Thursday, July 29, 2010

Dengeki Daisy

So a few days ago I went on to my email and saw my "special coupons and picks just for you" email I get from them occasionally. I decided to check it out, see what they want me to buy. The picks are based off of things that you have bought, and seeing as how my most recent buys are manga (...) A bunch of manga pops up. Its usually stuff I have bought(?) or am not really interested in. But a few days ago...

I get on there, look down, and see... DENGEKI DAISY!!!!

I was exstatic! I have loved that manga for a long time, one of my favorite shoujos, and now its in ENGLISH!!!! YES!!!

Its about a girl whose brother has died and left her a cell phone, her only contact with a mysterious figure named DAISY. They write it all capitilized too, thats not me and my twitchy caps finger. She is a poor, bullied girl only in high school because of a scholarship, the reason for her being bullied by rich student council. But what I really like about her is her strength. She doesnt let any of it get to her, partially(and she says this) because she has DAISY to help her and cheer her up.

The beginning shows her actually lying to DAISY, saying she is fine when in actuallity she is not. Then due to certain circumstances, you find out who DAISY is, but she (Teru) has no idea its the deliquent janitor who is making her pay for a broken window by working for him.

His name is Kurosaki, and he is probebly one of the most attractive Shoujo men I have ever had the privledge to read about. He seems cruel and harsh, but as DAISY, he is always there to help her. But she wont ask DAISY for help, because she doesnt want to take advantage of his kindness. As Kurosaki and as DAISY, he helps her out, guides her and teases her, and begins to love her. He has a checkered past that you begin to see, something connected to her brother and the work they were doing, as well as before her brother was in the picture.

Its an action romance, with intrigue and well developed characters that grow as the story progresses. The art and story line are very well done and interesting, keeping you flipping pages and admiring scenery and dialouge. I have re read it online a couple times, and I would definetly suggest reading it. Actually, if you havent, just do it. You wont regret it.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Rurouni Kenshin

So, as previously stated, I have finally (re)started Rurouni Kenshin. I am pretty far, about chapter 80. It is a total 180 compared to the last manga I read, The Breaker. The Breaker (UH-mazing) is set in modern Tokyo with martial arts and fast cars. Rurouni Kenshin is set at the beginning of the Meiji Era when swords were banned and the Japanese still wore kimonos. It is in this time frame actually that martial arts became a more prominent and important way of fighting, since swords were banned and self defense was still needed.

So this story is about a Rurouni (wandering swordsman) who has long red hair and a cross shaped scar on his cheek. He looks kind of like a puppy, and is very unassuming, except for his blatant disregard of the edict banning swords in public. He ends up helping a girl named Kaoru clear the name of her dojo, and in the process she finds out he is the legendary Hitokori Battousoui, the "Human Killer" of the just ended war. However, he has now renounced his previous name and goes by Himura Kenshin, a Rurouni who wanders around helping those in need with his reverse blade, sakabato. The reverse blade is so he doesn't kill again, and he ends up staying with Kaoru.

His name and skills attract many friends and enemies, and as of right now
*spoiler*
He has left his group, the self titled Kenshin-gumi or Group of Kenshin. Ok, the scene where he leaves...
IS JUST LIKE IN NARUTO!! With sasuke and sakura! When Sasuke leaves Sakura gets this bad feeling and so she goes to the only place he could be and meets him there and tries to stop him. She cries and pleads. He comes behind her and says thank you before knocking her out and gently leaving her behind.

He does end up becoming bad, but in Rurouni Kenshin, he waits until everyone else has left (Sagara Sanosake, Megumi, Yahiko) before saying his farewell. He is face to face with her, and hugs her, thanking her for everything she has done, before leaving her gently, her tears still streaming down her face as she watches him leave.

Both scenes are really touching. I seriously had tears in my eyes for the Sauske and Sakura one. Anyway, I am really bad at summaries, hopefully this blog thing will help me. Suffice it to say, R.K starts out a Little slow, but picks up as you get going. It is really interesting, full of historical facts. However, I would like more character interaction and development. I know I say that a lot, but that is what makes most of an interesting story is the way the characters react to each other, to challenges, to situations, to problems they themselves have made. I like more growth and interaction. So far this story is just fight fight funny fight.

