The Gathering Menagerie

Egg Pet Plants

2009-05-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

(Nyokki-Egg Pet Plant)

I came across this in a magazine after trying to do the same thing at home with a real egg. After seeing this, I decided to buy some of these too try the whole egg thing at home too.

They come in a variety of shapes as well such as a frog and a monkey. They even have some holiday versions shaped like a pumpkin and a snowman. They run about $10 dollars a piece but they are reusable unlike a fragile egg shell.

You can find more information them and the other types of holders Eggling. You can also purchase them at brooklyn5and10 or 2shopper.com.

Also if you are interested in making egg shell planters yourself, Kaboose has a nice little how-to page.

Numi Flowering Tea

2009-05-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

(Numi Flowering Tea)

I like tea. I say I drink a fair amount of tea during the week. I usually use tea bags simply for convience sake, and loose tea when I have more time. Then I found this. Numi Flowering Tea is exactly what it says. You can literally watch your tea bloom in your tea pot. Think I'm gonna go order some now!!

Netbooks! And Why I Won't Get One

2009-05-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

Recently, the big craze coming at us is the new Netbooks. For those who don't know what a Netbook is here is what Wikipedia says about them:

"A netbook is a small portable laptop computer designed for wireless communication and access to the Internet.

Primarily designed for web browsing and e-mailing, netbooks rely heavily on the Internet for remote access to web-based applications" and are targeted increasingly at cloud computing users who require a less powerful client computer. Netbooks typically run either Windows XP or Linux operating systems rather than more resource-intensive operating systems like Windows Vista. The devices range in size from below 5 inches to over 13, typically weigh 2 to 3 pounds (~1 kg) and are often significantly cheaper than general purpose laptops ($400), with some even in the $50–100 range under some circumstances."

All this sounds great. And hey, who wouldn't want to be connected wherever they go? Well, me for one. Why? Simple. I already have cell phone that keeps me connected to everyone everywhere ALL the time. "A cell phone isn't as good as the actual Internet on a actual!" you say. And this is true. Cellphones have small keyboards and all the other obvious negatives that laptops don't have. However both the cellphone and portable laptops have some draw backs that you don't hear about.

What could those possibly be you ask? Society. Stay with me on this one. It's going some place.

What I mean by society is this, we don't seem to have one. Sure it seems as though everyone knows everyone and we can get in touch with people everywhere at anytime. But do we really want too? Truly, do you really want to meet that friend from FaceBook in person? And does playing hours of online gaming with people from around the wold constitute mental or physical exercise?

Don't get me wrong, I have friends I only know from gaming and online. But unfortunately you can't really call those people 'friends'. Ask yourself how many 'real life friends' do you have? Meaning people you can call if you need help moving or someone to pick you up after a long night out you'll regret later. And your answer is?

"So where is this all headed" you ask. "I thought this was about NetBooks for Pete's sake!" Here it is, all this new technology is truly great. It means for those who need to keep in touch for business sake have a great new tool for business. What about the rest of us? Do we really need to check our e-mail in the car before we pick up milk? Do you really need to be online if you are waiting in line at the post office?

Most of you will be reading this at home in a room setup just for computer time. And when computer time is done, you have family time. May that be eating together, playing together, arguing together or even just watching tv together. Would any of that be as fun if you isolated yourself with being connected?

So before you get too connected, try connecting with the world around you first. You may find you can get up to date information from...your friend.

Professor Layton, Indeed!

2009-05-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

Alright, I admit I'm late to the party on this one. I've had this game for a while now and haven't really put too much time into until recently. And I have to tell you I wish I never did.

Now I'm not unintelligent. I think I have a few brain cells roaming around up there that can find there way around. But when ever I play this game I swear those few rogue smart cells I have seem to head for the hills. Even the simpliest puzzles have me breaking out in a cold sweat. I almost for got how to open a door.

Needless to say I am slightly addicted. However I refuse to cheat! Even though there are times I have to break out a pen and paper and figure out the answers, I do it on my own darnit! Sure I feel like a joke when like 5 year old taunt me and tell me they learned basic math in like the womb, but I still try!

