Hidamari Sketch × ☆☆☆ (2010) ひだまりスケッチ

this was another continuation of the daily lives of 4 girls, whom lived in the small apartment opposite their school. it had been one year since they lived there. for the new semester, they were joined by 2 younger girls. the anime was all about their friendship n bonds, n the life of living together with friends, helping each other out when they were troubles n challenges. definitely one light anime worth catching for a lazy afternoon. even if the previous seasons were missed, it has no big effect while watching this anime. each episode was basically an independent story told.

Encompassment.

what more can a woman ask for but for a man to be openly willing to listen n communicate; what more can a man ask for but for a woman to be completely precise n grateful in return. that was the general idea, but somehow it took so much more effort when issues actually arise from the dept of the grave, haunting n taunting. though it failed her in the past, her eager confrontation was finally proven to bring solutions to many challenges they faced, often once n for all. envious attacks held no chance of success against them, for all was already laid spread out on the table beforehand. as unnecessary as these confrontation seemed, they spent many peaceful days together all thanks to it.

幸せのために。

The Bounty Hunter (2010)

Milo was an ex-cop, who worked as a bounty hunter. he was assigned to track down his ex-wife, a reporter, for skipping bail. he assumed it was an easy task, but Nicole kept escaping him one way or another, just so she can chased after a lead on a murder case for her job. finding the lead for her story also put their lives in danger. eventually, instead of chasing each other, they find themselves running for their lives n protecting each other. at some point, they relived the romance, regretting ever divorcing each other.

with Jennifer in the lead, the film was absolutely entertaining. however, seeing Gerald from the Spartan movie - 300 (2006) in a comedy, was plain weird. with his macho appearance, one would assumed he was more suitable for a "serious" movie. however, putting both Jennifer n Gerald together was much more successful than expected. the ex-couple fighting part of the movie was most of the time expected, however with the mixture of fighting against each other n saving each others' lives, that was where the fun came in!

Werecats #3: Pride (2009)

Faythe was on a trial, accused for turning her ex into a Stray (humans who became werecats after being scratched or bitten by a werecat) n killing him after to cover up the crime, in Rogue (book 2). turning her ex was an accident; n killing him was in self-defense, but the werecats' law put her in a dangerous spot. the 3 major offenses of the Pride (the werecats territories) were murder, infecting human, n exposing the werecats existence to human. she was guilty for 2 out of 3, which probably will end her in a potential death sentence. but tabbies (female werecats) were considered very valuable to the werecat community. when Alphas from all over the country were gathered to be the judges at her trial, political games were played, with her life, as well as her father's position, on the line. at the same time, the free territory was claimed by a pack of man-eating Strays. their actions threaten to expose their existence to the humans. during the search, they also came across an underage tabby, Kaci, who was lost n stuck in cat form. Faythe impulsively felt that she should take care of the tabby, which of course gotten herself into more trouble, again.

Nabari no Ou (2008) 隠の王

Miharu had a hidden skill, Hijutsu (秘術) inside of him. the Hijutsu was the power of creation, powerful n sought out by many ninja clans. one who possessed the power shall become the ruler of the ninja world. his classmate, Kouichi started a Nindou (ninja's) Club at school. he was a ninja, secretly protecting Miharu, who was soon persuaded to join the club as well. adventures started when his power was revealed to the ninjas, they had to fight with all their might to survive not being captured.

the idea was so impressive that it was difficult not to finish the anime, completely caught up with the chase. Miharu might be protected by his classmates n teacher, but he himself must be in total control of the skill in order to survive both the activation n the pursue. the anime wisely put together a little humor every now n then, making the exciting scenes so much more enjoyable! especially when supernatural forces were at work.

Whimsical.

the hectic life, which started far before chinese new year declared to be just around the corner, which everyone had gotten so used to, rushing between places n tasks, was again cooled n falling back into its place n pace. a little peace all are able to make a good use of, filling one's heart with cotton-like softness n comfort. living life by the day, she finds herself having the freedom to breath, composed to know that things will fall into place eventually, having faith n believing in the arrangements suddenly seemed so easy. after so much struggles n hardwork, she was finally at ease, bathed in the warmth that surrounded her generously.

