I think I just went on a kick where I started reading some older and shorter manga that've been completed. This is just because I'm reading over 50 ongoing manga and it's getting really out of hand if I'm being honest. I lowkey need an intervention.
{Spoilers, except it's just kinda fluffy so there's nothing world-smashing going on here}
This manga was powerful in a quiet sort of way. It definitely wasn't what I was expecting. From the summary, it seemed like it was going to be the story of a girl that lost her memory in a car crash, and then meets this guy that she knew before she lost those 2 years worth of memory of her life and they rekindle their love or something.
Instead, this was the story of a girl that has to reprepare for college admissions, and a guy who doesn't want to grow up just yet. So physically, this girl is 21, but mentally she's 19. This guy is 19 both physically and mentally. And when they come together it's kind of a sweet thing. They bond over their mutual love of taking care of stray cats. They meet every day and because they both see how mutually kind they are, they slowly fall into a mutual love. I think because there's lack of dialogue at some parts, it seems kind of silent as you can just watch and fill in the silence between them with understanding. I think that's one of the most beautiful kinds of love actually, when there can be love between two people without really having to put it into words, or at least it looks nice in dramas and manga hehe I wouldn't really know.
They even make friends with one of the neighborhood ladies who originally hates the cats because they mess up her nicely tended yard. However, they're able to come to an understanding and coexist in beautiful harmony (omg that phrase is so cringe, but I'll leave it in).
It's pretty cute too how the guy kind of fills in the gap of 2 years left within the girl with his youthful charm. And cute how he still sees her as more mature and as if there's a gap in between the two that he's constantly trying to bridge. And obviously it's cute when they finally get together, duh.
Overall, it's a quiet and more nuanced sort of manga. And it's got a carefree and whimsical quality to it. I'd recommend reading it if you're looking for something a bit more relaxing and you really like cats and just soft things. It was really just soft.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Manga Match 61 Koi ni Naranai Wake ga Nai
Recently I've come to the realization that a lot of people are unhappy because they compare themselves to others and can't be happy for their accomplishments alone. And that's really sad. Because I was talking to my friends, and the reality of the situation was was they could say soooo many nice things about the people around them and point out all of their good attributes, but couldn't do the same for themselves. Somehow I feel like that's a problem that's really hard to fix, but if we could fix it there would be a lot happier people in this world. No idea how to do it though haha sorry.
{Spoilers, but it's shoujo so you know they end up together}
Hehe I'm gonna be honest and say that I was hoping this series would be like Daytime Shooting Star with some spicy romance with the older guy that really wrenches at your heartstrings. Uh, I'd say don't go into this with that mentality...because it definitely wasn't like that. Instead it was more like "what if we took someone's fantasy and made it an easy reality." And that's basically shoujo in a nutshell right? I'm not really sure how to put this, bu this one just seemed a lot more idealistic than something actually feasible. I dunno, maybe I'm just going through a phase where I reallyyyyy admire this professor...yeah no I won't go down that rabbit hole but if you know me you know I kinda have a problem >////<
So, anyways, this manga follows this high school girl and this random college guy she has an encounter with and falls in love from there. Oh yeah, and they're neighbors. Plus he's a practicing teacher(?) at her school. Pretty simple and straightforward right? Honestly it was a little too straightforward and not enough character development for me. It kind of seemed like she was one-sidedly obsessed with him and he just liked being fawned over and justified him pursuing her by saying "oh yeah, I guess she's cute." I think you could also read it another way and say that by him saying that he'll wait until after his time at her school as an assistant teacher is over before going out with her is pretty considerate and nice. You could also say that by both of them refraining from going public for their relationship was also considerate so that the guy could still have a chance at being a teacher, even though he ended up being a news reporter.
