Dream more than Love

いまスピード上げて　Beat Together!　西へ東へ

ima SUPĪDO agete　Beat Together!  nishi e higashi e

劣等感　蹴散らして　ぶっ飛ばそうぜ New world!

rettoukan　kechirashite　buttobasou ze New World!

I've been planning to change my blog lay-out but I've been quite lazy *coughs* busy. But the other day, I had a sudden burst of creativity and patience. So now we get this blue thing up. It's not exactly what I had in mind, and I was originally planning on just sticking with the previous black and white lay-out. But I'm so illiterate when it comes to coding, and have no sense of which colors to use, so I guess one would just have to bear with me on this. But I must say, I think I kinda like it. （*´▽｀*）

This is the tenth version of my blog. Since the first three versions were default blogger templates with no banners, this here is still my seventh banner [see previous banners HERE]. The base image is a screenshot from the last episode of Uta no Prince-sama Maji Rabu 2000%. I chose the title Dream more than Love which is the first track from the Unit Drama CD featuring Ranmaru, Masato and Ren. I'd like to say that there is some sort of meaning or explanation on why I chose this title, but actually there's none. I just really like the song! ♪(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)♪

The text "In my eyes, your're all eternally sparkling stars." was a line Haruka said to the boys in the same episode, when they were feeling so discouraged after watching the performance of HE★VENS. I decided to put that in as well because I totally agree with her on this! Ever since I've watched the Uta no Prince-sama anime last January 2012, I seem to have been caught up and trapped in the fandom! I'm so addicted to everything related to it to the point of being embarrassingly loud, fangirlcrazy, and creepy. In my mind I know it's ridiculous, but I can't explain it either! I just know I just love these 2D boys so much~ ♡(ღ˘⌣˘ღ)♡

And what's even more bizarre is that among all of them, the object of my most obsessive affections and rabid fangirling is none other than Hijirikawa Masato~♡ This is so weird, because I didn't even like him at first! I don't like these stiff and traditional characters, I don't like weird hairstyles and I don't like moles on anime faces! I seriously don't even remember when I started to like him! I was choosing between Tokiya and Otoya, then decided on Natsuki/Satsuki, but I don't remember how Masato got in the picture! (Oh Masa, you little sneak~♡) But now he's my sole reason for existence ... he's all I ever think about ... he's the only one I want! ... he's my most favorite among all the favorites!!! (less creepy, I hope? >_< )

So when my sister (who's not a fan but has been FORCED to know the franchise) alerted me as to the upcoming 1/8 PVC Figure of Masato by ALTER, I got so excited I immediately, without question, without hesitation, without any doubt, decided to pre-order!!! 

I mean, just look at this most lovely thing~ (♥ω♥ ) ~♪

The Masato Swag! ♡
Look at those detailed creases on his clothes! And he even has a POWER H Belt!

It stands at 230mm (so tall!!!) and is due out on April 2014, together with the Ren figure. (Otoya and Tokiya figures get released this month!). As much as I want to collect them all, they are kinda pricey. Masato figure alone costs 7800yen (roughly 4500php!). I think this is presently the most expensive PVC toy I've ever purchased! I will need to work my @$$ off for this baby~

BUT! Who could resist!?! He even comes with two expressions! Happy and Grumpy! LOL

Masa, my lovely prince~

I'm totally so excited for this!!! And even more psyched when they announced in last night's Uta no Prince-sama 3rd Stage live concert that there will be a THIRD SEASON for the anime on 2015!!! My goodness, if they start planning until that long then this may perhaps be the one of the most (if not THE MOST) successful otome game franchises ever! I know it's still so far off, but it just goes to show that the boys are indeed ETERNALLY SPARKLING!!! ☆ So until then, I will definitely continue to follow and love and support them! (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡

And until I get my MasaTOY, I'll just be fangirling with these...

Now let’s speed up!　Beat together! 　To the west, and to the east!

This inferiority complex,　 kick it about　and send it flying to the new world!

~ Dream more than Love ~

TiME LEAP AND FEEDBACK


★ Maybe everything you wished for won't become stars.
But if you have a dream to believe in,
They'll be thousands of the most glittering jewels in the night sky... ★

[Rabid Fangirl Rant Ahead. You Have Been Warned.]

GUILTY PLEASURE

"Fall in love with me. Love me ten times, twenty times as fiercely as you do now, until you can't bear to be away from me..."


I was supposed to post this last month, but this entry somehow got delayed. Well, recently I've been indulging on something that's atrocious, shameless and wicked... and before you read any further, let me just warn you that this entry might not appeal to the general public. So read at your own risk (I guess...) and let me tell you the story of...

How I've been whisked into the world of Boys Love.

I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND

When they told me that Vic Zhou was coming over to our church, I thought it was the craziest joke ever made...

... until they introduced me to him. O____O

I swear, I almost died on the spot. They told me he was here in the Philippines to promote his upcoming movie, his first break into Hollywood, where he portrays the role of comic book superhero The Flash. [THINK VIC ZHOU IN FRIGGIN' RED TIGHTS! *nosebleeds*] But since it was a Sunday, he had the day off and he was invited by our senior pastor to our service. His identity and presence were being kept a secret from the public though. And since none of the church members were interested on babysitting him, and so they said they'll just leave him in my capable hands.

WHHHHAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTT!!!????

I shot a quick look at him: He was lying on the couch, staring at me, eyes sparkling and with a mischievous smile. Clearly, he was FLIRTING WITH ME! XD I was flabbergasted but I tried to maintain my composure. Beside me, another guy who we will forever know as he-who-must-never-be-named-here was pestering me and professing his undying love for me while trying to wrap me in his huge arms. I pushed him off forcefully and told him to go away cos I was no longer interested in him and that I already have someone else in my heart. Then I slowly approached Vic.

