Manga & Anime Review: Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

If you were thinking of reading something not too serious, something lighthearted, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is definitely the answer.

It’s funny as heck and I just can’t hold back my laughter every time I watched Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun and I still laughed even though I know what’s going to happen. Well, I laugh rarely when I watch movies/animes so really, Gekkan Shoujo is a very great anime as well as manga.

The characters are just so ridiculous and anti-mainstream. My personal favorite is Kashima though. She is just so clueless and honest lol. So anyway, totally recommended!

Best of John Green’s Books (My Opinion)

John Green is one of my favorite authors. I don’t think he is overrated at all. Everyone becomes overrated when they become famous. People start saying the person who becomes famous overrated. That’s what usually happens. John Green who’s famous now is not overrated in my opinion.

Moving on, I’ve read all of John Green’s books. And these are the best of all in my opinion (feel free to disagree though)

1. Paper Towns

Paper Towns is a book about a boy who loves the amazing, mysterious, awesome neighbor girl. He refers to the girl as a miracle and he is in love with the girl for years but unable to tell her since he is… well, she is popular, he is not and they haven’t talked for years. One day, she barged in through the window and asked him to join her seeking revenge for those who did her wrong. It was an amazing night and the next day, the girl is gone. Poof. Leaving clues though and the boy is following the clues; trying to imagine being her, where she went to, and stuff. The book is very profound to me, people are constantly misunderstood and we always cling onto our idea of the person. Paper towns is a must read if you’re trying to read John Green’s.

2. Looking for Alaska

This book is the first book of John Green. It’s kind of similar to Paper Towns (the characters) but it’s intended because John Green is trying to fix Looking for Alaska by making Paper Towns. It’s like a revision thing though I don’t see anything wrong with Looking for Alaska. Well, I read that somewhere so I apologize if the above information is wrong. There’s a guy with the nickname of Pudge who transferred to a boarding school to seek for The Great Perhaps. Down the hall, he meets this sexy, amazing, fantastic, and more positive adjectives and in short, he fell in love. This story is tragic and angsty and you should read it. After you read it, nothing is ever the same.

3. The Fault in Our Stars

This book is full of metaphors and I am extremely fond of the metaphors. This novel is a novel that makes John Green even more well-known and it’s very popular. Though, the teenagers talk in ways too intelligent for teens but that’s understandable I guess and that’s what makes the book even more interesting. The title is taken from Shakespeare (“The fault is not in our stars but in ourselves”). It tells a tale of a boy and a girl with terminal illness who crosses path and fall in love with each other. It deserves a place for your must-read list.

Do you agree with my list?

Shoujo Manga: Why I Dislike It

Well, I’m a girl and usually girls love shoujo manga  (well, that’s stereotype but okay) and at some point, I loved reading shoujo manga. I was young, filled with expectations that boys with good looks and capable of anything exist in this world. Well, maybe they do exist, who knows?

Aside from that, I love the art of shoujo manga as well – it’s pretty with clear linework. There’s nothing wrong in the term of the art, but just, the stories. I don’t like it – I gradually realized that such things don’t exist. Well, they do but often times, they don’t.

Manga: Crayon Days

I’m not saying this without proof though certainly I won’t tell you what. I had experience and I realized it’s not as beautiful as shoujo manga made it out to be. And there is no boy who is capable of anything while maintaining good looks with sketchy background. You get what I mean. The boy will not always be there for us as well – not because they don’t want to, they are just in the predicament that they don’t know when we need help or in emergency. They are not entitled to us, you know? Just like the MPDG’s movie trope, this is a manga trope we must break free from. They are their own person and they won’t spend 24/7 watching us (and please, that would be creepy.)

Because of it, I realised I have impossible expectations for a boy I like and that’s very, very bad. It’s better to have no expectation at all. The other bad example Shoujo Manga gives is usually the MC is portrayed as this damsel-in-distress type of girl – unable to do anything, always waiting to be rescued. Do we really want to be like that kind of a girl? And the girls always get confused a lot and just… yeah, um no (for me, at least)

Aside from that and this is just a personal preference of mine, shoujo manga is just a story about a boy and a girl who falls in love yadda yadda yadda and it’s boring for me. I want something more exciting, something that keeps me on edge so shoujo manga is not really a cup of my tea.

There are some shoujo mangas I like though and I totally recommend ’em – it’s different than the usual:

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, Horimiya, and My Little Monster. Check em out!

Manga Review: Horimiya

I don’t know if this manga is well-known or not – all I know is that this manga is very interesting and fun to read and that, Miyamura is sexy with his long hair.

