SLAM DUNK!

I am currently enjoying this anime, to the point where I must create a post for this. =) 

Top to bottom: Rukawa, Miyagi, Mitsui, and Akagi - Right: Hanamichi

Slam Dunk is a story about Sakuragi Hanamichi who decides to join the school Shohoku basketball team after the girl he likes tells him that he is suitable for basketball. Although his initial reason to join is because of her, he later discovers that he likes basketball and IS a basketball player. 

If you are not a fan of basketball, fear not! This anime is hilarious and inspiring. Hanamichi is a really random guy who does the unexpected and generates tonnes of laughter. Sometimes, you just want to shake him real bad but most of the time, you really just want to root for him. Despite his tall and big size, he is quite the direct and blurred case who is persistent in his belief that he is a basketball genius. He finds his rival in Rukawa, a skilled yet aloof basketballer who does not really give a damn about anything. Not to mention, the brother of his dream girl also happens to be the basketball captain Akagi, a tall menacing-looking (initially) guy with the "Gorilla" nickname. Rounding up the team are Miyagi, Mitsui, Kogure, Yasuda, and two more players whom I can't recall. Each has an interesting personality that all of us can relate to or are reminded of.

You might wonder, how fun can a basketball theme anime be? Well, it is fun watching them grow as a team. The focus is more on Sakuragi's character, watching him develop his basketball skills and also the basketball  team's teamwork as they fight their way to the inter high competition. The basketball games become interesting once you get to know the characters and before I knew it, I was already rooting for them! =)

p/s: At ep38 now! Loving the opening and ending theme songs as well!

Dengeki Daisy - Unconventional and Techie :)

I chanced upon Dengeki Daisy by accident, really. There is a section in MyAnimeList.net where they attempt to recommend a manga based on the user's history. So, since I read and watch Ouran High School Host Club (OHSHC), it appears in my feed. It goes, "If you like OHSHC, then you may like Dengeki Daisy." Out of curiosity, I checked that out and felt that hey, this doesn't sound bad. Going against the norm (I'm usually picky with my manga selections), I started reading right away.

The initial chapters were alright but I find myself drawn to the story as I kept reading. It IS a shojo manga but I felt that the shojo parts were kept to a minimum. What I really like about Dengeki Daisy is the driving force of the story. Sure, there is the main couple who likes each other as is required in all shojo mangas. However, what's really fascinating is the mystery that is slowly revealed to the readers. Basically, Dengeki Daisy is about Teru, a 16 year old high school girl who was given a cellphone by her dying brother. He told her that should she need any help, she can always contact Daisy through the cellphone. After he passed away, Teru has always been communicating with Daisy via the cellphone about her thoughts and life. She regards him highly and thinks of him as a kind and gentle soul, much like her deceased brother. In an unfortunate incident where she accidentally breaks the classroom window, she became somewhat of a servant to the school's janitor, Kurosaki who insisted that she helps him with his duties to pay back for the broken window. Soon after, strange events began happening and the catalyst of it all seems to be Teru's deceased brother's past. He is a computer engineer and people began intruding into Teru's life, wanting to search for a purportedly custom software. 

As expected, both of them will slowly fall for one another and readers will guess if Kurosaki is really Daisy. But, that's not just it! The entire plot is like a detective story, hidden behind a love story. Or rather, a love story shrouded with mystery. Why did Teru's brother left her with Daisy as her protector? If Kurosaki is really Daisy, why is he hiding his true identity? What did the people want with Teru? 

Surprisingly, I don't really care if they get together. Being a shojo manga, I know they will be together in the end. I am really more interested in the investigations and knowing what actually happened before Teru's brother passed away. Of course, I do enjoy the chemistry between Kurosaki and Teru. Teru and Daisy's relationship is more of like a mentor-mentee whereas you get all the fireworks and laughs from Kurosaki and Teru. Teru's famous one-liner goes like this, "Go Bald, Kurosaki!" She usually says it whenever Kurosaki pokes fun at her or makes her mad. It's really, really funny! In case you are wondering...they have a tsundere-like relationship. :p

Some of you may wonder, what is Kurosaki's appeal factor? Kurosaki's tsundere attitude coupled with a seemingly dark mysterious past may just be the right formula to stir up those feelings. In my case, it's his hair. His hair reminded me of Sanzo's hair in Saiyuki and it just gives me a feel-good feeling. I don't really have any favorite character yet but that may change! Anyhow, readers who enjoy romance, comedy, school and slice of life genres would find this manga entertaining and slightly different from the other shojo mangas. Not only is it written by a male mangaka, it also ranks No 5 in mangareader.net's manga popularity list! Not to mention, fans of hackers, codes and computer engineers.... =)

Rooftop Prince Review

The Photo to Remember their Long Hair

To me, Rooftop Prince is a drama which is about love that transcends centuries with karma and reincarnation as strong underlying themes. It starts with a murder mystery which naturally gets resolved in the final episode but unlike other dramas, this one has a twist!

Basically, the Crown Princess was found floating face down on the Lotus Pond and the Crown Prince suspects foul play although everyone else was convinced that it was an accident. He manages to gather 3 sidekicks to form his own investigation team - consisting of Song Man Bo (brainy scholar), Do Chi San (eunuch) and Woo Yong Sul (swordsman). While they were out investigating one night, they were attacked and while escaping, a lunar eclipse somehow time warped them 300 years into the future. That's where the fun begins as the squad of four tries to figure out the reason they were brought into the future while doing their best to adapt to the modern ways.

