Metro Comic Con 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Metro Comic Con 2009 last week was a blast! Honestly it was my first time going to a comic con. Some of the most respected dubbers and comic and manga artist are there. I was so amazed of what we Filipinos can offer for entertainment. I just can't let go of my cam and just constantly clicking and capturing anything and anyone. Toy collections, Figurines, Artworks, Mangas, Comics and some cute clothes and accessories are just some of what I've seen all throughout the Megatrade Hall at SM Megamall.
Even the famous Pugad Baboy artist, Pol Medina, came. The E-Games representatives also introduce a new game called ZXOnline. Another game in line for MMORPG's which has really cool features and characters. Cosplay.ph has also advertise their new hair product: Cospray - an alternative for wigs. It is a hair coloring spray that aims to aid some cosplayers who cannot buy wigs because they are soooo expensive! The good (or bad) thing about it is it's washable [it means it can be removed by water]. Another good thing about it is that it has different colors to choose from and every color has it's own unique scent. Silver / Platinum and Gold are still aren't available in the meantime but cosplay.ph already said it will be available soon.
Well the next stop Cosplay Mania this September 13, 2009!
Read more...
Cardcaptor Sakura
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Review
Cardcaptor Sakura is one of the most successful anime work by CLAMP. I admit that I've spent almost all my free time watching the series over and over again. I first learn about this anime in a TV network here in the Philippines. It has this really awesome storyline and it got even better in season 2 and 3 because it focuses on Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun's relationship. The first season focuses on completing the Clow cards, cards which was made by a magician named Clow Reed and possesses great powers.
Plot
Kinomoto Sakura, the heroin of the story, was a ten year old fourth grader of Tomoeda Elementary School. She was just an ordinary, cheerful and athletic girl before she open a strange book and met Keroberos, the guardian of the Clow Cards. Because Sakura opened the book and let loose all of the Clow Cards, it's her duty as the chosen Cardcaptor (she was chosen by Kero) to capture all of the Clow Cards to stop all the strange events happenings cause by Clow Cards in Tomoeda City.
Because of her undeniable cuteness, her bestfriend, Daidouji Tomoyo, a fourth grader too like Sakura but a really intelligent one unlike her, often records everything about Sakura. Even in normal days and normal circumstances. In the first part of the series, after knowing Sakura's secret as a Cardcaptor, she immediately offers her costumes and special moves to complete the Super Girl (as she imagine it) Sakura would be. But their relationship doesn't ends there. There are several episodes in which shows how Tomoyo loves Sakura more than a friend. And the fact that they are cousins (because Tomoyo's mom and Sakura's mom are cousins) which was not directly said but instead has been revealed when the Kinomoto Family along with Tsukishiro Yukito have a little summer vacation out-of-town.
Syaoran is another Cardcaptor in the first season. He is one of the direct descendants of Clow Reed and he is very well trained for his mission: to capture the Clow Cards. At first, he's relationship with Sakura wasn't that tight and after he ambushed Sakura to get her Clow Card, he gained disrespect from Touya, Sakura's elder brother.
Photo Courtesy:
www.ghuset.se/
foroanime.com/foros-de-anime/anime-chibi-174/series-y-chibis-12464.html
Read more...
Cardcaptor Sakura Characters
Here are the list of characters of Card Captor Sakura. I will try to review each and every one of them in due time.
Kinomoto Sakura
Li Syaoran
Yue / Yukito Tsukishiro
Nakuru Akizuki / Ruby Moon
Spinel Sun / Suppie
Naoko Yanagisawa
Takashi Yamazaki
Chiharu Mihara
Rika Sasaki
Eriol Hiiragizawa
Meiling Li
Nadeshiko Kinomoto
Touya Kinomoto
Sonomi Daidouji
Yoshiyuki Terada
Kaho Mizuki
Maki Matsumoto
Wei Wang
Masaki Amamiya
Read more...
Manila Comic Con 2009
When: August 8 - 9, 2009
Where: SM Megatrade Halls 1 and 2
What: Manila Comic Con 2009
Website: http://manilacomiccon.com/
The long wait is finally over. Manila Comic Con is finally here and will be an event to be remember. Gathering up all the cosplay artists, comic afficionados and some of the most respected comic artists, Manila Comic Con 2009 will be a blast!
The event will have cosplays held by Hobbylink Productions, Inc. in partnership with Cosplay.ph. Wear your best comic character for more info on this event go to manilacomiccon cosplay page or go to cosplay.ph.
Ninoy 100 Initiative is also part of the Manila Comic Con 2009. The iamninoy 100 Initiative aims to find talented Filipinos to join in the ranks of some of the known visual artists of our time.
Life-like statues of your favorite comic character like Spiderman, Superman, Joker and many more will be exhibited by Fatboy Studios.