生活を経験と鑑賞する。

Burlesque (2010)

Alice was a small town girl, ventured from Iowa to Los Angeles for a change of lifestyle. she came across a burlesque theater ran by Tess, a former performer. seeing the show had her desperate to join the crew on stage. started out as a waitress, Alice finally found her spot on the stage. when each performer gotten increasingly distracted by personal problems, Alice was approached by a wealthy businessman, who aimed to take over the theater. little did they know, Tess struggled to keep the theater alive, having financial problem, fending off the same businessman. things took a dramatic turn when Alice's big voice made her the main attraction of the theater. together with the help of Alice, Tess was finally able to keep the theater for more years to come.

after Moulin Rouge (2001), Burlesque (2010) was the only burlesque themed movie that managed to catch my attention so completely! the film took me by a complete surprise. one would have expected romance to be the focus of most musical films these days, Burlesque (2010) was not. it was everything about musics, performances, n the struggles one went through just to bath in its spotlight. i was absolutely thrilled with its simple n straightforward explanations of all the overflowing scenes. moving fast-paced, this is exactly the film for those who can't help shivering with overwhelming emotions just by listening to Cher's n Christina's big voice; n an even larger attraction for those who love musics n performances for what it is!

cat.

when we saw it, it was laying under the rusty rack, taking a nap. slowly we approached it, afraid of intimidating it n frightening it away. but again, it was far from being afraid of human, the cat allowed us to pat or shot any numbers of photographs we intended, n in a distant as close as one can get! generously showing us more than enough poses to choose from. secretly, i think it was able to understand what we were saying.

Eve no Jikan (2008) イヴの時間

in the not too distant future, androids had became a common household tool. 2 groups of humans were formed - 1 group that treated the androids as tools, another group that empathized them for not having a life to call their own. however, the androids were hiding a secret, which they too, had a life n limited freedom to do what they want. they were as attached to human as humans were towards them. a particular cafe in town gave everyone the freedom to be who they really are, without discrimination of either being human or androids.

the anime was short but the issue remained interesting throughout its airing. possibility was what make it a beautiful story, making the relationship between humans n android mysterious. androids were supposedly a common household tool, expectedly to be taken for granted for their usefulness to keep things in place, to behave expectantly under orders. but for these robots to have their very own thought on things, feeling emotional attached to their owners, making it either too eerie for some to accept or touching to the rest.

Wariness.

first to receive the news, she seemed more envious than feeling sincerely happy for her. surrounded by unhappy thoughts, n new family members she gained by joining them for the past year, happened to not give her much thought, nor noticing her struggle to contribute. with a husband that failed to successfully calmed her anxiety, she can only direct her complaints at her, grumbling n whining repeatedly every time they meet for a quick catchup. as unsettled as she was listening to her tale, there wasn't much she can do but to listen tentatively n had her focus on other happy events instead. as the morning came to an abrupt end, she left her with many thoughts to think about. an uninviting path unworthy to take, for a life she too will soon set foot in.

愛は、難しいと複雑部分がある。

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

a group of teenagers started getting killed one after another in their dreams. they were all chased n brutally murdered by a demon with bladed fingers, Freddy. when their buried memories started coming back, they realized that they all shared a past, where they attended the same kindergarten with Freddy as its gardener. Freddy was back getting his revenge. the remaining few was forced to fight for their lives, fending against their dreams n reality.

the first half of the film was presented in a rather slow pace, where the suspense was so high it was difficult to look at the screen without sheltering our eyes. after the first n second kill, we finally got the idea of how things work for this film, n it started to get interesting. n the most satisfying part of this horror flick, was having the explanations laid out clearly, which a lot of horror flicks failed to do so.

Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula: The Adventure of the Sanguinary Count (1978)

it was 1890, a ship was discovered with its crews missing, captain murdered n tied to the wheel. his expression showed disturbing terror n had died of losing all his blood without any drop spilled onto the deck. the only passenger seen was a huge black dog. n making it weirder, the ship's cargo carried nothing else but 50 boxes of earth. the mystery immediately attracted Sherlock Holmes to the case, together with his faithful partner, Dr. John Watson, eager to uncover the mystery behind the unexplained circumstances.

the book, for any Sherlock Holmes or Dracula lovers, was an absolute turn on. for me being helplessly addicted to both Sherlock Holmes n Dracula, it was hardly imaginable not coming across this book any sooner! Estleman may not write Holmes as well as our original author (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), but he was definitely convincing enough to have the similar feeling attached to his work. like any Holmes' novels, it was "written" by Dr. Watson, which Holmes of course, held many details untold until the very end of the story. when his wife was abducted by Dracula, Watson was desperate enough to confront Dracula believing that Holmes died after the explosion of their vessel. the story was thrilling enough to keep the page turning, especially to those who had read the original Dracula (1897), it was like fill-in-the-blanks, totally making the adventure worthwhile!

Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho: Tou (2007) 東京魔人學園剣風帖龖

in the dead of night, mysterious death started occurring out of the blue. Tatsuma, a transfer student, together with a delinquent student, Kyouichi, fought the undead night after night. along with the rest of their group, with their supernatural power, they realized a greater threat, which involved even more powerful demon, was near. despite the eerie atmosphere the anime presented, the anime was rather interesting to catch! the focus, instead on its demons, but the strong bond that slowly formed when their life depends on it, n each other, for survival.