From left: Yong Sul, Man Bo and Chi San

Bak Ha and her four bodyguards hahaha

They definitely Looked Better in Suits hahaa

I really enjoyed the portrayal of Yong Tae Yong/Yi Gak by Micky Yoo Chun. His transition from the persona of the Crown Prince to his imitation of Tae Yong was executed flawlessly. The trio (nicknamed Power Rangers/Ducklings) of blue ranger (Yong Sul), green ranger (Man Bo) and yellow ranger (Chi San) was the comic relief as their scenes are usually hilarious or outrageously funny. The villains are not quite as bad as the one in King 2 Hearts (after watching both drama back-to-back). Despite their manipulative schemes and lies, they still have some sort of conscience or remorse here and there. On the plus side, Tae Mu is such a bad killer! Although he has a lot of killing(either intentional or unintentional) scenes, he never really succeeds (haha!).

More pictures to squeal at!

Other than that, the soundtrack was awesome! I think it really conveys the mood of the situation and it is embedded in me that whenever I hear the song (Hurt by Ali), I immediately feel this drama's essence. Although the ending was good (bad guys got their punishment), it still leaves me feeling pretty down as *SPOILER ALERT* 
Yi Gak is literally forever alone as Bu Yong passed away whereas for Bak Ha, it will never be the same even if Tae Yong looks identical to Yi Gak.

King 2 Hearts Review

My K drama of Summer 2012! It's very different from the usual K drama genre that I know of and the ones I used to watch. This one is exhilarating and keeps me on the edge of my seat in almost every episode!

King 2 Hearts

From left: John Mayer/Kim Bong Gu, Kim Hang Ah, Lee Jae Ha, Lee Jae Shin and Eun Shi Kyung

Short talk - South Korea and North Korea may actually be on peaceful terms! The South Korean King (fictional monarchy system) has been discussing about peace talks with the North Korean leaders and all may just end well! Of course, there are some hitches but there is a bigger threat. Enter John Mayer, CEO of a huge enterprise with a gigantic political clout over the powerful nations like US and China who dislikes the idea of peace between the two Korean nations. You may wonder, John Mayer? yea, the scriptwriters like to use artists' names for some characters. This John Mayer, to me, is almost as scary as how the Joker was scary in the Dark Knight movie. He seems mentally unstable, with no sense of morals and loves to perform unamusing magic tricks. His sidekicks are also scary, esp Bon Bon (female gothic assasin). Whenever he or she appears, I would just be fearful for the safety of the good characters.

Eun Shi Kyung x Lee Jae Shin

Aside from all that, this is actually one K drama which does not emphasize on the love theme. To me, it is more political, more headaches and also some stress relief moments here and there. Surprisingly, I was actually rooting for the second pairing in the drama, Lee Jae Shin and Eun Shi Kyung. I felt that they deserved so much more! Of course, the lead pairings were awesome as a couple! They both kick ass, the male through his brains(IQ of 187) and the female through physical action. They are the unbeatable duo! This is also the drama where the mother of the guy is actually supportive of the girl. How nice!

In short, I am really very glad I watched this drama. I felt like I learned so much about the struggles facing all honest politicians and leaders of the nations. When the situation involves power, the people and a huge consequence, every step has to be seriously evaluated and considered. Sometimes, even going through the proper channels will not take you far. Still, what counts as probably the best fantasy we can get is the result of the South-Korea mutual cooperation in establishing a harmonious relationship. Peace is not something easy to acquire but it is achievable. Someday?

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Review

From left: Kyoko, Homura, Madoka, Sayaka and Mami with Kyubey (white creature)

Do not be fooled by these kawaii looking girls and mistaken this anime for something cute and trivial.

 This story goes deep. Puella Magi is an anime which got me not knowing what to expect - simply because it has been recommended a few times by a senior otaku friend of mine. I usually do not go for this kind of genre - cute looking small girls with their 'fancy' behaviors. However, the first episode got me asking a multitude of questions and....the final answer is only revealed in ep 10 with the final episode in ep 12. It is philosophical and futuristic, which makes you think. I quote from my friend, it's morally grey. In the beginning, we would probably feel outrage and stunned but upon the explanation given, things start to make sense and you are left on the fence, unable to decide.

Kyubey

So, what is it about? Firstly, this is not just some tale of magical girls saving the world. Puella Magi is a kind of technology from another universe which transforms prepubescent girls into Magical Girls, with the girls' permission of course. They will then sign a contract with Kyubey. Kyubey may look like one of those cute Pokemon creatures but he is emotionless and this is one reason why viewers may find him annoying. Like a pesky salesman (Oops spoiler alert but you will understand why I refer to him as the salesman). Anyway, a Magical Girl's duty is to kill the Witches, who is responsible for the misfortunes and catastrophes happening in our world. In order to make the contract, Kyubey will fulfill a wish (anything is possible!) and in exchange, they are given powers. Wow, sounds like a good deal!

You may wonder, so what's the fuss about? Well, the storyline can be summarized as: Kyubey identifies Madoka as someone with a lot of potential as a Magical Girl. Homura is determine to stop Madoka from transforming into a Magical Girl and tries to kill Kyubey to prevent it from meeting her. Mami is a Magical Girl who helps to save Kyubey and meets Madoka and Sayaka. She then becomes their senior and shares with them her experiences of being Magical Girls. Homura is ever persistent in ensuring that Madoka never signs a contract with Kyubey. This is why, you should watch, and find out why!

To be honest, I was slightly depressed after finishing the series, although it had a happy ending. Still, a good watch!

p/s: Some Physics and History are briefly mentioned! :)