Hero Nation Official Poster

The good points of the event:

• Well Ventilated
• flow of the program
• Hosts were lively and not boring

The bad points of the event:

• Venue was too little for the massive crowd that attended
• Venue was a bit hard to reach for commuters
• Food prices were a bit to high
• No goodie bags(since 2007 i think)

There were alot of good cosplayers but somehow i haven’t gotten their pictures! The food prices were a bit too much for my teenie tiny cash supply. So we went to Mcdo down the street(about 1/4 kilometer from the event) then went back. by 4 pm(i think) the tickets were sold out and about a hundred people couldn’t get inside the event. The event for me is a 6/10. Hope to see more and better from the organizers. Photos of cosplayers bellow.

2001 can be best defined as a year of flawed greatness. The best series of this year had some fairly major drawbacks, but those drawbacks ultimately didn’t mean much considering each series’ strong points were pretty damn awesome.

It was also an awfully violent year for anime. Lots and lots of beautiful blood.

Honorable Mentions

Hellsing

The TV version of Hellsing gets a bad wrap. Yes, the second half of the series wasn’t all that. It’s because of this second half that many fans freak out when someone mentions an anime deviating from the original manga. But I find most of these reactions exaggerate the second half’s flaws. I thought the new villain was somewhat unique. He wasn’t yet another Eastern European myth-based vampire like we’ve seen time and time again. He was an African vampire with a cool visual scheme. Seeing Alucard/Dracula face off with a vampire based on a different culture was pretty fascinating. The end results might not have measured up to the first half’s storyline, but I think most of the criticism comes from the fact that it deviated from the manga rather than actual criticism of the episodes themselves. Had these episodes not been called “Hellsing,” I doubt we’d be hearing as many complaints. In the end, I found these episodes comparatively weak, but at the same time they kept the relative tone established by the previous episodes.

That said, the first half of Hellsing is pretty damn brilliant, and that brilliance comes to a head with the Valentine Brothers story arc. Even taking the manga’s storyline into consideration, I think the Valentine bit is the height of Hellsing. This is the part where Hellsing’s pattern is established. Alucard is seemingly pushed to the brink. The “villains” seem to have the upper hand. The supporting cast throws in their help, but they aren’t enough to win the day. Then, when all seems lost, Alucard laughs in his typical maniacally gleeful tone and goes apeshit on the place while revealing that he’s just been toying with his foe. The situation, setting, and enemies may change, but that pattern remains the same throughout the series.

The Valentine arc also establishes the series’ inherent nastiness and amorality. There had been flashes of this ultraviolent attitude in previous episodes, but the scale upon which this particular story takes place best cements the stakes at hand. The Hellsing compound is assaulted by a horde of zombie-like pseud0-vampires decked out in SWAT gear. Despite being ready-made, Wal-Mart-grade shocktroops, they lay waste to the Hellsing mansion. They also give the supporting cast their chance to show their stuff. This is the first time we see Walter bust out his dental-floss-fu, and we see Integra show that you don’t need to be a vampire or a super soldier to be thoroughly badass. And the gore factor is glorious.

I also want to re-emphasize the “Hellsing has an awesome dub” point that many have made before me. Considering that this is an anime that takes place in Britain, it feels considerably more natural to see the characters speak in English. And hearing actual accents for the region makes it all the better. I’d go so far that the only area in which the original Japanese is preferable to the dub is Alucard’s voice. That voice actor hits those low “notes” with far more menace.  Otherwise, I’ll be a loyal Hellsing dub fan for life.

And to boot, the series’ soundtrack is my vote for the decade’s best. The best way to describe it is “gothic blues.” No other series from this decade sounded this good.

Noir

Flashbacks can be a useful narrative device. They can be used to give important information that would otherwise be inaccessible. Unfortunately, Noir feels the need to use the same flashback repeatedly and does so long after said flashback has worn out its welcome. If you can ignore this narrative crutch, Noir is a great action series that owes just as much to non-Japanese live action movies as it does to anime. Obviously, I’m a big fan of the action movie.

Between Mireille and Kirika, we get two angles on the action movie. Mireille represents the American/European style. Not only is she of European descent (she’s from Corsica), she also behaves in ways that a stereotypical “western” action hero would behave. Her style of gun play is considerably more straightforward than Kirika’s. Before the advent of The Matrix, few western action movies skewed towards acrobatics and such in their action scenes. While great action scenes still made use of movement and location, the action heroes in question were rarely trained in the sort of acrobatic, John Woo-like style prevalent in Hong Kong movies. There’s less “fluidity” and more of an emphasis on the rough, brutal aspect of violence. Mireille’s style falls more in these lines. She’s far more likely to stand and fight gun to gun, man to man. You could see her inserted into Die Hard or Leon: The Professional.

The same can’t be said of Kirika. Conveniently, she’s of Asian descent (Japan, obviously), but she also fights in a manner very reminiscent of the John Woo-inspired blood opera/heroic bloodshed movies that cropped up in the late 80s. Her style utilizes far more martial arts and acrobatics than Kirika, making her gun play considerably more “stylized” than Mireille’s. The two characters have differing, and in some ways opposing, manners of fighting, and that dichotomy makes for something of a yin-yang effect on the series.

By having the characters represent two “branches” of the action movie, Noir acts as something of a meta-text on the genre as a whole. The series then proceeds to work its way through numerous action movie stereotypes (the world of assassins, criminal conspiracies, vengeance, etc) while adding in certain elements that you rarely see in such movies but often see in anime. The “chosen one” angle is distinctly anime-like, where forces are working to create “perfect” assassins to go along with an ancient prophecy. Noir is a mishmash of genres and sub-genres that manage to merge into something beautifully violent and clever.

Shame its “sister” series, Madlax and Bruja, never quite measured up.

Best of the Year

X

X is the greatest 13 episode anime series ever made.

Shame it takes 24 or so episodes to show us all 13 episodes.

Much like Noir, X has a repeated motif that gets old fairly quickly. We get the same “I am a Dragon of Earth and you are a Dragon of Heaven” spiel almost every episode. The same exposition is repeated constantly, not unlike a Buddhist mantra or Fox News’ “fair and balanced” shtick. We need to hear it once or twice in the early goings, so we can figure out what each side is all about, but do we really need to be reminded each time a good guy and a bad guy meets? Is it because the characters have bad memories and need to remind each other which side they’re on? I have to think this is the case, because X’s morality is pretty fucked up.

X boils down to Man vs Nature. The Dragons of Heaven wish to preserve the world as-is. They’re like Morgan Freeman at the end of Seven when he quotes Hemingway, “’The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part.” Many of the “good guys” know that the world isn’t that great of a place, but they don’t feel that the world should be destroyed in order to fix whatever problems may exist.

The Dragons of Earth wish to destroy the world as is, but they wish to do so in order to bring about a rebirth of sorts. They see humanity as something of a plague, and in order to ensure a better future for the world as a whole they feel they must purge the world of this disease.

Sounds pretty simple. Defend humanity or defend the earth? What side do you choose? The catch is that most people either don’t care about their particular side or had no choice in the matter.

Many of the Dragons of Earth join that side for no logical reason. Fuuma is literally forced into becoming “evil” when Kamui chooses to be a Dragon of Heaven. This was his destiny. He was born to act as Kamui’s foil, and whatever choice Kamui made would irreversibly transform Fuuma. This leads to the preordained death of Kotori, Fuuma’s sister and Kamui’s friend, at the hands of Fuuma. It didn’t matter what decision Kamui made in regards to Kotori’s fate. If he chose to be a Dragon of Earth, it would have been him dealing the killing blow and Fuuma mourning her death. Essentially, while Kamui has the illusion of choice, none of these characters could choose their fates. Kamui had to pick a side. Kamui also had to decide Fuuma’s fate and who would bloody their hands with Kotori’s blood.

Another Dragon of Earth, Nataku, was cloned for the very purpose of becoming a Dragon of Earth. While he ends up sacrificing himself for the good of one of the Dragons of Heaven, he never had a choice in regards to becoming a Dragon of Earth. It’s as if the Earth itself is luring souls in to fight for it, even if it’s against their will. In a way one could say that the Earth is ultimately selfish when interpreted in this manner. The source of all life, the planet upon which we live, is cast as a villain because it wishes to cleanse itself and start anew.

Considering the fact that many of the premonitions we see about what the Earth will be like if the Dragons of Earth win (it’s a pristine, Eden-like paradise rife with new life), it could almost be said that environmentalism is something of a negative force in the world. While I wouldn’t accuse the series of being some sort of Captain Planet-like eco-freak, there’s definately some subtext criticising the more extreme views of environmentalists. It’s fascinating to see popular culture attack the issue of the environment from the other side. Usually we see preachy stories about evil people doing things to harm the world which leads to disaster. In X we see the reverse: going against what makes us human (creating technology by utilizing the environment to out advantage) may result in an equally terrible fate.

