! =)

Time and venue all set liao
I will message cat and cow~

From my M1 to Singtel~
The message is sending out, right now~

TGIF (Rap)

result of a over-"creative" bird.

From: birdy
Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 1:54 PM
To: Roar Roar; Moo Moo; Meow Meow
Subject: RE: [AU] TGIF (Rap)

Rap:
Roar and Cheep~
Cheep and Roar~
U and me, then not so bored =)

Tonight want to drink kopi-'O'?
Kopi-bean also got Teh-'O'~

Now we'r left with 5 hours more~
Before we leave the office door~

3 more days to the lion roar~
Happy birthday to Singapore~

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

this is what you get when madam trys to entertain us.

Portrait of Pirates NEO Sanji

my pride and joy as of this moment.

i couldn't stop beaming after i picked it up from latendo.

OMG!

latendo's pre-order list just came in with the One Piece Strong World Kuji set.

the one i said i was drooling over and couldn't find picture for in my last post?

here's the picture now.


but OMG!

i nearly had a heart attack when i saw the price!

it's bloody expensive!!

and you can only pre-order if you wanna get the entire set of 29, which not only includes the entire crew, but also plushies, drinking glasses, clear files, keychains and bandanas.

i only want the Strawhat Pirates crew!!

they're gorgeous!!

OMG!!

i think i'll just wait for it to arrive in Nov and buy the loose items.

hopefully they might be selling the set of Strawhat Pirates crew only.

but OMG!!!

i still can't believe it's so expensive!!!

i'm definitely still hyperventilating.

>_<.``

Strong World

the upcoming 10th One Piece Film: Strong World will be released on 12/12/2009.

i'm so excited that i have already pre-ordered a gashapon set of the Strawhat Pirates crew from latendo.


it will be my most expensive gashapon set to date, but i know i will regret if i don't get it.

like the One Piece Mini Bighead set. >_<.``

there are many more merchandise to be released for the much anticipated 10th movie. i'm already drooling over another one that has the crew in non-SD form (couldn't find picture. sorry!). i hope latendo brings that in too.

in case u haven't heard and wonder what the big hype is over the up-coming movie. Odacchi is the main brains behind it.

yup. not the TV animators.

really really.

our own mangaka, Oda "Odacchi" Eiichiro.

so you can pretty much guess how high most fans' expectations are.

the only thing is, the DVD wouldn't be out until Oct 2010, which is when the rest of the world will get to enjoy the movie.

so unless you're so obsessed you're actually going to fly to Japan to catch the movie, please wait along with the rest of us.

but! the wait will be worth it.

or at least,

the merchandise will be. =P

check out the official website for trailers.

PS. went to latendo to collect my much awaited toy today. revealing soon. together with the shabondy island set. ^_^.``

PPS. guess what! gugu is gonna start buying One Piece merchandise soon. hahahaha. she super fast with the anime too, has already caught up to episode 380. ~welcome welcome~

Hetalia Ep 27

Episode 27: "but Italy's my only friend..."

continuing on from where Season 1 left off.

i thought this was rather funny, with the looking through of Germany's diary and having him sing his own version of the ED.

not that it's not totally out of tune. haha.

it's finally here!!

something i've been wanting to own for years has finally arrived in sg.

pre-ordered it way back in april and have been waiting for months for the release in July.

i'm so excited to go pick it up!!!

all will be revealed soon. ^_^.``

Material Safety Data Sheet

scientific? possibly.

hilarious? you bet!

MSDS For Women

Element: Women
Symbol: WO2
Discoverer: Adam
Atomic Mass: Accepted at 118lb but known to vary from 100 to 550 lbs
Occurrence: Copious quantities in urban areas

Physical properties:
1. Surface usually covered with painted film.
2. Boils at nothings, freezes without reasons.
3. Melts if given special treatment.
4. Bitter if incorrectly used.
5. Found in various states raging from virgin to common ore.

Chemical properties:
1. Has a great affinity for gold, silver, platinum and precious stones.
2. Absorbs great quantities of expensive substances.
3. May explode spontaneously without prior warning and for no known reasons.
4. Insoluble in liquids, but activity greatly increased in saturation in alcohol.
5. Most powerful money-reducing agent known.

Common uses:
1. Highly ornamental, especially in sport cars.
2. Can be great aid to relaxation.

Tests:
1. Pure specimen turns rosy pink when discovered in natural state.
2. Turns green when placed beside better specimen.

Hazards:
1. Highly dangerous except in experienced hands.

------------------------------------------------------------------

MSDS For Men

Element: Man
Symbol: Ah (short for Asshole)
Quantitative: Accepted at 7 inches though some isotopes can be as short as 4 inches
Discoverer: Eve (discovered by accident one day when she had a craving for ribs)
Occurrence: Found following duel element Wo, often in high concentration near a perfect Wo specimen

Physical properties:
1. Surface often covered with hair; bristly in some areas, soft in others.
2. Boils when inconvenienced, freezes when faced with Logic and Common Sense, melts if treated like a God.
3. Obnoxious when mixed with C*H*-OH (any alcohol).
4. Can cause headaches and severe body aches; handle with extreme caution.
5. Tends to fall into very low energy state directly after reaction with Wo.
6. Gains considerable mass as specimen ages, loses reactive nature.
7. Specimens can be found in various states ranging from deeply sensitive to extremely thick.
8. Rarely found in pure form after 14th year.
9. Often damaged as a direct result of unlucky reaction with polluted form of the Wo common ore.
10. When pressure is applied, becomes stiff and unyielding; yields only when subtlety, subterfuge, flattery are applied.

