Been running out of good mangas to read so I got myself started on "Angel Sanctuary". I figured that after such a long break from Kaori Yuki, I should be able to take the perverse and bloody stories that will be thrown my way. Well, I lasted about 3 volumes of "Angel Sanctuary" before I skipped to the last volume and read the ending... not because I couldn't take the content (immunity does build up after all) or that I couldn't wait to find out the ending but because I couldn't be bothered to read about the trials and tribulations of Setsuna and Sara. 真正喜欢的角色只有罗杰爱尔和吉良/路西华……或者哪天我会为了他们重拾《天使禁猎区》吧！
My unsuccessful attempt at "Angel Sanctuary" ended up making me want to read "Count Cain" again so that's just what I did!

读到最后一卷的时候，我还是热泪盈眶，因为实在太心疼该隐和医生了。虽然最后是以悲剧落幕，但我认为对两人而言，没有比这个更好的结局了。

有时在网上会看到“该隐最爱的是谁？”“该隐爱利夫吗？”这类的问题，不过就如灵媒先生（忘了名字！）所说，他们之间已经是超越主仆之情，更是超越所谓的爱了。该隐对利夫的感情，是不能与他对表姐或梦妮安娜的感情相提并论的，因为我认为该隐并没有从‘爱’的角度来看待利夫。美丽的女子们爱他、叔叔爱他、妹妹爱他、甚至欧斯卡爱他，而利夫呢，就是利夫。在该隐年幼时，是利夫寻找与救赎了他，而之后，利夫继续守护着、扶持着、了解着他。女人的誓言是要和他共度一生，利夫的誓言却是“我会陪你下地狱”。看出档次的分别了吗？玛丽微纱形容得太贴切了，利夫是包围着该隐的空气。你会爱巧克力蛋糕，你会爱美丽的衣裳，你会热烈地爱着各种各样的事物，不过应该没有人会想说‘我爱空气’。看不见摸不着，一个理所当然的存在，可是一旦失去了，他的心会死。所以利夫于该隐，是一个‘必需’的存在，无关爱与不爱。

哦，下班去了。

~待续~

I re-worked a Chinese fanfic in English and finally, this blog is seeing some fanfic again! The content of this fanfic is largely based on the original Chinese one so I claim no credit for the ideas.

原文出处：《夜之笙》 by 玄缟

( Cause it's you and me )

I've been indulging in KenTen fics for the past week and my love for this pair is just growing and g-r-o-w-i-n-g.





( 无与伦比的美丽 )

I love them more than I love Gojyo and Hakkai. Perhaps it's how they are comfortable in their own skins if not with their environment, perhaps it's how Kenren barrels into Tenpou's world and lets him know I have your back and you have mine, perhaps it's the quiet times they share smoking in Tenpou's study, perhaps ... ...

Perhaps it's really the uniform. XD I only find Hakkai hot when he's in youkai form, but damn, Tenpou looks fine when he's all dressed up in leather.

They make me want to write again... I'll see how this pans out.

<3

Yes, I'm back in the Bleach fandom again! Being impatient as I am, I can never last the whole stretch for long running animes so I end up going back and forth as they progress. With Bleach, even though I try to pick up where I left off the last time, I always end up back at the Soul Society arc. The later episodes (fillers aside) seem to lack the spark that initially attracted me to Bleach... certainly there are still episodes that give insight into the characters' past/subsequent growth and I enjoy those but overall, too many fights and too little actual progress in the plot for my liking.

That said, going back to the beginning with the benefit of hindsight lets me appreciate the characters more. After the "Turn back the pendulum" episodes, my love for Urahara and Shinji just upped by a bajillion levels. XD As a IchiRuki fan, my faith in them was slightly swayed by the raging debate going between the IchiRuki and IchiHime camps. But as I walk with them through the SS arc again, the strength and depth of their relationship becomes so apparent that I wonder what I was worried about.


一露这一路
a wonderful post that tracks IchiRuki's journey through the manga ... don't you deny the love!

The host of characters in Bleach slash themselves left right centre and I have fun with the various pairings but today, I'd like to give special mention to Aizen x Gin.