So for those of you out there that like puzzle type games and haven't come across this one yet, I highly recommend it.

My New Love: BENTO!

2009-04-30T15:15:00.001-07:00

(image from annathered)

Yes! Bento rules! For those of you who don't know what bento is here's what Wikipedia says it is:"Bentō (弁当 or べんとう ) is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish."

Okay, so nothing I make looks this cool, but I'm trying. I found out about bento from where else? Manga and asian dramas...just like everyone else I know. Though trying to make bento is fun, it is very time consuming. And seeing as I live in the US, going traditional is a little hard.

What I do istead is what most of the bento/food websites suggest. I try to pack my stuff at night from leftovers. It usually works out pretty good and there's no wasting food. Again, my food never looks as good as the picture above, I'm usually happy with what I do. And seeing as I eat low carb, packing all that rice just doesn't cut it. Maybe as time goes on and I get better at packing this stuff, I try a small side blog for those who want to bento, but are low carb.

Until then here is a list of some great inspirational bento sites!

Anna the Red
Lunch in a Box
Adventures in Bentomaking

Where have I been?!

2009-04-30T14:31:00.001-07:00

Okay, okay. I started this blog in the hopes of being cool and being able to post everyday. So after life got a hold of me, plus the fact that I lost my password....well let's just say I'm a few years behind.

But no more!

Do I promise to post EVERYDAY? Um, no. I will try however to post as often as I can. Now with the cool mobile feature I may be able to do this more.

So hello AGAIN to all those who missed me!

Asian TV Dramas

2006-04-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

Discover some of Asia's best guilty pleasures. Just as manga is gaining huge popularity in America, the next wave of Asian imported obsession is about to hit: TV Dramas.

Asian TV Dramas could be compared to American soap operas. Unlike American soap operas, Korean TV dramas last any where from 1 to 50 episodes. These dramas have become popular throughout Asia, and are part of the "Korean Wave". South Korean dramas seem to be most popular Korean, though North Korean dramas have become popular in Japan.

Some internationally popular Korean dramas are My Lovely Sam-Soon, Winter Sonata, Full House and Stairway to Heaven. The majority of the plot lines in these these shows usually involve conflicts dealing with relationships, money, and most often, with in-laws (usually between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law). Issues that are universal no matter what culture you are from.

Touching, comical and at times heart breaking, Korean and Asian TV Dramas are a great treat to anyone wanting to break out of the mold of American TV offerings .

Kamakaze Girls and NANA

2006-01-24T13:25:00.000-08:00

The latest manga to movie adaptions are real treats!

Kamakaze Girls and Nana are both highly popular mangas in Japan. Recently these two mangas are being released in their translated form to the US. Both manga titles are being released through VIZ, Entertainment.

Kamakaze Girls
(summary taken from Viz.com)

"Momoko is a Lolita stranded in the boondocks of rural Ibaraki prefecture, although she'd much rather be living in the Palace of Versailles. Ichigo is an impulsive member of a girls-only biker gang who firmly believes in honor, loyalty, and fist fighting. Together this unlikeliest of duos strikes out on a journey to find a legendary embroiderer who might just be able to make their dreams come true. Inspired by the cult-classic novel by the same name, this exclusive manga edition of Novala Takemoto's Kamikaze Girls contains several brand new stories, including a continuation of Momoko and Ichigo's misadventures that was approved by the author himself!"

NANA
(summary taken from Viz.com)

"Nana Komatsu is a young woman who's endured an unending string of boyfriend problems. Moving to Tokyo, she's hoping to take control of her life and put all those messy misadventures behind her. She's looking for love and she's hoping to find it in the big city. Nana Osaki, on the other hand, is cool, confident and focused. She swaggers into town and proceeds to kick down the doors to Tokyo's underground punk scene. She's got a dream and won't give up until she becomes Japan's No. 1 rock'n'roll superstar. This is the story of two 20 year-old women who share the same name. Even though they come from completely different backgrounds, they somehow meet and become best friends. The world of Nana is a world exploding with sex, music, fashion, gossip and all-night parties."

Both of these big screen adaptions can be purchsed via YesAsia.com. Through Nana has yet to be widely released in the US, Kamakaze Girls is readily availiable online.

