Miracle Train 2 & 3

Miracle Train 2

In this episode, we focus on Saki Tochou. He's very reserved and takes his job seriously. Today's passenger is scheduled to arrive at his station but is late. The rest of the gang start fooling around (except for Fuwa Roppongi) and this does not help Saki's nerves. The passenger finally arrives, stating that she was at Tochou station to renew her passport. It seems that she is being transferred to America. Being only 22, she feels like this is too big of a change and doesn't want to go. Saki shows her sights of Tochou, calming down her nerves and finally convincing her to get her passport renewed.

Touchou greeting a passenger that doesn't show up

Personally, I find this "let's solve your problem by going sightseeing" a bit insensitive. I mean I guess I shouldn't expect much since you are just a train station, You can't possibly have experiences and emotions that normal humans have. So your method of comforting is limited, but I personally would not feel relieved about spilling my guts and having you respond by talking about this park and that street.

Miracle Train 3

This episode proves to be a bit more interesting since the passenger shows entertaining displeasure at being on the train and openly shows her desire to get off. This girl's dilemna is having been rejected entry into a marriage group meeting due to her young age of 14. Our hero of the week Shinjuku tries to use his smooth talking ways to mend her irritated heart. He gets rejected and has to reveal his 'more sensitive and sensible side' to make her happy. A bit predictable but oh well. Oh yes - there was 3 or so Shinjuku brothers who were just as flaky as him - and ah yes more sightseeing.

It's probably apparent that I'm getting irritated with this show and wonder "why am I blogging about this". I suppose I still carry hope that there's some crazy plot twist that will happen after we go through a special of each character - but chances of that look pretty slim.

Kimi Wa Pet!

Lately my manga reviews have been pretty disappointing. Luckily, I was very fortunate to read Kimi wa Pet!

Synopsis

The story revolves around Sumire Iwaya, a successful business women who is very independent, confident, beautiful, and talented. Many people are intimidated by her huge success and gossip about her. Her long time boyfriend felt intimidated by her height and career that he cheated on her and impregnated the mistress - soon to be wife. All the stress given by her job, romance, and other people have been bottling up inside her for quite some time until one day, she fatefully meets a young man in a cardboard box.

She proposes to give him a place to stay, cook his meals, even shampoo his hair, as long as he agrees to act as her pet. Afraid to show her true self to others, Sumire used to confess all her worries and troubles to her pet dog Momo, who died when she was 12. This mysterious man will take the pets place and provide Sumire an outlet for all her stress.

As time passes, things seem to look up for Sumire. She gets a promotion at work, her college crush (who happens to be taller, handsome, and more successful), confesses his love for her and things couldn't be better with her pet. It is then that Sumire realizes that she will one day have to let grow up and let go of her pet "dog". This is just something she cannot do. Is it because she is having trouble growing up? Or is it because Momo has become more than a canine companion?

An average day at the Sumire househould

Why this series is so good

• The true meaning of strength. It's not about physical power. It's the power to not be intimidated by other people's life or affected by other people's judgements, but to look forward and focus on your on potential and goals. Takeshi (Momo's real name), never felt intimidated about Sumire's success or ever felt ashamed by other people's opinion of him and his pet role. He has the ability to see a person for whom they are, not what they have done and can focus on making himself a better person.
• A different kind of heroine. Sumire is not your average Shoujo female lead. She doesn't need a man to solve her day to day problems. In fact, she is capable of solving them herself. What she really needs help on is her own insecurities and indecisiveness. I believe this is a better reflection on women and girls today. We don't need a man to miraculous show up when we sprain our ankle, or protect us from the pervert who gropes us on the bus. We need someone who accepts us for who we truly are, and let's us express ourselves freely without feeling insecure.
• A different kind of love. It redefines the "perfect man" and shows us that sometimes, things just don't work out and yet the thing that is meant to be, is perfectly normal and better. What makes the perfect man isn't his height, success, or looks, but how they make you feel about yourself, how comfortable you are around them, if they encourage you to be a better person, and how natural it is to interact with him - in all situations.

