#20 - Rediscovery (ies)

Omygeezumcrow.

I have been on a ridiculously ridiculous remarkable cross game rediscovery.

AND I AM LOVING IT.

Seriously, I can safely say with utmost assurance that my favourite anime and my favourite manga is cross game. Like, 100% hands down no sweat total absolutely with all of my heart.

(Of course, in second place, for both anime and manga, would be FullMetal Alchemist. :D )

Aaaaanyways.

Cross Game is like the understated understatement of the...century. Seriously, there's so little hype and hoorayness for such a brilliant masterpiece of absolute briliant geniusness.

(As you can see I am not coherent anymore because it's so gigantumly awesome.)

It's quietly beautiful.

Sincerely moving.

Patiently amusing.

Refreshingly subtle.

Silently bold.

Surprisingly tender.

Suddenly exciting.

Oh well I could go on forever, but you know.

SO DIFFERENT from all those

-lets-go-fight-some-dude-and-try-to-look-cool-with-a-massive-ass-sword/katana/gun/weapon of choice-while-making-new-ass-kicking-friends-who-help-defeat-badguy- *cough*bleachnarutoonepiecefairytail*cough*

things, or even

-omg-its-a-magical-girl-who-can-transform-with-the-power-of-love/magic/friendship/singing- *cough*mermaidmelodycardcaptorshugocharaohthere'sthousandsofthemomg.*cough*

seriously cross game is a masterpiece. Because it's not overly dramatic, or over the top with romance, or even over the top with baseball. There's no..superpowers, or kissing or whacking up your enemies with a sword.

It's not just the story, though. Adachi's paneling, character designs and sceneries transform a simple story into a spectacular ..... piece of art. The smooth lines and quiet tones are gooooorgeous. Aaaaand of course, his dialogue - to die for. Seriously. They're so normal, it's honestly amazing. I mean, usually, in manga, we get either:

A dramatic scene. There's rain. The heroine is drenched. She's got humongous eyes, like a frog, and she runs after the boy.

She runs!

She runs!

She catches the boy!

They stare at each other, which takes up five pages!

Then, suddenly, the girl gives a huge sob, flings herself on the boy, and they start making out in the rain!

OR

The teenage delinquent with a strange hair colour stands up to face his DOOOOOM!

He attains magical mystical superpowers from a fairy/pendant/sword/magical girl!

He becomes so strong everyone is amazed by his powers of awesomeness!

He defeats the big bad with a huge unnecessary yell, with a lot of blood which came from nowhere!

He goes on attaining even more degrees of power until he becomes so strong no one can defeat him ever!

OR

well, you get the idea.

Cross Game? NONE of these things. Well. If you're used to Adachi manga, you'd know the quirky little dialogues he always has with his characters, and the subtle, implied, hints of romance, of sadness, of happiness. Nothing flashy or dramatic, just very real feelings that don't...over-present themselves, I would say.

If you're really really not in the know and you've never read an Adachi manga EVER, (In which case I ask : What have you been DOING all these years?!?!) then cross game is the best manga to start with. I feel that it has the best story and adachi dialogue out of all his baseball/sports mangas. After cross game, I'd say....H2, Touch, Hiatari Ryokou, Katsu! and Rough! are also on my much much MUCH loved list.

Adachi. Is. Genius.

Awesome awesome awesome.

REALLY awesome awesome awesome.

I actually had to post this JUST TO RAVE ABOUT THE AWESOMENESS OF CROSS GAME, how AWESOME IS THAT?!?!

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On another note, I don't like the KWMS anime because it STOPS HALFWAY. Because you know maybe the editors got lazy or something.

Just because the manga is on hiatus doesn't mean the anime has to stop completely!

Geez.

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Positively dying for all the Detective Conan episodes and movies. I wish I didn't have to download stuff all the time! (Although that may be free.)

I'm glad though. This is one series that really feels like it's never going to end EVER EVER.

I LOVE that. hohohohoho. Thank you muchly, Aoyama Gosho.

seriously, with 600+ episodes, 14 movies, 10+ ovas and 66+ volumes of manga (And STILL GOING!) I can just read / watch it one round and then start again because I'd already forget the beginning. :D

Hooray for long series.

