The Grapes Are Gone

Erm… sorry about the layout. It was an accident? I’ll get this cleared up as soon as I can. I had planned on changing it anyway.

Tuesday June 13th 2006 @ 5:28 pm
Fansub downloaded @ Luna Chicas

I had something of a Marmalade Boy Marathon last night. Well… I watched three episodes anyway. It would have been more of a marathon if I hadn’t started at one in the morning. So does anyone else think it’s weird that I’m posting twice in one day? Certainly a rare occurance.

With Yuu now going to her school, Miki is desperate to keep their family situation underwraps. Yuu, however, gives away the fact that they are living under the same roof. Her brother immediately gains the appreciation of all the females (some even commented it was cute when he picked his nose -_-”), and Miki can’t understand why. This episode also reveals the history between Miki and her friend Ginta. Miki once revealed her feelings for him and was rejected, in a rather cruel manner. Yuu appears to be a little jealous of Miki’s relationship with Ginta, and Ginta appears to be jealous of Yuu’s instant popularity.

One thing I like about this show is that it’s very anime-esque. There’s one scene where they are eating dinner and Miki comments that if they switched partners, why aren’t they sitting with their new lover? The adults all get up to change seats and end up sitting with the same person on the opposite side of the table. Several times. ^_^” There’s also a rather overdramatic/fake scene when Miki yelling complete with a howling wind and about a ton of leaves.

I looked up the actors! Aren’t you proud of me? Of course… I’ve never heard of any of them. -_-” Stella Huang plays Miki, or Guang Xi as she is called in the drama. I’m still not sure if she fits the role. Ken Zhu plays Yuu (You). It turns out he also played a role in another manga-turned-Chinese-drama, Meteor Garden (based on Hana Yori Dango). I think I’m going to check that series out just because I like Ken so much ^_^ Ginta is played by Gao Hao Jun. I really like him so far. He seems to be one of those cute sulky types. I think those are all the important characters at the moment.

So it turns out that Yuu is 20. Maybe they’re in college? I honestly don’t know. I don’t think they were this old in the manga, but I’ll have to reread and check.

Tuesday June 13th 2006 @ 12:55 pm
Fansub downloaded @ Luna Chicas

Once again I found myself watching a drama. This time a Chinese one. I’ve come to the conclusion that Chinese is a very strange language. I only recognized one word the entire time I was watching this show. -_-” They don’t even pronouce the names the same. I guess I’ve become used to listening to Japanese and picking up words every so often.

So what on earth possessed me to watch a Chinese drama you ask? It’s based of one of my favorite manga series, Marmalade Boy. It’s called “Ju Zi Jiang Nan Hai” and is literally translated to “Orange Jam Boy,” but I decided to label it Marmalade Boy simply because I don’t know how to pronouce Chinese words. Gomen nasai. I hope it doesn’t bother anyone.

The show starts out with its corny albeit catchy opening sequence. It seems very much like an anime opening… but with real people. So it’s fun to watch. The first thirteen episodes were subbed by Luna Chicas. I haven’t been very impressed with the quality of the video so far. The opening sequence is especially fuzzy. The remaining episodes, 14-30, were subbed by W-Dreamers, and I’m hoping the quality is better. I guess I’ll see when I get that far, ne?

This series is about a girl, Miki, and her quirky family. In the first episode, her parents excitedly annouce they are getting divorced. They met a couple on their vacation in Hawaii and decided to swap partners. Miki, who is overly obsessed with being normal, is against this of course. Her parents have this crazy idea, that both families will move into a big house together, so the families can stay together and at the same time, the adults can be with their lovers. The other couple has a son, Yuu, and Miki is hoping for some support from him, but he doesn’t seem to mind the situation at all. He seems more focused on teasing Miki. The episode ends when Miki finds out that Yuu has transfered to her school, previously the only safe haven she had from her insane family.