I can see why this won an award and why it got reproduced into a live action drama (which I am totally going to watch). It seriously left an impression on me, and still has. I recommend this series to everyone who is wants a change of pace from the mundane "Knight in shining armour" shoujo.

Rating: 5/5

Read it here

Related posts

September Review: Faster than a Kiss

Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor 1

The other fall series I will be covering is the second season of Darker than Black. It's been a really long time since I've seen the first season (> year) but I do remember it being pretty good.

Summary

We start our season off in Siberia, watching a family look at shooting stars, making wishes. It's pretty sappy and you begin to wonder if you're really watching the right show - until a big ass meteor falls on the family, causing the boy (Shion) to lose an eye.

We've returned to the present and we learn that Shion is now a contractor and his father is some creepy scientist who is researching ways to erase a person's memory. The only person from the happy shooting star scene to be left unscathed is the daughter Suou, but her obsession to photograph the world in order to show it to her now emotionless brother, could make people think otherwise.

After some scenes to remind us of contractors and reunite with a familiar face, creepy scientist's laboratory is infiltrated. Shion helps his sister escape (while escaping himself). But the father is not so lucky. He seems to have died with electrocution (sounding familiar yet?) and April (yeah she was there) and Suou now make their escape outside the lab. They get interrupted by an unidentified contractor but he proves to be nothing against April. She is recovering and drinking away, until she gets strangled by everybody's favourite masked man. We end the episode with the little M16 member (sorry little buddy, I forgot your name) and a shooting star falling in the background (signifying a contractor's death).

Did April just die? And why is Hei's hair longer than normal? Guess we'll know more (and see more Hei) in the next episode.

Watch it here

Miracle Train 1

One of the new fall series I will be following is Miracle Train. The concept of representing train stations with handsome boys intrigued me. How successful and what direction will this anime follow? Let's find out!

Synopsis

First impression is a light and comedic anime with no heavy plot. Very much like early Host club. Six train stations are represented as handsome male boys, who ride a train called the Miracle Train, to help out girls who have problems.

The first episode has a girl whom loses her dog on said train and meets these six guys, the conductor and an assistant. The boys help find her dog and uncover the real reason she is on the train. Nothing fancy nor special but most first episodes aren't.

Let's meet our stations!

六本木史 [Roppongi, Fumi]

We started the episode off at Roppongi Station and the intros with this guy. He somewhat reminds me of Fuji Syuusuke From Prince of Tennis. Soft spoken, and gentle. He was the one who discovered the girl's true problem and is thus far my favourite out of the bunch (this may change as we get to know the other characters.

汐留行　[Shiodome, Iku]

The Loli character for this series. Nothing extreme like Honey Sempai (Host Club) or Toyoma Yuki (Wallflower). Not much on him.

月島十六夜 [Tsukishima, Izayoi]

I can't distinguish much of a personality difference between him and Roppongi. He is well mannered and calm. Also seems to have a thing for fish (like the river named after him).

両国逸巳 [Ryogoku, Itsumi]

The playful, daredevil type. His manner of speaking is also very casual and crash (a big difference from Tsukishima's perfect formal speech). And why are all daredevil type characters red heads?

新宿凛太朗 [Shinjuku, Rintarou]

The flirtatious playboy type. He's also very cocky. Addressed the female character as 'Kitten" at the beginning.

都庁前 [Tochou, Saki]

The leader of the group. Logically because he is the end terminal station. The typical megane character. Calm, cool, and collected, but sucks at rock paper scissors.

Final Thoughts

It seems like it has a lot of potential. It obviously is going to be compared to a lot of harem series so it should try to do something that makes it stand out. One thing I'm particularly concerned about is how we are going to get attached to the characters since their main interaction is with women whom they have never met. We may only see their formal side 95% of the time. The other 5% would be towards each other. We'll have to see how it goes.

