I thought about whether or not to post about this one, mostly because I wanted to post about something other than an anime (such as a manga, video game, or k/jdrama) but I decided that I might as well.
This is one of my favorite mangas/animes. I just really love the story. This is partly because I can relate to its main character, Tachibana Mei, and I think it really shows the lives of high schoolers in general. It is a romance/comedy but it's super good and I recommend everyone watch it. >___> EVE-RY-ONE.
Synopsis:
Tachibana Mei is a girl without friends and she prefers it that way. Because of an experience in elementary school, she believes that people will just betray your trust and shouldn't be given a chance. This changes once her world collides with the most popular guy in her school, Kurosawa Yamato. She kicks him, mistaking him for someone who was messing with her skirt and he's hooked on her instantly. This and that happens and they end up in love. Mei discovers the values of friendship through Yamato and his friends and also what it means to be a person who doesn't shy away from others. She learns how to love and how to express herself when before she never had to. Yamato learns to face his demons and how to be who he really is, despite the consequences.
Since explaining the characters won't really convince you to watch the anime, I'll just introduce you to them. ^_^
Tachibana Mei:
Kurosawa Yamato:
Oikawa Asami:
Nakanishi Kenji:
Mutou Aiko:
Takemura Kai:
And these adorable guys...
Kuro & Marshmallow:
If you're looking for something that will hit you right in the feels, this is definitely a good one... Trust me...
So... in a bit lovelies, I will have another post for you...hopefully.
Sorry, yesterday I refused to get out of bed, let alone post a blog... Wait, what? There are two things in this world that can make me feel better, and the number one is Kpop. Let's get to it. Anyway, I tried really hard not to like this group. I really, really, REALLY, tried hard not to like them because I honestly didn't see what all the fuss was about... I mean, really, they are from a popular company, they are really good looking, and there's a lot of them. Why wouldn't 95.7% of the population be, at least, CURIOUS about them. I was one of them when they first debuted, but for me, B.A.P grabbed my attention more. I'll explain why a different day...maybe... eventually. Continuing... Recently this group put out a new album but their second album really sold me on these boys. The choreography was amazing. I mean, SM really deserves a round of applause. Their choreographers sure know how to keep 12 boys busy on stage. I also applaud this group. They are genuinely good artists and idols. I guess I was biased because there was so much hype around them and I'm going to be honest, I didn't like their first album. If you are an Exotic (their fan group name, every idol groups...except F(x) has one... that I know of. Oh, and Winner) then you know what song I'm talking about already, if you're not, let us delve into the world of Exo. (Btw, try not to get sucked in... It's like starting a Tumblr. You're not sure what is going on, or what you signed up for, but it's exciting and addicting and the next thing you know, you're hooked. u__u) Group: Exo Song: 으르렁 (Growl) First off, let me say that Exo is comprised of 12 boys. That's right, 12. This group is broken up into Exo-M (Mandarin) and Exo-K (Korean). If you haven't guessed, this means that half of the group focuses on China, the other on Korea. This is a really smart plan. All 12 of them trained in Korea and during the last two albums they promoted as a group. I don't like a group that has to be divided, I like them being together, the dynamic is so much fun to watch. Anyway, 8 of the group members are native Korean, 4 Chinese. One of the ones from China is also a Canadian citizen. Now that the explaining is over, the music: Dance Version:
English Lyrics:
I’m warning you just in case (listen carefully) It’s dangerous now (so dangerous) Stop provoking me (there’s going to be trouble) I don’t even know myself
My breath keeps on stopping You walk towards me You smile at me Maybe you’re attracted to me too
My sights become dark When you stare at me The sound of your breathing You’re the one that makes me crazy
