[ANIME] Solomon, Blood+ fanfiction & screencaps

I know, I'm pathetically obsessed with this animated character, and so it's inevitable that I'm blogging about him. Again. ^^

I tried watching Honey and Clover but I can't concentrate. I'm still basking in the Blood+ afterglow. Morita promises to be an interesting character though. So weird. ^^;

Finally I've gotten around to reading longer Blood+ fanfiction, and I am so lucky to have stumbled upon Kelles' Solomon x Saya fic Another Time, Another Place. And it's so GOOD. Not just because it has Solomon in it, but because it's superbly written and Solomon was given beautiful characterization. Its fun to know what goes on inside that pretty head of his.

I also like the fact that there are genuine Blood+ moments like Amshel and Solomon's tense conversations, background information on WWII being chiroptera-related, etc, and not just the "lovey-dovey" parts. It feels as if I'm really watching Blood+, AU Edition. Which fortunately did not deter the author from loading it with fanservice. I am a newbie to the fandom and its literature-spawn, but what I've read thus far (3 chapters) highly amused me. I think the author guessed what story elements I wanted to see more of, or wanted to explore deeper in the series, and wrote just that. Plenty of fanservice, which is so much fun.

Its kinda naughty too, but with a Teen rating, still SFW. The author did warn though that we are heading for raunchier developments, with the current rating at "Teen (for now)". LOL!

In the authors words:

"I love the Solomon x Saya pairing in Blood+ but due to certain events in the series writing it post series is kind of difficult (but not in the manga). I came up with the idea of having an AU set during WWII in France. Solomon was a doctor (before he became chevalier). There isn't much canon for either Solomon or Saya during WWII except Saya would have been awake and Solomon was a chevalier during that time period. So this is totally AU, set in 1940 France."

Spoilers abound, especially if one has no knowledge yet of Saya's past.

And now for some screencaps which I made earlier from episode 11. Feel free to distribute but please link back to my blog. Okies?

[ANIME] Death Note Chibi wallpaper from animeEDEN

Aww so cute! The thumbnail alone was begging to be featured. Presenting chibi L, chibi Light and chibi Misa, cast of the very un-chibi series Death Note. ^^

Comic Alley seems to be a big fan of this anime, with almost half of the merchandise carrying all things Death Note (and the other almost-half to all things Bleach), from keychains to cellphone accessories to mousepads to pillows to replicas of the actual notebook (I have one, which I used for my nursing notes, to the consternation of my clinical instructors, lol!).

Why can't they carry Blood+ merch?! I need my Solomon plushie!!!

Death Note Chibi wallpaper uploaded by Agito at animeEDEN. Click here to go the website.

[Personal] Thank you Brian!

Thanks a million Brian! I'm still listening to them, and enjoying them immensely. The first soundtrack kinda sounded better than the second set, except for Saya's Loneliness. ^_^

[MUSIC] Fall Out Boy - Remaining Manila Concert Tickets as of August 24

Disclaimer: pics snagged directly from MTV Philippines' website.


MTV Philippines has a promotional tie-in with FOB's concert! To quote from their website, here are the dynamics of the promo:

* First, choose the area and the number of seats that you like! Please refer to the seat arrangements posted above.
* Next, to reserve and purchase the tickets email us at TICKETS@MTV-PHIL.COM
* MTV will then contact you within the next couple of hours to confirm all the details you sent.
* You can claim your tickets at our new office in Pasig (http://www.mtvphil.com/corporate.php?id=9)
* Payment procedures: CASH, CHEQUE (Cheques must be payable to All Youth Channels, Inc.)
* All tickets not claimed upon deadline for payment will automatically cancel one’s reservation.
** T-shirt is automatically bundled in with the special MTV-FALL OUT BOY ticket package. Original t-shirt price is P1200

Hmm... not a bad deal at all. Now if they can convert that T-shirt to an actual CLANDESTINE Industries merchandise.... Like a hoodie.... Pete's hoodie.... Or a plain T-shirt with a Bartskull on it... *MTV Philippines, take a hint!!!*

Read the full details on MTV Philippines' website!

[ANIME] Animated Blood+ Icons: Teasers

Fantastic animated icons of Blood+, created by pink_promise. Go on over to her page for the real deal and send her some love. Rules as quoted from her page: "Credit / Comment make me happy / Don´t hotlinking / Don´t modify / Textless icons are not bases."

So go to her page and abide by the rules! ^_^

PS: For some reason I can't get my uploaded gifs to animate... *sob* Is this a blogspot thing?

