I really miss posting...
Am so thick-skinned to post two entries within minutes. Well, maybe my posts in the future will be like that - till I get my com back! Whaaaaaa... I missed it so much... That's how my new year is like... *sniff sniff* *cries* A new year without my com by my side... This is really difficult for me - I guess the computer already dominated my life a long time ago... This is just stating the obvious ;_;
Pandora finally got to watch FMA! Yay! Finally get to share what I like with him :)
Here's his message to me:
>>
Now I understand why you adore Edward! Really great character!*glees*
Yay!
Since I'm cut off from the outside world (com, please come back soon!), I think I'll focus on my Galaxxy for now. It's being neglected enough already.
Must upload more images to my phone - another NY's resolution, lol.
Shin'nen ometedogozaimasu!
Woohoo! Finally got a chance to be online again! Feels good! ^^
And while I'm here, I have been scouring over the Net for Kinoshita-sensei's homepage...
... and found it... finally...!
http://tactics.moo.jp/top.htmEnjoy Pandora, this post is dedicated to you alone! ^^
P.S. Thanks for the Tactics pamphlet again! And I read your recent posts... Hey, if you have any problems you wanna talk about, feel free to share it with me if you like... Anyway, enjoy!
Treffen mit Pandora - es macht viel Spaß!
I know I have to post this when I read Pandora's blog. Still in the Library peeps! Looks like the sun isn't setting yet - so I'm not leaving my seat too! XP
It was really an early meeting... 10 am at Bugis - and I know I have to be punctual, because Pandora isn't like
most of my friends, who will always always always announced their arrival later than the promised time for 30-60 mins. [Gawd... That was bad English... Sorry sorry... It's freezing cold here, and I'm a little Japanese-orientated now, since I heard this loud conversation between this two Japanese guys in the bus just now] And come on, dear friends, be honest! :P
We went to the Kinokuniya at Bugis first -
XXXHOLIC and
Tsubasa is out! The
D. Gray Man calendar is so attempting for both of us... Arrrgh... If only there was a sample there to drool at. Wasted, lol. Anyway, we did manage to find three (out of four) artbooks of Kinoshita Sakura-sensei! Banzai! Managed to browse through an already opened artbook (the
Romeo and Juliet), and the pictures were goregous! Oh-so-preeeetty! The other two were
The Comedy of Error and
[I forgot the title :P]. Saw a
Princess Tutu guidebook too - I have to mention this because it's actually
almost IMPOSSIBLE to find any
Princess Tutu related stuff here.
After lunch (milk shake = love) it was Liang Court next. Haha, Pandora was in K1 when he last went there. And still, it remained an isolated place after so many years. More surprises in the Liang Court Kino. Picked up an English-translated manga coz it was only three bucks... Only to realise at night that it has misprint in it (no wonder it was so cheap! Hmmph.) Pandora and I went into this Horoscope frenzy, and started reading all kinds of stuff on me. Lol! What fun it is to shop Kino with him! And meanwhile we found a "a-hem practical workbook" (ROFL on that description, Pandora! I'm not going to elaborate more on it already, so the secret's between you and me XDDDD) I almost bought it, but then some other distractions (you'll know later) made me return it back to the
wrong rack. And it was really too inappropriate of me to purchase that in front of Pandora anyway.
And I didn't regret going to the Liang Court Kino, though it was always a trouble to get home from there. KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU KANTAROU *cough cough* I think now you know what distracted me now, lol! I (yes, it was me, the Empress!!! BUAHAHAHAHAA~~!!!!) stumbled upon the latest issue of
Comic Masume (I hope that was the spelling. The comics magazine's not with me right now), and a OMG Kantarou pic was on the cover. I just froze on the spot, just like that, just right there. Speechless, I pointed it out to Pandora, and you know, I just love that split-second expression on his face. Completely shocked, I reckon! We fangirled/fanboyed over it, and then comes the dilemma of whether we should get it. Last two copies, dear, it's now or never. It's crazy, but we decided to get it. I guess the Kantarou pic on the cover is really too shiny... And thanks to my improving Katagana-reading skills, we made out the important keyword: "clear file holder". Whahaha! My Japanese is really improving! *feels proud for a moment* And Kantarou is sooooo shiny! I spazzed along as we continued our exploration of the Japanese section. I spazzed so much, I think Pandora must have been frightened... I'm sorry Pandora, but I was really
high then... Sorry sorry... Coz every time I saw Pandora's copy of the comics magazine, I just went into high-pitch mood and shouted "Kantarou!" in Chinese over and over again. Yeah, I lost my mind. Kantarou's fault. *finds an excuse to poke him* *aah, pretty shiny hair* Pandora found a limited edition of the Japanese 6th volume of
Tactics manga. Nya... I know he wanted to get it... The cover was different, and there's an additional multimedia CD thingy... But it was so ex! I wanted that too, but it was 44 bucks! Even after the discount, it was still something I would feel guilty since I spent so much on it... Bleh... I witness a reluntant Pandora putting the limited edition back onto the rack... *pat pat*
Two bus trips while heading for home - we laughed at the fact that I just snatched the
Animage 2006 magazine off the rack without looking at the price, and then when I did look on the bus, exclaimed that it was so ex! Whahahaa... Silly me... But at least there's Edward and Roy, and plenty of Athrun. I'm already a happy girl... :P I also opened that
Tactics comic magazine, to check out the "clear file holder". And at first sight I reacted "Oh, so it's really Haruka. But er... his chin was rather long, isn't it?" Wasn't really satisfied then. I then subconsciously turned the holder around and both Pandora and me went "WTF?!" And glee-ing and nyaaaaa-ing soon followed. What a gorgeous Kantarou pic! After spazzing, I told Pandora I'm definitely going to display that holder in my anime cupboard, which I did, of course. Easier
done than
said. ^^It was home then, and we exchanged our pressies. Pandora's gifts (in pural! really!) were all overflowing with cuteness... Omg... Thank you Pandora! And you know what? The pineapple tarts were fabulous...! Very unique texture! Honestly, I love the FMA stuff the best! Hehehe... Oh, the two Japanese dolls were awfully adorable too! Thank you thank you thank you!
Okay, this post is toooo long. Go on, go hate me for this. Empress signs off. ;)
This is really the last straw...
Hi all,
I'm posting this from the library... (this is so pathetic!) because my com had decided to lose its temper and let the Empress face its wrath. In simpler words - it broke down...
The cranky cpu just couldn't start, and there goes my stuff in the com, and of course, my Internet connection. Bleh bleh. What a way to celebrate the coming of the new year. Hopefully my com will return to its proud self before next year, but I think it's probably in its dismantled state about right now. Lol!
And my lappie's Net hates me - a lot. Whahahahaaaa... I'll continue to comment on
Tactics, but it might be sometime before I can post them here. Patience, Pandora... :P
In conclusion, it will be even more difficult to catch me online (via msn) and my wholehearted apologies to Proko :P
Okay, time to click on the "Publish Post" button! Nyaaaaa~~~~~!
Tactics 20
Oni-gatari. I recognised Kantarou's voice over the introduction, and the opening was lovely. A different kind of presentation, more subtle, less narrative like the previous ones, more infomative for a change. Oh, and I learnt that Ichinomiya Kantarou = Ninomiya Kanjirou *flees XDDDD* Poor Kan-chan also got stomped on the foot by a overly-jealous Suzu (because she saw Haruka holding Yuri's matchmaking charm)... And he was jumping around in pain, complaining "Why me~~~~~"
Hasumi (Ryoukan) made an unexpected appearance, and he makes a subtitute for Sugino as well. How so? He, like Sugino, blames Kantarou for tricking (seducing for Mu's case) his daughter Rosalie, and pulls off a crying feat. -_-;; Oh my gosh - his once-serious and stubborn image is all wrecked! Worse, he got possessed by a
Nekomata [cat spirit] and started meowing (in the Japanese version I bet it will be nyaaaa-ing instead, lol) and licking his substitute "paws". o_O And the most comical scene goes on to Rosalie's - seems like the English girl would like her father to remain that way for the time being... I think Kantarou will agree with her too!
The episode focuses on Haruka. Firstly, Yuri-san fell for him and calls him a sensitive gentleman. Haruka got his first kiss (on-screen :P) and also a matchmaking charm from Yuri-san. It's not really some kind of romance - it's just more displays of Haruka's kindness. If you wanna compare what a real romance is, refer to last night's episode. That's more like it. The setting's right, and what Kagome would say - MUUDO! [Mood!] Tonight's "Haruka x Yuri" is more shallow, and it wasn't really shown how Haruka feel about Yuri as well. But Youko, being sensitive as usual, spotted Yuri's blushes (when the latter first met Haruka) straight away and Kantarou had to be enlightened that it's called "love at first sight". Lol! Well, take into account that Youko is actually a youkai! She's one promising woman! As far as Haruka can display acts of kindness, he can be a Mr. Not-Nice too. I prefer to say this in Chinese: 殺気. Whoa, Haruka is gooood! He's scary at that. Well, you have to keep in mind - regardless of his
fangirl-service appearance, Haruka is a ogre-eating
tengu after all.
And now down to serious stuff. The truth is finally revealed. The return of Minamoto with Ibaragi and Watanabe - for real this time. Minamoto is from a youkai-exterminator family! And because they failed to take down the mighty
Tengu (Haruka in the past), Minamoto is now out for revenge - or more likely, glory for his name and family. Aha, so the truth seems more down-to-earth. Looks clean, too. Because there's only five episodes left, I'm eager to know how they are going to make a clean sweep out of it.
Ganba yo! There's a taste of Japanese culture tonight - Shougiku Gidayu (who turns out to be Ibaragi) and her shamisen. Though I don't really agree with shamisen music... This music genre in Kantarou's times shouldn't be so... modern... Well, I thought it's a little modern for me myself. Haha, whatever, I'll give the composer a break! After all, what marvellous music! It took more than ten minutes for the story to settle down into a serious tensed mood. When Shougiku/Ibaragi grants Kantarou, Haruka and Sugino a private performance at her residence, Kantarou's scar starts to hurt, finally after so many episodes. When the performance starts, Kantarou finds it weird that he can't hear a thing, while Haruka started to writh in pain. Minamoto's aim is to make Haruka recall his past and return to his true
tengu form before battling him again. Sugino actually thinks it was better for Haruka to remember his past and explains (to Kantarou) that it was painful for the
tengu to live everyday with his subdued powers and without any memories of his past. Kantarou thinks otherwise ("Sorry, Sugino-sama.") and make plans to save the situation. Haruka, at that moment, is no longer the Haruka we know; he has lost his sense of reason and is halfway through the metamorphsis into his true form. Yuri, too has become an
Oni (Ibaragi's doing), and is confronting the half-transformed
tengu. Both are really to attack each other, till Haruka dropped the matchmaking charm. Bleh - that's where I was disappointed. It ended so fast! All that accumulation of tension, and then both returned to their senses after some struggles, Haruka is still himself though Yuri (perhaps because she is a human after all) lost all her memories in the end. Minamoto & Co. didn't even move a finger. Bleh. That was such an anti-climax.
