Stifler_leonheart's Xanga

Mx0 to end

Sun, 11 May 2008 05:19:35 GMT

Its pretty much comfirmed now. Mx0 would be ending in the upcoming few issues of Jump.

Godspeed.

Mx0 has always been one of my favorite manga ever since I first came across it. To hear that its going to end just when its getting into the nice parts isn't nice. After all, Kuzumi has worked long and hard to get to where he is now. I would have wanted to see him all the way to the end, and to see how his relationship with Hiragi turns out. Instead, he got the rug pulled out from under him just when he's starting to get his act together. *D'oh*

At least Kano is setting things up for a return. With the latest developments in the manga, it is entirely possible that we might see this series surface again, perhaps in another manga serialization. I would certainly hope so. There's still so much more than can be done in the Mx0 world for it to go out like this.

Chocolate Coronet Vs. Melon Pan

Sat, 10 May 2008 01:35:52 GMT

KKnM, The Anime House and Nandemoya are proud to launch our
Chocoloate Coronet VS Melon Pan Campaign from 10th May to 25th May!

For every $30.00 spent at The Anime House, Nandemoya and KKnM,
customers will be entitled to one lucky draw coupon which will also
act as a voting slip.

We will also have a mini event from 24th May (Sat) - 25th May (Sun)
to close off our mini canpaign ^_^.

Lucky Draw winners will be picked on the 25th May (Sun)!

Here are the prizes for the Lucky Draw:
1st Prize: Nintendo DS Lite
2nd Prize: Lucky Star Nendroid Set (Konata and Kagami)
3rd Prize: 6 Months Subscription to Megami Magazine
4 x Consolation Prizes: $25 Vouchers from Nandemoya

From the winning side, we will pick one lucky person and you will
receive a mystery prize from us ^_^
***

...Or, in other words, yet another promotional campaign between two products made popular by two different series of anime, namely Lucky Star and Shakugan no Shana. So feel free to drop by KKnM from now to 25th May to decide who wins. Who knows? You might just be the one to get that DS Lite (Or that Lucky Star Nendroid set. I have my eye on that one)

And so, after 552 chapters...

Thu, 08 May 2008 22:33:16 GMT

Naraku finally kicks the bucket. Took him long enough.

Good riddance. I don't know why I'm still reading this thing. More than 50 volumes and the main villain is still Naraku. Man. _|-|o

Oh well, at least he's gone now. Time to party!

Bitter Virgin, and on Child Rape

Fri, 02 May 2008 11:24:19 GMT

So recently one of my friends introduced me to this manga series called Bitter Virgin. He gave it a stellar review and recommended me to give it a try. And so I did. After the second chapter, I was hooked.

Plot Synopsis: Suwa Daisuke is the ladies man of his small town high school, and he has his eye on almost every girl, except for one. Aikawa Hinako isn't his type, but when he overhears a deep dark secret of hers, he finds himself thinking of her more and more.

The story was what drew me in. That, and its realistic portrayal of what one would do if one is in the same shoes as the characters in the story. I felt that they were real, that they behaved like a real person would, not your typical cookie cutter character that you can find in most shounen mangas (Bleach and Naruto comes to mind). As the story progressed, I came to feel for them, to laugh with them, to cry with them.

One can only imagine the kind of pain that female lead Aikawa had to go through. Getting raped by your own step-father (not once, but at least twice) is not a fate that I would want to wish on anybody. And this brings up a very good point. Rape cases among young children do in fact happen, more often than anybody would like. Reports on child rape cases might tend to exaggerate the figures to state a point or to get themselves an edge in the Great Game (read: politics), and while other reports would understate them for the very same reasons, I, for one, believe that the stats are in fact understated. Reporting that you got raped isn’t easy. The sense of shame, anguish and pain that that act of violence brings to the victim makes it difficult for the victim to come out to the open. Rape victims are often seen in a bad light by society - spoilt goods, if you would. Take rape victims in strongly Islamic nations, for example. On June 25, 2006, a Muslim rape victim, Sabia, was ostracized in Bihar, India. The entire village, as a whole, boycotted her and her family. It’s as if they turned into ghosts, non-existent entities that are beneath the notice of society. And it is through no fault of their own that they are forced to face this type of treatment. You just have to see how Satoko in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni lives to understand how it feels to be treated as if you were a ghost by everyone. It hurts, let me tell you. It really hurts. No one would want to experience that kind of pain, which is why I believe that a large number of child rape cases choose to keep it in the dark. I suppose that they would behave as Aikawa did, showing a strong face to society while shouldering the pain inside them. That is, of course, if they are strong enough to pull off such a feat in the first place. Pity those that aren’t.