The Beginners Guide to Scanlation

2005-12-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

(Orginial Japanese version) (Licensed Americn version)

Within the last year in the U.S. an interesting new phenomenon has emerged: wide spread interest in manga. Even more interesting is the availiability of manga at your local book stores, such as Barnes and Noble and Borders Books (which is partnered with Amazon.com)

For those new to the genre, manga is the Japanese word for comics. They are considered graphic novels in the U.S. However, if you are reading this you already know what manga is. You have probably read through your local book stores entire english translated department. Now you are ready for more. However, you don't know where to get new titles.

Unfortunatley, all the titles that sit on your book store shelves are really all that are available in the American market. Though that may be the case, there is still a way to get your hands on some unreleased manga.

That's where a scanlation group comes in. A scanlation group basically takes untranslated and unlicenced (in American markets) manga comics and scans, translates and edits the manga. They then post it via various outlets to other manga fans through the internet. Though 'scanlating' still floats in the grey area of copying licensed material, most manga artists and/or their publishing houses give these groups a little pass. No one is really sure why these publishers seem to turn a blind eye to scanlation. Many believe it's because these groups help to promote thier manga and their artists to a market that they would otherwise not be exposed to. There are even some American publishing houses that admit that they take their que from the popularity of what they see among these scanlation groups as to which manga to try to license in America.

Due to the fact that scanlation is still in the somewhat grey area of the law, direct links to specific scanlations groups will not be listed here. However a simple search for scanlation, scanlation groups, scanlators on the internet and some patience will guide you to what you may be looking for.

Asian Kung Fu Generation Releases in America

2005-11-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

(image taken from Tofu Records)

Japan's super popular alternative rock band Asian Kung Fu Generation (Japanese site) is getting more western exposure courtesy of Tofu Records.

The band that formed in 1996 as university students, first starting writing their songs in english and sold them at their live concerts. As the band evolved they began to compose songs in Japanese. The release of their first all Japanese compliations, the band recieved great success among live music houses. It was with the "Houkai Amplifier" their first major release that brought them into the Japanese spotlight.

Tofu Records has announced that announced the American release of Asian Kung Fu Generation's Japanese Sol-fa. So please check it out!

Also check out their 'first' english fan website Aijkan.

Halloween Essentials Kit

2005-10-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

What would modern Halloween be without a few ghost stories? Try some of these websites for a few good frights:

Looking to find just the right costume this year? Try these websites on for size:

Happy haunting!

Ancient and Modern Halloween

2005-10-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of Samhain? All Hallowtide? The Feast of All Soula? The Celts who lived on what is now known as Ireland, Scotland and parts of Great Britain sure did.

According to Celticspirit.org:

"Samhain marks one of the two great doorways of the Celtic year, for the Celts divided the year into two seasons: the light and the dark, at Beltane on May 1st and Samhain on November 1st. Some believe that Samhain was the more important festival, marking the beginning of a whole new cycle, just as the Celtic day began at night. For it was understood that in dark silence comes whisperings of new beginnings, the stirring of the seed below the ground. Whereas Beltane welcomes in the summer with joyous celebrations at dawn, the most magically potent time of this festival is November Eve, the night of October 31st, known today of course, as Halloween."

In short, Samhain was the Celtic New Year.

Celts also believed that the dead passed on to a land of eternal youth and happiness known as Tir nan Og or dwelled with the 'Fairy Folk'. The Festival of Samhain was a important turning point, when all things met. Day and night, one year turning into the next. It was at this time when the veil between the living and the dead were believed to be the thinnest. Thus the living could communicate with their past loved ones.

The belief of heaven and hell was introduced with the intergration of Christianity to Celtic life. Since the 'Fairy Folk' where seen as niether angels or demons by Christians, it was believed that they were the spirits now doomed to waunder the earth. Most especially on the Festival of Samhain. It was also during this time when people would go about creating mischief that was niether in this year of the next.

These human mischief makers would impersonate fairies and go from farm to farm begging for for treats. Those who did not comply soon found themselves at the end of a practical joke. Thus the practice of 'trick or treating' was born.

