I remember watching True Tears until episode 10 then all of a sudden, for reasons I could no longer remember, I dropped it. I really don’t know what came over me, I just stopped watching there and then. Well enough with this babble, I’ve finally finished the last episodes and I’m glad I did.

The series started out a bit formulaic - the boy likes the girl, the girl likes the boy but they keep their feelings to themselves. Then enter other girls who also like the boy confusing him even more. It, however, redeemed itself in the last few episodes with very evocative dramatic scenes. I particularly like the scene where Shin was crying, singing, and shouting until he finally dropped to his knees. The voice acting was very good.

I like the animation. Scenes were fluid and vibrant. The characters were also neither too pretty nor too dull, making them more realistic. I thought I sensed some Koi Kaze thing between Noe and her brother which seemed to be a minor thing. It could have been more interesting to see that kind of interaction between Shin and Hiromi. I actually feel sad for Noe since I was rooting for her from the very start. In the end childhood sweethearts got together. Nothing really wrong with that but come on, she’s cuter than Hiromi. Well there goes my bias towards short-haired girls hehe.

Wavering hearts, flowing tears … True Tears was really enjoyable; there was an appealing seriousness in it and at the same time straightforwardness that made it light to watch.

I woke up one morning and it hit me: “Oh, right, I still have an anime blog.. lemme see what’s the url again..?” heheh. After my not so exciting official trip, I had to go back to my hometown, consult with my doctor, settle stuff with my landlady, and deal with excessive amount of work at my office.

I miss this blog and also those blogs on your right. I hope I can visit them one of these days. To freshen things up I decided to change how my blog looks. I realized that this theme is no beginner’s template, I had to fix most of the features manually. It’s alright though, It’s always good to learn new things and I really like the clean look of this theme.

I actually don’t know how to start, what to write about. There are loads of new anime out there but I don’t have any clue about them. Yeah, I promise to write about a Visual Novel I’ve been reading which until now is sleeping in my harddrive. I’ll get to that as soon as I regain my writing mood. For now, let me just share this lovely story from my favorite author, Haruki Murakami:

On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning

One beautiful April morning, on a narrow side street in Tokyo’s fashionable Harujuku neighborhood, I walked past the 100% perfect girl.

Tell you the truth, she’s not that good-looking. She doesn’t stand out in any way. Her clothes are nothing special. The back of her hair is still bent out of shape from sleep. She isn’t young, either - must be near thirty, not even close to a “girl,” properly speaking. But still, I know from fifty yards away: She’s the 100% perfect girl for me. The moment I see her, there’s a rumbling in my chest, and my mouth is as dry as a desert.

Maybe you have your own particular favorite type of girl - one with slim ankles, say, or big eyes, or graceful fingers, or you’re drawn for no good reason to girls who take their time with every meal. I have my own preferences, of course. Sometimes in a restaurant I’ll catch myself staring at the girl at the next table to mine because I like the shape of her nose.

But no one can insist that his 100% perfect girl correspond to some preconceived type. Much as I like noses, I can’t recall the shape of hers - or even if she had one. All I can remember for sure is that she was no great beauty. It’s weird.

“Yesterday on the street I passed the 100% girl,” I tell someone.

“Yeah?” he says. “Good-looking?”

“Not really.”

“Your favorite type, then?”

“I don’t know. I can’t seem to remember anything about her - the shape of her eyes or the size of her breasts.”

“Strange.”

“Yeah. Strange.”

“So anyhow,” he says, already bored, “what did you do? Talk to her? Follow her?”

“Nah. Just passed her on the street.”

She’s walking east to west, and I west to east. It’s a really nice April morning.

Wish I could talk to her. Half an hour would be plenty: just ask her about herself, tell her about myself, and - what I’d really like to do - explain to her the complexities of fate that have led to our passing each other on a side street in Harajuku on a beautiful April morning in 1981. This was something sure to be crammed full of warm secrets, like an antique clock build when peace filled the world.

After talking, we’d have lunch somewhere, maybe see a Woody Allen movie, stop by a hotel bar for cocktails. With any kind of luck, we might end up in bed.

Potentiality knocks on the door of my heart.

Now the distance between us has narrowed to fifteen yards.

How can I approach her? What should I say?

“Good morning, miss. Do you think you could spare half an hour for a little conversation?”

Ridiculous. I’d sound like an insurance salesman.

“Pardon me, but would you happen to know if there is an all-night cleaners in the neighborhood?”

No, this is just as ridiculous. I’m not carrying any laundry, for one thing. Who’s going to buy a line like that?

