kininarimasu!

Continuing on with Harry P, I just finished the fourth book and would like to proceed to the fifth one as soon as possible. But before that, this post!

Some digital retro goodness

I'm not your bro

I want to put up a small series of posts about my thoughts on the Harry Potter series, since I'm rereading them!

Bought this on a whim just because!

I know I've already put up one short post about reading them in the past, but I only got to about the middle of the fifth book before getting distracted (again). But now, I want to pause every book or so and give a little more insight about some things I've noticed.

It's been more than fifteen years since I borrowed Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (yes, the British version) from my then best friend in sixth grade. I've since then fallen madly in love with the series. I mean, who hasn't? And what book lover hasn't read the series yet? This could very well be considered a classic. The magic never wears off.

But when I was reading Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, even when I know what's going to happen, it gave me a different sort of feeling, like browsing through an old photograph album of the most obscure, yet memorable parts of my life. I found myself thinking, Oh yeah, that happened!

It was like reminiscing with a childhood friend who remembered everything while you didn't. Yet with every memory she brought up, you found yourself living in that particular situation, clear as day.

Then there's also the movie stigma. The movies were all modified and different from the books (of course), and after seeing all of them, you can't help but picture the book as it went on in the movies, with Daniel Radcliffe as Harry and my long love Tom Felton as Draco (yes, I fell in love at first premiere with Tom). I also remembered scenes that should have been there, or weren't supposed to be there at all.

I've also realized, that after reading the whole series, reading it again raised some questions in me, but also answered some that confused me the first time I read them.

So like my Divergent post, I will just randomly talk about them, in no particular order, I'll lay them out as the come to mind.

When Harry confronted Quirell below the trapdoor with the Mirror of Erised, I can't help but think, the menace from Voldemort wasn't that prominent yet. I mean, if I were Voldy, as evil as he is, and I saw face to face the person who caused my downfall, I would try to kill them as quickly as I can, then try to regain my power. I mean, he could possibly thwart me again, so why not kill him ASAP? That's probably just me and my thirst for revenge.

I can't help but notice the shortness of the first two books, compared to the intricate details of Goblet of Fire and beyond. I could've finished both in a day, if it wasn't for work. The story was quickly jumping from term to term, with not much activity in each. The ambiance of the books weren't as dark as the last of the series.

I wasn't as scared to read Chamber of Secrets as I used to. I avoided reading it in the dead of night because for some reason it creeped me out, but now I wasn't anymore. 

Hellz yeah

After knowing the different dark curses and spells that have spread throughout the course of the seven books, it occurs to me now that the enchantments guarding the stone was pretty lame. I mean, three eleven year olds got past all of them, how can that prevent the most cunning, most evil wizard of the century? Anyone (in the wizarding world at least, apart from squibs) can conjure flames to kill a plant, use Accio to get the key for the door, even a muggle can win a chess game, kill a troll or Fluffy with Avada Kedavra, and solve a riddle. It didn't need all that. The mirror alone, I bet, was enough to conceal the stone. Being sucked in forever at a vault in Gringotts is scarier, I think.

Lockhart was really annoying.

I think Oliver Wood should have gotten more mention (and more attention) in the forthcoming books. I nearly forgot about him.

Such a keeper.

I've always wondered where the Gryffindor shower rooms were. The one and only time a shower was mentioned was in Goblet of Fire. Have they not been keeping up with their hygiene on other times???

When Ron and Harry were driving the flying car to Hogwarts, I never realized what a high altitude they were flying in. Wouldn't it have been hard to breathe above the clouds? And that's at least an 8 hour ride if the Hogwarts Express leaves at 11 and arrives around dinnertime at the castle.

It makes me wonder how it's like to live in a co-ed dormitory 24/7. To see how your classmates live, have your laundry done, not to cook, stuff like that. But of course, the important question is, I wonder how many kids have done it in the Room of Requirement. Maybe it'll look like the Red Room of Pain when they do get in *wiggle eyebrows*

I've been thinking how the basilisk was able to attack all of those students. I mean, it's not exactly a small snake, right? And it was staying inside the plumbing, but it's not like the pipes were exposed, nor would I think there are tree trunk sized holes gaping along the school walls. The attacked students mentioned seeing a pair of big yellow eyes, so the snake can't just be looking through a keyhole. If Ginny was doing the attacking by controlling the snake, how the fuck did she do it?

But then again I forgot it's the wizarding world, so one can just simply say 'It's magic!'

So yes, so far these things came to mind after finishing the second book. The first two were fairly short reads, and it didn't have much scenarios in it, so it didn't pose much questions. But reading them again is very fun and anyone who's loved them before will surely love them again!

I'm a quarter into the Prisoner of Azkaban, which is one of my favorites in the series, so I'll be talking about that in the coming post! :D

Edit: I also forgot to include pictures of the books. The US editions are better than the UK ones, imo

I know, I know, this is one of those popular series that don't really need another review on the internet.

Everyone's been on the Divergent bandwagon, and two movies have already been released, but it wasn't until a couple weeks ago did I start to read the series after my coworker kept on raving about it, telling me to read the damn thing.

Who hasn't read or even heard about the series yet? Gone are the days of wizards (sob) and vampires (thank god), and have since then been replaced by the dystopian genre.

But I did promise myself (and for this blog) to talk about the books I have been reading. And instead of talking about this like my other reviews, why don't I just go straight into what I think about all three books? (Warning: spoilers for those who haven't read them yet). I'll be talking about them in general, and not sequentially. They may be all over the place.

