I love Ryo Nishikido (Zenkai Girl Review)

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Ryo Nishikido. Ryo Nishikido. Ryo Nishikido. Ryo Nishikido. Ryo Nishikido. Ryo Nishikido.................... 
Waah!!!! Yes this show made me realize how awesome and great RYO NISHIKIDO is. Yes, he sure looks dirty, messy, ragged blah blah blah (to the old me) but I dont know why..when he cries I cry, when he's sad, my heart breaks but when he smiles, my heart flies with joy  gyaaboooo~~~ I love it when my I find myself mistaken by my bad vibes for a series. I was hesitant to watch Zenkai Girl at first because I'm not a fan of the main leads, Gakky and Ryo. They are both okay but I'm not a believer/follower of their series. I'm fine with Gakky because she's cute and tolerable but she never impressed me while Ryo never made me a believer that he's an Ikemen. I always thought how he became a Johnny's, he isn't really that good looking. Well, that's what I used to think, especially during the 1 liter of tears days. I guess he's fine but never made an impact to me. However, after watching Zenkai my heart cant stop shouting...RYO RYO RYO RYO RYO RYO FTWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!

                                                                                          Ryo~ryo~Ryo~ryo
 
I was impressed by his acting skills, he improved a lot. Well, I was able to watch Joker before where he had a supporting role. I guess he already looked good then but not enough to make me a believer. I've only seen three series of his, 1 liters, Joker and this one and I can say I become proud of his ability as an actor. He has shown depth and seriousness on his character that even he and Gakky has chemistry, it made me wished that he should have been paired with another actress. For me, Gakky's portrayal of the role was good and passable. But her acting skills are not at par with Ryo. I think she lacked depth and effort in her portrayal of Wakaba's character. Sure, seeing the two of them onscreen made sparks fly. I love their love tension and their subtle hint of romance. But when it comes down to business (acting-wise), Gakky fell short. I'm wondering if whose actress could have done the role better. Hmmm...for me I always thought of the following as better actresses: Ueno Juri (very versatile), Erika Toda (i dislike her but she really can deliver), Haruka Ayase (well her roles were mostly safe, or so i think, but she's better than Gakky), Ishihara Saotomi (my nee-chan though short but she's very expressive and those eyes....), Masami Nagasawa (i think ProDai is enough to prove her worth, haha, IDK but for me she's a pro) and lastly of course my forever Mao Inoue (Tsukushi!! FTW, very expressive eyes and can fake tears tastefully but will always like him with MatsuJun). Note: The list is not finish, I can't think of any other names right now. It's really hard to choose from my list because the chemistry has to be taken into consideration. Well, I guess Erika Sawajiri can squeeze in. I think her Aya's role in 1 liter and her old team-up with Ryo are good points for the character Wakaba. Unfortunately, I think this series was really meant for Gakky, I mean it was intentionally made for her. Other characters can be replaced but not her. I think she's kinda big in Japan but I believe her craft is not that enough to win her an award. So Gakky, gambatte nee!!

                                                    
                                                                 Sweet Gakky


Anyway, I thought Zenkai would beat Rich Man Poor Woman for my choice of romance drama for the last two years. Zenkai was good until the sleepover in Pill bug's house where the four made the "river" kanji character in their sleeping position. It was sweet and heartwarming. The remaining episodes were kinda okay but not exciting. It was the smiles of Ryo that made me continue..teee hee... I am not sure if it is a bad point or a good point for J-doramas that focus on romance genre. Yes, they have the strong romantic elements but they were mostly glued with family related issues that let the romance lessen. I mean, as compared to Kromantic dramas, kdramas are mostly solid love-driven story unlike Jdramas that only give meager parts to tease the audience. Well, I guess it just a matter of perspectives and this is mine anyway. 

In the end, Zenkai ended on a satisfactory note. It was a nice series that could have been better but the chemistry between the leads was undeniable. Ryo for me is like Matsuda Shota. They are good at tear-jerker dramas but still are versatile enough to do other roles. They are truly underrated good Japanese actors.

