Wallpaper Of The Week: Hakurei Reimu

I’m not working today since I got a cold. Man, the rain these days can be really poisonous to the body. Just a drip to the head and the next you know, you got a cold the next day. Well, before I go to bed again to have some rest, here’s the wallpaper for this week. Enjoy.

[Via http://kazasou.wordpress.com]

Working in Anime: Does Fangirling Pay Off?

I recently applied for a job at an anime company, for which I’d gladly give up my right nip to get. It’s not that I don’t like my current job. I’m pretty settled, but as time goes on, I find myself longing for something different. After six years, it’s to be expected, I suppose, because like passion in a relationship, passion for a job fades over time. You may start out loving it, but if you don’t shake things up every once in a while, you’ll end up hating everything about it sooner or later. We’re fickle creatures so it’s not the job’s fault. It is what it is…until it isn’t. *sigh*

Here’s the rub: does doing something related to your hobby make work better or does it just turn your hobby into work? I know people who say, “if you really love what you do, you’d do it for free.” I work in a field that I love and the money comes up so short that I almost feel like I’m doing it for free. I’ve reached a point in my life where I need to start thinking about planning for retirement and not about how much fun it would be to work for an anime company. The words “fun” and “high-paying job” do not compute. I guess it’s time to get one of those soul-sucking corporate gigs that pay the big bucks. If it means that I’ll get to retire without having to be a Walmart greeter when I reach my 60s, so be it.

[Via http://fangirlsdelight.wordpress.com]

Gin Tama (Anime/Manga)

Summary

Edo-period at Japan suffers a big cultural shock. First, the aliens invaded the earth, overpowered the nation’s government, disbanded carrying swords for the once proud samurais. Moreover; these aliens took the people’ jobs and are currently running a sweatshop using them as laborers. Going with the flow, Sakata Gintoki, an enigmatic vagrant samurai whose personal trademark is not only his naturally permed silver hair but also his love of anything sweet and addiction Shounen Jump is making a life out of this chaotic era. He is self employed in a do-it-all shop named Yoruzuya Gin-chan who offers any job for any amount of money. Their jobs range from searching lost kittens and saving the world.

Sakata Gintoki is a samurai living in an era when samurais are no longer needed. To add to his troubles, oppressive aliens have moved in to invade. Gintoki lives with Kagura and Shinpachi, taking on odd jobs to make the world a better place…and to pay their rent.

Review

Gintama… is probably one of the most incredible manga and anime to set foot on to this planet. No joke here.

Gintama is a gag story of sorts. Making parodies and references to popular series like Naruto, Bleach and Mario and also cliches that break the fourth wall, like referring to themselves as a manga or anime and talking about their limited budgets for the show continue to entertain the audience, even until the 200th episode.

The episode titles make interesting modern world references, and it seems to point at our short-comings in an oddly amusing way.

Of course, Gintama is not all humor and games. Occasionally, there will be the more serious story arcs that contain intense development and fighting. These story arcs have proven to be rather detailed and well-done, bringing out many different aspects of a character’s personality, such as the popular Benizakura Arc and the Shinsengumi Mutiny Arc.

Gintama feels like a huge collection of genres done well. Parodies and humor aside, the fighting scenes are also great to watch and look at, unlike many other anime series whose fight scenes are long and draggy. The serious arcs are fast paced and enjoyable, while the daily-life arcs are humourous and move at a relaxing pace. Gintama garners a score of 8.3/10.

[Via http://berrypie.wordpress.com]

Aftermath

So after completing a manga and watching the entire anime, I get depressed, as there is no longer anything to look forward to reading or watching each day.

This is usually the point where I turn to fanfiction. In order to satisfy my fanshipping and whatnot, I read multiple stories, and write a few of my own as well. I find it both easier to read and write fanfics about completed mangas, simply because all the arcs are finished and each character has been developed as far as they will be developed in terms of being canon.

Sometime soon, I’ll go to my library and pick out a random manga—that’s usually how I find new things to read. I also go through extensive researching to find the names of dubbed animes I come across while on vacation [this is how I found Shugo Chara! Mermaid Melody, and Sgt Frog, to name a few.]

Since I’ve finished the HnG manga, and just watched the conclusion of the anime, I think this is the perfect time for me to start my Hikaru/Akira obsession [ever since that chapter when Akira blows up at Hikaru for playing badly, I knew they were gonna be my OTP.]

Anyway…back to reading. [I actually feel a bit happier at the prospect of Akaru/Hikira* fanfics.]

*A portmanteau of Hikaru and Akira. Since they switch roles [seme/uke] quite often, Akaru will be when I’m referring to Akira as the seme, and Hikira will be when I’m referring to Hikaru as the seme. :3

[Via http://xfractalimagex.wordpress.com]

Hot burning sensation

Watch out. Long long LONG post today. Kinda. -.-”

You know that “hot burning sensation” your teacher talked about during a particular pep-talk?
Well… News Flash! She wasn’t talking about first penetration.

Instead what she really meant was how your eyeballs would feel after sitting through two weeks watching nothing but the best mind-boggling animes Japans has to offer.