First off, I like Roth's writing. It's easy to read, no big words that try too hard and nobody understands, and the characters speak like any other teen would *cough* John Green *cough*. You could be someone who loves to read, or just happily familiarizing yourself with the trend that's why you picked up the book, and it still wouldn't be such a bore coz you understand half the shit the characters are trying to say. Kudos to you, Roth.

That being said, there seemed to be a lot of fan service in terms of Tris and Four's relationship. Like, wow, that escalated quickly. Seriously. Not even a little flirting? Stolen glances, secret memos, playing hard-to-get? There were hints but it didn't really give me that *giddy* feeling of a budding new romance. It was just bleh. Then they wouldn't stop eating each other's faces.

And I know that the book is PG-13, but she still included a sex scene. A lame one at that. Bitin. If you're bold enough to hint it, go all the way. Pun intended.

I liked Christina's character. I can see myself in her sometimes. Reckless, being blunt more than what the situation calls for, holding grudges. I liked how Roth built her character. Although after watching the first movie, I can't help but picture her as Zoe Kravitz. But Kravitz is short and Christina's supposed to be tall. I can't seem to stretch her in my imagination.

The whole genetic reasoning as the cause of all this didn't sell for me. It was a little bit far-fetched to be the cause of a human experiment, let alone be a solution to problems across a whole country. But hey, what do I know about dystopian America? I live in Canada.

In terms of suspense, it wasn't really that much of a page-turner for me. I was able to put the book down. It holds my interest long enough that I keep reading it when I have nothing to do, but it doesn't make me seek out the rest of the story. I found myself playing Candy Crush Soda instead of reading it on the train sometimes.

But as much as there were characters all over the place, the author somehow manages to build each one of them enough to gain some significance in the story, without really taking the essence away from the protagonists. It wasn't all about Tris and Four. Yes, in the first two books, it was Tris talking, but the myriad of characters were still introduced and explained in detail. It didn't make me confuzzled, so that was good.

Did I cry at the end? It made me a bit glassy-eyed, but I didn't love Tris enough to mourn her death (spoiler!) She's still Shailene Woodley in my mind, and I see her as just another actress. I'm unattached, even to Tris. I don't know why, but I just didn't connect with her, no matter how good her character buildup was. Sorry.

I haven't watched the second movie, but I heard it wasn't that great. I've seen the first one, and it would have been perfect, seeing as they've stuck to every aspect of the movie as much as possible, but the ENDING ruined it for me. Why did she have to throw a knife at Jeannine? That wasn't in the book! Not that I'm being a book purist, but that was just unnecessary! Hollywood being Hollywood again!

I liked the first book best. The second bored me a little bit, and the third only got interesting (for me) on the last few chapters.

I love Maggie Q and I'm so pleased she was cast as Tori. And watching the movie made me want to get another tattoo.


The gist: 7/10

Overall, the series was just okay, but with excellent character buildup. I prefer Hunger Games better, and of course, Steelheart, when it comes to dystopian. I've had the books sitting on my dresser  for a year begging to be read, until I finally gave in. I'm not disappointed, but I'm not raving like a fangirl either.

Here it is! After more than a year of waiting for the second installment, it. Is. Finally. Here!

For those unfamiliar with the series, it's better known as the Reckoners trilogy. The first book, titled Steelheart, came out September 2013, and Firefight came out January of this year. You can read my review of Steelheart here so you can join in on the epic (pun intended) journey that it is.

Let me just say first off that I liked the first book better. That is not to say that this book is a complete letdown.

To pick up where Steelheart left off, David goes with the Reckoners to pursue fish just as big as Steelheart, after his successful assassination (spoiler!). David was left with this big void that Steelheart used to fill. And now that he's gone, he's doing what he's been used to doing best: pursuing and studying epics, and plotting ways to kill them. And possibly finding Megan in the process.

The Reckoners' modus operandi this time is to kill Regalia, a high epic with the power to control water, who is currently ruling over Babylon Restored a.k.a Babilar f.k.a (formerly known as) New York, NY. 

You won't get your usual characters in here, but the main ones, Prof, Tia, and David are in it, of course. They set off to a new base with a completely different theme. Not to mention, the portrayal of Babilar has such a stark difference compared to Newcago. Images of Pandora (the Avatar world) meets civilization pops to mind whenever glowing neon graffiti are mentioned.

So glow. Much color.

Story-wise, the bulk of the middle of the book is mostly about background stories, running around Babilar, and not a lot of action compared to the first book. It's not the same whirlwind ride as before, although, of course, like the first one, the action is always packed at the very last chapter. I'm beginning to think that's just Sanderson's style. It hooks me. I like it. But there's more tactic and planning involved since they were dealing with an epic that they didn't know how to locate.

Regalia's powers (one of them) is like an all-seeing mirror on the wall, except that it's any surface of water. What makes this interesting? Babilar is a flooded city. She basically can see anything as long as there's a pool of water around. Interesting. Another thing that makes Babilar really fascinating is this mysterious epic called Dawnslight that people seem to worship. It's weird, but the one who's behind Dawnslight is even weirder.

David gets a little frustrating in the book, his judgments clouded by his love for Megan. I keep forgetting that's he's still this lovestruck teenager, and teenagers often do stupid things in the name of 'love'. There was this whole trust issue throughout the book, since, knowing what happened last time, is she really telling the truth or is she just acting under Regalia's orders? Sometimes I wanted to punch David.

