Do Re Mi

I went into this movie pretty much blind since all I knew about it was that it was about airplanes.  Eventually I discovered that the movie takes place during the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) and around WWII when engineers were creating the kamikaze fighter plane (Mitsubishi A6M Zero). I noticed similarities this film shared with Howl's Moving Castle in the way the planes and their sound effects were used.  The planes sounded alive; I was wondering if an actual person made the sound effects of the planes.  The earthquake also seemed like a living creature. Any scenes of war's destruction were hauntingly metaphorical which I appreciated because instead of distracting, it complimented the movie's focus: creativity and passion of flight. I usually like the move to make as much sense in context as possible and since "The Wind Rises" takes place in Japan, I would watch in in Japanese.  Alas, subtitles weren't really working too well for me so I watched it...

Oh where to begin...  I've been working 3rd shift (AKA, night shift) so I've been watching more TV than usual, just because...  night shift does that to you. OK, here's the list that got me through these dark times.  The majority of them are available through streaming on Netflix as of now. Magi - Labyrinth of Magic  The story of Magi revolves around three friends: Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana.  It takes place in Arabia... somewhere in the mid east (although the characters travel elsewhere throughout their universe).  Aladdin is a Magi which is sort of like an avatar that appears in the world to choose a king (Alibaba).  The magic used in this universe is called Rukh which is sort of like this energy that flows throughout the world (similar to FFVII's lifestream) and Magi/magicians can use and manipulate it to create spells/magic. At first I didn't know what to think of this anime but after you get through the first 10 or so episodes,...

Space Dandy One of my coworkers convinced me to try out this anime and it's the most f*cking hilarious thing I've ever seen. Space Dandy is unique in the sense that it doesn't follow a plot and goes in whatever direction it sees fit.  The characters even die in some episodes, only magically coming back to life in new ones.  It's also playful and experimental in its art and animation styles and explores various concepts and topics.   Sailor Moon Crystal I'm not sure how I found out about this reboot but since Sailor Moon is so popular, I would have found out some way or another. I've only watched a few episodes and I'm excited to see where the story goes once all the scouts are introduced.  The animation style also seems to be loyal to the manga art style. Free! Eternal Summer Watched the first anime, and I'm really happy the second didn't take too long to be released. I'm glad Rin got a much needed attitude adjustment.  He...

This evening, I was lazy so I decided to make some ramen.  It was a spicy Korean ramen and the picture on the package had a cracked egg in it.  So I put a cracked egg in mine, just to see if it was good.   yum yum~! I also added some cooked chicken. It was pretty tasty and the egg gives the ramen a whole new dimension.  It makes it more.. rich I think... but I'll probably leave out the egg next time.  I felt like a lot of it went to waste since I don't drink the soup. The egg does make it look more authentic though..  xD Now I'm gonna watch Soul Eater. It's one of my top recommended anime (still need to write a review for it).  The art style is fun and quirky and the story is hilarious yet has a deep theme.  I like how one of the main themes is about partnership and what it really means.  This is my second or third time watching through the series.  That's how good it is! x3  I'll probably read the manga soon....

The full title is おおかみこどもの雨と雪 (Ookami kodomo no Ame to Yuki) "Wolf Children Ame and Yuki." I thought it was good but I wasn't that impressed.  But I may have ruined the suspense for myself since I read the movie synopsis before watching it. xP This is a movie that centers around motherhood.  I thought the theme was quite obvious.  I was a bit put off by how a lot of the side characters were only plot devices.  They only seemed to appear when the story needed to move forward and I felt a lack of connection to them.  I know they're side characters but still, side characters are important too!  This movie could take some tips from Miyazaki-san.  Side characters in his movies always have important roles in the story and are memorable.  They don't just show up when the plot needs them to move forward.  The dad turned out to be a lot more dull than I expected.  I wish the story did more with his character, even if it was with flashba...

Hello everyone, Happy April-!  Sorry I've been kind of a downer for the last post or two..  Lots of stuff happening at work since it's 'school field trip season', which means lots of kids and people going through at work.. and it's LOUD. xP After working at this job, I feel so much more empathy for all those front desk directory/information employees I saw in Japan (esp train stations).... actually, this goes for anywhere else in the world.  Front desk jobs may look comfortable and carefree but it can get so incredibly stressful! And this is especially if one has a disagreeable coworker.  I'm having to deal with my sometimes hated and sometimes not-so-hated coworker.  I swear, she's got one foot in and one foot out of my sh*t list. lol.  I also have a certification test coming up towards the end of the month so I'll have to practice, practice, practice if I don't want to spend another $100 or so dollars for another test.  Screw that!  My motiva...

I usually don't do episode recaps of anime but I absolutely HAD to for this one.  Talk about a mind blower! And just so you all know, this post is a long one so be prepared!  xD  So whoever is caught up on the NagiAsu series, we've finally hit the midpoint, YAY~!!! At first I thought this anime was really slow moving.  Although the animation was gorgeous, had some good drama and lots of emotional tension, it didn't really go anywhere for the longest time.  Only until the last few episodes of the 'first arc' did it start to get the ball moving and finally , it exploded.  After all the hard work everyone put into the Ofunehiki, the sea god decides to screw everyone over and take Manaka, Hikari, Kaname, and everyone else in Shioshishio and put them all into an indefinite hibernation.  As for the surface world, they're left to freeze their asses off in an ongoing winter. Perhaps the one who got the shortest end o...