Kirarin Revolution, episodes 55 & 56

(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 55:

Infamous for her phantom mushrooms appearing in any homemade thing she tries, when a fashion magazine asks Kirari to do a monthly manga series, that's all she can draw. She can't possibly pull seasoned skill out of her butt in less than 2 days, so when she hears a famous mangaka lives not too far from her home, she decides to go there for help. The poor woman, however, is not as glamourous as she appears on TV. Overworked and ruffled in appearance, she mistakes Naa-san's work for Kirari's and hires her as an assistant. Big mistake. It seems Kirari can't do anything right! But the mangaka has a deadline, and it can't be missed.



Episode 56:

Kirari isn't new anymore, and sooner or later somebody will be following in her footsteps. Perhaps sooner than they think - a stubborn, pink-haired girl named Izumi Amakawa has been phoning agencies demanding to debut as an idol. Eventually she stumbles into the Higashiyama president's office, and the president admires her goal to one-up Kirari. But, as there was an agreement that the fight will be fairly played from now on, Big H won't let her in. However, if Izumi can indeed prove that she is better, they will seriously hire her. She doesn't waste time in literally bumping into Kirari at a job, AND instantly developing a crush on Hiroto when Kirari introduces them. Why do Izumi's plans involve winning over Kirari's almost-kinda crush with rumors and lies? What will Kirari do, now that she thinks Hiroto has a secret girlfriend?

Heh, episode 55 reminds me of Daa! Daa! Daa!, where there is also a mangaka running around - she was also tired, overworked, and a tad crazy. She appeared frequently though, not just a "one trick pony." They even gave her a brother. Funny, I don't think I've ever seen a MALE mangaka in an anime before. Wonder why that is?

Oooh, things are getting juicy now! But I have to say, the "We started showering together" line really threw me. Is this really something you say in a kids show?! Izumi is very... uh... unshy about romance compared to Kirari. I think she's much worse than Erina could ever be - Erina is an amateur in comparison. I was confused at first about how the heck this was supposed to prove that she's a better idol than Kirari, but then they said she's doing it to get her name in the papers, thus making it easier to debut. At least we got some really cute Kirari/Hiroto moments.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 53 & 54

(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 53:

Kirari's dad has quit his company job and opened up a cafe, here called Kirarin Cafe. It's been his dream since he was young to have such a endeaver, and Kirari offers to pitch in when she can, with SHIPS occasionally helping when their schedule allows. Eventually a woman named Rokoko Mareda, a famous "food tester," comes to check the place out. With a voice and laugh that could melt steel, she accuses Kirari's papa of making food that is too ordinary (something you could easily find in the store or at home), while riding on his daughter's fame by naming the cafe after her. Can this snobby foodie be proven wrong? Will a dream be ruined before it really had a chance to start?



Episode 54:

Naa-san has an admirer! After bravely saving a pink girl cat being bullied, he finds that he just can't shake her off. Nyuutan follows Naa-san, Kirari, and Seiji to a special animal idols show, where she ruins his performance by tripping the camera people. Eventually they let her come with them on more jobs, but after awhile Nyuutan becomes jealous of Naa-san's relationship with Kirari and gives her a declaration of battle. Winner takes Naa-san!

Now I understand why Kirari was working in a cafe in that issue of Ciao I bought. It's her dad's and not some kind of promotional gimmick, like I earlier assumed.

I guess Naa-san had to have a would-be love interest eventually :)

Heidi of the Alps, episode 3

(アルプスの少女ハイジ) 1974

Awaking to her first real day in her new home, Heidi is offered the chance to go with Peter and the goats for the day. She's focused on picking flowers for her bed, but Peter (on a schedule of sorts) promises once they reach the peak, there will be cute things and even a "horned lord" (which turns out to be a mountain goat) to discover to hurry her along.

When they get there, Peter is tired from waking up extra early, and settles down for a nap. But little Heidi is anxious to see these creatures he was talking about, and wanders off on her own. She almost falls off a cliff while trying to spot a hawk, but Peter hears her desperate cries and a life is saved. They also enjoy a meal of cheese, meat, and milk (which Peter milks straight from the goats - and even sat under one to take a drink without a cup!), and Heidi begs him not to be too harsh with the animals when they do something bad (one of the young goats knows no fear, and almost fell off a cliff himself).



Our little orphan learned a great deal about nature that day, and found the colors of the change into night quite fascinating. By the time she gets home, the flowers she stored away in her apron have wilted, and her grandfather explains that flowers need light to live. This saddens her, and she promises not to pick them ever again.

