Ranma 1/2, volume 20

Ranma is back for his 20th round of adventures.

-The conclusion of the martial arts cheerleading story. Ranma is terrified that the person (s)he was rooting for, was actually Akane. And the other students won't stop mentioning a certain 3 letter phrase that (s)he said, without realizing it was her. Mariko is just as determined as ever to win.
-On the anniversary of Akane's mother's death, a mysterious letter reaches the Tendo household. It throws Genma into a terrified fit. Who is "Nodoka"? Then, a horrible secret that Genma has kept since Ranma was in diapers comes out into the open. If they hope to live, Ranma can never meet his mom. What's this about a vow?
-After Shampoo helps herself to her grandmother's Amazon Tribe jewelry collection, there is a noticable change in her behavior. Usually all over Ranma and begging for a date, she won't have anything to do with him. Baffled, Ranma tries to win her back, but nobody (save for the grandmother) knows a certain green brooch is responsible, and the sharp old woman is going to use it to her advantage.
-Happosai is cursed by the ghost of a headmistress who can't go to heaven until somebody steals her undies. But these are something even the old pervert doesn't want.

Kirarin Revolution, 3rd season greenlit

ANIME NEWS NETWORK

The official website of Shogakukan's Ciao shōjo manga magazine has announced that the Kirarin Revolution television anime series will begin its third year in the spring. The story centers on Kirari, a teenaged girl who aspires to be a singing idol after being inspired by different members of a boy idol group. It premiered in April of 2006.

This anime adaptation of An Nakahara's Kirarin Revolution manga and the Precure anime franchise are among the few long-running shōjo anime series on Japanese television today. (The fifth Precure television series was confirmed in November.) Viz Media has been promoting the Kirarin Revolution anime as a licensing property under the title Kirari, but the North American company has yet to announce any release plans.

I have not heard from anywhere about Viz announcing it, so until it's official I will continue to go through the fansubs. This might explain why the subbing group has suddenly amped up their release pattern to at least one episode every 2 or 3 days. Yowser.

Kirarin Revolution, episode 13

(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).

Because the "big" moment will be the last thing filmed, Kasumi (Kirari's manager) tells her to be very careful - she can't let it affect her work. Of course, it does anyway. The fretful idol is so distracted she falls off the stage before she can even sing, and can't sit still for the makeup artist. Her strange behavior does not go unnoticed, and the kiss is reported on television for all to know about. Her father and grandmother have their own amusing reactions to this information.



Kirari considers any closeness with Hiroto a threat - once, all he tried to do was brush some grass off her hair, and she hurried off in fright. When she's finally alone again, Mochida, the big lipped kid from the audition episode (he says he transferred there to study acting), approaches her. He creepily offers to be her practice partner, but she'll have none of that. Some time later on the school roof, Kirari looks at the view with Seiji. His advice is to think of the final scene as the strawberry on the shortcake. Without it, the movie won't work. Using food is a good way to get through to Kirari!

During a SHIPS photoshoot, Seiji and Hiroto talk about Kirari, and how much better she's been coping since the food analogy. One additional thing that Hiroto must understand, however - Kirari is a girl, and to a girl, the first kiss is powerful, Seiji explains. Hiroto looks thoughtful about it.



Then comes the climax. What everyone's been waiting for, with baited breath, happens - Hiroto and Kirari pucker up. But at the last crucial second, just before their lips touch, a curtain blows in front of them, leaving only a sillouette. Hiroto asks if the take was good, and Mr. Pianu OKs it. Filming is done. But did they really kiss? The first thing Hiroto says to Kirari is something along the lines of "Go kiss with someone you like." Kirari is ecstatic, and thanks him. Seiji comes up and presents them with flowers, teasingly asking Hiroto if he's kissed the person HE likes. Hiroto just calls him an idiot. Arriving unfashionably late on an ocean wave (you read right), Arashi comes in to claim what he believes is rightfully his. But once he finds out Hiroto supposedly beat him to it, he's furious and ready to kill. This battle isn't over!