Also, we get to see Prof (still think of him as a slightly younger Morgan Freeman) using more of his powers, which means we also see more of his temper. A lot more is revealed about him and his connections to the other characters in the story. And I have this feeling the next book might revolve more around him. Just a feeling.

A little tidbit about Calamity is also revealed, and, unsurprisingly, that is the title of the next book. When Calamity was mentioned, I stood upright and couldn't stop reading (the middle of the book stretched out for a whole week for me).

Overall, it's a nice second book, lots of info, epic weaknesses, previous lives. It dragged on a little bit, until you get to the end that was a CLIFFHANGER. I could almost just picture this as a movie, and I bet it would make all the viewers ask for more. Just get this on as a movie, please!

The gist: 8.5/10

A bit of a lower score because I didn't find it as big of a page-turner as the previous one, but I still liked it all the same. It's like the pickled ginger you eat after having a piece of sushi: cleanse your palette for the next bite.

It's been a while since my last book review, just like it's been a while since I've been wanting to finish this book.

If you are a Harry Potter fan, I think this book would appeal to you very much. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of similarities between this and Harry Potter, although their general "feel" couldn't be any more different.

The Name of the Wind focuses on the early life of Kote (real name Kvothe which I don't know how to pronounce), an innkeeper at a place called the Waystone Inn. It takes place in a fictional, sort of ancient time, in a world unlike our own.

The book starts off on dark times, filled with demons and magic that people are afraid to tinker with. Kote is the mysterious innkeeper in a small, rural area, where no one knows anything of his past. He keeps to himself and doesn't meddle with townsfolk, and just prefers to tend to his humble inn.

Although all around him, people are talking about legends and deeds of an infamous man named--you guessed it-- Kvothe.

Details about what he has done in his past remain vague. According to hearsay, he is a legend. On the back of the cover of the book it says:

My name is Kvothe

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

He tells his own story in his voice. Straight from the horse's mouth. Legends as he has played them out.

Kvothe was a gifted child. He could remember anything and everything he was taught, learns something in a fraction of the time most adults need to know things. Sometimes, those kinds of kids turn out to be the most dangerous adults.

The most disappointing part of the book was that it was not the complete story. It only goes to so far as to half of his misadventures. It's a real cliffhanger, and if the second book is as much of a cliffhanger as this one, then I won't know what to do with myself. Because apparently it's a trilogy and there have only been two books so far. Sigh.

As far as similarities to Harry Potter goes, I can name a few things:

They are both orphans. Killed by some sort of evil just for kicks, with them being the only survivor. Harry's parents were killed by Voldy, and Kvothe's travelling Ruh family were all killed by the Chandrian, a group of immortal 'demons', I guess you could say, because they're not really human.

The University could very well be compared to Hogwarts, a school for learning magic, or sygaldry and sympathy and lots of other things in Kvothe's world. But Hogwarts is a little more complicated and more magical, and the University just screams learning institution.

Harry has Draco, and Kvothe has Ambrose. But Ambrose is more of a Joffrey Baratheon, if you know your Game of Thrones.

What I do find different about The Name of the Wind in comparison to HP, though, is that it is set on a much darker atmosphere right away. I know it gets a little more serious as the volumes go on in HP, but TNOTW is just all around mysterious.

Also, there are certain differences with Harry and Kvothe. Harry was more of a regular kid, and Kvothe was more seasoned, experienced (in terms of hardships and adventures), and just more gifted. The more that I thought about it, Kvothe was a mix of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. He has Harry's bravery, Hermione's brain, and Ron's... well, financial misfortune.

Also, I think the story of Kvothe has more of a purpose. Kvothe is searching for the mysterious Chandrian, and Harry is just experiencing the wizarding world for himself. Although they were at about the same age when all of this started to happen.

And Denna. Oh, where do I even begin with Denna? Apple of Kvothe's eye. I honestly think she's just some opportunistic bitch and just doesn't want to get on with Kvothe because he doesn't have money. What a gold digger. She really annoys me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I can't really judge yet how magical it is since it's only the first installation. Patrick Rothfuss can really capture the magic details, although sometimes they might be too much details for a younger mind. I think this book is more for a more mature, I guess more adult audience, although not exclusively.

The gist: 9/10

This is a really good book if you like your magic and adventure. Although I compared it to HP in this post, they couldn't be more different. I thoroughly enjoyed it. They have a lot of similarities, but they each have their own charm. I think HP fans will find this enthralling.

Or better titled as why I torture myself with scary shit.

It's the last week of October, and Halloween is in high gear. I did not grow up in a country that celebrates Halloween with costumes, so I didn't really feel the need to dress up. And it's not my thing.

From where I did grow up though, spooky and supernatural stories are generously shared during this time of year. And one of the things that caused me to keep my lights on at night lately is the Silent Hills Playable Teaser, exclusively for Playstation 4.

Yes, that is indeed Norman Reedus from Walking Dead. And a damn realistic CGI animation of Norman Reedus, in my opinion.

This is only a playable teaser, meaning it's not the full version of the game, with the full release still TBA.

If you get scared easily, or if visions stick to your mind and make it hard for you to go pee at night, then don't even think about playing this game. Or watch anything related to it.

Early this month, my friends and I watched Annabelle in the theater and Jonathan, the friend who introduced me to the wonderful world of mechanical keyboards, was talking about how he was scared shit of this game. He's been talking about it for a while, actually, and said that no matter how many times he played the game, it still scares him.

And just for kicks, I suggested while eating after the movie, that we go over to his place and watch him play it.

Well. I was in for some scary bathroom trips at night.

