There will be film screenings, raffles, a library, marketplace, and butler cafe. Please visit the Lights Out website for more information.

I have already reserved a ticket for the convention, so I’m sure to go. Maybe someone would join me? I’m going alone. DX Anyway, yaoi and shounen-ai fans must join us! As usual, I do trades during the LO. Just leave a comment if you wanna do a trade.

Instead of watching Kimi ni Todoke, I have been watching “Onii-sama e…” It’s an early 90’s series, so finding it was hard. I watched it as soon as I was able to get a copy. What made me watch the series is that I heard there are shoujo-ai hints in it. I have no other idea what it is about other than it’s set in an all-girls school. Thus, the shoujo-ai. The first two episodes were happy and drama-less although there already were appearances of seemingly weird characters. After that, it was all drama. Sometimes the drama goes overboard that it’s hard to bear. Save for Kaoru-no-Kimi and Nanako’s friend, everyone seems to want to die at some point.

The story started out slowly, but carefully showing the maturity of the characters. Being already in episode 31, I must say that Mariko who was selfish and childish at first has shown true maturity. It takes as much as a family problem and classroom incident to awaken her. Miya-sama is an example of someone whose looks can be deceiving. She always seems composed which earns her respect from juniors and seniors. Yet she’s a manipulating biatch. I expected that of her, but not the manipulating kind that would even abuse her power. She is also, in my opinion, the most dramatic character in the series. She hasn’t moved on from her “heartbreak” since she was 12 years old. I don’t even know what to say about what she did when her love didn’t show up in her party. She’s at an age when she can handle love matters by using her mind and not just with her heart.

My favorite character, so far, is Kaoru-no-Kimi. One should love life whether you’re sick or not. Instead of wasting energy in worrying with problems or dramas that can eventually be solved, just indulge in activities. Keeping self busy is good to divert from emotional stress. *sighs* I should remind myself often of that.

O M G

Episode 13 almost drove me to tears because of Kazehaya and Sawako. XDDD; But I’ll save that for later. :P Review/rant starts at episode 11.

Episode 11
The sports fest is starting out good for Sawako’s class. Sawako should pursue playing soccer because she does have incredible speed… Unlikely of her character.



Sawako’s honesty about her feelings is doing her good. Most people find that hard to do and I say that in regards to real life. She understood quickly that she cannot support others especially if their special someone is special to her too. I like seeing Kurumi’s true side — mean and scheming. Her sweetness and kindness makes me wanna barf. How I wanna bitchslap her.

Other than seeing the true side of Kurumi, Kazehaya’s cute, shy, and selfish side is also seen. Very cute. How I want a boy like him. :P


Episode 12



The episode of Sawako’s “romantic” realization, proof of Kurumi’s schemes, and how Sanada seems like an older brother of Sawako. Kurumi may have planned something, but it’s backfiring as it’s helping the two. Hrhr~

I hate the cliffhanger though the next episode’s preview has helped me patiently wait. I’m so glad Kazehaya isn’t some weak guy. XD


Episode 13



HRHRHR~ I ♥ this episode. Kazehaya and Sawako would make a very cute couple. I understand why he would like Sawako. Her innocence is too appealing. If I were a guy, I would want her to be my girlfriend and protect her from all the impurities in the world. *rofl* Kidding aside, I’m crossing my fingers that nothing disastrous will come out of Yano and Chizuru’s confrontation to Kurumi. The reaction of Sawako is what I’m actually scared of. How would she take knowing the truth?

It’s the new year and I have this want to fully get back to anime. I must have said that before, but I’ll try harder this time. *clenches fists*

Starting this list with anime from winter 2008-2009 because I happen to cross upon the list while searching for the winter 2009-2010 lineup. (Descriptions are quoted from AniDB.)



Maria-sama ga Miteru 4

Life goes on for the ladies in the Yamayurikai. On the one-year anniversary of Sachiko and Yumi becoming soeurs, Yumi receives a difficult task from Sachiko: to finally acknowledge someone as her younger sister.

Slayers EVOLUTION-R

In the universe of Slayers, the supreme being is neither good nor evil, but is called the Lord of Nightmares, who created everything, and who is said to “shine like gold on the Sea of Chaos.” Later, it is revealed that the Lord of Nightmares is in fact the Sea of Chaos itself. Four pillars rise out of the Sea of Chaos, and each supports its own world. Since the Sea of Chaos comprises the Lord of Nightmares’ body, the worlds likewise spring from her. In Slayers Next, the Claire Bible confides that if the worlds are destroyed and returned to chaos, the Lord of Nightmares can return to her true form (although why she created the four worlds in the first place has not been revealed, neither by the novels nor the author himself).