I’d like to say that the series tries to make a case for balance between the opposing sides, but it doesn’t. The Dragons of Heaven win. Humanity is triumphant and the world will continue on as-is. The Earth, for now at least, has been beaten back and conquered. And this is seen as a good thing. While I can’t say I agree with the implications, it’s fascinating none the less.

There’s also tons of bloodshed, decapitations, elaborate fight sequences, and excellent art direction. It also gives the storyline a proper ending that’ll likely never see print in manga form. Good stuff.

Also-Rans

Sadamitsu the Destroyer, Soul Taker, Fruits Basket, S-CRY-ed

Fruits Basket

Well, this was an odd week and random, but seeing how Thanksgiving is tommorow and all I guess it just goes with it.

Erm, hello there, everyone!

This is me, being chatty rather than intellectual.  I tend to be slightly more snarky this way, and slightly less formal—which you would doubtless realise for yourself very shortly, but I like to be upfront about these things.  The reason I write?  To inform you about a new feature to this blog!

I’m calling it “Friday Fixation.”  On a particular day of the week (I’ll allow you the fun of guessing which day), I’m going to write a small and informal post about whatever I may be reading/watching/obsessing over at the time.  It will nearly always be a work of fanfiction or a manga or anime series.  Why?  ‘Cause it’s fun.  And I can.  It’s my blog, after all.  As with the books I review, you can take it or leave it, I’m just throwing it out there for your benefit.*  And you are certainly welcome to offer me recommendations in the hopes they will become fixations, as well!

So, to make up for the fact that I’m going to be completely skipping this Friday, and the following Monday review post (due to the sheer volume of other things I have to do over the holiday weekend), here is my very first “Friday Fixation”:

“Fruits Basket/Furuba”—  I am recommending the anime series, rather than the manga series.  I much prefer the animated version to the version on paper.  While there are a few differences that purists might argue against, it’s the perfect guilty pleasure.  26 episodes of uncomplicated fun that tend to be pretty hilarious.  An orphaned teenaged girl that moves in with three guys who randomly turn into animals (the story of which is actually kind of dark and scary).  It’s all perfectly innocent, despite how it looks.  The two younger guys are classmates of hers.  They have a huge extended family, several of whom turn into animals.  Let the high jinks ensue.  (At least until the very abusive head of the family catches wind of it . . .)  If interested, you can view a good quality version on this web site, try searching for it on your site of choice, or you can purchase the DVDs.

*Unless I am using Friday Fixation to inform you of horrendously bad fanfiction.  When I find these, I have to share.  It’s not for your benefit.  It’s for my amusement.

If you’re a fan of either Bleach or Death Note, check out the specials RightStuf.com has going on for movies and box sets, up to 64% off. You can also find plenty of other awesome deals in their Weekly Specials. (Fruits Basket for $24.99? Awesome.)

I’ve been thinking a lot about my life. Senior. I still can’t believe that in a couple of months I’ll be 18. That in a week or so college applications will be due. I’ve never been so lost in life… or felt so empty as I do now. It scares me. I haven’t even applied to any colleges.

All my life I was decided on a career, of going to college and majoring in something that I knew I wouldn’t love. I laugh at the thought. I took classes that I know I wouldn’t love so much. Took AP classes I didn’t want to work hard for. I tried so hard to please everyone that I’d forgotten about myself.

Who am I? What do I want? What makes me happy? What makes me tick? What do I love to do? Why do I do it? Where do I want my life to lead to? There are so many questions I’ve never even thought of until now. But thinking about them doesn’t suit me at all. I think at some point of all this thinking, I just gave up. I gave up trying to please everyone but I might have just given up finding who I am earlier.

Then I start to think about why I draw, why I immerse myself so much in mangas, or why I love to be alone. Do I even really love those things? Have I always been this confused? I smile. This feeling is somewhat calming yet very stressful. Thinking about this means I’m finally stepping off course but there’s still a part of me who worries. A part of me that tells me to fulfill my parent’s wishes.

Do I even love to draw? No… actually, it’s tiring. Sometimes it’s even boring. I did it to escape. It was my way of disappearing from reality and living in a world controlled by me. I didn’t love it. I needed it. It’s one of those things where one asks, do you need me because you love me or do you love me because you need me. I’d pick the second. It almost feels like an obligation at some point though it was satisfying to hear my sister surrender to my talent… skill. The truth is, I force out what I draw. There’s no feeling in it, purely shallow.

All the things I do are ways for me to escape my life. There’s nothing wrong with that, I know. It’s a normal thing to want but I hate normal. I hate being a typical teenager. To me, it’s pointless… not something I want to experience. I’ve always acted older than who I am… and sometimes I wish that I’d never gotten the courage to tell my guy best friend that I like him so that it wouldn’t lead to my realization about someone else and then leading to what my life is now. I want to go back to junior year and do every thing differently. I don’t want a life surrounded by drama… by typical teenager events. Crushes are useless to me but I have them and I hate it. I hate feeling crappy because I’ve hurt someone. I hate feeling crappy because someone misunderstood me. I hate feeling like I’ve got to worry about school, social life and personal life all together. I hate feeling like I need to live up to everyone’s expectations.

Sometimes I just want someone to tell me that I’m okay the way I am. That it’s alright to be just me. That it’s okay to cry and complain. I want that one shoulder that I can borrow and just surrender to. I want someone to hold my hand and lead me to my path. I just want to hear from someone, other than myself, that every thing is fine the way they are.

but it’s one of those things that are impossible. To hear someone speak to me… haha it reminds me of Kyo from Fruits Basket (A manga by Natsuki Takaya) but not everyone knows what I’m talking about so it’d be really impossible to actually carry out what I want.

Well, at least I don’t have 3 damn shows this time….I should have just combined E and F. Whatever. Some letters are short, other letters (like M) are really long.

Fate/Stay Night – Saber

First of all, who doesn’t like Saber? That’s right, no one. No one except DOUCHBAGS. So yea, Fate/Stay Night kicked a lot of ass, and I’m very fucking excited about the movie that’s coming out (or came out, (depending on whether or not I ever finish this post). Saber. Is. Awesome.

• She looks FUCKING AWESOME COOL.
• She is KING OF FUCKING ARTHUR, WHO IS FUCKING AWESOME COOL BECAUSE KINGS ARE USUALLY GUYS, AND NO, SHE DOESN’T HAVE A PENIS (assumed).
• She’s a nasty fighter, and in this aspect also remains to be FUCKING AWESOME COOL.

Excuse me, I have a boner. Not for anything perverted, but because my cock recognized FUCKING AWESOME COOL SHIT, and thusly, it stands for that shit. At this point, my cock doesn’t even want sex, it’s just showing appreciation. It’s that same as when you stand and clap when the President walks in to make a speech. It’s a matter of respect…..my cock does that…….

Yea so anyway, Saber’s personality is one that I like, cold at times, and a bit non understanding toward certain things. Hmm, that’s a bit confusing…..let me say instead, that her pairing with Shiro is a main reason as to why I like her so much, because their chemistry helps illuminate certain things about her, for example, Shiro always try to protect her, and she insists that she doesn’t need protecting, and all that kind of shit.

That’s it? That’s your example? You didn’t explain shit!

Fuck yourself.

FLCL – Haruko Haruhara

I ahevnt- whoops -haven’t really talked about FLCL much on this beautiful ISSS, but for what it’s worth, this is one of the coolest fucking shows ever made on the face of the planet. If it wasn’t only 6 episodes (which is a perfect length for the series if you ask me), then I might have to put this on my top ten. Actually, fuck it, I should at least put this in my top twenty. (To be honest, I have no idea what my top anything is, it changes in my head 6 times a week. The other day I thought about taking InuYasha off the list completely, mainly because I’m so disappointed with the new season. That’s right, disappointed (EDIT: I wrote this like a month ago, so by “the other day” I mean “the other day a month ago”). My computer background is actually this, and I don’t think it will ever change in the next year.

Anyway, finding the best character in this show is slightly difficult, because the characters are all fucking awesome. In the end I decided on the default awesome character, and went with Haruko, because she’s a crazy mutha fucka.

Fruits Basket – Kyo

I feel like he’s the only one in this show who has a cool personality, besides Kagura (who is a skitso which is awesome). Actually, why isn’t Kagura my favorite character? She threatening him into proposing to her with a boulder! That’s fucking actually cool. All the characters in this anime seemed flat to me, but I’ve been over that. Kyo is cool because he’s always pissed. I suspect that the reason he is so pissed isn’t because he can’t win a fight, but because he’s stuck in FUCKING FRUITS BASKET.

He changes into a cat, and cats are cool, and he might not always (ever) win his fights, but he keeps trying, and doesn’t back down, and that’s respectable.

Fullmetal Alchemist (season 1) – Edward Elric

This was probably the hardest one yet…..sort of. I mean, by now you may know how I feel about some characters, but at the end of the series (episode 49 to be exact and precise), Ed became the fucking MAN, and I have to give him props for that. I mean, he transfigured himself. HELLO people. BALLS.