I don't know how it happened but we just ... connected. Even though it was the first time we've met in person, but I felt as if I was being reunited with an old friend. We bantered and laughed and spoke about various stuffs, and he was just so easy and comfortable to talk with. I couldn't even recall if we spoke in Mandarin or in English - I didn't really care - cos we just understood each other. And it just felt right being with him.

He suddenly stood up, covered his face with his jacket's hood, then flashed me a boyish grin. I felt my heart skip a beat as I realized what he planning to do. He then took my hand in his (it felt so warm and soft ♥), and then we ran. We dashed down the church halls, we sprinted out the door and felt the gush of wind in our faces, and we just ran and ran and ran as if we were crazy. Then we stopped to catch our breaths, and then we laughed like mad at what we just did. And all this time, he was holding my hand. And it didn't seem like he was letting go. >_<

We went inside a mall and it was teeming with lots of people. I felt his tense grip as he nervously glanced around. His handsome face was well hidden under his hood, but somehow he still stood out. I gently nudged him and gave him what I thought was my "reassuring smile". I was generously rewarded as he beamed with delight at me. And then we slowly walked down the stairs. He was still holding my hand.

We met the wife of one of our pastors in the stairway, and I felt obliged to introduce Vic to her as he was a church guest after all. She recognized him, and told me that our senior pastor already told her about him. And then she went her way, and we proceeded to go down the next floor.

There was a huge crowd of people gathered around the mall's atrium, and some more curious spectators were also rushing towards the excitement. I tried to see what all the hustle-bustle was but I couldn't see a thing. Vic wanted to enter this elevated area which had a good view of the atrium, but there were guards watching that place. Then I heard a familar voice sing in Cantonese...

"It's Andy Lau...," says Vic, holding my hand tightly.

"Yes I know! But I can't see..." I tried standing on tiptoes but all I could visualize were more people. "And I don't understand Cantonese..."

"Leng, it's almost 8... and you need to do a lot of things today..."

"HUH!?" I turned to look at Vic... but my vision was getting blurry...

"Leng, hurry up... WAKE UP!!!"

"HUH!?" I blinked a few times, then opened my eyes...

... and saw my mother. In my room. No Vic holding my hand...

Arghhhhhh!!!!  It was another fsck*ng dream! @#$%^$Kl@*&#$T%#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XD

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I always seem to have weird dreams, but this one definitely goes down the annals of my "celebrity specials" along with prior fantasies about Jerry Yan and Kimura Takuya. XD And while writing this entry, I remember one of Vic's old series, Poor Prince Taro, which, if I'm not mistaken was his project after Meteor Garden. The opening song was a rendition of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by Dragon5.

The above video is a clip of their outtakes, but just go check out the opening song which is a fitting theme song to my dream. Hehe~ Gosh, this series was like almost ten years ago!!! Look at how "totoy" Vic still  looked like back then! But he's already really quite adorable though. ^o^

Well if it's any consolation for me (and for you) who will never get to hold Vic's hand in real life...

... let's just let him sing for us... ^_________^

U-TURN


"Even if I come to know everything because my memory comes back,
I'd still... like to come over and play sometimes."

I do a lot of mindless right click-download on random torrent files, and one of my chance downloads is 2008's U-Turn, which is a korean mini-drama/car advertisement/music video starring So Ji Sub and Lee Yeon Hee. Ji Sub's a recording producer/personnel here, and one night, he discovers a strange girl in his car's trunk. He then tries to help the girl find out who she is. It's only 4 episodes, and each is just about 5 minutes long only, so I finished watching it right away. It's quite a simple story, though a bit clichéd (and freaky? XD). But I also thought it was satisfying, artfully done, and with great music to boot.

This is Ji Sub's comeback "drama" after his military service. The first time I saw him was on Glass Shoes, where my Mom and I cried and bawled over a tragic family tale which lasted for 40 episodes! Then I saw him in the psycho-tale, Memories in Bali. I gradually learned to develop a liking for him and his incredible acting, and although he is really TOO chinky but I think it adds to his charm. After watching U-Turn, I remembered that I still have yet to watch more of Ji Sub's series. No, I won't download anymore, but will need to hunt for Thousand Years of Love, I'm Sorry I Love You (I thought I have this but I actually don't!) and watch my copy of Cain and Abel SOON.

IN LOVE WITH YOH!

As part of my determined attempt to finish all of my so-called backlogs, I saved a bunch of manga scans in my PSP and brought them to work. One of the titles is Koukou Debut (aka High School Debut), which is a 13-volume manga by Kawahara Kazune published in 2003-2008. It tells the story of a high school freshman named Nagashima Haruna who has decided to fall in love in high school and get herself a boyfriend. However, Haruna is totally clueless on fashion and love, and so to achieve her goal, she asks the cold but dashing Komiyama Yoh to coach her on how to become attractive. This is then the start of an odd relationship which eventually blossoms into a beautiful love story of a very unlikely couple.

Four years ago, my online friends Fangli and Piercing Sword, gave me a few chapters of this manga. It was still unfinished back then but it was so good! It was only about a year ago when I downloaded the completed volumes but I still didn't read it... UNTIL YESTERDAY. And then I went into my crazy raging fangirl love-love mode! :)


I SWEAR! Who wouldn't go into a crazy raging fangirl love-love mode over him...

