Catches tigers in red weather.

A heads-up for those interested: Women's outerwear is 30% off at Urban Outfitters until Oct. 12th. I'm currently eyeing the funnel neck peacoat from my last entry, debating whether or not to buy it. Ahhhhh, indecision.

Anyway, I do believe its time for a manga rec:

Detroit Metal City

by Kiminori Wakasugi

By all appearances, Soichi Negishi is a sweet, well-mannered boy who loves Swedish pop music, trendy boutiques, and all things fashionable. But at the same time he's also Krauser II, front man for Detroit Metal City, an indie death metal band whose popularity increases by the day. Once the DMC makeup goes on and Soichi takes the stage, his natural talents as a death metal god can't help but flourish. Is this the band he's truly destined to be in?
--summary from Viz

This series is INSANE. Also: the most hilarious thing ever. Negishi switches between his personality and the Krauser personality so much that sometimes his alter-ego bleeds into real life, often to hysterical results. One example is when Negishi is called a poser in the park while singing his original songs, and he ends up smashing a guitar over a policeman's head (as Krauser) while trying (and failing) to prove that DMC's stuff is as grating as they said his stuff was. Negishi's attempts to use the Krauser persona to get things to go his way usually end with him getting way too into character and doing things the Krauser way instead. Which generally mean lots of mishaps, lots of RAMPAGING. Oh how I cackle madly at his identity crisis.

Though there are some things about this series that might turn off readers such as, oh, the amount of obscene words used--never before have I heard the word 'fuck' used so much in a manga. And since its about a metal band of course there's going to be some crude stuff about them, which is something that embarrasses Negishi to no end. In costume, Krauser is the the terrorist from Hell, rumored to have killed and raped his parents, who wields his giant death penis with abandon, you know, stuff that is totally metal. Krauser is famed for his 'ten rapes in one second' where he shouts, obviously, rape ten times in a second. Generally, the fans that follow DMC see them as a group whose world revolves around sex and violence, which is just completely opposite from how the band is in real life.

If you're looking for a series that makes you laugh and go WTF, then this is the one for you.

---

Links.

× Photos from CEATEC Japan 2009,the largest consumer electronics trade show in Asia, that show the latest technology from various companies. The squid robots (yes, squid robots) are the cutest things ever. ♥

× Professah Smash Bros., a totally great Professor Layton/Smash Bros comic.

× This Dino/Gokudera comic kills me.

× Fanfic: Object of Gossip a Fullmetal Alchemist fic (link goes to chapter index). The summary pretty much says it all: "Roy and Ed are sleeping together, and everyone knows it! Everyone… except for Roy and Ed. " This fic makes me all giggly.

× Pyramid Head crocheted blanket! Are you brave enough to go to bed with this?

× Taiko no Tatsujin bento is adorable. Although...are those sprinkles on that shrimp? Uh...

× Hidden symbols in one dollar bills: Is that a Triforce?

× Princess Peach in a kimono. How cute!

× Fanfic: I Have My Dead is a collection of Persona 4 ficlets where the characters write goodbye letters to their parents to leave behind in case they die in the TV world. Teddie's broke my heart, and Souji's and Yukiko's. Ahhhh, so good, yet so sad.

× Fanfic: another P4 one, this one Yukiko/Chie, A Barrel in the Sea. Its set post-game, where Yukiko's parents find out she's romantically involved with Chie and demand she end their relationship. Yukiko refuses and is thrown out, practically disowned. Its so real and powerful and I just love it. Dojima plays an awesome role in this fic as well.

× 3 Color Joystick Repeat Drawing is really cool looking. Its something I'd probably put up on my wall.

× Kotaku's The Most Handsome Game Company Exec In Japan? labeled Chiyomaru Shikura, Executive Director of 5pb., as a dreamboat, and readers posted who they thought was an attractive man in the Japanese gaming industry. Of course Hideo Kojima was mentioned since, seriously, the man is just adorable, and then someone posted a surprisingly hot picture of....Hironobu Sakaguchi?!! Shit man, I didn't know you could look that good. Even non-industry people, like Yu Darvish, starting pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, (OMG so beautiful) were mentioned for no reason at all. And no Kotaku post is complete without a lulzy image: Kojima's head photoshopped onto a booth babe's body. Just look at that sexy expression of his. I SPEND WAY TOO MUCH TIME AT KOTAKUUUUUUU. Especially reading the most random things.

