So, there's this bug that's decided to make a home between my window and the screen in my window frame. This would be fine, for the most part, if it wasn't a freaky looking. I mean, I hate bugs with a burning passion, but some of them are tolerable. This one scares me and IT WON'T GO AWAY. >_< I tried spraying it with air deodorizer, but this one is stubborn (Oh noez, PETA will now attack me).

Help!

Alright, I'm really behind on this, but I figured I tell you about AnimeNEXT this year!

First, pictahs~!: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=85823&id=668549584&l=cf8dd15ed9

Moving on, this year I had a lot of fun! ^_^ Because I actually cosplayed as a recognizable character (Rhyme from The World Ends With You) a lot of people stopped me to ask for pictures, so that was pretty neat. I also took a lot of pictures too (Hetalia cosplayers <3).

The convention changed locations this year from the Meadowlands Expo Center to the Garden State Exhibit Center/Double tree in Somerset. I have to say, I miss the old location even though I had only gone one year before. MEC was a closer ride, at about 20 minutes from home, while GSEC/DT was about an hour ride away. Now, I know this was done because the convention's gotten larger and it wanted more of a New Jersey  Con feel than a New York Con feel, but I kind of missed the convenience of everything at the MEC. Everyone could get a cheap bite to eat within a five minute walk of the con, but at GSEC/DT you had to find a way to get around if you didn't want to end up eating the overpriced con food (like me >_<). Plus, to get back and forth between the GSEC and the DT was pretty inconvenient.

Activity-wise,  I felt that some of the thing were a bit boring, hence why I didn't go. I did a lot of sitting around with Ariana and I can't even count how many times we walked through the Dealer's room and Artist's Alley to cure our boredom. Greg Ayres canceled at the last minute, and I was hoping to attend one of his panels and get a picture with him during the autograph session. Luckily, Kyle Hebert was still there. He's a super-cool guy, and very easy to talk to. I kept seeing him at various places throughout the con.

Maybe next year will be better. Andrew and I are planning to get a room and stay for all three days, along with Ariana, Tiff, and Sam. We all plan on doing some Hetalia cosplay (and possibly throwing a Hetalia sleepover with other cosplayers 8D)

Here are my cosplaying plans for next year:
Friday: Rhyme from The World Ends with You
Saturday: China (Yao Wong) from Hetalia Axis Powers
Sunday: Mio Akiyama (outfit from the ED) from K-ON!/ possibly no cosplay on Sunday

Everyone else's Hetalia Plans:
Ariana: Either Japan (Kiku Honda) or Hong Kong from Hetalia Axis Powers. She's leaning more towards Japan right now, but she could probably do both if she really wanted to.
Tiffany: North Italy (Feleziano Vargas) from Hetalia Axis Powers. She has her heart set on it. ^_^
Sam: Korea (Im Yong Soo) from Hetalia Axis Powers. I'm trying to convince her to go as South Italy (Lovino "Romano" Vargas) so she and Tiff can be the sibling duo next year, cause Andrew and I were this year.
Andrew: America (Alfred F. Jones) from Hetalia Axis Powers. Andrew, I know I told you about the show and how much you'd love America... heck, I showed you a picture of him and you were like "Yeah, I could cosplay as him" but you have to READ THE MANGA OR WATCH THE ANIME... OR BOTH. *facepalm*

Signing off.

Well, it was back in May, I think, when I had a sleep-over with Ariana and Tiffany. We pulled an all-nighter by playing "Marry, Fuck, or Kill," watching videos on YouTube, reading manga, playing songs, and just acting random. CAN'T WAIT FOR AZN WEEKNED ALL-NIGHTER!!!

So it's finally summer break here!!! Ah, I have so much to talk about like AnimeNEXT and all things that are going on, but I'll leave that for another time because I kind of don't feel like doing that. Just  wanted to let you all know it's summed and JulNoWriMo is around the corner.

One of my best friends, whom I love dearly, requested Italy smut from Hetalia. I fail at writing smut, and thus, this happened.

Title: Sensitivity
Author: shadowsirenv (me)
Rating: 17+ (implied handjob, lmao)
Pairings/Characters: North Italy/Reader

Before reading: Name= Insert your name here.

( The cut is a lie... that's been done before, I bet )

I like fast food of most kinds. Shut up. I hate Chinese food. It smells nasty. D:

So I'm going to pull an Art Speiglman and tape record my grandpa telling me stories about when he was stationed in Japan after WWII. My grandparents were over for dinner last night, and my granpa was telling me some stories. They make good material and their very funny. It'll give me something to do in between my oh-so-busy summer schedule.

I have a lot of homework I should be doing right now, but I don't wanna do it. It's the end of the year for crying out loud! If anything, I should be getting less work!!!

Oh yes, you know I will choose a Japanese phrase. Mine definitely is "Nani kore?" which translates into "What the hell?" It just has a certain ring to it and I actually like saying it better than "what the hell?"

Anyway, school is almost over! One full weel left and then finals! Finally! I need a break to get what I want to get done. Here's what I'll be doing this summer:
- summer reading/reading what I want
- watching anime
- learning to play bass guitar
- writing/ July Novel Writing Month
- Class Scrapbook
- hanging out with friends

I've been unsucessful with finding a summer job. I'm stuck at that age where camps don't want you but you can't get a job either. *sigh* Oh well.

AnimeNEXT is next week!!! I'm so excited! My costume is ready and I just have to attach a clay skull to Andrew's chain and we're both completely ready! We'll be the most amatuer looking Beat and Rhyme evar! I really would like to meet Greg Ayres and Kyle Hebert. I would die a happy fangirl if I did. :D

That's about it for now.

I have no friends on here (I'm just soooooo active, right?) so I can't really say much about comments. Why can't I give an epic answer to these things? It's not fair.

Well, now the state is just being retarded. Since my flu wasn't diagnosed until Thusday, I have to stay home seven days from Thursday, not from Wednesday when I became sick. So I got up early and went to school for two periods only to find out I had to be sent home. And now, there's five confirmed cases of swine flu in town. Joy. *headbangs* I just need school to be over already, I'm done and my brain is fried from all the work overload.