But now, as they all set off after Kenshin, I think a lot more is going to happen. You just have to hang in there.

Oh, and I think the manga-ka is an idiot. At least from the way he writes his side notes. but he cant be because this story is actually a really in depth historical adventure(hopefully with more romance and character development as it goes). Anyway, I do suggest it, so far I like it.

PS: sorry this post isnt very good. Its late, please forgive me.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Breaker

So I have found this AMAZING Korean manga called The Breaker.

It starts with a weak pushover boy named Shin-Woo who finds his new homeroom teacher displaying great power in a fight. Shin-Woo begs Chun-Woo, the teacher, to teach him how to be stronger, so he can protect himself and those he cares about. He finds determination and courage to make himself worthy of being trained by Chun-Woo. What he doesn't know is the dangers of the martial arts world he is about to enter, and that he is going to learn from the most dangerous and the best one there is!

I admit, normally I would be thrown off at first by a weak main character. But there is a lot of character growth in this manga as the boy learns about himself and those around him, and they in turn reveal more about themselves. It starts out a little slow, but after the first couple of chapters I couldn't stop reading it. And its helps that there are some good looking people in it...

For one thing, the other main character, Chun-Woo, is freakin HOT!! ahem.. I also really liked all the sub plot stuff going on. Its very relevant to the main story, pretty much intertwined and very much necessary, and gives background and interesting character development. There is some romance, which I looove. My favorite kind of manga(right now) is the kind with martial arts and a little bit of romance to spice things up.

This is set in modern Tokyo, and uses old school fighting martial arts methods. I really like stories that bring in legitimate, ancient practices that are well researched, developed, and explained, and then puts them in modern times.

The art is VERY well done. I have to say, Korean manga-ka's (Manga artists) do their art very well. You can definitely tell the difference. Korean is more detailed in some ways, more realistic and expressionistic in other ways. It is its own style, and an awesome one. Wish I had the words to fully express its awesomeness. How about you just go read it yourself? Then I wont have to.

There are several other important characters introduced as the story line progresses, and each one is unique and has special talents, gifts, abilities, techniques, styles, and personalities.

As of this post there are 63 chapters up.
*Spoiler-ish*

holy. crap. The last chapter??!!! INTENSE!!! This manga makes my heart race in anticipation every time I (figuratively) turn a page! The story weaves its way into your mind and for every battle or for every intense moment you are right there with them!

I am not good at summaries. I tend to make them really long and boring. So I wont go any farther than I have. Suffice it to say, if you like modern day setting with ancient martial arts techniques and styles, mixed with dangerous, bloody pasts and present, attractive characters, conflicted souls, determination and spirit, a nice portion of subtle romance(with some not so subtle in a couple places;) ) Then please do yourself a favor, kick back the old laptop(or desktop) and read this manga.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

All good things must come to an end...

Something devastating to the online manga reading world has happened. The largest, most popular online scanlation* website, www.onemanga.com, is closing down by the end of July.
(*scanlation, or scan, is the scanning, translation and editing of comics from a foreign language into a different language)

I cannot fully express how sad and upset I am about this.

Are you freaking kidding me?? For me, that is where it all started! Onemanga.com is where I read my first manga, and where I still go to almost every day(at least every week) to see if there are any new chapters in the manga's that I read, or if there is something new I would like. It has everything!!

It has the best scanlation, a dedicated management and a tip top website! It is the first site on the google page to pop up if you type in anything about reading manga. It is an international collection of some of the best manga, as well as putting out little known ones. And it has less pop ups than other sites! It is clean and well put together and simply wonderful! AND NOW ITS LEAVING!!! :'(

Apparently manga artists and publishers have never been fans of the online scanlation sites. ... Ok. I can see where that is a problem. It does bring into question copy right issues, art and story theft, all that crazy financial/political mumbo jumbo. But Onemanga.com always took off any scanlations that they were specifically asked by the publishers or manga artists/authors to take off. They are a very legitimate site and strove to keep it that way. And this site always, ALWAYS encouraged people to buy their favorite manga to support the artists. They never took unnecessary credit, and they always treated their fans with respect and were always trying to make improvements for a better online reading experience.

