1 year anniversary!

My blog is now a year old - hurray! Here's to another year, and another, and another! Originally I planned to focus only on Japanese stuff, but it's obvious I've branched out. How did that happen?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Funimation licenses Slayers Revolution & Evolution-R

From Anime News Network:

The North American distributor FUNimation Entertainment has announced on Monday that it has licensed the Slayers Revolution fantasy comedy anime series from Enoki Films. This 2008 anime is the fourth television series based on Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi's novel series, after the first Slayers series, Slayers Next, and Slayers Try. The first three Slayers television series were previously licensed by Central Park Media, and then FUNimation picked up their licenses in 2005.

Like the previous Slayers projects, Slayers Revolution follows the comic misadventures of the sorceress Lina Inverse (Megumi Hayashibara) and the swordsman Gourry Gabriev (Yasunori Matsumoto) in a fantasy land. Several other familiar characters in the franchise make appearances during the series, and Takashi Watanabe (Boogiepop Phantom, Ikki Tousen, Lost Universe) directed all four series. The 13 Slayers Revolution episodes aired in Japan from July to September, and a fifth series, Slayers Evolution-R, will continue the story in January.

Update: According to FUNimation's press release, the company will release the complete series on DVD in 2010. However, the website lists a 2009 date.

Update 2: FUNimation has confirmed with ANN that 2009 is the scheduled date for the digital release.This literally came out just 30 minutes ago!

Update 3: FUNimation lists its Slayers Revolution license as a 26-episode series. Hajime Kanzaka, the author of the original Slayers light novels, had indicated that Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution-R were originally planned as one 26-episode series with a production break in between the two halves.

Update 4: FUNimation has confirmed that it has licensed both Slayers Revolution and its follow-up, Slayers Evolution-R.

Smurfs links

If you're feeling nostalgic for The Smurfs and want to look at interesting websites about them or meet fellow fans, these links should help:

Blue Cavern

Kitty's Cavern

SmurfySteve's Smurf and Snork Forum

Three Apples Tall

Jellaby, Volume One

Portia Bennett is lonely. Though she is smart for her age and tries to be social, none of the other kids at school seem to want to have anything to do with her. Her home life isn't much better, with a mom that works all the time and a dad missing and presumed dead. One night, Portia finds an unexpected friend in a large purple creature she names "Jellaby." He (she?) never says a word and Portia presumes him to be lost, deciding to help Jellaby get back home, wherever that might be. Eventually a kid named Jason joins the group after Jellaby is accidentally exposed to him, and Portia has no choice but to let him in on the secret. Together they find a possible clue to Jellaby's origin and must venture alone to Toronto, a mission with unknown dangers at every corner.

Jellaby is a seriously cute and deceptively simple story. It's interesting that most of the coloring consists of shades of purple, though occasionally you see a dark shade of red, some yellow and a small amount of green. You'd think it'd be distracting, but it works very well. There is mystery and suspense on just where Jellaby comes from, where Portia's dad is, and even what a series of upsetting dreams/flashbacks Portia's been having might mean. I should warn you, however, that the story does not wrap up in this volume - there is another one on the way, set to be released in April of 2009 (ugh). This could definitely be enjoyed by comic enthusiasts, young and old.

Spears Christmas photoshoot

Pictured below are one of my Sims families: Blade (red dress), Jace (blue suit), Knife (gray suit), Fork (white tux), and Wanda (green dress).

Rainbow Brite Christmas

DOWNLOAD

This Christmas album featuring Rainbow Brite may be corny (and the first song is terrible), but if you ever loved this blonde girl in your childhood, or are simply curious, add this to your collection of holiday listens.

Holiday Must Watches!

In no particular order:

Movies:

1. Muppet Christmas Carol
2. Home Alone
3. The Santa Clause

TV Specials:

1. Jim Henson's The Christmas Toy
2. Muppet Family Christmas
3. A Chipmunk Christmas
4. Mickey's Christmas Carol
5. A Charlie Brown Christmas
6. Garfield Christmas

Alvin and the Chipmunks Holiday set: Christmas

Paramount recently released a DVD set featuring Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas specials by Alvin and the Chipmunks. I shall review each disc as their respective holiday arrives.

Disc Three: Christmas

A young boy named Tommy is bed-ridden with a mysterious illness, and may not make it through the holidays. Meanwhile, Alvin and The Chipmunks are anxious and excited for the holidays, caught up in the festivities and consumerism. But when Alvin finds out about Tommy, he gives away his treasured "golden echo harmonica" so that Tommy might get better - and soon after finds out that during The Chipmunks upcoming performance at Carnegie Hall, he's been assigned a harmonica solo. Too afraid to tell Dave what he did, Alvin attempts to make quick cash and buy another one in time.