Watch it here

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood 24 & 25

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood 24

A pretty good episode. Just as Gluttony transforms, Ran Fan, Mustang, and Hawkeye find a way to escape the disaster. Al, Ed, and Ling stay behind to fight Gluttony but end up being eaten.

With his new knowledge, Mustang heads over to central in hopes of allying with the higher ups of the Military in an attempt to usurp Bradley. When he gets there, he realizes that it is already too late and the Military itself is corrupted.

I was surprised by both plot twists. I half expected someone to get eaten, but didn't think it would be so many people. And the whole military in central being corrupt came as a surprise too. I guess I thought if you were the Fuhrer, why would you need to get your team involved when you had complete control of everything anyway? We also get introduced to Pride - another Hommonculi, who warns Wrath to keep his Human feelings in check.

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood 25

A great episode. Ling and Al are exploring Gluttony's stomach and run into Envy, who also got swallowed in an attempt to save Ed (a chosen sacrifice). A few discoveries are made here:

• Hommunculus = failed attempts - Gluttony was a failed attempt at recreating a Gate of Truth and Envy appears to be the result of a failed animal/human transformation experiment.
• Envy -> Ishbal War - It was Envy who triggered the beginning and encouraged the ware by transforming into different Military personnel. Ed sees him/her/it as the root of the Rockbell's death, which of course, leads him to a tantrum.

Back at HQ, Mustang is getting pwn'd by Bradley and has his team scattered to different branches, and Hawekeye becoming Bradley's personal assistant. If you want to hit low, steal the wingman.

Al, Glutonny, and baby panda are sitting in some field (that has a way too happy atmosphere) contemplating on the next course of actions. They decide to go to meet Glut's Father - more light on his identity perhaps?

Final Fantasy XIII Trailer

おわれてなるすみません！

I'm taking six classes, work part time, and trying to get into grad school. I haven't been able to go on this blog as much as I hoped. That will definitely change when I get into grad school and have better control over my schedule.

Two days ago, Square Enix came out with the TGS Trailer for Final Fantasy XIII, which like many of you, I have been looking forward to.

Watch it here (it's too big to fit here)

To be brutally honest, this trailer kinda sucked. I was left feeling more confused and less anxious for the game's release. I know it's a good idea to have cliffhangers and have watchers want to know more so they play the game. But I knew too little to feel anything for the characters or have the plot pick up my interest.

On a positive note, the graphics look epic - but it seems like that's the only thing going for it at this point.

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood 22 & 23

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 22

In this episode, we get a lot of background history on Scar. Winry has a chance to avenge her parents, but doesn't have the heart to do so. We are informed of a little skill Ling and Ran Fan have in respect to detecting Hommunculi. We also finally get to see Ling's true fighting abilities.

The thing that struck me the most in this episode was Scar's background information and how the events that happened in Ishbal greatly reminded me of the Holocaust.

Speaking to a friend about this, she told me that Full Metal Alchemist intended to be a representation of old Britain rather than Germany. Not being very well versed in history, I wouldn't have been able to make that connection. Nevertheless, themes being played with are what power and strength in numbers result in. We pretty much are an ugly race.

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 23

As far as episodes go, I have to say that this one was pretty good. The episode starts of with some epic action sequences and gets the viewer excited early on. Key points from this episode is that Winry has realized she is in love with Ed and that everyone in team Mustang know that King Bradley is a Hommunculi.

Though the team lost sight of Scar, Gluttony was taken into captive. However, when an overgrown baby realizes he is in the midst of his Sister's killer, no mere wire can stop him. And thus we are left hanging until next week.

Japanese Lesson 3: Comparing Objects

During Japanese summer classes, I was absent during the week we learned about comparing objects. This was something I always regretted not learning and wished I didn't miss out on. Today, these anxieties will end as you and I learn the concepts involved in comparing objects and ideas. For this lesson you will need to know:

• Hiragana
• Katakana
• Basic Kanji

A is more than B

Unlike the English language, adjectives are not changed when comparing two objects. (ie: A is faster than B, A is better than B). Instead, certain endings are added to the nouns to indicate this. The format is as follows:

Object A のほうが Object B より adjective.

