Anime vs Manga: Kaichou wa Maid-Sama

So this is another story where an insignificant girl who is shy and modest is chosen by the hot successful guy who then looks after her? Nope. Ok, so this is a strong independent woman who completely becomes dependent as soon as the love interest flutters his obscenely long eyelashes? Wrong again.

What do you mean this is actually a great series

With a name like maid-sama, even as a loyal otaku, I would join the group that would have pre-judged doubts about Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama (school council president is a maid). However, my 14-year-old Oneechan said about the series as she’s hyped on the anime, so I gave it a shot. I was smitten by chapter one.

I adore manga that provides a strong feminine role, but I prefer them when they aren’t overly macho. Maid-sama’s Misaki has a great balance, she is troubled, a little odd, powerful (physically… no end to amusement when ludicrous strength is involved), a typical shoujo heroine and most importantly – a good role model. Just the kind of think I want my little sis to be watching. Which is great because she loves it. Also, author Fujiwara Hiro puts as much care and attention into the personality of Usui (the love interest).

The story line is quite deep and teaches good lessons on morality and equality; but not just treating girls as equal as so many do, but also comments on the negative consequences when feminism goes too far and to remember that guys are human too.

Such pretty hair

I always say how much I like the artwork in manga. As someone with zero manga talent yet aspiring to be a mangaka, I just can’t help it, I really appreciate talent and every little detail. Maid-sama is a beautiful piece of art as well as well-written. But my most favourite part has got to be the hair. Hiro owns some kind of magical hair pen.

I love manga eyes. That’s the true charm of anime and manga isn’t it? What really sets it apart from the rest of the world? The size and shape of the eyes can make or break a manga and it is usually what I base my final judgement on. But the hair is Maid-Sama is pretty, really pretty. It make me want to grow my short hair long again, that is the power of Hiro’s hair talent. This manga has more worth than a bottle of L’oreal. It might look like hair from any other manga to you, but its not. Maybe it is the angle of lines, the depth of shading, I don’t know. But it left the biggest impression.

I also really like Hiro’s ‘filler images’. The adorable chibi stick men type dough balls that add detail between panels. It might be because the hair continues to have detail with them. They just looks so cute and help carry the story along at a good pace.

Manga

Anime

 

The anime doesn’t stick to the manga order, which is a refreshing change from some (wait to hear my angry rant on Pandora Hearts) and though the hair has lost its volume and beauty that the manga gave it, the series is still as fantastic. You could watch it in the background while doing something, when your ill, when you want to laugh, when you need some moe, learning about morals and equality , or just whenever, it is an easy series to watch, and the episodes are complete and entertaining so you can watch one at any time.

The episodes don’t stick to one chapter either, if the chapter’s story takes half an hour then it will take an episode, or if it really only needs ten minutes, then it takes ten minutes. To fill the rest of the time slot though it will take the next chapter that fits better, so if you are reading the manga simultaneously, expect spoilers. This decision was better, in my opinion, as it means that you don’t sometimes get stuck with two mini episodes that don’t really run into each other.

Episodes will also have one part school and one part maid cafe so that you can always see both sides to Misaki’s personality and her relationship with Usui.

The anime does have some original jokes and the animation is good, suiting the tone of the scene. It is clean and bright from the beginning, unlike some larger series that starts ok but with practise the characters get into better shapes, Maid-Sama starts off pretty, and remains so. Neither is the animation stale. It stays with the manga’s way of showing emotion on the face, so that the watcher can have direct impact, but it utilises split screen a lot more than I have seen in other anime so that you don’t have a static image in front of you the whole time, there is actual animation too.

Be greedy, get both.

Both anime and manga are incredibly enjoyable, it has a serious undercurrent while covered in a floral moe blanket of humour. Great for anyone, and I would recommend both.

Four free to try – demos galore for 3DS

Yatta! I finally own my very own Nintendo 3Ds. However… I can’t exactly justify spending on games for it just now. Thankfully Nintendo understood my problems… and makes demos available for download… you know, so you spend money anyway after getting addicted to a game.

Anyhoo. I never thought that I would want the 3D aspect but regrettably I must admit that I have fallen for its charm. It makes good graphics great, and for someone who loves packaging, gimmicks and the kawaii more than anything else, it just calls out to me like a siren.

So while my mind stays focused on saving rather than gaming, lets play demos!

First up – Fire Emblem: Awakening

First of all… Why can’t I be female? This demo sucks already because you can can’t customise at all! Why show me awesome things if I can’t have them!  I noticed Fire Emblem because TokoPop and NeoMagazine was raving about it, and I could understand why with the promised anime graphics (with proper animation and not just 2d still images) and a giant host of adorable characters (when I saw Henry I wanted to play it straight away, I don’t care about the story).

Henry

In the demo, there’s a lot of cutscenes, a lot. But they are cute and brilliantly animated. When I saw the battle interface I got worried, as grid like turn taking has put me off games before. However, the systematic tactical based warfare is actually quite fun.

The graphics really are very pretty. The promo material did not lie. If, like me, you are the kind of gamer who likes to watch the game then Fire Emblem: Awakening is definitely for you.

The demo doesn’t let you do much, it is quite limited, I feel Nintendo was a bit cruel in that respect. I know that the characters are all amusing (entertainment will not only be from playing the game) and you will be fighting zombies… but I have no idea how the game actually progresses, how you move, how you live or if there will be any chance of free exploration.

I give it 4/5 stars for full game excitement, because though the demo was dissapointing… its really pretty.

Demo two – Castlevania: Mirror of Fate

Oops I died. Yep, already. Ok Ok, so I’m actually really bad at games, I just enjoy the pretty! Saying that though… this game is awfully pretty… *happy sigh*. The little things, the details, the colours, the information text, design, outfits, its all so pretty. I can happily just look at ‘me’ on the screen.

However, me, whoever I am (it’s not told me) is very tiny. Am I happy? Am I sad? Do I have three noses and no ears? All these important things I do not know.

Oh Oh, I started clicking on sparkly iconson the screen and found out. I am Trevor Belmont. And I have a very snazy green coat… and a rather tragic back story.

Me and my glorious fashion sense.

Trevor also has an awesome whip like thing sword.

So back to me dying instantly, this game is still fun. On take two I beat the ugly monster. I uh totally didnt do it with just a sliver of health though *shifty eyes*.  You run into more enemies (the fourth) and button mash time (like I hadn’t been using that method all along anyway). I have no idea which buttons I pressed (as it was all of them) but I did an attack, and it went blue, and there was sparkles, and we were flying, then a flash and the monster died. It was great.

