Manga vs Anime: What's the difference? (Part Two)

A while back, I've mentioned about the differences between manga and anime. Check it out here, if you don't already know.

Today's post will be on the bigger question: Which medium is better?

Here's the short, simple and straightforward answer: It depends on your taste. Try out both mediums and work out which suits your taste better.

If you are happy with that answer, you can turn back and scoot off into the Netiverse. For those who are still hanging around, here's the long and draggy version:

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So shall I read manga? Or watch anime instead? I will first begin by pitching for manga. My personal view is that manga is always the better alternative. I know that everyone loves anime and talks about anime. I used to feel quite annoyed in secondary school, when my friends talked about the events in the anime and all I did was read manga.

I think there is a good reason why people don't like reading manga. The very obvious reason would be that it was pretty expensive to read the tankobon volumes when you can get the free versions online *ahem* please support the originals as far as possible *ahem* Another reason would be that they don't like to read. They would rather sit back and let the animators fill in the details instead of their imagination.

Then, I've got friends who say that anime is drawn better than the manga. Of which, I gotta say "NO WAY!" Am I the only one who thinks that manga are drawn better? Yes, initially when the manga is first published, especially for new mangaka, the characters do look awkward and (may I dare say) disproportionate sometimes. So when the anime was produced, everyone grabs on to their besties and squeal "Awesome graphics!"

However, the beautiful thing about manga is that the mangaka grows and improves. It's very obvious especially for multi-chapter mangaka. We can talk about One Piece, or Naruto, or any other manga. There is a stark improvement from the first chapter to the last chapter. That change is so subtle. It's amazing to read and suddenly realise that the mangaka has been improving his drawing. That feel is something that anime can't exactly portray.

Allow me to show you:

Naruto right after the timeskip

Naruto right before the end. I love the expressions that he made towards the end of the story. Props to Kishimoto for capturing those looks. (Picture has been cropped to prevent spoilers)

Here's another one. Look at Onime No Kyo at Chapter 1. Look at that disproportionate body!!



And then Kamijyo Akimine had such a big improvement... Well, I couldn't find a good image with Kyo's full body so here's a wallpaper that is just as good :)



Besides, manga is usually the original, I would say. So, why go around viewing secondhand information (i.e. anime) when you can get it straight from the creator (i.e the manga?) No offence.

Another reason why I would not go for animes. Endings. As mentioned, the original storyline comes from the manga.  So if the anime ends before the manga... obviously the ending ain't canon. In the past, the anime would go for a completely different ending, which in my opinion, ALWAYS makes things worse. I'm STILL looking at you, Samurai Deeper Kyo! How could you humiliate the manga like that! You had an ending that was so absurd that I just- can't-

*ahem* Anyway, anime nowadays tend to go this method of ending like 'we-have-a-long-road-ahead-of-us-but-we-will-conquer-them-all'. Yeah, I'm not a big fan of that. I want closure. Obviously, I can't get closure because the manga is not stopping. Oh well...

To be fair, I have some titles where I prefer the anime titles more than the manga. Two titles off the top of my head. Gintama and Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun. They have shown amazing work with their anime. I love Nozaki-kun, the manga, but when I watched the anime, I appreciated how the team tries to fill in the small details that are lacking in the manga. (Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is a 4-koma manga.) As for Gintama, I dare say that I enjoy the anime more than the manga, even though in terms of timeline, everything's different.

To take the fairness to another level, the production team for anime has been doing a great job. Anime nowadays are done really well. I don't really complain about their art or animation, not like before. Series like Magi and Ao No Exorcist had such lovely illustrations that after the series ended (horribly), I immediately went out to get the manga. Their vague endings (the ones that I said that I wasn't a fan of) were the reasons why I eventually got the manga.