Also included are two episodes from the 80s TV series:

Merry Christmas, Mr. Carroll - Alvin is so caught up in researching what he wants for Christmas, he neglects his homework and paper route, among other things. An elderly neighbor, Mr. Carroll, is considered mean by Alvin for demanding timely delivery of his paper and not understanding his "important" Christmas dilemma. But when Alvin falls asleep while writing an essay at the last minute about holiday spirit, he may get the wake up call he badly needs.

Dave's Wonderful Life - Times are hard on Dave. His song writing is in a dry spell, his car is as good as dead, and his kids expect to go to a camp they can't afford this year. Believing the chipmunks are better off without him, Dave takes a nap and comes across a discovery he should've realized long ago.

As I said in my review for the Halloween and Thanksgiving disc, check this out if you're a Chipmunks fan and/or simply want to see the 80s show finally on DVD. The Christmas special is a classic and a definite mustsee for those looking to get into the spirit. The TV episodes aren't so bad and definitely tie in with the theme of the disc.

Ranma 1/2, volume 22

Ranma is back for his 22nd round of adventures!

-Ranma, on his way back from school, comes across a savagely beaten Ryoga and Mousse, who claim men with inhuman powers have taken Akane and Shampoo to The Cat Cafe. As they arrive, Ranma is just in time to catch Akane, who had just been flung across the room. A very dangerous guest is there; Herb, the leader of the Musk Dynasty (a warrior tribe with the powers and slight appearance of animals) from China. Ranma, angered with the way Akane had been treated, fights Herb and ends up getting wet, turning into a woman. Seeing this, Herb decides to punish Ranma by splashing a special water on him, which it turns out "locked" Ramna into this female form, possibly forever. If he wants the cure, he, Ryoga and Mousse must follow their new enemies to find it.

Barbie in A Christmas Carol review

Barbie tells the story of Eden Starling, a famous singer in Victorian England. But despite her beautiful voice and appearance, she is a self-centered diva who can't even manage to be kind to childhood friend Catherine. On Christmas Eve, after demanding the employees of her theater report for rehearsal the next day (despite personal plans) she is visited by her late Aunt Marie. The grouchy woman who raised Eden with the motto "In a selfish world, the selfish succeed," wants to set things right for her niece before it's too late. Three Christmas spirits are the key to this, but is Eden willing to listen?

I came into this movie expecting to be disappointed or overwhelmed with cornball antics. That was not the case. Though it's been altered from the original Christmas Carol, they didn't do so in a bad way. Even the token cute animal mascot (Chuzzlewit) was actually funny and likable. The music was very nice, it's too bad the songs weren't quite long enough for them to make a side soundtrack like in the past movies. I think my favorite of the Christmas spirits would have to be Christmas Past. She was a giddy, hyper fangirl who spent most of her time goofing around with Eden and wanting to have fun. It was great.

As for the animation, it looks like they took a step or two back in the quality department. It's as though they made it around Nutcracker and forgot to release it until now. It takes some getting used to. Maybe they were rushed for time? Who knows.

And Barbie? She actually acted like a normal human being, expressing annoyance, impatience and anger at Kelly for not wanting to go to the charity ball. I was surprised! I was also surprised that Eden didn't get a love interest, but since it's not a "Princess" movie, I guess I shouldn't have expected one (even though Ebenezer did have a love interest, even if it ended tragically). Catherine got one, though - good for her!

Overall it's pretty good, so if you have or know a 3 year old and somehow you get pulled into watching it, fear not. It's nothing to sigh over. In fact, go out and buy it for yourself.

Morning Musume in Cinderella DVD review

Released on December 3rd, this DVD release consists of Morning Musume's performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. It consists of two DVDs (Act I and Act II), both about 80 minutes in length.

I have always enjoyed this musical, so combining it with one of my favorite music groups was like a dream. Definitely more light-hearted and fun than their last play, Ribbon no Kishi, a rather dark story about a crossdressing princess. It made you feel good the whole way, even if you couldn't understand the dialogue. However, all you have to do is dig up the 1997 Disney (or other) version and you should be mostly set.

The costumes are stunning (Cinderella's ballgown was particularly beautiful), colorful and glittery under the stage lights. I was mesmerized and wished I could be performing with them, just so I could wear one of the dresses for awhile.

I think some of the humor was probably lost on Japanese audiences (like the door that wouldn't close, and the king's pants), as I hardly heard them laugh at all. It was surreal listening to the songs I'm used to being sung in Japanese, and was certainly a learning experience.

