November's almost over

...and I still have to start watching my lineup of fall anime series.

I was already able to get my President Japan Kureha and man is she lovely! I only took her out of the box though but I haven't really opened her up yet. Same goes for the rest of my new figures. They're just there... I can't find the time to open any of them yet. Also, I fear that if I start taking them out of their boxes, I wouldn't want to put them back in. Which brings me to an even bigger problem: space (as you can see in my previous posts).

Anyway, this is my new Kureha:

In other news, I was able to finish a few other manga but nothing's really worth writing about. Although the current one that I'm reading, Le Portrait de Petit Cossette might (keyword: might) be worth mentioning. I'll have to finish it first though lol. Then there's ef - A Tale of Melodies which I've been dying to watch. I already have up to episode 8 and counting so I just have to find the time to actually watch it.

Winter 2008/2009 Anime Line Up!

Once again we have the line up of upcoming anime series for the Winter of 2008-2009, which means that it's for December, January and February.

Not much that I want to watch except for AFRO SAMURAI RESURRECTION!!! *dies* I'm already excited to watch the sequel because I so so so love Afro!

Ah yeah, I'm kinda interested in watching Asakiyumemishi Tale of Genji too. Wonder if it's done well.

I really really need space!

I finally got my Urutorii, Clalaclan, Hayase Mitsuki, Genjo Sanzo and Nadie. Too bad I wasn't able to get Zoro after all T_T I lack space as of the moment, so feel free to take a look at my mess:

I really hope I can get a display cab soon because I'm getting my Kureha this weekend. Oh and Musashi too, plus my other pre-orders for next year T_T

Lovesick

Title: Lovesick
Story & Art: Maria
Volumes: 2
Genre: Shoujo

Lovesick is about Yue, a high school student who lives with her young and good-looking step-father, Kouki. Yue is dating someone from her school but she soon realizes that the one she's really in love with is Kouki. She tries hard to keep her feelings inside her because she's afraid that she might ruin her relationship with her step-dad if she tells him.

I don't think I want to continue giving a summary of the story as it will ruin it for those who want to read Lovesick. It's a good story, though a short one at that. Yue is shown as a typical teenager who experiences how it is to fall in love but at the same time, she undergoes terrible anxiety because of that same love. Is it even considered incest even though they aren't really blood-related?

Anyway, Kouki is an interesting character. He's easy-going and aloof, probably because of his age (a dad of a 16-year-old at 27!), but at the same time, he cares for Yue a lot. It kinda makes you wonder if he's lovesick about Yue too ^^ That or he sees Yue's mom in her ^^;

Lovesick's artwork is good. The characters look pretty, long eyelashes and all. Although, come to think of it, the males and females look alike, save for the hair. It's all good though ^^ I do like the way their eyes and hair are toned and shaded and all that stuff. Their expressions are also drawn well as they really show when the characters are emoting.

Lovesick also has two side stories included: Koukando Equals and Diamond. I didn't really like Diamond as much as Koukando Equals. I thought Diamond's story was a tad shallow lol. Koukando Equals had a lot of emotions in it and were expressed really well by the plot so it's worth reading.

I'd recommend Lovesick to those who like shoujo stories. Guys wouldn't like this at all, I'm sure ;_;

Dragonball Teaser Trailer

...is out!

I think me and Jeff are gonna watch this just to see if it's really as bad as it looks. (Which I think it is.)

No news on my figures yet

It's already October and still no figures. My pre-orders haven't arrived yet T_T So I'm still waiting for Clalaclan, Hayase Mitsuki and Kureha. Unfortunately, Genjo Sanzo's release date was moved from August to September to god knows when. So I'm still waiting for news about him since I also have him on pre-order and there is absolutely no way I'm going to skip him and his cute little Marlboro Reds accessory.

Good news is, I'll be getting a Roronoa Zoro (finally!) since someone cancelled their order from a local shop. Did I mention this already? Lol I don't really remember. So, I'm really excited to get him but since I can't easily go to the shop, I need to wait for my pre-orders so that I'll get them all in one go.