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Alright, let's get down to the real thing. Suppose you are new to this whole manga/anime thing. You have been hearing about a particular title and you're not sure if you should start with manga or anime. Do you need help in deciding? Truthfully, it's what I've prescribed at the beginning of the post. Go give both medias a chance, but anyway, on top of that, you may consider these questions:

1. Is the title available in other forms of media?
You know, there is an idea that there probably is an anime for any manga title out there, or vice versa. That may, or may not be true. Though I can safely say, all mainstream titles have both the manga and anime option. I mean, the reason why it became mainstream was probably because of the anime, I won't deny. Still, do check it out first.

2. Do you like to read?
Readers tend to favour manga. Movie buffs would rather see it animated. Ain't rocket science, honey.

3. Do you read/watch on the go?
Well, I'm not supporting any piracy over here. Ignoring the option of piracy, do consider whether you enjoy reading/watching on the go or at home? For me, I read manga or books wherever I am. But when I'm on the go, I tend to read more than I watch. When I'm at home, I don't mind watching videos and stuff, even though I ultimately favour a book/manga more. Hehe.

Gee, I seriously hope that I wasn't boring you with all these. But if you have not read manga or watched anime, do give it a try. The world of Japanese authors is so profound and unique. They tell stories in ways that I don't see in English writers.

Anyway, I'm finally done with this post. I had it as a draft for the longest time. Hehe.

Pictures taken by:
Naruto after timeskip
Naruto at the end
Samurai Deeper Kyo Chapter 1
Samurai Deeper Kyo wallpaper

DEM. FEELS.

Although I call myself an otaku, technically speaking I can't be one. That's because I've not actually played/read/watched enough video games/manga/anime to consider myself one. But the fact that I'm so obsessed with them all kinda concludes that I'm one, but that's besides the point.

Initially, the idea of this post was to create a list of shows that you want to watch again "for the first time". That means I wanna watch it again with no memories of what had happened. The emotions and thoughts that go through my head whenever I read/watch some of these amazing titles... it'll be an experience to go through them again.

Then, I realise that if that is the criteria, I might as well change it to "Anime that are emotionally powerful." We are talking about titles that had an impact on my emotions, even minutes or hours after reading. These titles have moments that I know that if I reread the series again, the reaction and feeling will not be as strong as the first time, AND I feel sad because of that knowledge.

It's not that they are my favourite title and I have no more favourite titles. For many titles such as Magi (big love!) and Fairy Tail, after from that 'ooh, everyone is all nice and cosy' feeling, I had no extra wow-ness to it. The series is good, but it did not impact me like that.

So here goes the list! It is a pretty stringent list, if I do say so myself. Usually I like most titles, so I shall be a little more strict this time.

Yes, they are in order of merit:

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1. One Piece
If everyone says that One Piece is overrated, I guess they are right in some way. However, the title is not world-famous for nothing. One Piece had me close to tears, especially at the beginning parts of the story. Oda Eiichiro, the mangaka, has this really wonderful way of building story and climax, foreshadowing and hinting. He is a natural storyteller. Anyway, back to the main point. The show grabs you in your feels.

Even watching their opening songs ("Bon Voyage" and "Fight Together") will make me cry.



Dear "Fight Together" opening video, I am talking about you.

2. Full Metal Alchemist
If I don't put this up on the list, fangirls and fanboys will hunt me down. This story is a classic but amazing example of morals and the search for "eternal life".



I admit. I did not cry at this scene, but when I first watched it, I remember that I went, "Oh my gosh... no way, no way, no way... I knew it!"

I would stop at these two, but if I have to add one more...

3. Kekkaishi
This title is horribly underrated. The battle system, characters and world that the author created was simple to understand but well-developed. Even the ending of the story was not exaggerated beyond imagination. I'm really tired of "We-need-help-or-the-world-and-outer-space-will-implode" crisis.

This title went in because I admire Yoshimori's determination to protect Tokine very, very much. I was very moved by his dedication. Everything that he worked for was for her. That's it. Throughout the whole story, I kept rooting for Yoshimori and hoping REAL hard that there might be something that will happen between the two of them. Also, there was the death of an important character which made me *almost* give up on the series... like how I did for Deathnote when L died. Good thing I did not give up on Kekkaishi... though I really really wished that that character did not die :(

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It really is surprising that I don't have many - I expected more. I even looked through my manga database to double check... and I've just revealed that I'm a nerd.

