The Daily Life of an Otaku: Vampire Knight volume 12

I've been trying to upload this for a while, but for some reason, it wouldn't. Well, it's up here now. Finally! I've been waiting for its release for a while. Too long, that I completely forgot about it until I saw it in the bookstore recently. I was ecstatic to get my hands on a copy!

A while back, I expected the series to end at volume 10. I was wrong! My next guess is volume 15. If not, 20, but I don't think Matsuri Hino would go that far. Then again, maybe she will.

Keeping Your Manga Safe and Beautiful

I've been collecting manga for over a year and a half now, and already, I've gone through the ups and downs of owning them. From my first manga, I was intent on keeping these expensive books safe. I've learned a lot from the day I bought that first manga to the last one I bought. 


1. Keep them out of direct sunlight.
The sunlight will cause the colour to fade. You might go to a store and pick one up with an orange cover, but when you compare them to ones on the internet, the original colour could actually be red. For this reason, you should also check what the original colour the manga is on the internet before buying it.


2. Keep them upright.
Manga were meant to be kept like this:



and not meant to be kept stacked. Uneven weight distribution could cause the manga to bend.

3. When you want to save a page while reading, DO NOT DOG EAR the page.
Doing this, or any damage to the book causes the value of your book to decrease. Use a bookmark that doesn't attach to a page, like this one:

This bookmark doesn't have that tab that hangs onto the page, or isn't in paperclip form. Those types are the worst for preserving pages because they can tear the page.

4. a)  Know who you're lending to.

Make sure you get to know the person who you're lending to. Do they take care of books well? Do they treasure them as much as you do? Do they care about damages, no matter how minor they may be? If the person you're lending to can say yes to all of these, consider them a likely candidate for borrowing books.

b) Less lending = less chance of damage.

The more you lend to people, the more chance the books will have to get scratched. 

5. When travelling with them, keep them in a separate plastic bag.

When you keep manga in a separate the bag it will have a lesser chance of colliding with things in your bag that may cause them to become scratched. Keys, for example, will scratch your manga cover. It also protects from other substances, such as water and lotion. The plastic bag will act as a protector for your cover against scratches and water.

6. Use plastic manga covers.

I myself haven't been able to get my hands on these yet, but my friends have suggested these as a great way to further preserve your manga.

7. Don't touch your manga as much as possible.

The oil from your hands can quicken the process of turning the pages yellow. The repeated turning of the pages also are a factor in the yellowing process.

8. Make sure you can get the best possible condition in the first place.

This way, you are content with the manga you bought, and its value hasn't decreased from any damages. I always do a quick scan and search for the best possible condition. What I search for are: Dog eared pages (there are people who read our new manga in the bookstore without buying them before we get to the manga itself), evidence that the book was previously read by a person who stretches the binding (evidence is shown on spine. You can see if the pages are spread apart.), scratches (whether major or minor), "health" of the binding (check to see if the glue, which is the binding, is turning black for some reason, or the pages are falling out), corners (if they've been bent in), and top and bottom of the spine (if the book's been dropped on the top or bottom of the spine, it'll be dented).


9. When in contact with it, make sure your nails DO NOT touch the book.
Nail contact = risk of scratching. I've lent manga to people who touch the book with their nails, and it's not pleasant at all to have them return with scratches.


I found a video on Youtube a while ago about manga care, which can be found here. It was really useful to have someone with longer experience than me explain how to keep manga in great condition.

I hope this helps people who like to invest in manga, because one day, these things will be worth quite a lot. (Especially Tokyopop now.) I'll put up another post should I learn even more about keeping manga safe.

The Legend Of Princess Sakura and Stepping On Roses Volume 5 Release

Today was the release of the mangas, The Legend of Princess Sakura and Stepping On Roses volume 5. To others, The Legend Of Princess Sakura is better known as "Sakura Hime Kaden", and Stepping On Roses, "Hadashi de Bara wo Fume". 

 

I've counted down to this day, although I didn't get them today (Julie did too!). Both of my favourite mangakas release on the same day? It's a dream come true. 


To those who've read the past blogs, you've already read the sypnosis of Stepping on Roses. You also know how deeply in love I am with it. 


