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.