The introduction of Halloween to the United States can be traced back to the great Potato Famine of Ireland. When a huge population of Irish brought with them hopes for a new future and all their beliefs both Christain and Celtic.

Today we celebrate Halloween with bright costumes, ghost stories and candy. Though the origins of Halloween are unknown to most, the Celtic tradition has been passed on to generations of Trick or Treaters.

Japan's Street Style Fashion

2005-09-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

(image from JapaneseStreets.com)

When most Americans think fashion, New York and Los Angles come to mind. However, more and more the streets of Tokyo Japan are becoming a fashion power house.

The vast majority of young Japanese seem to be looking for their own identy these days. Nothing says that more than their fashion, from simple modifiing of their school uniforms (loose socks) to full blown cosplay.

The following sites have some really great examples of Japanese street fashion.

Japanese Beauty Products Online

2005-09-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

Looking to update your look? How about trying new makeup? For most American women going outside what they know for beauty products is almost unthinkable. However, most American beauty products tend to 'cover up' more than accentuate.

That's where Japanese beauty products excel. Many of the Japanese cosmetics companies specialize in creating scientifically beneficial products by using almost entirely natural ingredients.

Places like Joseibi.com, Ontokao, BeautyKat.com and Komenuka Bijin are great places to start. These sites list some great high quality products in all price ranges. They also offer not only skin care but hair care and health products. All of these sites feature Japanese or Asian influenced products that can be shipped within the U.S.

Sephora also carries many Eyeko products. Eyeko has been featured in such magazines as Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, InStyle and Shojobeat. Sephora also carries quite a bit of Asian inspired beauty products.

Itching to get your hands on some of these products right away? Many major department stores carry the full line of Shiseido brands cosmetics. Not to mention that they offer free hand and facial massages at all of their counters nationwide. Yay!

Now go out there and open your beauty horizons.

Memoirs of a Geisha Movie Adaptaion

2005-08-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

For the many fans of the book, the movie adaptation of Memoirs of a Geisha is close at hand.

The film will star Ziyi Zhang as Sayuri Nitta, Ken Watanabe as The Chairman, Kôji Yakusho as Nobu, Michelle Yeoh as Mameha, Kaori Momoi as O-kami (landlady), Youki Kudoh as O-Kabo (Pumpkin), Kenneth Tsang as The General and Li Gong as Hatsumomo. It's director by Rob Marshall.

Click HERE to view the official American released trailer.

Shojo Beat Hits America

2005-08-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

Brace yourself! Viz Media, has released it's newest addiction: Shojo Beat. Shojo Beat is the largest serial shojo manga ever released in the US. Featuring six out standing series which include Nana, God Child, Absolute Boyfriend, Crimson Hero, Kaze Hikaru and Baby and Me.

"The following primer is the Editor's Letter from Shojo Beat Issue 1 in its entirety.

Brave New World

Welcome to Shojo Beat, the biggest shojo manga magazine ever published in the United States, proudly presenting six series' worth of manga frontier for you to explore. While we expect that a great many of you have been reading manga (shojo or otherwise) for years, we also have an inkling that a few of you may not know what manga is (shocking!) or why you should care about reading it. Well, we're here to show you, because while we're not sure what you've been doing all these years, we're positive that 90 percent of it wasn't as fun as reading manga. The time has come for you to delve into the drama—to laugh, cry, love, and get inspired via this beautiful and unique art form, and to take a step into the brave new world of manga.

Here's a bare-bones introduction to shojo manga for the uninitiated—and for those of you who may need a refresher.

Manga (mahn-ga) means "random pictures" or "whimsical pictures" in Japanese. Manga combine pictures and words to convey a story—in short, they're comics. But unlike American comics, Japanese comics are often first serialized in telephone book-size magazines and then later compiled into complete graphic novels. They are also usually printed in monochrome tones rather than in color.

Shojo (show-joe) means "girl" in Japanese. Shojo manga are often characterized by a moody, abstract art style, with close-ups of characters' faces intermingling with dreamy backdrops. In contrast to action-oriented shonen (boys') manga, shojo manga ruminate on themes of emotion, love, identity, and responsibility that often play out internally. That said, shojo manga are by no means just for girls. Shojo stories are about aspects of life that concern everyone—boys and girls, old and young. Note: The word shojo normally appears with a circumflex or macron over the first o, as in shôjo; we removed it for the sake of simplicity and readability in the magazine.