I started freaking BUYING One Piece because I read it on onemanga.com and realized that I wanted it in my hands! And there are several I would buy, but I cant because they are only in Japanese!!! This site brings together thousands of scanlating groups for the best quality translations and art, so that the readers can enjoy the cultural phenomenon of Japanese manga in English. At least on Onemanga.com, the translations are all in English.

The head honcho of the site wrote a sort of pop up letter whenever you sign into Onemanga, as of today since it wasn't there yesterday(since I was on there yesterday) explaining it all. It explains that since there has been so much uneasiness and uncertainty and down right dislike by manga artists/authors/publishers that he is going to respect their wishes *stab in my heart* and discontinue the manga scanlations and start removing all scanlations from the site.

You could tell it was a heartfelt and very difficult decision. Like I said, this site is always at the top of every list whenever you type in something about reading manga, any manga. It has grown from just scanlations of One Piece, Naruto and Bleach to having manga scanlations in the hundreds and even thousands. As of right now their total manga scans are 1,146.

I am having a hard time letting this sink it. It keeps hitting rock bottom and bouncing around in my brain making my stomach hurt. This is really a very monumental, devastatingly sad blow for all who read manga online. Maybe I cant speak for everyone. But I will certainly miss this site, which brought me into the world of manga and encouraged my writing, drawing, and manga/anime love.

This post may be cheesy to some, but:
R.I.P www.onemanga.com, as of July 2010. You will be sorely missed by many.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Until Death Do Us Part

Ok, so I am not putting up a full post today, since I really want to finish re reading(for the 10th time) Until Death Do Us Part, one of my favorite mangas. It has a blind, attractive master swordsman and a young precognitive girl set in modern Japan.

It is pretty much one of the most kick butt mangas I have ever read. Note that I am RE reading it...

Anyway, if you haven't read it, please do. It has some blood, but onemanga.com has it so it isn't bad. In my Opinion. Yes, I capitalized that purpose. Maybe I will put some pics up of it.. Sometime in the near future when I can give this manga the post it deserves. There are a lot of attractive guys (and girls....) in it. And the story line is freakin amazing and the art is way, way good.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Fanfiction

So when you read a manga or watch an anime, and it doesn't turn out exactly how you want it, or there is no pairing, or not enough action, or the plot went off in a way you didn't like, what do you do? Why, you make up your own story, of course!

Not everyone will make up a story, and even less will write it down, and fewer will actually put it out there; whether on the World Wide Web or just to some friends. It took a long time for me to actually write a story down, then a lot of encouragement and threats on my friends parts to get me to "publish" it, aka put it up on my favorite website, fanfiction.net.

This site is AH-mazing. It has several different categories for writers, like Anime/Manga, Cartoons, Books, Games, etc. Then it has genres split into stuff like Romance, Action, Adventure, Horror, etc.

Say you pick Anime/Manga(my personal favorite). It then leads you to a HUUGE list of all the anime and manga with stories people have written about them. You pick the anime or manga you want to read about, then it takes you to the page with all the stories. You can then pick your rating preference, your genre, language and characters. There are two character lists to allow you to pick a romance/friend pairing. Or if you pick just one character, stories with original characters pop up more frequently. I personally really enjoy those ones.

These people write their own stories, using the characters, powers, worlds and occurrences that are in the specific manga/anime. They can also create OC's, or original characters, to insert in the story. They can change the story however they like. They are the author, they are in charge. Often things are made up, but they are made up using what is known from the story. Pretty much anything goes. Talent and skill abound, as well as those less able to write anything, much less a story. You get a little bit of everything and everyone.