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On the other hand, skip beat is actually getting annoying. There's zero scenes with cool acting, Ren is more of a weirdo/idiot/emo/did I mention emo? than usual, and Kyoko is being sillier/stupider/idiot(er?) than usual. Heeeey. What went wrong here!?!? Just because Ren's (not so.) mysterious emo looming dark and dreadful past suddenly shows up, the dialogue, acting and basically all the cool parts of skip beat just run away into the night?!?!

sheesh. True, not that it was a little hinky to begin with. (Come on, the premise and all.) But the acting (at the beginning) was pretty cool - to say the least, especially the improvs that were done for the auditions and so on so forth.

Have to wait this one out and see whether it's reaaally all that good.

---------------------------------------------

Did I ever mention the COMPLETE LACK OF CROSS GAME FANFICS?!?!

Yeah.

LexaLee

#19 - OMG ITS THE END.

FULLMETAL

ALCHEMIST

HAS ENDED.

It's AS BAD AS CROSS GAME ENDING.

All I can say is that I found the ending not very satisfying, and there wasn't enough WINRY in it. Neither was there enough ROY and RIZA.

OH COME ON.

They gave us more LING AND RAN FAN (okay so they are cute and I love them too,) than THE MAIN FRICKING CHARACTERS.

Oh man darn it.

It's ended!

I ALMOST CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

(But the Edward and Winry confession is really quite cute - NOT LONG ENOUGH THOUGH.)

Actually right now I'm not coherent cause I'm so heartbroken and my fingers are all numb because I nearly got a heart attack when I saw the words 'Fullmetal Alchemist- END' on onemanga.

GAH.

I really lost the heart to watch the anime now because I know it ends eventually =( It felt as if it would go on forever.

(Really like cross game. Lost the heart to watch the anime and I'm still stuck on episode 45. Hahahaha.)

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Went on a Hayao Miyazaki rampage. Love Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind. Love the male lead. Love the female lead. On par with Spirited Away.

Managed to get through Ponyo. It IS pretty cute, but somewhat boring.

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LOVE KWMS.

LOVE USUI.

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No, I can't continue, I'm still heartbroken. Even Usui can't save me from my pit of despair.

DARN, SHU FEI.

Alexis

#18 - Wahooohooohoo.

I'm a bad, bad person, I watched the beginning of Princess Mononoke because I just had to, before I was able to pull myself away.

Unfortunately for me it is THE DUBBED VERSION ~ OH THE HORROR ~ because I couldn't find the subbed downloadable version ANYWHERE.

Well not too shabby, but incredibly weird because I'm so used to cartoon characters speaking Japanese. Nothing like the terribleness of Naruto dubs or the weirdness of Pokemon dubs, but something always seems wrong when you watch dubbed anime.

Weeeellllll, from what I DID watch, it's pretty interesting. Like most of Hayao Miyazaki's works. Oh but I just couldn't bring myself to finish Ponyo on the Cliff, and I don't know why. It got boring after a little while. Maybe it's just meeee. I'll try to finish it after exams

(AFTER WATCHING PERSONAL TASTE)

yaaaaaay.

Still waiting for Kiki to finish downloading.

Neaaaarly there.

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FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST HAS BEEN AWESOME LATELY. But it's so-not-fun having to wait for chapters for a month. Can't wait to sit down and watch FMA - marathon style. I'm so much further ahead in the manga than I am in the anime and it's spoiling everything for meeeee~

ROY. IS AWESOME AS EVER.

SO IS EDWARD.

AND RIZA.

AND OMG, ALPHONSE, NOOOOO!!!!

Yeeaah.

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Actually lately I've just been watching Hayao's movies, and that's about it. Haven't been reading my manga, haven't been watching KWMS. *wow.*

LexaLee

#17 - Deprivation.

HOLDING MYSELF FROM WATCHING PERSONAL TASTE.

THAT

IS

ALL.

Oh, but I gave in to temptation and watched Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's moving castle. Pretty, but a really odd ending.

Pretty all the same ♥

#16 - Prepare to be...Spirited AWAAAYYY!

Man I love Hayao Miyazaki ♥

That's all I wanted to say ♥

I do so love ♥

Spirited Away ♥

- Love Of Great Things, Alexis Lee

Watched it a billion times (two, but I'll be watching it three times more after the exams =] )

CAN'T WAIT FOR KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE AND PRINCESS MONONOKE.

Haku, Haku,

your dragon form is supercool

Chihiro is awesome.

-A Spirited Away Haiku. XD

LexaLee.

Am I disturbed or what?

#15 - Ohohoho

I've watched two-and-a-half episodes of Personal Taste, and -

I LOVE IT.

Understatement.

I REALLY, REALLY LOVE IT.

