Monthly Archive for June, 2006

Ayakashi - Japanese Classic Horror #01

Published on June 30, 2006 in Ayakashi (Complete). 11 Comments

I’m always up for a good ghost story, so I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to watch this show. I’ve read from reading forums that it’s really scary, so I figured that I should find out for myself to see whether the hype is really true. I might regret it later on when I go to sleep tonight, but we’ll see about that. ;)
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Royal Seventeen – Chapter Four (Manga)

Published on June 28, 2006 in Manga. 2 Comments



I finally got around to reading the latest chapter, and I am somewhat surprised by the recent turn of events. The very last scene completely caught me off guard, and I don’t know what to think of Allen now. Aside from that, I was a little disappointed by this chapter because I didn’t think it was all that interesting. Maybe I’m just expecting too much from a typical shoujo story… In any case, I want to make an effort to provide my opinions on the manga that I read no matter what it is (unless I absolutely abhor it, which isn’t the case), so I hope you’ll enjoy reading this post. Many thanks to ShoujoMagic for their wonderful scans!

(note: this title has lots of smut and spoilers are included below!)
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NANA #10

Published on June 23, 2006 in NANA. 4 Comments

Let’s just get this out in the open – I LOVE THIS EPISODE! It’s so enjoyable to watch now that some of my favorite characters have appeared in the show, and it’s nice to look back at the good old days when things were happy and cheerful. Hachi’s convinced that their apartment is haunted after hearing remarks from the neighbors, so Nobu comes to the rescue with a brilliant idea - that they sleep together to relieve her fears. He’s only kidding of course, but I’m sure he wouldn’t have turned down the offer if she had actually agreed to it. ;)
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NANA #09

Published on June 17, 2006 in NANA. 4 Comments

Hachi’s starting to realize that her relationship with Shouji is turning sour, so she tries to think of ways to show how much she loves him. However, it’s practically impossible for her to come up with any ideas since neither of them have the time to spend with each other, and with her job and empty apartment taking over her life at the moment, she has no other choice than to accept the fact that her relationship with him might not last that much longer. She was hoping that moving to Tokyo would bring them closer together, but in actuality it has torn them farther apart…

Nana’s tired of not having any furniture in the apartment and decides to build a table in the kitchen herself. She’s even whipped up an entire meal on her own as well, impressing Hachi with her skills in doing just about everything well (unlike herself). An unannounced guest arrives at the door, and it’s none other than our yummy Nobu who’s decided once and for all to pursue his dreams of becoming a musician. Even though Nana’s ecstatic to see her old friend, she doesn’t show it and instead tries to send him back home. However, he doesn’t want to have any involvement in his family’s business and is adamant about living out his life as a musician. Hachi immediately takes a liking to him and encourages him to stay for the night, even admonishing Nana for being so mean to him. I loved this scene because of the significance it holds. If you’ve read the manga, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. :)

Ah, I feel like I’m finally starting to enjoy watching Nana again. I particularly loved this episode because it included one of my favorite scenes from the manga, and I felt that they did a really great job on it. Nana looked so natural and happy performing in their apartment that you can just tell that she really misses the excitement of performing on a real stage. Although I was satisfied with this animated rendition, I still couldn’t help but wish that we could’ve heard Mika’s voice instead. It just didn’t feel complete without hearing her beautiful voice as Nana…but beggars can’t be choosy. I think this is where the story truly begins as we delve into the lives of the two Nanas, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. :)

NANA #08

Published on June 14, 2006 in NANA. 2 Comments

Nana and Hachi decide to go shopping together for the new apartment, and Nana decides to give Hachi her new nickname because she’s like a dog – nice and obedient yet requires a lot of attention. Nana treats her like a child, making the final decisions on all purchases as well as scolding her for flirting with the salesperson when she’s supposed to be concentrating on buying necessities for the apartment. Nana gives her a hard time about flirting with Mizukoshi when she’s on the phone with Shouji, but she’s only teasing and reminds her that she shouldn’t be flirting with other men or giving them any ideas. Before returning to the apartment, Hachi makes a trip to the music store and decides to buy Trapnest’s latest album since she’s a huge fan and has a schoolgirl crush on Takumi. Nana, meanwhile, is unusually speechless when she notices a huge billboard of the group and stares longingly at Ren’s photo. Hachi invites her to see Trapnest with her, but she’s unable to get herself to see Ren in person and declines the invitation even though her body’s aching to feel him again. I couldn’t help but feel so bad for her when she’s sitting home alone in the dark crying to herself. She’s strong and confident in front of others, but her true emotions come out when she’s alone and tends to cry a lot. Poor thing. :(

Hachi visits the infamous Jackson Hole hamburger joint (what a terrible name – it’d be fitting in the Castro District, though) and enjoys a hearty meal with Shouji. He’s expecting his dessert that evening, but much to his dismay she’s only thinking of Nana and rushes to bring a hamburger home for her. Shouji’s convinced that she’s in love with that woman and doesn’t have any sympathy for her since Hachi’s newfound compassion is taking away from his nightly lovemaking sessions with her, and she doesn’t help the situation any when she practically leaves him standing there while she rushes away in the taxi. You can already see the writing on the wall that their relationship is doomed for failure. Shouji keeps trying to pull Hachi toward him, while Hachi’s pulling more and more toward Nana and her needs. I think Shouji’s a nice guy and I’d probably even go for him, but I don’t think he’s very fitting for her personality. I have my biased opinion on who she should end up with, but I don’t think the stars aren’t in it for the two of them, either. Such is life in this world – we’re not always given what we want but what we need.