Richard & Kahlan

a while back i blogged about my excitedness over the transition to tv series for Terry Goodkind’s wonderful Wizard’s First Rule, a book from the Sword of Truth series. they’ve finally got the cast for the lead characters Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell.

i was petrified at the prospect that perhaps if they miscast the leading roles, the whole thing would just go down under. but lo and behold, it seems they got them just right. i saw the pictures of the actor and actress who will be playing Richard and Kahlan and is happy to give my thumbs up in approval.

Craig Horner and Bridget Regan looks very much like what i would imagine Richard and Kahlan should be. now i only hope the chemistry between them will sparkle on screen.

fingers crossed…

the big three-O

happy birthday to me. what’s different? well, this morning in the shower i “felt” i grew an inch taller - in height! physically i am rather weak. mentally i’m drained. as i sit here in front of my PC gazing out my window thinking of only what a birthday boy should be thinking (with Timbaland’s Apologize ft. One Republic blaring in the bg), i realise one third of my life is gone. poof.

certainly i’m older, a bit wiser but nonetheless i guess i’m still me. not changed much. is that good? unsure. the SNAG* in me is still intact, but my dark side just feels like it’s starting to surface. we all want to be a bad boy one time or another.

my my, reading back this seems like a rather bleak post to start off this occasion. will think of more pampering stuff to do to self.

big Thank You to all those that know me. much appreciation that your all still around. signing off now.

*Sensitive New Age Guy

numb

what do you say to a guy who just found out his girlfriend slept with another guy? he’s in shock right now. this is perhaps one of life’s cruel lessons. never ever take things for granted…

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, loosely translated as The Eternity You Wish For or also known as Rumbling Hearts is based on a dating-sim game. good reason why all these japanese dating-sim games are ported over to anime form, notably due to it’s strength in delivering a rather solid story both touching and memorable.

the best of times, hanging out and having fun

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien is 14 episodes long. the first 2 episodes starts off like any typical love story. shy girl has crush over guy. shy girl with the help of best friend confesses to guy. guy feels obligated to accept shy girl. guy slowly develop real feelings for shy girl. best friend also has feelings for guy. best friend ask guy to accompany her on her birthday. shy girl gets into tragic accident on that day.

full stop.

and then the story moves forward 3 years later…shy girl is in a coma. guy experience a guilt trip. best friend takes care of guy. best friend betrays girl and confesses to guy. guy accepts best friend. and then of course, shy girl wakes up but suffers from memory disorders.

that’s the guise of the story. the emotional pain we see through the character interactions is heart-breaking. at times i’m at a lost as well as to what i would have done if i was in the guy’s shoes. don’t expect a happy ending from this anime, it’s not a bad ending but it’s just like life. you live with consequences for your actions.

best friends, Mitsuki and Haruka

this show is really about post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). it’s causes and effect. how one person’s tragedy can affect countless others around them. it can be scarily true and mind-numbing to watch.

from happy friendships to a sudden accident, everything seems to spiral downhill after that. everyone wants to go back to those happy times but none can move forward entirely. things seem to be very bleak, at least till the final episode.

which brings me to a question the show brought up to my attention - if your in a relationship but your partner cheats on you, even if it’s partly your fault and you know it, could you accept them back? before you decide, watch this show and then answer to yourself honestly.

if you enjoy your anime with lots of drama, peppered with romance and spiced with tragedy (you know you do!) then this show will surely tickle your fancy. rated for mature audience thought.

Gunslinger Girl

Gunslinger Girl is an anime about little girls with guns. young girls who had gone through much tragedy in life are recruited and “conditioned”, a process of replacing their limbs with mechanical parts. they become superhuman machines both superior in speed and strength at the cost of some memory loss. however, even as they function as mere tools against terrorism, they somehow retained their childish innocence.

i was captivated with Gunslinger Girl, the concept it presents and the emotional bonding between each girl and their supervisor. but what got me to really spend time being absorbed with it’s delicious story is Gunslinger Girl’s opening theme song “Tatta Hitotsu no Omoi” for Il Teatrino, the 2nd season of the series.

it’s damn catchy and it’s what got me to watch the anime in the first place. so here it is, enjoy!

Gunslinger Girl Il Teatrino - Tatta Hitotsu no Omoi

Tatta hitotsu no omoi tsuranuku muzukashisa no naka de boku wa
Mamorinuite misetai no sa kakegae no nai mono no tame ni hatashitai yakusoku

Gimon darake no yo no naka kotae wa mitsukaranai mama
Sore de mo mae ni susumu no wa
Sora e to nobiru itosugi massugu sashishimeshita michi
Ima to iu kiseki o shinjiyou

Yume mitai na genjitsu kono te de kaerareru mono nara

Tatta hitotsu no omoi tsuranuku muzukashisa no naka de boku wa
Mamorinuite misetai no sa kakegae no nai mono no tame ni
Namiutte iru kodou ni chikau yo moetsukiru made hashiritsuzukeyou
Ikinuite koso kanjirareru eien no itoshisa no naka hatashitai yakusoku

Oka no shita saku himawari mabushiku hirogaru kiiro wa
Kibou no hikari o terasu yo

Kaerareru mono nara
Chigatta ikikata aru hazu to

Subete kakeyou ataerareta toki no naka de kagayaite itai
Tada iki o shite koko ni iru dake sore dake na no ni afuredasu kimochi
Boku ni wa boku no shiawase ga aru sou omoeru dake de dore hodo
Kono shunkan ga itooshii hodo hikari o hanatte yuku yo

Hitori de susumu ni wa nagasugiru michinori
Dareka ga kono tobira akenai ka matteru

Tatta hitotsu no omoi tsuranuku muzukashisa no naka de boku wa
Mamorinuite misetai no sa kakegae no nai mono no tame ni
Namiutte iru kodou ni chikau yo moetsukiru made hashiritsuzukeyou
Ikinuite koso kanjirareru eien no itoshisa no naka
Hatashitai yakusoku