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! :)

Ouran High School Host Club Live Action TV Series

I just found out! It has been formally announced: Ouran High School Host Club will have a live action TV adaptation! Yipee! It is set to air on TBS beginning July 2011 and will star Yusuke Yamamoto as Tamaki Suoh and Haruna Kawaguchi as Haruhi Fujioka. Here's the complete cast for the Ouran High School Host Club live action TV series:

Kawaguchi Haruna as Fujioka Haruhi

Yamamoto Yusuke as Suoh Tamaki

Daito Shunsuke as Ootori Kyoya

Takagi Manpei as Hitachiin Kaoru

 Takagi Shinpei as Hitachiin Hikaru

Chiba Yudai as Haninozuka Mitsukuni

Nakamura Masaya as Morinozuka Takashi

Ryusei Ryo as Nekozawa Umehito

(Photos from: http://hanashi-sekai.blogspot.com/2011/05/se-confirma-el-dorama-de-ouran-host.html)

I'm a little disappointed by the cast line-up though. I was expecting the Host Club guys to be better looking, I guess. Somewhere around the handsomeness of Ikuta Toma, Mukai Osamu and Hayami Mokomichi. *Stares and drools... Haha!*

Hayami Mokomichi

Ikuta Toma

Mukai Osamu

But I'm still definitely looking forward to it. I bet it's going to be a lot of laughs. :)

My Anime Theme Song Video Collection

Speaking of the theme songs of Kimi ni Todoke, I've also compiled videos of the opening/ending songs of several other anime shows with the lyrics to each. Check them out, and don't forget to vote on your favorite! :)

• Code Geass OP/ED Themes
• Darker Than Black OP/ED Themes
• Death Note OP/ED Themes
• GetBackers OP/ED Themes
• Great Teacher Onizuka OP/ED Themes
• Ouran High School Host Club OP/ED Themes
• Rurouni Kenshin OP/ED Themes
• Soul Eater OP/ED Themes

I'll be adding more compilations to my anime theme song video collection in the future so be sure to check back. :)

Ouran High School Host Club Special Short Story

Want more Ouran High School Host Club? Read the special short story that was included in Lala magazine's commemoration of Ouran High School Host Club while waiting for the 60-page one-shot to come out! The short story is only 6 pages long, but it's so hilarious. I still burst out laughing whenever I remember it. Wish it was longer though... I want more Ouran!

Ouran High School Host Club One-Shot Preview

I've just found out that Ouran High School Host Club has a 60-page one-shot that continues the story months after Haruhi and the rest of the host club go overseas! Yay! I can't wait to read it. I really, really hope the story will be about Kyoya. The manga's ending was so focused on Tamaki and Haruhi, which was fine, but I would have wanted a resolution to Kyoya's story as well. I'm keeping my hopes up.

Omari's Sister has promised to have the scanlation out by February. So unless you know how to read Japanese, you'll have to wait with me until then. :) They were, however, kind enough to give us some previews to keep us from ripping our hair out in the meantime. So let's be happy! :D

Top 3 Anime Characters Voiced by J. Michael Tatum

J. Michael Tatum is one of my favorite voice actors in the anime biz. He has lent his voice to quite a number of anime titles. So far, these three are at the top of my list of anime characters voiced by J. Michael Tatum:

#3.
Jiro Mochizuki 
Black Blood Brothers

#2.
Reiji Moritsugu
Linebarrels of Iron

#1.
Kyoya Ootori
Ouran High School Host Club

Ouran High School Host Club Chapter 83

I just finished reading Ouran High School Host Club Chapter 83, the final chapter of Hatori Bisco's very popular manga, and I love it, love it, love it!!! I have to admit that I had my doubts about how good it would be after being a little disappointed with chapter 82, but chapter 83 was so good! I laughed and laughed and laughed some more, and I even felt like a high school girl falling in love for the first time at one point. Kyaaa! Haha! (I won't give out any spoilers though. :-p) And I really liked the ending to the story. Well, I'm a sucker for happy endings. Hehe...

Farewell, Host Club. Tamaki, Kyoya, Hikaru, Kaoru, Honey, Mori, and Haruhi... I'm going to miss all of you. Let's meet again! :-)

Oh by the way, you can read the final chapter of Ouran High School Host Club here:

Ouran High School Host Club Chapter 83

Have fun. :)

Ouran High School Host Club Chapter 81 Update

(Warning: This post may contain spoilers.)