Chemical properties:
1. All forms desire reaction with Wo, even when no further reaction is possible.
2. May react with several Wo isotopes in short period under extremely favorable conditions.
3. Most powerful embittering and aggravating agent known to Wo.
4. Usually willing to react with whatever is available.
5. Reaction Rates range from aborted/non-existent to pre-interaction effects (which tend to turn the specimen bright red.)
6. Reaction styles vary from extremely slow, calm and wet to violent/bloody.
7. When saturated with alcohols, will be fairly inert and will repel most other elements.
8. Is repelled by most household appliances and common household cleansers.
9. Is repelled by small children clothed in diapers, particularly those of the malodorous variety.
10. Is neutral to common courtesy and fairness.

Storage:
1. Best results apparently near 18 for high reaction rate, 25-35 for favorable reaction style.

Uses:
1. Heavy boxes, top shelves, long walks late at night, free dinners for Wo.
2. Can be used in recreational activities.

Tests:
1. Pure specimen will rarely reveal purity, while reacted specimens broadcast information on many wavelengths.

Hazards:
1. Tends to react extremely violently when other Man interferes with reaction to a particular Wo specimen. Otherwise very maleable under correct conditions.

return of J-drama

ever since K-wave came to sg and caused the decrease of j-dramas on local TV, the only ones i've been watching faithfully are either Kimura Takuya's shows, or any random ones that catches my interests.

well recently for the past 2 years, i've been somewhat hooked on watching the less serious and more comical j-dramas. many are adapted from popular manga series and usually showcase lots of up-and-rising young stars.

although the japanese always have adapted manga into live-action before, it wasn't until the recent years in which we see this sudden influx. i think they finally saw how successful the taiwan market has been in using this to promote their new actors/actresses.

between the japanese idol dramas (日本偶像剧) and taiwan idol dramas (台湾偶像剧), i very much prefer the japanese ones. it might just be plain biased, but i much prefer to watch manga adaptations in their original country and language.

so anyway, here's what i've watched over the last 2 years. have included various links to the dramas and cast so i don't have to do any summary.

disclaimer: as usual, only very biased opinions ahead.

Yamada Taro Monogatari (贫穷贵公子)
the very 1st idol-drama i watched. the japanese version was way funnier than the taiwanese version. the guys and kids were also much cuter.

starring Arashi members Ninomiya Kazunari (二宮和也) and Sakurai Sho (櫻井翔), together with Tabe Mikako (多部未華子) whom i always think resembles doreen alot.

Proposal Daisakusen (求爱大作战)
i couldn't resist the cute guy that looks like Takuya (Yamapi), so ended up watching this, which was quite funny given all the back-to-the-future stuff.

starring Yamashita Tomohisa (山下智久), Nagasawa Masami (長澤まさみ) and a favorite veteran actor of mine, Fujiki Naohito (藤木直人).

Nodame Cantabile (交响情人梦)
of course, i only knew of the existence of the live-action only after watching the anime. this j-drama needs no introduction here since i practically swoon rave about it every time something new pops up.

there will be 2 more live-action movies coming up soon (within the next 6 months) and the final anime series will be airing in Jan 2010. the manga will also be ending its run in Spring 2010. big year for Nodame in 2010!

starring Ueno Juri (上野樹里) as our beloved Nodame and Tamaki Hiroshi (玉木宏) as wonder-whiz Chiaki.

Zettai Kareshi (绝对男友)
the very 1st show i watched that stars Mizushima Hiro, although i didn't really thought much about him then. only watched it cos it was an adaptation of a Watase Yuu manga. had doubts on how they could pull off the whole robot lover thing but i think Hayami did a good job as Night.

starring Hayami Mokomichi (速水もこみち), Mizushima Hiro (水嶋ヒロ) and Aibu Saki (相武紗季).

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (偷偷爱着你/花样少男少女)
i've blogged about this before. and really, this is a fantastic adaptation. so much better than the taiwanese version which was much too whiny and had too few cute guys.

Ikuta Toma was the best person to bring Nakatsu to life, and Hiro was much better than the taiwanese Nanba-sempai. though i wonder why both the taiwan and japan versions made Sano so emo, cos he's really not supposed to be like that.

starrring Horikita Maki (堀北真希) who did a great job as Mizuki, Oguri Shun (小栗旬), Ikuta Toma (生田斗真) and of course Mizushima Hiro.

Yasuko to Kenji (暴走兄妹)
seeing Hirosue Ryoko acting as a ex-gang leader was kinda weird at first cos i could never picture her as anything but polite. hilarious nontheless, especially her confrontations with Masahiro's character.

starring Matsuoka Masahiro (松岡昌宏) of Tokio, Hirosue Ryoko (広末涼子) and Tabe Mikako once again as a daydreaming high school girl.

Mei-chan no Shitsuji (我的帅哥管家)
finally finished this on monday night. not as light-hearted as the rest, cos there were lots of scheming and back-stabbing involved. but i still got to see Hiro in a butler uniform for most of the time, so i'm still relatively happy.

starring Eikura Nana (榮倉奈々), Mizushima Hiro and Sato Takeru (佐藤健).

---------------------------------------

and against my better judgement, there's still many more which i'm trying to find time to watch, aside from all my unfinished anime and various movies.

listed in order of importance,

1) MR BRAIN - Takuya and Hiro all in one show. YUMMY!
2) Hachimitsu to Clover (Honey x Clover) - Toma! i've heard that it's quite good. let's hope it's comparable to the anime.
3) 1 Pound no Fukuin (1 Pound Gospel) - romantic comedy about a young wrestler and a young nun. hmm.
4) Code Blue - Yamapi as an aspiring flight doctor. can it hold up to the other medical series Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji?
5) Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji (Season 4) - incidentally, as i was browsing through the dramawiki webpage for Kyumei, i discovered that there's gonna be a 4th season starting in 11 Aug. yeah!! i love this show!
6) VOICE - another Toma show.
7) Majo Saiban -Witch Trial- - yet another Toma show.

hopefully, i'll have at least watched half of what i've listed by the end of the year. =P

for anyone interested, go to DramaCrazy.net. link also provided in sidebar.