It's pretty obvious that we can never relive these moments, so we go in search of other anime titles that can blow our minds like that. However, I'm pretty glad that there were titles and stories that have impacted me like that... One day, I want to impact people like that too.

Pictures taken from:
Fight Together screenshot
Nina and Alexander

First post for 2015!

Happy New Year folks! Here is my first post for 2015. Here are some plans that I've come up with, with regards to writing.

1. Read lots of manga
Sadly, this one is here to stay. I know that I have been neglecting my writing because of this. But then again, I've neglected manga for almost 10 years for my other things in life. Therefore, I shall now focus back on my (technically) 'first love'.

2. Write fanfiction outside FF7
I thought it would be fun if I write other fandoms too. On top of FF7, I'm currently writing one that is from the Reborn fandom. If you like Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn, stay tuned!

3. Brainstorm on original YA fiction 
'Nuff said. It's about time I get started on writing outside fanfiction. I may not write anything, but I want to start gathering ideas.

4. Create stories for children
I tell stories to children. Sometimes, I would create my own stories on the fly, as mentioned before. This year, I want to see if, apart from YA fiction, I can write stories for children too.

What have you been doing since the year started? For me, I'm back at work and trying to get my life organised. My table was in a mess and I've just finished clearing it out. I'm also reading manga, letting the chapters fly by by the hundreds.

Since yesterday, I've been reading "Days of Exile". I started at Chapter 29. I did not know that there were a few errors and typos per chapter. It's pretty embarrassing. But is it arrogant of me to say that I enjoy reading "Days of Exile"? I really like reading the chapters, it almost feels like it's not mine.

All the best to everyone in this new year. May you continue to enjoy reading and writing!

Manga VS Anime: What's the Difference? (Part One)

In light of my recent turn of interest to manga and anime, I decided that I should pitch my articles towards manga/anime too. So now my blog is literally a mishmash of books, fanfiction, games and manga. Never too good to diversify like that, but everything is all in the good name of writing, so it's hard to separate them.

Anyway, this would be a pilot blog post of sorts, to get me started on all the other drafts and ideas that I have in my head. Despite being a starter, this blog post caters to both the veteran manga readers and the newbies. So continue reading, it may be more useful than you think.

For my non-manga readers, the meaning of 'manga' means japanese comics. 'anime' is short for the word 'animation'. You may refer to them as 'japanese cartoons' but they should not be treated like cartoons, for the only commonality they share is that they are both animated.

Now, back to differences between manga and anime. If you are vaguely some kind of manga/anime fan, you would know the difference between the two. They have been discussed, presented in many websites that you can just pop by and Google nowadays.But there will always be that one person that always interchanges the terms, sadly.



Today, I will present the differences once again to you, in my own words. Some things that I will mention is based on my conclusions by looking at some examples. Also, I rely on the manga "Bakuman" for ideas because the manga focuses on the manga business. You can read more about Bakuman here.

I never had a problem differentiating between manga and anime. I guess it's because I was exposed to the both of them from a young age. For the handful of people who confuses the two terms, especially newbies who are starting out on the world of manga/anime, I can see why they are confused as to whether there is truly a difference. Many big titles that we see together, like Naruto, One Piece, Sword Art Online... They both have the manga and anime version. The anime version is usually more popular. You see them watching episodes on trains, in schools... people think that manga and anime are interchangeable but they are not!

Differences
1. Medium
Most obviously, manga is drawn on paper while anime is animated to be watched like a video. It's not rocket science, but an easy parallel to compare with is for example, the Spiderman comics VS Spiderman cartoons.


Comics on the left, cartoon on the right.

I leave you with the manga and anime of HunterxHunter for you to compare. You may see the obvious that manga is often not coloured but anime is.




2. Inspiration
Manga usually begins as an original story from a mangaka (manga artist). Examples of these are BLEACH, One Piece and many more. There are many cases where manga originate from an already existent idea or universe. So the manga births from a light novel or a highly popular game. Examples of those are Shakugan no Shana (light novel), Full Metal Panic (light novel), Star Ocean EX (game) and Tales of the Abyss (game).

