Gyabo!!

Rooftop Prince Review

2012-08-12T18:01:00.003-07:00

The Photo to Remember their Long Hair

To me, Rooftop Prince is a drama which is about love that transcends centuries with karma and reincarnation as strong underlying themes. It starts with a murder mystery which naturally gets resolved in the final episode but unlike other dramas, this one has a twist!

Basically, the Crown Princess was found floating face down on the Lotus Pond and the Crown Prince suspects foul play although everyone else was convinced that it was an accident. He manages to gather 3 sidekicks to form his own investigation team - consisting of Song Man Bo (brainy scholar), Do Chi San (eunuch) and Woo Yong Sul (swordsman). While they were out investigating one night, they were attacked and while escaping, a lunar eclipse somehow time warped them 300 years into the future. That's where the fun begins as the squad of four tries to figure out the reason they were brought into the future while doing their best to adapt to the modern ways.

From left: Yong Sul, Man Bo and Chi San

Bak Ha and her four bodyguards hahaha

They definitely Looked Better in Suits hahaa

I really enjoyed the portrayal of Yong Tae Yong/Yi Gak by Micky Yoo Chun. His transition from the persona of the Crown Prince to his imitation of Tae Yong was executed flawlessly. The trio (nicknamed Power Rangers/Ducklings) of blue ranger (Yong Sul), green ranger (Man Bo) and yellow ranger (Chi San) was the comic relief as their scenes are usually hilarious or outrageously funny. The villains are not quite as bad as the one in King 2 Hearts (after watching both drama back-to-back). Despite their manipulative schemes and lies, they still have some sort of conscience or remorse here and there. On the plus side, Tae Mu is such a bad killer! Although he has a lot of killing(either intentional or unintentional) scenes, he never really succeeds (haha!).

More pictures to squeal at!

Other than that, the soundtrack was awesome! I think it really conveys the mood of the situation and it is embedded in me that whenever I hear the song (Hurt by Ali), I immediately feel this drama's essence. Although the ending was good (bad guys got their punishment), it still leaves me feeling pretty down as *SPOILER ALERT*
Yi Gak is literally forever alone as Bu Yong passed away whereas for Bak Ha, it will never be the same even if Tae Yong looks identical to Yi Gak.

King 2 Hearts Review

2012-08-07T23:02:00.001-07:00

My K drama of Summer 2012! It's very different from the usual K drama genre that I know of and the ones I used to watch. This one is exhilarating and keeps me on the edge of my seat in almost every episode!

King 2 Hearts

From left: John Mayer/Kim Bong Gu, Kim Hang Ah, Lee Jae Ha, Lee Jae Shin and Eun Shi Kyung

Short talk - South Korea and North Korea may actually be on peaceful terms! The South Korean King (fictional monarchy system) has been discussing about peace talks with the North Korean leaders and all may just end well! Of course, there are some hitches but there is a bigger threat. Enter John Mayer, CEO of a huge enterprise with a gigantic political clout over the powerful nations like US and China who dislikes the idea of peace between the two Korean nations. You may wonder, John Mayer? yea, the scriptwriters like to use artists' names for some characters. This John Mayer, to me, is almost as scary as how the Joker was scary in the Dark Knight movie. He seems mentally unstable, with no sense of morals and loves to perform unamusing magic tricks. His sidekicks are also scary, esp Bon Bon (female gothic assasin). Whenever he or she appears, I would just be fearful for the safety of the good characters.

Eun Shi Kyung x Lee Jae Shin

Aside from all that, this is actually one K drama which does not emphasize on the love theme. To me, it is more political, more headaches and also some stress relief moments here and there. Surprisingly, I was actually rooting for the second pairing in the drama, Lee Jae Shin and Eun Shi Kyung. I felt that they deserved so much more! Of course, the lead pairings were awesome as a couple! They both kick ass, the male through his brains(IQ of 187) and the female through physical action. They are the unbeatable duo! This is also the drama where the mother of the guy is actually supportive of the girl. How nice!

In short, I am really very glad I watched this drama. I felt like I learned so much about the struggles facing all honest politicians and leaders of the nations. When the situation involves power, the people and a huge consequence, every step has to be seriously evaluated and considered. Sometimes, even going through the proper channels will not take you far. Still, what counts as probably the best fantasy we can get is the result of the South-Korea mutual cooperation in establishing a harmonious relationship. Peace is not something easy to acquire but it is achievable. Someday?

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Review

2012-08-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

From left: Kyoko, Homura, Madoka, Sayaka and Mami with Kyubey (white creature)

Do not be fooled by these kawaii looking girls and mistaken this anime for something cute and trivial.

This story goes deep. Puella Magi is an anime which got me not knowing what to expect - simply because it has been recommended a few times by a senior otaku friend of mine. I usually do not go for this kind of genre - cute looking small girls with their 'fancy' behaviors. However, the first episode got me asking a multitude of questions and....the final answer is only revealed in ep 10 with the final episode in ep 12. It is philosophical and futuristic, which makes you think. I quote from my friend, it's morally grey. In the beginning, we would probably feel outrage and stunned but upon the explanation given, things start to make sense and you are left on the fence, unable to decide.