Hetalia Ep 25 & 26 (end S1)

Episode 25: England does tasteless cooking

the end of "Liechtenstein & her beloved brother", part 7-9.

Episode 26: Busby's chair doesn't work on Russia

last episode of Season 1.

no worries, Season 2 is gonna start straight next week.

more Hetalia to come.

because i am beautiful

episode #410.

the episode i've been waiting for so long.

the long awaited debut of the Pirate Empress.

the dawn of Hebi-hime.

*drum roll*

Boa Hancock!!



so, will you really forgive her for everything because she's beautiful?

Summer 2009

1st time i picked up so many series in one Summer season.

here's what i'll be watching for now:

1) Sora no Manimani
good! i know the girl-chase-guy routine has been used frequently, but at least for now, the girl is doing it for the reason of getting said-boy into the astronomy club.

and have always been drawn to series with astronomy themes, be it manga or anime, so i'll definitely continue watching this.

2) Spice and Wolf II
pretty good for the 1st episode. had half a mind not to continue with this since the end of season 1 got a tad too boring for me.

somehow. somewhere. towards the middle of the episode, it convinced me enough to at least give it a few more episodes before the possibility of chucking it.

3) Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
the most irritating/emo main lead of Summer'09 must be Mirai. if it weren't for the much anticipated earthquake plot, i would've dropped it 1/3 into the episode.

now i'm hoping she doesn't get on my nerves, and starts getting into her act as the responsible older sister she should be.

4) Umineko no Naku Koro ni
i don't seem to remember watching a crime series for a long time, probably ever since Detective Conan, so it'll be good to see how this progress.

dark and slightly creepy. i probably should not try to watch this too late at night.

5) Taishou Yakyuu Musume
after my Cross Game infatuation, i've picked up another baseball anime. however this is not hardcore baseball, but rather how a pair of girls tries to build a female baseball team during the Taishou-era.

will probably stick to this for now. depending on how the upcoming episodes turn out, i may or may not continue.

6) CANAAN
complicated plot involving a female assassin with enhanced senses. then there's the female photographer who is searching for said-assassin whilst she's on the job.

i really want to feel more excited about this series. but given that i'm already watching Phantom, another assassin-based show wasn't that big a draw. especially since Phantom is very good.

since it's only a 13-episodes series, i will probably continue to watch this.

7) Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
until i can finish up the previous 2 seasons (plus the OVA), this is on a definite hold.

-----------------------------

other shows that i watched the 1st episode but didn't pick up:

1) Umi Monogatari ~Anata ga Itekureta Koto~
boring.

2) NEEDLESS
not even Koyasu-sama voicing the main lead is enough to make me continue watching this.

3) Bakemonogatari
for all the good reviews of this show, i can't get myself to like it anymore than i like ef. yes, the visuals were fantastic, blah blah blah,

but frankly, i was abit freaked out by Hitagi using the stapler on Koyomi. (she stapled the inside of his cheek! OUCH!)

4) Kanamemo
yuri involved. not so much the main thing per se, but still. the story wasn't that interesting either.

-----------------------------

so in addition to the current 9 series, the addition of the new ones will bring my total tally to 16 series for the next 3 months. thankfully, most of them are ending before the start of Fall'09, except for the long-standing ones (OP, bleach, reborn) and Cross Game.

gotta clear more time for Fall'09, where i'll be expecting more series.

UP

i juz couldn't resist.

full length trailer of Disney/Pixar's UP.

russell is so cute!
he looks like an egg on sticks.

kekekeke.

Ice Age Aftermath

finally watched Scrat and Co. on the big screen.

for a 3rd time sequel, i'm quite satisfied with the movie.

thankfully, unlike many of the movies nowadays, there were still lots of laugh-able bits throughout the entire show that were NOT already in the trailers.

got to catch the trailers for another disney movie called UP.

looks good. might be interested to watch when it opens in cinemas.

Hetalia Ep 23 & 24

Episode 23: a substance in tomatoes decrease the desire to fight

also featuring "Liechtenstein & her beloved brother", part 1 and 2.

Episode 24: more Chinatowns? on an island?!!

continuing "Liechtenstein & her beloved brother", part 3-6.

One Piece #408

OP is finally starting the Amazon Lily arc.

not that i didn't enjoy the last 2 episodes. the good thing about OP fillers are that they are never draggy.

and you can have perfectly funny episodes just by changing the era and putting OP characters into it.

in any case, the manga is 35 chapters ahead of the anime. i reckon we wouldn't have another filler until after the Amazon Lily arc.

even then, i'm guessing that they'll probably do the fillers on the whereabouts of the other Strawhat pirates, based on the cover illustrations from the manga chapters.

well, still no sign of Hancock yet.
she probably wouldn't appear until #410 since they're on a one manga chapter per anime episode basis.

------------------------------------------------

on another note, Bleach is going into fillers again. i can't believe the amount of fillers this whole arc has been getting.

i mean, the manga is 25 chapters ahead of the anime, so i was really hoping they wouldn't need any fillers as yet. rumours is it might last for the whole summer season, so you can understand how much i'm dreading this.

will be putting it on hold for the moment or, not watch the fillers at all.

Scrat

seems like madam (AKA birdy) was really right.