Besides that, there’s the fact that he:

• Is nasty at alchemy.
• Has automail for one arm and one leg, and transfigures his arm into a weapon at some points (oh sure he can do that, but when his arm breaks it’s somehow impossible to transfigure back).
• He doesn’t need to draw a fucking gay circle to perform alchemy.
• He gets made when people call him short, and this is funny to me (and never gets old….they could do a whole episode of short jokes and I’d probably like it maybe possibly).

So far I’m liking the second season even more (which means a lot., Bones is doing work. Oh, and in the new season, Riza Hawkeye is my favorite, hands down.

Full Metal Panic (all seasons) – Melissa Mao

That’s right, I didn’t choose Sousuke. I mean, this show is loaded with awesome characters, but I had to go with my main she-bitch on this one, Melissa Mao.

• She drinks beer (why do I consider this a plus? what’s my deal here?)
• She’s got that Ghost in the Shell haircut going, and to be honest, it works better for her than it does for the Major. (I’m a sucker for short hair on girls…but not TOO short)
• Kind of like Shiro from Fate/Stay Night, she does good with Kurz, because she’s able to put him down whenever he makes a sexual advancement toward him, and this in turn does a good job of displaying her personality, which is at times, abrasive (like sandpaper…..sandpaper is abrasive too.)

I like her. BAM.

Isso é que dá ficar lendo mangá! Mas como tempo muita gente que não ia saber ler à moda japonesa eu fiz o favor de inverter a imagem. (A)

Quando jovens somos incapazes de compreender tantas coisas!

Crianças pensam que tem todo o tempo do mundo pra aproveitar a vida. Não se importam com horários, nem responsabilidades porque não precisam disso.

Todos são nossos amigos, confiáveis e tal. Mas quando não vamos com a cara de algum adulto ninguém muda isso. As brigas são resolvidas no tapa pra, em seguida, ficar tudo bem de novo.

Com o passar do anos vamos descobrindo que nem sempre tudo pode ser como queremos. Que pirraça e choro nem sempre fazem uma pessoa mudar de ideia. (Ou fazem, mas tem que ser muito mimado e irritante pra isso ¬¬)

Descobrimos que brincar não é algo pra se fazer o tempo todo, que pessoas dependem de nós e das atitudes que tomamos. E que às vezes precisamos calar a boca e baixar a cabeça, quando existem pessoas mais experientes que nós. u.u

Que errar é normal, desde que tenhamos consciência de que é preciso consertar a merda . Que passar por cima dos outros pode parecer vantajoso, mas ninguém vai querer ficar perto de você depois…

E que é preciso viver cada dia como se fosse o último sempre pensando como será o futuro, mesmo que isso seja altamente contraditório!

Mas, principalmente, que sempre, SEMPRE haverá lições a se aprender porque ninguém no mundo sabe todas as coisas.

————————-

Se até o puto do Ayame Souma, que é completamente pirado é capaz de saber disso, por que a gente não? #piada_interna_otaku

—–

—-

Oi, eu sou Ayme Souma e gostaria de dizer que a realeza também acessa a Taberna Nerd! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Taberna Nerd – Onde o Assunto fala por si só!

–

–

–Oo Notinha oO

Bom, apesar de não estar postando tanto aqui como deveria eu não tenho andado totalmente ociosa nos últimos dias!

Eu tenho escrito algumas coisas que resolvi postar no meu Universo Paralelo. O coitado andava às moscas! D:

Então pra que ainda não passou por lá:

.:Jane Austen com pimenta:.

Isabella [parte 1]

Isabella [parte 2]

.: Curtas :.

Poesia ao pôr-do-sol

.: Aleatórias :.

Ele…

Pessoas…

Lágrimas de Chuva…

Coisas para ser feliz…

O tempo…

my favourite anime and manga!

when i first watched the anime 4 or 5 years ago, it was so touching that i cried LOL.

and i’ve finished reading the last chapter of its manga and YAY, Tooru-chan and Kyou-kun are together x)

okay, kinda cliche’ HAHA!

like Tooru-chan always says ‘never quit under any circumstance!’.

it is a GOOD anime (:

I always thought people avoided me and excluded me because I was awkward. But maybe I’m the cause of this gap in my relationships; maybe the whole time it was just me, being afraid to face people.

I do have a tendency to avoid others. For example, I don’t answer phone calls when I feel guilty towards someone. Or I skip class when I don’t study for a huge test. I don’t go to church because I don’t want to end up pitied and alone. I miss out on parties when I’m afraid I won’t be able to connect with people.

I really have no right to feel lonely. Not when I act this way.

Natsuki Takaya

If you are a certified manga addict, then perhaps you would know her.  Natsuki Takaya is the Japanese manga artist of the famous manga Fruits Basket (you probably have seen the anime adaptation) J.  That’s her pen name – she is born as Naka Hatake, on July 7, under the star sign Cancer.

I love her manga really – oh, I also love the 26-episode anime adaptation.  Because of the famous Fruits Basket manga, she received the Kodansha Manga Award for shojo in 2001.

My favorite Fruits Basket character is Kyou, the cat – hmmm, I can’t deny he’s really appealing, and I also like the character of the wacky Shigure-san.

I’m currently reading her manga Boku ga Utau to Kimi wa Warau Kara, though I’m really slow in terms of reading it because the semester is going to be over soon and lots and lots and lots of things are to be done.  whew!

  Hi Everybody!,

This is not really a blog it is  to advertise my other blogs. The links to them are on the side, please visit them. 

The Club Penguin blog has cheats, hints,tricks, and tips.

The manga blog has fan art of Bleach,Naruto, Black Cat, InuYasha,Platinum Garden,Fruits Basket, Vampire Knight, and many more.

It also has manga release dates,characters birthdays,information,how to draw,and more.

I pretty much have everything manga.

"-You're an onigiri!" ...As they played the game...I waited for someone to call "onigiri." But no one called. But they knew...there would never be room for an onigiri...in a fruits basket. I was very little then. I had almost forgotten about that.

aka: Furuba

Genre: Comedy – Drama – Romance – Supernatural

Length: 26 episodes

Year: 2001

Studio: Studio DEEN

Director: Daichi Akitaro

Script/Writer: Itami Aki, Ikeda Mamiko, Nakase Rika

Character Design: Hayashi Akemi

Music: Abe Jun, Muto Seiji

Animation: Akemi Hayashi

Licensed by: FUNimation

Based on: Fruits Basket manga 23 vols. – July 1998 to November 2006 -  Author: Takaya Natsuki  Illustrator: Takaya Natsuki – serialization: Hana to Yume. Shojo Beat.

Characters: Honda Tohru (Horie Yui), Sohma Yuki (Hisakawa Aya), Sohma Kyo (Seki Tomokazu), Sohma Shigure (Okiayu Ryotaro), Sohma Kagura (Mitsuishi Kotono), Sohma Momiji (Saito Ayaka), Sohma Hatori (Inoue Kazuhiko), Sohma Kisa (Nazuka Kaori), Sohma Hatsuharu (Suyama Akio), Sohma Ayame(Miyamoto Mitsuru), Sohma Akito (Murasaki Wakaba), Sohma Ritsu (Tominaga Miina), Hanajima Saki (Yasuhara Reiko), Uotani Arisa (Imai Yuka).

Synopsis: Tohru Honda is a 16-year-old, whose mother died recently. Despise her unfortunate condition she doesn’t want to worry anyone, so she decides to live in the woods and work part-time to survive, keeping secret from her friends and remaining relatives. What Tohru wasn’t expecting is that, while on her way to school, she would run into Yuki’s family house, her high-school’s prince! With her secret exposed, she eventually agrees with the deal of doing the house-chores for the Sohma family in return of a place to stay and moves to their house. However, Tohru also discovers an incredible secret of the curse of the Sohma Family: they transform themselves into Animals of the Chinese Zodiac!

With Tohru living with this new bizarre people, boredom is something impossible. How many unexpected surprises will keep coming?

Openings:

• For フルーツバスケット (For Fruits Basket) – Ritsuko Okazaki

Endings:

• 1. 小さな祈り (Chiisana Inori; Small Prayer) – Ritsuko Okazaki
• 2. セレナーデ [Pf Solo Ver.] (Serenade) – Ritsuko Okazaki

Notes: The anime doesn’t cover all the manga and has some modifications. The manga

Appreciation: I truly liked this anime. I’ve heard people say it’s a reverse harem. Please … let’s spare poor brain-damaged Tohru, the maximum you could say is that it is a love triangle. Just because a person of the opposite sex is moved, it doesn’t mean that the person holds romantic feelings, the only thing she holds is respect and it’s probable that she may also holds affection. 2 in-love lambs aren’t enough to make a harem =).

And guys, relax. Even though it is way more shojo than Ouran, the comedy is excellent. There’s no explicit lovey-dovey romance (which are a pain sometimes tbh), just heart-warming/aching scenes and slice of life moments suited for everyone (that I generally prefer). Don’t let shojo prejudices fool you (wink).

