2008-03-22

Deathnote/ 死亡筆記


I started reading Deathnote around November 2004, where my sister bought the first and the second volumes. I had no idea of that manga at all at the first sight. My sister bought it because she think the cover is very attractive and well design. So after waiting for her to finish, i started reading. I remember i took quite a long time to read finish the first volume. Maybe due to the fact i want to enjoy the reading and drawing but another factor i read quite slow because the content of the story is a lot and quite complicated if you don't get it.

So, i finished the 2 volumes and thought to myself that this is a manga which will be famous around the world. No doubt, now it had been famous around the whole world.^^

Death Note is a series created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Takeshi Obata and was first serialized in the Japanese manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump published by Shueisha from the first issue in December 2003 to May 2006, with 108 chapters in total. Later, the individual chapters were collected into twelve separate tankōbon(volumes). Later, a thirteenth volume titled Death Note - How to Read was released, helping to elucidate some mysteries left at the end of the manga, like the destiny of some of the characters. The manga has since been published in several different languages including English, German, Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish.


To date, Death Note has sold around twenty million copies in Japan. Death Note was nominated for Best Manga at the 2006 American Anime Awards.

In February 2008, a one-shot special was released. Set two years after the manga's epilogue, it sees the introduction of a new Kira and the reactions of the main characters in response to the copycat's appearance.

The anime is aired in Japan from October 3, 2006 – June 26, 2007 with a total of 37episodes.

Plot
The series centers around a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing the victim's name and picturing his or her face. The plot follows his attempt to create and lead a world cleansed of evil using the book, and the complex conflict between himself and those assailing him that results.

2008-03-21

Bleach/ 死神


Many Manga i don't know about their popularity at first and just read what i have borrow from my friends. For most of my manga, I only started to collect it around one year or so after borrowing from my friends to read. This is quite strange for me as a lot of my manga are like that. ^^ So this is another manga which i like a lot. First few volumes, for me is average. After book6, the story gets more interesting with strong new characters coming out.

Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki, a high school student with the ability to see ghosts, and Rukia Kuchiki, a shinigami (Soul Reaper or, literally, "death god"). The early parts of the story focus mainly on the characters. As events unfold, the story begins to delve deeper into the world of these gods of death.

Bleach is a Japanese manga series drawn by Tite Kubo that has appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump since August 2001.

The manga series has been adapted into an animated television series, two OVAs, two animated feature films, a rock musical, numerous video games and a TCG (Trading Card Game). Compilation volumes of the manga have sold over 40 million copies in Japan. The manga received the Shogakukan Manga Award for its shōnen title in 2005, and the anime has been nominated for several American Anime Awards. The manga had released 32volumes with the 33rd volumes coming out in april. While the anime on aired in Japan in October 5, 2004 and are still ongoing right now with 165episodes.

2008-03-20

Naruto/ 火影忍者


Naruto is another manga which i like a lot. I got to know first through its anime. I watch a few episodes and got attracted to it. The story is full of surprises and not many manga had such a good plot and there are many different characters. Normally, when i read manga, if the story consists of many different characters, i will gone mad cause of the difficulty of remember all their names and faces. But in Naruto, every character is easy to remember and had their techniques and powers which makes me feels excited. ^^ For those who likes adventure and fighting story, this is a good manga to read.

Naruto was first published by Shueisha in 1999 in the 43rd issue of Japan's Shonen Jump magazine. As of volume 36, the manga has sold over 71 million copies in Japan. There are 2 part of anime. 2nd part being Naruto Shippūden which are based from manga volume 28 onward, the series takes place two and a half years after the previous volume. The anime is aired in Japan on 15th February up till now with 52episodes and counting.

2008-03-19

Cyril Takayama

I got to know him in school when my lecturer show me a video of him taking out burgers from a menu with only his hands. My friends and I gone crazy and so are the crowd in the video, they goes crazy and amazed at how he pulled off this trick. I mention about him because on 4April - 8April, he is going to perform at Taiwan. How i wish i could go and watch him perform live in front of me. =( Anyway, on Youtube there are a lot of video on him performing and for those interested, you can go watch it there.^^



Info
Cyril Takayama born on 1973, is an American illusionist, born and raised in Hollywood, California, USA. He is perhaps best known for his street magic performances in Japan. His father is of Okinawan descent, while his mother is Moroccan-French, both of whom were beauticians. He was a member of the short-lived television series T.H.E.M. In 2007 he won first place in The Magic Woods Awards, Best Magician Category.

