Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun: The First New Anime I've Liked in a Long Time

I finished watching all thirteen episodes of Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun today and enjoyed it immensely. Yes! Finally, I found a new anime that I really liked! (I was afraid I had outgrown anime for a bit there.)

What did I like about it? Well, aside from the fact that it's a romantic comedy, slice of life type of anime which I am a sucker for...

1. The unpredictable and humorous way the plot develops. It's actually borderline crazy at times, but really fun!
2. The characters' personalities. They break the norm. They don't always act the way you'd expect. They're honest and straightforward, and they seem to have this kind of wacky wisdom, if that makes any sense. 
3. The way the characters' relationships develop. How do I describe it?... Comedy and light drama are perfectly combined. The story doesn't feel heavy or contrived.
4. The art style. I'd like to learn how to draw anime characters that look like Haru Yoshida and Kenji Yamaguchi. Come to think of it, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun reminds me of Durarara - I loved the way the characters were drawn in it as well.
5. The story's fast pace. I don't remember getting bored or impatient for development at any point.
6. It's a relatively new anime. It was originally broadcasted from October to December 2012.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (The Monster Next To Me)

I'm definitely going to read the manga since the anime covered only about half of what had been published in the manga at that time. I should take note of the mangaka's name and look for other titles from him/her as well.

Ah... I'm so relieved. There's still anime and manga out there for me. (^_^)

Have I Outgrown Anime?

Sigh... Lately I haven't been interested in any new anime. I'm looking for anime with substance, where the characters have depth and relationships are developed. (By relationships, I mean how characters connect to one another, be it in a romantic or non-romantic level.) I just can't get interested in anime where the fight scenes drag on and on anymore. I stopped watching them when I found myself fast-forwarding through the long fight scenes in Bleach and becoming impatient as to when the storyline will finally progress. Have I outgrown anime, I wonder?

But no. I will continue to search for anime like Nana, Rurouni Kenshin, Paradise Kiss, Nodame Cantabile, Beck, Kimi ni Todoke, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Code Geass, Death Note, and Ouran High School Host Club. I will continue to look for anime with psychological and mental battles, not just purely physical ones. They must be out there somewhere.

Ichi Rittoru no Namida (1 Liter of Tears)

I don't really like sob stories and tear jerkers that much, and yet this Japanese drama had me hooked through all 11 episodes. In the end I ended up crying a lot more than one liter of tears, and yet I felt good after watching the entire series.

Wish the relationship between Haruto and Aya had been developed a bit further though. I'm a sucker for romance. Hehe.

Awesome Grell Sutcliff Cosplay

Grell Sutcliff

Found this really awesome cosplay of Kuroshitsuji's Grell Sutcliff. So awesome he even got Sebastian Michaelis fangirling over him! Haha! :D





It's like Grell in the flesh, isn't it? :D

Hottest Anime Guys Photo Gallery Update

Ah, gomen! I haven't been working on the Top 50 Hottest Anime Guys Photo Gallery I promised. Hontou ni gomen!

Real life has gotten all of my time and energy lately, but I'm sure things will turn out fine. Now if I can just muster up a bit more energy to finish that photo gallery...

Top 50 Hottest Anime Guys List

Okay, so I've been meaning to do this for a long time now and I better do it before I procrastinate again. I will attempt to list down 50 of the hottest anime guys I have seen so far. Here they are in order of hotness (according to me), #1 being the hottest! (If want to see their pictures, click here: Top 50 Hottest Anime Guys Photo Gallery - still under construction, sorry. Promise to finish it as soon as possible. ^_^)

Takumi Ichinose, Hottest Anime Guy!

