Onee-chan, I still miss you - update

Continuation of this.


Until now, I still think about her. Months had passed since the last time I discussed about my older sister. My father sometimes called my relatives to check on her, but no news yet.


Finally, just yesterday, my dad talked to my grandma on the phone. After he hung up, I asked about what happened. He simply told me not to worry, and what he said next definitely shocked me to bits.


My sister is now working as an accountant clerk somewhere in Manila, much better than being a stripper. I was so relieved and happy at the same time.


Now, if only I can see her again...


Onee-chan, I still miss you, but I know you're in good hands now. Best of luck in following your dreams ^^

101 Ways to Leave a Game Show: more than just a casual exit

This show had been premiered in AXN last Wednesday, and I was so hyped about it that I couldn't resist the urge to post it here. From the creators of Wipeout comes this show, surely to knock your socks off.

The game show's logo

101 Ways to Leave a Game Show is an entertainment series that began last June 21, 2011 by ABC, catering to the US viewers. It was shown to all Filipino watchers by Sony Entertainment Company (owner of AXN).

The wacky host, Jeff Sutphen

The mechanics of the game is simple: answer the questions right, and you'll get a shot at winning $50,000. If you get the wrong answer, you're out of the game. But trust me, the way of being eliminated won't be as simple as walking away empty-handed, for it incorporated outrageous and insane styles of exits, exaggerating the punishment one receives for answering the questions wrong.


Take a look at these examples:

Flying high, away from the contest!!!

Waaaaaaaaa!!! I'm blasting off!!!

BOOOM!!! 

See, I told you it'll never involve the usual walking away from the competition. ^^


In the end, the four remaining contestants will face off for the grand prize. Only one will remain on the top while the rest will fall down to the water.


I suggest you watch it, and you'll get my drift. :D


Till next tym, peeps! ^^

Real Life: of graduation and new beginnings

I finished attending my brother's graduation this afternoon, and it brought me back memories. I endured trying not to sleep, just to give respect to the people on stage. As I finally saw him receiving his diploma, I thought of mine, still encased in that red velvet covering with my medium graduation portrait beside it, and even the happy faces of my mom and dad.


We all know that graduation is entitled to the end of elementary / high school / college life and commencement onto a new phase in life. Parents are really happy that their kids finally reaped the fruits of their labor after working hard to pay the tuition fees. For the cream of the crop, especially the valedictorians / magma cum lades and salutatorians / suma cum lades, dedication with extra effort equates to greater rewards. But for the rest, simply having the privilege of getting the diploma would be enough.


But while graduating may be a good thing, it also means saying goodbye to the good times one has with his school peers. Although they may be able to still keep in touch, things will never be the same, especially when going on separate ways.


Never forget the lessons learned during your years of studying, not just the usual subjects, but real ones as well. 


Congrats, graduates! Hats off to all of ya! 

Fairy Tail (Season 2): A parallel enigma, towards Edolas

And so, I continue the discussion about what happens right now in Fairy Tail. ^^


After the Nirvana problem has been averted, Wendy & Charles were welcomed to Fairy Tail, and a few filler episodes showed up to reveal some joyful events, like the Rainbow Cherry Blossom Festival and the Bingo game. Then Gildarts returned for a visit to the guild HQ and Natsu was so happy to meet him again. He hoped that Gildarts' surprise would be a happy one, only to find out that instead of Igneel, a black dragon appeared. Natsu was determined to look for it, but there's a problem: where and how to start?

And that's where the real problem begins, and it all began when a simple rain shower suddenly turned deadly.

Wendy and Mystogen reuniting after 7 years

Wendy has come face-to-face with Mystogen (mistaken to be Jellal because they look exactly alike), and he revealed that Magnolia and the rest of Earthland will be in danger because he failed his mission. The magic in his world has been deteriorating, and because of his failure, nothing would stop it.  Despite his warnings, Wendy rushes into the HQ to warn everyone, but it was too late. A huge hole appeared from the thundering dark skies, and the Sky Dragon Slayer could only watch helplessly as everything disintegrated in a flash.

Wendy couldn't believe her eyes as she sees the HQ vaporizing

And so, she was left alone, or was it? Natsu had emerged from the rubble unharmed, so did Happy and Charles. To answer the multi-dollar questions, the she-cat explained that they’re from Edolas, the parallel world different from Earthland, and that the destruction brought upon Magnolia was known to be the hyperspace magic, Anima, a way to restore the lost magic which was now in limited quantities. The Fire Dragon Slayer suggested that they go to Edolas for answers, and so they did as they ascended towards the hole, the portal leading there.

