15 ways to keep a relationship working

via stressed chocolate

thoughts?

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Hero Heel--Manga

Okay, Hero Heel, by Yellow writer/illustrator (favorite of mine) Makoto Tateno, completely deserves it's adult themed rating...because it has VERY adult themes. I'm not just talking about the sex, because there is sex (graphic sex, actually), but the complexities of the plot, character interactions, and emotions are anything but easy to process. I like angst. I like, as Ms. Shakespeare likes to point out, suffering and insecurity and long-standing secret loves. So, I like Hero Heel. This three volume manga series is brutal at points, so if you are an empathetic person this might not be for you...unless you want (like me) to feel that sort of extended tension and pain. Tateno is fantastic at extended tension and pain. Stunning at it, actually! The dialog is loaded with it, the illustrations are taut with it. OH, and it's about actors on a kid's superhero program.

Don't shake your head just yet, us ladies of a certain age remember the hotness of Power Rangers...this is something similar, and yet possibly hotter. Although, man, a few of those Power Rangers...daaaammmnn!
Hero Heel is the story of first time television actor, Minami, who lands the lead role of Oreas in a special effects, fighting program called Air Guard. His co-star, Sawada, is a veteran of these programs and takes an immediate dislike to Minami's attitude. Sawada is a consummate professional, and is playing Gadriel, Oreas's rival in the program. Minami and Sawada are both proud and stubborn on and off the camera. Their rivalry heats up, but Minami learns from Sawada as well, and comes to realize that his feelings of deep admiration for Sawada's acting and fighting skills may be hiding true affection for the man.

Okay, tame enough, a little co-worker love interest, but then it gets really, really uncomfortable. Sawada claims to have no interest in Minami at all, in fact he treats him with scorn which only seems to make Minami want him more. Desperate for any scrap of affection, and drowning in unrequited love, Minami blackmails Sawada into sleeping with him. In one of the most painful, regret-laden scenes of any manga I've ever read (and I read a lot of painful, regret-laden manga) Minami breaks down. The intensity of the sorrow in the final chapter of volume one nearly crosses the line to intolerable for me. I'll admit it...I may have cried a little. And, as I keep saying, that's not my M.O. Something has to be very powerful to move me to tears, and yet the last silent panels of Hero Heel volume one did just that.

In trying to forget Sawada, Minami smothers his feelings with a new relationship with yet another co-worker. And Sawada rekindles an old relationship with a former co-star in an earlier program, who looks remarkably like an older Minami. Could Sawada be hiding the truth about his feelings for Minami? Let's ask him.

Sawada, are you hiding your attraction to Minami behind a facade of scorn in order to save yourself from potential heartbreak?






Oh, Sawada-san, you make me so sad in my heart.
You are absolutely the kind of cruel and passionate character that makes me want to squee!

Um...yeah, I guess he is...oh, right, spoiler or whatnot! So, once we know this, as readers, the plot gets even more complex, and painful, and bitter, and...all those things I love to read about. Each of the characters deals with their own insecurities, and any hope for a relationship seems defeated by a combination of insecurity and defensive pride. When the characters do break down, succumbing to their emotions in sometimes drastic ways, it is poignant and heart-wrenching because we as readers are privy to the whole story rather than just the one-sided suppositions the characters make about one another's motivations and intentions. This is heavy stuff. As such, it isn't for everyone. There are certainly points where each of the characters crosses into uncomfortable (and sometimes even dislikable) territory. There are moments of assertiveness that do border on violence, and reactions that seem at the time completely disproportionate...like this one:




"Eh?" Indeed! (Also.."Aw, yeah!")






































It looks sweet and passionate, but it turns out in the very next panel Minami (blond) punches Sawada in the face, tells him to quit messing with him, and then runs off into the night to sob in his bedroom until he passes out while Sawada avoids his boyfriend and drinks himself into a stupor. Hooray! What a light-hearted romp through candy-canes and gumdrops! Or, did I mean what a painfully (three bonus chapters are actually entitled "Pain") drawn-out, spiral into despair that seems to have no hopes of redemption? Maybe I meant the second one. Oh, delicious pain! Oh, Sawada! (Seriously, I may be madly in love with Sawada myself...maybe I'll steal him from Minami?) Oh, Minami!

The good news is there is (sort of) a happy ending to this one--the payoff is worth it once these two idiots realize that they can't deny their disturbing love for one another. Plus, the show is a hit, so everyone wins (except the people who were dragged into the bizarre love-conflict and ultimately dumped in cruel ways...they lost, completely).

