Rating: 4.5/5 curiously excited clouds

I am just bursting with excitement for volumes 2 and 3 of Missions of Love. Volume two continues from the initial story threads of volume one where Yukina advances in her missions of love with Shigure. A lot triangle is sparked when Akira (Yukina’s childhood friend/cousin) decides to pursue her as her boyfriend… awkward, because he’s her cousin, but rolling with that, Shigure gets a kick In the butt when he realizes that Yukina might have completely lost interest in him. After all, she was only using him to write romance in her cell-phone novels. Neither Yukina and Shigure have realized they might actually have feelings for one another but they continue to cooperate on the missions of love… Yukina realizes that the unexpected surprises one’s significant other does, is one of the best parts of romance, and sheallows Shigure to do whatever he wants in missions number seven. Cutest moment is when they bump into each other again at the day’s end. But still, Akira’s not ready to give up yet and promises to teach Yukina about romance.

Yukina’s absolutely shocked when she finds out that her fans adore love triangles! Her expression is hilarious (courtesy of Ema Toyama’s amazing art) When Yukina decides to shift gears from Shigure to Akira to learn about romance, Shigure doesn’t let her off the hook… he tells her he will never like her but he will make Yukina fall in love with him. Don’t you just wanna smack them oblivious characters? Another character named Mami appear, and Shigure sweetly dotes on her leaving Yukina confused as to how her emotions react to Shigure with another girl. (I don’t think you can call it a relationship yet…). Volume 3 has to be the best book so far. It wraps up nicely with mission number 8 which is a real treat. I can’t wait to see how the story advances when volume 4 comes out in July!

- Cloudy

What are you pondering today?

Related articles

• Missions of Love Volume 1 Review (littlecloudcuriosity.wordpress.com)

“What’s happened to me? I must be dreaming. I feel like I can take out the world.” 

Tetsuo, ‘Akira’

The Grandmasters

A martial arts epic directed by the acclaimed Chinese director Wong Kar Wai promises many tantalizing action sequences, astonishing cinematography, and full-bodied storyline, which dwells on the life of martial-arts master Ip Man and the legacy that he left behind.

Straw Shield

Though the plot of this revolting thriller seems somehow familiar, the fact that it’s directed by Takashi Miike (13 Samurai, Gozu, Audition) can’t go unnoticed. The first teaser hints at a gritty, gory, nightmarish tale of revenge and murder, in which a newspaper ad leads to deadly hunt for an alleged serial killer, forcing the police forces to perform an uneasy task of transporting him to safety.

The Seventh Son

Based on the first fantasy book in the series The Wardstone Chronicles entitled The Spook’s Apprentice, The Seventh Son might come as a darker, spookier, more devilish than any of the adventure-fantasty franchises released in the recent years. The film focuses on a young magician Tom and his quest to save the world from the omnipresence of evil forces. It’s a blockbuster with a very talented cast, and if the script is written with enough attention, this might be a bigger hit than Harry Potter ever was (not to mention the subpar, the-sooner-you-forget-the-better Twilight).

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Even though I wasn’t fully satisfied with the first installment in The Hobbit trilogy, I still believe that the best is yet to come. With all its efficacious attitude, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug might prove that Peter Jackson only teased the audiences with An Unexpected Journey, reminding us that the real journey is about to begin. Bilbo Baggins, along with the Dwarves and Gandalf, are closer to the epic fight with Smaug, and I can only dream of it being a huge eye-popping showcase of awesomeness.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Martin Scorsese re-teaming with Leonardo DiCaprio for a smart, high-speed, dialogue-driven drama about one of the most infamous Wall Street stockbrokers? Count me in, please. Based on the memoir of Jordan Belfort, this film aspires to be a fresh and intriguing response to many other more or less flawed corruption-related crime pictures.

Only God Forgives

Nicolas Winding Refn enters Thai boxing world with a guilt-free, climatic punch to the gut publicly known as Only God Forgives. It’s a violent, masculine, dark tale of honor, courage, and persistence, which not accidentally reminisces of Drive in the visual style. It’s yet another intriguing collaboration between Refn and Ryan Gosling, and that should probably be enough to get anyone interested in this title.

Akira

While most fans of the original animated version of Akira are hoping that the project will die before it’s even finalized, many people have hoped to see this live-action feature for a long time. If this cyberpunk action film’s ever as good as the 1988 anime, it will surely become a smashing ht in no time. Brace yourselves for one hell of a futuristic ride.

New World

Having seen most of the emotionally-heavy, violent, intense South Korean gangster flicks, I’m pretty sure that New World might be a worthy contender for the year’s ‘best in the genre’ title. Apart from being a gritty and probably truly mind-bending one, New World might also be the most entertaining picture that’s come from the country that has mastered thrillers to the bone. Early reviews imply that the star-studded cast and breathtaking, full-bodied, action-packed storyline will leave the audiences astonished and craving for more.