The two Dragon Slayers fling with their cats as they explore Edolas

But because of the severe magic limitations, Happy and Charles couldn’t use their wings and the group had to walk on foot. After a series of shenanigans as lost travelers, they finally found the Edolas version of Fairy Tail. The first impression whey they first stepped in was that the members there were the polar opposites of their Earthland versions, only to be spotted by the Edolas version of Lucy.

Uh oh... busted!!

Then there was another threat in the form of the Fairy Hunter, who enjoyed killing mages. That’s when Natsu’s team realizes that the Fairy Tail there was an outlaw guild because of lack of magic power, and the government’s law to disband the guilds, so the headquarters had to be teleported to somewhere safe. In case you’re wondering who the Fairy Hunter is, it’s none other than the Edolas counterpart of Erza Scarlet, Erza Nightwalker, one of the generals of the royal army.

Well, that’s all I can narrate, so you have to watch the rest to find out how this big catastrophe will be solved.

Till next time! ^^

Onee-chan, I still miss you

The last time I saw her, she was leaving to the Bacolod-Silay airport for another year in college as a future accountant. My mom gave her some words of advice and good luck as I watched the airport come into view. By the time we stopped, she started boarding for her flight, and after some kisses and hugs, we parted ways.


Today's her 24th b-day, and I still haven't seen or heard of her yet. Recently, she became a rebel, committing the error of having a boyfriend before she could finish her studies so that her dream would come true. Afraid by what my parents and relatives would think about her boyfriend, she became desperate, hiding herself away from us. Finally, she ran away from home.


My parents were indeed disappointed about her. They had worked so hard to give her a good life, and they still didn't believe that that's how she would repay them.


Then I saw a scandal video on my cousin's cellphone, with her name on it. When I played and saw that something intimate is going to happen to her, I stopped playing, for it hit me like a rock aiming for my head. At least I knew one reason behind her sudden disappearance.


I became so mad at my parents for choosing to do nothing instead of supporting her effort to move on, and even for myself, for failing to do the right thing for her when she badly needed it.


Yep, it's indeed hard, but we finally talked about it, and I realized that... they still need to sort out before they're willing to accept her again. At least, that's a good start. As for me, all I could do is pray and hope she'll be okay, wherever she is now.


Ate Angeli, happy b-day... I hope you'll be back home to us. I miss you so much...

Jealousy: Love conquering all odds

Well, hello there, peeps. Time for me to pick off where I left off about Strange Angels.

Christophe and Dru are now the main stars in this installment  of Strange Angels

Jealousy is the third installment of the famous Strange Angels series, authored by no other than Lili St. Crow. It picks off where Betrayals ended, with Dru Anderson now in the confines of the Schola Prima, the real-deal training facility for vampires. But that's not all; it's also the headquarters of the Order, the so-called government of suckers.


And Dru's not the only female vampire-human hybrid ever existed. There is another sveotcha by the name of Anna, the red-headed rich kid who is the head of the Order. Spoiled and persistent to get what she wanted, Anna will stop at nothing to get Christophe Reynard back, even if it means to drag Dru down.


It's known as Jealousy, mainly because of Christophe's past with Dru's mom, with Anna being the unhappy girl who's always angry whenever she spots him with Elizabeth. And yes, even with Liz killed and her daughter now existing, she's still mad, this time about Dru's relationship with Christophe.


Well, all I can say is... try to dive in this book. It'll be one hell of a ride! ^^


Till next time :D

Fairy Tail (Season 2): the magic continues...

I was able to watch Fairy Tail again on Animax after it ended on the part where Laxus was expelled from the guild due to his inappropriate actions against Natsu and the others and the celebration of the Harvest Festival. I was indeed very ecstatic, for I couldn't wait to see what happens next.


The next season starts with an interview for the Sorcerer as well as Lucy seeing his father again, who revealed how he met her mom after she saved the trade guild, Love and Lucky, from Naked Mummy, one of the dark guilds.


