Vampire Knights: The Prefects' Pasts

I feel like all anime writers must be somewhat sick or depressed in order to be successful. The amount of time they put into making their characters absolutely miserable must be immense. It seems like every one in three characters has either been abused by their parents, or been in a near death experience. The past is a mysterious thing in anime, and Vampire Knight focuses a lot about uncovering our protagonists' past. Both Yuuki and Zero share similarities in their childhood experiences, however one comes out with a thankful bond, while the other is bonded by the chains and ropes of pain and sorrow.

Yuuki's Past

Yuuki may be the most mysterious character of this whole series. Though she is our main character, we still know nothing about her past, and she doesn't know either! Her earliest memory is that of Kaname saving her from a blood thirsty vampire. That explains her deep admiration of Kaname and the thanks she says that she owes him. Her fear of vampires is mixed with the gratitude and safety she finds in Kaname, yet tainted with the image of the evil vampire's fangs.  

Zero's Past

Zero and the pureblood vampire, Shizuka Hio, which bit him

Zero's story truly is depressing. He comes from a family of top class vampire hunters, and was the victim of a pureblood's wrath. His father, mother, and his brother were said to have been killed by her. He was the only survivor, and faces the future of being a vampire himself. His whole life seems to revolve around reaping revenge over that one vampire. His transformation into a level E vampire creates a deep hatred of himself. He hates the fact that he struggles everyday with his blood lust, and despises the fact that he has to drink Yukki's blood in order to survive. Yuuki sees his pain day by day, and realizes how hard it must be for him to have to become that of which he despises. 

I have to say, I'm more curious about Yuuki's past than Zero's. I'm wondering why Kaname is only nice to her. Is it because he sees her as a little sister, or is there something more behind that? Also, why doesn't she know anything else about her past? If I had to guess, I'd say that Kaname erased her memory, and that Kaname and her must have had some relationship before Yuuki lost her memory.

Skip Beat!

Skip Beat is about a 16-year-old girl, Kyouko, who gets betrayed by her superstar and insolent childhood friend, Shou. After learning that he brought her to Tokyo as simply a maid, and someone who can watch the house, her "box with many locks" is opened. From it, is a woman's vengeance. And all of you men know NOT to mess with a pissed off woman! Well, she swears to get back Shou by out doing him in the showbiz world. She then attempts to get signed with the same agency that Shou's rival and top superstar, Ren Tsuruga, is signed with.

Don't get me wrong, Skip Beat is a pretty good manga, but for some reason I'm having the hardest time getting into it. Art wise, the faces are a little weird. The men's faces look strangly...oblonged. Like a deformed squash. But, other than that, the story-line seems to be starting off a bit slow. However, I do suspect a budding romance between Ren and Kyouko. Shou better get his balls crushed too :) Maybe once I get further into it I'll enjoy it more.

Elfen Lied: Episode 3

Meet Nana: She loves the Papa who does
cruel experiments to her :)

I don't know about you guys, but I'd be crapping myself
if I saw that...

Oh Nyuu! You do the silliest things

"I'm here to take you home"
Ya, not expecting her answer to be too amiable there -_-

Ok, so here's what happened:

So, as for the beginning of this episode...it was awkward. An obviously jealous Yuka smacks Kouta on the cheek for being a perverted alien (Kaichou wa Maid Sama reference ^_-). The next morning Kouta has a fever, and is forced to rely on Nyuu to make him better. She proves to be absoultely helpless. It isn't until Yuka comes back that he finally gets the care he needs, in exchange for a living space. Well, after moving in, she forces Kouta to wash the floors, and Nyuu tried to help as well. While cleaning, Kouta knocked into Nyuu's boob, and for some reason she liked it. Of course, Yuka walks in! However, when the two leave to talk, Nyuu slips and knocks her head, waking up Lucy in the process. If it wasn't for a flashback of a young Kouta and Lucy, she would have killed all the people in that house. She then storms out of the house...as for the flashback, I'm starting to think that Lucy is Kouta's "dead" sister. hhmm. Another weird thing? Yuka asks Kouta if, "he also wants to fondle her breast like he did to Nyuu." Umm...ok?

Nana, a diclonius introduced in the previous episode, is sent to search for Nyuu/Lucy. For some reason she calls Mr. Bossman "papa" and seems to be quite humane and innocent for a mutant made to anniliate mankind. She finds the recently woken up Lucy and says it's time to go home. 

Vampire Knight: First Impression Proven Wrong

Left to right: Zero, Yuki, Kaname

Watashi wa baka desu! :P I totally judged this anime by its cover. Silly silly me! Gomenasai minna! I take all of my "I hate vampires and harems" back. This anime isn't anything like I expected it to be. The reverse harem look of the anime was pretty misleading, but in actuality it's more of a love triangle (my favorite!) rather than a harem. There's just an excessively large amount of bishounen, but what's wrong with that? NOTHIN'! I watched the first few episodes and decided it was good enough to start reading the manga. In the manga, you usually get more storylines, plot twists, character developement, etc. Haha well, I'm in a good mood!  I always love finding an anime that I like!
So, here's a summary of Vampire Knight!