Till then,
From someone-who-likes-another-version-of-the-story,
ME

Do not watch this ALONE AT NIGHT! (Ghost Hunt Anime Review)

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I love Ghost Hunt, have loved it and always will!

This is my second time watching the series. The first was around 5 or 6 years ago and back then, I've already decided that it's ONE OF THE MOST ENTERTAINING ANIME that I've watched in my entire life.

I don't usually watch anime series of supernatural  genre (although Supernatural is my favorite US TV show) so I only pick those which are really worth my time. Ghost Hunt along with XXXholic remain to be the shows that can give me GENUINE SCARES all the time. I love to watch these shows at night but THEY ARE TOO DAMN SCARY that I can't help but to minimize my VLC screen so the effect wont be that overwhelming..fufufufu..

I don't like gory/bloody scary shows so the tolerable suspense atmosphere of Ghost Hunt suits my taste best. The show gives you the comfortable feeling you long for when you are trying to relax, and gives you an assurance that there is still hope for the ANIME INDUSTRY. The scare, the thrill, the suspense, the rom-com, the youthful aura and the drama - ingredients for a truly enjoyable show which fortunately GHOST HUNT has.

As per the story, it is very simple. A group of supernatural experts gather around to solve supernatural mysteries. So simple yet the cases were nothing but ordinary! The stories of each mystery were delivered in the best scaaarry way possible. The sound and the music amplified the atmosphere to give you a series of pure scare fun and entertainment.

The characters were ALL likable. Naru-chan and Mai, the two main leads, I remember back then how I got crazy for these characters and until now I still feel the same. Also, Mai is one of my favorite heroines ever!!!Aside from these two, all the characters were superb and well-blended with the story. Even though their personalities and abilities were well presented, they do not outshine the cases they worked on. The stories/cases were after all the heart of the series and fortunately these were executed magnificently.

And what a lame scary show it would be if the sound and music were not that effective. Here at Ghost Hunt, you will not only be rewarded with good stories but with A SUPER GREAT MUSICAL EXPERIENCE too. The OP & ED are cool and the BGMs are simply haunting!

The BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT I can say about this show is that it only lasted for 25 episodes. This number is not enough to know the characters better and to solve the biggest mystery of this anime. Having said this, Ghost Hunt is truly an enjoyable series. SCARY+ ENTERTAINING = PURE FUN. You don't need LOGIC to understand and love this series. It just needs your creative mind for it to be appreciated. Although this is kind of an old series, it will always remain to be one of the MOST UNDERRATED SERIES OF ALL TIME. This is waaay better than new titles these days and I can't find a recent series that is a match with Ghost Hunt (recommendation anyone?). It is just sad that it wasn't that popular enough to gain a second season ( or was this the reason??). But anyway, there's still the manga if you want to continue the series, right?

Overall, this series is SUPER RECOMMENDED, especially to those who are bored and looking for some SCARES and THRILLS. Watch this right now, but I suggest to try it at night for a better viewing experience..tee hee!


Till then,

From someone who easily gets scared,
ME

^_^

Not a SPORTS ANIME (Cross Game Anime Review)

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This is an entry from http://myanimelist.net/profile/docalion

 

I'll try my best not to spoil the story. This is my first review at MAL after my long anime hiatus.

Anyway, the reason why I watched this anime was because of Ookiku Furikabute, another baseball anime. Cross Game is on top of its recommendation list that is why I got curious and started to watch it. Ookiku was so great and very recommendable. It's a great example of a sports anime that is why I expected a lot from Cross Game, hoping this new one is as superb as the former. But now that I'm close to finishing it, I can say that it's totally a different anime than I expected.