The Actors. Right now I’m too lazy to look up their names. Maybe next time? First I must say that, although I never imagined Yuu, looking like he does, I love the actor that plays him ^_^ Miki, on the other hand, will take some getting used to. She’s pretty much always angry and ranting (either to herself or other people). Also, I’m wondering how old they’re supposed to be. I can’t remember how old they were in the manga, (I’ll have to reread it), but they seem to be older in the drama. I’m not sure. Anyway, I just got back from summer orientation and A-kon (whoo), so I need to unpack. I’ll try to update as soon as I can.

Just because I want to keep them somewhere. For future reference. (Reference for what?)

Damn. I had a whole list in my head earlier, and I’ve forgotten them all. Should have written them down earlier. Half the list is from Ceres -_-”

So I just finished reading the Ayashi no Ceres manga this week. Exciting ne? Actually I already knew how it turned out as I have seen the anime. -_- If you’re thinking. “What?!?! You’re just now read Ceres?!” I’ll have to explain. I’ve been acquiring the manga over the past two years and since my memory of the first volumes was a little fuzzy, I decided to read the whole series over again before starting the final volume. So for the past two weeks I’ve had something of a Ceres-reading marathon. After finishing, I decided I might as well post something. Even though this is an “anime blog,” (it’s not like I watch anime very often anymore).

Ayashi no Ceres. Read it. It’s good. I promise. (What’s with the two-word sentences?) Yuu Watase has done it again. A 14-volume long series chalk-full of hot guys, love triangles, angst, and romance. Throw in science-fiction in the form of tennyos (celestial maidens) and comic relief *cough*Mrs. Q*cough* and you’ve got yourself a winner. I’d say this story is a bit more mature than Fushigi and the characters a bit more realistic (disregarding the celestial powers and webbed feet). The cast is well-rounded, and although there are a lot of characters, there aren’t so many that you can’t keep them all straight *cough*Angel Sanctuary*cough* The only thing I disliked about the manga is the main pairing, and that’s only because I’m such a Yuuhi fan. I really have no complaints with how the story turned out.

So go read it. ^_^

This review brought to you by: Procrastinators-R-Us

Sunday April 17th 2006 @ 07:01 pm
Fansub downloaded @ AnimeSuki

God, it’s been nearly five months since I last blogged. Sadly, the problem isn’t my laziness this time. I just haven’t been watching anime recently. I think manga is more my speed. You don’t have to commit as much time to it. Anyway, enough blabbing! Today, I will actually be reviewing (drumroll please)…. an anime! What a novel idea… reviewing an anime in an anime blog. Why didn’t I think of this before? The anime I’m reviewing today is actually based on a favourite manga series of mine, Ouran Koukou Host Club. I believe the series just started running this month, so I’m unsure how many episodes there will be in all. So far, I’ve only been able to find the first two episodes subbed.

The first episode is called “Kyou Kara Kimi wa Host” or “You Are a Host Starting Today.” In the first episode, we meet our heroine, Haruhi, as she searches for a place to study. Haruhi is the only “special student” accepted into Ouran High School based on merit rather than wealth (meaning she’s the only commoner in a land of rich-folk). In her quest for a quiet study space she stumbles upon the host club. During the rather traumatic meeting (they can be a handful), Haruhi accidentally breaks a vase valued at 8 million yen. The club members lable her as their “dog” and force her to carry out chores as she can’t afford to pay for it. They also mistake her as a boy and she (for some reason) doesn’t feel the need to correct them. The club members, with Tamaki as their leader, are a lively (to put it nicely) crew, so insanity ensues. This episode’s misadventure involves a client who gets jealous when Haruhi becomes Tamaki’s new pet project and center of attention.