Kyubey

So, what is it about? Firstly, this is not just some tale of magical girls saving the world. Puella Magi is a kind of technology from another universe which transforms prepubescent girls into Magical Girls, with the girls' permission of course. They will then sign a contract with Kyubey. Kyubey may look like one of those cute Pokemon creatures but he is emotionless and this is one reason why viewers may find him annoying. Like a pesky salesman (Oops spoiler alert but you will understand why I refer to him as the salesman). Anyway, a Magical Girl's duty is to kill the Witches, who is responsible for the misfortunes and catastrophes happening in our world. In order to make the contract, Kyubey will fulfill a wish (anything is possible!) and in exchange, they are given powers. Wow, sounds like a good deal!

You may wonder, so what's the fuss about? Well, the storyline can be summarized as: Kyubey identifies Madoka as someone with a lot of potential as a Magical Girl. Homura is determine to stop Madoka from transforming into a Magical Girl and tries to kill Kyubey to prevent it from meeting her. Mami is a Magical Girl who helps to save Kyubey and meets Madoka and Sayaka. She then becomes their senior and shares with them her experiences of being Magical Girls. Homura is ever persistent in ensuring that Madoka never signs a contract with Kyubey. This is why, you should watch, and find out why!

To be honest, I was slightly depressed after finishing the series, although it had a happy ending. Still, a good watch!

p/s: Some Physics and History are briefly mentioned! :)

Naruto

2012-08-01T16:44:00.001-07:00

I used to wonder what's so great about this long series which captivates so many people. When I happened to watch a few episodes with my friend, I was instantly drawn into the entire premise. Short talk, Naruto is about Naruto Uzumaki, an aspiring ninja in the Konoha Village (Leaf Village) who dreams of proving himself and become the next Hokage (leader of the village). Initially, he was shunned by the villagers because of the Nine Tailed Fox Demon sealed in his stomach. However, his determination to succeed despite all odds burns brightly and he manages to be a Genin (ninja level entry stage). What comes next are his adventures along with his ninja mates and senseis.

What I found engaging is the humor and moral values one can obtain indirectly or directly through the various characters in the series. There are quite a number of characters but they are slowly introduced and they do undergo some character development along with our protagonist. Some of my friends complained about the filters but I don't mind!

Team Kakashi - Kakashi Hatake with from left: Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki

Team Kurenai - Kurenai Yuuhi with from left: Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuuga and Kiba Inuzuka

Team Asuma - Asuma Sarutobi with from left: Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara and Ino Yamanaka

Team Guy - Might Guy with from left: Rock Lee, Tenten and Neji Hyuuga

Sand Ninja - Kankuro Gaara and Temari

Shomuni - Power Office Girls

2012-07-31T18:41:00.000-07:00

Shomuni is a 1998 J drama introduced to me by Kelvin Khor and I know why he loves it! It's a comedy which imparts good values to its viewers through unconventional means! In short, it is a drama about the office ladies in General Affairs Section 2, deemed the 'graveyard for office ladies'. Female workers rendered useless are transferred to this section where they are expected to quit within 3 days because of the boring and meaningless tasks assigned. To be honest, I find the work they do important because it ensures that every other office worker can focus on their job well without worrying about menial stuff. What do these ladies at GA 2 do? Overlooked duties such as fixing and changing the light bulb, refilling toilet paper, delivering company's mail to each dept, etc. Of course, what would a drama be without the antagonists? Enter the HR team, composed of two men who are always devising new schemes to get rid of the GA 2 ladies in an effort to reduce the company's budget. However, their ingenious plans tend to go awry and it is comical to watch these office ladies battle their way out, sometimes, unsuspecting the true intentions of these HR men when their true goal was to achieve something else. There is also the Secretariat, a team of 4 secretary ladies who looked down upon these GA 2 ladies for doing menial jobs. Their interactions and squabbles made the entire drama premise engaging and hilarious to watch!

Chinatsu Tsuboi

Chinatsu - Head of the GA 2 ladies, she is a tall and confident lady who does not tolerate people with an ugly character. Hiding her true self behind stories about herself which she herself spreads, she takes charge in most situations and speaks up when needed. Her motto of "A woman's worth is determined by the number of men she conquered" may not go well with most women but she has a high level of integrity. She usually delivers her 'good values' sermon and this is where viewers get a dose of character building.

Tsukahara Sawako

Tsukahara - The fifth member of the GA 2 ladies and the most innocent. Due to her naivety and simple-mindedness, she is usually clueless and blur but at times, she knows what to do. She appears to be a very pure character but she sometimes made remarks which makes both the office ladies and us wonder, really? As Tokunaga once said it, she is ambitious! She had some character development as she was a small worm in the beginning but she learns to be assertive over time.

Rie Himuka

Rie - She is the fortune teller of the group, highly skilled in reading fortunes. She can be seen going through her tarot cards or otherwise staring into space. Her expression is usually deadpan when she 'sees' the future. Although her forecasts are usually accurate, it is usually the interpretations that makes the story interesting. We get to know a little bit about her during an episode where Chinatsu asks her to take care of her own destiny as well instead of others.

Yoshina - Playgirl of the group and sometimes dubbed, the Devil, she is excellent in seducing men with her charming/flirtatious glances and smiles. She has been tremendously helpful in situations where they needed the men to co-operate. Although she has many lovers ( most of them are top executives of the company), she doesn't settle on a serious relationship though the humanity side of her is reflected briefly in an episode.