Then you are thrown into a boss battle with robo-minotaur of the dark ages with an otaku fetish for iron man. Lets call him Charles. Well, Charles is quite easy to hit and simple to evade with his obvious slow attacks, therefore, of course, he defeated me in about 20 seconds. Stop judging! It wasn’t my fault this time! Mum was doing the ironing next to me and she let a cloud of steam out right next to my head ;_; … and I accidentally forced Trevor to run into Charles and his meteor hammer of love. I guess Charles’ love was just too much for us.

There’s a purple sparkly prize just beyond Charles, but I have no great love for this game so retrying to find out what it is doesn’t really interest me. It has so much pretty and yet all I can do is run to the right and flash my whip. I love button mashing but I need free exploration! Why can’t all games be like Zelda and Assassins Creed…

Castlevania: Mirror of Fate gets 2/5 full game excitement. It looks great, and I know gamers and fans of the series will probably love it, but I know I would never have the stamina to complete it, or even get past Charles. It gets two stars just because it is really pretty… and Trevor’s coat is just so darn snazzy.

Free demo three is Shifting World

Don’t really know why I chose this basic looking monochromatic game… it looked off I guess. It’s a parallel dimension (real creative types figured out how to explain why a human is in a block world). I take a couple of steps and Jeeves arrives to guide me through controls. Jeeves is also know as Captain Obvious and Repeat. Don’t ever worry about remembering the story line, as Jeeves will tell you everytime you move. That might be because it’s the tutorial… but I still got annoyed. I just don’t trust Jeeves.

You can do a David Bowie Labyrinth move to help you solve the puzzles and get through the stage, which by default is cool. The demo puzzles are ridiculously simple, even the fifth one, which is the step out of the tutorial is easy to master. I gues they get more complicated as you progress, but to be honest, even at this level it’s already addictive. It’s simple, it’s easy and so attractively mind numbing. A great game to pass time on a train or after work.

Don’t do it Larry… or whoever you are…

Just don’t lose concentration and think it’s fine to jump off a ledge. It’s not. And the game is petty enough to force you to do the level from the beginning.

Full game excitement is 1/5, it might be addictive but I got my fill from the demo.

Last demo is Virtue’s Last Reward

“Will you choose to ally or betray?”

Press the ‘on’ button… wait what. The opening credits are a total mind bomb. I have no idea what happened, only that it was pretty animation, tragic, beautiful, bloody… and I have a bad scary feeling… I want this game.

There are two options – novel and escape. Escape sounded fun so I tried it, but I think all it did was to miss out some cutscenes. Ahwell. My name is Sigma. Ok. I have to escape. Ok. Now I’m calling someone. Ok. Why do I still feel scared?

The opening of the game really sets you up to be distrustful and expectations are high. It is first person, which I normally hate, but it only intensifies the aforementioned expectation. The demo gives pretty direct hints on how to solve the riddles. Such as, ‘this is foil. the foil goes in the drawer in room one.’  Can it really just be called a hint? It is described as demo hint, so maybe the full game will not be so obvious.

“Still can’t help talking like a cat when I talk about cats”

The script in this game is fantastic, and quite unexpected. The game is like an RPG puzzle solving game… with friends that don’t like you. I say don’t like, I think you can be a bit of a douche. Your a guy, and your with two girls… figures. Your also a bit pervy. Oh you.

It is fun though. There is a lot of loading time and moving about, returning to rooms and what not, which gets frustrating, especially when you expect things to jump out. I want security it that I will be able to run away quickly… but alas, I think this game is about ruining safe feelings. It might just be a game where you touch things on the screen but it is a definite step up from those finding objects games. I hate those games. But I rather like this. The graphics are pleasant (anime quality) and the script really does make you chuckle. The puzzles are a little obvious… but I guess that depends on how you think. I understood a puzzle straight away but it still took me a good half hour to actually pass as I was thinking about it oo hard.

What does it mean…

This game is full of puzzles, intrigue, cat puns and anime, what more do you need in life? Though it is probably best not to be tired as the puzzles are annoying when you aren’t thinking straight. Excitement for the full game is 5/5.

Be sure to find it

‘If you find me’ me by Emily Murdoch is released this month (April) by St Martin’s Griffin publishers New York.

If you find me by Emily Murdoch

I actually read this book five months ago but the publishers asked bloggers to hold off till publishing month to put up a review. So now it’s time to offload all the feels that this novel makes you feel.

It may have been five months but, besides names, I can remember this book as though I just finished it. This book will definitely leave an impression.

During the first chapter I found myself groaning at the injected dialect and country bumpkin mentality… but as the pages turned the educated young violin-playing lady that lived in a caravan in the woods started to hold onto a part of your soul you can’t turn away from.

Everyone can’t help but adore a cute six year old that loves dogs, as can be seen with the character of the little sister.

Every time I got through a chapter or even a page, I was so curious of the ‘white star night’. The moment you begin to forget, Murdoch reminds you. But it’s not just a nudge, it’s a golden slice of cheesecake dangling above a pit of hungry students (aka, the cheapest kind of tease) that makes you read on.

Cara’s interaction with her family is perfect. Murdoch has managed to match a rather difficult character that has experienced such horror and make her into such a real human, you would almost believe you were reading newspaper reports not somebody’s imagination.

Though that reaction is stunningly realistic throughout the entire book, it is also the source of what I felt failed. Cara’s interaction with the love interest is lacking in the quality that the rest of the book contains. He starts off promising but as soon as the reader meets him he is both an old wise man and a tiny child. I didn’t like him. And I didn’t like how Cara reacted to him. I get that Cara has a tragic sexual abuse based history which will affect the love interest but when the rest of the book is so realistic, this relationship really let it down.

The twist at the end was great. Not what I expected even though it sets it up throughout the entire book. Not just the twist but the meaning behind the twist and that Cara will never be fully integrated and will forever keep those secrets, weighing her down, but that doesn’t mean she won’t find happiness eventually.

A silver lining to feathers – review of A Shimmer of Angels

A Shimmer of Angels

Lisa Basso, of San Francisco

ISBN-10: 0985029439

To be published on January 29, 2013 at £7.90

Blurb

16-year-old Rayna Evans has spent the last three years in a mental institution for seeing angels—intent on remaining free, she ignores signs that she may be slipping into a world she has tried to climb out of. When her hallucinations begin showing up at school, can she keep her sanity and prevent students from dying at the hands of angels she cannot admit to seeing? Psychiatry, fantasy, and realism come together here in a story of a young girl struggling with identity, secrets, and confronting her greatest fears.