Komiyama Yoh
*sighhhhhhhh...*

Seriously, I enjoyed this manga series uber-tremendously not just because of the killer looks of Yoh, but actually because of everything that makes Koukou Debut the manga it is. The artwork by itself is awesome. The drawings are clean and consistent, and the panels are structured so strategically. I swear there were a lot of instances when I turned the page and I was in for unexpected (and yummy) surprises! The character designs are very pleasing to look at, with dynamic facial expressions and really cool outfits! And the story is just so wonderful! Although it is fast paced and straight to the point, yet it doesn't fail to pull out various emotional responses from the reader. And despite the many twists and turns of events, there is something very concrete about the plot and the characters. Yoh, Haruna and their circle of friends each had solid personalities which never changed but rather matured amazingly throughout the series. Even supporting characters were developed in a way where you can't hate them but can somehow sympathize with them.

I laughed and cried when I was reading Koukou Debut. I felt Haruna's excitement and her pain, I experienced Yoh's confusion and his affections, I drowned with them as they immersed in their love. I just couldn't help but connect with the story and be reminded of the highs and lows, the joys and pains, the triumphs and frustrations of high school life. And then I wished I also lived and loved like Yoh and Haruna did. I wished everyday for me was like a debut too.

Despite all of these long and incoherent ramblings, I am honestly at a loss to describe how perfect this shoujo manga is. Koukou Debut is sweet and funny. It is a wholesome kind of sexy romance that does not stoop to smut. It is marvelously crafted and superbly entertaining. I have nothing else to say but pure praises and admiration for this series, and I highly recommend this to anyone who just wants to fall in love. I couldn't stop turning the pages at all, and as the series came to its inevitable end, everything was wrapped up perfectly and I was left with a warm sense of satisfaction and pleasure in my heart.

Yes, I definitely am! ^____^

P.S.
I wish they'll do an anime adaptation of this manga but I really don't know if it's possible. A live action movie is in the works though, and although I'm skeptical but I'm also quite excited. :)

HOI HOI!

I'm so sorry that it's been almost 3 months since I last updated my blog. Primary reason is because I've been SO LAZY, and secondly, cos I was already contemplating on giving up on this blog. I've been quite busy with work and is now at a point in my life where I need to make serious life-changing decisions. And so I figured that I probably will have to altogether abandon this blog soon depending on the course of my life. But right now I'm feeling envious of other people's blogs, so I decided to start writing again. Until when I will continue to blog is a question I'd rather not think about for now.

It's also been so long since I last watched a korean drama. If I am not mistaken, the last k-series I watched was actually 2007's The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, which I watched some two years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed that series, btw, but never really got to write about it. I've heard of great k-dramas (and even bought DVDs) but just never had the passion to watch them, as they are becoming more and more too angsty for my taste and usually take a long time to finish. Even last year's Boys Over Flowers, which I painstakingly downloaded raw with softsubs, only held my attention for 2 episodes.

So it's really quite a surprise that after I've read from Ate Yeyen's blog that hardsubs are available for My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, I impulsively jumped into the bandwagon and started DIRECT downloading the first two episodes. (It wasn't even a torrent file!) And one random evening after work, I decided to watch a random file from my hard drive and chanced upon those two episodes.

This is a 16-episode romantic comedy telling the not-quite-fortunate(?) tale of a young man who accidentally unleashes a gumiho (nine-tailed fox) from a painting, and how their unusual relationship springs into a great love that surpasses all things (however cliche that may actually sound XD). As much as I would like to elaborate more and give a detailed episode-by-episode recap, I think it would be best to just watch the series for yourself (and get those recaps from more qualified sites like dramabeans ). Since it's pretty much light hearted and funny, so it's so easy and fun to watch. Trust me when I say that every episode will leave you wanting to go on to the next, and when you're all finished you'll get horrible drama withdrawal symptoms and will want to rewatch the series all over again (or like me, watch youtube videos and download just about anything related to it!). But don't let the after effects discourage you from watching cos it will be a total loss if you don't. You'd be missing out on at least three things:


1. The adorable Lee Seung Gi!

I don't know this guy and I swear that when I first saw him I didn't think he was good looking at all. And I swear that until now I still think that way. ^o^ But despite that, I have been totally captivated by this guy! With his charming personality, boyish grin and cute dimples, I just couldn't help but fall in love with his portrayal of Cha Dae Woong. He surprises me with his mischievous antics and impresses me with how his character grew in the story. And when I later learned that he is a singer in real life, I was absolutely surprised and impressed at how strong and smooth and wonderful his voice is! I am now a true convert! And I gladly surrender and wallow in my Lee Seung Gi fandom. *hearts*



2. The dazzling Shin Min Ah!

I must have seen around six of Shin Min Ah's movies. But I think the only TV series I've ever seen her in was Beautiful Days, where she portrayed Lee Byung Hun's bratty sister. I've always thought of her as pretty, but in this drama where she plays Miho the Gumiho, I can only think of her beauty as otherworldly. It doesn't matter how messy her hair is, or how she never seems to change her clothes, or how ridiculous looking is the (action school) bag that she's carrying around -- she's just so radiant and dazzling! Absolutely gorgeous! The combination of her innocence and spunk makes Miho such a lovable character that you can't help but be bewitched.



3. The winning tale of Forbidden LOVE!

I often equate Kdramas with Angst + Tragedy. But thank God for the Hong sisters who not only gave this series an appealing plot, but have also infused it with a good dose of comic relief and amusing twists. Add to that a great mix of supporting characters and a wonderful OST to boot (Seung Gi-sshi singing 2 of the tracks + Lee Sun Hee's Fox Rain = WIN!). Every episode never failed to make me laugh, and also cry. And every episode always left me craving for the next, while silently cheering and praying for our Hoi Hoi couple. I must admit though that somewhere in the middle, the story fell into the typical depressing korean melodrama that seems to go around in circles. But thankfully it didn't drag on too long! I won't tell you how it ends, but overall, I'd say I was quite satisfied and happy with this series and will definitely be re-watching this, as well as sharing it with my friends.

