New Slayers scans from Dragon Magazine

These are scans from the July 2008 issue of Dragon Magazine, featuring fresh and new pictures of the Slayers series coming out on July :D I'm super excited!







For translations and more info, go HERE

Hilary Duff in new Disney Cellphone ads

Hilary Duff has made a "magical" appearance to promote a Disney vamped phone in Japan called Disney Mobile.





I personally think it's really cute. Wish such a thing was available in the states. If it is, I want in!

Bad Movie "To See" List

I may not be able to complete this over the course of the Summer, but I can start! Some may surprise me and actually be good, but most of the time I can spot a stinker by the cover alone. Kids movies seem to be the most "fun" to sit through, which is what this list basically consists of.

Bug Off!
Ghost Club
I Downloaded a Ghost
Pirate Kids: Blackbeard's Lost Treasure
The Kids Who Saved Summer

High-King, Cinderella Complex

High-King's one-shot single and support song for Morning Musume's rendition of Cinderella, "Cinderella Complex." The song itself won't be available until June 11th, but the video is already online.

I have to say, both the song and video are OK, but it's not particularly memorable - and where's the fairy tale? It could be because I'm a fairy tale junkie, but I was hoping for a little less "hip hop" and a little more sparkly. You know, have the girls in ballgowns, or wearing tiaras, or holding a glass slipper, something. Incorporate something into it besides a ballroom in the video. The lyrics fit, at least - supposedly it's about a girl who tries to be good, but still can't find her Prince Charming.

Basically, H!P, if you have to use "hip hop," why didn't you start out with a sweet little waltz or other typical storybook cliche, stop for a second, then jump into the other style? Or "mix" the waltz music in at some parts? I feel disappointed.

Heidi Club

If ever I get to go to Japan, I hope one of my stops will be Heidi Club, a cafe/store centered around the show Heidi of the Alps.

Despite the fact that this proves popularity for this old anime still thrives, I doubt it would do even 10% as well if licensed for the US - and that makes me very sad.

There is a children's area set up with a TV that plays episodes, a menu that consists mainly of biscuit treats and drinks (like milk with honey and hot cocoa), figures of characters in the window, etc. Looks very cute!

Blogs featuring pictures:

http://www.akibatic-blog.com/archives/50777683.html
http://ameblo.jp/akibacafe/entry-10040689976.html

Official site: http://www.heidi.ne.jp/hp/shop/main.html

Nintendo DS - Mario Kart

It took me awhile to get this, but I finally did and I have yet to regret it.

I have always found racing games fun but held a warm spot in my heart for Nintendo's wacky characters and their arsenal of banana peels, koopa shells and mushrooms. If you ever played Super Mario Kart (I spent many an hour with this as an 11-year-old back when it first came out) or any of its future incarnations, there are a number of "retro" tracks you can experience that should indulge your nostalgic needs - or, if you're like me and never owned a GBA or N64, you can get a feel for, if only slightly, what those games were like. There are also 16 new tracks that range from "normal" to zipping through a pinball machine and even a clock!

Of course, the old fan favorite of "battle mode" is also included, and I think you can play against friends if they have Mario Kart themselves. And if you have Wi-Fi or can locate a "hot spot," you can race against people from all over the world, so this game should never get boring.

Definitely recommended!

Official site: http://www.mariokart.com/mkds/launch/index.html
Youtube search: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22mario+kart+ds%22&search_type

Inuyasha, volume 30

-Inuyasha and the gang's search for a village of ogres has led them to a quiet little area inhabited completely by widowed and childless women, who seem kind and hospitable enough. But something dark lurks around them, and no man, not even a half-demon, is safe from something that desires their hide to become powerful again.
-Sango and Miroku's potential relationship is tested when Miroku can't keep away from the ladies and Sango is so distracted danger befalls her and everyone else.
-The demon baby Hakudoshi and his "guardian," Kagura, are on the search for the final jewel shard. He believes that it is hidden between the borders of the afterworld and this world, and entry is pretty much impossible. But could it be that Inuyasha and Kagome have already been there?

This series is really starting to drag for me. I'm sick of Naraku and all of his little "creations" that he expells from his body and I just want them all to be killed off already. But as of April there's about 23 volumes more, ergh...