Review: 07-Ghost

[WARNING: May Contain Spoilers]

When I was first introduced to this anime, from reading the summary I thought it was rather typical; the protagonist suffers amnesia and somewhat has an alter-ego inside him. I refused to watch it at first, until I took a look at the list of characters: Men... men... and moar men... men.. oh a girl... men.. men... men.......... men........ FUKUYAMA JUN!!! Okay that's probably the main reason why I wanted to see this (apart from having overpopulation of men).

[Disclaimer: All images does not belong to me]

Anyways, the story is about a boy named Teito Klein who lost his memories at a certain age and is treated as a war-slave ever since. The authorities aka villains are after his hidden powers until one day some kebaboom event happened causing him to escape from his military school with the help of his best friend, Mikage. The bad guys lead by Ayanami (male version of Rei get lawl) pursued him while he was flying in the air with no where to go but failed. Then he crash landed on a group of priests, which consists of 3 guys that makes girls drool endlessly. Consequently he was brought to their so called church which worshipped "7 ghosts" aka 7 pieces of their God. Then all the shit happens in there...

[that's the so called epic tagline yeah]

07-Ghost demographic is supposed to be shoujo, but what I can say about this show is.. "It's not supposed to be shonen-ai, but it IS shonen-ai". I mean, come on. Look at the cast. They're all men. The 3 nuns probably just existed to beautify the place, and the only MOE chic is the mermaid who plays the pipe organ. The 3 priests or whatever you call 'em, are potrayed to be straight (Frau collects pr0n, while Castor is fond of the mermaid and making female dolls. Mmm maybe Labrador is the gay-est since he likes flowers), but it's not very convincing. Now don't let me start with Mikage... the best friend of all best friends and is totally gay PROVEN BY HIS FINAL WORDS dammit. Oh and the villains are gay too. Most of them are partners and they're like... have to be mutually dependent on each other. Even Ayanami, who has a thing for Frau and Teito.

[Razette doesn't speak. Good, at least she's not annoying]

OKAY FINE! I admit. Every episode of 07-Ghost Made me "KYAAAAAAAAA" every 5 minutes or so =_____=

The art, is definitely nicer looking in the anime adaptation than in the manga. The magic stuff... is well... I dunno. Just like that... in a unique way. OH I can't remember, it was sooo last year. Anyway, reincarnation plays a huge part in the original story. Too bad we can only see too few in the adaptation... like this little pink dragon here...

[Burupya is a DRAGON cub. Really]

Storywise, I can't really say since it's kind of incomplete. As in, the manga is still ongoing; Teito and company has gone out for their own adventures. After several episodes in the military school, most of the time they spent was inside the church. it's also where Teito chose to become an apprentice bishop along with his roommate Hakuren (FUKUJUN get). Hakuren is probably the best supportive character in the story, or among those anime I've seen. He may be arrogant at first, but it turns out that he can easily accept trufax that may seem farfetched to an average person. Okay back to storyline... not that great but it was okay. Still... NO COMMENT.
Oh yeah, sorry to say that the plot does not focus much on the 7 Ghosts, so it kinda makes you wonder moar about it. Only 3 ghosts made their appearences in the anime. Just read the manga, it's recent chapters focuses on them already.

[OH SO FABULOUS! Seiyuu: FukuJun duhhh]

In spite of those shits, basically I liek this anime because of the bishies.... and BL elements... which is more apparent in the anime mufufu. Oh yeah and the shota main character too! I just hate the villains who are kind of dumb. uh yeah they just had to be bishounens...

Review: DURARARA!!

[WARNING: May contain spoilers!]
[WARNING Ver.2: Content may be harsh!!]

[disclaimer: image does not belong to me]

Summary for Durarara!! or in short DRRR!! is about an urban legend that circulates around Ikebukuro that a Headless Rider randomly roam the streets... doing dunno what. The main protagonist, a normal looking from the countryside called Ryugamine Mikado was warned by his childhood friend Masaomi Kida to be careful of several weird guys; like the man in bartender suit, a parkour loving informant and especially a gang called Dollars and Yellow Scarves. But Ryugamine eventually got caught up into the mess and at the same time enduring his typical teenage life at school (such as having a crush on a girl).

Towards the end you’d see that the normal characters are actually masterminds of something while the not so normal characters just wanted to lead a normal life. OMG I seriously just realized this! And I was about to say that the first half was intriguing but the second half makes you wonder where it is going...?

Celty Sturluson, the headless rider

First there was this modern dullahan who cruises the city like minah rempit (term "biker gang girl" in Malaysia) with yellow cat-eared helmet. At first I thought Celty Sturluson was a total enigma, but turns out she’s not obliged to show her headless body to those she’s acquainted with. And she can be friends with just about anyone and is most of the time in the neutral zone. I like her as a mysterious esper, but when she decided to become more human (by developing a romantic relationship with an illegal doctor) it’s not cool anymore.

And I thought DRRR! is all about her. But we also get the chance to get to know a vending machine thrower named Shizuo Heiwajima... aka Shizzy-chan. Not only vending machines, he has the capability of bending metals with his bare hands. His super strength is a mystery. He can punch a thousand enemies in one go just like in hack and slash games. Yet in contrast with his behaviour, he admits that he hates violence. Although he is dere to his brother it wasn’t enough to make me like him because he experiences PMS... ALL THE TIME.

mutual loveerrrrrssss! don't deny it!!!

Now here comes the yummy part; He’s particular interested in Izaya Orihara in an obsessive way. Once he sees Izaya-kun in the street, he would alwaaaaays take the opportunity to play tag with him. Izaya is the hard-to-get partner!! I don’t believe it when they say they instantly hated each since their first meeting pffff. Both are just being tsun to one another. COME ON GUYS, the FANARTS are very CONVINCING!!! Cos even if you hate someone so much doesn’t mean you have to chase him all over the place. Anyway Izaya-kun is the sly double/triple/quadruple agent of the city. Gee I didn’t know that you can make a living by ruining other people’s lives.

Yellow Scarves are the dominant gangster group whose members are not ashamed to hide the fact that they’re yellow fetish. They were dormant until much later when they hear about Dollar’s activities. Dollars are colourless, and they’re not really a group of delinquents but just some random cyberbuddies. Guess who their leaders are?!?! One of those normal guys....

