Kenpachi

Link to my dA: http://fav.me/d4yli4w

Hikari Cosplay

My youngest sister, who's a huge fan of the Special A series, finally got to join a cosplay. The event was organized by Kapt. Tomas Monteverde Sr. Central Elementary School. Pupils from all grade levels were encouraged to join the elimination round. Each grade level had its own batch of winners.

I was surprised and impressed that the school itself organized an event like this. Normally, most grown-ups in my country would think an event for anime fans and gamers would be a waste of time. They would say that watching anime and playing video games isn't good for kids, let alone make them dress up like their characters. I'm glad that this is slowly changing and that the teachers are playing a big role.

This is my sister who cosplayed Hikari from Special A.

Here are some of the sixth grade students who participated in the elimination round on February 16, 2012.

Tactics

Kantarou Ichinomiya was gifted with the ability to see youkai (demon, monster, spirit). He was bullied as a kid because of this ability however, but he has always found comfort from his youkai friends. One day they told him that he should find the oni-eating tengu (literally ogre-eating heavenly dog or goblin) to become stronger.

Many years passed and Kantarou by then was an exorcist and folklorist, but he still wanted to find the oni-eating tengu. He soon discovers the shrine where the goblin was confined and was able to successfully release and name it Haruka. By giving it a name, Kantarou becomes Haruka's master.

This is a review of the series that brought back my interest in anime. I have seen this a few years back but until today, it remains one of my favorites.


The manga was made as a collaborated effort between Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama. It consists of 12 volumes and was set during the Taisho period. The anime consists of 25 episodes.

After Kantarou released Haruka, they encountered different people who had problems with the supernatural. The following is a list of the episodes in the series: Tactics Episodes.

In episode 3 they encounter the Mountain God, Sugino and his partner Muu-chan. Both characters have become good friends with Haruka and Kantarou since then. Muu-chan developed a crush for Kan-chan. The couple sometimes appear during funny episodes. Sugino is always looking for Muu-chan and is portrayed as overprotective. There were also episodes that focused on another important character, Yoko. She's a kitsune and Kantarou also named her. She does the chores for both guys. In one episode, she falls in love with a human but she later realized that all the man's troubles were caused by a youkai. The man said aloud that he hated youkai. Yoko decided that whatever was between them won't work.

The other supporting characters are: Hasumi, Kantarou's rival and who does not believe in supernatural beings; Rosalie, Hasumi's quiet daughter; Reiko, Kantarou's editor; and Suzu, a rich, young girl who has a crush on Haruka.

Later in the series, they meet Raiko Minamoto who, with the help of his underlings, sets a trap for Haruka. Their intentions were unknown at that time but soon they will reveal that Raiko wants Kantarou to release Haruka so that the latter can reveal his full potential. Haruka had lost his memories and Raiko wants him to regain it so he can defeat Haruka man-to-man. In the last few episodes, their friendship was tested but in the end they both decided to stay together.

There are many more surprises in the anime that I did not mention. It's a light and funny series. I recommend this to all audience types. The animation is superb as well as the development of the characters within 25 episodes. I like the opening and closing songs as well. The theme also sets it apart from most anime because it doesn't involve too much violence or too many supporting characters. It's not also the usual save-the-world plot. It focused on the point-of-view of both the youkai and a clairvoyant. Most of the female characters are also interesting. Each one has a unique personality. They can be strong and fragile but without sounding too girly or needy as is common in most female roles.

I'm giving this series a 10 out of 10 rating.

Warcraft's Sunwell Trilogy

Title: Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy

Part one: Dragon Hunt

Part two: Shadows of Ice

Part three: Ghostlands

Illustrated by Kim Jae-hwan

Written by Richard Knaak

This three-volume manhwa follows the aftermath of Arthas' destruction of Quel'thalas and the Sunwell.  The main characters, Kalec and Anveena, met at Lordaeron when Kalec was wounded. Kalec's pursuers killed Anveena's parents while they were looking for the two. They were attacked by another enemy, Dar'khan, and binds their magic by placing neck collars on them. It would have been over if they were not saved by Kalec's future mate, Tyrygosa. Later Anveena finds a dragon hatchling among the ruins of her home. 