At the beginning of the game, you wake up in a room greeted by a cockroach. Charming. And you make your way out the door. You then enter this dilapidated hallway, with a radio announcement as your background. The guy talking on the radio says that a man killed his son, and his pregnant wife named Lisa. You see lots of seemingly disorganized memorabilia, like ripped photographs and destroyed picture frames.

You are in an L-shaped hallway, and the objective is to get out of that hallway, because, apparently, that hallway is in Lisa's house. Plot twist! Not.

It's the kind of game that you basically won't know what you're doing, or what you specifically did to make something happen. The first thing you have to do is complete this photograph on the wall, and after which you make this... baby, laugh three times. Only then will the main door open to the outside, which is just as bad as being inside anyway, since the city is a ghost town. You know, Silent Hill setting.

It is so mind tripping because the door at the end of the hallway just sends you back to your starting point, and when you do get back to where you were, something weird will have changed. I hate loop maps. The lights could suddenly turn red, the digital clock won't chime midnight, the bathroom door will open, or you  might see anything in this video:


If that did not give you a scare, I don't know what's wrong with you.

I myself didn't play the game, but I did watch my other friend play it, and I could not, for the life of me, manage to watch the screen for more than a minute. This is not for the faint of heart, I am telling you.

I also haven't played any of the other versions of Silent Hill, because I'm too much of a chicken and I would like to keep it that way.

And another thing that greatly contributed to the scare factor of this is that the graphics of the PS4 made it so seamless and realistic. If you have a PS4, or seen the graphics of the PS4 then you will know what I'm talking about. It's not the boxy 3D animation before. And imagine playing it on that gear you put over your head to make the experience a very realistic first person. That will just make me hold my pee at night til I develop kidney stones.

Needless to say, I have forgotten all about the scary movie I just watched beforehand. It was that creepy. And I didn't even watch the whole gameplay.

This I think is free on the Playstation store, so if you ever plan on playing or purchasing this when it comes out, I say best of luck to you and your bladder.

But on a brighter note, I did get this in my email a few days ago.

I just want to briefly talk about this new plaything that has been keeping me type-happy these past couple weeks, and that is my super awesome Corsair Vengeance K70 Cherry Red mechanical gaming keyboard!!!

Not the best photo, I know, but trust me, I really tried. Specially when it's a crappy iPhone 4S.

This is my first mechanical keyboard, and I really didn't even know about the different types of keyboard (in terms of model) until I visited my friend Jonathan. He's one of my more game-oriented friends and we were playing Silent Hills on his PS4 and he was chatting with our other friend for tips on how to get past that dreaded hallway.

Needless to say I tried out his keyboard on his throne that is his gaming hub. You know how some guys can get very particular about their computers, more often they'll spend more on their toys than say, a decent haircut. One of the many more mysteries about guys today that I might just never be able to fathom.

I fell in love with his mechanical keyboard. I do a lot of typing and data entry in my workplace, and you know how companies like to penny-pinch on their supplies. My work is definitely no exception, so you can tell how smooth it felt when I was typing on my friend's keyboard. He had a different model than mine, but I believe it was also a Corsair.

Having been used to membrane keyboards all my life, and being particularly happy when I first learned how to type properly (not looking at the keys and only using my pointer finger), I really enjoyed the feel of it. 

I liked how I didn't have to press the keys all the way through and has this really nice soft click when I type. I have the Cherry Red, which doesn't have that much of an audible click, compared to the Cherry Blue. Kinda helps when I play at night or do a lot of typing since my grandmother is sleeping in the room across the hall from mine. But I just really like the feel of the red, anyway.

It also has some light and sound controls, which is convenient.

Also, my old Logitech keyboard, the G110, always sticks when I play Maplestory (I have then since revived my characters) and I have died several times with that old keyboard, which is a pain and a definite major annoyance, so you can tell how much I wanted to get rid of that.

Overall, I'm really happy with this purchase, although it costs at least more than double your standard keyboard, but the investment is well worth it.

You can learn more about mechanical keyboards here, and you can buy the keyboard that I have here. Learn more about the Corsair K70 series on the Corsair website.

The right keyboard makes a lot of typing difference, which kinda makes me want to blog more often than I've already been doing, which is a plus!

One Piece may be defined as an anime, but anime is NOT defined as One Piece. Or Naruto. Not even Lucky Star or K-On!.

Let's break the stereotype here. Anime was originally intended for kids in Japan, but the industry has since then expanded its audience. It's not just about Doraemon anymore. And note that there are anime that kids might not be able to comprehend.

At the same time, it's not just pirates, ninjas, mythical creatures, transforming sailors, or cutesy costumes.

Often, anime gets associated with otakus, weeaboos, nerds, cosplayers, or people who are seen as stuck in their childhood. But admitting to watching and/or enjoying anime doesn't mean you automatically fall into those stereotypes, or that you're all about childish fantasies. Getting your drama fix through anime doesn't mean you're a nerd.

Most anime are manga-based, but not all of them are created equal. There are some gems in the anime world that I think would be worth a try watching. Some can deliver just as much, if not more, satisfaction to your drama feels.  Some anime are up there on the drama level. Just to let you know.

If you're at a loss on deciding which drama to watch or book to read next, why not consider anime? It's not fair to snub it off when some of the best manga-based dramas and movies, like Hana Yori Dango, have anime versions. Two ways of telling the same story. They're not unlike dramas. You just see animated hair and big eyes instead of your favorite actors.

And when we watch dramas, don't we live in a fantasy world as well? What's the difference, whether you're watching computer animation or real people?

