Saturday, April 25, 2009
Manga Review: Boy Princess
BOY PRINCESS
By: Seyoung Kim

The Story:

The princess of the small kingdom of whatever-its-name-is is engaged to the prince of a bigger neighboring kingdom. That is, until she elopes 2 days before the wedding. So her family dresses up their youngest son as a girl and sends him in the princess's place. With his deep blue eyes and flowing blond hair (and strategically placed apples), he could get away with it. For a while.

My Thoughts:

Normally I'm not that into shonen-ai/ yaoi types of manga/manhwa but this one in a major exception. I absolutely loved it from the moment I read the first pages to the last part of Book 1. The thing that I find refreshing (and no, not that whole boy love cuz I still can't get my head around it) about this one is that it dives into the story head on. No unnecessary opening plot or unneeded lenghty intros at all. And for some reason, I've come to think that Nicole is actually a girl (or wishing so much that he's actually a girl in disguise, but alas...) cuz I absolutely loved the Nicole-Jed sexual tension. The mangaka manages to get the readers (well, me in particular) actually imagening the world in the manhwa and its pretty people's many relationships. There's also little side jokes in between frames with I think is just hilarious and cute. The graphics are nothing to complain about either, which was quite typical for manhwas. I promise you, by the time you're finish with the first book, you can't wait for next one to come along. Really!

My Ratings: * * * *

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posted by Aly at 11:44 PM | Permalink | 0 comments
Saturday, April 18, 2009
LiveAction Review: Team Medical Dragon 2
TEAM MEDICAL DRAGON 2 (Iryu 2)
Produced by: Fuji TV
Main Cast Members: Sakaguchi Kenji, Uchida Yuki, Koike Teppei, Otsuka Nene, Kitamura Kazuki, Abe Sadao etc.

The Story:

In Iryu 2, Asada Ryutaro wages a new battle against the realities of Japan's medical care system. The government has drafted legislation to tackle the recent inflation of medical fees; hospitals have entered an era in which they will go bankrupt if they aren't independently run. At the same time, hospital mergers and takeovers are also taking place. Additionally, the obstetrics and pediatrics departments are being closed in succession, and there are inadequate doctors in the region - issues that are closely related to these hospital management problems. Now, hospitals, like the average corporation, face collapse if they are not profitable.

My Thoughts:

Since I'm an avid fan of the manga, I decided to skip the first season of the series. And yes, it's still easy to follow the story as long as you know the manga's story cuz thankfully they stayed (quite) faithful to the original storyline. With a new team (and more or less a combination of the old & new team towards the 2nd part of the series) in tow, Dr. Asada is still doing his thing and saving a (whole) lot of patients along the way, mainly heart related problems (and looking good while doing it I might add). They probably had tone down some of those perveted and sexiness that's available inside the manga but that is a very good thing. I mean, who wanted to see nurse Miki wearing tight uniforms right (guys: Nooooooo!!!). I have no complaints about the acting abilities of the cast (since they did a really good job in making their characters believable) and the operation room scenes are fantastic. I'm also really happy to be able to spot Yamamoto Yusuke and cutie Hongo Kanata guest starring in the series.

My Ratings: * * * 1/2

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posted by Aly at 5:18 AM | Permalink | 0 comments
Friday, April 17, 2009
Manga Review: Switch
SWITCH
By: Naked Ape

The Story:
Kai Eto may look like a squeaky clean kid, but the Greater Kanto Narcotics Control Division's new investigator hides a violent alter ego and a dangerous past. With his stoic partner Hal Kurabayashi, Kai is assigned to track down and stop the distribution of Dragon Speed, a dangerous new drug. But Ryugen, the syndicate trafficking the drug, is almost impossible to infiltrate. Add street violence and a jurisdiction war with the Meguro Police, and poor Kai is in for some very long days at the office.

My Thoughts:

Honestly speaking, up until now (and after the 3rd read) I still can't make any sense of the manga. I don't know where to begin really, since I'm not that sure about story myself. And for the first time in my (manga lovin') life, I can't even differenciate between the characters cuz they ALL look the same to me. The graphic is nothing to get excited about and the plot doesn't exist. There's barely mention of the 'switch' scenario and more focus on that suppose-to-be second string character Hal for some reason (who by the way thinks that he's the coolest guy in the universe. As if!). But then again, this is probably just me. I've read some good reviews about it on the internet but I have to say that I'm not one of the fans.
My Ratings: * 1/2

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posted by Aly at 6:57 AM | Permalink | 0 comments
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Princes & Princesses of the Future
Prince William? Prince Harry? The Casiraghi? Meet the new crop of cuddly and adorable royal heirs & heiresses of the world...