I'm running out of ideas to rant on the other random people. A lovesick dude, a persistent stalker, Russian sushi promoter, a gang of Otaku, and a slasher who believes slashing is one way to love one another.

Soooooo...

Is the anime as supernatural as I thought it was...?

Nay. The occult part comes now and then, but there are also those realistic shit. There are times where I got confused whether this story sci-fi or what. DRRR! is deep, but not something you can dub as “exciting” or leaving any huge impact. I still like it nonetheless. Recommended for those who’d love to see some serious mysterious randomness for a change. Oh yea... I think the hidden theme in this anime is ROMANCE. In a simple yet.... peculiar way. Surprising for me as well.

2 OPs and 2 EDs for the whole season are great, so are the sequences.
Let’s not forget the cast, as they were the main factor that seduced me to watch DRRR!! It was nice to see the violent side of Daisuke Ono as Shizzy-chan, who voice acted as the gentlemanly butler in Kuroshitsuji before this. And also Hiroshi Kamiya who voice acted as the kuudere Tieria of Gundam 00 this time as a psychopath. However, my top faves Jun Fukuyama and Mamoru Miyano were a bit disappointing (cos i prefer them being... OH SO FABULOUS~~~~)

I heard the manga has more Guro. I'd like to read it to know what's the real plot...

Review: Sengoku Basara

[WARNING: May Contain Spoilers]


[Disclaimer: image does not belong to me]

This is an adaptation of a video game with the same name, which is based on Sengoku Jidai that ranged from the 15th to 17th century. It's translated as Warring States period, and is perhaps one of the most popular chapters of Japanese history. Warlords fought against one another to conquer their land (yet known as Japan), and many legendary heroes were born from within that period; most notably the Crimson Warrior and The One Eyed Dragon. And not to forget, the Demon King.


What would you do if the bird does not sing?
"Kill it if it does not sing."
"Make it want to sing."
"Wait until it sings."

The poem figuratively describes the different styles of leadership of the great rules of Japan; Oda Nobunaga, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Tokugawa Ieyasu respectively.

Just like in the video game, Oda stays true to his nickname the "Demon King" and is the primary antagonist of te first season. With the help of his wife, Nouhime and most loyal vassal, Ranmaru Mori (who's supposed to be a bishounen, but Capcom's version he's a candy-loving shota). As in the true story, Shingen Takeda and Kenshin Uesugi are mutual rivals. Rempit-ing on a horse, Masamune Date is somehow rivalled with the masochist Yukimura Sanada (My sis is gonna kill me if she sees this) when in history they're not really archenemies.

Well if you play the game, and also Samurai Warriors (or Sengoku Musou) you'll see how fucked up CAPCOM version is. Not that I hate it, but Koei's adaptation of Sengoku Jidai is more accurate. The wonderful part of Sengoku Basara is the colourfulness and the character designs. Storywise, a bit too much tweak here and there, and it gets worse in the anime. I think Tokugawa died a bit too early. It's weird because he's the last shogun. I dunno what to say about the plot. I'm not well versed with the Sengoku Jidai history, I think my sister knows better (she even remembers the war names!).
But at least they have epic characters to make up for it.

And if you think the plot is sucky, wait till you see the OVERDOSE SHOUNEN ACTION SCENES THAT REMINDS YOU OF DRAGON BALLZZZ. Well of course i'm okay with the game where Yukimura swings his fiery spear and Masamune shooting lightning bolts with three swords with each hands... but seeing flashes of red and blue clashing to one another in a combat is not what I want to see in an action movie. And the worst part is whenever Oda appears, the clouds turn black, storm approaching the area to emphasize that he was really a messenger from hell. Don't let me start with Tadakatsu Honda, Tokugawa's general also known as "The Warrior who surpassed Death itself"; cos he is portrayed as a robot.... =_=;;

Art-wise, I think they look fatter as 2D compared to their video game counterparts. I personally prefer the characters as 3D. The guys look hot anyway, but the girls are much cuter in the game.

The primary ladies of the game..

anime version... not so moe anymoar D:


T3H LAWLZ!! Is this how a relationship between a daimyou and his kunoiochi should be like??? *blushes*

Don't be fooled by Oichi-hime's vulnerable appearance!! Although she wears pink, she's actually an emo faggot. Next to her is her beloved husband, the super sentai-ish Nagamasa Azai. FUN FACT: They're a cannon Tsundere-Yandere pairing :D

OP is JAP by Abingdon Boys School. The group had been contributing their songs since the first game came out, and I'm glad to listen to them again in the anime. but my favourite SenBasa will always be Blade Chord :3

Second season is out already, I'm putting it on hold. I fear another disappointment, but the first few episodes are promising. I should probably try not to be so serious about the accuracy of SenBasa to the Warring States Period, just that they're using the legend's name with a rewritten history.

oh btw my favourite character is none other than...

SARUTOBI SASUKE!!!!

yeah so typical of me since I like ninjas... who are MALE and has awesome loyalty to his "danna".

Review: Kimi ni Todoke

sup guys. I'm back (in reviewing anime)!! Well not officially. I'm gonna waste my first one hour in the campus library writing some reviews. Haven't done this for a long time though.

I'm gonna start off writing reviews on the animes I left unreviewed since last year. Now this may be a little late, but who cares? As if people take my blog seriously XD

[WARNING: May contain spoilers!]

Kimi ni Todoke, aka From Me to You (direct translation is "Reaching You") is a shoujo manga about a shy and quiet girl mistakenly seen as a ghost due to her scary face and misleading name. Kuronuma Sawako (nicknamed Sadako) admires a certain classmate, who's apparently the most popular guy in school but at least he's well liked for his friendliness instead of looks (unlike most shoujo manga). From admiration turn to crush then FALLING IN LOVE.

Sounds typical? Yeah, I'd like to avoid Shoujo manga if possible. But everything was so sweet and soothing from the beginning, I find it hard to dislike it. The story reminds me of Bukiyou na Silent (a BL manga), which is also about a quiet person who fell in love with the outgoing guy... well minus the indecent parts :D. However, it didn't stop me from dropping the show. because... EVERYTHING IS SO SWEET! Characters are loveable. Even the b1tchiest girl isn't that much of a nuisance. The heroine's newfound BFFs aren't too quick to believe in bad rumours, and have enough common sense to analyse them. The hero is like... well, if you think Sebastian (Kuroshitsuji) is the most perfect man ever, then I beg to differ. Kazehaya Shouta is like your ideal boyfriend, and at least he is human! But he doesn't make it to my fave chara harem... I think this dude is too pure for me ;__;. Sawako on the other hand, may come off as a bit of a masochist when she accepted the fact that she appears ghastly and offers to become THE GHOST. A little blunt, but I don't see it as a bad thing cos she didn't take the nickname as an offense.

