May Panic (Anime, Mangas AND Dramas)

May has always been a hectic month for me. There's Mothers' Day, Exams, Birthdays, Assignments (Which are only worth 1 mark per assignment and you have to go through hell for that 1 mark), Mall Sales (Reading too much Shopaholic is having an adverse effect on me), Revisions (It's LAW! For God's sake!), and admist all that, I can still find time for my anime and mangas AND indulge in my romance and chick lit novels. Really, I have never been busier (and more broke).

The thing about preparing for exams is, no matter how hard you try to concentrate on the book in front of you, it has never been easier to get distracted. It is always during the exam period that I find myself digging for shows to watch. It's like a phase of denial, where you try to convince yourself that exams are easy-peasy, and that you've got more than enough time to prepare for it.

So, to allow myself to focus more on studies, I came up with this scheme that I'm pretty sure could cure my distractedness. I could study a chapter, and then reward myself with a episode of the (very) few anime I've been saving myself for times like this. It's like all those government policies we learn in school, where there are rewards and punishments for following the rules (or something like that). It's the same concept. The only difference is I didn't come up with a punishment scheme to deter myself from allowing my mind to wonder off again.

So, while I was still priding myself on how smart I am to come up with such a ingenious scheme, I was already through 2 series of anime (Hatenkou Yuugi and Spice & Wolf) before I know it and I wasn't even done with 1/4 of revising! Just imagine, how much revision I could do with all the time I've wasted, then again, not that I'm lamenting much about it as you know saying goes, "The time you enjoy wasting is not time wasted." - which I couldn't agree more. Now that I think back, it's actually pretty silly of me to believe that the plan would work anyway.

During the course of my self-search (and in the middle of exams), I finally acknowledged the fact that (albeit grudgingly) God has abandoned me and left me with no more anime to watch. On second thought, maybe He hasn't really abandoned me. Because in a spark of inspiration, I found myself watching (and actually enjoying) one of those Taiwanese dramas that I've sworn never to touch! Bottom line? God Loves Everyone. Amen.

Here's the plot:
Yuan Xiang Qin (Ariel Lin) is a naïve but optimistic high school girl. Ever since she met Jiang Zhi Shu (Joe Cheng) at the freshman orientation, she's fallen in love with the genius with an IQ of 200. After two years of having a crush on him, she finally musters the courage to confess to him at school with a letter. Zhi Shu is not impressed, and his cold-hearted rejection immediately turns her into the biggest joke of the school. Misfortune comes in a pair: that evening, the new house she has just moved into with her father collapses in a minor earthquake. She and her father are instantly left homeless. Fortunately, her father's old high school friend extends a helping hand and invites both of them to live at his house. Little did Xiang Qin know that the kind Uncle Li is actually the father of Jiang Zhi Shu! Because of the unexpected turn of events, the two of them begin living their lives under the same roof. (I know, cliched storyline. Again.)

It Started with a Kiss is arguably the best taiwanese drama I've watched (although I've only watched 2 taiwanese dramas in my 18 years of life - the other being Devil Beside You). But honestly, after watching ISWAK, anything else would pale in comparison. It's that good and funny, not to mention all the angst I feel for the first 17 episodes. The last 3 episodes are what convert me into an ISWAK fan. They make up for all the stupidity in the show.

The thing about me not wanting to watch taiwanese dramas is because I've always felt that they are a rip off from anime and mangas. It's like, they've got no originality or something. Technically speaking, ISWAK is still a rip off, seeing as how it was adapted from a manga and although I did enjoy the drama overall, it did kinda spoil me for the anime Itazura na Kiss (See post below). Half the reason why I didn't give the show up has to be Joe Cheng. You've never seen a guy that gorgeous and cute!

That's the scene in the manga where Kotoko was asleep under a tree and Naoki kissed her, which was seen by Yuuki (that's his brother) who realised that Naoki does, in fact, love Kotoko. There's some difference in the drama where Naoki kissed her in the hospital, which was then witnessed by Yuuki who was diagnosed with acute appendicitis.

It Started with a Kiss 2 a.k.a. They Kiss Again follows the story after volume 10, where Kotoko and Naoki got married and they are on their honeymoon. Needless to say, hilarity ensues.

Spring 2008 Anime Hot List!

I gotta say, I'm pretty pleased with the series of anime this season. Rather than the usual booby-pantsu-ecchi-harem series targeted at the male audience, the anime production staff finally remembered that there are female viewers amongst the anime culture. A few shoujo-based anime were thrown into the spring 2008 mix, and to my surprise and (would I say) pleasure, two shounen-ai shows were being animated too. One of them being Junjou Romantica and is probably not recommended for kids. (Heck, did I just type that?!)