All of the girls did a good job, Ai was particularly excellent (she could even cry on cue). To note, the king seriously creeped me out. "He" (the actor behind the character was a woman) was like The Burger King's even creepier brother. I hated the hair! And he really should've invested in a royal belt or special shampoo or something ;)

I hope they do another musical like this again, because it really suited them. Actually, as I was watching them fly about on wires I thought of Peter Pan for some reason.

The Archies Christmas Album review

1. Here Comes Santa Claus
2. Up on the Housetop
3. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
4. Holly Jolly Christmas
5. Jingle Bell Rock
6. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
7. Run Rudolph Run
8. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
10. Sleigh Ride
11. Archies Christmas Party
12. Christmas in Riverdale

While pretty generic, this is a cute, wholesome and harmless album that would be good for any Archie comics fan, and especially for people who love any and every Christmas album they can get their hands on. Betty and Veronica dominate the vocals, and you'll occasionally hear Archie, Jughead and Reggie (a shame they weren't featured more, but the CD title does say "Featuring Betty and Veronica"). However, I can't distinguish who is supposed to be who, though I guess it doesn't really matter. It also comes with two original tracks, "Archies Christmas Party" and "Christmas in Riverdale."

Buy here at Amazon.com

Emma, volume three

On the train ride back to her home town, Emma comes across a sweet and talkative young woman who is traveling with her mistress. Before she knows it, Emma finds herself with a new job. Overwhelmed with new rules and a more numerous staff (used to being the only servant), along with being sick for her old life, Emma must learn to adjust. Meanwhile, William is throwing himself into the "correct" life of the rich, working harder, attending things his old self would scoff at, in an attempt to forget Emma. Both are struggling, and both would never dream of ever finding each other again. But one person our young maid meets may just be a fateful connection.

I felt so sorry and sad for them in this volume. I don't think Kelly would approve of Emma running away and finding herself in an endless loop of living the "downstairs" life. She would be sad that her poor almost-daughter had been seperated from William and would probably never see him again. And William... I understand his anger, his giving them what they want but doing so in a "I don't really mean this but I'll act like it to shut you all up, because, dammit, I'm sick of it" way. You can imagine him getting stuck in a loveless (on his end) marriage, smiling for people but crying behind closed doors, reaching old age and very much ready to go with a weary heart.

Kaori Iida's baby son passes away

From Hello! Online:

It was revealed today that Iida Kaori's 6-month-old child (whose name is not publicly known) died on July 27, 2008 due to chronic renal failure.

---Iida Kaori Comment---

This is a personal matter, but I have some news I would like to share.On July 27, my son passed away from chronic renal failure.I loved him more than anyone, and he meant so much to me that all I could do was cry.At first, I couldn't even think about what lay ahead, but after laying him to rest, I've been slowly able to go out, and had a chance to talk with the staff. I think that what I do from now will be for my son's memory. So I decided that moving forward and staying positive is the best memorial I can give to my son.Moving forward and staying positive, what does that mean... When I thought about that, I decided that returning to work after my time off, and being in front of my fans for the first time. So I discussed it with the staff.To help me deal with this, it hasn't just been my family, but my friends and all the staff supporting me. I won't forget my gratitude as I do my best in my own way and work hard for the sake of my son.I'm sure this has caused trouble and concern for everybody, but please continue to support me.

2008-11-28
Iida Kaori

A statement from UFA, Tsunku, along with comments/reactions from former Morning Musume members/friends such as Mari Yaguchi and Yuko Nakazawa can be found in the above link. Poor Kaori :( :(

Highlighted Series - 1/2 Fairy!

Since this was published in the 1980s and is long out of print, I don't think it will do any harm to include spoilers. If you don't want spoilers (on the off-chance that you'd like to locate scanlations or an actual copy somewhere), don't read the second paragraph on. To note, I own an actual copy ;)

A young woman named Ellen has just moved into her great grandpa's countryside home with her mom and dad, Rasty (a well-known writer) and Ferrisa Ferguson. During her first night, she goes into the kitchen for a snack and a weird creature with green hair appears in front of her! The creature introduces herself as Faau, a spirit of the oak tree in the backyard, and tells Ellen that they are "of the same kind." Basically, Ellen is supposed to believe that she is half-fairy.

