Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru

This series revolves around the activities and members of the "Service Club", a school organization dedicated in assisting the students towards the fruition of their wishes. The Club is composed the pragmatic pair of Hachiman, Yukino and the cheerful Yuigahama. Eventhough majority of the members are somewhat pessimistic on their views on human relations, they work together with their "client" in order to get things done and fulfill the request behest upon them.

They lend a hand to students of their school with different problems, be it family related, in student relations, or in romance, he trio are exposed to a wide range of personalities and circumstances that they believe, in some ways, they should have not meddled in the first place. This resulted in a lot of misunderstandings, rumors, and a lot of cases where they think they solved the problem, only to find out that no real change had occurred in the life of their client. Making things complicated is the eventual feelings developed by Yukino and Yuigahama towards Hachiman, which he casually brushes off.

Among the characters, Hachiman is a peculiar one. With his bad experiences with people while in middle school, he developed a pessimistic (often referring to it as being a realist) outlook on human relations and thinking of the status quo, and forms a barrier around himself, living the life of a high school loner. He constantly reads between the lines when talking to people, and sees through screens held by others to appear different as they seem to be. Thinking that way makes him difficult to trust and accept people at face value. Just the same, he still hopes for a "genuine" relationship and continues to have a normal thought process and aspiration of a high school boy in the background.

The series goes on about the true nature of human behavior, "genuine" relations, being true to ones self, self awareness and self development, but with all those episodes, nothing seems to be resolved, The main premise of the plot seems to be stretched to fill the episodes of both seasons of this anime, but when you get down to it... all those face-offs and discussions about their real feelings and intentions were not resolved. It was kinda closed in the first season, but not met by the end of the seocnd season. Did they intentionally do that in the hopes of going on for a third season? But an OAV is in the works, set to be released on November 2016, so we have to wait for that to see what all this infighting drama is all about... what is the root of all this tensions in relationships.

But...

Their discussion and misadventures were enough to keep me interested in the next development of the characters and their relations. And the hints of romance between the characters, sometimes intensified with a tinge of tension, kept in glued and awaiting the next episode.

Anime Review: Shingeki No Kyoji

A friend of mine passed me an episode of this series, and I must say, i was instantly hooked.


The fantasy/ sci-fi/ tragic world of Shingeki no Kyoji, where 3 to 15 meter tall giants dominate the planet, leaving mankind almost to the brink of extinction, made me moody, pessimistic and melancholic... but the progression and development of the character as it is interwoven into the progress of the story leaves you hanging for more. As if a 30-minute episode is not enough to fill your need for soldiers barely out of their teens, flying, spinning around in their 3D maneuver gear and twin cutter blades like a homogeneous transmogrification of Spiderman and Cloud (from the Final Fantasy franchise).

A lot of times, the characters' emotions are drawn in such a way that it drives the mind into shock and horror, like a playful carnival ride into psychosis and mental anguish. And the giants (or titans) are made to reflect the mindless drive of sin and degradation of greed, avarice and lust.

Trully and addictive series to look out for.

This anime is an adaptation of the popular manga series of the same name written by Hajime Isayama.

Asian Home Box Office in "Screen Red"

Asian movie affecionados rejoice!!

There is now a channel dedicated to Asian movies (Japanese, Korean, Chinese) which are professionally subtitled, like one of those feature films with foreign languages, and delivered right to your cable TV. From the guys at HBO Asia and Mei Ah comes 'Screen Red', quality Asian movies and features.

Me and my wife can't get enough of Japanese dramas and movies. We'd buy tons of DVD's, download series from the net, or borrow some top quality original DVD's if we're lucky enough. But now, with the 'Screen Red' channel featuring award winning feature films and distinct movies with their own charater and flair, our appetite for the best Asian movies, whether be it Japanese, Korean or Mandarin, is topped off. Its a dream come true.

The problem now is, we don't get much sleep because of all the good features, especially in the weekends.