The first time I watched this, I did think they actually kissed. But after reading someone's comments on another site, I thought about it, looked at the clues, and realized they hadn't. This anime is turning out to be really cute. It's got all the blushing and bubbles and drama I expect in shoujo. If it stays like this I may come to be a fan.

Beauty Pop, volume 6

-Kiri, along with her friends, go to Karuizawa to help a family member, who also owns a salon, for spring break. They end up having an encounter with Chihiro Osawa, the top beautician in Japan. Cold and cruel, he rejects the pleading of two sisters begging to be made over, and when Kiri steps in to do what he wouldn't, Osawa steps on her precious scissors on purpose, breaking them. The S.P., who was in the area to train and hone their skills, steps in to cut him down a few notches when Kiri is challenged to a match she can't really refuse.
-Narumi has a strange dream on the first day back to school, involving Kiri and something she would never do (as far as he's concerned). At the same time, an imposter Narumi roams the campus, hitting on girls and giving bad haircuts. Who is out to ruin Narumi's reputation and Scissors Project?

Just goes to show you that just because someone is famous and PRETENDS to be a good person, doesn't mean they actually are. I wonder how the Kiri/Narumi hate-kinda hate relationship will go?

Kirarin Revolution, episode 12

I realize I'm going through these at a constant, rapid pace, but I'm moving the entries over from another journal, plus I'm trying to catch up with the fansubbers so I can slow down for awhile. If I stop for too long, it'll take forever to get through it all - this series has over 80 episodes, and still going!



(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).

Takada Pianu has made his professional decision - Hiroto is it. And yes, the kiss still stands. As if she'd forgotten, now Kirari is in worse shape about it than she was before. She faints in a firey fit of blushing, and has to be taken to the nurse's office. Even after she comes to, and Seiji gives her the script to read (which she finds to be touching), things aren't much better. Hiroto seems hurt that the idea of doing such a thing with him upsets her so much, and tells her he'll try to get Seiji to switch (Seiji had left the room to take a phone call at this point), but Kirari assures him it's fine. After all, Seiji doesn't care. They both agree to work hard and make a drama that will take Japan's breath away.

On the first day of filming, Kirari meets another obsticle. She doesn't know how to pretend to be in love (which is odd... I thought she already LOVED Seiji? I guess it was just like-like?). While Hiroto slips into the character of Haru almost flawlessly, Airi (Kirari) stumbles and bumbles and fails miserably (she even freaks and crashes into a tree). Seeing the hopeless situation, Mr. Pianu postpones until the next day. In tears, she tells SHIPS of this important lack of experience. Seiji offers to take her on a date, so she can understand having a boyfriend first-hand. But Hiroto warns of rumors that might start, so Seiji makes it a three people date (oh sure, very normal).

This san-nin deito, however, does not go as planned. They have to dress in disguise and be careful not to bring attention to themselves, making it awkward choosing a place to go. Maybe 5 or 10 minutes into it, Seiji spots a turtle in a pet shop window, deciding to buy Kame-san a wife, and abandons them. Hiroto and Kirari are on their own, but they don't notice until it's too late. A passing group of females remark on how cute the couple with the cat looks, and Kirari doesn't know what to make of it. Are they really a good match? She has another panic attack and runs into a wall, injuring herself. Hiroto inspects the bruise - it's not serious. He briefly holds her hand and tells her to grab onto his hoodie to stay close in the crowd.



Poor Kirari is now emotionally confused. Hiroto, though always angry, is gentle, and has been a constant helper and advisor. Yet, she likes Seiji, why is she thinking about another guy? What is she to do? Are these strange feelings similar to being in love? Caught up in her internal struggle, she isn't paying attention and bumps into an exceptionally lovey-dovey boyfriend and girlfriend. Somehow, through them, Kirari comes to understand Airi.