Azusa Tokunaga

Tokunaga - The eldest of the ladies, she has been an employee of the Mapan Corporation for as long as they can remember. She may be older than everyone but she certainly still has her feisty ways! She will compete fiercely if one takes over her role and she is usually the one reading out announcements. I really enjoy her announcements as they are seriously funny. She is so passionate and steady!! Her goal is to look for a rich husband and she has been going through matchmaking agencies.

Maruhashi Ume

Ume - The sixth member of the group, she is a highly arrogant girl who wants to be the first woman director of the company. As ambitious as she is, she still has her moral integrity intact and she is continuously working hard to increase her skills and show that she has what it takes, including taking up Arabic?!

Secretariat

the Secretariat - Yoshiharu and gang forms the elite secretary group, who thinks highly of themselves. Yoshiharu is constantly belittling the GA 2 ladies and is always engage in a verbal confrontation with Chinatsu whenever they happen to meet in the hallway.

Ikami - Section Chief who is passive and idles his time away taking care of his cat. He does not really seem to do much but his absence is sorely felt by the girls.

Ukyo - Bright, talented, and having returned from LA, he is a hit among the girls, especially among Yoshiharu and Tsukahara. Honest and righteous, he is a good kid who may be too workaholic sometimes....

Chinatsu and Yoshiharu in a verbal assault session

HR : Nonomura and Chief Terasaki

All in all, a good watch for someone who prefers to have a good laugh while revisiting some good old humanity values!

Whisper of the Heart :)

2012-07-24T23:34:00.002-07:00

I was thinking of sleeping early and cooling down after a filled dinner with some light work. It did not happen. On a whim, I decided to watch a Hayao Miyazaki movie and got Huey Sywu to watch it too. We decided on Whisper of the Heart and voila, I became quickly immersed in Shizuku Tsukishima's lovely world of books and fairy tales. It was a 1995 movie and the animation was not as advanced as the ones we currently have BUT, it was beautiful. It looked like a painting. Anyway, to the story!!!

It started with Shizuku, an avid reader/bookworm who enjoys borrowing books from the school library. One day, she discovers that three of the books she borrowed (back then, and maybe now they still do - these cards where the names of the previous borrowers with the date of the borrowed book is used for record purposes) were once borrowed by a guy named Seiji Amasawa. Curious and dreamy, she began to wonder who he is and what kind of personality he has. She then discovers a book which has not been borrowed by him and was excited, hoping that he would then notice her name when he next borrows it. In a twist of events, she accidentally left the book and return to search for it, only to see someone reading it...

An encounter with a cat on the train leads her to an antique shop where she meets this elegant cat stature which captivates her and she strikes a conversation with the shop owner who showed her the newly repaired grandfather's clock which showcases a fairy tale as well. She then discovers she is late and hurries off, leaving her lunch bag behind....

I only mentioned the bare few scenes which sets her off on her own journey of personal discovery and thoughts about her future. This is a delightfully endearing story which touches on the confusions and struggles middle school kids face as they grow up. It's a MUST WATCHED! :)

Awesome Anime

2012-02-18T10:48:00.000-08:00

I had watched three very interesting anime which I feel deserved special mention in separate posts but unfortunately, I chose logic over emotions and put them off while I worked on other stuff. So hence, the passion of the moment is lost but I still remember their awesomeness. This will just be a brief overview as I will write a better post for each when I have the time.

1. Full Metal Alchemist (completed)

A less darker version of Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood (planning to watch), it gave me food for thought. It's about two brothers who tried to revive their dead mother by using alchemy but as the law dictates: A transaction is when you give something in exchange for what you wanted. Thus, the elder brother, Edward lost a leg while Alphonse lost his body. Horrified, Edward tries to save his brother by alchemy and as a result, lost an arm. His brother's soul was safely secured in a robot shell. Thus, they then embarked on an adventure to get back the lost body parts: the arm, leg and body. Along the way, they encountered many strange events and slowly uncovered the secret behind this whole alchemy fiasco. I strongly encourage you to watch it as it makes/keeps you thinking on a lot of things.

2. Naruto (ongoing)

I started watching this after watching some scenes from an episode my friend was watching. It's a really exciting show which is very good for kids, I believe and almost everyone who learns from it. It is about Naruto, a boy who struggles to be the best Ninja in the village and earned the villagers' approval of him. He and the rest of the cast each have their own unique story and you may just be very inspired after watching! My fav is ep 22. A fun watch for families too!

3. Code Geass Season 1&2 (completed)

A story similar in terms of darkness to Full Metal. It is about Lelouch, whose mother, Empress Marianne was killed and he and his sister Nunnaly was sent to Japan, known then as Area 11 by Britannia. He has always harbored hatred towards his father, Emperor Charles for not avenging his deceased mother. During one of the fights between the Britannian soldiers and terrorists from Area 11, he was almost killed but survived as he agrees to receive a geass from a mysterious lady known as CC. He then has the power to make people do as he says by having direct contact with the other person's eyes. With this new power, he decides to go against Brittania by forming his own team, the Black Knights and appearing as Zero with a mask.

This story has a different way of tugging at your heart strings. It is a story where no one character is pure evil or bad. Each has their own story, beliefs and from their stand point, it's hard to determine who or what's right.

Ouran High School Host Club Manga - My FAV!