I'm gonna go watch Kiki's Delivery Service now, cause I'm really bored and need more anime hours than Andrew.

Like I can remember. >.> It was probably something along the lines of "your mom" and was ten minutes too late. My comebacks usually pop up right away. Actors have to always think on their toes, you know.

Summers looking pretty dull right about now. I have a job set for next summer, but not for this one, but I really did want a job this summer because I'm broke. It looks like it's going to be reading, writing, anime, video gaming, and bass guitar lessons the whole summer. Maybe I'll actually go to the pool. It seems in recent years I've stopped going. I think it's because I was in camp, so I'd get home and be exhausted. I didn't want to work at a camp either because I would have to be a CIT and wouldn't get paid. Plus, I hate working with kids. Andrew always tells me stories about the bratty, obnoxious ones. DX I'm sure some of my friends will be available over the summer to hang. And if worse comes to worse, I'll go to work with mom and get paid a few bucks.

I was also thinking about doing JulNoWriMo, but I'm reconsidering due to my lack of inspiration and lack of current motivation. Seriously, I write better in the warm weather--considering most of my stories take place during the summer--so it should be a cinch. Plus, I have all the free time on my hands then. I don't know. Maybe they'll let me do fanfiction or something. I have so many fanfiction ideas I could use. I don't feel like using my original story ideas for some reason. Especially since Hollywood and Broadway have been stealing all my titles. They've already stolen The Runaways and November. What? Are they going to steal How to Remember and The Thief Strikes as well? I might sue if that happened.

I'm trying to procrastinate from doing all the homework my teacher's gave me and the essay that was due on Friday that I was supposed to finish writing. I essentially have three paragraphs done though, so now worries. I'll work on it tonight. Since FUNimation is basically saying they have Katekyo Hitman Reborn licensed, I'm going to take a guess at which voice actors will be playing who. PROCRASTINATION IS FUN.

Reborn: Reborn calls for an unusual range. His voice is supposed to be cute but still stern since he is a home tutor hitman. Andrew was thinking Luci Christian for the role, but I don't think her voice would fit Reborn per se. I'm trying to see how close we can get to his seiyuu's, Neeko, voice, but she has a crazy voice that would be hard to match. For now, it's in the dark.

Tsunayoshi "Tsuna" Sawada: Tsuna needs young teenage boy- sounding voice. FUNi has plenty of VAs lined up to do the role. For Tsuna, though, he needs somewhat of a realistic tone. I think Brina Palencia might be able to pull it off. She plays Georgie in Shin Chan which is a smilar role IMO (Georgie yelling at Shin = Tsuna yelling at Reborn, anyone?).

Hayato Gokudera: Although he is the same age as Tsuna, his voice calls for a lower range. For some really odd reason, I see Greg Ayres in the role. I really don't know why. Others might disagree with me, and say his voice isn't deep enough for the role. I don't have any alternatives for now.

Takeshi Yamamoto: Yamamoto's voice actor should have cheery tone to his voice. A lot of people think Johnny Yong Bosch would make a good Yamamoto. However, Johnny doesn't work for FUNimation, he works for Bandai (although, he did do Saku in BECK, which was a FUNi show). If we're strictly sticking with VAs from FUNimation, my bets are on Jason Liebrecht.

Lambo Bovino (young)/ TYL!Lambo: Lambo's voice needs to whiny and bratty. Of course, Lambo being five, it needs to be cute as well. I think this role would be better for Luci Christian  than Reborn would be. She always plays cute characters, so it shouldn't be too much of a challenge. For TYL!Lambo, even though he's only fifteen, he needs to sound and act like he's a mature adult... in all areas (*nosebleeds*). This is a toughie, but it can be pulled off a multitude of different VAs. Since people tend to compare TYL!Lambo to Tykki Mik in D.Gray-Man, I'll go with Brad Hawkins who plays Tykki in FUNi's dub of D.Gray-Man.

Kyoko Sasagawa: As Tsuna's love interest, her voice should have a sweet, angelic sound to it. Any of the ladies at FUNi could play her but I can see Cherami Leigh playing a good Kyoko. She plays Himawari in xxxHOLiC, which is a similar role in terms of character.

Ryohei Sasagawa: Ryohei is loud and passionate. His voice needs to reflect those traits to really capture his character. Justin Cook could definitely pull this off. He played Chiba in BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad, who also did a lot of yelling. However, Ryohei yells for a good reason... Chiba just sort of yells.

Kyoya Hibari: Hibari has an extremely deep and cool voice. I find it particularly hard to think of a VA that could play him at the moment. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to post them. Maybe Travis Willingham, but that's all I have.

Mukuro Rokudo: This guys needs to be dark and mysterious, but somehow we still can't take him seriously (oh, Pineapple-kun, you). Again, post if you have any idea for him.

Haru Miura:  Haru is bright and cheery 100% of the time. Again, any of the ladies at FUNi could play her. I'm caught between either Caitlin Glass or Monica Rial. I think they can both play the role extremely well.

I-pin (young)/TYL!I-pin: I-pin's young voice has to be high-pitched, that's all I'm saying. There should definitely be the cute factor thrown in there, because she is adorable. Her older voice, should sound like a mature and deeper variation of her younger voice. Laura Bailey could probably pull both I-pins off.

Okay, done! I've procrastinated long enough... Excuse me while I go procrastinate somewhere else now.

Guess what? I'm sick again. And guess what else? I'm sick with the flu. Yup. I was feeling really lousy on Tuesday and had a really high fever yesterday. I actually feel a lot better today, but the school is freaking out because about 200 kids are absent so I was obliged to go the doctors office to clear me. My doctor checked me, and he said that really all I had was a cold, but they would test me anyway so the school wouldn't turn into chaos. They took a nose swab... and I tested positive for Flu A. Now, they're sending my snot the CDC to test for swine flu, which I really doubt it is. Legally, I'm not allowed back in school until Wednesday.

This sucks.

However, for once since middle school, my teachers are sending home my work for me. Plus, my absences won't count against me.