To better understand this, let us create some examples.

ハンバーガーのほうがとんかつよりおいしいです。
Hamburgers are more tasty than pork cutlet.

山田さんのほうが京子さんより面白いです。
Yamada san is more interesting than Kyoko san.

Asking which is better

When asking another person's opinion between two objects. The form is as follows:

Object A と Object B とどうちのほうが adjective.

Here are some examples:

東のエイデンとデスノートとどうちのほうが新しいですか。
Is Eden of the East newer than Death Note?

カナダとスウェーデンとどうちのほうが寒いですか。
Is Canada colder than Sweden?

For those who couldn't read Japanese but decided to look anyways, the basis for the 'A is more ___ than B' is A no houga B adjective. For 'Is A more ___ than B' the structure is A to B to douchi no houga adjective. There are a few ways to do this structure so please do not look at this as a be all and end all. Use it as a starting point in learning comparisons. This is definitely something you hear a lot in manga in anime (especially in shoujo when guys are being compared!).

Related Posts
Japanese Lesson 2: Let's translate it - よつばと！
Japanese Lesson 1: Translate the blog title

Faster than a Kiss

This month, we will be reviewing Faster than a Kiss, a series written by Meca Tanaka which focuses on the relationship between Fumino Kaji and Kazuma Ojiro. Though they may seem to be just a teacher and student by day, they are really a married couple by night. But don't get any crazy ideas just yet. Though they are legally allowed to do whatever kinky thing they want, they have yet to kiss, let alone anything beyond that.

Faster than a Kiss cover

So why are they married in the first place? Well, Fumino's parents died one year ago, leaving Fumino and Teppei (her little brother) on a long road of hopping from relative to relative. Sick of it all, Fumino decides to drop out of high school and work full time to support Teppei. But before she can go with this idea, her Homeroom teacher (Kazuma), promises to take them into his home. Being the prideful being that she is, Fumino won't believe his kindness unless he makes it concrete (ie: marriage). And so our story begins.

Initial Thoughts

Though the concept and constant feeling of taboo intrigued me at first, there seemed to be a repeating story cycle in each chapter. It went as follows:

• Fumino is seen at school, defending some helpless student, Yankee style
• Fumino and Teppei welcome Kazuma home in cosplay outfits
• Kazuma hugs Teppei in an outburst of "omg you're so cute!"
• Fumino says or does something that provokes intimacy
• Fumino wussies out
• Fumino is presented with a challenge which she takes on wholeheartedly
• Fumino either fails at the challenge or is placed in danger resulting in Kazuma using his super athletic or Ex-Yankee skills to save her

One of the many cosplay scenes

It's cute and durable a few times (like maybe 3 or 4 times), but to have the same cycle over and over again could make a manga reader want to puke.

On the positive note, the artwork is pretty well done and the story does make progressions. Chapter 13 had a cliffhanger that I am curious in seeing the outcome of.

Prominent Themes

• Teacher-Student relationships: Ah yes, the taboo involved between a teacher and student, adult and child. Constant secrecy in the public eye. Every touch between them forbidden.
• Pure Female lead: Never been kissed, and blushes at every touch. The Japanese have this fetish with purity so it's no surprise that Fumino is that way. Of course, it is always fun watching all of someone's firsts.
• Mysterious Past: This seems to be staple for most mangas. We know Kazuma was an extremely talented ex-delinquint, but that's as far as the information goes. His family, ex girflriends, and childhood all remain a blur. The curious reader will continue to read just to find out more about how Kazuma came to be the plain teacher he is today.

To be brutally honest, there are better mangas out there right now. But if you want a casual laugh, it's a quick read with only 13 chapters currently out.

