xxxHolic - Episode 1

Kimihiro Watanuki is not your typical highschooler. He can see spirits and they were inevitably attracted to him. One day, while trying to free himself from the grip of some spirits, he accidentally smacked a wooden fence. Instantly the spirits vanished but Watanuki had a new problem. Against his will, his feet started to move on their own towards the house and before he knew it he was ushered to meet the master by two little girls.

The master of the house was a witch knowned as Yuuko. She told him that their meeting was pre-ordained and read to him his current situation. As a price, she cheats him of his pocket watch whilst telling him about her wish-granting business. While he tried futilely to argue, she offered to make his secret wish come true - to get rid of his ability to see spirits. In return, he only needed to work for her until she felt that it was enough to pay off the wish (hey lady, that's too subjective!).

Watanuki was swept away by the situation and found himself doing groceries shopping with a weird black creature named Mokona. At the supermarket, a spirit latches itself unto him. Irritated, he contemplates the decision to let Yuuko take away his special ability to see spirits. On the way back to Yuuko's shop, he came across a girl who was complaining to her friends about some spirits following her. I think she's a liar and that she was only trying to seek more attention. Hmph!

Being able to see spirits himself, it was clear to him that the girl was lying and tells her that there was no spirit latched onto her. She became angry at his intervention and made a big drama to save her face. The girl bumped into him as she stormed off with her friends and suddenly the spirit who was curled around Watanuki went to her and swallowed her whole, latching itself permanently.

Angrily, Watanuki confronted Yuuko for not telling him that he was able to transfer spirits by touching other people. Yuuko however dismissed his accusation and simply told him that the spirit was granting the girl's wish to be possessed. Not accepting her answer, Watanuki decides to quit and left the shop. As he leaves, Yuuko commented that a bond has formed between them and he would surely return. True enough, the next day he found himself in front of her shop again, trying to kid himself that he was only there to make her pay him back for the groceries money.

Another great work from the famous group CLAMP. Great music, great artwork, and great start of a storyline. What can I say, I'm a huge fan of CLAMP. :D

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Playlist #2

It's been a long time since I changed the playlist. Initially, I planned to change it once a week or once a fortnight. Of course you all know the story by now, all that projects and late nights - there's barely time for blogging much less changing the playlist. Which now I find was a simpler thing to do than squeezing in a review. I guess it's true when they say humans can only plan, and when they plan, God laughs. LOL XD

Again, these are some of my all time favourites:

1. Song 1: This is definitely one of my all time favourite songs from one of my all time favourite animes. It is also the second BoA song I know after her No.1. Duvet is the opening theme for anime series Lain Serial Experiments.


2. Song 2: This song is the closing theme for Noir, a kick ass anime that you should not miss! The melancholic sounds of Kireina Kanjou has never failed to move me.


3. Song 3: Hauntingly beautiful, I was instantly mesmerized when I first heard Kataritsugu koto from Blood+. It is now one of my favourite songs to listen to during my time alone.


4. Song 4: Truthfully, Eternal Snow did not leave such a big impression on me compared to Myself from Full Moon wo Sagashite. But her vocals are admittedly very powerful and Eternal Snow is admittedly a very good song on its own accord.


5. Song 5: This song is called Arigatou from Kyo Kara Maou. I love the tunes, how it starts soft and picks up the tempo and softens again. It's a really good song to dedicate to friends or during graduations etc. In this case, it's a special thanks from me to all my blog readers. Love you lots! <3

Hope you guys enjoy it! *^^*

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Neko Memory Game

I found something fun from MyAnimeSpace! I love this game. The reasons are very simple: I'm good with memory games and I love cat people! *^o^*

The guys especially wouldn't find it a problem to win this. ^~

Game By MyAnimeSpace.org

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Rurouni Kenshin ~ Recollection Edition

Rurouni Kenshin or Samurai X is definitely one of my all time favourites, and I'm sure it's the same for many of you. You can't call yourself an otaku if you haven't watched Samurai X. Rurouni Kenshin Recollection Edition consists of a four-episodes Samurai X OVA: Trust & Betrayal. It serves as a prequel to both Samurai X: The Movie and the popular Samurai X TV series. Here you will find out the story behind Kenshin's cross-shaped scar.

Kiru Otoko: The story begins in the turmoils of the Tokugawa Shogunate era where various clans were rising up to overthrow the military dictatorship of the shogunate and to return power to the Emperor. A lonely orphan was saved by a passing swordsman who took him in as a disciple. A grown up Kenshin later envisions to change the world with his sword and becomes an assassin in the service of Katsura, a revolutionary leader. One night, he was wounded by a bodyguard of one of his targets. The wound was just a slash on his cheek, but it would not heal. Although Kenshin was an assassin with hardened resolve and unwavering calm, unspoken doubts surfaced when he encounters a mysterious beauty named Tomoe.

