Love me or hate me.

Take your pick.

Love me and I will always be in your heart.

Hate me and I will always be in your mind.

Either way, I win.

I chanced upon this quote on Twitter and thought it fitting to describe the core of Sho Fuwa and Kyoko Mogami’s relationship. Don’t you think so too? It just seems the kind of thing Sho would openly tell Kyoko, with an evil smirk on his face. In turn, she’d react with her usual self – seething anger with her evil minions running amok around her along with her thoughts of strangling the life out of Shotaro. Ahhh, such a lovely relationship they have. Haha!

Let me give a short recap to benefit those who haven’t an idea of Skip Beat. Sho and Kyoko are a couple. Guy goes to Tokyo in pursuit of his dream to become the best singer and girl follows in pursuit of her love for the guy. Girl soon realizes that guy is a Class A jerk, leaves him and plots her greatest revenge. She swears to beat him in being the top in the entertainment industry. Then she meets guy #2, Ren Tsuruga, who falls for her. But little did she know that guy #2 is actually more than he lets on. The story thus revolve around them, the industry they work in, the love story, and the yet-to-be-revealed mystery that is Ren Tsuruga.

It’s been awhile since I’ve read the latest chapter and thus only have a vague recollection of the events that have transpired. But I do remember these mainly involve TV shows and events they do as actors. Little is the encounter between Sho and Kyoko and more of Ren and Kyoko. It would be a delight for me if only the latter encounters are even a bit more romantically-inclined but the case is not so.

It is still ongoing and I am impatiently patiently waiting for even the slightest romantic development between Ren and Kyoko. But seeing as how things are going now, I think it will be a while before I see any of that happening. Just in case though, I will be happy to be wrong in this matter.

I have attempted to watch the anime version but too soon found it better to just stick w/ the manga. Being moved by the manga is hardly happening so I figured I’ll just waste time watching it too. No need for self-torture. Maybe it’s just because it’s not been updated for some time that’s why I don’t feel an attachment to it (unlike how I do w/ say, Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama). Or maybe it’s the story or lack thereof. The plot seems to have been lost amidst all the showbiz-related happenings. But I guess it’s needed to justify the revenge when it finally happens, assuming it will.

Wow. I must be really not impressed w/ the course of Skip Beat’s story. I think this is my first post that’s so void of emotion. Oh well. There’s always a first for everything. I may be a fan of shoujo manga, but it doesn’t mean I’ll like all of them. I’ll still see how this goes though. Okay, I stop now. This is getting boring.

LOL at this scene! Bunta, you the man! )

What about you, what anime has been making you “high” lately?

P.S. I just found out its manga is still ongoing. Wow! There’s really more to street racing, drifting, and driving, eh?

Okay, I’m out, back to watching…!

And my current shonen anime addiction —- Bleach! Yeah!

I’ve heard about this a number of times from my guy friends but wasn’t interested enough to start watching it. Plus, I was watching Naruto too with my brother, so I didn’t want to add another one to my anime-to-watch list. Got too much on my pile already! ( I stopped watching it now) But a few months back, my best friend kept on raving about this on how good of an anime it is, blah, blah. So, I said to myself, alright, since most mangas I follow haven’t been updated yet, I’ll watch it to pass the time.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

The adrenaline rush I felt after watching the first episode was just so exciting I loved it! It was like watching Yu Yu Hakusho all over again! I don’t know about you but I get soooo excited whenever Ichigo Kurosaki and the gang get so inspired and suddenly get so extremely powerful. Haha! I remember feeling the same way during my Yu Yu Hakusho days. For some reason, I feel powerful too! Hahaha! Affected much, right? Well, that’s me.

I love it that every character has a story to share that adds a twist to the plot. Everything goes way way back but is essential to what’s happening at the present time. I just love twists like that, I can always look forward to new discoveries – whether it be their history, the character’s background story, what their Zanpakutos and Bankais are, or how they’d suddenly reverse their enemy’s game plan to go against them – I love those.

This is one episode that put back my adrenaline rush!

Plus, let’s not ignore the comical aspect of Bleach. As all mangas and animes won’t be complete without their exaggerated humor and gesture, Bleach has its fair share of comic reliefs.  For instance this episode, I died laughing, I tell you!

And I totally lost it here.

I am not a fan of filler episodes but that the one above I approve. Haha! It’s good to take a “vacation” from all the seriousness that is the Arrancar War and all and laugh at the characters right? Totally a welcome break. But the other filler episodes, like the Bount arc, I totally hated. And it didn’t help that I didn’t know it wasn’t in the manga! I’ve already finished the whole thing when I learned that, and I was absolutely bummed about it! I felt cheated off my time when I could have just moved on to the Arrancar world, where all the actions are at. So I checked Bleach wikia to learn the other filler episodes and I skipped the new captain arc, except the materialization of the zanpakuto. I enjoyed that and I’m actually just on the final episodes of that arc. Bad move though to look at Bleach wikia, as I’ve encountered a lot of spoilers. T_T  Not good at all.