For the anime, almost all the time, the anime project begins when the manga title is largely popular. As such, almost all your mainstream, popular anime are around because their manga counterparts were popular first. There are anime that stems from light novels and games, but the manga would have been in publication first. However, the popularity that leads to the production of the anime is not as dependent on the manga popularity in this case.

3. Publication
The ways to publish manga and an anime are vastly different. As mentioned earlier, animes are proposed to be made once the manga has reached some kind of popularity. Often, the anime helps to boost manga sales.

Now, according to "Bakuman", there is a more tedious process of getting the work published. In a nutshell, authors submit their one-shots and wait for the publishing company to agree to publish it. If the one-shot has a good response, only then can the mangaka (manga artist) draw a series on it. But that's just from Bakuman, so don't take my word for it. However, I feel that in such a competitive industry, I believe it's not so easy to just submit anything for printing.

Manga usually first appears in a comic magazine like Shounen Jump or Margaret, where it's a whole mishmash of chapters from many comics. When the title gains lots of recognition, the author/mangaka will be offered a chance to make their series into tankobons, which is the volumes of manga that we see in comic book shops and so on.

4. Creators
Usually, a single manga artist (or mangaka) draws the manga. There may be assistants helping out with the backgrounds and inking and all that, but the initial plan and sketches are thought of by the mangaka, supported by an editor in the publishing company.

There are people who form teams to draw manga. One comes up with the story plots and one draws.



Bakuman is a prime example. In the manga where two boys aspire to make manga, one of them creates the story and the other draws the manga out. Interestingly, "Bakuman" is created by a team of two people too. With Ohba Tsugumi as the writer and Obata Takeshi as the artist. You will also be interested to know that this same team of people created your ever-famous Death Note.

For anime, a team of artists and producers work together to create an animation. The original creator of the title, if I'm not mistaken, plays a smaller role, more like an advisor rather than to draw for the anime.

4. Content
As mentioned earlier, the anime team usually may or may not have the mangaka's 100% participation. As such, content in the anime may be parallel with the manga, but we will see discrepancies. Examples of discrepancies are filler episodes, or information tweaking. In some cases, the anime completely changes the ending because the manga is still ongoing.

Nowadays, we are lucky to get most anime titles trying to have similar features and events being the same as with the manga. Once upon a time, we have  weird endings just so that the anime can have a peaceful rest (I'm staring at you, Samurai Deeper Kyo anime!)

Well, these are some of the basic differences between anime and manga. So please don't go around saying that they are the same because they can be real different in terms of origin and even their content!

So for my interested readers, I will try to compare the experience of reading manga and watching anime, and which one would suit you. Hope this long exposition has helped you!

Pictures taken from:
Odd one out
Spiderman Comic
Spiderman Cartoon
HunterxHunter Manga
HunterxHunter Anime
Bakuman

What "Hirunaka no Ryuusei" has reminded me about writing

Warning: Spoilers for Hirunaka no Ryuusei's Chapter 76 ahead.

I should be doing other important stuff, but I felt that I need to bring this up as this will serve as a reminder to me in the future, should I ever feel discouraged.

I'm not sure how many of you have read this amazing shoujo manga called "Hirunaka no Ryuusei". If you have not, go read it. In the simplest way that I can describe, it is really good and worth a read.

Anyway, do you remember how I mentioned my dislike for love triangles?



Yeah, I still do. Anyway, quick introduction. Girl is Suzume, who fell in love with her teacher, Shishio. Meanwhile, classmate Mamura also likes her. Initially, Shishio likes Suzume too, but broke up with her when he felt the pressure of having to keep a secret teacher-student relationship (Good for you, Shishio.) So Suzume felt that she should move on, and she made the decision to be closer to Mamura.

Trust me. The story is much better written than my summary. Yes, yes, it's a typical shoujo manga plot, what were you expecting?

