First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
Then a great news
It's official. chapter 46 is finally out! Thanks to all the people at Jshojo manga who took the time to scan translate and scanlate the chapter for all of us. It has been a long wait but at the end of the day i tamed my BGI cravings with spoilers and summaries. I know that may be equal to cheating but like I said it has been a long wait *lol*. I wonder what I'll do once we get to chapter 51. (OMG) Hopefully by then Obata sensei will be doing just fine and we'll have brand new chapters *giant star shaped eyes* ( or the final chapter ) released. We want to be there too, really really badly.
Anyway i have already discussed this chapter in a previous post so there is not much to say about it. Like i said there is no progression in the status of Yano and Nana's relationship. The chapter is mainly dedicated to Yuri and her story begins since her arrival to Tokyo. As you can see the girl is on a mission, to get Yano for herself that is. We can see she is spending lots of time on him writing letters ( not sure if he ever replied to any of them) and waiting at the train station just to see him walking by ( because he didn't even noticed her..i feel so sorry for that poor girl) Anyway we are also introduced to Yuri's new friend from work ( as Yuri ditches the studies to find a part time job). She will teach Yuri one trick or two on makeup in an attempt to improve her image ( and finally get Yano's attention, I assume)
Yano, well the man himself is literally killing himself working . From the summary I gathered he had two jobs but apparently he used to have more in the past ( he said that one had five jobs at the same time, i can't believe this is even humanly possible, but there) Anyway is clear that the guy is desperately trying to keep his mind busy to not to think about...his life. his mother's death...and Nanami?
Anyway for the moment he is working is butt off and he is totally unaware of Yuri's plans...
Can't wait to read chapter 47 now..

It's Christmas ( well technically not anymore but we're still under the festive season) and whenever I think of Christmas films I think about Love Actually. This is one of those feel good movies that need to be watched at least once a year just to remind ourselves how great love can be. In every shape we like to intend it . The film is just this. It is a fine comedy about life, family, friendship and romance. Hardly I have ever come across a film that made me laugh and cry so much and leave you with that heartwarming feeling at the end.

I particularly like the scenes at the airport which open and close the film. The arrival moment when people finally get to meet and embrace their loved ones. it fits perfectly the description of love is all around. To tell you the truth those scenes get me every time. maybe it is because they are shot with real people rather then actors or maybe is just because I can relate so much to that situation. Few days ago I was at the airport myself anxious to see my family appearing from the arrival gates.


And then there is this piece of music. It is called The Glasgow theme. And I Love too bits

The artist is ( once again ^^) Craig Armstrong. This music is so sweet and melancholic it makes my heart melt. You can get the mp3 this way

A joyful joyful Christmast to everybody. May your day be filled with joy and warmth f.
No matters your plans or if you snowed in. Hope you can spend the day with the people you love the most.

Well I can say that I have officially completed my Christmas shopping . Whoa I am quite impressed with myself because normally I am the type of person that still frantically goes in and out of the shops up until the early evening of the 24th. Because of my laziness I am the type of person that leaves the things until the very last minute but also I am very indecisive when it comes to buy a gift. Oh man, I am always worried to pick something that they have already or even worse something totally wrong. And here i start going back and forward thinking "no that thing i saw before is better than this one" or "I am not entirely convinced maybe I need to take a look at the next shop" and so on and on until i feel my legs aching so I decide to go back home and re-start tomorrow....thank goodness this year I had my hubby helping me out. He is not the type who likes spending a lot of time shopping so every time i had an idea about a gift he would take me straight to the shop and make me buy the gift without indulging too much upon things. Of course I couldn't take him with me when I went to buy his gift but then again after a lot of thinking in the past weeks I decided to go for a new xbox 360 *hopes he likes it* even if this afternoon when we went to buy a pressie for my sis he was staring with love shaped eyes to a ninendo wii console ( of course I panicked and I thought oh noo)
Anyway apart from this very scary episode I can say I am quite satisfied with the presents I have bought this year ( never mind the credit crunch lol, the vouchers I got from work did help a little ^_^)and of course I do hope that my family and friends will appreciate them too.
At the end of the day what I am really after is a very pleased look on their face when the get to unwrap their gift.

Maybe I got carried away in my images downloading craze for the paladin Amv, but i couldn't leave this picture out and about on the web without getting a copy for my archive. I do enjoy reading a good story but for some reasons I find visual arts much more powerful in conveying certain feelings. It may be just a matter of timing.If the artist was to create this very scene in a novel It could have taken at least a whole to describe this moment including as much details as portrayed here. The picture offers you the same result in a glance. And I'd say that it makes more of an impact. Of course you can indulge in studying the details but that always happen in a second moment, just like when you re-read a sentence trying to unveil a new meaning to it.