× Adorable advertisement for Kimi ni Todoke Nintendo DS game. Chibi!Kazehaya, you are such a cutie.

While my brother dozed off in the seat next to me at the college library, I read the manga I nearly passed out while buying at Barnes and Noble last week. Long story short: the heat combined with crowds are not my friend!


Children of the Sea
volume 1

by Daisuke Igarashi

When Ruka was younger, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad works. Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora. They were raised by dugongs and hear the same strange calls from the sea as she does.

Sora begins investigating their strange connection to the sea. But the current research is too slow for Sora, who is lured away by with the promise of answers. This leaves Umi severely depressed, and it is up to Ruka to help her new friend find his brother. But time is quickly running out…
--volume summary from Viz Signature line sigikki

While I feel sigikki's summary of volume one isn't the greatest since it doesn't completely express how wonderfully surreal and ethereal and vaguely eerie the world and characters of Children of the Sea are, it'll do for me since I'm completely terrible at writing my own summaries because of my tendency to babble on in an excited and disjointed manner. Anyway!

Children of the Sea is one of those rare series that left me absolutely breathless once I was done reading. Previously, the only titles to do this to me were Mushishi and, well, I'm sure there's more, but I can't remember off the top of my head. I felt this sense of contentment as I closed the book, but perhaps that's because I've lived near the water most of my life and have a love for the marine world because of it. The sea has always struck me as magical and this series matches that feeling perfectly.

Daisuke Igarashi's artwork is both quirky, which is a style that suits the youthfulness of the three main characters, and enchanting in its way of capturing the beauty and power of the sea. The story is as equally impressive as the art, especially the interactions between Ruka, Umi, and Sora. They are all outsiders in a way: Ruka has a hard time making friends due to the fact that, as her father puts it, "her hands are always quicker than her mouth", while Umi and Sora are obviously not of the norm being that they come from the sea and must take steps to protect themselves, such as wearing robes to cover themselves when out in the sun and making sure to constantly cool down with water. "You smell like someone who sees and thinks the same things we do," Umi says, and that is what connects all three.

Anyway, I've babbled on enough, if you're interested in checking out this series, portions of Children of the Sea can be read here, on sigikki's manga viewer.

On a hilarious note, the image of Jim Cusack on the back cover looks like Bruce Willis to me.

Despite saying I was going to refrain from reading shojo manga for awhile, I ended up reading more of Black Bird after seeing the first chapter in an issue of Shojo Beat.

I find it really enjoyable, the supernatural aspect of the story is very interesting in particular, except for one thing: how subservient the main character appears on the manga covers (like in the image below) and in most of the chapter intro splash pages. Ugh, such a wimpy and passive aura around her. She's not so submissive in the actual story.

Black Bird

by Kanoko Sakurakoji

There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada can see these magical realms and frankly, she wants nothing to do with it. She'd just as soon ignore her special gift in favor of having a normal high school life and maybe getting a boyfriend. One day, Misao is attacked by a demon, and her childhood friend Kyo suddenly re-appears to save her and tend to her cuts - with his tongue! It turns out Misao is the bride of prophecy, whose blood gives power to the demon clan who claims her. But most demons want to keep her power for themselves - by eating her! Now Misao is just trying to stay alive... and decide if she likes it when Kyo licks her wounds.
--summary from Viz

Honestly, if I didn't have a previous like for works by Kanoko Sakurakoji (Backstage Prince! ♥) and if I hadn't first read the first chapter from Shojo Beat, I might not have ever checked out Black Bird since part of the summary just turns me off--the "he heals her wounds by licking them with his tongue" is really off-putting. Its kinda squicky.

Setting aside the few negative comments I have for Black Bird, its a decent dramatic manga. The drama can get heavy at times, but since the author inserts silly scenes like the one below to break the pacing, its not overbearingly heavy.

This might not be a series I'd recommend as a "need to read" title, but its good enough for light reading.


( One more funny image for the road~ )