[ANIME] I Heart Solomon (Blood+ Episode 23 screencaps) SPOILER ALERT

Warning: spoilers spoilers spoilers. But I can't help it. I love Solomon. He is such a sweetheart. *^_^*

(click here for Blood+ wallpapers. Spoiler alert!)

Snipped from Wiki: "Voiced by: Koji Tsujitani (Japanese), Dave Wittenberg (English)
Age 110: (appearance age 28): 4th Brother, French/German - Solomon Goldsmith (S), CEO of Cinq Flèches Group, and Amshel's younger brother from Amshel's original human family. Although he agrees that Saya is now a threat to him and his partners..." (end of snippet)

Nah we'll just leave it at that for those who haven't reached episode 23 yet, and let the screencaps do the talking. *wink*

Go ahead. I know you want to ogle. He is such a bishie. And a gentleman to boot. This fangirl is squealing. XD

What do I like most about this guy? He's on my blog banner as my official cover-boy until Nanba-sempai took over quite recently. I could list quite a few things I like about Solomon but I would be spoiling those who haven't watched this episode yet. But in a nutshell, he's one of the most complex characters I've come across in a while. Although some viewers may just see him as a selfish guy who does whatever it takes to get what he desires, I see him as a complicated character torn between loyalty and true love, fighting his inner demons (he is a Chevalier after all), and offering himself (and more!) to the person he genuinely cares for. And doing all these with a smile on his face? Gotta love him! *_*

Not to mention he looks so damn good. XD Those eyes, that hair, that suit... *_* (watch out for the suit change in the coming episodes...^_~)







Thank you whiteplums! I love you x100 for uploading this! :3

Blood+ screencaps FOR THE WIN!

[ANIME] Siam Shade - No Junjou na Kanjou (Rurouni Kenshin "Samurai X" Ending Theme)

*sigh* This song so reminds me of college (or highschool?). Hehe yeah I am THAT old already. ^^ Easily the best song out of all the ending themes of Rurouni Kenshin, with L'Arc~en~Ciel's 4th Avenue Cafe coming at a close second. Woo~ the memories. I remember the days when Nobuhiro Watsuki rocked my world. I used to have photocopies of part of the manga out of a friend's Shounen Jump. This was the time before Comic Alley even existed.

Too bad Siam Shade disbanded already. They left a lot of fans in their wake. Btw, Hideki looked so kawaii in this video. *heart* Ahhh I miss Rurouni Kenshin... My heart beats for Aoshi then. And his trenchcoat.

LYRICS!

Kowareru hodo aishite mo
Sanbun no ichi no tsutowaranai
Junjou na kanjou wa karamawari
I love you sae ienaide iru my Heart

Nagaku nemurenai yoru ga
Kimi e no omoi
"sore wa koi nan desu" tosasayaku yo
Tomedonaku katarikakeru
yureru kodou wa
binetsu majiri no tameiki e to kawaru

Gimme smile and shine days
kimi no smile de
itetsu yoru no samusa mo good, koraerareru

Kowaweru hodo aishite mo
sanbun no ichi mo tsutawaranai
junjou na kanjou wa karamawari
I love you sae ienaide iru my Heart

Manatsu no ame no you ni
kawaita sunada
uruosu kimi no egao gamabushikute

Gimme smile and shime days
kyuu ni sumasanaide
donna ni konnan de nankan na kabemo koeru kara

Dore dake kimi wo aishitara
kono omoi todoku no darou
mitsumerareru to ienai
kotoba ga chuu ni mau

Nanarereba hanareru hodo
itoshii hito da to kizuku
motomereba motomeru hodo ni
setsunai kyori wo kanjiteiru my heart.

Gimme smile and shine days
gimme smile and nice days
moshimo kono ude de, kimi to dakishime aeta nara

Dore dake kimi wo aishitara
kono omoi todoku no darou
yume no naka de wa tashika ni
ieta hazu na no ni
Kowaweru hodo aishite mo
sanbun no ichi mo tsutawaranai
Junjou na kanjou wa karamawari
I love you sae ienaide iru my Heart

My heart....

[Music] Fall Out Boy Live in Manila: Sept 21 SOLD OUT

It's official people. The September 21 (Friday) Friends or Enemies tour date is sold out already. Check their official tour list. Yay, go Manila! We did fill the Coliseum. *proud* Good thing we still have the newly opened September 20 "Day 2" concert date so those who weren't able to buy their tickets on the 21st can still watch Fall Out Boy live.