It turns out that her mom is a dunna fairy, and met her father on Halloween many years ago. Fairies can only enter the human realm on Halloween or mid-summer eve, but she got lost and couldn't find her way home - so she ended up settling down with Rasty and Ellen was born. That former home is referred to as "The Hill," and, coincidentally, is located where they have just moved! But if Faau's hunch is right, great trouble is headed for the family. Mr. Bayley, a young businessman, is frequently visiting and trying to talk Mr. Ferguson into selling, the reason being the government wants to use the house as part of a community project. But that spells trouble not just for Ellen and her parents, but all the fairies as well. Her fluttering heart when the older man comes near is also enough to make her feel even more confused and upset about the whole situation.

Also included in the manga are two extra stories. The first focuses on one of Ellen's next door neighbors, a pair of twins named Tim and Charlotte. They believe they've seen a fairy in her backyard and are determined to come into contact. Fred, their older brother (who is in love with Ellen), tells them it's a bunch of nonsense, but maybe some magic will make him see what he's always denied. In the second story, a poem entitled "The Children of Planet A" touches the lives of three individuals - the French daughter of the man who wrote it, a high school student emotionally weary from what Japanese society expects of her, and a farmer boy in Iowa who dreams of flying beyond the corn fields.

If you can get your hands on it, this is a very cute read. Sadly, North American companies appear allergic to series from this era, so I very much doubt we'll ever see it in English. OKANO Fumika (last name first) is the author.

Morning Musume 「Cover You」 CD

Track list:

1. 渚のシンドバッド (Nagisa no Sinbad)
2. どうにもとまらない (Dou ni mo Tomaranai)　
3. 居酒屋 (Izakaya)
4. ペッパー警部 (Album ver.) (Pepper Keibu)
5. 白い蝶のサンバ (Shiroi Chou no Samba)
6. 青春時代 (Seishun Jidai)
7. 林檎殺人事件 (Ringo Satsujin Jiken)
8. ロマンス (Album ver.) (Romance)
9. 街の灯り (Machi no Akari)
10. 恋のダイヤル6700 (Koi no Dial 6700)
11. ピンポンパン体操 (Pinpon Pan Taisou)
12. わたしの青い鳥 (Watashi no Aoi Tori)
13. ジョニイへの伝言 (Jonii e no Dengon)
14. UFO

I found this album to be quite enjoyable, and each song grows on you the more you listen to it (save for one, maybe two). If you're a fan of retro Japanese pop music, this is something you should at least sample. Morning Musume fans will definitely find a few things to love. My favorite track is probably Koi no Dial 6700, it's very bouncy and the girls are in top singing form.

Kirarin Revolution review

I posted this originally at MyAnimeList, but thought I'd stick it here as well:

Allow me to admit outright that the only reason I started watching this show was because the main character, Kirari, is voiced by a member of one of my favorite music groups, Morning Musume. Because I'm a huge fan of shoujo, this was just chocolate frosting on the cake.

Unfortunately, Kirarin Revolution is full of cliches and predictablity. The only things "unique" about it that I can tell is that you basically watch an idol's day-to-day workload, with a tiny smidge of reality cushioned by the usual anime antics. Kirari does not become an idol because of a magical interference (think shows like Fancy La La or the manga Cyber Idol Mink), and she is not simply tossed into the world of celebrity with little or no problems. She actually has to work at it and overcome obstacles on pretty much a daily basis.

There is very little development in this story, and for every "useful" episode you will find several fillers. Every now and then you'll also get a "conflict" that takes 2 or 3 episodes to resolve. I know you should expect it to be that way for a series that's over 100 episodes and climbing (with no signs of stopping at that!), but this makes it very slow going. For instance, I have never seen a romance stretched out for this long before. It's enough to make even the most patient hopeless romantic scream "Just get together already!" (for the sake of spoilers, I won't tell you anything else).

The music in the show is catchy, but Kirari is indeed a very bad singer, and has a habit of putting emphasis on every syllable in every word. Prepare yourself.

As far as the animation, the quality might have you shaking your head at times because of how OFF the characters can look. I've also heard that later episodes adopt a computerized 3D look - however, I haven't gotten that far and thus can't comment on it yet.

It's definitely a cute and fun show, and I do get enjoyment out of it (I am a firm believer in Hiroto's powers of awesome), but it's mostly a light, fluffy romp with not much else to it. I'm sure the young girls it's aimed at adore it (how else would it still be in production?), but if you're looking for something with more substance (and half the length), look elsewhere. If you love to give all shoujo a chance, need something to kill time, and/or you just want to find a harmless guilty pleasure, however, jump right in.

