Let's Open the Cookie Jar

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it's basically the inside of sakinah's brain.
but mercifully edited, censored, and anaesthesised with a heavy dose of prozac.

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it's a good day

Today is a great day for bawling.

Watched Harry Potter DH: Part 2. The movie was alright overall, couldn't help but continuously draw comparisons between the book and the movie, leaving me feeling unsatisfied. But still, there were plenty of tear-jerker moments. There were quite a few people crying out loud in the theatre, and the guy next to me wiped his glasses a few times. Definitely trying to keep his macho. I was going to cry at the Weasley scene, but the cinema was too cold and I was spending too much energy just shivering and trying to keep warm. Hahaha...yeah. Deathly Hallows is definitely one of the better Harry Potter films. Anybody wanting a real good story should still read the book instead of the films though.

Snape. Just ;___; His conversation with Dumbledore about Lily was ace. Beautifully written, and wonderfully executed. Not to mention Alan Rickman wears that black dress so well.

Then I read a USUK doujin; From the New World With Love. Good God. If there is ever an award for BL doujin, yumeuta definitely takes the cake! Historical references galore, detailed dialogue and heart-wrenching scenes! It's just, it's just ;______; It fits in with everything so well! ....okay, that was senseless fan ranting, and I'll probably forget about this wishy washy emotion soon but there's no time like the present, I say, and this doujin is awesome!

Cried lots, released lots of endorphine! Today is a good day!

Can't wait for Ace. WAIT. Don't want to read Ace. Don't want to read Ace.

Labels: manga, movies, rants

One Piece

I've been more fond of the One Piece shirt I got at the Uniqlo sale ever since I started actually reading the manga. As far as I can tell, One Piece is very straight forward shounen, but that doesn't mean it's simple. In fact, the storytelling and artwork is ace, whereby humour and drama mingle together so effortlessly. It's rare to read a manga that sets you off laughing out loud in one panel, and tug your heartstring so damn hard in the next, all in one fluid motion as the story continuously pulls you in with its whacky and delightful set of characters.

Ahem, I'm getting ahead of myself. Introduction, introduction...how should I start it? But One Piece is already a famous manga/anime icon, and I'm sure there are already a great many reviews out there who can describe it far more eloquently, doing it greater justice than I possibly can... so maybe we can just skip this part. All you need to know is that One Piece is the hyperactive brainchild of Eiichiro Oda detailing the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy as he sets sail with his crewmates to achieve his dream of becoming pirate king! Luffy is a pirate who can't swim, but he can stretch his body like rubber since he ate the Gomu Gomu Devil Fruit when he was a boy. Calling him an idiot is an understatement, and nobody understands that better than the friends he makes throughout his journey. There's the swordsman who uses three swords Roronoa Zoro, sly ''cat burglar'' Nami who-doesn't-actually-steal-cats, and well so many more.

Eiichiro Oda himself is also a piece of work. His zany character shines through with every character profile and unraveling plot. Reading his SBS (aka Bullshit) Corner is good fun in it's own right. Honestly though, his sincerity (part of a marketing strategy? eh, who cares) in developing his art really caught my attention. It seemed like drawing One Piece is such a joy to him that the enthusiasm somehow jumps into his pages and reaches out to his readers. Does this make sense? No? Your loss.

Aaaargh~ there's just so much to talk about One Piece that a single entry will never cover it! I suspect that's why the Internet is littered with episodic summaries of this awesome. So, go on and Google it, or better yet, grab the book and start becoming a fan.

Labels: manga, one piece

the otaku rages

Sekaiichi Hatsukoi has been removed off Youtube. the only way i can watch it is by becoming a premium member over at Crunchyroll- which is very the peachy because hey, we support Nakamura Shungiku just as much as any fan. what? no account? then never mind, wait for the licensed DVD! remember to continue supporting the mangaka/studio/whoever-it-is-that-sweated-blood-and-tears-to-release-it.

fuck that shit because i have never seen any licensed anime DVD here in Malaysia. well, actually I did, that one time in Kinokuniya but that's inconsequential to the anime industry here in general.

you can walk into any DVD store here in Malaysia that sells anime and chances are you'll see nothing but bootleg. some have subs ripped from fansubbers, whereas others have fan-fucking-tastically awful subs that butcher the characters name, mix up sentences like sambal belacan in a blender and what's more, still retain that mysterious chinese character that doesn't quite translate to english and since the bootleggers don't really know what to do (nor do they care, pshaaw), they just left the random BE, JII, or misc crap like that in. i don't even know how to begin telling you how badly that irritates me. and how confusing was that sentence?