From here, the story spent a bit of time on Suzume and Mamura's relationship, while Shishio at the side, felt that he was not as willing to be apart from Suzume as he thought. The recent chapter has begun to climax the story, as Suzume finds out that Shishio was hospitalised and was concerned for him. Mamura, knowing of this, told Suzume to find Shishio.

Damn.

By the way, this post is NOT going to be a rant. I'll get to the real part in a bit, but allow me to say that to be honest, I was quite upset that the story was going to progress to a SuzumeXShishio ending (seems like it). I liked Mamura. He was the consistent character in the story and had always tried his best without being irritating. I also felt that Mamura and Suzume makes a more compatible pair.

Okay, that's over. Now, the REAL reason for this post.

Shortly after Chapter 76 was released, there was a ton of tweets sent to the author of the story, Yamamori Mika.

(I edited the names out for my website only.)

There were quite a number of tweets, but I just selected some. I was quite glad I was not on some impulse to send the author requests too. For one, I did not know that she was on Twitter, hehe.

Shortly after, Yamamori sensei made her Twitter private. Honestly, who would like to see that? Firstly, I suspect that since she has locked her Twitter account, it means that she really is going for a SuzumeXShishio ending. I will get over that.

I felt bad for her. She did not deserve the horrible comments from the readers, at all. Seeing what had happened to her reminded me that many years ago, I had something like that happening to me. I was writing "Their Memories of Fukinara High", and I paired Kyoshiro and Yuya together (by the way, the canon pairing is Kyo and Yuya, which I definitely prefer). I wrote with that pair in mind because Samurai Deeper Kyo had not ended yet, and it was a long time since I first started the initial "KISS Me!" that led to "Their Memories of Fukinara High".

So there was a reader who messaged me a few times over the story requesting for a KyoXYuya ending instead of a KyoshiroXYuya one. She even suggested plots to help 'salvage' the situation (as I saw it).

No. I remembered that feeling. It was bad. I felt torn on one hand to want to make my readers happy, and on the other hand, I wanted the story to go MY way. In the end, I ended the manga on hold so it ended as a KyoshiroXYuya story.

If Yamamori sensei's initial idea was for Suzume and Shishio to be together, then I WILL truly be disappointed if she changed to Suzume and Mamura just to make some readers happy. I want Yamamori sensei to do what she wants to do, even if the ending is something that I do not like.

So what has Hirunaka taught me? It has reminded me of how I felt when my readers wanted me to do things their way. It has reminded me that I am ultimately writing for my pleasure (and someday hopefully, for a living). It has reminded me that while feedback is good and should be considered, I should follow my heart for the best interests of the story and characters.

I will support Hirunaka no Ryuusei regardless of the ending.



やまもりせんせい、がんばってください！

Picture taken from:
Hirunaka no Ryuusei
Tweet posts
Chapter 1 coloured cover

Love Triangles...

Before I get into this, I just want to clarify my previous post. I mentioned that I was going to upload Chapter 50. My mistake. I have not even uploaded Chapter 49. So we've gotta upload Chapter 49 first, right?

Then again, who is reading my story anymore? :( Silent readers, I suppose.

Back to the main point: Love triangles. I did not think about these until last year. That's when I really realised. I don't like love triangles. They are seriously the highlights of any romance story, but I don't like them still.

Oh, in case you are wondering, I stopped reading manga. Not that I lost interest. There were so many titles that I wanted to read (hmmm, sounds familiar with my novels too...) that I was not focusing on my career enough. So now I've stopped reading new titles.

Anyway, a few months back, I finished reading this manga called "Heroine Shikkaku". It was such a bittersweet story, because the guy and the girl did not get together until the very very last chapter. Sidenote: actually, it's pretty special in a way because most shoujo manga would spend more time drawing life after the protagonists get together. "Heroine Shikkaku" ended with the both of them finally coming to terms with their feelings. The journey to that moment was tedious, though. The boy was confused about who he likes. The girl was quite hurt throughout the entire manga.