Speculations abound as to who will be the front act(s). Some of the suggested bands include:
1. Chicosci
2. Join the Club
3. Jack's Mannequin
4. Paramore... hahahaha we wish!

I'd add Panic! At The Disco and Gym Class Heroes up there... if only it'd be possible. Dream on.

About Chicosci, an FOB fan had said that it's posted on their Myspace Gig Sked. *cry* I'm not really a fan of this band, who I heard were branding themselves as the FOB of the Philippines. :,-( If only the lead vocalist would sound better than a kid out of a high school battle of the bands contest. Seriously, the kid can't sing. Listen to Vampire Social Club. *cringe*

I heard that Smart and No Curfew are the main sponsors. Still wasn't able to spot that Billboard at EDSA yet (from Santolan going to Makati and Rosario), because I'm always down south in Laguna for duty. Darn nursing school. Hahaha!

I wish they would sing "I've Got A Dark Alley And A Bad Idea..." coz I heard they had never sung this live, because of the context of the song and why it was written. Which is too bad because I love this song, possibly the anthem of my adolescent life (lol, that was so years ago).

I also wish they'd cover "I'd Write Sins Not Tragedies". Oh, the joy. ^_^

[LYRICS] Angela Aki - "This Love" Live Performance + lyrics

LYRICS!

"ai ga areba heiwa da" to dare ka ga kuchi ni shite ita
unazuku hito mo ireba, utagau hito mo iru

kurushimi ga aru kara koso anata wo dakishimeru toki
sono ude no yasashi sa wo heiwa to kanjiru no deshou

aru toki kara mukuchi ni nari kokoro wo shimekiri
kono koi ga hikisakaresou ni natta

kasaneta kono te wo
kondo wa hanasanai
shinjiru chikara ga
ai wo jiyuu ni suru

yuujou ni sukuwaretari, mirai wo souzou shitari
shiawase wa mieru keredo jibun wo miru koto wa nai

yakusoku to iu watashi tachi no konpasu dake de wa

kono koi wa hougaku wo miushinau no

kiseki wo matsu yori
kono te wo tsunagitai
shinjiru chikara ga
watashi wo jiyuu ni suru

kono koi wo osorezu ni
You don't have to fear this love, this love

kasaneta kono te wo
kondo wa hanasanai
shinjiru chikara ga
ai wo jiyuu ni suru

kiseki wo matsu yori
kono te wo tsunagitai
shinjiru chikara ga
watashi wo jiyuu ni suru

[This Love lyrics on http://www.metrolyrics.com]

*sigh* I heart Angela Aki! She sounds fantastic live. I love this version better than her recorded single. Wish the producers of Blood+ had used this as the ending theme for the last episode.

Though going back to the first ending theme seems much more symbolical, this one fits the mood to a "T".

This would go down in my fandom heaven as one of the best ending themes in the history of otaku-dom. If not THE best.

[ANIME] BLOOD+ (aka "I just made my little sister cry")

...by making her watch Blood+ for three days, all 50 episodes of it. When the final scenes of the last episode was playing out, I was already sneaking glances at her. To my surprise, her face was wet with tears. I just kept quiet (partly because I'm also in tears, and this is the nth time I've watched the ending!). My usually stoic sister, who's ten years younger than me, was weeping buckets of tears. I can't help but feel a little pride in the "I told you so Blood+ is awesome" feeling. ^^

We went to lunch in silence, both sniffling. Then she turned to me and said, "Part two! There has to be a part two!!! They can't end it like this!"

Can't say any more about the ending so as not to spoil future viewers, but the ending is, how do I say it... so ripe for fanfiction. XD Though I haven't searched for any fanfics yet. The last scene is precious enough for me, and I can live with just that, and my own versions of the possibilities.

What I love about this anime is that you can watch it again and be surprised at the subtle hints thrown along the way, those little details you weren't able to "get" and appreciate while watching it for the first time. The second time around, you can see things with new eyes, and appreciate all the little gestures and details, and put them all together like a puzzle. Why Hagi answered a certain way in this episode and then that way in another episode, why the characters did what they have done. Everything becomes better the second time around, so much richer. While I was watching with my sister, my mind was like, "So that's why he said that! So that's why she did that!" I didn't notice those details before.

Blood+ is so cool, so many mind games from the creators and storywriters. ^^

I heart Solomon!

I heart Hagi!

I heart Blood+!