Ah, this reminds me. Child rapes, in most cases, are usually committed by someone that the victim trusts, or is close to. Aikawa was raped by her step-father, and the same was done to Mayu from Elfen Lied as well. A quick search on the Internet revealed that only 10% of child rape cases are committed by total strangers (this is what I would call pedophiles – stone them!). That they were so betrayed would, without doubt, cause an even bigger wound to the child than it would if the deed was done by someone they don’t know (that is not to say that the anguish is any less if it was by a stranger. That, of course, is wrong.) To use one’s position of trust to so violate an innocent weaker than yourself is downright sick. It completely disgusts me. Its even worse if the person the victim goes to for comfort (if she does in fact seek help) doesn’t believe her, or worse, knows about it, but does nothing or even blames the victim (Mayu’s mother, of course. One can only guess what’s going through her head at that time.)

All these, and how it was portrayed in the story, impressed me a great deal. It is not often that one comes across a manga that delves so deeply into the issue of child rape, and to pull it off like it does is enough to make me take my hat off to the mangaka. Sure, a critical reader would recognize the entire rape story as just the backdrop of what is essentially a romance story between Daisuke and Aikawa, but so what? It sets the story up well enough, all the while reminding us about a terrible truth that takes place in society.

It also touches on the subjects of single mothers and how unfairly they might be treated by society, and on how Hell has no fury like a woman’s wrath, but that is another post, for another day. For now, I’ll stop here, and wait eagerly for the next chapter to be released.

International SaiMoe: Aquamarine comes to an end

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 23:31:07 GMT

After many struggles, toils, and troubles, the Aquamarine part of the ongoing International SaiMoe league has come to an end, with the Flame Hair Blazing Eyed Hunter Shana taking the converted prize of the Aquamarine Necklace. Tometeto, Shana! Guess water and fire can mix sometimes. And so begins the next leg of the competition - the race for the Topaz Necklace. Who shall win it this time?

Poor Kotomi-chan. Try as she might, her violin failed to break the power of Nagato's guitar solo. Its okay, Kotomi - one loss doesn't mean much, especially against a powerhouse character like Yuki. The fact that you only lost by 30 votes speaks for itself. You did well Kotomi. You did well.

International SaiMoe: The Battle Continues

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:17:40 GMT

The battle rages, and new foes keep arising from across the horizon, putting their honor and pride on the line. Endless clashes, and thundering blows echo throughout the battlefield. Bitter rivals come face to face again, and many a score are settled, while new ones are forged in the heat of combat. Vanquished combatants push themselves to their feet again, their fight not yet done, and their time is now. This is SaiMoe International - and it carries on.

Amidst the jousting, certain names are starting to stand out. Unscratched in combat, they stand victorious, proud and tall. But how long will their winning streak last? There can only be one - all the others must fall.

But if there can be only one studio, then that studio will no doubt be KyoAni. With eight of their characters holding places in the top 16, they are totally dominating the other studios. Only heavy hitters like Shana, Fate, and Nanoha have what it takes to stand against the rise of KyoAni characters. Do they have what it takes to make it all the way to the end? Or will we be seeing a KyoAni slug-fest in the later rounds? Who can tell? Both Shana and Fate has been known to pull off surprising victories in the face of seemingly unbeatable odds. They are long standing veterans of the SaiMoe series, and even they are keeping their eye on the up and coming rookies. Will they be thrown off their seat by the likes of Kotomi-chan and Kagami? SaiMoe 2006 winner Suiseiseki have suffered defeats at the hands of these young challangers, coming in at 3-2, so nothing is impossible. If she is not careful, she might even be pushed out of the semis.

What would happen next? The dices is now up in the air, and only kami-sama (and your votes) can decide the fates of the girls. Who shall become the Moe of Moe? We shall find out, as the battle rages on.

PS: Kotomi-chan is showing off she stuff, coming in undefeated in her previous 5 matches. Keep it up, Kotomi-chan! Ganbatte! The upcoming matches will be tough, and the road will grow increasing rough, but I'm sure you can do it. Keep fighting, girl!