Serena

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper astonished the world with their wonderful, award-worthy performances in the not-so-typical comedy Silver Linings Playbook. Susanne Bier, the Danish superstar director, brings the two together for an emotional, tough Depression-era drama about one family’s troubles resulting in the horrible news that the lady of the house can’t bear children. Though not much is known about the movie itself, I believe that Serena will be a wholehearted, engaging picture and another winner for the starring pair.

Upstream Color

Shane Carruth knows how to both amaze and confuse the audiences. His 2004 low-budget picture Primer won the whole world over with its ambiguous, mightily innovative look on the perspective of time travel. After 9 years Carruth returns to Sundance with his next createon. As one might expect, the first teaser of Upstream Color is as beautiful as it is chilling and enigmatic (the short synopsis of the film bewilders even more). Whatever the film is about, it surely will be a one of a kind experience.

Post-Apocalyptic. Dystopian Futures. Wastelands. Whatever you want to call them, Hollywood has produced it’s fair share of movies about futures, that for lack of a better word … suck. But what makes the post-apocalyptic film so fascinating is that we often see both sides of the spectrum — an Earth with no technology, or an Earth with too much technology. And with the release of last week’s #1 movie Oblivion, where our planet is once again left barren with only a Tom Cruise to save it, I thought we’d take a look back at some of the best this genre has had to offer. And whether we’re looking at an Earth that’s been ravaged by war, fatal disease, or even pesky robots, no stone will be left unturned in My Top 10 Best Post-Apocalyptic Movies!

10. Logan’s Run (1976):

We’re kicking it off with a classic. And people are going to think I’m totally off my rocker and just an absolute crazy person, but to this day, I still prefer the effects and settings in this movie as opposed to something like Avatar. That’s how much I love practical effects over CG. With Avatar, I know it was all shat out of a computer. But with Logan’s Run, these are all organic and real. Yeah, you can blatantly tell it’s models most of the time, but they’re still real, dammit! But I ‘m getting sidetracked, because Logan’s Run really is an extraordinary film. This was sort of the precursor to WALL-E, where all the humans live in their safe little bubble, never exploring the outside world. But the sick twist in this film is that when everyone turns 30, they are levitated into this weird room leading to their death, fooled into thinking they will be reborn. Michael York (Yeah, Basil from Austin Powers) is great as the title character, and the joy of this film is simply watching Logan and Jessica (Jenny Agutter) progress through all these different environments until finally finding the true remains of the human race. While a bit long, Logan’s Run is trademark sci-fi entertainment. It’s only a matter of time before there’s a re-make.

9. Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome (1985):

The Mad Max series doesn’t get talked about too often anymore, but it’s a trilogy where all three films are unique in their own way. I think I even prefer Mel Gibson’s ‘Mad Max Rockatansky’ as opposed to Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon series. What propels Mad Max 3 to awesomeness though is the first act in which Max enters Bartertown, a twisted society where people live on pig shit for fuel, and are subjected to ‘Price is Right’ style games, if ‘the Price is Right’ were being played in Hell. To be honest, once Max leaves Bartertown, and the story shifts to these lost kids who act like Ewoks, the movie really loses me. But when Max enters the Thunderdome and fights Blaster (Paul Larsson), it’s one of the most epic fights in the history of cinema. I just wish the whole movie took place in Bartertown, even though that means more of Tina Turner’s acting.

8. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981):

Going right back to the Mad Max well, the Road Warrior is more consistent then it’s sequel. This is quite simply a bad ass piece of filmmaking. Screw those obnoxious douchebag-esque Fast and Furious car chases … this is a man’s car chase. Death cars barreling down the dirt road, giant dudes with mohawks punching through windshields, motorcycles with spikes all over the place … and once again, it’s the 80′s, so we know there’s no CG. It’s all practical, baby. And also unlike Crapformers and Battle Los Angeles, the action is filmed in a way where you can actually tell what’s going on…imagine that?

7. I Am Legend (2007):

I’m not much of a zombie guy, so for me, this is a movie that is truly carried on the shoulders of Will Smith. I think it’s his best acting job. It’s his Cast Away. And just like Tom Hanks, Smith has the gravitas to own the screen all by himself. There are many drop dead powerful moments in this film, but when Smith’s character, Robert Neville, has to give his dog a certain fate, everyone in the theater I saw it in lost it. Smith’s acting is incredible here. He should have been nominated for an Oscar, but it’s a movie with zombies, so the Academy shrugged their shoulders. What else is new? I am Legend … otherwise known as The Fresh Prince of Zombieland. Now that’s a sitcom waiting to happen.