Pokemon Thanksgiving fanfiction

There are stories for Pokemon featuring the American holiday, Thanksgiving!? They are indeed in existance, and here are a few:

Good Enough (really a Thanksgiving "gift" according to the author, but I'll let it count)

Honey I Burnt The Turkey

Pokemon Thanksgiving '04

Thanks For The Roses you give me

Thanksgiving

Highlighted Series - Beauty Pop

Kiri isn't your average shoujo female. She doesn't dress in the hottest, trendiest, and brightest clothes - instead, she chooses to don jeans and a jacket, complete with baseball cap. She isn't perky and popular - she's lazy, can sleep anywhere at any time, and pretty much keeps to herself, save her two close friends. She doesn't blush at the smile or touch of a cute classmate - in fact, she's not impressed. You'll never see her shopping for hair clips, or scarfing down crepes after school. She's just about as atypical as you can get.

And that's part of Beauty Pop's [ビューティーポップ] charm. This series chooses to challenge the stereotype, and address the pressure girls are under to look beautiful (especially if they want to have any chance of getting a boyfriend). It's Kiri's opinion that anyone, no matter their looks and build, can be pretty and confident with a new hairstyle, working her "magic" on poor, unfortunate souls she comes across (like a little girl being harrassed in the first volume). However, she does this anonymously. On the the other hand, The Scissors Project is a whole new matter. "The S.P.," as they are called, run by three popular boys at school (Narumi, Kei, Ochiai), select already good looking girls and give them grand makeovers - basically they'll only work with people who didn't really need the change. This is always done in a very public, bragging fashion. Eventually, Kiri and the club butt heads (or just Narumi, who is dead-set and determined to become the best beautician in Japan. The award winning "genius" displays great annoyance and frustration with Kiri's attitude, "mussy" hairdo and severe lack of feminine behavior).

Despite Kiri's incredible talent (and heritage), she doesn't want to make a career out of it, for reasons she won't share with anyone (and only her parents could guess). This adds another level of drama to the series, as pressure builds for her to get more use out of her wasted skills.

Basically, if you're looking for something that isn't starring a 12-year-old pig-tailed ball of fluff who saves the world on the weekends, this is it. If you're looking for a love story where looks aren't the deciding factor, this is for you. And if you or anyone you know has ever suffered from low self esteem or rejection because it seemed you just weren't cute enough, this is definitely for you.

Beauty Pop is currently under the release of VIZ for the US.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 89 & 90

(きらりん☆レボリューション) 2006

Kirari (voiced by Koharu Kusumi of Morning Musume!) is a middle schooler who LOVES her food. So much so that it's scary! While girls her age swoon over idols, Kirari swoons over her dad's cooking, and couldn't care less about the life of a celebrity. But when she saves the pet turtle of Seiji of pop group SHIPS and falls in love, she decides to become an idol herself so that they can be together (or so she hopes).



Episode 89:

Over in America, Hiroto can't stop thinking about Kirari's life changing decision, while at the same time being pressured by his dance teacher to enter a contest for professionals. And Kirari herself doesn't know how to cope with her demotion, so she decides to crown herself Black Wood's assistant. It seems her method is to kill him with kindness, but the man with a "black" heart doesn't appear moved. In fact, it makes him angry, especially when the talents he signed on express unhappiness with the changes to their careers.



Episode 90:

The heads of Muranishi, along with Seiji call an emergency meeting for their idols and competitors, and tell the story of just why Kirari left for Black Wood. They decide to band together in order to survive and keep Black Wood from totally dominating the entertainment industry. In the meantime, our hard-hearted businessman is determined to get 100% viewer ratings for his upcoming televised "Black Festival." If he's able to get that, the revolution will truly have come.

Emma, volume two

A terrible tragedy forces Emma to leave the home she's known for so many years, and move away from London. Meanwhile, William tries desperately to get his father's approval for a possible relationship with Emma - and gets the should've expected response. With things so much more difficult (both in home and distance), and his father pushing a young heiress named Eleanor to be William's wife, it looks like they just weren't meant to be. Especially when William learns about Emma's dark past, something she'd managed to bury into deep secrecy, except from those who knew her best.

Alvin and the Chipmunks Holiday set: Thanksgiving

Paramount recently released a DVD set featuring Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas specials by Alvin and the Chipmunks. I shall review each disc as their respective holiday arrives.

Disc Two: Alvin's Thanksgiving Celebration

Alvin and his brothers have signed up for a community Thanksgiving pagent, set to be broadcast all over the city. They think it's their ticket to stardom (they aren't stars already?) and make sure Dave gets out all the invites for Thanksgiving dinner, so they can brag to family. But when the roles they're used to are scrambled, the chipmunks start to freak out.

Also included are episodes from the 80s TV series:

Food For Thought: Theodore may not graduate from their grade unless he passes a test, so Alvin and Theodore try to help him remember important events in American history using food.