If you're a hardcore sports anime fan or the kind who looks forward to seeing thrilling and exciting sports action, you might not enjoy this one. Cross Game, as for me, is 30% baseball, 70% human drama. The story includes a "past character" whose presence is all over the show, which appeared to me like the effect of Sasuke to Naruto (character and show itself). It is heavy in human drama which I think most fan girls will love. When I say human drama, that's romance for you. Well, I kind of liked it too but for a sports anime to be overshadowed by another element called romance is a bit off. Maybe because this is something new for me as I'm always used to seeing the sports and action to be the main ingredients of the show. I also feel that the two elements are kind of frustrating to watch because it's not clear to me the focus of the story. You will be presented with episodes of baseball actions then after that, a series of slice of life dramas. I mean, if you want to reach Koshien and be the best in Japan, practice, practice and practice 'till you vomit blood and not let your idle time be spent in endless bickering. Well, maybe the bickering and LQs are there because it's more human drama than sports after all. Because of that I felt that the baseball element is not so important to the show, the "who's-gonna-end-up-with" part appeared to be more essential.

As per the characters, the hero is not your underdog type of character ( Ippo, Sena, Mihashi) nor the arrogant one (Sakuragi, Ryoma and Toua). Hmmm..a very average yet the type who only comes once in a decade kind of pitcher, he is. So if you're also the type who wants to see an awesome and cool main character, don't try this one. Yes, I think he's great but not that "great" (in the fanboy kind of way). I think he doesn't have that 100% sports resolve that you normally hear from other sports heroes. I mean, he doesn't wish to be a great baseball player, his goal is not that clear. For another character there's Aoba, the next main lead, a cute girl who mentored the hero. She is part of the love train. Anyways, I like her free spirited character but I'm annoyed by the responses she gets from the male characters of the show. Hmmm.. is she really that pretty/cute? The baseball team is crazy for her. As for the rest of the cast, hmmm...they are likable in the fangirl kind of way. If you're up for the thrills, there's no SUUPEER sports player you can totally cheer for (well, as for me anyway).

Overall, Cross Game is a decent anime. I think it's still better than the popular titles these days. It's not boring but will not excite you either. Well, there are cute moments that can make you smile and the question of "who's-gonna-end-up-with" is enough for you to continue watching the series. But still, A TRUE SPORTS ANIME FAN (or even a shounen-action fan, can that include me?) will not fully enjoy this. Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to try this one.


UPDATE:
After watching the LAST EPISODE, I can say that this is truly a FANGIRL SERIES. It is barely a sports anime. I enjoyed the last part, because it’s really cute. But then again, the “baseball” is really the side dish. Don’t hope for it to be the next ____ (write your fave sports anime here), or else you’ll be disappointed. Watch Cross Game as a human drama anime and not as a sports anime.

Till then,

From someone-who's-frustrated-of-the-anime,

ME ^-^

My Inner Voices and of Hunters and Alchemists

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I feel stupid. IDIOT. IMBECILE. USELESS.

Whenever this kind of circumstance is fired at me I cant do anything. Although I know inside there is something I can do because  I believe that whenever I set my mind to it, anything is possible. But, I'M SUCH A LAZY PERSON. And also I'm scared. It's going to be dragging and endless and the outcome I'm seeing is not that very good. I'm scared that the outcome will just dig the truth and will turn the matter into worse. But I know to myself that something must be done. Should I be the one doing it? Or should somebody be tapped to do it? I dont know. I am not fully equipped in this kind of situation but I can start to do something although I dont know where to start. I dont want to feel this "feeling" any longer and to achieve that is to do something right now. But how.....*sigh****

I am so ecstatic today until this "circumstance" is fired at me earlier. **Sigh**

Anyway, the reason for my happiness today is that I planned to write to you again, My Dear Bloggy, about the sensations I'm feeling right now. I've planned to do it in a new blog because this one is full of spam already and I feel my theme is really outdated. But because I'M A LAZY PERSON I felt it'll be a drag to put up a new one, so here I am again, talking and writing my emotions.

The core reasons are about Hunter x Hunter 2011 and FMA:Brotherhood, two series I've finished recently. Ah! Bloggy, I forgot to tell you that I started watching ANIME again. I reverted to my old self again this 2013 and picked up the old pieces of my past. So here we go again, welcoming the Otaku 2.0 of myself. Anyway, as I've mentioned earlirer, HXH and Brotherhood. Well, to tell you the truth these two anime are the ones that I'm intrigued about during my hiatus years because they are both remakes of my top anime (both belong to my top 5).