Hoi Hoi, GO watch it now!!! ^_______________^

ANIME-TURNED-MOVIES TO DEFINITELY WATCH OUT FOR!


I was browsing through the net when I chanced upon these yummy trailers!



This is the live action movie for the music-themed anime BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad. Although I haven't seen the anime yet, but a friend has recommended this to me. And I'm also looking forward to it because Mizushima Hiro's on it. He's cute. :)
Judging from the anime, this slice-of-life movie will probably be about peer relationships and personal triumphs. And yes, it will have A LOT of music in it too. XD




This next one's still set for 2011 but I'm so excited for this live action movie of Gantz. I've only read the first chapter of the manga, and haven't seen the anime yet, but this one was also highly recommended to me. And I think I'll like this because it's psycho-suspense, and I'm a sucker for that. ^^

This live movie is uber-loaded with bishies, starting with Hongo Kanata whom we all remember as the cute kid in Moonchild who grew up to be the Prince of Tennis; Matsuyama Kenichi, this rising talented idol whom we loved as L and Krausser; and my Arashi luv, Ninomiya Kazunari, who never fails to brighten up my day with his boyish grin. He was great by the way in the Hollywood movie, Letters From Iwo Jima. That movie's packed with a lot of wonderful Japanese actors, and directed by no less than Clint Eastwood himself, and it's something I'll recommend if you're into war movies.




And last but definitely not the least is my most awaited movie for this year, the live movie version of Kimi ni Todoke!!! ^_________^ I've been soOoOoOOooooOOO high on the anime when it was airing, and soOoOoOOooooOOO high on the anime even when it ended, and just when I am starting to move on from my Kazehaya-fandom, we get this movie!!! I thought the girls who play Sawako and Kurumi are really cute, and they do kinda look like the characters. At first I was really surprised (but not disappointed) that Miura Haruma was cast as Kazehaya-kun. I know he's a great actor and has even downloaded all of his dramas, but I think his face has a really strong expression, and he's always been acting tough guy roles (i.e. Bloody Monday, Koizora, Gokusen 3, Crows Zero II etc). But when I viewed the trailer (over and over and over...), I realized that he can look soOoOoOOooooOOO sweet as well!! I can't wait for him to show my ultra-favorite shy/embarrassed Kazehaya-look! And doesn't Miura Haruma, in some angles, kinda remind you of Gackt? Haaaayyy, I am so in love. And I am just so ecstatic! I can't wait for September 25 (and for the day when it finally gets subbed!!!).

Haaaayyy. I think I'm just soOoOoOOooooOOO happy. :3

On a side note, I've also browsed through some ongoing/upcoming korean dramas. Ate Yeyen has fangirl-ed over Coffee House so I'll think I'll add that to my watch list. And then she's also watching My Girlfriend is a Nine Tailed Fox and it looks like something that's so much fun (plus the pretty Shin Min Ah's playing the fox!), so I think I'll add that to my list as well. I'm also looking forward to Playful Kiss, the k-drama version of Itazura Na Kiss/It Started With A Kiss! (which is my 2nd favoritest manga-turned-anime-turned-multiple-drama-versions, next to HanaDan). Kim Hyun Joong gets the main lead, and I don't know if he can act, but I guess it's not much different from his Boys Over Flowers role. But truly, surely, definitely, I will be watching this!!! ^___^

WAR OF THE GODS


I recently got interested in Norse Mythology because of two things:

Neil Gaiman's American Gods

and

Matantei Loki Ragnarok

American Gods is a novel that tells the tale of Shadow, an ex-con who was recently paroled and found himself working for the mysterious Mr Wednesday, and got caught in a war between the old gods and the modern day gods. I'm not very familiar with myths and legends from around the world, and I'm sure one who is well versed on this topic can further appreciate this bestselling novel. Despite my lack of knowledge, I still enjoyed reading about the characters and discovering their secrets as the story unfolded. I love the side stories inserted in between and the clever plot twist in the end. It is after all a Neil Gaiman novel, and you can't expect anything less from the master storyteller himself!

Now as I was finishing the book, for the lack of other useful things to do, I started watching Matantei Loki Ragnarok (aka Mythical Detective Loki). I thought it was the appropriate anime to watch at that time. I was impressed by the opening theme but was initially bored during the first few episodes. I grew up feeding on Nancy Drew books and immensely enjoy detective stories, but I just didn't quite get the hang of this anime. It was on episode 8 when I found out about the secret identity of Yamino-kun that I finally sat up and started taking interest on the crazy relationships between the characters. And then on episode 13, this guy came along...

... and my world changes... <3

Matantei Loki Ragnarok is the story of the trickster god Loki who was cast away from the realm of the gods and sent here on earth in a young boy's body. In order to go back, he has to collect evil auras, and so he opens a detective agency that deals with the paranormal. As the story progresses, more and more gods cross over to this world to stop Loki from achieving his goal.

Now I don't really have a thing for shotas, but characters with alter egos sometimes attract me (well, especially if the other side of the coin is a yummy bishounen *hearts!*). Loki (in shota form) somewhat reminds me of Niwa Daisuke from D.N.Angel and love of my life Li Shaoran from Card Captor Sakura. Most of the time Loki just appears in his kiddie form, but I really get excited over rare scenes where he gets to show us his charming, mischievous side, such as this...

<3 <3 <3!!!

The series ended at 26 episodes, and although I didn't really expect much from this anime, but I would have wanted more yummy-licious Loki. Hahay. Now I have to hit the books (and wikipedia) and do more readings on myths and stuffs, just so I'll be a little bit more wiseass than I was yesterday.

REACHING YOU (and my goals...)

Although it has minimized a bit, I must admit that my Kimi Ni Todoke flames of fandom still hasn't died out yet.
*points at blog lay-out* See!?!