Haruka and Crossovers:
1. Haruka in the beginning - Zoro from
One Piece2. Haruka and Yuri under shelter in the rain - the
It's Gonna Rain ED from
Rurouni Kenshin3. Haruka in the course of his transformation - Inuyasha in his youkai-blood transformation
A Bored Post. Bleh.
3.42 am, and I'm hungry, having a brain-block, and bored to death...
AND STILL NOT SLEEPY... Alucard is my Master, whahahaa. I need to stop sleeping late... Ngggggh...
And now for boring posts! What I stumbled upon in HMV for the past month!
-
Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie OST
-
Last Exile OST Vol 1
-
Inuyasha Drama Album Vol 2: Arashi to Matsuri no Houraijima (saw it today! And it was 72 bucks... ;___;)
Hungry, hungry, hungry...
Oh. my. gawd... This is one Youko's fanart I can't resist to post...
Youko Fujima is the GodHer art is so brilliant, and I adore her style! FMA lovers, love her!
Tactics 19
Awww... What a little romance this episode turned out to be! I love the opening scene where Youko plays with the autumn leaves... Despite her money-minded ways, she is such a sweet girl. And Yoshio is really the perfect man for her - appearance-wise. It's a sad thing Yoshio is shallow enough to stereotype all demons as evil and domineering; his love for Youko is really passionate, but rigid... Yoshio turns out to be more capable than what meets the eye. He's striving to be independent, and surprisingly, not just the head of the Fushimiya kimono shop, but a designer as well! That means he was supposedly open-minded (oops, I'm stereotyping as well), but it seems like Yoshio jumped to his conclusion much too early for his (and Youko's) own good. Sigh... Ill-fated and not meant to be are they. The opening scene is Love. So speechlessly beautiful...! And this is the only time I didn't appreciate the
Secret World OP - because the opening of the song spoils the picturesque atmosphere (which was accompanied by the lovely music).
Aaah, speaking about the music, it's really a cut above the rest! The tracks played in tonight's episode were all fresh and new. Episode-premiere, lol! And it's lovely. Because of the romance between Youko and Yoshio, more slow-paced music (also never-heard-before tracks) were used. And the critical battle between Kantarou & Co. and Yoshio's "mother" was heightened by a new dramatic track! Unlike those typical battle scenes, this brand-new track helps build up excitement/tension, as well as emotions. Yes, plentiful of emotions were at play tonight. If there was a stereotype about demons not knowing what love is, Youko beat the belief. She is like a human in love. Aha, there is a subtle hint about demons crossing the boundaries of the human. Demons
can generate emotions like the humans. In other words (which I reckon Kantarou will agree), demons ain't bad after all. ^^
Human emotions. Kantarou and Haruka were all out of the picture because the episode focused on the small romance between Youko and Yoshio. Oooh, even their names match real nicely. ^^ I find it so sweet when Yoshio helped Youko out with the laundry. It was a classic scene, but it works everytime to bring warmth to both the couple involved, and the viewers. There was also this moment where Yoshio hugged Youko to thank her (I think it's more than that, lol). And the unexpected thing - Youko accepted the hug and embraced him as well. Well, I guess love really changes a person (or in this case, a demon) eh? Since before Yoshio's visit to the Ichinomiya lodge Youko was bullying Kan-chan by serving the household colourless (and tasteless) tea, lol! It's Kantarou's fault anyway, for bringing in too little money, whahahahaa. And the cutest thing happened - instead of becoming angry at Youko (I believe he can just do that by calling her by her name - lol, I'm so affected by the manga version now XD), Kantarou whined...! XDDDD Sooooo cuuuuute! Yeesh dears, I've fallen for Kantarou, duh... =.=
Kantarou whining in chibi-form = Love.
Plus much fangirl squealing.
Lol.
=== Wokay, now onto more trival observations ===
= I believe Youko likes to feel important or needed. It's not just in this episode, but also the one where Kan-chan and Haruka "teamed up" to lunch on Youko's red bean waffle.
= Yoshio's youkai "mother" has really scary eyes! (reminded of
Monster again... =_____=)
= When did Rosalie finally get along well with Suzu? That was a surprise, since I remember Rosalie throwing insults at Suzu one episode back.
= Realised that Kantarou is a tea-addict! XD Looks like he really can't live without
concentrated tea
= In addition, Kantarou get to wear a new costume! Wow, I like Kantarou with a straw hat. A fresh look, yet cool!
= We have a less-than-30-seconds
guest appearance of Sugino and his Mu... again...
And the story once again resolves around the theme of demon and human. However, the romance may seemed sweet, and Youko brilliantly and successfully resolved her own "relationship" issue, but it is so obvious that the episode is showing the downside of the human-demon bond. That if either of the sides can't overcome the barrier of indifferences or hatred, the bridge between the two is not going to work. We saw a human willing to befriend and embrace a demon (Kantarou), and now we have a demon who is willing to love a human. Anyway, even though the majority of both sides still didn't manage to work out a treaty, there will always be the harmony between human and demons among Kantarou & Co. I love it when Kantarou served a "healing" Youko tea ("I put lots of tea leaves into this time's"), and Youko just had to spoil it by commenting that "it's bitter".
Sssssuspicioussssss crossssssoverssssss:
1. white snakes -
Inuyasha2. the
Fushimiya shop -
Ai Yori Aoshi3. Youko and broomstick - Kyoko from
Maison Ikkoku4. Youko cleaning up the shop/house -
Sen to Chihiro no KamikakushiP.S. The Japanese word "tempura" translated into spoken Chinese broke my brain. It's a no-no. Nonononononononononononononononono. o_O
Frohes Weihnachten, Ferenc! Ich bin ewig dein!
And Merry Christmas to everyone! ^^
The party was quite a success, to much glee from Shen and I! Though the atmosphere last year was better... but I guess 'tis because of the two little ones, and that everyone is pretty tired. The lucky draw was as funny as well! Omg, Kai got a woman's panties... ^_^;;; Who's so evil to put that under the Christmas tree?! XD And some funny surprises as well! Granny got a pink sling bag... o_O *everyone dies from laughter!* Seems like Ferraro chocolates are pretty popular this year - at least three presents under the tree are those (only differing in the sizes, lol).
Well, gotta plan for next year already! ^^ Going to meet up with Shen for dinner next week (and evaluate this year's party to make sure next year's is going to be better! So excited already, me being a silly girl.)
Can't wait for Pandora to return already!! Via messages he had me informed he found the marble drink in Taiwan similar to Haruka's. Lol. And to celebrate the success of this year's party, allow me to post this pic of Haruka and his
precious! ^^
P.S. I finally understand what a cardboard cut is. It's a 100 times worse than a paper cut. Silly me to try to shift the carton boxes in my room during Christmas Eve, for now I'm wearing this crude plaster on my little LH pinky. Hmm... It's stalling me in my typing. Hmmph.
Nervös? Wakanai...
Tomorrow's the party... finally! Hmm, I'm pretty excited now - look at the time! It's 4.30 in the morning. Arrrgh... Can't sleep, can't sleep. Man, I should really switch off the computer now, or I won't be able to sleep... What am I doing? I'm not really excited about the whole thing, am I? Knowing very well it's going to be a boring one comparing to last year's (coz we had lots and lots of decorations, a giant Christmas tree, and most importantly, Pandora was around!), and that Shen already has everything under control, it should be a breeze for me right? I guess I'm the co-host this year, coz Shen did most of the work! Hmm, I don't know what tomorrow will bring; I only know I'm really freezing up right now... Gosh, I need more blankets! And why is Tactics pics so hard to find? Bleeeeh... But it was great that I found Kinoshita-sensei's Tactics webpage! Yaaaay... And I know I'm rumbling and rumbling again... Arrrghh... Gotta... Gotta goe... sleeeeep... Gotta... wake up.... early... Got... Gotta... set up... the... the treeeeeeee... Go... Gotta... help... with... ttttttthheeeeeeeee...
...
...
...
...
...
...oh!
Er... Frohes Weihnachten, everyone! ^^
Tactics 18
Welcome to the world of Ichinomiya Kantarou: MONEY! XDDD At first I was deceived by that scheming man that he was against science because of some righteous principles... And of course, it didn't turn out that way. He expressed his anger strongly about people using science to mislead people into thinking so theoretically when it was actually the work of youkais. But as proved once again, Youko is the person who understands Kantarou best - Kan-chan was angry because the "Mystery Society" was affecting his youkai-busting business... =__= Aha, now it sounds more like Kan-chan, lol. There was this scene about Kantarou fighting with Hasumi over the truth about the supernatural and stuff, and Kan-chan didn't seem to get the idea of doing research without earning money. Lol, Kan-chan is sooo money-minded... Luckily Haruka didn't pick up this bad trait of his!
Hasumi and Rosalie remained in the story after their previous appearances in the previous episode. However, Rosalie didn't get much limelight as compared to yesterday's, except she gets to pick on Suzu (like calling her "loser", "idiot" and the whatnots). Hooray! Revenge! XP
This is a war between bitches! We also get to witness a fight between Hasumi and Rosalie, since the father-figure is still convinced that Rosalie's ability to see creatures of the supernatural world is due to her inner turmoils and hence the hallucinations. Rosalie is of course upset and flung her doll at Hasumi before running away. Seriously now, it seems that Hasumi is really determined to "cure" Rosalie, and had coaxed her into telling him her kept emotions so that she can "get rid" of those "hallucinations". I have a strong feeling that Hasumi was really treating Rosalie as part of his experiments! He was very certain that he will be the person who can cure Rosalie - all due to his pride. If he was having intentions to be her father, I believe he would rather listen to his daughter and not be so stubborn towards his beliefs... Sigh... I don't know... Let's watch on.