Infanta Leonor of Spain

D.O.B: Oct 31, 2005
Dad: HRH Crown Prince Felipe of Spain
Mom: Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano (maiden name)

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

D.O.B: Jan 21, 2004
Dad: HRH Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway
Mom: Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby

Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands

D.O.B: Dec 17, 2003
Dad: HRH Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
Mom: Maxima Cerruti

Princess Alexandra of Monaco & Hanover

D.O.B: July 20, 1999
Dad: HRH Prince Ernst August V of Hanover
Mom: HRH Princess Caroline of Monaco

Prince Hashem of Jordan

D.O.B: Jan 30, 2005
Dad: HRH King Abdullah II of Jordan
Mom: Rania Al-Yassin

Princess Aiko of Japan

D.O.B: Dec 1, 2001
Dad: HRH Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan
Mom: Masako Owada

Princess Vittoria of Savoy (Italy)

D.O.B: Dec 12, 2003
Dad: HRH Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Venice & Piedment (Italy)
Mom: Clotilde Courau

Princess Farah of Iran

D.O.B: Jan 17, 2004
Dad: HRH Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi of Iran
Mom: Yasmine Amini

Prince Odysseas-Kimon of Greece

(sitting far right)
D.O.B: Sept 17, 2004
Dad: HRH Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece
Mom: Marie-Chantal Miller

Prince Christian of Denmark

D.O.B: Oct 15, 2005
Dad: HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark
Mom: Mary Donaldson

Prince Abdul Muntaqim of Brunei

D.O.B: March 7, 2007
Dad: HRH Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah of Brunei
Mom: YM Dayangku Sarah Pengiran Salleh

Prince Gabriel, Princess Elisabeth, Prince Emmanuel of Belgium

D.O.B: August 20, 2003 (G) Oct 25, 2001 (El) Oct 4, 2005 (Em)
Dad: HRH Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium
Mom: Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz

** MY TRIVIAL STATISTIC

1 has a father that's already a king
3 has mothers that're from other royal blooded families (Monaco, Brunei, Belgium)
4 were born in 2005
3 were born in 2004
3 were born in 2003
8 are first borns in their respective royal families

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posted by Aly at 5:18 AM | Permalink | 0 comments
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Manga Review: Cynical Orange
CYNICAL ORANGE
By: Yun Ji Un

The Story:

Hwang Hyemin, a girl with a beautiful face and "sincere" personality, receives adoration from boys and jealous hatred from other girls at her school. Hyemin hides her "cynical and dark side" and adopts "an innocent face" to attract her "secret crush" JongYon. When she discovers that JongYon does not like her, she sheds her previous persona and attacks MaHa, a playboy.

My Thoughts:

This manga has what it takes to be a great manhwa. There's a gorgeous girl envied to death by the girls in her school and chased by almost all of the boys. And how ironic was it that the guy that she finally fell for and thought was different from the others has a similar views as the envious girls. I'm personally rooting for Hwang but what bugs me was the focus of the story. I was hoping the mangaka would feature more happenings in her schools but she's more interested in focusing on the relationship between Hwang and playa MaHa. Although I kinda like MaHa but I don't want to read about him in almost half of the pages. The graphic is similar to any manhwa drawings out there, nothing special really. But I'm still hoping that the manhwa will improve in the next volume.

My Ratings: * * *

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posted by Aly at 6:15 AM | Permalink | 0 comments
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Top 5 Teen Lit Series Spin-offs
Rather than create a new series, why not just branch out the ones you already have (and is already popular among readers) right? That's probably the mantra several authors are following nowadays. Besides, there's no guarantee that your new series will become a hit like your currently bestselling ones. So here I list out some of authors that are currently following this trend...

1. THE CARLYLES & THE IT GIRL

Author: Cecily von Ziegesar
From the Original Hit Series: Gossip Girl
Number of volumes so far: 3 (for The Carlyles) 9 (for The It Girl)
Which one is better?
Obviously, with a hit TV series adaptation to boot, the clear winner here is the original GG. And between the two spin-offs, I prefer The Carlyles better than It Girl. Jenny's not my favorite character in GG so It Girl doesn't interest me that much. Plus, The Carlyles has (almost) the same drama materials as GG so I'm looking forward to the rewinding of the Selena-Blaire-Nate 'new' saga.

2. PRIVILEGE

Author: Kate Brian
From the Original Hit Series: Private
Number of volumes so far: 2
Which one is better?
Since I''m a fan of Noelle, than I would have to say the original as well. Ariana's escape from mental institution is set several months (?) after the characters in Private had gratuated so I actually found myself thinking about the other characters instead of Ariana's new life while reading the first volume to the series. Not good indeed!

3. HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY

Author: Zoey Dean
From the Original Hit Series: A-List
Number of volumes so far: 2
Which one is better?
This is the only one among those list here that I think did an equally a good job with the prequel and spin-off series. Though only related by title name (and some minor name dropped here and there in the sequels) I kinda enjoy reading both of the series. The drama is never boring to me so I think I'll be following this series for quite sometime.