Cookie Chomper III: The chipmunks adopt a stray kitten, whom soon after meets with an accident when he gets loose from the house.

Dave's Getting Married: Dave is getting rather serious with a pretty woman named Marsha, and though his sons like her well enough, it's her own kids (near mirror images of their animal counterparts) that are the problem.

As I said in my review for the Halloween disc, check this out if you're a Chipmunks fan and/or simply want to see the 80s show finally on DVD. If you're rather casual about the whole thing, you might want to find something else to watch (like Charlie Brown or Garfield's specials). Although, I did like the episodes selection better in this one (even though some of them, like Dave's Getting Married, I simply couldn't see the Thanksgiving connection). And hey, the Chipettes show up! That's always a plus! I'm warning you, though, animal lovers - Cookie Chomper III might make you cry a little :(

Mari Yaguchi starts blog

Mari Yaguchi, former member of Morning Musume, has followed in the footsteps of a few fellow H!P members and created her own blog. She's my favorite, so I look forward to visiting (even if I can't read most of it). I just hope she doesn't spend most of her blogging time taking pictures of what she had for lunch. Those plague a lot of Japanese celebrity blogs I've looked at for some reason ;)

http://ameblo.jp/mari-yaguchi/

Tutenstein: Clash of the Pharaohs

This is Tutenstein's first made-for-TV movie, and aired in October.

Tutenstein has been plagued with nightmares lately, and believes the Mirror of Isis is the cure. If he uses it to go back in time, he can stop himself from dying, thus ending the terrible dreams and ensuring him the long and happy reign he feels he so richly deserved. But before Cleo or himself can get their hands on it, it's stolen by a thief. When they confront the man, they are in fact able to go back in time, but they miss Tut's fatal demise by about 1,000 years! Not only that, the mirror is broken and royal guards are out for their heads - until somebody gets a good look at Cleo and mistakes her for Cleopatra, their current ruler.



As far as these sorts of projects go, it's entertaining but not terribly special - take it or leave it, though fans will certainly get the most enjoyment. I think this is one of those shows that throws in something educational, but doesn't shove it down your throat or talk down to you. Tut was amusing in his anger - I mean, everybody is treating Cleo like a pharaoh, when he's supposed to be one! How dare they, right? Or so he thinks, with his inflated ego. We also learn just how Tut died, and why - the answer might surprise you!

Kaze Hikaru, volume 11

Mabo has been found among the lost children, dirty and silent and covered in bruises. It's immediately discovered that someone has been abusing him, very likely his new adoptive parents, and Sei goes on the rampage. Yamanami's relationship has been steadily progressing with Akesato, but a new conflict within headquarters may stop it permanently before it can lead to anything very serious (like marriage). The poor man is shocked and torn on the dark discovery and doesn't know what to do with that he knows. The answer, or his messy solution, may be more deadly than anyone dreamed.

Futurama: Bender's Game review

In this third installment of the new Futurama movie series, we find ourselves taking a glimpse into the nerdy culture of Dungeons and Dragons. Bender is shunned by Cubert and his friends for not having enough of an imagination (or any at all) to play the game with them. Meanwhile, there's a shortage of dark matter due to Mom's monopoly on the fuel market.

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW

...


...


...

-The fantasy part of the movie they've been using to hype it doesn't happen until the last half hour!
-Fry and Leela shippers, do not expect anything. The "shippiest" thing you could get out of it is Fry riding Leela when she's in her horse form.
-This pretty much stands by itself with little reference to the last two. Nibbler is magically back with no explanation.
-I wonder what Kif would think if he found out Amy was being a lot, uh... friendlier towards males than usual.
-This time, and I'll give them this, it feels more like a movie and less like four episodes they'll later slice apart for TV.
-A lot of good jokes that had me smiling.

Overall, I'd say it's not as good as BBS, but not as bad as BWABB. Somewhere in between.

Fandom "Wikis" Part 2

Recently I discovered that some of my fandoms have whole online "wikipedias" created for them.

Archie Comics Wiki

Christmas Specials Wiki

Futurama Wiki

Emma, volume 1

If you're looking for something that isn't your average, frantic, over-the-top, cutesy shoujo read, this is it. This is the story of a maid named Emma and a man from a wealthy family named William, set in Victorian England. Though they come from vastly different worlds, and according to the culture they could never be together properly, still they find themselves developing feelings for each other in the first volume (William definitely so). Right away you can tell it will be a slow and steady romance that will take many volumes to reach its conclusion. Emma is very shy and demure, definitely not the perky, food obsessed main character you'd expect from a modern shoujo story. William is very head-strong who has no desire to marry somebody his parents choose or go to boring social events "just because." But he'll have to get in line to win her over, seeing as she gets love letters daily (but all of which she turns down). Luckily, his former governess, whom Emma now works for, is rooting for them.