For my Nokia 5000, I use a pic of Kazehaya as wallpaper (so I can perpetually stare at his loving smile<3).
For my Sony Ericsson G605, I'm using this:

I love this picture!

Everytime I look at this image, a lot of thoughts run through my mind. What is Kazehaya thinking while his arms are wrapped around Sawako? We know he's possessive and all, and here we see him acting really boldly and playfully. There is a hint of satisfaction and smugness in his smile, yet he's also blushing as if really shy. Look at those long arms and big hands. Is he hugging her tightly or holding her loosely? What on earth is he thinking!?!

And Sawako... What is she thinking right now? We can see that she's a bit of in shock, probably from embarrassment or surprise. Her eyes are wide with disbelief, is she fearful, or just naive that she's too happy where she is? Her arms are held up. Is that a sort of defensive move or was she just caught unaware when Kazehaya grasped her from behind? And that stray strand of hair atop her head (ahoge FTW!), did she take a bath this morning!? x___x

These are some of the questions I like to think about whenever I stare at this wallie. I think I'll keep this image for some time on my phone. Right now, I still haven't found a new anime too go crazy over, although I am currently following Kaichou wa Maid-sama, which is also really fun and Usui is mucho delicioso. I also recently finished The Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas and Himawari, underrated animes which I believe deserve more attention and love from otakus. Among so many other titles, I'm downloading Bakemonogatari right now, which I think will be a real feast since I love animes with interesting and unusual plots. *sigh* I wish I have more time to watch animes. The to-watch list just keeps getting longer and longer, but I'm not using my spare time wisely. I have to be more firm in reaching my goals, or else I'll be stuck with a whole lot of videos which I couldn't possibly finish watching in this lifetime.

OH WHY, OH WHY...

... DO YOU HAVE TO BE ...

... SO DAMN ...

... HOT!?! ...

New Bishie TAKUMI USUI from Kaichou wa Maid-sama ...
Bishie Luv coming right at yah! <3<3<3

FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU . . . ALL OVER AGAIN

I just finished watching Ranma 1/2 : Akumu Shunminko, which is a Weekly Shonen Sunday 50th Anniversary Celebration Special. The artwork is a bit different from the series, and somehow I feel that Ranma (girl vesion) just grew bigger boobs. XD But right now all I can do is simply make a deep satisfied sigh and grin with much pleasure. I would have actually preferred a different ending which gives more emphasis on the love-love aspect, but I know that would be expecting too much from two of the most stubborn anime characters in history. XD

Just a brief overview of this anime special: Due to some accident, Akane falls into a deep sleep, although she is still "awake" physically. As she is making these random weird dreams, in reality however, she is reacting to her surroundings. Well, mostly she’s just leaving behind a path of destruction. And like a typical Ranma 1/2 episode, everyone joins in to make the situation really crazy. My heart was greatly overjoyed to see all the familiar faces, but mostly I was just thrilled to be staring into the handsome face of my Ran-chan.<3 I mean who wouldn’t go crazy over this...

*droooooool...*

This was when he suddenly turned his head in surprise, and was also when I felt my world stop for a split second.
He is just so... MANLY. <3 *swoons*

I know it’s plain crazy to call an “otoko onna” (boy-girl) MANLY, but ever since I laid my eyes on my Ranma, I can only describe him as such. The many expressions on his face, the broad shoulders, the strong muscles on his back just make me wanna reach out and touch him the TV screen. I almost forgot what it felt like to be so in love with my Ran-chan, but now I just fell madly in love with him all over again! This silly fan girl in me is that foolish indeed!

Hahaaaayyy... \(>w<)/

ENCHANTING FANTASY

I was dirt broke and yet was the diligent breadwinner for my retired father, my working mom, and my younger sister who was still in college. Life was hard but we were happy. We were together as a family after all, and that's what matters the most. We just moved into a small, run-down apartment in the middle of nowhere, and we didn't even know how to get there from work. Sometimes we would experiment on riding the public jeepneys and buses. But often times we would walk home just to scrimp on the money.

And that's when I met him again. While on the way home from work. Actually, he was the one who found me. Or maybe he has been looking for me all along.

At first glance you know he's Jerry Yan, but he was also much more than that. He was also Dao Ming Se, the super-rich, extra-handsome, ultimate-bachelor in town. He also happened to be my ex-boyfriend whom I haven't seen for a long time. I didn't want to see him again, especially not in my sorry state. But he found me. And he was determined not to lose me again.

No matter how I protested and resisted and pushed him away, he still came everyday. He goes to see me at work, and walks me home every night. He gave me presents, and even brought us our basic necessities like food. He spends time with my family, and makes them smile and laugh, something they haven't done for a while. Then he would look at me with his hopeful eyes and boyish grin, and I would turn away. I know that he loves me, and only wants to get back together with me. I also know deep down in my heart I love him but I cannot do so. His parents were against me in the first place, and I didn't want to depend on him to sustain my family. No matter how poor I was, I had too much pride, and it was the one thing people cannot take away from me.

But days went by and I was falling more and more for him. I knew that if I spent more time with him and see how happy my family was with him, I would weaken and succumb to my feelings. I am a woman after all, and one who is not without emotions. Seeing the most wonderful man on earth chase me around is not only flattering, but much more than that, I know he was sincere and truly cares for me. I know I could not bear to hurt him again by leaving him. I also know that I didn't have the courage to live without him. I love him. I already love him too much. But I had no choice but to leave him. I had to go now.

So I ran away. Ran away as far as I could. And on that cold night, while I was standing in the abandoned harbor all alone, I wept. I shed tears of pain and suffering, and cried on how life has been so unfair and bitter to me. A freezing gust of wind touched my tear-stained cheeks, and I realized with much sadness that it was actually my birthday. And I was all alone in that dark, damp harbor.