So much of today’s fantasy novels are about young people keeping secrets, but when so young, and without any motivation to keep quiet what happens to those kids that speak out about the monsters?  To see a story unfold through the experiences of a girl from a mental institution is curious and fascinating, and not in the morbid Victorian fascination of watching ‘the crazy people’ from the balconies… ok maybe a little. But angels over vampires are a refreshing turn to the over-done myths of popular modern culture.

Story

If you were expecting to see the insides of the asylum and what it’s like to be with other crazy people, this is not the story for that. A Shimmer of Angels follows selfishly close to Rayna, which even she picks up on (to an extent). Far from Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Rayna is already out of the institute when the story starts. Though you do get a glimpse of the institute, but don’t expect any more than ‘learning not to turn your back on a schizophrenic.’

More than being a story about angels, it is a love triangle between a gifted human and two cagey angels (aren’t they all?). However, the linear flow of the story is very easy to follow and to be enchanted by. A Shimmer looks like it will become a great substitute for the void that twilighters will feel now that the final instalment of films is over. And the fact that it is out in January means it will not just be a rebound love, and has the opportunity to be the next franchise to become ‘multi-platformed’.

I hope that the screenplay is not far behind the print release, the visual aspects of A Shimmer will easily reel in a fan base. You can almost feel the ‘soft feathers that looked like they should be oily’ and when the dark shadow swirls on the wall you might jump when the nightlight flickers. I say nightlight as this book does not want to be put down. The story moves on quickly, you might think you have found a slow passage but Ms Basso is only luring you in so that she can jump spectacularly into a new direction.

Although the story line moves on quickly – and sometimes a little too quickly, and possibly predictably – the character interaction is great. You will get more plot and fall deeper in love with the conversation than in, shall we say, a mid-air fight where wings are town off? Ok, so Basso can make quite the fight scene, the kid still only takes two sentences to walk/bus across the city. Don’t expect scenic journeys, you’re not getting it.

Yet, this isn’t described as a flaw to Basso’s writing, whether it was intentional or not, the entire novel IS Rayna. You can feel her heartbeat, you can tell that this is a childhood lost to an insane asylum, a young girl forced to grow up as she was held in a young age – all the while proving repeatedly that she is only 16 years old. Young Adults will love this; the more mature young-at-hearts of us may get annoyed by the constant technical use of short, snappy sentences and youth idioms that we left behind in the last generation. But it suits Rayna, and the interaction with her heavenly boy toys is wonderful.

Two of the biggest concerns, which will affect the entire series, is one, there is not enough angelic and heavenly pun based jokes. Two, the earlier reference of Twilight has another impact; remember that joke of ‘Hey Renesmee, Jacob got off with your mum – twice.’ Well yes, that.

The ending was, almost predictable, but in a rather fun way. It will make the next instalment worth the 12 month wait. If I were you, I would pre-order this on Amazon straight away, and as soon as those feathers flutter through your letter box, don’t think you will be putting down for a little while.

Character development

As above, Rayna is a very believable character. Young women will ‘get’ her, even though she has experience – and not experienced – an awful lot that they have. Basso has crafted a character the reader can fall into easily. The way A Shimmer is written makes it directly through Rayna’s eyes, if Rayna doesn’t realise, the reader doesn’t realise, you will have to hold on until her mind understands.

Series potential

A Slither of Hope – January 2014, I am so excited for this.

A Matter of Time – Hopefully not too long. O_o

‘The potential is seductive’ Judging Covers with #DevaZan

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, yet first impressions are the most important. Here I will review a book’s potential from the first chapter.

 

Title: Deva Zan   ( ISBN9781616550301  )

Author: Yoshitaka Amano

Publisher: Diamond Book Distributors, Dark Horse

Date release: February 5, 2013

Price: $49.99

 

Cover:

 

The monstrous steed on the front recalls images of dragons, until you realise the stereotypical wings are not present. It makes you think that this book will leads you on goose chases if you dare to guess ahead.

From my GCSE art days I know that black will be most likely to draw the eye, yet I feel myself more inexplicably drawn to the lost, hollow white eyes of the humanoid character than Bella to Edward. Echoeing that of the moon behind, the character looks to be a hero but the zombie-esque stare scares in such a way as though it is a warning not to trust your first instinct.

Though beautiful in the artwork, the dark and powerful theme of nightmares is ever present as you look at the cover of Deva Zan. It promises a story that will twist your mind as well your head as you look at the flickering shadow in your peripheral vision.

 

Blurb:

In his forty year career, Yoshitaka Amano has illustrated many projects, becoming famous for Final Fantasy and Vampire Hunter D. But never before has Amano written the visions he depicts — never until now! Dark Horse has the honor to publish Deva Zan, Yoshitaka Amano’s first fantasy novel as an author as well as an illustrator! An epic ten years in the planning, Amano has made Deva Zan as his personal expression of the legends of Asia for his Western readership.

In esotevic Japanese Buddhism, twelve generals — the Juni Jinsho — stood guard over the cosmos at the points of the zodiac. But now they have vanished, and nothing stands between us and the forces of darkness but Deva Zan, a samurai without a memory. To restore order to existence, he must marshal not only his own fighting skill, but find companions that can cross the boundaries of time and space — to join him in a battle that will stretch from the fields of ancient Japan, to the streets of modern New York City — and to dimensions beyond human comprehension!

 

I know of Final Fantasy, but Vampire Hunter D is not so familiar. But as an avid manga fan, a book reader since I could sit up and perpetually interested in the human mind, Deva Zan excites me that someone is attempting to write the novel and illustrate. I have, of course, read picture books before, as well as Beatrix Potter and Dicken’s novels that have prints on some of the pages, but this, this looks to be something more.

That it is also about the supernatural has me sold and the book bought – except the price is 49.99? Even for me… that seems a little too much, if not a lot.

With ancient and modern mixing, with different dimensions and battles, there is a lot for Yoshitaka to grab hold of and bring the reader something to be amazed by. Even though, the price tag is eccentric, the blurb shows potential that the book is worth it.

 

First Chapter:

 

As you reach the prologue you have to flick through abstract pink prints and a grey empty horizon that is mottled with fake age. I am experiencing the eBook version, but the memory of the cover coupled with the patience of getting through the pages still allows you to ‘feel’ the book as though you were holding it. You can still imagine the burden of those simple prints, with such a promise from the busy detail of the art and the exaggerated blurb you can only wonder why the prints are so empty.

The text is fragmented, the lines ending short, which is probably meant to be poetic, yet personally I think it looks horrid. The next page, probably meant to be shown together, is garish, bold flat prints of colour and a black white pencil-detailed warrior… yet in its ugliness it is still desirable. Maybe the excitement of the cover and blurb haven’t worn off yet.