I really can't place why exactly the whole thing felt a little bit unnatural, but maybe that's just because it was really cheesy. Like really. And aiya when they became physically intimate to the point that they couldn't study together and she was like "what if I just don't follow my dream and become a housewife?" Thank frickin god she didn't. Heck, if she did you ALREADY KNOW my review would've been scathing. Haha I think reviews are supposed to be pretty neutral in terms of not involving your morals (unless it's like incest or bestiality or some wack stuff), but it's jut not possible here.
Anyways, I think if you're looking for a cute and lowkey forbidden teacherxstudent shoujo series, there are definitely better out there. If you want a role model, maybe not her. Like she's definitely got relatable human characteristics, but it just wasn't the best thing I ever read, you know? I don't think I've completed a manga recently that's really ticked all the boxes for me, but if I do you know I'll be really happy. It's been a while :')
{Spoilers, but it's shoujo so you know they end up together}
Hehe I'm gonna be honest and say that I was hoping this series would be like Daytime Shooting Star with some spicy romance with the older guy that really wrenches at your heartstrings. Uh, I'd say don't go into this with that mentality...because it definitely wasn't like that. Instead it was more like "what if we took someone's fantasy and made it an easy reality." And that's basically shoujo in a nutshell right? I'm not really sure how to put this, bu this one just seemed a lot more idealistic than something actually feasible. I dunno, maybe I'm just going through a phase where I reallyyyyy admire this professor...yeah no I won't go down that rabbit hole but if you know me you know I kinda have a problem >////<
So, anyways, this manga follows this high school girl and this random college guy she has an encounter with and falls in love from there. Oh yeah, and they're neighbors. Plus he's a practicing teacher(?) at her school. Pretty simple and straightforward right? Honestly it was a little too straightforward and not enough character development for me. It kind of seemed like she was one-sidedly obsessed with him and he just liked being fawned over and justified him pursuing her by saying "oh yeah, I guess she's cute." I think you could also read it another way and say that by him saying that he'll wait until after his time at her school as an assistant teacher is over before going out with her is pretty considerate and nice. You could also say that by both of them refraining from going public for their relationship was also considerate so that the guy could still have a chance at being a teacher, even though he ended up being a news reporter.
I really can't place why exactly the whole thing felt a little bit unnatural, but maybe that's just because it was really cheesy. Like really. And aiya when they became physically intimate to the point that they couldn't study together and she was like "what if I just don't follow my dream and become a housewife?" Thank frickin god she didn't. Heck, if she did you ALREADY KNOW my review would've been scathing. Haha I think reviews are supposed to be pretty neutral in terms of not involving your morals (unless it's like incest or bestiality or some wack stuff), but it's jut not possible here.
Anyways, I think if you're looking for a cute and lowkey forbidden teacherxstudent shoujo series, there are definitely better out there. If you want a role model, maybe not her. Like she's definitely got relatable human characteristics, but it just wasn't the best thing I ever read, you know? I don't think I've completed a manga recently that's really ticked all the boxes for me, but if I do you know I'll be really happy. It's been a while :')
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Manga Match 60 Toshishita no Otokonoko
Y'all already know who it is...it's me, the girl who reads too much shoujo manga. hAh! I should just change my name to "Cafe Shoujo" at this point honestly. I've read so much shoujo now that I could probably become the world expert in how shoujo has changed throughout the years and do a real deep-dive analysis. However, because I think there are better ways that I could contribute to humanity, I will refrain...for now.
Recently I've been having to write lots and lots of emails. Some of them have been for the tons and tons of internships I've been applying to, others of them have been because of school projects, and still others are honestly miscellaneous. It's pretty exhausting, the digital world. I'm pretty uncertain of what the future holds, but you can't really do anything about that right?
{Spoilers, but it's a pretty short shoujo series so you already know}
Well, I guess if you're looking for a series where the guy is kinda cute and childish at times and the girl is more mature, this is a good start. There's definitely some cutesy chemistry going on between the two as this girl who never thinks about anything except housework and her family is suddenly faced with a very shoujo teenage girl dilemma of falling in love with a guy. And honestly it's pretty wholesome. You see all of her younger brothers being super protective of her and mistrusting of the love interest, but ultimately helping their relationship once they realize the guy is pretty good. And what was kinda weird was that the guy's older brother was the same way. He didn't want his younger brother to be led on by an older (lol by like 1 year) woman like he was back in the day. And that was endearing in a way too.
