Playing Catch Up! : Skip Beat!

 Fun fact for ya: the author of Skip Beat, Yoshiki Nakamura, doesn't even have a real reason for naming it as it is. In fact, she really just wanted to use the word "beat" in the name...I guess skip won! 

Anyway, as I said before, Skip Beat is about a girl whose "evil spirits" are awakened when she learns that she was betrayed by her childhood friend/ crush/ superstar boyfriend. She then swears revenge on him, and the only way of doing that is by making it in show business. In the episode 2 we see her extreme, and I mean exxtttrreemmee, determination to get into show business. She actually flunks the audition after losing her cool during an acting test. However, she is given the chance to be a part of LME's "Love-Me Section." In episodes 3-11 we pretty much watch as she faces her demons, tries to regain the compassion and practically any loving emotion she lost, and make it in showbiz. On the way she meets Ren Tsuruga, a successful, calm, serious actor. Even though she seems to "hate" him, I see a major romance budding ;).

Actually, I quite like Kyoko. She's the most determined anime character I have EVER seen. And trust me, there are a lot out there. I also like the relationships she has with the men. Sho (the evil SOB who betrayed her) seems to bring out her worst, and Ren always seems to be there to bring her back down to earth. It's a short anime, but the manga is still on going (haven't read it in a while though O__-) so I'm assuming that the anime and manga will have different endings. Which one will be better? I'm gonna take a guess and say that it's going to be the manga...that's usually what happens.

Oh ya! I forgot...Merry 3 days before Christmas!!!  

Smosh: Pokemon In Real Life Part 3 :D

Ahhh...I love Pokemon...and I love Smosh :P

Full Moon wo Sagashite: An Endless Search; The Truth About Eichi-kun

Anime:

Ok, I feel like I need to say this: I memorized this song...And I am incredibly proud of that :). It's such a beautiful song. Her feelings of love, of the heartbreak she's been through, everything! is depicted in this. You don't even need to know what it means to feel the truth behind the lyrics. My favorite line? I love you, namida tomaranai. Konnan ja Kimi no koto, shirazuni ireba Yokatta yo (I love you, I can't keep my tears from falling. I also wish, that I had never met you) Falling in love: the one thing that can be the best thing in your life, while hurting you so much. My singing still sounds pretty strange, and nothing close to how Mitsuki sings it, but come on! It's japanese! That's a mile stone for me :).

So, I decided to post this video to explain what exactly happened in the anime. I must say, angelicsnow did a great job depicting the anime up until Eichi's death (episode 42)...Oh! I gave it away! Yes, people...Eichi is dead :'(. In the anime, Mitsuki won the International Pop Idol of the year or something like that and was given a trip to America. She also went with Wakaouji-sensei and Full Moon's manager (who know of Meroko and Takuto) to investigate a treatment so she won't lose her voice during surgery. Along the way, they search for Eichi, and we learn that he and his adopted parents died 3 months after moving to America. As shown in the video, Mistuki was devistated. Having worked so hard just to see Eichi, having no one else in mind but him, made her hit rock bottom. She laid at his headstone till Takuto rescued her and carried her back to the house.

Manga                                                           Chapter 16

The chains keep moving, which I can't control,
and even though you stay still,
I keep on moving

I hate you all, because you keep me away from Eichi.
You keep pulling me away from him...
But he's waiting. Alone. At the bottom of the deep dark sea :(

Mitsuki: Why do you keep helping me?
Takuto: Because...you're still alive

Ok, here's one of the many differences between the manga and anime: Mitsuki already knew that Eichi was dead. Takuto, Meroko, and Izumi (who has a different personality than the anime) search to find Eichi. That's when Takuto remembers one of his first jobs as a shinigami; a plane flight to America...Eichi's plane. He said he saw a young boy turning into an angel, telling him that he "hated shinigami." We also find out that Mitsuki was one of the first to know this, she's just been repressing the truth. Each time she's told that Eichi is dead, she feels as though she's being pulled farther and farther away from him. In the manga, Takuto works to help her forget about Eichi while keeping him close to her heart, but still love herself enough to want to live.