...still. I'm bored out of my mind here. I'm refusing to read Fahrenheit 451 now. I really hate that book. Honestly, there are too many metaphors. No, it's not that I'm not a deep and compelling person, this book just tries too hard to be symbollic, to the point that it doesn't make any sense and you can't make heads or tails what it's trying to symbolize. I might just finish up the first Haruhi light novel or Rise of the Ogre, but unfortunatly Fahrenheit 451 is a school-assigned book, so if I don't read it I'll be in deep shit. Maybe I'll just read some of Savvy-la's novel. Even anime-wise, I don't feel like watching things. I'm caught up with all my airing anime (Bleach, Code Geass R2, FMA 2, Higashi no Eden, K-ON!, KHR!) and started my  new sub/dub/FUNi round (where I watched a show subbed, dubbed, and a show available on FUNi's site all at once) of Kuroshitsuji, Tsubasa Chronicle Season 2, and xxxHOLiC. I'm pretty  so fucking excited for the new Haruhi episode tomorrow though! AYEEEEEE!!! I also started Hetaila Axis Powers and I'm caught up with that, not to mention totally obsessed with it. My obsession is to the point that I had a dream that I was in French class and for some odd reason, we had questions about World War II on our quizzes.

But the art in it is so adorable! Look at Chibitalia!


This show makes me totally love the Axis Powers, even though in real life I don't.

I don't want to work on fanfiction either. Or my original stories... D:

Something's wrong with me.

So my history teacher assigned an essay today. It's due Monday and I'm not going to be home this weekend, like, AT ALL. FML. Okay, I'm done. And I should probably be working on it. However, it is pretty easy, but on top of that I have to write an English essay due Friday on Night... plus my extra credit essays and some projects.

All together now...

FML.

I'm trying to frantically edit How to Remember before the CreateSpace deadline is up. I really want my free manuscript. Anyway, I started a new book about a Phantom Theif. Yay? I really like my characters and where it's going. Savvy-la and Bree-Bree have been reading it as I update new chapters and they've been a great help. I love you guys, and Savvy-la, I'm sorry I haven't been reading much of your novel either. D: I'm also starting a new original short story series about random acts of kindness called well, Random Acts of Kindness. The first installment will be printed in the Short Story club's summer issue (I joined it after Varsity Law ended). The issue gets an ISBN and everything, so I will technically be a published author.

I've been watching too much anime lately. I need to slow down really and get a life. Maybe I should actually study or put more effort into my work? I should hang out more or work on my novel more or read more of Savvy-la's novel or edit my NaNoWriMo novel more or read more. I don't know. You know it will never happen. Good thing summer's right aroud the corner, but I think we have to read two books for summer reading this year. >_< As long as it's not a Charles Dickens novel again, I'll be fine.

I'm running for class Historian again unopposed, so it's all good. I went throught hell to actually go through initiation to run (people's names will not be mentioned). It's sort of relief that I'll have the position for another year. It's a shame I can't go on the end of the year trip; it's the same weekend as AnimeNEXT and I already bought mine an Andrew's tickets. Plus, my Rhyme costume is completely ready to go.

Done.

See ya, I have school work to do.

Honorable Mentions

These shows didn't quite make the top ten list because:
a) I hadn't started them yet/ they hadn't aired yet
b) I wasn't completely caught up or finished with them yet
c) They just fell short of the top ten, and are in the top twenty

Katekyo Hitman Reborn!: A Shonen Jump giant. A totally awesome, action packed show about a no-good Japanese middle schooler who turns out to be a tenth generation mafia boss, and becomes tutored by the world's greatest hitman... who happens to be a baby. Artland- 131 episodes (On-Going, SUBBED)

AIR: A real tear-jerker. This was the first of any sort of media to ever make me cry. About a man searching for a girl with wings whom his mother spent her whole life searching for. He befriends a strange girl, who seems to have an unknown terminal disease. Kyoto Animation; Funimation (formerly owned by ADV Films)- 13 Episodes, 2 OVAs, 1 Movie

Higashi no Eden: Quite possibly the best anime of the spring 2009 season. Sci-fi thriller about a college graduate who meets a man on her trip to the U.S. They fly back to Japan to find there's been a missile attack near where the man lives. However, the man cannot recall any memories before meeting her and seems to be part of a mysterious game. Production I.G. - 11 episodes (Currently airing at 5 episodes, SUBBED)

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: The manliest series out there. Two guys wish to make their way to the surface from their underground city with the help of the mech Lagann. Adventures ensue when they reach the surface only to be practically killed with every step.
Gainax; Bandai Entertainment- 27 Episodes, 1 OVA, 2 Movies, 1 Alternate Version (8 Episodes, 1 Spin-Off

Bleach: Another Shonen Jump giant. A boy who can see spirits recieves the power to fight off creatures known as Hollows from a girl known as a Soul Reaper (Shinigami in the Japanese version). Lots of action, fighting, and blood are all packed into this show. Studio Pierrot; VIZ Media- 208 Episodes (Japanese)and 113 (English), 2 OVAs, 2 Movies

Mushi-Shi: The most relaxing show ever. Follows Ginko, a man who has the abilitly to see and control mushi, another life form. It's episodic in nature,and there is no coherent plot but still excellently done. Recommended for everyone of all ages to watch. Artland; FUNimation- 24 Episodes

Vampire Knight (Guilty included): About an academy with a day and night clas. The night class turns out to be full of vampire, and it is up to a girl and her friend to protect the academy as prefects and protect the classes. Extremely bloody and some action. Very angsty in nature Twilight fans might like this, but it did come before the book did. Studio DEEN- 26 Episodes (when the first season and Guilty are combined)

Romeo x Juliet: The famous Shakespearean tale but with a sci-fi/supernatural twist. This series is sure to please any fan of Shakespeare or the original story in general. GONZO; FUNimation- 24 Episodes

Cowboy Bebop: An episodic futuristic anime about bounty hunters in space (refered to as Cowboys). Heavily influenced by all different types of music. A must-see for all anime fans, or really anyone looking for a great show with great characters and music. Sunrise; Bandai Entertainment- 26 Episodes, 1 Summary Episode, 1 Movie

K-ON!: A slice-of-life anime about four girls who join the light music club in high school. Full of cute characters and catchy songs, K-ON! is one of the better anime in the spring 2009 season. Otakus will love all the moe that oozes from this show (mostly Mio). Kyoto Animation- 13 episodes (Currently airing at 6 episodes, SUBBED)

No.1- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Well, it took me long enough to get here, but here it is, finally! My number one anime is The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. This show is flawless in every aspect from plot, to animation, to music, right down to the characterization. Based on the amazing light novels by Nagaru Tanigawa, this series covers all of the first light novel as well as some aspects from the second and third. I remember starting this show because some of my friends over at Court-Records were talking about this "Hare Hare Yukai" thing and I looked it up on YouTube. I learned which anime it was from, looked it up, and was hooked right from Kyon's opening monologue. I love it so much that I've watch it a total of six times: five times in English and once in Japanese.