Now I am really looking forward to go there this Saturday. I hope to see you all there guys!
Read more...
Flame-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter Shana
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Once a human, according to the manga, that once they made a contract with the crimson lord, they become a Flame Haze and live forever. At first, she was focused on her duty as a Flame Haze bearing no name. Until he met Sakai Yuji, a torch, who is interesting because he is also a Mystes. Yuji named her "Shana" after her katana, Nietono no Shana for the need to humanize her. She slowly opens up to him, thinking of him as a person despite of being a torch and eventually comes to love him. Shana has a popular habit of saying "urusai! urusai! urusai!" which means "shut up! shut up! shut up!" whenever Yuji asked her questions or makes remarks that embarrass her. She likes sweets, especially Melon Bread, so much that it can cheer her up. She is also an intellegent student (shown in the anime series) for having perfect scores on every exams and even correcting teachers. However, she seems to be naive when it comes to social affairs.
Known and feared by most Tomogara by title alone, Shana is clearly a powerful and talented Flame Haze. This has allowed her to defeat many powerful Tomogaras along the plot, and permits her many different abilities, including her proficiency with the Nietono no Shana, the ability to wield flame, manipulate the power of existence, harbor extrasensory traits, and fly with wings of flame. In the third volume of the manga, the first volume of the visual novel, and the movie, Alastor states that the reason why she did not explode after being shot by Friagne's Trigger Happy was because she held a capacity that existed in dimensional space, who was able to contain the Flame of Heaven's and has thus stated her as "The Great One". Her duty initially made her indifferent towards human life, but through Yuji's influence, Shana has opened up slightly, although she still remains confused and disgruntled by some human traits which she considers as pointless, although some of it is used to mask her jealousy of her desired monopoly on Yuji.
Despite being the title character of the anime, Shana has few character relations with many of the characters in the show. Her main social interest is Yuji, whom she sees as her love interest, although she never admits it (except once at the end of season one). Her relationship with Yuji is one of the driving forces of the series. Shana takes orders and advice from the Crimson Lord she is bond to, Alastor, and has a mentor and guardian in the form of Wilhelmina Carmel. Kazumi Yoshida is her love-rival for Yuji, and Shana treats her with contempt and disdain. She generally treats most other characters with ignorance and indifference, with the exception of Chigusa Sakai, Yuji's Mom, who she looks to as a source in answering certain difficulties when Alastor or Wilhelmina are unable to do so. Shana eventually starts to be more open to the other characters, especially in regards to her relationship with Kazumi becoming more friendly.
Read more...
Sakai Yuji: The Mystes who has the Reiji Maigo
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sakai Yuji is a normal boy living his new highschool life in Misaki High. His world turns upside down when he met the Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite or the Flame-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter and learned that the real Sakai Yuji is already dead and he is only a torch (a temporary replacement of the people who’s “Power of Existence” has been eaten by a tomogara). Fortunately, he is a mystes (a torch with a hidden treasure inside it) and that the treasure inside him is a Reiji Maigo. Unlike other torches he can replenish his power of existence every midnight.
Yuji is a kind person who puts others before himself. This often draws much confusion and annoyance from Shana, as prior torches from Shana's experience exhibited selfish attitudes. Simultaneously, Yuji's compassion and empathy sow the seeds of attraction between him and Shana.
Upon Chigusa's pregnancy, it was revealed by Kantaro that Yuji actually had a twin brother who died at birth. Thus, in memory of the first baby and from the parents' wish, the second baby was given the name Yuji, which means "Second (child) who shall live long ".
With the Reiji Maigo, Yuji has the possibility to live on like an average human as long as he makes sure that his Power of Existence does not run out before midnight. Due to Reiji Maigo, no one is sure if Yuji will age like a regular human or be immortal as he is. Since Reiji Maigo restores his power of existence, Yuji is training to use that power in the hopes of fighting alongside Shana. In the second season of the anime, it is mentioned than Yuji's power of existence can rival that of a Lord of the Crimson Realm, in terms of quantity.
Even when Yuji was ignorant of the fact that he possessed the Reiji Maigo in the first episodes of the first season of Shakugan no Shana, Yuji develops a somewhat optimistic, yet ultimately fatalistic view of his life. Even when he believed he was slated to perish as a Torch, Yuji took the information in a stride after the initial shock, and did not seem too disturbed or melancholy with the idea that everyone would simply forget about him, accepting this. Rather, his acts of heroism, demonstrated often in the series, is justified by his belief that even if his existence would one day disappear, his sacrifice would be proof that he had once lived.