*Note*: Since I've noticed that some of my posts are lengthy and taking up a lot of the page, I've decided to implament a new system that only shows part of the post in order to save space. Just click the "read more" button at the bottom left hand corner to continue reading :)

Vampire Knight is your typical vampire love story, where there is a barrier preventing the human and vampire from loving each other. Usually in the form of blood lust, guilt, or self control issues.

I'm only 5 episodes and 4 chapters into this series, but
I already know who I want to win in this apparent love triangle <3

Yuki is a first year high school student and adopted daughter of the head master of her school, Cross Academy. She works as a prefect with her childhood friend, Zero. They work to protect the two divisions of Cross Academy's "Day Class" and "Night Class" from finding out about each other, and protecting the exsistance of vampires. Yuki and Zero both have experiences with vampires: Yuki was attacked as a young girl, but saved from the Night Class' Kaname, who himself is a vampire. Zero, on the other hand, had his whole family killed, and was bitten by a "pureblood" vampire. We later learn that for four years, Zero has slowly been turning into a vampire, fighting his natural instinct, and becoming more and more dangerous to the humans. Yuki works to help Zero adapt to his new life, and figure out her "lost memories."

Vampire Knight: Adamant Yet Willing

Honestly, the word vampire turns me off. I immediately pass an anime if I see that word, seeing an image of Robert what's his face in the process. I really think the Twilight Saga has ruined the vampire reputation. I want to see some sexual innuendo, blood lust...violence! Not some fairy who sparkles in the sunlight. 

Smosh: Pokemon in REAL LIFE! Part 1

I love Pokemon...and I mean absolutely LOVE it. I'm a total pokefreak! But what I love almost as much as Pokemon, are other Pokemon lovers making fan videos about it. Especially Smosh, cuz they're awesome! I think this made me laugh more than it was supposed to. I mean, it's just perfect! Exactly like the video game, lol. I don't know about you guys, but when I dream about becoming a Pokemon master, it looks quite different than this :P

Elfen Lied: Episode 2

Ok, so there was a lot less gore and guts in this one, but still enough to satisfy the common slasher fanatic. In this episode, Kouta finds the lost Lucy/Nyuu at the beach, apparently looking for a shell to replace the one she broke. He then finds Mr. Ima Asshole at the beach with a huge machine gun and an idiot partner. Kouta gets smashed in the face and they take Nyuu away from him.

Mr. Ima Asshole really showed his true assholeness in this episode. He starts beating up and innocent Nyuu, saying that he's waiting for the "fun part" but doesn't get it...Until Nyuu is hit in the head and Lucy comes out. Skipping forward a bit, Lucy kills the idiot parnter, and slowly rips off Mr. Ima Asshole's limbs (he got it comin'). It wasn't until she saw the shell that she was going to give Kouta that she turned  back to Nyuu. As she runs away, a young girl approaches him, ties up his arms, and calls an ambulance.

After being released from the hospital, Kouta finds Nyuu at the Inn, and the most hilarious scene goes down: Kouta is forced to dress Nyuu, head to toe with his eyes closed. His cousin then walks in on them in the most awkward manner.

So, it looks like Nyuu seems to have a split personality that comes out only when she's hit on the head or in danger. That'll add some fun to the anime! And I'm pretty statisfied with the asshole's fight scene. I'm positive that he won't be gone, but for now we'll just enjoy the sight of his limbless body. It's said that she's the only Diclonious who can reproduce, and that she's the "Eve of a new species." By that, it kind of sounds like they want her alive...I'm also curious to see how the next episode is going to begin, seeing as how it left off with Kouta taking off Nyuu's pants and Yuka walking in on them. Oh ya, and I think Yuka may have feelings for Kouta...even though they're cousins. I find that pretty weird, but who knows! It is Japan!

Elfen Lied: Episode 1

Blood, guts, boobs, guns, and assholes. This anime certainly knows how to make an appearence. Jesus, this was incredibly gory. I have never experienced such an awesome amount of cut off limbs, exploded bodies, or pencil pierced heads...until now. I'm going to deem this anime the Kill Bill of the anime world. I think I'm really going to enjoy this. If you have a weak stomach, I wouldn't click the continue post button in my next posts (hopefully it'll be a screenshot gore fest!) but since this is episode 1, I think I'll treat you to an image of a poor, idiotic secretary's head....with no body ;)

In the first episode we see a woman strapped down and bonded, much like how Misa was in Death Note. Next, an epic explosion of blood. And I don't mean a slow drip...I mean an explosion...boom! Dead! We then witness the woman, whose head is protected by some metal contraption, brutally (may I stress that word, brutally) maul, cut, explode, and kill 25 or more police officers...and a poor innocent secretary :(. We learn that her name is Lucy. Lucy managed to escape the facility, but was shot in the head before she reached complete safety. After being badly injured, not dead, she jumped into the ocean. To put it lightly, the people in charge of this security facility were sh**ing their pants. 