I believe I've ever mention my fondness for goodlooking evil people coming together to take over the world ... and what better representatives than this two??

蓝染 X 银 --- some doujins for your viewing pleasure!

I wonder why it took me so long to get to this movie, but at least I finally did! It deals with homosexuality but it would be unfair to label it as just another BL movie. As oppose to "Formula 17" which was lots of campy fun topped off with a fairytale ending, "Eternal Summer" is a heartbreakingly beautiful movie about youth and loss.

( 全世界都停了电 )

Gomen, I've been lazy about updates... I haven't slackened on the drama watching though. XD
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First up, let's give BBK a wrap. The happy ending was predictable, only surprise being how Pimpa went berserk and killed Chakrit, her own son. I re-watched BBK as the English subs came but I found myself not liking the plot/Jorm's character as much after I understand the dialogue! I stopped watching the English subs around epi8 because it was getting harder and harder to root for Jorm when I really want Noung to just tell everyone to f-off and leave her alone. I might get back to BBK eventually just to get some 'closure', perhaps when the English subs are all out so I can fastforward through it!

The two lakorns that I'm looking forward to are "Namtan Mai" by Aum + Aff and "Soon Sanae Ha" by Ken + Ann. So the 'original pairings' are back together and I believe the chemistry between them will be great! I'm actually not too keen on Namtan Mai's plot, it's so melodramatic, complete with scheming third parties and misunderstandings that make you wanna bang your head on the wall, all for the sake of keeping the star-crossed lovers apart for 12 episodes. Nevertheless, I'm hoping the plot will be updated (it's a remake of a drama from the 80's?90's??) and that the ATeam will keep me riveted with their performance. Anyhow, it's still some time before the lakorns air (SSH just started filming!) so guess I'll take a break from Thai dramas for now.
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I've also finished "Love Shuffle", a Japanese drama that I enjoyed tremendously. Apparently it didn't do too well in ratings but no matter, it's been a while since a J-drama was able to captivate me like that.
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Another drama that hasn't done well in the ratings department (truth be told, the ratings are downright dismal in Taiwan) but that has managed to capture my attention is ToGetHer 《爱就宅一起》. 收视的肯定对剧组和演员们来说无疑是很重要的，我想现在的情形或多或少都会影响他们的心情。不过我想说的是，《爱宅》还是给很多很多人带来了感动，包括我在内。所以，大家的努力并没有白费! =)

"Borisud Bumbut Kaen" will be coming to an end next Wednesday but I still have a long wait ahead because the subs are only at epi5. T___T While I do manage to get the gist of things, I need to actually understand the dialogue in order to fully grasp the plot.

I'm a bit iffy about how things have progressed since, with Jorm going completely mental and doing the whole kidnap/toture routine with Nong. This kidnapping business is starting to get a bit old ... I think this is the 3rd lakorn I've seen with such plot development and I've only watched what, a grand total of 6 lakorns so far???

Some people have commented that the plot is too weird and/or draggy ... well, the weird bit may be true since I haven't seen other dramas with so many people literally going crazy but I actually rather like this change. XD At least there's a logical explanation for the craziness. Taywun was too traumatised from losing his wife and son and then finding out that his wife had indeed cheated on him, so he created his alter-ego Jorm, a confident suave businessman that was so unlike his former self to escape the pain. He subconciously chose to forget Narlee's infidelity and instead blamed Nong for indirectly causing the car accident that took his family's lives. It was simply easier to make it Nong's fault and plotting revenge gave Taywun/Jorm a focus in life. But of course, as he slowly got to know Nong and realise that she was not what he made her out to be, his mind was further confused and the conflict between his two personalities intensified.

As for Nong, her mental state was affected by her troubled childhood and witnessing her mother's suicide. When she slowly recovered, her craziness was subsequently 'manufactured' by her nasty fiance Chakrit and even nastier mother-in-law through medication. Nong believed that Chakrit was the only one who would accept and love a 'crazy' person like her, so she became an easy target for Chakrit.