They then travelled to Tarren Mill to have the collars removed. They were found by the dragon hunter, Harkyn, the one who shot Kalec earlier. Fortunately Anveena was able to escape and met the paladin Jorad Mace. 

Kalec and his hunters however were ambushed by the undead led by Dar'khan. He later revealed that the Lich King had used the dragon hunter to kill the dragons because he knew that the dragons would be curious about the Sunwell. Anveena arrives to help them and this was when Dar'khan sensed that the power of the Sunwell was within the dragon hatchling accompanying the girl. Harkyn decides to turn against Dar'khan because of the latter's betrayal. He tells them later that in order to remove the collars, they must seek the dwarf Loggi.

The four characters were assaulted on their way to Alterac mountains. Anveena met the tauren Trag and the undead baron Valimar who explained his origins and the situation of the undead. Then he tricks her into using her powers to raise an army for him. Meanwhile, Trag found Kalec and the hatchling Raac and helped them reunite with Anveena. 

On the other hand, Jorad and Tyrygosa found the dwarf Loggi when they were taken as captives by Ichor. Later, along with the dwarves they tried to attack the undead but the baron saw them and used Anveena's power to counter. Trag was able to stop him. The rest of the group was able to defeat the enemies but Dar'khan took the opportunity to take away Anveena.

He takes the girl to Quel'thalas, where a group of exiled elves was trying to reclaim the place from the undead. Kalec, Jorad, Tyrygosa and Raac joined the exiles led by Lor'themar to fight Dar'khan. Meanwhile, Anveena was able to escape from her captor and was later told by an unknown character that she was the Sunwell. Dar'khan later finds her however. Silvanas Windrunner confronts him but she was taken captive as well. 

The exiles and their new allies attack Dar'khan when he was about to put a spell on Anveena. Dar'khan almost succeeded until Raac was able to free the dragon under his control. The group was able to defeat Dar'khan in the end.

It was later revealed that the dragon in captivity was the consort to Alexstrasza, Korialstrasz. Kalec and Anveena, along with the other elves decided to stay to protect her powers, while Jorad and Tyrygosa went to confront Arthas.

***

Jae-hwan's illustrations were consistent with the Warcraft style. I enjoyed most the landscape drawings. He was able to make up for the lack of excitement with the story.

The story in itself has a lot of potential but how it was told did not give it justice. There are moments when the two female characters were exaggerated for their abilities. There were even spaces wasted for nonsense comments such as "she's so beautiful" even if the romance part isn't clearly an important part of the story. The retelling of Silvanas' fate in Arthas' hands was inconsistent with what happened in the game as well. It shows that there was not enough research done on the part of the writer. The series had a lot of promise and excitement but it is not worth reading a second time. I am relieved though that not all the important books or stories related to Warcraft are given to Mr. Knaak or it would have been another bland material.

The White Shirt

The White Shirt

"Hmm...I think this color looks better on Ore-sama's perfect, flawless complexion, don't you think so Kabaji?", mused Atobe while he ran his hands through his perfect, shiny hair.

"Usu."

Atobe rolled his eyes, "I knew you would say that".

He got another long-sleeved polo shirt from the rack. "Cheap", he muttered. "Ore-sama should wear only the finest so people can admire the sight of ore-sama's beauty". He snapped his finger and a female attendant appeared at his side carrying more clothes to choose from. Kabaji stared, unmoving.

While Atobe was trying on some of the clothes, another customer arrived. Kabaji stared at him.
"Ah, so this is the place. How nice", Shinji buzzed. He saw the pile of new arrivals at the farthest corner of the store and stood before it, thinking loudly to himself. "Kamio said it's expensive here. But I need to find something to wear for the party tomorrow even if I don't want to attend though they will probably have lots and lots of food. Should I call Kamio and tell him I don't want to go? But I want to go. We have practice tomorrow after class so how are they going to make it on time. Maybe Tachibana-san wants to go too. That means we're not going to have any practice. But the tournament is about to start two weeks from now...", Shinji mumbled on, ignoring the attendant beside him. Kabaji stared, unblinking.