Vote for Kotomi-chan. You know you want to.

The next match will fall on Saturday, April 12 @ 0100 GMT. The voting page is here

Typemoon MAD Vidoes

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 00:55:32 GMT

I would be a happy Typemoon fan if someone woudl actually make this game. Melty Blood VS Fate/Stay Night. It will be totally awesome!

This one's a laugh. ZGMF-X10A Ciel.

International SaiMoe 2008: Aquamarine 3

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 13:46:46 GMT

The 3rd match in the ongoing International Sai Moe has started, and will end at 2500 GMT. There isn't much time left, so hurry over to the voting page and vote for your favorite characters!

Arena 2:

This is going to be close. Both Kyou and Shana have won their last two matches without much difficultly, and now they are facing their first real challenge. In the left corner, we have Kyou, who can kill with a dictionary from a mile away. In the right corner, we have the Flame-Hair-Burning-Eyes-Hunter Shana, whose slaying abilities are well documented. Kyou here is a rookie to the Sai Moe tourney, while Shana is a long time stayer in the series. Can Kyou shrug off her rookie status and pull off a victory? Or will heavy hitter Shana leave Kyou in the dust? This match between two tsunderes can go either way...Through I'm leaning slightly towards Shana here.

Arena 3

The battle of the two sisters. Even though Suigintou lost horribly against Yuki, she is still one of the Rozen Maidens, and remains a steady contender in the game. This time, through, the cards are stacked against her, for Suigintou will be facing off against her rival Suiseiseki, who has beaten her before in the 2006 Japan SaiMoe. Will Suiseiseki continue her wining streak against the first of the Rozen Maidens? Or will Suigintou rally together and acquire another Rosa Mystica this day? Whoever wins, the victor will be one step closer to becoming Alice...

Arena 5

Kotomi-chan! Kotomi-chan! Kotomi-chan!

Okay, enough with my Kotomi-fanboyism. Eruru may be moe (remember, I played through Utawa. I love Eruru as much as anyone), but I will still be giving my vote to Kotomi. Like I said, I would be rooting for her throughout this entire competition. Day before yesterday I saw a rabbit, and yesterday a deer, and today, a catgirl...Neko-mimi....desu ne.

International SaiMoe Match 2

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:18:41 GMT

The real first match has ended. Shana, jumping back from her defeat at the hands of Suiseiseki, managed to pull a quick one over Hinagiku, sending her reeling with a 40 point victory. Nice one, Shana!

Nagato Yuki was pitted against a Rozen Maiden powerhouse, but what is a magical doll compared to an artificial human created by the Intergrated Data Entity? Yuki totally trashed Suigintou. The first doll of the Rozen Maidens never stood a chance. Onlookers felt that it would have been a close battle before the match started, but once the whistle was blown, Yuki ran over Suigintou like a bulldozer. Fear the SOS-dan, girls.

Kotomi-chan won! Take that, you loli-vampire! Bye, may we never see you again, Evangeline. I hope that Kotomi-chan makes it to the finals. I'll be voting for you in every match, don't worry.

The next battle is on Thrusday, April 3 @ 0000 GMT. Click here to vote when the time comes, guys.

International Sai Moe 2008 2nd Match

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 05:27:27 GMT

Shana lost. She's sitting there in the corner crying over her lost melon-pan while Suiseiseku's going around calling "Desu desu desu!" over Shana. Oh look - Hina Ichigo is bringing some Ichigo Daifuko to cheer Shana up. I don't think that's going to do much help through...Yup. Shana just brunt right through them with her flames. She really doesn't like losing, does her? Oh well, that's our favorites little tsundere Flame Haze for you. Better luck next time, Shana.

The first match is coming up in 2 days, so everyone be prepared to start voting for your favorite characters now. Shana has a tough match ahead of her again, facing off against the 07 Korea SaiMoe Champ Hinagiku. Hina has beaten Shana before in the 07 Korea SaiMoe competition before, sending her over to 2nd place. Will Shana be able to best her rival this time round to gain a foothold over Hina? Lets vote for her guys! I've never like Hinagiku much anyway. Shana FTW!

PS: Vote for Kotomi. No way Kotomi-chan can lose against that loli-vampire Evangeline. I won't stand for it! lol