kaze hikaru 14!!
I really should be asleep right now, but I finally got my Kaze Hikaru 14 from the bookstore (special-ordered sometime back in May, haha!) so of course I'm all pumped up about adorable Shinsengumi members. Hee.
Let's start with the cover! I love that the author notes (from the cover flap in the Japanese volumes) are translated for this series because they always make me laugh, and this time was no exception. I still prefer the previous set of seasons (the landscape views) but Watanabe-sensei's sly "By the way, Sei-chan is pouting in the background because she's jealous of the sunflower" gave me something to laugh about every time I see this cover. She does make the straightforward layout more interesting with the characters' expressions.I can't wait to read the note for volume 16! (hee) (yes, before you ask, I do have copies of all the Japanese covers saved on my computer, and I do anxiously track down the new ones as they come out. volume 26 is gorgeous, gorgeous~!!!)
Okay, so that's out of the way... actually, this volume picks up right where volume 13 left off. Like, seconds later. This first chapter was alternately silly and passionately semi-serious (poor Sei-chan tries so hard to be serious, but Other People always have to go and ruin the moments for her (haha). Oh, and Watanabe-sensei is such a tease, as usual!!
The next chapter was very silly (though sadly Sei-and-Soji-less!), until the end! oh man!! at which point I suddenly remembered I'm reading a historical manga based on real and often deadly events. But serious stuff is good too. The sudden switch took me by surprise, but I think it was more effective that way. And that continued into the next chapter...
And the next chapter was very good. And sad, since it reminded me of some of the things I've learned about Shinsengumi history. Sigh... but still, really good, built up the tension, totally pulled me into the story and THEN! I'm sorry. I'm a terrible person but I laughed and laughed and laughed for a minute straight at the second to last page of the chapter. Watanabe-sensei, I can't believe you!!!
The rest of the volume was delightful and awesome and great and all I can think to say is I wish there were more!! Thankfully, November, bringing volume 15, does not seem so far off! (and also, October is even closer! eeeeeeeeeee delightful October with your bounty of manga titles that I have been looking forward to for SO LONG!!!)
In other news, I'm close to better, though I've still got a bit of a cough and stuffy nose and slightly high temperature? (or maybe it's just that the weather's finally decided to be summer and not fall, now that it almost IS fall). Today (the 13th) was my brothers' birthday!!! Happy birthday, Brndn! Happy birthday, Curt! We went out for dinner on Wednesday because my other brother left today (Thurs, their actual birthday) on a backpacking trip. We went to another Japanese hibachi-style restaurant, and once again I didn't get a main-course type meal. But I did get vegetable tempura, and it was so~ so~~~ good it warmed my heart. (and then I kinda had a stomach ache when I got home but it could be because I was already sick, or ate too much, or drank too much water) I need to learn to make tempura like that. Mmm, mmm.
And tomorrow (okay, so it's today now-friday) I'm going to Detroit for my brother Curt's performance at a music cafe! He makes some pretty awesome chiptune music (I've heard a lot of it in progress :D), and if you'd like, you can listen to some of it here!!
Whoops, almost 4am! Time for sleep :D (and hopefully I don't have nightmares of Sei-chan as a really-traditional wife. yikes. poor Sei...)
Let's start with the cover! I love that the author notes (from the cover flap in the Japanese volumes) are translated for this series because they always make me laugh, and this time was no exception. I still prefer the previous set of seasons (the landscape views) but Watanabe-sensei's sly "By the way, Sei-chan is pouting in the background because she's jealous of the sunflower" gave me something to laugh about every time I see this cover. She does make the straightforward layout more interesting with the characters' expressions.I can't wait to read the note for volume 16! (hee) (yes, before you ask, I do have copies of all the Japanese covers saved on my computer, and I do anxiously track down the new ones as they come out. volume 26 is gorgeous, gorgeous~!!!)
Okay, so that's out of the way... actually, this volume picks up right where volume 13 left off. Like, seconds later. This first chapter was alternately silly and passionately semi-serious (poor Sei-chan tries so hard to be serious, but Other People always have to go and ruin the moments for her (haha). Oh, and Watanabe-sensei is such a tease, as usual!!
The next chapter was very silly (though sadly Sei-and-Soji-less!), until the end! oh man!! at which point I suddenly remembered I'm reading a historical manga based on real and often deadly events. But serious stuff is good too. The sudden switch took me by surprise, but I think it was more effective that way. And that continued into the next chapter...
And the next chapter was very good. And sad, since it reminded me of some of the things I've learned about Shinsengumi history. Sigh... but still, really good, built up the tension, totally pulled me into the story and THEN! I'm sorry. I'm a terrible person but I laughed and laughed and laughed for a minute straight at the second to last page of the chapter. Watanabe-sensei, I can't believe you!!!
The rest of the volume was delightful and awesome and great and all I can think to say is I wish there were more!! Thankfully, November, bringing volume 15, does not seem so far off! (and also, October is even closer! eeeeeeeeeee delightful October with your bounty of manga titles that I have been looking forward to for SO LONG!!!)
In other news, I'm close to better, though I've still got a bit of a cough and stuffy nose and slightly high temperature? (or maybe it's just that the weather's finally decided to be summer and not fall, now that it almost IS fall). Today (the 13th) was my brothers' birthday!!! Happy birthday, Brndn! Happy birthday, Curt! We went out for dinner on Wednesday because my other brother left today (Thurs, their actual birthday) on a backpacking trip. We went to another Japanese hibachi-style restaurant, and once again I didn't get a main-course type meal. But I did get vegetable tempura, and it was so~ so~~~ good it warmed my heart. (and then I kinda had a stomach ache when I got home but it could be because I was already sick, or ate too much, or drank too much water) I need to learn to make tempura like that. Mmm, mmm.
And tomorrow (okay, so it's today now-friday) I'm going to Detroit for my brother Curt's performance at a music cafe! He makes some pretty awesome chiptune music (I've heard a lot of it in progress :D), and if you'd like, you can listen to some of it here!!
Whoops, almost 4am! Time for sleep :D (and hopefully I don't have nightmares of Sei-chan as a really-traditional wife. yikes. poor Sei...)