But the real threat is from Oracion Seis, one of the three most powerful dark guild who are part of the Balam Alliance, aside from Tartaros and Grimoire Heart. Its main goal is to acquire the power of Nirvana, which transforms light to darkness. If used, all the guilds on the light side will turn evil and wreak havoc to each other.

Oracion Seis (from top to bottom, left to right): Brain, Hoteye, Midnight, Angel, Racer, Cobra

That's when Makarov decided to form another alliance for the sole purpose of defeating Oracion Seis. Fairy Tail was just one of the four guilds included, together with Lamia Scale (the new guild of Lyon Bastia, Sherry Blendi and Jura), Blue Pegasus (with Ichiya and the Tri-men), and Cait Shelter (where Wendy Marvel and Charle resides).


Speaking of Wendy, she's another Dragon Slayer like Natsu, with the ability to use Sky Dragon magic as well as to heal. As for Charle, she's Wendy's companion, and Happy is currently aiming for her affections. Sadly, she's the hard-to-get type.

Wendy Marvel, the Sky Dragon Slayer

Charle, during her debut in the anime

Too bad Wendy was captured for the sole purpose of resurrecting Jellal, the past antagonist who wanted to get his hands on Etherion. Oracion Seis planned to use him as a tool for acquiring Nirvana, but sadly, the look-a-like of Mystogen became a renegade and turned against them.

Jellal imprisoned in the restraints of his coffin

Well, that's all I can summarize, since the show's still on-going, but I will update once the threat is averted.

Stay tuned for more ^^

Letter Bee: delivering letters, connecting hearts + earthquake in Visayas

Even though we have texting and e-mailing as our way of communicating people, it wouldn’t hurt to send a hand-written letter. Letters are very appeasing due to their purpose of sending what the writer wants to covey to others. As for delivery, the mailmen are fit for the job.

Even an anime show focuses on the theme of sending letters in the form of Letter Bee (known in Japan as Tegami Bachi). But don’t expect normal mailmen; the delivery people are known as Letter Bees (hence, the title), working hard to send letters no matter what the circumstances. With their Dingo as their companions and armed with Shindan (weapons designed to hunt down Gaichuus, the armed beetles), delivering letters is just a hard day’s work for them.

Gauche Suede (left) and Lag Seeing (right)

The first few episodes focused on Gauche Suede, together with his Dingo, a white wolf named Roda. He was on his way to one of his deliveries when he saw a boy lying down unconscious, marked as a letter. The boy was none other than Lag Seeing, whose mother was sent to another place. Lag assumed that there were people abducting his mom. After seeing the address, it became Gauche’s mission to send him to Campbell.

Their first meeting was a little rough, since the boy often complained about the food as well as Gauche’s coolly, harsh behavior. After mistakenly holding Gauche’s weapon and its power went out of whack, Lag discovered his past, as well as Gauche’s true reason of becoming a Letter Bee. Gauche’s younger sister, Sylvette, couldn’t walk due to an illness and had to stay alone in Yuusari for a long time, and as a brother, he had to ensure that the hope of curing the illness stays intact.

During another fight with a Gaichuu, Gauche was severely injured and Lag had to assist him to loading his Shindan. That’s when the Letter Bee saw the boy’s concealed eye, which turned out to be a fake eye made out of red Spirit Amber. The Amber resonated with the Shindan, causing Lag to shoot the beetle’s joints with a red needle, effectively killing it.

By the time they reached Campbell, Lag stayed in a woman’s inn to watch over Gauche, whose wounds had festered. After being recovered, the Letter Bee finally recognized Lag as a true friend, and promised to look for clues about his mother’s disappearance when he reached Akatsuki. As they parted ways, Lag made a vow: to become a Letter Bee just like Gauche.

5 years had passed, and Lag set off to apply for his job. That was when he met the girl who would become his dingo, Niche, a young girl with hair that would become weapons, and his co-workers: Connor Kluff, the boy with a huge appetite; and Zazie Shrine, the boy hungry to kill Gaichuus ever since the day his parents were rendered comatose by them. But as he sets off for work, he discovered what really happened to Gauche: he was missing.

And with that, he starts his career, while hoping to find clues about Gauche’s disappearance.

Letter Bee is just one of the coolest animes ever created. The series ended with snippets about an anti-government organization, Reverse, whose main goal is reformation and equality of the society, as well as a revelation that would surely knock the daylights out of Lag (literally).