According to wiki, Cyril had performed in Japan and Korea and Paris.

Performances in Japan & Korea

Cyril has been very active in Japan. Since 2005, he appeared in

* Three "Super Street Magic Magazine" episodes (broadcast on TV Tokyo)
* five "Magic Revolution" episodes (broadcast on FujiTV)
o June 30, 2005
o January 10, 2006
o June 20, 2006
o January 23, 2007
o July 24, 2007
* One 90 minute Korean magic special (October 2006, September 2007, February 2008)

More Links:
o Cyril Takayama Official Website
o
Cyril Takayama at MySpace
o
Cyril Takayama Metropolics Japan Interview

2008-03-18

Sowelu - Wish

This is one of the song i like from D-gray man/驅魔少年. It is the 6th ending theme "Wish" (episodes 065–077). The singles "Wish" release on 2008/3/12 is her 17th singles.

Sowelu, born Aki Harada/原田亜希, is a J-pop singer. She was born on November 6, 1982 in Tokyo to a Japanese father Yoshitaka Shimada/嶋田吉隆, and a half-Irish half-Japanese mother.

Wish Lyrics (Romaji)
sekaijuu ikutsu no
ai no katachi aru n darou
Hitori hitori chigau mono o
kakae nagara iki teru

kazoku ya tomodachi ya
onaji gooru miru nakama
minna ga i te sasae atte
ima no watashi ga iru no

itsumo soba ni atta taisetsu na mono
kizuka zu ni itakoto shitta

jibun no tame dake ni
ikiru no ha sabishii
sekkaku kono sekai ni umare ta n da kara
Everybody have to say good - bye
sorenara ikutsu mo no
egao o anata ni age tai

chiisana koro mi te ta
atarashii mono tachi ga
ima de ha mou atarimae ni
natte shimatteru kedo

toki ga tatsu nitsurete
me ni utsuru mono subete
kawatte yuku koware te yuku
demo kioku ha sonomama


kurayami no naka mitsuke ta hoshi tachi ha
mada kokoro no naka de hikaru


jibun no itami yori
anata ni tsutae tai
nan juu oku nin mo no naka deae ta kara
Everybody have to say good - bye
dakarakoso sunao ni
takusan egao o mise tai

kagira re ta toki no naka de
ah nani ka dekiru daro u
donnani kanashii koto tsurai koto mo
kanarazu egao ni kaeru kara
kitto...

Everybody needs somebody ' s love
ai ga hitsuyou na no
aisa reru koto de mata egao ni nareru kara
Everybody wants to be happy
anata no shiawase o
inori nagara watashi ha utatteru

Wish Lyric (Kanji)
世界中いくつの
愛の形あるんだろう
一人一人 違うものを
抱えながら生きてる

家族や友達や
同じゴール見る仲間
みんながいて 支え合って
今の私がいるの

いつも側にあった大切なもの
気づかずにいた事知った

自分の為だけに
生きるのは寂しい
せっかくこの世界に生まれたんだから
Everybody have to say good-bye
それならいくつもの
笑顔をあなたにあげたい

小さな頃見てた
新しいものたちが
今ではもう 当たり前に
なってしまってるけど

時が経つにつれて
目に映るもの全て
変わってゆく 壊れてゆく
でも記憶はそのまま

暗闇の中 見つけた星たちは
まだ心の中で光る

自分の痛みより
あなたに伝えたい
何十億人もの中出会えたから
Everybody have to say good-bye
だからこそ素直に
たくさん笑顔を見せたい

限られた時の中で
ah 何かできるだろう
どんなに悲しい事 辛い事も
必ず笑顔に変えるから
きっと…

Everybody needs somebody's love
愛が必要なの
愛される事でまた笑顔になれるから
Everybody wants to be happy
あなたの幸せを
祈りながら私は歌ってる


External Links:
• Sowelu Wikipedia(English)
• Sowelu Official Website(Japanese)
• Nippop Profile | Sowelu
• Sowelu-Wiki.ThePPN