It's kinda like that with the other titles too. In other titles, the girl actually ends up dating the rival because she was confused by the main boy's feelings. Even though everything worked out fine for the main boy and girl in the end, there was lots of heartbreak. In a love triangle fiasco, so many people will inevitably get hurt.

Honestly, I don't want that to happen to anyone, as far as possible. That's why I made it real clear with "Days of Exile" that Meia and Reno will be together. Even though I add in competition like Jasper and Kunsel, they pose no big threat. It's really difficult to console the character that is rejected, especially if a lot of emotional effort was made. I know that some manga tries to reconcile that by making the others fall in love with someone else, but that's just unrealistic.

I see love triangles being so prevalent in many books too... Twilight... Throne of Glass (review here!)...  Eon/Eona (review here!)... Hunger Games... plus a gazillion shoujo manga as the entourage.


So true, Inuyasha. So true.


The million dollar question that lasts till the end of Advent Children.


This one dragged on for FOREVER!

Is it really often the way to go? I mean, look at "Eragon (review is now available!)"! A perfectly good story without any of that love triangle stuff. Maybe that's because there were so many things going on in "Eragon" too...

Well, if the story is done well, then the love triangle adds flavour and spice. However, it's kinda sad if the love triangle is the MAIN storyplot, I think. It's understandable with shoujo manga, but not so for novel. I'm sure you can do a lot more than that, right?

Those are my opinions, and I'm not expecting anyone to agree with me. For all we know, sometime down the road, I will write a full blown love triangle story, hyuk hyuk. Life is strange, sometimes.

I shall end by wishing my country a HAPPY NATIONAL DAY!

Singapore is definitely a country to visit, once in your lifetime. Probably once is more than enough because we are THAT small. Nevertheless, it is a country to visit and understand the culture, if you can catch up with us locals.




Pictures from:
Inuyasha
Tifa and Aerith
Archie Comics
Merlion

If I had never admitted it, I'll admit it now...

I'll take a break.

Yes, I know. I haven't been writing actively in the first place. I was mainly reading more manga and books, so I haven't had time to focus on writing. But really, for now, I gotta stop kidding myself in thinking that I am getting any chapters done. Work is piling up, more than I can even imagine. Therefore, I will really, officially, take a break for two weeks. I have to settle my work and really reflect how I can be more efficient in my life.

Right now, I can imagine everyone who is reading this is thinking, "That's what every author says before they disappear from the face of earth and leave their fanfiction unfinished." I'm not going to blame you, neither will I make any promises. Of course I want to finish "Days Of Exile", but the time is not now. Ideally I want to continue in two weeks' time, but life is unpredictable.

Yup, so I'll take a break. I've been receiving your story favourites and reviews, though. And even though it's just a few of you, it really warms my heart. Thank you.

I'll see all of you on the blog in a few weeks' time!

Update: May 2014

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Have I really been gone for two months?
Gee, I'm really sorry. I did mention in the other post that if I were to ever stop, I will at least have the decency to announce and say goodbye properly, right?

Here it goes... I'm still writing.

Yup, you've heard me. I'm still writing my fanfiction. It's just that of course I'm not focusing on it as much as I would like. I am not joking when I say that my work is taking up a lot of my time. However, in my free time, I've actually returned to another hobby: manga-reading.

Here's the thing. I have so many interests that I can never juggle them equally. So subconsciously, I kinda did some sort of a rotation thing. It is true. I change from hobby to hobby, because I cannot keep up with all my interests. I started fanfiction in 2005, but my school activities and manga/anime got into the way. Then in high school I was so focused on my student council work that I barely did anything else. I did end up playing a lot of online games and went back to fanfiction. Entering university, I stopped playing online games and fanfiction in order to pursue dance. After I ended my 3 years of dance, I finally went back to fanfiction (which was what started "I Want To Be A Turk!") and it has been that way ever since...

Until now.

Recently, I've gone back to reading manga again. I've not read manga intensively for a long time and I kinda missed it.