The Story: Meet Kyon. He's your average high school guy who's gotten over his fascination with the supernatural. Meet Haruhi. She has a never-ending fascination for the supernatural. When high school starts,  these two end up in the same class not to mention, seated right near each other. It's inevitable that when Haruhi introduces herself to the class, she mentions that she's not interested in ordinary humans, but aliens, time travelers, and espers. At first Kyon doesn't believe her, but when he finally starts figuring out why she joins every club and quits, or why she ties her hair up in various places and numbers every day, he can tell she's a total freak. While talking to Haruhi one day about interesting clubs, he mentions something about making a club herself to find those supernatural beings, which she does... and she forces Kyon into it as well. As it turns out, every member that joins the SOS Brigade (as the club is called) turns out to be an ailen, time traveler, or esper trying to please Haruhi because as it turns out, she hold the power to change the universe.

The Animation: I have no complaints in the animation department whatsoever. Done by the amazing Kyoto Animation, the animation is flawless, crisp, and clean. I even loved the CGI they gave us during Episode 00: The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina (at the very end of the episode). The opening and ending are beautifully animated, and the character designs are drop dead gorgeous. Practically everyone in this show is pretty. Even the guys. :D

The Music: The music in this show is completey unforgettable. The opening, "Boken Desho, Desho?" ("It's an Adventure Right, Right?") is sung by the fabulous Aya Hirano (Haruhi's seiyu) and accurately reflects the mood and plot of the show, as does the ending "Hare Hare Yukai" ("Sunny Sunny Happy"), performed by Aya Hirano, Minori Chihara (Yuki's seiyu), and Yuko Goto (Mikuru's seiyu). The songs are catchy and upbeat, and "Hare Hare Yukai" comes complete with it's own dance that practically evey otaku knows. The background music is extremely well done and each song is completely recognizable when you hear it.

Pairings: Because of the small main cast, there aren't that many people to pair up. I prefer Kyon/Haruhi, since Haruhi's feelings become somewhat apparent as the series progresses. I know some prefer Kyon/Mikuru or Kyon/Yuki. Kyon is even paired up with some side characters like Tsuruya-san and Asakura. I also pair Koizumi with Mikuru, but that's just me. Yaoi fans only really get Kyon/Koizumi and well, yuri fans can go crazy, alright?

The Characters: Each character is well-defined and it's extremely hard to forget names and faces. Haruhi's the strange beauty. Kyon's the average Joe who wants nothing to do with Haruhi's antics. Yuki is the quiet, stoic, bookworm that's actually an alien. Mikuru's the cute, shy, moe character who is constantly sexually harassed by Haruhi because of her particularly large chest, and happens to be a time traveler from the future. Koizumi's the cool  and handsome yes-man, with explanations for everything and is really an epser. You fall in love with these characters and somehow, wished to be involved in their world of crazy antics.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a perfect ten out of ten in every area. The story is original, the characters are fun and relatable, the animation is magnificent, the music amazing and you wonder why there isn't more to this series when it's all over. Thanks to the Kyoto Animation, the show can be watched in several different orders: the airing order (aka Kyon's order), is the order that it aired on TV in Japan. It's not in chronological order, but is supposedly how Kyon felt like telling the story. There's chronological order (aka Haruhi's order), in which the events happen chronologically in order of the light novels. And finally there is the DVD order, in which all the episode are chronological with the exception of episode 11 which is made the first episode. With all the different ways it can be watch, you'll want to watch it over and over again. You will never get bored... EVER.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is property of Bandai Entertainment. There are currently 14 episodes, two spin-off ONA series: The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya and Nyoro-n Churuya-san. There is currently a second season in the works that Kyoto Animation is taking their precious time on.

Still sick. Here we go:

No. 2- Ouran High School Host Club

Working our way to number one, we have finally reached number two: the awesomely funny romcom that is Ouran High School Host Club. I watched this simultaneously along with Lucky Star about two summers ago. Again, it was pretty popular over at Lunaescence so I said, "Why not?" I loved it so much, in fact, that I've watched it five times over: twice in Japanese and three times in English, and I still cannot get enough of this show! The jokes are hysterical, the animation is beautiful and colorful, and the characters are flawless. Let's move on to the breakdown.

The Story: Fifteen-year-old Haruhi Fujioka is a scholarship student attending Ouran Academy, a school for the rich and famous. Because of her tomboyish looks, she is mistaken for a guy right off the bat. While trying to find a place to study one afternoon, she stumbles upon the empty third music room and upon the Host Club, a club run by the school's six best looking guys in order to entertain (and seduce... sometimes) their female classmates. After accidentally breaking a vase in the room, Haruhi has to work for the club to pay off the debt she has to owe them by doing various chores, that is, until they discover her potential as a host (still completely unaware that she is female). Then it is decided that she will have work off her debt by acting as a host, even when they do find out her real identity.

The Animation: No laziness here! BONES out did themselves in this series. It's bright and colorful, character designs are beautiful and almost nearly match the original character designs from the manga. Some of the scenes and actions are simply brilliant (mostly stuff from Tamaki acting crazy), so there are really no complaints in the animation department this time. Bravo, BONES!