Mayoi Neko: Kenshin brought unconscious Tomoe to the lodging house he stayed at after being unable to decide whether he should kill her for being a witness to one of his murderous acts. Tomoe became a worker for the lodging house and was quickly liked by all for her diligence and efficiency. She pays extra attention to Kenshin who in turn was unable to completely ignore her as a stranger. One day, Kenshin was ambushed once again which lead the team to realize that there was a spy amongst them. As tension escalates out of control and the search for the Battousai intensifies, Katsura orders Kenshin and Tomoe to retreat to the mountains and live a quiet life as husband and wife. Katsura, who had noticed the inner turmoil within Kenshin requests for Tomoe to be his sheath to protect his humanity.

Yoisatoyama: Kenshin and Tomoe leads a peaceful life in the remote mountain village of Otsu as farmer and medicine seller. Meanwhile, the bloodshed and violence in Kyoto continues to climb greater scales. After leading a solitary life for some time with Tomoe, Kenshin found the inner peace which his master, Hiko, had attempted to teach him and regrets the deaths and sufferings he had caused in the name of creating a better world. One day, Tomoe's younger brother Enishi came to visit. He reveals to Tomoe that the shogunate has tracked down Kenshin and was planning to end his life. Tomoe who has fallen in love with the man who killed her fiance sends Enishi off after instructing him not to be involved with the shogunate anymore. She leaves Kenshin in hope to stop the shogunate from killing her beloved.

Jujikizu: Kenshin who learned of Tomoe's betrayal went off to confront her. However, he was no longer the focused assassin he once was, his inner emotions were clouding his mind. This caused him to get seriously wounded although he still manages to defeat the men of the shogunate. Facing the Shogun himself, Kenshin delivers the final blow accepting his own death in return. Instead, Tomoe had stepped in between to shield him from the Shogun's attack. After the death of Tomoe, Kenshin vowed to find a way to atone for all his sins after he has taken down the shogunate for his revenge. Once the Meiji era was successfully established, the Hitokiri Battousai disappears...

First off, if you have not watched the TV series, I don't recommend you to watch this. For one, Trust & Betrayal plays a more serious, bloody and poetic storytelling, none of the Kenshin silliness we all love him for in the TV series. This is one of those animes that puts you in deep thought. Secondly, the art is very different, no bright happy colours and the strokes are also very different to present a more melancholic mood. The music fits well into the mood, one of the best you'll hear. The storyline is exceptionally brilliant, but then, that's already expected of Samurai X.

One thing I thought it could do without is those weird, out-of-the-place real effects such as the water in the river, trees, fires etc. And there's not much of Kenshin's Hiten Mitsurugi swordplay, just a lot of sword swinging and slashing going on. Despite these two, it is still a recommendable watch and I still give it a two thumbs up. If I could, I'll give it four (include my big toes). XD

Rating: 12/10 (it topped off the charts)

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Pako and the Magical Book

Pako to Maho no Ehon, or its English title, Pako and the Magical Book, is a movie directed by Tetsuya Nakashima which was released in Japan on 13th September 2008. The movie, presented in a mixture of real actors' acting and 3D CG animation, has won numerous awards such as Best Art Direction at the Award of the Japanese Academy, Best Technical at Mainichi Film Concours and L'Écran Fantastique Award at Fant-Asia Film Festival. The line up of actors includes big names such as Koji Yakusho, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Anna Tsuchiya, Eiko Koike and newcomer Ayaka Wilson.

The story revolves around a little girl named Pako who has amnesia after being involved in an accident which claimed both her parents lives. She can only remember things in the same day and stays in a weird hospital full of wacky staff and patients. A grumpy old man, Oonuki, also stays in the same hospital and made it his life's mission to give a hard time to everyone. One day, in a misunderstanding, Oonuki slapped Pako as punishment for stealing his cherished gold lighter.

However the next day, instead of cowering of fear or showing signs of hate, Pako smiled up to Oonuki and acted like nothing happened. Instead, she was happy when she realized that Oonuki touched her cheek the day before. Oonuki felt guilty and the two quickly bonded and became close. Oonuki who hated being known by other people desperately felt that he needed to be remembered by Pako. And this lead him to spend days endlessly with her reading her book and even staging a performance based on the book specially for her. He changed to become more compassionate to others and regretted his terrible behaviour.

Truthfully, the only reason I wanted to watch this was because Anna Tsuchiya was in it. But the story was so magical and I became so absorbed in it, I totally forgot about even Anna. At first, things was just a bit too crazy for me with all the grotesquely colourful costumes and overly exaggerated acting. Think Alice in Wonderland, you get Pako and the Magical Book.

However, once Oonuki meets Pako, the whole feel of the movie took a more serious turn. The movie perfectly blends elements of eroticism, comedy, fantasy, tragedy and much more in a weird jumbled way that somehow made sense and keeps the audience captivated. There were moments when I was smiling and laughing to myself, and the next I was holding back tears. The actors are so into their characters you can hardly recognize them! A very entertaining watch this.

Genre: Family, Fantasy, Tragedy, Comedy
Rating: 9/10

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Selamat Hari Raya!