Next we meet Kohta, who moved to Kamakura for college, and his cousin Yuka. While walking along the beach, they encounter an injured and naked Lucy, who has no recollection of who she is. Since she only knows how to say Nyu the decide to name her Nyu-chan. From the looks of it, it seems like Lucy is a totally different person. She's almost like a little girl, not knowing how to eat or where to pee. Kohta has no choice but to take her in. She also seems to care a lot about Kohta, breaking a seashell that his (implied) dead sister gave him after seeing that it made him look sad. However, this makes him mad, and he throws her out, leaving her open to the police force.

Back at the security facility we meet with the boss man again and meet our new antagonist, Mr. I'ma Asshole. He's a big, brute guy, with absolutely no respect for anyone. Seriously, he his a girl just for "sneaking up on him." Asshole...anyway! The boss man mumbles something about the end of mankind and orders Mr. I'ma Asshole to find and eliminate Lucy.

Overall, I think this anime looks really promising. Even right now I'm losing my patience. I seriously want to stop blogging and watch episode 2 already! But before I go, here are some screen shots of episode 1: 

Killed them without even touching them...like a boss

Meet Kohta and Yuka

Um...What would you do in that situation?

What Now? My New To Do List

Arigato minna! Thank you all for reading my blog, I appreciate every view I see :). Now that I seemed to have finished Peach Girl, Fruits Basket (in the middle of writing the post for that), and Death Note, it's time for me to write a new to do list!
I'll try to encorporate more hardcore anime, rather than my usual Shoujo...but don't think I can change my ways that easily ;).

Peach Girl Episode 25: Momo's Final Decision

Episode 24 left off with Momo's shocking decision to stay with Toji. In episode 25, the two decide to go on a "short day trip" before they have to start worrying about college. Before the trip, Sae comes to Momo's house and tells her about Okayasu's (Kiari) trip to Shiranami the time he was late to their meeting. This, and a talk with Misao, makes Momo reconsider her actions. During her date with Toji, all she can think about is Okayasu.

Okayasu, on the other hand, goes with Sae to Shiranami in order to "throw out" his feelings for Momo. In his emotional moment, he loses the phone case that Momo made him. Sae, either worried about Okayasu or trying to play games with Momo, sends Momo a message from Okayasu's phone implying that he's at Shiranami about to commit suicide. Realizing that she may never see Okayasu again, Momo finally admits that she loves Okayasu more than Toji, and goes to Shiranami during a typhoon (much like Okayasu's previous trip). There, she finds Okayasu clutching on to her case, drowning because of the huge waves. The two kiss and get back together at the same beach they met. How romantic!

In all honesty, I was never really a fan of Toji. I thought that Okayasu and Momo had more of an emotional connection, where both of them were able to wait for each other's love. I'm incredibly happy about the ending (I was worried that Okayasu would be left alone for a minute there!). At first, especially when reading the description, I thought that this anime was going to be terrible. I mean, the way the described it on animefreak.com? "a girl who has tanned skin and looks like a playgirl..." it just seemed boring....but boy! I was sooo wrong. There was more drama in this than some bad telenova!  Here's a couple of screen shots from the last episode ^_^ :

Peach Girl: Toji vs Kairi- Who Do You Like More?

So, at first this love triangle seemed pretty predictable to me. Momo would have her turn with Toji, figure out that he was different from what her junior high self perceived him to be, and she would go to Kairi. However, that's not how it happened. Like I explained in my last post, Toji and Momo broke up because Toji was trying to protect Momo's reputation. Here's the sequence of events following this twist:

1. Momo and Kairi started dating
2. The two fell in love and Momo forgot about Toji
3. Sae fell in love with Kairi's evil older brother (the boy version of Sae)
4. Momo found out that Kairi's number one love was the school nurse, Misao.
5. The two break up, but get back together. Momo expresses her love to him, saying she'd wait as long as possible until he makes up his mind.
6. Sae starts dating Kairi's brother, almost gets raped by porn people, and repents.
7. Toji gets rejected by Misao and leaves Momo to "walk," promising to meet her at the station by noon if he chooses to stay with her. If he's late by five minutes, she'll give up.
8. Toji becomes Momo's co-worker thanks to Sae, and she learns the truth about why they broke up.
9. Toji learns that Momo is his one true love, but as always, shit happens and he ends up late.
10. Momo goes off to the beach and Toji followers her for emotional support.
11. Those two get back together and a hurt, exhausted Kairi who followed Momo all the out to where ever the hell she was in the middle of a typhoon realizes how selfish and stupid he has been.

So, now that we've been caught up...Who do you think Momo will choose? 

