Great amazingness.
I have this terrible habit of listening to a song or a whole album for months until I get sick of it. But this song is beyond getting sick of. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
The full length cd version is much better. In case one can’t notice Sharon den Adel is the lead singer of Within Temptation.
I played around with the tablet again yesterday. (The first time since I posted the Mother Nature image to the gallery.) I’ve continued watching Sekirei despite my ‘pure’ side nagging me not to. I suddenly had the urge to make a cute Kuu-chan wallpaper after watching the 12th episode. (still have to catch up on reviews *coughs*)
The lines are a little squiggly. I have to continue to practice a steady hand. Overall it came out as nicely as I wanted it to. X had an idea for it so I won’t be posting it in the gallery. *me shrugs* We’ll just wait and see.
My apologies that I had given the wrong review for epsiode 18 in my last post. I had previously written it as 19. And another thing: Kotoko instead of Kokoto. (Un)Fortunately no one had corrected me on it! I got away with it. xD I would like to blame isohunt for giving me the incorrect order of episodes.
Onward! The last episode I had reviewed was, in a nutshell, Keita’s confession to Kotoko. We move onto Episode 19 - Crazy For You and watch Kotoko finally take a temporary hiatus from Naoki for him understand he is an asshat. By the end of episode 19 Naoki pardons himself from his asshat ways and goes after Kotoko.
By episode 20 - The Nightingale Oath Keita buggers off completely from the story and the nurses graduate and projects itself into 4 years later.
Episode 21 - The Glass Boy : We meet Non-chan again. Non-chan is the boy that was also in the hospital with Naoki’s brother when they were very little and was the inspiration that Kotoko gave Naoki to become a doctor. Now, 4 years later, we see that Non-chan has went from a sickly boy in bed to a sickly famous actor. Non-chan has become bitter and turned his back on all those who ever cared about him because he feels they forgot about him. By the end of the episode, Kotoko urges and convinces Non-chan to undergo surgery to hopefully make him better.
Episode 22 - The Best Present : Non-chan is recovering from the surgery and we find out that it is Kotoko’s birthday. Naoki is creepily SO much nicer. I’ve actually grown an infatuation on him now! (hehe, let’s see if I get a reaction out of that) Naoki takes work off for a private birthday party between him and Kotoko. Kotoko is thrilled and does her best to dress up and rush over to the hotel Naoki and her are celebrating at. (I don’t care if I end a sentence with a preposition :P) Along the way Kotoko helps a man who is severely injured in a bike crash. After several hours of being in the hospital, she is then very late and bloody when she finally arrives at the hotel. Naoki was genuinely worried and then they spend a lovely evening together. By the end of the episode Naoki believes that Kotoko may be pregnant.
Episode 23 - You, Go Around, Me Kotoko is 3 months pregnant! I almost shreked with joy as Naoki’s mum did when she found out (see picture above). So cute!!! However Kotoko fears that Naoki, due to her gossipy friends, may be having an affair because he is being extra nice to her. She searches and destroys, as does Kotoko’s mother in law, but in the end they find out that Naoki isn’t. Hoorah for that. As for Naoki’s happiness and kindness, perhaps he is just bloated with excitement that he’s going to be a father?
I have a lot to catch up on. Onward to more graphic designing and anime.
Hoorah, another personal blog post. I’ve done a lot of competitions lately and either the results have yet to be revealed or utterly lost.
List Competitions, Prizes and Results:
Client: Emporio Armani - Get Together Poster Prize: 5000 EUROS for National or 2 sets of watches for International Results: International Winner but only due to votes
Client: Bluestreak - Logo Prize: $400 Results: Fail
Client: Diana Warner Studios - Collateral Poster Prize: First: $500 Second: $200 Third & Forth: $100 Results: Fail
Client: Diesel Wall Prize: International Recognition Results: Fail
Client: Health247.com - Logo Prize: $175 Results: Fail
Client: Mini Cooper- Wallpaper Prize: iTouch Phone = $495 Results: Fail - not enough votes
Client: I-Net Prize: $150 Results: Fail
Client: Neurotrax/Mindstreams - Collateral Prize: First place: $2250 Second Place: $750 Results: Failed first place, second place to be announced
Client: XeNTaX - Banner Prize: $500 Results: Fail
Client: Penguin Novels/The Island At The End Of The World - Bookcover Prize: To be published Results: Fail
Client: Francisco Mantecon - Poster Prize: First Place: 6000 Euro Two Runners Up: 2000 Euro Results: Dropped Out
Client: E3P Technologies - Logo Prize: 5000 Euro Results:Fail
Client: Sokolov Film Festival - Poster Prize: 460 euro Results: To be announced.. 31 September 2008
Client: EYCA - Logo Prize: 5000 Euro Results: To be announced.. 14 November 2008
Client: Wacom - Illustration Prize: Intuos Wacom Tablet Results: Dropped Out
Client: Uniqulo - Illustration Prize: 3,000,000 yen Results: Late October
I’m sure there are more but perhaps I deleted them in frustration? *shrugs* I have several others I will be starting soon. I think the above work counts towards an online portfolio being made so far.
