<p align="center"><img src="http://www.flarn.com/~warlock/tarot/dragon/10.jpg"></p>
<h2 align="center"><font face="Verdana"><b>You are The Wheel of Fortune</b></font></h2>
<p align="center"><font face="Verdana">Good fortune and happiness but sometimes a species of
intoxication with success</font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Verdana">The Wheel of Fortune is all about big things, luck, change, fortune. Almost always good fortune. You are lucky in all things that you do and happy with the things that come to you. Be careful that success does not go to your head however. Sometimes luck can change.</font></p>
<p align="center"><font size="2" face="Verdana"><b>What Tarot Card are You?</b><br><a href="http://www.flarn.com/~warlock/tarot">Take the Test to Find Out.</a></font></p>

I just learned tonight that Robert Jordan is dead.  He had apparently been duffering from primary amyloidosis with complications of cardiomyopathy.  He succumbed to his illness yesterday.

I might have not liked parts of the latter books in the WoT series but the series has been and is still one of my favorites. 

Rest in peace,  Mr. James Oliver Riigney, Jr. 

Current Mood: somber

Just an update...

Your Gemstone is Topaz

Comforting, considerate, and stable. You are down to earth and grounded.

I know I should finish that post on my ranking of One Piece manliness but... but... MPD Psycho has been LICENSED!

LICENSED!!

LICENSED!!!

A bit of overreaction, I admit, but still!  This is MPD Psycho we are talking about-- the manga that really got me into reading manga.  Plus it had a whole volume where they went to the Philippines and spoke Tagalog.  

I am happy for American fans but for those like me who cannot afford to pay for overpriced American imports...I am very very very bitter.

Current Mood: distressed

I just re-read the Alabasta Arc of One Piece after catching a few episodes of it on CHannel 7.  (Contrary to my expectations, the Tagalog dub wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.)

That's still my favorite story arc but that isn't the main point of this post.  This is about One Piece love, BABY, and I'm talking about the guys here not romance.  I cannot-absolutely cannot-pick out a definite favorite of the main male leads.  Well, Usop and Chopper, as much as I love them, and I do love them, are in the second tier of One Piece love. 

The Alabasta arc provides many swoon-worthy moments for Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro.  (well, actually, the first two might overshadow Zoro in this arc).  Usop had some really good moments here.  Chopper got introduced and I cried during his mini-arc but that was more about Dr. Hikusaak.  

The tilde of appreciation scale
But, MR. PRINCEE!! ~squee!!~ ~ I adore you, glasses-wearing Mr. Prince, so so so much!~
Luffy's fight against Crocodile! ~so...so...manly? I think is the word I want~ 
Zoro, well, Zoro's shirtless so ~squee!~ but he is shirtless any number of times so... 

(Pause a bit for further reflection)

Tags: manga, musings, one piece

I read volumes 19-20 and part of 21 of 20th Century Boys this morning.

I am still stunned at how great a work this is and how strong my reaction to it is.

Even with the report of a lousy maybe ending(?), I am...speechless. (Please see above line as I think I want to repeat that thought.

If I were stuck on a deserted island and I could only take 20 (complete) series of books, this would definitely be 1st choice.  

One Piece would be my Shounen Jump pick.  I am still thinkin gof one shoujo series that has made such an impact on me.

I think that what draws me to 20th Century Boys (and One Piece)  is the theme of friendship and (in 20th Century Boys's case) childhood.  Children today don't play like this anymore.  Well, they do still but not all of the time.  From what I've observed from my nieces and nephews and the street children, they only play like this once in while, when there's a blackout and the TV is gone.

Now, Kenji and the others, they liked watching TV too.  But the use of the TV was regulated (and so it was when Iwas young too).  Most of their playing time was spent in the secret base, hide-and-seek, and other kiddie games that are slowly disappearing.  Heck, I want children and I want them to play the games I played in my youth, you know, but I cannot remember them anymore. 

That is what 20th Century Boys brings back to me, the memory of my childhood and the closeness I had with my cousins.  We (I suppose I mean I) have grown so apart from them because we have grown-up and discovered the world outside.  Kenji-tachi...they grew apart but came back together in pursuit of Friend and the ties of friendship between them only became stronger.

So, I care about the mysteries left hanging by the "ending" and will probably be pissed off with Urasawa-sensei if he does leave it like that.  But at the same time, 20th Century Boys has always been about Kenji and Kanna and their friends, and the reunion is something that I have been waiting for for a long time now, so some part of me will be satisfied with just that.

God, I love 20th Century Boys!

Tags: 20th century boys, manga, musings
Current Mood: melancholic

As usual, I have already seen the latest haruhi episode.
(Note: There is only one Haruhi series and Haruhi person acknowledged solely as Haruhi.  Ouran Host CLub is Ouran and Fujioka Haruhi is simpy the other Haruhi or Maaya Sakamoto or even Ouran.)


Well, the real reason I'm feeling a bit wistful is the--yes, yes, I cannot deny it, I am a romantic heart--the romance angle. 
Rather incoherent, I know.  My apologies.

Tags: haruhi, musings

So, I finally got around to watching the 2nd episode of The Third.  

Honoka's okay, even if Ate says sh's kust the typical lead male stereotype made female.  Ikus/Iks is where the problems is; he is the typical lead female made male.  And that stereotype grates even if he is the helpless male with strange healing powers.  I like the voice though that could be a holdover liking from Tean (of TLB) which the seiyuu also voiced.

Jouganki is our preferred male lead, not just because he's a long-haired bishie voiced by Koyasu Takehito.

I took a look at the covers of the novels; no spoilers as I can't read Japanese.  Of course I wish they were translated.  And maybe Ikus would grow on me if they were because I don't think the 24 eps the series is scheduled for will be able to cover the 8 novels released so far.

And the woman with long black hair and the gun?  SOOO COOL.

Tags: anime, review, the third
Current Mood: cranky
Current Music: Monoral - kiri (Ergo Proxy OP)

So... I've been reading spoilers for JyuOhSei...now I really really want the manga!!

Even if it's untranslated.

Seriously.

Current Mood: determined
Current Music: Surgery-Operative Note 1