I've been researching reviews about the two, viewing the comparisons of both the original and remakes and found it too entertaining to read the comments and reviews from online anime addicts. But I got fed up with just reading the comments from others so I thought why not voice out my own opinions. The comments and reviews that I read were helpful for me to come up with solid stances for these two (although this is not going to be a real review, you know me Bloggy, just some pieces of mind from me).

First up is Hunter x Hunter.



Okay, do you know Bloggy that HXH orig version has a very special place in my heart? It is the foundation of very good memories from my childhood years, back when I was just a simple Otaku.  So I cannot simply take how people just bash the 1999 version of being the inferior one compared to the newer version. It hurts Bloggy. People always say that the HXH 2011 follows the manga more and is really better than the old one. Okay, sure HXH is one of the best shounen anime ever but how could people realized it recently, just after watching the 2011 version? Haven't they been in the circulation when it hit the earth a decade ago? Okay I'll understand those who are younger but my gosh people who are living for more than two decades should have realized it sooner. How could they say that the 2011 is a winner when they never felt the joy of watching the original version? Do you know Bloggy that the original version was greatly done here in our country, it was wonderfully dubbed. I love everything about it and loved it more when I marathoned it few years ago (I believe I have a short entry about it here). It solidified my love for HXH, a story that transcends generations. Okay, I know I should just accept the fact the new HXH is being accepted positively because as a true HXH lover, that enough should make me happy. *sigh* It just saddens me that people who enjoyed the HXH 2011 didn't feel the love I felt from the original version: the music it has, the OPs (OHAYOU is enough to make me cry) and EDs, the stubborn but cool Killua, the great Genei Ryodan arc interpretation and the friendship that rose from all the struggles in the story - these are all just epic, ingredients for a world-class legend.

Next is FMA: Brotherhood.




I just finished watching Brotherhood last night. And yes, I enjoyed it. I like the ending part because it reminded me of Ghost Fighter ( Yu Yu Hakusho). I think good and happy endings sum up everything, and save the whole series if it needs saving. Okay, what can I say? Most people online preferred the Brotherhood version than the 2003 version. When it comes to HXH, I think there is a great debate about the two versions of HXH and some say that the fans of the original version will not accept defeat because of NOSTALGIA (yeah right!!). Back to FMA, there is one one word to describe Brotherhood and that is - CHEESY, but in a good way. As far I remember, the original version awed viewers because of its out-of-this-world ideas and ideals and that brought this anime into a higher level. I simply loved the FMA original and felt that it was one of the best Filipino dubbed anime ever. I love Roy's seriousness, Hughes' quirkiness, Nina's tearjerker-death and all the dark and mystery that enveloped the anime. I love its all OPs and EDs too. On the other hand, Brotherhood is also an excellent anime. Many people who are manga freaks like this one BECAUSE IT FOLLOWED THE MANGA. I hate it when people always say that. Why do manga freaks are always in the way of destroying the pure amazing-ness of ANIME? *Argh*  Anyway, Brotherhood is very shounen to its core. I felt that the mystery theme of the first anime was converted into a more enjoyable mood where everyone can be satisfied at the end. True enough, the ending was very pleasing as compared to the original that displeased most fans. But I think the endings just corresponded as to how the anime were developed, one with a serious tone so a more bittersweet was delivered while a more happily-ever after was given to the brighter version. It's hard to find the winner between the two because they are both great anime and were developed from a great material. But because, I take into consideration the NOSTALGIA factor, I take orig FMA as the winner, fufufufu...

And there you have it. My inner voices.

My Bloggy, thank you for letting me talk to you again. My unpleasant feelings earlier decreased a  little but I know it will come back and shake me for sure again. Bloggy I hope I/we can outwit this and I hope I can get myself to the direction I want to go. Bloggy IT'S HARDDDDD!!!