The painting is called The Black Brunswicker and is a work by John E Millais. I like how the conflict between thr two character is enhanced by the color of their clothes. The man uniform is entirely black and the woman is dressed in white. A striking contrast which reflect the complete opposite state of mind of the two. The man is embracing his ideal of duty and responsibility. His posture is firm as much as his intention to leave. The hand is holding the door and his leg is about to take his step. His foot though is still attached to the ground as he hesitates one more moment to look at her for one last time. The woman's action, on the contrary, is much more emotional. She is literally throwing herself at him to push him away from the door. One hand is on the door's handle in an attempt to close the door ( and the world) behind her. The other is placed on his chest gently trying to stop his movement. In doing so i don't know if she is trying to protect him or seeking protection in him. The body language tells me that is more likely the second option. The woman cannot even look at him but they are both desperate for a physical contact ( see how his knee mirrors the position of her hand ) they are aware this may be the last time they can touch each other.
It's true that the soldier is trying to leave but his eyes are completely focused on her. I expect her to timidly raise her look and give in to the passion of their last kiss.

I have put my BGI daydreaming aside these days as I was literally obsessed by the idea of making an AMV based on a mystery period fanfiction I have been reading. ( shall I call it fiction instead? After all the story is fully original and doesn't derive from any canon work). I have read only a couple of chapters so far but if the rest is as good as those chapter that novel will deserve more than a tribute AMV! (i'm sorry I can't name the fiction as I think the title hasn't been decided yet...)


The song I used is called the Paladin (the mp3 can be downloaded here). I think i got this song by chance. few months ago I was looking for some anime OST and I bumped in to a game soundtrack playlist called The Dark Age of Camelot. I liked the tune from the very beginning and for some reason it reminded me of the (fan)fiction I read. The funny thing is that the story in the fanfic is set in 15 century Florence and( of course) has nothing to do with Camelot or the Arthurian legends. Nevertheless I think it fits perfectly ( probably because the prologue of the novel has a very vivid description of a joust where the knights battle themselves in the public square)

The problem in making this video was finding appropriate images. this story is pure fiction so there are no pre-existing characters I could refer to . I could have used characters from other films/animes but since I have read so little of the novel I didn't feel I knew the characters to well to make this choice. But since I wanted to make this AMV so badly my resort was renaissance art ( well most of it)
Again, my knowledge of the plot and characters is very limited therefore I decided to use details and close up of the paintings to leave a certain shade of mystery.
I am pretty aware that nobody will know the story of this novel as I doubt has been posted anywhere yet but still I hope the video is enjoyable to watch.

Now that is done I can go back to my daydreaming ( oh why BGI chapter 46 is not out yet!!)

I found this new piece of music by Gabriella Cilmi that would be ideal to a Hiatary Ryoko related fan fic. This song is also very Christmassy so perfectly in theme with the current festive season.

LoL it's funny though. These days I am getting so many ideas about potential fanfictions, AMVs and stuff but I wonder whether i can get at least one of these concept realised..
As for Hiatary Ryoko I have a very long playlist of inspirational songs i could make a compilation (actually i was thinking about creating one I'm still unsure about the title but I have an idea to divide the songs by day and night)


I have already put the song on my ipod for my personal daydreaming sessions and I have been trying desperately to embed the mp3 to this post, but since i can't get the code off the site i uoploaded the song i have no choice but to link for direct download

I've always wondered what is it that the Japanese mangakas and animators like so much about siblings incest. Is it much more tolerated than in western cultures? (of course my question concerns the realm of shoujo and romance stories, i mean i wouldn't find it as surprising if the anime in question would be hentai or a similar genre)
The general idea is that romance and sexual relationships between brother and sister is wrong in so many levels. Yet again when it comes to manga and anime the situation seem to be different. The protagonists are never condemned for their behaviour. Most of the times instead they are depicted as star crossed lovers whose sympathy is well deserved.
The first manga i ever came across was Lady Georgie. Technically I can't say it was incest as the protagonists weren't blood related but since they were raised as siblings for so many years it kinda shocked me that both Abel and Arthur were able to develop such feelings for their little sister. Not to mention Georgie herself who is the last one to know the truth about their "brothers"
Then Marmalade boy came along. It has to be said that in this story there are more extenuating circumstances. First Miki and Yuu don't grow up as brother and sister. At 15 years of age they suddenly become step siblings because of their family remarriages and fall in love virtually from day one. Second, they discover they may be blood related siblings after they have fallen for eachother but decide to be together regardless. Third, They aren't blood related after all ( lol)
More recently there is Vampire Knight. Yuki and Kaname'are brother and sister ( although we all know that Kaname is not the "real" Kaname but the reincarnation of the Kurans ancestor..I'm digressing here) but they belong to a very high elite of pureblood vampires hence they are allowed to marry and love each other ( their parents in fact were brother and sister...). Anyway even on this occasion I am able to overlook the incest factor because the story is not real life based. Besides vampires are known for more dreadful actions ( sucking other people's blood that is) so incest doesn't seem to be the worst connotation.