Scrat IS a squirrel.
only, it's a fictional species the animators came up with called a "saber-tooth squirrel".

i can't wait to watch Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

now i'm juz waiting for gugu (AKA Moo Moo) to watch the previous 2 movies so that she'll know the background story.

hohohohoho.

We are the World

i've never seen this MTV until today.
great stuff.

King of Pop

in case u haven't heard, Michael Jackson just passed away from a cardiac arrest.

imagine coming out from your morning bath, you're booting up your laptop so that you could stream the usual anime episodes.

then BAM!

on your My Yahoo! page was the shocker headlines,
"Pop icon Michael Jackson dead".

damn shocked. even more so than when heath ledger died.

had to SMS joyce immediately cos she was in bintan and might not have heard the news. (we're tabloids sisters. hahaha.)

turns out, she still had CNN, so she was still somewhat connected to the outside world.

class 95 was already doing their part by playing his songs every 30min.

i wouldn't be surprised if channel5 starts repeating 1 or 2 of his concerts.

OMG.

Michael Jackson is dead.

Hetalia Ep 22

Episode 22: the final departure of Holy Roman Empire

an episode fully dedicated to Chibitalia.
this is so cute!

though i don't think Holy Roman Empire really knew that Chibitalia was in actuality NOT a girl.
it's all the clothes Hungary kept dressing him in.

Hetalia Ep 21

Episode 21: イタリア魂 (Italia tamashii)

the return of Chibitalia!!
1min 10sec of it all.

true enough, there is a micronation called Sealand.
wow.
i never knew a nation could survive with less than 30 people?

ah ma

i still can't believe she's really gone.

think i'm still in a bit of shock.

maybe cos she had already given us a few scares over the past few years, most recently during feb this year, where she was brought back from the brink of death only by the quick response of mom.

so i never expect that last night would be the last time i see her.

though it may be a little contradicting, since i've been praying fervently for Him to take her home, especially so after she was taken to my uncle's house last dec.

and i was right.

last christmas, i told ruth she probably wouldn't make it past 6 months there.

it was exactly 6 months yesterday.

but i'm still relieved and happy that she has finally gone home to be with the Lord.
no more suffering for her.

to my dear friends,

thanks for all the words of comfort.

really appreciate you for being with me. be it by your presence, or SMSs for those that couldn't make it down for the wake.

One Piece #405

given that i was too shock for words when i read the manga chapter (#513), i wasn't really expecting to cry when it came to the actual anime episode.

should have expected that they were gonna add in lots of flashbacks, since basically all that is happening is Bartholomew Kuma sending all the Strawhat pirates flying to who-knows-where.

Binks' Sake is truly, the best song ever.


though most fans (that's me) would have preferred if they'd jumped straight into the next arc (so that we could finally get to hear who is voicing Boa Hancock), it's gonna be a filler episode for next week.

well, at least they're bringing back "OP in olden day Japan", which is always a favorite of mine. ^_^.``

Hetalia Ep 20

Episode 20: Revolutionary Wars

erm, the most "depressing" episode of the entire season?

in case u haven't heard, season 2 has been green-lit for summer.
i wonder, if they have more chibitalia?

Hetalia Ep 19

Episode 19: Chinese builds Chinatowns

Hetalia Ep 18

Episode 18: The return of Roman-jiichan (sort of)

Hetalia Ep 17

Episode 17: America diets

血型全纪录

not that i believe everything that is written, but there is a certain amount that co-relates to my character.

for interest's sake,

血型全紀錄

最愛哭NO.1 - 感情豐富的Ａ型

Ａ型～ 流淚難易指數９０％
感情豐沛的Ａ型，Ａ型常常會為自己的事情而悲傷？懊悔，
甚至只是看漫畫?連續劇，都會為劇情感動哭泣！
這種容易流淚的個性讓周圍的人很苦惱。

Ｏ型～ 流淚難易指數７５％
雖然Ｏ型的人也是屬於開朗樂觀的個性，
不過由於Ｏ型的人會突然流下淚來，
所以給人的印象是有點愛哭的！
但是哭歸哭，要他（她）馬上停止不哭，也是很容易，
真像開關自如的水龍頭。

Ｂ型～ 流淚難易指數５０％
大致個開性開朗的Ｂ型是和眼淚無緣的，
好像什麼事對Ｂ型的人而言，都能迎刃而解。
不過也有例外，例如失戀的時候，即使是在大庭廣眾之下，也會大哭一埸的！

ＡＢ型～ 流淚難易指數３０％
天性堅強的ＡＢ型，想要看ＡＢ型的人哭還真是不容易呢！
看到賺人熱淚的小說或電影，ＡＢ型的人都能不動聲色，酷得很，
不過，他（她）們酷雖酷，現實生活若有感動或悲傷的也方，還是會流下淚來！

---------------------------------

最急躁NO.1- 行事急躁的Ｏ型

Ｏ型～ 急躁指數９０％
只要別人的動作稍微慢一點，Ｏ型的人就會受不了。
如果你被Ｏ型的人說了，「動作快一點！」而仍然無動於衷的話，
小心！他（她）是不會和你善罷甘休的。

與其說ＡＢ型的人急躁，倒不如說他（她）較缺乏安全感！
任何事情一定要提早作準備，否則會容易慌了手腳，
因此，常有許多人覺的ＡＢ型的人是急性子，其實不是的。

Ｂ型～ 急躁指數５５％
對於和自己有關的事情，Ｂ型的會有出乎意料的急躁！
但對於別人的事情則就表現的漠不關心。
兩者有著極大的差異。

Ａ型～ 急躁指數４５％
Ａ型的人常會說：我偶爾會毛毛躁躁啦！
但這並不代表Ａ型的人就真的很躁進，很自我。
因為Ａ型的人常會表現強硬的一面，所以會被人誤認他（她）急躁。