The writers often post to get critiques or ideas for their stories, as well as comments and reviews to help encourage them. It takes a lot of gumption and preparation to post, but once you do, its worth it. Some authors have a pretty loyal fan base for their stories, with chapters coming out once a week and devoured by the ravenous public.

I started reading fanfiction for(guess?)Naruto! Yep. The good old fall back. But for me there wasn't en ought romance, enough pairing, even though the series (to me) feels ripe with it. But I had pairings of characters in my head that I wanted to see more of, so while I browsed for Fanart for these pairings, I found fanfiction. I was hooked, totally and completely. I spent more time reading fanfiction then the actual story!

Then I gradually moved onto other anime/manga, and have been stuck on One Piece for awhile now. It was while reading One Piece that I felt somewhat restless. I was having a hard time finding a story that fit all or most of my criteria. Some were close, but they were missing some things. So then the thought hit me. Why don't I write some of my own, then it will have everything I like?

Easier said then done.

It takes a lot more work to write a story(especially with OC's) than to just read one. But, it is also more rewarding. I feel like I am actually doing something. While I seem to have chronic, reoccurring Writers Block(EVIL!) writing makes me feel like I can do something, that I am doing something, that I will do something! Maybe fanfiction isn't writing a novel. But hey, I gotta start somewhere, right? I cant describe the feeling I get when I am on a roll, typing like mad. Or the first time I published my 70 page, multi chapter story onto fanfiction.net. It was a thrill! Then when I got my first review, I jumped around like a mad man doing a disco I was so excited!!

I am constantly writing. I want to make something of it, and right now fanfiction is what I love writing. I write for One Piece right now, and the story I posted was about a Supernova named Eustass "Captain" Kidd and an OC I made. Her name is Burakkuson, or Blackthorn. And I love it! I go back and re read it sometimes! I am working on a Law one right now... writers block has plagued me throughout his story, but I have finally made a break through!
Hope all goes well with every ones stories, both written and imagined, and may the Muses be with you!

Friday, July 16, 2010

The Doctor is In: A look at Trafalgar Law

Ok, this will be a short post, I promise. And I know I have done a lot on One Piece.

What can I say, I'm obsessed. In a perfectly healthy, normal way. Really.

Anyway, if there are any requests for posts on anything else, please just let me know, I will be happy to comply :)

Ok, here it is:
Trafalger Law is introduced in Vol. 51, chapter 498 in the manga and episode 392 in the anime. He is one of the Eleven Supernova(rookies with a bounty over 100,000) with a bounty of 200,000. He is the Captain of the Heart Pirates as well as the Doctor. So far, he is the only captain that has a dual purpose on his ship. His nicknames are Surgeon of Death and Dark Doctor, with many intimidating rumors the reasons for his names.

The thing I am interested in is his tattoos. He has quite a few on his hands on on his forearms, tribal in design. I am using his character in a fanfiction of mine, so I have been trying to personalize this little known character. In my various musings, I came up with this:

Laws various tattoos look, to me, like clockwork gears. Even his Jolly Roger has small resemblance to a gear. Why is that? Law doesn't seem like the kind of man to just do something for the heck of it. He is a quiet, clever pirate, and an intelligent, sadistic doctor.

I also consider their name, The Heart Pirates. Now that might just be because he is a doctor. But what if it is something more? He has gear like tattoos, and he is the Captain/Doctor of the HEART pirates.

The human body could be compared to a clock. If all its gears are taken care of, it will function well. If not, it will slowly stop running. The heart is like a clock gear in the body, a key piece in the bodies mechanisms. So, could there be a connection between the name of the pirates and his tattoos, as well as his profession?

There are many speculations on why Law became a doctor. I will add mine to that growing list.

He became a doctor to see what made people "tick"; what put them together and kept them going. In the opposite, to also know what took them apart and stopped the "gears" from functioning. This ties in really well with his Devil Fruit. While the name of it is currently unknown, it appears to be an ability to control anything inside of a sphere that surrounds him. Like he can control and manipulate his surroundings inside that sphere as he sees fit.