If you're testing the waters on some anime and don't want to dive headfirst into ninjas and pirates, here are some of my recommendations to watch:

1. Hyouka

Hyouka easily tops my list as one of my favorite anime to watch. I did, in fact, name my blog after one of the main characters' famous line. I discovered this while searching for a video of Arashi's Love So Sweet on Youtube. A video came up with screenshots of this anime with Love So Sweet as the BGM. I'm glad I stumbled into that video! It has been deleted, though, and I forgot who uploaded it, so I can't give credit :(

This is based off a novel by Yonezawa Honobu, of the Classic Literature Club series. The story revolves around Oreki Hotaro, a boy who lives by his own standard of "If I don't have to do it, I won't. If I have to, I'll do it quickly". He is urged by his sister to join her former school club, the Classic Literature club, to keep it from dissolving. He is joined by Chitanda Eru (Watashi kininarimasu!), Fukube Satoshi, and Ibara Mayaka. Together, they solve different mysteries in their school. Hotaro eventually finds himself immersed in school activities.

There are hints of romance in this anime, given that it's a shounen (geared towards boys) anime. It has some mystery aspect to it, and it's a really enjoyable watch. I recommended it to one of my friends and she might just have liked it more than I did. I also especially liked the closing song of season 2. Quite catchy.


The series is only 22 episodes long, and I really wish they'd make more! If you like your detective shows and high school life, this is a must-watch.

2. NaNa

The two Nana

From manga artist Yazawa Ai, NaNa is one of her more famous works. It is about two girls, both named Nana. Osaki Nana is a member of punk rock band named Black Stones (BLAST for short), on her way to Tokyo to pursue her own rock career. She's very independent and ambitious. Komatsu Nana, on the other hand, is your very girly girl who often falls in love at first sight, yet often gets her heart broken. She has a habit of depending on others, but is very caring. She is on her way to Tokyo to join her hometown friends and boyfriend. The two Nana with opposing personalities meet by chance on a train to Tokyo, and the two embark on a journey of fame, romance, and relationships.

I want to note that this anime has one of the best music and opening and ending credits. After getting caught up on this 47-episode anime, I immediately downloaded the soundtrack NANA Best. Featuring Anna Tsuchiya as Osaki Nana and Olivia Lufkin as Reira.

This is not an anime to pass. Seriously, if you love your dramas, do yourself a favor and watch this. But let me warn you, if you're one of those people that have withdrawals when a series ends... *evil laugh*... Just watch the damn series. And may I also note that watching the live action movie will not replace watching the series. Both movies don't do the series justice.

And damn that Takumi, that sexy sleazebag.

3. Paradise Kiss

Parakisu :*

Another one from Yazawa Ai, Paradise Kiss focuses more on fashion. The characters are very vibrant and have very interesting personalities, especially Joji. This is one of the first non-fantasy anime I've watched, I think right after watching Densha Otoko. There's only 12 episodes like a standard Japanese drama, but it's so easy to get lost in Yazawa's works. Just like in NaNa, it's hard not to fall in love with her characters, especially the male ones. Her endings always leave you hanging, and it's hard not to beg for more.

The story mainly focuses on Hayasaka Yukari, dubbed as "Caroline", who is bored with her school-driven life. She gets scouted by some students in a fashion school and her life gets tangled with the people in the Atelier. It is noted that the series is after Yazawa's Gokinjo Monogatari, which I haven't watched. The story is standalone, though, and you don't need to watch Gokinjo to understand the story.

There was also a live action movie made about this, but I have yet to see it for myself. So many drama, so little time.

4. Kimi ni Todoke

This is a popular one, although I didn't watch this until last year on Crunchyroll. From Shiina Karuho's manga, Kimi ni Todoke is a light-hearted anime about romance and high school life. The story revolves around Kuronuma Sunako, jokingly referred to as Sadako by her classmates, due to her resemblance to the ghost from the infamous The Ring horror movies. She is very sweet, timid, and always has the best interests of everyone at heart, but is always misunderstood because of her appearance. She becomes friends with Kazehaya Shota, a popular boy that everyone likes. With Kazehaya's help, she comes out of her shell and makes friends with a lot more people. She then idolizes him and can't be grateful enough for all the opportunities. Before they realize it, they start to fall in love with each other, amidst all the obstacles high school love throws their way.

This anime just makes you want to scream JUST GET TOGETHER, DAMMIT! There are so many missed connections, it's a little frustrating. But I love this anime nonetheless. The story is just adorable, Chris even watched it twice, and he fangirled more than I did.

I watched the live action movie, and it was alright. If you're a Miura fan, by all means, go wild.

5. Say I Love You (Suki-tte Ii Na Yo)


I'll be honest, this wasn't one of my favorites, mainly because I wasn't a big fan of the opening song. I know that's a case of don't judge a show by its soundtrack. BUT this is actually an okay anime. It's another one of those weird girl + popular boy stories. If you dig those, this anime is for you. I really can't say much coz... it really is just a weird girl + popular boy kind of story.

Tachibana Mei is very antisocial and doesn't have friends because she believes people will eventually betray each other. Kurosawa Yamato is a very popular boy in school and becomes interested her after she accidentally hit him with a roundhouse kick that was intended for his perverted friend. Yamato eventually draws her out of her shell and she eventually makes friends and build relationships.

It's only about 12 episodes, so it's like a drama standard. I didn't grow very attached to it, but it helped pass the time.

