Sunday, August 25, 2013

////
I'm a huge fan of this mangaka (manga writer) - Nakamura, Yoshiki . I like Nakamura-sensei since Skip Beat (though I've seen the Skip Beat anime version first then the manga). At first, I didn't realize that Tokyo Crazy Paradise (or TCP) was her work.  Ah, my special talent of distinguishing someone's work by his style is surely failing me these days. Maybe because of taking that medicine or by not having enough sleep.

Anyway, I honestly admit that after getting the whole copy of this series, it took me awhile reading it. Maybe because of the art seems dated and too many panels in one page (it's hard for  me to read small letters).
 

So one boring afternoon, I read it then - oh my Gawhd!!
THISSTORYISSOGOODANDAWESOMEANDIHAVETHISONMYEREADERANDIREADIT
ALLTHETIMEANDEVERYTIMEITSSOAMAZZING!



Plot Summary (from Manga Traders)


It's the year 2020 AD, and Tokyo II is a city infested with crime. Women can no longer go out in the streets alone without being victimized. Not wanting their daughter to suffer the same fate, Tsukasa Kozuki's cop parents raise her as a boy. When they are suddenly killed by one of the yakuza's in-fights, Tsukasa is left orphaned on the streets along with her three brothers. With no other options, she goes to the only person she can think of for help: pokerface Ryuji Shirogami, her classmate for 8 years and also the leader of the powerful yakuza group, Kuryugumi. Ryuji, whose father was also a victim of the same yakuza fight, agrees to take her in as his personal bodyguard. As they set out to find their enemy, Ryuji slaps an increasing amount of debt onto Tsukasa, using all manner of ploys to keep the reluctant Tsukasa by his side.

Tsukasa, the heroine is a fighter, she always get into trouble and injured here whether intentionally or accidentally. Heroines of shoujo manga or any genre that meet my own definition of strength are few and far between. Here's my requirements i.e criteria of a Heroine.

  • Witty and intelligent but dense in Love 
  • Love is not no.1 on her list
  • tears are rarely shed,
  • strong willed
  • fighter (mentally and physically)
  • have a pure good heart
  • And most important of all, have a funny side
I like Nakamura-sensei works because her heroines meet all of my criteria. In this series comedy isn’t one of the main aspects but it surprise me that it still made me laugh. This is not a typical gender bender story too. And don’t let Tsukasa’s boyish image fool you, whenever she is dressed in woman clothes even with or without wig she is a totally smoking hot babe.

 cross dressing Tsukasa

 Ryuji, the hero, is a pushy pervert that tries to sneak in on Tsukasa when dressing or when sleeping. Ryuji's antics here is the comic relief and refreshing change of pace in an action driven manga. 


  Both Tsukasa and Ryuji here are diamonds in the corrupt disgusting rough city of Tokyo.

This series is darker and has more exciting action than any shoujo-shounen manga I’ve EVER read! I love shoujo, winning every obstacles and fighting for love is very touching and moving. But on the other hand I also love shounen, the fight scene are thrilling! Tokyo Crazy Paradise is far worth while and successful combination of love and action.  I recommend this series to fans of shoujo and shounen! YOU WILL HAVE AN EXCITING RIDE OF THE MOST UNIQUE MANGA SERIES EVER! <-- UNDERLINED, BOLDED, IN ITALICS, CAPPED AND COLORED.

Inked with Love and Passion,

SimplyPrincess
08262013
////
I'm taking this vitamin, Calcium Ascorbate for a week now and I felt nothing special, well they promised me that I'll feel refresh and energetic, etc etc...but nothing really happened. Then this weekend I read the label of what I'm taking..lo and behold- 

 I'm taking my niece' flu medicine instead of my  vitamin!!!Kiyaaah!!!! 

