I've been busy ... with reading and other stuffs ...
6. Charlotte's Web. Quote: "It is not often someone comes along that's a true friend and good writer. Charlotte was both."
from Wiki
from Rotten Tomatoes
from IMDB
Some points:
- borrowed from BPL
- Very cute movie.
- There were some differences from the book especially the beginning how Fern met and saved Wilbur.
- Baby pigs are so cute. I suppose it's true for all baby animals.
7. Donkey Skin (Peau d'Âne).
from Wiki
from Rotten Tomatoes
from IMDB
Some points:
- borrowed from BPL
- I watched it once when I was little and it made a big impression on me. I guess it was the very first movie that I had watched. I still remembered a few scenes (the glass coffin, when the princess rowed the royal boat, when she escaped, the prince spied on the cottage, and the very *strange* event at the end :) )
- This review at dearauthor made me aware that it's available so I looked for it to borrow to watch again.
- It brought back memories and a good fairy tale.
- Catherine Deneuve is so beautiful.
- The dresses for the princess had outrageously big hoops
- The movie seems a bit primitive and less sophisticated since it was made 40+ years ago.
- I wonder why the king only had one outfit :) so does the fairy (she does change color, though)
- The prince seems a bit childish and spoiled.
- I watched the movie 2 times and thought it was cheesy but I enjoyed it all the same.
- I like the fairy godmother. She's wise and so human.
- I noticed that the door to the blue king's throne is a big small, everyone had to bend down to go in and out even the king. He's sitting on a white cat instead of a throne. However, the one to the red king's throne is much higher as usual. In short, it seems that the blue king's setting is surreal.
8. Wall-E. Quote: Caution: "Rogue robots. Caution... "
from Wiki
from Rotten Tomatoes
from IMDB
Some points:
- borrowed from BPL
- it's kind of confusing at the beginning but eventually, I got the story - it was probably because I was multitasking - knitting and watching at the same time!
- In the end I like the message of the movie.
- There are some amazing moments when Wall-E danced in space - that was pretty.
- Eva is too cute for words :)
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35. The Trumpet of the Swan. First sentence: "Walking back to camp through the swamp, Sam wondered whether to tell his father what he had seen."
wiki
Story by E.B. White
Some points:
- borrowed from BPL
- Read by the author.
- I really enjoy the story. The interactions between characters.
Bottom line, highly recommended. will reread.
36. 4 volumes of Toradora (とらドラ!).
wiki
Manga Updates
Story by Takemiya Yuyuko and Art by Zekkyou
From Seven Seas website
Vol 1: Ryuji Takasu has learned the hard way that appearances can be deceiving. Despite his inwardly sweet personality, his unintentionally sharp gaze and aggressive features give him the air of a delinquent thug, putting his chances at making friends, let alone a girlfriend, next to zero.
It’s Ryuji’s first day in junior high school and it seems as if things are looking up. He gets to sit in between his only friend, Yusaku, and, more importantly, the girl he’s secretly crushing on, Minori Kushieda. But just when he thinks the stars are aligned in his favor, he unwittingly crosses the most feared girl in school, Taiga Aisaku, making her onto his arch enemy. To top it off, Taiga has moved in right next door to Ryuji and happens to be Minori’s best friend! Can this school year possibly get any worse?!
Vol 2, 3, and 4: Ryuji Takasu thought that his ill-fated luck had turned around now that he was in Junior High and sitting next to the girl of his dreams, Minori Kushieda. Ryuji was wrong; for after he unwittingly crossed the most feared and fearsome girl in school, Taiga Aisaku, everything went off the deep end!
It’s taken time, but Ryuji and Taiga have found some common ground and can at least tolerate each other (just a little). The problem is everyone in Ryuji’s class is now convinced that he and Taiga are dating-even Minori! And to make matters even more embarrassing, Minori has given Ryuji and Taiga her blessings. How’s Ryuji ever going to win Minori’s heart?
Some points:
- Borrowed from BPL.