If you think this is the regular shoujo manga (well, I must admit that shoujo manga is not my cup of tea, I find it rather annoying in fact), you’re very mistaken.

So, this manga tells a story about high school boy and girl who hide their true selves. The boy, Miyamura, is a nerdy boy in class but outside of class, he is actually a boy with pierces and stuff while Hori is a popular girl at school but she is actually just a regular girl who does the house chores for the sake of his little brother.

You won’t find the perfectionist, capable of anything and seemingly flawless character in Miyamura but that’s what makes the manga even more interesting and fun and just more realistic. Miyamura is a guy who makes mistakes and clumsy at times and he doesn’t do anything perfectly as well but he is always able to comfort Hori and that’s the most important thing in relationship I think. Also, the manga does not always center around the relationship of Hori and Miyamura – and you know, life is not always about your boyfriend or girlfriend. I think the characters development in the manga are good.

This is one of my favorite romance mangas. Though I wouldn’t say the same for the anime, the art is ordinary and the I feel like the seiyuu doesn’t fit Hori at all. But seriously, you should try reading the manga if you were seeking for a good read; it’s very entertaining and the characters are likable (in my opinion).

Black Butler: The Reasons To Watch It

Black Butler is such a good anime – it’s one of my all-time favorites. It’s just so good seriously. And the story is enticing and got me hooked with Ciel Phantomhive’s cold and ruthless demeanor and the perfectionist butler, Sebastian Michaelis. Not to mention the anime or manga is set in the 1800’s era and oh, it’s just charming – the surrounding, crime cases and all.

Sebastian and Ciel (Look how devilish they look, gosh)

The anime or manga also has some real cases in it like Jack the Ripper case and that is probably one of the reasons why you should try watching it.Well, for those who don’t know, Black Butler is about a young Earl named Ciel Phantomhive seeking revenge for the ones who killed his parents and kidnapped him with the help of a demon in disguise of a butler with the exchange of his soul. Aside from that, Earl Phantomhive has the nickname of Queen’s Watchdog, Aristocrat of Evil, Villainous Nobel, Evil Nobleman, and well, Smile since he never really smiles.

With historical background and such, what’s not to love about this anime?

The anime has these cool crime cases as well – sometimes tragic, angsty, mysterious, and more. But it never failed to amaze me – especially Black Butler Book of Circus – it’s my favorite out of the other series since it’s very tragic and sad yet at the same time, so effing wonderful sobsobsob. Well done, Yana Toboso.

So seriously, for those who love cases, actions, and more, you should try watching Black Butler! Oh, and those who love yaoi should probably check it out – it’s never confirmed you know, but it’s implied here and there and asdfghjklidoloveitandihopetheylivehappilyeverafter.

Personally, the reason why I really love Black Butler is because of this particularly charming character – Ciel Phantomhive. I know that everyone else usually ogle at this so-called charming butler but Ciel. is. a. beautiful. creature.

And his cold demeanor and his intelligence and his lack of feelings – I especially love the way Ciel copes with the traumatic experience he had – not depending on anyone else, doesn’t trust much people, and cynical and he speaks reality and the pain he had gone through just seemed so real and he just seemed so strong and as Sebastian puts it, delicious. 

At the time, when I watched the anime, I was feeling pretty depressed but Ciel helped me learn ways to cope with it – that I can only trust myself, stand up on my own, relies on myself and myself only and lastly, be realistic. Ciel is realistic in my opinion, he isn’t seeking revenge for the sake of his parents but for himself. He knows it won’t do his parents any good.

FYI, I support SebastianxCiel. They are so cute together lol.

Do you know that Ciel means Heaven in French?

 

 

 

Book & Movie Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy

The hunger games trilogy is a great trilogy – for me and for lots of people out there. Set after the rebellion, in district 12 (it’s still in America except the name is no longer America – it’s Panem), it’s a novel by Suzanne Collins about a game the government held every year to remind the people of the rebellion they’ve done in the past and the consequences they get now for doing that.

It’s not a regular game though – it’s a game where the choosen teens and children kill one another and the last one who survives is the winner. It’s dreadful and the citizens are forced to watch the show.

There’s a 16-year-old girl who lives in the Seams, a place where coal miners live and they are relatively poor – barely able to live. Especially the girl, Katniss Everdeen, the daughter of a coal miner who passed away because of a blowout. So no one was there to support her family – her mother succcumbed into depression, her sister is too small. She has no one but herself and so she searched for ways to support herself and her family along with the companion of her hunting partner, Gale Hawthorne, who gradually became her bestfriend.