And then... Fireworks! Lots of them. Multitudes of bright lights blazed the pitch-black sky and rained down a shower of colorful sparkles. I gazed up in astonishment. And then all around me, the yachts in the harbor roared to life, their lights gleaming and glittering, flashing on me as if to spotlight me. I shielded my eyes and blinked in surprise as I saw the world's elite, one by one, coming towards me. They were led by Lee Min Ho, Kim Bum and all the other casts of Boys Over Flowers, who held cakes in their hands. Each of them greeted me a "Happy Birthday", and some of them even kissed me on the cheek. I was conscious of how dirty I was amidst all these pretty people. Yet somehow, I felt the warmth in their presence.

Then suddenly, the crowd slowly parted. And then I saw Jerry hurriedly rush towards me. His expression was one of worry, then flushed down by relief, as he took me in his arms and cradled me and said happy birthday and told me how silly I was for running away. He was all over the city looking for me, but he also sent out all his friends to find me, and when he learned where I was, he came running over. I looked at him, and saw that he was drenched with sweat, yet, he was magnificently glowing, as beautiful as a greek god.

My Jerry. My Love. I then felt all walls break loose, all pride strip off, all emotions rush in, and I acknowledged my defeat. I love him! I've always loved him! And there was no point in denying it or pushing it away. I smiled radiantly at him, the man I love, and he took me in his arms again, and softly whispered how much he loves me and treasures me.

Someone then cleared his throat and tapped Jerry in the back. We broke from our embrace, embarrassed, as we realized that hundreds of eyes were actually upon us on our fateful reunion. The guys from Boys Over Flowers were giving Jerry congratulatory pats and high-fives, and he thanked them for their help in finding me. Lee Min Ho, the leader of the search, told him that he could always count on them any time, and that he was only glad to be of service to Jerry, whom he acknowledged was the original, and only worthy Dao Ming Se there is.

The next day, I was still overwhelmed with my feelings of bliss. But I know this could not last forever. Fear slowly crept into me as Jerry told me that he was taking me to meet his family and their board of directors. Apparently, my mother is the daughter of and heiress to one of the directors, but she was disowned when she ran off with my father. Jerry told me that he has already talked to his family, and they have decided to hold an election if they will accept me into the family or not. I glanced at him nervously, and he gripped my hand gently and comfortingly, saying it was OK. I took a deep breath and with firm resolve went with him to face the people who has repeatedly tried to tear me away from the man who has always loved me.

We entered a Japanese-styled room, and the board of directors, all with grim faces, were already seated there. In the center was the head of the Doumyouji Clan, Jerry's grandfather, who regarded me with scrutiny. I turned my eyes downward and bit my lip. Then the assembly started, and after the introductions made, one by one, the members of the elite casted their votes to decide my fate. Jerry was the first to make a vote, and then of course he stood by my side. Lee Min Ho came up next, and as he was a loyal follower of Jerry, he also took our side. The next person to take the stage was Kim Joon, who stated that he has always thought Lee Min Ho was a better Doumyouji than Jerry, and he took the other side. Sam Milby came up next, and he also took the other side. One by one, each of them came up to the front and chose which side they were on. Then finally it was Jerry's grandfather's turn, and he slowly stood up, walked to the front and then I...


...woke up. ^^;


Of all the things to happen, I woke up and realized that IT WAS JUST A REALLY GOOD DREAM!!! And the next thing I realized was that my pillow was WET -- WITH DROOL!!! That's what happens when I really have a good sleep. I disgruntledly reached out for my cellphone to see the time and was splashed with another wave of realization: I WAS LATE FOR WORK!!! I hurriedly jumped off my bed to start my grueling day of work. But at some instances today, I actually found myself smiling silly over my enchanting fantasy.


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I had a lot of fun writing this story, and thank Thesaurus.com for all the glitzy words. I'm not exactly your most gifted writer, but I hope I did not make a lot of grammatical errors and didn't sound too cheesy. Tell me what you think of my writing though, as it may help me improve my style more and also in maintaining this blog.

On a side note, I've always had a bunch of weird dreams. Some of them are pretty crazy and are good for laughs, and some of them are too insignificant to actually be remembered. Some of them are great ideas, which I sometimes use for my drawings and stories, and on rare occasions, I get these really "feel good" dreams which make me feel warm and fuzzy deep down. Jerry Yan is one of my all-time favorite celebrity crushes, as his portrayal of Dao Ming Se in 2001's Meteor Garden sent my bishie-fandom sky-rocketing to cloud nine. Although I'm not as hyped over him as before, I've always still liked him. I didn't expect him to show up as (ultra-mega-super-good looking!!!) lead character in my dream though, since it's been a while since I've seen him perform. I also didn't expect the cast of Boys Over Flowers to be there, since I haven't seen that korean drama yet. I was definitely shocked to see Sam Milby in my dream, because I NEVER liked him! So that was really weird. =o=

I don't know why I had that dream, but it made me feel really really good. Now I'm listening to Jerry's second album, FREEDOM, and loving him ("my ex-boyfriend" *winks*) all over again...

我 會 很 愛 妳 , Jerry.

DINNER IS SERVED!?!

I got back from Malaybalay tonight just to have dinner with my parents. It was Mother's Day yesterday, and it was also their 28th wedding anniversary, so I wanted to celebrate it with them.

But because of the really bad construction of roads going on in Bukidnon, I arrived almost 8pm already. And my Dad was already pissed off cos he was already so hungry. My mom was also annoyed because my dad keeps bugging her, so she kept on bugging me, hence I was also pissed off too when I arrived. So I didn't have much of an appetite and was in a very foul mood.