Maybe the simple truth would do. “Good morning. You are the 100% perfect girl for me.”

No, she wouldn’t believe it. Or even if she did, she might not want to talk to me. Sorry, she could say, I might be the 100% perfect girl for you, but you’re not the 100% boy for me. It could happen. And if I found myself in that situation, I’d probably go to pieces. I’d never recover from the shock. I’m thirty-two, and that’s what growing older is all about.

We pass in front of a flower shop. A small, warm air mass touches my skin. The asphalt is damp, and I catch the scent of roses. I can’t bring myself to speak to her. She wears a white sweater, and in her right hand she holds a crisp white envelope lacking only a stamp. So: She’s written somebody a letter, maybe spent the whole night writing, to judge from the sleepy look in her eyes. The envelope could contain every secret she’s ever had.

I take a few more strides and turn: She’s lost in the crowd.

Now, of course, I know exactly what I should have said to her. It would have been a long speech, though, far too long for me to have delivered it properly. The ideas I come up with are never very practical.

Oh, well. It would have started “Once upon a time” and ended “A sad story, don’t you think?”

Once upon a time, there lived a boy and a girl. The boy was eighteen and the girl sixteen. He was not unusually handsome, and she was not especially beautiful. They were just an ordinary lonely boy and an ordinary lonely girl, like all the others. But they believed with their whole hearts that somewhere in the world there lived the 100% perfect boy and the 100% perfect girl for them. Yes, they believed in a miracle. And that miracle actually happened.

One day the two came upon each other on the corner of a street.

“This is amazing,” he said. “I’ve been looking for you all my life. You may not believe this, but you’re the 100% perfect girl for me.”

“And you,” she said to him, “are the 100% perfect boy for me, exactly as I’d pictured you in every detail. It’s like a dream.”

They sat on a park bench, held hands, and told each other their stories hour after hour. They were not lonely anymore. They had found and been found by their 100% perfect other. What a wonderful thing it is to find and be found by your 100% perfect other. It’s a miracle, a cosmic miracle.

As they sat and talked, however, a tiny, tiny sliver of doubt took root in their hearts: Was it really all right for one’s dreams to come true so easily?

And so, when there came a momentary lull in their conversation, the boy said to the girl, “Let’s test ourselves - just once. If we really are each other’s 100% perfect lovers, then sometime, somewhere, we will meet again without fail. And when that happens, and we know that we are the 100% perfect ones, we’ll marry then and there. What do you think?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is exactly what we should do.”

And so they parted, she to the east, and he to the west.

The test they had agreed upon, however, was utterly unnecessary. They should never have undertaken it, because they really and truly were each other’s 100% perfect lovers, and it was a miracle that they had ever met. But it was impossible for them to know this, young as they were. The cold, indifferent waves of fate proceeded to toss them unmercifully.

One winter, both the boy and the girl came down with the season’s terrible influenza, and after drifting for weeks between life and death they lost all memory of their earlier years. When they awoke, their heads were as empty as the young D. H. Lawrence’s piggy bank.

They were two bright, determined young people, however, and through their unremitting efforts they were able to acquire once again the knowledge and feeling that qualified them to return as full-fledged members of society. Heaven be praised, they became truly upstanding citizens who knew how to transfer from one subway line to another, who were fully capable of sending a special-delivery letter at the post office. Indeed, they even experienced love again, sometimes as much as 75% or even 85% love.

Time passed with shocking swiftness, and soon the boy was thirty-two, the girl thirty.

One beautiful April morning, in search of a cup of coffee to start the day, the boy was walking from west to east, while the girl, intending to send a special-delivery letter, was walking from east to west, but along the same narrow street in the Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo. They passed each other in the very center of the street. The faintest gleam of their lost memories glimmered for the briefest moment in their hearts. Each felt a rumbling in their chest. And they knew:

She is the 100% perfect girl for me.

He is the 100% perfect boy for me.

But the glow of their memories was far too weak, and their thoughts no longer had the clarity of fourteen years earlier. Without a word, they passed each other, disappearing into the crowd. Forever.

A sad story, don’t you think?

Yes, that’s it, that is what I should have said to her.

I just ran out of anime and manga to review and I don’t want to blog about my work or life, that’s just too boring.

While everybody’s enjoying some new season anime, here I am stuck with work. Well I’ve been swamped with a lot of non-anime stuff lately (work, health, etc) and I hope I can catch up soon. I’m supposed to finish Trinity Blood this week but end up rewatching Ranma ½ episodes instead. It may be weird but Ranma ½ never fails to amuse me especially Happosai who I consider a true master of the martial arts.^^ It’s just one of those anime I never get tired of watching over and over. I also started reading a translated visual novel which I find really interesting. I’ll definitely write something about it when I’m done.