You know, I used to be an Okayasu (Kairi) fan, but I really don't know anymore. Toji went through so much pain and suffering for Momo's sake. I can't imagine what he must have been feeling. It's hard being the one broken up with, but it's even harder being the breakerup-er and still being in love with the person. Hurting someone you love is more hurtful than being hurt.

The two make a good memory in a place with so many bad ones...Kairi

But, Kairi really is a sweet guy. And he was there for Momo in her toughest times, and I think that Momo actually loves Kairi more than Toji. However, he's such...and idiot! He kept telling Momo to wait, and wait. He even kissed Misao! I mean dude, is she really so special that you'd ignore a girl who'd put up with not being your number one love? Gah!

Their first kiss <3

I'm so confused!! Fact wise, Kairi has always been there for Momo and they seem to have a more emotional bond than Momo and Toji...but Toji hurt himself to protect Momo, and I find that incredibly caring and heroic. I wanna know what happens so bad!!! I guess I'll just have to wait and see :)

Fruits Basket: Bittersweet Yet Mostly Bitter Kiss

Yes!!!! The day has finally come! Tohru and Kyo finally kissed! But...it wasn't much of a victorious kiss. It was an incredibly heart touching, sad moment for the two of them. I deem this the best climax I've ever read. Here's the story of what happened...in picture style:

Tohru forgived Kyo for "killing" her mother, even saying that she disagreed with her mother not forgiving Kyo before she died. What did Kyo do? He said "you're disillusioned" and ran away...asshole -_-

Akito meets up with a crying Tohru, telling her how hurt and jealous she is of her. How everyone is now siding with Tohru and breaking the bond with Akito. Having just broken the bond with her mother, Tohru tells Akito the truth about bonds: that they don't last. However, she does say that there is still time to create new bonds and start over. So she reaches out her hand and says, "Let's be friends"

Ok, this part got me confused at first. I thought Tohru falling off the cliff was just a metaphor or delusion in Akito's mind, but people...that shit went down. Akito freaks out, having lost her first and only friend. Yuki finds Tohru first, on the floor bleeding, and Kyo follows.

Kyo says the sweetest things. Seeing Tohru laying in a pool of blood, he gets flashbacks of Kyoko. He breaks down, begging her not to leave. Not to give up. That even though she'll make mistakes, and mess up, that she still has to live. He needs her, and can't bear seeing her like this.

Tohru wakes up, begging Kyo now, to stop worrying. That she's alright, that it's ok. Kyo stops her, and then they kiss, both of them crying. 

I love this manga so much. It's the most heartwarming, heartwrenching, tear jerking manga I have ever read. I will admit it: I cried like a little baby in these few chapters.  This includes: *Chapters 120-123*

Peach Girl: Episode 5-11

So cute!

At the moment I've watched 11 episodes in the span of three days. It's such an addicting anime, but it truly is a recipe show. By that, I mean that it's been done. The antagonist ruins the protagonist's plans/life/relationships, eventually gets called out, tries it again, wins again, then in the end gets called out and finally gives up.
After Toji discovered Sae's true personality (with help from Kairi) he went back to Momo's side, telling the whole school the truth about Sae. She then turns into a pathetic, little floating piece of paper for exactly two episodes (I wish it were more). Momo, being way too nice, helps the fallen and beaten Sae. However, when she gets a new model boyfriend, Jigoro, she turns back into her old self, trying to make Momo jealous. But, when she sees that Momo isn't jealous of her relationship (which is full of gifts, expenses, etc) she decides that the only way should could be as happy as Momo was to be with Toji...and you all should know what happens from here.
The little bitch (screw astrises) tries to set up Toji, but fails. At that, she realises that she has to step up her game, and she uses her "boyfriend" to do so...on Momo's birthday too! She calls Momo, crying, saying that her boyfriend wants to break up with her. She sets it up so Jigoro takes Momo away in his car and dresses up as Momo to trick Toji. Once Toji discovers who she is, he searches frantically, only to find Momo in bed and crying with Jigoro. It looks like she was raped (though boxes fell on her and Jigoro only took her to his place because she was unconscious). Toji and her were fine, they stayed together, yada yada, she cut off all ties with Sae. But, like all recipe shows, Sae comes back with a vengence. She had a picture of Momo in Jigoro's bed with nothing but a shirt and sheet wrapped around her and Jigoro in a robe. She threatens to leak the photos to the press unless Toji breaks up with her. Since he loves Momo, he had no choice but to protect her and make Sae happy until he can finally delete the rest of the photos.
This drama is just too good! It's so addicting. I think every episode I've watched has mad me mad, and I love it! But the best part of these episodes? When Momo slapped Sae! Muahaha...I truly hate her.
Oh, and I'm in love with Kairi :). It's official. I don't like his character design (none of them actually) but he cares for Momo more than Toji ever will.