now i'll have to stomach the horrible subs, horrible video quality, annoying moving little icons (which doesn't make a fake any more legitimate, fucking idiots), all because of the nonexistent local anime rights. don't start on online shopping because i can't do shit like that.

not to mention the US div of Tokyopop is shutting down, hence bye bye Togainu no Chi, bye bye Tactics, bye bye- wait, i think that's all the title i'm following. . . no, there's also Qwan and Demon Flowes. . .oh sheesh. when i first started buying manga, i had always maintained a careful distance between myself and Tokyopop for some unknown reason. oh yea, because my first couple of manga were from Viz and ADV respectively and the sudden outpouring of so many Tokyopop titles on the bookshelves scared me a little. but then ADV collapsed, and the license for Tactics changed hands to Tokyopop so i was forced to support what i hated.

and from then on Tokyopop and I have a (one-sided) love/hate relationship. they made a passable job at translating Tactics at first, even adding in the translation notes at the end like what ADV did, but that eventually dwindled away to jackshit. kinda like Suikoden III and Wild Adapter. at first they-OHMYGODIJUSTREMEMBEREDWILDADAPTER*GAAAASP*

...that's it. i better stop now before it becomes a full blown rant against Stu Levy. it is really very sad that they're closing before they had a chance to improve and gain a solid standing in the manga market, but face it, Tokyopop has always had problems.

ah well. in the end i should focus on graduating and getting myself a credit card so i can finally buy things online and fill my future 2LDK apartment with towering stacks of manga and magazines, litter the floor and any available flat surface with amazingly detailed figurines and mecha, and put my 40'' plasma TV with surround sound and PS3 as the centerpiece of the living room, plus a sofa that can easily be converted into a bed. we won't need food because the convenience store is gonna be within walking distance.

i foresee an interesting future ahead as the useless shut-in dentist who makes money just so she can spend it online. yeah. amazing.

Labels: anime, manga, rants

catching up

Shut up dashboard, I know that I have a tonne of drafts piling up, just leave me be in my writer's block. I'll get around to them eventually. Maybe.

Anyway, lots of exciting things happened this past week, but there is such a huge shitload of lecture notes to be read that I feel like I can really use Hermione's Time Turner right about now. And I don't care about the whole paradox-time-continuum crap, I wish I could meet my 18 year old self who was innocently filling in the university application and tell her (myself), 'DO SOMETHING THAT YOU LIKE AND NOT WHAT YOU THINK YOU'RE GOOD AT!' complete with a >8( emoticon.

I wonder if it would have made any difference.

Back to those exciting things I mentioned earlier. Hazel stayed over during the weekend, and we watched Black Swan. I had my doubts about the movie, but they were all blown away the very second the movie started. Seriously, it was good. And for all the awkward and awful physically intimate scenes (to which I thank the M'sian cinema for kindly editing out the more raunchier parts), I have to say, they were integral to the storyline. The movie couldn't be what it was without them. It was perfect in picturing the main character's descent into a dark adulthood, the defilement of innocence and the thrill of discovering a world far away from the safety bubble. For the guys out there, I have an inkling that the lesbo scenes were what made Black Swan so popular among them. Um, hullo? What about the plot, the sfx, the script, the whole cinematography in general? If porn is all it takes to win the Oscars, then any Paris Hilton wannabe could have sent in their sex video and make an acceptance speech consisting nothing but heavy breathing and low moans. Please-lah.

Oh, and Hazel and I stuffed our faces silly with Italiannies. Pasta craving, accomplished!! They also serve a mean piece of NY strawberry cheesecake. Any cheese cake lovers (or strawberry lovers) out there should definitely give this slice of heaven a try.

Last but not least on the agenda is the trip to the clinics. Yes, we DED0900XX are finally entering our clinical sessions. Just had the obligatory demo by the nurses and technicians regarding handwashing, disinfectant, dental chair, handpieces, and PPE. It was fun. And somewhat unnerving because it hasn't actually dawned on me just yet that I'm a dental student who is going to operate on actual real life human beings. Som's total reluctance and apathy regarding the whole (as she would put it) ordeal probably played a part in it. Come on, we need some enthusiasm, people! Or maybe you guys can continue being the wet towel if that makes you happy but please don't call me a nerd or a freak if I admit to myself that yes, I am actually rather excited at the prospect of looking inside a person's mouth. Yikes, did I just say that? Mmmm oh well. The nurse in charge of PPE was so cute though. I think it's the same one that taught us how to use process the radiographs in optech lab but I can't be sure.