Tankobon are books compiled from installments of a single manga story. These books are pocket-size and paperback, and like this magazine, they read from right to left. In the United States, tankobon are usually referred to as graphic novels. You can find them in the graphic novel, manga, or science fiction section of major bookstores.

Famous poet William Wordsworth advised, "Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart." We've filled this first issue of Shojo Beat with manga from the heart—all stories making their way to the United States from Japan for the very first time. We hope you enjoy it, along with all the fashion, shopping, culture, history, horoscopes, and interviews we gathered together to make reading Shojo Beat a great experience for you.
—Jenifer Morgan" taken from Shojobeat.com

Support manga!

The Muppet Show - Season One

2005-08-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

What can you say about a show that's based around a bunch of felt material?

"It's time to raise the curtain on THE MUPPET SHOW! Join Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, the Swedish Chef and more, in the complete first season of this groundbreaking twist on the classic Variety Show. Included are all 24 episodes, completely restored and remastered, plus two never-before-seen episodes, bonus features, and something you were never meant to see: Jim Henson's original "pitch reel" that propelled the Muppets' blend of original songs, sketch comedy and guest stars into a primetime hit for all ages! Come discover for yourself the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational pleasures of THE MUPPET SHOW: SEASON ONE!" Taken from Amazon.com

If you have never seen the Muppet Show, do not miss this oppurtunity to get on some of America's greatest pop culture icons. With humor and satire aimed at both children and adults, this was a show that truly did bring the family togteher.

San Diego Comic Con 2005

2005-08-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

As with every year the San Diego Comic Con International (CCI) just seems to get bigger and better. The Comic Con is the largest comics and pop culture convention in North America. This event is held once a year for four days (this year held July 14-17) not including the pre-registered Preview Night. The official four days of the Comic Con are hetic with every single room and floor of the San Diego Convention Center's packed with vendors, exhibitors, guests and of course fans.

The first unoffical day ofthe Comic Con called the Preview Night. This is a time set aside for all of the prerigistered attendees to get a sneak pick at all the goodies that will be there throughout the four day event. It's also the time that many attendees anticipate with glee because of the sheer volume of free and exclusive to the Comic Con merchandise given away by the exhibitors. Things such as posters, t-shirts, action figures and even movie passes to see advanced screening of unreleased movies.

Along with the comic books and memorabilia many fans come to Comic Con to see some of thier favortie stars. Many major movie studios send out either/or the cast, crew of their upcoming movie releases. It is also a time when comic book houses send out their artist and writers as well. A few of the special guests that attended this years convention were Charlize Theron (Aeon Flux), Kate Bekinsale(Underworld 2 :Evolution), Bryan Singer (Superman Returns), Kevin Smith, the cast of Serinity and Bruce Campbell(The Wan with the Screaming Brain). Comic book super star artists Jim Lee (DC Comics), Jae Lee (Marvel Comics), Jhonen Vasquez (Invader Zim) and Phil Jimenez (DC Comics).

The artists and merchandise are not the only appeal for this convention. People from all over the world attend this convention. Just a few nations represented by fan attendence, Canada, Australia, America, England and France. All of which were equally wide-eyed and excited by the sheer amount of cosplayers, stars and other fans, and that roamed the convention room floor. Among the stars that could be found wandering the the convention floor were Seth Green and Elizabeth Berkley. Seth was there promoting his joint comic creation The Freshman.

Though the official numbers have yet to be released David Glanzer, the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for CCI stated "actually we only just got the figures," according to an article in CBR News- Comic Book Resources. However, they did expect to have attendece top the 100,000 mark. This year the attendee numbers looked to be about 96,300 attendees and 7,700 exhibitors. Totaling out at 104,000 indiviual people that were present at the Comic Con.

The Comic Con 2006 line up of guests and programming has not yet to be announced. For those of you who are interested in helping out in the next convention are welcome to send in a volunteer form.