Rating: 3/5

Related posts

October Review: Kimi wa Pet!
August Review: Hana to Akuma

Rebuild of Evangelion 02: You Can (Not) Advance

It has been 9 months since watching the first installment and about ten years since watching the original series. So watching the second installment of the remake of Neon Genesis Evangelion felt like a whole new experience, while keeping the feeling of nostalgia

No matter what decade we are in, Shinji still needs to grow some balls

Setting the Stage

So in the first installment, Shinji joins NERVE as a way to get the attention and praise of his father (haha good luck with that). He moves in with Misato in attempt to establish "a home atmosphere." He transfers to a new school, gets beaten up, meets Ayanami Rei, gets beaten up some more, goes emo, and fights some angels.

And Action!

We begin with episode with a battle between Eva Unit 05 and some angel. The angel is eliminated but so is Unit 05.

The scene changes to a cemetery. Commander Ikari and Shinji are at Yui Ikari's grave. A brief and somewhat awkward conversation passes between the father and son as they recall memories of Shinji's mother. Commander Ikari gets on a helicopter and leaves and Shinji is left alone, looking wistfully at the helicopter.

Being the great babysitter that she is, Misato is waiting at the scene to bring little Shinji home. Unfortunately, another Angel decides to cause some traffic on the way home.

But don't worry Shinji, a Crazy German Girl has everything under control.

That's right, Asuka has arrived to Japan in order to kick some angel ass. Given she's a little pretentious and doesn't really like anyone. But deep down, she just wants to sneak into people's beds.

After a field trip and some more angels, Asuka understands the meaning of teamwork. Sadly, this lesson can not be put into use. Unit 02 is banned for usage, but fear not Asuka! Unit 03 (along with some dummy plug for Unit 01) has just arrived and is ready for use. Unfortunately, some creepy cell that takes over things has landed on Unit 03, causing it to turn into Angel 09. With Unit 00 under repairs, Shinji is the sole Eva pilot capable of destroying this angel. Of course, Shinji refuses to fight this monster since Asuka is inside. Commander Ikari's order? Screw Shinji, get the dummy plug to do it.

Shinji doesn't like this order and throws a tantrum, gets in trouble, and gives up piloting Eva unit 01. The ex pilot for Unit 05 steals Unit 02 to defeat another angel that appears. She doesn't get very far, so she turns unit 02 into Beast form. This helps the fight a little bit, but still looks like a lost cause. Ayanami Rei gets on the scene to do the job right, but gets absorbed by the angel. Shinji, who is conveniently located on the scene of the battle, goes berserk and runs back to HQ in order to save Rei. To match Shinji's emo attitude, Unit 01 goes into Beserk Mode and saves the day. The angel is destroyed but it is apparent that this is the beginning of the Third Impact - better known as the end of the world.

And Cut!

Even though it has been ages since I have seen the original series, the movie seems to follow the story very well. The effects, just as with the first movie, have improved dramatically. The english voice acting at the beginning is also nicely done. My resource for watching this was a bit poor, thus harming the graphics. But when the release for this movie has hit places other than Japan, I'm sure higher quality versions will become available. When the happens, I definitely recommend watching this movie: wheither you saw the original series or are just beginning to understand the legacy that is Evangelion.

Japan's First lady: ちょうとへんですね！

I'm not really a fan of politics, but when you get Tom Cruise and UFOs involved, it's a bit hard to ignore.

Wait, wasn't this post about politics? Oh but it is! Japan's future First Lady Miyuki Hatoyama has made multiple claims which include:

• Meeting Tom Cruise in their previous life
• Tom Cruise being incarnated as Japanese
• Having gone to Venus in a triangular shaped UFO
• Eating the sun

I don't know about you folks, but I hope she was not the factor that lead to her husband's landslide victory.

Good luck you two, with leading Japan and battling aliens

Read about it here

Suzumiya Haruhi as Phoenix Wright

On my conquest to Compare Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu with Clannad, I stumbled upon an interesting discovery on episode 7 (or 10 depending on the order). This is the conclusion of the remote island storyline where Haruhi wraps up the fake murder case. Of course, other PW fans spotted this parody and one even made a Youtube Video about it.