So yeah, that’s about it, my two cents (or more, this is long!) on the crazy awesome anime that is Bleach! BANKAI!!!

And just to let you know, I am a Rukia-Ichigo fan! Lol!

Here’s  a better picture of him..

A student-teacher relationship, that would make for an interesting love story right? But a student-teacher marriage? Even more interesting? Maybe. Let’s not stop at that, make it exciting by not letting the married couple kiss. Now, that is NOT AN EASY FEAT for girls and guys alike. And the guy is the one resisting? Unheard of! Well, such is the story of Faster Than A Kiss. Well, did it now peak your interest enough to check it out?

I’m not really plugging that one, I ain’t its creator anyway. Lol. But I chanced upon this in one of my treasure-hunting escapades and its plot didn’t really mention about the married couple not kissing. They got me at “her teacher appears in front of her and agrees to her demand of marrying and supporting both her and her brother.” I’m simple that way, that I have to admit.

So yeah, what is this about right? The plot’s already laid out so let me just elaborate now. Fumino Kaji and her brother Teppei move a lot from one relative to another after their parents died in a car accident. Tired of constantly doing that, Fumino decides to drop out of school to find work to support her brother. Her teacher, Kazuma Ojiro, finds them and asks her to go back but she stubbornly declines reasoning she needs to work and on a whim asks him as joke if he can marry her and take care of them. To her surprise, he agrees. So there began the start of romance and Ojiro’s resistance to kiss Fumino because of her still being a teenager and their forbidden-by-the-school relationship. The events that take place from then on revolve around familial and married life. Petty conflicts led the two to slowly like each other, and Fumino’s constant plans kiss Ojiro and him avoiding such circumstance at all costs but almost always on the verge of giving in. A bit complicated, eh?

That’s it. I have yet to be really hooked on it bad. For now, it serves as a light read and filler on days that I await updates on some of my more must-read mangas.

*****

SPOILER ALERT

You’ve been warned, don’t come yelling curses at me after still reading this. Anyhoo, this isn’t really new information to avid manga readers of Gakuen Alice and Kaichou wa Maid-Sama but you know me, I always like to put in my two cents. Now, onto the news (or not)…

Gakuen Alice has finally reached its final arc! Honestly speaking, even though I religiously follow the manga, I still cannot fully comprehend what is going on. I always find myself going a few chapters back to familiarize myself with the current situation and understand where it last left off so I’d know why it is where it is now. (Err did you get my point? Lol).  Constant questions I have plaguing my mind too are these – Who’s who again? Who the heck is this guy/girl? Somehow, the story’s got so complicated with the history and time travel stuff that somewhere in between I got lost. Do you guys have that lost in translation moments too? Or that’s just me? Haha! But I’d have to applaud Higuchi Tachibana, its creator, though. She has successfully attracted us to its story, with all its kawaii 10-year old kids learning and performing their own unique “talent” in this magical academy and with Mikan Sakura’s naive little girl persona and Natsume Hyuuga’s tsundere character, we were hooked. But little did we know that it masks a deeper story of romance, betrayal, and hope (among others) evolving around the academy’s alumni, who are very much connected to the present generation. Who would’ve thought that this seem-to-be-bubbly-and-really-funny-anime will turn out so deep right? Makes you really concur to the saying ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’

Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama aka President is a Maid! It took a while (lots of it lol) but Ayuzawa Misaki and Usui Takumi are finally a couple! ♥  (insert major fan squeal here!) After fifty-six chapters of obvious flirting! They sure took their time, eh? Oh well, it is the journey to that happy ending that really gets us screaming for more and hanging on to the edge of our seats right? But is it really a happy ending now? Avid readers already know the answer to that. After not even a whole chapter of being official, another trial has already been cooked up for our fave couple. And thus, I have to rant about that.  I know we’ve been given lots of “mushy” stuff between them already but at least give us a chapter or two to see how they act as a real couple now – and not plunge them straight to the tiger’s den (exaggerating here), which doesn’t give much time or room to be all sweet and cuddly (though I doubt “cuddly” to happen haha). But no, Fujiwara Hiro found it the perfect time to say that Gerard Walker, Usui’s half-brother is weak and ill. And this only means one thing in a wealthy family like them – a stronger heir to the fortune is needed, that’s where Usui comes in again. This brings us to the trouble at hand, will they accept Misaki as someone suitable for such a man as Usui’s wealthy stature? No, and that’s no secret given the careful watch and constant interruption by that “ninja” Cedric, Gerard’s faithful companion. What’s to happen now? One thing’s for sure, as Usui said, “No matter what kind of path I choose, if some sort of sacrifice must be made, it is only Ayuzawa who I will not sacrifice. Because I think if I am with Ayuzawa, I can overcome anything.” Let’s hold on to that promise for now.  ♥

And so the plot thickens, I say for both. Let’s all stay tuned. Things are about to go up a notch or two.