Peach Girl: My Hatred Begins

One day my fist will slam right into
that baka face of yours

AAAHHHHHHHH I think I seriously have to STOP watching this anime! Why?! Because I'm so freaking mad at Sae! I can NOT stand her! I seriously wanna hit her. Just...hit her! AAHH!
To recap on episodes 2-4 that evil, conniving, bit** is ruining Momo's life! She's doing everything she can to break up her and Toji. And she's doing it just because she wants what Momo has, not because she actually loves him. Unfortunately, evil seems to prevail in this anime. She convinced Momo that Toji tried to kiss her, set her up to make it look like she liked Kairi, made everyone not tell Momo that her boyfriend was in the hospital. She even told the whole school that she was dating Toji, not Momo. God!!! I hate her so much! It's like middle school all over again ('friends' like that piss me off). At the end of episode 4, she eventually made them break up. I just....I want the writers to give her serious karma. No, "I've learned my lesson, lets be friends" crap. I want justice!
But to be fair, Toji  really an idiot. I don't like him half as much as Kairi. Just the fact that he'd trust Sae over his girlfriend seems totally wrong to me. And he was dumb enough to "practice" kissing with Sae. I mean come on!!

Fruits Basket: The Mystery Behind Kyo and Kyoko

Kyo :'(

My heart is breaking. My eyes are tearing up. I never would have thought that a cartoon could bring me this much heartache. I've officially reached the bittersweet zone of the Fruit's Basket manga, and everything seems to be unraveling in the story. Chaper 119: "Do You Love Me?" broke my heart. To recap, Tohru finally confronts Kyo with her feelings, asking whether he loves her. Kyo responds by asking about her mother, whether she truly loves her mother, and that she shouldn't love him. We then learn the history behind Kyo and Kyoko: they met one day when Kyoko spotted a young Kyo, and approched him to tease him about his funny looking hair. For weeks, the two would meet up with each other and talk about many things, Tohru being one of them. The day that Tohru got lost, Kyo made a promise to Kyoko, saying that he would always protect Tohru. However, Yuki ended up being the one to find her, and that hurt Kyo. He cursed the rat, saying that even though he found Tohru, he was still evil. He ran away, with Kyoko smiling and shouting, "don't forget your promise" behind him. They didn't meet again...until the day of her accident. There, in that moment, Kyo had had the chance to save her, but in order to do so, he would have to hold her. Worried about his curse being discovered, he let her die.

Kyo took the blame for Kyoko's death, and Tohru's sorrow. This whole time he must have wondering whether getting close to Tohru was a good idea. Whether getting close to her would hurt her in the end.  His hurt, pain, and guilt was just too much to handle. I literally screamed at my computer screen, saying, "it's not you fault!! You don't need to make youself unhappy because of that!" I can't imagine how he must have felt when he saw Kyoko die. Added to the guilt that has been put on him because of his own mother's death. I want to hug him right now. Poor Kyo...poor Tohru.

My Newest Anime: Peach Girl

I just finished watching episode 1 of this anime on animefreak and from what I can tell, it seems to be just another shoujo. Although, I did like the story. The main character, Momo, is a super tanned girl who is often thought of as being a slut. It's the typical highschool drama that everyday people have. Though, in America at least, tanned skin doesn't always equate to slut, the mislead impression is relatable. I like her personality, how she doesn't let people have their way with her and how she doesn't play into her stereotype. I'd like to see her slowly change and accept herself for who she is, rather than slathering on sunscreen and trying to change it.
We've also got quite a cute and funny love triangle going on, along with the MOST annoying antagonist ever. Being a highschool girl, this anime explains my life and relates to me in so many ways...like, seriously, it's so funny to watch the stupid, pointless drama happen in this anime and relate it to the stupid pointless drama happening in my life and laugh at how stupid it is. Ya, I can be a bit of a sadist sometimes. You got a problem with that ;)?

Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasu: Today We Start Our Love

And the shoujo manga craze is back! After Death Note I'm much more open to darker animes or mangas, but honestly, there is NO way you're going to get me off of my shoujo! I found this manga after completing Faster Than a Kiss (just read the new chapter, will blog about that later).

The story of how love grows <3

This manga is, in a nutshell, the love story of two highschoolers who are both learning to love and be loved. Hibino started of as a Showa girl (untrendy/old fashioned), wearing pigtails and a long skirt on her first day of high school. She was immediately harrassed by Kyouta, the rudest yet smartest boy in the grade. Annoyed at his harrassement, she cuts off his long hair. After cutting it even shorter in an attempt to fix it (which worked) he randomly kisses her, swearing to take away all her "firsts."
Kyouta isn't inexperienced in the act of love at all. He has had multiple lovers (kinda weird for a first year high schooler in my opinion) but has never actually felt love. He starts of his relationship with Hibino just to toy with her, but after he sees how much she actually cares for him he drops his old habits.
I really love this manga. The sacrifices the two of them make for each other shows the extent of their love. Being a teenager myself, and not really knowing the true extent of love or the meaning of a relationship, this manga really hit home for me. As Hibino figures out her feelings, I'm slowly deciding what love means to me as well.
Oh ya, I heard a rumor about this manga becoming an anime! I screamed so loudly when I heard that! Here's the OVA:Today we start our love OVA

LMAO: Death Note Swimming Lessons

Lawl....just lawl. Hahaha ahhh...Light, you've officially reached insanity

Fruits Basket: Momiji Grew Up!