Anyway, I'll categorise the Spring series according to their genres, for viewer convenience. First up, the ladies' favourite:

Bishounen Goodness

Junjou Romantica
Misaki is suddenly having some unexpected and odd problems. What started as a need for some college entrance exam tutoring has somehow led him to being romanced by a suave older man who also happens to be his big brother’s best friend. Confused by all of his brand new emotions, Misaki struggles to deal with his suddenly very odd life. And if that wasn’t enough, his suitor, Usami, has plenty of issues of his own. A man-child who decorates his room in giant teddy bears and toys, Usami is a famous novelist who also writes steamy boys’ love novels on the side. When Misaki cracks open one of these books and reads sentences like “Misaki licks every inch of Usami’s hot body”…well, let’s just say that all hell breaks loose. (I know, Good Riddance!)
It's pretty ironic, considering that the title literally translates to "Pure Romance", when the storyline and graphics aren't the least innocent. Well, I haven't gave this a go yet, but according to reviews, it could get really explicit. So ladies, do prepare for nosebleed deterrence before you sit infront of your TV.

Monochrome Factor
Nothing too hot for kids to handle, since this story revolves mainly around the Action genre. That's not to say it doesn't have any itty-bitty scenes with the main characters, it does handle a few scenes with light kisses (for no apparent reason) here and there too. I mean, hello?! A bit more character development will be appreciated before the episode closes with a guy smooching with another of his own gender. Kinda reminds me of Yami no Matsuei a.k.a. Descendants of Darkness when they will somehow insert a few skin-showy and feely-touchy scenes in the middle of an intense, heated fight just for the sake of fan service. God, how I hated that. This brings me back to a Japanese saying about Yaoi series, "YAma nashi, Ochi nashi, Imi nashi." - which roughly translates to, "No plot, no climax, no meaning."

Kyou Kara Maou! Season 3
How I love this series! You can just imagine my joy when I heard that the production staff is animating the 3rd season and is ready for release by this Spring. I squealed, twirled, jumped for the moment's worth. Aside from Full Metal Panic!, KKM is another one of my favourite anime series that I find most enjoyable andd humourous. Now that I think about it, I seem to like anime with laughable elements a bit (just a bit) more than anime of the romance genre. Of course, nothing could be better if it's a combination of the said both. But in this case, KKM is a combination of laugh-out-loud funnies and bishounen goodness. And as a bonus, it has got the prince of the most dreamiest voice, Sakurai Takahiro (But of course, he had to sound silly in KKM because Yuri. Is. Silly. He got flushed down the toilet, remember? Cute-oh-Yuri.) in it! Kyaa!!!

Reverse-harems, Shoujo

Neo Angelique Abyss
I can't say I am a fan of its previous series, but looking at the number of eye-candies they have, I braced myself for the disappoinment and gave this a try. Judging just from the first 2 episodes I've watched, they have a bit more of plot development as compared to its previous series. The previous series was so bad and their storyline so insignificant that I can't remember what their plot were about. It's unusual for me to forget about an anime storyline once I've seen it and this just goes to show how uninteresting the previous series were. Trust me, I have quite a good amount of confidence in my memory when it comes to anime. At the very least, this season's Angelique still managed to hold on to my interest at episode 2. That should be some improvement.

Itazura na Kiss
It was love at first sight for Aihara Kotoko as top student Irie Naoki delivers his speech on the first day of high school. When Kotoko finally plucks up enough courage to confess, she got rejected and thus, vows to give him up. Alas, by a strange twist of fate, Kotoko's house collapsed and she had to move in to live with her father's friend, who happens to be Naoki's dad. Much laughter ensues when scatterbrained Kotoko makes her countless advances (supported by Naoki's wacky mum) on cold and aloof Naoki who hates girls and is a genius at practically everything from studies to sports. It's a mystery how girls never tire of the same kind of storyline which got recycled over and over again. It's a mystery that goes deeper than the stars of the universe. It's such a mystery because I could never figure out the reason why even if I am a girl myself. See? Point made.

Special A
Adapted from a manga, S.A. is a story about how an average girl in an avergare family with an average income tries to enrol in an ultra-elite school just for the sake of beating her childhood rival at anything he does. All this, and with a couple more of hotties, weirdos, and a pinch of romance thrown in. This whole "poor girl in rich elite school" just reminds me Ouran and Hana yori Dango. Did i mention about how the same plot just got recycled over and over again? And how girls never tire from it? And how I can never figure out why I still find myself enjoying the same cliched storyline?

Vampire Knight
Again adapted from a manga, Vampire Knight is Hino Matusri's (She's the author and one of my favourite mangakas.) first work to be turned into an anime. Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class and the two need to be kept separate because the former is made up of humans while the latter is made up of vampires. As Guardians of the school, Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu have a mission they must never fail at - to protect the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret. I'm a fan of paranormal stories since... ever since I could remember. Initially, it was first faires, unicorns, elves and then werewolves, shapeshifters and vampires now. Tall, "Dark" and Handsome, anyone?