So nobody can look at you (when you smile) I want to hide you inside my embrace (I’m so serious) The stares that are after you Wakes up inside me There’s a harsh/fierce swirl/storm
CHORUS: A dark shadow has woken up inside of me Sparks fly in my eyes as I look at you Everyone step away from her (step away) It’s going to get fierce from now on I’m growling, growling, growling I’m growling, growling, growling I’m growling, growling, growling If you don’t back away then I don’t care if you get hurt*
With agitated stare and cutting tension I’m searching your surroundings You just stay still and look at me I’ll never let you go you’ll see
The stares that are seeking you who’s vividly shining in the blurry space The sound of the alarm is ringing in me
CHORUS*
E X O
Just in case another wolf looks at you Because my girl is too perfect I hold you softly within me [OR] I embrace you softly I become violent just for you
Only the strong one gets the beautiful woman Just go back because there’s no place You have zero chance Stop looking you’re going to wear her out If you desire her you have to win against me first
Let’s erase everyone one by one except us Paused as if only you and I exist here
CHORUS*
I’m growling, growling, growling I’m growling, growling, growling I’m growling, growling, growling If you don’t back away then I don’t care if you get hurt
Korean Version:
Korean Lyrics:
yo okay (sexy)
너 혹시 몰라 경고하는데 (잘들어)
지금 위험해 (so dangerous)
자꾸 나를 자극하지마 (큰일 나)
나도 날 몰라 (oh)
숨이 자꾸 멎는다 (엑소 케이) 니가 날 향해 걸어온다
나를 보며 웃는다 (엑소 엠) 너도 내게 끌리는지
눈 앞이 다 캄캄해 니가 뚫어져라 쳐다볼 때
귓가에 가까워진 숨소리 (away) 날 미치게 만드는 너인걸
아무도 널 못보게 (웃을 때) 품에 감추고싶어 (I’m so serious)
널 노리는 시선들이 (yo) 내 안에 일어나 거센 소용돌이
검은 그림자 내안에 깨어나
(ha) 널보는 두눈에 (na na na na) 불꽃이튄다
그녀 곁에서 모두가 물러나 이제 조금씩 사나워진다
나 으르렁으르렁으르렁 대 (으르렁 워)
나 으르렁으르렁으르렁 대
나 으르렁으르렁으르렁 대
너 물러서지 않으면 (yo) 다쳐도 몰라 (골치아파)
날이 선 눈빛과 베일듯한 긴장감
지금 탐색중이야 (yeahap) 너의 주위를 baby huh
넌 그냥 그대로 있어 나만을 바라보면서
절대 널 보내지않아 두고봐 baby yeah
흐린 공간속에서 (흐린 공간속에서) 선명하게 빛나는 (선명하게 빛나는)
널 노리는 시선들 내 안에 울리는 경보 울림소리
검은 그림자 내안에 깨어나 (oh) 널보는 두눈에 (na na na na) 불꽃이튄다 (ok)
So...I was going to post pictures of my L.A. trip yesterday, but I didn't. I also didn't think of anything else to post.
Today, I had a reason to post.
I know many of you read my blog because I am sometimes funny and I talk about varied interests, and I apologize if this brings you down. This blog is my release. I'm a full-time student and essentially a part-time worker. I don't have a great home/family life, I deal with mental disorders, I am an introvert, and I have very few friends I can honestly say I'm close with. This is my place to write what I feel like. This is my place to express myself in ways I otherwise cannot. So I'm going to be writing a real personal.
I've never been really close to any members of my family except three people. My dad, Isaac on my dad's side, and his wife but that was much later, and Seunghyun from my mom's side. Both of my cousins are like brothers to me, except I never get to see them. That being said, it doesn't mean I don't care about my family. Next to honesty, morals, and friendship, comes family to me. (I realize that may not seem like the normal hierarchy but bear with me.)
I haven't been to Korea in 8 years. It's been 8 years since I've seen my Seunghyun oppa. It's been 8 years since I've seen my aunts, my uncles, my cousins. 8 years from a place I called home.
The reason I bring this all up, today (12/22/13), while I was at lunch from work, I found out my uncle died of cancer. He's in Korea, so I doubt I'll make the funeral, but I would like to go out there, and soon. See, the reason why I don't see a lot of my family is for two reasons:
1. I live far away from all of them.
2. My parents and my aunts and uncles disagree quite often.
Because of this, I am ostracized from my family a lot. Even though my immediate family had problems, that doesn't mean I didn't care about any of them. I love them, they're my family. How could I not? I'm in a lot of pain right now. I can't stop crying because I can't stop thinking about all the fun times I had with him. He used to buy me snacks as a kid, hold me up, drive me around Daegu when he was out delivering. I remember walking back to his house and his shop from my gramma's and he would always smile, laugh, try and make me smile and laugh. A kid who barely could speak Korean. I like to think he loved me the way I loved him.