Remind me to never eat or drink anything that kid cooks or any drinks he gets. Yuck! I actually gasped when he did that. Wow. But they really had some creative, child-like ideas in this episode - hawks "cry" because they are laughing at humans for their living too close together nature. If you don't wash your face the sun will laugh at you. And so on. I think the yodeling in the OP and ED theme is growing on me, though I hate to admit it :)

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 51 & 52

(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 51:

Aoi is ahead of Kirari in the polls, but that will soon change. After walking the streets of Osaka, Hokkaido, etc. armed with a TV crew and mic, she interacts with people on the street, gathering more and more love and support until it's overwhelming. So many people want to see her now, there aren't enough tickets for everyone - but she does her best and remembers the many faces she saw during her trip. Will this be enough to earn the crown?



Episode 52:

Kirari is going to participate in the Opening Ceremony for baseball season - but she hasn't even so much as held a baseball or put on a glove. To help her prepare, the BS Team (LOL!!) has arranged for a coach, but Matsuki (as he is called) is lazy and arrogant, unwilling to do any kind of teaching to some rookie little girl. With such poor help, can she get ready in time? Will Matsuki reach out and become the player he used to be?

In regards to episode 51... you know, Kirari, it's OK to cry a little bit. You are unnaturally cheerful sometimes. I wanted to smack my forehead when Hiroto ran onstage to yell at Kirari for smiling too much about her loss. You're on a stage in front of thousands of people, is that really the best place to have an argument?! Aoi's song was pretty, though. I think they need to release a CD full of the "extra idol" songs. Or at least put one on a future soundtrack.

Episode 52 definitely has a different feel to it somehow - I think this introduces a new "season" for KR. At least we're rid of that damn "Balalaika" song :P Now it's "Happy," which I like more. I'm not sure, but I think the BS (as in Blue Socks, but I didn't know that right away) coach is supposed to be American? He greeted her in English and told her he knew her because she was popular in America (I doubt that, very rarely does an Asian artist get that level of recognition in the states, but let's pretend it's possible for the sake of possible). So that's yet ANOTHER foreigner appearance in this show. Think I should be keep a checklist?

Slayers doujinshi in store!

Hello!

I have added some Slayers doujinshi to my store.

It includes:

-School PANIC
-Natta
-Slapstick Comedy 2 & 3
-Raguna Roku

Please check them out: http://aledanaiya.ecrater.com/

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 49 & 50

(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 49:

Kirari tries to reason with Akane, asking her (in private) why she's attempting to tarnish her name. But this dark-haired beauty can't be reached - their reasons for getting into the business are completely different (in fact, Kirari's would be considered completely shallow in comparison) - and so the deception goes on. In fact, they secretly omit already filmed scenes of Kirari in their series of commercials they're producing for Galaxy, and try to make her as unnoticable as possible for future ones. Understandably angry, it's a lose/lose for everyone close to Kirari - this scandal makes her look bad, but if she quits doing the commercials, she will still look bad. Will Akane come to understand this isn't the right way to achieve fame, or can things only get messier?



Episode 50:

Akane has politely bowed out of the Idol Queen competition per Kirari's inspiration. Now's it's just Kirari and Aoi with their eyes on the "throne." It's friendly competing, with the girls only wishing for the other to do their best. But the Higashiyama company is so furious with Akane's self-removal (which they then fired her for) they go and have Kirari's first concert in her country-wide tour cancelled. Will Kirari meet the same fate as Kumoi-san?

Nice job of "hiding" who is saying bad things about Kirari, guys XD (Hey, Erina, I see you!). Watching Kirari and everyone in the Cinderella commercial made me think of Morning Musume's upcoming Cinderella musical. This was made long before the announcement, but I couldn't help it.

Wow, deja vu, huh? Kirari almost got the same fate as poor Kumoi-san in the "cancelling the concert behind your back, because you ticked us off" department. But, of course, she came through and SHIPS helped her. What the chairman did was VERY sweet - he made up for what he couldn't do for Kumoi-san. But now the president of Big H can't do anymore underhanded tricks to Kirari, so I wonder what they'll try next?

Morning Musume - My Top 10 Videos

In no particular order.

1. Osaka Koi no Uta

I love the glitter mics, and I love their white dresses with the "wings"/bows in the back.



2. Aruiteru (Walk Version)



3. Sakura Mankai

It's so pretty! Watching this makes me feel peaceful.



4. Hyokkori Hyoutanjima

A lot of people didn't like this when it first came out, and that included the pirate costumes. Frankly, I did like it, and I still do xD



5. Go Girl ~ Koi no Victory ~



6. Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari



7. Hawaiian Single Melody

While this includes some members from Hello! Project, and not just Morning Musume, it's still mostly Morning Musume, so I think it counts.