A must see shojo anime from one of the best-selling shojo mangas. It’s one of my favourite shojo animes. I loved every single character (*glare* Akito…). Each one of them has its characteristic traits and it’s very fun the diversity of personalities and actions that occur. They are also easy to relate with. The comedy is 100% approved (lol Shigure and Ayame were great. Hana too lol). Even though Tohru is the “shojo” girl, I wouldn’t categorize her as the typical. I liked her as main character. A great protagonist to be honest. She’s innocent but not irritating. She’s an orphan, brain-damaged yes (lol), she’s very kind and I admire her inner-strength and effort to be independent and follow her life path. She’s mature. Even though she’s brain-damaged (lol). Now that I’m seeing, this anime, even though not exactly, could be considered slice of life too.

Continuing. The plot is interesting, but the crucial thing in this anime it’s the development without a doubt. As the story goes, you fall deeper into the history of each character and the Sohma Family’s curse, slowly the drama appears. It’s specially due to Tohru’s intervention that the characters are shown to us. Like getting them out of their shelves.  The story is very original, nothing outstanding though, but well conceived.

The music is beautiful (heart I really love it), very quiet and smooth matching the anime. The animation is nothing spectacular, however, the expressionism is great. The art is ok too although you can clearly notice it’s shojo.

I haven’t read the manga… but I’ve been spoiled so (sweatdrop). Well, it’s not that I didn’t like the non defined ending, it’s just that I wished they would have covered more chapters… If I can remember properly, I think the ending wasn’t satisfying enough… Would have liked more development = more eps.  I feel a bit frustrated because this anime could have reached higher. A true shame, it would have been great if they had covered the chapters. Second season plx!

Oh, and I must praise the english dub. Good job *thumb up*

Concluding, Fruits Basket is a light story that will warm and ache your heart while it revolves melancholically in the gentle purity of human emotions. If this is of the likes of yours, I must say it’s very worth watching it.

Rate: Excellent

Graphics:

Avatars

Free personal use 100×100 Furuba avatars. I had them from search engines so if you are the owner and would like credit, please message me.

Title:  Fruits Basket, Volume 3

Author:  Natsuki Takaya

Paperback:  200 pages

ISBN:  9781591826057

Challenges:  Manga Challenge

The third installment of Sensei Takaya’s delightful manga series that gives the reader a window into the life of the cursed Sohma family and how Tohru Honda, a sweet and naive young orphan they’ve taken in and with whom they’ve shared their secret that some in their family are possessed by the vengeful animal spirits of the Chinese zodiac, features the rebellious cat-posessed Kyo Sohma on the cover.  Kyo is probably one of my favorite characters, he is certainly one of the funniest, and this book introduces another of my favorites:  Hatsuharu, the bull.

The book begins with a school race, which the highly-competitive Kyo sees as an opportunity to beat his ultimate rival and cousin, Yuki Sohma, the rat.  The pictures had Maggie and I laughing out loud in public places, trying to keep ourselves under control but often not able,   class=”hiddenSpellError” pre=”">Kyo with his cat ears, fangs, eyes and tail with electric energy swirling around him as he focuses on thoroughly trouncing “That damn rat Yuki” in the race was hilarious.  It’s during the race that Haru shows up and challenges Kyo to a fight, during which Black Haru comes out and makes sexual innuendos about what he’s going to do with Tohru.

Valentine’s Day happens in this book, as well, which brings Kagura back… much to Kyo’s displeasure.  Hatori, the Sohma family doctor, is introduced and Momiji makes another appearance and invites Tohru, Yuki and Kyo to the Sohma family spa for White Day.  Momiji, the rabbit, is another one of those funny, slightly naughty, characters who likes to look pretty.  The trouble is, though, the dress-wearing, fingernail-polished, blonde is a BOY.  Also, the interactions between Kyo and Momiji is reminiscent of the baby brother tag-a-long and annoyed older brother.  Kyo often noogies, pinches and restrains the over-zealous Momiji, who cries and whines loudly to any who’ll listen that he’s being abused by Kyo.

The final page of the book still makes me laugh, and I’ll often repeat it back to Mags, who will break out in groaning laughter and rolling her eyes.  Shigure shows Haru the little cosplay maid outfit he’s bought for Tohru as his White Day gift saying, “I can’t wait for her to call me Master wearing this.”  To which Haru replies, “Just Make sure you don’t get arrested, okay?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title:  Fruits Basket, volume 4

Author:  Natsuki Takya

Paperback:  216 pages

ISBN:  9781591826064

Challenges:  Manga Challenge

Fruits Basket, volume 4 begins with a new year at school and the addition of Haru and Momiji as first years at Yuki, Kyo and Tohru’s high school.  Akito, the abusive, frightening, mercurial head of the Sohma family visits the school, specifically to see Tohru.  He tries to come off as being kind, but it’s even scarier than when he’s his normal evil self.

Tohru is meets another Sohma in a shocking way when Yuki’s older brother, Ayame, crawls into her clothing in his snake form.  Ayame’s visit is an attempt to get closer to his brother, but Yuki seems to dislike and resent him.  Ayame’s visit also brings a reunion  of the Madubachi Trio (The nickname of Shigure, Hatori and Ayame as a group in high school) and stories of their escapades when they were in school.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a series, Fruits Basket is fun and light, with a bit of sexual humor and the occasional homosexual undertone.  Ayame owns a dress shop that may be a  ”>cosplay store, and may or may not be in love with Hatori.  Haru also makes a comment about Yuki being his first love.  There is also violence, some amount of mysticism and Tohru’s ancestor worship with her mom’s picture… a Japanese thing, I know.  But, all in all, the story, writing and artwork tickles my funny bone and Maggie loves reading it with me, which is one of the best thing about them

First off, I just decided to remove my “Bad review” entry. I may eventually re-review it, but I don’t have time for it right now and I also do not have the time to keep moderating these repetitive comments =P. Sometime, when I have more time at my disposal, maybe I’ll get to watch it again and give the review another go… but for now, deleting the entry will save me more time and will save you the energy it takes to disagree with me. Win win situation, huh?

Anyway, once I get more time away from my graphics projects [T-T my soul, it's being sucked out of my body... so many projects.... eeeep!], I should be able to post a review for the final volume of Furuba and perhaps post an entire entry for Fruits Basket, as an overview of the series in both manga and anime form. Also, once that elusive free time returns to me, I should be able to post a review on Code Geass season 1, La Corda Secondo Passo, and whatever other anime/manga I’ve read/watched since then.

Until later!
~Kaze

There are a few things that are on my mind today, they aren’t necessarily library related, but I never said I was only going to talk about the library world. First and foremost: the Peace Prize. While I honestly feel that this was a shock, and came (more than) a bit soon, I hope that this will be for the best…perhaps the title of peacemaker will help to bring about smarter decisions that lead to peace.

World peace often seems like such an impossiblity when faced with the realities of prejudice and injustice that exist within the world, but I have to have hope, and I have to do my part. If we each act as individuals and view each other as individuals, than we can begin to see our similarities and work toward peace. It’s going to take time, and it’s going to take work, but I believe that it is possible.

Second: There are two books that have certainly influenced me in recent years that I can’t encourage people enough to read. The first is Mattie Stepanek’s Journey through Heartsongs. All of his books are wonderful, but Journey inspired me in such a profound way and guided me forward on my mission of peace when I needed it the most.

The second book is William P. Young’s The Shack. For me, the book was more of a confirmation of my beliefs, but this book it filled with the power of conversion. Please, don’t be thrown by the use of that word. When I speak of conversion, I’m talking about a change within the soul. The Shack would be considered “Christian Fiction,” but to not read this book based upon that genre title would be a great injustice to the work.

Yes, God is in the book. But if you’ve ever questioned why God would “let” injustice, pain, and death occur, then you really want to read this book. I don’t want to give the story away, so I’ll end it there.

Finally, if you’re up for more reading and you’re willing to try manga, my top recommendation is Fruits Basket, there are 22 volumes to this manga (all are released in the US). The story starts as a comedy but quickly delves into drama with family struggles and interpersonal relationships. The series was frequently on the Best Sellers list and if you give it a try, you’ll quickly understand why. The story’s message of love, acceptance, and forgiveness among pain is utterly heart-wrentching and heart-warming.

Another top manga is Fullmetal Alchemist. There’s too much in this story to talk about, but there’s definitly the bond of family (all types of family), finding a way to peace and understanding after war and loss, and the struggle between what is good and what is evil.

When I read I look for ways to improve myself and view the world in a more positive light. If I can influence just one person to think more like me, to be more accepting, that’s one person, one step, closer to peace. One person can make a difference. What do you choose to do? How do you see the world and it’s people?

Love and Peace!

Ola meus queridos ^^ !

Mais um Kawaii Desu nessa quinta-feira \o/

Sou sua fofa apresentadora, Ayu-chan!