My sister is now moping in her room, because "I'm still not done with my homework and Blood+ is over." LOL! I predict the birth of one more fangirl in this household. ^_^


Disclaimer: Support icon created by Aras_Vengeance! ^_^

[ANIME] Blood+ Fanart by Lillymon "Never Ending Love"

Lillymon draws like a goddess. Look at this fanart. It's fantastic! I could almost hear all the HagiXSaya fans rejoicing when this came out. Go visit her page and send her love and kudos. She definitely deserves them!


Never Ending Love by Lillymon

Lillymon's DeviantArt page

[Music] Fall Out Boy Live in Manila: NEW CONCERT DATE

Good news to all FOB fans in Manila! Those who were not able to buy tickets for the September 21 concert at the Araneta Coliseum now have a chance to watch FOB on a new date, Sept 20 (Thursday), same time, same venue. Woohoo, Fall Out Boy for two nights in Manila! What more can one ask? ^^

Event Date/Time:
September 20, 2007 | Thursday at 8:00pm
September 21, 2007 | Friday at 8:00pm

TicketNet Online Reservation site for the Fall Out Boy Friends and Enemies Tour


:)

[PHOTOGRAPHY] Manny Librodo's workshop in Edmonton, Canada

It's all about the eyes. No one can bring out the subjects' inner beauty more than the master of portraiture himself, Mr Manny Librodo. Mabuhay ang Pinoy! Go Sir Manny!

Wish I could save enough to join one of his workshops. ^^ For those who are interested to join his workshop in Edmonton next year, click this link: http://www.picturesbygary.com/2008_workshop/

September 15 & 16, 2008 Day # 1 - Outdoor photography with a model at various location around the cityof Edmonton.

Day # 2 - Whole day lecture on digitalpost production.

More photos from his Canada series:
http://www.pbase.com/manny_librodo/canada07


:)

[MUSIC] Fall Out Boy - The Take Over, The Break's Over (still at the #1 spot)

Good news Pinoy FOB fans! "The Take Over, The Break's Over" still reigns supreme at the number one spot on BOTH the Top 5 @ 5 countdown and the Magic 30 countdown at Magic 89.9

Woohoo! Go Fall Out Boy!

http://www.magic899.fm/Child.aspx?CHID=CHART&DPID=TOP5
http://www.magic899.fm/Child.aspx?CHID=CHART&DPID=M30

Don't forget! Their concert at Araneta Coliseum will start at 8PM on Sept 21. So grab a ticket now while there are still tickets. Last I heard (from the FOB fandom grapevine), the VIP Patron, Patron, and Lower Boxes A and B are all sold out. Better verify that with TicketNet.net

[PHOTOGRAPHY] Canada series by Manny Librodo

CANADA: The Land of Beautiful People
Photographer: Manny Librodo

The master of portraiture has done it again! Shot in Edmonton and Calgary, Mr Librodo has shown the world once more why he deserves the fame and fandom. Check out more of his photos at http://www.pbase.com/manny_librodo/canada07

Go Manny! Angat ang pinoy!

[PHOTOGRAPHY] Pain by Gerico A. Canlapan

Photograph: Pain
Photographer: Gerico A. Canlapan

"Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding."
Khalil Gibran

http://jerishoots.deviantart.com/art/PAIN-15612041

Wonderful concept and capture by DA friend Gerico A. Canlapan. It's been said that we must be careful how we interact with people around us, because all of us have our own private tragedies.

Go Jeri! This photo owns! Go give his site a visit and send kudos his way.

about this blogger... ^^

Too old to be a fangirl in this part of my world... *looks around for a fellow fan... finds only a few* *sob*

Likes anime, shounen ai (especially non-canon pairings, wee!), jpop, punk and pop rock, movies especially animated ones, books, BOOKS! Into photography heavily. Would love to talk about any of the above stuff but finds few people with the same interests (as in rabid, obsessive people like me) here where I live. Oh, and I'm also a nursing student in my mid-20's, lolz!

I think being a fangirl is something you're born with. I remember the first movie that fascinated me, The Labyrinth (1986). When the internet became available to the public here in the Philippines, I wrote my first ever fanfic (hey, back in 1999, it got 2634 downloads and a 10/10 rating, yay!). I was obsessed with it, together with other fantasy movies like The Princess Bride, until anime came along.

It was introduced to me when I was a freshie in UP Los Baños, and I remember it was the Sailormoon S movie. Lo and behold, it was subtitled. I was used to watching Peter Pan, A Little Princess and other morning anime in ABS-CBN, with no idea that it was anime already. Dubbed in Filipino, of course.