I can't say a whole lot. The whole series was pretty short and enjoyable, a brief 16 chapter series. I wouldn't say it's mind-blowing or that the chemistry or concept are anything remarkable, but it was pretty good.
Recently I've been having to write lots and lots of emails. Some of them have been for the tons and tons of internships I've been applying to, others of them have been because of school projects, and still others are honestly miscellaneous. It's pretty exhausting, the digital world. I'm pretty uncertain of what the future holds, but you can't really do anything about that right?
{Spoilers, but it's a pretty short shoujo series so you already know}
Well, I guess if you're looking for a series where the guy is kinda cute and childish at times and the girl is more mature, this is a good start. There's definitely some cutesy chemistry going on between the two as this girl who never thinks about anything except housework and her family is suddenly faced with a very shoujo teenage girl dilemma of falling in love with a guy. And honestly it's pretty wholesome. You see all of her younger brothers being super protective of her and mistrusting of the love interest, but ultimately helping their relationship once they realize the guy is pretty good. And what was kinda weird was that the guy's older brother was the same way. He didn't want his younger brother to be led on by an older (lol by like 1 year) woman like he was back in the day. And that was endearing in a way too.
I can't say a whole lot. The whole series was pretty short and enjoyable, a brief 16 chapter series. I wouldn't say it's mind-blowing or that the chemistry or concept are anything remarkable, but it was pretty good.
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Manga Match 59 Your Letter
As you all know, I'm an avid reader of Webtoons. I'm subscribed to almost all of the featured Webtoons (except the horror/thriller ones mostly), or at least to all of the mainstream ones that everyone knows about. I spend about...45 min on average before bed catching up on my daily Webtoons and manga that've updated. Which is an obscene amount of time, don't worry I'm well-aware of this fact. But we're not here to judge my questionable habits. We're here to talk about Webtoons!
{Spoilers}
I'm not sure if I've ever found a perfect word to ever encapsulate the fantasy experience that you feel when you watch Ghibli movies, but this is a similar kind of vibe with a sort of surreal experience going on, a small kind of magic. Because it was such a short 10 episode Webtoon, it was really easy to follow along for the ride.
The story revolves around this girl named Sori and the letters that she found left behind by a mysterious student named Yeon. Together with Eugene, Sori unravels the mystery left behind the different letters that were left behind. And it really unpacks the mystery of Yeon and gives a satisfying conclusion to the motivation behind his letters and at the end when they're finally able to meet, it was amazing. It's hard to encapsulate all of the feelings that were evoked through the Webtoon, probably because there was so much said just through their facial expressions and through their actions and the complex dynamics the three main characters had between them that are woven in a special way. It's really hard to explain, and it's frustrating that I lack the words to really express how precious and carefully crafted this Webtoon was, but it's a good thing it's only 10 episodes so that you can quickly see for yourself.
I remember when the first 3 episodes were released. I love this kind of mysterious student trope, and so I was instantly drawn in. I remember my roommates were trying to talk to me about something mundane, but all I could do was hold my breath as I read the first 3 episodes. I was sucked in. My roommates didn't really understand this, I think we have different motivations and joys that we derive from reading Webtoons. For one of them I think she reads ones that are relatable/meme-able and the other one reads them because she enjoys a good laugh and romance(?). For me, because I love a good story and characters especially, it's interesting having conversations about them or even just them commenting on parts of episodes they enjoyed. If possible, it's great to have dialogue between people about things that they really enjoy, like a really great bonding experience that Eugene and Sori got through looking for the letters together.
If you read this, tell me what other stories this story reminds you of. It seems strangely familiar to me. It's been a while since I've written one of these, I think I'm just out of practice and kind of lacking something.