Best drama I've seen for ages, full stop. Not that I've actually watched many dramas....but then again. And I'm only on the second episode....but then again. =D

I'm not going to spoil the details here, but I tell you its worth watching so it's definitely worth watching, it is. I love the lead male (*wink wink* from K-Drama Boys over flowers although I didn't like him then but I like him NOW!!) and I super-love the lead female. I love the lead female's friend, love the lead male's friend, love almost everything about the crazy insane storyline that somehow makes sense.

Pure love here.

Anyway, I'm having a hard time downloading this series because megaupload is totally shot. Yeah Giuleta not all of us have a nice pretty megaupload ACCOUNT where you can download things SUPER FAST. =(

That's why I'm currently at ep 2-and-a-half....because I caved in and watched episode three halfway online. =D

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Alex is crazy.

Why is Alex crazy?

She is crazy because she calls me at eleven forty five at night to tell me about her love for Toradora! and Akagami and ZHD.

But then again, she gave me the link to a website with faster uploads for Akagami and ZHD so whatever Alex, I still love you. =D

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OMG AERANDRIA IS DOWN. =(

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Well, anyway. Currently downloading Hayao Miyazaki's movies (the Studio Ghibli ones) and looking forward to them, especially Kiki's Delivery Service and Spirited Away. They're like 94% and 97% on Rottentomatoes, and that's saying a whole darn lot about the quality of the movie. It's actually HARD to believe that an animated film in Japanese has those awesome superstar ratings on RT.

Which translates to: I want to watch them now.

Hurry up O great Transmission,

Bittorent client on

Alexis' mac

Give her Hayao Miyazaki movies

and Big Bang Theory faster.

-The Transmission Haiku

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Actually I haven't been watching a lot of things lately. Lately I've just been downloading a whole tonload of stuff to watch later. When is later? I don't know. =( This makes me Saaa~aaaad! I want to....NOT be a student! *gaspshockhorror?*

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To watch or not to watch. Now that is the question.

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LexaLee.

#14 - Here We Are.

announcement to shoujo lovers.

=)

Kaichou wa Maid-sama is out in ANIME style!!

And I'm pretty impressed.

Voice actors not annoying: check.

Designs generally like the manga: check, but I wish they'd follow the manga style exactly.

Good subs: check.

Fast updates: check.

Animation: well, okay, check. Not too bad. Comparing anything to the colors of Kimi Ni Todoke, though, bring the scores down a little.

Storyline: Although it sounds stupid summarized, super check for adorable and lovable characters.

So, in conclusion?

Watch.

=)

As for Kimi Ni Todoke....

it's getting quite annoying. I find myself skipping parts which are supposed to be 'touching' because the voice actors are starting to annoy me. Besides that, they make the scenes wayyy too long, dragging a simple 'wow he's a really nice person' into a full fifteen seconds of staring and staring and staring at each other while blushing.

Borrr-ring. But the colors? Vivid and beautiful. Still love the animation.

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Haven't been watching anime lately, actually. Been watching K-Drama.

1. Ob-Gyn doctors:

is a medical K-drama which brings me to tears nearly every-every-every episode. I mean, they're dealing with children and babies so it's more touching than usual. =) The lead characters are likeable. The lead GUYS are likeable - more than the girls. I was hoping for character development from the lead female, but so far not too much has happened. Watch this one for the rather (rather because sometimes they mess up between like v-fib and tachycardia and other things) -rather accurate medical terms, and not for the drama. It's not overdone per se, but rather done in a way which makes it ignorable. Sometimes it's funny, as well. I'm on episode 12. Four more to go till the end! (Oh, and hopes of a sequel are high. Please please please!)

2. Personal Taste:

Downloaded. Scanned through. Very, very interested. A straight guy pretending to be gay? Yes, please. Can't wait to properly watch this one.

3. Loving You 10,000 times. (Or is it 100,000 times? 1,000 times?? Gah.)

Storyline seems nice. Hopefully going to watch it soon!

Yeahhhh.

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FYI - the Liar Game J-Drama isn't the best thing. But it's a good effort. I just prefer the manga. Haven't watched the anime...I think I should try it.

Downloading Code Blue 1 and 2.

Downloading Yamato Nadeshiko J-Drama...

Downloading Aoi Bungaku.

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STILL depressed over the ending of cross game. Prolonging it as much as possible. I still have four episodes to watch till the end. =D

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I love you, Adachi!

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FMA: good guys comeback. And ANOTHER cliffhanger.