Till then,

From-someone-who-is-confused-but-will-always-love-anime,
ME

ENLIGHTENMENT

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Hello Bloggy!!

Hisashiburi nee ~~

Wow! I cant believe I'm writing to you again. My last post was still in 2010 and it was a very difficult year for me. Well, actually it waslate 2009 where my hiatus started.

I dont know how it happened, but it just did. I thought it's going to be hard leaving behind something which has been there for most of your life. But surprisingly it just let go without a fight.

My addiction over j-doramas and anime came to a full halt early 2010. After then, I cant get myself into watching east asian series again. Well, there were times where I've watched Ghibli movies, caught some episodes of anime reruns on TV, and finished the j-dorama Joker (because it just felt the right thing to do but nothing wonderful came out of it). But they all felt dumb and weaker compared to my new set of addictions - US TV series.

Until just this week...

Hmmm...I dont know how, but I guess I have to thank my brother for it. He asked me for the ProDai DVDs because he wanted to watch it again. Then I thought, hmmm...why dont i try re-watching HANA YORI DANGO for a change because I'm starting to get bored with US series. Because honestly, they are really what you call guilty pleasures. They are like junk foods, they can help you get through the days and night but you wont gain nutrition watching them. Well there are some of course which I really like because they give off ANIME auras - SUPERNATURAL, ALPHAS...hmmm..what else?

Anyway highway, you see, once you divert or transfer your pop culture interest from one region to another, you'll surely feel some kind of comparisons. Asian series, esp, j-doramas, as I would like to label them as "you should not take it too serious" type because of course there are cheesy moments and larger-than-life scenarios that any critical viewer might not avoid raising an eyebrow or two. Because once you jump to the American series bandwagon and start to compare them, you would surely feel the inferiority of the asian dramas. Yes, there are exaggerated characters, super cheeeeezzzy love story, straight from the can script lines and mouth watering actors, as compared to the American series where they stay mostly in the "real" world (or so they think) and makes them more tolerable to watch. UNTIL recently, I had an enlightenment and realized what made me love ASIAN DRAMAS esp. JDORAMAS in the first place.

ARIGATOU HANA YORI DANGO (TV)!! You brought back the colors into my world again. You gave me a more meaningful life to live. You gave me sensations which I haven't felt for a long time. You made me CRY, LAUGH AND LOVE AGAIN. AND YOU MADE ME WRITE AGAIN.

ARIGATOU MAOTSUJUN!! Now I understood and realized why your great love story is there in the firs place. IT INSPIRES PEOPLE. It inspired me. I never got this kind of inspiration via watching US series and movies. There's a reason why EAST ASIAN DRAMAS RULE!!! Because THEY CAN TOUCH PEOPLE'S HEARTS. They can move immovable feelings. They can reach unreachable imaginations. They can just DO ANYTHING.

Wow!!!!!! I am super happy that I am an ADDICT. An ASIAN DRAMA ADDICT. It felt so different when you're watching a show which can curl up your stomach every now and then because of the love story EVERY GIRL in the planet wanted to see for themselves. Wow!! I never thought I can create a song again, but I just did, in less than 5 minutes! I dont know if its good but it's my response to the love story Doumyouji and Makino have shared with me.

Sorry, my thoughts are all over the place. I am just so HAPPY. I think I just found my old self, the real me? These past years have been really difficult. And I am to thank my Jdoramas because I know they will help me to quite ease the burden out of it.

Well, that's it  for now. I just wanted to share with you my enlightenment. Well, if only JUN MATSUMOTO AND MAO INOUE are really dating, that would just make me SUPPER HAPPY!! Now I can declare they are my SUPER COUPLE OF ALL TIME and HANA YORI DANGO is my SUPER JDORAMA FOREVER!!!


                   


From a MAOTSUJUN BELIVER,

ME ^__^


P.S. I know it wont be too long soon. I'll get back to my feet again. I am hopeful that I can face MY FIRST LOVE again. Wait for me ANIME.