I'd say that the manga (as always) had a bigger effect on me than the anime. I understand Mitsuki's pain, having worked so hard for something only to learn that it's already gone. However, the fact that she's been holding those feelings inside her for so long, not willing to let go of her loved one, really hit my heart. We finally realize why Mitsuki wasn't afraid to die, which we never understand from the anime. It won't only spur on a more interesting plot, but it also gives us a realistic situation that many people go through. I have a friend who lost her father, and everyday I see her suffer because of it. The manga shows us that it may be hard, but sometimes letting go is the healthiest thing to do.

Vampire Knight: End of Season 1

Episode 12: "Junketsu no Chikai" "Vow of the Pureblood"

 Zero finds Shizuka, the pureblood who killed his family and made him a vampire, making a deal with Yuki: if she drinks her blood, she must save Zero in return. Zero then points his gun, Bloody Rose, at Shizuka, injuring her. After hearing the shot,  Ichiru runs in. Here, we learn that Shizuka never turned him into a vampire and that Zero cannot harm him. At the same time, Shizuka arrives at Kaname's room, where he stabs her in the heart with his hand and drinks her blood, vowing to "destroy their mutual enemy." The episode ends with Ichiru holding a dying Shizuka in his arms.

Episode 13: "Shinku no Ringu" "Crimson Chains"

The season finale! Not so fun after reading this part of the manga and knowing what's going to happen -_-

guess that's the price I pay...

Anyway, Ichiru lays crying at Shizuka's side, where she reveals her story: She was once engaged to a pureblood vampire, but fell in love with one of the humans sent to her as "food." After turning him into a vampire the hunter's association ordered Zero's parents to execute him, hence the grudge and motive. 

This also explains the reason why she didn't turn Ichiru into a vampire, and we learn the true emotions and feelings between the two. In a sad goodbye, we watch as Shizuka's body turns to dust. The next day,Yuki asks Kaien about Zero (who collapsed due to bloodlust), and confesses that she's been letting Zero drink her blood. The scene then changes and we see Zero locked in a basment, chained to the wall. Kaname then enters. He admits to killing Shizuka, saying that he left enough blood for Zero to drink. He then forces Zero to drink his blood, claiming that he's keeping him alive for Yuki's sake. 

What a surprising ending!! Not really!!! Anyway, I think I'll be taking a break from this series (don't worry, I'm not giving it up completely!). I am curious to see what happens to Zero, and what Kaname's true self is. Maybe I'll start season 2 after Full Moon wo Sagashite...and finals :/. Anyway, feel free to comment, give recommendations on any new series, etc. :) 

Full Moon wo Sagashite: Depression Point

Until now, the theme of death and lost love was always prominant, but never really recognized. Like a needle in a haystack: just waiting to be found. Well, I've officially found it! I think it was episode 35 that set off this turn for the worse.


Until now, I've never seen what shinigami really do. Having Meroko and Takuto as our only reference I had this image in my mind that shinigami help children, hate their job, and wouldn't kill anyone even if their lives depended on it. That's what I thought before episode 35, but now, with the introduction on Izumi-kun, realize how close death really is. In episode 35 Mitsuki meets an old man who can see shinigami aswell. Long story short we watch Izumi-kun point his arrow and take his soul, vowing that Mitsuki is next on his list. Immediately after this episode, Mitsuki finally realizes that death is near. That she says she's ready, but is actually very afraid.


The manga of this series is 10 times better than the anime, mostly because it deals with more sensitve issues like life and death in a stronger way. I'm actually happy that the anime has become more sad. I feel like it lacked the emotional aspect that the manga brought.

Pokemon Ghost Hack: Warning, May Scar Your Childhood

You know, I've always been pretty naive about Pokemon. It truly defines my childhood, and the thought of Pokemon actually dying in battle never made its way into my brain. For all I cared, the Pokemon world was one of happiness, where people enjoyed friendly competition and loved the Pokemon they had. It was my fatasy away from the harsh realities of the real world. Unfortunately, there's always an asshole who wants to make everyone depressed and scared shitless of a game they once loved.