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doubts

weheartit

love can be so complicated, and i wrote this letter with need of advice from a loving friend across the sea in the city of love, paris. not only does she understand my relationship because she helped introduce me and my boyfriend, but she is my best friend and waited six years for the man she loved to love her back.

so, several times we have both discussed what its like knowing the person you are going to marry, with your knowledge unwavering, and mine much more unsure. regardless, i have been pushing through this long distance relationship, because crying to myself about how much i miss chris makes me realize how important he is to me and how much i love him. however, not a
day goes by that i don't think about the possibility that i am "wasting" time on him, because technically we can't be together till he goes to grad school/i graduate aka two years from now. and i wonder if he is the person i am going to marry, because if so, then all this pain is worth it and i know god has a plan for this. i won't deny the fact that being long distance has taught me things about him that i never knew seeing him daily, and its forced us to use words more than ever before. but i also can't deny the pain, the annoyance when i see other couples together, and my doubts which only just worsened now and caused me to write this all out.

so today, i was talking about marriage at kirsten's house with her and larry. and she asked me about what chris always says if it ever comes up, and truth be told, he always says "ew" when his friends get married at young ages. ok, yes he's a boy who hasn't walked around dreaming of the
perfect wedding dress and the playlist to dance the magical night away ending with flying lanterns like in tangled, (ok that's me) buttt i mean i know he's a family guy. so tonight when we were skyping i asked him how old he thinks he will be when he gets married. and he said "i don't know, it depends on the situation", and i said that i expect myself to be young. as we talked about this he said that getting married would stop him from doing things he wanted to, and so naturally i wanted to know what these things were and he said going to grad school. now this just sent me for a loop because i always envisioned our engagement beginning after i graduate and
ending shortly after ( i hate long engagements as you know). i don't even know what to think now, i was like why can't you be married during graduate school, and he said that 80% or some number similar of marriages end during law school and he never would want to be a part of that. ok that's nice that he thinks ahead - but this puts me out three additional years...

most people would respond with, so what if you know then its worth the wait. but that's five-six years from now. thats a lifetime away, and who is to say that we'll even be the same people then. and i know its dumb for me to sit here planning my life away but i can't help it. life is too short to
be anything but happy and with the person you love. so i guess i'm just asking for your thoughts on this subject, if being faithful through the pain is going to be worth it in your opinion. it was weird cause i prayed about it in church the other day, and that was my answer - faithful through
the easy and hard times. but the thing is, as clear as that answer was, i still question this future plan. shouldn't i already know if he is "the one"? i feel as though you should just know, and frankly i can see myself married to him, but i also have doubts. and i always say that anything less than a yes is a no.

love across the atlantic.

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All My Darling Daughters

Welcome, once again, to the Fumi Yoshinaga Blog!

Oh, my what a powerful book. I probably say this a lot. I wish I could have one nth of the talent this woman has.

All My Darling Daughters is a set of interconnected stories, the first of which is about a woman in her thirties who lives with her mother who is in her fifties. The mother gets sick with cancer, recovers and ends up marrying a 27 year old former host / aspiring actor. Needless to say, there is some drama in the household.

I don't want to summarize the stories in this book, because it is so worth the read. I do like a lot of ninja-y, highschool drama-y, gay-y stuff, but man, sometimes I really just like to read about salary women in their thirties trying to negotiate the business of their lives.

If I were to recommend a manga to someone who didn't read manga but wanted to try, I'd probably have them start with this one. It's not manga-y; it's literary; it's American Comic-y (not of the super-hero-y variety, but more the independent-y ilk). I will stop with they -ys now.

This is an incredibly tender, smart, elegant, amazing book. GO READ IT!

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boring things

unknown

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there is hope

weheartit

I wanted to tell my little love story to you guys, to tell you there is hope to get the one you always wanted. That love comes along when you least expect it to, and that all this cliché stuff is absolutely true. Your heart can skip a beat. You are able to get weak in your knees. You can fall in love at young age, and the feelings can stay there forever.

I met this guy 5 years ago. He was a classmate of my brother, and I fell in love the first time I saw and talked to him. He has this brown curly hair, and those deep and kind green eyes. Everywhere I went I was hoping to see him. I always took an extra look in the mirror before I left the house. We kept on talking. We actually never stopped talking to each other.

A few more years passed by, and I dated some guys during those years. But my heart still skipped a beat when I saw him. The one I always dreamed to called boyfriend. I never stopped hoping. To make a long story short, I fell in love with his best friend, but we really never worked out, and my feelings for the other one never went away.

Six moths ago we finally started hanging out. We were sneaking around for different reasons. One; I had a past with his best friend. Two; I was three years younger than him. Three; my parents would never accept it. But we were hanging out as often as we could, and we both fell in love. My parents told me they didn’t want me to be with him, but he never gave up on me or us.

Now I finally can call him my boyfriend. I have never been more in love. My parents are happy for us, and I’ve never felt like this. I am really happy, and I feel like this could last forever. I love how he hugs me out of the blue, how he gives me those soft kisses on my cheeks, and how great he is telling me he loves me. I miss him every time I see him drive away in his blue car, after driving me home at night. I love the smell of his cologne, and how it sticks to my shirt, or sticks to my pillow after sleeping over.

This story has made me realise that love is strong, no matter what.