"Kabaji, sit!", Atobe ordered when he noticed that the guy has not moved an inch from his position. "Do you want to just stand there all day?"

"Usu."

Atobe pouted his full lips and glanced at the mirror. "Next time ore-sama should just take Oshitari".

"Usu".

Atobe snapped his fingers and the attendant brought him a new set of clothes to choose from. After 20 minutes, the Hyotei team captain dumped the pile at the counter. "My wallet Kabaji."

"Usu", the big man rose and handed Atobe his Louis Vuitton bag. Then Atobe's perfect vision found the white long-sleeved shirt at the new arrivals corner. "Ah, ore-sama wants that one, and ore-sama shall have it."

Kabaji stood at the counter, the bag held out in front of him, "Usu".

Atobe strode beautifully, his silver hair waving. Then he stopped. He recognized the man with the blue cap who seemed to be talking to himself.

"Ore-sama didn't know that Fudomine people can afford to go to these places. Surely, you're not lost, ah?"

Shinji turned to him. "How arrogant", he droned monotonously.

"I want to have this white shirt for the party tomorrow..."

Atobe cut in, "Ore-sama has used clothes if you want. But ore-sama has to have that shirt. Only ore-sama will look good on that, right Kabaji?"

"Usu."

"Hmph. You may be right but I can afford it. How dare you insult other people. Hmph. You can't even beat Echizen. But then I can't even do that either. If only that racquet did not hit his eye. But it was my fault and it's no excuse. I've lost and Echizen is better. I should practice more. Maybe I should ask Tachibana-san to improve our...", Shinji turned away from Atobe and began his long litany once more.

Atobe raised a neatly trimmed eyebrow. "Get it, Kabaji."

"Usu".

Suddenly, someone slapped Kabaji's hand away from the corner. "I'm taking this", the man glared. Kabaji blinked and cocked his head to one side.

"Get it, Kabaji!"

Kabaji did not answer.

"You dare to disobey ore-sama's commands, ah!?"

"Why? you have objections, pretty boy?", a husky voice answered him. "I'm taking this and no one can do anything about it." Akutsu turned around to face Atobe, "Keh!"
Shinji was still talking to himself.

Atobe stared at Akutsu, who was grinning and clenching his fists, then turned away. "It doesn't matter. Ore-sama can find better outfits than that. Let that thief buy something decent to wear. Ore-sama will not go down to his level. Let's go Kabaji. Let him have it. It suits his pale, ugly face anyway."

"Usu", Kabaji picked up more than a dozen shopping bags and followed Atobe outside, nearly stumbling.

Akutsu chuckled.

"How arrogant", Shinji muttered.

The Secret Ingredient

He dropped to his knees when exhaustion finally claimed him. He was breathing hard and was bathing in his sweat but Kaidoh felt cold inside. 

It was almost past 10 in the evening. He was supposed to take the bus but he figured that he could use the timefor a few minutes of jogging. He wants to be ready for the next match. He was walking home from Eiji's house, grateful that he cannot hear stupid Momo's stories when he saw Inui-sempai. He waved but Inui did not see him so he decided to observe his sempai first. He was busy tinkering with something but Kaidoh could not see what it was that interested Inui because it was dark. 

"Haha...finally I found the ultimate recipe for my next project", he declared. Kaidoh could only see the flashlight he was holding. He moved closer cautiously, not wanting to disturb his sempai but curious at the same time. By being able to see what Inui was up to will make him ready next time he's asked to drink those awful concoctions. 

He stopped when he saw something glimmer. Inui was murmuring to himself. Maybe he's trying to list down the ingredients, Kaidoh thought and swallowed hard, remembering the strange color of the last juice he had. Suddenly Inui got up. He noticed he was holding something in his right hand but the shadows concealed it. 