After 5cm per second, I continued with Mouryo no Hako. Some thinks its a murder mystery, some might say it’s supernatural, even paranormal.
Bah… to me; It’s good old mind-rape.

Though I enjoyed the anime, I should warn you guys that there is a high chance that you’ll be skipping through the anime as their truckloads worth of facts will inevitably bore most viewers.

Hate how the mystery was solved just because the detective knew the prime suspect. A solution which is slightly too much of a coincidence for my taste. I would prefer it if it was solved because of some revelations made or some clues discovered. Instead of the reason that just because they were acquainted, hence he knows the mystery behind it. Something that involves real detective work… you know.

4-Stars then. Mind rape is mind rape :p If not for the scene where a head was shot up sky high and blew into fireworks. Lol.

Anyway, completed Mouryo no Hako and that’s when I thought I’d try a epic anime marathon. Epic in the sense that I’d watch all the great animes everyone has talked about. Instead of spacing and slotting a mediocre anime in between like I’ve always tried to do. Thinking back and still remembering how good Sasameki Koto and 5cmpersec were. Mouryo no Hako definitely was a slight hiccup. But let’s move on to more great animes.
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So what did I watch? Spirited Away… FINALLY!
Been planning to watch this since god knows when. And I think I understand why it has always been a must-watch classic. The imagination found in this movie is god-like. I’ve watched my fair share of animes (not to boast or anything) through the recent years and even so, I can still feel Spirited Away beaming** with originality. And I’m just a sucker for endings like the one in Spirited Away.

Although I really want to give it a go, I won’t dwell into the anime any further. Cause frankly, there are way more epic posts out there on this anime. It’s a fact.

Though I’d like to add that I felt the ending didn’t do the whole anime justice. The build-up was epic. Too epic to be ended so sudden with my face full of question marks. Like how No-Face was just “dumped” at the elder twin sister’s home without knowing why it followed XXX in the first place. “Just because”? I don’t buy it. Still a 5-er in my books though.
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Completed Spirited Away, what’s next? Looked through my store and Woot! Has to be this. Kara no Kyoukai! Been saving this baby since forever! And reading Klux’s post about just makes me more eager to start this. Still remember watching chapter 1 ages ago. Was blown away then. Still blown away now. Seriously, the wait was well worth it.

You know what makes Kara no Kyoukai epic?
The music; the song, the background music.
Never have I been so amazed by the bgm of an anime.
When was the last time I even mentioned bgm with regards to an anime? I don’t even remember… Pfft.

The sudden burst of tempo as things pick up pace. The mystical piece when characters face revelations just makes it more intriguing.
Woahhh!
Sheer perfection, if I may.

Kick ass graphics, Yes.
Mind blowing story, sure.
Periodic mindfark, don’t even mention it.

However, it will all start to lose effect after watching 3 episodes in a row. The dark theme starts to feel boring as curiosity builds up but are barely satisfied with brief recaps of the past which leaves viewers at the mercy of their own imagination to fill up the missing gaps. That being said, as long as you don’t marathon the series, you’ll do alright. Unfortunately, that’s not how I watch (or review) animes. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t get a 5 out of me.
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*Am watching Fate/Stay night the Reproduction at time of drafting this post. Gawd Damn, I forgot how hot Tohsaka Rin and Saber was!! But Shiki of Kara no Kyoukai is just >*. Lol.

**beaming
Hmm… Is there such a word as breaming? Initially I went “breaming with originality”. Inputs appreciated…

***Guess what I’m moving on to next?!. Summer Wars then Tokyo Godfather… Can’t wait! :p

[Via http://naneee.wordpress.com]

[LYRICS] Chu-Bra!! Character Song Single - We can do it! (Hayama Nayu)

Track List
1. We can do it!
2. Shy Girls -Hayama Nayu ver-
3. 女の子の本音-葉山奈由編- (Onna no Ko no Honne -Hayama Nayu-hen-)
4. We can do it! -off vocal ver.-

Four character song singles released on the same day… well, I don’t have to do lyrics again for Shy Girls, and the third track is a drama, so it’s not so bad. (track 2 cleverly redirected to the Shy Girls post)
Chu-Bra!! is actually pretty good music-wise. You’d think the songs were just your usual moe themes, but they’re actually really cute. It probably helps that the seiyuu cast is great. Minorin’s got a good singing range – compare cutesy stuff like this to say, Paradise Lost from Ga-Rei -Zero-.