- It's kind of interesting, but forgettable.
- I think Ryuji and Taiga may end up being together at the end since he's taking care of her and she seems to think that he's her possession :)
- It's refreshing to see that nobody's who's who was fooled by the mean girl.
- It's funny at times :)
- I wonder what's Ryuji's mother's role in the story is besides fan service!
- Taiga is very cute, though.
Bottom line, probably keep borrowing, I don't plan to reread.
37. 5 volumes Afterschool Charisma (放課後のカリスマ Hokago no Charisma).
wiki
Manga Updates
Story and Art by Kumiko Suekane
From Viz
St. Kleio Academy is a very exclusive school. To enroll, a student must be the clone of a famous historical figure. Wolfgang Mozart, Queen Elizabeth, Sigmund Freud, Marie Curie, Adolf Hitler--with such a combustible student body, it's only a matter of time before the campus explodes!
Vol 1: SHIRO KAMIYA (2XXX- )
The only non-clone at St. Kleio Academy, a school dedicated to the clones of great historical personages. Shiro's father is a professor at the academy. Why is a regular kid taking classes at the school? Nobody seems to know for sure.
Vol 2: JOAN OF ARC (1412-1431)
A patriotic young French maiden. After beginning to hear voices at the age of 13, Joan led the French army in the liberation of Orleans in the Hundred Years' War against Britain. But not long afterward, she was convicted of heresy by a religious tribunal and burned to death at the stake.
Vol 3: Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)
Leader of France during the first French Empire. Became known as a hero for his victories as a general and went on to seize absolute control of the state in a coup d'état. As emperor, Napoleon's rule spanned almost all of Europe, but opposition to his rule grew widespread after his army suffered a bitter defeat by the cruel Russian winter, leading to his eventual seizure and exile. Even then, Napoleon managed to return to power for a time, only to be exiled once again. He died on Saint Helena Island.
Vol 4: Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)
British nurse who made tremendous contributions to the modern nursing system. Received her nursing education in Germany before serving as chief nurse in a London hospital. Drafted into military service during the Crimean War, Nightingale strove to improve sanitation amid the wretched conditions of the military field hospital she managed. Also recognized as a pioneering statistician for her tireless compilation of statistical materials. During her military service, her beneficence and dedication to her hospital rounds at night earned her the nicknames “the Lady with the Lamp” and “the Angel of the Crimea.”
Vol 5: ADOLF HITLER (1889-1945)
Adolf Hitler was the infamous ruler of fascist Germany. In his youth he aspired to be a painter but was rejected from art school. He worked as a day laborer before enlisting in the army and serving in World War I. After the war he became involved in the National Socialist German Worker’s Party (the Nazi Party), expanding its influence and becoming its leader. Hitler’s charismatic oratory garnered many followers and led to his appointment as chancellor. In that position, he disbanded all rival political parties and established a single-party dictatorship. He declared himself the “Fuhrer,” or supreme ruler, and called his reign the “Third Reich.” Germany’s invasion of Poland instigated World War II, while domestically Hitler maintained strict control of the ideology of the citizenry, initiating the genocide of the Jewish people known as the “Holocaust.” Hitler committed suicide in his underground bunker in 1945 after Berlin fell to the Allies.
Some points:
- Borrowed from BPL.
- Very interesting premise.
- I kind of guess Marie Curie's fate after Shiro's talk to his father.
- Even these are clones of famous characters, I don't feel that they should and can follow their original's footsteps because they live in a different environment. It's nature vs nurture debate.
- And having these clones together and interact with each other totally change their environment.
- Napoleon is so cute :)
- Freud is funny.
- The girls haven't done much to stand out.
Bottom line, interesting, I keep reading.
- Continuing series:
- Cartoon
- Season 1 of Les Adventures de Tintin (10 episodes) - The end.