---------------------------------

最喜歡引人注意NO.1 - 喜歡成為眾人焦點的Ｂ型

Ｂ型～ 喜歡引人注意指數９５％
個性好強的Ｂ型，想叫他（她）不引人注意是辦不到的，
他（她）非常喜歡成為眾人的焦點，而且享受成為眾人焦點時的快樂。

Ａ型～ 喜歡引人注意指數５０％
雖然心中很期盼成為眾人焦點，但卻不敢實際付諸行動。
不過Ａ型的人常會對自己說：
我今天很棒，然後就一副很滿足的樣子！（好像有點怪怪的）

Ｏ型～ 喜歡引人注意指數４０％
Ｏ型的人頗能引人注意的，不過，有時會覺得不太習慣，
所以基本上Ｏ型的人不太喜歡成為眾人的焦點。

ＡＢ型～ 喜歡引人注意指數３５％
熱愛名牌的ＡＢ型，雖然可以吸人別人的目光，
但他（她）自己本身並不是特意的，而且也不喜歡這樣，
所以指數是四血型中最低的。

---------------------------------

戀愛次數NO.1 - 對戀愛充滿鬥志的Ｏ型

Ｏ型～ 戀愛次數指數８５％
只要愛上對方，就會不擇手段去得到他，這就是充滿鬥志的Ｏ型。
但Ｏ型的戀情都很短暫，所以次數相對也增加，因而榮登第一名！

Ｂ型～ 戀愛次數指數
戀愛次數雖然多，但分手的多。自己當然不希望分手，
不過卻也是無可奈何，害怕寂寞的Ｂ型，會一直去尋找新戀情，
所以相對地戀愛次數也就變多了。

ＡＢ型～ 戀愛次數指數４５％
很容易愛上人的ＡＢ型，指數竟外地低，
原因是ＡＢ型的人不會在意愛上人的心情，
所以成功的次數也就不多。
但被人告白的次數倒是不少。

Ａ型～ 戀愛次數指數２０％
長時間單戀是Ａ型人的特點，就算開始交往，時間也是很長，
與其說Ａ型的人戀愛次數多，倒不如說戀愛時間長來的恰當！
Ａ型的人是重質不重量。

---------------------------------

最小氣NO.1 - 很有經濟觀念的ＡＢ型

ＡＢ型～ 小氣指數８０％
買東西總是「貨比三家不吃虧」，對於一毛二毛錢總是斤斤計較，
是個道道地地的鐵公雞。

Ａ型～ 小氣指數６５％
平時你還是真是小氣，但是偶爾你也會狠下心來大買特買！
對於小東西會很小氣，可是在買價值很貴的東西時，眼睛連眨也不眨一下，
真不知Ａ型的人到底是不是真的小氣。

Ｂ型～ 小氣指數５５％
雖然Ｂ型的人平時還算節省，可是遇到該花的時候卻不會小氣。
例如：送朋友生日禮物，請學弟妹吃東西....等等，
Ｂ型的人絕不吝嗇花一毛錢的。

Ｏ型～ 小氣指數２０％
生性豪爽的Ｏ型，總是很大方地「揮金如土」，
甚至讓人替他（她）擔心！
小心，萬一有急用時，不夠應急的話，會很慘的，請有計畫一點。

---------------------------------

流行敏感度NO.1 - 情報通的ＡＢ型

ＡＢ型～ 流行敏感指數９０％
用流行發信站來形容ＡＢ型的人是再適合不過了，
ＡＢ型的人總是比別人早一步知道流行訊息。
所以，想知道流行，問問ＡＢ型的人就可以了。

Ｏ型～ 流行敏感指數６０％
對於流行，Ｏ型的人一直抱持高度的興趣，但又不是照單全收。
Ｏ型的人會選擇自己適合的裝扮，所以倒還頗有自的風格。

Ｂ型～ 流行敏感指數４０％
討厭有流行性的東西，對於流行雖然會關心，但是與其盲目追隨流，
不如創造自己的風格，這就是Ｂ型對流行所抱持的態度?

Ａ型～ 流行敏感指數３０％
Ａ型的人雖然嘴上說：不在意流行時尚，但內心其實非常地在意。
由於缺乏勇氣，所以對前衛流行有時仍不免遲疑，不敢嚐試！

---------------------------------

最粗心NO.1 - 超級健忘的Ｏ型

Ｏ型～ 粗心指數９０％
超級粗心又健忘的要算是Ｏ型了，我們可以常聽到他（她）說：啊，忘記了。
雖然常忘了東西，但Ｏ型的人依然會以笑容來化解。

Ａ型～ 粗心指數７５? H
Ａ型凡事求慎重，但是紕漏卻意外得多！
保持輕鬆去應付，不要給自己太多壓力，相信錯誤會減少的。

Ｂ型～ 粗心指數４０％
Ｂ型的人基本上還算粗心。
有時會因為別人的緣故而造成大錯誤，弄得不可收拾。

ＡＢ型～ 粗心指數２０％
謹慎，細心是ＡＢ型的特質，所以任何事情交給ＡＢ型的人是絕對沒問題的。

---------------------------------

最愛吃NO.1 - 嘴饞的Ａ型

Ａ型～ 愛吃指數８５％
即使肚子很飽，Ａ型的人依然會很想吃東西。
如果Ａ型的人去吃到飽的餐廳，包準值回票價。

Ｏ型～ 愛吃指數７０％
Ｏ型的人很講究吃，是個美食主義者。
對於食物是重質不重量，精緻最重要。

Ｂ型～ 愛吃指數５０％
Ｂ型的人只吃自己愛吃的東西，不愛吃食物，
他（她）絕對不碰，好惡挺極端的。

ＡＢ型～ 愛吃指數４０％
ＡＢ型的人不能算是愛吃，他（她）只是十分講究營養均衡。
而且對於卡路里的計算也很仔細！

---------------------------------

最愛笑NO.1 - 有潛力的Ａ型

Ａ型～ 愛笑指數９０％
基本上，Ａ型的人並不是非常愛笑的人，
但是有時逼不得已而勉強擠出一絲笑容。
其實，Ａ型有使人發笑的才能，而且是無心，而非故意。
這點是Ａ型的人自己沒發現到的。

