^ This image, I shall talk about later! ♥
Today is my brother's 9th birthday. We were planning to have the usual school party for him, but as it turns out, it was field trip day for them. They're going to the museums, and that's when my dad decided to hold the party at the KFC in Yayasan.
I actually had school too, I needed to return the books, but they wanted me to come as well, so after rushing with everything, I finally made it. Dammit, I hate rush modes. XD
This was the best picture I could get of him 0___0 He moves a heck lot.
I love this shot. They actually wanted the group photo to be in front of the fountain, until my dad decided that on the stairs would be better!
And, that's that.
Now, onto Solanin.
What's that? You never heard of Solanin? Well, that's probably because at just one look of the cover, you probably don't see any big-eyed, big-booby lady or pretty, girly-looking boy, or someone with some armor or cool weapon with them. Maybe it's because it's not your typical shoujo manga with weak, some 'ordinary' girl easily falling in love with hot but cold guy, or maybe it's because it's not filled with supernatural weirdness, where someone for whatever reason is more special than those around him, the chosen one---
I could go on forever. This actually frustrates me because it's so hard to find original manga anymore, even in vast sites like mangafox or mangatraders. Don't get me wrong, I used to be a huge fan of shoujo mangas, although not the aforementioned type. Of course, this is not the first time I've read this sort of manga. Before this, there was Nana, Paradise Kiss, Cat Street (I LOVE CAT STREET), etc. I was in one of 'those moods' when I was looking for some Slice of Life genres. Thanks to me wasting my time (in between exams, for that matter) browsing the whole site of mangatrader for something worthwhile, I stumbled upon this jewel.
You see, I am a fan of downloads. Not really a fan, but obviously that's the best way to get my entertainment due to the lack of it here in real life. But, I would sometimes go over the boundary, which has happened with Ayumi since last year. So far, I think I've spent $200+ on her, and I intend to spend more. It's just worth it, I felt, and that's exactly what I'm hoping for with this manga.
I'm hoping that I'll be able to buy a copy of this when I go to Singapore, if I can't find it, I will beg with blood and tears with my dad to let me order it on Amazon. Uhm, I disgress.
Admittedly, when I found this manga, the initial genres in the filter were 'romance' and 'slice of life'. Figuring that wasn't enough, and from a past experience that brought me Emma: Victorian Romance (also another manga I looove), I included 'Seinen' in it too. For some reason, the Shonen and Seinen genre, f0r being targeted for the male audience, young and mature respectively, though not strictly, they appear to be more realistic, less mooshiness. The romance, heck, the usual life activities are much more life-like than the Josei and Shoujo.
Anyway, back to Solanin, I don't know how to express my love for it. I love it. I love it a lot. The five characters have just graduated from college, and each one of them with their own issues. The romance in this story wasn't the main thing. This was a couple who's been dating for six years, and lived together for a year. They are way past the honeymoon stage. There was no more need for sweet promises and whatnot. They were beyond that, yet there were still some sweet moments, even without the need to express mooshiness. No love triangle, no intervening of a third party, no more of those usual high school drama. It was a refreshing change for me.
After each chapter, if I wasn't holding back tears, I would contemplate with my own life, especially since I will be graduating soon as well. That fear of entering the adult life, discouragements and demotivations, hopes and expectations, how am I going to face all that?
Sure, the art style isn't your typical kawaii-girl, ikemen-boy type. That's another part of its uniqueness. It doesn't need over-sized eyes (or goddamned boobies) to attract its readers. A simple synopsis was all it needed to make me read it. Art style plays a big deal in my choice of manga, and although this isn't what I would normally be looking for, it's still good. I love the art style. As you can see, I'm loving everything about this manga.
I've read excerpts of Inio Asano's other manga. They were really good too, more slice of life, more, you know, life life. Subarashii Sekai, I want you. Inio Asano, you are the man.
One thing that made me really excited about Solanin is that it's going to have a live-action film in 2010.
Usually, I'm skeptical about these live-actions, but one thing changed my mind. The actress protraying Inoue Meiko is none other thaaaaan...Miyazaki Aoi!!!!!11!!1
Miyazaki Aoi, Miyazaki Aoi, Miyazaki Aoi. I love Miyazaki Aoi, therefore:-
I love this shot. They actually wanted the group photo to be in front of the fountain, until my dad decided that on the stairs would be better!
And, that's that.
Now, onto Solanin.
What's that? You never heard of Solanin? Well, that's probably because at just one look of the cover, you probably don't see any big-eyed, big-booby lady or pretty, girly-looking boy, or someone with some armor or cool weapon with them. Maybe it's because it's not your typical shoujo manga with weak, some 'ordinary' girl easily falling in love with hot but cold guy, or maybe it's because it's not filled with supernatural weirdness, where someone for whatever reason is more special than those around him, the chosen one---
I could go on forever. This actually frustrates me because it's so hard to find original manga anymore, even in vast sites like mangafox or mangatraders. Don't get me wrong, I used to be a huge fan of shoujo mangas, although not the aforementioned type. Of course, this is not the first time I've read this sort of manga. Before this, there was Nana, Paradise Kiss, Cat Street (I LOVE CAT STREET), etc. I was in one of 'those moods' when I was looking for some Slice of Life genres. Thanks to me wasting my time (in between exams, for that matter) browsing the whole site of mangatrader for something worthwhile, I stumbled upon this jewel.