The Music: The music in this show is simply amazing! The totally catchy opening, "Sakura Kiss," is sung by the talented Cheico Kawabe and the ending, "Shissou," is performed by Last Alliance. I became really attached to the Japanese versions of the opening and ending, so much in fact, that when the English dubbed version came out and they redid them, I was thuroughly dissapointed. However, Vic Mignogna (Tamaki's English VA) did  his own version of the ending, which was flawlessly done. I'm still wondering why FUNi didn't use his version. Anyway, the background music is very light and upbeat for most of the show and becomes slow and sad when needed. They're beautiful orchestrations really.

Pairings: The anime left pairings pretty open-ended, but it was obvious they were leaning more towards the Tamaki/Haruhi pairing. For now, it's just fanpairings really.  Het fans will pair up Haruhi with just about any of the guys depending on their tastes. Yaoi incest fangirls will definitely squeal over the bishies and pairing them up. *facepalms*

The Characters: What a cast of characters! It's important to remember that each of the characters' personalities is supposed to fall under certain categories, considering that's how a host club works. Haruhi is indifferent and slighty-apathetic, and appointed the role of "The Natural Type" in the club. Tamaki is a spaz and a womanizer, but he means every single cheesy word he says, making him "The Prince Type" as well as the club's "king" since it was his idea in the first place. Kyoya is the totally cool and sly brains behind the club, earning him the title of "The Shadow King" as well as "The Cool Type." He's always looking for ways to make money for the club. Hikaru and Kaoru are the "The Devil Type" twins who like to pull pranks while maintaining a "brotherly-love" relationship (for the yaoi-incest fangirls). Honey is the cute, happy-go-lucky, cake-eating monster, martial arts master that falls under the "Boy Shota" category. And of course, if the were real, Mori would be my host (^_^). As Honey's cousin, he spends most of his time with him and falls under the "WIld Type" due to his sort-of mean look and his skill in martial arts. However, he is quiet and rarely speaks other than "yeah," "uh-huh" and "bad idea," and is pretty stoic. <--Wow, this was long.

Ouran High School Host Club is a fangirl's dream: it has hot characters, romance, comedy, beautiful animation, and stellar music all wrapped into one series. I could watch this series over and over again and never get bored with it. The jokes don't get old, you fall in love with the characters, and you find yourself wanting more and more ever single time. I'm glad I watched Ouran; it's an amazing series I think anyone, anime fan or not, should watch.

Ouran High School Host Club is property of FUNimation. There are currently 26 episodes.

Wow, I haven't touched this in a looooong time. *blows of dust* Yeah, this was supposed to take ten days... not five months... er. Quick little update on life and I'll get right to the point:
- School's a bitch as per usual and I'm home sick today which means I'll have a shitload of work to make up.
- FanFiction writing is slow as per usual. Novel editing is slowing, as well as editing Savvy's novel and writing a new one. *sigh* What's wrong with me...
- Yesterday was OnoD's birthday and today is Laura's birthday!!! Happy 31st Daisuke and Happy 15th Laura!!!

Back to the show~!

No. 3- D.Gray-Man

I started watching and reading D.Gray-Man because of the sudden popularity over at Lunaescence (I start a lot of things because of that site). Boy, am I glad that I did. D.Gray-Man is one of the most intriguing and interesting anime you will ever watch. The plot and the characters will suck you and you'll never want to be spit out, and then it ends and you want even more. It's sad that this Shonen Jumo giant ended abruptly, but with what we were given. I was satisfied.

The Story: Taking place at the end of a fictional ninteenth century, D.Gray-Man tells the story of Allen Walker--a young Exorcist holding the power of Innocence, a substance used to fight monsters called Akuma. Created by the Millenium Earl, Akuma are souls of the dead wearing the skin of a loved one who called upon them. Using the Akuma, the Earl plans to destroy the world and it's up to Allen and the Black Order, an organization under the Vatican, to stop the Earl and the Noah Family, a family said to have descended from Noah himself.

The Animation: Animated by the ever-popular BONES, D.Gray-Man has beautiful character designs, each character standing out greatly. Like I've said before with BONES, some laziness occurs, but it really isn't all too evident with D.Gray-Man. Innocence acrtvation sequences are never-reused (it's different every time) and battle scenes are played out wonderfully. The story itself is dark, so the animation matches accordingly. I'm surprised that  D.Gray-Man isn't still running or a second season is not planned/in the works.

The Music: The music in this show could not be more appropriate. The songs are easy to remember and are recognizable, so when you hear a theme you know "Oh, a battle's going on" or "time for some backstory." The openings for this show are stellar, and the ever-amazing UVERworld did the last opening "Gekido," which is treat considering UVERworld is a big name over in Japan. The endings are okay, with the exception of "Snow Kiss" by Nirgilis, which seems to be the only upbeat ending. Every other one was slow, easy to forget, and skippable.

Pairings: D.Gray-Man had plenty of potential pairings. Now, the manga is still on-going, so there may be official ones coming up in the near future but the anime left it open-ended. Het fans: there's Allen/Lenalee, which seems to be the most popular amongst fans. I happen to be a huge Lavi/Lenalee supporter (didn't he say he was ineterested in her somewhere in the manga?). Some other possible pairings include: Allen/Road, Krory/Eliade (the one pairing that was canon), and Kanda/Lenalee. Yaoi fans will enjoy the enormous amounts of bishies to pair up... let's see there's Allen/Kanda, Allen/Lavi, Kanda/Lavi, Tyki/Allen... I think that's about it. ._.

Characters: D.Gray-Man does not fail to deliver in the characterization department, there is plenty of backstory (except for Kanda, who is now being developed more in the manga). I guess some of the characters were a bit stereotypical though, sometimes. I felt poor Lenalee went from being a strong individual to a stupid, angsty, cry baby--I don't blame her at all though, just Hoshino-sensei for making her that way. Sorry Hoshino-sensei.

D.Gray-Man--if you need a good, long anime, watch it right now. If not, take it a little bit at a time. This show is sure to please any anime fan with it's strange and detailed plot, interesting characters, and beautifully dark animation. It's practically given that a Shonen Jump series would run long, but I felt it stopped short. Don't let this keep you from watching this anime; it's well worth every minute.