8. The Peace

This was probably the first MM video I ever saw. Either that, or I Wish.



9. I Wish



10. Hey Mirai!

Doggies :D It's a very bright and playful video.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 47 & 48

(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 47:

When Erina overhears a conversation between two staff members about an Idol Queen competition, she mentally snaps at their idea that she is inferior to Kirari and couldn't possibly win against her. Deciding to overhaul her image, Erina becomes a "sukeban" (which means something like "female juvenile delinquent") just in time for them both to appear on a TV show that tests your nerves. Can Erina prove she is better than her idol rival in matters of bravery? Will all the outfits and personality trimmings in the world still never change who Erina really is?



Episode 48:

Aoi Kirisawa and Akane Minami are the big condenders for the Idol Queen competition, but Kirari is also being invited into the mix by the suits in charge. Absolutely thrilled, Murinashi gambles on this honor and plans a country-wide tour to garner support. But, of course, the famous Higashiyama company can't exactly sit back and let the girl get ahead in anything. They call up the chairman and ask SHIPS and Kirari to be in a series of Galaxy Technology commercials with Akane, but despite knowing their nasty history, Muranishi agrees anyway. This proves to be potentially fatal to Kirari's career after she is accused of stealing something from Akane. What will happen now?

Poor Erina :( She's goofy but I love her character. Happy to see a episode dedicated to her. Maybe Arashi could make her feel better? XD I'm sorry, I can't help but ship them!

And, ooh, drama time! The Big H never lets up.

Hime-chan no Ribbon coming back to DVD

Hime-chan no Ribbon is back! After the series was released in the new format in 2005, going out of print a short time later, new DVDs are coming starting in May of this year. Three volumes will be out each month, priced at 3800 yen, with 11 volumes in total.

So for those of you who collect Region 2 DVDs, and were unable to locate or afford the old release, here is a new chance!

I personally am very excited. I figure if I buy one a month, I can get the whole thing in about a year. Hopefully they won't decide to stop production before then.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 45 & 46

(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 45:

Naa-san has been invited as a special guest performer for the Miracle Circus, which he's all too happy to act on. Taking part is fun, but the other animals don't seem to think so. They're lazy, have little to no enthusiasm away from the spotlight, and trick Kirari into taking them to her grandma's house (where they sit in the tub, eat, and lay around to their heart's content). Refusing to go back, now Kirari and Naa-san have to be the main attractions instead.



Episode 46:

Hiroto has been more driven lately. He insists Seiji take the "front" of their performance, is annoyed when Kirari comes by with snacks and interrupts rehearsal, and gets angry when Seiji accidentally gets stuck on his leg, revealing Hiroto's fish pattern boxers. It only gets worse when Kame-san is covered with acid (probably from a soda drink of some kind, on the fault of Hiroto) and Seiji shows a very rare display of hostility. If they don't stop arguing and make up soon (they refuse to even rehearse in the same room!), their live performance will be ruined - or worse, they could disband!

Sneaking a pack of wild animals into your house, letting them eat your food and even bathe in your bathroom... wow. I'd have so many issues if someone tried to do that to me. Think of the germs! Think of the messes *shudder* Yes, I know it's just a cartoon XD

As for episode 46, it was nice to see a SHIPS centered episode. Seiji shows some very rare anger - I guess when it comes to Kame-san, he's very protective. I thought it was so sweet that Hiroto was trying so hard because he wanted to show people how much SHIPS had improved (since the last time they'd performed at that particular place), and that he thought Seiji was excellent at their craft - he shouldn't hide in the back so much anymore.

Jim Henson's Return to Labyrinth, volume 2

Now that Toby is to be Jareth's replacement on the Goblin King's throne, he has to learn many things, and none of them are easy (even the castle cuisine needs an eater with a cast-iron stomach). Mizumi, the icy Queen of Moraine, is one of his tutors, but as she desires the throne herself she can't really be trusted. Her very strange, cartoon-like daughters certainly don't help matters much. Though the poor boy wishes to do his best and make life for those in the Labyrinth better, with each new problem he finds it harder to help his friends. Moppet comes across something from Sarah's past that not even Sarah knew about, and the face behind the goblin mask is finally revealed. But where has Jareth been in all of this?

I can't say that this volume made me fall completely in love with the series. I will say, however, that it's a little better from volume one. The artwork still bothers me, many things still bother me, but at least we got a bit of what Jareth/Sarah fans have been clamoring for at the end (and what will happen with that? Well, it was a cliffhanger, so nothing to know until later this year).