6. Dredd (2012):

I don’t care if I’m the only one who’s seen Dredd, that’s not my problem. Dredd is a gritty, brutal, and relentless crime film, with a fantastic performance from Karl Urban. And you don’t even see the guy’s face! The look of horror in Cassandra Anderson’s (Olivia Thirlby) eyes as she watches how depraved and sick Metro-City One is says it all, and this is only her first day of training with Dredd. But the scene that puts it over the top for me is when Dredd takes control of the PA system in Ma-Ma’s (Lena Headey) building, and Urban delivers a masterful speech that is absolutely chilling. ‘I am the law.’ If this movie slipped by you, and judging by the box office it probably did, give it a chance.

5. The Matrix (1999):

What is there to say about The Matrix at this point? When this movie came out, it knocked us all on our collective asses. And for better or worse, we have to credit it with giving us bullet-time style action. But as much as I love this movie, it hasn’t aged well. With the Star Wars prequels, I’m still able to separate them from the original trilogy. But for some reason, The Matrix sequels are harder to break away from that mold. I can’t help but think of the atrocities that are The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions while watching the original. Personally, I don’t think The Matrix really shouldn’t have gotten any sequels to begin with; the story was complete for me. Neo (Keanu Reeves) flies away, it signals to us he’s the God they’ve been waiting for, and eventually he’ll save everyone. I didn’t need to see this play out. It’s like in Heroes when Peter Petrelli becomes all powerful, but the creators realized, ‘Oops, this is a TV show, let’s think of lame ways to downgrade his power set.’ But at the end of the day, The Matrix is still a classic.

4. WALL-E (2008):

Aside from Toy Story 3, this is Pixar’s crowning achievement. I admit I have a personal bias towards the plot of this film, as I feel too much technology can deteriorate the human race, and WALL-E is basically a giant middle finger to technology. The brilliance of WALL-E is that on the surface it can be a fun little kid’s film, as all the fat people slide around in their chairs staring at their computer screens, but in reality, this is some dark, dark, dark, shit. But aside from the film’s main point, the first act where it’s just WALL-E roaming around the desolate Earth is also fantastic … quiet, subtle, and funny. 2008 will always be the Academy’s darkest hour for many reasons, and WALL-E not getting a Best Picture nomination is one of them.

3. Equilibrium (2002):

This movie was completely buried and tossed aside in the wake of The Matrix. And I admit the similarities are a little much, especially in how the protagonist dresses, so I can’t fault someone for saying, ‘This is just a Matrix rip off.’ But now that it’s been years since both movies were released, I can safely say that Equilibrium is actually a better Matrix. Why? While it deals with similar themes of humans being tricked and manipulated into a specific society, Equilibrium expresses itself with actions, not words. For all the praise the Matrix gets, and deservedly so, it’s too over bearing and talky. I can’t stand a lot of Morpheus’ speeches. Stop preaching and explaining every little detail! With Equilibrium, a movie about human emotion essentially being outlawed, it tells you everything you need to know through it’s actions. When John Preston (Christian Bale), a Cleric (high ranking police officers), breaks down and cries when listening to a piece of music that is deemed illegal, this tells you everything you need to know on both the character, and how oppressive their society has become. This is better then someone talking about going ‘down the rabbit hole’ 95 different times. While Equilibrium doesn’t have bullet-time, it introduces it’s own little gem: Gun Kata. It’s basically learning how to use guns as swords. You have to see it to believe it. The score is TV level, and the ending is a bit abrupt, but in going back to the Matrix comparisons, one movie has Keanu Reeves, while the other Christian Bale … any more questions?

2. Akira (1988):

It’s hard to elaborate on the greatness of this movie, but every time it ends, I just sit there in awe. It’s a storyline that reaches, and reaches far into the depths of some pretty serious themes. And while it’s not perfect, and certainly clunky in many areas, it succeeds more times then not. And Akira has certainly influenced plenty of other properties, including last year’s fantastic Chronicle and certain elements of Lost. However, Akira achieved what it wanted to say a hell of a lot better then Lost did. While very rough around the edges, the animation is stellar, albeit some disturbing images to be sure. Akira is an emotional experience that is unquestionably draining, as well as fulfilling. This film isn’t for everyone, but everyone should see it at least once.

1. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001):

You could argue it’s one of the most polarizing films ever made. People either love A.I., or loathe it. There’s not a lot of in between. Personally, I think it’s outstanding, but I get people’s criticisms. For those who don’t remember, this was supposed to be Stanley Kubrick’s film up until his death in 1999. You can see his influence on it, but it’s very much a Steven Spielberg movie. It’s funny how I’ve been ranting and raving about CG, but I have to admit, this is an absolutely gorgeous looking film with fantastic special effects. But at the heart of this movie is a character who ironically doesn’t have one – David, played incredibly well by Haley Joel Osment. David is just one of those characters like Rocky, Truman Burbank, or Forrest Gump – a protagonist who you want to succeed so damn badly, it makes his journey that much more substantial. And much like Logan’s Run, I love watching how many different environments David and Gigolo Joe (Jude Law) encounter, from the sleazy Las Vegas-esque town of Rouge City, to the desolate near underwater Manhattan. But the biggest knock on this film is the ending. I agree that the movie reaches an appropriate conclusion, albeit a depressing one, but still should have ended right there. But as everyone who’s seen this movie knows, it just keeps going. While I agree it’s not the greatest ending in the world, I think it’s a solid one. I think a big reason why people lash out at this climax is simply the design of the aliens…they look too Spielberg, and I can see how that could really irritate a lot of people. Also, many just assume he changed Kubrick’s ending to make it more Spielberg schmaltzy, but according to Spielberg, this was the ending all along. What’s the real story…who knows? All I know is that this is an incredible film, but I totally understand why certain people don’t dig it. It’s an acquired taste.

Even though I have Akira right here I’ve never taken the time to read it… but I plan to… eventually… really… by the end of  this decade… 

I just realized, Rejet’s website for SEVENTH HEAVEN was updated a while ago with voice samples of Akira ( lol sorry I completely was oblivious ) if you haven’t seen it, click HERE where you can see a nice visual of Akira, about 3 (i think) voice samples and if you click the arrows at the side you can view other characters, although this hasn’t updated yet, so you can’t listen to any of the samples. We learn this from the site:

He’s the Ruthless Prince (Otome-Jikan translated it as “The Perfect Ruthless Prince) 

Age: 996
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 60 kg
Blood type: A
Favorite food: Beef jerky

“…we’ll save it for later.

Until the night of the full moon, do your best to entertain me?”

- Taken from Otome-Jikan, lol gomen, I can’t read Japanese >.<

Arisu

]]> http://tylerraiz.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/biblia-koshodou-no-jiken-techou-ep-08-review/ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:57:48 +0000 tylerraiz http://tylerraiz.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/biblia-koshodou-no-jiken-techou-ep-08-review/ http://otomekyan.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/seventh-heaven-release-date-akira/ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:16:45 +0000 arisuhime http://otomekyan.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/seventh-heaven-release-date-akira/

As mentioned in one of my previous posts, Seventh Heaven (a song + drama CD project) has been greenlit, and drama CD’s will be coming out very shortly. Infact, Battler 1: Akira has come out today! yep, the release date is supposed to be today, April 24, 2013. However, especially because it came out today, I would definitely not expect any download links or translations soon. I could be wrong, but it should at least take a few weeks for the translations to come out, seeing as translation groups need time with their other projects too. I am actually preparing for my Mock Exams now, but I will try and keep my eye out for any download / translation links for Akira.

Arisu

Author: Harumi Hasegawa a.k.a Kezia Grace @karlinalylasin

Cast:

Ayumi Hamasaki

Mizuko Hakuba (OC) – Ayumi’s best friend

Harumi Hasegawa (OC) – Ayumi’s best friend

Rina Suzuki – Pacar Yuto

KISS Member:

Maeda Atsuka (artis muda)

Yuto Nakajima (penyanyi terkenal)

Satoshi Ohno (model majalah)

Akira Kagimoto (fotografer handal)

Tegoshi Yuya (Peramal)

Length: Chapter

Genre: Romance, Friendship, AU, etc

***

Mesin itu menunjukkan denyut nadi Ayumi yang begitu lemah. Mungkin hanya dua puluhan per menit. Anggota-anggota KISS dengan setia menemaninya. Namun akhirnya, satu per satu harus pergi. Mulai dari Satoshi yang ada pemotretan, Akira yang harus menggantikan posisi fotografer Satoshi, hingga Tegoshi yang ditanyai banyak fansnya bagaimana nasib zodiak mereka bulan ini. Dengan sabar Yuto dan Maeda tetap berada di sisi Ayumi.

Pakaian Maeda sudah diganti, ada yang membawakannya baju salinan tadi.

Maeda dan Yuto menjadi agak canggung. Padahal tadi mereka berceloteh panjang-lebar.

“Aku takut… karena kitalah Ayumi sampai celaka,” kata Yuto sambil menghembuskan napas panjang. Akhirnya kebekuan di antara mereka mulai mencair.