There isn't that much I could write since I'm still in the process of reading manga and finding one that strikes me and I haven't really seen any anime. Well aside from reading manga, all I do is play games on my DS... I can probably write something about those when I finish any one of them lol.

Speaking of games, here are some new titles that have just been put up for pre-orders (on Nintendo DS platform, of course):

Tetsudou Musume DS: Terminal Memory
Princess Debut - I think I wanna play this XD
Away: Shuffle Dungeon
Culdcept DS
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings

Found any of those on your "To Play" list? Princess Debut is so mine lol XD

September should've been my month

This is like the first (and probably last) entry for September! I've been so busy lately, even to the point of staying at the office overnight just to get the work done. I also went on a trip to the US where I suffered a very cruel experience: My wallet and my passport were stolen from my hotel room. My wallet had all my IDs in it plus $1100 so it was a cruel blow T_T My passport just got renewed February this year so I had to go to the DFA to get a replacement...and it wasn't pleasant =_=

Anyway, I wasn't able to buy that much from my trip since my money got stolen. I was able to get Volume 3 of Zettai Kareshi though to complete my set ^_^ That, and Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time and The Universe in a Nutshell. I'm such a geek. It was my birthday gift to myself though as I celebrated my birthday on a bus trip from San Francisco to LA. Sad, really... Imagine gawking at sheep, cattle and horses grazing during your birthday.

However, I'd really want a life-sized R2D2 as my birthday gift. That would be awesome. Well the price is awesome too, at $5450. I don't know if there's anyone who would spend a lot for R2D2...ehehe I would, but I don't have money right now T_T

Ah well I have this nasty toothache so if I can muster enough concentration to actually write something substantial, I'll probably do a review of some of the manga I finished reading. I don't have time to watch any anime or J-Dramas anymore!!!

Anyone wants their own R2D2?

Fuan no Tane - Seeds of Anxiety

Title: Fuan no Tane
Story & Art: Nakayama Masaaki
Volumes: 3
Genre: Seinen

Fuan no Tane (Seeds of Anxiety) is a collection of stories that centers around urban legends, ghosts and supernatural stuff from Japan. I'm not really familiar with most of them, except that some of the ghost stories are pretty much what you hear from old people. (At the very least, we have our own versions of those stories...you get my drift.)

Most of the stories are short (2-pages long) so I got the feeling that there should be more to it than what I read. Although, that's what makes these kinds of stories enjoyable, right? They leave you hanging ^_^;

There isn't anything spectacular about the drawing style of Fuan no Tane. The characters look average - even unattractive. The ghosts and creatures aren't what we normally see in horror movies; they aren't gruesome or scary at all. Well, I didn't find them scary but they were way creepy. When I read pages that show the ghosts and their lot, I got goosebumps and the hairs on my nape were dancing up and down. But yeah, not scary at all. Just plain C-R-E-E-P-Y.

As I read through each story, I kinda got the feeling that those could happen to me at any given time, whether I was at home, at work or just walking around town. That thought made the whole manga-reading even creepier. Well they do happen to just about anyone, I guess. Good thing I never really sense anything beyond normal!

Fuan no Tane is a good read if you're into the supernatural stuff. Not as great as Junji Ito's works, but I guess I can't really compare it to that. They're under the same category but the whole atmosphere of the stories are different. Just don't read it at night (if you're anything like me, that is).

Invasion of the Cuties

...we're being taken over by Nendoroids. Everyone's enthralled by these really small and really cute SD versions of our favorite characters. If you still don't know what Nendoroids are, where have you been hiding? Eh..Here's a bit about Nendoroids.

Anyway, they've started to invade even video games now. Check out these screens of Virtua Fighters 5 where the Nendoroids are clearly visible.





Nendoroids are actually cute accessories, right? I wish someone would make Nendoroid earrings!

Source

New Figures!