We went to eat at La Vetta (did I get the name right?), which is a new fancy fine dining resto in Limketkai. My mom has always wanted to try it but we were afraid that it might be too expensive. Well, it turned out that it was INDEED really quite expensive (ehek!), and we couldn't afford to order the Angus Beef Steak (actually we could, but none of us wanted to pay Php 900+ for one slab of meat! 0__o), so we just ordered their other main courses.

After ordering, I went to the restroom and noted that their lights had some sort of sensor which automatically turns on once motion is detected. When I was sitting in the toilet bowl "contemplating" (lolz!), the lights went off since I wasn't moving! HAHAHAHA And then when I tried to unlock the door, it wouldn't budge! I think I struggled for almost three minutes trying to get the door open, with paranoid thoughts of being trapped in the CR etc etc etc... XD I finally got it open and laughed at myself for being so silly.

When I got out of the restroom, our meal was already served and my parents were silently eating. I looked at the food and was GREATLY DISAPPOINTED. The serving was TOO SMALL! My meal consisted of only 4 matchbox-sized pork meat with some sauce, a small dish of bland (allegedly buttered) pasta, and some random veggies on the side. And that already costs almost
PhP 300! My parents were eating similar meals, and they obviously were not too happy about it (my father kept saying, "Pansit Canton..." T___T). We finished eating in less than 10minutes, and we were out of the resto in no time.

I don't think I'll ever go back there again. u___u

After that so-called dinner (which cost me a LOT!!! T___T), we went to buy a REAL DINNER...

Cheers for the BEST cheeseburger I have ever tasted! >__<


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Other random news:

• I've finally decided to accept that 10 straight days of duty in Catarman, Camiguin. I'm sure I'll be grumbling a lot because of the travel, but I hope the pay will ease the pain, hehehe I start working 21 to 30 of this month. *sigh*
  Goodbye my BUM life!
  
  
  
• I am so loving the songs of the Jpop duo, ON/OFF, composed of the Sakamoto Twins, Kazuya and Naoya. I've downloaded their new album, and just love all the songs!
  
  
  They are not very good looking though... But who cares! ^_______^
  (Oh yah, and this song somehow reminds me of the OP theme of DNAngel... XD)
  
  
  
  (My boyfriend ABSOLUTELY HATES this song! LOLz! But I *glompz* Niwa Daisuke!!!<3<3<3)
  
  
  
• I am also currently loving Ninomiya Kazunari of Arashi!!!
  
  NINO L<3VE!!!
  
  I'm not particularly fond of Arashi (yet) because I don't know their songs. But for the love of Nino (and MatsuJun, hehehe),
  I WILL DOWNLOAD!!! XD
  
  
  Matsumoto Jun is HOT...<3<3<3
  
  
  But I love Ninomiya Kazunari's dufus boyish grin...<3<3<3
  * s w o o n s *
  
  
  
• Made some random doodles at work. Will upload them later in my deviantart account as SCRAPS when I'm in the mood...
  
  
  
  
  
  

Hmmm... I want to write more random things, but I need to sleep now cos I still have to travel so early in the morning and go on 24h-duty tomorrow, er, later... XD So bye bye!

RE-ARRANGING MY COLLECTION

Because of my obsessive compulsive nature and my impulsive drive to download and hoard whatever anime I can get my hands on,
I have somehow amassed a huge number of CDs and DVDs. I've been planning to re-arrange them but never got around to doing it, until now. And goodness, I feel so tired already but I'm not finished yet! *fail* T___T


You see I'm very meticulous when it comes to arranging my things, especially my CD collection. This would always involve taking out ALL the discs and putting them back one by one in some sort of order (usually alphabetical, by genre, chronological, etc). In this case, I had to remove them from the zippered cases, and transfer some of them to spindle cases.


So when I have rearranged them a bit, I noticed that I have more zippered cases now. 6 of them are currently empty! Uh-oh... Does that mean I have to download more so that I can fill them up? Hehehe


I hardly touched my drama collection because they are already quite organized. Besides I haven't really procured a lot of dramas lately because I've been too lazy to watch them... Well, this pic here below is my Korean Drama Collection. The reason why there are so many CD cases is because we used to order them in VCD format from Manila. That was the time when Asian dramas are not so popular yet, and we had to order from Manila in order to get a copy with good quality and feed our obsession and craze. XD Not shown in the picture below are my Japanese Dramas (because they are contained elsewhere) and Taiwanese dramas (because there's really not that many titles, and they are in raw format with chinese subs).


I also got this huge CD Case from my boyfriend<3. It can hold around 100 CDs, so I used it for my Audio Collection. Most of the songs are Jpop and Jrock, and a little bit of Kpop too.



I'm not done yet though... This is just part one of my many struggles with rearranging my collection. Hopefully I can finish most of it by tomorrow or Sunday because I have to leave for work on Monday already. After this, my next project is to rearrange my room. Now THAT is definitely some super hard work I'm not so looking forward to. Hehehe


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Some other random updates...

• My mom is watching the K-drama, East of Eden. The Taiwanese channel, CTV, started airing it three nights ago, and my mom is TOO excited. But because of the bad weather lately, the reception is poor. And since my mom doesn't want to watch from the internet, and I refuse(!) to download 56(!) episodes of the drama, so I bought her a DVD9 copy instead. In fairness, the copy is quite clear with tolerable subs, so my mom is in such a happy-little-puppy mode, and watched straight until episode 8. She just went up to sleep, at 2:45am. XD
  
  
• On a side note, I'm NOT watching East of Eden (EOE) yet, but Song Seung Heon is <3<3<3. I'm not really his fan, but I found him really attractive and appealing in the drama, Summer Scent (which I did NOT like), and in the movie, He Was Cool (with the late Jung Da Bin). In EOE, he has a rugged look which quite suits him. So... ^___^<3<3<3
  
  
• I have just finished downloading the manga-based J-drama, Mei-Chan no Shitsuji (Mei-chan's Butler), which looks like a really interesting and fun series (with so many good looking boys to boot! Woohoo!). I'm currently downloading Cat Street, which is another drama based on the manga of Kamio Yoko (creator of Hana Yori Dango).
  