6. Silver Spoon (Gin no Saji)


This one I'm really fond of. I was in my random media mood and decided to watch this just because, while I was browsing through Crunchyroll. This attracted me because it featured farms and organic food, and I have this secret desire to have my own farm and live in the countryside one day. Random true story.

In this delightful slice of life drama, Hachiken Yuugo is a city boy who enrolls in an agricultural high school in the countryside. He is smart in academics, but this was due to his father's strict upbringing of him to study. Thinking agricultural school would be a breeze, the daily challenges of life in a farm prove him wrong. He eventually starts to adjust to a different life even though he was thrown into the deep end. His compassionate and empathetic nature paved the way of making friends for him, but it also made him realize the difficulties and consequences of the agriculture business.

This has two seasons, totaling 22 episodes. The animals featured are very cute, especially Vice President! Warning though, this anime may make you gain weight, because they eat delicious food often. Damn that pizza episode.

I mentioned before that there is a live action of this! I still have yet to download it. It stars the very pretty Alice Hirose as Mikagi Aki :D

7. My Little Monster (Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun)


In this anime, a very smart girl named Shizuku, was forced to deliver class material to Haru, the boy who sits next to her in class. Shizuku is all about school and studies, often cold and indifferent to relationships to other people. Haru has always been viewed as a "monster" because of his lack of social skills in his childhood, but is actually kind and gentle and just wants to make friends. He just has a weird way of doing it.

The day Shizuku shows up at Haru's doorstep, Haru immediately dubs their meeting as a start of their new friendship. Not long after that, he spontaneously tells Shizuku that he likes her. What used to be all books and exams for Shizuku is now a world of tangled emotions with Haru. Despite herself, she is drawn to his innocence and falls for him eventually, but she wants to be certain of Haru's feelings first.

It's hard not to like Haru. He's very cute and innocent, it's almost childish. He has a pet rooster and cabbage. Yes, cabbage. Their personalities are on opposite ends of the scale, yet they're perfect for each other.




See? Not all anime is about magical fantasies. There are some great stories in the form of anime, too, so don't scoff them off! I think anime could well be added as a whole different genre of dramas. You have your J-dramas, K-dramas, C-dramas... Why not anime dramas? What matters is the story, yes? Yes.

If you have watched any anime along the likes of these, I would love to know them! And if you've watched any of them, I want to know what you think :)

I just finished this book less than ten minutes ago, and I just want to make a short insight on this book before I move on to whatever I have on my plate next.

I'm sure many people have read or heard about this book. It has gained a lot of popularity since its first publication, and has been translated into several languages. People rave about it from all age ranges. I mentioned in my review of Eleven Minutes that I may or may not read this book. But, lo and behold, an opportunity presented itself and proved that this book and I were meant to cross paths.

This is a book about pursuing your dreams.

The story is about a boy, often referred to as "the boy", by the name of Santiago, who had a dream about finding a treasure around the pyramids in Egypt. We embark along with him on his journey to find that 'treasure'. He meets interesting people along the way, a gypsy, a king, a thief, a merchant, an Englishman, a camel driver, a beautiful woman, several tribes, an alchemist, and lots and lots of Arabs. As he searches for his treasure, he is met with challenges that continually test his resolve.

Did he find his treasure?

Read the book. It's less than 200 pages.

This story is not unlike something you would hear from your grandpa, or just a wise man in general. Paulo Coelho strikes me as such. This is something like a bedtime story with hidden lessons. It teaches you about obstacles people often encounter when working towards their goal. And they were all true. The obstacles were written in the introduction, but it makes more sense when you see it while reading the book.

I understand the hype of this book, and, surprisingly, I think it's justified. Lots of people will find this very helpful to them at some point. Maybe the universe conspired that to happen.

In the back of the book I saw that this book was actually about wisdom, and that Eleven Minutes was about love. After seeing that, Eleven Minutes made much more sense to me. It is about love, in all its purest forms. The Alchemist was indeed about wisdom.

Let's just say I feel a teeny bit wiser after reading this book.

It's like a fable--a parable. It teaches a lesson and makes us realize the reasons of what we do.

The gist: 8/10

Did I like this book? Yes. But it struck me as something from a self-help book in the form of a story. All in all I was curious (kininarimasu!) on what it was about. I'm glad I read it though. And like Eleven Minutes, it sits on my "nice" shelf.

I know this review was probably barely helpful, but I encourage you to read it just because. Because why not.

Will I read more Coelho books? Maybe. When the universe conspires to make that happen.

Finally.

Finally, finally, finally. I've been postponing writing a review for this for so long. I heard about this book from one of my high school friends back home, and she said it was not one to miss. Intrigued, I got it the very same day... and finished it two days later. Two days! I was practically whizzing through the whole story, especially on the last few chapters. I felt bad for writing a review about it so soon because I didn't savor its contents, so I decided to read it again. But the same thing happened. I tried to stretch out my reading days, but still managed to read it within four days. It was that good.

Well, then. Steelheart. A.k.a. Reckoners #1. Let me tell you now, if you don't like superheroes, supernatural powers, villains, and terrible metaphors... read this book anyway. You will not regret it.

This is like reading a hardbound movie. In which case, I won't be surprised to see a movie adaptation of this in the future. But ironically, this isn't a book about superheroes. In fact, there are no superheroes in this book.

Conforming to the trends of young adult fiction, we see a post-apocalyptic America. But don't be fooled--this isn't about districts or factions.

From Brandon Sanderson, author of the Mistborn series that I have not read yet. A brief synopsis:

It all started with Calamity, a mysterious floating red...something, appeared in the sky, giving ordinary humans special abilities. And when humans are given powers, they want to exercise those powers to get what they want--and to eventually rule the powerless. These special creatures are called Epics.