The Legend of Princess Sakura is a heian era manga (another historical bonus for me!). The sypnosis is: 

"Sakura is the granddaughter of a mysterious moon princess who slew demons with her Blood Cherry Blossom sword. All her life Sakura has been forbidden to look at the full moon without knowing why. Then one night, unhappy over her impending marriage, Sakura gazes up at the moon, only to see a demon attacking her...

Princess Sakura has been engaged to Prince Oura since birth. Aoba, an emissary from the court, has come to accompany her move to the capital for her upcoming nuptials. Taking a dislike to Aoba and wanting to escape a life arranged by others, Sakura runs away-and finds she's caught up to her true destiny."

I also love reading about Japanese arranged marriages, so another plus! I'm looking forward to owning these two volumes. Just like "tradition", there'll be a post up when I buy both! 

Photo rights go to Viz Media, Rinko Ueda, Arina Tanemura

Sailor Moon Returns To North America

That's right. Sailor Moon's coming back. Not as an anime, but as a manga.

Kodansha announced on March 18 that the manga will be released in September later this year. After six years, we'll be seeing Sailor Moon back on book stores' manga shelves.

How did the famous Sailor Moon disappear from our culture?

The largest age group began to age, and the new generation came in the middle of the series, not understanding how the story was the way it was because of the scenes from previous seasons. Interest began to fade.

Another factor of its disappearance is the fact that the production companies discontinued the anime series after the inability to keep their audience. Tokyopop also decided not to renew the license when it expired in 2005.

This is a dream come true for many otakus wanting a copy of this successful series.

As for myself, I'm going to think about it. Being a Sailor Moon fan since childhood, I know this one will be long-running.

I'll see if I'll give the manga a chance, and update if I do decide to buy it.

More information can he found at this link.

Mangakas: Rinko Ueda

Rinko Ueda is one of my favourite mangakas. She has such suspenseful series, and she makes her characters grow too. The way she makes them grow is amazing. I recommend her to everyone. Most of her mangas are historical mangas (a bonus for me, since I love history!).


Rinko Ueda is from Nara Prefecture. She has created many mangas such as Tail of the Moon (also known as Tsuki no Shippo), Home, Stepping On Roses (also known as Hadashi de Bara wo Fume), Chupa!, and many more. For more information about her, click here. That link also contains a picture of the mangaka herself, which is very rare.


I discovered her through Tail of the Moon in the library (this was about two years ago). After reading the first volume, I became a die hard fan of hers. I showed Anna the first volume, and she soon became a fan. She later put holds on the rest of the copies, and most of the other girls in our class began reading this series.


My favourite series that she created is Stepping On Roses. I find it to be her best work so far. The summary at the back says:


"Poor Sumi Kitamura... Her irresponsible older brother Eisuke keeps bringing home orphans for her to take care of even though they can barely afford their own basic needs! Just when Sumi's financial problems become dire, wealthy Soichiro Ashida enters her life with a proposal: he'll provide her with the money she so desperately needs if she agrees to marry him. But can Sumi fool high society into thinking she's proper lady? Moreover, is it worth giving up everything for this sham of a marriage?" 


I just love this series! Words cannot explain how much I do. I've mentioned in my last mangaka post that this is the one series I cannot stop reading online. I really do want to read it in English and have the surprises come from the English tankobons, but the thing is, English tankobons are way too late from the Japanese ones. With a series this great, it's impossible to stop. I feel slightly terrible, but this series is way to good for me to not read any further!


My feelings for that series are also shared with her other series, Tail of the Moon. I had the exact same feelings when I read it. I've finally ruled out that I like Stepping On Roses much more.


So how many mangas do I own that are by Rinko Ueda?

Just the four volumes of Stepping On Roses that are out so far. I try to keep updated on when the next ones come out, since this series is popular. Volume 5 will be coming out next month, I think, and Anna and I are eagerly awaiting its release. I would love to own Tail of the Moon, but it's a pretty long series, with 15 books. I would take forever to complete that series.


After reading this, please try to read one of her series! If you're already a fan of hers, please continue to support her!  

Back To the Mall!

Anna, Claire, (Got permission to use her name!) and I went to the mall yesterday! We bought a load of manga again.  Anna bought a few mangas this time surprisingly.

There's my domo backpack at Anna's house! I came an hour early, so we had lots of time to waste!

Claire finally arrived! There's my domo bag to the left, and hers to the right. Now for pictures of kawaii-ness at the mall!

A clearer picture of one of Sephora's Hello Kitty windows

So God-like...O.o

Toki Doki Madness! 