Upon watching this we can make certain connections:

=
=

We can also make the assumption that Kyon's little sister is Pearl Fey and Mikuru is Maya Fey but I couldn't find pictures that did the comparison justice.

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood 21

After two weeks of painfully waiting for its release, Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood 21 finally aired! (It did air a few days ago but I was swamped with moving to a new place)

Watch it here

Manga Releases: August 2009

As August comes to a close, I decided to reflect on the chapters that came out/got scanlated of the manga I am following. At the moment it is a very Shoujo list since the Shounen ones I was following (Hunter x Hunter, D Gray Man, etc) seem to be in a boring standstill.

Skip Beat Chapter 144

We are still on the Valentine's day story arch-which has entertained us with Shou's gothic rendition of Kyoko and Beagle's "love affair."

Kyoko and Beagle being romantic

This chapter progressed the story by introducing Kyoko's birthday present to Ren. What made this present mysterious is the fact that Kyoko insisted that Ren open it when he is alone. Knowing Kyoko, it is going to be something super practical and unromantic. But we will just have to wait and see on the next release.

Kyoko tells Ren to open it at home

The comedic aspect of this chapter was when Kyoko was handing out chocolates to all her co-workers and explicity left out Ren. I definitely recommend reading it!

Read it here

Vampire Knight Chapter 53

Is it just me or has this story gotten incredibly dull? Things just went downhill when Kaname and Yuuki left the school. I am also not a fan of Yuuki's useless nature. Most of the time she sits around the house in pretty dresses, craving blood, and tripping around.

Why so emo?

In this chapter, Kaito is introduced as a teacher for the school. He is a vampire hunter and trained with Zero during childhood.

Did Zero just jizz in his pants?

There is a party with the Hunter Association and the Vampire Council. An old friend decides to attend the party in search of Yuuki. The chapter also ends with a bittersweet reunion.

Read it here

Other good reads this month

• Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu Chapter 35 and 36
• The One Chapter 59

Translation Party

While I was reading some Yankee kun to Megane chan, my very sexy friend Rachel showed me this online application called Translation Party. It takes an English phrase and translates it into the Japanese equivalence. It then takes that Japanese phrase and finds its literal English meaning. It alternates between the languages until it finds a translation that is literally the same in both English and Japanese.

I will be going to work today
今日は仕事にできると思う
I think it can work
私はそれを回避できると思う
I think I can avoid it
私はそれを回避できると思う
I think I can avoid it

I don't do very well at parties
私はとてもよくパーティーでしない
I'm not very well at the party
パーティ私は非常によくで
My party is very well
私のパーティーは非常によく
I very much party
私は非常に多くのパーティ
I have so many parties
私は多くの当事者が
I have many parties
私は多くの当事者が
I have many parties

Examples

I am the killer kitten who eats snake monkey.
私は殺人者蛇猿を食べる子猫です。
I am a kitten killer snake eating a monkey.
私は子猫のキラー蛇猿を食べています。
I have a monkey eating a kitten killer snakes.
私はサルの子猫のキラーのヘビを食べている。
I have the kitten killer snake eating monkeys.
私は子猫のキラーヘビ、サルを食べている。
My kitten killer snakes are eating monkeys.
私の子猫のキラーヘビ、サルを食べている。
My kitten killer snakes are eating monkeys.

There are some phrases that have no equivalence. Furthermore, many phrases can be turned into the complete opposite of the original sentence (see party example).

Why it Works:

The Japanese language has a different sentence structure than that of the English language. Thus with the verb always going last, literal translations can change the meaning. Furthermore, the subject particle is normally assumed and excluded from the sentence. This can turn a 'I went to a party' to 'Went to party' if the 'I' was excluded since most speakers exclude the subject if it can be assumed to whom it is referring to.

Why not give it a try and share some interesting outcomes with me? This is an awesome way to improve your Japanese skills as well.

Play Translation Party

Let's Translate It: よつばと！

Here is the second installment of August's Japanese lessons. Today we will take a look at a raw page of Yotsubato!. I did some research and this came up as a good beginner manga to read in Japanese.