D.Gray-Man is property of FUNImation. There are currently 103 episodes.

No. 4- Eureka Seven

I started watching Eureka Seven because I heard that it had aired on Adult Swim and I was looking for new show to watch. Eureka Seven was reated highly, so I decided to give it a go, and I am sooo glad I did. It's a whirlwind of emotions all rolled up into a well-done romance/mecha anime, and one of the best anime out there for anyone to watch.

The Story: The show follows fourteen-year-old Renton Thurston, who's completely bored with his life. He wishes to be like his idol and professional lifter (lifting is like air-sufing) Holland Novak. One night, a giant mech called the Nirvash crashes into his and his grandpa's house, revealing the pilot, a girl named Eureka (promounced eh-oo-reh-kaa). It's love at first sight, and Renton soon finds out that Eureka is part of the rebel group Gekkostate, Cwhich Holland is a member of as well. Renton decided to join Eureka and the other members of Gekkostate as they stuggle against the government and corruption.

The Animation: The animation, done by BONES, in this show was nice. The character designs were well done, but as I mention in the Fullmetal review sometimes BONES gets lazy, and they got lazy in Eureka Seven. However, it never really distracts you at all, because you get absorbed into the plot.

The Music: The music in this show is funky. From the first opening (Days by the wonderful FLOW), which has disco-influence, right down to the music that Mathieu plays from his old records, this show is definitely disco-influenced. You might think it's a bad thing, but it's executed flawlessy. I have both soundtracks on my computer waiting to be put on my iPod right now.

Pairings: SO MANY PAIRINGS AND THEY'RE ALL CANON. Renton/Eureka, Holland/Talho, Dom/Anemone, Moondoggie/Gidget, Charles/Ray... the list goes on!

Characters: The characters in this series do grow up and change. Renton matures and becomes less whiney, Eureka learns to open up and accept others, Holland learns to stop being a hothead, etc., etc. The characters are really dynamic in this show.

Eureka Seven a beautiful story of young love, war, and struggle. It's a great watch if you need a new series to get hooked on, and it willd definitely NOT leave you disappointed but it will leave you wanting more. It can easily be considered a perfect series.

Eureka Seven is property of  Bandai Entertainment. There are currently 50 episodes, 1 summary episode, and 1 movie set to hit theatres in Japan April 25.

No. 5- BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad

Holy crap, what can I say! I love love love love love BECK. I cannot get enough of this show. I started watching this show because I needed something to watch as I worked out. BECK is perfect because it's slow and you don't have to worry about missing some awesome fight, because the are none. Despite the title, BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad has nothing to do with chop squads... whatever they are.

The Story: BECK: Mongolian hop Squad is the story of Yukio "Koyuki" Tanaka, a fourteen-year-old with a poor taste in music. While saving an odd, patchwork dog, he meets his owner a: sixteen-year-old by the name of Ryusuke Minami, who happens to be the lead guitarist in band. After seeing Ryusuke play a few times, Koyuki is inspired to play himself and takes up guitar lessons thorugh his swimming teacher (who knows how to play, of course). Meanwhile, Ryusuke's band breaks up, and he in now on the hunt for new band members. After sometime, Koyuki's playing has finally improved, and along with his beautiful singing voice and guitar playing, he joins Ryusuke's band, BECK, as it's called in Japan, and Mongolian Chop Squad in the US.

The Animation: Madhouse Studios animates BECK.I mentioned in the Death Note review that it can get lazy sometimes, and BECK, well, dissapointed in the animation department. There was nothing really stunning or special about it, and characters looked older than they actually were (I though Ryusuke was like eighteen, seriously, not to mention he acted it). But the thing is, you get so caught up in the story and the drama, it's something you only notice when you first start the series and after when you do something like I'm doing now. It's almost like the okay animation takes backseat to everything else.

The Music: Best music ever. Period. Seriously, even if you don't like anime, but you love classic rock, rapcore, or any rock-related genre, you should watch this. It's worth watching just for the music. I normally don't talk about the voice acting in my reviews, but I have to commend Greg Ayres for his awesome, awesome performance as Koyuki. He has an amazing singing voice. I'd also like to commened Brina Palencia. I love her in everything she does, and I loved her as Maho Minami (Ryusuke's sister). "Moon on the Water" was pure bliss when I first heard her sing it. And finally, Justin Cook. Oh, man, it takes a lot of guts to rap, and even more if you have to do it more than once! Great, great job as Chiba, pure brilliance.

Pairings: Only one canon pairing: Koyuki/Maho. Won't get into others, because you'll just love this pairing too much.

Characters: BECK has a wide variety of characters, who all go through some sort of growth. This series does a great job developing their characters and making them really dynamic. It's truely lovely.

BECK: Mongolian Chop aka Chicken Soup for the Music Lover's Soul (if that's not already taken). It's a realistic look at a struggling indie band trying to make it big. It's a good show if you want to take a break from those anime about fighting, or one's that make you think. BECK is all about music. Music is relaxing, BECK is relaxing. So take break from life and get into BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad.

BECK: Mongolian Chop Sqaud is property of FUNimation. There are currently 26 episodes.

No. 6- Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Code Geass... what can I say? Code Geass is perfect in nearly every aspect. I started watching Code Geass when Andrew heard it was going to be aired on Adult Swim. He got me hyped up for it as well, and I started watching it from the first airing of dubbed episode 1. Like Death Note, Code Geass really makes you think and it's a refreshing breath of air from mindless anime.

The Story: Code Geass tells the story of  Japan after being taken over by the Brittannian Empire and being renamed "Area 11". Lelouch Lamperouge, a student and exile Brittannian prince, is unintentionally caught up with a terrorist attack against the Empire, reuniting him with an old friend, Suzaku Kururugi. Stuck in a sticky situation, he meets C.C (pronounced  like "C2") who offers him the power of the geass. Lelouch's geass gives him the power to order anyone to do anything. With this power, he plans to take revenge on the empire ans lead a rebellion under the name Zero.