 

My mangas! Anna bought me Oresama Teacher. Thank you very much, Anna! 

Anna's mangas she bought. She says her limit is six, so it's a first that she only bought four.  

Our mangas in comparison! 

Claire and I also bought ribbons for decoration. She wanted to decorate a shirt, and mine was originally for my mirror, but I think I might decorate my bookshelf instead. She bought a dark pink animal print ribbon, and I bought light pink ribbon with white polka dots. 



I can't wait to start decorating things with my new ribbons! If it doesn't look terrible, I'll post a picture of my results.  

Continue to enjoy your March Break, everyone! To those who aren't in the midst of a March Break, continue to make the best of the week! Don't waste it! To our Japanese friends that are suffering from the recent calamity, stay strong!  

March Break Calls For Some Shopping!

I'll be going on a shopping trip on Monday with Anna, Julie, and C-chan soon! I can't wait to buy more manga! Although I'm not sure I'll be able to buy any manga, since I'm saving up for the MTAC (next weekend!). I know Anna will for sure buy manga, so I'll put up a post about our stuff we'll buy.

The one manga I really want is finally in stock at my local Chapters!

There are three copies in stock, and I hope I'll own one of the three! I found it really funny when I read it online. I only read the first chapter, but I found it worth buying, so I really hope it'll still be there.  

At the back, it says,

Mafuyu is the ideal yanki chick-no-nonsense, take-charge, and hard-hitting. But when she gets expelled for being a delinquent, her mother, fed up with her daughter's wayward ways, sends Mafuyu to an isolated school far off in the country.

Mafuyu, determined to make the best of the situation and make her mother proud, decides to turn over a new, feminine, well-behaved leaf. But her yanki soul can't be kept down, and the night before school starts she finds herself defending some guy who's getting beaten up. One slip wouldn't have been a problem, except the guy is…her teacher?! How can Mafuyu learn to be a girly girl if her teacher won't let her forget her yanki past?


In regards to the recent Japanese tsunami disaster, I have contacted my relatives in the Pacific, and they were fine. They told me that the water rose a few feet, but nothing really happened. To think I was scared that morning! I still watch the news a few times a day to recieve updates. It turns out the ceiling of the nuclear plant caved in this morning, and a fire started. There are worries because there was a radiation leak.

Please continue to show Japan your support.







Photo rights go to Shojo Beat/Viz Media/Hakusensha and Izumi Tsubaki

Drawing and Loving Life!

First, Loving Life!

My friend Anna just sent me an email that made my day! Thank you, Anna! I was in need of something to make me laugh today! It reminds me of a quote I saw in the hallways in middle school:
"A day without laughter is a day wasted."
I don't remember who wrote this, but ever since, I've been making sure I share a laugh everyday!

I've been thinking about this for a while - drawing something and posting it up. I'm not exactly the best artist in the world, but I'm a perfectionist, so any artwork I show must somehow live up to my expectations. Since I'm announcing this to the world, I'm going to have to have to keep this promise.

So, in a few months or so, expect a drawing post!

Continue to love life everyone! We all have one life to live this world, so let's not waste it! Make the best of what time we have left to live!

A Vocaloid nuigurumi at Pacific Mall - Nuigurumis are one of the things in life that make me happy! 

Looking for an Anime Convention Around the World?

A while ago, I found a great website that lists upcoming anime conventions, AnimeCons. I found it a great source.

For those who have been otakus for a while now, you may already know this site. For the new otakus, I think you'll find it very convenient.

It shows some conventions around the world, and even pinpoints them on a world map. However, not all conventions are shown. I know for a fact that there are anime conventions in Asia, but they don't show them on the site. Even though this may be the case, I still find it a very reliable source.

Through this site, I found out that there will be one coming soon, on March 19 - 20: The Toronto AnimeCon, which happens twice a year. One in March, and one in December. I'm still debating on if I should go or not.

I hope this post helps some otakus out there looking for a convention near them. Have fun, otakus! I know you will, because I did!

Anime North 2010 - People heading for the Dealer's Room

Today's Kawaii Item(s)! (Day 1)

Today's kawaii items are...

Ran  and Yuki chibi dolls!

Ran (Shugo Chara) belongs to my sister, and Yuki (Vampire Knight) belongs to me.

While people collect ball jointed dolls, I like softer ones you can cuddle with.