People call this the "Ghost Hack" or "Pokemon Black." At the beginning of the game you're given a Pokemon with the name "ghost." He only had one move, "curse", which wasn't introduced till the 2nd generation. Whenever ghost was played, any opponent would be too scared to attack. Upon using curse, the screen would "cut to black. The cry of the defending Pokémon would be heard, but it was distorted, played at a much lower pitch than normal. The battle screen would then reappear, and the defending Pokémon would be gone. If used in a battle against a trainer, when the Pokéballs representing their Pokemon would appear in the corner, they would have one fewer Pokéball."
At the end of the game, you would float around the Kanto region making your way back to Pallet Town. Once there, you would see all the Pokemon you had used Curse on. Then, you (an old man now) had to battle ghost. Your only move was Struggle, and each time ghost attacked it would simply go, "..." until your HP was at a critical point. There, he would use Curse and the screen would cut to black.

Haha. Boys, a cute pokemon cartrige asking a girl out is cute
This? A little psychotic...

Pretty creepy right? To read the full article, which I found on/summarized on tinycartrige.com  Click Here

Newest Anime: Full Moon wo Sagashite

From left to right:
Top: Johnathan,  Izumi, Madoka, Eichi,
Wakaouji, Oshige
Main Characters: Meroko, Mitzuki/Full Moon,
Takuto

Hey readers! It's been a while, hasn't it? I blame Thanksgiving break (haven't had internet for an entire week). But anyway, since I finished my last anime (which I believe was Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne) I've decided to take the safe road and stay with a manga artist I was familiar with. Her name? Tanemura Arina, author of the aformentioned anime/manga, and my current series, "Full Moon wo Sagashite" or "Searching for the Full Moon" 
 She has a pureness to her stories, even though they usually deal with subjects less thanhappy or pure. I think her characters are always someone you can relate to, or at least symathize with. What I love about them is their ever trusting nature, their honesty, their strenght even through serious heartbreak. Maron and Mitsuki are perfect examples. Both have lost someone they love yet they keep on pushing through, putting their best face forward. However, they're determination to stay strong happens to be one of their worst traits. I suppose you could call her main characters...masochistic. Putting themself in harms way in order to make someone else happy or proud.
"Full Moon wo Sagashite" is practically based off the concept, "I'll do it for him!" Full Moon is about a 12-year-old girl named Mitsuki, who suffers from throat cancer. Both of her parents died in an accident and she lives with her prude of a grandmother. One day she is visited by two shinigami in blue and bright red costumes, one with cat ears and the other with bunny ears. May I say that they put shame to the ones in Death Note, but I must keep in mind that it is a children's show. Well, long story short, when Mitsuki finds out she won't live more than a year, she sneaks out and tries to go to a singing audition. We then learn that she promised the love of her life, Eichi, that she'll be closer to her dreams the next time they meet. Feeling sorry for her, the male shinigami, Takuto, turns her into a 16-year-old so she can enter the audition. The rest of the anime/manga is about her career, her love, her drive to meet him again and be noticed by him through singing, and the struggles she faces in coping with her emotions.
All in all, this is a heart-touching, heart-warming series. It's almost like Fruits Basket, in the sense that you both experience extreme warmth and compassion mixed with sorrow and tears. I would recommend that you both watch and read this series. The manga provides better story lines, more twists, more heartfelt moments, whereas the anime allows you to hear one of the many beautiful songs the series has to offer.
P.S: the songs will get stuck in your head, and since it's in Japanese it'll sound something like, "doushite, unetaka waka oujiiiii, humenooo..nnnnaaa oh ahh naahh" ;)

Smosh: Pokemon in Real Life- Part 2

Dexter: Manky a...
Smosh guy: wait...don't you mean monkey?