In "I love my little sister" however, the situation is different. The twin brothers Iku and Yori don't have any plausible excuse. The love story was presented in a very sweet manner but yet I couldn't root for them .No matter all the fluff, tears and romance. l i couldn't get past the fact that those two making out shared the same womb for nine months. To me, rather than their hearts it was their hormones talking..

Oh what can I say about Hiatari Ryoko?I'd start by saying that It's my favourite work by Mitsuuru Adachi. I don't even care if it is not half as popular as Touch, there I said it . Unlike the latter, Hiatari Ryoko is a feel good story about 5 high schoolers living in the same board house. The characters are all likeable and after finishing Touch I felt so relieved to know that this time around there wasn't any tragedy ready to strike upon the life of the protagonists.
The plot is like a breath of fresh air and got me immediately. The characters are all likeable, especially the protagonists. Kasumi and Takasugi are such a cute couple and they bond in a way which is so comical and sweet at the same time it is really hard not to root for them . Although the manga lacks of very passionate moments ( apart from the famous firefly scene, anyway have to bear in mind this is not a shojo ) the story doesn't fail to deliver on an emotional level.

merit to the anime though for adding/modifying a few scenes with overly dangerous flirting, desire-fuelled looks and stolen kisses... ( lol my ever so hopeless romantic me was so happy). The manga however compensate the lack of flirty moments with the comic relief ( the comedy is just priceless).
There is only one thing which I liked to be different: Katsuhiko-san. Oh man, I cannot understand this guy at all. Is he even trying to be Kasumi's boyfriend or what? He seemed to root for Kasumi and Takasugi more than everybody else. What the heck was that?? I can understand being nice and having respect for your love rival but pushing your girl right into his arms is a bit too much!!! Didn't that bother him even a little? ( unless finding an excuse for dumping Kasumi was part of the plan all along lol...evil me lol)

it has been a month since the scanlation of chapter 45 so the next chapter should be up any day soon. Not long ago i found a summary spoiler of chapters 46 and 47 on Animesuki ( all the credit and thanks go to the original poster Nervous Venus, who took the time to read and translate these chapters for the joy of all BGI fans, yay!) so I managed to read the new chapters i have in raw. ( the raw of vol 12 are here . I also have the raw of vol 11 which can be downloaded here)



These two chapters do not show us any factual progression in Nana and Yano's love story. ( well at least chapter 45 had so many crucial points,it made me scream with joy.
First Nana finds out where Yano works ( which tells me it won't be long before we see her at his workplace looking for him). Second we know that Yano hasn't gotten over Nana yet ( that conversation with Aki must have shaken Yano's feeling very badly as he couldn't stop thinking about it for the rest of the night). Third, we find out that Yano is now living Yuri ( omg, this is a real shocker , which adds more angst and mystery to the plot. It will sure represent another big obstacle to a possible Yano and Nana's reunion).
At this point in time we don't know why/how Yano and Yuri happen to live together.

Chapter 46 and 47 start to unfold the mystery behind their relationship. Like Yano's story ( few chapters before) the events are narrated from the very beginning but this time it's Yuri's perspective.
I can't help but having mixed feelings about Yamamoto Yuri. On one hand you have to admire her perseverance. No matters how many times she's been hurt and rejected by Yano, she always comes back trying her hardest to win his heart ( and apparently she finally succeeded!)
On the other hand i fear her feelings for him are nothing but the result of a great deal of personal issues and lack of self-esteem. Why is she so desperate to get him to love her?
From what I can read Yano is the only form of love she has ever experienced in her life which is really sad, if you ask me. Even because Yano blantantly admitted to Yuri's face he did have sex with her just to get over his girlfirend's death ( aka Yuri's sister!!!!). He never showed any sign of affection towards Yuri after that event.
Still that meant something to Yuri. For the first time in her life she felt accepted, wanted and loved. So Yano's half-harted interest becomes the only happiness she can aspire to.

But what happended during these years that made Yano and Yuri's relationship change?
Can I believe that Yano finally accepts Yuri's feelings because he realizes she is the only one who can truly understand him?
After all, they have been through a lot together. Even more now , since both have experienced the premature death of a family member. They have a lot in common, but still something else must have happened to trigger Yano's heart change.

In chapters 46 and 47 the events are set after Yano's mother death so presumably Yano has already left Nanami and is still very cold towards Yuri. It is interesting to notice that Yano still refers to Nana as his girlfriend although he has broken contact with her.