Maeda mengangguk kecil. “Mereka begitu iri dengan Ayumi yang bisa dekat dengan kita. Kira-kira siapa yang melakukannya, ya?”

***

Harumi berjalan dengan langkah senang menyusuri trotoar itu. Sesekali ia membungkuk dan memberi salam pada para pejalan yang dikenalnya. Bahkan ada Tegoshi, anggota KISS itu.

Di rumahnya, ternyata sudah ada yang menunggunya. Mizuko. Orang yang disukainya, namun malah mencintai Ayumi. Yang membuatnya kesal justru Ayumi malah suka pada orang lain. Anggota KISS lagi.

“Kenapa kau melukai Ayumi???” tanya Mizuko tanpa basa-basi.

Harumi menelan ludah. Benarlah kata pepatah, “Sepandai-pandainya membungkus, yang busuk berbau juga.” Atau, “Sepandai-pandainya tupai melompat, pasti akan jatuh juga.” Dan di jurang di mana sang tupai jatuh adalah singa raja hutan yang kelaparan, orang yang sangat dikaguminya karena aumannya yang menarik.

Harumi menghembuskan napas. “Dia bahkan tidak peduli padamu, bodoh.”

Suaranya bergetar. Sebetulnya ia tidak tega mengatai orang yang disukainya bodoh.

“Aku hanya menyukainya sebatas kakak-adik, mengerti?” ucap Mizuko kesal. “Dan seharusnya kakak itu sayang pada adiknya. Kau suka padaku, kan?”

Harumi berusaha menahan air matanya. Ia mencengkeram kedua tangannya. Ia ingin sekali meninju Mizuko saat ini, dan mengatakan, “Tentu saja bukan aku yang melukainya! Aku hanya kesal padanya dan tidak sengaja melihatnya menjadi playgirl bersama anggota-anggota KISS! Sok punya masalah!”

Namun kata-kata itu tidak keluar. Hanya terpendam dalam hati, sehingga membuatnya makin terpuruk saja.

“Kenapa kau harus selalu membela adikmu? Kenapa tidak aku?”

Mizuko mengernyitkan kening. Ia mendekati Harumi dan mendekapnya erat. “Sudahlah, percayalah, aku mencintaimu. Tapi aku tidak akan membiarkan siapapun seenaknya sendiri. Aku juga menyayangi Ayumi walau hanya sebagai saudaraku.”

Harumi pun menumpahkan seluruh tangisnya. Mizuko mencium rambutnya. “Sudah, jangan marah lagi, ya, Harumi…”

Harumi mengangguk-angguk. “Ma-maafkan aku… soal Ayumi… aku akan menanggung biaya rumah sakitnya. Masalahnya, aku sangat sendirian di sekolah. Aku merasa kau begitu tidak ramah padaku. Kuharap kalau aku bisa menjadi perempuan yang disegani di sekolah kau akan tertarik padaku. Maafkan aku. Aku memakai cara yang salah.”

Mizuko mendekap Harumi, makin erat. “Rumi-chan, kau harus tahu sesuatu. Tidak akan pernah aku tidak lagi mencintaimu. Dari dulu bahkan aku sudah sering deg-degan berada di dekatmu. Kau percaya?”

Harumi mendongak. Matanya yang bulat memancarkan kilat-kilat bahagia. “Kau… kau suka padaku?”

Mizuko mengangguk. “Aku sangat mencintaimu, Harumi.” Ia mendekatkan bibirnya ke arah Harumi dan menciumnya lembut. Harumi tidak pernah merasa lebih bahagia daripada hari di mana Mizuko menciumnya lembut seperti itu. Rasanya ia tidak mau melakukan apapun, selain dekat dengan Mizuko.

***

Akhirnya Ayumi bisa keluar dari rumah sakit. Namun sayangnya ia sangat trauma dan tidak mau bicara. Anggota KISS berkali-kali mengonfirmasi pada dokter yang merawat Ayumi apa dia mengalami gangguan pada pita suara atau semacamnya. Tegoshi bahkan meramal untuk mendapatkan jawaban yang pasti. Hasilnya nihil. Ayumi terlalu trauma, bukannya mengalami cedera apapun (kecuali bagian dadanya yang masih digips). Sampai-sampai semuanya memanggil terapis untuk memulihkan kondisi mentalnya.

Harumi mencoba meminta maaf pada Ayumi, namun gagal dan gagal lagi. Ayumi pasti bersembunyi. Sudah lima terapis didatangi dan tidak ada yang berhasil. Akhirnya Ayumi mengikuti kelas privat dengan kelima anggota KISS yang sibuk menjaganya. Untungnya tidak ada yang keberatan. Kepala sekolah memberi teguran keras pada Harumi dan para fans KISS yang dirasanya berlebihan. Mizuko bahkan tidak berhasil membuat Ayumi membuka mulutnya.