Yako, Haruka, and Kiyono will have to wait until tomorrow. -w-

Also, this time I’ve actually bothered to make the song page jumps clickable from the main page too, since I’ve noticed that some people are clicking them from there only to reach a dead link. I’ll incorporate this from now on… editing of previous posts will be done eventually. Maybe.
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We can do it!
Hayama Nayu (CV: Chihara Minori)

女の子同士だって 　言えない秘密があるよ
onna no ko doushi datte 　ienai himitsu ga aruyo
サイズの違う 　心と身体 　持って余してる毎日
saizu no chigau 　kokoro to karada 　motte amashiteru mainichi

一度きり! 　二度とない青春を
ichido kiri! 　nidoto nai seishun wo
どんなときも諦めない
donna toki mo akiramenai
ひとりでは出来ない 　冒険でも
hitori de ha dekinai 　bouken demo
みんなでなら 　出来そうでしょ
minna de nara 　dekisou desho
恥ずかしくなどないよ
hazukashiku nadonaiyo

強く強く 　願えばきっと
tsuyoku tsuyoku 　negaeba kitto
叶う未来（あした）がある We can do it!
kanau ashita ga aru We can do it!
ひとつひとつ 　頑張ることで
hitotsu hitotsu 　ganbaru koto de
気持ちいい 　ぴったりの
kimochi ii 　pittari no
笑顔に会えるはず
egao ni aeru hazu

女の子の一日は 　ドキドキすることばかり
onna no ko no ichinichi ha 　dokidoki suru koto bakari
周りの声に 　戸惑いながら 　抱きしめている情熱
mawari no koe ni 　tomadoi nagara 　dakishimeteiru jounetsu

大丈夫! 　無理しても仕方ない
daijoubu! 　murishitemo shikatanai
好きなように楽しんで
suki na youni tanoshinde
いつもなら見れない 　大きな夢
itsumo nara mirenai 　ooki na yume
みんなでなら 　見れそうでしょ
minna de nara 　miresou desho
照れることなどないよ
tereru koto nadonaiyo

高く高く 　望めばずっと
takaku takaku 　nozomeba zutto
育つ友情（きずな）がある We can make it!
sodatsu kizuna ga aru We can make it!
自分自身 　信じることで
jibun jishin 　shinjiru koto de
それそれが 　いつの日か
soresore ga 　itsu no hi ka
素敵になれるはず
suteki ni nareru hazu

立ち止まらず 　前を向いて 　歩いて行きたい
tachitomarazu 　mae wo muite 　aruite ikitai
胸の中には 　高鳴る希望があるよ
mune no naka ni ha 　takanaru kibou ga aruyo

強く強く 　願えばきっと
tsuyoku tsuyoku 　negaeba kitto
叶う未来（あした）がある We can do it!
kanau ashita ga aru We can do it!
ひとつひとつ 　頑張ることで
hitotsu hitotsu 　ganbaru koto de
気持ちいい 　ぴったりの
kimochi ii 　pittari no
笑顔に会えるはず
egao ni aeru hazu

[Via http://awesmoe.wordpress.com]

Free Anime From Viz

Anime fans – here’s an exciting announcement from Viz just for you. Free episodes of some great series, (with 400 already up, and more to come!).

VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES VIZ ANIME

A NEW OFFICAL WEB DESTINATION FOR SOME OF THE HOTTEST ANIME CONTENT

Optimized Technology Allows Fans To Connect And Interact And Spend Less Time Looking For The Latest Anime Episodes And More Time Enjoying Them

In a significant news announcement, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has detailed the launch of VIZ Anime – a brand new, free-to-use interactive web destination that will become a permanent home to some of the company’s best-loved animated series as well as new content which will be added on a weekly basis. VIZ Anime is accessible at:www.VIZAnime.com.

VIZ Anime kicks off with more than 400 episodes from hit series such as BLEACH, BUSO RENKIN, DEATH NOTE (complete series), HIKARU NO GO, HONEY & CLOVER, INUYASHA (complete series) and INUYASHA: THE FINAL ACT, NANA, NARUTO (complete series) and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN as well as THE PRINCE OF TENNIS. The site will also be the future web home for many other eagerly anticipated anime series set to launch later this year!

Episodes can be streamed for free with new ones being added weekly. A variety of interactive social networking tools and features also help foster an official online home and community for VIZ Media anime fans allowing them to connect on and discuss favorite shows, and offer ratings and opinions of various episodes. New functionalities will be added regularly.

• Users can “follow” as many series as they like and choose to be notified each time a new episode is released, as well as keep track of the last episode they’ve watched. This makes it easy to stay current on series like INUYASHA or NARUTO, which feature more than 100 episodes.
• Users can comment on individual episodes and also meet and interact with other fans, invite friends to join, ask questions and debate plot twists and characters, voice their opinion on what’s happening in a particular series, and also find out what else is going on across the anime and manga spectrums.

• Users can rate their favorite episodes by using a “Like” button on each episode page. They can quickly access a list of all the episodes they’ve similarly liked to compare how other users have liked an episode.

• Users can make a personalized profile page to keep track of the episodes they’ve watched and enjoyed, the series they’re currently following, and comments they’ve made. Mail tools can also be used to send private messages between individual users. Privacy controls let users decide what information is shared publicly and who is able to send them messages.

“We’re committed to developing VIZ Anime as a premiere online destination, and hope to offer a real community for VIZ Media fans to interact with each other and share their love of anime,” says Ken Sasaki, Senior Vice President & General Manager of VIZ Media. “We will also utilize the site as a means of two-way communication to better understand what our fans enjoy most and want, and how they engage with anime and manga online. With a lot of content to select from, VIZ Anime will become a favorite site to visit again and again!”

[Via http://arcanaquarterly.com]