I am sure most of the older ‘fans’ of my blog remember the Armani competition I entered in March this year. Fortunately, I had over 26000+ votes that pushed me to be ‘The National Winner’ of visual print in the category of other countries. For my reward I won a set of ‘his’ and ‘her’ expensive Emporio Armani watches as well as six sets of perfumes. I’ve thanked you all once before and I want to thank you all once again.
^ This the ‘her’ watch I won. I suppose my only question is ‘What do I do with it?’. It’s lovely but I really don’t think I’m ever going to wear it. I haven’t since I got it and I planned on selling it on ebay or whatever else. Hmm… Any suggestions?
Picture Of The Year:
Immature rant on: HA! Serves you right, Naoki/Irie! Let that jealousy seethe and burn into your cold hearted soul forever! Bwahahaha! :immature rant semi off
Review:
From the ending of Episode 18 you find out that Keita, one of Kokoto’s nurse friends, is secretly in love with her. In this episode it dives deeper into Keita’s respect and understanding for his silly and slow learning lab partner. Even more so, Keita isn’t too shy to stand up to Irie and say ‘You suck at showing affections and respect towards your wife. You’re a shitty husband!’
And Irie’s typical response is ‘She’s my wife, back off. What I say to her doesn’t concern you.’
Kokoto then goes out with her nurse gang to the bar for a few drinks since one of them is deeply upset that a guy s/he met turned him down. It is there that Keito tells Kokoto that he feels that Irie doesn’t love her through Irie’s actions and words. (See second picture) She leaves heartbroken, realizing that Keita may be right. It ends by Keita chasing after her and telling her ‘don’t go home to him’. (See first picture)
My thoughts :
Keita (guy to the left in the above picture), you’re awesome! This episode really made me hug myself. Kokoto does deserve better and it’s about damn time she realized it. ‘It’ being that her husband Naoki has always treated her distantly and with hardly any tangible or visible care for her. Of course, since we have omniscent presence in this series, it does seem he cares for her at times when he is alone.
But even then I have to wonder : “Was his ‘proposal’ and now this recent event only out of jealousy? Has Kokoto only become his tree that he pees on to spite other dogs that prowl in the neighborhood?’ Why do you have to be so damned distant and cold Irie?! Why can’t you tell your own wife that she means something to you and that you love her?! She should leave your sorry ass.”
I know that there are some that feel Irie does truly love Kokoto but he has a hard time showing it. I agree but to a certain extent. He’s married to her. He’s slept with her. Why is he still so distant and cold? I can’t imagine anyone lasting long in a relationship like that. You can only give so much until you realize you’re getting nothing back.
I finished the first volume of Vampire Knight a couple weeks ago and thought it was best to sit on it and think about a good review. In other words, I procrastinated. I wasn’t enthusiastic about writing a review for several reasons. But before I name those reasons I have to tell you something.
I do love a good vampire romance. Not in just anime but among other things. Brom Stoker’s Dracula for example. But something that is NOT an example is Queen of the Damned because that was just rubbish. That aside, now you know that I enjoy vampire romances.
They make me happy in a very sad way.
Now on to the reasons -
1. Zero’s an arse. I liked him at first but over the episodes his level E vampiric, emo bull crap side just really pissed me off. Then that pissing just became boredom. (He should have drank blood eons ago!)
2. Yuki isn’t that strong of a character. I can’t think of one good adjective to describe her as I can with the other characters.
3. The anticipated ’sexual tension’ really was not there. As Kiyo-chan described it: a ‘pseudo romance’. Who does Yuki really want?