The reason is not given yet. In chapter 47 we see Yano is working restlessly ( he has 2 part time jobs) probably in an attempts to escape form his own demons. He seems not to allow himself sometime to stop and think. I wonder whether he gets any sleep at all. At this point Yano is still very distant to Yuri but it looks like he is surviving on a very fragile equilibrium himself.

I admit it. I am still struggling to understand why he decided to move in with Yuri Yamamoto. On one hand I think he may be still using her as a way to cope with his grief like the time back in junior high school. Although this seems a bit forced after all that happened back then. I would be somehow stupid of Yano to make the same mistake again. Unless this is the very mistake Yuri is pursuing. Probably she thinks that being Yano's rebound girl is the only way to be with him.

On the other hand I reckon that the reason may be much more subtle like somekind of emotional blackmail from Yuri's side. A very desperate love confession in which Yuri threatened tragic consequences should Yano decide to leave her again. Something which could have triggered all his guilt ridden memories about his mother's suicide.( I wont be surprised if it turns out to be true lol. Yuri is so desperate to be loved ( by Yano) that she doesn't even consider his feelings for that matter)

i don't find hard to believe that Yano is attracted to Yuri. But I can't convince myself 100% he is in love with her. Yuri has a very disillusioned idea about love itself but Yano hasn't. He seems to deny this to himself now, but after he made the choice to be with Yuri, why is he still haunted by those memories with Nanami? Could he just be feeling guilty about the way he left her ? Or is he regretting leaving her all together ?
In chapter 45, he talks about breaking his promises, hurting her feelings and trampling all over her trust... but we don't know what exactly is he referring to.

But I found really interesting that Yano kept himself is well informed about his (ex)girlfriend's current love/life situation in spite of the fact that they haven't seen/spoken to eachother for years.
More importanly, Yano never said he wasn't in love with Nana anymore. Nor to Takeuchi three years ago or Aki-chan more recently. That would have been the easiest thing to say to let Nanami go completely. yet he didn't ( or couldn't) say it

well at least according to this name generator *lol*. As a matter of fact I happen to like it quite a lot so I think i might stick with it for a while. there, I also took the time to look for the Japanese characters so
Watashi no namae

lately i find myself more and more interested in everything that is related to Japan. odd. Although my knowledge of the country is very limited to the realm of manga and anime I am watching . I have been brainwashed.

The picture is not totally unrelated to this post. I got this cute fortune owl from a Japanese shop during my last trip to York this summer ( even if I thought it was a bit pricey) .. i paid around £12.00 and the figurine is a 2 inches high and fits in the palm of my hand ( and i got very small hands) but i didn't bother too much it was also my birthday so and my- typical- cheap-self was reduced to silence for entire shopping spree that day
Besides, Owls are one of the most popular lucky charms in Japan because owl in Japanese is called 'fukurou' which means:

fu = no
kurou = hardship/trouble
fukurou = no hardship/trouble

Plus, it really does look cute.

Note to self. Never, I repeat, never ever ignore those flashing lights on your car dashboard again.
Those ain't Christmas decorations, luv. They actually mean something. Most of the times it's something quite bad...
I should have seen it coming, last night she gave me the final warning. A bright red light which read STOP and the battery symbol..my acumen suggested it might be a problem with the battery but the car was working just fine so i decided i would deal with it on Friday afternoon. That's because It's way too cold to even consider the idea to go to work by bus. That would cost me at least 1 hour more to travel in the coldest hours of the day. No way. The car is just fine

This morning I looked out the window and noticed that the world outside was covered with snow. My mind was at ease though, after all the car is just fine.
I slipped over the icy road all the way to the car, scraped the ice off the windscreen and started the engine. Wow it really is fine. First the car gets stuck in the middle of the road while i was attempting a reverse manoeuvre. Thankfully the snow wasn't too thick so after a while I managed to drive off..
That red warning light was still on desperately demanding my attention.
I discarded the issue with a "if it is the battery then worst case scenario the car won't start again on my way back home. Oh well...
I drove up to the first junction and stopped at the red light. The car was shaking a little. I was in complete denial. I even blamed the poor weather condition and the snow (???)
As soon as I passed the second junction the car decided that enough was enough. It started shaking really badly. I saw the all dashboard leds flashing together shouting PULL IN YOU MORON in Morse code.
I felt the car loosing speed no matter how hard i pressed the accelerator. And I immediately understood that was it. i couldn't even turn the hazard lights on. The car died on me just like that.
As a punishment the AA made me wait 3 hours for the recovery service whilst the guys at the phone kept on telling me it would be there in 20 minutes. There was snow and ice all around me and my feet went numb.
Plus, the car is not fixed yet and I arrived at work two and a half hours late as a result ( and this thanks to my hubby, who came to the rescue and lent me his own car he went to work by bus instead*feeling so guilt ridden now*.