2011-07-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

I've been reading Ouran High School Host Club the Manga and it is the best manga I've read so far. It's a one of a kind shojo manga which focuses a lot on character development and comedy. I particularly enjoyed chapter 50 onwards and I liked chapter 69, the huge relieved chapter after all the seriousness. I can't really choose any favorite character, as all of them is adorable though I always had more preference for Hikaru (from the anime). This manga made me alternate between wanting to cry and wanting to laugh crazily.

Character Analysis

1. Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin
Both have always like the same things and do what they like, disregarding other people's opinions. It's either our world or not from our world. Because of Haruhi, both learned to expand their world and treat each other as someone they can rely on, while developing their own unique traits and characteristics. It was sad when Kaoru made Hikaru witnessed the scene at the amusement park to force Hikaru to sever their ties and see through his own feelings. Kaoru decided that it was time that Hikaru learn to find his own happiness. It was also uplifting when Hikaru, being the older brother, turned the situation around and came to a conclusion of how they can both be individuals yet remain close to one another. It was funny though when Kaoru ran to Honey and Hikaru ran to Mori. It just shows that Honey is not just about cakes and bunnies, he can be a reliable senior when is needed.

Hikaru
The older of the twin, he is labeled as the twin with '10% more evil and loud and noisy' by Haruhi. He is probably the second idiot in the group, after Tamaki. I liked the fact that he is really straightforward and has a strong sense of values. I like the part where he clarifies and clears the situation with Kaoru - that's what a big brother should be! He's also direct - he confesses to Haruhi and after getting rejected, continues his best not to give up. Knowing Tamaki is his rival, he still persists in helping Tamaki discover his real feelings so as to compete with Tamaki fair and square. Although his temper is pretty short, that was what keeps the story so funny. He will be one yelling and screaming 'I will kill you' at Tamaki. Well, it can't be help, Tamaki is such an idiot after all. Hahahahaha but his devious plans and teasing antics are hilarious to watch!

Kaoru
The younger of the twin, he is the 'more calm and reasonable' one by Haruhi. When paired with Hikaru, they became the devious twins. That aside, Kaoru recognizes his feelings faster than Hikaru and tries his best to make Hikaru be aware of his own feelings and find his own happiness, eventhough it would mean breaking their twin bonds. He is generous enough to let Hikaru go on a date with Haruhi, let Hikaru share the same room with Haruhi and letting Hikaru and Haruhi be on the same team. He also assists Kyoya in his investigations.

2. Kyoya Ootori

He tried his very best, to the extent of exhausting himself while trying to locate Tamaki's mother in France. His determination to locate her earns the respect of both his subordinates and readers. The scene where he presented his souvenirs to the host club members, and finally, the welfare of Tamaki's mother by sharing with the members of his findings...it was so good that I teared up. Tamaki crouching in the corner, listening, and smiling knowing his mom is okay was really heart-warming. Not only that, Kyoya also did a lot of investigation behind the scenes for Tamaki, researching on Tamaki's father, grandmother, lawyer and doing his best to uncover Tamaki's dad's plan. That is very commendable. It just shows how much Tamaki meant to him and what he as the best friend can do to help. I like the part where Kyoya reveals that he doesn't care about what others think of him. He will only allow those who really want to know him to know the true him. Aww...you can't help but vouch for him despite his cunning behaviors. It was after all, what keeps the club running and functioning, what with the extravagant cost of Honey senpai's cakes and the Host Club's costumes and settings set up.

I liked it that he picked the management expert route. He is certainly the best and should take over his father's business. It was also nice when Honey checked if maybe Kyoya would be the most unaware of his own feelings when he thought it would be Kaoru. To which Kyoya replied nicely, he is aware but there were something more precious than that. =)

3. Tamaki Suou - Notable Quotes

The biggest superstar idiot of the entire club but also, the most endearing. His sad background did not turn him into an angst-ridden child, instead, he followed his mother's advice and spread happiness(and some annoyance) wherever he goes. ALL his scenes are funny - no matter who he is with, he will definitely charm people's hearts out. Well, maybe except for Haruhi's dad but hey, even his grandmother was soften by him. Perhaps, his biggest achievement was setting up the host club. He found himself really great members - true friends. Even Kyoya who had initially just befriended him for his status became his most loyal and valuable ally. Still, all that i'm your daddy' thoughts...it is bearable considering his clinging to the idea of 'family'. He certainly wouldn't understand unless his members helped him out. It was touching when he understood the meaning of the Curry Orienteering project by the Host Club who are determined to take on his idiotic role just so he can straighten his feelings out. It was also hilarious when he thought about marriage and all. The way he crouches at a corner and mopes, or when he turns back once in a while with puppy eyes, or when he 'dies'...I laughed myself out. Absolutely adorable!!! =DDDD

4. Haninozuka Mitsukuni@Honey senpai

The shortest, cutest, and second oldest member of the club who possessed amazing skills in martial arts, he loves sugar and all sweet things, especially cakes. It's also super kawaii with his Usa-chan bunny and his just awaken-from-sleep mode when he rubs his eyes. His hilarious scenes are when he had that cavity and suffered from sugar/sweet/snacks/cake withdrawal symptoms, basically anything to do with his cake obsession. Oh, the scene where his brother Yasuchika was telling the members how afraid he was if Honey is really an alien from bunny land or something. The bunny could be his means of communicating with the other aliens. Laugh die me. It was awesome that the author portrayed Honey's seriousness, to show that Honey really isn't just a cake-loving boy. Despite the cutesome appearance, Honey notices the juniors' feelings about Haruhi and was a great consultant when Kaoru came to him for advice. He also settled his university admission issue quietly and provided a great graduation event for the rest with Mori. One thing I like, he chooses Science and Technology! He wants to produce his own Honey Toy Factory OMG!!!! XDD