Ｂ型～ 愛笑指數６０％
喜歡熱鬧的Ｂ型，常常會用笑容使現場氣氛變得開心，
也散播發笑種讓大家快樂，不過，有時要視情況而定，
在有些該嚴肅的地方還是要嚴肅才行。

Ｏ型～ 愛笑指數４０％
開朗的Ｏ型不僅愛笑，也會逗別人笑。
Ｏ型人笑的方式是豪爽大笑，聽到了Ｏ型人的笑聲，
心情也會跟著開朗起來！

ＡＢ型～ 愛笑指數２５％
基本上ＡＢ型的人不太愛笑，也不會逗別人笑。
他（她）老是一副平平靜靜，讓人看不太出他（她）情緒的變化。

---------------------------------

最厚臉皮NO.1 - 最不害臊的Ｂ型

Ｂ型～ 厚臉皮指數８５％
非常不害臊的Ｂ型，對於再茌吞齒的事他（她）都能侃侃而談，
在他（她）心中，沒有沒什麼事是不能能說的。

Ａ型～ 厚臉皮指數７０％
乍見Ａ型的人有點老實，而且容易害羞，
其實，任何事他（她）都是有話必說的！
而且態度大方，不會扭扭捏捏的！

Ｏ型～ 厚臉皮指數５５％
偶爾，Ｏ型的人會很大方，不過基本上來說Ｏ型的人還是有些害臊！

ＡＢ型～ 厚臉皮指數３０％
無論環境如何險惡，ＡＢ型依然穩如泰山。
看起來好像容易害羞。但又好像不是。
令人猜不透到底他（她）是怎樣的人！

---------------------------------

很快重新站起來NO.1 - 打不倒的Ｏ型

Ｏ型～ 重新振作指數９０％
超級堅強的Ｏ型，面對任何打擊都能堅強去承受。
並很快重新站起來！真是無敵鐵金鋼呀！

Ａ型～ 重新振作指數８０％
遇到打擊會以悲劇人物的方式去感嘆，傷心。
其實Ａ型人很堅強的，不到三天，他（她）就會重新站起來，
繼續迎向挑戰。

Ｂ型～ 重新振作指數４５％
Ｂ型的人是很脆弱的。
只要一陷入低潮，就久久不能自拔。
是情緒落差很大的！

ＡＢ型～ 重新振作指數２５％
看起來很酷的ＡＢ型，看似頗能承受挫折，
其實心裡再脆弱不過！
他（她）需要一段很長時間才能回復信心，重新振作。

---------------------------------

受女孩子歡迎NO.1 - 擅於說話的Ｂ型

Ｂ型～ 受女孩歡迎指數９０％
擅於交際的Ｂ型在哪裡都吃得開，是個很有人緣的萬人迷。

ＡＢ型～ 受女孩歡迎指數７５％
一副酷酷的樣子，但是其實內心是很熱情的，
而且他（她）頗能得別人的信任，大家對他（她）的評價也都不錯。

Ｏ型～ 受女孩歡迎指數６５％
Ｏ型的人很有照顧別人的熱忱。
所以基本上討厭他（她）的人還算少，但是有時頑固，
有時又會優柔寡斷。被人批評了以後會很在意。

Ａ型～ 受女孩! 歡迎指數５０％
Ａ型的人給人感覺內斂，文靜。
所以在人際關係上或許不是那麼吃得開。
但是這個性卻容易博得別人的信賴！
---------------------------------

最受男孩子歡迎NO.1 - 笑口常開的Ｏ型

Ｏ型～ 受男孩子歡迎指數９０％
總是笑口常開的Ｏ型，非常讓男孩子傾心。
因為樂觀開朗的形象，使人對Ｏ型的人抱有好感。
所以，在男孩子心中是個萬人迷。

Ａ型～ 受男孩子歡迎指數８０％
Ａ型的女孩子是很溫柔，感覺古典，傳統，
對於男孩子而言是理想的典型。

Ｂ型～ 受男孩子歡迎指數６５％
Ｂ型的女孩子是很有活力的。
讓人一看就頗有好感！也是男孩子憧憬的類型！

ＡＢ型～ 受男孩子歡迎指數５０％
有時會讓人猜不透的ＡＢ型女孩對男孩而言是很傷腦筋的，
如果能稍微放開心胸，應該會較受歡迎

Hetalia Ep 16

Episode 16: 你好，我是中国

Spring drop-outs

this post will be updated regularly. or as regularly as i'm dropping any series.

last edited on 13/05/2009

4) Hanasakeru Seishonen
despite the fact that i'm a fangirl and would be attracted to any anime that has a huge male harem, this is one boring series. even the appearance of Koyasu-sama voicing as one of the characters wasn't enough.

or maybe it's just going too slow for my liking. i might pick it up a few months later and do a marathon run; maybe with the story finally getting somewhere, it might interest me to continue from there.