4. The apparent villian of the series only showed up in the last 4 episodes of the first volume and then she kicked the bucket too easily. She didn’t have any amazing powers. She didn’t have any cool fighting moves. She just had a lap dog that did her dirty work for her. I suppose one could argue and say that the true villian of this volume was Zero’s resistance to his vampiric self but even if that is true it wasn’t presented strongly.
However, I will be watching volume 2 when it begins in October. Though my expectations were let down from what I believe to be a good vampire romance, I still have hope for it. I felt the atmosphere was great even though a little confusing at times. I really loved Kaname… the dark wonderful pure blooded vampire god he is and I now in the ending episode, Zero is saved. Maybe he’ll come to terms with his new self.
I started watching Vampire Knight several nights ago and the first time I heard this song, my ears pricked. I’ve turned away from my dark ambient goth ways years ago but whenever I hear such a beautiful song in a genre that I really loved long ago I can’t help but slide back into my former self and enjoy it.
This is 19 year old Kanon Wakeshima’s debut song and it is yet uncertain if she will continue with a full album. She started playing the cello at the age of 3. She first performed as a cellist-singer at the age of 16. For more information about her go to her website: http://www.kanonweb.jp/
Also, forgive me on being late on this. What do you expect?! I just learned of it a couple days ago. 
I’m not much for subtle hentai (ecchi) or anything with the scent of perversion but I suppose I should have said the same with Rosario + Vampire. I’ve told myself lately that maybe I should just come to terms with that I do enjoy ecchi since a couple of the more recent animes that I’ve seen has been just that.
But then I stop and regain my dignity by questioning myself ‘Would I like it if there wasn’t a story line?’. And the answer is a great wall of “NO”. Besides, some of the stuff I picked out due to recommendation (thanks Kiyo-chan as well as several other anime blogger sites). I like to surprise myself when it comes to anime. As long as I know it’s a comedy or romance, I will definitely add it to my infinite list of ‘must see’.
And… the reason I just told you all of that is because I’m a big insecure numpty that doesn’t like people thinking of me in a certain way. So in short… I’m not a pervert! T.T
——————-Now on with my long winded synopsis————————
Minato Sahashi is a failure when it comes to most things. From the beginning we find out that Minato has failed his college exams twice and is a complete plonker when it comes to standing up to his mother, sister and other women. During the fateful first episode, Minato meets a young woman named Musubi, a Sekirei. Sekirei are super powered beings that have some sort of elusive association with a group called MBI. From Musubi and the MBI, he finds out that he is an Ashikabi - a human with special genes that allows a Sekirei to have ‘wings’.
Through this Ashikabi-Sekirei partnering, a Sekirei becomes deeply attached to their Ashikabi. Humourously to the point that you’d think the Sekirei has wifely like feelings towards them (in reference to episode six). However, this wifely attachment does not stop other Sekirei from partnering with Minato, who feel the same type of attachment towards him.
The MBI Corporation is the reason for the sudden release of Sekirei because of something called ‘The Sekirei Plan’ - a plan where the Sekirei fight each other in a massive battle royale throughout the city of Tokyo. In total there are 108 Sekirei and each one of them is given a number. (Hence the numbers below the characters faces in the image).
Minato finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place when he learns of The Sekirei Plan and what it could possibly mean for his other beloved Sekirei.
—————And finally the review————————
I’m certain that episode seven is out by now in Japan but I will have to wait for fansubs. I find the concept of ‘The Sekirei Plan’/massive battle royale overdone in many anime but by no means do I feel that it becomes any less boring. I absolutely love a good battle royale. I even love it more when it is between ‘cute girls, buxom women and bishonen’ who actually have individual and lovable personalities. Developing each character individually is always something I absolutely love about most anime.
In reference to Sekirei, it’s more ecchi harem than a properly serious battle royale but I suppose that adds to the light-hearted side of it.
My favourite character so far is Kuu-chan. Her attachment to Minato as a Sekirei is more like a little sister than a crush. She clings to him as if the world would end if she separated herself from him. I also love Tsukiumi, the complete opposite of Kuu. She’s a hard ass and gravely serious a lot. In episode six, she plans to kill her destined Ashikabi who is Minato. But eventually she gives into him and from then on refers to herself as ‘his legal wife’ after Minato gives her wings. I love it in any person who shows a small portal of softness behind a rough exterior!
Right now I feel I can only give a small dose of how I feel about the entire series but as soon as it is finished, I will hop on this again and give it a proper review. But so far, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who can stomach the eye-roll worthy ecchiness.
8/10