Valentine.

for 2011, valentine didn't fall on the same day as chinese new year as it did last year, love finally has everyone's attention on its stage. flowers n plushies returned being the hot grab of younger couples. with a new status this year, both excited n blushing, they walked leaning closer, even more intimate than usual, crossing the street, drawing attentions along the way. what more can one ask for, but to be together on this very special day. for some, everyday is considered valentine for as long as two are together. for others, valentine halts them in their pace, taking the time n stopping everything else to just look each other straight in the eyes, appreciating the person that is currently within reach, the person so often was taken for granted.

夫を大好き！

Valentine's Day vs. White Day ホワイトデー

in japanese culture, it is the girls who present their choko (チョコ, chocolate) on valentine's day (February 14). a direct way for girls to express their feelings n intentions towards the guys. there are 3 types of choko:

1. giri-choko (義理チョコ, obligation chocolate) - usually cheap or bought from the store. given out to any or all male workers or classmates.
   
   
2. honmei-choko (本命チョコ, favorite chocolate) - the opposite of giri-choko, usually handmade or bought from expensive store. given out only to a particular guy.
   
   
3. tomo-choko (友チョコ, friendship chocolate) - exchange between female friends, could be given to close male friends as well.

on White Day (ホワイトデー, March 14) one month later, the guys shall return the favor, usually with gifts 2 or 3 times more expensive. often cookies, jewelery, marshmallows or white chocolate. from these gifts, they give their response to the chocolate they received.

Zodiacs: Friendship

ARIES (3/21-4/19)
you are an extrovert, sincere, helpful, a justice defender. you have many friends n treat them like family. your straightforward personality will draw some to you as well as push some others away, might cause misunderstandings too. having different point of view will invite a conflict or two, but fortunately, your temper come n go. you believe others easily, remember to protect yourself a little bit more. you get along with aries, gemini, leo, sagittarius, aquarius. you do not get along with capricorn. you are as stubborn as they are, if you can have a little more patience, the both of you can get along. as you grow older, you will increase your friendship range. being frank n honest, you expand your knowledge by getting to know people from different industries.

The Green Hornet (2011)

after his father's sudden death, Britt took over the company n became the new publisher of the newspaper "The Daily Sentinel". he had only been partying all his life, taking over the company was more like a game than caring for the newspaper's reputation. his driver happened to be a kungfu n technology expert, who installed various weapons into one of the cars. coincidentally, they managed to stop a robbery. from there, Britt wanted to form a superhero team with his driver, to fight crime, calling themselves "The Green Hornet".

unlike any Marvel's superhero movie, such as Iron Man or Fantastic four, The Green Hornet was less impressive because of its character. Britt especially was an eyesore, he was difficult to look at, having the worst kind of attitude. one just couldn't agree with him doing everyone else any good but causing unnecessary trouble. Kato (the driver or sidekick) on the other hand, whom i expect to have a clownish character, was an even more reliable character if compared to Britt. at some point, i even doubt that he might suddenly turned out to be a robot or some sort!

Conjugated.

silently they watched, across the table the other couples complaining about their problems n incompatibilities. some struggled with their relationship, others struggled to find someone special, anyone who would spare them a chance. sitting there that very instant, images flashed by, old episodes of her life came tumbling in. past that no longer hurts, no longer has the power to overwhelm her. she knew she is one of the lucky few who is appreciated n managed to tie the knot. for love is something one can only be granted upon, n not requested. all it needs, is an insignificant halt on the path to truly see the beauty of what one already owned.

愛の中の美しさを見て。

Cat Shit One (2010) キャット・シット・ワン

taken from a 3 volumes manga (Apocalypse Meow), it illustrated the warfare against terrorism between American n Vietnam. but instead of using bloody scenes, the anime adapted smokes scenes; instead of using brutal looking human, it uses fluffy bunnies as soldiers. straightforward plot, but awesome experience! not forgetting, an enjoyable warfare anime, even for the girls!

2011 Horoscope

ARIES (3/21-4/19)
2011 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for Aries. things have been in a holding pattern for the past few years as Aries struggled on many levels. although Aries continued to show forward movement, much of that effort will finally pay off with opportunity. a strong year for career n income, Aries will bring positive movement internally. of course, ying n yang requires Aries to work a little harder on some of the areas that have gone out of balance, but this will be a challenge Aries face without a problem .