3) Basquash!
basketball. mecha. sci-fi. can it work together to form a good series?

apparently not enough. aside from the immense use of boobs (i'm a fangirl, not a fanboy), the plot moved too slowly for my liking. it feels as if Dunk Mask & Co. are being played around by Miss Ultimate Big-Boobs, and have no definite say of their own.

edited on 24/04/2009

2) Shangri-La
the story didn't seemed to be picking up to a point where it might interest me. at ep2 with the lottery scene, it reminded me strongly of The Island, starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. this was further proven in ep3 where Mi-ko was shipped off to Atlas only to realize it's not really the "Shangri-La" that everyone hopes for.

the only difference between Shangri-La and The Island is environmental issues versus clones.

1) Pandora Hearts
the first series dropped after 3 episodes. i just couldn't force myself to continue. it just wasn't interesting enough.

Hetalia Ep 14 & 15

Episode 14: Hostel 4, the only game to experience Germany's daily life


Episode 15: Japan learns other cultures

One Piece #400

it seemed not that long ago that i blogged about episode 300.

and yet, that was in Mar 2007.

One Piece just broadcast its 400th episode on Sunday.

and what better way to commemorate this episode than to dedicate it to the Pirate King Gol D. Roger.

were your hearts burning after that?

i know mine was.

Buona Sera

to introduce meow meow to handsome, sexy middle-aged men in their 50s (initially thought it was 40s, but it seems they're much older), here's the CM to Ristorante Paradiso.

you can find the direct link to the AnimeCrazy site here.

hope it'll spark others to watch it too.
____________________

Italian 101:
buona sera (bwon-a sey-rah) means "good evening".

summer approaching

you know when summer is approaching when,

1) X-Men Origins: Wolverine opened in cinemas last week;
2) Star Trek opens in cinemas this week;
3) Angels & Demons opens in cinemas next week.

and the 3 reasons why everyone should watch the 3 mentioned movies are,

1) Hugh Jackman (Wolverine!)
2) Chris Pine (Captain Kirk!)
3) Ewan McGregor (Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca!) (no, it's not for Tom Hanks)

so sue me, i'm a fangirl. =D

post-BKK trip

things i managed to do there,

shopping - not freakishly mountainous, but we managed to get what we went there for, dresses, shoes, lingerie

thai massage - the moment we touched down, we went to the massage parlour beside Asia Hotel for our thai massage.

eat cheap food - no bird's nest this time, but we ate lots of seafood and shark's fins at hongmin.

more massages - we really went for a massage everyday. had foot massages on the 2nd & 3rd day, rounding up with a thai massage after chatuchak on the last day.

all in all, except for the 1.5hr delay in our return flight, it was a very fruitful & enjoyable trip indeed.

^_^.``

BKK

well, i'm off to BKK tomorrow morning.

even though it's still not 100% safe, at least the "state-of-emergency" has been lifted.

things i wanna do there,

shopping (of course!)
thai massages (of course!!)
eat cheap food (AKA sharks' fin, bird nest)
more massages (hopefully)

i can't wait!

Hetalia Ep 13

Episode 13: England tries to curse Germany

again! no Chibitalia this episode.
not that funny an episode either. >_<.``

Tears to Tiara: plot-twist fulfilled?

probable plot-twist: demon king might not just want to eat her (girl) up. but that's just my own delusional thoughts.

in episode 2, turns out the demon king really does not want to eat her up.

well, no surprise here.

but i wasn't expecting Riannon (girl) to throw herself at Arawn (demon king) to be his bride straightaway either.

Hetalia Ep 12

Episode 12: France proposes to England


no Chibitalia this episode, but loads of laughs with their take on the English-French Union.

Spring 2009

ok, so i was wrong.

the new Spring season has much to offer.

BUT.

unlike last Fall, not all the series i picked up had me excited at ep1.

the "Definitely Can Continue after Ep1" series

1) Sengoku Basara
so it doesn't have the most original plot since it is based on a video game, but damn is it good! lots of fighting scenes all done video-game style, turbo power included. it helps that there is a strong seiyuu cast, with Koyasu-sama, Hoshi Souichiro, Morikawa Toshiyuki and many more.

and doesn't the armor Date Masamune wear remind anyone of Yoroiden Samurai Trooper? heehee.

2) Valkyria Chronicles
Senjou no Valkyria -Gallian Chronicles- AKA Valkyria Chronicles for short.

another game adaptation, this time from a PS3 RPG. it doesn't have the popping-up-suddenly-from-one-place-to-another feel that Tales of Abyss gave, which is a good thing as it makes it more realistic in that sense.

it's been a while since i picked up a military series, so this should be fun. but another 12-episode series? really? even Abyss had 26 episodes.

3) Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~
a series similar to Darker than Black, revolving around an assassin couple, non-romantically involved (for now). at least this doesn't send me into a state of confusion after ep1 unlike many of the other Spring shows.

probable plot development: i'm expecting them to start running from their superiors halfway through the series.

4) Ristorante Paradiso
my male harem series for Spring, though this is the first time there's actually a series on handsome and sexy middle-aged men in their 40s and up. even the age limit for the guys from Antique Bakery was below 40.

ep1 and ep2 broadcasted back-to-back, and it really sent shivers down my spine just watching the men serving (they're all employees at a small italian restaurant) the ladies customers.

this is why suave older men are hot.
think George Clooney and Pierce Brosnan.
definite must watch for all women who love their older men.

5) Cross Game
to think i almost didn't pick this up initially because i thought it might be similar to Adachi Mitsuru's previous baseball works like Touch or H2. but i'm so glad i watched ep1 after reading the review on RC.

and any series that can make me cry on the first episode is definitely worth watching. the ED song by ayaka was just too perfect for the ending.

incidentally, Mizushima Hiro and ayaka just got married in late feb 2009. OMG!! ayaka's been diagnosed with Grave's disease and is gonna stop working at the end of the year to rest. =/

6) Tears to Tiara
finally! a fantasy series that's more straight to the point, compared to others like Guin Saga, Pandora Hearts and Asura Cryin'. girl gets captured by bad guys to be used as a sacrifice to revive a demon king. enters her brother who comes in to save her.

probable plot-twist: demon king might not just want to eat her up. but that's just my own delusional thoughts.