These are some of the new figures that will be released later this year. I heard that there will also be a re-issue of the POP3 Roronoa Zoro... I'm crossing my fingers that it will reach our shores! Anyway, the Ignis figure looks really nice but I think the base spoils it all so I'd have to pass on that, sadly.

[Kotobukiya] Riannon
From: Tears to Tiara
Scale: 1/8
Price: 7,140 Yen
Release Date: November 2008

[Kaiyodo Fraulein Revoltech] Yoko
From: Gurren Lagann
Scale: None
Price: 2,300 Yen
Release Date: October 2008
Pre-Order

[Movic] Yoko
From: Gurren Lagann
Scale: 1/5
Price: 6,300 Yen
Release Date: October 2008
Pre-Order

[Mega House] Nanael
From: Queen's Blade
Scale: 1/8
Price: 5,775 Yen
Release Date: November 2008
Pre-Order

[Yamato Creator's Labo] Ignis
From: Jingai Makyo
Scale: None
Price: 8,190 Yen
Release Date: November 2008
Pre-Order

[Shueisha] Melty
From: Puchimon
Scale: 1/8
Price: 5,800 Yen
Release Date: December 2008

[Orchid Seed] Lala
From: Comic Aun
Scale: 1/7
Price: 7,400 Yen
Release Date: November 2008

[Good Smile Co.] Human Mage
From: Lineage II
Scale: 1/8
Price: 6,800 Yen
Release Date: November 2008
Pre-Order

These are just "some" figures, I reiterate. With the recent WonderFest Winter 2008 convention, we see more and more figures coming to rob us. ^_^; Planning on getting any one of these?

Itadakimasu!

Title: Itadakimasu
Story & Art: Yoshihara Yuki
Volumes: 4
Genre: Josei

Itadakimasu is a smut manga, just to warn you. Regardless of its mature nature, I think Itadakimasu is a really cute story about something that we hear about everyday (and possibly experience too): a relationship between a middle-aged woman and a boy half her age.

The four volumes of Itadakimasu just centers mainly around how they are able to maintain their relationship despite the age gap and the obvious differences. I find it amusing how these two people act the opposite of their ages. Naeko is very childish and perverted while Ouji was given the name "Pappy" since he acts like an old man.

Oh I did forget to mention that Naeko was married before she met Ouji. Quite ironic for her to work in a marriage salon since her first marriage (with her boss, Ouji's older brother) failed.

Itadakimasu is a light-hearted story that focuses on Naeko's anxieties of being in love again after a divorce with no less than a younger man. At the same time, despite the maturity Ouji shows, he still is just a "child" inside. It's a feel-good story, actually and the plot flows smoothly and I didn't feel like it kept me hanging when I finished the four volumes.

The artwork is nice too. The characters are drawn well and their super deformed selves are funny. Even the scary faces of both Naeko and Ouji are amusing. As far as the smut is concerned, there isn't that much hardcore, really. Just naked bodies but the lower regions are left to your imagination. Shinjo Mayu's works are more hardcore than Itadakimasu. What we get here is just basic lovemaking between Naeko and Ouji. That and some ecchi moments of Naeko's.

I would recommend Itadakimasu for those who are into smut, josei and mature shoujo. It really is a good read!

Fall 2008 Anime List

Click on the image to see it in its full size. Oh and there's a tidbit about some of the titles under their respective pictures too...so don't forget to read.

Okay, just a rant but I haven't even been able to finish my Summer 2008 anime watchlist and here I see more anime that I want to watch. Bleh. (I need time!!! T_T)

Anyway, among these new lineup, I see some more titles that will further lengthen my watchlist. There's Zettai Shougeki, Today in Class 5-2, Jigoku Shoujo 3, Skip Beat! and ef - A Tale of Melodies.

I'm particularly looking forward to Today in Class 5-2 since I read the manga and I thought that it was hilarious! Kinda like Kodomo no Jikan, but funnier and uhm..not that ecchi. As for ef - A Tale of Melodies, it's apparently the sequel to ef - A Tale of Memories - an anime I share a love-hate feeling with. I'm interested in watching the sequel because maybe it will enlighten me about the story...?