Introduction of a minor (I believe she'll only be appearing in this episode) character, Ayame. Kantarou should be happy to know that someone actually read his works, lol! Oh wait, he
is happy! And very proud! XD Imagine Kan-chan in shiny shiny background saying the phrase
boku desu! [That's me!] so full of pride, whahahaa! What a shiny shiny Kantarou appearance. Okay, I'm swooning now, XP Oh, and it's surprising to see Kantarou blush when he first met Ayame. Haha, priceless moment! Ayame was Hasumi's student, so it seems, but believed in the existence of youkais - because she used to be able to see them when she was young. And my, my, Kantarou was really gentle to her, and when the
Kenkegen appeared, both were so enthusiastic to see the youkai. Kantarou especially. I felt his passion of befriending youkais. Awww... Kantarou was having those lovey-lovey eyes and self-indulging: "I had wanted to meet the
Kenkegen ever since I was young..." Lol, he had scary eyes like those when he first met Haruka. XD
Speaking about Haruka, he didn't help at all in any of Kantarou's youkai-busting activities. He was busy playing with Youko and the rest. =__= Nnnnggggh?! I love the part when he was playing "Japanese badminton" (I really don't know how they call it in Japan, sorry... It sounded ugly, I know...) with Youko. Haruka, determined not to lose the game because of the forfeit, gave his best, and smacked the feather-like thing (what was it called again?) right into Youko's face... o_O Poor Youko... The collapsed fox-demon was stammering "Haruka... You're banned from this game..." Whahahahahahahaaaaaaa!!!
Mu and Sugino also appeared. And Sugino paid the price for wearing such ugly ponytails! *cough cough* *just kidding* He earned a bald spot on his head due to the
Kenkegen! Whoa. I thought that was a little cruel to him, lol. Mu doesn't have to worry - she doesn't have any hair! XD (Oops...! Don't let Sugino know I said that XP) In the end, Ayame finally managed to see youkais again - Mu and the
Kenkegen. Hasumi did also see Mu, but I can't believe he used the excuse of Mu coming from a foreign country! OMG... o_O That's one lame excuse!! I actually hate Hasumi a lot, especially in this episode, because he took all the credits from Kantarou during those visitations to the victims' place when Kan-chan was the one "busting" and taming all the youkais in those households. Hmm... Hey, wait a minute, Kantarou is actually not bad a person - he did all that for free too! But after that Mu scene, I think revenge was already executed. We all witness the fact of Hasumi's stubbornness towards scientific theories turned into an element of humour. Thumbs up to the script! ^^
Tonight's episode concludes with the
Kenkegen visiting Kantarou's home after his failure of busting/taming the demon. Nooooooo~~~~~ Haruka's hair~~~~~~ Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! *kills herself* But it seems that the most impactful "hairstyle" comes from Kantarou, when both Youko and Haruka gave that (o_O) look. BUT WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE WHAT IT WAS LIKE!!!! *WHINES* Lol, I guess Kinoshita Sakura-sensei was too over-protective of her Kantarou! ^______^
Crrrrrrrrrrrrrossover desu yo!
1. the
Kotofurunushi - the judge from
Akazukin Cha Cha with the hairstyle of Rukia (from
Bleach) XD
P.S. I hate part of tonight's subtitles. Bleeeeh. The "haunted" instrument was actually the Japanese "guzheng" called the "koto", but the subtitles called it firstly a "harp", then later on a "zither". "Zither" is close to the description of the
koto, but isn't "harp" a little too far-fetched? o_O
'Tis Winter Solstice!
Aaaah... I love 22nd Dez more than Christmas Day itself... Don't know why, but the 22nd, the day of Winter Solstice, allowed me to indulge a moment of calmness... It kept raining today, and was really cold - I'm even freezing now... But you know, it's really beautiful... This is a simple sentence, but...
I am so happy.
And Kantarou isn't. He got convinced by Youko (while Haruka was being caught in the middle of the heated discussion) that youkai-busting wasn't some business that's capable of fetching in more bucks... ever since Haruka brought Inuyasha into the family. That dog, unlike Haruka, eats too much cup noodles. And so Kantarou decided to quit being a youkai-buster, and be a family man ^^
Ichinomiya's business - the alternativeHmmm...! 'Tis a good solution for a cold weather! I'll make a trip there, take away Haruka (and rename him something better!) and replace him with Kouga so that the bickerings from the dog and the wolf is able to drown out Kantaoru's scheming thoughts.
Aaaaaah... 'Tis brain-freeze!
I am really so happy.
Tactics 17
The return of Hasumi - and his adopted daughter Rosalie. She is one queer little girl... One who is able to see youkais just like Kan-chan, and perhaps a little more gifted than him. When Rosalie met Kantarou and Haruka at the church, she approached the
tengu and asked him "
why do you have wings?" Whoa... That was really something. Later we learned that Rosalie had mistaken Haruka as the fallen angel Lucifer because of his black wings, and I went "No, no, no, no!" Nooooooooooooo... Don't taint Haruka like that, little miss! Well, I happened to dislike dolly-like characters, and she's looking like one. Well, someone already provided me with the spoiler that Rosalie was Hasumi's child, but the fact that she was adopted made up for it. Whoa... Kantarou did questioned Hasumi during a private dinner, asking if it was just part of the latter's intention to further his scientific research. We can see that father and daughter are very dependent on each other - bringing up the question if a scientific man is able to get along with a girl granted with supernatural senses. They are indeed very loving, but at one point towards the end of the episode Hasumi promised Rosalie that "I will cure you [from your hallucinations]". After hearing that sentence I began to doubt him like Kantarou did. You sure you are not treating Rosalie as an experiment? Are you certain that there are real sentiments involved here? Time (as in further episodes) can only tell.
Also the return of more characters we've been missing for episodes. Minamoto is back! And so is Ibaragi (but only at the last scene, and she doesn't speak a word). And a new "villian" characters by the name of Edwards. Arrrgh...
Don't taint Edward's name! Alchemise you, freaky mister Smiley! And to the comical side of tonight's episode, the marble Haruka got his finger stuck for is back - without the glass bottle! LMAO!! XDDDDDD [That is the part, Pandora! I can't believe they did include it in the anime - I guess it's really too funny to be missed! Hooray for the manga!] And just like in the manga, Haruka is sooooo proud to show off his
extracted marble to everyone, lol. Why did it appear in this episode anyway... =_________=
And a paragraph for Kantarou. Coz it's rare to see Mister Silver Hair drunk, lol. But hey, Hasumi returned, so there's a reason to get drunk... I guess he was feeling really hurt this time... Poor Kan-chan. *pat pat* The episode opens with Kantarou drunk and whining about why Numata-sensei recommended Hasumi for a certain prestigious position instead of himself. So as a good friend (I hope it's because of this reason and not because he was being forced to) Haruka had to stay beside him and tolerate all of Kan-chan's whinings... Well, Kantarou the drunkard lost all traits of a gentleman - he is so noisy and nonsensical, and lastly, spits the sake out full-force right after he drank
from the sake bottle itself. o_O Oi, oi...
Mou... So there, Kantarou suffered a hangover for two days. Two days?! Nnggggghhh... This is one "incredible" drinker... =.= But Reiko-san pulled him out of his house for work. And I was quite surprised when Youko asked Kantarou if his head still hurts. Wow, this is actually the first time Youko seemed concerned for him! That's a nice fox-youkai you got there! ^^ (And it turns out that Suzu was still mean to Kantarou and blames him for getting himself drunk. Bleh.) Mu was as sticky to Kan-chan as ever, and the latter unintentionally seduced her as patting her head tenderly. Sugino was well, as jealous as ever, and grabbed Mu away from Kantarou with the excuse of "Poverty is infectious!" *falls off the chair* ROFL~~~!!! Tsk tsk... That was some
lame excuses, Sugino... -_-;; And lastly, the scenes of Kantarou and Haruka! Ooo, I still love those scenes... It's classic (in
Tactics) to have Haruka helping Kantarou in dangerous situations. Haruka decided to follow Kantarou to the church although the human insisted to go explore that place himself. And later the episode had Haruka protecting Kantarou from dangerous flying objects flung by the possessed Rosalie. Lovely. This pair, made up of a human and a demon, is just... awwww... Oh yeah, and Mu and Haruka make a perfect demon-busting pair! Shoo, Kantarou-san! Tonight's battle had Haruka weakening the youkais followed by Mu sucking/eating up them, though much to Sugino's disapproval. In conclusion -
Tactics! Haruka and Mu! Maybe they should start replacing Kantarou's images with Mu's in the OP beginning from tomorrow, XP
Crossovers! Meow X33:
1. church setting -
Chrno Crusade,
Hellsing and
Shaman King2. Hasumi, at one scene - Tanaka from
Pretear :P
3. Edwards - the doppelganger/creepy-version of Chichiri from
Fushigi Yuugi [and actually more of someone else than Chichiri, but I can't remember! =.=]
Tactics 16
Ooo, scary opening - buahahahaha. Looks like I haven't recovered from yesterday's shock. But really, it seems like the "shootage" is getting scarier and scarier. I suspect: a change of director perhaps? Hmm... ^^
The main plot is all focused around Sugino and Mu, and their husband-and-wife relationship. Personally, I really like tonight's episode! Mu is killing me with her cuteness. Awesomely kawaiiiiiii~~~ *squeals and dies* I'll dedicate the cuteness to a paragraph later. Now onto Sugino's pettiness. It hits me like
whoa. When he got emotionally hurt after Mu ran to the Ichinomiya's lodge and sided with Kan-chan, he flew away whining and dramatically saying things like "I've been abandoned by Mu... Waaaaaah..." ^_^;;; Sugino was playing the role of the wife - it looks like!
On the theme of the relationship between humans and demons again. Sugino really hates human, and after Kantarou "won" the heart of his wife, I'm sure he loath them even more. However, in this episode, I felt that Sugino's hatred is really quite childish, just like what Haruka had said. That makes Sugino a very petty man... Kantarou was worried about Sugino not returning to the Ichinomiya lodge after his dramatic leave, and Youko plainly assured him that Sugino will return - when he's hungry. Lol... At the end it was revealed that Sugino abhor the human kind because he was humiliated (caused by his own mistake) in front of humans before, and everyone was really surprised at his answer. Really, such a petty man. Still, I wonder if Sugino will stay prejudiced against the humans after this incident? He was possessed by the
Kyoukotsu Kotoe because of this hatred. I understand there's this message of "hatred = weakness" in this episode. And love expectedly saves the day - it was the love of the married couple that allowed Sugino to get the upper hand of his possessed mind.