So yes, if you were wondering where have I been, I've been reading manga for almost 2 months. I'm super inspired by many of the stories out there and it encourages me to put in more effort to my story. Anyway, here's a message to assure you that I'm still here. I'm still updating the story, albeit a little slow. Give me more patience, please!

Meanwhile, it doesn't hurt to hear from you, but I guess maybe my readers are also going through a stage in their lives without fanfiction. Whatever the case is, feel free to drop a message and say hi or something :)

Manga and Anime... What makes me squeak?

Of course I meant squeak in excitement :D

Warning: Lots of fangirling ahead.

I came upon this realisation about myself recently. You see, I like reading manga and watching anime. Of course in recent years where I need to juggle these hobbies with other interests as well, I could not focus on these things as much as I like to. Nevertheless, I like manga and anime. If there is a chance, I'll definitely want to make time for them.

There are many titles to read from, and so I did. However, I noticed that certain manga/anime (let's stick to manga as I read more of them then watch anime) appeals to me more. What I mean is that while reading the story, some titles make me want to read more and more and I simply can't stop. Some titles just does not make me feel like "I've GOT to see what happens next!" Usually if these manga are still in publishing, it takes a long time for me to pick it up and continue.

Due to this, often I have to answer to why I am just not as interested to continue Toriko or HunterxHunter. But I think I've got it all figured out now. I need to have at least one character that attracts me physically. Like, I found out that very often if I were to read something and I go "So handsome!" or "So cool!"... most likely, I will be motivated to pick up the storyline again.

In other words, there needs to be something for me to FANGIRL about. ...

IT ALL MAKES SENSE!

Okay, I don't have to go hardcore fangirl at all. Many characters that I am going to list below ended their charm on me when the series ended too... maybe just lasting till a week after :P As long as the "attraction" is there while I'm watching it. That's all.

Here are the various manga/anime that I've been reading in the last two years... Of which within the first few episodes I found someone to fangirl about.

Full Metal Alchemist (I know right... what took me so long to watch this awesome work?)



I was watching Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood (a long awaited promise that I made to myself years, years, years ago). All of a sudden, I feel the spark of fangirlism. That's when I remembered that once upon a time, when I was still watching Full Metal Alchemist (the original), I had a small fangirl crush on Edward Elric. How can such a small guy have so much charm?? :3

Needless to say, I'm charmed by Edward Elric's seriousness whenever he fights.

Ao No Exorcist



I love this anime, and love the manga more (Why aren't they publishing the translations quickly!!) Absolutely started fangirling when Rin declared that he'll defeat Satan. Renzo Shima and Shura are also my favourites.

Sidenote: Oh crap. I believe I just stumbled upon a spoiler in the wiki. NOOO!!!

One Piece



Zorro and Sanji are my favourite characters (I like everyone though!) Sanji was the very first character I saw while first watching a random episode in the anime. But upon reading the manga at last, I saw Zorro, and instantly I was like "So cool!!!"

Fairy Tail



Natsu. Grey. Super mainstream. But who could dislike them? Even though I've stopped reading Fairy Tail, I don't mind picking it up again, for this reason among others.

Samurai Deeper Kyo



Ah. Seriously, the best manga I've read in its time. SDK was one of the first shounen manga that I've read and I seriously love it. But oh wait, we are not reviewing it. I must admit though, I may not like this manga as much without the presence of my dear scatterbrained Hotaru (bottom right).

Here's a shoutout to all SDK fanfiction writers, the people who were the first few to read my serious fanfiction works.

MAGI (Recent anime and manga that I've started)



MAGI is currently a series that I feel a lot for, but that's for another blog post if I ever got a chance. Yep, needless to say, Alibaba is just so handsome :D Okay, Alibaba also happens to be someone whose character development and portrayal is awesome. That probably adds more points, in my opinion.

Sharrkan is cool too, but let's just focus on one now, alright?



*sigh*

Finally, who can forget?

Final Fantasy VII




EDIT: Apparently two pictures of Reno show up when I publish it, but I don't know how to get rid of it. Oh well, I'm not complaining.

If you do not know that I'm fangirling over Reno, you should seriously go back and read my fanfiction agian.