Yotsubato! Volume 1 front cover

Prerequisites

• Hiragana and Katakana
• Some Kanji

Here is a page from chapter 1 in the first volume. We will take each cell, state the romaji then translate it as best as we can. Please remember that I am learning with you. I probably won't get the translation at 100%. But as each of these lessons go on, my skills (as well as yours) will improve, raising the amount and difficulty of the context.

Click on the image to see a bigger screen

Navigation

We will be going from right to left in an up down pattern. So Cell #1 will be the one on the top right, Cell #2 is the top left, cell #3 is bottom right, etc ...

Translation

Cell #1:

Jumbo: Have you been well?
Yotsuba: Ah! Stop it!

Jumbo: Genki ni shitetaka?
Yotsuba:Uah! Yameru!

Cell #2:

Koiwai-San: Where's Yanda?
Jumbo: He had some business come up. That guy is no good.

Koiwai san: Yanda wa?
Jumbo:A-aitsu you ga haittekara koneette. Aitsu dame dawa.

Cell #3:

Yotsuba: Jumbo, you've gotten bigger since I've seen you last!
Jumbo: Oh? Where did you learn that saying?
Koiwai san: Oh well. Jumbo will just have to do two people's worth or work.

Yotsuba:Jumbo shibaraku uchi ni mata ooki kunatta!
Jumbo: O? Doko de oboeta sono serifu?
Koiwai san: Maa ii ka. Jumbo ga futaripun hatarakushina.

Cell #4:

Jumbo: No way. Not happening. I'm not working like that!
Koiwai san: Please work...
Yotsuba:I will work!

Jumbo: Sonna! Goto wa nai! Ore wa hatarakanai!
Koiwai san: Hataraite kure...
Yotsuba:Yotsuba ga hataraku!

Cell #5:

Jumbo: Oh! That's great Yotsuba! Your dad is no good eh?
Yotsuba:My dad is no good!

Jumbo: O! Eraizo Yotsuba! To chan wa dame dane!
Yotsuba: To chan dame da!

Related posts:

Lesson 1: Translate the blog's title

Rainbow Roll as Healthiest Choice

A co-worker sent me an interesting e-mail containing an article in Men's Health magazine entitled The Ultimate Sushi Roll Selector

This page took the most common North American sushi rolls and graded them from best to worst in terms of:

• calories
• fat content
• nutrition

The Winner:

At number one we have the Rainbow Roll with:

• 476 calories
• 16 g fat
• 33 g protein
• 6 g fiber
• 50 g carbohydrates

Mmm Rainbow Rolls

It's a great food choice because the majority of the calories are unsaturated fat. This is the kind of fat that burns other fats in your stomach. The source of these heavenly fats is the fish and the avocado.

The Loser:

At the end of the list we have the Shrimp Tempura Roll. Its nutrition stats are:

• 508 calories
• 21 g fat
• 20 g protein
• 4.5 g fiber
• 64 g carbohydrates

Shrimp Tempura Rolls

Placing deep fried food that is heavy in starch into a roll of sushi defeats all health purposes. Though avocado is part of the roll, it is too small of a portion to balance out the saturated fat from the fried tempura.

See the rest of the list

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood 20

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 20 SUB



Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 20

A less exciting episode of FMABH but pretty important to the plot. We learn that the body conjured during human trasmutulation was not their mother. This released all personal guilt in murdering their mother a second time. This also gave Ed more confidence about giving Alphonse his original body.

The most interesting scene to me was the premonition given by Hohenheim (Ed's father). He warns Pinacko that disaster will strike the small town and to vacate. Refusing to abandon the home of Ed, Al, and Winry, Pinacko decides to stay put. What Authority does Hohenheim have to say such things? He is such a mysterious character, I woudln't be surprised if he is the creepy mysterious father of the Homunculi (which has always been my initial hunch).