KnT not only focuses on the main hero and heroine, but the other supporting characters as well. I personally like the love story between Chizu-chan (the tomboy) and Ryu (the stoic guy), and how Sawako is involved in keeping Ryu's secret feelings for his childhood friend. Yano-chin wasn't given much development yet, but I have a funny feeling she'd be in a relationship with Pin Sensei (my sister reads the manga, I could ask her about it). So i'm hoping for a season 2. And putting the romance aside... the friendship part is made FTW.

When it comes to seiyuu, when I first heard Sawako's voice I knew it was Mamiko Noto! Her voice is standard like that XD. Then Kazehaya was played Daisuke Namikawa, one of my favourite seiyuus due to this his versatility (most notably as both North and South Italy!). Other than that, I love the OP, which is also entitled Kimi ni Todoke by Tanizawa Tomifumi. The lyrics make me think of Sakura tree somehow lulz.

Ok here comes the "very personal opinion" part:
No matter how romantic it seems, somehow I kinda dislike the fact that you have to depend on a particular guy you like to improve your social life. One should appreciate more than just one person who changed you. Like your BFFs. Somewhere in the middle of the series, it gets a little boring because of the sentimental monologs... which is supeeerrrr loooooong I could yawn ten enduring them D:
Overall it was alright. I have to admit I did cry at one episode cos I'm reminded of... something related.
Anyway I won't state my rating here, I've already done that in MyAnimeList profile.

....I think this review is lame cos I can't diss it much XD.

Adam Lambert Glam Nation Tour Live in Malaysia 2010

This blog has been dead for so long. I have a plenty of anime/jdrama/album/movie reviews to write, I just didn’t have the time for it, not to mention effort. However, today I will be reviving this blog for the sake of my beloved Adam Lambert.

To be frank, I dreaded Adam’s forthcoming. Him coming to Malaysia, was like an impossible dream to me – with the you-know-what controversies and all. And I was hoping that he wouldn’t come, for I will be in despair since chances for me to see him in concert are slim due to many obstacles (main problem: MONEY!). Ever since I heard the news that he’s coming, I can’t put my mind at rest. I’m all fidgety... hesitant... suffering... I drowned my sorrow by watching random videos of him in different concerts. And it made me long for him even more...
And so I found this contest and decided to participate, hoping that it can save my sanity!

SOURCE: http://digi.nuffnang.com.my/2010/09/29/win-tickets-to-adam-lambert-glam-nation-tour-live-in-malaysia-2010/

Details of the concert are as below:

Date: 14 October 2010 (Thursday)
Time: 8 pm
Venue: Putra Indoor Stadium, Bukit Jalil

Adam is perhaps the most glamorous and flamboyant of them all among all the American Idol contestants, so you know it’s sure to be a great show! Are you a big fan of Glambert? Well, we’ve got good news for you DiGi is giving away tickets to DiGi Angels for the Adam Lambert Glam Nation Tour Live in Malaysia 2010!

All you have to do is write a blog post telling us what you love about Adam Lambert, and why you should win the exclusive tickets from DiGi. After you’re done, drop us a comment on this blog post with the permalink of your entry. Wanna know the prizes up for grabs?

1st prize x2: 3 exclusive DiGi Zone tickets worth RM 298 each (right behind Mosh Pit)
2nd prize x2: 2 exclusive DiGi Zone tickets worth RM 298 each (right behind Mosh Pit)

This contest starts now and ends 11.59 pm on 10 October 2010, so start sending in your entries now! The winners will be announced on 11 October 2010.

For more information on the Adam Lambert Glam Nation Tour Live in Malaysia 2010, log on to http://www.digi.com.my/whatshot/promotions/adam/index.do.

1. what you love about Adam Lambert

Let me tell you a story. It’s a bit long so bear with me for a while.
And let me be honest with you; I didn’t watch American Idol Season 8 from the beginning. Talent shows? Got bored of them. Same old thing all over again. That’s why I didn’t bother. And besides, staying in college hostel and studies kept me away from TV. After several weeks stuck in campus, I finally returned home and my mom started telling me about some goth guy who did a cover on Muse’s version of “Feeling Good”. I didn’t get why she was telling me that, but maybe it’s due to the fact that I started experimenting on goth make-up around that time and being Muse fan? Whatever it was I end up watching AI8 with my mom. I can’t recall which episode it was, but it was somewhere in the middle of finalists episodes?

Then it was his turn on stage... I was like... Oh okay, eyeliners. Cool. Maybe he’s just looks. I’m not so easily charmed so maybe this guy is just one of those typical pop stars. Then when he started singing... BAM! I fell in love! Madly in love, I say! His voice is THE BOMB! He’s definitely an angel who swept me off my feet!

Mom let me preview the songs he covered in previous shows, and I was completely blown away by his performances. He’s so amazing that he can do completely different versions of “If I can’t Have You” (BeeGees), “Mad World” (Tears for Fears) and “Ring of Fire” (Johnny Cash) without changing the tune! THAT IS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT HIM THE MOST! Proving that he’s not just vocally talented but musically creative as too!

And if he wasn’t incredible enough, why would Queen want him to become their new vocalist? Why would Justin Hawkins (from The Darkness), Muse, P!nk and even Lady Gaga each contributed a track for his debut album? Not to mention that he wrote his own songs too! See, even if he didn’t win the title of American Idol, but he’s ALREADY AN IDOL the moment he first set foot in the audition! This is what Talent Shows need; someone who can actually sing and perform in such a unique way. I don’t even give a rat’s arse if he’s gay, and I’m not a homophobe to begin with. I’d undergo a sex change just to get in his pants HYAHAHA (just kidding~ :P). Speaking of gay, I admire him for not being ashamed of who he is... even the way he defended himself with his "artistic freedom" when he acted inappropriately in American Music Awards 2009. It disappointed me a little, but my feelings for him remained unchanged. He eventually accepted the public's criticism and reminded his fans who enraged for him to calm down (according to his twitter. YES, I do follow his tweets) - thus, making me loving him so much more. And I gotta admit that performance was a major turn on. *blushes* (In spite of secretly wanting it, I hope he doesn't do that kind of stuff in Malaysia. But I believe he won't. I just beliiiieeeeeve in him!)