Oh, my god! Chapter 81 didn't disappoint at all! I was grinning and giggling like a high school girl in love all throughout. And as I expected, Tamaki was incredibly cute! (So was Kyoya, by the way.) Haha! But I felt a pleasant tingle when Tamaki kissed Haruhi. And the scene near the end was just so sweet... The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was too damn short! I can't wait for the next chapter to come out. When will it come out, anyway? Grr... this is going to be another marshmallow test. Hmph! Hehe.

Can you blame me though? I mean, this is how chapter 81 ended:

It's so sad that the manga is now coming to an end. I had originally heard that the last chapter would be chapter 83, but just tonight I read in a forum somewhere that chapter 82 is going to be the last one. Oh, say it ain't so! I still want more!

On another note, I heard that season 2 of the anime is in the works. Now that is good news, if it's true. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Ouran High School Host Club Chapter 81

Aghhh! I can't stand it! Chapter 81 of the Ouran High School Host Club manga was supposed to be out by July 24 but I still can't find it online. There are a lot of previews though, and people are talking about how this is where Tamaki plans his first date with Haruhi and where the two of them have their first kiss. Ohhh... I can just imagine how cute Tamaki will be! Haha!

But I'm also sad to hear that Ouran High School Host Club will end at Chapter 83. (Is that true?) I mean, there are still many things that are unresolved. There's Kyoya's situation for one. And what about the Hitachiin twins? Will the last three chapters of Ouran High School Host Club focus solely on Tamaki and Haruhi? Well, I like Tamaki and Haruhi as a couple, but I kind of like Haruhi with Kyoya too. And I also like Haruhi with Kaoru... or was it Hikaru? Haha! I'm obviously a confused person when it comes to love. Not! Hehehe... Anyway, I've been waiting two months for Chapter 81 to come out and I'm about to fail the marshmallow test. I want it now! ;P

Anime Recommendations: Good Anime Love Stories

Recommending animes to watch can be a tricky thing. I've been to many forums where they say that an anime that I didn't particularly like was the "best anime" they've ever seen. Of course I understand that different people have different preferences, but my point is that recommendations should be taken with a grain of salt... whatever that means. Haha!

I'm going to divide my recommendations into categories. This one is a list of anime titles that I would recommend to those looking for "kilig" or otherwise want to feel like high school kids falling in love for the first time. I have to warn you though that some of these anime contain violence and gore as well as love and romance. The list is in alphabetical order and only contains anime that I have seen from start to finish. Take a peek into the first episodes of each by watching the videos.

Ouran High School Host Club Anime Summary and Review

(Warning: This post may contain spoilers.)

The story of Ouran High School Host Club revolves around a smart girl named Haruhi Fujioka who, by her own merits and determination, was able to get a scholarship at the elite private school known as Ouran Academy. There at the Ouran Academy, while looking for a quiet place to study, she stumbles into an old music room where a group of boys who call themselves the Ouran Host Club hold their meetings, and she accidentally breaks a renaissance vase worth eight million yen. Tamaki Suoh, founder and self-proclaimed president of the Ouran Host Club, mistakes Haruhi for a boy and orders her to become the Host Club's "dog" (i.e. errand boy) in order to pay off the eight million yen. And so begins the story of the Ouran High School Host Club.

Throughout their adventures or should I say, misadventures (and they are quite hilarious), in the Host Club, Haruhi Fujioka, Tamaki Suoh, Kyoya Ootori, Kaoru and Hikaru Hitachiin, Mitsukuni Haninozuka and Takashi Morinozuka learn about friendship, love and acceptance. What started out as one of Tamaki's capricious whims turns out to be the best thing that's ever happened in their lives.

You know at first I thought this reverse harem anime was going to be one of those brainless, shallow, childish animes that are so common, and quite honestly I wasn't going to watch it at all after seeing the words "High School" so blatantly advertised in its title. But I'm very happy that I did because Ouran High School Host Club has now become one of my favorite animes of all time. The hilarious parodies and witty dialogues cracked me up, but what surprised me the most I guess was the depth of the story and personalities of the characters. It was also quite refreshing to see that Haruhi, the main girl in the story, had backbone and inner strength (unlike a lot of anime girls who whine and nag and fuss a lot and can't seem to do anything else besides being helpless and annoying).

