Mima Kirigoe, a pop-idol from the J-pop group "CHAM!", decides to leave the group to become an actress. Her first project is as in a direct-to-video drama series called "Double Bind". Some of her fans are upset by her change in career and persona, not least the stalker known as "Me-Mania". Shortly after leaving CHAM! Mima receives an anonymous fax calling her a traitor. Mima finds a website called "Mima's Room" that has public diary entries which seem to be written by her discussing her life in great detail. She confides in her manager Rumi Hidaka about the site; however, she is advised to just ignore it.

Meanwhile, on the set of Double Bind, Mima succeeds in getting a larger part. The producers have agreed to give her a leading role; however, it is as a rape victim in a strip club. Rumi warns Mima that it will ruin her reputation, but Mima accepts the part voluntarily. Though it is apparent that Mima is indecisive, the atmosphere of the scene traumatizes her so that she increasingly becomes unable to separate reality from fantasy. She can no longer distinguish real life from her work in show business.

Several people who had been involved in the tarnishing of Mima's reputation are murdered. She finds evidence which makes her appear to be the prime suspect, and her increasing mental instability makes her doubt her own innocence. It turns out that the diarist of "Mima's Room" is delusional and very manipulative, and that an intense folie à deux has been in play. The faux diarist and serial killer, who believe she to be a Mima who is forever young and graceful, have made a scapegoat of stalker Me-Mania.

Mima knocks Me-Mania unconscious with a hammer in self-defense when he attempts to rape her, and runs to her only support she has left alive, her manager Rumi. Later on, back in "Mima's room", Mima tries to call Mr. Tadakoro but he was murdered, along with Mr. Me-Mania who was killed in self-defense. When Mima encounters Rumi, however, her manager is wearing a replica of Mima's CHAM! Costume and crazily singing Mima's pop songs. Rumi is in fact the false diarist, who believes she is the "real Mima". Rumi is angry that Mima has been ruining the "real Mima's" reputation, and decides to save "Mima's" pristine pop idol image through the same means she has been using all along: murder. Mima manages to incapacitate Rumi in self-defense after a chase through the city despite being wounded herself. Rumi remains permanently delusional and institutionalized. Mima has grown from her experiences and has moved on with her life with new found independence and confidence.

I have to say I love, love, love psychological thrillers! I especially love this one because it involves a pop-singer/actress. I was completely enthralled with this movie from start to finish. I loved everything about it! Now, this series is not for the faint of heart, it’s got plenty of nudity shots in it. I mean, it’s no hentai, because it is pertinent to the storyline. I believe Mima is a very believable character because most of us start out as very naïve. She never believed that so many horrors would be awaiting her because of her obsessed fans. Mima is just struggling to make her dreams come true and she does anything to make them happen, even showing some skin.

I loved her determination and hated the fact that she was so easily swayed by the company to sell herself. It made her a highly relatable character to me. I noticed that her former pop-group friends weren’t helping her out at all! It made me upset to see that she was receiving no support from them and getting it from Rumi. It’s hard to say if Rumi was genuinely sincere with her concern for Mima. It’s highly debatable. In my honest opinion, I think when Rumi was herself was really concerned for Mima because Rumi didn’t want to see her fail like when Rumi was a pop star.

Great movie, great find, great buy!

so it is I once again your friendly Porkbun.

My most gracious apologies for my disappearance, real life is a total bummer when its full of nothing but chaos and drama. But there is light at the end of the tunnel :D

I will be making a return to this blog on April 1st.

I am not choosing a theme for the month of April, the blogs I have planned are simply to far apart in genre to plan like that. May will return to theme months I think.  I just want a random month to get back into the swing of things.

so don't cry anymore my dear children for I will be back :D

Yuki Cross's earliest memory is of being attacked by a vampire and saved by Kaname Kuran, a pureblood vampire for whom Yuki tries to deal with her seemingly unobtainable love for her hero. Ten years later, Yuki, along with her childhood friend, Zero Kiryuu are school guardians (prefects) at Cross Academy where her adoptive father, Kaien Cross is the headmaster. Their jobs as guardians is to protect the human "Day Class" students from the vampire "Night Class" students and ensure that the human students do not discover the secret of the Night Class. The story follows Yuki's discovery that Zero had been turned into a vampire and her struggle to keep him sane, to prevent his condition from deteriorating into a Level E vampire. Yuki attempts to give up her humanity and be turned into a vampire by Shizuka Hio, Zero’s family's murderer and his master, in a bargain for Zero's sanity. Zero stops Yuki, preferring to kill Shizuka. Neither occurs when Zero's assumed dead twin (Ichiru Kiryuu) shows up, and Kaname kills Shizuka and drinks her blood. Zero’s grip on sanity slides and Yuki continues to help Zero fight his bloodlust while also seeking to recover her lost childhood memories suspecting Kaname knows more than he lets on. Kaname instead gives Zero his own blood to help keep Zero from going insane.
Seeing the threat of his uncle, Rido Kuran, Kaname bites Yuki and awakens her true nature as a pureblood vampire; the Pure blood Princess of the Kuran family. However, Kaname reveals to Takuma Ichijo that he is one of the original vampires and the founder of the Kuran clan, who, born thousands of years earlier, had retired to an endless slumber, but was resurrected by Rido Kuran who desired to consume him to become more powerful. Kaname was instead raised by Yuki's parents, Juri and Haruka Kuran. Rido tries to kill Yuki and consume her power, but is killed by the now estranged Zero and Yuki. Meanwhile, Kaname kills Rido’s allies, the members of the vampire senate who intended to destroy the night class and their hopes for peace. After the fierce battle, Zero tells Yuki that he intends to end everything, by killing all purebloods. After telling her that she should go be with the man who can spend eternity with her Yuki in return tells Zero that she will keep running from him to give him a reason to live. Yuki leaves with Kaname and they return to the family home to hide.