Comedy, Humour

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki
If there’s one really wacky series this season, this should be it. In KKN, an incarnation of destruction was defeated by humanity, but it had left a curse before dying: its child would awaken in 1000 years and destroy the world. Approximately 1000 years later, mankind is able to use DNA testing to figure out a group of people who could be that child, but they still can’t pinpoint exactly who. What they decide to do is to put all these people together in one family with the hope that the person who is the real child would develop love for their family and would no longer want to destroy the world. The wacky part comes in when you consider some of the characters in this family: a cat-eared loli (who’s the mother figure no less), a lion, a biological weapon, and a jellyfish. That’s got dysfunctional written all over it, so I think this has the potential to be hilarious. There's possibly some romance thrown in too! Reminds me of: Suzumiya Haruhi.

Action, Adventure, Fantasy

xxxHOLiC: Kei
xxxHOLiC continues the supernatural story of the high school boy Watanuki and the dimensional witch Yuuko, and like the first series, it’ll probably be without any Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle crossover references. Anyhow, I still look forward to watching the episodes of Watanuki and his paranormal encounters, and of course his relationship with the vestal spirit (Zashiki-Warashi).


Amatsuki
Based on a manga too, Amatsuki is about a boy who is visiting a high-tech museum of Edo during the Bakumatsu when he gets attacked by a monster and is sent to the actual time period. By coincidence, he meets a classmate who had also been sent there but had arrived two years earlier, and the story follows their adventures. Instead of the usual shoujo anime that involves girl jumping back to the past (think: Inuyasha, Fushigi Yuugi), there's finally one anime that doesn't conform to the norm. Storyline attracts me~ I'm so watching this.

Code Geass R2
Given the popularity of this show, Code Geass's sequel really needs no introduction. Hmm... But if you really need one, mechas, wars, nations at conflict, a desire for revenge and a mysterious power... probably sums it all. The first season ended with a bad aftertaste. I wanted Suzaku and Lelouch to reconcile with each other and looking at the way things are now, I have a feeling that is never gonna happen. One of them have to fall. Hmm... Kinda diminishes my motivation for this show.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama
It's a story about a Tenko (a kitsune that’s lived at least 1000 years) who has been alive for so long that it doesn’t remember whether it’s male or female, so it can be either gender when it changes into its human form (its male form is voiced by Nakamura Yuuichi and female by Yukana). It’s an interesting concept (Ranma-esque even), but it remains to be seen if the actual story, which involves the Tenko being unsealed and called on to protect a young boy who’s being targeted by evil spirits, is any good since I haven’t started on its first episode yet. In fact, I haven't started watching the first episode for the moset of the series.

Nabari no Ou
Nabari no Ou is a story about Rokujou Miharu, who has a very indifferent attitude and becomes involved in the world of ninjas thanks to the fact that he carries a legendary power inside of him. Because of this, his power is sought after by many clans and a war to possess his power thus started. To survive, Miharu must enter the hidden world of Nabari, and become the king.

Soul Eater
Soul Eater is a fun series about a group of Shinigami students who are after 99 human souls and 1 witch soul so that they can change their partner weapons into Death Scythes. I was a little surprised when it was announced that BONES would be animating this because the manga has a very distinct style that can be a bit crude at times, so I had a hard time imagining this being done by almost the exact same team that did Ouran (in fact, both Sakamoto Maaya and Miyano Mamoru are voicing characters here too). There's two versions of Soul Eater. One of them is the normal, edited version which airs on Mondays while other is "Late Show" version which airs on Thursday nights.

Toshokan Sensou
Toshokan Sensou translates to Library Wars. I know the title sounds ridiculous but name aside, the plot has depth. In the year 2019, laws have been passed down to control the media. Now some thirty years later, the government still monitors and controls information, suppressing anything they find undesirable, but opposing this is an armed library group, and the story is about one particular girl who follows "her prince" who saved her and her book in the library one day into the library forces. Hehe, I know. Stange storyline, right? But I have feeling I would love this.

There, Spring 2008 list finally done. Let me stretch myself for a bit.

Anatolia Story - Golden Classic.

I am quite a manga fanatic. No surprise there, eh? Truth to be told, ever since I entered the world of mangas, I have quite been neglecting my regency romances and chick lit lately. I used to read at least 8 books per week (no kidding) and now I can hardly find time to enjoy my Christine Feehan's and Sophie Kinsella's best sellers. I still read them, occasionally, but not that often anymore. Besides, it's even harder to find a decent library in Malaysia here. Manga rental shops, however, are another story. ^_^


And the purpose of my post today, is to introduce you to the greatest manga of all times. (Yiyou, if you happen to be reading this, do ask uncle for this series. I think - no, I know you will love it. Oh yes, you will.) Anatolia Story, otherwise known as Red River (天は赤い河のほとり, Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori: "Heaven by the Red River"), is a shoujo manga series made by Chie Shinohara (篠原千絵). Even at a total of 28 volumes, I still couldn't get enough of the manga series, and of course, especially of Yuri and Kail.