Haruka was protective of Kantarou! Aha, it's one side of him that we hardly see - perhaps because Kan-chan is always around. Sugino, blinded by his hatred, help the
Kyoukotsu get away when Haruka and Kantarou almost defeated her, and Haruka was fuming mad. How? The next day when it was just Sugino and he, Haruka threatened the white
tengu "never even try to intercept Kantarou's work again". Strong words - showing how Haruka "dotes" on Kantarou (oh~~ what a word to use... but it makes Haruka sounds more adorable... :P). And our dear Kantarou finally recited his nine-word spell. Ooo... I love him doing that! He recited it twice - but imcompleted ones... Sigh, what a waste. The first was at the opening: Kantarou did it slowly, "Rin!" and his charms starting glowing, then "Byou!" and... the
Kyoukotsu got away! Bleh... =_______= The next was at the end: "Rin, Byou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai..." and Mu ate up the youkai. XDDDDDD Kantarou! Whahahahahaa...! Mu steals all the credit! The last word was "Zen", but Kantarou never get to complete his chant... X333333
Mu~~~~~ Hee hee... He was playful as well as useful. Plenty of Mu's scenes, that were extra-funny! First we have the flashback of Sugino feeding Mu with worms - with a chopstick! And the way Mu eats was squirmingly cute!! XD Then it was Mu sitting at the garden of the Ichinomiya lodge. A butterfly paid the lodge a visit, unfortunately went too close to Mu, and the green creature stuck out her looooong tongue (like a lizard!) and got the butterfly into her stomach! o_O And Mu went on to "switch" with her tongue the insects she has gobbled up previously. There was this beetle, then followed by the butterfly she has just caught, lastly a dragonfly - which flew away! XDD Oh my gawd... Mu... What is your stomach made of? Some in-grown cash register? That scene was a little hard to digest, really. Another scene that makes me glee - the Return of the Marble-in-Glass Bottle! Woohoooo! Youko, Suzu and Mu were having this moment of "bottle-drinking", and Mu got her tongue stuck at the bottle mouth! *jawfloor* Oh my gawd, how did she do that?! Feels like a deja vu of Haruka's finger x Bottle mouth. Rofl... Then the threesome started lunch - with noodles. What kind, I just can't differentiate. Looks like udon, but udon isn't that transparent. Anyway, Mu was playing with food. She "wore" the noodles on her little green head, and suddenly it was Mu the white-hair wife! Loooool...! With her new-found wig she was hoping around, doing that cute little dance... *squeals of cuteness* Looks like Mu doesn't know how to appreciate human food.
She eats only rubbish. And Mu, who eats everything, saves the day! XD She was the true virtueous wife who saved her dearest husband (Sugino) by eating the youkai possessing him. Awwww... ^^
Crossovers! *love love*
1. scrawling crab under the stone Sugino lifted up - the Susuwatari from
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi2. Sugino's trick: wagon full of heavy objects -
Inuyasha3. Sugino's white wings turning red - Inuyasha's Tessaiga
Tactics 15
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm scared to death!!! So much that I regretted watching Episode 15 late at night... >_<
Actually, it started pretty light-heartedly... With the usual humour and the schemings of Kantarou... Dear Kan-chan was trying to act cool after getting praises from his company (Haruka and the rest), and addressed his fox demon as "Youko-san". I didn't get it at first, but once it hit me my jaw touched the floor XP The sound effect from the leaf-music was... er... not as nice as it seemed to be - I think. Perhaps because I had heard more melodious "leaf music" from some other anime...
And because it was summer (when did Kantarou unseal Haruka? During springtime? Hmm...) all Japanese animated works feature watermelon-eating... Beats me really... XD So! Watermelon for everyone! We didn't get to eat Haruka munch on any watermelon slices, but I love the shot when Haruka, overlooking the pond, turned out slowly, and revealed watermelon seeds at the left side of his mouth. *drop jaw* Haruka!!! Image, image...! And then there was one watermelon slice left, and Youko and Kantarou were fighting over it. We didn't get to witness the result of the "competition", but expectedly, it will be the scheming Kantarou who gets the last piece... Whahahahahaa... Triumphant Kan-chan, and poor, poor Youko! Even Sugino and Mu get involved in the watermelon thingy. Tsk tsk! Sugino was accusing (and condeming) humans like Kantarou for being thief-like in nature, and the Scheming One felt insulted... Knowing so well that Mu has taken a liking towards himself, he easily got Mu to side his "innocence". (why inverted commas? coz we'll never what's the truth! XD) Sugino got angry
and jealous over Kantarou "seducing" his wife and demanded a duel. And if you are expecting a fierce fight with dazzling magic and flashing lightnings, teeeeeeeeee~~~~ *you're wrong*. They decided to have a watermelon-eating competition between themselves. *palmface* Come on, everyone... It's getting so lame... =_=
And then a change of mood.
And atmosphere.
They called it -
Yume no Kakera.
It was creepy enough to witness twice the reflection of
something gliding over the clockface. On the first time, I cursed out loud; the second I screamed
knowing very well everyone in the house is asleep.... The animation effort and CG sequences are at their best here. I wonder if it was a different director for this episode, but the presentation is very different from the past's. A lot of short snapshots of happenings and sightings. I know it's on the track of the meaning of
kakera (meaning "fragments"), and it is beautifully expressed. I said that because I'm not afraid now. My fear has dispersed, phew... But I swear I was scared out of my life! Some scenes was disturbing as well - like the one with Tatsuzou pointing the rifle at Suzu, then jokingly said that the rifle wasn't load. Hey Mister, nobody points a weapon at a child for a joke. And another one was when Chikage repeatedly claimed that the baby in her womb is Suzu and no other. o_O The Kantarou scene was also frightening - I screamed out the second time. Kantarou seemed to have vapourized with only a watermelon replacing his head; and his clothes just laid out plainly on the floor... My dears, this is not funny. What was supposedly funny in the beginning became a HORROR symbol. Just like that. Then Kantarou's "head" rolled over only to reveal a Halloween-pumpkin carved face - and all the time he was calling out "Suzu... Suzu..." and laughing this creepy laugh... Brrrrrrr... I'm at my wits' end when the tension builds up to a climax. Yet towards the end of the episode the nightmare abruptly ended. Less then 30 seconds later the ED was called on. This. is. a. very. uncomfortable. ending.
Period.
I'm surprised I still managed to spot crossovers amidst my overflowing fear:
1. appearance of Tatsuzou - an overgrown Tatsu from
Peacemaker Kurogane [isn't it bizarre how the name and the appearance is similiar to Tatsu's?]
2. Kan-chan and Youko fighting over the watermelon - Luffy and anyone else from
One Piece 3. Tatsuzou pointing the rifle at Suzu, plus other disturbing moments -
Monster
Tactics merchandise
For Pandora when he comes back:
MuuuuuuuuuuBecause I died of laughter.
Tactics 14
Tonight's episode is all about feminism! Tsk tsk... See what Kinoshita Sakura-sensei is trying to hint here, lol. We have Reiko as the symbol of the modern independent woman - Haruka admires her for being able to defeat Kantarou in speech (and suggested learning that ultimate skill from her, and Youko voiced her agreement as well, haha). Then we have Suzu talking to Reiko about wanting to be just like her when she grows up - to be a working woman. And we learnt that Youko,
apart from being Kantarou's slave, is still working independently! She appears as a delivery girl today at Reiko's workplace. Lol. More about the feminist movement? The last straw falls between Reiko and Haruka... o_O Reiko was really drank and Haruka had to "fly" her back home. Reiko lost all sense and tried to *-beep-* Haruka, and poor Haruka! The oh-so-almighty
tengu appeared so helpless! Luckily Sugino came to the rescue... Aha! So there's some usefulness of Sugino and Mu for you, lol. Oh, that scene was cute though. It was late in the night and Mu, sitting beside Sugino, was nodding off. XD *dies from cuteness*
Apart from feminism, the other main theme (which applies more for everybody, of course! I understand the gents do feel uncomfortable about the feminist movement) would be the bridge between human and demons. Yes, this theme is brought up in almost every episode, but it plays a big role in tonight's. Sugino reaffirms his opinion about the difference between humans and demons, and mocks Haruka for following Kantarou's orders everytime. Sugino thinks that demons should be proud breeds and should not let the humans trample over them (well, honestly, he should ask Mu about his opinion, XD). However, the ghost in the storage room was able to form an alliance with Reiko, though she would never be able to know about it (unless anyone should tell her). It seems that Reiko is a passionate book lover, and hence, the ghost actually love her back. That sounds pathetically simple, but I think simplicity is elegance... It's a simple story about a ghost protecting a human she is fond of - and yet it radiates the idea of the bond between humans and demons so powerfully. Even Haruka confesses that he finds it unforgettable.
And now the character analysis... Kantarou only (I'll leave Haruka alone) - because he's just great tonight. Not powerful, though... He didn't get the chance to shout out his nine-word chant, because no youkai is being defeated today. I find this ending quite appealing; at least it shows that
Tactics doesn't have to be some demon-battling anime. That's variety, and I applaud thee. Our dear Kantarou is such a thoughtful gentleman. Although he sensed youki on Reiko's body, he didn't voice it out to her but waited for her to leave his place. And then to our (and Youko's) surprise - Kan-chan has been holding on to his wrist-bells, which has been ringing non-stop. Because the book youkai didn't cause any harm to Reiko, Kantarou allows it to dwell on Reiko's body. This may sound bizarre, even to me, but I thought it's really very nice of Kantarou - it's for the youkai's sake, and Reiko's.
One last thing - it surprises me how Kantarou allowed himself to take the risk of revealing Haruka's true identity. Sure, Reiko-san is drunk, so Kantarou
orders Haruka to send her back to her own home - by flying! There was really a sort of tension when Reiko woke up in the midst of the "flight"... However tension soon settles into humour - Haruka didn't panic but casually told Reiko to "go back to sleep", which she did. Lol!
Crossover. No pural, just singular. XP
1. Reiko's workplace -
Fullmetal Alchemist
Suleika and Rastlose destroyed my lower range
Have been doing transcriptions of the German in
Monster. Whoa, imagine 24 episodes in three days. If my brain don't take the initiative to explode first, I'm sure my eyes will.
Aber, ich hatte viel Spaß! Some difficulties in figuring out the words - because the animator actually didn't want anyone to check them out right? They are just part of the background, not something vital.
But hey, look what I found out by taking
Monster's German seriously! Tenma ist 37 Jahre alt, und sein Geburtstag - 2. Januar... Heh heh... Nina ist 20 Jahre alt (deshalb Johann auch), und ihr Geburtstag ist im April. Und dann habe ich gelesen - Nina ist eine Verdächtige für der Mond ihrer Eltern. Whoa... Das ist nicht im Anime. Haha, es ist eine neue Entdeckung. XP
Banzai! Mitsuketa, whahahaha! Watashi no
Monsuta wa chiisana janai!