I've already raved about Ann and Aum's performance but I have to do it again. With each passing episode, it becomes increasingly clear why Ann is still the nang'ek after so long. She is that good. Aum did a good job but there's room for improvement, especially in those scenes where he suffers a mental breakdown. But... he's still hot. =P

well, I'm back much faster than I thought! Just to get things rolling again on this blog, I've decided to document my latest craze, that is, Thai dramas! I never thought I'd be watching Thai dramas but I stumbled onto them entirely by accident while on leave last November and so far, I've enjoyed most of the dramas I watched. Perhaps I'll do more 'introductory' posts in the future but let me plunge straight into the lakorn that I'm currently on.


"Borisud Bumbat Kaen" starring the lovely Ann and ever so HOT Aum. XD

I experienced a lakorn drought after the enjoyable "Oum Rak" also starring Ann, and was very much looking forward to BBK because of the interesting premise. Revenge themed dramas seems rather common in Thailand (at least that's the feeling I get) but having two mentally unstable lead charaters? Now, that's interesting.

Sadly the english subs for BBK hasn't quite kept up with it's pace of screening. I couldn't resist and went on to watch epi 4 to 9 without subs and though it takes a lot of guess work (seeing that I don't, you know, understand Thai or anything. XD), I can still follow the story. The wonderful performances of Ann and Aum also helps to convey the strong emotions of the characters and no subs are needed to feel their desperation and struggles.

Some detractors of Ann say that she looks too old/odd etc and I have to admit that at certain angles, she does look older especially when compared to the multitude of younger actresses out there.

This is the very first picture I saw of Ann

I was like... HUH? Why did they get an auntie to act with my Aum?? >:O

But after I saw her in "Sawan Biang" and "Oum Rak", I realise the problem was with her hair.

Here's Ann looking might pretty in BBK. =) Ann's look may not be everyone's cup of tea but her solid acting chops has made me a fan.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the pairing of Aum and Ann because the Ken+Ann and Aum+Aff team up were quite established after their classic lakorns together. This time the partners were switched with Ken and Aff getting together first for "Jai Rao" (which I didn't watch 'cos I found the story too dramatic and weepy for my liking) and now Aum with Ann for BBK. Thankfully, the chemistry between them have been sizzling and I find them the perfect choice for such intense characters. This comment I found on youtube sums up my feelings of the new teams.

it's like Ken & Aff are the child sweetheart couple all young, naive and cute..through all these years you still have all of me kind of love and Ann & Aum are passionate, mature..gosh where have you been my whole life kind of love

Haa, I realised I've been rambling on but haven't actually commented on the drama proper. Promise next post will be strictly on the story... and it'll come soon! 'cos it's time for dinner...........

Gosh, has it really been almost a year since I last posted something here?? I even forgot my password -_-|||

Although each past fandom continues to hold a special place in my heart, I don't devote my time and emotions into them any more. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find anything/anyone special enough for me to fangirl over for an extended period of time. Sure, there are still good dramas/movies/manga/music out there but once I'm done with it, I move on to the next thing that can entertain me. Are there less quality stuff out there that's able to really touch me? Or am I just getting too jaded?

When I heard this song again after reading Godchild, I felt that it was perfect as a representation of Riff's devotion towards Cain.
--- ---
Everything I have by Clay Aiken

I feel like I never measure up to who you see
Sometimes I think I can't give you all the love you need
You keep changing everyday
Amazing me in everyway.

* If I could be the perfect man in your eyes
I would give all I'm worth to be a part of your life
I could promise the world but it's out of my hands
I can only give you everything I have

I never dreamed I could ever feel the way I do
I hope and pray I will always be enough for you
I can only do my best
I have to trust you with the rest
*

I promise I will hold you through the changes and fears
when life seems unclear
and when I can't be right there with you
I know there're angels by your side
*
--- ---

An assortment of Godchild-related links.

Sognando A non-English fansite of Kaori Yuki with plenty of resources. The link provided is directed to their Godchild gallery.

A comprehensive Godchild gallery

以爱之名 因爱之名——《毒伯爵该隐》牵出的话

［同人文］玛丽薇莎的记忆碎片

Trinity Blood has a very promising premise but it was ruined by the lousy pacing and arrangement of the plot. It plodded along for the first half of the series, then suddenly stepped on the accelerator in the middle and just when you thought it was getting good, it screeches to a halt. I was tempted to throw a cushion at my TV when the credits started rolling for epi 24 because it was such a lame ending!