5. Haruhi Fujioka

Her development was quite the unexpected. From a dun-care, ignore, apathetic view, she changed into an active loyal member. Her cool-headedness and independence is quite admirable. But what's more likeable was how she managed to see through people. She can differentiate Hikaru and Kaoru early on and she can also understand and empathize with Tamaki's situation. Though sometimes, her stubborn-ness and lack of emotions attitude is quite annoying.

6. Morinozuka Takashi
The tallest and oldest, also the quietest member. He's good in kendo and his family has been serving the Mitsukuni family for long. He is more like a half friend half butler to Honey, to me. He is like the silent pillar of the club hahaha. His story is probably the least developed though we know he cares a lot for Honey's welfare and is supportive of the club activities. He even asked Honey out on a duel to enforce discipline on Honey's uni life - that was hilarious. His sutra turned out to be 'reduce 90% of sweet intakes, no more bringing Usa chan to university..." I like the fact that he decides to chose a different faculty from Honey so as to be able to help him out in the future. Jurisprudence hmmm. Also probably the most productive, as when he is able to actually do real work like fixing the fence during their summer outing. I wonder what does Mori thinks sometimes? He is really the silent hero type - man of a few words.

Mei chan no shitsuji

2011-06-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

My J Drama for the summer and June. I ranked it a B drama, second last to Honey and Clover. I learnt a lot from this drama. Funny how considering it's only ranked B while the others were all As except for Honey and Clover.

Mei chan no shitsuji can be translated as Mei chan's butler. Through research, I learned that it is from a manga, but I suspect the entire plot was changed a lot. Anyway, I have never read the manga before so I can't comment on that. But anyhow, here goes:

Shinonome Mei(Eikura Nana) lives happily with her parents selling udons for a living - until her parents passed away in an accident. Suddenly, she discovers that she is actually from a wealthy family, she has a S rank butler, Shibata Rihito(Mizushima Hiro) serving her and she is enrolled in the prestigious St Lucia Academy to learn how to be a lady. You may think waahhhh so fairytale like...it's always like that anyway in dramas. So she went there unwillingly and her classmates aren't too happy with her anyway. She dresses poorly and does not have the slightest lady like look on her at all. Not to mention, our top antagonist, Lucia-sama who is secretly plotting to rid Mei from the school. Right from the start, you get a feeling that our heroine is going to be in deep trouble. How will she fare and thrive in this new desolate environment, without any friends?

No fears, we have our S ranked butler, Rihito who does his best to guide and protect his lady. LOL....the plot is there but it wasn't up to my expectations. The fight between Rihito and Kento for example, was meant to be emotionally serious but I can't help but to let out a chuckle. It was poorly acted out, with no suspense at all!!! Come on, the guys don't look like the fighting type to begin with. Rihito is the standard anime prettyboy type, goodlooking with a skinny body. Definitely not the macho type. Kento is like a rash schoolboy going head first into fights. Still, it was great just recognising the actors from HanaKimi.

Rihito(Hiro) is Nanba Minami from Hanakimi. Nebucchi is Masao from Hanakimi. Izumi is Hibari from Hanakimi. Shinobu is Mayama from Honey and Clover. I learn that the twin butlers are going to be the Hitachiin twins in Ouran. It's been like a drama where I wish I can be like the heroine, fitting in the school and making good friends with everyone. Idealistic I know, but one can always dream, no?

A post on the upcoming J drama Ouran High School Host Club! http://pixyl.tumblr.com/post/5791788356/ouran-high-school-host-club-drama-update

Otome Youkai Zakuro - Splendidly refreshing!

2011-06-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

I found someone who has a rather nice blog about the show here.

Okay, I had relatively low expectations of this anime at first since the drawing of the guys isn't exactly my type. But I gave it a try anyway and boy, I didn't regret!

It's about an alternate version of the Meiji era where the Japanese is slowly getting westernized and the military sort of form an alliance with the spirits to tackle spirit issues. So the military sent over three soldiers to be partners with the spirit peeps. The spirit girls, half spirits as they are called had mixed feelings too but they go with it anyway. So there were three teams altogether.

Team 1: Agemaki Kei and Zakuro
Team 2: Riken Y and Susukihotaru
Team 3: Ganryuu Hanakiri and Bonbori and Hozuki(twins)

As expected, each team ends up together but what's cool is the plot. How each team got to know each other and their chemistry. How each side tries to understand the other party. I love the fighting song.

Watasha hanaka, chochoka oni ka - feels like some folk songs.

Good show and a must watch!

Kaichou wa Maid sama - Memorably Delightful!