A febre por personagens-mascotes já passou =D Hoje trago para vocês mais um anime Kawaii Desu ^^

Segundo a lenda do horóscopo chinês, Deus daria uma festa e todos os animais foram convidados, recomendando-lhes que não se atrasassem de jeito nenhum. Então, o rato, traiçoeiro, enganou o gato dizendo que a festa seria outro dia. No dia seguinte, na festa, todos os animais chegaram ao local (o rato pulou no lombo do boi e chegou primeiro) menos o gato, que foi enganado, que mal esperava chegar o dia da festa que para ele nunca ia acontecer. Então o gato ficou de fora do Juunishii(Grupo dos Doze).

Fruits Basket gira em torno dos 12 animais do Zodíaco Chinês(você pode onferir o seu seguindo as datas ^^):

O Rato (Shu)

31/01/1900 a 18/02/1901
18/02/1912 a 05/02/1913
05/02/1924 a 24/01/1925
24/01/1936 a 10/02/1937
10/02/1948 a 28/01/1949
28/01/1960 a 14/02/1961
16/01/1972 a 02/02/1973
02/02/1984 a 01/02/1985
19/02/1996 a 07/02/1997

http://www.beltron.com.br/chines/rato.htm

O Boi (Niu)

19/02/1901 a 07/02/1902
06/02/1916 a 25/01/1914
25/01/1925 a 12/02/1926
11/02/1937 a 30/01/1938
29/01/1949 a 16/02/1950
15/02/1961 a 04/02/1962
03/02/1973 a 22/01/1974
20/02/1985 a 08/02/1986
08/02/1997 a 28/01/1998

http://www.beltron.com.br/chines/boi.htm

O Tigre (Hu)

08/02/1902 a 28/01/1903
06/02/1913 a 25/01/1914
13/02/1926 a 01/02/1927
31/01/1938 a 18/02/1939
17/02/1950 a 07/02/1951
05/02/1962 a 24/01/1963
23/01/1974 a 10/02/1975
09/02/1986 a 28/01/1987
29/01/1998 a 16/02/1999

http://www.beltron.com.br/chines/tigre.htm

O Coelho (Tu)

29/01/1903 a 15/02/1904
14/02/1915 a 02/02/1916
02/02/1927 a 22/01/1928
19/02/1939 a 07/02/1940
06/02/1951 a 26/01/1952
25/01/1963 a 12/02/1964
11/02/1975 a 30/01/1976
29/01/1987 a 16/02/1988
17/01/1999 a 5/02/2000

http://www.beltron.com.br/chines/coelho.htm

O Dragão (Long)

16/02/1904 a 03/02/1905
03/02/1916 a 22/01/1917
23/01/1928 a 09/02/1929
08/02/1940 a 26/01/1941
27/01/1952 a 13/02/1953
13/02/1964 a 01/02/1965
31/01/1976 a 17/02/1977
16/02/1988 a 05/02/1989

http://www.beltron.com.br/chines/dragao.htm

A Serpente (She)

04/02/1905 a 24/01/1906
23/01/1917 a 10/02/1918
10/02/1929 a 29/01/1930
27/01/1941 a 14/02/1942
14/02/1953 a 02/02/1954
02/02/1965 a 20/01/1966
18/02/1977 a 06/02/1978
06/02/1989 a 26/01/1990

http://www.beltron.com.br/chines/serpente.htm

O Cavalo (Ma)

25/01/1906 a 12/02/1907
11/02/1918 a 31/01/1919
30/01/1930 a 16/02/1931
15/01/1942 a 04/02/1943
03/02/1954 a 23/01/1955
21/01/1966 a 08/02/1967
07/02/1978 a 27/01/1979
27/01/1990 a 14/02/1991

http://www.beltron.com.br/chines/cavalo.htm

O Carneiro (Yang)

13/02/1907 a 01/02/1908
01/02/1919 a 19/02/1920
17/02/1931 a 05/02/1932
05/02/1943 a 25/01/1944
24/01/1955 a 11/02/1956
09/02/1967 a 29/01/1968
28/01/1979 a 15/02/1980
15/02/1991 a 03/02/1992

http://www.beltron.com.br/chines/carneiro.htm

O Macaco (Hou)

02/02/1908 a 21/01/1909
20/02/1920 a 07/01/1921
06/02/1932 a 25/01/1933
25/01/1944 a 12/02/1945
12/02/1956 a 30/01/1957
30/01/1968 a 16/02/1969
16/02/1980 a 04/02/1981
04/02/1992 a 22/01/1993

http://www.beltron.com.br/chines/macaco.htm

O Galo (Ji)

22/01/1909 a 09/02/1910
08/02/1921 a 27/01/1922
26/01/1933 a 09/02/1934
13/02/1945 a 01/02/1946
31/01/1957 a 17/02/1958
17/02/1969 a 05/02/1970
05/02/1981 a 24/01/1982
23/01/1993 a 09/02/1994

http://www.beltron.com.br/chines/galo.htm

O Cão (Gou)

10/02/1910 a 29/01/1911
28/01/1922 a 15/02/1923
14/02/1934 a 03/02/1935
02/02/1946 a 21/01/1947
18/02/1958 a 07/02/1959
06/02/1970 a 26/01/1971
25/01/1982 a 12/02/1983
10/02/1994 a 30/01/1995

http://www.beltron.com.br/chines/cao.htm

O Porco (Zhu)

30/01/1911 a 17/02/1912
16/02/1923 a 15/02/1924
04/02/1935 a 23/01/1936
22/01/1947 a 09/02/1948
08/02/1959 a 27/01/1960
27/01/1971 a 15/01/1972
13/02/1983 a 01/02/1984
31/01/1995 a 18/02/1996

http://www.beltron.com.br/chines/porco.htm

No Japão atual, Honda Tohru é uma colegial muito alegre e sorridente. Por ser menor de idade e órfã — seu pai morreu por causa de uma doença e sua mãe por causa de um acidente de carro — ela morava com seu avô, até o dia em que ele decidiu que iria reformar a casa e, nesse meio tempo iria morar na casa de sua filha e perguntou a Tohru se não poderia morar na casa de alguma amiga. Não sabendo aonde morar, pensou em pedir para sua amiga Saki Hanajima, mas já haviam cinco pessoas morando na casa dela. Pensou em pedir para Arisa Uotani, mas o local aonde ela morava era muito apertado. Então resolve montar uma barraca no meio de um bosque e começar a morar lá (Tohru disse para o avô que iria morar com uma amiga para não preocupá-lo e sem contar para as amigas). Trabalha para comer e sempre carrega fotos de sua mãe.

Tohru acaba perdendo a sua “casa” e acaba morando na casa da família Sohma.

A família Sohma é uma família amaldiçoada,onde, 12 membros da família são portadores da maldição dos animais do Horóscopo Chinês. Quando um desses membros se enfraquece ou é abraçado por alguém do sexo oposto, acaba se transformando em seu respectivo animal.

Tohru começa a morar com Yuki Sohma(o Rato), Shigure Sohma(o Cachorro) e Yuki Sohma(o Gato – não presente no Grupo dos Doze)

Personagens:

Honda Tohru

A protagonista da série é uma jovem colegial de 16 anos (depois 17) que ficou recentemente órfã. Sua mãe faleceu em um desastre de automóvel e seu pai morreu por causa de uma doença quando ela tinha três anos.Começa a morar na casa da Família Sohma.

Sohma Kyo

Rival de briga de Yuki. Seu animal é o gato, que não existe no horóscopo chinês, por essa razão ele acredita que se vencer o rato (Yuki), poderá ingressar nos doze signos. Kyo adora artes marciais e viveu algum tempo nas montanhas como forma de treinamento. Logo à primeira vista parece um sujeito insensível e sem tato para com os outros, mas isso é devido à rejeição que sofreu na infância por ele ser o gato.Sua mãe morreu quando ele era pequeno e muitos dizem que ela se suicidou por culpa de Kyo. Após isso seu pai o abandonou e ele foi adotado pelo neto do antigo possuidor do signo do gato, que o ensinou artes marciais. Nutre um sentimento especial por Tohru , porem não demonstra.

Sohma Yuki

Ele é tido como “príncipe” na escola por ser incrivelmente bonito e gentil com todos. Ele luta para se libertar da maldição dos doze signos. Inteligente, prestativo e reservado, esconde problemas da infância que o impedem de se relacionar com as pessoas. Não aparenta, mas é bom de briga. Em sua parte da maldição ele se transforma em um ratinho acinzentado. Tem um irmão mais velho, Ayame, com quem não se dá muito bem, por ter com ele problemas na infância já que ele nunca se importou com ele realmente.

Sohma Shigure

Figura bastante dissimulada e cheia de segredos, este homem é o chefe da casa em que Tohru mora com os Sohma. Ele vive como escritor e novelista e adora xeretar as vidas alheias. Ele é sempre visto trajando quimono e corresponde ao cachorro no zodíaco chinês. Ele adora fazer sua editora, Mitsuru, sofrer quando não cumpre o prazo de entrega de seus textos. Adora testar as pessoas para ver como irão reagir.