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 43 & 44

(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 43:

A special foreigner guest will be appearing with Kirari and SHIPS in a show. His name is Mark Cappucino, a top Las Vegas magician. He considers Arashi, who will also take part, lesser in skill and relentlessly flirts with Kirari (and any female that breathes). Can Arashi prove to Mark that it's more than "top ranking" that makes a great magician? Can Kirari help? What does a giant crab and corny love story have to do with anything?



Episode 44:

Rizuko is a child genius. At seven years old she can already count to 10,000 and graduated from a top Japanese college. For the 4th time in a row she has remained the current long-standing champion of the quiz show Kirari is appearing on. If our lovable heroine wants to win that large supply of snacks, she had better boost her brain power.

Mark Cappucino?! What about John Decaf or Tommy Coffee? Sorry, that name made me giggle for some reason. This show seems to REALLY like throwing in foreigners every couple episodes - more than any Japan-based setting anime I've ever seen.

And I seriously wanted to hurt the host of the quiz program. If he said "Q!" at the end of each of his sentences ONE MORE TIME, I swear I would've willed it so I could reach into the computer screen and punch him where the sun doesn't shine.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 41 & 42

(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 41:

Kirari (and another performer, Aoi Kirisawa) is putting on a special concert for customers of Rainbow Brand makeup. The president of Higashiyama, in her quest to get a product for Akane, is repeatedly rejected by the company, and vows to ruin the concert as revenge. How? By buying everything in the stores, and giving the concert tickets to middle-aged women who don't care at all about idols. Can Kirari and Aoi distract them from gossip and grocery store flyers long enough to entertain and make them happy?



Episode 42:

All artists from Muranishi are performing at Happy Land. Kirari wants to explore the park between shows, but has been forbidden - if an idol is spotted walking around, things will get crazy. But this place holds many childhood memories for the girl, and she simply can't hold back. While exploring, she bumps into a woman in a pink outfit (known as Pink EatRanger, a popular character), injuring them. In no condition to take part in the EatRanger show starting soon, Kirari offers to take her place. But can she manage a rehearsed fighting show? Will she make it back to where she was never supposed to have left on time?

I take it Daimonji is going to come back again and again, like Mr. Fish Lips from the run-down hotel episode? Oh, goodie :P If this story took place in America, the women would probably want to see Barry Manilow XD

EatRangers!? I never saw them eat once. Oh wait, I did see them fighting evil food. But then, shouldn't they be the FoodRangers? Ah well, it was a cute episode. Worth it if only to see Hiroto dressed like an evil cabbage.

Morning Musume, Resonant Blue PV

Recently released to the public, the actual song is not due to come out until April 16th.

The reactions to this video have been mixed, and many of it is hostile. "Where are the other girls? Is this low-budget or what? It's boring! It's disappointing!" etc. etc. There has also been "This rocks! It's so cool! I think it's their best PV ever!"

I admit when I saw this for the first time, I obsessed over the fact that the whole thing was pretty much nothing but Reina, Koharu, and Ai (with a little bit of Risa). The other girls literally are overshadowed by them - I mean, they're all wearing black except for the "big 3," so it makes it harder to point out who is who. Some of them I couldn't spot at all. What would that make it, "Reina, Ai, and Koharu feat. Morning Musume"? ;P

But after letting it settle, letting me cool down, I think it's pretty OK. Sure it's cheap, but that doesn't mean it has to be bad. Everybody looks great, and the song is so catchy it makes me want to get up and dance. And I love that little "wave" thing they do in the middle. Since Tsunku claimed in his blog that another version is coming (this isn't the "final" one) I'm going to have faith that it will "fix" the lack of fair exposure for each member.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 39 & 40

(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 39:

Kirari has been set up to fail, again! Though every other performance on Super Idol Show went perfectly fine (save for maybe Erina, whose prop elephant was destroyed), Higashiyama stole her dress design, putting their "mysterious" idol, Akane, before her in the show. Now if she goes on, it'll look like SHE copied, and that's never good. Can Kirari work through this huge problem and make her fans cheer anyway?



Episode 40:

Hiroshi's shrill voiced brother (named Kota, but I never cared enough to mention it until now) has an accident and breaks his arm. Being that their parents are rarely home (and are working abroad at the moment), and Hiroto will be gone for a few days in Hawaii, somebody has to be around for them. Kota decides that he wants Naa-san, because the feline was able to get the picky boy to eat carrots, and has excellent cleaning skills. Kirari has never been seperated from Naa-san for that long, but reluctantly agrees, feeling sorry for Hiroto's brother. However, when the time comes, can Kota let go of his new friend/stand-in mom? Can Kirari prove she is capable of doing things without the help of her beloved pet?