It wasn't just the general pacing of the plot that was bad, the way the scenes shifted was also very choppy. There's a lack of flow in the story-telling and many times I found myself going "huh?? that was that?". The use of barely-there flashbacks to tell Abel's history was confusing to say the least and they didn't explain anything.

There were plenty of interesting side characters but they don't get enough screen time for any proper character development to take place, which is really a pity. But then again, looking at the sort of character development the main characters got, I guess I shouldn't have had any expectations for the AX sidekicks. And don't even get me started on how the wonderfully wicked villians went to waste. They took the trouble to set up the scene for Cain's appearance and all he did was walk around blowing things and people apart before engaging in a 'final battle' with Abel that lasted all of 3 minutes. Then at the end of it all, there was no conclusion to their battle.

Despite all it's shortcomings, I rather enjoyed the 2nd half of the anime after Ion was introduced. Ion was actually a relatively well developed character and I could see him growing and learning as the anime progressed.

I believe Trinity Blood could have been salvaged if it was extended beyond 24 episodes and more time given to flesh out the various characters. I'm getting started on the Trinity Blood manga and hopefully I won't be disappointed this time round. I read that Esther's character in the manga/novel is a quite different from her potrayal in the anime? Maybe I'd like her more this time round!

I guess I should stop doing previews for my posts because I always end up getting distracted by something else and those posts seldom materialise. I was working hard on quotes from Godchild and I am still intending to do another post on that manga but uhm, it might take some more time.

My distraction this time round is in the form of the anime Trinity Blood. I was looking forward to watching it because of the beautiful scans that I've seen of the anime. Hmmm, it was as visually stunning as I expected and there were no lack of bishounens running around (bless my fangirl heart). But having said that, I was disappointed by the plot and the pacing of the story. It just wasn't good story-telling. If I hadn't gone to spoil myself for the plot and characters, I would have some trouble with following the relationship between different characters and organizations (e.g. what exactly are Methuselahs/Crusniks, how they came about). I'm already halfway through the anime but I've yet to feel any emotional attachment to the characters beyond the usual "omg he's SO KAKKOII!!" fangirl spazzes that I'm prone to.

Abel Nightroad - I was suitably impressed by his power in Crusnik form but he doesn't make me tick. It almost annoys me when he goes around telling everyone that he's "on their side" or "their friend"... I guess I still prefer a little exclusitivity when it comes to the heroe's affections. I understand that Abel is trying to make up for his past sins but at times I find him over-compensating. Am I being too 厳しい on Abel-kun?

Esther Blanchett - Ok, she flat out annoys me. A silly woman that I have no patience for.

Caterina Sforza - She's the type of strong-willed female characters that I fancy.

Hugue de Watteau - The only character that has me going doki doki. XD I'll be completely honest ... I like him because he 1)is beautiful 2)kicks ass 3)broods 4)cooks 5)looks like he has an angsty backstory (like hello, he has scars all over his torso). Unfortunately, he doesn't get much airtime. I was filled with hope when he got his own episode (epi 6 Sword Dancer) because I thought that made him a major enough character and there'll be another episode where it delved into his backstory. But if what I read so far is correct, he only has cameo appearances for the rest of the anime.

Isaak Fernand von Kämpfer + Dietrich von Lohengrin - They are so deliciously evil and they certainly spice up the show with their appearances. I just have a thing about evil people coming together to destroy the world (thinks Sark and Lauren). Emotions like love, trust, reliance, loyalty ... I'm sure it means nothing to them. Yet, I keep believing that no one can live without these in their lives completely and so, when it comes to such 'evil to the core' characters, I think that somewhere beneath the darkness in their souls that they may actually crave such emotions. And who better to provide solace than a fellow 'evil'? Haa, I wonder if all that made sense... anyhow, the possibilities are endless between those 2.

Let me end off with some links. While the anime didn't turn out to be that great, at least the art was good. So do check out the galleries if you like pretty characters!

