Could it be?!! Monthly Mania?! And a post? Yay! Happy Early Valentine’s Day! I finally have another issue of Monthly Mania as my Valentine’s Day post~ :D I intended to wait awhile before I’d post it, but I didn’t plan for it to be this long. Since it’s been so long I’m as enthusiastic as ever to make another issue. Also, this issue has more than usual. :DD It includes a movie, drama, video game, anime, manga, and novel. The drama is especially long though since I cut it out from a draft of another post. More in celebration of it’s first issue of the new year. I don’t plan to have it monthly still, but during months when I feel I have enough to put.

Movie

Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do

Cast:

Cha Ye-ryeon as Jeong-won
Jang Geun-suk as Eun-gyu
Jung Eui-chul as Hee-won

Summary:

Jung-won wears a funny dragon suit, while working at the amusement park, and pours soda on Eun-gyu, because of his taunts. A short while later, Jung-won finds out that Eun-gyu has moved into the house next to hers. Eun-gyu now threatens to tell Jung-won’s parents that she works part time at a local mart. To keep Eun-gyu quiet, Jung-won agrees to carry his guitar for a week.

Jung-won then starts to develop feelings for Eun-gyu, who is the lead singer of a band called Do Re Mi Fa So La Si Do. Eun-gyu also starts to develop similar feelings for Jung-won. The two soon become a couple.

With an odd twist of fate, Jung-won went to the band’s rehearsal room and meets a familiar person from her past, a boy named Hee-won. Their relationship makes everything more complicated.

-Wikipedia

Thoughts:

So depressing that I have so little to write about this…

So annoying typing it out. x_x Anyways, after finishing You’re Beautiful, I decided to watch Jang Geun Suk’s (Taekyung’s actor) other stuff. Therefore, I watched um, this movie. Not much to say because it’s a movie, but it has become one of my favorite movies now too. I’m pretty sure it’s the first Korean movie I’ve watched, but I do really like it.

It’s starts off very slow, and not that interesting. However, if you watch through it, it does get much more interesting later. I had to persuade my friend to continue and at the end, she was glad she finished it. Sometimes the characters are really stupid yes, but I definitely did cry a few times as well as my friend. It’s sweet but sad at the same time, and the dramatic parts are well played, believable, and really heartbreaking. Some may find it over dramatic, but my friend and I totally loved it. However, I simply loved the ending, and gah~ make sure you watch through the credits. ^^

Overall, great music once again from Jang Geun Suk, some sweet romance, ignore some stupid parts and you’ll find yourself a great romance comedy.

-

Verdict: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9] 10

Where to watch it: YouTube

Drama

You’re Beautiful

Cast:

Jang Geun Suk as Hwang Tae Kyung
Park Shin Hye as Go Mi Nam (Male) / Go Mi Nyu (Female)
Lee Hong Ki as Kang On Yu / Jeremy
Jung Yong Hwa as Kang Shin Woo

Summary:

The management company of the idol group A.N.JELL insisted on adding a new singer to the group as the lead vocal, Tae Kyung’s voice was hurting. However,the new member, Mi Nam, had to go to the States to repair a botched eye job just before signing the contract. His agent came up with the idea of having his twin sister, Mi Nyu,to stand in for him and pretend that she was her brother. The two of them grew up in an orphanage and Mi Nyu, who was all set to become a nun, agreed to this charade as she didn’t want to spoil her brother’s chance of fame which would make it easier to look for their mother.

-DramaWiki

Thoughts:

This is now officially my romance favorite drama. I was wondering why I didn’t watch more Korean dramas (which this is), and this brought me back into them. To be honest I didn’t want to watch more dramas since I didn’t want to be distracted, but my friends forced me to watch it, claiming it was addicting and just so good. X) Reluctantly, I watched it, and soon found out it was. I became literally addicted. What made me happier, is that this is on TV here where I live on those Asian channels. :D

Maybe what made me addicted was how much it reminded me of Hana Kimi from the plot. It’s about a girl named Go Mi Nyu who is training to be a nun, but finds out her twin brother is in America having surgery, and she has to fill in for him as member of the all-boy group A.N. Jell. So pretty much, if you like K-Pop, hawt guys, cute romance, cross dressing, then this is definitely worth watching.

The romance is a lot more like the cute shoujo animes/mangas I’m used to. Again it has the cliched jerk and the nice girl. This time though, the romance is all about the development. It revolves around their romance developing til the end, rather than midway. It also has some family twists in it later. And I guess maybe that’s why I loved this series so much. The interactions between the characters are just so adorable I want to squeal. The chemistry is definitely there, and it’s simply a sweet hilarious show. And from the Korean dramas I’ve watched, many of them have lots of development, which is probably why I enjoy them so much. It’s not as rushed. Each moment and step is also valued much more, and the constant references to stars can be refreshing and cute.