That sexy man with his hand on Tohru's shoulder?
Yep, that's the new and improved Momiji!! (He's still as childish as ever though)

A young, cheerful Momiji...Still not
able to wear the boy's uniform

He guys! I'm right now reading page 6 of chapter 111 of Fruits Basket, and I literally had to stop reading it just so I can gush about what I just saw. That is, Momiji-kun as an adult!! Like! Jesus! He's a man after all! A super hot man (fangirl squeel)! It's such a surprise to see Momiji looking like that. The anime hinted that he would grow older and eventually be able to wear the boy's uniform, but I never thought that they day would come. Wow, now all the flirting and affection that Tohru and him give each other will seem more like a couply thing, rather than a cutesy friendship thing. He's so cute!

Harry Potter: Anime Style

Found this awesome picture while on thatanimeblog.com. Just..wow. It makes me feel better knowing that my two favorite things are now being meshed together into a single picture of AWESOMENESS. Lucius looks kinda like Yuki's older brother...and Hermione looks exactly like Rima from Shugo Chara (juggling...PARTY!) Btw...the Weasle's are much hotter in anime form.

Shugo Chara!

Shugo Chara is a pretty simple story, with a not too complicated storyline. There are a few twists and turns in the story, but for the most part it's pretty straight forward. I have no idea why I got so addicted to this anime (maybe it's Ikuto's fault). It may look childish, but it introduced me to the world of anime, so i consider it one of my favorites!

It initially started off as a manga and later was adapted to an anime. It's in the magical girl genre (think Sailor Moon/transforming super girls), shoujo, and romance. The story is about a girl, Hinamori Amu, who is known for her "cool and spicy" manner. However, deep down inside, that isn't who she is. For fear of not being accepted as who she really is, she continues to play into that role. One day, she wishes to be brave and strong, and to be able to "be her would be self." The next day she wakes up to see that she had given birth to three heart eggs/Shugo Charas (guardian characters) named Ran: a sporty/outgoing girl, Miki: good at art, who's smart and shy, and Su: good at cooking, with a very warm personality (much like a mother). She then joins her school's "Gaurdians", a group with other Shugo Chara bearers, being admitted as the Joker. She and the club go on a mission to find the "embryo", facing X-eggs (which Amu can purify), and an evil group called Easter. With the help of the Dumpty Lock she can transform into Amulet Heart, Amulet Spade, and Amulet Clover.
This anime is very childish, very simple, yet very very cute. At times the filler episodes got annoying, but when there was finally plot development it'd get hooked all over again. The character development was done very well, and we saw how Amu and all the others matured through the story. Amu-chan is such a relatable character, and her journey to find her would be self sent me into flashbacks of my younger days. The message in the anime made me feel a better about my insecurities. It helped me realize that it's ok not knowing what I want to be. *begin sparkly* You are who you are, and everyday you grow as a person and get one step closer to finding out your true self *end sparkle*. Oh and there's tons of sparkly moments too ;) Plus, this anime may have one of the best love triangles ever.

Go to crunchyroll.com to watch the first episode. There are 3 seasons: "Shugo Chara!" "Shugo Chara! Doki Doki!" and "Shugo Chara! Party!" The two first seasons follow the manga. I don't reccomend watching the last season. It ruined the true ending. I watched the anime first, then started at chapter 42 of the manga. Then I read "Shugo Chara! Encore!" which was the end of the series.

Death Note 36-37: The End

Episode 36

Both Light and Near's plans are put to the test. Each one of them has created a plan in order to take down the other one. Light has told Mikami to create two Death Notes. He told him to keep the fake one with him, and hide the real one. He was to rip out pages from the real Death Note and give it to Takada to pass judgement. Near, on the other hand, had Giovanni follow Mikami every where he went. When Mikami purposefully killed a man who was harrassing a woman, he convinced Giovanni that he was X-Kira (Kira's hand, as opposed to Kira himself). When Near and Light meet at their destined place, Near tells Light his plan: he switched out the specific page which he knew Mikami would be writting on (he was a very punctual man...japanese, obviously :P). He knew that Mikami was going to be in the warehouse, ready to kill everyone that knew about the notebook. The one whose name was not written in the notebook is definetly Kira. Meanwhile, Light stuggles to hold in his laughter, positive that he is going to win. Light's so sure that he has tricked Near into thinking that  Mikami was using the real notebook; that N would never live up to L (L would have immediately figured out that there were two notebooks). After a frenzy of writting, Mikami appears before the group.  The countdown begins...35...36...37...38...39..."I win, Near!" (end scene).
This was a vveerryy suspenseful episode. We all found both of their plans. Finally, it's time to see who the real winner will be. Light? or the forces of L?

Episode 37

Light has been outwitted...