I love you S
Love, I

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no one else

Daniela Alexandra + unknown

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norway

ph: fishywishy25

I visit this page every week to read about love across oceans, love that has been lost, love that lasts a lifetime and love that never will be forgotten. Today I want to share a different kind of love with you – the love of my country in hard times. *

I have always considered my country the safest in the world. This was my little country where we didn’t need police in the streets, where we could play in the streets with no parents watching us, where we didn’t have to lock our doors and where we are so few people that every person is a brother and a friend. This all changed a few days ago.

Norway is changed forever. We will never get back the Norway we had before July the 22nd - this because we will never forget. We will never forget the day a man got onto the scout camp and killed over 60 young adults. We will never forget the children’s screams. We will never forget the tears of the parents. We will never forget the stories the victims have told us. We will never forget the ocean of flowers outside the church. We will never forget our crying king.

No one is left untouched. We all feel so much pain. We are all crying for our children. We are all in shock. We are all watching the lists of names in the newspaper; names of children that was taken away from us in such a tragic way. It is so easy to hate the murderer. Somehow, it makes the sorrow easier to hate the man that caused all this. However, in the middle of all this, our prime minister, our king, our children and the children that survived the attack tell us not to hate.

All this darkness has taught us the value of love. Muslims are arranging concerts where over 200 000 people gather together in their hopelessness. Professional singers publish songs that they give out for free to show their support. Tour the France has a minute of silence in respect of the lost lives. Candles are lid in every window. Strangers cry on strangers’ shoulders.

This is my safe, little country and one person is not going to change that. When one person shows this much hate, we are going to show him how much love we are able to show together. I don’t think there is any better way to punish this murderer in than having his actions bringing us closer together.

Norway will never be the same again. The pain will never go away, and the tears will not be wiped away. They will be there and remind us of what we have sacrificed. It will remind that love is the only reasons to hate. The terrorist have taken a few of our roses, but can never stop spring from coming.

I could not have been more proud to call myself a Norwegian, hence the circumstances.
Thank you for all the support coming from all over the world!

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you caught me

weheartit + unknown

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my dad, my hero

unknown

This entry is dedicated to my dad and he will never read it. Sad thing.*

When I was 16 I had to write an essay in school about the person I admire the most. So I wrote about my dad. My dad is not famous, nor is he rich or talented. He is not a scientist or a professor. But he is the best man in my personal world even if he doesn’t know. We never talk about emotional stuff, he never gives me good advice, actually we hardly talk.
When my dad was young he was a biker. Motorbikes were his lifestyle, his passion, his love. But this love became his doom. A few years before he met my mother, he had a terrible accident. He was actually supposed to be dead but somehow he was strong enough to survive. I know that he was in a coma and it was still not sure if he’d make it. But after 2 long months and 2 days he finally woke up.
He had millions of traumas. He couldn’t move or speak. The doctors had to use skin of his thigh for surgery on his arm. They said he would never be able to walk again. It was so sad. My dad slowly became a healthy man - I mean he slowly learned how to speak again but at the beginning, my uncle even had to take him to the toilet and wipe his bottom. He was as helpless as a newborn baby.
After a few months he said to himself: I won’t spend my life in a wheelchair. So he went to a rehabilitation centre where he fought for the strength of his legs. It took him 2 years to learn how to walk again. He still limps. His brain works slower, too.
Well, after a few years of deep depression my dad met my mother. She was visiting her cousin in Germany, whose husband was one of my dad’s friends. They immediately fell for each other - he took her to an Italian restaurant in his red VW - my mom was so impressed because at this time normal people in the Philippines had no cars. They talked English and my mom told me that my dad had a terrible German accent. But he was gentle and sensitive, caring and funny so she couldn’t forget him back in the Philippines. And a few months after they had met for the first time, my mom decided to move to Germany to spend her life with him. Best decision ever, if you ask me.
However, my dad told me once that he fought because of this little thought:

What if I have my own family one day? What if I have kids? Who will teach them how to ride a bicycle?

I cried so much when he told me this.
Today, my dad is helpless again - not as helpless as after his accident, but he needs my mom. As his brain works much slower than the brains of healthy people, he is not able to work. My mom is the main earner in our family. I know that he hates it, it must be very hard for him, so he does little jobs at his friend’s garage (my dad was a mechatronic engineer). He is slowly turning into a mentally handicapped person. That makes me so sad. He forgets things easily, he stutters a lot. It hurts so much to watch my daddy get weaker and weaker.

I love my dad. Sometimes I think he doesn’t know that because we fight pretty often. We hardly get along. My mother always says: I can’t believe that you wanted to marry your dad when you were in kindergarten. In fact, people wouldn’t belive it. I’m a total bitch and I hate myself for being like this sometimes. I’m so impatient when I try to explain something to him and he doesn’t understand immediately. My dad often has to fight my bad temper.