Anyway, am I the only one who noticed that Adam’s live performances sound so much better than the recorded ones? In my opinion, Adam’s talent is amplified on stage. I mean, not all singers can do this perfectly and they often sound worse on stage than their studio version (he’s adorable even when he screwed up), and I love him for that. No Auto-tune needed, just pure talent! You know I didn't like For Your Entertainment when I first heard it (cos it reminds me of Britney), but when he performed that single in AMA09 it was so awesome that I fell in love with him all over again! And then he also conquered Muse's Starlight in his own way! That is why I WANT TO SEE ADAM PRANCING AROUND UP THERE AND SERANADE IN FRONT OF ME! YEAHHH

*cough* Yes, I know. I'm insane.

Why you should win the exclusive tickets from DiGi?
I should win the tickets, firstly it’s because I’m a DiGi user.

Secondly, my birthday is at the end of the month so it would be THE BEST birthday present for me, right? I mean, come on, DiGi! Even if you gave me free extra credits / phonecalls I’m not the type who call people. You can spare me that service and give me the tickets instead! I’m willing to sacrifice!! (SRSLY)

Thirdly... ah, I run out of ammo. But here’s the best thing I can do...

for bigger view: http://vulpineninja.deviantart.com/art/Adam-Lambert-182052516

[based on a concert where he was swishing a red whip~]

mmmmmmm sexy!!

All artworks are drawn by me 8D. I wonder if I print it out and give it to him he'd like it... w00t! Anyways, thank you for viewing!

Japanese songs - do you understand..?

All this while I never hide the fact that I like Japanese music and video game soundtracks. In fact, I always find oppurtunities to show off that interest. I'm not ashamed to let people know that my scope is not as limited as theirs, and to imply to them that I'm different. I prefer to listen to my mp3s without my earphones plugged, but since I do respect my roommate then I would. Otherwise, people will easily know that I listen to J-pop and J-rock. Not only that, there are songs from other languages too (good music does not only limit to one or two languages, no?)

[Disclaimer: Yuna from Final Fantasy X-2. For decoration purpose only]

Then one fateful day this question popped up: "Why do you like to listen to songs we don't understand?" [case 1]

And then today I was happily watching a Music Video of Complication by ROOKIEZ is PUNK'D when someone burst my bubble with "Do you even understand what they're saying?" [case 2]

It stings.

I may not show it, nor did I explode. But still, what's with those kind of questions? Condemning? Close minded? Or you just can't value a good music just because it's not English or Malay? As if your Hip hop or R&B hit songs are that amazing. I'm always open to preview songs in foreign language, regardless of how little I understand it. You can always find the lyrics translation, ne? unlike some people, I use the internet wisely (and abuse with wisdom!)

Of course I don't understand Japanese lyrics, in spite of attending Japanese Language lessons. Well, we can't complete all the syllabus for some reason, but I do have some basics. but I do like Japanese songs since I started watching anime (which was like how many centuries ago?), but have never really been much of a fan. It was difficult to find lyrics back then, nor the translation... and I used to be a n00b when it comes to downloading stuff. So I only, FINALLY, got myself some Japanese songs about 4 years ago, when I stole it from a friend.

One of the factors of my inclination to Japanese songs is that I was once tired of listening to lyrics of mainstream music (which was also about 4 years ago). Tired, disgusted, annoyed. This is also one reason why I started lurking for video game OST. Japanese songs saved my ears from that blight. Safe from those soppy romantic songwords and perverted implication of getting laid.

well then i was like "now that i got some nihon no uta, I feel like singing-along!". I started to find lyrics of the songs that I like most, then out of curiousity I wanted to know what it means. I can't remember when is the first time I came across the lyrics translation, but once I found it.... imagine my surprise.

THE LYRICS ARE BEAUTIFUL!
(this was my answer for case 1)

I know the translation may or may not be exact or direct, but once you look at it, you realize that those popular songs that you hear on the radio is not up to par with J-music. Not just in terms instruments used, or rythm or whatever u wanna call it. The lyrics are just so goddamn poetic, and it makes you wonder what it really means. Sorry, I'm the kind of person who likes to evaluate lyrics and how the message is delivered. Malay and English songs lack this writing skill, and as a result the songs sound too straightforward... repetitive and in the end becomes boring (so boring that I want to throw up). Wait... lately I notice Japanese songwords seem to have repetition too... (sometimes even without finding the translation, you can guess what they're saying cos you're already familiar with several Japanese words) but oh well, my artistic side is still in love with the metaphoras. Even if there are English songs that are this good, they don't neccessarily belong to the mainstream. :3 As for Malay.... to be honest, it's Hazami. I kinda prefer his version of Winter Sonata theme than the original Korean, cos the latter has more direct message.

Anyways, I'm not really impressed by this post of mine. I guess I'm just ranting. I'm angry about this 'attitude' towards songs-you-can't-understand. I did my best to control my anger in [case 2] but it caused me to lag a bit before I simply respond with "if you don't understand find the lyrics translation". Easy wor, got internut wor... I wanted to say more but I didn't want to show that it really affected my feelings. Before this, the same person kindly asked me to remove them Japanese songs from my WMP cos she can't understand it (eh it's not like I understood either... but if you ask me what do i not understand is WHY DO YOU LIEK J BIEBER???). If i were to judge music, it's not the language but the story behind it, the melody, the genre (and sometimes the singer).

Ah... One of these days I'll just explain it properly.

So I wonder, (if there's anyone out there who read this) have you ever got this kind of comment before?

Review: Moyashimon!

Seriously, I’ve got a lot of pending drafts in store but I don’t seem to bother updating them. Guess I’m not much of a blogger. It’s not that anyone would care... (right?). So anyways, I feel like reviewing one of the most recent anime that I’ve seen (and finished).


KAMASUZO!