The thought that I can never see him again, kills me. I feel so guilty about not seeing him before he passed. The next time I see him, I'll be at his grave, apologizing for not coming sooner. I really want to be next to my family and comfort them. I really want to say I'm sorry for not being available and not fighting harder to see them. I've missed my family. The thought that there is one person I will never be able to see again, hurts. I haven't had a death close to me in about a decade. I don't know how to mourn, but I am mourning. It seems silly when you realize that I don't hold any recent memories or particular fondness, but I can't help it.
I want to go to Korea soon, and hopefully I'll be able to, so I can mourn properly. Until then, I don't think I'll be okay for awhile. I apologize if I seem lethargic or sensitive, but I don't cope well with sadness. If I miss some blog days, please forgive me.
To my uncle,
I'm really sorry I couldn't see you sooner. I'm really sorry for all the pain I might've caused you. I miss you and I hope you didn't suffer the last few years. I'll come visit soon, I promise.
To my lovelies, I apologize for this sad bit, but I had to get it out.
Until next time.
If you don't know what the title references, then you are definitely not from my Disney generation... >__> <___<
Anyway, so today, as promised, is a cosmetic review! (Sorry the picture isn't pretty...)
Brand: Shiseido
Product: Sheer Matifying Compact
Color: I20/I40
Place of Purchase: Macy's
Cost: Free. (Sample)
Rating:
As I've said before, I don't wear foundation. I don't like the texture on my skin or the weight against my skin. I do wear translucent powder and tinted translucent, so I decided to start trying powders that were meant to be lighter coverage. This is the Shiseido, Sheer Matifying Compact. My shade would actually be about O20 or O40. When we matched my skin during the summer, I was an O40 but I've lost a lot of color since then, so O20 is better for Winter, at least for me.
The reason why I got the I20/I40 versus the O20/O40 was because they didn't have any more samples in that shade. I wanted to feel the texture and see how I liked it before I bought it, so the shade didn't quite matter to me.
How I used it:
After I washed my face, used my "toner", applied serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. I used a powder brush and applied all over the face in a swirling motion.
What I liked:
I liked that it was light. It didn't feel like a full face of makeup, it didn't feel like I had anything on but my regular translucent/tinted translucent. My skin looked natural and it evened out my complexion just a bit. It didn't add too much color to my face and even when I used the darker shade, it still blended easily. (I do not recommend using a darker shade... Trust me, getting just the right shade is better than it being lighter or darker. We don't want to see the foundation line.)
What I didn't like:
The reason why this doesn't have a higher rating is because of my personal preference, quite honestly. As a twenty year old girl, I should probably get used to wearing foundation/foundation powders. But I still can't get used to it. I prefer loose powders over pressed and tinted translucent are always my first choice. In theory, there really isn't anything wrong with this product. If I had the full sized, I'm sure I'd keep using it and eventually love it to death. I'm just not used to it...
I honestly would recommend this to anyone who is just starting out with makeup/is younger. It's a great product and it is light, natural, and looks as if you aren't wearing anything at all! (At least to the untrained/un-seeking eye)
I looked it up online, and at Macy's it is $8.50 for the case and $30 for the refill. So $38.50 the first time. That's really not bad at all for makeup.
I may be a bit bias here, I mean I am the targeted demographic of this anime, but this was a really good fanservice.
Let me explain something.
Most of the time, fanservice animes are for boys and often times that's where you get the silly ecchi (lots of pantie shots, boob close-ups, etc) animes that don't really have a plot but man is it entertaining somehow.
Kyoto Animation made a trailer to show how well they could create animation and use cinematography. Fan girls KYAAAHHHHH-ed over the fact that it wasn't a male marketed bit, but a female one. So naturally, the girls wanted that teaser to be made into an anime. Kyoto Animation was smart and listened to what people asked for. I don't think they could've made a better decision.
Of course, I was really excited. Here, let me show you the teaser they made...
Only 31 seconds...
...31 seconds and they made an anime out of it.