I confess that I have watched the entire series of 26 episodes three times already, and I haven't gotten tired of it yet. In fact, I liked it better the third time around. And I loved the ending to the anime as well, and a good ending is quite rare in anime. Another thing I like about Ouran High School Host Club is its soundtrack. The orchestral tunes as well as the opening and ending themes are quite perfectly suited to the anime.  Overall, I give Ouran High School Host Club a 10/10. I would highly recommend watching it.

More Hot Anime Guys

It was a hard task selecting who would land a spot in my Top 10 Hottest Anime Guys list as I consider personality to be a key criterion in gauging hotness aside from good looks and a great body. And choosing only ten out of the many, many hot anime guys out there proved to be quite a challenge. Now to be fair to the other hot anime guys who didn't make it to my Top Ten, I have decided to feature another batch of ten hottest anime guys (in no particular order). And don't underestimate the hotness of these guys just because they're runners-up, they just might give you a nosebleed. ;)


Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka
Ouran High School Host Club

Age: 18 years old
Height: 6'2"
Weight: ?
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Race: Human






Takashi Morinozuka or Mori, as his friends call him, is the strong, silent type and the girls in the Host Club love him for it. He doesn't say much, and this creates an air of mystery around him. Plus he's tall, dark and handsome.

Meet The Ouran Host Club

Only those with excellent social standing and those from filthy rich families are lucky enough to spend their time here at the elite private school, Ouran Academy. The Ouran Host Club is where the school's handsomest boys with too much time on their hands entertain young ladies who also have way too much time on their hands. Just think of it as Ouran Academy's elegant playground for the super rich and beautiful.

One. Good looks that attract the public eye.
Two. More wealth than you can imagine.
Three. Chivalry that will never be able to overlook...
...the hideous wickedness of this world.

That's what makes up the Ouran Host Club.
WE'RE HERE. WATCH OUT!

Quotes From The Hitachiin Twins, Ouran High School Host Club

The Hitachiin Twins

The Ouran Host Club's Hitachiin Twins Kaoru and Hikaru, who seem to take pleasure in making Tamaki Suoh jealous over Haruhi Fujioka, have some entertaining quotes between the two of them. Here are the most memorable ones:

To some Host Club clients:
Hikaru and Kaoru: "Let's all play the 'Which one is Hikaru?' game! ...So... can you tell which one of us is Hikaru? ...Many ladies have tried to tell us apart but so far none have succeeded!"

To Haruhi Fujioka after Haruhi commented about not understanding why Kaoru and Hikaru are so popular:
Kaoru: "Apparently you don't understand the merits of having a pair of twins as members of the Host Club."
Hikaru: "Listen up. Having a couple of good-looking guys with homosexual tendencies earns the club high points. It also helps that the two struggle between their attraction and their friendship."
Kaoru: "And in our case because we're twins our relationship is taboo and therefore more intriguing."
Hikaru: "And besides, who hasn't fantasized about twins? Having two loves is better than one, don't you think?"
Kaoru: "It's a young woman's romantic fantasy."

About themselves:
Kaoru: "We were always contradicting ourselves. We wanted to be told apart - We didn't want to be told apart. We wanted people to know us - We didn't want them to know. We were always looking for someone who would finally accept us. But there was no way that would ever happen, not as twisted as we were. We were so afraid of someone breaking through our barrier and hurting us, we kept a strong lock on our hearts to protect ourselves."

Quotes From Kyoya Ootori, Ouran High School Host Club

Kyoya Ootori

Kyoya Ootori, vice-president of the Ouran Host Club and club president Tamaki Suoh's best friend, is probably mainly responsible for the Host Club's success due to his pragmatism and skill when it comes to handling finances. And he is also very intelligent and incredibly witty, which makes him the perfect specimen for gathering quotes. Here are the most memorable ones:

To the president of the Ouran Newspaper Club who was out to get the Host Club's president Tamaki Suoh:
“Let me explain it to you in terms you can understand. You would do well to remember that the Ootori group and the Hitachiin family alone own enough stock to remove your father from his position as President of the Komatsuzawa Publishing Firm. However, we would never do something like that. We are not like you. What we strive for is fundamentally different."