The words he uses to activate his ability are "Room" which creates the visible sphere, and "Shambles" which allows him to move things around. In tandem with his ability he uses his Nodachi, a large sword the length of a man. When he uses it the objects and people in his sphere are separated however he wants. There is not blood or instant death, just separated parts floating everywhere that he can mix and match to his pleasure.

Eureka! To me it all ties together. The gear tattoos, his profession and names, his pirate crew name, even his ability and personality! He wants to see what makes people tick and is able to control it all through his ability as a doctor and as a Devil Fruit user. I think we will see a lot more out of Trafalger Law in One Piece, and in this blog :D

The Joy of Looking Back on a Foreshadow

I just had an epic mind boggling experience from One Piece!

HUGE FORESHADOW! Starting from chapter 524 that showed the huge cross that Zoro was admiring! In the anime they went more into detail on the crews whereabouts. Zoro is walking around the ruins of the war torn island, trying to find the sea while Perona(from the Thriller Bark arc) floats around him. As they come to the center of the ruins, he notices a huge cross in the very center. He pauses, looking at it intensely, admiring it and saying that it is very skilled work that took a lot of time and a lot of effort. Then he was attacked by the weapon wielding ape creatures.

THEN this latest chapter(592) has MIHAWK showing up with the island(Kuraigana) and he says it is his home! Mihawks theme tends to lean towards Spanish conquistador/vampire with crosses all over, with his sword in the shape of a cross to his tiny dagger that is a cross...

So that huge cross was a foreshadow of the island being Mihawks home! Zoro's Ultimate Rival, The man with the title The Worlds Best Swordsman! I never saw it coming.. it is so twistedly perfect that it is nearly impossible to spot!

That is one of the things I love about this manga/anime.. most things are tied in, back and around, creating foreshadows or tie-ins that seem random but actually make it that much more in depth and interesting!

And the thing is, it seems like Zoro doesn't even try to attack Mihawk! This is different because the first time Zoro sees Mihawk in chapter 51 at the Baratie(Floating restaurant where Sanji is made a crew man and Don Krieg is defeated), he immediately challenges and attacks him. This restraint may show how much Zoro has grown and matured, knowing that he is not yet to the level of Mihawk and will wait, training until he is ready. It may also be due to the fact the Mihawk tells them what has happened at Marineford, and Zoro is desperate to get to Luffy to help him, even challenging the weapon wielding apes in his wounded state.

Mihawk even tries to help Zoro, giving him a boat that ends up being destroyed. Zoro says it doesn't matter, he will just cling to the wood and swim. Mihawk points out that he is wounded and it would be better for Zoro to come back to the castle, since these apes would be able to beat a conceited child. Zoro knows he is talking about him, but does not react, only saying that nothing matters but getting back to Luffy. Mihawk sighs and says have it your way, and then it ends! Mihawk "Hawkeyes" is an awesome character... will do a post on him one day!

And what was with Chopper freaking out about the newspaper in chapter 591! He says "Luffy, not again!!" To me, that says that Luffy's bounty has risen again... I mean, it has to, since he punched a World Noble. I wonder what Eustass Kidd's reaction will be...And what is Rayleighs plan for the Straw Hat crew, for their revival? All the little cliffhangers everywhere are driving me crazy.. but that is why I love it! Because I know that Oda (author and artist) will bring it all together in some crazy, amazing way! But I might die from suspense first...

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Long Post, not Log Pose...

At this very moment I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new chapter of my favorite manga, One Piece.

What to say? What NOT to say! If I could go on and on about Naruto, I could explode the World Wide Web with everything I love about One Piece! Who didn't dream about being a pirate, having adventures on the high seas with nakama(close friends) and finding the long lost treasure! With the advent of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, I think that pirate stories, tales of swashbucklers and one eye patches have been brought out from our childhood memories to the foreground once again. And nothing does it better than One Piece!

If I tried to explain the whole story here, we would all be here much longer than needed. I will attempt a short summery. At least, of the beginning. Once you read this story, there is no way to take such work and sum it up.