2011-06-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

The second anime I watched this summer, it's about the Seika High School President, Ayuzawa Misaki who is determined to revamp the school's filthy image to a cleaner and more pleasant image. The reason:

Seika High was actually an all boys school before it turned co-ed. As such, the female students' population is low and the boys are, well, dirty, foul-mouthed, perverted, boisterous, loud, actively involved with fights....all the nasty associations. Therefore, Misaki aimed to change the school to a better environment where the female students feel more comfortable and relaxed. She worked hard in her studies and martial arts and earn the teacher's trust to be appointed the school president. This involves constantly nagging the boys to dress properly, behaved in more polite manners, etc..earning the wrath of almost all the boys.

However, she does have a secret. She is working as a maid in a maid cafe as her part time job!!
Naturally, being the president and maid doesn't really seem to go together considering how much she hates that kind of guys. However, the pay is good and she comes from a poor family. The story doesn't waste much time. Right from episode 1, her secret was discovered by Usui Takumi who happened to pass the cafe while she was throwing trash.

Now Usui Takumi is the most popular guy in school who seemed nonchalant in almost everything. After the encounter, he listened to Misaki's explanation and began to seem to have a life. Which is stalking Misaki. From there onwards, it was a funny watch!! Usui finds himself attracted to Misaki's oddities and personality and seemed to 'stalk' her - she is always around and he can't help but observe her. He also frequents the cafe she works at.

the three idiots

We also have the idiot trio - Shiroyan, Ikkun and Kurotatsu who hates the president at first but then adored her after they met her in the maid attire. They provide a lot of the relief gags. I could go on and on for there are a lot more characters but I'll stop. For an anime with a lot of side characters, it proved to be a highly enjoyable and entertaining show!

I'm kinda happy as this is the first anime which I can catch up with. It's fairly recent and the manga is still running. I'm catching up on the manga itself and I planned to catch up with the manga of my favorite animes. Next will be Ouran and Fruit Basket!

Special A - Humorous but slightly forgettable.

2011-06-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

So the first anime I watched this summer is Special A. It's a funny light-hearted shojo anime which reminds me of Ouran High School Host Club. Special A is actually the top class of the school where the top 7 of the school are placed. They are ranked:

No1 - Takashima Kei
No2 - Hikari Hanazono
No3 - Akira Toudou
No4 - Yamamoto Megumi
No5 - Yamamoto Jun
No6 - Tadashi Karino
No7 - Ryu Tsuji

Their class is different from the rest in the sense that their 'class' has a greenhouse where they have lotsa tea parties, a kitchen and a lounge. It's very relaxing and the class members are free to do their own thing. Each have their own little cliche and quirks but each of them held their classmates with high regards and love the class in their own way.

Takashima vs Hikari
These two are constantly competing to be no1 but Hikari always seem to lose out. The kind of chemistry they have is kinda baffling - we have Kei who harbors feelings for Hikari but he shows it only very subtly and he is always willing to play along with her competitions and teased her in his own way. Hikari, is a complete BLURCASE who never seem to realise Kei's feelings or her own feelings. She is just someone very innocently honest who believes that one can achieve their dreams by working hard and if you don't, you just didn't work hard enough. A very nice girl, her ONLY desire is to beat Kei at least once in something, but through the fair means of a competition.

Akira x Tadashi
My fav pairing! Here's two really funny characters who *spoiler* actually liked each other since young but never really said it out to each other. Akira loves baking and cooking and having tea parties while Tadashi enjoys roaming around and eating Akira's cooking. Someway or another, Tadashi always ends up saying something which infuriates or annoys Akira and she will just bash him up. He is so used to it that when she doesn't, he feels oddly out of place. Akira values her friends, especially Hikari and will do her best to protect Hikari and the people she values. A childhood friend of Kei and Yahiro.

Jun ~Ryu ~ Megumi
These trio are always together. Ryu is the eldest of the lead and loves animals. He has this special ways with animals and the animals loved him too!! Jun and Megumi are always jealous whenever Ryu shows affection to the animals. They are very close. Megumi communicates through writing on a notepad because she wants to protect her voice. However, everyone who hears her singing almost always got a dizzy spell due to the power of her vocals. Jun has a secret to hide and it is revealed in the anime but not here! :)

Side characters worth mentioning:
Yahiro Saiga
Childhood friend of Kei and Akira. He does his best to protect Akira but he is always misunderstood.

Sakura Ushikubo
Casted in a marriage interview with Kei, she switched her affection to Jun after realising he resembles her idealistic version of her prince.

As usual with shojo plots, we'll see the lead couple going through all sorts of trials and tribulations before they get together. In this anime, I was constantly annoyed by the thickheaded Hikari who never seemed to get the slightest hint. However, it was saved with the funny scenes and the lovable acts of the entire cast. The last episode was good as well the way everyone contributed to the infiltration of Kei's palace. Hohoho. All in all, it was a good watch but not really memorable. Still, the takeaway moral is that, we must work hard!

Goong - Character Analysis

2011-06-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

Crown Prince Lee Shin
This is such a lovely picture of him. Because he is smiling. 80% of the series,he was either sulking or moody with neither a smile or a flick of happiness in his face. He grew up a lonely boy whose alter elgo is Alfred, his teddy bear given to him by the late King, his grandfather. He turned reserved and cold in his palace until he met Chae Gyung, who slowly melted his ice cold heart and turned him into a regular happy young chad who is able to open his heart to people and be able to smile happily. Because he was always moody, his wide beaming face in the last episode was a joy to see. =)

Another reason why we can't hate his jerk behaviors: He simply does not know how to reach out to people or how to say the right things. BUT, he does tries his best to fulfill his role and responsibilities, even if it means making himself seem despicable. Still, he's so nice, till he is willing to let his love go as long as she is happy. THIS is why he is MORE deserving of Chae Gyung than Yool. Woots!