Anything from the list you're wanting to watch?

(I'll try posting updates when I find some.)

Innocent kiss...in the blue?

Title: Innocent Kiss in the Blue
Story & Art: Miyasaka Kaho
Volumes: 4
Genre: Shoujo

Finished reading Innocent Kiss in the blue, and what can I say? They could've lessened the number of volumes they printed with the kind of story it has.

I'm not saying that it sucked big time, but it was really dragging. Chise, the protagonist, got raped as revenge for her father. She then met Kaoru whom apparently was her first love. They got together and Chise found out that the one who supposedly engineered her rape was Kaoru. It wasn't made clear though.

I thought that the story would enlighten me about her past but it focused more on Chise loving Kaoru and vise versa. It actually got a little bit confusing since the part where the real culprit behind Chise's rape became muddled. I can't really say for sure that it was Kaoru who ordered his friends to rape her. One thing I know for sure is that Kaoru wasn't the one who did the actual raping.

Anyway, the artwork is just okay. Nothing special about it, typical shoujo ^^; I mean, it's the artwork I practically see everywhere, especially when I'm reading the not-so-known manga. Innocent Kiss in the Blue's artwork kinda gives me the impression that it's a mixture of both Japanese and Korean styles (manhwa)...

Ah well, it's up to you if you want to read Innocent Kiss in the Blue or not. All these are just my two cents ^^

Been soooo long...

...since I last wrote here. And it's already July!!! I just couldn't find the time anymore with all the work I've been doing lately. But yeah, expect something here...soon, I guess.

(I hope!)

I've been reading and finishing some manga lately so I'll probably write about those or something. No time to watch anime at all and my backlog's been piling up more and more!

My wallet's going to be empty real soon after I get my pre-orders on October and November: Hayase, Clalaclan, Sanzo, Kureha, Musashi. Musashi is the most expensive among all them, $200, but IMO, he's worth it!

I'm still waiting for my Win-chan and Jeff's Leilei from Figurakuen's OceanMoon which he will be shipping on Saturday. Oh I also got some Azumanga Daioh gashapon - Chiyo, Osaka and Yomi. They're rare and free!

I'm not really sure if I'll be getting a Gundam Shin Musha, but I do hope I can get one soon. What's cool about the Shin Musha is that it's a robot wearing samurai armor. When I saw it, I knew I had to get one. But those Gundam cost as much as one PVC figure, so it was quite a dilemma.

On a final note, check out the awesomeness of the Shin Musha:

Another wave of figures!

Good thing I switched jobs already, otherwise, owning these upcoming figures would just be a dream. That, or wait for someone who owns them to sell them to me at a cheaper price ^^

So I have pre-ordered Hayase Mitsuki already. And a very nice forum-mate from Otakai has pre-ordered Genjo Sanzo for me too from Play-Asia.

So now, there are four new figures that caught my eye:

Rei Ayanami - Gothic Lolita Noir
Release Date: October 2008
Price: 6,800 Yen

Shiren
Release Date: August 2008
Price: 7,140 Yen

Clalaclan
Release Date: September 2008
Price: 5,800 Yen

Miyamoto Musashi
Release Date: August 2008
Price: 18,900 Yen

If you've been reading Poopsies for quite some time now, you probably have an idea as to what my figure preferences are. To put it simply, I'm dying to get my hands on the Musashi Sculpture Arts figure. The price is steep, but what the heck. Good thing my dad told me that he'd pay for my dog's food - so more money for me!!

Dragonball Live-Action Cast

Okay, I've made up my mind. I'm so skipping this Hollywood-adaptation of Dragonball. Anyway, here's a first look at the cast of the Dragonball movie. What the heck did they make Goku wear? At least, Master Roshi is in his "right" clothes.

(Click on the images for bigger size.)

Chun-Li

(Click on the image for bigger picture.)