Although Yuji lacks of the training and discipline of a Flame Haze, he has demonstrated an admirable amount of intelligence and logic, often thinking outside the box and solving puzzles others can't (though it still stands for a fact that he is totally clueless to the fact that Shana loves him and is often jealous of any girls who get too close to him). While many Flame Hazes and Lords of the Crimson Realm would be deceived or confused by unconventional casting of magic, Yuji is able to quickly deduce and see through the ploy despite his unfamiliarity with many magical spells, enabling his allies, generally Shana, to strike at the heart of their opposition. Furthermore, by the start of the second season, Yuji's training has enabled him to foresee as well as dodge a good majority of attacks from skilled Flame Hazes such as Shana and Wilhelmina, and he has gained the ability to cast Power of Unrestraint. He also has the ability to wield Blutsauger and infusing it with some of his own power. He also can create his own fire, which is silver in color, to fire at targets.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Shakugan_no_Shana_characters
http://www.anime-source.com/banzai/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1063
http://www.crunchyroll.com/group/Shakugan_no_Shana_loverz
Read more...
Shakugan no Shana Characters
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Sakai Yuuji - a normal boy living his new highschool life in Misaki High. His world turns upside down when he met the Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite or the Flame-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter and learned that the real Sakai Yuji is already dead and he is only a torch (a temporary replacement of the people who’s “Power of Existence” has been eaten by a tomogara).
Shana / Flame-Haired Red-Hot-Eyed Hunter - Shana is clearly a powerful and talented Flame Haze, known and feared by most Tomogara by title alone. This has allowed her to defeat many powerful Tomogara along the plot, and permits her many different abilities, including her proficiency with the Nietono no Shana, the ability to wield flame, manipulate the power of existence, harbor extrasensory traits, and fly with wings of flame.
Alastor - Alastor is the Lord of the Crimson Realm to whom Shana is bound. He expresses his will through a divine vessel called the Cocytus, which (in Shana's case) takes the form of a pendant. Alastor is considered to be one of the strongest of all Lords or Denizens; in fact being one of the true Gods of the Crimson Realm.
Yoshida Kazumi - Kazumi is a fifteen-year-old girl and Yuji's classmate. She has a crush on him, but is a bit too shy to tell him directly. In the first season, she spends most of her screen time remaining ignorant of Shana's true nature and her actual relationship with Yuji. When Shana became her love-rival, she vowed to tell Yuji her feelings and to let him decide between her and Shana.
Hayato Ike - Hayato, otherwise chiefly known as Ike, is a fifteen-year-old high school student and has been Yuji's friend since junior high school. He carries the title "Megane-man" ("Glasses Man"), or Four-Eyes in the English version. He is secretly fond of Kazumi Yoshida.
Marjorie Doe / Margery Daw - Margery is a tall, "well-endowed" and mature blond Flame Haze with a drinking habit. She uses the book Grimoire, which is the divine vessel through which Marchosias, to whom she is bound, expresses his will. Her specialty seems to be Power of Unrestraint, and her main powers focus around chanting spells and turning into a werewolf. She casts spells by chanting an "Improvisational Poem of Slaughter".
Marcosias / Marcosius - Marchosias is the Crimson Lord to whom Margery Daw is bound. He expresses his will through the divine vessel Grimoire, which takes the form of a book. He talks wildly, makes comments without remorse, and often teases Margery, often earning a retaliatory punch. He does genuinely care about her, however, perhaps not in the form of friendship but as a companion in battle.
Keisaku Sato - Keisaku, a fifteen-year-old high school student, is Eita's friend and class-skipping companion. When Margery Daw came to Misaki City, she randomly chose Keisaku and Eita to be her guides to the city. When he and Eita found a Haridan, a magical map to the city that Friagne had been using until his demise, the two often acted as support. Being a member of a wealthy family and independent of his parents, his house becomes a place for Margery to stay.
Eita Tanaka - Eita, a fifteen-year-old high school student, is a well-built classmate of Keisaku's. When Margery Daw came to Misaki City, she randomly chose the two to be her guides to the city. When he and Keisaku found a Haridan, a magical map to the city that Friagne had been using until his demise, the two often acted as support.
Wirhelmina Carmel - is a young lady that wears a maid's uniform all the time. She is bound to Tiamat, whose will resides in the divine vessel Persona, which shifts forms between a headband, and a mask when in battle. During the great war, Persona's shape was a tiara. Her title's meaning is like the term for a player (in chess) who can predict moves far ahead.
Tiamat - is the female Crimson Lord to whom Wilhelmina is bound. She is described by her own Flame Haze as a most unsociable entity; she is taciturn and to the point, saying nothing more than what is necessary, usually in a monotone, betraying no emotion regardless of the situation. In the novels, her lines are almost always written in four kanji letters, with no hiragana or katakana.