The shortness of the lines are cold with clear facts and basic speech, there is no metaphor, or simile, or any romantic devices used in prose. Yet Deva Zan can still make you see the scripture, and it’s not because it is illustrated, as the illustrations are not clear – completely opposite to the cover.

The need for more information brings greed to turn the pages, rather than a swift intake of the story. Two pages in and you are graced with a beautiful concept-like art double page picture, of a goddess-like surrounded by goldfish. It seems unfinished in its muted colours, but it is still worthy of being a centrepiece on any wall.

More gorgeous artwork surrounds small amounts of text that start to tease you onto the next page. Unfortunately the eBook now limits the impact and there is no effort to absorb the work gone into it.

And then it is chapter one… which brings more of the same. I’ll admit I did flick through – or rather click through – and the images continue to have a concept like quality, and are beautiful.

 

FIRST LINE – How many times have I awoken?

First lines are extremely important to me, it sets character scene and can sometimes forge a connection with the reader so that they cannot turn back.  This line engages with a philosophy of existence which will appeal to some.

 

Main character:

 

The blurb let me know he was a samurai, and the prologue backs this up. The words make me think he is strategic, which tends to go hand in hand with leadership qualities, which just echoes the cover and the blurb again. The images show you that he is not quite perfect yet, but has great potential and that you should wait and watch just a little longer.

 

Potential:

 

This is definitely a book I would like to hold, to touch, to experience firsthand. It is what proves that published books are not yet dead and that we will always need them. Deva Zan has an unknown quality that makes you want to feast upon the whole of it. Probably more likely to be a book enjoyed on a lazy Sunday afternoon when you have a couple hours spare rather than a chapter before you go sleep. Worth the $49.99? Owning the amount of art work at that quality, yes. The story itself? Well, you would probably get time value out of it…

 

Further:

 

I couldn’t help but look more, the potential was too seductive! The pictures get more detailed and more full, I can only imagine that they reflect clarity of storyline.

 

Jiu you want another?

As far as otaku-ness is concerned I’m still a noob for manga, reading it for as many months as I have digits to count them, but even I know potential when I see it.

NB: Me and MS Paint like copyright rules, so together we made a few changes 
so not to ruin Jiu Jiu for you but still let you experience the beauty.

Jiu Jiu by Touya Tobina. Cute, serious and wolfish.

I first came across Jiu Jiu by Touya Tobina back in July when I was perusing Waterstones’ bookshelves waiting for a friend. I have a rule where I can look, but not buy. However, I made contact with the skilfully drawn eyes of Takamichi, Snow and Night and instantly fell in love. It seemed fate had made me arrive 15 minutes early, and for those 15 minutes I couldn’t put the book back on the shelf.

Next thing I knew I was turning the black and white pages of shadows and detail on the seats outside the store. Jiu Jiu was mine. (NB I did pay, I don’t mean I just ran out the shop.)

Pretty isn’t it?

Jiu Jiu is a supernatural tale for ‘older teens’, printed by Viz Media as part of Shojo Beat. Like all manga it retails at £6.99 in the UK but Amazon is a good place for those willing to wait an extra day to save some pennies. It follows the life of Takamichi, the eldest daughter of a hunter clan that kill bad monsters (you know the drill) and is given two ‘jiu jiu’ guardians who take the form of wolves.

Unwritten rule that shifters must change back to naked… you know what this means.

They aren’t werewolves, but shifters: Half human, half ‘S-class dangerous monster’ wolf. Takamichi is central to a prior story of heartbreak and despair (aren’t all manga heroines?) making her a strong, independent type, but cold and distant. Snow and Night grow fast, and in the three years they belong to Takamichi prior to the start of the story, their human bodies resemble the same age as her 17 year old self. And you know how much manga loves Japanese high school right? Yep.

There haven’t been any incidents of wolf sightings at school just yet, though their under-developed social skills have them asking to be taken for a walk with ‘a rope round my neck.’ It’s adorable and done with clean artwork. I assume it will happen at some point, but at the moment Ms Tobina has plenty of mischievous shenanigans for the pair to enrage their mistress. And oh how she enrages.

Enrageness!

Like all manga (that I have seen anyway) the artwork becomes more my ability with stick men-sequel diagrams, but not as often as I saw in Fruits Basket. There are a lot of close up drawings, for a story about an emotionally distant character, Tobina certainly lets you get up close and personal with the cast. Even with Ms Tobina herself, the author panels that fall on some secret pages give you an insight into the amazing mind that gave creation to Jiu Jiu.

I had to wait four months for Jiu Jiu two. As an impatient woman it was hard, and I had to fill my days with boring things like work and food and sleeping. It arrived yesterday (Saturday, October 27) and I couldn’t help but squeal with joy. The book was definitely worth the wait. The same beauty is there in the lines and the detail, and the comedy and serious storyline is still entwined with each other.

And pig vampire. Oh my, if you, like me, fell hard for the first instalment of Jiu Jiu, prepare for your heart not to beat properly anymore. This series is set to be a firm favourite in the otaku and the noob world. As long as I have money Ms Touya, you will always have work. Now to wait until January 17 for my preorder of Jiu Jiu 3 to arrive… and then April for Jiu Jiu 4…

The monsters in Jiu Jiu are oh so very terrifying

When you have read one and two enough to take a break, remember to send your gratitude to the mistress. All correspondence goes through her Selkie.

Send her love. (and mention me!)

THEY WILL ALL BE MINE

Smiles, styles and service – Craig Chapmans Hair Salon

I looked like the joker. Or maybe a minotaur. How did I get to this predicament and what was to happen next?

After leaving Falmouth I needed to find a new hairdresser. The one I went to in Launceston had not done a great job last time, but I wasn’t keen on driving two hours just for a haircut, so I had the daunting task of finding someplace new that could tame my ever growing mop of hair. And it had indeed grown into an unruly mop.

Maybe I just had pre-made assumptons about Craig Chapmans but I wasn’t being proven wrong either. Since childhood the salon had been the chic establishment of Launceston, winning and being niminated for a wealth of awards, even now they are running simultaneously for best stylist and best afro for 2013,  it just seems too hollywood for Launceston, what with its fabulous green and pink striped chairs.

There was current pop music plating and the retro ‘gone with the wind’ on mute on a wall mounted television.

The man himself was working on a sleek haircut in front of me as I wait. Five minutes past my time, may I add. I’m not very patient anyway, and I’m annoyed that nobody had come to me to say they are running late. I was offered a drink as I walked in and everyone smiles but just being left is annoying, yet, I felt serene. There’s a happy buzz in Craig Champman’s salon.