1. Takumi Ichinose - Nana
2. Sebastian Michaelis - Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)
3. Hei - Darker Than Black
4. Alucard - Hellsing
5. Byakuya Kuchiki - Bleach
6. Kyoya Ootori - Ouran High School Host Club
7. Ren Honjo - Nana
8. Light Yagami - Death Note
9. Soubi Agatsuma - Loveless
10. Yasushi Takagi - Nana
11. Toshizo Hijikata - Hakuouki
12. Kaname Kuran - Vampire Knight
13. Shizuo Heiwajima - Durarara!!
14. Ryuusuke Minami - Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad
15. Kei Takeshima - Special A
16. Takumi Usui - Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
17. Takumi Nomiya - Honey and Clover
18. Lelouch vi Brittania a.k.a. Lelouch Lamperouge - Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
19. Kyo Sohma - Fruits Basket
20. Suzaku Kururugi - Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
21. Shinichi Chiaki - Nodame Cantabile
22. Sousuke Sagara - Full Metal Panic!
23. Sho Fuwa - Skip Beat 
24. Kazuma Yagami - Kaze no Stigma
25. Ban Midou - GetBackers
26. Kazuya Shibuya - Ghost Hunt
27. Zero Kiryuu - Vampire Knight
28. Brandon Heat - Gungrave
29. Shota Kazehaya - Kimi ni Todoke 
30. Soji Okita - Hakuouki
31. Sanosuke Harada - Hakuouki
32. Hajime Saito - Hakuouki
33. Takashi Komuro - Highschool of the Dead
34. Takumi Mayama - Honey and Clover
35. Shinobu Morita - Honey and Clover
36. Spike Spiegel - Cowboy Bebop
37. Hikaru Hitachiin - Ouran High School Host Club
38. Tamaki Suoh - Ouran High School Host Club
39. Kaoru Hitachiin - Ouran High School Host Club
40. Takashi Morinozuka - Ouran High School Host Club
41. Ren Tsuruga - Skip Beat
42. Zess (Luka Crosszeria) - Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru (Uraboku)
43. Ichigo Kurosaki - Bleach
44. Kisuke Urahara - Bleach
45. Toshiro Hitsugaya - Bleach
46. Gin Ichimaru - Bleach
47. Sousuke Aizen - Bleach
48. Hajime Saito - Rurouni Kenshin
49. Jin - Samurai Champloo
50. Dante - Devil May Cry

Click here to view their pictures: Top 50 Hottest Anime Guys Photo Gallery (still under construction, sorry)

I Want More Good Anime! ...With Real Men

It's been getting harder and harder to find anime that I'm interested in lately. As a result I haven't been watching any anime at all since 2012 started. During the long vacation this past week, I decided to get back to watching anime so I tried watching Uta no Prince-sama, Chaos;Head, and Burst Angel, but sadly I just couldn't get past the first couple or so episodes of each. Have I already watched all the good anime in the genre I'm interested in? I hope not.

I would really like to watch more anime in the caliber of Nana, Ouran High School Host Club, Code Geass, Darker Than Black, Death Note, Durarara, Kimi ni Todoke, Hakuouki, Hellsing, and Nodame Cantabile. These are my favorite anime shows ever. I loved both the story and style of drawing (except for Nodame Cantabile because I didn't really like its drawing style but I loved the story).

I'm not saying that I want the same story as these ten great anime shows, because the same story over and over again would be boring. It's not the story but the feel of the story that matters. Basically, I like anime where there are hot anime guys (the more the better) who have a deep emotional connection to a girl in the story. (I also like it when the girls are strong and intelligent or quiet and innocent. I hate loud, frivolous, airhead girls.) I like anime where the men are the ones doing the pursuing, where the men take charge and act like men, not wimpy little fairies who can't even look the girl in the eyes without blushing. These are the things that the anime I mentioned as my favorites above have in common, I think. The men are real men.