- fainting drop dead

 I'm sharing my room with my niece, then my vitamins was mixed up with her medicine and since I'm so busy lately, I just grab my vitamin (or so i thought) on the dresser without reading it at all. Ahhh!!How can I be so careless?!!!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

////
I picked this one because it was recommended by most netizen in manga world ,so I downloaded the whole series and read up to Volume 4. Then after that I dropped it,  maybe I'll read it someday, but not in the near future. It was so sad, emotional, and melodramatic. T^T. I'm not used to it, I can take a little drama in every genre whether its a rom-com, action, fantasy, super natural, or anything but, but not a whole drama series that made me cry, depressed, and some roller coaster emotions! *cry* cry*. Aaahh..the author was so great that her work can move and evoke such emotions. No wonder that it's an award winning manga.-  Shogakukan Manga Award.   

Synopsis from nihonreview.com: Upon starting her first year of high school, Takahashi Nanami, a somewhat clumsy girl, has trouble adjusting to her new life. There she meets fellow student Yano Motoharu, a well-liked, yet boorish boy and even though she finds him ambiguous and impolite at first, she quickly begins to develop feelings for him. While he is one of the most popular students in school, he is intensely hated by the girl that sits next to Takahashi in class, Yamamoto Yuri. Yano’s best friend, Takeuchi Masafumi later reveals to Takahashi that Yamamoto’s deceased sister was actually Yano’s ex-girlfriend.

Maybe I will finish it. Someday. 
 8-21-2013
////
Cover of 7th volume of Midnight Secretary
I just finished this vampiric theme manga by Ohmi Tomu, a story about an efficient and almost perfect secretary, Kaya Satuzuka, how she face each challenge and changed her arrogant, egoistic, and vampire boss, Director Kyouhei Touma of the Touma Company.

It's not your typical vampire story,with blood,bats, power, vampire elders, demons, and sex. Yes sex. This story is  different (when it comes to vampire rules and taboo) for example, lady vampire can have a baby with human and vice versa,
then the baby is either completely human or  vampire, vampires can only drink blood from the opposite sex, and blood is in its rich, pure quality and tasty when taken from human,who's in the merge of ecstasy, that's why this manga has so many erotic, steamy hot love scenes but, oh but, I find those scenes sweet and touching.^_^. Maybe because it was drawn decently and artistically. 

However among other things, this story left me a lasting impression about work and especially Kaya, she inspired me to work diligently, accurately, and efficiently. To always be at my best , don't give up and always work smart. I really admire her.

I've been in a corporate world for sometime now and I admit, I didn't took my work seriously. I guess I belong in a group of average employee that doesn't excel that much. I treat my work as an eight to five daily task that I have to finish. My heart just wasn't into it, maybe because I don't wanna be a 'salary woman' but I ended up one. I know I can do something about it,and live the life I want but that's a different story. What important is my work right now. I realized that was really a bad of me, I'm a fool risking my credibility and my name by working so-so. My work was not a simple task, life is at stake in every decision I made and I took it lightly. I feel ashamed of myself.

A true ninja risk his life no matter how simple the mission is.

A true detective do his best no matter how small his case is.
A true disciple pray fervently no matter how small his wish is. 
And a real princess do every single thing with grace and honor.  

That's why this time, I want to do my work responsibly and seriously and put my heart into it. I know the road is not paved in silk but I'll be working on it and I can handle it. 

Don't you know that after reading this manga I took a shower?! It was 2 o'clock in the morning and the water was freakily freezing like hell! (huh hell?)


But nah, I feel taking a bath just like a symbol that I was serious in my oath to change. That cold water washed away the old me. After that it was so refreshing and oh! My hair was still towel wrapped while writing this. I amazingly wonder how a 'simple' manga touch me like that. ^_^  Maybe it wasn't a simple manga after all.    

So it's a new me right now and this is more a review of myself than the manga right?! ^_^ but after all these blabbering Midnight Secretary is a must have in your shelves.
  