Anyway, Katniss is chosen for the hunger games with Peeta, the boy who gives her hope and threw her a bread when she needed help the most. So basically, it’s the start of a rebellion. (read it yourself why)

It’s a bittersweet book to me. It keeps me on suspense and I love that about the book. The book also has the right amount of romance for me (i’m not one for too much romance and lovey dovey stuff.) The movie is great as well – I think JLaw played Katniss Everdeen really well. Though I must admit that I don’t favor Mockingjay that much. For me, The Hunger games and Catching Fire are the best out of three.

(MILD SPOILER ALERT)

I’m a Gale x Katniss shipper and I want them to end up together I suppose. To me, some things just seem really odd in Mockingjay (well, it’s been three years since I read it but I remember liking the book very much and I even read the fanfictions as well.

Personal feelings aside, I think it doesn’t make sense to me that Gale would just blow up Panem when Prim was in it. Gale is a guy who loves Prim like his own family and he is the one who brought Prim safe and sound when District 13 was being bombed. It just doesn’t make sense. Those are the things I don’t really like in Mockingjay.

But those are just my opinions.

Well either way, I think Hunger games trilogy is a great trilogy and it’s worth it – it’s worth your time. You wouldn’t be able to put  the book down and you’ll be hanging onto every sentence.

Manic Pixie Dream Girl Movie Trope – It’s Not MPDG’s Faults

What is Manic Pixie Dream Girl exactly and when it started?

Well, the term Manic Pixie Dream Girl was first coined by Nathan Rabin. “The Manic Pixie Dream Girl exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures.” That’s what he wrote. He used it to describe Kirsten Dunst’s character in Elizabethtown.

Other movies that have been described as having MPDG character are Breakfast at Tiffany’s, New Girl, Garden State, 500 Days of Summer, and a lot more. Usually, MPDG shows these traits: quirky, adventurous, free, wild, pretty with dyed hair and a strange choice of clothes that suited her, and usually, MPDG has a fear of loving someone/being abandoned or having non-committed relationship. The MPDG is a girl who loves indie music or this girl with dyed hair that has this cool ideology of life. It’s the girl who drags the boy and shows him how to have fun in a weird way. The MPDG will lure this lame boy with no motivation whatsoever and gloomy attitude and show him the infinite mysteries of life and adventures through unique perspective. The poor boy will be head over heels in love with this amazing, unique girl and once the boy starts demanding a committed relationship, the MPDG will go through this nervous break down and just abandon him, leaving his heart broken in pieces, begging for her to not leave.

Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind

In conclusion, MPDG has no life purpose. It’s made out of Male Fantasy to help achieve the lame boy’s dreams. And once he already knew the life’s infinite mysteries, any traces of the MPDG’s character will disappear.

I’ll be honest.

I love MPDG – even though several articles have stated that MPDG is not a great character with no character depth, background, real goals and etc. In fact, I admire MPDG – they are free-spirited, they are not chained to what boys told them to, I think they are not seeking for boys’ validation, they do what they want to do, they live to please themselves (though it is stated otherwise) and those are attractive qualities to have.

Instead, Damsel-in-Distress movie trope is the one we have to avoid and should not be our role models. They live waiting for help from a man who will sweep them off the feet and disappear into the sunset. Wake up, stand up for yourself; there’s no boy who will help you. The only one who can help yourself is yourself.

It’s not MPDG’s faults to begin with. Boys are the one who create the characters and the MPDG’s movies are mostly (I am open to any exceptions) told in the boy’s perspective. By watching the movie, we are merely looking at the idea of the girl (the so-called MPDG) that the main character made in his head.

If anything, blame the boy.

So, that’s my opinion. What about yours? Feel free to leave any opinions regarding the matter.

 

 

Book Review: Paper Towns

Paper town is a very special book to me. When I first read it, I was just in awe. I’ve never read any books like it – well, I have, it’s from the same author, John Green and it’s called Looking for Alaska. Maybe I’ve just never seen those kinds of unique books in my country. Maybe the characters, it immediately got me hooked, particularly Margo Roth Spiegelman. It was just awesome, she is such a strong female character and I’m never one for the Damsel in Distress type – well, I was told Margo is kind of leaning towards the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope but we will talk about it in another post.

Paper Towns is a novel about a boy named Quentin who loves the attractive, crazy, adventurous girl next door that suddenly goes missing the day after they had this amazing, fun and revengeful night. A lot of hypothesis came up about where she goes – whether she commits suicide, moved to another city or country and such.