All that said, I just need to leave a reminder that I shall probably not blog here as much. It's getting too tiresome, and the writer's block feels like an insurmountable wall and I lack the energy to scale it over. Either way, check out my tumblr which shall be filled with all kinds of random stuff that makes me click reblog or post or crap like that. Shhhyeah this was a long post.

On that note, here's a picture from the current manga I'm fapping over like mad; A Cruel God Reigns by Hagio Moto. I simply adore her colour works. Kinda looks like AntiChrist IMO. And considering the title of the manga, I wonder? But shall not read too much into it, and shall just let the picture speak for itself. It is beautiful.

Labels: manga, movies, uni stuff

frog-shaped stain

In my humble opinion, anyone who can draw a pre-pubescent boy in underpants and still manage to make him look dead awesome has serious talent. I am not ashamed to admit that I have been stalking Jaryuu Dokuro ever since I laid my eyes on this picture.

Oh, oh, and Yoneda Kou sounds so cute in her afterword ramblings. Take this for example- 'What I really wanted to draw was Deguchi's gingham chequered underpants.' I bet she totally went :B when she wrote that out.

And in the ending for NEG: Gakuen Datenroku, there was a scene where Kaworu was butt-nekkid and was talking to Shinji about some survival crap (or something) and somehow or other that got me terribly excited and I went off saying, 'GLEE~' over at the room called somalia. They were treating like I was an alien. Haha, I don't understand myself either, but I think this abnormality I'm displaying means that I'm returning to normalcy. My kind of normal at the very least.

This post does not mean that nothing has been happening in my life. In fact, too much has been happening, and for on- FUCK THERE'S A GIANT CICAK IN MY ROOM- and anyway, for once I'd like to escape reality and just hide in the security of the darkness that is my mind. The voices in my head have been good.

Labels: manga, rants

I, Fangirl?

!Warning, this post is a fan-rant!

It's FIFA season, but nothing's stopping me from enjoying baseball anime on the side. And what better way to toast teamwork and sports psychology than Ookiku Furikabutte?

The manga was drawn/written by Asa Higuchi while the animation was produced by A-1 Pictures Inc and directed under the helm of Tsutomu Mizushima who also directed xxxHolic, another anime I enjoyed before CLAMP steered the manga into self-destruction mode.

Now, we have Aniplex backing, good director, solid story and baseball in the mix. Sounds like a winner just as it is. Problem in the equation is that I care squat about baseball. The closest bit I got to holding a mitt and a bat was in high school softball for one game. We were playing defense, I was fielder (God knows where) and none of the girls could hit the ball so we never moved much. It was the most boring game in the world. So, why the sudden interest in Oofuri?

For those who know me well, I just have to say pitchercatcher and everything else is self-explanatory. Even so, it's not the only attraction that Oofuri offers.

There's a good dose of comedy available, be it impressions or inside-joke baseball jargon. The characters mesh together so well, and their interaction almost feels like a real gang of friends playing ball and having fun.

Of course, it's not all joy and laughter as the team challenges themselves to new levels in each step of the competition. There's a lot of work to be done, strategy planning to be thought of and morale to uphold. Asa Higuchi is a graduate of sports psychology, and a baseball fanatic, so she (yes, you read that right, she) incorporated a lot of her knowledge in her work. Everything might seem overwhelming to a baseball beginner, heck, even daunting, but underneath the complexities of Japanese high school baseball, Oofuri stuck to the basic of the basics.

Have fun. Enjoy yourselves. Learn about your limits and possibilities.

The icing on the cake for this philosophy is arguably the pitcher of the Nishiura High, Mihashi Ren; a timid boy traumatized by his experience as a pitcher for his previous school. He became the outcast in his own team because they thought he only got the position out of favoritism. He carried the stigma with him to high school, and remained doubtful of his ability despite much-deserved praise from his new teammates. Who can blame him, though? Tell a person he's useless over and over again, and in time, he might come to believe it himself.

The season 2 finished with a... downward slope for the Nishiura High, but I'm optimistic for more. Sports anime, especially baseball, is usually well-received with higher chances of being continued. All that's left is for Asa Higuchi to work out her charm and bring out the best in her boys and we'll sit back, gnaw out hangnails in frustration and anticipation, and enjoy the game.

Labels: anime, manga, rants, sports

Flat is the Name

I'm currently reading this series over at mangafox. It's one of the few that has managed to make me laugh out loud. Then again, it doesn't take much to make me laugh. I have pretty low standards actually. But the story is heartwarming. Not in a heavy, dramatic way that makes you think too much, but just enough. It's relaxing.

I want to purge this account. Blogging with your head tilted 45 degrees whilst lying on the bed propped up by deflating pillows is not comfortable at all. But I'm too lazy to use the computer under the bed.