Com o decorrer do anime, aparecem mais membros da família Sohma:

-Sohma Kagura (Porco ou Javali)

-Sohma Momiji (Coelho) *-* Kawaii (*Participou dos 5 personagens Kawaii Desu na Edição 4 ^^)

-Sohma Hatori (Dragão)

-Sohma Hatsuharu ou Haru (Boi)

-Sohma Isuzu ou Rin (Cavalo)

-Sohma Ayame (Serpente)

-Sohma Kisa (Tigre)

-Sohma Hiro (Carneiro)

-Sohma Ritsu (Macaco)

-Sohma Kureno (Galo – só aparece no mangá)

Fruits Basket é um anime muito lindo e fofo, com gráfico simples.O anime fala muito de sentimentos, tanto que,a protagonista Tohru, com um coração puro, acaba sempre ajudando aqueles que acaba conhecendo. Aprovo e recomendo o anime Fruits Basket, um anime cheio de amor, comedia, drama do estilo Shoujo (anime para garotas), em outras palvras:KAWAI DESU>.<.Recomendo também o mangá.O anime foi muito fiel ao mangá.Comprei a 1° Edição e gostei muito. Fruits Basket hoje é um dos grandes sucessos do shoujo mangá mundial, e está sempre entre os mais vendidos, seja no Japão, onde ganhou o 25º Kodansha Manga Award como melhor mangá shoujo de 2001, seja nos EUA onde foi o segundo mangá mais vendido de 2004. Além destes dois países e de alguns outros no Oriente, ainda é publicado na França, na Espanha e na Itália sempre com muito sucesso.Já aqui no Brasil, teve muitos Otakus que reclamaram com a censura da Editora JBC na 4° Edição, por um motivo um tanto bobo.Tirando isso, o manga é completamente impecável.

Abertura:

Encerramento:

Espero que vocês tenham gostado do Kawaii Desu de hoje ^^

Comunicado Importante:

Dias 16, 17 e 18 em São Paulo, vai ter a 16ª Fest Comix: evento que oferece variados Mangás e Historias em Quadrinhos.Quem sabe, lá tenha a mangá de Fruits Basket neh ^^ Com certeza eu estarei lá o/

Local: Centro de Eventos São Luís
Endereço: Rua Luís Coelho, 323 (próximo ao Metrô Consolação)
Valor: R$ 5,00

Yo!
Primeiramente, quero pedir desculpas as pessoas que notaram a minha ausencia, e a falta de atualizações do blog. Meu computador quebrou!! Assim, eu não pude postar por tempinho.
Mas mudando de assunto, eu trouxe algumas notícias pra vocês. A primeira é sobre Vampire Knight…

Como diz o título do Post, VK foi licenciado nos Estados Unidos pela VIZ. Porém, não anunciaram se seria lançado por Streaming, TV, ou por Home  Video. A VIZ tem ampliado sua grade de animes Shoujo/Josei. Mas não é surpresa, já que VK é o mangá de maior sucesso da editora nesse momento, além de ser a terceira série de mais lucrativa no mercado americano segundo a ICV; e a segunda, Fruits Basket já terminou, então.. Quem sabe VK não sobe mais uma posição nesse ranking?

Bom, agora mudando, sobre Nodame Cantabile, a orquestra que foi formada para tocar no anime em 2006 vai voltar a se apresentar em 31 de Outubro e 1 de Novembro, graças a uma campanha promocional que antecipa o lançamento do filme em Dezembro, e o Anime em Janeiro!

Outra notícia relacionada a Nodame (e a outros animes também, na verdade) é que a revista Pafu falará sobre Nodame Cantabile e outros mangás centrados na música, segundo a Comic Natalie. Nodame ganha destaque por causa de seu encerramento; assim Tomoko vai passar na revista toda a tragetória do mangá e vai comentar sobre o primeiro episódio lançado pela KISS!
Mas como eu disse, a nóticia não é só sobre Nodame. Para os fãs de animes musicais, dentro do tópico “Grandes Mangás Musicais”, a Revista fala também de Aozora Yell, Houkago Wind Orchestra, K-ON, Nana (NANA!!! Eu amooo Nana! xD), Beck, Piano no Mori, Anoko  ni Moratta Ongaku, Kiniro no Corda (La Corda D’Oro) e também de Itsumo Pocket ni Chopin!!
Bom, então é isso por hoje!
Ja Ne!

Fonte: Shoujo-Cafe

Faz favor de não se assustar com o tamanho! É por causa das fotos! :@

Era pra eu ter ido na segunda… no sábado… quase que eu não fui #gizuis! Ainda bem que o Cardoso que me ama muito (não, não é o do Twitter .-.). Ele disse que me ama mais que a minha mãe (ói que não hein ;P) pra me levar pro Rio, em pleno Domingo, na ponte que caiu, passando na Linha Amarela depois das 16h! hohoho *–*

O pior é que estava resfriada #conspiração. Quando fiquei o dia todo de cama no sábado eu pensei: “Me ferrei!” Minha mãe tinha me dado a opção de ir com outra pessoa, caso o primo dela nao pudesse levar a gente, mas eu falei pra ela que sem Katherine e Thiago eu não ia. u_u

Acho que eu nunca me senti tao feliz por ter tomado uma decisao correta a respeito de pensar em outras pessoas! Eles foram junto comigo e a gente zuou muuito meeesmo! \o/

Quando se passa tanto tempo sozinha não há nada melhor do que passar o dia com seus amigos! E se forem seus melhores amigos (a nível presencial), a coisa fica realmente engraçada! Só pra começar eles já estavam de pé antes das 6h pra pegar a carona! Como eu não consegui dormir direito a noite (resfriado/expectativa_do_mal :B) liguei pra Kathe cedinho pra ver se eles já estavam vindo… nada. Como meu nervoso owna sempre, comecei a ficar pessimista. Mas aí eu zuei um pouco a cara deles e me senti melhor. Assim que eles chegaram aqui em casa nós começamos a nossa bagunça generalizada! hohoho ;P

A viagem foi ótima! (vide: foto 1- com o meu cabelo na cara porque o vento não nos deixava =]) Eu estava com uma febre do mal! Um calor que nem eu sabia de onde vinha e nada da gente chegar no Rio Centro. Lugarzinho longe, #gizuis! E grande! O complexo é de um tamanho que me pareceu bem descomunal, mas eu sou baixinha, entao nem conta!  .-.

As filas estavam enormes, e olha que eu pensei que por ser o último dia nem teria tanto, mas talvez tenha sido justamente por esse motivo. 8T Obviamente o estande da Intrísseca tinha que estar abarrotado, né! #Crepúsculo (fotos 2, 3 e 4) A gente teve que fazer malabarismos pra conseguir tirar fotos nas capas dos livros que estavam enfeitando as paredes. ‘-’ Depois o povo reclama que eu critico as modinhas, mas, cara, o povo não estava nem aí pra série do Percy Jackson e os Olimpianos!!! Os livros estavam lá aos montes em sua grandiosidade olímpica #exageradamodeON e nada de olharem pra eles!

Outro fato importantíssimo! Nós comemos um lanche horrííível!!! kkkkkk Quando eu lembro, morro de rir. Sabe aquelas imitações de lanchonetes famosas? Poi é! Não tinha nada na reta, entao a gente comeu por lá mesmo. Ainda bem que eu estava morrendo de fome (acredite, isso é um milagre). A gente ficou criticando os itens e bolando mil e uma maneiras de processar a empresa. ;D No final foi só mais um motivo pra gente poder morrer de rir junto!

Pela primeira vez eu tinha dinheiro mesmo pra compra trocentos livros, a dúvida era qual escolher! ;s É complicado porque eu nunca leio livros pequenos e quando eu gosto, calha de ter continuação, então tenho que comprar todos y.y Então eu tive que dar uma selecionada. A gente também não tinha muito tempo, quando acabamos de comer #argh fomos direto pras sessões dos mangás (benditos sejam os mapas). Kathe queria muito comprar a coleção do Fruits Basket inteira, mas a essa altura a grana já tinha acabado. A dela, claro! Soy una persona sovina! Aí comprei pra gente (mas estão faltando o 2 e o 8, porque não tinha na hora, se alguém puder fornecer eu agradeço!)

O esquema acabou ficando assim: Katherine ia pra fila, eu pagava e Thiago carregava! Ele achou que eu poderia ser assaltada a qualquer momento, parecia até minha mãe tomando conta de mim ¬¬” E por falar em mãe, ela estava lá também! Mas quem disse que ela quis andar com a gente? Acho que estamos progredindo, ou então ela não quis pagar mico andando com a gente. (?)