Thanks to a hime who showed me a Gothic Lolita Kiss scene that reeks some BL (bwahaha~), I include Moyashimon in my to-do list until I found the DVD sold with 50% discount. I know that I’m gonna risk reading lame subtitles but I’m not diligent enough to find download links, so I don’t really care much as long as I get the message.
Summary: Moyashimon is about a guy who can see microbes/bacteria/microorganism who goes by the name Tadayasu Sawaki. Tadayasu is a freshmen in an agricultural university in Japan along with his childhood friend, Kei Yuuki, a son of sake brewers. Tadayasu’s ability caught the interest of Professor Keizo Itsuki – who knows kid’s grandfather and is a pretty much relaxed old dude. The postgraduate student under his supervison, Haruka Hasegawa (some kind of more sophisticated type tsundere, I think) finds it hard to believe at first, especially when Tadayasu reveals that the microbes seen in his eyes are different from the images seen in electron microscopes. Other than them, some other seniors decided to use this ability for their own profit, but in the end they were the ones who can be considered as Tadayasu’s true friends *is touched*.

Review: There wasn’t anything great, but I gotta admit the idea of being able to see microorganisms and understand how it works without even studying it. HOW ENVIOUS. Much like Hetalia and Yakitate Japan! where we learn about history and bread making (respectively) in an interesting way. Damn, these Japanese people aren’t only 30 years ahead in terms of technology, but it seems that their dreativity is way ahead too. However, it was troublesome for me to comprehend the erm... the scientific process. Maybe because I’m in a totally different field... but then again I’ve always disliked biology (the only thing I’m excited about is the electron microscope fufufu). So yeah, I had to resist throwing up when Prof Itsuki was explaining about the fermentation.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t google about the microorganisms in the middle of watching it XD. But I only scanned through the wiki page, I don't think I can read and indulge into it. My mind is already mindraep-ed enough by nuclear physics. And by the way, the cartoony microbes are cute. Suddenly, I remember one Biology undergraduate refers the subject “microbiology” as micro-B, and confusing it Physics micro-P, short for microprocessor. Hmm speaking of that, O-157 aka E. Coli reminds me of LED (Light Emitting Diode). Inb4 Physics version! (actually, I’ve been thinking of human representation of Chemical Elements for a while. But I'm not creative enough to make it awesome and original. sobs...)
Even if I'm disgusted by the detailed explanation, I still wish there's more. So I heard the manga is still ongoing... why stop till 11 episodes? D:

Video Games Live (prelude)

About a week (or more) before 17th April, I had two dreams regarding VGL. But it was not just a dream, it was like a nightmare. The first dream; I had entered the Plenary Hall which was smaller than I expected (considering that I've never been there) - it was at the size of the average classroom in my faculty. However, in spite of having the third best ticket I somehow took a seat at the front most row. Although the 'hall' was small, I remember that I was rather excited to be there. The second dream was much scarier, because I was in a rush - I think I was rather late for the show due to the fact I forgot to bring the tickets.

Three days before the event, I won the second last ticket for the 2.30 pm show from the twitter contest. And so I came to the conclusion that... THOSE TWO DREAM WERE SIGNS OF A GOOD OMEN! And as promised (not officially) I gave it to deady, since I've already bought the tickets for the night show. What's even more epic is that of all places, I reunited with a former schoolmate + bus buddy which I have not seen for TEN YEARS (cheesy much? But it just happened to me!). And at the end of the day, finding out we have so much in common made me happy. THANK YOU VGL TWITTER CONTEST!!!

So after my Japanese Language class, my family and I went straight to KLCC. Looks like I forgot to inform them that VGL and PC Fair were at the Convention Centre, not Suria. So we kinda had to walk a long way to get there... sure feels like performing pilgrimage cos the crowd is like moving in clusters all towards the Convention Centre. I never though I'd bump into Ookami senpai there who already watched the 2.30 show. We thought of getting autographs during the meet and greet, but we were a tad too late for that. It's our fault for not lining up in the first place DX

At the same time deady was trying to summon me, but I was too busy forcing senpai to do dogeza to heed her call LOL. I was too lazy to walk back to suria, but somehow deady used some trickplay to get my to Burger King only to see Reppu ungentlemanly finished his dinner already. He doesn't see us as ladies, but as his shikigami/familiars. KEJAMMMM... Hwaha honestly I'm okay with it lah. (so we cannot consider it as Reppu's unintentional harem...). And then deady is like... unable to finish her sentence because of her laughing fits, and Reppu bumped into a few of his acquaintances (gile popular taichou ni), and a certain degree of my fujoshi side is disclosed.... Social Link up~!

So we walk around Kinokuniya and Jusco a bit (SECRET ROUTE GET!!). Then deady had to go back, and I left Reppu to meet up with my long lost friend. Wheeee~! Talk for a bit... Unbelievable for me to talk much since I'm pretty much a quiet person. I guess, I HAD to talk - cos we've been separated for a decade, and we used to chat about anime/manga stuff (her being DBZ fangirl, while I'm into Sailormoon) in the bus otw home. But time was short, and I had to go to toilet then we had to get inside already. I forgot to take pics with her, unfortunately T__T. Nevertheless, in spite of the cheesy plot, I LOVE THIS EPISODE OF MY LIFE!

Okay, so it's tim for the important part where I review/comment about the show.... But not in this post!!! 8D

Look forward to the next one!

Music Impressions Meme

I'm supposed to work on my other blog entries.
... No i'm supposed to study Nuclear Physics.

Then I might wanna do review on tomorrow's Video Games Live (ZOMG KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! GSAUJDGVJSFVBJHFVBJHWB!!!!!!!!!!!!). Ahem, well I'm keeping my cool in front of people. *cool face on*

But since I can do this subtly while studying, I'll just post this one up. Oyeah, I stole it from another blog.

Rules - You can learn a lot about someone from the music they listen to. Here's the game: hit shuffle on your music player, and write down the first 25 songs that come up. No cheating or skipping songs.