Tick, tock, tick, tock. A minute has passed by, and no one has died. Light...has finally lost. Near apprehends Mikami, and Light goes into a frenzy, trying to save himself. He screams like a lunatic, trying to convince the others that he has been set up, that he isn't Kira. Yet, his cockiness led to his downfall. He openly said that he had "won," and that was a confession. Finally admitting defeat, he starts to preach. Saying that he is the face of justice. That someone had to stop those bad people. That he did the right thing. Yet, Near looks at him, and speaks the truth..."you are just a murderer." Near explains that he is nothing compared to L. That he, alone, could not live up to L. However, he, with the help of Mello, figured out Light's plan. Once aware of the two notebooks, he made sure that Giovanni followed Mikami's every step. Mikami messed up, writting Takada's name in the Death Note, thinking that it would help Kira. This showed Giovanni the real note's hiding place, foiling Light's plan. Near, plus Mello, had managed to surpass L, and do what L never got to achieve. They caught Kira...

Still in a frenzy, Light pulls out his hidden note from his watch. However, Matsuda, infuriated by the fact that Light's father had died for nothing, shoots him. Light falls to the floor (I'll post a swimming video later :P). Shattered by the fact that his "god" was actually human, Mikami stabs himself with his pen. During the commotion, Light escapes from the building. Near says that they should just leave him; that his wounds will eventually set in a kill him. 

Dude, where the hell did he stab himself?
That's A LOT of friggin' blood for just a little poke!

The scene where Light passes his old self...ya. That really got to me :'(

The walk to Light's death commences: you see a flashback of a younger, more innocent Light. One who simply wanted to do good for this world. The now power hungry Light, and innocent Light cross paths, and Ryuuk begins to speak. Ryuuk then says the most epic quote ever to be said:
"You have lost, Light. Didn't I say in the beginning... when you die, the one who'll write your name down in a notebook will be me. That is... the deal between the Shinigami... and the first human to get their hands on the note in the human world. Once you enter the prison, I don't know when you'll die. It's annoying to wait... Your life is already over. You'll die here. Well, it was good while it lasted… We killed some boredom, didn’t we? We did some various and interesting things…. "

"Well, it was good while it lasted. We killed some bordem, didn't we?"

Before dying, Light sees L standing over him, much like he did to L before he died. Another shot shows Misa commiting suicide, and Light finally closes his eyes. Suffering the same fate as all his victims, he dies in the middle of the stairs, neither in Heaven, nor Hell.

Well, you were kinda annoying...too bad Rem died in vain

Light's retribution. L won...

Well, this was a rollercoaster of an anime! It was also a first for me to. I've only really watched shoujo animes up until now. It started off as a story of just a kid who thought he was some rightous god. However, it ended up turning into a game of chess, where one person made a move, and the other played accordingly. The morals of this anime are still left unknown, in my head at least. I'm stuck between the judgement of the world's wrong-doers, and the humanity that lies within us all. Do we have the right to decide who can live, or who can die? Is it our duty to punish those who have done wrong to others? Or, do we continue to let those people live, killing innocent lives in the process? At first, I actually rooted for Light. His strategic actions towards L was really something to admire. His feelings and motives were in the right place...at first. But then, he turned into a power hungry monster. A murderer, as Near put it. We saw how his character gradually changed from one that simply wanted to rid the world of evil, to one that would do anything to be the "god of the new world". It showed how the Death Note changed him, how his ideals were thrown away due to the power that was put in his hands. When he lost his memory, he was against Misa being put in danger, of a life being taken for the sake of the case. But, when his memories came back, he happily sacrificed the lives of Takada and even his father. This was really a great anime...is there really justice? Or is justice like love? A word with no single meaning?
Note: I've learned that there are no bittersweet zones with animes like this. The action/drama makes it too nerve-wraking to be upset over

I Should Hide My Face...

Guys...I can't believe this, but I've TOTALLY forgotten about Skip Beat! Oh goodness! How could I?! Someone smack me upside the head right now! I started reading it before I started this blog...so probably two or three months ago. I think I was on chapter...20? Oh, I don't even remember! Well, I guess I have no choice but to search for my place (how tedious). Ok, everyone, expect an update on this/ story overview. Because I will NOT forget about it again!

Akito is a Woman?: The Twisted Love Triangle

Akito, the evil little demon child of the Sohma household. Akito, the possessive child that rules the junishi. I've always wondered why he was so mean towards the women of the 12 zodiac. But now I understand...It's because he, himself, is a woman!