I'm going to start re-watching
Juuni Kokki by tomorrow. Enough of
Monster... It's scary to transcribe that anime at night. Very, very creepy... I hate eyes... *_*
Tactics 13
Angst, angst, angst... Sigh... This post won't be very long, because I'm very affected by tonight's episode. It's touching in a way, and angsty in another... Sigh...
We found out that the mysterious military soldier from the previous episode is by the name of Minamoto Raikon-sama. And he planned, unfortunately though successfully, to hurt Haruka... Sigh... Watanabe is the root of the problem, because he is posessed and is stronger than Haruka. There is the imposter "
tengu" as well, but Haruka managed to defeat him. There are rare moments in this episode which we witness Haruka's true strength. It may not be strong enough to beat Raikon yet, but indeed, Haruka is fighting very seriously. It is revealed that Watanabe and the
tengu imposter are puppets of Raikon. This is really getting darker...
Some serious stuff to add. The idea of Haruka against the Unebi's guns/cannons are once again the theme of follklore against modernity. And this time round Haruka loses... Poor, poor Haruka... He is so victimised tonight... Sigh... And more ugly imagery introduced - the mud mermaids. This brings on the myth of sailors enchanted by mermaids appearing from the sea - resulting in the mysterious disappearance of the whole fleet. The pun is intended here: Unebi is a lost ship, and is however, found amidst the deep jungle of Mt. Fuji. The mermaids too, are made of mud, and suggestively, quicksand. Ingenious reenactment of the myth.
And it is confirmed. Since the words "Mount Fuji" were mentioned in the anime, it is confirmed that Kantarou-san comes from Japan. This may sound stupid, but I just want to avoid mistakes.
I wanted to include my comments on the humour (which is kept at minimal level) of this episode, but think I'll leave it out coz it might affect the serious tone of the whole post... Everyone may be prejudiced towards Kantarou and biased towards Haruka... but look, Haruka is the one who suffered in the end. Kantarou wept in pain - swearing that he would protect him... But... I think Kantarou-san is suffering in emotional pain... because of his helplessness... He did try his best to protect Haruka from the firings, but at the end of the day, he realised he is just human... Sigh... Haruka... And Kantarou... Sigh...
Crossovers...
1. military people -
Rurouni Kenshin [eg. Yamagata-san]
2. mysterious flute - Sara-hime from
Inuyasha and
Fushigi YuugiP.S. I don't understand why they need to bring in Mu and Sugino at the end; it just makes things even more painful - because, let's face it, only Kantarou and Haruka understand the pain among themselves. Youko, Suzu, Mu and Sugino... They might try to be pitiful to the pair, but they wouldn't understand the pain... Sigh...
Tactics 12
Oooh, I love tonight's. Finally something eye-catching after the two-parter arc of the Suzakuins. The intro of the episode made me fell from the sofa for real - knees first. Ouch! I thought it was rare that
Tactics opens with Kantarou awesomely chanting his nine-word spells, till you realised he didn't catch the little youkai at all. With the cute little monster floating behind him, Kantarou was making the (=_=;);; face. His total failure after trying to look cool. Lol, lovely!
Shigoto, shigoto! Kan-chan scheming again...! Love him that way. I think you can notice the transition in my posts - I am writing more about Kan-chan now (Pandora must be glad - his spell is working on me). Seems that Haruka understands Kantarou the most. He already knew that Kan-chan is into Sakurazawa's money, and is also scheming on making his poor demons do all the housework at the mansion. Naughty. Kantarou is getting more charming within all his schemings :P
After recent episodes, one can judge that Haruka actually has a kinder heart that Kantarou. Yet, he's still a
tengu and doesn't know about the ways of the humans. It was funny how Kan-chan is seemingly trying to get into Sakurazawa's good books - and tries to teach Haruka mannerism: "You should knock before entering a lady's room, Haruka!". Right. Kan-chan's reaction is sooooo amusing.
Another paradox about marriage is brought up here. Haruka marries Sakurazawa?! It's just like Kantarou x Kyoko in the previous episode. Nnnngh... Oi... Enough is enough. The animators seem to be enjoying throwing explicit issues into the anime. I have to bear with the scene where Haruka got molested by Sakurazawa. o_O This is such a feminist episode, lol. Later in the episode Haruka was asked to lick the water spilled on Sakurazawa's lower thighs... Double o_O Of course Haruka didn't do it - this is NOT a hentai anime after all. But those scenes were unbearable... I know Haruka is supposedly an attractive character, but his existence is not to serve such purpose in the story. HE IS A
TENGU, EVERYONE. Back to the issue of marriage, Youko seems to be the brightest of the lot. She was the first to spot Kantarou trying to charm the widow Kyoko by flattery (in the previous episode) and tonight she showed that she was as sensitive as a woman to spot Sakurazawa being attracted to Haruka. Haha, Youko is beginning to rock - *kills herself for saying that*
Mu and Sugino finally appeared (for less than a minute) after their absence for two episodes. Mu's appearance is sooo entertaining. He reminds me of an instant
Kazaana, lol. Begone, Miroku! Mu wins you by folds! Lol... Poor Mu... He didn't know what he ate/sucked (little youkais actually), and Sugino (in western clothes and two ponytails *aaaah... my eyes burn* *flees from the scene*) was crying "Aaah, you can't eat those, Muuuu~~~". Guess youkais are like "stale food" for Mu - perhaps worms are indeed better for cute green creatures than youkais will be, lol. Sugino tried to make Mu spit everything out so that he'll feel better, but it was hilarious to see Kantarou and Youko rushing to stop Mu from doing that (coz the youkais will gush out to flood the room again). Aaaaah... That's being cruel to animals, you two!
Humour aside, there are serious issues touched upon too. In a quiet moment together, Haruka and Kantarou talk about the relationship between human and demons. Kantarou was lightly teasing Haruka about him falling in love with a human, but Haruka said it isn't possible - because he doesn't believe in equality between human and demons. I thought Haruka was a little insensitive here - it may be his own opinion about it, but he should understand that Kantarou constantly hopes there is a bridge between the two kinds ever since he was young. Haruka later flew away and left Kantarou alone at the balcony, and Kantarou whispered those words: "
Haruka, anata wa... watashi no yuuki..." [Haruka, you are... my hope...] Sigh... Kantarou-san...
The fight against Ibaragi and her partner was simply too exciting. I was sitting at the edge of my seat - with all the mess of the flowers and the helplessness of everyone (Kantarou, Haruka and Youko all held captive) is pure serious tension. The flowers appear lovely (my favourite colour some more) at first...until they became hostile and floods the battle scenes... It just heightens the tension (and excitement for the viewers) even more. It's hard to comment on the battle scenes, but I would like to say, I just loved Kantarou's entrance! And perhaps Haruka was right - he has become too dependent on Kantarou. However, dear Haruka, dependence comes from trust.
Shinjiteiru... It is alright to depend on Kantarou...
Dakedo, kare wa... Kantarou wa zettai ni tsuyoku desu! And this time around (finally!), the baddies got to hang around (not for good though)! I sense the main plot approaching...! *shiny eyes* These two youkais (Ibaragi and her other partner) are suspicious characters, and the plot decide to exploit them a little more. Good. So for tomorrow, we will be presented with a new mystery, but the two youkais will revisit the screen again. Lastly, to clear the unwanted tension here, just wanna put a note to this: My wish came true after nine episodes! Haruka, suffering from a hangover (from the flowers) the next day, is out of his suit and adorned in kimono again. Bravo!
Haha, I hope you can see how excited I was watching tonight's episode, coz I admit this post is
chotto long. And plenty of crossovers too!
1. the act of stealing art -
D.N. Angel2. "red tea" (lit.) served by Youko - Akira from
CLAMP Gakuen Tantei Dan3. the Sakurazawa mansion -
Monster4. Mu sucking the little youkai -
vacuum cleaner from ?!&%$ Miroku from
Inuyasha5. Youko struggling to open the storage room's door - Ahiru from
Princess Tutu6. the flowers, and later, Haruka - Delphine and Alex scenes from
Last Exile
Tactics 11
Keh. I'm wrong. Nothing suspicious about Miyabi, but I don't really like her... I guess although she did attempt to make some meaning out of her remaining life, she's still as weak as a damsel at the end. And I think it explains why Haruka was sympathetic towards her. He was as gentle as well. commenting that "it's [my] first time witnessing someone die with a smile". Nice.
Honestly I really don't know what to comment on tonight's episode... I waited 24 hours in anticipation, but was quite disappointed at the point of Miyabi's death. I expect more mysteries to solve, and more action... But Mai turned out to be the culprit in the end (Kantarou and Haruka reluctantly marked her as "a sinner") and well, that's all to it. She tried to kill Haruka (it's reveal Haruka is powerful against
Onmyou to save Miyabi, but Kantarou intercepted and saved him, blah blah blah... I find the front part too narrative... Not engaging, nor was it anything close to interesting. The only part I did "shout out" comments is where Kantarou appeared in a change of robes. (I'm pretty confused about Kantarou's change of clothes in the anime - are the red and green robes some kind of ceremonial costume actually? Kan-chan wore it for the fortune-telling ceremony for the night but changed back to his red and white kimono the next day) Kantarou's power wasn't really flashy this time as well, but we now know he's able to exorcise as well. Bleh, what am I talking about?! Definitely Kan-chan is able to do that, duh...! Er... but what I really mean is that I find that part about exorcising Suzu more spectacular than the rescuing of Haruka.
The episode only gets better
after the death of Miyabi. Actually, it's the best part. Finally some kind of character development and a suggestive plot development. The topic of hate, that is. It was quite a shock when Mai shot Kantarou with a "I hate you, Ichinomiya Kantarou." after the latter refused to help Miyabi (actually Mai had tainted her soul with her killings of those young men and so it was possible to exchange her soul with the dying Miyabi's). Wow, the impact came strong. I was really quite taken aback - if she was quick to regret what she had done, she was also quick to hate again. Some personality she has there. ^^ And it touched on the fact that no matter how strong the teamwork is between Kantarou and Haruka, or how compassionate the both can be, they can still became the object of hatred - Mai's, in particular. In short, a team consisting of a human and a demon may be powerful, but it plays no significant role regarding emotional issues. I do pity the fact that things had to turned out that way - because for the first time in
Tactics an episode had a sad end, but Kantarou was kind enough to tell Haruka that Mai's hatred towards them can be useful as her motivation to pursue her knowledge and skills of the
Senjutsu. The ending also reflects the fickle hearts of the human kind. After Miyabi's passing, the villagers directed their dependence immediately onto Mai the next day. Suddenly all the dotings and concerns the late Miyabi used to get were now re-directed to Mai, the new
miko of the village. It reflects so badly on the villagers, but they are not aware of it. If Miyabi is dead and gone, then why remember her? We should be practical, not emotional, and go lick the shoes of the new
miko Mai! So in the end we realised that the scene of the dying Miyabi may suggest a heart-wrenching plot, but she died, for nothing. She failed at the attempt to leave a piece of her existence with the world she departed from. And because of that, she remembers Kantarou's words to her and fly free in the wind as a butterfly. She visits Haruka's lips to mark the signature of her love, and decides to drop by to greet her dear sister. The butterfly's freedom didn't last long; she was slowly chewed away by a praying mantis - and all this occurs just beside Mai, who's wearing a smile on her face. This, my dears, is what they call
morbid.