The story then leaps forward a year to find Yuki suffering from bloodlust and refusing to use her fangs. Kaname has restored the leadership of the vampires, taking his place as head. Zero has been attending school by day and hunting vampires at night. Yuki confesses to Kaname that she has an attachment to Zero and his acceptance allows her to succumb to her hunger and use her fangs. After a meeting between the hunters and vampires to reaffirm their treaty, all three attend a vampire ball. After a brief tense meeting between Yuki and Zero, a murder of a pureblood and a hunter at the ball breaks up the party. Although another pureblood, Sara Shirabuki, is revealed to be the culprit, it is passed off as a tragic suicide.

Yuki decides to offer her services as a grim reaper to purebloods wishing to die to prevent unnecessary sacrifices. However after an unprovoked attack by a pureblood, Touma, she is saved by Zero’s arrival. Their meeting is brief as after she awakens, she flees back to her home leaving Aido with Zero. Kaname, after the attack on Yuki finally reveals his past and true identity to her through the memories in his blood.

The anime actually stops at the point where Zero (and Yuuki) kills Rido and Yuuki runs away with Kaname. The manga is still on-going and rather disappointing. The anime is branched off into two seasons: Vampire Knight and Vampire Knight Guilty. The animators weren’t sure if they were going to produce a second season since the first season didn’t do too well. However, fans were demanding closure to the series.

I was reading the manga before the anime came out. I remember being so into the story and then, I lost all interest in it after the manga got crazy after Rido’s death. Where they ended the story in the anime adds a nice touch and I believe that’s where Matsuri Hino should’ve ended it in the manga. I would’ve been satisfied.

I recommend the anime but, not the manga. It will just leave you just as confused and frustrated as me. In this case, the anime is better than the manga. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy me some Kaname and Yuuki action from time to time.

HELP JAPAN.

"Sought by the greed of men since the dawn of human kind, but only bestowed upon the women whose fate it forever scars... The Witchblade. Is it the righteous sword of God? Or hand of the Devil himself? Now a new bearer has been chosen. And she must discover the answers for herself. As she stands on the brink of destiny, she is forced to seek the balance between ecstasy and ruin."-Anime prologue for each episode.

In this new approach to the Witchblade universe, the lead character (and blade wielder) is Masane Amaha, a kind-hearted woman who, despite her good intentions, is fairly clumsy and not good around the house. She lost her memory during "The Great Quake" that ravaged Tokyo and, curiously, Masane was found unscathed in the phenomenon's ground zero, holding a baby in her arms. Six years later, she returns to Tokyo with the child, whom she believes to be her daughter, intending to live a peaceful life. Unfortunately for the two, Masane becomes entangled in the struggle for power between a huge corporation and a government agency. She discovers that a mysterious jewel attached to her right wrist is actually the legendary artifact known as the Witchblade.

This series is a branch off from the original comic and TV series by Top Cow. Due to it being extremely ecchi, the American dub had to replace almost 80% of Masane’s almost naked body with clothing. You can buy the original Japanese in subs and see this anime in all it’s full-frontal nudity.

You’re probably asking yourself why an otaku, like me, would be watching something that was really intended for men. Simple. I just happened to appreciate the storyline and character design. I am wholly in love with the character designs! I love when all the girls take on their “Witchblade” forms. It really inspires me. I just tend to look past the entire perverseness that the Japanese are known for. I just like the way it looks, not the way THEY look in it. I’m also a big fan of the American Witchblade; I do believe that one was less graphic and more action.

(Due to recent events in Japan, our blog fully supports donations to the Red Cross to help those in need. We ask that you take this time to donate to this cause. Every little bit helps!)

HELP JAPAN!

Queen's Blade (クイーンズブレイド, Kuīnzu Bureido?) is a series of visual combat books published by Hobby Japan, based on the licensed works from Lost Worlds. First published in 2005, it features only female characters in sexual art situations.
Beginning with the 7th series, it uses all-new game rules compatible with the Lost Worlds books. The overall plot of the game revolves around a tournament held every four years to determine a queen. Only young women who are considered beautiful in their home town are allowed to enter.