I got Yuki at Anime North 2010. My sister got Ran at an anime store.

I'm hoping to expand this "small collection" soon. Characters I'm hoping to get are Sailor Moon (especially the one from season two), Kaname and Zero (Vampire Knight), and Su (Shugo Chara). I really want these, but I usually spend my money on Hello Kitty stuff. Maybe one day I'll have to hold off on the Hello Kitty for these kawaii chibis!

Mangakas: Arina Tanemura

Arina Tanemura is one of my favourite mangakas! She wrote so many wonderful series, and I hope she continues to do so.


She was born in Aichi, Japan, and began her career in 1996 by publishing some stories in Ribon.


Tanemura has a really big worldwide fan base. She has been to San Diego, and I remember reading in her side panels that she also has been to Germany. She probably wrote about other countries she's visited in her side panels.


In my eyes, I find her to be one of the best because she always pushes herself to the limit. Her artworks are extraordinarily detailed, and her art itself is fantastic! I really like the storylines too. They're very original, and with her main series, the concept isn't typical. Throughout the years, she has kept on improving her work, both in the art sense and story sense. If she can improve what she has now, I wonder what fantastic work she'll bring to the otaku world.




Titles of her works are:

• The Style Of Second Love - 1996 (Japanese title: Nibanme no Koi Katachi) 
• Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne - 1998 
• Short Tempered Melancholic - 1998 (Japanese title: Kanshaku Dama no Yuutsu) 
• ION - 1997
• Time Stranger Kyoko - 2000 (Japanese title: Jikuu Ihōjin Kyoko) 
• Full Moon o Sagashite - 2001 (Japanese title: Furu Mun wo Sagashite) 
• The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross - 2004 (Japanese title: Shinshi Doumei Kurosu) 
• Mistress Fortune - 2008 (Japanese title: Zettai Kakusei Tencshi Misutoresu Fochun) 
• The Legend of Princess Sakura - 2011 (Japanese title: Sakura Hime Kaden)

*The years above are years of English release, if released in English at all.

If I had to pick a favourite out of her works, I would have to say "The Legend of Princess Sakura", which by the way is coming to North America really soon! I'm looking forward to buying the series! When I read this series online, after finishing each chapter, my brain screamed, "NEXT CHAPTER, NEXT CHAPTER!" There was definitely suspense there. I screamed this all the way to chapter 12, where, at the time, there were no more updated scanslations. This was last year, and since then, I haven't kept up with the updates. I don't plan to either, since I found out that it was coming in English. Reading it online would just spoil the surprise for me when I read it from an actual manga. I really do hate that. Although I hate spoilers, there is one series that I always check for updates - Hadashi de Bara wo Fume, or in English, Stepping on Roses. 

I will continue to support Tanemura sensei, and I hope that others will too!




So far, this is all I have by Tanemura-sensei:

*I should really start taking pictures with a real camera instead of cell phone (cries).

I can't wait for The Legend of Princess Sakura!

Expanding Your Manga Collection on a Budget

We all like to save money, even if it's only a few dollars. Here's a few things I've learned over the years about buying manga a little cheaper:

1.  Use an Irewards card! (Or any other book membership card!)
If you shop for your manga at Chapters, Coles, or Indigo frequently, this is ideal for you! This has saved me and my friends a lot of money. Irewards saves 10% on every book bought, so you can imagine the savings when you've bought a lot of mangas!

2. Buy at Anime Conventions!
Buying at anime conventions has saved me and my friends lots of money. When I mean lots, I mean a lot. They're much cheaper here. Anime Conventions have been known to sell mangas for as low as $5. These $5 mangas are usually second hand, but they do seem in good enough condition. In Canada, anime conventions have also sold manga for US price, in pristine store-like condition. They are in perfect condition. In the past, my friend, Anna has bought the $5 mangas, and was quite happy with the condition they were in. Being a picky person myself about the pristine condition of mangas, I have bought from Shojo Beat sellers, who sold their mangas at US price. Buying at anime conventions also can find you some rare mangas that you can't find in bookstores anymore!

^Anime North 2010's Dealer room

3. Buy from second hand stores.
My friends and I bought some mangas from Planet Hobby, which does keep their mangas in a quite fair condition.  I bought Happy Happy Clover volume 2 there, and it was definetly in pristine condition. There are mangas there in conditions I would call poor, but this is coming from a picky otaku! There are some there that I would say are in very good condition, and that I myself would buy.