I’m leaving for Vietnam for a seminar. So I guess that’s another excuse for not blogging hehe. I don’t know if there are otaku stuff there but I hope I can still buy some nice souvenirs. See ya.

I’m still alive! Just came back from a 2-week seminar on capital markets and derivatives. Interesting stuff actually but it got exhausting later on. At least I now know how to hedge hehe.

Anyway I’ve been playing this old GBA game on the side. It’s entitled Love Hina Advance and I’m sure otakus have already played this a long time ago. The game is basically a visual novel following the same story as the anime (which was one of the best love comedies during its time). It was fun reliving the story through a game. This time I get to play Keitaro and go for the girl I like. Yes my hidden desires finally found their way hehe.

The game starts with Love HIna’s original OP with a rundown of all the characters with whom you can interact. It even includes Keitaro’s aunt Haruka and Sarah Macdogal. I knew right away what my noble task is… make all the girls fall in love with me!! Game proper contains mainly still images from the anime. There are events where Keitaro has to choose a response and then wait to see if the female character liked it or not. If someone’s heart points reach the top, lucky, she’s yours!^^

So I guess I got too kind to Shinobu and won her heart.^^

Speaking of games, I’ve been playing NDS a lot lately. The World Ends with You and Dragon Quest Monster: Joker are so darn addictive!

I wrote my first impressions on Highshool of the Dead some time ago and after reading 12 chapters, I think it’s living up to my expectations. Things are getting complicated and sexier.

George Romero fans would definitely love this manga. It basically works on the same elements - a survival horror with zombies roaming around the town looking for fresh flesh. What makes this manga different, though, are the pretty and hot female protagonists. I wouldn’t mind having zombies around if I get to tag along with them.

Much of the story is being fleshed out but the origin of the pandemic is still vague to me. Characters start to interact with one another, coming up with plans and making compromises. As new friends are found, conflicts also arise. Lots of things are being revealed about the characters, their past and their intents. It’s also interesting to see how a childhood-sweethearts story (as in the case of Komuro and Rei) is integrated in this series as well as a possible love triangle. And yes all of this happening while slicing and dicing zombie butts.

Artwork on characters is really good and fight scenes are getting bloodier as the story progresses. The story is interesting enough for me and I hope I’ll have time to catch up on the next chapters. It would be cool if this gets animated.

So anyone reading this?

While waiting for the second season, let me share some of my thoughts on Season 1 which is probably one of the best anime 2006 had to offer.

It’s not what I can call a unique series. The plot reminds me of the usual war themes in anime but the creators did quite well in presenting the story with all its socio-political elements, all revolving around very consistent characters. I particularly like how the sub-plots and characters are interlaced. The story is fast-paced but progression is smooth. It was exhilarating from its explosive start till the very end.

The ideological clash between Lelouch and Suzaku is a good concept and adds depth to the story. They both have their points and it’s hard to tell which is good or bad. Or perhaps it is not a question of good or bad in the first place. I’ll leave that to the philosophers.

The characters are beautiful; true to the CLAMP artwork (cute faces and seemingly wobbly limbs). I’m more interested in CC, the pretty and mysterious girl who likes pizza. I know a lot of things will be revealed about her. On another note, Geass actually reminds me of Gennouske’s ability in Basilisk - cool and devilish. The ending is a cliffhanger which is a fitting ending for the series in my opinion.

It’s an awesome series and I definitely want to see more.

I was looking for a relatively new anime which is short enough to squeeze in my schedule. I found ef - a tale of memories.

The first thing I noticed in this series was the cinematography. I don’t know much about the kind of animation used in it but as far as the execution of scenes and blending of characters and background images are concerned, it was really good. I also like how it shifts from one story to another. Kei’s story feels too trite for my taste though. I’m more drawn to Renji and Chihiro’s story. It’s more fresh and engaging. I’m actually intrigued with the novel Chihiro is trying to write. In my opinion, it can easily pass as a very good short fiction. The female characters look pretty but, aside from the hairstyle and that eye-patch, they look pretty much the same.

Overall, it was good; not something that I would include in my top list but it was really entertaining.

The slow pace of Blood+ turned me off initially. Thank god I mustered enough strength to pull it out again from its dusty shelf. The series redeems itself after episode 20 and the story just got really exciting.