The books I usually find in my country is mainly this boy who gets hit by a car and gets amnesia or some shit and love forever blah blah blah wordvomits. So like, Margo is very adventurous, she doesn’t care about what other people think and she chases what she wants in her life. Intelligent too and quirky. There is no reason not to love her except for the fact that she is described by the main character, Quentin, as a missing piece that will make his life complete and he is in love with the idea of her – not the real person behind all that façade. He creates an idea of her – that Margo is this amazing, sexy, extraordinary, cool girl who is unlikely to ever poop like human beings do (you get what I mean.) Though gradually, Quentin begins to break out from the idea of her as he searches for the breadcrumbs she left behind.

From this book, you will learn that you shouldn’t live with the idea of a person inside your head or you’ll end up disappointed. But of course, we couldn’t avoid that; you’ll have an idea of a person inside your head and it’s not like people show their true self anyway so the only thing we are left to do is guess, think, analyze and ends up with the impression the person emits imprinted on your mind.

The thing is, you may get suffocated by the perception of you other people have and you might want to break free. That’s what Margo did – she broke free of the ideas of her the people around her have of her. She is not a mystery, she is not a miracle (as Quentin refers her to be), she is just a girl, a person like anybody else with feelings, thoughts, and ideas of her own.

(SPOILER ALERT!)

She ran away – she had her own life, living the way she wants it to be. In a way, she seems like running away – by not notifying her friends and family –  and you know running away does not solve everything. On the other hand, she is choosing a life she wants so it’s not really running away. She also left Quentin – choosing to chase what she wants which disappoint many people. She left the clues, she is asking to be found in a way. But that’s her choice. If she loved Quentin so much, she would have stayed but she doesn’t. You think every lover needs to stay together forever and always and that love will always prevail. It’s not. It never did. There are broken hearts everywhere but people seem to have those imprinted in the back of their mind.

After all, Margo is not entitled to him.

This is the quote in the book that makes a lasting impression on me:

(IGNORE IF YOU WANT TO READ IT IN THE BOOK, NOT HERE)

“When did we see each other face-to-face? Not until you saw into my cracks and I saw into yours. Before that, we were just looking at ideas of each other, like looking at your window shade but never seeing inside. But once the vessel cracks, the light can get in. The light can get out.”

― John Green, Paper Towns

I really love that quote especially and that quote holds the truth in it. Not until you saw into my cracks and I saw into yours – it says so much about people. Not until you know the person quite well – the struggles, depression, and stuff that made him that you get to know the person on a deeper level. The light can get out and get in – I think it refers to the comfort we can or cannot receive, depending on how much you open up to the person. Do you get what I mean, I’m not really good at talking about these stuff.

Well, I can’t really say much since it has been awhile since I read it but seriously, I love it so much at the time I read it over and over again. Totally worth your time. So I say grab this book and read it thorough. Enjoy!

the most random thing ever

A few simple interests can’t define me – and it won’t.

I’m a person with lots of interests, passions, and a lot more other things. To begin with, I love reading, writing, i love drawing, i love pretty words with pretty meanings, hidden meaning behind some words, i love something quirky and i love standing on the edge of something – both metaphorically and literally. I love drawing things. I sometimes dislike things people like. I hate romance, cliched novels. I love that band not many people know about and a lot more other things and those things sum it all up and come in the form of me.

I won’t be limited with just a few interests and I will talk about the things I want to and hopefully some of the things I talk about will interest some of you. Mostly, I just want to be heard and mainly, this is an assignment actually.

To make it specific and practical though, I will tell you about the things i would like to talk about. I love doing fictional character analysis and i like quirky characters. Strong, powerful women who have opinions of their own. I love the manic pixie dream girl trope even though many don’t agree. I also love psychology (which is the reason why i love doing character analysis.) Things with disorders intrigue me and by saying this, i am not in any way making fun of people who suffer from the disorders. I just want to understand them better. I want to talk about movies too – mostly classic movies. I will talk about books too, rants, and more. I will talk about conspiracies and icons. I will talk about animes as well – i mean, maybe people see those as cartoons but they. are. meaningful. and. deep. okay? Let’s just see how it goes.

As once the favorite actress, Audrey Hepburn, in my favorite movie says:

“Never love a wild thing; or you’ll end up looking at the sky.” – Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

What I’m saying is, be wild, be free, embrace yourself.

God, I love that movie.

And I’m just using that as an excuse to attach the quote in my first post ’cause that movie is so fabulous and awesome even though the quote doesn’t really make sense with what i’m talking about.

Well, good day everyone!

Regards