The story centers on Monkey D. Luffy, a young man in search of the fabled One Piece, a great treasure left by the now deceased Pirate King Gold Roger. Luffy has made a promise to his hero to become a great pirate. Once he has, he will return his trademark Straw Hat (Mugiwara) back to his hero, the pirate Shanks. Only Luffy has pushed it further, and swears he will one day be the Pirate King. He goes off to gather a crew and make a name for himself, battling high seas and enemies all for the sake of a dream.

This story is intense. It delves deep into each character, each one fully personalized and unique with varying dreams, skills, desires and abilities. The main focus is on Luffy's crew, the Straw Hats or Mugiwara's. Background is given and each character fully rounded so that the reader can fully appreciate each individual and understand their motivations and actions. It brings you into the story, making you feel like you are watching them change and grow while always remaining true to themselves.

Sound familiar? Its a good formula for a story, one that works, and I am not about to flame it just because it is similar in basics to other stories. There is a reason why it is used so often. But One Piece is as different from Naruto as yin and yang. There are subtle tweaks as well as entirely different story lines, different worlds and abilites, different laws of reality and mechanics. Each one can and does stand alone and be a work of art and genius.

I will admit that one of the biggest reason I love One Piece (or any manga/anime, for that matter,) is the Bishies. Bishie is short for Bishounen, which means... HOT MEN! :D

What can I say, I'm a sucker for good art.

Here is a short list of the male characters that I find particularly attractive, both in looks and in personality:

Zoro: sort of the unofficial first mate, the first crew member. He is the green haired swordsman of the Sentouryu, the Three Sword Style. His ambition is to be the greatest swordsman alive to fulfill a promise he made with an old friend. He has absolutely no sense of direction (wait, wasn't that supposed to be women?... and in this story, the navigator, well renowned, for her skills, is a woman.. hm...) He is quiet and lazy but loyal and protective of his nakama and has a strict sense of honor. when he speaks people listen, since his normally quite nature makes his words all that more powerful. But he still says things that make you stare and scratch your head sometimes. Or laugh out loud. This story has a lot of laughing, lots of emotion, even occasional tears and sadness. But a well rounded story is a joy to read.

Ace: Luffys big brother, in more than just blood. He is a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, the most feared and respected group of pirates since Gold Roger. Ace is the second division commander, user of the Fire Fire fruit. His nickname is "Fire Fist Ace," and he is one of the most powerful characters in the show. He has extreme narcolepsy, with hilarity ensuing. He doesn't make much of an appearance in the manga,(he travels with the crew a little longer in the anime) but he is one of the most popular characters outside of the Straw Hat crew. He is more muscular, politer, and more intelligent than his little brother, making people question their relation
*edit*as of now I am still in mourning over his tragic loss. He was my favorite character at one point and holds a special place in my heart. I will dedicate a post to him on another day. As of right now I still feel like he is going to pop out of nowhere and surprise us...

... I think I should leave the "list" as it is... So that will have to be a continuation in another post. I will most likely (occasionally) have whole posts dedicated to one or two characters, just to draw out personalities and different takes on different scenes. I vill require feedback for this be a success, so those of you reading, take action!
What are your opinions on One Piece? Good, bad, too good for words, blow your mind into a black hold awesomeness? Favorite characters, scenes, morals or back story, anything that comes to mind! Interaction is what makes blogging go 'round ;) Until next time!

PS: the title refers to the special "compass"used in One Piece, called a Log Pose, many times mistranslated in often hilarious ways.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Beginnings

How does someone get started on the wonderful world that is anime and manga? I remember the first time I saw my first anime, Naruto. It was a late night babysitting for a neighbor several years ago, and I was just flipping through the channels trying to find something to ease the boredom. Bright colors caught my eye(always a sucker for cartoons) and I stopped, interested. In about five minutes I was hooked for life. Hook, line, sinker, brain, sanity, the whole shibang.