It's that time of the year again where we have the excuse (and look very much forward to) stuff our faces. When else can you eat and eat and eat and eat without shame? :D

But it's also that time of the year where I'll burn a big fat hole in my bank account. For two reasons:

• Hari Raya shopping
• Giving out green packets

As usual, I have been so caught up with work I did not have the time to do my Raya shopping at all. So on Friday, I forced myself to get off work early and rushed off to One Utama with my boyfriend to get our Raya clothes. We went into Guess and I found lots of really nice jeans. So I took them all off the rack, carefully picking size 23 and walked happily into the changing room. It's very hard for me to find nice jeans so I was really very happy.

I tried on the first one and it was too loose for me. What the hell!?! I could fit both my arms and still have some more space into the pants while wearing it. So I took it off and tried the second one (in denial). Same thing. So I tried the third one (still in denial). Oh. My. God. I mean seriously, I am a size 23. For normal jeans. A female promoter then suggested to me to go to Guess Kids. @_@

So we left and went into Armani Exchange. I found a really nice pair of jeans for my boyfriend. So he has his pants settled. I saw a nice wallet and bought it for him as a Raya present. I gave a guy friend a Raya present last year and he got jealous. LOL :D And I found a really nice pair of jeans for moi. I asked the promoter to give me my size and she gave me a size 0. Which I could not bloody fit because again, it was too big! A size 0!!! >_>

We walked all over the place with the limited time we have before closing and my boyfriend finally dragged me into Guess Kids. I picked up two nice jeans but they looked awfully small to me. They were size 12. So my boyfriend asked a promoter to give me the biggest size which is a size 14. Guess what? A size 14 in Guess Kids is still too big for me. What the HELL!?! By that time, the shop was devoid of all people so all the staff were having fun helping us out. They got me to squeeze myself into the size 12s and it turns out, they're a perfect fit! X_X

So I ended up buying myself two jeans and a blouse and a T-shirt from Guess Kids spending RM1000 plus in total. Whoa. That is the most I've ever spent on myself for clothes.

And today I still had to work half day. Although I applied for leave and was granted it, I had to drop by the office to check out some tasks I asked my colleagues to finish off and which they did wrongly. And since I was there and it's only a half day, I decided to just finish off my work anyway since my boyfriend was still home sleeping and there's nothing much I can do till he wakes up. After work, I got him to get himself ready and we rushed off to buy my baju kurung.

I was in a pretty foul mood because I couldn't find any that catches my eye. And I wasted my time going to work when I could've gone home and helped out my mom bake some cookies or clean the house. I shouldn't have gone to pick up my boyfriend. I should've just gone home and only pick him up for dinner. We had plans to have dinner with his family today. There was so many things I wanted to do but I couldn't because I went to work, I went to pick up my boyfriend and we went to look for my baju kurung which we didn't find.

To make matters worse, I got into a fight with my boyfriend because of my foul mood. He says its his fault when he already promised to send me to work and wait while I settle it with my colleagues and we can head back to my place after. But he didn't sleep the whole night before and couldn't wake up this morning. But then again, I didn't expect him to send me. I knew him not waking up was going to happen. But it was still annoying. For me, it's better if you just don't say anything when you know you can't do it.

After scouring Sunway Pyramid, I decided to just give up. There was no point going anywhere else as dinner was at Shogun, Sunway Pyramid. And by the time we realized we couldn't find my baju kurung, it was already 4.30PM, too close to break fast time. Too late to go someplace and rush back to Sunway Pyramid. I was so frustrated that I did so many wrong decisions in a day (and a very crucial day at that). In the end, I didn't manage to help out my mom, I didn't get to give myself the pampering session I planned out for myself and I couldn't find my baju kurung.

But now I've got myself a nice baju kebaya from a shop nearby Shogun. I just washed it and it's now hanging out to dry. Well, it's pretty much has been a hectic Hari Raya preparation on my part. How about yours? ^^

Selamat Hari Raya all~
I'm so looking forward to the break from work. <3

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Good News Must Be Shared With All~

I know, I know! So much for my promise to keep my blog updated regularly. But work really has been too crazy I can't even find time to wax my armpits. @_@ But don't worry, I'm still around. And there's only two more months of this madness for me to take. After that I'm free~

Yes, it's been so crazy at work I didn't even have time to celebrate my five years anniversary with my boyfriend yesterday. Five goddamned loooonnnngggggg years. :D And I've got good news to share with all of you: we're tying the knot. Finally.

We've been together for so long our parents didn't even blink an eye when we told them. In fact, my mom and his mom are waaaayyyy too enthusiastic. They've planned the wedding all the way to the honeymoon. ^^" We've got the place, the colour theme, the guest list, the doorgift, the dowry all worked out. At the rate things are going, everything would probably be ready by end of this year and we planned for the wedding to be in September 2010!

The wedding's gonna be on our anniversary: September 10. Truthfully, the only purpose of the wedding is to legalise our relationship. Everyone keeps saying we're like an old married couple. Gawwddd... To think about it, October would most likely be my finals for my MBA papers. LMAO XD

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