We meet David, an eight year old boy, in what was once Chicago (I'm telling you, this is not Divergent) in a bank with his father. All of a sudden, Deathpoint, an Epic who could kill through, well, pointing, causes chaos, and wanted to take the city for himself. And then, as if to suppress the situation, a more powerful Epic by the name of Steelheart, comes along and stops Deathpoint. Steelheart can turn anything inanimate into steel, is invincible to everything, and can shoot blasts of energy through his palm. Oh, and he can fly. David's father, believing Steelheart was there to save them, saw that Deathpoint was about to kill Steelheart when his back was turned. He then took a gun from a fallen security guard and tried to shoot Deathpoint, but missed and managed to graze Steelheart's cheek, leaving a wound on the thought to be invincible Epic. Enraged, Steelheart killed David's father, and turned all of Chicago into steel.

David managed to escape, and ever since that day of Annexation (the beginning of Steelheart's rule), he made it a life purpose to defeat Steelheart. Carrying his desire for revenge, he seeks out the Reckoners, a group of anti-Epic normal humans, who regularly assassinate Epics all throughout America. David wants to join them, and he has seen something that nobody else has.

He saw Steelheart bleed.

How does that not sound like a movie?

In a frenzy of one adventure after the other, it's really hard to stop yourself from reading. There seemed to be no pause button. Every part of the book had something going on, one chapter after the other. Even as I'm writing this review, it's hard not to mention something going on in the story. I really don't want to ruin it for anyone, since I want everyone to enjoy this as much as possible.

I could say this is like a Hollywood DC/Marvel superhero movie, and some would take that as possibly an insult, but I mean that in the most positive way. There are some pretty good superhero movies, and I don't like superhero movies. That's saying something. You will have your trainride of guns, killings, powers... the works. I will go to the premiere of this if it ever comes out as a movie. I just hope they don't butcher it. It's less than 400 pages long, so I'm hoping they don't do too much damage.

One thing I didn't like about the book was their apparent swearing. Sparks! or Calamity! just didn't hook me in. I thought that was a bit lame, to be honest.

As I was reading through this, I was imagining the characters with their possible actors for the role already. A candidate for Megan would be along the likes of Hayden Panettiere (though she might be too short). Emma Stone doesn't seem to fit the role, in my opinion. Megan is the strong willed and no-nonsense type of girl, with tsundere issues. I could say Jennifer Lawrence, but she doesn't strike me as the tsundere type. And I've seen enough of Shailene Woodley. Please.

I was thinking Morgan Freeman would be ideal for Prof, but I think he's too old. Laurence Fishburne or Samuel L. Jackson could be ideal, too. And maybe Jamie Foxx. But then again Jamie Foxx could be Abraham. Or maybe Denzel Washington. Or Michael Ealy. Gosh, so many choices, Hollywood!

Tia  is hard to imagine. There wasn't much description of her other than drinking a lot of cola. And Cody could well be any white male actor. Like Ryan Reynolds. Someone witty and funny, but charming.

And David. The book doesn't even describe what David looks like. All the while I was reading I just imagined some random teenager.

What's funny is that, I kept imagining Steelheart as the animated Bruce Wayne/Batman from the 90's. With the jaw, physique, and the cape. Too bad he can't fly. But that's Batman.

The gist: 9.5/10

I'm not big on superheroes, and although it says this is not a superhero book, I loved it. It's worth the read and the money, in my opinion. Although the dystopian theme has long been used and abused nowadays, it gives a different vibe from other novels. It's full of twists and surprises that you will not know until the very end. Big emphasis on that.

And it left me hanging. So. Bad. There wasn't even a Firefight sneak peek, which is the second book in the series. Argh.

But fear not. Brush aside the big lie on the back that says Coming Fall 2014, it comes out on January 2015.

I can't wait!

Photo credit to Y. Johnson

Since I'm on the roll with my drama reviews recently, I remembered some of the note-worthy dramas I've seen in the past before watching Playful Kiss, which rekindled my love for drama in June. I mostly watched some of the more popular ones, as they have been recommended by my friends. These dramas aired between 2005-2010, but I wasn't very up to date with regards to simulcasts, since that was during my gaming era of Maplestory. A lot of these are popular, and there are already tons of reviews circling the internet, so I'll just give a brief little insight. For nostalgic purposes, I came up with this list.

The insights are just of my own personal opinion, and other people might think otherwise, but to each their own, yes? Yes.

1. Densha Otoko

This is a classic. To me, it was what started all this drama business, it's like the mother of all dramas. Who hasn't watched Densha Otoko? It's based on a true story and a novel. Yamada Tsuyoshi (played by Ito Atsushi), a true-to-life otaku, saves Aoyama Saori (played by Ito Misaki) from a drunkard on the train. As a way of giving thanks, she sends him a set of Hermes teacups (wow). Flabbergasted and at a loss on how to react with her, he consults people on a web forum for advice. On which I have to note, this is the first drama I saw Oguri Shun in. Kyaaa! This takes me back many years... I think I may just watch this again to reminisce.

Plus, I think the opening is one of the best I've seen. Not only because it's anime, but the song is really catchy and the animation is cool.

If you haven't seen this, you should. It's a Japanese classic. It's a MUST. Although Yamada's stammering might annoy you.