Min Hyo Rin - She reminds me of Sonija Kwok with that look. Anyways, it was funny how she relate her situation to Prince Charles and Camilla. Still, she was poisoned and influenced by Yool's Mom but kudos to her for letting go of the Prince and realizing her true dream : to be a famous ballerina.

Awww this was one of my fav moments when they both relaxed and just have pure fun. The theme song was very apt and it remained one of my favorite K couple moments.

This smile is so rare. We can see Shin being truly happy and he deserves his happiness - for being patient and giving and of course, the Prince. It's like a fairy tale where the Crown Prince and Crown Princess have their happy ending! =)

Goong Fan Pics

2011-06-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

Fan Pic

Fan Pic2

Alfred Wedding

Alfreds

Wedding with Emotions

Fun with Grandma!

Goong/Princess Hours

2011-06-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

It took me a week to finish this drama. 24 episodes. It is not my favorite K drama yet - but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Being a picky drama watcher, I select my K dramas carefully since they tend to have many episodes. I would admit that initially, I have misgivings about this drama as I thought it was hyped up. However, seeing as it was a hit in 2006 and Yoon Eun Hye's performance in Coffee Prince was great so I decided to give this drama a try. And as usual, K leads are not exactly that good looking but as you get to know their onscreen personality, you will end up rooting for them. They shine in their character and in particularly, the lead in this drama, Lee Shin. At a first glance, he look very ordinary and very Asian/Korean-ish with those eyes. But as his personality unveils, I began to cheer for him and was glad that the lead look normal rather than be superbly attractive without looking anything but Asian. But hey, not to say Asian's are not good looking! Just that he has the Asian look rather than some superstars with plastic stuff but no offence!


Spunky Chae Gyung!

Cool Shin Goon

So, to recap, this drama in short is about a fictional constitutional monarchy which Korea still have. The King is ill and the royal family decided to get the Crown Prince Lee Shin a wife. The twist was that the King's father had arranged for the Crown Prince to be wed to this best friend's granddaughter. Here comes Chae Gyung, the bubbly persona who agrees to marry the prince to save her family from the loan sharks and bankruptcy. Arranged marriage in the 21st century? The conflicts lies when the Prince's ex gf, Hyo Rin is not satisfied and is determined to get the Crown Prince back while Yool, the former Crown Prince who has lived in isolation in England with his mother returns and is determined to regain his once-owned throne and seat of Crown Prince. His scheming mother thickens the plot as our young couple is faced with so many uncertainties, dilemmas and issues. How will they survive through it and learn to love one another? Haha I made it sound so dramatic but it isn't that bad.

Crown Prince Lee Shin by Joo Ji Hoon

Crown Princess Chae Gyung by Yoon Eun Hye

Former Crown Prince Lee Yool by

Ballerina Min Hyo Rin

CG Dad - Househusband, excellent cook, wacky

CG Mom - insurance agent

King

Queen

Queen Mother - Sassy Grandma!

Yool's Mother - Scheming Lady

Shin's sister, Princess Hye Mung

Royal Family

Since there are so many pictures, I will post more fan pictures in the next post!! XD Have I mentioned Alfred? =p

Goong - Shin and Gwendal

2011-06-09T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hahaha I felt like I needed to say it though I don't think many will appreciate it unless you watch Goong and Kyou Kara Maoh before. Lee Shin reminds me so much of Gwendal - the way they both play with their soft toy(s). The best line by Chae Gyung so far after he got pelted with eggs : "You're just like the shin ramen with an additional egg". LOL

Full Metal Alchemist

2011-02-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

My friend gave me the link to this awesome anime series and I'm hooked from the pilot episode itself.I will write a more worthy post when I next have the time.

First Shop of Coffee Prince

2010-12-29T15:47:00.000-08:00

I love the chemistry between Go Eun Chan and Choi Han Kyul. I love how cool Han Yoo Ju and Choi Han Sung is. This drama made me laughed and cry but I think i laughed harder in You're Beautiful. Still, a very entertaining drama due to solid chemistry between the four main leads and the interactions with the supporting actors. Next: Princess Hours but that would be in the summer. I wish I had more time.

pig rabbit :)

2010-07-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm still very much attached to You're Beautiful. Probably because the entire show is so full of goodness and kindness and innocence and selflessness...okay I seem to promote it as such an angelic show but that's precisely why it's fun watching it. The inherent goodness and innocence of the characters make them so lovable although annoying too because I just can't stand their stupidity at times.

Still, some of my favourite parts:

The infamous mouth twitch...
The point system....
The pig rabbit....
The wacky hypermarket dance....

Hmmmmm mmmmmm :)
http://www.dramabeans.com/2009/11/youre-beautiful-episode-9/

You're Beautiful

2010-05-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

You're Beautiful(click for the link to the episodes)

Tae Kyung and his pouts~

You're Beautiful, the third Korean Movie I've watched. This time I watched it with Shu Lei over two days two nights and boy, what joy I had! This is seriously a pretty lame yet incredibly hilarious drama. I love it!!! It's another story of girl disguised as guy set in a wacky and super lame plot. Here it goes:

See how gay their dressing are.