The main characters are also very likable too, and I feel sympathy towards them. You know, except for Yoo He Yi and Taekyung’s mom. They get awesomely pwned so it’s all good. -u- Taekyung wasn’t exactly very likable in the beginning, but I soon really warmed up to him once he changed his hair and showed his cute side and opened up. Plus his OCD is hilarious. And Go Mi Nyu is a decent heroine, she doesn’t get on my nerves or anything, and plays out the nice role. However, my favorite character other than Taekyung has to be…Jeremy!! xDD He’s just so cute and funny it’s irresistible. X) Shin Woo isn’t a repulsively annoying kind character, but he does creep me out sometimes. He is definitely sweet though and I do feel sympathy. Lastly, I have to hand the coolest character title over to…their designer (which I keep forgetting her name)! She’s a hilarious and awesome noona/unnie. XD

Anyways, it’s definitely enjoyable and good. If you’re starting out on a dramas I’d definitely recommend it. Even if you aren’t, it’s definitely sweet and heartwarming, and has lots of moments to fangirl for that remind me of the sweet romance animes I enjoy. Plus, I forgot to mention the music is great too and each cast member was perfect in playing their role and being multi-talented. :D

-

And in my opinion the most hilarious scene in the drama, just in case anyone wants to see a clip of the series. I wouldn’t suggest watching it if you want to be surprised though:

Show ▼

--

Verdict: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 [10] -- (bias much?)

Where to watch: YouTube

Video Game

No More Heroes

Summary:

The story follows Travis Touchdown, who is a stereotypical otaku – his motel room decorated with professional wrestling and anime collectibles – living in near poverty in the No More Heroes motel of the fictional town of Santa Destroy, California. After winning a beam katana in an internet auction, he runs out of money to buy video games and wrestling videos. After meeting with Sylvia Christel, he accepts a job to kill Helter Skelter, also known as “the Drifter,” which earns him rank 11 by the United Assassins Association, a governing body of assassins. Realizing that he has the opportunity to make it to the top, he sets out to secure himself the coveted position of number one hitman in the UAA.

After killing the tenth ranked assassin, Sylvia reveals that if Travis stops killing, he’ll eventually be targeted by other aspiring assassins. Travis, now convinced there’s no way out, goes on to try to kill every other assassin on his conquest to the top.

-Wikipedia (with edits >_>)

Thoughts:

Yup, a game all about killing. But, with the sequel recently out, I guess it’s a good time to introduce No More Heroes. :D My uncle had actually rented the game, but ended up buying it after all since it was a lot better than it appeared. :] A loser otaku assassin with Touchdown as his last name? Definitely different. XD

The game is pretty straightforward and simple. Reach the top. However, it’s a pretty entertaining one at that. Or at least…different and…interesting. >_> The game gets a little more complicated and interesting later, but it is fun in the beginning nonetheless. You can do lots of stuff outside of killing people, like playing with your cat, buying clothes, etc. However, if you know your Wii, then the gameplay is also very easy to learn. The characters are decent, I guess. Not really the strong point of the series in my eyes. The main character is a loser otaku, to say it bluntly. And why he should be the main, I have no idea, lol. Oh well. But I guess the character I dislike the most is the blonde umm…head of the rankings? However, it is entertaining to see the cut scenes between the characters, since each character in the rankings has a distinct personality immediately resulting in lots of entertainment.

Overall, not a bad game--it’s pretty different, interesting, and most importantly, it’s fun. ;]

-

Verdict: 1 2 3 4 5 6 [7] 8 9 10

Anime

Peach Girl

Summary:

Peach Girl is a high school drama centered on Momo Adachi. A former member of the swim team, Momo tans easily and her hair is bleached out; unfortunately, she is stereotyped by her ignorant classmates, and is forced to endure rumors about being a playgirl. Her only friend is Sae, who is actually responsible for spreading the nasty gossip due to her jealousy of Momo. Momo is in love with Toji, a taciturn baseball player, but the scheming Sae also has her sights set on the boy. Momo’s life is further complicated with the introduction of Kairi Okayasu, a wise-cracking playboy who is determined to make her his.

-Wikipedia

Thoughts:

I watched this series a long time ago, so there isn’t much I can write about. :/ However, I decided to watch it on a whim while looking for new anime, where my uncle just randomly pointed it out. I didn’t want to since I knew of its um…drama, but I did anyways. It was definitely dramatic, but I did enjoy it. Perhaps my standards are a bit low?