4. THE SUMMER COLLECTION


Author: Lisi Harrison
From the Original Hit Series: The Clique
Number of volumes so far: 4
Which one is better?
Err, it's not exactly a spin-off to the original Clique, but more of a 'special edition' series. Rumour has it that the author is planning on a spin-off to the original series so let's just wait whether it's true ok! But overall, I think these books are a good companion to the original series, since it focuses not only at Queen Bee Massie's life but also her posse.

5. SWEET VALLEY SENIOR YEAR, SWEET VALLEY UNIVERSITY, ELIZABETH, SWEET VALLEY CONFIDENTIAL

Author: Francine Pascal
From the Original Hit Series: Sweet Valley High
Number of Volumes: Uncountable (hehehe...)
Which one is better?
Hello! These series are practically the grandparents to all teen lit (and its spin-offs) series. Spawning from when the Wakefields were kids up until they were in college (and soon, as working women in another new series), it seems that this franchise will never end. But among all, I'm calling SV University as my favorite sequel (for now). I kinda like the idea that Enid Rollins has glammed up herself in the series and has ditched former high school bestie for popularity. Now that's what I called a drama queen. Plus, the plot in SV Senior High is confusing to me.

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posted by Aly at 8:38 PM | Permalink | 0 comments
LiveAction Review: My Boss My Hero
MY BOSS MY HERO
Produced by: NTV
Main Cast Members: Tomoya Nagase, Koki Tanaka, Yuya Tegoshi, Yui Aragaki, Eri Murakawa, Yu Kashii etc.

The Story:

Sakaki Makio, also known as "Tornado" is a tough 27-year-old high school drop-out. By academic standards, he's pretty dumb. His father decides to force Makio to return to high school to receive his diploma and he asks an old friend who happens to be the principal of a nearby school to admit Makio. If Makio doesn't graduate, the position of boss will be given to his younger brother, Mikio. Furthermore, he must pose as a 17-year-old during school hours and in the presence of any classmates or teachers outside of school. If his cover is blown, it would be the end of his high school career as well as his hopes to become boss.

My Thoughts:

I admit that I'm somewhat a Johnny's girl so I'm quite trilled to finally see me favorite Kat-tun acting on TV. And yes, he doesn't disappoint as well. Of course the undispute star of this dorama is Tokio's frontman, Nagase-kun who's brilliant and hilarious as the mob heir Makio, but you also have to give props for Tanaka-kun for trying his best to keep up. He played the part as the loyal 'needle master' side-kick of Makio, with some funny results. Yu Kashii also surprise me here since she usually played a student instead of the other way around. But she does have that mature look going for her so it's not too weird. The storyline is also a different take towards the usual school inspired plot, where an individual banded the whole class of students together. All in all, I really enjoy watching the series.

My Ratings: * * * *

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posted by Aly at 5:51 AM | Permalink | 0 comments
Anime Review: Earl and Fairy
EARL AND FAIRY (Hakushaku to Yosei)
Animated by: Artland/ AT-X
Original Mangaka: Mizue Tani (author) Ayuko (illustrator)

The Story:
The story is set in Victorian England. It follows the adventures of 17-year old Lydia Carlton, who is nicknamed the "Fairy Doctor" due to her interest in fairies. Her life takes a 180-degrees turn when she meets Edgar J.C Ashenbert, the "Legendary Blue Knight Count" and his crew on a sea voyage to London. Edgar hires her as an adviser during his quest to obtain a treasured sword that was supposed to be handed down to him by his family.

My Thoughts:

You know that story, where the heroine is stubbornly denying that she's in love with the main character but blush everytime he teases her? Yup, that's what this anime is basically about. Well, that and that typical I-don't-trust-him-no-matter-what-he-said-and-eventhough-the truth-has-already-been-reveled type of story. Oh, and there's that fairy thingy but it more about that annoying things that I just mention. But if you somehow manage to over-looked that, then this anime is not half as bad as I thought it would be. It shows us the supposingly world of the fairies and their purposes in our lives. The graphics/ animation is standard shoujo and reminds me a lot of ??? for some reason. Usually the side-kick animal character in an anime are adorable but the cat in this one is one of my least favorite character, since all he does is whine and quite useless when there's any trouble. Then again, maybe its that time of the month again that made me dislike this one.

My Ratings: * * 1/2

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posted by Aly at 5:36 AM | Permalink | 0 comments
Friday, April 10, 2009
Manga Review: Kotaro Makaritoru
KOTARO MAKARITORU
By: Tatsuya Hiruta

The Story:

The manga follows the adventures of Kotaro Shindo, a high school aged karate expert who is descended from a long line of ninja. While he may be a fighting genius, he lacks common sense and any inhibitions whatsoever. He spends most of his time getting into trouble with school officials, and trying to steal girls' panties, especially Mayumi's. He is very protective of three things: his long hair, his panty collection, Mayumi and later his frenemies such as baldy Tenkoji.