There are many more, but we shall not list them all, haha! Hmm, I should totally do a post on reviews of the anime that I've watched too. Like, a short paragraph describing... okay, I'm digressing.

Ah, looks like I'm out of time. I will post another post on anime/manga that I could not begin to like or chase after despite its popularity.

Thanks for sticking with me through the fangirling. Hopefully I've recommended you some titles to try too :)

Pictures taken from:
FMA
Ao No Exorcist
One Piece
Fairy Tail
Samurai Deeper Kyo
MAGI
Alibaba
Reno

Final Fantasy 7 videos

Despite the epic sounding title, I'm only referring to MAD videos.

To those who do not know the meaning of MAD videos, they are fan made videos on certain games/anime. Unlike AMVs where you don't need a storyline, most MAD videos are parodies, if not mashups of different fandoms.

Sounds awesome, right?

Anyway, today I thought I would like to share some of my favourite MAD videos from Final Fantasy VII. These MAD videos are actually redrawn to fit into anime openings and endings. Yes, you get to see your beloved FF7 characters prancing in an opening theme of an anime. Some of the anime is not very popular, so I'll include the original opening video for your comparison. After watching this, you must admit. They are done really well.

Without further ado, let's begin!

1. Ouran High School Host Club/Final Fantasy VII
Many anime watchers would know this anime. There are many versions, but this one is the one that I like. Feel free to compare them. That's why they are embedded here. In case the video doesn't work, you can always find them on Youtube.

This is the original video:



This is the MAD video:



2. Baccano/Final Fantasy VII
This video is the one that got me started on finding all the MAD videos on FF7. I never watched the anime "Baccano", but I was so impressed with how the creator seamlessly placed everyone in FF7 into this anime opening. So I watched the anime in the end and it was quite enjoyable.

I would want to see this MAD video with One Piece characters. That would be epic :D

This is the original opening (sorry for the scary thumbnail!):



Unfortunately, I can't find the MAD video (because the video is unavailable in my country now). Perhaps you guys have better luck. Just search anything with "Baccano" and "Final Fantasy 7" and you might find it ^^

3. Ghost in the Shell/Final Fantasy VII
We save the best for the last. These last two MAD videos are my favourites, for two reasons. One, again the characters fit the opening video well. Two, the context of FF7 fits the opening songs so. darn. well. You'll know what I mean.

This particular MAD video gave me chills, because of the accuracy of the parallels drawn between Ghost in the Shell and Final Fantasy VII.

Original Video:



MAD Video:


4. Cowboy Bebop/Final Fantasy VII
To those who didn't have the privilege to watch Cowboy Bebop, it is an anime packed full of badass-ness. This anime practically reeks badass and coolness, just retains a small hint of humour. For such a rugged looking opening, the MAD video certainly lived up to its name.

Original video:


Behold! The MAD video... Turks Bebop!!! (*cue for Reno fans to scream*)



And that's it, my little obsession with MAD videos. Go watch them on Youtube, I'm sure there's something for everyone! If you know the anime Durarara, you'll be happy to know that there are hundreds of MAD video on their ending song, "Trust Me". It's a really easy video to edit, I suppose.

Now, if you would excuse me, I wanna go find some One Piece MAD videos.

Oh yes, it did!

the eyelash miraculously came out while i was sleeping, that is :P

i woke up in the morning and the first thing i always do is to check my mail for reviews :P

my readers never fail me, because there are two already in my inbox, smiling at me.

the little joys that i look forward to every weekend :)

as i am blogging about this, i heard my sister in the next room watching 'Detective Conan'.

ahhh i want my exams to end quickly so that i can watch anime too!!!

okay, that was utterly random. i'm thinking of creating a label so that i can blog about some of my daily, random stuff. i don't wanna look back at this blog in ten years' time and have the misunderstanding that i was a committed, brilliant author who writes awesome stories XDDD well, at least the committed part is true (now.) So what should be the name of my label? 0__0 "daily life", "mundane happenings", "Non-writing stuff"... *sigh*