The Animation: Sunrise animates Code Geass, and they do an excellent job. The animation in crisp, clear, and beatiful. CLAMP did the character designs so the torsos on the guys are a little long, but they aren't very distracting. Every person in this show is absolutely gorgeous, especially Lelouch.... and Ariana would agree with me.

The Music: Ho. Ly. Crap. JIBUUUN WOOOOOOO! I was hooked right from the first opening, COLORS by the totally awesome FLOW. It is an amazing song! I didn't really care for the ending that much though. And the second opening by Jinn, well, I hate her voice. Sorry. I was thoroughly dissapointed that they used Acess's opening for ONE EPISODE. It was a great song and they should have used it for more. The current opening for R2, O2 by Asterix is so catchy.

Pairings: (WARNING!: THIS SECTION IS SPOILER RIDDEN!!!) Woah, there are so many possible pairings in this show, it's not even funny. Lelouch is a player just like Light in Death Note. My personal favorites are Lelouch/C.C, Suzaku/Euphemia, Suzaku/Kallen (R2 only), Ohgi/Villetta,  and Guilford/Cornelia. Ones that I'm not to fond of: Lelouch/Shirley (she's a side character, sorry), Lelouch/Kallen (I'm not very fond of Kallen), Lelouch/Kaguya (she's funny though). Yoai fanpeople love Lelouch/Suzaku and Lelouch/Rolo (R2 only).

Character: Definitely a cast of characters in this show. Each character has their own personality and motive, which makes it clear to distinguish between characters. I'd say Suzaku has developed the most so far. His persona had changed the most.

Code Geass kicked off my spring, and made AnimeNEXT and even more enjoyable experience, I'll add that. It's definitely one of those anime that even non-anime fans should watch. An intriguing plot, beautiful animation, and defined characters aren't the only reasons this show should be watch by all. A hidden message lies underneath all the drama, so you'll have to watch to find out.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is property of Bandai Entertainment.. There are currently 2 seasons of Code Geass, season 1 with 25 episodes and season 2 with 26 episodes, 1 OVA, and 9 DVD-only special episodes. There is a hinted possible third season/second series in the works.

No. 7- Death Note

I stumbled upon Death Note because someone at Court-Records mentioned a possible reference to it in the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. I also noticed how popular it was at Lunaescence, so I decided to give it a go. I'm honestly glad a I did. Death Note was a great experience; it gave me something to think about. Not to mention, I was able to meet a few of the voice actors at AnimeNEXT, so I have an undying love for the series.

The Story: Death Note tells the story of the high school genius, Light Yagami, who notices a black notebook fall from the sky during class one day. As any ordinary human, he was more than curious and went to go find out what it was all about. When he picks it up off the ground after school, he finds the words "Death Note" written on it. Inside on the cover, it mentions that the name of the human written in the Death Note will die. Naturally, he thinks if it as a joke, but is convinced otherwise when the owner of the Death Note, a Shinigami  (Japanese for death god) named Ryuk, pays him a visit. Light is then convinced he can kill off all criminals using the Death Note, and plans to become the god of the new world.

The Animation: Like BONES, there are times where it seems Madhouse Studios does their animation poorly. This, like Fullmetal Alchemist, never really happens in Death Note. Just like the story, the animation is dark and very fitting for the suspenseful mood of the story.

The Music: I didn't care too much for the first opening and ending, but the second set is godly. Maximum the Hormone does the second OP/ED set, so it is epic. Background music is rockin'. I have to say, L's themes are epic.

Pairings: Light is a player. He manipulates a handful of women to make sure that his identity as "Kira" (Japanese pronunciation of killer) is kept a secrect. The longest "relationship" he has is with a fellow Death Note holder and pop idol, Misa Amane. Despite that fact, she dresses like a whore for him, constantly throws herself on him, he sees her as nothing more than a tool. To be honest, I felt bad for her because she really did love him. I'll admit, I'm a Light/Misa fan. Hardcore yaoi fans love Light/L and Mello/Matt, and I know that for a fact... unfortunately.

Character: Light never changes throughout the entire series. He stills stays a manipulative genius from high school throughout his career as a detective. L is still socially awkward, sweets-loving, sleep deprived detective that will always be adorable despite his apperance. For an epic series, there really wasn't much character development.

Death Note is a must watch in the anime world. If you're looking for an anime that isn't mindless fighting,  has whiny, stereotypical characters found in a shonen series than Death Note is the series you've got to watch. If you want to see how Light manages to keep up the cat and mouse chase, then go watch it. It's totally worth it. 

Death is property of Viz Media.There are currently 37 episodes, 2 director's cut episodes, and 2 live-action movies for Death Note. There is an American version of Death Note set to be filmed.  

I'm laaaaazzzzzy. I'm sorry but I like to procrastinate. This should have been done already. Update on my life though:
-Dance is this Saturday. People are being poops and not buying tickets. It's not going to be lame like the middle school dances.
-Mid-terms are next Friday. PHOOOOOK.
-Varsity Law one it's first competition last Thursday, and Ramapo forfeited today, giving us another win. We're two-for-two now! :D

And now back to our regulary scheduled program.

No. 8- Lucky Star

Ah, Lucky Star: the second real anime I got into! I started this and Ouran High School Host Club in the summer before eighth grade, so it really holds a special place in my heart. Besides being, funny, clever, and whimsy, it really jumped started my venture into the world of anime, so I have no choice but to praise it (Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Dragonball do not count in the venture of the anime world since they were part of my elementary school years. I did not watch them because they were anime, but simply because they were on TV).

The Story: Well, there really isn't much of a story since Lucky Star is a slice of life. It basically follows the everyday lives of four high school girls: Konata Izumi, twins Kagami and Tsukasa Hiragii, and Miyuki Takara. However, the fact that there is no story does not take away from the experience.

The Animation: The totally amazing Kyoto Animation animated Lucky Star. The characters are drawn cutely, but the animation is crisp, clear and top quality. I have no complaints in the animation department for Lucky Star at all.