2. Hana Yori Dango

OGURI SHUN AND MATSU JUN <3

Of course. OF COURSE. If you haven't seen or heard of this drama, you cannot possibly call yourself a drama enthusiast. That includes all of the other Asian adaptations, the Taiwanese Meteor Garden and Korean Boys Over Flowers. I've seen all adaptations of this, with Meteor Garden airing in the Philippines in the afternoon. My favorite adaptation, of course, no question, the Japanese one. Oguri Shun! Matsu Jun! Need I say more? I wasn't a big fan of the Korean adaptation. All I could remember was frickin' Geum Jan Di getting pissed all the time. Anger management problems?

Photo credit: donnapie.tumblr.com

3. Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge



I read the manga, so the live action intrigued me. Another ikemen fest, Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge is about four handsome boys who live in a dormitory, but are strapped for rent money. Their landlady proposes a task that could win them free food and lodging--turn her niece, Sunako, into a lady! It seems they have their work cut out for them when they discover that Sunako-chan is antisocial, plus an avid fan of morbidity, horror, and creepy things to boot. I liked this series, although it wasn't something that stuck to me. This got me started on liking KAT-TUN because of Kamenashi. It's quite funny and I really liked the cute ending <3

4. Hana Kimi



Ikemen paradise. Oguri Shun. Shirota Yuu. FANGIRL MODE, ON! I postponed watching this for the longest time due to its popularity even though it had Shun on it. I've only watched this very recently, yet I feel that I have to include this in my nostalgic drama section because it's about 9 years old. Nine! Just little age reminder for me... T_T

Maki Horikita is Mizuki Ashiya, a girl who pretends to be a guy to enter an all-boys dorm, in an effort to get her idol, Izumi Sano (Shun), to pursue high jumping again. This drama is just filled with fun, one episode after another. MADE ME LAUGH MY PANCREAS OUT. I may be exaggerating, but this is a really funny one for me. Especially Ikuta Toma's monologues.


And this


Stop it! STAHP EEET! Hahahaha!

5. Nodame Cantabile

I love this drama. I really do. It's hilarious, with just a little bit of romance sprinkled on top. It's about a talented pianist named Nodame, who has the biggest crush on her senpai, Chiaki, who aims to be a conductor. The problem is that Nodame is messy and disorganized, while Chiaki is a perfectionist. There are so many other characters involved, which makes it really fun (I especially love Masumi-chan. Oh, god, he just kills me). A highly recommended drama. Great laughs. Great, great laughs.

6. The First Shop of Coffee Prince

Anyone who knows their Korean drama knows about this. This has been given many a praise due to its lightheartedness and funny nature. Another cross-dressing girl series just like Hana-Kimi. Yoon Eun-Hye plays Eun-Chan, a girl who is the breadwinner of her family. She pretends to be a guy just to work in a cafe where waiters are exclusively male. Her boss, Han-gyeol, finds himself falling for her but is horrified at himself because he thinks he's a boy. A Korean drama staple. This drama made me want to eat kimchi fried rice all the time. With coffee. It's just sad that Lee Eon, who played the very sweet Hwang Min-yeop passed away in  2008 :(

7. Heartstrings

Starring the infamous Park Shin Hye and idol Jung Yong-hwa, it's a lighthearted rom-com about college students in an art university. It's a complicated web of side stories, so I can't really put in a quick overview, but it mainly focuses on music and theatrical arts, and Shin Hye and Yong-hwa's love story, of course. One of the few Korean dramas I enjoyed. I called Chris harabuchi for the longest time because of this. And they seriously keep eating some good food. All K-dramas make me crave KBBQ!

8. Zettai Kareshi



Aaah, Absolute Boyfriend. Another heartwarming drama. The gorgeous Hayami Mokomichi stars as a Tenjo Night-kun, mail-order robot who is programmed to be devoted to his owner, Riko Izawa (Aibu Saki). Would you fall in love with a robot? Only if it's Night-kun! Also starring the charming Hiro Mizushima. And they feature BAKING. I think watching Asian dramas make you fat for different reasons.

9. Gokusen 1



I told you this list would be full of popular ones. Gokusen. A school-based drama classic. About a yakuza heir who would rather be a school teacher. She gets assigned to the bottom-of-the-barrel class, who try to make her quit. Too bad for them, she deals with more serious shit in her normal non-teacher life. And of course, Oguri Shun and Matsu Jun are in it, so I didn't let this pass. This drama can be as cheesy as far as cheesy goes, and you either like it or you don't. I personally liked it. A nice break from rom-coms, in my opinion. Beware the atrocious hairstyles of your favorite actors, though.

10. Gokusen 2

If you've seen a Gokusen, you've seen all Gokusen. Season 2 is just basically the same plot, but with different kids. This season had Kazuya Kamenashi and Hayami Mokomichi, so I was fangirling all over the place. Gosh, Mokomichi's so tall! Kyaaaa~

Gif from tumblr

But when season 3 rolled out, I had to pass. It was too much. The kids were also getting younger, thus making me feel older, so I didn't bother. I think I watched the first episode but I already knew what was going to happen. That was also my first Haruma Miura drama. But then again I'm not really a fan, so I moved on.

So there goes my dramas from the past. I bet a number of you have seen most, if not all of the aforementioned dramas. Us ladies know we're in it for the ikemen buffet, for the most part. I want to broaden my drama horizons more, maybe watch some C-dramas or TW-dramas. Maybe, if I'm feeling adventurous, some Thai dramas. I don't know. We'll see.

If there are any blast from the past dramas you would like to recommend, don't hesitate to comment.

Gif from tumblr

<3