Set in the 14th century, Red River is about a fifteen-year old Japanese girl named Yuri Suzuki, who is magically transported to Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire in Anatolia. She was summoned by Queen Nakia who means to use Yuri as a human sacrifice. Yuri's blood is the key element needed in placing a curse upon the princes of the land so that they will perish, leaving Nakia's son as the sole heir to the throne.

The story takes place during the reign of King Suppiluliuma I, at a time when the Hittite Empire was near its peak of power, rivaled only by Egypt, which was then ruled by the young Pharaoh Tutankhamen. Many of the people and events in the story are drawn from actual history, from Princes Kail Mursili, Sari Arnuwanda, and Zannanza, to battles with the neighboring Mitanni kingdom around the town of Kizzuwatna.

The best part of the story is it not only deals with lots and lots of romance, the adventures Yuri and Kail are also not to be missed as well - from conquering countries to fighting lions. Unlike your everyday heroine, Yuri is a strong minded girl who takes everything into her hands and hates to be reliant on others. I hate whiney female characters (Yiyou, I know you hate them too. With a vengence. Think: Miaka.) Kail, on the other hand, is every girl's dream and of course, Drop. Dead. Gorgeous. ^_^

I would love to go on more about how much I love this series but I would hate to spoil you for the story. If you want to know hoe good this series is, it's best to go rent the mangas and experience it first-hand yourself.

Here's a little video I found when digging around for information.

Anatolia Story, satisfaction guaranteed. *winks*

Anime Oldies - They are better than you think.

Post will be up later. Sleep first. School has been crazy these few days. *shudders just thinking about it*

I have to confess, I'm too lazy to blog. Really lazy. But anyway, I finally got down to blogging, after procrastinating for another month. I know. I'm lazy.

Spent my holiday digging out old classic anime to watch. Believe it a not, I actually decided to give Conan a try. The detective series is the longest anime I've ever come across - and it's still ongoing (500 episodes and up). The best part about Conan is when Shinichi is dealing with the black organisation and trying to figure ways to get his body back to normal (In case you don't know, Shinichi is the main character of the story. He was forced to drink some kind of poison which turned his body to that of a 7-year-old.) ALso, not to forget, I like any episodes that has t o deal with Shinichi and Hattori (another high school genius detective) competing against each other. And of course, being the romantic I am, the ShinichixRan moments. Boy, were they cute. Other than that, the rest are basically filler episodes. But if you guys have plenty of time to spare and nothing to do in mind, you might want to give Conan a try. It's not the best anime out there but it's good enough when you've got time to kill.

Another anime I watched during my holidays were Glass Mask and Marmalade Boy. Glass mask was good. I never thought i would enjoy an anime that was adapted from a manga drawn in the 1970s. That was like 30 years before I was born. I watched the 2005 remake version of the anime - most of them are in RAWs though. No english fansubbing group has completed that series, a pity if you ask me. It came as a surprise to me that I would like Glass Mask not only because of its age but also of its genre. Glass mask is about how a girl struggles to fight her way to the stage and the world of acting. Sounds kinda boring to me in the first place and I watched the first episode with no expectations whatsoever. Before I know it, I was already halfway through the series. It was that addicting (Hayami and Maya forever!). However, the down part of this anime was that it was never finished - just like many other anime. The anime stopped halfway through the manga, just like that. And when I searched for the manga to continue my pursuit of the story, it just turned out that the author of the story halted the story as well - at volume 42. It was said that Suzue Miuchi (that's the author) wanted to do some changes to the story and modernise the plot as back in the 1970s, there's no such thing as computers and handphones. It's just stupid, really stupid. She just have to go enrage and lose her fans like this. It's like we're dying to know the end to the series and she's taking what, 7,8 years to finish ONE manga volume? It really pisses me off. It took me some time to actually get over this.

Marmalade Boy was not for my age. I'm 17 turning 18 and Marmalade Boy proves to be a little to childish for me. The story centers around Miki and Yuu, who came to know each other when their parent decide to "switch partners". It's basically a romance anime and a rather predictable one at that. I started to watch this series for no other reason than I'm bored and I ran out of anime to watch. Like I said, the story's quite predictable, which makes it rather bland. There are not many surprising elements in the story and I have to force myself to finish the anime just because I started watching it. In that sense, it's still not that bad as I could still cope with having to finish the series. There are some anime which I stopped watching at the first episode.

There now, I finish my February post. Finally.