The actual shop is done in white, with black details. But it definitely is more stylish than clinical, a comfortable cleanliness as you sit and wait. A man with adorable facial hair/ stubble keeps milling about and cleaning, offering me a welcoming smile. There’s plenty of politeness, but not stylist asking me to the chair ten minutes after my appointment time. Regardless of this, I can’t help but give them top points for atmosphere. I may not fit in, but it isn’t awkward of uncomfortable, it has a good vibe. And the waiting chairs are fantastic.

As soon as something is on the floor one of the army of statuesque stylish staff are picking it up, and if they catch your eye they smile wide.

You know that awkward moment you’re complaining in your head that no one has come to see you and the stylist bounds over with a giant smile and stretches her hand out to shake it with such enthusiasm you stutter? Well yeah.

Kayleigh is a blonde, happy lady who directs me to a swivel chair and nods and ‘yes’es at all my ramblings at what I want my then unruly hair to do. Her eyes were alight but I wasn’t too sure if she understood me or not… but at the time I was more concerned with my voice being so loud, or quiet, or deep or unnatural as I tried to fight the volume of hair dryers, chatter and nerves.

I am then taken to a small woman (I say small, she’s probably taller than me) who washes my hair. I was told her name, but with all the worry that my voice sounded too deep and other problems with my vanity kept me from remembering it (sorry). That odd but nice head massage was done well, I have only had two salons do it my old faithful NV Hairdressing down Falmouth and now here, but both times I have enjoyed it. There was a slightly nervous press into my head once, and a single drop was flicked onto my noise – but even a single drop is frustratingly ticklish – but otherwise it was a high standard. Even now, two hours later, my head feels all fuzzy and relaxed.

I returned to Kayleigh with a tissue in my hand ‘for the drips’ and she bounces over again, like before, and smiles at me. Her face then turns into serious stylist mode and remained that way for the duration.

My hair is twisted like a unicorn and then clipped tightly to the top of my head. This is repeated in various places before My chin is casually forced onto my chest and I feel the small tug of my hair being cut.

My hair wasn’t all that long anyway, but I was seemed to be sitting there for an awful long time. I stole glances at the clock in the mirror. She put down the scissors, grabbed a pot of clay ‘to add texture’ and kneaded my scalp. It felt funny, being mussed around so much, but when I caught sight of the mirror my hair was in every direction and more, causing me to swallow a laugh. Kayleigh has a completely straight face, how she didn’t laugh at what she had just down still amazes me now. The clay itself smelt divine, like a fruit berry mousse.

Once she had done drying it I looked in the mirror to see a minotaur. My hair was giant and curled around my face. Please let it only be half way through.

It was. Thankfully.

She started straightening it and a yummy breeze of burning fruits floated past me as my hair smoked… wait what.

After 15 minutes of artistic hacking with razor scissors my hair became textured and light.

Cost = £40

I’m happy with it.

Put a Moon Spell on you, and now you’re mine… well, hers…

Broody, possessive and controlling hero? Check.

Virginal young maiden who has never looked at guys before? Check

Rich family and definite attraction/arranged marriage? Check.

Dull, lip-biting woman that does as she is told and can’t do anything? FAR FROM IT. In fact she blows sh!t up all over the place.

Scottish author Sam Young has created a series of intrigue and brilliance. Well, it’s at least an interesting read.

I have read book one of the Tales of Lunarmorte series: ‘Moon Spell.’ Without wanting to offend or put off anyone I would place it as the missing link between 50 shades of grey and Twilight. This may excite some and make others run in fear, but Moon Spell takes what is good and bad from the aforementoned and arranges it in some logical order.

Sure, my kindle version had a few missing words and grammatical mistakes, and the intimate scenes last as long as cake at a wedding, but the book has good bits as well! Like… well… let me think. Things blow up did I say that yet?

Okay, so it definately has the good and bad parts from Twilight  and 50 shades, but at least there’s no damn lip biting. And there might be some ‘oh my goddess’ but at least there is no ‘inner goddess’ mentioned.

It was still a good read.

Caia is a lycan and… well if I said that it would ruin the plot, but let’s just leave it at she can blow stuff up. (No, not a demolitions maniac.) The fascinating side of the book is probably the research and mythology that occurs throughout, it has been well done and you get a feel for the world that Sam Young creates. It is not often that you can understand somebody else’s world, but the description and information is all presented to the reader so they can fully immerse themselves, I could not put this book down. Yet it isn’t overbearing either, Young has mastered the balance.

When told she has been lied to all her life, Caia doesn’t lie down and take it, she snaps and snarls like any person would. There is a real sense of character there, she has personality, something that is lacking in the main heroine’s role in most modern popular fiction.

What I found lacking was the fight scenes. Here you have a girl that can BLOW STUFF UP (did I mention that yet?) but we don’t get to really see it. There are good descriptions of her training, and with the multi-narrator style of writing you get to see the consequences of her power from different angles. But it isn’t enough. Maybe the fights jsut didn’t last long enough, what with most of the book being based around the relationship between pack alpha Sebastien and Caia. Oh yes, warning, this is a romance read. Paranormal romance- the best kind. With glowing lights.

No seriously, glowing lights.

As just mentioned it is written in the point of view of many characters, and not just switching between the two main ones, you get a look of the bad guy and some minor characters. It adds depth, and although it isn’t clearly drawn who is talking when the style of thought changes for each ‘person’ so it doesn’t take long to figure out. The whole inner monologue in third person helps some too.

To buy your own for just 77p  go HERE

To see Sam Young’s blog go here  or the lunarmorte specific blog

 

For a book that has romance, intimacy, an awesome heroine, stuff getting blow up AND kickass fight scenes read Karen Chance

The Amazing Spider-Fan

I hate spiders, that title is a lie. But Andrew Garfield is definitely a reason to abide them. Luckily there is only a few hundred used in the film. Wait what.

Onto more pretty things, Garfield is stunning. Geeky and gorgeous, it is easy to see why this film has been slated as a superhero for women. There may not be any explosions for the boys, but the witty script and the blonde love interest will keep every cinema filled with men as well.

The amazing spiderman, based on the marvel comics by Stan Lee, is about a boy who gets bitten by a genetically enhanced spider after sneaking into Oscorp science/lab thingy and then starts to exhibit mutations. Enough with the details: Garfield portrays the geeky boy perfectly. A fan since he was three he has told interviews he “wanted to be spiderman when [he] grew up, this is the closest [he] can get.”