“Ayumi, ayo ke kantin,” ajak Harumi suatu kali. Bukannya mau ikut, Ayumi malah menghindar, bersembunyi di balik Akira yang membawa kamera SLRnya. Harumi merasa seperti Sadako yang begitu ditakuti. Bahkan fans KISS dulu mencemoohnya terus karena membuat mereka jadi ikutan kena masalahnya. Ia sering menangis jadinya. Syukurlah Mizuko selalu siap bahu untuk menampung air matanya. Harumi dan Mizuko kini berpacaran, tepatnya sejak kejadian sekian lama yang lalu.

***

Ayumi menangis di balik bantal. Kini ia berada dalam kamar asrama sekolahannya. Ia tidak bisa tidur, atau lebih tepatnya terbangun dari tidurnya setelah mengalami mimpi masa lalunya itu.

Ayumi tidak sengaja menabrak seseorang di pekarangan desa. Kacamata minusnya yang tebal pun ikut jatuh. Ia mencari-cari kacamatanya.

“Ini, ya?” tanya orang itu sambil menyodorkan kacamatanya.

Ayumi meraihnya dan membungkuk sekian kali sembari meminta maaf.

Orang itu tersenyum. Walaupun tidak jelas namun senyumnya sangat manis. Ia pun pamit meninggalkan Ayumi.

Teman-temannya datang dengan baju yang sama dengan dirinya. Merekalah KISS.

Kemudian sebuah buku jatuh. Ayumi meraihnya.

Yuto Nakajima

Ada foto seorang laki-laki di sana. Ayumi mengenakan kacamatanya.

Akan bersekolah di Seika Gakuen…

….

….

Ia tersenyum. “Tunggu aku, ‘Kakak’.”

Ia menangis lagi. “Yuto-san…”

Harumi yang kamarnya paling dekat dengan kamar Ayumi (keduanya berada di pojokan paling jauh dari yang lain) pun mengetok pintu kamarnya. Harumi sangat kagum dengan Ayumi yang sangat pintar sehingga bisa mendapatkan beasiswa untuk sekolah di Seika Gakuen ini. Beda dengan dirinya yang hanya ber-KTP “anak orang kaya”.

Harumi tahu ini akan sia-sia. Sedetik kemudian tangis Ayumi sudah tidak terdengar lagi. Ia menghembuskan napas panjang dan berjalan kembali ke kamarnya. Ia memeluk bantal animenya dan berusaha untuk tertidur. Pintu kamar tertutup, AC sekolahan juga tidak panas tidak terlalu dingin, jendela juga tertutup rapat. Suara burung hantu samar-samar terdengar dari luar. Ia ingin sekali bisa melakukan sesuatu untuk Ayumi, namun entah apa yang bisa dilakukannya.

***

“Bagaimana kabarmu, Hime?” tanya Satoshi girang. Sekarang ia sudah sangat suka dengan kehadiran Ayumi yang baginya sangat seru. Tidak salah kata Tegoshi, Ayumi memang gadis yang sangat unik.

Ayumi tersenyum kecil. “Aku baik, Satoshi-san.”

Sekarang Ayumi sudah mulai bisa mengatakan sesuatu. Ia sendiri tidak tahu mengapa, pokoknya ia merasa harus bisa kembali sebagai Ayumi yang dulu, yang sangat periang bukannya pendiam seperti sekarang ini.

Kemudian Akira datang.

Seperti biasa, ia memotret seluruh penjuru ruangan. Termasuk Ayumi dan Satoshi. Namun akhirnya ia mengerjai kawannya itu, “Hei, Satoshi, sebaiknya kau tidak menghalangi lensa kameraku untuk memotret si cantik Ayumi.”

Satoshi mendengus kesal, namun akhirnya minggir juga.

“Berpose yang imut, ya, Ayumi!” seru Akira.

3…

2…

1…

Ayumi bergaya ala karakter chibi manga yang imut. Akira tersenyum kecil, yang langsung dibalas Ayumi.

***

Yuto menggandeng tangan Rina, kekasihnya selama satu tahun terakhir. Kemudian ia mengajaknya ke bawah sebuah pohon sakura yang lebat. Ia menghembuskan napas dan berkata, “Hubungan kita sudah sampai di sini saja, ya.”

Rina membelalakkan matanya, kaget. “Kenapa?”

Yuto mendecak kesal. Sebulan lalu ia melihat Rina pergi dengan laki-laki lain. Ia pun membentaknya dengan menceritakan segala kekesalannya itu. Rina menunduk. “Gomen ne…”

Yuto menyilangkan kedua tangannya di dada. “Pokoknya, sampai sini saja hubungan kita. Mengerti?”