I guess every series needs their calm episodes to make climaxes that much more exciting

Rating: 3/5

The Meloncholy of Furukawa Nagisa - Prologue

While watching some videos regarding Suzumiya Haruhi's Endless Eight, a striking parallel tickled my brain. As a laid back male protagonist (who holds the story's point of view) is surrounded by a group of loli-like high school girls with varying personalities, I can't help but think of another highly successful series called Clannad.

To perform a thorough and accurate comparison, I've decided to re-watch both series. As you may know, both have 2 seasons. To make matters worse, the order in which you watch Season 1 of Suzumiya Haruhi is crucial to how you interpret the story.

Process in depth:

• Watch Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu in broadcast order and chronological order at the same time
• Watch the new season of Suzumiya Haruhi (and the annoying endless eight) and compare it with the old season
• Watch Clannad
• Watch Clannad After Story
• Publish process notes in a logical fashion
  

Now at the surface both series seem different enough. However, as I started watching Season 1 of SHNY, I was able to spot some not so obvious parallels between itself and Clannad.

Suzumiya Haruhi No Yuutsu Intro Notes

• Was named the most popular series of 2006 by Newtype magazine
• Won the Animation Kobe Award for TV Feature in 2006
• Originates from Light Novels
• Manga has 4 adaptations while the anime has 2 seasons

Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu group picture

Clannad Intro Notes

• Ranked 1st in Bishojo Games in the October 2007 issue of Dengeki G's Magazine
• Originates from a Visual Novel (interactive graphic fiction)
• Has four manga adaptations and 2 anime seasons

Clannad group picture

Now that we have gotten our feet wet with a brief overview of both series' popularity and accomplishments, we'll look at each series in depth.

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood 19

Well I was completely unaware that the 19th episode was translated at the same time. So I didn't end up watching it until Monday night. Since I didn't have the agony of waiting to affect my bias, I'm not sure if the effect was the same had I needed to wait. Overall still a good episode.

My favourite sequence

Summary

As Elizabeth tries to escape the clutches of Gluttony, everyone's favourite Colonel comes to lend a hand. The concepts of Homunculi are introduced to this group and we even get a glimpse of Lust's philosopher's stone

The location of the curls of her hair, her facial structure, the cropping, way too many things to point out on this great shot

Many times in the episode, the lives of several people were being tossed in my head as being alive or dead. Just as I became resolved in their death, they turn up to be alive.

Death status

• Lust: Dead
• Elizabeth: Alive
• Roy Mustang: ??
• Jean Havoc: ??
• Alphonse: Alive
• Barry: Dead

With the state of Roy and Jean up in the air, we are assured that Homunculi can be killed. On the other hand, we discover that Alphonse has a limited amount of time before his armour stops responding to him. The Episode ends with Ed facing his father

I wasn't expecting this

Final Thoughts

I suppose I am leaving with a few feelings. Besides the well being of Mustang and Havoc, I also want to know why the Fuhrer did not interfere with the killing of Lust.

Until next week FMA BH!

Rating: 4/5

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood 18

After 2 weeks of mind numbing anticipation, the English sub release of FMA BH 18 finally hit the online scene on Sunday afternoon. Having not seen the original series, I was eager as hell to see the outcome.

{My favourite scene)

Feelings prior to watching:

FMA BH 17 ended with the feelings of betrayal and surprise from Colonel Mustang. This series has been nothing less than tragically depressing since episode 1 - with people betraying your trust left, right, and center. Part of your conscious is searching for the goodness of mankind, which is my personal reason for coming back for more.

Colonel Roy Mustang prior to doing the deed that made me hate him for 2 weeks

Summary

Don't read if you don't want spoilers!! At this point in the series, my hope in mankind pretty much deteriorated so it was an uplifting surprise to find out Colonel Mustang had an ethical backbone. Edward regains his moral resolve and things progress smoothly until those annoying homunculi rain on the parade.

Some epic screen captures

Final Thoughts

It was seriously a good episode. The creators really know when to place high and low points. There seems to be no limit on how cruel or mean a character or situation can be.

Rating: 4.5/5