The Music: AHHHHH!!! The music in this show is awesome! The opening Motteke! Sailor Fuku (Take It! A Sailor Uniform!) is the second catchy OP/ED from a KyoAni work (Hare Hare Yukai being the first), complete with a crazy but learnable dance. The endings change every single epidsode starting from karaoke sessions with the four main characters, to hits in Japan with Minoru Shiraishi himself. I love him he's hysterical. The background music is completely unforgetable. It's constantly stuck in my head and plays when I have those random conversaitons with friends... just like in the show.

Pairings: No real pairings in this show, at least none that are canon. Shojo-ai/Yuri fanpeople will have a field day, since the main cast is almost completely girls. The only realy guys in the show are Minoru, Konata's Dad, and Kagami and Tsukasa's dad.

Character: I defintely wouldn't say there is a lot of character development going on in this show, but the characters are very clear cut and defined. Konata is a smart but lazy otaku. Kagami is the straightman and hardworker, Konata's foil. Tsukasa means well, but doesn't always do well, but she's great when it comes to Home Economics. Miyuki is walking perfection: she gets top marks, is beautiful, extremely knowledgable outside of school studies, but she is "moe". She's clumsy and wears glasses, which in Japan, is a total turn-on. XD And she hates the dentist and contact lenses.

If you need an anime that allows you to sit back, relax, and laugh, Lucky Star is the direction you'll want to head in. It might be confusing since a lot of anime references (mostly on Konata's part) are made, but they aren't the only jokes in there. Trust me, it's worth it. And you'll want to know the Motteke! Sailor Fuku by the time your done.

Lucky Star is prpoerty of Bandai Entertainment. There are currently 24 episodes and 1 OVA of Lucky Star.

No. 9- Fullmetal Alchemist

Let me start by saying that there's a reason certain anime becomes popular: because it's good. Fullmetal Alchemist satisfied my taste, but still left me wanting more. Maybe it's because it strayed from the manga's orginal direction, and stopped short before the manga even finished (and it's still going too).

The Story: The story of Fullmetal Alchemist is a beautiful story indeed. Two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, lose their mother and attempt to revive her using alchemy. In their world, Alchemy is much different than the one used in the Middle Ages, and is used in just about everyday life if one is able to practice it hard enough. However, using Alchemy to resurrect the dead is forbidden. Ed and Al ignore this rule and attempt to bring their mother back. In the process, Ed loses his right arm, and Al his body. Ed attempts to save his brother by sacrficing his left leg to seal Al's soul in a suit of armor. Since that day, they've been on a mission to find the Philosopher's Stone, so they can restore their bodies to normal.

The Animation: BONES animates Fullmetal, and I'm overall pleased with their work. On occasion the animation budget runs low, and the animation seems cheap, but it seems that it never really happened in Fullmetal Alchemist. The art was spot on, and crazy similar to the character art from the manga.

The Music: The only opening I really listened to was READY, STEADY, GO! by L'Arc~en~Ciel (I didn't even listen to the Asian Kung-Fu Generation song DX), and never bothered with the closings. I love the background music, and "Brothers" gets me everytime.

Pairings: No real pairings here. Mostly fan pairings. Yoai fangirls will definitely go for the Roy/Ed pairing, het fans would go for the Ed/Winry, Al/Winry, and/or Roy/Riza. And I'm not gonna even get started on the incest fans...

Character: This show is ridden with original characters. Between Ed's rants on him not being short (even though he really is) and Al's undying love for cats, and even Roy Mustang's womanzing ways, this cast does not dissapoint. Not to mention, there is some major character development all up in here.

If you love action, drama, and angst all mixed in one series, Fullmetal Alchemist is definitely the series you'll want to start watching... now.

Fullmetal Alchemist is property of FUNimation Entertainment. There are currently 51 episodes, 5 OVAs, and 1 movie for Fullmetal Alchemist. There is a second season currently in production set premier in April of this year, and it will follow the plot of the manga more closely.

Alright, Andrew challenged me to do this thing where you post your top 10 anime and say why you like it so much. I'l be posting one per day for the next ten days (It's like FUNi's New Show A Go Go thing!).

No. 10- School Rumble

Well, after much delay, I've finished the first season of School Rumble. I know I still have an OVA and two more seasons two watch (but season three is only like, three episodes if I'm correct...). I can easily, that I laughed so hard during that series, and that it takes No. 10 on my list.

The Story: There isn't much of a coherent plot for School Rumble, since it's basically somewhat of a slice of life. It's mostly our main heroine, Tenma Tsukamato, trying to win the affection of her crush, Oji Karasuma, who is only interested in curry. Meawhile, Tenma is unaware of the school's bad boy, Kenji Harima, who has been in love with Tenma for quite sometime. Their antics to win their desired's affection are hysterical.

The Animation: I love the animation for this show. Everyone is drawn proportionally, and I gotta say, Tenma is just adorable!!! The animation is crisp and clean and the jumps from chibi to normal, to shonen ot chibi, and so on are extremely well done. Props to Studio Comet for the animation.

The Music: I absolutely love the opening for School Rumble, SCRAMBLE by Yui Horie (who plays Eri Sawachika) featuring UNSCANDAL.The opening has a very ska/bandstand feel to it, and I absolutel love ska music. I never care much for the endings, so I don't have much to say about them other than that they didn't really impress me too much. The background music didn't leave much of an impression on me other than the fact that it enhanced the mood of each scene. I can't recall any background music at all.

Pairings: Holy crap! School Rumble has the biggest love triangle ever know to mankind! It's very hard for me to decided on pairings, usually I go for the canon ones, but all of them are canon! Here's Wikipedia's drawn out love triangle.But I'm kinda leaning towards Harima/Eri and Imadori/Ichijou.

Character: Plenty of character development with the exception of Tenma, Akira, and Karasuma. They don't develop as much throughout the show like all the other characters do. Even Imadori seems to have changed from a total pervert to... well, just a pervert.

I thouroughly enjoyed every single second of School Rumble. I never got bored watching itm and always found myself laughing at all the jokes and stupid antics going on.

School Rumble is property of FUNimation Entertainment. There are currently 2 seasons of School Rumble, each at 26 episodes, as well as 2 OVAs. There are 2 OVAs different from the afforementioned that make up a third season.