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Skip Beat LOVE. Chapter 155 is heading in some funny direction...

But I'm not sure I like Kyoko all that much now. Too much bubble-headedness: even more than usual. I liked the old Kyoko! Kyoko-the-actress. No more Kyoko-the-oblivious!

Glad that Shotaro and Vie Ghoul is out of the picture, for now. They are excessively annoying characters which don't develop the main characters in ANY way.

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Eh....giving Alexandra KWMS and some manga.

=D

Also making my way through Nodame finale. I'm at the last episode ALREADY!!

I feel that the 'finale' anime moves too fast. The scene cuts aren't that nicely arranged so the story seems abrupt. In the manga the transitions are still relatively okay, but in the anime somehow it seems like the directors are rushing. Oh, and I hate the ending (only witnessed the manga ending, for now) have I mentioned that already? Well I need to mention it again.

Still, love the voice actors. Perfectly fitted.

Oh, and Love Chiaki.....of course.

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HAPI MARI CHAPTERS 11 & 12 are AWESOME.

Oh the sexiness of Hokuto.

And Dokuhime's out on Aerandria, too.

Waiting on Shirayuki and ZHD...impatiently.

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LexaLee

#13 - First Aid Kit For Me

Discovered some pretty manga over the months which I never posted and the months where I only posted about cross game, like Shion No Ou and Yoru Cafe and Immortal Rain. Still, they're reasonably good and not OMG spectacular, which is why I don't rant too much. =)

Found my love for Pokemon and the ship I proudly sail, the Pokeship.... again.

(Just to justify myself, Pokemon is not = to the anime - I watch dubbed, by the way. There's a brilliant manga for it called Pokemon adventures, and the premise of pokemon battling is really interesting to me. It's actually kind of plausible : here we pit dogs and roosters against each other when they're not meant to be fighting like that because its unnatural. However in the world of pokemon, battling with 'pocket monsters' is allowed. Think of all the juicy stories that you can come up with that premise!! All the corruption and greed -that they never showcase in the anime- from our world plus the ability to 'battle in matches' with someone else. With animals. Woooooh. All sorts of possibilities for a good story. Pokemon fanfiction and manga is my thing, along with the first two or three seasons of the anime, before Kasumi/Misty leaves and May (eh...) and/or Dawn (Hikari??) come along. Don't get me wrong. I'm not bashing them. But I miss Misty. (May's fine though.) There's a lot of reasons why and I shan't go into that now because, well, the great pokeshipping Vs. Palletshipping Vs. Advanceshipping and Pearlshipping debate should be over by now and we can all live in harmony. =p )

Fell in love with Perfect Girl Evolution/Yamato Nadeshiko/The Wallflower again. Hoo-ray. =) Why does it have so many names?

Q.E.D. Shoumei Shuuryou : second to Detective Conan because NO detective story can ever beat Detective Conan. And sometimes QED's a little confusing. But so far it's funky. =)

Things that I am waiting on because they're too good to miss:

The next chapter of Kimi Wa Kira Kira ~ You're Sparkling,

The next chapter of Ichigo No Gakkou,

The next chapter of Hapi Mari,

The next chapter of Akagami No Shirayukihime,

The next chapter of Zettai Heiwa Daisakusen,

The next episode of Cross Game,

The next episode of Hetalia Axis Powers,

The next episode of Cross Game,

The next episode of Cross Game,

The next episode of Cross Game,

The next episode of ..........

....Eh.

Haha.

LexaLee.

#12 - My Heart Can't Tolerate This.

IT'S THE ENDING OF CROSS GAME.

THE MANGA.

MY HEART IS CRYING.

And the ending...is not exactly what I wanted but spectacular nonetheless. We are treated to YET another Koh and Aoba 'they are so alike' masterpiece. And Aoba's realisations were ...well. Expected.

DARNIT.

It's over.

Owari.

Finished.

OH

MY

GOD.

It's actually unbelievable. I keep thinking there's going to be more cross game next week!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I love you Cross Game, never end.

Ever.

Adachi should really really really really come up with an omake. Really Really. Really. Shall we write in, Alex? As devoted fans of the most awesomest manga in the world? I SHALL IF YOU SHAN'T.

Well anyway. We've got Q&A to appease our broken hearts but it's just not the same isn't it. =( =(

I'm so ruined now.

No more cross game manga?!?!

You have got to be kidddiiiinnngg.

LexaLee

#11 - The Happy Feeling In My Heart

That has been brought about by the arrivals of Cross Game Chapter 159.

