Back From the, Uh...Lethargy
I can't believe I haven't posted in about a week. I keep checking my flist, but there hasn't been anything that I want to fangirl over. Not much news, either. My arm really hurts right now. I think I have carpel tunnel. I've been lethargic this week, and I think something bit me on the back. I have a really sore place, and I've felt funky all week. I've also been working on VOICE. First episode will be out soon!
I'm gonna talk about something I haven't mentioned for awhile: MANGA! I got the newest Shojo Beat today, and it's the music issue. I was so hoping flumpool would be mentioned as an awesome new band. Sadly, it was not, and SB went with the usual anime bands. They had some indie bands, too, as well as some pop idols (non-JE, of course), but nothing all that surprising. Pardon for me for thinking there's more to J-pop and J-rock than Dir en Grey, An Cafe, and L~Arc~en~Ciel. What about ORANGE RANGE? They've had several songs for anime themes including the mega-popular "Asterisk" as the opening for a season of Bleach. What about GLAY? I don't know if they've ever had an anime theme song, but they've been around for years. They're one of Japan's staple old-school rock bands. They even perform in America (oh man, I would love to see them live).
But Shojo Beat did mention some JE. I love it when magazines mention JE. On page 8, there's a small article at the bottom called "Fans Line Up" that talks about Ohkura's solo con back last October. They say he hasn't released any solo albums...uh, well, no, lol. I don't think he's quite at the place to do a solo debut yet. He's still part of K8. What I find interesting is that there's a picture of some fans with homemade uchiwas, and there's one who has an Ohkura uchiwa, but his face is obscured by a mask. My question: intentionally done by SB or were Oh-kun's uchiwas really like that? I'm betting the former.
Then of course there's the wonderful dose of the serialzed manga Honey Hunt, which, if you've read it, is chock full of JE references. The two main guys, Haruka and his twin brother Q-ta, belong to an entertainment agency called Johnnie's. Haruka belongs to a band called KNIGHTS where he's a main vocalist. Q-ta is a singer/songwriter with the band Assha or "h.a." In one of the first chapters, a few idols mags are shown with the names Domoto Koichi and KOT-TON. Koichi being, you know, Koichi, and KOT-TON mimicking KAT-TUN. Haruka looks suspiciously like Jin. Seriously, if there were ever a drama made of this manga, Jin would be a dead ringer for Haruka. Q-ta's a different story. I'm not sure who he's like. He resembles several JE boys, but probably Ryo-chan would do him the most justice. For awhile, people were scanlating it until it got licensed by Viz. But I want to read more! They stopped after volume 3! Actually, I think there's only 4 volumes out in Japan right now.
And last but not least, someone pointed out all of these blaring similarities in a Letter to the Editor. Lea, if you're out there, friend me! We can discuss more similarities between Haruka and Jin!
I have to talk about one thing that irks me, though. I was in Borders today doing the manga run--such a sad selection they have now, with a bunch random volumes of manga as well as the typically popular manga like Bleach, Death Note, Naruto, Inuyasha, etc. Kinokuniya! My kingdom for a Kinokuniya!--when I was accosted by a group of freshmen boys and one rather round and short woman who apparently didn't notice that I was standing there trying to find Matsuri Hino's Wanted volume 1. Am I a ghost? I don't know why when it comes to the manga section, people just have no manners. It's happened every time I go to buy manga on a weekend. The section will be totally empty until I get there, then I'm bombarded by teenage boys who loudly talk about about manga characters' names and someone apparently trying to get them to read yaoi. Either that or elementary school kids who sit there and read volume after volume of manga and don't buy it--in my opinion, that's stealing--and don't move from that section. Then today there was the woman who talked to herself and apparently didn't notice me standing there and got WAY TOO CLOSE for comfort.
All I'm asking is that manga lovers have a little consideration. Then we can all get along so much better.
With that being said, I ended up with Hana Kimi volume 22 (I need volume 21). Sigh...sometimes I love Kentucky, and then sometimes I mourn on how pathetic we are internationally. Seriously, Kinokuniya, PUT A STORE IN NASHVILLE. It would only take me an hour to get there from school. I could be there and back in a couple of hours. Sigh...
Ja ne!