Last Sunday I watched a German TV show. There was an old man who was left completely alone after the death of his wife and the death of his beloved dog. And I asked myself: What will happen to my dad if my mom dies? I know I shouldn’t think about stuff like this. I started to cry.

Well Dad, I know you will never read this but here is my apology. I want you to know that no matter what I say, I love you. I admire you for your love. I want to thank you for showing me how to ride a bicycle. And thanks for the bicycle tours to the ice cream parlor. I’m sorry for saying you’re a bad cook - you just shouldn’t experiment with spice, that’s all. I want to thank you for watching my sister and me riding horses when we were young. I’m sorry for all the dreams you had that will never come true and I’m sorry for saying that your dreams will never come true. I promise that one day - when the time is right - I will do anything to make your number 1 wish come true: seeing the world with mom.

When I was 3, you were my hero. When I was 6, you were my hero. When I was 13, you were my hero - you held my hand while I got a dental brace and after that, you told me I was still beautiful. When I had a car accident at 15, you were my hero. When I had financial problems at 18, you were my hero.

You’ll always be my hero.

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It Stands the Test of Time -- Mysterious Cities of Gold Revisited

Yesterday, I was just plain anxious. Sometimes it's hard to be an adult, thinking about Monday being just a day away and all that stupid unfinished business you didn't get to over the weekend.

Why didn't I work on my novel? How much freelance work do I need to do to buy a new mattress? How am I ever going to pay off these damn student loans? Does my desire for matching throw pillows indicate a deep attachment to the bourgeois ideals I claim to reject? I mean any pillow should do...

First world problems. I'm lucky to have them, right? Still, they can pose some existential angst in one Ms. William Shakespeare at times, especially when she knows there is something beyond them, something amazing to behold; she can feel it.

After a day of struggling against this angstiness and not succeeding, I decided the best solution was to draw the curtains (which I can proudly say I made by hand. Take that Capitalist Oppressors!), turn off the lights, hide under a blanket and watch Mysterious Cities of Gold.

And I'm glad I did. I first watched this anime when I was very young, so young I can't remember anything about it, except that it evoked a feeling, a kind of sad longing, like being on the edge of something -- probably the first time I banged my little kid head up against anything like existential angst at all.

I remember feeling it in the pit of my eight-year-old belly every time the theme song came on, and as a thirty-something woman, I felt that same kind of sad longing when I began revisiting the series today.

Some day we'll find them...the Mysterious Cities of Gold.

***

I wonder if the new series will be just as good?

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Kissing--Manga

Kissing by Teiko Sasaki and Shoko Takaku centers on the friendship of college seniors Haru and Kazushi. And it is another angst-fest. These two childhood friends are often mistaken as a couple by the people around them as a result of their comfort and affection with one another. Already I am a smitten kitten at this point. I love stories about close friendships that blur boundaries between amorous, philial and fraternal love, so even if there were not the later element of a hidden amorous/erotic love thrown in I would still be drawn to the story. Haru and Kazushi rely on one another's friendship so it is no surprise that Kazushi holds back his feelings from Haru for fear of risking what they already have together. It isn't until Haru pushes Kazushi for answers about his secret love interest that the truth is revealed. Haru's response is shock and dismay...followed by avoidance and an angry confrontation about how Kazushi should have just kept quiet. Behind the surface, though, readers are made aware of how much Haru relies on Kazushi and how oblivous he has been to the effort Kazushi has put into their friendship over the years. It is time for Haru to grow up.

As graduating seniors each friend is plagued with concerns over their future, and what it might hold. When Haru learns of Kazushi's goal to move to America for an MBA, he considers the loss that that entails and subsequently the important role Kazushi has played in his life. What is the difference between friendship and love? At times it is quite clear, but for these two characters whose lives have been so intertwined the distinction is almost irrelevant. They belong to one another in so many ways that the shift from platonic to romantic love seems inevitable in some ways.

The manga centers on that shift, and the fear that if "things go wrong" their longstanding friendship will be destroyed. It is also sprinkled with nostalgic moments that show us how their relationship has developed over the years. Scenes of Kazushi sneaking through Haru's window mean much more in the context of his now-public confession. Very Romeo and Tybalt! The genuine affection between the two characters is beyond sweet, and their fear of losing one another motivates each to reimagine their connection to one another. All in all, this is a really sweet and tender story about not only the crossroads between different types of love, but the uncertainties these students face regarding their future together and apart.

The manga rates itself as 16+ (for one little scene at the end).

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when you smile

weheartit + unknown

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A Love Song for the Miserable--Manga

Hooray, another yaoi involving a bakery and older characters! Although, I'm not sure this angsty-yearn-fest is Ms. Shakespeare's cup of tea (too much tension and tortured emotion), it is CERTAINLY mine.