Brought up in a Convent and a nun in the making, Mi Nyu was approached by Manager Ma who convinces her to role play as her fraternal twin brother, Go Mi Nam who is away under some rehabilitative eye surgery. To help her brother, she agrees and thought that it was over. However, she was then convinced to continue to pretend to be her brother for one more month. The thing is, her brother is now in the popular band A.N.JELL and she has difficulties socialising with the three members of the group, leader and vocal Hwang Tae Kyung, guitarist Shin Woo Hyung and drummer Jeremy. How is she gonna last through that one month and risked being found out? Hahaha the first 80% of the story really make me 'zha dao' and ROFL LMAO and LOL all the way....these characters are really dumb/stupid and you can't help but be half annoyed yet please at their personality...somehow, although they were super gay, super dumb, super super weird, they still stole my heart. Their kindness, innocentness, goodness and of course, lameness keeps me watching their hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking antics throughout this 16 episode drama. Of course, everyone loves a happy ending and I was very curious to see how it end.

Tae Kyung, Shin Woo and Jeremy

Gokusen 3 SP and Gokusen the Movie!

2010-01-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

Movie Site

Randomly, I watched the movie without any subtitles. Although I didn't understand the dialogue, I got the gist of the story anyway. It was really humourous even without needing to understand it. If I knew what they were speaking, I would have learn another set of moral values. LOL.

Gokusen 3 SP.

Another movie version and it's funny and engaging as well. Hard to explain unless you're a Gokusen fan as well. Oh well...the actress is the best actor and the drama wouldn't be perfect without her hilarious colleagues, esp Head teacher Sawatari and her yakuza followers, esp Tetsu and Minoru. :D

Hayao Miyazaki

2010-01-03T18:13:00.001-08:00

I've watched four of his movies so far!

1. Spirited Away
2. Princess Mononoke
3. Kiki's Delivery Service
4. Howl's Moving Castle

My favourite is still Spirited Away. Princess Mononoke was great, Kiki was too childishly annoying for me while Howl's was quite abstract to me. Some scenes were weird to me too and upon further research, discover that it was based on Diane WJ;s book adaptation. No wonder! The animations are different too! I prefer Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.
For more info, click on the titles above. It is linked to a detailed synopsis of the movie.

BIG BANG

2009-09-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Erin and Yen, I'm now addicted to Big Bang. YEN'S influence has pulled me towards T.O.P.

Go Big Bang!!! Though I say addicted I mean to their songs and parodies and looks...a few songs but I like all the ones I hear. =)

post Vampire Knight

2009-07-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

Weirdly, after a few days after I finished Vampire Knight Guilty, the stuff I remember about Vampire Knight Guilty is Kaname sama. Funny cause when I first watch Vampire Knight, none of them had an effect on me. So, to sum it all up, I guess it's Kaname sama after all.

To my Zero fan friends, I still....don't like Zero. Hahahaha. He may look good but I gravitate more towards Kaname. Not just for his face, though.

Vampire Knight Guilty

2009-07-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

The second season is darker than the first one, making the whole plot seem more tensed, serious and of course, pulse racing with the variety of bishies. This time, Kaname seem to appear more appealing while Zero still fail to do anything. Of course, I'm talking about the effect they have on me. Kaname reminds me of a lion king who is only loyal to one person. His eyes are superb. I wonder how they draw it. It reflects his sadness so well!

Yuuki on the other hand resembles so much like Bella. Wanting to protect others and yet being so fragile. The other vampires, which I have grown accustomed to, Aidou Hanabusa, Kain Akatsuki, Sioun Ruka, Rima, Seiren, Ichijou and Senri Shiki were of great help to Kaname sama. I like the antics of Hanabusa at the last episode, where he pretends to ask Akatsuki to pick the correct hand where the green ball is to which he will follow Kaname sama. Later, he ends up in a squabble with Ruka over who's legs are longer.

Also, Kaien Cross as the chairman of Cross Academy reminds me of myself. Hahaha. First time. In fact, thats how I behave actually, minus the legendary past. Hehehehe. Not bad looking, the Yagari sensei is quite annoying though. I think it must be due to the seiyuu because I don't like his voice or the way he acts. HAha.

Plot wise, it is nice as the whole story unwraps nicely as each character plays their roles as assumed by Kaname sama. I like the chemistry between the young Kaname and Yuuki. So loving and adorable!!!! No wonder Kaname spent 10 years living in solitude, choosing his pawns to protect her. He deserved it. In fact, his face even resemble a royalty, a dignified being although he's a vampire.

All in all, I'm happy that Yuuki choose to follow Kaname sama in the end. It is such a beautiful scene where she explains that Kaname is one of the persons whom she wants to protect. Truly, both of them are just like Edward and Bella.

I dunoe which pair to like more. Obviously, I somewhat dislike the female, Bella, Yuuki, whatever because it's so unfair!! Okla, musn't be jealous, I ain't a Bella/Yuuki in the first place. It's just that, like how Bella and Yuuki once was lost, now found their meaning and place in life, I too want to find my meaning and place in life, hoping to be happy and healthy along the way and lead a simple life amidst my close friends and family. Too much to ask?

p/s: written hurriedly because I want to sleep. zzzzz