To the Hitachiin twins when they begged him to do something about Renge Houshakuji's plan to spice up the character backgrounds of the Host Club boys:
"Why? It seems like the boss is up for it... Let's just wait and see how things turn out. I bet it'll be interesting. It always is."

Upon being woken up by Tamaki and the other Host Club boys so they could all go to a "commoner" expo:
“For your information, I was up until 5 a.m. you morons, which if you hadn't noticed makes me a little less than happy about being woken up... Okay, enough with the commoner shtick. If you formulaic halfwits feel like wasting all afternoon on worn out old clichés, go right ahead and suit yourselves.”

Quotes From Tamaki Suoh, Ouran High School Host Club

Tamaki Suoh

Tamaki Suoh, founder and president of the Ouran Host Club, may seem like a naive idiot most of the time, but nuggets of wisdom worthy of being quoted and others not so wise but still worthy to be quoted do come out of his mouth at unexpected moments. Here are the most memorable ones:

To Haruhi Fujioka the first time Haruhi, an exceptional honor student who got into Ouran Academy on a scholarship, stumbled into the music room where the Host Club holds its meetings:
"You're a hero to other poor people, Fujioka. You've shown the world that even a poor person can excel at an elite private academy. It must be hard for you to constantly be looked down upon by others... Spurned, neglected, but that doesn't matter now. Long live the poor! We welcome you, poor man, to our world... of beauty!"
 
To Haruhi Fujioka about his helping her search for her wallet in the school pond:
"A little water never hurt anyone. Besides, people are always telling me that I'm dripping with good looks."

To Mitsukuni Haninozuka about Mitsukuni's denying his love for sweets and cute stuff and acting tough in order to meet other people's expectations of him as the next head of the Haninozuka martial arts clan: 
“Do you think you could tell me what true strength is?  I may be out of line, but hiding your true self and putting on airs doesn’t seem any different than running away to me. I would think that embracing the things you truly like and being able to enjoy them is worth more than anything. To just be yourself… I believe that’s what true strength really is.”

Funny Anime English Dub Outtakes (Official Anime Bloopers)

You know how the things we take for granted sometimes sneak up on us and give us a good whacking on the behind?  That's sort of what happened to me this evening as I was browsing through YouTube.  I came across these videos that gave my laughing muscles a lot of exercise.  They were outtakes of the Ouran High School Host Club and Rurouni Kenshin English dub.  I hadn't really given much thought to the anime dubbing process until a couple of days ago.  If I had taken the time I would have realized that just like on-screen actors, voice actors also have bloopers.  And bloopers are good entertainment.  So I thought I would share the laughs with you tonight.  (Now I want to watch all the episodes of Ouran High School Host Club and Rurouni Kenshin again.) :)

Older Anime Characters

Just what is it with anime and high school students?  I mean, why is it that almost all non-samurai anime are about high school kids?  Why don't they make more anime about adults like veteran war journalist Tatsumi Saiga in Speed Grapher for instance?  But even in Speed Grapher they had to put a high school girl right up there with Saiga.  Do anime fans really like the high school setting that much, or is it that most anime fans are high school students themselves?  What about us adults?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining.  In fact, I've enjoyed quite a few high school themed anime such as Ouran High School Host Club and Great Teacher Onizuka (Junior high is still high school even though their teacher Eikichi Onizuka is 22 years old).  College might be a bit better, but it would still be about students and teenagers.

I would like to see more anime with adult, not teenage, characters.  Basically I guess I want the main characters to be and look older than 30.  And I want the main character to be male.  And he's got to be handsome, smart and confident.  And there has to be a generous amount of sexual tension between him and another girl a couple of years younger who is preferably not a whiny little brat.  And the story must inspire feelings of suspense, "kilig" and excitement.  It may be set in modern or ancient or fictional Japan, just as long as the above-mentioned elements are present.  Hmm... maybe I should create my own anime.  Hehe.

Sigh... now I'm missing Byakuya Kuchiki and Gin Ichimaru.  Why did Bleach have to get so bad after the first couple of seasons?

From left to right: Toshiro Hitsugaya, Gin Ichimaru, Ichigo Kurosaki, Byakuya Kuchiki, Renji Abarai