Oh, go read it.

That's all I have to say, anything else will ruin the wonderfulness.

(LOVES.)

Perfect, perfect, perfect for valentines day. I'm happy.

*Cries tears of joy.*

#10 - If Tomorrow Comes Quicker

Say it with me peeps.

CROSS GAME TOMORROW!!!

That's the way.

Uh-huh-uh-huh.

I LIIIIIKE IT.

Uh-huh-uh-huh.

I can't wait. Can't wait. Can't wait!!!

IT'S AOBA TIME LADIES!! PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND SCREAAAAM!!!

Cross game's going to keep me sane throughout my lifeless year. =D

I think I can actually LIVE with knowing I have to sit for Chemistry now. Of course, the idea still takes time and chocolate brownies to get used to but...

I have cross game and all's right with the world.

^.^

xxxxxxx

Waitwaitwaitwaitwait.

GUYS.

AKAGAMI

NO

SHIRAYUKIHIME

OMG.

The sweetest chapter ever to exist in the realm of Akagami.

AAAAAAWWWWWWW

Gorgeousness.

Zen is gorgeous.

Shirayuki is gorgeous.

Drawing is gorgeous.

GORGEOUS GORGEOUS GORGEOUS!!!

SOOOO~ BEEYOOOTIFULLL!!!

Love love love love all around~

You WILL understand me and my squealies when you read it. Oh the beyoootifulness it blinds me.

xxxxxx

Dear Shufei,

Thank you x10000000000 for making me watch Kuroshitsuji because it is awesome.

Although slightly insane.

And unbelievable.

And crazy.

But it is awesome.

So thank you.

=D

xxxxxx

I want more Detective Conan.

I want more FMA.

I want more Cross Game.

I want more ZHD.

I want more Akagami.

I want Kyoya. [Ohohohohohohohohohohoho. No I haven't forgotten my first one true love.]

xxxxxx

And I guess that's it? Wait for my cross game post, everyone. It'll be BREATHTAKING. =D

LexaLee.

#9 - I See You

Anime. Manga.

DEPRIVATION.

xxxxx

Well it's only been three days of school and I feel the loss of my most beloved. Wahahaha.

However, I've been faithfully downloading my things, but I haven't actually watched /read anything. I think what I'm really going to let myself watch or read is Adachi and Adachi only. And, perhaps, Aerandria stuff. But other than that....no. Downloading but not reading or watching. Oh, maybe I'll read Detective Conan too. Cause I love it.

How's that for abstinence? Like four mangas? Only? Wow. And Cross Game anime.

xxxxxxx

Well let me then talk about stuff that I did for the last few days of holidays. Which seem like ages and aeons ago but really was only three days.

Anyways. From what I've watched of Valkyria Chronicles, I don't like it. The first episode was OH-So promising, but it went downhill from there. Really, the summary dragged me into watching it. Honestly I hate the girl. Whatever her name is. I like the guy though. Whatever....his name is.

Umineko is awesome. It's really not that complicated when you pay attention and don't skip. However, I've heard that in the game and the manga which follows the game, Battler and Beatrice are way more awesome than what they are in the anime. Something about them actually having an actual potential relationship besides Battler trying to deny the fact that Beatrice exists. Which is cool so that means the manga is waiting for me to read as soon as I get the chance to. =)

Fullmetal manga is coming coming coming!!! I'm excited excited excited!!! I've decided to TRY and not read it. I'm going to re-read the whole manga from scratch during the long holidays. =D

And because Shuf recommended it, I'm going to watch Kuroshitsuji slowly. Slowly, because I have no time. Which is sad.

Oh, and by the way, I re-watched Kurosagi during the hols. And once again, I'm in love. Oh my Yamapi. How I love you so. *sigh sigh sigh.*

Been watching K-Dramas : Goong/Princess Hours and Full House as well. I actually LIKE full house!! I thought the girl was crazy at first, but she's already suddenly cured of her stupidity in the second episode - which is a change from all those other K-dramas I tell you. Even in Goong the girl is constantly and excessively annoying. For no apparent reason. Even though she can be really cute at times and smart at times.

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Eh...there have been some good manga updates lately which I have also been abstaining from. =) Liiiiikeee.....KIMI NI TODOKE!! Three whole chapters. I took a glance through one chapter and saw good things.

YAY.

xxxxxxx

Oh, that's it for today.

Yes Alexandra. I promise to give you HoneyxClover. I need a way to transfer it though. =)

LexaLee