Death of an Icon: Karl Roy

The music community lost another cherished member as Karl Roy, vocalist of the band Kapatid, succumbed to a heart attack episode early this morning.

Karl Roy has been a lot through the years, battling different heart related ailments in the past. The music community was always ready to stand by him, aiding in any way to help him recover.

Some may remember Karl's stint as a vocalist for Advent Call and their emotional anthem 'Puting Ilaw' , which put them punks in line, breaking out their lighters during a concert in Pasig.

He then proceeded to attain commercial and critical success with the funk-rock super band P.O.T. I remember them at a gig that was held some time after his operation, everyone was cheering when Karl Roy was called onstage, he then took his shirt off, and brandished his post-operation scar.

His onstage persona and charisma shall be missed by many.

(picture is a screen capture from Rogue magazine's documentary/ interview)

Highschool of the Dead

I used to hear about the series 'Highschool of the Dead', but it was only recently that I came around to watch it.

A group of students (with some teacher) trapped in the city that is over run by the undead (referred in the series as "Them"). As the 'monsters'rise up and run over the lives of the living, a different kind of monster emerges from the hearts and minds of various antagonists that are introduced within the story.

The anime series based on the manga by Daisuke Sato and the art of Shouji Sato, it brings about a deep, dark, melancholic storyline as the series progreses.

A sort of Survivor/Harem/Fan Service Overload type of anime with dark overtones as the group of surviving students go through the ordeal of locating their loved ones amidst a zombie pandemic happening around the world.

Along with the abundance of boob, ass and upskirt fan service, the ragtag team of survivors also fit your common stereotypes which a lot of otakus find 'moe'. Take your pick; a blonde bombshell airhead of a teacher/nurse Shizuka, the genius tsundere Saya, the slick and cool sword weilding Saeko, the tough but softie of a 'childhood friend' Rei, and the innocent lolli Arisu. Mixed into the fray is your typical all around good guy Takashi and the gun and mecha otaku Kota.

Takashi tries out one of those new comfy sniper mats

Aside from the tons of eye candy every few seconds, the storyline is a pretty decent one to keep my interest in the progression of the story. You can't wait to see how their adventure progresses on. Character development also takes you through some twists and turns as they appear twisted in some ways.

Semi nude apron covered sword weilding warrior chicks: AWESOME

Although watching only a few episodes, It was enough to make me look forward to watching other episodes.

You're Beautiful (Minamishineyo v.s. Ikemen Desu Ne)

I have been watching the Korean drama "You're Beautiful" (or Minamishineyo) again and again for some time now. And with the recently concluded "Ikemen Desu Ne", which is the Japanese remake of that popular Korean title, I got to par them side by side.

Primarily the story is about a nun whose identical twin brother got the chance to enter into a very famous boy band. Unfortunately, the brother got into an accident and the boy's manager desperately seeks out the twin sister and get her to pretend in place of her brother for a while. A common plot material in the story is the lengths the sister has to go through to hide the fact that she's a girl. And if found out, it would be the end of her brother's career. Her relationships within the group also develop as her pure and naive nature made her endearing to all, ultimately becoming quite a mess to all the people around her. The story is both funny and heart warming, which is why it is a favorite of mine.

A premise present in both versions of the drama is the name of the fictional band (A.N. Jell), which is said to be very popular in East Asia. And the way the twins are named are derived from the main phrase 'Beautiful' in their native language (,ie "Beautiful Boy": Mio (Jap.) Mi Nam (Korean)), although the Japanese uses a play on Kanji pronounciations to get the name.

Although the Japanese version remain faithful to major climaxes seen in the Korean drama, some of the circumstances that lead to it are sometimes changed. They stay true to the plot and the various climatic or pivotal scenes within it, but sometimes injects a little something here and there to make the storyline more Japanese.