Yes, after all the fuss about the two-parter, it presented to us a morbid ending.
Morbidly, I present you the crossover of the 11th episode:
1. Youko swatting the mosquitoes and clapped her hands three times - Ed from
Fullmetal Alchemist2. the angsty sisters - the angsty brothers from
Fullmetal Alchemist3. the posessed mirror -
Fushigi Yuugi and
Inuyasha
tsurete itte!
They're playing
Hellsing next!!
*glees*
They're playing
Hellsing after the unworthy
Godannar!!
*jumps for joy*
And I'll celebrate my near-future night anime-marathon.
*stares*
Nani!?Hellsing at the beginning of the marathon,
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien next, followed by
Maburabo, goes on with
Tactics and will finally end with
Pretear.
Usou yo!I'm really asking for trouble. *dies*
Tactics 10
Was indeed a great first episode of a two-parter. The suspense builds up very subtly, and observe that neither did Kantarou's bells ring, nor did his scar hurt... Aha... Here's the catch. And the mention about Yin and Yang - looks like neither Kantarou nor Haruka like the sound of it. We'll see tomorrow.
We witness the amibitous Kantarou as the husband-wannabe to Kyoko. At first, Kantarou greets Kyoko with kisses on the hand and other flattery, and we went -
what?! since when is Kantarou capable of having lust in his heart?! Youko came into the scene to shade some light about the enigma: Aha. Kyoko is a rich widow. NOW IT ALL MAKE SENSE... *snickers* That mouth of Kantarou's - he sure knows how to flatter targeted women, and Youko is
in league so supportive of him! However, the image of Kantarou married just doesn't seem to be able to form in my head XD. Kan-chan married?!
Masaka... Taihen desu!Haruka, however, is the opposite of Kantarou... As Miyabi described it: "a heart sympathetic and pure". Yes, that's our Haruka today. So kind-hearted, so compassionate. He treats Miyabi lovingly tonight, speaking gently to her and nicely telling the surrounding crows to leave Miyabi's garden alone. How sweet of him. And there is an interplay of the black-wings imagery. The crows obediently listens to Haruka, who is a black-winged
tengu. A beautiful, yet suggestive scene. What's more, we learnt (from Kantarou) that Haruka doesn't like sweet stuff. But he accepts the sweet because Miyabi offered them to him. Note this, however - Haruka is not being exceptionally nice to Miyabi alone. I believe he really does have a pure heart. He was that nice to Suzu as well in one of the previous episodes - and accepts Suzu's candy as well.
The twins Mai and Miyabi may be twins, but are behaving the exact opposite. Miyabi may seem to be of a kinder nature, but from my point of view, seems suspicious to me. However she reminds me of her parallel to Kantarou with her black hair and red eyes. My, what lovely red eyes she (and Kan-chan) has! Mai seems to be more of an angry young lady, and snaps at everyone a lot. Yet she has a passionate personality, and was just doing the opposite of how she feels. Because of the last scene - in the dark of the night where two pairs of lovers...attempts to seek a moment of togetherness...not! Yes dears, the last scene made me go WTF?!
What the hell... The two seperate scenes of Miyabi x Haruka and Mai x Kantarou - surprise...!
Short commentary, coz we'll wait for tomorrow's verdict. Let's bring on the crossovers for now:
1. the name
Kyoko, and she being a widow - Kyoko from
Maison Ikkoku [both Kyokos are great beauties]
2. the glowing red eyes of the dog-like creature -
Chrno Crusade3. Suzaku -
Fushigi Yuugi4. Yin and Yang - finale of
Rurouni Kenshin
Clover
Take me...someplace...far away...Take me...to a true...elsewhere...My first thought...tsurete itte...yume no mukou e...tsurete itte...toki no hate e...My last wish...tsurete itte...toki no mukou e...Take me...to a true...elsewhere...Help me... please.tsurete itte...hoshi no hate e.My last wish...[[Take me someplace far awayTake me to a true elsewhereMy first thoughttake mebeyond my dreamstake meto the end of timeMy last wishtake mebeyond timeTake me to a true elsewhereHelp me pleasetake meto as far as the stars goMy last wish]]
Tactics 9
Injustice in this episode - I guess the animators refused to give us the ending we wanted, lol! It's the all-famous idea of "Science and Technology" versus "Supernatural and Magic" in the form of "Hasumi" versus "Kantarou". I think there's plentiful of contrasting issues surfacing in this pair -
Hasumi dressed in dark dull clothes with his black hair :: Kantarou dressed in lively colours with his silver hair
Hasumi looking all practical (neat haircut and wearing spectacles) and serious :: Kantarou looking all fanciful (silver hair and ruby colour eyes) and
too hyperactive
I guess it's either you side with Hasumi or go with Kantarou's ideas. In other words, either you choose to live in a world of reality and be a practical person, or you believe in a mystical world of magic and supernatural, a world of colourful exotic folklores, legends and myths.
There was also feminism at play in the episode - young men as sacrificial objects to help protect the village (instead of the typical female gender). I guess Kinoshita Sakura-sensei felt the unfairness in the stereotyped idea of women sacrificed due to supernatural reasons eh? Unlike in
Inuyasha where all sacrificed victims are females.
I was surprised that Kantarou did graduate from an university. Oops... Prejudice at work perhaps?
Somehow I feel that the revelation of Kantarou's education is taunting me. :( I always thought if Kantarou knew magic and stuff he might have learn it somethere else (and not from an uni), but then again, it was already revealed that he was a scholar. So why should I be surprised? Maybe it sounded strange in context (language barrier), or it might have slipped my mind. In additional, Kantarou's compassionate nature went astray... Eh... My jaw was gaping open when Kantarou continuously and tenderly stroked the stone cat statue in the midst of a conversation. o_O It might look like something trival, but I think that was something abnormal... I wouldn't stroke a stone cat standing at the entrance of a shrine, no matter how much I like cats... That really wasn't the most natural thing to do...
Now onto more comfortable things - Haruka! Is the
tengu a form of sex appeal in the eyes of the animators? Because he appeared half-naked at the start of the episode, with Youko trying to make him strip off his pants... *nosebleeds* I think Youko and the others were playing some "tiger roleplaying" stripping game unknown to us - and the episode ends with the peeps trying to make Haruka strip again. Sigh... Will the game never end? I think it's bad taste... =____________= I guess Haruka is really becoming a slave to everyone, including Youko! In the middle of the episode
where Haruka is finally decently clothed Youko and Suzu went playing in the water, leaving Haruka the job of setting up the pinic spot and such. Girls' paradise - and poor Haruka. Kantarou was not around to help coz he was away investigating on a case; well, even if Kan-chan is around Haruka will still be bullied by the latter to set up the place himself, haha!
Some hilarious moments in the episode. I need to be brief, coz my eyelids are getting heavier by the second.
Hasumi who couldn't believe that Mu is a demon - he tried to convince himself it was a toy or something although he witnessed Mu moved, and commented "aah... this is well-made". *falls off the chair*
Hasumi again who saw Sugino reveals his whtie wings and flew away with Mu - Hasumi was an idiot to convince himself "aah... I get it! He's a foreigner!" (o_O Huh...!? When was foreigners known to fly. I guess this touches on the myth in old Asia that Westerners have the ability to fly just because they invented planes and stuff)
Sugino this time - at the moment where he flew off the screen... The breeze sort-of lifted up his robes... (Er, was that so darn intended, animators? *points finger at them suspiciously*) Nnngh... Sugino, a personal question for you. Do mountain gods wear anything underneath the robes... Oops... Someone better censored that! XD *flees far far away*
Last farnie moment - Haruka wanted to get even with Hasumi for being such an
SOB irritating person, but Kantarou pulled him hard to stop him from hitting Hasumi and poor Haruka went smack right on his face. Haruka looked pissed at Kantarou immediately - and the
tengu's expression is priceless! ^^
Crossover
onegaishimasu!
1. opening setting - feeling of
Juuni Kokki mixed with
Inuyasha2. starting shamisen music - music from
Sakura Taisen3. Hasumi -
Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo [because Kindaichi always succeed in tearing off the disguises of the supernatural in all his cases]
4. the demon Tesso -
Inuyasha! [except the
IY Tesso was...er...pretty stoopid...]
Der Deutschunterricht von heute ist so schwierig! x.x
Es hat heute geregnet - schießlich! Das ist aber so glücklich für mich... Als ich formalle Kleidung nicht geträgt hätte, werde ich im Regnen spazieren. Mein schwere Herz braucht es so starker...
So, never mind me. No
Tactics today, hence no
Tactics post. But I offer you another dump of
Inuyasha (125-130) screen captures!
My next favourite character - Akago! Love his baby form - because he's so creepy. He's similiar Johann from
Monster, only creepier because he's still a baby... Almost close to that scary child from
Juon eh?
Akago will dig out your eyes and eat you after that! ^^
Lol. Shows how scary girls can get. Poor Inuyasha. Oh, that is Kagome's fingers by the way. ^^;;
Chibi Inuyasha!
Caught on the act - Inuyasha guilty of domestic violence
Inuyasha's priceless expression XD
Shippo - mending his broken heart...
Inuyasha wasn't aware he himself was playing with fire...
...until it was too late...! Beware of SHIPPO, THE BROKEN-HEARTED YOUKAI!
Tactics 8
Tonight's Kantarou has a huge range of face-expression! XD Finally more of the scheming character of his - my wish come true! Omg, he is one "bad ass"... o_O;; And lots of "distortions" done to his gentleman-ly face. ROFL. My, how horrible his schemings are! Kantarou and Haruka playing chess together - and Kantarou cheats so
generouslyfreely! Tsk tsk... My poor, poor Haruka!