Unmasked: Spiderman is about the beauty within.

From the original Toby Maguire and the long established comic and cartoon depictions of spiderman we all know of the tragic life of Peter Parker, the alter ego of spiderman. His uncle dies. Everytime that man left the house my heart stopped for the second, and on that fateful night a tear still threatened my makeup. The cast was ideal, even Flash the jock/bully (Every american high school needs one.) Emotion could be seen in their eyes and smiles, when Garfield first hits the camera with that toothy grin, many of you will be swooning in your seats.

It is easy to immerse yourself in this film. Although dark, the colours are vibrant. That red and blue suit is easily seen while he swings through the skyscrapers. Might stick with the logo tshirt rather than donning the all in one lycra though.

Definitely a must see for the summer. It keep raining so you have no excuse to be outside. Go get in a big cinema and watch that boy swing.

Also, I hope you find lizards cute.

Look, he’s happy to see you. Are you happy to see him?

Since I’ve been gone…

Paws on my Pocky…

 

The third instalment for my video reviews on behalf of Keep-It-Secret.co.uk went live today. I started Saturday afternoon, had a six hour break, went to sleep, and got back to it Sunday afternoon. It was uploaded by 6pm.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, therefore I wrote a book in a weekend as I had to edit over sixty seperate photos. Not that I’m complaining, I enjoy fiddling around with photoshop and playing with windows live movie maker.

But enough with me trying to impress and get a paid job.

What about the pocky?

“hmmmmm”

I had lychee flavour for this video review, but lychee is one of those fruits that don’t get enough attention. They are adorable little white balls in a funky skin; I remember being handed one in food tech way back when I was a youngster. (As I’m totally old now at 22.)

 

A single Pocky. (Well, half of one ;D)

Pocky is a popular treat imported from Japan. The western stylisation of it is Mikado, but the adverts don’t even shy away from it being a clone of Glico Pocky. It is not like any old biscuit, think Cadbury Fingers x Party Rings. Good for old and young and those that eat in between. The biscuit itself isn’t crumbly (good for not making a mess, bad for creating atmosphere in my video) which is most likely due to the thinness. The icing is not thick but is strong enough to hold together. It takes only body heat for it to become loose from the biscuit base. In some areas it is more lumpy, giving an extra kick of flavour because of the concentration.

The icing is but air when you bite into it, the real resistance coming from the biscuit within the core. Though the size makes it brittle and with a satisfying crunch you are treated with the prize. Lychee has a soft flavour at first, but it will overpower your senses. Unlike msot other fruit it will present a new experience. Maybe you will not like this change, maybe it will be love at first taste, either way, prepare to want the next bite.

It really is a strange thing, but I wanted the rest of that biscuit, even though the lychee flavour caught me off guard. It was a tenuous moment where I thought about it, yet before I finished I was sucking on the stick, being seduced by the melting icing.

The popular flavours tend to be chocolate (plain, I would rather a digestive) and strawberry (is actually quite wonderful) but they are the first to sell out everywhere. Lychee is, as said before, an underrated fruit; much like Guava. Ah, a guava pocky would be amazing, it must exist somewhere.

Om Nom Nom

Don’t follow the crowd, go with the different flavours!

ENJOY! -_- and please thumbs up my video. I like praise.

 

 

Bring me the hart of Snow White

WARNING: I have tried not to drop spoilers, but I do talk about certain aspects you may not have known about. Read at own risk.

Turns out, Trolls are the fairest of them all. Or I guess those fairies were pretty sweet with that floppy white fringe, and mighty god of life Hart was pretty bad ass with those horns. Thor, you would have been in the running, but you wore your shirt throughout. And your face didn’t appear in the movie enough. You were like, only present for 85% of the time. Not enough.

Everyone knows the story; the Queen is a bully, but a pretty bully. However, the vain insecure wreck wants to destroy the one girl that is fairer than she. Snow White then runs away, what with being attached to her heart. Huntsman is sent on a retrieval mission, but his male ways cause mutiny and ends up helping the fair damsel. Walk by several dwarves and adorable animals covered in moss, perhaps a black smoking tree, two wars, an obvious trick and you get Snow White and The Huntsman.

I liked the CGI creations, they had a good concept. The troll’s eyes are so shiny and blue, I just wanted to cuddle him. And Thor, you look like a douche for being knocked about so much, like seriously, can’t handle a little Hulk?

Thou art beautiful.

I have to salute Hemsworth though; his acting skills are level 99. His voice was just as seductive as ever, but he displayed no Thor like qualities. I may be guilty of tutting in his fight scenes, silently telling him the Mjolnir would clear up the mess in a second, but he was an obedient actor and displayed drunken depressed man with woman issues well. My only drawback on the Huntsman was probably the suddenness of his thought process. He changed his mind, and would just do things without any warning. Rather than a being personality it appeared more absurd. However, this is more of a script problem than the man. We do not fault the man. It is not done.

That brings me on my major annoyance of the film. The script; more specifically Snow White’s script. I do not think it is the fault of Kristen Stewart- though her many facial expressions of Bella made me grit my teeth throughout the film. Every time that Snow spoke a philosophical riddle emerged. Sometimes for absolutely no reason at all! At one point she is just walking and starts talking about frost and something intelligible. Wouldn’t it be awkward if this crazy lady was made a Queen or something?

I did like something about Snow White’s character though. The shape of her outfit was pretty; I love the pinafore over a dress look. It may be a dull colour, and those sleeves are atrocious, but I understand the importance of those factors for her situation at the time. Still, fantastic design Colleen Atwood!

Fine Fashion

“I wear a dozen extravagant outfits in the film. And you choose HERS? she only had three! “

My final criticism would be on how the battles were filmed. Fight scenes that were not strictly one on one became blurred and disorientating. It was difficult to see who was winning, if anybody was. Though Thor wielding an axe was very entertaining, the man is good with weapons.

All in all, the film was enjoyable. I wasn’t expecting the CGI sanctuary, but I adored all the creatures. But, like Hemsworth’s chest face, Snow White and the Huntsman does not allow the good things to stay. With a strong storyline, and a good selection of characters, it is a great movie for an evening in with friends. Just don’t expect fan service, they forgot to add it.

No, you can’t distract us from the lack of fan service by adding more pretty faces.

Never Forgotten

I really need want to make a blog post, but my life is currently all about my university course. For example, rather than posting this I should be writing the other half of my content pitch. Everything is on track for my deadlines and I can think about graduating with a calm mind, knowing that all my work is in order- at the expence of my blog.