That was a creepy thought.

If left alone to my own devices, my mind will surely wander to the bizarre and inexplicable. One of the hot topics I currently like to ponder over is 'Hot Cup Maggie Mee: The Mysteries of How Something So Cancerous Can Be So Desirable.' One of my top detectives, Ash (he doesn't have a last name, which is too bad because otherwise it would have been cool) is investigating this.

Okay, so he isn't.

Labels: manga, rants

NERDITY AHEAD

Lately, I haven't been able to bring myself to blog about the melodrama currently plaguing my brain. It would appear I prefer to block out the confusing philosophical/political nonsense with happier stuff. Unfortunately, I don't keep a tight rein on my happy level, thus making it very easy for 'happy' to jump to 'excessive-hyperactivity-that's bound-to-get-me-sent-to-Tanjung-Rambutan'.

Shhh....my door is creaking sign language to me again. And I'm still using the new glasses that are constantly making my eyes water. And I need to give the chocolates to Som. I feel like kacau-ing her.

SO ANYWAY.

Have just finished watching Eva 1.0, and I've decided to come out with a list of manga that I thought was good! Something like what I used to have over at my LiveJournal account (before I deleted it), but hopefully with shorter summaries this time. I hate writing summaries anyway. And for the record, Eva 1.0 was awesome.

Neon Evangelion Genesis drawn by Sadamoto Yoshiyuki.

Sadamoto-sensei's contribution to the .hack series is staggering. He's like Silent Hill's Yamaoka Akira, but with a G-nib pen instead of the kick-ass electric guitar. By that, I mean his artwork gave NEG its distinct feel, despite the fact that Hideaki Anno is the real Dr. Frankenstein behind the creation of NEG.

The artwork was maintained surprisingly well throughout its 16 years of serialization. Clean-cut, detailed, somewhat typical shounen with the fanservice here and there but what the hey. The story is well-paced; and it managed to portray the psyche of the Eva pilots and their haunts seemingly effortlessly. One favourite scene of mine is the time when Akari Shinji discovered Rei's secret. Mmm, I was pleasantly creeped out by the sight of the countless floating bodies.

Ookiku Furikabutte by Higuchi Asa.

BAAAASEEEEBAAAAAALLLLLL! At times like this, I wish I have ESPN.

The highlight of this manga series has got to be the nervous, timid pitcher who's obsessed with pitching, and the mound. He also thinks that his catcher is God Almighty (HALLELUJAH) which gives the manga some strong shounen-ai flavour, but I'm all for that. Seriously, this guy makes some of the funniest faces I have ever seen. In fact, this book might have won the Kodansha Award simply because of him!

Other than that, Oofuri- as if it is fondly known, shows in-depth baseball strategy planning. There's a lot of baseball jargon in here, most of which I don't understand. What really impresses me is the amount of psychological play that goes in the game. The little things that run in each player's minds affect their gameplay, their teammates, and consequently, the game itself. For a shounen sports manga, Oofuri is rather touchy-feely, but that's what makes it interesting.

Ooku: The Inner Chambers by Fumi Yoshinaga.

In this imaginative retelling of Japans' history, a contagion known as the redpox has claimed the lives of men- and only men; drastically changing the male to female ratio and endangering the way of life as we had all known it. The scarcity of men has forced women to join the workforce and hard labour, and soon, threatened the social order of organisation that had long been the custom of the not only Japan, but the entire human race.

Males as the authoritative figure has somehow become like a hereditary knowledge bred into everyone; men and women alike. Yoshinaga-sensei challenged this perception by crippling the male population, and Ooku became the stage in which she portrayed the economical, political and social consequences.

This ordeal is particularly problematic with a country like Japan and her customs. Men are the warriors upon the battlefield, the farmers that work the land, the head of the family, the heir and the supreme ruler. Take them away, and you're left with a void caused not only by their deaths, but by mindset and tradition.

The story is skillfully told in no way other than Yoshinaga-sensei herself could have managed. The art is simple, and to people unaccustomed to her style, may take insult at the awkward angles. As a saving grace, more attention has been paid into the background, successfully bringing out shogunate life in each panel. However, the panels are continuous with one another, like the negatives of a film reel. Panel after panel that gives way to page after page and finally volumes that tell the story as effectively as a real live action film. That, is story-telling.

Other manga that deserve the same credit but lack the space;

Axis Powers Hetalia by Himaruya Hidekaz
Pluto by Urasawa Naoki and Tezuka

I ended up nerding out on Ooku and Yoshinaga-sensei. Ahahhaha. But she is just that awesome.

Labels: manga