7) 07-Ghost
since this is being animated by Studio DEEN, the guys in this series reminds me of at least someone else in Junjou Romantica. that in itself is enough reason for me to continue watching. also continuing because it doesn't confuse me, plot-wise.

point of thought: why do anime shows always love using characters that have amnesia?

8) Shangri-La
loads of environmental issues, in particular, excessive carbon emissions in a futuristic world. while i haven't seen Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, it almost seemed believable that maybe, just maybe, there is the possibility of taxing countries for carbon emissions in the near future.

i always like how some anime relates to current world affairs, like how Gundam almost always portrays its wars. there's another anime, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 coming out in Summer 2009, decipting what would happen if Tokyo was ever hit by a 8.0 earthquake.

for those that watches j-drama, you would remember a similar show called Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji Season 3 which also played around the same storyline. all 3 seasons were fantastic, so it's definitely worth checking it out.

anyway, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is a definite a must-watch once it's out.

9) Kin-iro no Cordo ~second passo~
sadly, this is only a TV special running for 2 episodes, with ep2 airing in 5 June.

3 new bishonens (from the RPG game sequel) are introduced, along with the other resident hotties. Miyano Mamoru is cast as one of the new guy, Aoi Kaji. he's using his soft spoken voice which doesn't really fit well with me since i was expecting a sporty voice for his role.

the "To Be Confirmed as Ep1 didn't leave a strong impression" series

1) Basquash!
basketball. mecha. sci-fi. can it work together to form a good series? i'm giving it a few more episodes just to be sure.

2) Pandora Hearts
one of the many shows this season that left me completely clueless as to what is happening. nothing, plot-wise, is out in the open, except the introduction of the few main leads. it already reminds me strongly of Kuroshitsuji, especially with the talk of a contract between the leads. if it continues to confuse me, i'm chucking it out soon.

3) K-ON
my first thought was it looks like another Manabi Straight in the making. it was only after watching ep2 last night that i'm more interested in watching through the whole thing. hopefully i wouldn't be chucking it halfway through the season.

4) Hanasakeru Seishonen
this was supposed to be my male harem series for Spring, which of course had been overtaken by Ristorante and kicked to being something i might drop halfway through the season.

even with the supposed overload of bishonen, it lacked the certain X-factor that drew me to series like SaiMon, Kin-iro and of course Ristorante. i'm still hoping for the plot to start getting more interesting, with the introduction of more bishonens later on.

5) Guin Saga
i had high hopes that it would be an epic show that would rival others like Seirei no Moribito. instead, i was totally turned-off by the half-leopard-man, with yet again lost memories, and one half of the royal twin, the guy, who was an absolute whinning brat.

i'm just gonna watch another couple of episodes, in case there's anything else that might redeem the show and not make it a total waste of time and effort by the studios.

6) Eden of the East
in the Noitamina timeslot this season is a terrorism story with yet another guy with amnesia. the probability of me finishing this show is quite high, but i'm still hesitant to put it in the "Definitely Can Continue after Ep1" series category since the plot is still relatively unknown though not confusing. yet.

7) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
the show no one needs an introduction to. i'm thinking if i should just skip the first season and watch the new FMA since it's a complete re-telling anyway. hmm. still thinking about it.


the "Definitely Cannot Continue after Ep1" series

1) Asura Cryin'
if you thought Pandora Hearts was confusing, this is much worse. aside from the guy who is stalked by the his childhood friend's ghost, in comes a mysterious locked suitcase given to him by his older brother no less. the pacing of the show is slow to say the least.

2) Saki
you would think that being the mahjong freak that i am, i would continue with this series. instead, i'm confused over all the new terminology used, which i attribute to the difference between the japanese style and the one i usually associate with on a regular basis.

doesn't help that i'm irked out by the yuri-like relationship between the 2 female leads.

-------------------------------------------------------

in total, of all the shows i've watched so far for Spring, there are 6 guys who are suffering from amnesia or a sudden lost of memories.

seriously, what is with Spring and memory lost guys.

this is just a tad bit ridiculous.

Hetalia Ep 11

Episode 11: Holy Roman Empire leaves Chibitalia?

One Piece new opening song

new opening song by Tohoshinki (東方神起) called Share the World.

i can't say i like it very much, but i don't technically hate it either.

the english lyrics was abit off though, like not really fitting into the whole OP sequence. which was really fantastic, together with lots of spoilers going all the way down to the current manga chapters.

makes me super excited to how the later arcs are gonna be animated out.

BUT!

does that mean the new song will last for a very long time?

hmm...

in any case, i can't wait for next week's episode!
Luffy is so gonna be punching someone soon.

Homo janai~

because of Mizushima Hiro, i picked up the japanese Hana Kimi again.

this is my 3rd time, but you know what they say.
"third time's the charm."

Hira plays the playboy Nanba Minami. this is not about him though. rather, it's my 2nd fav from the series.

NAKATSU SHUUICHI!!!

this scene is from ep3 where he sings his "homo janai" song.

i could re-watch this forever.

damn funny!!

onna suki ore wa
onna suki

homo janai~
homo janai~~
homo janai~~~

Hetalia Ep 09 & 10

Episode 09: Holy Roman Empire learns drawing


Episode 10: Holy Roman Empire chases after a mouse
(DUH DUH DUH!!!)