I like this thing where boys beat each up
Um, I just killed a wasp, by karmic law I'm doomed for the rest of the day *dammit*
So anyway, watched a cool anime called "Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn!" it took some getting used to because it's designed for people not my age of MATURE, OLDER SEMPAI. (shut up)
It's about a 13 year old kid named Sawada Tsuna (who's nick-name is "no-good-Tsuna) who kinda FAILS AT LIFE. Since he's also failing at school, his mom hires a home tutor.
Now, because my brain has been warped from reading too many BL manga - I snicker for this part. Yet Tsuna's tutor isn't some pervy college student, he is instead a baby Mafioso named Reborn. He comes equipped with his useful meta-morphing chameleon; Leon.
Reborn has been 'sent' to train Tsuna into becoming the 10th generation Boss of the Vogola Family - the central family of all things Mafia. Reborn does this by abusing and prodding Tsuna into being a man, and by occasional use of his "Dying Will Bullet" - when you get shot with it, it manifests your dying will and makes you temporarily invincible - and also insane. This mean that Reborn gets to shoot Tsuna in the head - it's a great show.
On his way to becoming a crime boss, Tsuna also has to assemble his own "Family", Reborn helps him with this by picking out 'choice' candidates. Making up that team are:
Hayato Gokudera - explosives expert, Tsuna fanboy
Takeshi Yamamoto - kendo fighter, baseball nut, and densest person on planet
Ryuhei Sasagawa - boxer, fighter, EXTREME!-enthusiast, loon
Kyouya Hibari - head of the School Disciplinary Committee, sociopath, sexy beast
Chrome Dokuro - this girl was dying in the hospital and managed to form a telepathic link with Tsuna's 'enemy' Mukuro Rokudo (who is being kept chained in a dark & scary place) and she's able to channel him. She also has no organs :3 , and
Lambo - a hitman from a small family. He's 5 and initially comes to kill Reborn, but is a crybaby and a nutcase, and can use the 10-year Bazooka; which replaces the present person with themselves from 10 years in the future. Adult Lambo is smexy and still a crybaby.
Hitman Reborn! excels at the shounen genre. All the characters get power-ups and training montages, they all win fights and don't end up near-dead at the end. There's a real sense of team unity - and that Tsuna is the head of the team. All the members have faith in him, for different reasons. Tsuna is a great leader because he sees his friends fighting with their all and lets go of his wimpy-ness and trains hard, to not fail them, to PROTECT them - and to protect the dreams of the people who believe in him.
After the first arc of villains, there is a second arc of impossibly badass foes - The team trains, and their training pays off, with new moves and awesome-sauce. No rocks, and no body dies. Characters don't disappear for eons - it's wonderful!!
In case I was too subtle, I was comparing it to current "Bleach". Which is still bipolar, but according to my trusted f-list, is looking hopeful for plot. Bleach has let me down on such a level that I really can't pretend to care, the only thing that can probably move me now, is Rukia. But knowing Kubo, which I don't, I'm sure nothing is going to happen. I'm tired of watching the characters I like get smooshed by the baddies - I'm tired of not seeing them for pages and pages of FIGHTING LINES and weak dialogue and then for something COOL to happen and be impressed until it wears off and things get lost in the boring blur.
Which is the problem, I mean when read in one-go, there are still some cool fights, yet the purpose of these fight is yet to be seen. The purpose of the entire arc is yet to make sense - I mean am I really supposed to be reading this with the long-term satisfaction in mind? Shouldn't it still manage to make some immediate sense?
Now, I know I sound like a fangirl looking for instant gratification, but I'm a patient soul, and I've loved things that haven't made sense before - so I feel it time to come out and say:
Bleach - I'M SO OVER YOU. DON'T CALL ME....GIVE IT TIME, IN A BIT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE FRIENDS.
I'm looking to start Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto and then Monster and whatever to fill the lonely days before the next installment of KKM, Haruhi or FMP! or even xxxHolic - *sobs* I think I'll be fine, a pint of chocolate ice-cream, a cappuccino and maybe a new love *wipes a tear* Or until you start kicking ass again and I run back to "the ex."