Using the PSP for Anime and Manga

2005-07-03T08:33:00.000-07:00

(image taken from 1up.com)

In the July issue of NewType Magazine USA contained an article about using Sony's PSP to download manga and anime.(Quite frankly I feel DUMB for not thinking about it myself.)

The article states that anime UMD's are being released, like Samurai Champloo and Appleseed.It also mentions companys like Seven Seas and Eigo Manga are making chapters of there mangas downloadable for the PSP.

After reading this article I downloaded one of my fav mangas (not availiable in USstores)to my PSP and had a great time reading it over lunch!

Here are some of the sites:

Tim Burton's 'The Corpse Bride'

2005-05-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

Tim Burton fans rejoice. The avant-garde director is at it again with his upcoming release of 'The Corpse Bride'.

"Set in 19th-century European village, Victor (Depp), is on his way to get married when he sees a bony finger in the ground thinking it's a stick, he puts the ring on it as a joke and says the wedding vows, the finger belongs to a corpse, he is worried he has to marry her so he consults the rabbi, and i'm not going to give away the end

Victor (Johnny Depp) is travelling home with his friend to get married to his fiancee Victoria (Emily Watson). The two stop to rest in the woods, and as a joke, Victor puts his wedding ring on a finger-shaped stick in the ground and says his wedding vows. The stick turns out to be a rotted finger belonging to a murdered girl (Helena Bonham-Carter), who returns as a zombie and insists that she is now Victor's lawfully wedded wife." ~Taken from IMDB

The huge cult followers of The Nightmare Before Christmas's stop motion animation won't be let down. The teaser trailer shows the art form to be both smooth and aethetically lovely, with the heaviest touch of Tim Buton's dark charm.

*Release date September 23, 2005

'HOT GIMMICK'...sizzles

2005-05-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

Hatsumi is just your average Japanese high school kid. She lives happily with her family in a 'Company housing complex' (housing owned and run for company employees). Until one day her younger sister asks her to buy a pregnancy test. From that moment on Hatsumi's world gets turned upside down.

While trying to keep all the gossip mongers from finding out about her sister, her childhood crush suddenly returns to live their complex. Then to top it all off, she gets blackmailed by the complex manager's son into becoming he's slave.

From start to finish Hot Gimmick's art is beautful. Mangaka* Miki Aihara blends real world backdrops with her art work. It gives the manga a feel of substance to it. In truth, the art work has to be above standard, since the story is above standard as well. The storyline goes exactly where you see it heading, then totally throws you for a loop eveytime you think you're about to get some satisfaction.

For those of you addicted to Parfait Tic!, Gekka no Kimi, and You're So Cool this manga is the next logical step.

*author/artist

Get the Funk Out

2005-04-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

When Samurai Champloo was released, it was nothing short of a breath of fresh air. With the acclaimed director Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Beebop) and character design by Kazuto Nakazawa (animation sequence from KILL BILL VOL. 1) great things where expected from this anime. And indeed, it has turned out to be one of the hottest DVD releases in the US.

The first pressing release of Samurai Champloo Vol. 1 was accompanied by the original soundtrack. The OST* to Samurai Champloo is outstanding. With a electic mix of hip-hop soundtracks from Force of Nature, fat jon, Nujabes and TSUTCHIE. There's nothing out there like it.

For those who are into anime OST this one is a must. And for those who can't get enough of the soundtrack, there are four other supplemental CD's that were released.

*Original Sound Track

Arm yourself for Full METAL Panic!

2005-04-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

For you newbies out there not fimilar with anime, don't let the name fool you. Full METAL Panic! is one of the most entertaining and addictive animes out there. This anime series is highly recommended for those who aren't too sure what to dive into first.