Inui was silent now. With his back to Kaidoh, he pushed up his glasses and after a while he said, "It had to be done or my creation won't be complete."  Puzzled, Kaidoh squinted at the mysterious object. He can only see the shape and he's sure he has seen this thing somewhere.

Inui picked up a plastic bag and as he turned to Kaidoh's direction, he slipped the specimen inside it. Kaidoh almost screamed but he was so terrified at what he saw that he could not even draw a breath for a few seconds. Luckily, Inui did not notice him behind the bushes and the went in the opposite direction. Kaidoh was stunned. As realization began to sink in, his spirits slowly sank. He wanted to go after Inui and beat him. He wanted to cry and scream at Inui and tell him how evil he is. Then he found himself running. He did not care where he was going, he just wanted to run.

As he sat in the middle of the road, still breathing hard, Kaidoh wrapped his arms around his legs and wept softly for the cat.

Rising by Ryoma Echizen (lyrics)

kimi ha kitto onaji mainichi ni
anshin dekiru hito nanda ne
dakedo nani ka motomete tatakau
tanoshisa ni ha kitsukanai yo

ochiru yuuhi mitsumetnagara
shizumu mono mo utsukushii to
sore de kokoro yasugunara
sore demo ii kedo

boku ha zutto ue wo mezashiteku
soko kara shika mienai mono wo miru tame ni
natsukusu mono mo kakugo dekite iru
koenakya nara nai mono itsuka koeru tame ni

kimi ha itsu mo onaji michi toori
shiranai roji ha mimoshinai ne
dakedo tama ni maigo ni naru mono
tanoshii deai mitsukerareru

hitori aruku kodoku na ou no
michi ha zutto hatenai kedo
sore de kokoro tsubureru nara
sore dake no koto sa

boku ha zutto ue wo mezashiteku
soko kara shika mienai mono wo miru tame ni
kizutsuku no mo kakugo dekite iru
dare yori mo takai basho noboritsumeru tame ni

boku ha zutto ue wo mezashiteku
soko kara shika mienai mono wo miru tame ni
natsukusu mono mo kakugo dekite iru
koenakya nara nai mono itsuka koeru tame ni

boku ha zutto ue wo mezashiteku
soko kara shika mienai mono wo miru tame ni
kizutsuku no mo kakugo dekite iru
dare yori mo takai basho noboritsumeru tame ni

The Genbu of Heaven and the Oni-eating Tengu

I don't usually wake up before nine o'clock in the morning during weekends or vacation. If it wasn't for Abe no Yasuaki, the Genbu of Heaven and his green hair, I'd have spent my spare time playing Battle Realms and Generals.

The last time I watched anime was more than five years ago. The last characters I was interested with were Sanosuke of Samurai X and Ryu of Streetfighter.

Nothing about the story caught my attention. It was the animation that was superb. The fact that they have captured the spirit of the Heian Era was quite unusal for something that is usually associated with elementary kids. The clothes looked real. They were very detailed and beautifully rendered. They match the color of the hair and eyes of each character.

The music gives a different quality to the series. You can sense the power and the tension of the opposing forces.

* * *

I found Tactics very interesting for its story and animation. Haruka's mysterious side and his relationship to his master, Kantarou Ichinomiya, becomes obscured as the story unfolds (and is subject to different interpretations). It is not just their friendship that binds them together but the respect for the master-slave pact. Loyalty and friendship are constantly challenged.

* * *

Akane's quest to save Kyo from the Oni Clan and Haruka's search for his past are not just kids' stuff. The first full-length animation (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) was not even made for the younger audience. There is more to anime than just their big, round eyes and cute hairstyles.

* * *

It is a misconception that artists should recreate the world as they see it. Beyond the ordinary there is a different world of colors and shapes. What is ordinary is boring. Art should not just be a replica of what we see in front of us. What is ordinary should be made extraordinary.

Expect me to be waking up early when a good series comes along.