College graduates struggle to cope with the real world. Music offers refuge in this modern manga with an American attitude.Quoted from Amazon.com. Why was I on Amazon? Because I was wondering if there were any English language versions of this manga. Why was I wondering? Because I'm hoping that I could own a physical copy of this manga. That's how much I love it. Not a big deal to you?Meiko Inoue is a recent college grad working as an office lady in a job she hates. Her boyfriend Shigeo is permanently crashing at her apartment because his job as a freelance illustrator doesn't pay enough for rent. And her parents in the country keep sending her boxes of veggies that just rot in her fridge. Straddling the line between her years as a student and the rest of her life, Meiko struggles with the feeling that she's just not cut out to be a part of the real world.
You see, I am a fan of downloads. Not really a fan, but obviously that's the best way to get my entertainment due to the lack of it here in real life. But, I would sometimes go over the boundary, which has happened with Ayumi since last year. So far, I think I've spent $200+ on her, and I intend to spend more. It's just worth it, I felt, and that's exactly what I'm hoping for with this manga.
I'm hoping that I'll be able to buy a copy of this when I go to Singapore, if I can't find it, I will beg with blood and tears with my dad to let me order it on Amazon. Uhm, I disgress.
Admittedly, when I found this manga, the initial genres in the filter were 'romance' and 'slice of life'. Figuring that wasn't enough, and from a past experience that brought me Emma: Victorian Romance (also another manga I looove), I included 'Seinen' in it too. For some reason, the Shonen and Seinen genre, f0r being targeted for the male audience, young and mature respectively, though not strictly, they appear to be more realistic, less mooshiness. The romance, heck, the usual life activities are much more life-like than the Josei and Shoujo.
Anyway, back to Solanin, I don't know how to express my love for it. I love it. I love it a lot. The five characters have just graduated from college, and each one of them with their own issues. The romance in this story wasn't the main thing. This was a couple who's been dating for six years, and lived together for a year. They are way past the honeymoon stage. There was no more need for sweet promises and whatnot. They were beyond that, yet there were still some sweet moments, even without the need to express mooshiness. No love triangle, no intervening of a third party, no more of those usual high school drama. It was a refreshing change for me.
After each chapter, if I wasn't holding back tears, I would contemplate with my own life, especially since I will be graduating soon as well. That fear of entering the adult life, discouragements and demotivations, hopes and expectations, how am I going to face all that?
Sure, the art style isn't your typical kawaii-girl, ikemen-boy type. That's another part of its uniqueness. It doesn't need over-sized eyes (or goddamned boobies) to attract its readers. A simple synopsis was all it needed to make me read it. Art style plays a big deal in my choice of manga, and although this isn't what I would normally be looking for, it's still good. I love the art style. As you can see, I'm loving everything about this manga.
I've read excerpts of Inio Asano's other manga. They were really good too, more slice of life, more, you know, life life. Subarashii Sekai, I want you. Inio Asano, you are the man.
One thing that made me really excited about Solanin is that it's going to have a live-action film in 2010.
Usually, I'm skeptical about these live-actions, but one thing changed my mind. The actress protraying Inoue Meiko is none other thaaaaan...Miyazaki Aoi!!!!!11!!1
Miyazaki Aoi, Miyazaki Aoi, Miyazaki Aoi. I love Miyazaki Aoi, therefore:-Miyazaki Aoi + Solanin= ULTIMATE WIN
I have no idea who the rest of the cast members are, but I trust Miyazaki Aoi. She's starred in several independent films, which I love as well, and of course mainstream movies too and I'm sure this one is going to be a breeze. She had also portrayed Tensho'in Atsu-hime in the drama Atsu-hime, the wife of the 13th Tokugawa Shogun, Tokugawa Iesada. (Yes, I actually remember all those facts because I loved the taiga drama). In that one series, you could see how she progressed from being a care-free lower branch Samurai family's daughter to basically the highest-ranked lady of the Samurai at that point of time.
Seriously, Miyazaki Aoi has portrayed a vast range of characters. When I heard the news (I was searching for Solanin on Facebook for fun, and found its fanclub XD) I literally squealed in excitement. I don't usually do that, okay, but I did then. Agh, don't ask me why I love her so much, at this stage, I don't even know why anymore, I just know that I do. :D
Okay, I think it's way too long already. Sorry. :/
I have no idea who the rest of the cast members are, but I trust Miyazaki Aoi. She's starred in several independent films, which I love as well, and of course mainstream movies too and I'm sure this one is going to be a breeze. She had also portrayed Tensho'in Atsu-hime in the drama Atsu-hime, the wife of the 13th Tokugawa Shogun, Tokugawa Iesada. (Yes, I actually remember all those facts because I loved the taiga drama). In that one series, you could see how she progressed from being a care-free lower branch Samurai family's daughter to basically the highest-ranked lady of the Samurai at that point of time.
Seriously, Miyazaki Aoi has portrayed a vast range of characters. When I heard the news (I was searching for Solanin on Facebook for fun, and found its fanclub XD) I literally squealed in excitement. I don't usually do that, okay, but I did then. Agh, don't ask me why I love her so much, at this stage, I don't even know why anymore, I just know that I do. :D
Okay, I think it's way too long already. Sorry. :/
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