Na hora de ir embora foi a maior comédia de todas. Primeiro a gente passou numa exposição que estava tendo lá. A pressafoi tanta que se você me perguntar se o nome da Editora era José Olimpio mesmo, não vou poder te dizer. A gente saiu tirando todas as fotos que não deu pra tirar o resto do dia porque estavamos procurando livros! (fotos  6, 7, 8 e 9) Fizemos uma palhaçada atrás da outra, incluindo tentar se meter no meio das fotos e fazer pose cômicas! Ah! Antes que eu esqueça, olha o detalhe do Thiago do lado da armadura, a espada do cara tinha uma lâmina deeeste tamanho! #uiii

Não conseguimos encontrar com meu primo na hora combinada porque ele estava a zilhoes de anos luz de distância. Acho que levamos quase 1h circundando o território, porque a gente já tinha saído e não podia entrar mais! kkkkk Minha mãe reclamando da dor nas pernas, eu reclamando da minha mãe e Thiago… não estava reclamando de nada, ele é quase perfeito! Katherine só ria mesmo, mas já estamos acostumados a essa parte né, Janine Riddle?! ;D

Voltamos cansadérrimos (zzZZzzzZZzZZZZzzz) e ainda tiramos mais fotos antes deles irem embora (10 e 11). Na verdade, se eu pudesse, eles nem teriam voltado pra casa, mas todo mundo sabe como funcionam essas coisas… vou ter que esperar até uma próxima vez. u_u

Segue a lista (*–*):

~Crônicas Saxônicas (Bernard Cornwell)

* O Último Reino

* O Cavaleiro da Morte

* Os Senhores do Norte

* A Canção da Espada

~Atlantis (David Gibbins)

~A Dama Azul (Javier Sierra) #sefoi

~A Rosa do Inverno (Patricia Cabot) #sefoi

~Coleção Fruists Basket quase completa

E meus famosos livros com desconto!( :3):

Paisagens Noturnas (Vera Carvalho Assumpção)

Mistério sob as Águas (James W. Hall)

Meu Pai Secreto (James Carroll)

O Lago de Vidro (Maeve Binchy)

A Maré Rebelde (Alison McLeay)

Eu sempre deixou uma grana separada pra comprar livros mais antigos com desconto. O povo não sabe o que está perdendo ao deixar eles de lado, porque além de baratos são muito interessantes! Foi assim que encontrei o meu “Mundo de Megan” e me apaixonei pelo meu primeiro Jake. *v* #longahistória

Era pra esse post ter saído na segunda #pero. Então me perdoem!

Já repararam que sempre que temos medo de algo, costumamos sempre fazer o que é errado?Ás vezes, fazemos sem querer, mas em alguns casos, machucamos as pessoas simplesmente porque nos sentimos seguros quando quem causa a dor primeiro somos nós.

Quando temos medo de algo, fazemos de tudo para que todos também o tenham ou fazemos de tudo para rebaixar aquele medo em algo insignificante. Quando somos crianças, temos medo do bicho-papão e sempre que falamos sobre ele, acrescentamos algo mais perigoso a sua aparência ou a sua maldade, simplesmente porque não queremos que as pessoas nos chamem de medrosos. Mas o que aconteceriam se descobrissem que o bicho-papão não passa de um ser, que julgado por sua aparência, foi definido como um monstro, mas não passa que algo solitário, de algo que apenas deseja estar ao nosso lado?

O medo nos torna ignorantes e egoístas. Passamos a pensar apenas naquilo que tememos e esquecemos o que realmente importa, nem todo monstro quer nos pegar.

Acredito que o único medo que realmente se deve temer é a solidão. Sempre devemos ter medo de ficar sozinhos, medo de perder aquilo que amamos, aquilo que cuidamos… No entanto, não acho certo algumas atitudes que, às vezes, são tomadas para que o medo não se concretize. Não devemos ser temidos por aqueles que amamos, temos que fazer com que eles queiram estar ao nosso lado, temos que transformarsuas vidas em algo pleno, senão, eles apenas vão embora.

Tenho um exemplo, quem já viu ou leu Fruits Basket conhece o Akito e o odeia, eu tenho pena dela, porque ela é apenas uma pessoa que tem medo da solidão, medo de ser abandonada por todos, de não ser amada. Então elz maltrata todos aqueles que se aproximam, tornando o que poderia ser amor em medo, fazendo com que as pessoas fiquem ao lado dela apenas porque sentem medo.

Além de o meu medo ser a solidão, temo mais ainda que meus amigos temam a mim, porque não importa se eles estão ao meu lado quando os chamam, o que importa realmente é eles quererem atender ao meu chamado, isso é o que realmente importa.

O medo é o nosso maior inimigo, nos leva a incompreensão e a solidão, nos tornando pessoas capazes de ferir aqueles que inocentemente queremos apenas proteger.

Não importa o quanto ferimos alguém, se existe aquele só sabe ferir, também existe aquele que cuidam dessas feridas,também há aqueles que as cure, neh Hatori! ^^

Sempre existirão pessoas que estarão prontas para nos ouvir, nos deixar ser quem realmente somos, nos deixar ser felizes ao seu lado.

PS: PARA AQUELE QUE NÃO ENTENDEU A DO BOLINHO-DE-ARROZ, POR FAVOR, VEJA FRUITS BAKET! ^^

If I’d never read Fruits Basket, I don’t know what I would have done with myself.

Well, actually, I would have — eventually — found something to do. But I don’t think I’d be the same person I am now.

In the beginning, I thought Furuba was really cute. It had an interesting plot — something I’d never read before. It was… peculiar. As I went on, however, I came to sympathize with the characters and got to know them as — friends! It was funny, it was heartwarming, everything life is.

It’s a very successful series. I think it’s so successful because people can relate to the characters really well. Some of the life stories in Fruits Basket were a little unrealistic (it’s fiction, so it’s fine), but the themes touched on what actually happens in real life. For example, a lot of the characters felt really lonely, like Yuki and Akito. Now, I’ll say this: I even felt a lot of sympathy for the main antagonist, Sohma Akito because in reality, she was just someone who was afraid of being alone. I could relate to that, although I would never even think about being as extreme as her. I could also feel sympathetic toward Yuki and his brother, Ayame, because they had a rift between them as brothers — just like my sister and I were before. There’s also shy, delicate, innocent, little Kisa, who was bullied at school. Finally, there’s Kyo. There’s brash, violent, hotheaded Sohma Kyo. I think there’s a Kyo in everybody. I also think there’s an Akito in everybody, a part of us that’s afraid of being alone. In that case, there’s also a Yuki and Kisa inside us.

And then there’s Tohru; sweet, loving, understanding Honda Tohru who was a lifesaver in the series. Personally, I don’t really like characters like Tohru. The term, ‘Mary Sue,’ comes to mind. However, I felt sympathy for her, too and she was one of my favorite characters. Sure, she was a bit of a Mary Sue, but she was just so kind and so loving that I couldn’t help but like her. She’s also ditzy and a bit airheaded, but those attributes contributed to the humor in the series. She helped the other characters out all the time. She felt for them. She saved them. I think everybody needs a Tohru. I also think there’s a Tohru in everybody.

Whenever I need a little consolation, I read Fruits Basket. It made me laugh, it made me cry and most importantly, it made me feel. I really do think Furuba was one of the best things I’ve ever read.

title: insomnia
author: shuls
translator: jicalazuxil
fandom: fruits basket
genre: one-shot
pairing: arisa x shigure
disclaimer: furuba isn’t mine… if it were; I can assure you I’d have made quite a few changes… plot wise speaking, of course. XD.

insomnia

Today, I was nervous. There was something in the air… I don’t know, but suddenly I had this feeling, something telling me to quicken my pace… hurry, hurry, hurry. I looked back… nobody. Right then, I was crossing the park. A cold wind began to pick up, making me tighten my jacket around me. I listened to the constant crackle of the leaves as they whirled around, clashing with the creak and moans of the swings, half expecting somebody, something to jump out at me. Again I looked behind me… but there was no one.

Now I was just scaring myself.

I firmly held on to my backpack and hurried on my way. This part of the park wasn’t illuminated enough, just a few street lamps lighting the way here and there. Well, that was kind of normal, not many people passed through there by night.

When I at last managed to cross the park, I took a shortcut to get home. That meant passing by various cramped, narrow and rather dirty alleyways… but I wasn’t frightened of whatever I could find there. For God’s sake! I knew how to take care of myself, and pretty well, too. What was making me sick was that feeling… something, someone… I had no idea what it was but… it was seriously starting to freak me out.

I turned a corner and almost crashed into a garbage can. I practically growled in irritation and kept going. This was so not like me. Suddenly, the only lamp that had been shedding some light onto this disgusting side street started to shimmer. Oh no.

A crackle of electricity followed by a spark told me that I’d soon be left I complete darkness and so I walked faster, practically running, now. Halfway through, in the middle of a furious battle with a filthy cardboard box, I heard a thump. From behind. Someone up there hated me, I was sure.

I instantly stopped cold, wondering if I should turn around and see that it had only been a cat or something of the sort… or just run the hell out of there. I cursed the day I was born being so “brave”, or better yet, impulsive… the thing is I turned around to see what had made the sound… and at that precise moment someone had to go and turn of the lights. A sharp crack followed by two blinks of light… and it was night.