  
• I've also downloaded a bunch of random manga scanlations and burned them into 3 DVDs (so that's around 12GB!). Some of them are of psychological genre (Monster, 20th Century Boys, etc) but most of them are romantic stories (Bitter Virgin, Koukou Debut, etc). Not reading them anytime soon though.
  
  
• I'm currently loving songs by the duo, ON/OFF, composed of Naoya & Kazuya Sakamoto. They are actually identical twin brothers!<3<3<3 And I think they shot to fame with the song, Futatsu No Kodou To Akai Tsumi, the opening theme to Vampire Knight. Anyway, I love that song but I love all of their other songs too! ^____^
  
  
  
  
• Fortunately, my tonsilitis did not worsen after I started taking some antibiotics. But unfortunately, I have a gnawing toothache that doesn't seem to go away. This really bothers me because I have to leave for work on Monday, and will be out of CDO for 16 days (be back on May 19!). So I hope it doesn't worsen because I don't have time to see a dentist anymore... I really hate toothaches! u__u
  
  
• I will watch X-Men Origins: Wolverine on Sunday! But I don't know if I will still have the chance to watch Slumdog Millionaire (Jai HoOoOoOoOOoooOO!)...
  
  
• I actually went brisk watching with Yume last Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, and it was really fun because we got to talk a lot and pretend to exercise. Yume and I are surprisingly pretty good friends when in fact we hardly knew each other before and just met during the CDOtaku beach party last year. I went to hoard some more of her DVDs, LOLz! We weren't able to go out walking on Thursday and Friday because of the rain, but we met for a bit on Friday evening because she wanted to tell me something. Then we went to scout some pirated DVDs in Divisoria before going our separate ways.
  
  
• I'll be meeting Joey tomorrow later just to catch up and return some of her stuffs.
  
  
• I need to prepare CDs for my cousin, Achi Beth, and for my friend from GenSan, Jan. I'm currently working on that now, plus Jan's letter too!
  
  
• Oh, and I think Manny Pacquiao will win on Sunday. But that's just my baseless opinion...

Well, I guess I'll end it there for now because I got to get my not-so-beauty sleep or else my Father might get angry at me again for not sleeping early. Plus I have to clean the house again tomorrow, er, later... ^___<

PINK LADY

My korean penpal, Geum-sook, told me about a popular webtoon called PINK LADY, and even sent me a really nice postcard of it. Webtoons are korean webcomics that are found online, and unlike the traditional manwha which appear as black and white, these webtoons are in full color. These type of media are quite popular among netizens since they cover various genres and also invite comments and interactions from the readers.


Now going back to PINK LADY... I finally had the chance to browse through it today, and although I could not understand a thing, but I was left breathless with its magnificent artwork. The artist, Yeon Woo, is a college student affiliated with the most famous art university in South Korea, Hongik University, and this is also where the story takes place. Yeon Woo uses beautiful brush strokes to draw her characters and to convey their different emotions and experiences.


PINK LADY is about two art students, Han Gyeo-wul and Yun Hyeon-seok who meet accidentally in the university. They didn't know each other at first, but I think Gyeo-wul somehow felt a strange attraction to Hyeon-seok (maybe she found him mysterious?). I'm not so sure because I cannot understand what they are saying at all, but if I were in her shoes I'd probably feel that way!

I mean, who wouldn't be knocked silly with a smile like this!?



We later learn that they actually have a childhood memory from the past. When they were still kids, Gyeo-wul saw a little boy (Hyeon-seok) drawing in the sand in the playground, and she joined him and lent him her drawing book and coloring materials. They met everyday thereafter, and you can see that the little Gyeo-wul seems to bully little Hyeon-seok around. Hehehehe So cute! Anyway, one time while they were drawing, Hyeon-seok suddenly kissed her on her cheek, and she responded by punching him so hard that his nose bled. She then ran home in shock. The next day when she went to the playground, Hyeon-seok was no longer there, and they did not even get the chance to say goodbye.


Now years later, they meet again in the university. And through the many experiences they have, friends they meet and the constant bickering that they do, their tale of love begins.





The story spans 5 seasons, composing of around 15 pages per season. You can read it H E R E.
I'm currently browsing over season 2, just admiring the pretty drawings and not understanding a thing. LOL But despite the fact that I don't understand their conversations, I can at least get a good idea of what's happening by looking at the pictures. I hope some nice people will take the time to translate this great series. Or since it's currently being compiled into manwha volumes then maybe I will just have to wait for the scanlations (and when will that ever happen!? T___T). I also have a feeling that this has a great potential to spawn a TV drama series (that would be really cool!). 2008's SBS drama, I Love You starring Ahn Jae Wook was also based on a webtoon. And with its very high ratings, praises and fans, I don't see any reason why Pink Lady shouldn't also follow suit as well. Let's just keep our fingers crossed and hope we'll see more of this in the future.

Anyway, to wrap this entry up, I'm posting the two music videos that were made for Pink Lady. The first is You, You At Least by To Romance and shows some panels from the first season describing their childhood love. The second video is Spring After Winter by Soo Jung, and shows the last part of season 2. I really like these videos, especially the second. It brought tears to my eyes and I felt warm and fuzzy all over. XD


Anyway, Enjoy! ^_____^