Rina mengangguk.

Download Anime On The Clock Episode 11

I’ve been a fan of the Dragonball series for quite a few years. It all happened one random day when I decided to see what all the fuss was about with this show. So I started from the very beginning of Dragonball. I watched every episode from start to finish all the way through Dragonball, and then I moved on to Dragonball Z. Now here’s where it really started getting good. We finally learn what Goku is, where he comes from, and quite a few other things as well. I watched the entire series from beginning to end, and while it had some bad spots (Garlic Jr saga and Great Saiyaman saga), it was still pretty awesome overall. Then I moved on to Dragonball GT.

AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!!!!

What the fuck is that shit?! That was terrible! Why did anybody working on that show think it was a good idea? Giru? Pan? The… (gulp)… Para Para brothers? Why? Why would anyone want to see that shit? I had been warned ahead of time by some friends that I would not like DBGT, but I still wanted to watch it simply so that I could know the entire story from start to finish. Any completionist would understand where I am coming from with this.

Still, I really wish I hadn’t watched it. Sure, there were a couple of good moments, such as the return of Nappa (which lasted all of 15 seconds). But there were a lot of bad things too. For instance, do you remember General Rilldo? He was a lame-ass villain they decided to throw in toward the end of the Black Star Dragonball saga. He was a powerful fighter, and he had the ability to turn shit into metal. That’s nice. I wouldn’t have a problem with it if it weren’t for what Goku said when they first met him: “He’s powerful, even more powerful than Majin Buu…” What!? This guy! I know not to judge characters in this series based on their appearance, and that’s not what I’m doing here, but let’s just put this in perspective.

We started out the beginning of DBZ with the Saiyans being the most powerful. Then it turns out that they answer to someone thousands of times more powerful than them: Freeza. He considers himself the strongest in the universe. Then Goku defeats him. The next big problem were the androids. Now I’ll admit, that makes no fucking sense. Why were the androids more powerful than Freeza? Even then, I can let it slide, because the androids weren’t the main villain this time. The main focus was on Cell. He made sense, because he was made with the DNA of all the Z fighters as well as Freeza. Still, he is defeated by Gohan. The next big villain doesn’t show up for a while, but eventually Buu comes on the scene. His story is that he was created as pure evil and he is the most powerful being in the universe, feared by all, even the Kais. He had been forgotten for a long time because he was sealed away. So it makes sense for Freeza to think he was the most powerful.

Now let’s add General Rilldo into the mix. This is years after the events of DBZ, so obviously the entire universe got to see the crazy power of Buu. If this guy was around for a while before Buu started busting shit up, why weren’t the Kais also concerned about him? Even if he wasn’t there while Buu was around, don’t you think the Kais would be keeping a close watch on every corner of the universe after what happened? The North Galaxy, where this all seems to be taking place, would be of particular interest to the Kais, you would think.

And General Rilldo is just a flunkie! This show is fucking stupid! It’s so fucking retarded! AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!

Okay… I’m done…

I can’t do this anymore. If I continue to talk about this show, I’m going to lose it.

Gary K. Wolfe, in “The Remaking of Zero: Beginning at the End,” writes that in post-apocalyptic narratives the world is often transformed by a reversal of the process of technological innovation: “available technologies are removed from the world, rather than new ones introduced” (2). However, more commonly this reversal of technological innovation happens incrementally: technologies are not merely removed, but are used as they decay, until they no longer function. In On the Beach (1959), the character Julian delights in the possibility of buying and racing a Ferrari, which is now worth very little as cars have ceased to be used; the protagonist of Le Dernier Combat (1983) fashions a makeshift airplane from old car parts to escape from the ruins of an office building; in Def-Con 4 (1985) a makeshift tank made of old construction machinery is the turning point in a post-apocalypse revolution; and the Mad Max films increasingly focus on the importance of gasoline in a machine-dependent post-apocalypse Australia. The motorcycle is not alone in being of crucial importance to the post-apocalypse narrative’s discussion of machinery and dependence on technology. What is different about the motorcycle, however, is that their appearance is almost exclusively confined to a gang setting.