The next day, as if the world is against her, she botches up her first line by tripping and falling on her face. The production crew doesn't know what to make of this girl. Why was she chosen, again? But Kirari manages to save her screwup and Hiroto helps ad-lib the rest of the scene. The crew applauds her sudden change, Pianu is happy that things are going smoothly. But he makes the mistake of mentioning the kiss again (I swear he has some kind of obsession with it), and Kirari (who seems like she's forgotten AGAIN) , swirls her eyes and blushes.

I can definitely see why Hiroto was picked in the show. If Seiji had been the one, she probably would've been EXCITED, to the point where she'd want to do it right away. With that, there's not really any drama, is there? Now, some would call Seiji an idiot - if he was interested or wanted any chance with Kirari, why would he wander off on the date HE planned? But I personally think he did it on purpose.

Nintendo DS - Cooking Mama

Cooking Mama is the kind of game that's so cute and quirky, you're too into things to really think about how simple it is.

"Mama," as she is called, drills you through various Japanese meals, such as octopus balls and fried rice, which you must prepare with the help of the stylus. Tasks such as pouring water and shaking a frying pan are timed - if you don't do it right or fast enough, Mama gets quite upset. It's as if this is all you should be living for, or your family needs this meal in exactly that time or they'll starve.

With that said, the graphics are very bright and colorful, making an otherwise boring task of cooking more enjoyable. Perhaps some people might want to try the recipes in real life, even if they couldn't do anything beyond cereal or toast previously. It may not be for the Zelda or Halo crowd, or anyone who prefers something more complicated/"mature" - but if you enjoy a charming, brief distraction (may be useful in the doctor's office or between classes) with replay value, this is it. I would especially recommend this to anime fans, if only for the goofy and enthusiastic Mama.

Official English site: http://www.cookingmamacookoff.com/
Youtube results: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cooking+mama

Kirarin Revolution, episode 11

(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).

Kirari has been asked to star in a two hour long drama by big producer Takada Pianu (who has held 30% of TV viewership with his works), and since the only role she's ever held is a tree in a school play, this is a big step. The real kicker is that the story involves romance. This completely freaks her out - she hasn't even had her first kiss yet! Arashi catches wind of this movie deal, and decides that he will be the one to claim Kirari's first kiss.



The poor girl obsesses about it for quite awhile. It's her belief that a first should be with someone you like, and Seiji (whom she fantasized as the male), doesn't even feel that way about her. When Hiroto finds her on the school roof, talking to Naa-san about it, he tells her that idols need to smile even through jobs they hate. It's not all fun, and though Kirari became an idol to be with Seiji, there is no guarantee that he could even take the role. However, her own feelings are most important, and she should think carefully about whether or not she wants to be in the drama.

SHIPS is called to meet Mr. Pianu, who has decided that one of them will star with Kirari. But Arashi interrupts the meeting, wins over the producer with his good looks (and argument that her FIANCE should be kissing her), and is added to the list - there are now 3 potential men for the role. That's not good enough for Arashi - that night he talks Nayan into faking injury, and while Pianu tries to help him, he is hynotized and told who will be playing Kirari's love interest. The script is also rewritten, and "Sonata of Love and Youth" is no more.

The new script involves Kirari playing a fish store owner's daughter, while Seiji and Hiroto receive degrading roles as a road worker and "unfined" boy (I have no clue what that means, it's what the subtitles say - maybe "undefined"). Nobody is happy and everyone is confused. Hiroto quickly catches on that this must be one of the illusionist's little tricks, and Nayan saves Kirari from being aggressively kissed by throwing 10 yen at his owner's mouth. Moved by his cat's actions (and tears), Arashi tells everyone that when he moved to Osaka, all he had for friends were Nayan and sea creatures, his only hope being seeing Kirari again someday. Though he won't do something like this again, he can't allow Kirari to fall for anyone, and won't give up on his "target." Takada Pianu is then released from the spell.

Who gets the role? Hiroto!!

Oooh, the plot thickens. I swear that Pianu guy could pass as Mr. Nice's twin. Maybe Japan is rampant with bald-headed weirdos :D