Yukimura's A Love Song for the Miserable has a great title, doesn't it. And it's pretty appropos of what to expect from the single volume work. The main character, Itsuki Asada, is a miserable guy who hates his job, his life and...well, he's a little bitter. The story starts with Asada drunkenly ranting about his position at a Tokyo department store to a co-worker. The co-worker, annoyed by his pity-party, leaves him half-passed out in some shrubbery (I love the word shrubbery) where a runner by the name of Iwasaki Nao runs, quite literally, across him.

Nao has a dilemma of his own. His father owns a bakery and wants Nao to take over, but Nao is unsure of himself and his abilities. He is an avid runner (with a very poor sense of direction), who uses running to sort out his problems and lost in thought finds himself in an unfamiliar area. They "rescue" one another: Nao pulls the drunken, sobbing Asada from the bushes and Asada gives Nao directions home. The ever-exhuberant Nao scribbles his own directions on a scrap of paper. The directions are to Nao's bakery "The Star," where he asks Asada to come by for a pastry as thanks. Uncharacteristically, Asada does come by and discovers that Nao is a very talented, yet untrained pastry chef. Nao discovers that Asada may be helpful in developing his skills, as a critic and a taster. The two form a quick friendship which temporarily lifts Asada from his slump. He finds himself feeling useful and relied upon for once and relishes the opportunity to be a part of something successful.

It is not until Nao decides to begin training in France that Asada realizes that his friendly feelings for Nao might be something more. Rather than confess his feelings to his friend Asada does the exact opposite, he snaps at Nao, plays down the importance of their friendship and snubs Nao's ambitions. The two part on terrible terms and Asada once again falls into his misery.













Asada is miserable. He's pretty much always miserable. Look at that anguish!























Three years later the two are thrust into a business situation and hurt feelings on both sides cause even more tension between the two. Finally the stand-off breaks, but unfortunately Asada realizes that not only is he still the same miserable person in an unsatisfying career that he was three years ago, he's also still in love with Nao who is now a world-reknowned patissier. As Asada himself says, he loves Nao but hates him at the same time. Nao, who is open and honest and almost puppy-ish in his devotion, has things that Asada wants (not just his body). Asada is jealous, bitter and heartbroken when he's around Nao, but he longs for Nao when they are parted. Asada is one tortured soul...and kind of a puss. Finally Nao reveals that he thinks he has figured out Asada, and that he wants to make him happy because "No one wants to see such a (sad) face on the person they love." Despite the love confession, Asada bolts just after this painful scene:





Seriously, Asada, you have got to quit beating yourself up...it really isn't that bad.
All in all, this is the kind of crappy manga I adore. It has long-standing secretive emotions, defensiveness to conceal heartbreak and some awesome looking desserts.  It doesn't hurt that Yukimura, whom I have grumbled about before, seems to have solved some of her problems with foreshortening and perspective in the artwork. I really love the sort of stark anguish on Asada's face, and the way his posture and body language conveys his mood. She's improved by leaps and bounds over the years.


A Love Song for the Miserable  may not be for everyone. It is (I keep saying it) a fairly miserable story.  Thankfully it all turns around (a bit) in the end. Maybe nothing will put a smile on the beautiful Asada's face? Maybe some people wear tragic quite well?


NC-17 or whatever, not a lot of graphic sex in this book. What's there is sweet and fairly modest, but I warn you anyway.

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Three Magical Weeks

Uh, so much stuff happend in the last week and as always I was super, super busy. And I still am.
The exams of my study started and I had to learn a lot. I decided to create a new costume for the next conventions. I created my own wedding dress for my wedding (which was now two weeks ago and I got more new awesome jobs.


Now my exams are over and I'm able to spend all my time and creativity in my new project: Wizard from Diablo III:



Bildunterschrift hinzufügen
I decided on this cosplay pretty sponanous. There were only a few weeks left for the next convention and I was not in the mood to keep on working on my Druid Tier 9 or my Demon Hunter. And I wanted to create a further costume for Blizzcon and Dragoncon, which should be corfortable and wouln't need a lot of space in my suitcase. And then I discovered this artwork from the awesome Blizzard artist Glowei. It was just perfect and I was sure I would be able to finish this costume in three weeks.


So, two weeks are over now thus far I was pretty succesful.
At first I did a lot of research and especially the fabric choice was a pretty important decision. My final choice was a combination of silk satin and china jaquard:





The pattern of the dress was not easy in addition. The artwort is full of light and dynamic and it's not easy to imagine what kind of pattern I need for the right shape of the dress. Well, I gave my best and hoped, it would look at least a bit similar to the reference.


 


Sadly my reference picture has a pretty bad resolution, but the artwork itself is full of tiny details. So, it was really hard for me to guess what I had to create. At the end I used my fantasy to bring some parts of this artwork to life. And wonderflex, ha ha. The big metallic parts are made out of it and the rest is made of a ton of beads, chains and cord. I also was not sure, if I like the result, but when all parts slowly came together I was more and more satiesfied with my work.