Now these guys are real men: Ren Honjo (second from left) and Takumi Ichinose (far right). Oh, I love Nana. I watched the anime and live action movies, and I read the manga but I still want more! :)

Reading Manga on Kindle

I just wrote a new article about how to read manga on your Amazon Kindle. Read it here: The Easiest Way to Read Manga on Your Amazon Kindle

First Post of 2012: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I know I haven't been blogging much for the past few months, and I have to confess that I haven't been watching much anime lately either. I've been reading a lot of manga on my Kindle though (Yes, I got a Kindle as a Christmas gift and I'm so happy. Thank you! ^_^), and I've been watching some J-dramas and a lot of KAT-TUN over the Christmas break. Yes, I am now a KAT-TUN fan! Kamenashi Kazuya is so hot! :D Speaking of KAT-TUN, they're going to have a 5-episode anime to be aired beginning January 13. I'm definitely going to get my paws on this one.

KAT-TUN Love

So, on to my new year's resolutions! Hehe, I haven't really made any yet, but now's a good time. Okay, let's see...

Agenda for 2012:

• finish Pimsleur's Japanese II (I'm currently at lesson 20 of 30.)
• finish Pimsleur's Japanese III (Needless to say, I'll have to master Pimsleur's Japanese II first.)
• master reading and writing hiragana and katakana (I've learned 35 hiragana characters so far.)
• learn kanji (I'll need a good Japanese dictionary to translate kanji for this.)
• reach target weight of 100-104 lbs. (I'm 5'2")
• become more fashion-literate (As of now, I only wear plain shirts, shorts, jogging pants, jeans, and rubber shoes.)
• write at least 10 more articles on HubPages
• make preparations for 2013 Japan trip ^_^

Yoshi! Time to get started. I hereby declare 2012 to be another great year! :D

Cosplay Harajuku District

I must confess: I am an anime and manga addict, but I had never been to a cosplay event in my entire life until the other night when I went to Cosplay Harajuku District at Ayala Business Park, Cebu. I didn't go in costume or anything, I was just a spectator. But I had a lot of fun watching all the cosplayers and observing how they got into character. You could say that I was like a stalker with my eyes glued to my prey. Hehe...

There was this one cosplayer I particularly liked. He was dressed as the Undertaker from Kuroshitsuji and he was almost perfect! He even pranced around the place just like the Undertaker. I didn't get to hear him talk and laugh however, which is why I say "almost perfect". High standards? Hah! Nevertheless, I stalked him the most. Hehe. I even had a picture taken, and I am not ashamed to admit it! Hahaha! (See picture on the right.)

I wonder when the next cosplay event or workshop in my city will be. I'm really looking forward to it. I might even try cosplaying myself. ;P

By the way, for those who don't know the Undertaker, allow me introduce you to him. Mina-san, kochira wa Andāteikā-san desu.

Charming, isn't he? Haha! ^_^ And this is from when he was still a Shinigami (death god, soul reaper), before he became a funeral director:

He can reap my soul anytime. Ahahahahaha!

Romantic Japanese Movies for October 2011

I have a couple of recommendations for those looking for light yet touching romantic Japanese movies that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy after watching:

Paradise Kiss

Based on the manga with the same title, Paradise Kiss is the story of Hayasaka Yukari, an ordinary girl from a prestigious academic school whose life was devoted to studying in order to please her mother, and a group of unique free spirited dressmakers and designers from a well-known school for the arts. The story that ensues when these totally opposite characters collide with each other is an amusing yet heartwarming tale.

I totally loved Paradise Kiss. It made me fall in love and laugh and cry. :)


Koukou Debut

Also known as High School Debut, Koukou Debut is a romantic comedy about a tomboyish girl named Nagashima Haruna who swore off softball (which she was very good at) in order to devote herself to a new goal: falling in love and getting a boyfriend. After several disastrous attempts, she decides to ask Komiyama Yoh, one of the most popular boys in school, to be her "coach" at attracting boys. He agrees, but with one condition: she is forbidden to fall in love with him.