Saturday, August 17, 2013

////

While waiting my downloading files to finish, I decided to browse and arrange my 'virtual book shelves'. There's a helluva clatter of mangas here and there, and after clearing the 'shelves', and counted all the mangas I have, honestly, I can't believe that I've collected and read these much in such short span of time.  Some were worth reading and some were cliche and for teens. Here, I'm sharing you my list -


Works of Motomi Kyousuke  - She made powerful characters and story line. I admire her by trying different characters, plot and setting in every story. Her works is definitely not your typical and cliche stories. From school to forest and from student to wild beast.
And other mangas from different authors-

Series - Less than 20 volumes series 
  • Prince Lizard
  • Missile Happy
  • Nanaco Robin
  • Penguin Revolution
  • Arakure
  • Lovely Complex
  • Faster than a Kiss 
  • Akuma de Souro

Shounen - action manga for boys

  • Fairy Tail

Gender Bender - yes I'm a sucker of gender bender stories since Mulan (but exclusively girls cross dressing and not the other way around)
  • Hana Kimi
  • Power (Girl Got Game)
  • Tokyo Crazy Paradise

One Shots - or short stories to make me sleep.(20 to 30 pages)
  •  Short Program
  • 7th Period is a secret 
  • 13  
  • Tsuyogari
  • Kai me no Hajimete no Koi

'Ecchi' Thing ~ manga with sexy, adult scene that took me a lot of courage and curiosity to read.
  • Wish To Lie Beside You
  • Kimi ni Furetara
  • Osaerarenai
Works of LEE Sang-Eun

 and in queue, currently downloading -
  • Ichigo 100% 
  • Beauty is the Beast  
This list is keep on growing everyday and right now I'm reading alternately these three, Tokyo Crazy Paradise, Lover Discovery and Fairytail, whichever my mood fancy. 
That's what in my shelves how about yours? 
 



Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Like what I've said in my previous blog entry, I'm into manga these days and after reading a handful of titles and genres. I'm slowly developing an interest with this mangaka (author) - Mitsuru Adachi - since reading his collection of one shot (or short story) titled - Short Program.
Short Program Volume 1 Cover
 This manga is a collection of short stories and has 3 volumes and boy I really have a hard time finding this manga. His stories were from comedy to drama with a bit of romance and mostly sports type stories.


Some of his works are - 

Nine, Touch, Rough, Niji Iro Tōgarashi, H2, Itsumo Misora, Katsu!, and Cross Game serialized by Shogakukan in Shonen Sunday. Hiatari Ryōkō! serialized in Shoujo Comic. Miyuki serialized in Shonen Big Comic. Slow Step serialized in Ciao. Jinbē serialized in Big Comic Original. I haven't read any of these titles,actually I'm just in Volume 2 of Short Program right now.

Though from what I've read his not that popular (oh, really?). One of the reasons that I've seen is his artistic ability, his lack of detail in character designs and emotions, actually he has been accused of having his various heroes and heroines looks exactly the same with only minor hair variants and placid expressions. In fact its like seeing the same character in different setting. His drawings of character isn’t the best, it’s no where near it in fact and with that kind of drawing, it will surely sold poorly and would not go far. Well what else do you expect? In this manga industry where visual art and eye candy characters is the selling point (aside from the story itself, of course). I guess it seems to be Adachi’s style, it may take some time to get use to, but it’s actually not that bad and doesn’t hurt the quality of his stories.
 

Moreover, what makes him stand out among the rest is his unique humor and mild approach in romantic aspect with crushes, rivalries, that were so subtlety written (if you're into romantic manga, well, you'll get frustrated).

His humor and style is more down-to-earth and subtle. That part of him hit me and I understood it much better. Nothing too complicated, nothing too mind boggling. He has a funny, yet unique humour, I’m not quite sure how to label it, but it’s always a pleasure to read and snicker about it.
 
Most of his stories with bit of romance end with the two leads still not explicitly stating their feelings, choosing to hold hands, or having a kiss silhouetted or simply leaving the protagonist realized the truth and smile, an indication that it will have a good ending, everything is resolved and life goes on. A kind of ending that made some readers dissatisfied at the lack of a final explicit resolution. But an ending that made me wonder and think and satisfied.

Why not try reading his work and tell me your thoughts? Did I miss some points? I guess I am. ^_^.