White Album
Out of curiousity. XD;

Fujii Touya, a college student, is dating a rising idol singer named Morikawa Yuki. There are numerous challenges to the couple’s relationship from the other people at Fujii’s college, Morikawa’s work, and elsewhere.

Then some fall 2009 anime:

Kobato

Kobato is sweet and perky girl, but also extremely naive about the world around her. She has a “mission”, which is to fill a mysterious bottle of hers with the suffering from people’s hearts so her wish to go a certain place that she desires to go can be granted. However, she must not fall in love with a particular boy she works with and whose heart she must heal.

Yumeiro Patissiere

Adaptation of Natsumi Matsumoto’s shoujo manga Yumeiro Patissiere (Dream-Colored Pastry Chef). The manga, which premiered in September 2008, tells the story of 14 year old Ichigo Amano, a clumsy girl who dreams of becoming a pastry chef. She draws closer to fulfilling her dream when she enrolls in the St. Mary Academy culinary school and meets a tiny “spirit of sweets.”

I have already downloaded about 2 episodes of this. Only the lack of free space has kept me from downloading the rest that are already subbed.

White Album Final

Of course, from the winter 2009-2010 lineup:

Durarara!!

The author Narita and illustrator Yasuda Suzuhito’s “distorted love story” is set in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, and revolves around an ensemble cast including street thugs, high school students, a female radio host, an underworld doctor, a young information vendor, and a headless Irish fairy.

Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3
Just for the sake of completing it.

Katanagatari

The legendary swordsmith Shikizaki Kiki made 1000 swords in his career. The more swords a state had, the greater success they had in the wars. When the Shogun emerged victorious, he collected 988 of the swords…but those were just practice.

The final twelve swords were the pinnacle of his career. Each of them has powers so extraordinary, one man could defeat small armies.

Shogunate strategist Togame has been ordered to recover them. She first hired a ninja…but the worth of the swords is so great the entire ninja clad defected the moment they recovered one. Then she hired a swordsman…but he kept the sword for himself.

Her last hope is Shichika, the seventh and last practitioner of the Kyotoryuu — No Sword School. He and his sister live on an island cut off from civilization — they have no need for money. His sword school does not use swords — he would not want the swords for himself.

So why should he help her?

“Because you will fall in love with me.”

Those are the titles I’m interested in seeing so far. There are still more from other seasons that I didn’t include anymore. Please recommend what else from this season that I should see.

This is the episode I have been dreading — an episode that concerns Kurumizawa. She’s the cliche character who tries to be all cutesy and would do everything (not obviously evul) just so she could get the guy she likes. Of course, Sawako is oblivious to this because she’s blinded by Kurumizawa (her full surname) being very nice, caring, and friendly.



Sawako’s innocence on love makes her so pure, cute, and lovable. It’s cute when she speaks to Kazehaya of what she honestly feels. Most girls aren’t like that, so I’m guessing that’s why Kazehaya has grown fond of her. Plus that cute smile of hers.



I knew there’s something about that “Kurumi-chan”! I get this feeling she’s the one who made up the story of Sawako spreading bad things about Sawako’s two friends.

I’m back to watching anime after months! I hope I can keep this up.

Kimi ni Todoke is the story of Sawako who has mostly lived her school days alone. People kept their distance because people have misconceptions about her. Things are different now that she reached high school. She has friends which she claims to be due to the help of Kazehaya Shota.



The story of the anime is simple yet Sawako’s innocence on life and friendship makes it a sweet and touching one that you’ll be intrigued to see what happens in every episode. I either get teary-eyed or cry in almost all I’ve watched so far. Episode 5 is the best, imo. Sawako is entirely new to the feelings of happiness in being and having friends when, suddenly, she starts losing them due to rumors and assumptions. She decided to ignore her new friends so she wouldn’t hurt them further. That is actually a common scenario. The lack of communication is hard especially when you’re unsure whether they will believe in you or not.

I cried when Sawako realized that she forgot how she survived being alone. I felt that way just a few months back. I was not really alone like how Sawako was, but the primary source of my happiness left me. There is a huge difference between when you’re able to stay with the person you hold very dear to and when you can’t be with them anymore.

Early August, I reserved for a Revoltech Gloomy Bear as a birthday gift to myself. I ended up with an Arch Gurren Lagann because the store overlooked my reservation and sold off all their stocks of the Gloomy Bear. -_- Contacting the shop was such a headache. Their contact number and email addresses were of no use. I had to ask some contacts a way to get in touch with the shop or its owners. Thank goodness somebody was able to help. Thanks also to Plurk or I might still be at lost today.

(Read more…)

I have been wanting this for ages, so I bought it on one payday after seeing it in a nearby toyshop. If you haven’t read the Yotsubato! manga, then you should. You’d wish your future daughter would be like her. She’s the cutest character I’ve come across.