Even in their daily life routine there's the existence of teamwork between Kantarou and Haruka. This time round they teamed up against Youko (and her red bean waffle XD), arguing that it wasn't any of their fault eating her waffle... (Well, they did apologise later, but much, much later) Now it's my turn to pity Youko. And Youko pities herself too - and hence she ran away... to Mu! Gosh, the scene where Mu tried to eat the fox!Youko (Youko in her Kitsune true form) was so hilarious! And what that followed made me fell off the sofa. Youko transformed back to her human form and Mu still insisted in eating her - head first. Lol. Seconds later Sugino appeared... And instead of saving Youko from Mu's mouth he told his wife to "eat more, Mu!" ^_^;;; I'm at a loss for words...
And the happy gleeful thing in this episode - we finally get to see Sugino's home! Quite a cosy place, but the horrifying thing is revealed: such a cute inflatable green creature like Mu eats worms. =.=;; Somebody help brainwash me... Help...
Youko later got the idea that three's a crowd
when Sugino was swooning over Mu's way of eating *shakes head* and ran over to Suzu's place. I don't fancy her home, but well, let's say Youko did. Suzu's secret photo of Haruka (*Empress is furious with jealousy* :P) and Youko's boredom. Er... Miss Youko? Is transformation such a boring hobby to keep one occupied? Loss for words again... And she became a "modern independent woman" in the end. Huh?! Drowned in my loss for words.
No Haruka paragraph for today as well - because there really isn't much Haruka to swoon about :P But Kantarou's the man! Love the way he gets angry when he witnessed a caged Youko being whipped. Shows that he really loves his "demons" a lot! And his powers are really getting more virtuoso by episodes! *flashy eyes*
This is a short commentary, coz tonight's episode is pretty average. Crossover,
douzo...
1. Youko as a fox - Shippo from
Inuyasha2. the mountain landscape - typical landscapes in
Inuyasha3. the Tanuki-in-disguise snapping his fingers - Roy from
Fullmetal Alchemist XD;;
Ein Tag Einer Pause
Maburaho is as messy as
Love Hina. No, wait, it's worse... x_________x
*shakes head*
Tactics 7
You know what? Either Kantarou is drawn exceptionally well today, or that I'm slowly falling for Kantarou after Haruka. I have a fickle "heart"... =o=
Okay, proceeding to the commentary. I love this episode! And I applaude ye. It starts off really uncomfortably - because Kantarou and Haruka had a fight. Well, we learnt later that it was a "staged" fight at the end of the episode. Seems like Kantarou was inspired by a roadside performer with his monkey and decided to test and also to find out how Haruka felt about this master-and-servant relationship. Kantarou was misbehaving at the start of the episode, and was ill-treating his "servants", namely Youko and Haruka. We were repeatedly reminded that demons were bonded
like a rope to their master by their given name. I felt that it's unfair - because that makes us humans looks superior to demons, although we definitely fear them as well. I guess it's somewhat reflecting our dog-eat-dog world of reality.
Firstly Youko was bullied into writing rough drafts for Kantarou - which in the end turns out to be really useful because Youko helped Kantarou in solving tonight's case. And Haruka received harsh insults from Kantarou (it wasn't revealed that it was all staged by Kan-chan then, so then I thought Kantarou was behaving weirdly). Poor, poor Haruka. He was really upset, and when Kantarou called him a "clumsy"
tengu you can see that he was really hurt. The last straw came when Kantarou tried to auction away Haruka's rice bowl (it is very important to a
tengu) - Haruka left Kantarou. Just for a period of time. Because of what Haruka heard Kantarou said to Youko.
Shinjiteiru. And during the combat between the baddie of tonight, we see the flawless teamwork of Kantarou and Haruka again. Aah, what strong bonds...
Shinjiteiru desu. Zutto...And my wish came true. Tonight we really have a more scheming Kantarou! He schemes about money (Aha! so Youko wasn't the culprit; she learnt those bad traits from Kan-chan) at the beginning, and then schemes about bullying Youko and Haruka. It may not be the Kantarou we're used to seeing (the anime Kantarou is a gentle, gentle, gentleman), but it really provides the
gusto for his personality. While Kantarou may have failed at getting a ten-fold pay from the person who hired him for tonight's case, he succeed in "testing" Haruka's loyalty and trust (because, well, Haruka
did fall into his trap) I think, like what Youko said at the closing of the episode, that is more worthwhile than the earnings Kantarou lost. The concluding scene was very touching. Kantarou returns with Haruka to watch the same roadside performer and the
tengu commented that he's watching the [monkey] act with mixed feelings. Kantarou's touching reply came to be - "however so I did bind you with a rope; and however so, you continue to hold on to that rope."
Overflowing sweetness. ^^
I seriously think I didn't find any crossovers in this episode. There was, however, a mention of the word "kodoku" that reminds me of
Inuyasha, but the word has a completely different meaning here. Hence, not counted. And I don't want to ruin the awesome and original piece of work by tainting it with other anime titles - this is a perfect master episode tonight. *kowtows*
Kaiserin ist BRAINDEAD. Punkt.
Nnngh... Survived through an entire series of concerts and rehearsals, and tomorrow is my day-off! Finally, after weeks of working
too hard... Empress had been working seven days a week ye know? I don't think any empresses was/is that much of a workholic... Must be Mum's influence, lol. Okay - *pushes blame to the innocent her* XP
And to celebrate the first day of rest, I bring you rare snapshots from
Inuyasha 123 (what a nice number to start with!) ^^
The ever-so-funny Jaken:
And the long-awaited new appearance of Naraku! Banzaaaai!!!
Tactics 6
Frankly speaking, I was quite bored with tonight's episode.
The opening was a little refreshing - Sugino appeared in a fresh change of clothes instead of his usual kimono and robes. However, I'm beginning to doubt the reason (apart
from for the sake of humour) for Sugino and Mu's existence ever since after Episode 3. Hope something about them will catch me off-guard in the future.
The thing about phantom trains - that's such an cliche... In addition I find the animation of the phantom train pretty lame. How that thing teleports could have been animated more mystically, but nah, they made it look like it teleported as-a-matter-of-fact. The only thing I appreciated was Haruka's comment on the train's engine (or as translated, "motor"). He complaint that it was awfully noisy. Aha. So there's sarcasm made to modernity and technology in
Tactics as well. A job well done. While criticising how noise-polluted the modern world has become, the "noise" from the "motor" also serves another purpose: to help Kantarou and Haruka differentiate between a real train and a phantom one. Perhaps that's how they said it - kill two birds with a stone.
Youko is definitely influencing Haruka (in a negative way) way too much. Now both are eager to engage themselves in money talk. =_=;; Haruka may look a little cool today, considering the scene where he tried to stop the phantom train (but in vain). Kantarou was more cool in this episode - he gets to chant twice! With two different awesome effects of course! The teamwork between Kantarou and Haruka is also admirable - Kantarou did hug Haruka at one scene (but I've forgotten why), and then when they were chasing the phantom train (Haruka, with his wings, carries Kantarou to help him board the speeding train)
No Haruka paragraph for tonight. Happy? ^_^;; But I intend to end this entry with a bitter touch. Now onto Suzu. No matter how innocent she may look, or how she was very much welcomed into Kantarou's family, I just cannot bring myself to like her! And tonight she indirectly cause the death of a young girl.
Well done, girl. Encore again. Okay, I changed my mind. I hate her. Kantarou might have said that Nene (the late young girl) is the one who chose to leave with her father's spirit for the afterworld, and that Suzu wasn't in the wrong, but it seems like everyone is just trying to make her feel better. Just because Suzu is a little girl. Just because Suzu looks innocent. Okay, I might be wrong after all, and I know I'm biased and all - from what all can see, I'm trying to make Suzu look ugly and feel lousy. But then again, with my rotten personality, I'm not going to take back what I've just said. I need to vent my disappointment somewhere - tonight is not the best episode ever...
Hmmph. Crossover!
1. first scene of Kantarou and Haruka on the train = Chihiro (from
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) on the train
2. train waiting platform =
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi3. Nene and her father = the siblings from
Grave of the FirefliesP.S. I would so like to read about the scheming Kantarou (from the manga). In this episode, Kantarou was only caught snickering by Youko. Not much fun. Hmm.
PpS Pandora mentioned about the binding of the bridge between humans and demons. Now that reminds me of
Chrno Crusade, lol.
PpsS Note the time of post. :P
Tactics 5
This is one creepy episode turned romantic love story.
Why creepy? How would you feel about having dolls (those western dolls in gothic dresses and Japanese life-size dolls/puppets in kimonos) staring blankly at you after 12.30am? Just freaked out. There's a lot of frightening "eye(s)" imagery, because tonight's episode is all about this weird obsessed doll master by the name of Aoyagi. The name doesn't match his creepy personality eh? That sounds so like an average name. Then again, that
might be creepy to a certain extend as well, since it is to expect the unexpected from our everyday
average life. ^^;;
Eerie-ness aside, all
clapput our hands together to welcome Haruka!
Alchemize! XDDD We have a silly Haruka tonight! ROFL! Right after the OP, the episode starts with Haruka cluelessly eyeing at this marble stuck in a glass bottle. (The object is typically Japanese up to today; it was a simple bottle drink [I had forgotten if it's liquor in there], only that you have to pop the marble at the mouth of the bottle down to be able to drink anything. After finishing the drink, all that's left is the glass bottle and the marble in the bottle.) Well, given the fact that Haruka has been sealed for a pretty long time, he apparently didn't know about that fun invention. And what surprises me is that nobody (Kantarou, Youko and Suzu) bothered to clearly explain to Haruka the "enigma" behind the glass bottle. So Haruka continues to lose his coolness - until a certain point in time: he got his finger stuck in the bottle! *jawfloor* *facepalm* *headdesk* *dies from laughter* And hence, throughout an entire ten minutes or less we have a Haruka who's carrying around this "intriguing" glass bottle by his finger. XD
The opening of the marble x bottle affair:
Haruka: I can't get the marble out of the bottle.
Kantarou: [not serious] You're not supposed to.
The middle of the marble x bottle affair:
Kantarou: [something about going to look for his childhood friend Yumeyakko] etc...etc...etc...blah...blah... [and then he asked Haruka something I think] blah...blah...?
Haruka: My finger got stuck.
[After Kantarou & Co. meets Yumeyakko.]
Haruka: [greets Yumeyakko with a "hello" hand gesture, with the bottle still stuck to his finger.]
Yumeyakko: [saw the bottle and *sweatdrop*] [to Kantarou] My, your friend has an interesting hobby.
The closing of the marble x bottle affair:
Kantarou: [everyone in the restaurant/eatery lunching with Yumeyakko] etc...etc...blah...