Then YuuYuu Hakusho came along, and I was mega-obssessed with it also (the requisite fanfics came naturally, lol!). And Rekka No Honou. I built two mailing lists for them, with the YYH peak activity in April 2000 reaching 984 posts.

Even my present lovelife came to be through anime. Back in 2000, a friend dropped by to borrow some software installers. He had with him a tall guy who he introduced to me as his neighbor, Alvin. I noticed the neighbor had a couple of VHS tapes (yes, VHS) with him. It was copies of Kimagure Orange Road and Ninja Scroll. I wanted to borrow them and he (Alvin) gladly obliged, to the amazement of my friend Ted who had wanted to borrow it from him for weeks (I pwned!). Alvin was amazed a girl was interested in anime (at that time, it was only the geek crowd who knew of anime, and our only source was the mecca, Greenhills! ^^). So there. We've been together since. ^^

Then a Filipino manga called CULTURE CRASH came into being. Good story, fantastic illustrations. I bought each and every issue and had all of them autographed by two of the illustrators. Trivia: the editor in chief of Culture Crash, James Palabay, was a college friend of Alvin when they were both studying in UP Los Baños, the same college where I was first introduced to anime. Small world, huh? ^^; Alvin and some of his friends have an anime video rental store at that time too in UPLB.

Cosplay... I only got to join once and I didn't even go up on stage (stage-fright, hehe). I went as Lara Croft. I think I attended about five or six anicons only because I'm from Laguna and I stopped going since 2001. I have a picture of me as Lara Croft and JM Chua (the international cosplay winner at an AXN Hong Kong anicon, yay Go Pinoy!) as Saito Hajime in the first ever Philippine anime event, Anime Expo 2000(?) in Megamall. Will post a pic if I find the photo though... *cry*

Anime showings... I went to both AnimaAnime and the UPDiliman Arki showings Animersion. When I created a literary club in college, to earn money so we could publish our own poetry and prose compilations, we held a couple of anime showings in our school auditorium. It was a hit with a lot of people buying tickets. We played Love Hina, KareKano, Arujuna, Escaflowne the movie, Read or Die OVA, Aa! Megami Sama movie, and some more I can't remember. ^^

Then I graduated from college and joined the workforce.

Fandom lulled for a while. I took up watercolor and poetry. I joined a local poetry club called Pinoy Poets, Inc and attended a couple or so of their gatherings. They were pretty good and well-connected too, with contacts from the recognized and award-winning masters of the written word. We were able to put up a couple of chapbooks and albums of spoken poetry ([Öb•Vêrs] Obras in Verse and O2 (Obras in Verse Volume II), with celebrities in the literature world reading them out loud in the chapbook launch gatherings.

I resigned from my job after three years and went back to school to take up nursing. Fandom reared its beautiful head again and urged me to take up photography. I bought a DSLR Canon EOS 350D and shot the Philippines over from Sagada to Boracay. Wee! I worshiped contemporary masters like John Chua, The Space Academy, Parc Cruz and Manny Librodo. Fandom at its FINEST because I was able to interact and learn from the masters through shooting EBs and get-togethers. PinoyPhotography is the club I belong to. I'm also a forum member at Digital Photographer Phils. I earned a little dough from shooting portraits of friends of friends, but the best part of the experience is I got to meet many like-minded friends who shared the same passion as I had for photography. Gear lust, anyone? ;-)

Then recently I discovered Fall Out Boy (can't find a single song that I don't like, man they're so GOOD!), and I went back to my highschool days when music was life! Through FOB, I went on to appreciate My Chemical Romance, Good Charlotte, Bright Eyes, The Used, Panic! At the Disco, Taking Back Sunday, Yellowcard, The Fray, Dashboard Confessionals, Hinder, and even Gym Class Heroes and Mika. By the way, the Minutes to Midnight album by Linkin Park rocked!!! Lithium by Evanescence is not a bad single as well. I think I'm also a fan of the Fueled By Ramen label, since a lot of the artists I like are under them. ^^

I am also an unabashed blushing fangirl when it comes to Patrick Stump, Gerard Way, and Brendon Urie. *^_^*

And then a week ago, a friend lent me her copy of Blood+, the anime series that took place decades after Blood: The Last Vampire. And here we go again, rabid fanmode all around. LOL!

HagiXSaya or SolomonXSaya? I prefer the latter. I'm a sucker for emo-prettyboy-gentlemen as the antagonists. Hehe. Like the cutie Lee Yul from Princess Hours/Goong.

Will cut short for now. Wow, such a long first post! Will be eating dinner first. ^_^