Koukou Debut was seriously entertaining. I loved how the story panned out in the end as well. :)

I'll be posting more recommendations for live action Japanese movies as well as JDoramas, animes, and mangas in the future. Until then... :)

Anime for September 2011

September has been a busy month for me in terms of anime viewing. I have watched all of the following this month so far:

Nana

Nana is about two strangers, both of whom are named Nana, who meet each other for the first time on a train to Tokyo. One of them is a naive country bumpkin coming to Tokyo to live with her boyfriend; the other is a streetwise rock musician looking to hit it big in Tokyo. Through some strange play of events, the two of them end up as roommates in the seventh floor of an old building with no elevator. The story that unfolds thereafter is one of friendship, love, betrayal, sex and music.

I liked this story very much. I'm planning to continue reading the manga where the anime left off. The two live action movies were amazing as well.

Durarara!!

Durarara!! is about two childhood friends from the country who were separated and then reunited in high school in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. A headless rider, a scheming information dealer, a bartender with superhuman strength, a Russian sushi chef, and a company doing experiments on human subjects are also thrown into the mix.

The story unfolds in bits and pieces which may be difficult to understand at first, but the pieces come together to form a cohesive picture as the episodes progress. I found this story very interesting. The characters are over the top but lovable, and the story itself is quite unique. I love the opening and ending themes as well.

Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru 

I started watching Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru, or UraBoku for short, primarily because of the bishounen (read: hot anime guys) in it. Surprisingly, the story was interesting and it drew me in.

Uraboku is about a an orphan boy with powers that he is unable to control. One day he is saved from demons by a mysterious man, who later on is revealed to be a demon himself. And it seems that this mysterious man was the orphan boy's lover in an alternate life where the boy had been a girl. Sounds confusing? Hehe... not really. In fact, it was entertaining. And I loved watching the hot anime guys fight.

Bakuman

Bakuman is the story of two middle schoolers aspiring to become successful mangakas (manga artists) and the struggles they encountered along the way as they overcame personal challenges and persevered. The show is inspiring, humorous, and educational at the same time, especially for those who also dream of becoming mangakas. I learned a lot of things about the work of a mangaka and I realized that it is no easy task.

I'm really looking forward to season 2 of this series which will start airing on October 2011.

Nodame Cantabile Opening & Ending Theme Songs With Lyrics

I put up another anime opening/ending theme song compilation the other day. This time it's for Nodame Cantabile. These are the TV size opening and ending themes with the original animation sequences for all three seasons: Nodame Cantabile, Nodame Cantabile Paris-Hen, and Nodame Cantabile Finale. I also added the lyrics so you can sing along. Check it out and remember to vote for your favorite!

Nodame Cantabile Opening & Ending Theme Songs With Lyrics

Also visit my Videos section for more anime opening/ending theme songs.

Proof of How Awesome Aizen Sousuke Is

I know, Bleach manga/anime fans probably hate Aizen Sousuke's guts, but you just have to love how incredibly awesome he is in Rock Musical Bleach! I mean, the man deserves some respect. Case in point, this EPIC fight scene between Aizen, Ichigo, and Renji from Rock Musical Bleach: No Clouds in the Blue Heavens. My favorite fight scene in all Rock Musical Bleachdom. ^_^

Rock Musical Bleach Anthem - Mou Hitotsu no Chijou

"Mou Hitotsu no Chijou" is the one song in Rock Musical Bleach wherein all the main characters get to sing solo (except for Ichigo, since it's the anthem of the Soul Society's 13 Court Guard Squads and he's not part of them), and that is probably why it is an all-time favorite among many fans. As expected, a song that gives eight squad captains, five vice captains, and three squad members some solo time is a long one - nine minutes and two seconds to be exact. But it's well worth the time.

This version of "Mou Hitotsu no Chijou" is from Rock Musical Bleach: The Live Bankai Show Code 002, and it is the last version of the song with Aizen Sousuke. (Ohkuchi Kengo, the actor who played Aizen, was not able to be a part of The Live Bankai Show 003 which was the last Rock Musical Bleach with the original cast.)