(Read more…)

This is late, but it wouldn’t hurt to do some catching up. For the spring anime, these are the series I wanna get/watch (reference: The Scrumptious Anime Blog):



Hino Kahoko continues to improve her skills at the Seiso Academy participating in music competitions with the help of Lili, the music fairy, the students from the music department, and a new blond charming character. - ANN

Gotta see the first season then. D:




An original story revolving around a treasure will unite the two heroes from Monkey Punch and Gosho Aoyama’s manga stories for a “legendary match.” -ANN




Chi is a kitten who accidentally gets separated from her mother, and is unable to find her way home again. A boy and his family find Chi and give her a home, although all Chi wants is to return to her mother. -ANN




The story takes place on the planet Earthdash, where its inhabitants gaze on its moon and the technologically advanced lunar city of Mooneyes with awe. Dan JD, a boy living in Rollingtown on Earthdash’s surface, gets caught up in Bigfoot Basketball ? a fast-paced sport played with giant Bigfoot robots. -ANN




Oz Bezarius, heir to one of the duke houses, has just turned fifteen. At his coming-of-age ceremony, however, everything changes. He can discern, he’s cast into the prison known as the “Abyss”, only to be saved by a “chain” known as Alice, the bloodstained black rabbit. Thus starts his quest to find out what exactly happened, and how the organization known as “Pandor” fit into this picture.




The story follows four girls who try to rescue their high school’s light music club, even though they are all novices who cannot play instruments or read music. -ANN

I’ve seen up to episode 6. There’s only one who can’t play or read music. I guess ANN’s description needs updating.




In the American underworld, Mafia leaders are being killed one after another, with rumors of “Inferno” and the group’s top assasin “Phantom” circulating around them. A boy, traveling alone in America becomes involved in one of these incidents and unexpectedly encounters Phantom -moetron




In the story, Mimi Kitagami is a kind, level-headed girl who aims to be the best, coolest student council president of her high school class. However, three trouble-making boys are always causing her grief ? and she has a one-sided crush on one of the boys, Ushio T?j?. -ANN




Koh is a genius hitter, but has no knowledge of any other aspect of baseball. Aoba, a younger girl, is an adept pitcher and hitter. As he plays baseball, he tries to live up to the expectations of those who know his true talent, and cope with the tragedies and relationships he must deal with. -moetron




A remake of the first Fullmetal Alchemist series, following the manga more closely this time around.




A striking vision of Earth’s future from some of Japan’s foremost creative talents, SHANGRI-LA is a tale of greed and division vs. bravery and the human spirit. Set against the backdrop of a Tokyo cityscape turned into a teeming jungle by runaway global warming, with the elite living in the comfort of the tower city, Atlas, and the less-privileged masses struggling in the squalor in the jungle — only one girl, Kuniko Hojo, and her band of guerrillas can find a way to preserve the future for everyone.. - http://www.anime-shangri-la.jp/




Based on the science-fiction romance manga by the author of School Rumble Jin Kobayashi, whose story centers on a boy named Hajime Yasaka who meets an older high school girl named Sayoko “Arashi” Arashiyama in an old town coffee shop. “Arashi” happens to have a secret that Hajime learns one fateful summer vacation. -ANN




The manga’s story is set in a restaurant in Rome that the heroine Nicoletta visits from the countryside. Her parents divorced when she was young, so her grandparents raised her while her mother tried to remarry. Unfortunately for Nicoletta, her mother abandons her even after remarrying. Nicoletta goes to the restaurant that is now owned by the new husband of Nicoletta’s mother, and ends up apprenticing there among a kitchen staff of colorful characters. -ANN




3 months after the failed terrorist attack “Careless Monday”, Saki Morimi, a young woman in the USA on her graduation trip, runs into trouble outside of the White House. She is saved by Akira Takizawa, a mysterious naked man without his memory, owning only a gun and a mobile phone stored with 8.200 million yen -moetron.




Mizuki Kawashita’s original manga depicted many vignettes in the everyday lives of a junior high school girl named Ayumi and seven other junior high and high school girls. -ANN




Set in the 1950s, the critically acclaimed story centers around six junior delinquents and their mentor at the Shounan Special Reform School near Tokyo. The manga follows the boys’ lives during their time in the school and the years after they leave. -ANN

This is the summer anime lineup:



I will watch (by priority) Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Bakemonogatari, Hetalia Axis Powers 2, Umineko no Naku Koro ni, and Winter Sonata. Thank gawd there are few that seem interesting for me in the summer season since there’s a lot I have to catch up in the previous season. @_@

I’m catching up on a lot of stuff it’s not even funny. Anyway, as I browsed through my rss subscriptions, I saw an entry from Nekomagic about the Kotobukiya Hobby Shop that opened last March 20. Here are some pictures from Nekomagic. More pictures and details in the link.



I would be camping in front of that shop just for eyecandy.