Watashi ni xx Shinasai

I discovered this during one of my “treasure-hunting” moments. It is a light story and it actually makes me think it came out of fanfiction. Haha! The plot revolves around a popular guy, Kitame Shigure, and a not-so-popular girl, Himuro Yukina. Cliche, right? And it gets even more cliche, wait for it – Yukina blackmails Shigure with a secret he has into helping her experience love, so she’d be a better romance novel writer. And of course, they fall in love along the way. Then enter new characters to complicate things a bit. That’s about it, well at least for now as the story is still progressing (so be prepared to experience cliffhangers). I have yet to read a twist or something that’ll make this really stand out. I’ll stay tuned until then. Oh yeah, some scenes are also “suggestive” if you know what I mean.

Dengeki Daisy

Promising is what this manga seems to be. I don’t know how to describe this without giving away too much. Let’s see. Teru Kurebayashi’s brother died and only left her with a cellphone with one contact – Daisy. She’s been told that Daisy will be her guardian from then on as she faces life alone. So who is the mysterious Daisy? That is where the story  begins. Twists to the plot are added early on and some scenes are just hilarious, I love it! That’s all I’m willing to give away, not much so just check it if this peaks your interest. Do it or go bald! Just kidding.

• Ouran Koukou Host Club, the story of those really hot guys is finally at its end. Woohoo! I can finish reading up on it without experiencing the frustrations over cliffhangers! ^_^
• Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama’s anime has been finished as well. I’m not too happy about that and hope a second season will come out. It’s great that they ended with the two sharing a sweet kiss and all but come on, we all know a lot happened after that. The enigma that is Usui’s character still has not been deciphered. But yeah, the manga’s ongoing and regularly updated, thank goodness for that. For now, we can only hope for a second season.
• Kimi Ni Todoke, the life and love story of the awkward Sadako look-alike and your boy-next-door guy, is in for a second season. Fans of this manga can fully rejoice as it’s barely three months away from being aired again, in January 2011.

So yeah, that’s all folks! ^.^v

Can anyone tell me where I could buy a ring like Nana’s?

NANA, the story of two girls with the same name, total opposites in character, seeking different things in life, yet found comforting friendship with each other.

Now, that’s portraying it beautifully.

I’ve had this Ai Yazawa manga recommended to me lots of times already and only recently did I heed their advise and watch it. I liked it at first, what with the humor Nana Komatsu brings, who wouldn’t be drawn right? Add the equally fun punk rocker Nana Osaki and you got a winning pair. Little did I know that NANA divulges serious friendship, romance, and worldly issues. I’m no innocent lass when it comes to these things, but I still got a bit of a shock as the story progresses, and the depth of emotional struggles of the characters became apparent.

The mix of characters each portrays is what makes this really interesting to watch.

Nana Komatsu is that girl whose made it her life goal to attain romance and luxury, which makes her shallowly happy-go-lucky with the maturity of a teenager.

Nana Osaki’s cool demeanor and love for punk music got her to do just about everything – to attain the fame and recognition attributed to success in the music industry.

Ren Honjo’s obsession for Nana Osaki and a great angelic voice got him to a dilemma and his own sad demise.

Takumi Ichinose is that man you’d  hate for his womanizing ways but love to be with only for his handsome features, cool exterior, money, and fame.

Yasu Takagi is your not-so-perfect calm and organized, too ideal a man to be true, that you can only regard as a brother.

Leyla Serizawa is ever Ms. Popular, Ms. Beautiful, Ms. Ideal – she’s been put on such a high pedestal by everyone that no man or woman can reach her.

Nobu Terashima, the boy next door with a heart of an angel you really like but wouldn’t want to taint with your issues and burden with problems. His good character is also his weakness, making him snap and have a to-hell-with-everything-I’m-going-to-do-what-I-want attitude.

Shin Okazaki – the boy whose innocence becomes his double-edged sword, with a childhood so bad it made him mature too early, but lacking fully developed character to face the world with.

Naokie Fujieda, his mere presence lights up a room, whose company you’d want to have but you have no idea who he really is as you don’t feel the need to.

I got in too deep in their world that I found myself hurting and restless at night, everytime I remember the cheating incident of Shoji (Nana Komatsu’s first boyfriend). I’d experienced being cheated on and though it hurt, I wasn’t too much affected by it. But to see the guy’s side of it definitely made it real and painful. I hurt and so angry for Nana’s sake ( so weird, I k now).  This started the string of depressing thoughts and emotions I got from watching it.

You’ll know I love light, fun, romantic stories so this didn’t do me well at all. To see and kind of feel the depressing emotions and worldly issues each character holds just throws me off the edge. The lies, lust, sex, drugs, emotional abuse, infidelity, weakness of character, among other things were just too much for me to take.

I like to see life as  a Spring of flowers and rays of sunshine. Looking at it that way makes it WAY easier for me to live it. Misery and depression are not just my cup of tea. You’d think it’s the same for everyone but of course, there are some who dwell on these negativities. But that is not me.

I wanted OUT. So I did.