I haven’t had time to procrastinate (except with Game of Thrones, but I was waiting for the next two episodes to review it) and so I have no content. Well, this is true if you count playing on a graphics tablet as work. I was practicing to get the hang of it so that I could make good graphics for my portfolio. Why not tell me what you think of my new skills. They are nearly all fan art images of things I like to watch/play. But there are a couple originals too.

Anyway, this post is just to say I am not neglecting my blog; I am merely working towards making it much more splended. Hard work takes time so wait for me. And watch this space.

If you want to see the home of my procrastination practice images, then head on over to Deviant Art and watch me.

Ramen Rescue

A student visiting home for the weekend is left to fend for herself at lunchtime. Surely the point of going home is to feast on home cooked meals? But no fear, to the rescue comes the friendly neighbourhood chinese greengrocer, with their Unif Bowl Instant Noodles, Roast Beef flavour attack.

It is a giant, an oversized point that could intimidate hunger just with the size alone.

SuperSize

As the events unfold the aesthetics leave much to be desired, but hunger cannot be deferred by such trivial matters.

Nom?

After three minutes it is time.

Here is what is promised:

Om Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom

Here is what is given:

All that glitters is gold grease

The first irresistible bite burns the lips. Patient waiting transpires as a plan of action is concocted. Namely, let it cool.

The student tries to breathe in the life force of the noodle ramen pot as she waits, sucking in that delicious, sweet scent of… oxygen. There seems to be no flavour or smell emanating into the air, it is but a tame pot of noodles.

Starting to lower expectations a second bite is taken, and the soft noodles seduce their way to her heart. Biting the flesh of the noodles one will discover the glorious soft texture, trying to slurp the river that cascades down from the fork is a difficult fear at such temperature but seems so necessary it must be done. The subtle flavours build, with the aftertaste being the home to a spicy kick.

As the satisfying meal continues the spices both threaten and calm down with each bite.

Finally variety strikes with crunchy cabbage parts, but they are so few and far between they lack purpose and may as well not be there.

Cabbage Patch.

Mutiny is engaged when the sheer mass of the pot becomes too much for the  student. Perhaps it was the late lunchtime, maybe the banana based breakfast was too filling, or maybe the Ramen pot was just too generous. We may never know the truth to this outcome.

Defeated.

But there are no regrets. To be able to eat such perfectly brewed noodles was a memory worth creating.

 

Not so Secret

I was recently welcomed to the ranks of the employed (more volunteer) with Keep It Secret as their Social Media Assistant.

As part of this I created an amateur video review for the bento box they sell. It is made using windows live movie player, that is the level of amateur.

That’s all really, just spamming myself on my own blog. But hopefully, you will find it creative and want to hire me to a paid job buy the bento box and eat lots of sushi yourself.

 

A sweet little whispa…

Whisper to me soft nougat bubble nothings, surround me in the hushed silence of chocolate. I taste again the purity of chocolate divinity, but like any deity, to behold it for too long would blind we mortals.

Maybe that’s why itsy Bitsa Wispa bites come in share bags…

bite more than you can chew... and let the choc out of the bag

The alluring purple cloak splits open with barely any pressure from the first advance. A sly rustle and a little extra glue keeping that top in place, such is the prerogative of packaging today.

A coldness emanates from the chilly heart of the little bites, sinking over your teeth as the flavour washes into being. A slathering monster inhabits the body as another and another is consumed without trepidation.

Then the pain of sugar kicks, and spirals the mind in a blissful rush of confusion and over indulgence.

Just a bit more.

A little powdery upon the body, for all the congregation have been dancing in that small space for so long. But it is irrelevant when you just slip one in and suck. The bubbles pop and melted chocolate runs down the throat in a promise of enjoyment.

Whether you like wispa or not  is invalid here; these bites do not care for your personal tastes. They exist as a temptation. And we, as humanity, will fall for their whispers.

X Blades: former cowgirls getting godly.

I knew it was a good game when the winged dinosaur in a steam punk mask that was running towards me suddenly veered left and casually walked up the wall. His mate ran in a circle to my right and even when I started to hack and slash they were confused at best. Then we all had a kind of party where all the steam punk dinosaurs came to the garden and created a mosh pit.

Then a big red ball of light chased us all and security threw me out.

 

Just don't expect much: in story, in adventure, in clothes...

I haven’t reviewed anything in a while, and due to the fact I and my housemate can’t be trusted with spare money and access to Amazon, I have a couple new old games for the ol’ Xbox 360. I felt good today so, naturally, I thought I would test run a bikini clad, former cowgirl with an illicit affair with gun swords. But not just one, TWO; for those days that you just feel so bad ass you need to have two swords that can shoot infinite ammo.

I’m not going to lie to you, I just entered level Three. Some of you may think that level three isn’t far enough into a game to know what I’m talking about… well, to be fair it isn’t. But I am not the hack and slash girl you are assuming me to be, I like a storyline to avoid so as soon as I write this I am going back to Fable 2.

The cover of X Blades states that in a pretty environment the heroin (bikini clad former cowgirl) is searching for some treasure that blah blah and destroys the earth and blah blah blah so you have to continuously kill things to find out why. It sounded fun, and if you like button mashing then it is pretty good. The game requires no skill or strategy, only patience and a vibrating thumb joint.

It is kinder to the player than most games, rather than having objects strewn about to destroy in order to obtain health and MP (although apparently there are) you can fight your victims to build up rage (equivalent to MP), sacrifice souls of fallen prey (but you need this to power up spells and weapons so don’t do it too often) or my personal technique, just stand around and hold down the spell button, the rage/frustration builds as she just throws magic at the bad flies, killing them instantly.

Please note, that last trick only works if you have enough health to not die whilst building up rage; otherwise you are rather screwed.

 

Who's an adorable half a dinosaur?

My favourite part of the game though has to be the consequence of mass combos. I am a girl, thus, I love it when people are calling me stunning, incredible, perfect, spectacular, unstoppable… wait what.

The first levels are ridiculously easy, but to get the decent spells it is telling me I need a lottery win worth of souls (each monster is one soul) so it will definitely get harder pretty soon.

May not be the greatest game in the world, but if you want something to do in short bursts with a pretty scenery and a casual regard to a storyline (with two possible endings!), or maybe you are partial to bikini clad former cowgirls that wear cat ear type hair clips. Did I mention she has an awesome weapon? Try out X Blades, to me, it’s more fun than Thor (the video game, not drinking the game, one does not simply beat the Thor drinking game).

ANIME VS MANGA: Ao No Exorcist

Its no secret that I am a fan of the Ao No Exorcist from the review I did a few months ago. I enjoyed Kazue’s art and storyline so wanted the fun to continue, so, I started the manga series.