Trinity Blood artbook scans

Contra Mundi a non-English site but it's easy to navigate. Plenty of screen shots/scans/illustrations to be found in the multimedia section.

animepaper Plenty of scans from various sources but I can only look at the thumbnails and drool. You have to 'buy' the scans by using 'papers' on the site but you gotta earn the 'papers' through submitting scans/wallpapers.

It has barely been a week since I was done with "Petshop of Horrors" and I've already moved on to another Count, this time it's Count Cain from 《伯爵カインシリーズ》.

“利夫，如果你背叛我，我就去死。”

利夫跪在该隐面前帮他绑鞋带，该隐冷冷地道出这句话。

他们之间的关系，实在令人期待。虽然我已经知道会以悲剧收场，不过过程才是重点不是吗？哈哈，怎么办，我是漫画越看越BT了！

5. Kyouya x Tamaki (Ouran High School Host Club)
Mama & Papa. What's more to say? ♥

4. Ichigo x Rukia (Bleach)
I think they deserve a spot in the top 5 by virtue of being the only het pairing.

3. Doumeki x Watanuki (xxxHOLic)

2. Kenren x Tenpou / Gojyo x Hakkai (Saiyuki)
Hmmm, they are technically the same people so no problems with sharing the same spot? heeh, but I favour the KT pairing slightly more than 58 because they look so damn good in uniform.

1. Leon x D
I put Leon and D on the top spot because they define "Petshop of Horrors". I love how their relationship developed and even though the ending was vague, I believe with all my heart that Leon found D eventually (one of the reasons why I couldn't get through "Shin Petshop of Horrors").
Also, D is simply too charming a character to not make him no. 1!

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The PC has been acting up for the past week and I can't figure out what is wrong. I might post some pictures up when the PC becomes less wonky!

I'm really trying to like SD because I loved Koori so much but 12 volumes on, SD is still not engaging enough for me. The drawing style has improved visibly from Koori's time and I do appreciate the beautiful artwork but story-wise, it doesn't make me look forward to the next chapter.

It's too wordy for me ... sometimes the speech bubbles take up more than half the page! The story has been going round in circles and I need something more. I need to start feeling something, anything! for the characters.

"Fortunately" in volumes 11 and 12, the blond pervert and his ayame prince was around to spice things up a bit.

( Who is the fool?! )

预告：
BLEACH and Saiyuki's 100Q
一百问还真不是普通的长。Will probably be posting them in over the next few days! I was almost done with BLEACH's 100Q but I got distracted by SD.

因此我想到了，我希望拥有一个不用我去保护的东西。

话虽如此，在千钧一发的那一刻，三藏还是选择用自己的身体来保护悟空。因为如果是重要的东西，又怎能不想去守护呢？

以前对三藏和悟空没什么感觉，不过现在看起漫画来，倒是蛮喜欢这臭脾气的和尚和孩子气的齐天大圣。

下次再来谈对人物的感想吧，现在要继续看漫画！XD

*Spoilers for the movie "Formula 17" aka 《十七岁的天空》*

Another BL movie but this one was so much better than the disappointment that was "Boys Love". The plot and characters of "Formula 17" isn't that much more complex than "Boys Love" but the brilliant execution of "Formula 17" made it fun to watch.

The movie doesn't take itself too seriously and the various methods deployed to narrate the story is hilarious. Some things are exaggerated for comic effect but they are still within the limits of logic (I still can't over the ending of "Boys Love"). I love how Bai Tie Nan and his friend are Hong Kongers and lapse into Cantonese when they speak into each other ... heeh, I just have a thing for Cantonese. The ending is a happy and predictable one but it's so cute and sweet that I can't help smiling.

It's not indicated if Bai Tie Nan's friend is gay but he sure looks good! ^^ Tian Cai is supposed to be the innocent country bumpkin but sometimes he just appears dim-witted (actor's fault?) ... I really wouldn't mind if Bai got together with his best friend instead! lol... but Tian Cai is the lead character so of course he got his man in the end!

There are quite a few laugh-out-loud moments in the movie but my favourite has got to be the one where Tian Cai's buddies (or rather, "good sisters") went to confront Bai and his friend (never caught his name! or was it even mentioned?).