The timeline in the Japanese version is compacted to the essential scenes... so missing a bit may lead you to be lost in the moment. Which is good for me since I like it like that. I hate loooong series...I mean, get to the point dude, my attention is wandering off because they were focusing on the crying lead actress for an extra 10 minutes.

Production-wise, I vote for the Korean version. You can see that they spent a lot of time, effort and money to get the scene just right, a play on focus and space. The Japanese version left me a bit claustrophobic in some scenes or something is just not as grand as it should be. I do like the cameos in the Japanese version, since I only know Japanese actors and artists.

In terms of looks, its a deadlock. I made a quick survey with my wife and her cousins, they bring up a lot of intresting points on who's the better looking bunch. With my quick survey I concluded that the younger audience think that the Japanese actors were better looking. Aside for having the looks, being young, energetic and being emo are the qualities that they seem to look for in a boy band. Mature audiences prefer the majesty, grace and adult charm the Korean actors project.

As for the main protagonist, we compared their transformations from girl to boy, and vice-versa. With Park Shin-hye, her transformation was very obvious, even in boy mode, you can tell she's a girl. But her girl mode was gorgeous. Miori Takimoto, on the other hand, sets herself up as a convincing boy, but her transformation to girl mode could use a more styling up...her look is too plain. Nevertheless, both actresses did a very good job on their potrayal.

The plot and story of this series appeals to a wide range of people. And I won't be surprised that if in the near future, a Filipino version will hit the small screen...as they did with other foreign telenovelas and such.

Sucker Punch

I didn't know anything about this movie. I only got to know about it when my buddy and I went out to buy some DVDs, and there was this intense fight scene being shown on a big ass LED TV in the shop. I was like, staring, ogling, just plain hypnotized by the fight sequence and the pretty girls that were lashing it out with hordes of robot gunners.That was my introduction into Sucker Punch, the 2011 action-fantasy movie by Zack Snyder and Steve Shibuya.

Its the story of a girl, referred in the movie as 'Babydoll', trying to escape from the asylum , after a bunch of horrible events perpetrated by her stepfather, who was also the one who interred her in the institution. Unbeknownst to her, her stepfather made a deal on the inside that would silence her if further investigation is held about the before mentioned horrible event.

Seems like a simple plot, and it is really, but the twist to the storytelling is that Babydoll moves in and out of her fantasies to help her cope with the events that are unfolding. These fantasies are also metaphors for the missions or tasks Babydoll and her friends had to got through to accomplish their goal of escaping.

Within these fantasies is where the intense fighting sequences takes place. You'll see them face off with enemies and scenarios which is made with an eclectic mix of World War 1 , Medieval Japan, Knights and Orcs, Mecha and Zombie soldiers. All inter layered seamlessly, amidst all that modern firepower, intense melee-type fight scenes, hand to hand combat, and flying around like kungfu masters. Which, by the way, are sooooo awesome!! I never stared in awe at action sequences like this since the first Matrix film.

Its like a fanboy's (or otaku's) fantasy movie where petite-katana-wielding-double-pistol-waving-school girl like uniform wearing vixen faces off not in a girly manner but in a battle that rivals sequences from anime's like 'Basilisk', 'Gundam' and 'Fists of the North Star'.

For me, I could get enough of all the fight sequence, but the story is too depressing. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Babydoll, for all the things she had gone through and will be going through.

But unfortunately, that's all there is to it. A story which could be told differently, or shorter, spiced up with tons of effects and fight scenes. I alone enjoyed parts of the movie while the people I saw it with was lost and appalled with the movie, trying to make sense of it all.

At the end of the movie, my son suddenly cried out, 'What the hell was that? its like an in-flight movie for crazy people....'

I had to pop in a DVD of Disney's 'Cars' just to calm him down.

(my son was surprised to see High School Musical's Vanessa Hudgens in a revealing outfit, blasting caps and fighting with axes. I told him, they all had to grow up some time...)