Marianne - Marianne is one of Friagne's Rinne servants. Friagne seems to treasure her a bit more than is healthy for him. She usually takes the form of a doll. In order to buy time to complete the sequence of the "City Devourer", she fought Shana and exploded for the love of her master.
Friagne - Friagne, also known as "Flame Haze Murderer", takes his name's meaning as his hobby, "treasure hunter". He is a powerful Tomogara arrayed in robes of untarnishable white. Unlike other Tomogara, he doesn't associate with the organizations like Bal Masqué.
Sydonay / Senpen - Sydonay is one of the Trinity of the Bal Masqué, entitled as the "General". For some time, he stayed outside of the Organization, because he wanted the freedom to do as he wants, such as serving the Denizens as a bodyguard for his personal hobby. He also appreciates human civilization enough to enjoy smoking cigarettes. However, after finding Reiji Maigo, he has returned to his previous position.
Bel-Peol / Gyakuri no Saisha - Bel Peol is one of the Trinity of the Bal Masqué, entitled as the "Strategist". Takes the form of a woman with three eyes, but has an eyepatch covering her right eye. A scheming character that would have no qualms in manipulating her unsuspecting subordinates and sending them to die.
Hecate / Itadaki no Kura - Hecate is one of the Trinity of the Bal Masqué, entitled as "the Priestess". She also controls the movements of Seireiden, Bal Masqué's base. A small pale girl with white cape and hat wielding a staff-like Hougu, Trigon, she doesn't speak much. Sydonay seems to care for her a lot. Bel Peol always mentions her having "eternal existence". Her position is very important with respect to what the Bal Masqué plans to do with Reiji Maigo, since she is the one who can take the power of Reiji Maigo and send it out to everything in Seireiden.
Dantalion / Tantankyuukyuu - Dantalion is a stereotypical mad scientist. Dantalion is not liked, even hated by most Denizens, even among the Bal Masque, because he would do research on their own people and also being responsible for an experiment which created some of the powerful Flame Hazes. Among the Trinity, Bel Peol does not like or trust him and Sydonay hates him, but somehow Hecate seems close to him, even calling him "ojisama" (the greeting toward uncles or respectable seniors) and protected him most of the time from getting into trouble with the higher-ups.
Tiriel - Tiriel is Sorath's younger sister. Though being the younger one, she thinks and acts in a much more mature way and teaches everything to her almost will-less brother. Their relationship is most likely incestuous; Tiriel has stated that her only goal in life is to fulfill every desire of her 'onii-sama' and to protect him.
Sorath - Sorath is an extravagant occidental looking boy with a beautiful hair, continuously perplexed despite being Tiriel's elder brother, and is subject to the passion and whims of his younger sister.
Yukari Hirai - Yukari was Yuji's classmate. She has dark-colorred hair which has two small ponytails tied up from it. She has a very upbeat personality, and is kind and quick to help others out, but is very melancholy and silent when she is a Torch. In the anime, she loved Hayato Ike (in the novel, it is suggested that she had a crush on Yuji instead), but she dies when a Rinne appears on her way home. Shana makes a Torch of Yukari that same day.
Matake Ogata - Matake is Yuji's classmate. She is a strong-willed physically active girl, as well as a bit of a tomboy. She also has feelings for Eita, and worries about his well-being.
Shiro / Merihim - Merihim is one of the nine lords that gathered under Toten Glocke, the greatest Denizen organization before Bal-Masque founded and lead by the late Lord "Hitugi no Orite" Asiz. Merihim and the dragon shaped Lord "Kōtetsuryū" Illuyanka were feared as the "Pair of Wings", being the most powerful subordinates of Asiz.
Chigusa Sakai - Chigusa is Yuji's mother. She can seem gentle but she is strong and very intelligent. Her husband, Kantaro, works outside the country. Chigusa remains ignorant of Shana and Yuji's true nature, but becomes a source of good advice for Shana on matters where Alastor can not counsel her. The Crimson Lord himself acknowledges and bows to her wisdom after a phone call between the two of them. Described as a woman who can accept anything, she seems to harbor absolutely no problems with Shana often visiting Yuji under the pretext of "training".
Rammie / Shikabane Hiroi / Rasen no Fūkin - Rammie is the Torch of an old man under the control of a Crimson Denizen as means to travel in secrecy. Rammie collects the Power of Existence from torches on the verge of flickering out and is a rare one among Denizens due to respecting the balance and does not simply feed on people. As the nickname 'Corpse Retriever' indicates, he only draws power from torches that would perish any moment anyway. Rammie is a master wizard, renowned for past feats of creating the most prominent Power of Unrestraint (Jizai Hou), including the Seal itself. He is an old acquaintance of Alastor, but does not take part in battles.
sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Shakugan_no_Shana_characters
Read more...