The biggest appeal factor for me was Saya. For one, I really adore girls with short hair. Another and perhaps more important observation, Saya was not portrayed as the all too powerful sword-wielding heroine who makes minced beef out of her opponents. Instead she was almost always confused and weak yet full of determination. Her character was consistent till the very end. It was an interesting contradiction to my expectations on action anime like this. Thus, slick or gory action scenes can’t be expected in this series even if it was all about samurai girl and monsters (chiropteras). Blood+ still managed to make the story interesting though. It was a refreshing change for me.

There seems to be a love angle among Saya, Haji, and Kai. The plot is quite subtle on this perhaps because it was not the focus of the series to begin with. Looking back, Solomon’s character was more interesting for me. He really fell in love with Saya. Even if it meant a tragic end, he remained true to his feelings.

I feel sad for Diva who was just forced to live a life of evil because she was deprived of the familial love and affection Saya had been showered with from the very beginning. Things had been unfair for her. There was an ED scene with the child version of Saya and Diva holding hands while crossing the street. That was really touching.

The ending was a mixture of joy and sadness for me; beautiful just the same.

Today 13 March 2008 marks the 1^st year anniversary of hisashiburi, so I’m giving out free figures!! Just kidding hehe. While the number 13 is quite an unlucky date to celebrate an anniversary, good things actually happened on this blog in its 1 year of existence. There are a lot of things I cherish on this experience but the most important thing for me would be those good anime bloggers that I’ve met along the way. They’ve given me good insights on anime and other stuff and cared to share their thoughts on this blog. More than good bloggers, to me they are good friends. And to all other visitors I thank you as well.

Inspired by many anime bloggers, I started the blog early in March on Blogger under the blog name “Manga Onigiri” which turned into “Evil Onigiri”. After a while I moved to a wordpress platform (on Blogates) which I found more user/commentator friendly. I took a vacation in May till September. When I came back my blog got deleted by Blogates so I resurrected it on WP.com and rebuild most of what I’ve written. Then finally I got a free hosting from Dasaku.net which allowed me to play around with themes and css hehe.

I think I’m still keeping up with the objectives of this blog, which is simply to write about anime I’ve watched, mangas I’ve read, and all other otaku stuff I enjoyed doing. I never really planned to write deep analysis on anime, make episode summaries or track the latest anime; that would be too much for my busy schedule. I guess the biggest thing that happened on this blog was Project SVN which surprisingly received positive responses. To those who commented and who emailed me and those who wrote reviews, let me thank you again. You all inspire me to do more of such projects, but that would have to wait for now ^^.

Let’s cut the drama and have some of that cake! ^^

Yay, after 3 long weeks the project is finally done. A normal person could have actually done it in 5 hours but you know, I have other stuff to take care of. Anyway, here it is, the product of my boredom and false belief that I’m an anime artist lol. So some stat about the VN: it has 2526 words and about 149 screens of dialogue. I used about 15 BG images, 2 sprites, 5 BGM, and 5 SFX. Of course full credits were given to my resources. It was a wonderful experience for me. I used to just leech around for free VNs (I still do) and now I’ve finally made my own.

It isn’t perfect though, half-baked you may call it, but I think the structure is already there. I’ve realized that I’ve focused more on the technical stuff of the VN. While it is equally important, I think I neglected the very backbone of the VN which is the story. I think my story is still too weak. Thanks to my editor, I was able make it a bit readable. Then again this is my first time so I hope that excuses me lol.

PS. I already sent copies to Coeli, AS, Lanie-emon, & Setsuna-san who all requested a copy earlier.

Edit 3/3/08:
I’m now providing direct links to the SVN thanks to Pytom’s encouragement & support. For those who do not know, Pytom is the creator of the famous Renpy VN engine. Thanks for tips!^^ So sorry for all the hassle, I didn’t expect that visitors other than the regular commentators on this blog would really be interested in reading this. Anyway here it is, happy reading. Feel free to post your comments ad suggestions ^^

Versions:

Windows
Mac
Linux

*a minor bug: there’s a portion where the text window expands if the text is too large. Pytom recommended a short script to fix it but it is not yet included in this version.

Some Comments:

AS said: I finished the game, pretty interesting and something we otaku can relate to for the main character K ^^. The only thing that I would change is being able to pick the main characters name, but I assume that you will work on it and just made it K to make it easier for you while you finish the game. Interesting twist and good sound effects ^^. Send me more when you get more done lol ^^

Shin said: Just finished playing it. You already pointed out the weaknesses yourself, so I’m not going go there. Other than that, good selection of SFX and BGM. Loved the transition between each scene, as it gave the story a proper flow ^^xxx

Reviews of the SVN are available on these blogs:

Full Moe Panic

That Anime Blog
An Otaku(?) in Malaysia