Friday, August 09, 2013

////
I started reading manga just recently (truth is, I can't really remember the exact date or even month). I was just trying to read something out of ordinary. Then I turn to love this comic format stories day after day after day and I find it very entertaining, eye candy, cute cartoons and funny lovable characters. My first few reads were girly type mangas with all those cuteness, and bubblyness, with hilarious comedy, with touch of romance and a little bit of drama and charming characters (kiyaah!). Well it depends on the genre, and speaking of genre! I never thought that manga has different genres too?!! What?! I thought it's all the same....

So I asked Google (yes, asked and not searched! ^_^) to define each genre, and here what I've got -


1. Harem- Usually a boy surrounded by lots of pretty girls who may or may not have a romantic interest in him. There is also a reverse harem where a female is surrounded by males (like Ouran).
2. Bishonen- Beautiful boy. A handsome male character.
3. Yaoi - Generally a pretty graphic story involving two males in a relationship (often includes sex)
4. Josei- Generally aimed at older women.
5. Mecha
- Robots and the like.
6. Shounen- it means boy. Generally action type things which boys would stereotypically enjoy.
7. Seinen- Generally aimed at older males.
8. Shoujo- For girls, usually. Romance and all those fluffy things between a boy and a girl. (I see...So this type of manga is what I've been reading all this time...)
9. Slap stick- Comedy, can be pretty far fetched and/or stupid situations seen to be funny.
10. Shoujo ai- Girls love. A relationship between two girls, usually pretty low key with things like hand holding or kissing (hardcore things would be called Yuri)
11. Moe- It's hard to explain so have a quote from wikipedia 'is a Japanese slang word originally referring to a strong interest in particular types of character in video games or anime and manga. For example  meganekko-moe, "glasses-girl moe", describes a person who is attracted to fictional characters with eyeglasses.'
12. Henshin- It means transformation, so I assume characters transforming themselves?
13. Incest- Relationship between family members.
14. Male harem- See harem. Also called a reverse harem.

15. Ecchi -  involves adult scenes or with sexy stories (whatta hell is sexy stories??!) and with over the top sexy characters.
16. Magical Girl - well fantasy story with, what else?, magical girl like Sailormoon and the likes.
17. Hentai - X rated. Period.


And exploring the world of manga, I've learned these term - Otaku- A term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, usually anime, manga or video games. Can be an insult or a way someone refers to themselves and Lolicon- Attraction to young girls. 

Also I've learned a new reading style!! Some found it too hard to learn. Manga shoukd be read from left to right. It’s just the panels and “chat bubbles” being read from right to left.

And while I was there reading shoujo and getting crazy over its characters' exaggerated, rainbow color hair, cutesy drawing and cliche romantic plots (but never cease to make me spazz and kiyaaah~~~  @_@). I've run through the manga's depth and got lost in the world of adult mangas (you know those x rated mangas with all those stuff , like sweaty girls and kinky boys) that has no story at all. I am pretty  aware of its existence but I never thought to that extent that it has detailed drawings and such. That made my eyes wider than a saucer and my heart beat faster than usual(huh?!).  So I drop it, close it, and look else where to wholesome ones! Yay!

 But wait a minute ! Why I am acting like a curious kid caught doing 'something'??!

 Anyway, I'm trying shounen this time, I started Fairytail, nice one, if you like magic and mages. A friend told me to try Bleach or Naruto or One Piece. Well maybe one of these days..I hope  these long time running manga series will keep me entertain and never get me lost in some absurd world. 

What about you? What have you been reading? or have you read a manga before? What's your favorite manga? Did I miss to list some genres?


Monday, August 05, 2013

////
Walang Sabit by Sandara Park 
Thanks to ayameyokomi for uploading this video, this rare clip is really hard to find today. Walang Sabit is a song from her Rejoice shampoo commercial.
  
 Sandara Park - In or Out Official MV (Eng Sub) 
 Thanks to WolfAnimeGurl115 for this clip and YGLadies for the eng sub.
    