But don’t worry if you’re craving for more. There’s the sequel, Letter Bee Reverse, which now focuses on Reverse and how the Letter Bees cope up with the threat of Marauders, thieves tasked to plunder letters.

Speaking of threats, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake just struck Iloilo and some parts of Visayas a few days ago. Although I’m fortunate to be alive, the others were not so lucky, with broken buildings, brownouts, and innocent lives taken. Worse, aftershocks did occur.

One of the casualties... and yes, I'm not joking

Poor them… I hope my relatives in Bacolod are ok.

Anyway, that’s all, folks. Sayonara ^^

Strange Angels: Kicking butt in the Real World

My first post for 2012... ^^

I would recommend those who love supernatural and teenage stuff to read Strange Angels, one of the newest novels to attract attention to all novel enthusiasts everywhere. It had garnered a lot of praise from famous book critiques, and even bloggers are going ga-ga over this.

The kick-ass cover of Strange Angels, showing the main protagonist

Meet Dru Anderson, the typical tough girl who does travel from one place to another w/ her father who is a hunter, gifted with the sixth sense a.k.a "the touch". This "touch" allowed her to see and track down supernatural creatures, like vampires, zombies, werewolfs, etc. The turning point began when her father had gone missing for months, only to be turned into a zombie itching to take the life out of her. With a gun in hand, she killed the zombie, and with a gothic half-Asian boy who was bitten by a lycan and a handsome djamphir (human-sucker hybrid) as her only companions, she goes on a chase to find the culprit behind the incident that made her dad turn into one of the reanimated. But there will be more shocking secrets that she'll discover as the plot thickens. 


Sorry, can't spoil the rest. You have to find out on your own... ^^;

The introduction narrates the reader about the concept of familiars acting as guides or sensors whenever danger comes lurking, like the gray owl of Dru's grandmother. As the story progress, it incorporates the usual problems teenagers go through, but due to the main heroine's unique heritage, it's more than normal. It also applies the usual ideas of the lives of the otherwordly beings, and even the methods on how they can be slayed. As for the mood, it's more on the serious, ferocious side, though the story also includes humor (even sarcastic ones).

Strange Angels is just the beginning... for the saga ends with the 5th novel, Reckoning. Because of the content, it's PG-13 (because you'll see a lot of swearing, no joke).


Well, if you're the fan of supernatural novels, or just wanted to take a break from the usual plots, then try reading it. It may be worth it, and you may get hooked... ^^


Till next time, folks ^^

Baka & Test: Striving for worth

EDIT: adjusted the article to make a clearer picture. Also added more pictures.

Ever since I first heard of it on Animax, it became part of my to-watch list… No, seriously!

The main protagonists, plus some of the Class A students

Baka & Test: Summon the Beasts (known in Japan as Baka To Test to Shoukanjuu), is about Fumizuki Gakuen, a college preparatory high school with classes categorized according to rank, based on the result scores of the placement exam taken during the first day of semester. Class A is known to be the “Cream of the Crop” class, with its facilities designed to cater to prodigious students, those who passed the placement exam with flying colors. The reverse is Class F, with its classroom reminiscent of a poor man’s residence, filled with students who failed who make the grade during the placement exam.

Class F is where the main protagonists reside, and in order to get the hell out of that dilapidated classroom, they must make the cut. Using their shoukanjuu, aka, the avatars, they must fight their way to the top through the Summoning Wars. First, the battle between two classes must be approved before it can start. With a teacher as the witness, the avatars must defeat their opponents if they want to promote. As for the defeated opponents, those who were KIA’ed during the battle, they had to attend remedial classes.

The Beasts at their most bad-ass

If a student continues to excel, his or her chances to promote will increase, including the option to switch facilities with the opposing class. Those who wish to replenish their avatars’ attack strength must take supplementary exams. There’s no limit on how many questions one can answer during the test time limit, as long as he or she knows them enough to get back in the game.

But I have to warn you, though; it’s not the usual slice-of-life kind of anime. There may be scenes that will definitely arouse fantasies to all yaoi/yuri/hentai/ecchi fans out there. So, if these scenes are not your thing, better avert your eyes away.

With all the wacky, crazy, school life going on in the series, as well as a unique way of testing the smarts of students, it became one of the funniest anime shows to enjoy. Try it, and you may get hooked. ^^

The boys are back... in black!

Till my next entry! Ciao! ^^