Let’s see. The animation is a little below average, as I’d prefer it that guys don’t have eyelashes drawn. You can tell a lot about the type of anime it is by the picture. Otherwise, like I’ve mentioned before, it’s definitely like teenage drama on overload. Indecisive girl, awesome guy is awesome until he gets the girl, etc. However, I did enjoy it because it got some part of my fangirling inside and the end turned out satisfactory. Let’s see, the characters are pretty average, especially the heroine. However, I do like Kairi (at least, in the first half). He’s pretty awesome in the beginning, but later I’m like, “Wtf?” at him. But then he comes back again which is good. :D The romance is can be random, yet still maintains a cute vibe that I fangirl about. I’m also glad that even the bad guys turn good, which leads to Sai, who I really wanted to slap. But later she is a pretty cool character.

Overall, not a bad series at all that I definitely recommend for those who love those excessively dramatic series with break ups and heart aches and the works. ^^ Usually one of those love em’ or hate em’ types.

-

Verdict: 1 2 3 4 5 6 [7] 8 9 10

Where yo watch it: YouTube

Manga

Beauty Pop

Summary:

Kiri Koshiba uses her hairstyling talents to help brighten up the lives of girls, but she does so anonymously. On the other hand the Scissors Project (also known as the SP), a group of three boys at school, gives grand makeovers to already-beautiful handpicked girls. Shogo Narumi, the head of the group and a hairstyling genius in his own right, finds himself butting heads with Kiri. To make matters worse, Ochiai, another member of SP, plots to expose Kiri’s talents. As much as Kiri tries to shy away from the spotlight, she finds herself drawn into the world of hairstyling.

-Wikipedia

Thoughts:

After just going through my public library and borrowing this, I immediately liked this manga. <3 Maybe it’s just because I had it in my hands? For whatever reasons, I liked it in all its shoujo cliches.

Anyways, it’s a pretty unique concept of haircuts being a part of the plot, but I guess that gives more options if you like drawing hair? XD Anyways, there are several reasons why I probably enjoyed it so much. Firstly, the main girl is pretty unique, and isn’t the average shoujo character. However, she’s still kind and cool, as some might say. So, it’s entertaining to see how she’ll react or what she’ll do. The main guy is definitely entertaining and made me lol all the time. So overall, the two together make for a very entertaining manga. X) The drawings are pretty decent as well, although sometimes the characters look a little awkward.

Overall though, the story is generally nice, light-hearted, and fun ride. It’s pretty average, but still nonetheless enjoyable and good.

Verdict: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 10

Novel

Secondhand Memories

Summary:

A simple story about a high school love.
One loses their memories.

A story about the true meaning of love, sacrifice, friendship and pain…

-Official Summary

Thoughts:

Novel…it’s a text novel. I’ve already mentioned this novel briefly in my Blossom Blabber, but I feel I should probably elaborate on it. It’s currently ongoing and I’m still trying to catch up on it, so I can’t say everything I should about the story. But I’ll try! XD

To start it off, it has a very calm beginning. To be honest, I’d drop it if I wasn’t bored one day and decided to read more. After I get past the beginning and into the good parts, I go through chapters like crazy. XD So give it time and it will be interesting and intense. The characters are decent for a novel like this. The characters are developing, which is always great. The main guy is pretty mediocre, though sometimes I wish he’d have some sense knocked into him. It’s harder for me to say much about Aoi since she’s in a coma for a long time and she still is in where I’m at (which just shows how much I need to read). She seems extremely sweet, though that may be exaggerated from the point of view the story is told at. The only problem is, due to the main character’s view of her, she seems like a mary-sue. They’re relationship is already set from the beginning and is extremely sweet, but I guess it may seem like a “perfect” relationship to some…until the conflict comes.

Overall though, I like it. Some parts keep me at the edge of my seat, although what I just mentioned doesn’t seem like it. xD I acknowledge the author’s amazing use of simplicity in the writing, so don’t expect it to be super detailed. It’s supposed to be simple, since it’s a cell phone novel.

-

Verdict: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9] 10

Where to read it: Textnovel.com | Mobile Site | WordPress

—

Ahh, finally done. Hope you guys enjoyed the comeback~! Boy I’m exhausted now.

Anyways, I wanted to say that I probably won’t be blogging much, although it’s kind of already evident. I just wanted to explain why. Mainly, school as usual, and just interest in other things outside of anime. This season isn’t very great, and I really just enjoy watching Kimi ni Todoke and Durarara!! at the moment. However, there really isn’t much for me to say on them and I don’t want to force myself. I’ve just been straying away from anime and gotten more into music (so expect more of those posts), being with my friends more (I used to be under really strict rules, but now they’ve lessened and I can actually hang out with friends outside of school O.o), working on a long personal project, making keychains (I’ll post up the shop when it’s up, so look forward to that!), reading, etc.

I’ll still post when I can, but I’m not forcing myself to that much anymore. Shorter posts will most likely come from this though. The reason they haven’t been coming now though is from working on this. But anyways, I’m taking your suggestions and I’ll most likely break up Blossom Blabber. :D