 


I'm also not really good in sewing. I'm able to create huge armors, gigantic swors shiny glowing stuff, but I'm scared of the easiest sewing jobs. So the top was pretty hard for me and it was also not really easy to work with china jaquard and silk.That's the reason why I'm really proud of this result, despite of it's really bad sewed and has a lot of flaws.





Here you see one of my "fantasy results". I used a lotus for many parts, because it fits well to this costume and is used often for chinese artworks. I still have no idea what's exactrly in the original artwork, but I guess a lotus flower is a acceptable reaplacement.





And before you ask: Yes, I covered the Wonderflex with about ten layers of Gesso before I painted it. I simply used acrylic metallic colors and fnished it with gloss. Both was applied with a brush. 



Maybe you noticed it guys, but my fabric choice has a critical mistake: I don't have any dragons or lines and is just red. In addition the china jackqard has too many, too tiny dragons and lines. I really tried to find a fabric with these paintings, but had no chance. So the only way was to paint the fabric by myself. As you can see I used a dragon template in three diffrerent sizes (I bought the two of them, the biggest one was created by my husband for me). I started the paint today until my colors ran out. Now I have to buy more tomorrow and hope to be able to finish it.





You see, the costume is almost done and I'm really, really satiesfied with the result. Now I just need some further details, the boots and bracers. The artwork shows also three weapons, but I know I have no time to create them. Despite of I'll try to built the staff this week. So wish me luck and look forward for the first final photos. And as always you can follow my progress live on my cosplay progress page on facebook.




And before I'll leave you, here are some photos of my self made wedding dress and of my wedding:





You see, I'm a married woman now. Alexstrasza found her Korialstrasz and I hope to share many wonderful cosplay projects with my husband soon. So be good and don't flirt too much with me next time, ha ha! :)


And now I have to keep on working and hope you are also creative and busy as always! See you soon, guys!

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Three Magical Weeks

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Supernatural Anime Series -- 2 days to DVD release! Squee...

In live things turned into anime news:




Supernatural The Anime


It's supposed to be darn good, my friends, at least according to folks who've had a sneak peak at the San Diego Comicon.


Man, I remember a long ago time when I used to get go to things like that, get all fanboyish in a fangirl way before geek was chic. Oh, man, I sound like an old lady, but in Geekdom, I think I might be.

In anime turned into live action news:



Avatar: The Last Airbender should have remained an anime.

Speaking of adaptations, I'm currently watching the live action adaptation of my beloved, beloved Avatar: The Last Airbender. It's very white-peopley, ugg, and the narrative is a mess.

But, if you are a fan of the animated series, you already know the live action film is a complete stinking pile of crap. :( Why am I watching it, you ask? Because it is streaming on Netflix, and I find I will watch things so much crappier than my sensibilities would normally allow because I can.

Oh, wow, exposition. Want to learn how not to write? Watch this movie!

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Supernatural Anime Series -- 2 days to DVD release! Squee...

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miles between

ph: unknown

He left me - again. No he didn't break up with me or leave me for another girl, he left me for another passion of his, traveling. I always knew that even when he came back he would leave again because it's in his blood, it's what comes naturally and passionately to him. When we first started dating he went abroad for 6 months to another country. Even though we had just started dating before he life, it was the hardest 6 months I have ever endured in my life. But we fell in love, the old fashioned way. Through letters and e-mails (not so old fashioned), but everything we did had passion behind it. We didn't touch for 6 whole months. Imagine not being able to have the person you love give you a simple hug because there was literally 7,000 miles between you.

When he returned we were inseparable, but I knew he would eventually leave again. Like I said before, it's in his blood, it's part of his make up. He's a free spirit and someone I look up to. He has brought out qualities in myself that I could never imagine having and that is just a simple reason of many why I'm so crazy about him. He left a week ago to follow his dream and move across country to California. No plans, no expectations, just a dream he has always had.

And what about me? I'm back on the East Coast. As much as I want to scream at him and tell him he's selfish, ask why he left me again, tell him to stay, I won't. Because what kind of girlfriend would I be if I did that? What kind of girlfriend does not support their soul mates dreams even if it does mean being a little selfish? Everything is supposed to happen for a reason and Fate works in way that are unthinkable. I know in my heart that it will work out the way it is supposed to. We fell in love through distance, we fell in love through struggle. We've been together for almost 2 years now and I still get butterflies when I think about touching him again.

I look up to him for what he does and how he does it. At times, I may think he is stubborn and almost impossible but that does not make me love him any less. Struggles make you stronger whether you realize it or not. This time I know it will work even better than it did the last.

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No.6, Episode 3

Okay, I don't plan on doing episodic breakdowns of every show I watch, but seriously, any anime that quotes Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde gets a little extra attention.

In Episode 3, Nezumi, with the help of his robotic rats, having saved Shion from the fate of a deviant within the walls of No. 6, introduces his charge to life outside them.