In chapter 97 we finally learn the reason why Kureno didn't want to see Arisa again. We not only learned that he was freed by the cruse, but that it was his choice to stay with Akito. Apparently, the fact that Kureno left the junishi affected her greatly. She then became incredibly possessive of Kureno. Since Kureno can't stand to see her cry, he puts his feelings for Arisa aside in order to not hurt Akito. Kureno seems to be sort of like Tohru, huh?
Apparently, Shigure used to be Akito's favorite, and he was deeply in love with her. In chapter 100 Shigure and Akito confront each other, and Akito explains that he kicked Shigure out because he slept with her mother, Ren. Due to Akito and Ren's bad relationship and hatred for each other, Shigure knew that doing that would force Akito to throw him out. However, instead of wanting to be thrown out because he wanted freedom, we learn that Shigure did it because he loved Akito. Since Akito slep with Kureno, Shigure felt betrayed and unloved by Akito. Once Akito learned his true reasons for sleeping with her mother, the two make up. Shigure tells her that he loves her, and the two end up sleeping together at the end of the chapter.
I find this all rather disturbing.

My Watch List: Updated

Hey guys, so I've been watching for about three or four months now, but it's resulted in a serious addiction. Ya, it's pretty bad :/. I've come to the point where I actually set aside and rearrange my plans in order to watch anime. But, here's what I have to show for it. And I finally found a way to make my addiction meaningful/useful!


1. Pokemon: My absolute favorite. And it's pretty much my whole entire childhood. This anime (though at the time I wasn't aware of what an anime was) has a place deep inside my heart. Pikachu, I will always chose you.

2.  Shugo Chara: It's about a girl trying to find out who she really is, with the help of cute little guardian characters (shugo charas). The love triangle caught my attention, the storyline is entertaining, and the morals it teaches is really inspiring. I recommend this every fangirl out there. Ikuto is a total bishounen!! *fangirl squeel* It's very cute, and very much a  shojo. This was the first english subbed anime I've watched. It was pretty much my gateway drug into this addiction.

3. Kaichou wa Maid-sama: Misaki is the first female student council president in a previously all girls school, yet she has a secret...She works as a waitress in a maid cafe, and considering her strict feminist beliefs, she wants no one to find out about it. This anime really made me feel...like a subordinate to all of the Japanese race. Misaki is such a hard-working, strong, and diligent main character. I truly respect her drive and her attitude. Though it made me feel like a lazy bum while watching it, I did feel more motivated after watching it. But, Usui, ohhh Usui!! What can I say? He's the perfect male lead. He's so gorgeous, and pretty much good at everthing. He's prince charming. 

4. Maburaho: Well, this one was a bit of a surprise to me. I've heard of ecchi before, but have never thought of watching it. I'm really not a big fan of harems either, but It actually was that bad. It did cater to a lot of guys with the fan service and hot anime chick harem, but the story sort of cute. Not my favorite though, and I wouldn't really recommend it.

5. La Corda d'Oro: Oh! I loved this anime! It was incredibly deep, and really showed me the importance of music. That's the point of the story, and it's absoultely brilliant. The passion that the characters feel is felt by the watchers as well. It has opened my eyes to the world of classical music, and has showed my that music can really move a person's heart. It's a must watch, in my opinion.

6. Special A: I watched this, hoping that it would be like Kaichou wa Maid-sama. And it practically lived up to my expectations. It's about a hard-working, determined, yet agressive girl (very much like Misaki) who has followed her childhood rival her whole life, trying to beat him. However, as she struggles to beat him, she finds love in their rivalry. It's a fun anime, which I enjoyed. It's not a masterpiece, but a pretty good shoujo. 

7. Yumeiro Patissiere: This is the latest anime that I've finished, and I got just as addicted to it as I did to Shugo Chara. It's very much like Shugo Chara, actually. It's made for younger kids, but honestly...Who cares! It was heart warming, the main character is lovable, and the food/sweets look so yummy. It was a typical sparkly, cutesy anime. The sequal, Yumeiro Patissiere Professional, has more romance to it, which really appealed to what I like. I'm still really sad that I've finished the anime. I always get pretty hung up and nostalgic whenever I think of an anime that I love.

8. Fruits Basket*: I initially started this anime because, frankly, Death Note was freaking me out a bit. I usually watch anime before I fall asleep, so I needed some romance in there rather than death gods. I didn't expect very much from this anime. I was aware of its good reviews, and super cute guys ;), but the storyline seemed rather dull to me. But, boy! I was so wrong! The story was so sweet, yet to sad. The curse that bonds the zodiac spirits together seems to tear apart their human side and relationships. Tohru, the main character, really shows them how to be loved, and that they can love back. It's a great anime, with great character developement, and wonderful story, and a heartwarming message that all people need to be needed.

9. Death Note*: I literally finished this one hour ago, and I'm ashamed at how long it took me to do so. As you can see, this is the first non-shoujo (other than Pokemon) anime that I've watched. Hell! It's the first legitly serious anime I've ever watched! But, I was great. And I mean absolutely AMAZING. My mind was going from one place to another, wondering what was going to happen next. Who would eventually win the fight? Who is the true face of justice? Why the hell does that shinigami like apples so much? It was an emotional rollercoaster: frustratingly suspenseful, annoyingly confusing, scarily truthful, comically dark, strangly adorable, sadistically horrific...should I keep going?