I can't even remember the episode now. I think it might have been when Kakashi was putting the seal on Sauske's curse mark, and Orochimaru came up and was all creepy. Back then I didn't even know the name of the show. But that didn't stop me! I spent the whole next day looking up Ninja anime, finally finding my first love; Kakashi! ;)

I think I spent almost a straight year watching all the episodes. I would spend hours and hours a day watching on the computer. My parents became worried, then frustrated, limiting my hours of computer time. But I never gave up!

What I really liked about this show is the message and the way the characters progressed. It may be a little cheesy (especially in the 4Kids dubs... *shivers with horror*), but this show isn't just your normal kick-fight-win show. Each character was fully developed and personalized, each one having their own unique personalities.

The show focuses on Naruto, but each one of his friends and enemies are given ample screen time. Sometimes entire episodes(or chapters, as the case may be) devoted to different characters. They each grew and progressed in their own way, becoming smarter and stronger to reach their own goals. Watching them progress in the story was probably my favorite part. Rock Lee, Gaara, Neji, and Shikamaru were some of the characters that I think really grew a lot, especially pre Shippuden story line. Their stories were some of my favorite.

The message in the Naruto is to never give up, no matter the obstacles or challenges. Always strive for your dreams, your goals, and do it in a way you can be proud of. Rely on your friends, because if sometimes you can't do something, maybe they can. It sounds kinda corny when you say it, but it's an important message especially in today's world. "All you need is a little help from your friends..."

Breaking out in song always solidifies a point :)

Anyway, I could go on about Naruto (kinda like how its gone on and on and on...) and if there are any thoughts on Naruto itself please share! I also want to hear how other people got started. What was your first anime(or manga) that got you hooked? What is it about your first one that made you love it or hate it, keep up with it or move on to something else? Any deep philosophical, underlying meanings or just a good time? Let me know!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Starting out: Manga, Anime and the Fans

Hello! and welcome to the blog that is dedicated to everything Manga and Anime!

I started this blog for many reasons. One, I personally enjoy the stuff :) Two, I want to see what other people have to say about it all; the FanFiction, FanArt, the actual stories and art. There will be posts on many different manga's and anime, including the "Triforce" of manga: One Piece (:D), Naruto and Bleach. But I am totally open to other stories. My favorites bar is full of stuff I've read, and discussion on anything is totally welcome. There will (hopefully) be stuff about the writers or artists themselves, their styles and techniques. There will be spoilers, but they will be labeled as such. If there are spoilers in comments, please make a note of it. Feel free to branch out topics, because I sure will ;) (I don't have Attention Defici- AH! New Chapter posted!...)

I have been engrossed in the world of Fanfiction for a long time, finally actually writing some of my own a few months back. There are some fantastic stories with fantastic people behind them. Here on this blog I will post and welcome posts about different fanfictions, the likes and dislikes, as well as any fanfiction that anyone is working on :) I personally like to have a sounding board for my stories, and I am still a beginner in the fanfiction world. Suggestions, comments and critiques are the lifeblood of a writer. Feel free to post small excerpts you like or are having trouble with, questions about techniques, Do's and Dont's to writing, vents or eurekas! Links to full stories will be allowed, but don't post multi chapter stories on the comments :)... I don't think they would even fit... Anyway, I will definitely love to hear what you all think about any of my posts regarding the many facets of Fanfiction :)

FanArt is something that amazes me. The talent that those people have, their creativity, just knocks me over sometimes. I would love to throw out ideas, hear other ideas, comment on other peoples work, and hear from others what they like. Its a big world out there, full of things to be shared and shown :) On that note, I think that the DeviantArt website (link) has the best selection of FanArt, as well as pretty much any other kind of art imaginable. Check it out and tell me what you think :)

So a little bit of everything is what I'm trying to do I guess :) Jump in, throw ideas, questions, comments, critiques and suggestions around; get messy, make mistakes! And please remember to respect others ideas and keep the ratings at the most a low PG-13. Freedom of opinion and expression is welcome and encouraged, but everyone is different and has different ideas. This is not a blog to talk about hentai manga/anime, or to post things inappropriate for the general reader. Arigato and Ja ne!