By the way, I love how it opens with the set rotating up into place from beneath the dark stage and then you see everyone slowly appearing with lanterns that create this mysterious, other-worldly atmosphere. I wish I could have seen it live. ^_^

Mou Hitotsu no Chijou



Mou Hitotsu no Chijou Lyrics

All:
kawaita kaze ni tadayoi nagara oto mo tatezu ni chikazukeba
hikaru yaiba wa hi no ya no gotoku kuruoshiku shi wo tsukasadoru
minikuku mayoeru tamashii yo kaihou e to michibiite yarou ka
warera Gotei Juusantai koko wa mou hitotsu no chijou

Byakuya:
heimin nado ni wa rikai dekimai
kizoku toshite sei wo uketa hokori takaki kokorozashi
okite koso ga ashita e no michi shirube ni naru
kegarenaki chitsujo mamoru tame kono mi wo toshite hataraku sadame

Renji:
tobikoetee uzee yatsu ga iru
tsuyoku nakereba ikiteru imi nante doko ni mo, doko ni mo aryashi nee.
kono sekai no dorei ni nanka naranee ze
honnou no manma ni tsuki susumu dake kono saibou ga nietagiru made

5th International Manga Awards Now Ongoing

The 5th International Manga Awards is now on, and the Embassy of Japan is inviting Filipino manga artists to join and submit their own original manga. I really really want to join this contest, but I don't know how to make my own manga yet. :P Another reason why it pays to be ready when opportunities arise.

Winners will receive awards and will be invited to Japan for ten days! Wah! I want to go! Hehe. ^_^ The awarding ceremony will be held in Tokyo in March 2012 so that might be when the winners are going to Japan.

Read this article from SunStar Daily News to learn more about the 5th International Manga Awards and how to submit your entries if you're interested to participate:

Please click on the image to view full size.

Zero Kiryu Dropped Off Popular Posts List

Vampire Knight's Zero Kiryu has been pushed off the Popular Posts list while Kaname Kuran has stayed on? I never thought I'd see the day. Zero has always beaten Kaname in all of the polls I've seen. Hot anime guys and Hellsing are still dominating the list though with Ouran High School Host Club's Hitachiin twins hot on their heels. I really should finish up my new list of hot anime guys... hopefully before the year ends. Hah! ;D

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006 Animated Film)

It has been quite a while since I've seen an anime movie that gripped me every second of the way from start to finish. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, the 2006 animated film, did just that. From the stunning artwork to the beautiful story and the awesome soundtrack and really cool voice acting (I watched it with the original Japanese audio), it was arguably the best anime I have ever seen so far.

Sure, there they might have oversimplified the whole time traveling thing and completely ignored the issues that might crop up (One example: When you go back to the past, that means there's now two of you in that time frame, right? In this anime, that is completely ignored.), but the story's simplicity is something that I like about it.

I highly recommend watching this anime movie. I give it a 10/10, even though I would have wanted it to end a bit differently... Hehe, not going to give out any spoilers though. :D Dang, now I want to watch it again. You know I think I will watch it again. :)

New Anime Videos Page

Hi, everyone. I've added a new videos page to my blog, the link to which can be found at the top of the page. It contains a complete video compilation of the original opening and ending credits to some of my favorite anime along with their lyrics. I'm hoping to add more anime to my video collection soon. I'll keep you guys posted. :)

My Moriyama Eiji Shrine

Name: Moriyama Eiji
Birthday: October 3, 1976
Height: 177 cm (5 ft 9 3/4 in)
Occupation: Japanese stage actor and seiyuu (voice actor) best known for his role as Abarai Renji in Rock Musical Bleach and Momoshiro Takeshi in The Prince of Tennis Musical, Member of the entertainment group *pnish*

And now for some photos:

 

I definitely think he has the right to nickname himself "Sexy", even though he was joking when he said it. The first two photos above are my favorite. Incidentally, I believe they are the most recent among the pictures here. And here he is in character:

Moriyama Eiji as Abarai Renji in Rock Musical Bleach

Moriyama Eiji as Momoshiro Takeshi in The Prince of Tennis Musical

Now is it just me, or is it hot in here? Hehe... :P