Click on image to start your manga addiction too!

So we know that the series is great, but must we place allegiances with either the manga or the anime?

However, the anime series is a complete set of 25 episodes, rather than the mammoth ongoing in the likes of Naruto or Bleach. Although, the manga is still being released every few months and has a great deal of story left to tell…

To see every side is the best option.

Watching the anime will you give you an action packed, semi-feel good laugh over the weekend, it is definately worth your time. But the manga is also on the Read List. You may think you have obtained a good definition for every character (except that Takara) but everybody changes, develops, evolves, and is shown in a rainbow of different lights. Why would you want to miss that?

I can honestly say that both manga and anime are worthy of being in anybody’s collection. Great art and emotional depth is present in both; personally I think that all fight scenes are better in colour and with sound, but the original storyline that the manga follows requires that sacrifice.

Creepy and Beautiful. Although would Blackie/Kuro be better in colour?

You will be as happy as the son of satan in watching and reading Ao No Exorcist, so be happier and do both.

Happy like the Son Of Satan.

I also mentioned in my last Ao No Exorcist review that I wanted to know who the damned was Takara. WELL…

the first mention of him... since ever...

If that tiny hint isn’t enough to make you switch to manga, then you aren’t a Blue Fan anyway… So you should watch the anime ;D

Reading *BLUE* Exorcist in black and white is kind of funny...

Recommendation: Watch the anime, and then read the manga to continue the story further. ♥

SUPER TOAST: are toast stamps cool?

Are toast stamps that cool? Is having a picture heated into the indentations of your crispy bread the definition of awesomesauce? Well, no, awesomesauce is some weird slang term of our 21st century youth generation, darn those whipper snappers. But having picturesque breakfast items was rather amusing. However, I write this blog so that you semi-senile oldies like me can understand the dynamics of these ludicrous inventions called the TOAST STAMP.

They come in all shapes, mostly the same size, but my intimate encounter with the things came in the form of SUPER STAMPS. A gift of Kapow and Boom from my sister, to add a bit of drama to my breakfast.

TAKE THAT TOAST

So my favourite bread is brown, and from my habit of breaking things I didn’t want to push the stencil through the toast… so I pressed the stamp lighlty on some wholemeal bread; but…

I got more of a kaPOUT than the kapow I wanted.

Toast Stamps are stupid. ¬_¬

Was my first thought. But then realised, this was more of a kid like charm… and kid’s (so it’s told) like white bread, big , fluffy white bread.

Voila.

KAPOW! Press hard into nice soft bread to obtain the desired effect.

What you still don’t believe me that white is better than brown? Then check this out.

The many sides of Boom.

So, I’m thinking this obselete morning action is too much thought process required of busy lives. You understand, the whole 3 seconds it takes to do that extra movement and push that really, heavy ounce of colourful plastic onto such an unforgivable and resilient slice. Oh Wait. On a serious note, I can’t see people who have to stretch their minutes in the morning to use a toast stamp. BUT if you have a moment to dawdle on breakfast. It is pretty awesome to see a picture in your breakfast.

SUPER TOAST

And then cover the printed art with peanut butter and chocolate spread so it becomes superer. Totally a word. Just like this toast changed in molecular make-up when stamped. Totally.

ANIME VS MANGA Bleach

Bleach, the art by Tite Kubo, never hit my radar, until it became a small commotion on Twitter. Something about the anime coming to a close (after six billion episodes) and maybe perhaps a live action film coming out? I think. Don’t quote me.

Anyway, it was being talked about, but I had no idea what it was. Given synopsis: A boy, Ichigo, is transformed into a magical girl Shinigami after making a deal with the incubator being slain through the heart to save his family. Things go a bit complicated seems he is super powerful, and then the adventures begin.

Meh.

Then I saw this picture:

That is DAMNED COOL. Oh… and yes, I was kinda curious when I saw something as cute as this… but I am yet to absolutely fall in love with him.

So I began the epic journey of starting Bleach. Maybe I will get round to watching all 365 episodes and 485 chapters, but for now I write this at the milstone of approx 50 each. I have other things to do, like paint my nails and reblog funny pictures of kuroshitsuji on Tumblr.

THE COMPLETE SERIES FOR UNDER £10... one series of 10... or so.

As a review for the storyline, I rather like it. It has the usual sad background, and heart breaking, soul defying history for nearly every character (can nobody normal and happy get supernatural powers in Japan?) but the whole hollow-bad spirit and shinigami superhero storyline is fun. It has a good balance of emotional engagement and battles, like Naruto. I like big, long battles that stretch over episodes and show off ENORMOUS power; I think I mentioned that before, they are fun and silly and I like the repeated moments of “I CAN DO THAT KICK!” etc (I hope I’m not the only martial artist that does that). Thus, whatever you decide, definately start Bleach. It’s the way to go.

Ichigo is HAPPY to see you.

So… Anime or Manga? I have two points that seperate them, two points that make one just that little bit superior to the other:

1. Colour.
2. Sound.

When I watch the battles in Bleach, I like the colours and the vivid detail of the techniques. The emotions and storyline is conveyed through the manga wonderfully, but the intensity of the battles and Ichigo’s spirit can only be seen in glorious technicolour.

Life is more violent is moving colour. The still, almost void like image just doesn’t pass the sense of urgency in the manga like the big splashes and smoke full of debris shown so easily in the anime.

However, some of you might say you have ‘a good imagination’ and can ‘see the explosions.’ Well… yeah, so do I. But what is scarier, seeing this:

I maybe edited it... a little.

Or hearing this:

Exactly. Kabooms and screaming over rustling pages anyday. (recommendation, if you like hearing the soothing sound of panicked screams, then you will love ao no exorcist.)

I know you are different manga, thats why I'm reviewing you. So silly.

There are moments when maybe the manga is a little more descriptive, and there are many moments outside of battle that are wonderful whether on the page or on your magically moving screen. The latter is of course refferring to the recurring joke of the appalling talent of Rukia.

Wonderful however you look at it.

I say appalling talent… she is still better than me. Disclaimer: I can distinguish heads from hands though…

Another time that I will happily reread and rewatch both is for this screen cap:

Why does this make me laugh so much... maybe its the sheer determination in Quincy-Boy's face?

In conclusion… watch the anime. The manga is good, but with all that content, and if you are only starting now… choose the anime. Get to grips with the story, if you really want to read the entire library worth of manga go for it, there is nothing wrong at all. But the anime has more impact and shiny things. We all like shiny things.

One last thing:

Thank-you Orihime... I don't understand but I like it anyway.