Shion is suffering a kind of innocent Shion-esque culture shock, not fear really, curiosity, maybe. When it starts to sink in that he won't see his mother again, he starts to have some doubts. Shion begins to exhibit signs of the scary "virus" that took down his co-worker in No. 6; he feels an infection at the back of his neck and tells Nezumi to cut it out. Nezumi does so without any anesthetic, and Shion begs to die. Nezumi convinces him he wants to live, reminding him of his mother and this girl that has been a lifelong friend.

He cuts out the infection to discover it is a pupa of some kind. Shion sleeps for three days. When he wakes up, his hair has turned white, and he has a strange spiraling scar that runs up and down the length of his body, but he is alive.

He and Nezumi discuss the killer bees, which are born from the pupa and bound to infect the inhabitants of No. 6. Nezumi wants them all to die. Shion is perplexed. This goes on a while, then Shion says he wants to know the secrets of the city. They go together to see a woman called the Dog Keeper.

Wow, well that is the breakdown. Killer bees, huh? We shall see. I like the interplay between Nezumi and Shion, and like I said before, I won't be surprised if fangirls get all fanfic up in their biz.

There is definitely an intimacy between them. Nezumi/Rat feels a deep affection for Shion. He says it's because he saved his life, but I think he's moved by the fact that Shion is different. He's not a fully submissive No. 6 citizen, nor is he jaded by life outside its walls. Shion is his own special something.





Nezumi is pretty rad, though I hope he doesn't spend the entirety of the series being all disaffected and emo like so many characters of his ilk before him.

The series feels like something new, so I really, really hope it can and does deliver something new.

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No.6, Episode 3

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Squeefinity Stir!

Hey, people are starting to notice our little blog. Sure, half of them are here searching for pictures of Ciel Phantomhive, but some of them might stay to read our rambling reviews about crappy (and fantastic) anime and manga.

Here are some places we've been listed/shared/linked to recently:
http://www.gameycrazy.com/
Mangawriter.com
http://childrenofsaintclare.wordpress.com/
japaneseclass.jp

People have been reposting/linking us from other countries and have even been tweeting/retweeting links to our posts. Cool!

We started this blog a few years ago as a way to share our love of good and bad anime and manga, and we were (maybe) a little lax for a while, but we've picked up the pace and would like to keep going.  We've got plenty of posts, reviews and even a few theoretical discussions slated for the coming months. If any of you dear readers would like to make a suggestion for a review or discussion, or reading/viewing recommendations please comment and let us know. I think I can speak for Ms. Shakespeare when I say we are both excited that people are interested in anime and manga, and that we love that people are coming by to read our comments on new and existant titles in the genres.

I'm super geeked about the whole thing. How geeked?




Ryo is surprised and slightly embarassed. Awww...Ryo!

That's a pretty good illustration of it.
Ryo is sooooo cute!

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Squeefinity Stir!

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Constellations in my Palm--Manga

I've decided that I'd like to review some of my absolute favorite mangas. Be warned, most of them are yaoi (boy/boy) and most of them have at least one graphic-ish scene.




Among the manga I find myself re-reading the most is a single volume work (a one-shot) called Constellations in my Palm. The story is by Chisako Sakuragi and the art by (one of my favorites) Yukine Honami. For a single volume work it is rather hefty 246 pages...of some of the most angst-filled, tension-riddled, sweetly painful writing/art that I've encountered in a manga. I am not particularly prone to weeping at manga, unlike a certain Lady-Bard I know, so when I say that this manga has the ability to bring me to tears, it's no insignificant thing.

The story is told from the point of view of college student Mizuho Odaima. When Mizuho was a child his best friend was his younger cousin Enji, they spent every family function together, and all summer joined at the hip...they dreamed about their future lives and followed their interests in astronomy and the universe. Enji looked up to Mizuho with something akin to hero worship, but eight years ago in the aftermath of a childhood accident an embarassed Mizuho pulled away from Enji entirely. Mizuho reflects on the incident and decides that after the accident all traces of admiration Enji once had for him had been replaced with a new and upsetting awkwardness, "I somehow sensed that this change came from his disillusionment with me. The realization was so heartbreaking--and so embarassing--and because at the time I was mired in a morass of self-conciousness I began to avoid Enji." Although Enji tried to contact him several times after that, Mizuho, trying to save face and avoid that "disillusionment," ignored him.

The story begins with the arrival of Enji to the Odaima household. Enji is starting his first year at a college nearby to study...you can guess...astronomy, while Mizuho has given up on his dreams to become what he believes is a more ordinary path, as a business major. When Enji arrives Mizuho is confronted by someone who seems a stranger to him in many ways, but someone he desires to become close to again. The cold awkwardness between the two cousins is well-written and effective. They try to find some common ground in their lives, to become friends again, but both are bitter and regretful of their separation, and each fails to understand the other's feelings as they struggle with their own. They are each so painfully nostalgic and uncertain that it is heartbreaking. Mid-story line it is clear to the reader, although not to Mizuho who is still struggling to make sense of things, that Enji's awkwardness comes from an overwhelming mixture of love and feelings of abandonment rather than disappointment and disillusionment. Mizuho whose lack of self-confidence has lead him to give up on every one of his grander dreams cannot accept the truth of Enji's love for him and sees it as another form of ridicule rather than a confession. Their misunderstandings and trepidation of the characters is ridiculous in many ways (each suspects the other of harboring feelings for a third party), but makes sense when framed in their long-standing, shared history and the true feelings they have for one another.