It's a very good manga that portrays a quiet, sweet romance that I look forward to reading more of.

Alvin and the Chipmunks Holiday Set: Halloween

Paramount recently released a DVD set featuring Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas specials by Alvin and the Chipmunks. I shall review each disc as their respective holiday arrives.

Disc One: Trick or Treason

Alvin is most anxious to join the Monster Club, known for its many tricks and not so many treats (and stylish jacket), and his poor brothers are eventually pulled into the mess along with him. Nobody more so than Theodore, who befriends a lonely and misunderstood kid named Michael, whom the Monster Club cruelly dubbed "Pumpkinface" due to a birth defect. When Alvin is pressured into pulling a prank (or "mash") on him, he'll have to decide what's most important, and what to believe.

Also featured are 4 episodes from the 1980s TV series:

Babysitter Fright Night - When Dave leaves for the evening to work, he hires a babysitter who's more military sergeant than caretaker.

Theodore's Life as a Dog - Sick of Alvin's pranks, Theodore and Simon decide to give him a taste of his own medicine. Because Alvin tricked Theodore into eating a dog biscuit earlier, they'll now pretend the rotund sibling is actually turning into one as a result.

Nightmare on Seville Street - Disobeying Dave, the chipmunks sneak into a scary movie screening and can't sleep that night, thinking the main character will haunt their dreams.

No Chipmunk is an Island - The three brothers have had enough of living in the same room, so they branch out into other parts of the house. Dreaming of peaceful solitude that night in their sleep, they come to find out being alone may not be all that great.

If you're a huge fan and will buy anything Chipmunks, I don't think you could pass this up. If you're anxious to see episodes from the 80s TV series finally in DVD format, I would also suggest you not pass this up. It's a terrible shame that the whole TV series isn't out at this point, but maybe I can be hopeful and it'll someday happen. Overall, however, it's nothing to get too terribly excited over. Trick or Treason is rather dull and not very remarkable, so if you're indifferent/undecided about it, I'd check out something else instead to get your Halloween fix.

Ranma 1/2, volume 21

Ranma is back for his 21st round of adventures.

-After Happosai returns home one day, beaten and covered in ink, it's discovered that Pantyhose Taro has once again returned for revenge. This time he's brought water from "Spring of Pious Man" to do the trick - or so he thinks. It's actually from "Spring of Drowned Twins," and who could ever want two Happosais? One is more than enough! Ranma and the gang must make sure not a drop hits the little man's head.
-Ranma is thrust into a "Cinderella" story when a young man, searching for a pig-tailed girl who stepped on his head, holds a party in his castle to find her. Unlucky for Ranma he holds an uncanny resemblence to Yohyo's beloved, both in appearance and feet.
-At the same time Kasumi falls ill, Ranma's mother, Nodoka, comes for an unexpected visit. She offers to cook for them, and Akane wishes to help. But Akane's cooking can be downright toxic, so Ranma (in female form as his alterego, Ranko) joins in to make sure nothing goes wrong.
-Ryoga buys a "fishing pole of love," hoping to reel in Akane's love once and for all. But he accidentally catches Ranma, and then strange things start to happen. His sworn enemy begins cooking for him, doing his laundry, even asking if they could at least be friends. It's making Ryoga incredibly uncomfortable, and Akane is completely confused about the whole thing.
-Gosunkugi thinks he's finally found what he needs to defeat Ranma in mail-order armor. Little does he know it has one fatal flaw.

Sims 2 Halloween Photoshoot

From the Spears family, we have Corbin (Mickey Mouse), Knife (skeleton), Blade (Raggedy Ann), Fork (kid skeleton), Mike (Raggedy Andy), Wanda (Minnie Mouse), along with Ella Lly (Cinderella) and Tommy Rocket (as himself).

















In case you're wondering what they're eating, it's small cakes shaped like a ghost.

Halloween specials to check out

Over the years, many TV specials and movies have been created to celebrate this much loved and infamously scary holiday. These are just a few that have been done. Whether you like the ax murderer thriller, or cute kids getting candy, there will probably be something on this list that interests you.

1. Disney's Halloween Treat A Halloween themed clip show featuring Snow White's the Magic Mirror as narrator.

2. Hocus Pocus Disney film. It stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy (think Sister Act) as the Sanderson sisters, whom teen Max Dennison accidentally releases on Halloween night. Max, along with his sister and love interest, must stop them before they suck out the souls of all the children in Salem to gain immortality.