I really love this anime. It’s over-the-top and hilarious. I love the part when Tamaki gets it into his head that Haruhi needs a make over. He gives each of the members a task to take care of. When Hunny asks what his job is, Tamaki replies (quite seriously) “Hunny-senpai, eat the cakes, please.” It’s great ^_^ Tamaki and his ridiculously dramatic personality are 100x better in animated form (not that they’re bad in the manga or anything). Ah, I can’t get over how much I like this anime.

The Voice Actors. I was a bit concerned about Mamoru Miyano voicing Tamaki, because he’s also Kiba’s (from Wolf’s Rain) seiyuu and I couldn’t imagine Kiba being anything but serious. Miyano-san must have a very versitile voice (plus a lot of talent), because he pulled it off perfectly. I also thought Ayaka Saito, who also voices Momiji from Fruits Basket, was a perfect choice for Hunny. Those were the two that made the largest impression on me, but I (surprisingly) didn’t have a problem with any of the other seiyuu either. They all seemed to fit their character just fine. It (also surprisingly) doesn’t even annoy me that Kaoru and Hikaru, the twins, speak at the same time. I could go on, but this blog is getting a bit lengthy. I suppose I should leave some content for the next entry.

Saturday November 19th 2005 @ 06:54 pm
Fansub downloaded @ japan-tv

Hello everyone (Konnichi wa minna) I’ve been updating quite a lot recently. I’m very proud of myself. But somehow I got interrupted in the middle of posting this blog and left it partially complete for a whole week. I’m so ashamed.

This was a pretty full episode. Entitled “The Day My Dog Bit Me” or something to that effect… I don’t feel like looking it up at the moment. In this episode Sumire reluctantly tags along with Hasumi to a work field-trip-type-thing. She finds that she would much rather be at home with her pet and is in the process of finding a busride back when who should she run into, but Momo, who is there for a dance seminar. They decide to go home together, but while Momo is packing his bags, Hasumi-senpai shows up looking for Sumire. She completely blows Momo off by just leaving without saying anything (poor Momo). Later they get in a big fight because they are both jealous (Sumire saw Momo with Rumi(?)), during which Sumire tells Momo not to return to their house, and Momo tries to have his way with Sumire (up against a drink machine).

That was probably my longest summary yet. Have you noticed these things are starting to have a format? In the first sectiong I have a short intro, then in the second I have the episode summary, in the third, my favorite parts (including clips), and last is my thoughts on the episode. I’m breaking the mold with this entry simply because I can’t exactly remember what I was thinking when I watched it, so I’m just wasting space with this crap.

I was feeling bitter towards Sumire by the end of this episoded. She completely blew poor Momo off and then got mad at him for kissing Rumi(?). Poor guy. There was, however, two parts that I really liked. The first was when Momo says something like “If you want to gome home, all you have to do is ask.” And Sumire replies “Kaero….ka?” Cute. The second is after Momo tries to force himself on Sumire and she yells “Baka petto!” The word baka always reminds me of Kagome for some reason.

Thursday October 13th 2005 @ 05:31 pm
Fansub downloaded @ japan-tv

I apologize once again for the lack of… content… last time. To make up for it, I have the normal amount of pictures this time as well as a clip. Which means I’m not really making up for it at all, but continuing on as if it didn’t happen. -_-

Episode five. In which Sumire has another date with Hasumi, cut short be an emergency at work, Fukushima tries to make a move on Hasumi, Momo gets jealous of Sumire’s boyfriend and gives her the silent treatment, and Sumire throws a tantrum and chucks Momo’s cell phone at the wall. In other words, a very full epsiode.

The first part that really stood out to me was during Sumire’s date. She climbs up to the loft in search of the remote only to come face-to-face with Momo - who she had seen leave earlier. I love her “Ehhhh?!?!” look. Another part that made me laugh, mostly because it was violent and unexpected and cute, was when Momo asks Sumire to pet him and she bonks (yes, bonks) him on the head. I also loved the sugary sweet moment when Momo finally resumes talking to Sumire. Which went something like:

     Momo: “Okaeri nasai!“
     Sumire:”…Mou ikkaite.”