I really liked episode 39 because I got to see "full" performances of the character's songs (may I say that Fubuki's rock song, er... rocked? I wonder why this hasn't been put on any of the anime's CDs). Erina really makes herself out to be the "comedy relief" idol - how can anyone take you seriously when your whole song is sang on top of a elephant (well, a prop elephant run by her dog, Tantan)? She's just one big goofball.

Episode 40 was good, too, if only because we see how lonely poor Hiroto's brothers get (at least, in Kota's case) with a celebrity sibling and absent parents. Kirari can't even take a bath or do her hair without Naa-san, it seems. She's a mess when he isn't around. I wish I had some kind of super cat who would cook my meals and clean my room ;)

Beauty Pop, volume 7

-Narumi's evil double has finally been captured. His name is Minoru, and he's a popular special effects makeup artist. The main reason for his evil deeds was jealousy - his model girlfriend liked Narumi a lot - but in addition to that, Chihiro Osawa is his older brother! Can Kiri help him move past his appearance and focus on realizing his dream?
-Narumi gets a bit more insight into Kiri and her past, while the reluctant girl begins to really see how much her work is changing lives and making people happy. Ochiai, after learning that she gave Minoru a haircut, vows to get Kiri to join the S.P. once and for all!
-Bonus story one: Kiri goes to LA (in America) to meet with her busy mom. While there she has a rather violent encounter with a young actress named Jodi Macarton, who is never happy with what her personal hairstylist does (a well known stylist named Billy Iketani). Can Kiri bring back old memories and make things well again for the bothered little girl?
-Bonus story two: Narumi's little sister, Chisami, has always been super popular with boys, but all the girls treat her quite poorly as a result. Her best and probably only real friend, Makoto, admires her strength and wants very much to be her prince. But, that honor has already been given to Kiri! Hurt and upset, he doesn't tell her when his family suddenly decides to move. Can Chisami thank her friend for all that he's done for her before he leaves? Will he get to be her prince?
-Bonus story three: Mysterious things keep happening around Kiri - when she wants juice, it appears next to her. When she falls down a flight of stairs, a strange boy catches her. Could an old, furry friend be behind it? Why are there reports of a ghost around the school?
-This particular story is from "Beauty Pop, Stage Two." It's basically a continuation of the Beauty Pop series after the mangaka took a hiatus. Kiri helps another lost soul (only this time, the girl doesn't turn around and try to win over the guy who originally rejected her), and the S.P. prepares for another show. But an unexpected guest shows up, and he's not about to let Narumi swim in his ego any longer. Could he be a threat? Possibly. He's Billy Iketani!

While cute and entertaining, there isn't much to it. It's mostly bonus stories and plot fluff.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 37 & 38

(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 37:

A carefully guarded secret is revealed - Kumoi-san, or should we say Kasumi Hoshino, used to be an idol! Not only that, the chairman used to be her manager! But the poor woman's career was cut tragically short when her first concert was canceled and everything fell apart. You see, they both used to work for the Higashiyama company, but when Kasumi's manager refused to treat her like a product rather than a person, he quit and took her with him. Because of that they were punished (or rather, sabotaged by the then president and his daughter [who would later take over]) and Kasumi faded from the spotlight. Kirari and SHIPS decide to make the woman's dream become a solid reality, AND give her still-around fans the event they'd wanted all those years ago but never got.



Episode 38:

Kirari and SHIPS have been invited to take part in the Super Idol Festival (Erina is included, but only as a backup, much to her fury). More competition from Fubuki's label keep pouring in - this time it's a "mysterious" idol named Akane Minamiya. Most important of all, the 24th of that month doubles as the 3 year anniversary of SHIPS, along with Seiji's birthday. While Kirari works to design an outfit for the festival and attempts to find the perfect anniversary gifts for the boys, Erina goes from place to place to impress the officials of the event (and hopefully upgrade her second fiddle status). After bumping into Hiroto during a shopping trip, he suggests Kirari finally confess to Seiji after his birthday party. To her, it's too sudden, and for some reason doesn't feel right. Will she be able to go through with it? Will she finally find the perfect gift for Hiroto?

Awww, cute! Kumoi-san looks beautiful when she's not trying to look too "professional" (the glasses and hairdo aren't very flattering). I wish she'd just let herself be who she is - you know, but in a business suit. In a way, she also wears an idol disguise (though I can't think she'd be widely recognized, having left the biz about 10 years ago into obscurity).

We knew sooner or later Hiroto would really back Kirari into a wall about finally telling Seiji how she feels (although I think he probably knows). At least, with the interruption by Kasumi and the chairman, she's bought more time (or episodes, however you'd want to put it ^_^).