In No Blade of Grass, our heroes initially begin their journey by car, but find the roads too treacherous and decide instead to continue on foot. The motorcycle gang is a constant presence in the film, beginning with an encounter which involves the rape of both the protagonist’s wife and daughter. The surviving gang member from this encounter (nicknamed “The Fuhrer”) persecutes the family until a climactic encounter where the two sides engage in a bloody shoot-out. The gang members all wear leather jackets (the only other leather-jacket wearing character is the treacherous and dangerous Pirrie) and horned helmets (presumably referencing the false popular image of the raping and pillaging Vikings):

The protagonist and his family in Mad Max also fall prey to a gang of vengeful bikers, who terrorize, rape, and steal indiscriminately:

The attitude displayed in these depictions towards motorcycle culture seems to be a far cry from road movies like Easy Rider (1969), although there may be more parallels here than seems at first apparent. Wyatt and Billy in Easy Rider traverse the American West looking for a sense of identity and community, a sense of what it means to be American tied with the mythology of the open road. The motorcycle gangs of No Blade of Grass and Mad Max show a similar freewheeling independence and focus on community, but this is a darker, uncanny portrayal. The gang of Mad Max fight among themselves and violently bully their own members, and the gang in No Blade of Grass have a purposelessness that culminates in a shoot-out they had no stake in winning or losing (similar perhaps to the violent end met by Wyatt and Billy)–these are characters without a sense of purpose besides their need to be on the road. This uncanny double of the portrayal of the motorcycle and road narrative could be indicative of a couple of things: first, that the dream of establishing an identity and sense of belonging cultivated by motorcycle culture (and society more generally) has crumbled into a savage, violent failure; or, second, that the frontier has merely shifted in the wake of the apocalyptic cataclysm, and that the motorcycle gangs have had to change to meet the new criteria of frontier life. The second of these seems the most interesting to me–although the frontier effectively closed with the settlement of the American West, post-apocalypse narratives reopen this frontier by defamiliarizing familiar settings. So, the Australia of Mad Max and the England of No Blade of Grass become new frontiers to explore again, where freewheeling travelers can explore and take what they need from the surroundings. This take on the narrative of exploration and the frontier takes on a sinister twist in the setting of the ruins of a past civilization.

Perhaps more easy parallels could be drawn between these films and earlier motorcycle movies, such as The Wild One (1953) or The Wild Angels (1966), in which the protagonists are in fact members of violent motorcycle gangs. Akira fits most neatly alongside these:

In this narrative, rather than the outlaw gang terrorizing our protagonists, we are invited into the world of these characters, one of whom becomes the antihero of the story. In terms of its connections with the fearsome gangs of No Blade of Grass and Mad Max, we again see a sense of community established beyond normal society, in which bikers are enabled to travel the frontier of post-apocalyptic environments (in this case Tokyo). Perhaps, then, these narratives, in depicting biker gangs, show that countercultural groups are able to maintain a sense of stability that goes beyond the breakdown of the civilizations they depart from. The morality of these lawless groups is certainly shown by post-apocalyptic narratives as ambiguous, but whereas for other characters the apocalypse does mean the end of the world, for motorcyclists the end of the world does little to impede their freedoms, and may in fact even reinforce them. Though they outlast the societies that have crumbled into ruin, however, there is at all times a sense that these technologies on which they depend must also decay, as Wolfe asserts, though this is at least a slower process for the freewheeling, independent gangs, who possess both a sense of community and an enterprising nature.

Works Cited

Wolfe, Gary K. “The Remaking of Zero: Beginning at the End.” The End of the World. Ed. Eric S. Rabkin, Martin H. Greenberg and Joseph D. Olander. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1983. 1-19. Print.

Akira vocalist Orosil De los Santos II has started a new side project called Through These Eyes. The two man band consists of Orosil (vocals) and Chris White (vocals, guitar, bass and drums). Santos says the band will be a melodic hardcore band with gritty hardcore and regular vocals. He has also stated they will only be a studio band for now.

Article by: Wellington Gibson

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Emil Sitoci, Ivan Markov, Bonnie Ekaterina

There will be an afternoon and an evening show at Shinjuku Face on the same day.  The six-person tag is in the afternoon, and in the evening I will have a singles encounter against either Akira Shinose or Koji Doi, both of whom are just out of their rookie year in the wrestling business.  Both Shinose and Doi will have a match against each other in the afternoon to see which one of them will get the “honor” of facing Yours Truly on the evening card.

AKIRA, StarBuck, Syuri

It feels great to be returning to Japan after a half a year away!  Sou desu ne!!!

Emil Sitoci, Ivan Markov, Bonnie Ekaterina

There will be an afternoon and an evening show at Shinjuku Face on the same day.  The six-person tag is in the afternoon, and in the evening I will have a singles encounter against either Akira Shinose or Koji Doi, both of whom are just out of their rookie year in the wrestling business.  Both Shinose and Doi will have a match against each other in the afternoon to see which one of them will get the “honor” of facing Yours Truly on the evening card.

AKIRA, StarBuck, Syuri

It feels great to be returning to Japan after a half a year away!  Sou desu ne!!!