I didn’t even have time to see anything, and my heart began to do the thumpity thump thing, so fast I thought it would explode, so loud I could barely hear myself think. I thought I saw a shadow at the alley entry and footsteps coming towards me. And I was still there, still, with the deafening thumpity thump, barely letting me think. Be it because I was nervous, or maybe because I was really beginning to be scared, but my legs started trembling, and stumbling I stepped backwards, so as to not fall. That simple movement was enough for my survival instinct to resurface, because suddenly I started running like a maniac, 100 miles an hour, anything to get out of there. To tell you the truth, I probably didn’t run more than 50 m, but to me… it felt like I ran all the way up Mount Fuji.

Coming into the light again, I nearly swallowed an electric post. I gasped for breath and walked towards my right. I just wanted to get home.

Oh. Greeeeat. There, before me, was a group of guys, yankis, I think (me? No, surely you must be mistaken…). I felt relieved in some irrational way, but as I walked closer to them I could tell that it hadn’t been such a good idea.

“’Sup, pretty thing?” said one of them.

Then, one of the others, waving a whisky bottle in my face, invited me to have a good time in a rather… disrespectful manner. Sigh. I just walked by them, muttering, “Fuck you.” But, at least, that helped me bring my feet back to the ground. Whatever had happened before had been pure craziness. At most, if there had been anything in that alley, it’d been some weirdo kid out of bed.

One, two, breathe, one, two, breath, calm down… I kept on going a bit more calmed down. But now my right elbow and side began to hurt, surely because of my little ‘accident’ with that cardboard box. Groan.

I wiped my forehead with my hand to dry some of the sweat, and, lowering it again I noticed I had blood on it. Perfect. I had cut myself with who knows what, but that would probably transmit some sort of rabies or typhus, who knew. I stopped a moment to wipe my hand with a Kleenex (thank you, Tooru). Wait. Another weird sound. Quickly and frightened again, I looked around… The street was empty.

Again that feeling… I felt nervous again. A gust of wind blew away my ponytail and a sudden coldness pierced me to the bones. I uselessly tried to warm myself up by rubbing my hands together and began walking again. With each step, I became more nervous. Why was there nobody on the fucking streets?!

Four, three, two streets left, till got home. Just when I was about to turn the last corner, I heard that weird noise again, as is wood was scratching against the ground. No, not this time. Or maybe…? I burst out running, a horrible feeling of anguish tightening around my lungs, and the constant thumpity thump, driving me crazy. My head was about to explode, tears gathering in my eyes. I could barely see. But I was going to get there, fuck it all, I wasn’t stopping. I was desperate. Reaching the front gate of my house I rummaged around my backpack looking for my keys. Where were they?!

When I felt the cold metal in my hands, I frantically yanked them out. I didn’t want to look back, I wasn’t supposed to look back. Anxiously trying to jam the key into the lock, one, two, three… damn! I lowered myself to see the key hole properly and was finally able to open the door. Tears streamed down my face as I ran inside. Gasping, I waited with baited breath for that sound, that clunk that would mean I was safe… but no… the door hadn’t closed behind me…

Trembling of fright, no, terror, I stopped, frozen, at the bottom of the stairs. Unconsciously I grabbed the railing and held own. As I slowly turned around, I tried to scream, only to discover, to my horror that my voice wouldn’t obey. Help. And when I finally faced the door I heard…

“Night, Uotani.”

And there, leaning on the door, stood Shigure Soma. With that stupid apathetic smile, the one that always makes me scream in anger and frustration. And I… couldn’t answer. My voice was still stuck in my throat. He walked towards me and turned on the light. I heard the door slam shut. He stared at me shamelessly.

“Whoa, what happened to your face? It looks like you’ve been to war and back.”

Haha. Hilarious. But, yeah, me, with my hair loose and messed up, my clothes dirty, my hands all bloody and… what is he doing? What is he doing? Why is he touching my face?

I stepped backwards in surprise and shock but he stretched out a hand and kept touching me. And on top of it all, my stupid voice was still stuck in my throat.

“It’s just that…” he showed me his hand covered in red. “…your face is all spattered in blood.”

Must’ve been when I dried the sweat.

I still stared at him disbelievingly, and barely succeeded in blinking a few times, I think I might have frowned too, but I’m no too sure… I still had that weird sensation of not being in my own body, disoriented. And seeing that particular man (with whom the few conversations I had had barely lasted more than five sentences.) standing in my doorway, increased, even more if possible, all feelings of unreality that had been troubling me all night.

But he was still there, staring at me without any trace of discretion, smiling idiotically… I think it might have been the stupidity in itself of the moment, but finally my voice unstuck itself, to finally let loose, without any sort of regret, a deadly, “What are you doing here?”

He moved his head to one side, unbothered and answered in his usual happy tone as he laughed, “Well, well, well I see that we’re not in a good mood today.” He sighed and a fake manner and very theatrically continued. “Tooru would be so angry if she saw you treating me so inconsiderately. Oh, the youth of today! What are we going to do with you guys? You don’t even appreciate good actions!”

His little act was starting to get on my nerves and I wasn’t feeling very well so without further ado and ignoring his complaints I cut him off.

“What’s with the speech? What the hell are you doing at my house and at these hours?”

He smiled again and I actually think he hadn’t stopped smiling the whole time he was there (wasn’t he tired of acting?!) and he answered happily:

“My dear Uotani, you offend me by calling my stylized dialogue a “speech” but I shall nonetheless answer your question.” He said this pointing at me with his finger, practically shoving it up my nose. “If I have come all the way her and at such ungodly hours it’s because Tooru mentioned this afternoon that she had forgotten to give this back to you.”

He remove a small notebook from his jacket pocket.

“I somehow doubt she’d ask you to bring it to me. She would have given it to me tomorrow in class.” I couldn’t sound less than sceptical before this comment of the writer, but I wanted to get home and so I stretched out my hand for the notebook. He pushed it away.

“You’re right, she didn’t ask me to bring it, but, you know me, I’d do anything for my sweet little Tooru. Anything.” With that comment he earned an ugly look from me and suddenly I noticed the wide smile on his face and I realized that everything, everything, he was doing was only to bother me.

“Okay, Shigure… whatever you say. But since you’ve made all that effort to come over here…”

“You’re going to invite me in?” He said with the same simplicity that a six year old child would. This man was too much.

“No! I was going to ask you if you were finally going to give me the fucking notebook!” Seriously, he was getting on my nerves. I think this guy had some special power called .ARISA.

“Oh… dear, there’s no hospitality left in this world…what a sad discovery…”

“Shigure… That’s enough! I want to go home… please, give me the damn notebook!… or, you know what, keep it, Tooru’ll give it to me tomorrow.” And having said that I turned around and started to climb the stairs. I hadn’t even gotten to the second one when he gave up; at least that’s what I think.

“All right, all right, here.” I saw him handing over the damned notebook so I went back downstairs to get it. I murmured a ‘thank you’ without much feeling and supposed our ‘interesting’ little talk had come to an end. But then he said, “How is it that you can walk alone and at so late at night on these streets?”

I looked at him completely sure of what I was going to say “None of your business”, but upon seeing his face… his usual happy-go-lucky smile was gone, replaced by a… mocking gesture. Diabolical. It must have been my imagination, yes, it had to be. I shivered.

“I mean, you know, a pretty girl like you… something could happen… I don’t know.”

My breathing came to a halt and my heart started beating faster, with each word he said, he stepped closer to me.

Suddenly, a light turned on in my head. A red light.

“How… how did you know I lived here? You said Tooru didn’t ask you to come, so she couldn’t have told you…”

A sly smile appeared on Shigure’s face. “Smart girl.” He said touching my forehead with a finger.” His voice was deep and throaty. I didn’t move, I think I started to shake…

“I went to see you at work, but you had just left… one of your coworkers politely told me which way you usually took, so I decided to try catching up. And when I got to the park I saw you. Even though you were still a bit far away…”

“It was you…” was the only thing that escaped my lips.

“What?” he said tilting his head to one side, black bangs covering part of his face.

“You were… you were following me!” I was scared, why was I so nervous? It was only him, right? But… those eyes… there was something…

“Oh! Yeah. I tried to catch up to you but you started running.”

“And why, didn’t you call me?” He didn’t answer, simply widening his smile as he looked into my eyes. His cold smile.

The silence went on, until suddenly he turned around and began to walk towards the door. He turned the knob then looked back at me with his usual immature and carefree face.

He waved and said, “Nighty night, Arisa­.” And even though he was smiling stupidly, the same idiotic smile as always, I could see that glimmer in his eyes… I shivered as I heard him say my name for the first time, and with that look on his face…

He left and I stayed there. Standing, next to the stairs. Until the light turned off. And then my hands shook more and more and I raced up the stairs to my apartment.

That night I barely slept. I had found something out; Shigure Soma loved messing with me, it was a morbid sort of fascination. Maybe he was like this with the others as well? No matter, one day, he’d pay… I could be sure of that. Because, I’m Arisa Uotani. Because that’s my name, right?

end