Highlighted Series - Kaze Hikaru

Kaze Hikaru (風光る, which means "Shining Wind" or "The Wind Shines") is a manga series by Taeko Watanabe, which started publication in 1997. It was later picked up in the USA by Viz, appeared for some time in the magazine Shojo Beat, and is currently reaching over 23 volumes in length.

Despite it's obvious popularity in the land of the rising sun, hardly anyone talks about it in the states. You'd be hard pressed to find too much more than a few reviews in someone's blog, or a Wikipedia entry. I am not sure why this is, but I have attempted to list a few possible reasons:

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!

-"Strange" art style. Admittedly it takes some getting used to.
-Addresses issues such as male/male love, brothels, etc. But actually, these were quite normal at that time. The mangaka is just trying to be historically accurate - and, as she discusses in the back of each volume, she puts a LOT of work into research!
-Lack of "real" romance between Soji and Sei (at least, in the volumes Viz has released so far - past that, I don't know anything). As shoujo go, this is not a typical story!
-Can be very graphic - if somebody gets hacked up with a sword, you WILL see it, blood and all!

But through all of these things that would keep people away, and though I prefer to gloss over the brothel, etc. stuff, it really is gold. Sei's devotion to Soji is so sweet - she wants nothing more than to die by his side - she doesn't even need an "I love you" from him to be happy. We don't know if he'll ever return her affections, however, but at the very least he considers her a close friend. The stories are touching and deep, that will really affect you if you let it. And it's a GREAT window into Japanese culture/history - especially if you're interested in the Shinsengumi.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 35 & 36

(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 35:

Kirari is going to be a police officer for the day at an elementary school. Her assigned partner is a very strange man named Keiji Atsui, who can sit at a 90 degree angle without a chair, and believes food should play a part in any police activity. Together they have to find and defeat a mysterious figure called Phantom X, who leaves notes around the school declaring he will steal all precious items. Pretty soon everything is pinned on a boy scout, Ohkami, who was spotted in the areas where notes were left, and seems to find the the whole thing hilarious. Kirari steps in to defend him and makes it her goal to find the "real" criminal, thereby freeing the boy from these accusations. Eventually Ohkami is moved to tears by her actions and confesses to be the culprit. However, when a final note is delivered and it was not written by Ohkami, they realize they may have a real case on their hands, especially when Naa-san could be in danger.



Episode 36:

At Fubuki's complaint that Kirari's cat is stealing too much limelight, a celebrity pet show is organized by the Higashiyama Company. Because Hiroto does not have a pet, he is only a guest spectator - but Seiji, Kirari, Erina, Arashi, and other recurring characters join in on the game. The first trial is testing the pet's intelligence; they have to jump through a sheet with the correct answer for a question (such as 76 minus 54), but if they get it wrong they land in a pile of mud and are disqualified. Not surprisingly, Fubuki and the president of Higashiyama's pets get the super easy stuff. The second trial involves finding assigned items in the audience - poor Kirari gets the rather impossible item of a dinosaur, but Naa-san cleverly digs up the bones of a T-Rex in record time to make the time limit. In the final trial, the animals must lift objects chosen by their owner out of a box, as written on a piece of paper. Seiji's turtle has to lift a microwave, Arashi's cat a vase, and so on. Still more bias for people from Higashiyama ensues (disguised this time to look like there isn't any), and Hiroto does not miss this. For the final round, each pet must run an obsticle course, ending with landing in their owner's arms. Who will finally come out on top in this race for a jaded collar and trip around the world?

Silly, filler, skippable episodes, the both of them. Do idols actually do things like play law enforcer for a day? I've never heard of them doing that. They might dress up like one for reporters to, I don't know, promote a safety issue or something - I could see that, but not this. Oh well.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 33 & 34

(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 33:

Daimonji Gengorou, a man who has hosted some of Kirari's past public appearances, is directing his first drama. He remembers her, and decides she is perfect to play the role of his daughter, Misako. Besides settling into a serious story (which she isn't used to - "Sonata" was as serious as it got), Kirari also has to deal with Haruko Mizura, an important and experienced actress who hails from the Higashiyama company (which Fubuki is from). Haruko (who will be Misako's grandmother) has always been strict towards new actors, and lately has taken mostly evil old lady roles, which makes things worse. Not only does she call Kirari slow at their first meeting, but she talks Daimonji into adding more "suffering" into Misako's role, supposedly to make the ending more "passionate" when Misako is reunited with her father. Kirari does what she can, but the older woman keeps stepping up the challenges, until finally crossing the line by throwing tea at Kirari and calling her performance pitiful. You can't simply act from the "outside" - one must pretend to actually be in the story - or at least, that's what she's told later, after being kicked out of the studio by Haruko. After working hard to pretend to be friends with Misako, Kirari comes to understand her assigned character, and begs to be included in the drama again. In the end, it's a showdown between skill and overcoming immediate changes, and Kirari learns another important lesson (Haruko does, too).