Okay yeah so I select all of the folders in my Music list so:

1. LOVE DISCORD (BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad) – Beat Crusaders
2. Home Guldove (Chrono Cross) – Yasunori Mitsuda
3. EGEE umi ni sasagu ~the vault of heaven~ - MALICE MIZER
4. Trust you (Instrumental) – Yuna Itou
5. Sailing to the World – Yasunori Mitsuda
6. Sleep, my Sephy (OCRemix Judgment Day, FFVII) – Pot Hocket
7. A Nightmare Before Kefka (OCRemix Kefka’s Theme, FFVI) – zircon
8. Ahriahne (after W.A. Mozart’s Alla Turca from sonata in A, K 331/300I) – Phil Sterman
9. Secret – Utada Hikaru
10. Home Alni Village (Chrono Cross) – Yasunori Mitsuda
11. Opening (Final Fantasy VII) – Nobuo Uematsu
12. He’s a Pirate (Kingdom Hearts) – Yoko Shimomura
13. Benci Bilang Cinta – Radja
14. Amorphous – Versailles
15. Kaoru to Misao (III Full Mix Version, Rurouni Kenshin)
16. Opheliac – Emilie Autumn
17. The Zertinan Caverns (FFXII) – Hitoshi Sakimoto
18. Fre@k $HoW – Abingdon Boys School
19. Cave – Muse
20. Giamonios – Eluveitie
21. Sway – Pussycat Dolls
22. Kerana Wanita Ingin Dimengerti – Ada Band
23. Crosswise – Abingdon Boys School
24. Bakusou Yumeuta – Diggy-MO’
25. SOLDIER Battle (Crisis Core FFVII) – Takeharu Ishimoto

***

What does the 25 out of 2600++ songs tell you about myself? I guess not everything, but from the list here I don't listen to mainstream much.

p/s: I thought winning a ticket is priceless, but reuniting with an ex-primary schoolmate from participating in the contest is........................ EPIC!

Eleven

So... what about it?

issit the convenience store, 7-eleven?

Or issit the 9/11 incident?

Or is "eleven" refer to the Japanese by the Brittanians?

11 o'clock? 11 am? 11 pm?

I have a crush on an 11 year old lolwtfbbq?

The fact that I'll be graduating in 2011?

1o+1 = 11?

11th April is tomorrow?

.....................WHAT's ELEVEN THEN?? (scroll down please)

[America from Hetalia]

Actually I just lost 11 kg. :D

I'm gonna celebrate by eating potato chips now lolz. Oh for those who didn't know, I just started going on a diet since late last year. Don't ask me hao, but once upon a time in the distant future, I might tell... dundundun-

Sorry for taking yer time mwahaha~

Tattered White Sneakers

[Tribute to Dr. Burhanuddin Kamaluddin]

A year ago,

We thought....

Taking on microprocessor lab was a pain,

Programming - what is this.... nonsense?

Machine language?

To hell with these funny codes!

Then he comes in...

So cool in his tattered white sneakers,

Always smiling,

It had never crossed my mind that he was a middle-aged man,

He scribbled the whiteboard to guide us,

Whatever it meant,

It helped us,

Though I still didn't get it.

We grumbled at his absence,

Like dangling on the edge of the cliff,

With no other branches to grab,

For when he was around,

He showed us a lot of things,

An average young adult couldn't see,

That microprocessor thingy...

And what is inside it.

He tried his best to spark our interest,

He gave us the relaxed atmosphere,

He let us submit our reports at the end of the semester,

He gave me an A-

If only I could thank him properly...

***

Two days ago I heard the news,

Only yesterday we went for a visit,

He looked so different,,

Motionless on the hospital bed,

Oblivious to our presence,

Then we had a flashback,

On how lively he used to be...

Today we wanted to pray for him,

Pray that he would be fine,

We woke up early,

For his sake,

But alas, it was too late...

I thought that if he wakes up,

The card we left (wishing him 'get well soon!'),

Would put a smile on his face,

That he'd return to the department,

Knowing that everyone's waiting for him,

Strutting in his tattered white sneakers.

But I guess...

It's time for him to go...

To our dear lecturer,

Professor Madya Dr. Burhanuddin Kamaluddin,

Thank you for your kindness,

Rest in peace,

Al-fatihah.

forgive me, but I think his 'tattered white sneakers' are cool, so don't take it as a bad thing. And I don't know how to say it properly in English the way Malay express its Islamic expressions.

Review: Nodame Cantabile Paris (anime)

[WARNING: May contain spoilers!]

Author: Tomoko Ninomiya
Studio: J.C. Staff
Demographic: Josei

In my opinion, this second season is much better than the previous one, and the Paris arc of the drama adaptation. I guess it's the plot, how Nodame and Chiaki develop individually and as a pair. And there are more instrument playing animations than a mere static shot.

Summary: Finally, Shinichi Chiaki has the courage to fly to France. This was all due to Noda Megumi (Nodame), and she ended up tagging along to go to a music Academy (Conservatory) there. The old characters lack appearence (but Kuroki Yasunori makes a come back!), but new characters are really funny too. So while Nodame is struggling to adapt with the French environment and new school, Chiaki working hard in the conductor's competition.

New characters are:
Frank Latoine - a French piano student at the Conservatory, a tenant at the apartment complex Nodame and Chiaki stayed. He's an otaku, a fan of Puri Gorota just like Nodame. He's favourite series is 'Shakugan no Shana'!

Tatiana Vishneva - also known as 'Tanya'. A piano student at the same Conservatory as well, staying at the same apartment. But she lacks practice because she worries more about vacation, thick make-up, mismatched clothes and love life.

Jean Donnadieu - A conductor, and by 'coincidence' he has a b1tchy Japanese girlfriend whom he regards as 'Goddess of Victory'. He's considered the opposite of Chiaki (white roses bs black feathers lol) and also his rival. But even Chiaki is intimidated by Jean's positive energy!

Son Rui - A pianist who had been famous since childhood, and plays in a piano concerto Chiaki conducts (to replace Stresseman - yea he is back). Apparently she has a strict parent, so she takes advantage of the freedom she got. She likes to shop a lot and use Chiaki as her slave.

[it's not what you think!!]

Well, I thought in the end Nodame would finally get to play with Chiaki in an orchestra. Almost, but then Son Rui got in the way. I predict Nodame's dream will come true in the final movie. But that's OK. What I am happy to see is how sweet Nodame and Chiaki became a couple. There wasn't a need for uber romantic stuff, and Chiaki isn't the type who gives a damn about becoming a Romeo either. They slowly realized that they needed each other. Such an odd couple they are~

JOSEI ROMANCE WINS!

I don't really know what else to say cos the second season seem to have a 'cliffhanger'. I rate it 3.9/5 roughly.

Oh yea... I think I like Mozart now. Twinkle twinkle little star!

[Mozart cosplay]

p/s: I don't like the OP. btw I rly liek the first season's ED, Konna Chikaku De... by Crystal Kay.

Review: Nodame Cantabile (anime)

[WARNING: May contain spoilers!!]