Maybe these two songs were not an ultimate hit or something that hit the music billboard but I really find these so cute! ( there I go again for being so biased when it comes to Sandy - or Dara kekeke~). If you're not familiar with these songs, they were recorded from the Philippines, former song (Walang Sabit) or should I say "No Tangle" in English,  was from a shampoo commercial while the latter song's title - In or Out, was inspired from a talent search,where Dara's joined, that let her  'In or Out'.  
(Left) Sandara during Star Circle Quest days 2003, Philippines and (Right) Dara today at 2NE1, South Korea  2013

Don't you know that Yang Hyun Suk, the founder of YG Entertainment discovered Dara after seeing the KBS documentary, “My Name is Sandara Park”?

Wanna know the story of 'Pambansang Krung-Krung ng Pilipinas'? Watch these -

KBS 산다라박 인간극장 My Name Is Sandara Park (5 parts videos) 









Star Circle Quest Video Story of Sandara Park



Dara Park's 25 Tidbits
 1. Her unusual three-syllable Korean name, which she has talked about numerous times during interviews, comes from a Korean general, Kim Yushin, whose childhood name was “San Da Ra”.
2. Dara used to be celebrity in the Philippines. She appeared in movies, dramas, commercials, and released a ong collection, which achieved 2x platinum status in sales.
3. She used to be an actress and student at the same time. She is excellent in Math and Physics.
4. Her younger brother is Park Sang Hyun, known to be “Thunder” of the Kpop idol group MBLAQ.
5. Yang Hyun Suk of YG Entertainment discovered Dara after seeing the KBS documentary, “My Name is Sandara Park”.
6. Dara trained under YG Entertainment for 3 years before debuting in 2NE1.
7. She stands out the most among all the other members of the other girl groups. She has several fanboys and admirers attached to her name. To name some are 2PM’s Wooyoung, FT Island’s Choi Minhwan, Park Hae Jin, MC Mong, MBLAQ’s Lee Joon, 2AM’s Seulong, Kim Taegoon, U-KISS’ Kevin, and Lee Jung Suk.
8. She became popular for her palm tree hairstyle during the Fire days which was parodized by various artists. She also set the trend by popularizing tenggu hair, apple hairstyle, byeomeori (the one with the braid in front), and many other various hair styles.
9. Dara’s hometown is in Busan, and she speaks the Busan dialect.
10. She cited Uhm Jung-hwa, as the one she looks up to because of her beauty, sexiness and cuteness all rolled into one polished package.
11. Dara always texts instead of calling because she thinks it gets awkward when you call someone.
12. She has a birthmark on her right leg that she had always covered up with leggings or socks during her celebrity years in the Philippines. That’s why she didn’t wear shorts and skirts.
13. Dara has a habit of stealing other member’s cellphones and putting her picture as a wallpaper.
14. Kim Ji Eun was her vocal trainer.
15. Dara’s kissing scene with Bigbang’s T.O.P in Gummy’s MV “I’m Sorry” was revealed to be just a camera trick.
16. Dara was voted by the rest of the members to be the best at variety shows.
17. She said she likes to wear jeans and T-shirts and usually wears them at home.
18. Dara was the first member to release a single featuring fellow member CL’s unique rapping skills in the song entitled “Kiss”.
19. She is a big fan of Lee Hyori. She a member of LH fancafe.
20. Dara’s favorite Filipino food is sinigang na hipon. She is good in peeling shrimps.
21. She is afraid of dogs and big animals, particularly that of G-Dragon’s dog Gaho.
22. She deletes the number of the person who doesn’t reply to her messages. She even deleted the number of 2NE1 members once.
23. In an interview, she stated that her ideal guy is Korean actor Won Bin.(- Yeah I agreed on that but she also like Kang Dong Won)
24. Dara was dubbed as the “Me2day Queen” because of gaining 200,000 followers that said to be the largest number of followers for a celebrity.
25. Among the members, only Dara eats ramyun/ramen.

credits
2NE1 산다라박의 KBS 인간극장 2004년 방영분