"Nihon Chinbotsu" A movie on Japanese Doomsday

"Nihon Chinbotsu" or "The Sinking of Japan" (or know by its other name 'Japan Sinks') is a 2006 remake of a screenplay based from the 1973 book by Sakyo Komatsu.

The film is about the geological catastrophe that will culminate in the nation of Japan to be split up and sink in the ocean. As the imminent disaster progresses, eathquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions occur throughout Japan making it hard for the goverment and the rescue workers to evacuate and save the people.

The main contributing factor in the upcoming disaster is the subduction of the tectonic plate Japan sits in, which in turn pulls the country under with it.

Along for the ride are people from different walks of the social, scientific and political backgrounds trying to get through this ordeal. The story also revolves around the effects on the lives of various key characters within the movie. The passionate geologist Yusuke Tadokoro, his ex-wife, Saori Takamori, who is a trusted colleague of the Prime Minister and Head manager of the crisis team. Submariner Tetsuo Onodera, Hyper Rescue crew Reiko Abe and the little girl they saved from the previous earthquake, Misaki.

Tadakoro devices an ingenious plan to save Japan by tearing the tectonic plate that carries it. The mission was a success due to the sacrifice of Onodera and his friend, Tatsuya. And Takamori was able to announce to the refugees to return and rebuild their nation from a temporary government headquarters on the amphibious carrier 'Shimokita'.

The movie seems like a 'doomsday what if' documentary than a film. The beginning of the film is like a National Geographic segment where they place the events that would indicate and justify the catastrophe that is about to take place.

As the first quarter of the film lacks character or drama, the sudden introduction into the lives of the character feels like being pulled out of a hypnotic trance. You're suddenly changed from a documentary-like mode of reception to a mode where you try to take in the emotion and relations of the characters in play, riding on cliches and stereotypes to make the cast attach themselves to the audience in a very short time, attempting to make a greater impact as the characters are killed off.

And since the screenplay is based on 70's Japanese racial and political outlook, it's take that Japan will be abandoned and sold out by its 'allies' during such a crisis can't all be that true. I think the screen writer underestimates the power of public opinion overseas. This part of the movie only seems to trigger latent fear and in turn, will become racial anger towards others. Well, just look at the global response at the Tohoku Earthquake.

Its not that good of a movie, but it does give you a perspective into 70's political rhetoric, paranoia and opinions.

True Tears

"...I will take your tears with me to heaven so you won't cry anymore..."

This is the premise behind the friendship between the wierd, enigmatic Noe and the stoic and indecisive Shinichiro. Having met by accident beside the school chicken coop, they developed a bond as they go on with their highschool life, supporting each other as they aim to move on from their past and their corporeal restrictions.

Eventhough the series is well drawn and well animated, the first few episodes are a drag as they focus more on being 'emo' and enigmatic. Things pick up as various characters are developed into the story.

Complicating Shinichiro's life is his infatuation with his childhood friend Hiromi, who also lives with them after her parents passed away. The misunderstanding about the relationship between his father and her mother also sets a foul mood with Shinichiro's mother.

But as Shinichiro and Noe live on with their 'emo' partnership, Hiromi and Ai (Shinichiro's other childhood friend) harbors platonic feelings for Shinichiro. Both are indecisive because Hiromi thinks she is Shinichiro's half-sister and Ai is Shinichiro's bestfriend's girlfriend.

Things get weirder as Shinichiro declares he plans to date Noe. This turning point forces Hiromi and Ai to act on their feelings. In the end...who will be the last girl standing?



While watching the first few episodes, I was complaining to the culprit, my officemate Vince, about how very dragging the series was. A lot of misunderstandings coupled with 'emo' highschoolers blessed with a lot of free time so all they think about are 'emo' thoughts. And did I mention the characters are so 'emo'. (word of the day...'emo').

The series slowly progressed into intresting as complicated human relations spice up the story.

I recommend this series to love sick 'emo' kids out there.