Here's a first look at Kristin Kreuk as Street Fighter's Chun-Li.

Where's her signature pork-bun hairstyle? What about her massive thighs? Those heavy-looking spiked bracelets?? WTH did they do to you, Chun-Li?!

Prince of Persia Update

So I'm not too sure what to make of this. Jake Gyllenhaal (of the Brokeback Mountain fame) along with Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace) is set to play the lead parts (Prince and Princess respectively) in the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time movie.

Gyllenhaal - I so don't know how to pronounce his name - will play Dastan, a 6th-century Persian prince. He has to join forces with the feisty Princess Tamina (Arterton) in order to save the world from an evil nobleman who is out to get his hands on the Sands of Time. The Sands of Time is kinda like a time machine: it allows the wielder to reverse time and in effect, he can rule the world.

Or something to that effect.

I've never really played the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time game, so I don't know how the game's storyline goes. But I've heard that the movie's plot was kinda changed a bit, names included. Can anyone confirm this?

The movie's set to be released by next summer, June 19, 2009.

Pre-Order!!

Hooo... I'm back after a long vacation. And for the first time in my life, I've pre-ordered something:

Well, at the very least, I know Jeff pre-ordered me a Hayase made by GSC. (And I haven't been able to ask him about it yet *picks cellphone up*.) Anyway, I'm pretty excited to get my Hayase. She's my favorite character in Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. She'll be released on September, so if you want to pre-order her too, you can try here.

Anyhoo, there are quite a number of figures from GSC that caught my eye. Sadly, I'm broke these days. (My new puppy, Piper, spends all my money.) Here are some of the nice figures you might be interested in:

Miku Hatsune
Release date: September 2008
Price: 5,500 Yen
Pre-order here

Lala Satalin Deviluke
Release date: August 2008
Price: 5,500 Yen
Pre-order here

Venice/Benisu
Release date: July 2008
Price: 6,500 Yen
Pre-order here

Gatchapin Nendoroid (Isn't he just cute??)
Release date: July 2008
Price: 3,000 Yen

Shuraki Trinity Box 05 Rize
Release date: May 2008
Price: 6,800 Yen
Order here

Shuraki Trinity Box 04 Nida/Needa
Release date: May 2008
Price: 6,800 Yen
Track here

Well...these are some of the figures I have my eyes on! Any takers there?

Figure Update!

I can only name a few figures that I actually like in this set: Lion Magnas and Naomi. The rest don't particularly catch my eye...but that's just me. And check out the Saber and Al Azif figures. They're soooo loli. I've never seen a Saber that loli.Any takers?

Naomi - The Art of Shunya Yamashita
Manufacturer: Kotobukiya
Scale: non-scale Bust (18.5 cm tall)
Material : Cold Cast
Release Date: August 2008
SRP: 10,290 Yen

Saber by Harada Takehito
Manufacturer: Griffon
Height: 15cm
Material: PVC
Release Date: August 2008
SRP: 5,775 yen

Rainbow Mika - Excel. Core Capcom
Manufacturer: Megahouse
Scale: 1/8 (20cm tall)
Material : PVC
Release Date: July 2008
SRP: 5,775 Yen

Type 5 Mechanization Air Foot Soldier
Manufacturer : Tora-No-Ana
Material : PVC
Series : Mechanization Foot Soldier
Release Date : Late Jul
Regular Price : 4,800 yen

Al Azif by Harada Takehito
Manufacturer: Griffon
Height: 15cm
Material: PVC
Release Date: August 2008
SRP: 5,775 yen

Lion Magnas - Tales of Destiny
Manufacturer : Kotobukiya
Scale : 1/10
Material : PVC
Producer : Tatsumaki
Release Date : August 2008
Regular Price : 4,200 Yen

Noumi Kudryavka - Little Busters
Manufacturer : Kotobukiya
Scale : 1/8
Material : PVC
Producer : Nisshi-
Release Date : August 2008
Regular Price : 5,500 Yen

(Thanks to meowpao and LC of Otakai for these.)