4. Wait for promotions that come up!
Chapters has some promotions once in a while. They have a sale a few times a year where you buy three books, and the fourth book bought is free.

5. Buy from friends.
Some of your friends may want to get rid of some manga, and may sell it to you at a lower price.

Those are ways of saving manga that either myself or my friends have tried. I'm sure I'll have more ways of saving manga in the future. When I have more, I'll post them on here.

Daily Life of an Otaku: Buying Mistress Fortune

I bought more manga recently! Sadly, just one (cries). I went shopping with my friends Anna and Julie, who also bought manga! Who bought the most out of the three of us? Of course, Anna, who LOVES her books. She bought seven of them today. She has been known to shop for fifteen in a single day. Crazy, isn't it?

*Sorry for the poor cell phone quality!

Left to Right: Julie's pile, Anna's pile, and my pile. Ha, mine and Julie's aren't even piles.

^There's Anna's pile of manga! She's known for buying 15 in a day. Shocking, isn't it? She decided to tone down on the costs lately.

^Left to right is Julie's, Anna's and mine. We exhausted the store's supply within a day!


The sypnosis at the back reads:
     
       "Fourteen year-old Kisaki Tachikawa has psychic powers. She works for PSI, a secret government agency that fights aliens. She's in love with her partner Giniro, but PSI won't allow operatives to get involved. Just when Kisaki thinks she may be getting closer to Giniro, she finds out she's going to be California!"

It's by the famous Arina Tanemura! Of course, in my opinion, it was awesome! I give it a rating of 4 out of 5. My sister loved it, and I think a lot of people would too, because of its humour and story. I reccomend this manga to everyone! (Especially since the graphics are cute!)

Here's a couple of pictures of the posters at the back: (Again, I apologize for the ugly cell phone quality.)

I love Tanemura-sensei's art!

I'll be posting more updates of mangas I buy in the future!

My Goals for 2011!

Now that my exams are done, I'm glad I can start working on blogs!


I began 2011 thinking that I wouldn't have any resolutions planned out. Later, I became inspired by Decoden, which began my list of goals!


1. Begin my first decoden project!
-I was inspired to begin decoden after researching on the internet. I already knew it existed long ago, but after seeing pictures of it again just recently, I really think that it could be something fun to do! I'm hoping to buy the materials soon!


Here's a picture of one, taken from Chiralicious' blog:

2. Attend anime conventions!
-If I don't have any major responsibilities on May 27th to the 29th, I'll be able to go to Anime North! If not, hopefully I'll be free on August 25th to the 28th for FanExpo. There is an anime component, but FanExpo combines Comics, Sci Fi, Horror, and Gaming, so it's not too concentrated on anime. I saw FanExpo coverage on tv last year, but they only concentrated on the Comics, and I didn't see any coverage on anime. Another anime convention that's coming up soon is the Toronto AnimeCon (March 19th to 20). From what I've read by bloggers online, there's not very many attendees, when compared to Anime North. I'm still curious to find out what they have in store.


Here's a couple of pictures that I took at Anime North 2010! (I was too scared to ask people for their pictures. It was my first time at an anime convention!)

3. Learn as much Japanese as possible!
-I'm thinking about buying a "Teach Yourself Japanese" book. My friend is a step ahead of me when it comes to Japanese learning resources. She bought herself a Japanese dictionary jusr a few months ago. I did think about doing that earlier, but I never got around to it. I spent my money on manga. :D


4. Make lots of friends!
-I love speaking to people about similar interests! I've made lots of friends on different social networking sites. One of them is OtakuZone.

5. Buy more manga!
- My friends' collections as of today are within range of 80 - 175+. My collection isn't even within that range! D: I think that by the end of this year, I should be able to reach 80, depending on how I spend, and how often I shop. I really want to complete a lot of my series too. There's a lot of gaps in between the numbers. My Vampire Knight collection so far is missing #4 and 5.  My Mixed Vegetables collection, however, only consists of #1 and 2. I have 7 more mangas to buy to complete the series!

6. Buy as many kawaii things as possible!
-I've been very successful with this one these past few years.

I made sure that these goals weren't too hard for me to keep this year. I definetly won't be struggling with the last two goals. I'll try my best to do them and write about them here whenever I can.