Author: Tomoko Ninomiya

Studio: J.C. Staff

Demographic: Josei

Before I start, allow me to tell you that I watched the Jdrama first before the anime. And after finished watching this, honestly, I prefer the drama version. So you will have to expect me comparing the anime with the drama.

Nevertheless, both versions had given birth to my love for classical music.

Summary: This story revolves around two completely different students at Momogaoka College of Music. Yes, a school where you're trained to become professional musicians, especially for orchestra. Nodame and Chiaki meet by accident, and indirectly they depend on each other to grow mentally and improve their musical skills. Nodame is a naturally talented pianist who at first didn't really have a high goal, while Chiaki is prioritize perfection in playing music due to his musical family background.

Protagonists

Noda Megumi - Also known as Nodame. She's an extremely talented pianist, but the way she plays is rather sloppy in inaccurate as she depended on her hearing (instrad of reading the score) and used the piano as a medium to express herself. Other than being messy and disorganized, she's completely useless and irritating. But as a friend (or a lover) she's a fun person to be with. In spite of her love in music and composing songs, she doesn't really have a high ambition (she wants to become a pre-school teacher!). She fell in love with Chiaki after they played Mozart's "Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major" together. Another thing about her is she's actually an Otaku, and a huge fangirl to Puri Gorota (Even comparing one of the characters with Chiaki).

Chiaki Shinichi - aka Chiaki-senpai~! He grew up in a musical family (specifically in classical music, 'kay) and studies in the same college as Nodame but one year her senior. He's the top student, and although he is very arrogant he's extremely popular among girls and boys (including those who are jealous of him). However, he looks down on those who play music badly or inaccurately. Yet he is attracted to Nodame's unorthodox way of piano playing, but would still rather see her play properly. Even so, he doesn't hesitate to hit Nodame for being annoyingly delusional. Ironically, for being a brat from a rich family, he's more organized than Nodame and is quite a cook. He secretly wishes to become a conductor, but his fear of flying is stopping him from going abroad to meet his mentor in Prague.

I'm a little lazy to talk about other characters, but I have to say that they do play a part in their development and orchestra. One character that I can relate to is Ryoutaro Mine, who's the type who likes to express himself through music, but is under pressure of lagging behind by those better than him. I like to express myself through drawing, but I never really had the motivation to improve D:.

Anyways, the anime has more details than the drama, and probably follows the original manga most of the time. The drama had to cut out a few scenes or insert this or that in earlier episodes. Since it's an animation, and it is Josei (not shonen or mahou shojo), action scenes are limited. There are many sequences where the images are frozen and there are only a few scenes where you can see moving fingers, moving fiddle etc. In the drama adaptation, everything is moving; the 'Jimmy Hendrix' performance by the S-Oke is EPIC WIN.

[S-Oke doing JimiHen]

I'm quite glad the story started of with a fun-orchestra performance to keep me following. But in the later episodes, the childishness is toned down and the musicians become more and more serious. But the main reason why I came to realize the beauty of classical music is because of the awesome drama adaptation, since the progress in the anime is rather vague.

Another reason why I prefer the drama is the character appearence. Now, I know that the anime adaptation's character designs are more accurate with the original manga, but the drama improvised their looks even more. Chiaki is totally handsome (ilovehiroshitamakikthxbai), Mine's rock image is more convincing, Takahashi Noriyuki's gayness is more apparent and Yasunori Kuroki's attitude is more like a samurai. Even the drama's Maestro Franz von Stressman (in spite of not looking like a true foreigner) is more memorable because of his weird gaijin speech!

The benefit of watching this anime (or reading the manga) is that you get to learn what is the story, mood or meaning behind each classical scores - which is something you can barely find in the internet. Basically, this is how I started to appreciate classics (i used to think that they're boring~)

What I love about Nodame Cantabile, is that it's not a straight-foward love story. The main plot is about how Chiaki reaches his dreams to become a conductor, and how Nodame evolved from a half-hearted student to a musician worth acknowledged by her love interest. Many obstacles are in their way, so we can see that being a conductor does not mean you just have to mindlessly swing your baton, and we can see that there's actually a difference in between playing an instrument individually or in groups. The romance part is like a secondary or tertiary element, and I like the way it grew throughout the challenges.

[random scenes]

I'll roughly rate this 3.5 out of 5.

Will review the second season next~



Side note: My family bought two albums of modernized classical music (ADYA). My parents previewed it first, but only decided to buy it when I said I wanted it lol.

Review: Needless (anime)

[WARNING: May include spoiler]

[WARNING 2: you may not like reading this...]

AUTHOR: Kami Imai

Studio: Madhouse

Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Ecchi

I thought this is another GAR anime like Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. But I regret watching it. I stayed loyal to the end just to see shota Adam but is happy to see 2 dudes fighting in the nude (censored lah).

Summary: it's year 20XX where World War III already happened and an unknown element dropped on Japan (where else?) and left a Black Spot there. Which country did it, is unknown. Funny why it is unknown cos by that era technology should be freakin' advance that they should've anticipated who's coming and easily track down who did it. Okay, let me tell you a little secret. Malaysia did it. FOR IT WAS I who will develop some badass nuclear technology which lead to the incident where my beloved people decided to pay back Japan worse than what they did during World war II. But my nuclear techno is so awsm it mutate some guy's cells consequently giving him many superpowers that people decide to call him "The Second" (so-called the 2nd god la). Other people got expxosed by the radiation too but they can only weild one power each (called Fragment). They are dubbed the "Needless".

Why are they called that way, I dunno. But the term is misused because in the end justice and evil needed the Needless LOL.

PROTAGONISTS
Adam Blade - This dude is a goddamn muscular priest who carries a bible, which is actually a box where he kept a bomb. Pretty much equivalent to Kamina until it is revealed that he's actually a loli-con; -50 points! His younger self is a sweet little kid though 8D. His fragment is Zero, an ability to memorize other Needless' powers.

Eve Neuschwanstein - (WTH with the surname??) a girl in lioncloth... perhaps it's a fashion trend in the future but I don't see anyone else wearing that. What's funny about her is her tendency to forget names and give random nicknames to people she just befriended. And also the Dero Doro protein drink. Her fragment is Doppleganger; my fave!