     Momo: “Okaeri nasai.”
     Sumire:”Mou ikkai.”
     Momo: “Okaeri… Sumire-chan.”

It translates (as far as I can tell…and remember… I don’t know Japanese) to something like “Welcome home!” “…Say that again.” “Welcome home.” “One more time.” “Welcome back… Sumire-chan.” Very cute ^_^

The ever-confusing counselor guy shows his face once again, this time handing out advice to Junpei (another minor character that decided to take up more time than he was supposed to). Now his dog’s name is Rudolph ^_^” I always thought she was a girl. And what is with the comb-dude? He’s another minor character that I can’t find a point to.

Sumire is so nervous and up-tight around Hasumi, it’s funny. She doesn’t seem to be able to relax around him at all. Which makes her relationship with her “pet” that much sweeter. The actor that plays Hasumi acts just as goofy as ever. I’ve come to accept the fact that he’ll never measure up to his manga counterpart in the coolness department. As long as I think of him as an entirely different character, he’s grown on me. If I try to compare the two, he still bothers me.

Sunday September 11th 2005 @ 12:24 am
Fansub downloaded @ japan-tv

I believe I mentioned last time that I would be updating soon. I lied. >_< I haven't been online much at all recently, and since I'm 99.9% positive that nobody reads this crap, it was put on the backburner. And once again I'm blogging this episode after it has been sufficiently forgotten.

So the episode begins with Momo molesting (kissing) Sumire in her sleep. Then she wakes up and pushes him away, sending him flying through the air. In fact, he flies right off the second floor, crashes to the ground, and breaks his neck. Sadly, Sumire must go shopping for a new pet. Maybe a nice rattlesnake this time? … Actually I just don’t feel like writing a summary. I started re-watching the episode… but really… I can’t.

Normally I have to go back through the entire episode to find pictures and soundclips, but this time you’ll have to make due without them. Sorry. Normally I have to go back through the entire episode to locate my favorite parts, but this time you’ll have to make due without them. Sorry. I will however, say that I love how flustered Sumire gets when Momo asks “Are you happy when I’m around?”

And one thing that bothers me… it’s the counselor guy. I can’t imagine Sumire would go to one. She never admits that she needs help to anyone besides Momo. I really don’t see what the point of adding him to the story was -_-

Sorry for the severe lack of content this round.

Saturday August 27th 2005 @ 09:03 am
Fansub downloaded @ japan-tv

I’ve finally made it to the third episode. Its very unfortunate that I didn’t discover Kimi wa Petto until two days before school started. Now I have no time to watch it. Luckily there is no Calculus homework given the night before a test so I was able to watch two episodes (who needs to study?). You can expect the fourth entry soon as it’s been watched and I just need to find the time to update my website.

Wow these episodes are long. There is so much in each one that I have trouble remembering what happened when I’m trying to type up a summary, especially when I can’t do the write up immediately. This episode covers Momo’s jealousy of Sumire’s new boyfriend, Sumire’s chaotic second date with Hasumi-senpai, and Sumire’s distress when Momo abruptly disappears from her life.

This episode has several parts that I like. I was reminded again how much I love Matsumoto-san as Momo when he goes from happily confusing his friend to scaring all the passersby with his crazed tirade in less than a second. I especially liked the “kissy bastard” line. I’m not even going to try to translate that clip, he was talking way too fast for me to follow. Another highlight was the exchange between Yuri and Momo. “Really! I don’t understand why I have to help you protect your pet.” “Really! I don’t want to be protected by this old lady either.” “What?” “Ruff.”

I’m beginning to wonder about the counselor guy. Who the heck is he? And why does he change his dog’s name every scene? I know she’s been “Mary-chan,” “Pitt-chan,” “Stephanie,” and “Natasha-chan” so far. Even the way he wears his jacket bothers me.

I have yet to warm up to Hasumi-senpai.