My Thoughts:

There are some mangas that after the hundredth (and still didn't show any sign of ending) volume, you just wish that the mangaka would just STOP it already. Well, this manga is one of those. Practically listed (by a survey in Japan) as one of the longest running series so far, the story was one of my initial favorites when I first read it (back when I was in middle high school) and has a nice momentum to the development of the story. Slow, but steady. But after the 30th volume, I suddenly found myself hoping for it to end. But unfortunately I didn't get my wish so I decided to stop at the 49th volume cuz I kinda loose interest. The story is sorta charming and the action sequence in nicely drawn (considering that it started sometime in the 80s, hence the 80s fashion inside the manga). It's a story more focus towards the art of judo but it got draggy towards the later volumes and some of them has been repeated/recylced over and over again. Kinda like that neverending Naruto. Hmm, I think I'm getting my voodoo Naruto 'action figures' out right now...

The Ratings: * * *

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posted by Aly at 11:09 PM | Permalink | 0 comments
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Manga Review: Dolls
DOLLS
By: Yumiko Kawahara

The Story:
Yumiko Kawahara's disturbing short stories explore the strange and codependent world of dolls and the people who own them. Both quirky and unsettling, these science-fiction morality fables question the dark side of love and pride. Fair warning: When you live inside a dollhouse, it's hard to tell who's the puppet and who's the master...

My Thoughts:
Not to be confused with another manga by the (almost) same title, this manga is amazingly pretty for a shoujo. Sure, I've seen a lot of pretty looking mangas throughout the years but there's something about this one that says 'elegant'. And if the Plant Dolls were real, then it will be somewhat unsettling, what with that they-can't-really-talk-but-looks-perfect-and-smiles-at-you-all-the-time concept. But that's where the good thing oabout the manga ends for me. Story-wise, the manga is not all that. It was long, confusing and majorly boring, which comes as a surprise to me. Yes, I was expecting something better not only because of the beautifully illustrated covers, but also the intriguing back-cover synopsis. Maybe I'm not such a deep person after all cause it takes me a few rereads just to understand the plot to one of the stories. But if you like a manga that's focusing on big-but-universal-issue like humanity (or lack of it) and something deep, then go ahead, dive in! And no, I personally don't think that this manga is eerily or creepy (like it has been implied on the synopsis) at all, so sorry Kawahara-san.

My Ratings: * *

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posted by Aly at 9:41 PM | Permalink | 0 comments
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Top 10 Victoria Secret's Models
Yes boys, you're not the only species in this world that actually like to watch these fantastically looking females strutting themselves in barely-there lingeries. There're the envy of all women in the world for their superhuman bodies and their ability to look sexy in anything. Kinda like a band of superheroes, but with an even lesser costumes. The who's who of the modeling world had all walked down this path so I decided to do my favorite list based on my 'keen observation' throughout the years.

MY TOP 10 CHOICE OF VS MODELS (OF ALL TIME)


1. Gisele Bundchen (Brazil)
The body, limbs and legs that is the envy of all women, it takes a true Brazilian to show the world that they're on top of the pyramid, as far as hot bod was concern.


2. Stephanie Seymour (America)
One of the first models that had walked the VS runway, this legendary supermodel still has my vote for the most fabulous looking 90s supermodels.


3. Doutzen Kroes (The Netherlands)
Yes, she might be a 'newbie' in the VS world, but watch out for her cuz I reckon that she's going to be huge!


4. Heidi Klum (Germany)
The multitasking VS veteran has a likability factor way above the other Angels. I think it's her natural laid back and approachable vibe. Or maybe just her Seal connection.


5. Jacquetta Wheeler (Britain)
One of my fave high-fashion model that also looked fantastic in the VS runway.


6. Laetitia Casta (France)
She conquer pratically every billboard there is, and VS is one of those endorsers.


7. Miranda Kerr (Australia)
This Aussie cutie (and as far as I know, Orlando Bloom's arm candy) has a smile (and dimples) that can melt any male out there.


8. Fernanda Tavares (Brazil)
Yes, you gotta have at least one or two of those Brazilians in the list but one of my fave VS models is not the recent Angels.


9. Bridget Hall (America)
Still mesmerizing to watch and pretty much a legend in the modeling biz, this bombshell's name will forever be linked to the VS history.


10. Kiara Kabukuru (America)
Yes Tyra, you are not all that when it comes to the VS runway. Personally, I prefer Kiara way above Ms. 'Fierce' Banks anyday.

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posted by Aly at 5:37 AM | Permalink | 0 comments