Cruz Schild - No fragment, therefore seemed rather useless. Cowardly like Simon but he doesn' have any drill (Eve does) but he has something even better. He's quite a strategist but he's a little slow when noticing 'something strange' stuffs so what's the point? Ok at least his plans succeeded twice.

Ok there are others but they're not worth my time.

ANTAGONISTS
Adam Arclight - the main Antagonist, which is a mixture of Iori Yagami and Ash Crimson (both from King of Fighters). He has the same power as Adam, but he's too spineless that he needed a bisexual harem.. i mean, bodyguards around him called Simeon Four Strongest.

Simeon Four Strongest..... nah, you go wiki 'em.

Overall aa... there were more typical shonen stuff. Funny scenes exist but I find myself unable to laugh because of the excesisve panty-shots. But more inclined towards boys because of the endless fanservices (for boys). Not that I mind fanservice, but I do find it annoying when it happens every single minute. The first few epi started out okay with all the GAR-ness and all, but everything is ruined ever since the Simeon Girls Squad came into the picture. Why? Because apparently they're not trained to be modest ladies because they don't really mind if their panties are seen. But I guess they were trained to be shameless, like Setsuna (one of the members in the squad) said, "The mission is more important than our clothes". There you have it! Then why doncha do your job naked??

But they're not the only ones abused, female allies are too. Okay, why are there so many female allies in skirt and the male allies are not even attractive?? (except for my dear Cruz) And I was hoping that Disc is a dude, but instead it's just another loli *vomits*. And why are there only Girls Squad in Simeon, what about Boys Squad? They don't recruit men do they? If they don't, then how would Adam Arclight find his new Uten? LOL. Speaking of Uten.... he was one of the Four Strongest but he died easily, but the B1tches Squad is SO F*CKIN HARD TO DIE.

Related to the previous sentence, fighting them is one hell of a trial because you kinda had to watch the dragginess in a fight which ranges for so many episodes in the very same stage (a giant bedroom dunno what for. I lol'd at how a serious organization wasted their money on such a room...). Finally, after battling for hours, dying and reviving, the main villain came and kindly said, "Hey GUYYYSSS Let's switch stage!!". Okay that was funny. The good guys shud've kicked the bad guy's asses. Okay, the fight was boring too... but the flashback sequence is WIN.

Conclusion: It's biased. (Or maybe I am the one who's biased). But i've seen other shonen anime/manga that is balanced, not too explicit 'fanservice' for both boys and girls. Oh wait... the demographic is Seinen. no wonder la. Okay, perverted guys would like it, naive boys stay away. And girls... if you hunger for bishounen... DO NOT EVER WATCH THIS.

in the end I deleted the files. I wasted my time downloading. Sorry, Deru-tan for making u go thru this.

I think I should add rating here. erm... WTF's rating: 2.5/5

Side note: I just found out in the manga version.... CRUZ CROSSDRESSED!!!!!! \*A*/
and... and Adam B. thought he's a girl! YAY FANSERVICE!

(my) Top 5 RPG Normal Battle Theme

The link is on the song title, if you would like to listen :3
I probably have newer ones but I forgot already. This one has been in the drafts for too long.


5. The Menace


Composer: Ken Nakagawa and Daisuke Achiwa
Video Game: Mana Khemia
Well kinda surprises me the battle theme is "rock" themed when you were walking around listening to folk music. Probably not the best battle song out there, but it's my favourite anyway. Well I'm in a dillema to put Final Fantasy X's normal battle in this place though...

4. Battle Theme III

Composer: Jang Sung Woon
Video Game: Magna Carta - Crimson Stigmata
Since the video game is originally from Korea, therefore so is the composer. A friend of mine noted that she couldn't think of any Japanese composers who did something like this. I dunno music, but yeah you can feel teh awesome-ness *_*


3. Those Who Fight / Tatakau Monotachi / Fighting


Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
Video Game: Final Fantasy VII
The original sounds lame, but I love this one more:
Tatakau Monotachi Advent Children version. I can feel the adrenaline rush!!

2. battle 1

Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
Video Game: Final Fantasy I
Yea classic! Can you believe it? I really like it! I made it into my alarm tone once, but the one I had is probably the newer version of the midi. Might wanna try the initially scarier and later romantic version of Battle Scene - Dissidia Final Fantasy

1. Gale



Composer: Yasunori Mitsuda
Video Game: Chrono Cross
In the end the number one spot for goes to my number 1 RPG. It's also my first ever RPG I ever played the moment I own the PSOne. Imagine after being lost in the beauty of the intro song, after clicking "new game" you start in a middle of some dungeon with this panic driven music. I almost thought that there was something wrong with my CD!

Gonna do more top fives and anime reviews. I'm on a roll here so sue me DX

(my) Top 5 Video Game OP

Once again, imma remind you that I don't play too many video games. Here my top 5 are from my limited collections. Oh yeah. Some are not actually the Opening video before you start playing, but it's the intro you see once you click 'new game'.

preview link provided at the song title;

5. FFIV DS Opening Movie



Composer: Junya Nakano
Video Game: Final Fantasy IV DS

No I have not played this! But I saw the opening movie... and I like how it started from "Theme of Love", transited to "Main Theme" and epicly moved to "Final Fantasy (theme)".


4. 00



Composer: Neo Geo Performance Group
Video Game: King of Fighters 2000

Yes, that's indeed the song title. Anyways... I dunno. I just like it 8D.


3. Final Fantasy ~FFXII version~



Composer: Hironobu Sakaguchi
Video Game: Final Fantasy XII

old Final Fantasy games often start off with different arrangements of 'Final Fantasy' themes, then FFVIII broke the tradition up till FFX-2. Then the song returns in the twelfth installment (of the main game) and I'm happy to hear a revamped version of it.


2. Liberi Fatali



Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
Video Game: Final Fantasy VIII

Means "Fateful Children". Surprisingly, for a soppy romance themed video game, the intro is quite epic. The choir is in latin btw. I think it has a meaning related to the game, the set of main characters but not the romance.


1. Time's Scar



Composer: Yasunori Mitsuda
Video Game: Chrono Cross

Or "Scars of Time", whichever way you wanna put it. This is my first RPG ever, and it has the best intro music ever, and IMO the game has the best OST EVAR. Honestly, in other games I have only several favourite songs, and some songs deserve my hate. But I like every single one of the songs available in Chrono Cross album. Mitsuda is truly a genius, he captures the mood of the environment/situation/events perfectly well!

more to come~