- Manga
- Saiunkoku 6 and 7
- A Devil and Her Love Song 2
- Arisa 7
- Oresama Teacher 7 and 8
- Arata 9
- Skip Beat! 27
- Kamisama Kiss 6-8
- Betrayal knows my name 2 and 3
- Itazura Na Kiss 7
- Dawn of the Arcana 3
- Cross Game 7
- Dengeki Daisy 9
- 20th Century Boys 20
- Bakuman 9-10
- Bunny Drop 5
- Drops of God 2-3
- Bride's story 3
- Princess Sakura 7
- Rambling
- Physicist's paper to fight a speeding ticket via via Jessica Gottlieb
- from Mangaconseil: Pika licenses Faster than a Kiss (MU), the first volume will be out Sept 2012.
- Dog navigator
- The 25 most beautiful public libraries flavorwire, via tweetheart4711
- I had picked up ぴんとこな - Pin to Kona 6 volumes ongoing (manga updates). I like the characters a lot.
- Characters of interests (or main characters)
- The hero: the boy on both covers of volume 1 and 3 - Kyonosuke is a Kabuki actor from a famous family - at the beginning of vol 1, he didn't put his heart into acting at all. He only did it because it was expected of him.
- The heroine: Ayame. The girl on the cover of volume 6. She's poor but really loves Kabuki. She had to earn a living. I haven't seen her parents at all and I didn't understand enough to know her circumstances. She has a childhood friend Ichiya. They both had a promise for each other regarding Ichiya's success in Kabuki and they love each other, too.
- The other hero: Ichiya. The boy on the cover of volume 2. He had talents for Kabuki but no connections, so he was adopted (? - I think that's how it works) into another famous Kabuki family which had only one daughter and no sons.
- The other heroine: from the other Kabuki family, is in love with Ichiya.
- The hero's best friend: he's worshipping really looking out for Kyonosuke and interferes a lot behind Kyonosuke's back :) in terms of pushing Ayame toward him.
By chance I visited Kaze website and saw this announcement it's licensed and will be called "Le chemin des fleurs" - (the path of flowers), amazon.fr has it listed for may 16, 2012. I have bought all 6 japanese takobon recently and leafed through them many times. Gah, I should have waited a couple of more weeks! - Another series is ヤスコとケンジ - Yasuko to Kenji, Manga Updates.
- Characters of interests (or main characters)
- The heroine: the girl on all 5 covers Yasuko. She's a high-schooler whose parents had passed away and now lived with her used-to-be delinquent brother :) Kenji.
- The hero: Kenji - he's on cover 1, 4, and 5 with funky hair do. He used to be a delinquent now turned mangaka to make a living to support his younger sister.
- The other hero: Jun. The boy on the cover of volume 2. Yasuko met him at cram school and she (Yasuko) had a crush on him. His family had a flower shop.
- The other heroine: Jun's older sister, Erica, on cover 3. If I say anything about her, it would spoil the fun :), I'd say this, though, she's not what she seems. She works at her family flower shop.
It's more like a slice-of-life story than shojo romance, but oh hilarious :) I should mention that Kenji's assistants are quite awesome :P
- More shojo on digital via Viz Media's twitter: 16 NEW digital vols are now on VIZ Manga including: A Devil and Her Love Song 1, Dawn of the Arcana 1 & Sakura Hime 1!. YES! I've been waiting for Sakura Hime!!!!
- Kazé (a french publisher which publishes My Girl, Degenki Daisy, The Dawn of Arcana (of course), Trill on Eden ...) just licensed Boku wa Kiss de Uso wo Tsuku (僕はキスで嘘をつく - titled Mysterious Honey (Manga updates) ) by TOMA Rei 2 volumes completed, will be released Oct 2012 - yay via Manga Conseil.
- Via Manga Conseil Delcourt has licensed Love So Life (ラブ ソー ライフ), first volume will be published Sept 2012 (Manga updates) 9 volumes ongoing in Japan.
- Also, I've burned out with weekly update, it seems. I could have updated last week but I didn't seem to have the energy of even writing some points and gathering the book/dvd images, and blurbs. It seems to take a long time!