"In this winning comedy-adventure, writer Shouji Gatou and director Koichi Chigira combine mecha battles, psychic abilities, and teen-age romance, infusing the mixture with a rambunctious comic energy reminiscent of Generator Gawl. High school student Kaname Chidori may be a "Whispered," an individual who possesses vast, untapped mental powers. The KGB and other sinister organizations want to capture individuals with those powers, so the anti-terrorist mercenary corps Mithril dispatches a mismatched trio of officers to protect Kaname: Melissa Mao, Sousuke Sagara, and Kurz Weber. Sousuke tries to blend in at Jindai High, but his military bearing, hair-trigger reflexes, and literal-mindedness get him into trouble with the teachers and Kaname. At a time when many anime series feel like variations on Evangelion and a few other prototypes, Full Metal Panic offers an upbeat, appealing originality. This set contains the entire seven volume series. (Unrated: Suitable for ages 14 and older: violence, brief nudity, alcohol use, risqué humor)" ~taken from Amazon.com

This series touches on almost every major manga/anime genre out there, without focusing to heavily on one or the other. With it's blend of comedy, mech battles, sci fi and a touch of romance, Full METAL Panic! is a can't miss.

Shoujo For Dummies

2005-04-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

Shoujo : 少女【しょうじょ】 (n.) daughter; young lady; virgin; maiden; little girl.

Shoujo anime and manga traditionally tend to focus mainly on relationships of the main characters and the development of those characters. It is a visual and storytelling style. In otherwords, shoujo is aimed at a female audience.

There are many sub-genres to shoujo, but by far the most prevolent is mahou shoujo or "magical girl". Manga-ka Yuu Watase a great example, with such titles as Ceres: Celestial Legend, Alice 19th, and Fushigi Yuugi. These stories involve a normal young high school girl who finds out there's more to her than she thinks.

Another branch of shoujo is called yaoi. This deals with strong homo-sexual themes based on men. An example is the manga Gravitation, which later spawned an anime. Though at first glance, this genre is not one that most would find to be a popluar sub-genre. However, it is now one of the fastest growing genres in manga. Yaoi, which is usually populated by 'bishounen' or 'beautiful boys' also known as 'bishies'. It may be because of this that many women are drawn toward this type of manga.

There is also a side genre known as 'cross-gender'. Almost all of these titles entail a young girl who dresses like a male in order to get close to the man she's interested in. One of the most popular manga of this type is Hana Kimi. It's the story about a young Japanese-American girl who wishes to get close to her idol, a high jump star. The only problem is he lives in Japan and attends and all boys private school. Thus, she transforms herself into a boy in order to attend the school he goes to. Hana Kimi is one of the most beloved mangas out there. With some of the best 'bishie' characters around.

Simply all shoujo manga is basically this: a love story filled with longing, heart ache and bishounen.

The following are some of the most consistent top selling U.S. released manga. Meaning manga that has been translated into english.

Fruits Baskets
Hana Kimi
Fushigi Yûgi
Angel Sancutuary
Chobits
Kare Kano

PSP -or "How Life Was Crap Without It"

2005-03-24T18:38:00.000-08:00

To qoute Elton John ~ahem~ "how wonderful life is now you're in the world."

For those of you who have been living underground, the PSP is Sony's next evolution in hand held gaming. They didn't just try to improve upon what they already had, they decided to reinvent "the wheel".

"PSP sets a new standard as the first truly integrated portable entertainment system designed to provide consumers with a comprehensive entertainment experience including games, music, movies, communication, and wireless networking. Featuring graphics rendering capabilities comparable to the company's leading in-home console, PlayStation®2, PSP brings an unparalleled gaming experience to a portable platform, allowing users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality, full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio. PSP also allows for digital photo display and supports digital music playback in both MP3 and ATRAC formats. "~From PlayStation.com

With a hefty price tag the PSP does not seem to be aimed at the younger market. It does, however, seem to be perfect for young families always on the go. With the 4.3-inch, 16:9 wide screen TFT LCD it's could easily accomodate viewing for two people. This comes in handy, since the PSP can play UMD's(Universal Media Disc) a high optical disc. Meaning that it can play full length movies, such as Spiderman 2 which is included. Not to mention it allows for digital photo display and supports digital music playback in both MP3 and ATRAC formats.

First and foremost it's a gaming system. Games such as Wipeout Pure, Untold Legends, Ape Escape and Tiger Woods Golf are outstanding examples of why PSP is a great gaming experience. Not to mention the full rich audio tracks. (When used with earphones.)

The bottom line? It's not just hype. Go get one.