3. Garfield's Halloween Adventure Animated TV special. Garfield discovers the idea of free candy, and drags Odie along to get twice the bounty. But they decide to take a boat ride to find more houses, and end up on a mysterious island with an old man who claims pirate ghosts are coming to claim their treasure at midnight.

4. It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Animated TV special. Pretty much an American tradition to watch it.

5. Nightmare in Retroville Special episode of Jimmy Neutron. Jimmy invents a special monster making machine, which enables a person to become almost any creature of their choosing. Carl is a Vampire, Sheen is a Werewolf. Things are going fine until the two boys begin to really act like their new selves, such as Carl desiring blood and turning into a bat. Jimmy has to stop them before it turns into the worst Halloween ever!

6. Arnold's Halloween Special episode of Hey Arnold! in which Arnold and Gerald pull a prank on the boarders by rigging a radio and claiming that aliens have landed in the city. A media employee picks up on the radio frequencies and all hell breaks lose! Soon Arnold's friends, who've dressed up as aliens for Halloween, are being threatened and chased by an angry mob!

7. The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile Animated TV special. Stars dolls Raggedy Ann and Andy. Ann and her brother work together to bring a lonely boy who never gets to celebrate Halloween a special pumpkin.

8. Halloweentown Disney Channel Original movie. Marnie and her two siblings are thrown into the world of magic when their grandmother comes for her annual Halloween visit. It seems they have the power of the witch in their blood, something their mom has tried to hide all these years.

9. October 31st Special episode of Kim Possible. Kim bails on her parents and Ron in order to go to a Halloween party. But she gets nervous when she lies, and a special bracelet she got stuck on her wrist reacts to it, covering her body in special yet humiliating armor.

10. The Devil and Daniel Mouse - Two young mouse friends, Jan and Dan, have a dream of playing and singing to their heart's content. But what they do, just isn't popular anymore (the "in" thing being rock and disco), and money is running dangerously low. Depressed and desperate for stardom, Jan makes a deal with a shady character, who turns out to be the devil. She gets what she wants, but at the cost of her soul. When Dan finds out, he strikes a deal to save her, but it may not turn out for the best in the end.

The Wallflower, volume 17

-The "perfect four" come up with a new strategy to get Sunako to behave more like a real lady. It seems that she's willing to put up with hardship in order to get what she wants (like drinking something she hates just to get the prize that comes with it). So, they talk her into hanging out with Noi for the day, thinking if she witnesses the special treatment her pretty friend gets, she'll want it as well.
-Kyohei and Sunako are forced into taking up competitive ballroom dancing after accidentally injuring Mori High's top pairing during a typical scurmish. But Sunako is having the most difficulty - after all, she has to look the "creature of the light" directly in the eyes! Can the landlady's promise that they'll finally live rent free if Sunako wins be enough motivation?
-The landlady, fed up with Kyohei's "wasted gifts," makes him go through "gentleman training," hoping it'll knock some sense into him and make him worthy of Sunako (she has it in her head that Sunako is head-over-heels for Kyohei).
-The mansion is being remodeled, so everybody has been temporarily relocated to a luxury hotel. Sunako, however, hates it, and runs off to live on her own in a tiny, dirty apartment (just the way she likes it). Kyohei is sent to find her, but if he wants to come back, he has to share a suite with the gloomy girl (courtesy of her "Auntie"). Neither are willing to do that, and the alternative is only slightly better.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 87 & 88

(きらりん☆レボリューション) 2006

Kirari (voiced by Koharu Kusumi of Morning Musume!) is a middle schooler who LOVES her food. So much so that it's scary! While girls her age swoon over idols, Kirari swoons over her dad's cooking, and couldn't care less about the life of a celebrity. But when she saves the pet turtle of Seiji of pop group SHIPS and falls in love, she decides to become an idol herself so that they can be together (or so she hopes).



Episode 87:

Now it's Kirari's turn - Black Wood wants her to join his new company! Smartly, she refuses. But it's nowhere near over. Black Wood is gaining more and more power, dominating the TV waves with his celebrities, and basically manipulating the head honchos into cancelling appearances from other companies. He then contacts Kirari again, telling her that if she doesn't join him, Muranishi and all the other talents in it will suffer until there is no fame for anyone at all.



Episode 88:

Kirari has quit Muranishi and joined Black Wood to save her friends. But this "new life" is proving to be more painful than she could've imagined. Not only have they banned her from eating sweets, she is trained to walk a certain way and can't, under any circumstances, break a smile. In other words, she must be the complete opposite of what she once was, conforming to a specific image Black Wood has laid out for her.