Yogi Bear (2010)

Jellystone Park was a natural preserved park visited by limited amount of campers. celebrating its 100th anniversary, the mayor planned to close the park to sell its timber. afraid of losing their home, Yogi n Boo Boo joined forces with Ranger Smith to save Jellystone from the evil mayor. eager to show that he was smarted than the average bear, Yogi came up with so many ideas that one can only doubt if it does more help than causing trouble.

having the exact feeling with the cartoon we once watched during childhood, Yogi (1958) n Boo Boo managed to bring us back to those time. having good heart, but always overdoing things n overestimating his own cleverness caused Yogi to always bring troubles to Ranger Smith. n of course, his signature was stealing picnic baskets from the campers. the animation was slightly short as a letdown, but it was absolutely fun watching! Yogi n Boo Boo was larger in size than expected, but so cuddly it was difficult not to fall for that look. for those of us who grew up watching Yogi n his escape attempts on the television, it was a real treat seeing the duo on screen again.

Dracula the Un-dead (2009)

for the unofficial sequel, Freda Warrington did a tasty job with Dracula the Undead (1997) by giving us what we longed to know after all the heated drama in the original Dracula (1897). for the official sequel - Dracula: the Un-dead (2009), however, Dacre managed to put the old literature into something more modern, more imaginable by revisiting the site of where it all began.

being the great grand nephew to Bram Stoker, Dacre Stoker was finally able to stand up for his bloodline. ever since Bram's death in 1912, his wife failed to obtain the copyrights of Dracula (1897). the Stokers were pained from the loss of these copyrights, it caused them to be extremely resentful towards any involvements with Dracula's filming or writings. until recent years, they were approached by Ian Holt, a horror screenwriter. with his kind intentions, he finally won over the Stokers n came out with Dracula: The Un-dead together with Stoker's direct descendant, Dacre Stoker. an agreement was made, reassuring that the Stoker family will have the rights to this sequel, for both its book n film.

The Sacred Blacksmith (2009) 聖剣の刀鍛冶

following the family tradition, she aimed to become the knight of the city. saved by the sacred blacksmith who was able to forge powerful swords, they joined hands to defend their town from frightful demons. beautiful n humorous, the anime kept its viewers entertained as they searched for courage n reasons to defend the town, n making new friends along the way.

2011 Chinese Horoscope

RAT
(1900 1912 1924 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996 2008)
Rat have good n bad luck mixing together for the Rabbit year. the major event will be related to love in 2011. for example, the single man or woman have a chance to build a love relationship, but the relationship also have the chance to break in the same year. married couples might have a lucky event in the family, but they might also have some disagreements in their marriage life. Rat are clever and alert, as long as they can watch out for their temper to avoid any unnecessary quarrel, they will have a peaceful n safe year.

Sex and The City 2 (2010)

it has been 2 years after Carrie married the man of her life. however, things took turn for the worst; while he loved old movies n take-out food, she loved parties n dinner at expensive restaurants. Charlotte was having trouble with her second child, battled against herself whether or not to trust the new nanny. Miranda struggled to cope with a new boss that couldn't handle powerful woman. Samantha feeling the lack of attention, managed to get everyone a trip to Abu Dhabi.

facing all the pressure in life, love, n work, the 4 best friends enjoyed n explored a different environment n culture. the plot was put together neatly with a combination of possible marriage/relationship problems. n it turned out to be fun, entertaining, n somewhat educational! the downside was, it has gotten more predictable compare to its first movie.

Chinese New Year.

with chinese new year just around the corner, it is difficult not to feel both excited n stressful over this jolly festive season. screams n commands rang from every possible direction within the house, gazillion tasks waiting tolerantly to be completed before the very night family were united n gathered around the table for a huge feast. never ending cleaning stacked against each other, dust exposed, spiders crawling, begging for their lives. cookies making soaked the kitchen with combination aroma of vanilla n butter. but before all the cookies were able to make their way into the containers, few disappeared with a light swoosh of hands.

祭りを待っている！

Soul Eater (2008) ソウルイーター

3 groups (each contained a weapon meister n a transformable human weapon) were sent by their headmaster for missions with the intention to protect the city; at the same time collecting 99 evil human souls n a witch's, to earn themselves a Deathscythe. they had to attend school n fight to become stronger. the idea might be slightly too unique for some to find attractive. but despite the lengthy episodes, the anime was interesting to catch.

Thirst #3: The Eternal Dawn (2010)

Alisa Perne spent the last 5000 years as a vampire, living alone while guarding her secret. out of loneliness, she failed to resist the urge to intervene Teri Raine's life when she saw that Teri was targeted by a rapist. Teri was a descendant of her human family, she had to do everything she can to protect her. but that was her first mistake, Alisa was surrounded by more deaths n destructions that can befell on any human being. when a top-secret group revealed knowing her secret, they tracked her down to have her join them. she had to protect both herself n Teri from the unknown enemy, which was far more powerful than what she had encounter all these years.