Haruka: [to Kantarou] Help me get my finger out of this thing.
Please excuse me while I goe revamp my image of Haruka... *cries*
Nothing much from Kantarou. He was being his usual self, but I have to mention this - his powers kept getting better and better by each episode! And when he addressed the Yae doll as "Yae-san", that stuck a chord in me. Kantarou was already treating Yae as a person. Whoa, this is one great man with a pure heart. And a melancholic heart as well, we learnt. Yumeyakko was recalling how the Kantarou during his childhood days was frequently crying - because he was different, he was always bullied by everyone around him. Yumeyakko added further that the Kantarou of the past was determined to befriend Haruka just to become strong, and it came to me that the
tengu might be the primary cause for Kantarou being outcasted. And when Haruka commented that he wouldn't believe that Kantarou used to be a crybaby, Yumeyakko replied Kantarou "had gotten used to living alone [by himself - bad trans.]". Sigh, pretty sad here... But hopefully after understanding more about Kantarou, the bond between Haruka and Kan-chan will grow stronger.
As if the animators were trying to help Haruka redeem himself, we are presented with a compassionate Haruka as well. Kantarou was worried that Aoyagi might lose his life in the fire if he wasn't saved in time, but Haruka stopped him by saying "Don't stop him." And he went on to give an account of how the doll master/maker's wish would be fulfilled if he was to unite with his masterpiece (or something like that). This is also the point where the creepiness and tension gives way to a heart-wrenching conclusion of the couple (doll master and his doll) burning to death while the house collapses, admist their burning passion.
Wiping the tears away, I humbly starts with the crossover section:
1. the eerie eyes and the creepy dolls =
Monster2. Youko claps her hand =
Fullmetal Alchemist3. Aoyagi with his mask = Yoh's father from
Shaman KingP.S. Confession - the OP is getting to my head! Hooray for
Secret World ^_^
Tactics 4
Haruka and the Art of Seduction - an alternative episode title, lol.
Tonight's episode doesn't have a good plot, but I guess it does help itself on character development. For once Kantarou is treated
with nobility with the respect he deserved. Kantarou on a rickshaw does give him some good shades, ya? ^^ And strangely, I thought that Kantarou is drawn/animated rather on the mature side today. I guess he gets more serious scenes to himself eh? And as I had mentioned, little plot development, so in this episode Kan-chan's scar did hurt again (and even more), but no further explanation whatsoever. Guess we'll have to wait for future episodes.
So finally Youko shows us how useful she can become,
and how we can definitely still teach an old dog new tricks. Haruka discovered the art of seduction from Youko!To imagine that she could know about this... (Well, maybe she "would", since she's a "fox" demon, but that's more to stereotyping right?) While practising his newly-attained skill from Youko, he saved
the worldKan-chan and also got himself free red bean pastries. Munch munch. ^^ And we also witness a more "down-to-earth" Haruka. He may be a
tengu, but money matters a lot to him! He was complaining to Kan-chan that the job the latter undertook won't be bringing much money, and then later, while at the eatery Haruka forces Kantarou to "leave some money behind. [He doesn't] have any money to pay for the cakes." Tsk tsk. Haruka and his cakes. ^_^;;
Crossoooover time:
1. one of Sugino's lines = typical of Zoro from
One Piece2. Moo = Mokona from many of CLAMP's works
3. last scenes of the minor male character = young Mitsukake from
Fushigi Yuugi
Tactics 3
Kagome, Kagome...
It's a bird in a cage...
When will it leaves?
As dawn approaches,
A crane and a turtle slipped...
Who's that man behind you?Nice intro
except the English subtitles spoil it all. Tried to transcribe it by ear, but I paid too much attention on watching the episode instead, haha.
Kagome, Kagome...
Ka???? naka tori wa...
Itsu itsu de aru?
????
???? kami ????
Ushiro no shounen dare?Sorry for the broken transcription... >_<
Now into the episode: There's not much plot development here, so it's quite disappointing. But there's a compensation to it - a new character!! A new pretty character, the white
Tengu Sugino. I wonder why must the creator(s) drag the cute-ness factor into the story? Sugino's "wife" is hilariously cute! I think
that green thingshe is by the name of "Moo". Haha, what a name. Hopefully it's a translation problem, lol. I don't want to mention any crossover yet, but I think I have to. Special case. Sugino is a much more feminine Souji (
Peacemaker). Apart from behaviour-wise, it's also because of his stance, clothings, and the pretty white wings. It's cute how Sugino squeals after seeing Haruka, lol. And Kantarou seems to have a problem with that... XD
And yes, Kantarou with a hat! Haha, suits him a lot. No idea why, but that's how I feel. It hit me that Kantarou is a Mr. Too-Nice. Why izzit that he's always so easy persuaded by
human women around him? Kantarou has my sympathy... But tonight's episode displays more of Kantarou's divine powers. Which is just great! At least two more "moves" today - the paper incantation and the sealing by the scroll. My way of expressing them sucks, but I can tell you, they sure made Kantarou look cool! A minor character (don't think we'll be seeing any trace of her in the future) by the name of "Kyou". Hey, it's a weird name ye know? "Kyou" as in the Chinese character "jing". "Kyou" as in translated English "today". Wow, did the creator(s) ran out of names already? But it's only the third episode... *whimper whimper*
Er... I know everyone's expecting another paragraph dedicated to Haruka right? You'll get what you want! (actually it's me getting what I want right... ^_^;;;) First, whining from Empress: Why is Haruka still in his western clothes? o_O I douch like it. Looks weird with his black wings. But Kantarou & Co. is investigating a case at a hot-spring village, so,
we got a hot-spring scene! Whaaaaaa... Haruka and Kantarou minimally clothed (*palmface* duh! you insane girl. who'll go for a soak in the hot springs fully clothed? baka, you girl. buuuaka. *smacks head*). Still, this calls for some fangirl squealing from me!! XDDD
Okay, because this doesn't just concern Haruka, I started a new paragraph. Still at the hot-spring scene - I was right at my previous
Tactics post. See? Because it's a hot-spring, Kantarou finally exposes his scar (on his chest). Brilliant story-planning. The two (Haruka and Kan) only talked lightly about it - because we're not supposed to know too much for now. And before the atmosphere can settle for some tension about Kantarou's scar, the latter became mischievous. A-ha! So Kan-chan spoils his scholarly image! XP Haruka was asking Kantarou if the scar hurts, and Kan-chan smirked and pushed Haruka's head under the water. ROFL! Imagine: minimally clothed smexy guys fighting at the spring = nosebleed (literally, pls ^_^;;)
And also another dialogue from the scene:
Kan-chan: [with genki-ness]Haruka, let me help you scrub your back.
Haruka: [cold tone] No thanks, you will damage my wings.
XDDD I can't stop laughing at that point! These two guys are just impossible! XDDDDD *dies from laughter*
I need to touch on another crossover here because it's of a long mention. The former mountain god turns out to be of a dragon-form. And when Kantarou sealed him, the scene of a chained dragon silhouette by the full moon, accompanied with sad music that hints on loneliness, I was suddenly reminded of Haku-sama from
Spirited Away... Gawd, I cried
while calling out "Haku-sama" - when I'm not supposed to. I mean, come on, it's out-of-point! We are watching
Tactics, you silly girl. *smacks head again* Nnngh. I. am.
hopelessparanoid. Period.
An absurd list of crossovers for today:
1. Sugino = Souji from
Peacemaker Kurogane2. the symbolic five-pointed star made up by the surroundings = the CLAMP school from
CLAMP X3. Kantarou's scroll = Genzo's scroll from
Saiyuki4. some koto (Jap version of the Guzheng) four-note figuration (musical term) = music from
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi5. the former mountain god in dragon-form = Envy from
Fullmetal Alchemist Movie
6. the last scenes of the dragon = Haku from
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi7. the sunrise after the former mountain god is sealed = finale from
Mononoke HimeLast but not least, the No. 8 point. The word "Kagome". Obviously from
Inuyasha. Creators, beware of Inuyasha's Bakaryuuha! He might come after you for abusing his darling's name. o_O
Tactics 2
Death to those who regard Kantarou as a kid!!
buahahahaha... the empress reigns I don't see him as a kiddo - he indeed looks very scholarly. And he looks like a gentleman to me as well;
not a boy. Oh, and I paid more attention to him today, and I love his inner/under kimono. Very pretty colours that match with his eyes and hair colour. Very impressive character design.
And Haruka is HOT today. Soooo seductive... *strange twinkling in her eyes* Cool and cold - see how he disregard human emotions and snatches the letter away from the servant. Kantarou, being the gentleman that he is, told Haruka to "be more delicate". Whahahahaa, sorry Kantarou-san, we Haruka-fans love him the way he is now.
Never teach an old dog new tricks. I'm going to get killed saying that previous line... =.= And those black wings of his made their appearance again! (oops, I see Haruka and his wings as two different objects ^_^;;) I luuuuuv that scene. Alas, he didn't get to take the limelight today - Kantarou gets all the credit for getting rid of the "ogre" (I disagree to that translated word, so it's in inverted commas) The face on the Kozomi's body was disgusting... Very uncomfortable with that sight. No wonder Haruka and Kantarou finch from that grotesque
thing Back to that smexy guy: at the later half he has sunglasses on! Smexy! XDDD *lets out steam*
Boy, isn't it hot in here Actually there's not much camera-hogging from Haruka today, but he's still looking his best. Still, I need to balance this paragraph with sometime negative about him: I don't like the fact he adorns a western suit today
Haruka, off with those clothes immediately! As predicted, Suzu isn't the most delightful character in
Tactics. Boo. And a kiddy girl falling for Haruka? *headdesk* Oh please! I rather Youko x Haruka if they insist on a Haruka pairing. And the plot is slowly throwing in tension for the viewers - last night's episode we have Kantarou wincing in pain when he was near "youki", and tonight it was revealed to us that it was some "old scar" from the past. Yet, the plot didn't rush to showing us Kantarou's scar. Aha. Mystery eh? Luv it. And Haruka also mentioned that he "can't remember how [he] was sealed" nor much of the past. Suspicious, suspicious... Scorpio's instinct, whahaha. Whatever the outcome, I can see a mystery slowing unfolding itself. Brilliant directing and script writing, and of course, some credit goes to Sakura-sensei as well. ^^
And now, Crossover time!!
1. setting of the "red-light" district = same setting from
Peacemaker Kurogane2. fireflies = romantic/reminiscent scenes from
Rurouni Kenshin3. Haruka with sunglasses = Tooya from
Ayashi no Ceres with sunglasses [cos both looks smexy!]