Episode 34:

Basically, Kirari is a special guest on SHIPS TV show, SHIPS BURABURA. This edition is live, and Hiroto is on location in Kirari's hometown. Kirari's eccentric grandmother, who would tell you she's Hiroto's #1 fan, finds out about it, and tries to get close to him. When finally given a chance to talk to the male idol, she kinda kidnaps him and takes him all over the place. When finally stopped, Kirari apologizes for her grandmother, and everything is, more or less, OK again. What really creeps Hiroto out, though, is the old woman's theory that he supposedly looks like Kirari's grandfather. When Kirari brings a picture of him to the office, they all see that they don't look alike at all - well, perhaps they have a siliar hairstyle.

The drama episode was cute, but frankly, I only watched the grandma episode so I could review it. Otherwise I have no real desire to see it.

Nice to see that Kirari is proving she's not just a pretty face that's better off sticking to sappy high school love stories. Did people in Japan ever actually dress like that, though? I'll have to look it up.

New store and cels!

I have put up a store at eCrater.com :)

On that note, here are some items that I just added:

-Tonde Buurin cel - Keiko & Takuma - comes with original background
-Daa! Daa! Daa! (or Da! Da! Da!) cels - Miyu, her mom, and Christine (or Chris-chan)

Please check them out at: http://aledanaiya.ecrater.com/

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 31 & 32

(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 31:

Kirari (and SHIPS) is going to New York! She's so excited, even the walkway in the airport is a thrill. And while everyone else is sleeping on the plane, she and Naa-san are busy eating the food (I guess she'll eat anything, then :P). By the time they get to America, she's sleepy from no rest and can't adjust to the time difference. This is a problem, as she makes the mistake of wandering off, without thinking, to get a balloon for a little kid. Now seperated from her friends (and fellow Japanese), she has no way of knowing where she is, and can't even ask for help. Eventually even Seiji gets lost from looking for her, but luckily finds her, and so they decide to sightsee around New York until they either locate the hotel or run into the others. And what an adventure they have! Giant interactive keyboards, candy and other sweets, hectic streets. Kirari wins a donut eating contest, too, at the recommendation of a local donut vendor (whom Seiji can talk to, since he's been to America before). Meanwhile, Hiroto, the chairman, and her manager frantically search for their lost lambs, running into Kirari's brother, Subaru. He offers to lend his aid, of course. Even Arashi enters the act - he was in New York to be in a magic contest. After all of this arguing over thier two star's whereabouts, we see Kirari and Seiji walking in the park. As a carriage is about to reach them, Kame-san rushes away from Seiji, trying to proect the horse from stepping on a nail in the road. As thanks, they are offered a free ride. When mistaken for a couple, Seiji finds it amusing, and Kirari doesn't understand why all she can think about is Hiroto. Just before our finders and seekers can meet (after Seiji and Kirari get off the ride, they all spot each other from opposite sides of the park), Kirari bumps into a blonde-haired woman, and both she and Seiji are grabbed and pulled into a waiting car. A kidnapping?!



Episode 32:

No, not a kidnapping - just a misunderstanding. The woman they ran into is an American celebrity named Tina Judy Garland Turner. Her bodyguards thought Kirari and Seiji were fans out to bother her, and simply reacted. While Kirari worried that communication would be difficult, it's shown immediately that Tina is also fluent in Japanese (why? I don't know. Plot convenience, I guess). She feels terrible about ruining the reunion, and has her limo go back. But by then, everyone has already run off for help, so Tina tells them to come stay with her until something is worked out. Naa-san prints off flyers and leaves to enlist the help of local cats, and Tina and Kirari watch Seiji play a game of basketball. While doing this, Tina makes the comment that Kirari has a very nice boyfriend, but the Japanese girl explains that he's simply her senior, and nothing else. When Tina finds out that Kirari is also a celebrity, like Seiji, she is surprised - Kirari doesn't have a celebrity aura at all. This hurt's the young idol's pride. Finding him impressive, Seiji is asked to perform with Tina that night for a special concert, and he accepts. Because she feels bad, and wants to see Kirari shine, the American blonde asks her international counterpart to also join in. Come showtime, Kirari is nervous; however, by then (and thanks to the cats Naa-san asked for help from) Hiroto and the others are also there to cheer her on. Kirari yells for Hiroto to join them (as does Seiji and Tina) for a grand finale. Later, after all is said and done, Tina asks Kirari to visit again - hopefully with a boyfriend to meet.