Synopsis:
The anime focuses on five characters. Boys that are swimmers/become swimmers. It's about friendship and finding out what is most important to yourself. It's about achieving dreams and realizing realities and even though sometimes the realities are disappointing in comparison to your dreams, you can still come out a winner.
The Iwatobi Swim Club is made up of four boys, Haru, Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei. The real reason they started this club was because Haru, Makoto, and Nagisa's childhood friend, Rin, no longer speaks to them, but they all want to swim with him again. They all want to understand why they grew distant. But Haru and Rin share a troubled past, one that leaves both of them a bit traumatized.
Haru:
Haru is a swimming prodigy. He only swims freestyle but he's amazing at it, even at a young age. Even though he's great at it and he does swim, he doesn't particularly care about competitions. He doesn't even really care about anything but being in the water. He always has a pair of swim trunks underneath his pants and always is in water.
His character develops. He remains the quiet "cool" guy but you see him start to branch out and grow into someone who realizes he has friends and is happy with them. He realizes he wants to swim for them..
Makoto:
Makoto is Haru's best friend. He's a loyal and sensitive character. He can read a situation easily and becomes the peacekeeper no matter what the situation is. It makes him quite likable, but what makes his score on the likability chart go off is that he's courageous and takes on his fears head on. We learn about a traumatic past but he pushes passed it.
Nagisa:
Nagisa is adorable. Hands down. No complaints. No apologies. No anything. He's adorable and intriguingly perceptive. He serves as comic relief a lot and is pretty shameless... *cough* skinny dipping *cough*. He's kind of the nagging sister character who also always gets her way because she's adorable... Except... He's a boy... Hmm, maybe I have a complex about Nagisa..
Rin:
This badass' name is Rin. Rin was in the same swim club as Haru, Makoto, and Nagisa. They were childhood friends and he was a bright, happy child. He managed to convince Haru to participate in a race and it was kind of because of him that Haru realizes he wants to swim with his friends later down the road. But he becomes this dark character because he can't beat Haru. It's revealed that this isn't necessarily the only thing that's holding Rin back, but I won't spoil too much of the anime. He's a fun character and his sharp teeth are always interested.
Rei:
I'm sure that there are better pictures that would show Rei's "cool" side... but I think this picture aptly summarizes Rei's character. He's calculative, a perfectionist, and, let's face it, he's dorky, silly, and pretty child-like. I don't mean it in a negative way. When Rei is first introduced to the audience, you think, "Wow, he's kinda impressive." and then you have a OTL moment when you realize he's kinda a fail... But he makes up for it later and becomes cool again... only to produce another OTL, then coolness...and so on. I died though during this part:
You'll have to watch it to understand...
The reason why I like this anime so much, other than the obvious, gratuitous shirtless-ness that is abundant in this anime, is that it wasn't just fanservice. In the grand scheme of things, I don't think I would've rated this anime so high if it wasn't for the fact that they put as much depth into the characters as they did. The characters developed in a good way that was pleasant and thought-out. The story was something realistic for its world. The issues addressed in the anime is still something that people can relate to. And most importantly, Kyoto Animation listened to its audience. They could've gave us a 12 episode series where the characters just raced and that was that. Happy characters, no real issues. They created Rei and put Rin at a different school to create an interesting story!
(I was an Asian Studies major, I studied a lot of pop culture in Japan...)
Anyway, if you're a heterosexual female, homosexual male, bisexual male or female, you're definitely the intended audience, but I think the story is something everyone could enjoy...if the abundance of shirtless men doesn't bother you.
Until next time, my lovelies.
Preview for the next post:
..were you really expecting something else? lol, I promise to post other brands soon.
...On a schedule for my blog posts. I know it's a bit all over the place but I'm trying to get used to having something to do on top of work, school, and social life.
So here I go.
Monday: Something Kpop/Korea related.
Wednesday: Something video game/anime/manga/drama
Friday: Cosmetic/Beauty/Fashion related
Saturday: Something personal (either questions answered, about my life in general etc.)
Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday will be my days to think about content/post random bits. Say for example something exciting happens and I need to share my life. xD
If I miss a day, I will post double the next post day. If I know I'll miss a day, I will post a notice.
Sound good?
(...I'm worried this won't last long. Self-confidence level at a 4...)