ARGH! This shit is painful! It's sweet and tender and clueless and angsty and just...awesome! Each of these characters is so broken and oblivous that it kills me. And scenes like the one below are gut-wrenching in context.





Mizuho (blonde) currently cannot speak because he knows he will cry
and believes that if he does Enji (dark-hair)
will be further dissapointed in him for being weak.



































Why are those boys torturing themselves?

Thankfully, in the end, one of Mizuho's friends helps him pull his head out of his ass and convinces that sometimes things are actually worth trying for, and that his love for Enji is the one thing he shouldn't give up on. And Enji, who gets defensive when he's emotionally vulnerable, backs down when Mizuho bravely confronts him about his feelings while (finally) admitting his own.

Oh, it's so awkward on so many levels. But, then again, what wouldn't be slightly awkward about two male cousins harboring almost decade long infatuations with one another? Yeah, despite the (or perhaps even "because of the") skeeve-worthy taboo-ness of their relationship this is a manga that deals with some complex emotions and is well worth reading. I am impressed by the way it makes an art of awkwardness. The confusion and longing is palpable in these characters, and their breaking points (like the one pictured above) are tenderly squeeworthy. They're so fragile despite their defenses...le sigh. Star-crossed lovers...le sigh. For real.

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Constellations in my Palm--Manga

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Foil friends

maison martin margiela foil rings

I bought this ring last week for my sister and by the time it was being packed up for me at the margiela store on burton street, I was fighting the temptation of getting one for myself as well... so I ended up buing two, justifying it with the thought that maybe it could be our geeky little friendship ring..

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Foil friends

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Tokko--Anime

Tokko makes me mad. Not because it is bad, mind you, but because the end of this 13 episode series doesn't seem like an ending at all. The series itself, up to the abrupt conclusion (which concludes very little) is rather interesting. Tokko is a psychic cop-drama...of course I like it! But it has one of the most incomplete feeling endings of any series I've ever watched.

Now, I know what you're thinking, Dear Readers, and no, they didn't just discontinue the series--they did actually plan a complete story arc...and what we see is the result. There is no part two. There is no resolution. There's just a whole lot of nothing (I mean beyond the unanswered questions and annoyance at being sucked into an anime that just fizzles out).


Watch Tokko Trailer in Entertainment | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com




The series follows new recruit (and orphan!) Ranmaru Shindo as he begins work with the fictive Special Mobile Investigation Troops First Division. Driven to both solve and avenge the death of his parents, Ranmaru in his investigations stumbles upon the members of Tokko, or Special Mobile Investigation Troops Second Division. Members of Tokko are shrouded in occult rumors, conspiracy theories and mystery.  Ranmaru keeps having run-ins with the members and eventually is taken into their unit.  Tokko unit members are "marked" by demonic power, and adopt a symbiant who protects and strenthens them in their primary mission--to destroy all 108 of the demons and phantoms brought into this world by the mystical "Box of Dirge." The destruction of these demons and phantoms will destroy the box, and close the pathway between the demonic and human worlds. During his time with Tokko Ranmaru discovers that it is this box and the demons it contained which were responsible for the death of his parents.  In fact, he discovers that he is among a handful of survivors of what has come to be called the "Machida Massacre" a disaster which claimed the lives of nearly everyone in a large apartment complex in Machida.

Then there's some stuff with a doctor who mutates, and all of a sudden it just ends. Boom. Done. No resolution. No finale. No final battle between good versus evil. Bleh. Done.

BOO! (If you are the type that can tolerate unfinished business, then this anime is well worth a watch, but those of you who need closure should look elsewhere).

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Tokko--Anime

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Hi there life

Yesterday I handed in my end of term uni essay... so in other words my summer vacation just started!!!!!
Now I need to do some shopping and pack before I head for a super long vaction to finland! It feels like fall already in london especially with all the new AW collections in store, but I hear it's still around 30 degrees back home... it's like getting a second chance at summer.


The other night when my parents were visiting I showed them sketch, still after 2 years it's one of my favorite places in london..


I have pics from lovebox and the forever 21 launch party coming up over the weekend!


xxx

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Hi there life

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unfinished business

Amber Marie Chavez + unknown

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unfinished business

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sexy.seventies.

Jessica Hart
Elle Spain August 2011


Source: tfs

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sexy.seventies.

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lady.rock.

Elisa Sednaoui
Elle Spain August 2011


Source: tfs

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lady.rock.

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