I'm just a little confused here. If a celebrity was being bothered by fans, why would her bodyguards grab them and pull them into her limo, where she could be harrassed further, or worse? I do like Tina, though. She was a breath of fresh air for gaijin stereotypes. Can't say the same for the donut vendor, though :B

Morning Musume to tackle Cinderella - Official

Morning Musume is in fact due to act out Cinderella. It's going to be the Rodgers and Hammerstein version, which is even more exciting. I know that musical very well, so even if nobody fansubbed it, I could still know what's going on anyway (unless they make some big adjustments for a Japaneses audience, or something).

Casting is still unknown, but shows start on August 6, 2008. There will be 33 performances.

I really wish former members, such as Mari Yaguchi and Ai Kago, were still in Morning Musume - I would LOVE to see what parts they would've played. I personally think Tsuji would've made a great stepsister ;)

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 29 & 30

(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 29:

Kirari has been so busy with work, she doesn't even realize that her semester exams are coming up. SHIPS gives her the advice that she should put effort into studying - cut out snack time and instead pour over the books between shoots and other jobs. Erina overhears their conversation and decides to sabotage Kirari's attempts to study, figuring she can steal any jobs the girl might get (after she fails), and make her terribly embarrassed, too. Her plans work for the most part - Kirari blunders her way through her free time, which then affects her career. Kumoi-san is furious with her inability to focus - after all, SHIPS has double the work, yet they manage to do well in school. Hiroto and Seiji finally step in for the big push. Since Hiroto has to force his siblings to study, he turns this energy on our genki idol. In the end, Kirari passes with 80 points (you need 30 points to slide by) - ironically, since Erina has spent so much time trying to ruin Kirari, she herself only gets 0 points.



Episode 30:

If people knew that Kirari was a glutton for food, it would be very, very bad publicity; so says their always right mouse director. Because of this, the chairman and her manager forbid her from eating snacks in public. And since she's set to appear at a school festival, where food is always sure to appear, this will be hard. Fubuki's company gets word of her flaw, and hires a group of photographers to catch her in the act. As if that's not enough, a student at the school Kirari is set to go to, Takashi, seems to have crush on her - and a female student named Sakura is quite hostile towards them both. Turns out that Sakura has a crush on the boy, and really wants Kirari to teach her how to be cute. After a meaningful conversation on just being yourself, Kirari leaves to do her anticipated performance. But the "cunning" photographers set up an eating contest nearby, and the temptation becomes overwhelming for Kirari. She eventually gives in, but still looks cute and delicate while gourging, keeping her reputation safe.

Eh, I didn't find these episodes particularly interesting. Just filler stuff, and displays the ridiculous logic of the show (photographers - heaps of them - hiding in a trash can? Spontanious food eating contest?).

Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san, episode 2

(コメットさん) 2001

12-year-old Princess Comet has no interest in her royal duties. She'd much rather play with little stars in the Haromonica Star-World system than fulfill anyone's expectations. On the evening of a ball meant to introduce Comet to the prince of Tamborine Star-World, he runs away, and the only way to know him is from the "twinkle" in his eyes. Now it's been decided that Comet will go to Earth to find him and set things right - but can she make the time between having so many fun adventures?

In this episode, Meteo, the princess from the Castanet Star-World, has found out about Comet leaving to locate the prince (and supposedly win his heart). Furious that she will be beaten in this quest for marriage, Meteo immediately heads out to Earth. Comet has been taken in by the young twin's family (Nene and Tsuyoshi, as they are called), as a sort of "home stay," since she's certainly not from around there. In the course of 24 hours since then, Comet has also created a comfy room for herself in the house with star power, and treats the kids to an afternoon of sight-seeing (if by that you mean sailing through the skies on a tree), as a thanks for helping her. Only they, however, along with a weird little guy named Pani, know and believe in her witch magic.

When Meteo finds her in this simple, domestic situation, it's amusing. How is living in a home like that, doing things like laundry, fit for royalty? Meteo's angle is to let Comet do most of the work (she used a rather lazy approach to find even Comet) - she also uses star power of her own to brainwash a rich old couple into thinking she's their daughter. With that, now Meteo will be living in a mansion while the prince hunt continues. How will life on Earth differ for each of the girls? Who will "win"?

This show doesn't seem to be "monster of the week" fare - it's more like "twinkle" of the week. No villian out to conquer the universe, either. In this way, it's sorta like Hime-chan no Ribbon. Both Comet and Himeko use their given powers to better the lives of those around them.