{Spoilers}
I'm not sure if I've ever found a perfect word to ever encapsulate the fantasy experience that you feel when you watch Ghibli movies, but this is a similar kind of vibe with a sort of surreal experience going on, a small kind of magic. Because it was such a short 10 episode Webtoon, it was really easy to follow along for the ride.
The story revolves around this girl named Sori and the letters that she found left behind by a mysterious student named Yeon. Together with Eugene, Sori unravels the mystery left behind the different letters that were left behind. And it really unpacks the mystery of Yeon and gives a satisfying conclusion to the motivation behind his letters and at the end when they're finally able to meet, it was amazing. It's hard to encapsulate all of the feelings that were evoked through the Webtoon, probably because there was so much said just through their facial expressions and through their actions and the complex dynamics the three main characters had between them that are woven in a special way. It's really hard to explain, and it's frustrating that I lack the words to really express how precious and carefully crafted this Webtoon was, but it's a good thing it's only 10 episodes so that you can quickly see for yourself.
I remember when the first 3 episodes were released. I love this kind of mysterious student trope, and so I was instantly drawn in. I remember my roommates were trying to talk to me about something mundane, but all I could do was hold my breath as I read the first 3 episodes. I was sucked in. My roommates didn't really understand this, I think we have different motivations and joys that we derive from reading Webtoons. For one of them I think she reads ones that are relatable/meme-able and the other one reads them because she enjoys a good laugh and romance(?). For me, because I love a good story and characters especially, it's interesting having conversations about them or even just them commenting on parts of episodes they enjoyed. If possible, it's great to have dialogue between people about things that they really enjoy, like a really great bonding experience that Eugene and Sori got through looking for the letters together.
If you read this, tell me what other stories this story reminds you of. It seems strangely familiar to me. It's been a while since I've written one of these, I think I'm just out of practice and kind of lacking something.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
an update
Hi, so I regret to inform anyone that still reads this blog anymore that I've run out of buffer. This means there won't be weekly updates anymore. This is mostly due to the fact that I've been volunteering lots and filling in as the leadership role for like 5 group projects. As you can imagine, it's got me stretched a bit thin in terms of trying to take care of myself, trying to be patient with those around me, trying to get all of my projects and commitments done at a caliber that I'm satisfied with, and just trying to live a well-balanced life. And, to be honest, I don't find myself as absolutely infatuated with anime and continuously watching more every time I finish one. Maybe this is due to the fact that I've grown out of that phase, or maybe because binging is just a really bad habit of mine. But, in any case, I feel like it's hard to continually devote yourself to something like this for a long period of time when you're not as deeply emotionally invested. After all, I started this blog because I felt like I couldn't talk to anyone about how I felt about an anime or manga. Manga it's still kind of a struggle, but more often than not in terms of anime I'm slowly trailing behind V so I can just talk to him about it.
Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to update my blog whenever I read something to completion or if I finish an anime or maybe I'll start a segment featuring some manga that I'm currently reading that're really good. I never really started that one because I felt like it's unfair to judge something without having the complete product, you know? But I'll think about it. Because I get kind of nostalgic thinking about the 2 years I had a post up once a week. It was a beautiful thing, to put work in and not really expect anyone to read it, but just to have it there for myself.
Yeah, I was going to include a manga match into this post, but I feel like it's kind of a stand-alone piece more than anything else. So, I'll include the manga match into the next post! Make sure to take care of yourselves!
Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to update my blog whenever I read something to completion or if I finish an anime or maybe I'll start a segment featuring some manga that I'm currently reading that're really good. I never really started that one because I felt like it's unfair to judge something without having the complete product, you know? But I'll think about it. Because I get kind of nostalgic thinking about the 2 years I had a post up once a week. It was a beautiful thing, to put work in and not really expect anyone to read it, but just to have it there for myself.
Yeah, I was going to include a manga match into this post, but I feel like it's kind of a stand-alone piece more than anything else. So, I'll include the manga match into the next post! Make sure to take care of yourselves!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)