I’ll admit that I haven’t watched this entire series the whole way through. It was just so damn funny! I mean really, clothes are being torn to shreds, boobies shooting out deadly acids and panty shots galore! Oh, you Japanese, you never cease to amuse me.

This series was just bad, to be honest. It has a plot line, really, it does but, it gets lost behind the exaggerated battles. It probably would have had potential if it weren’t as ecchi as it is. I realize that the anime was based off the PSP game and other works but, c’mon! Really?!! I can’t even say that I appreciated the character design at all.

Overall this was just a sad disappointment to the anime industry. I’m sure some otakus would disagree with me and even become quite upset over this but, oh well. Plus, this anime was entirely biased, “Only the most beautiful woman can hold the title of Queen”, this was seriously created by a man.

NOT INTENDED FOR AUDIENCES UNDER THE AGE OF 18.

(Pork buns will be out for a couple of weeks. She is sorting some matters out at the moment. On that note, no, we do not have a theme for this month so; it’s kind of like a free for all until she gets back.

I’ll be posting for the majority of the time. Thanks for reading).

Megumi Noda, or "Nodame" is a piano student at Momogaoka College of Music. An extremely talented pianist who wants to be a preschool teacher, she prefers playing by ear rather than reading the music score. She is messy and disorganized, takes baths several days apart and loves to eat, sometimes stealing her friend's lunchbox when it is filled with delicacies.
Shinichi Chiaki is Momogaoka's top student. Born into a musical family, he is talented in piano and violin and has secret ambitions to become a conductor. An arrogant multi-lingual perfectionist who once lived abroad in the music capitals of the world as a young boy (namely Prague), he is trapped in Japan because of his childhood phobia of airplanes and the ocean.
They meet by accident. Nodame quickly falls in love, but it takes much longer for Chiaki to even begin to appreciate Nodame's unusual qualities. Their relationship causes them both to develop and grow. Along the way, they meet some crazy people (like Masumi, Mine, and Stresemann) and make lasting friendships. Because of Nodame, Chiaki gets the opportunity to lead a student orchestra and begins to have a broader appreciation of people's musical abilities. Because of Chiaki, Nodame faces her fears and enters a piano competition. Opportunities open up as both begin taking risks, stretching themselves far more than they ever thought possible.
After graduation, Nodame succeeds in curing Chiaki from his phobia and they both move to Paris where Nodame continues her piano studies at the Conservatoire de Paris while Chiaki starts a professional career as a conductor. In Europe, they encounter new friends and rivals, as well as keep in touch with their friends from Japan.

I’m only reviewing the live-action drama series that aired in 2007-2008. The anime didn’t appear until after the drama series. I don’t care too much for the manga or the anime. J-dramas are really inspiring because Japanese try their best at acting like anime characters (and quite possibly their American counterparts).

I have so much love for this series. It’s right up there with NANA. Not only does it fill my needs and wants of being a hopeless romantic, it’s also fulfilling for my love of classical music. In each episode they show a piece of music written by a legendary composer and the origins of the piece.
This live action was a really great piece of art. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it can be enjoyed with that special someone who also has similar interests in the musical arts.

The series focuses on Eiri Kurahashi, a college art student who works in an antique shop. One day, he sees the image of a girl in an antique glass. To his shock, she appears to be moving and living out her life before his eyes. He becomes infatuated with the girl, and one night at midnight, he somehow makes contact with her. He learns that her name is Cossette, and that she was an aristocrat's daughter during the 18th century. She reveals to him that her spirit has been entrapped within the glass because the artist Marcello Orlando murdered her. She tells Eiri that, in order to set her free, a man must be willing to take upon himself punishment for the sins Marcello committed.

As the series progresses, Eiri is tortured mentally and physically by Cossette, who demands that he prove his professed love for her. It is revealed that Eiri is the reincarnation of Marcello, and that Cossette is becoming as infatuated with him as he is with her. Also depicted are the efforts of the women in Eiri's life—relatives, friends, mentors, and the girl who secretly loves him—to free him from what is becoming apparent to them as a self-destructive path.
What better way to start off the Valentine season with a little blood and betrayal!

I have to say that this three episode OVA makes my top 10 anime series. I was completely enthralled with this anime. It had everything I was looking for when I was a teenager. It talked about how brutal love could actually be instead of Disney’s make believe stories of “True love conquers all”.

The animation - right down to the soundtrack is amazingly haunting. What did you expect from the all time famous composer, Yuki Kaijuira and renowned Ani-plex? The answer is better than you expected. There is really so much about this story that speaks volumes and I just can’t cover it all. You’d have to see it for yourself.

If you are lonely this season or need a break from diluted retarded love this season, look no further than Le Portrait De Petit Cossette!