Ouran Cast Films Crossover in Shirato Osamu no Jikenbo Show

Haruna Kawaguchi, others make cameo in series starring Yūdai Chiba (Ouran's Honey)

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The main cast of the Ouran High School Host Club film will make a cameo on the eighth episode of Shirato Osamu no Jikenbo (The Case Files of Osamu Shirato), the Japanese live-action detective series starring Yūdai Chiba as the title character, on March 16. Not coincidentally, Chiba also played the character Mitsukuni "Honey" Haninozuka in the manga-based live-action Ouran High School Host Club series, which aired in Shirato Osamu no Jikenbo's timeslot last July. The Ouran High School Host Club film will open in Japan on March 17, one day after the crossover episode airs.

In the crossover scene, Ouran High School Host Club's heroine Haruhi (played by Haruna Kawaguchi) and male co-lead Tamaki Suou (Yusuke Yamamoto) are surprised to see Shirato walking past, and calls out, "Wha—? Is that you, Honey-sempai?" Shirato replies, "No, sorry, I'm Shirato," and the two sides chat for a bit. Even though Chiba will be playing (and dressing as) Shirato in the scene, he will be clutching Honey's signature "Usa-chan" plush rabbit.

Oricon posted more photographs in higher resolution from the upcoming crossover episode.

The Importance of Friends -- Clannad

Konnichiwa minasan! I have finished watching a Japanese animation series recently. It is an adaption from the Japanese romance visual novel developed by Key, and eventually became the gameplay as PS2, PS3 and also the manga series. The name of this animation series is called “Clannad”. The story follows the life of Tomoya Okazaki, a high-school boy, who meets many people in his last year of high school, including five girls at his school, and he helps to resolve their individual problems.

There are 2 seasons (24 episodes each season) for the anime series which including 1 OVA episode for each season. An animated film by Toei Animation was released on September 15, 2007 too. I only have watched the Season 1 of the anime series but I would continue to watch the Season 2 and the animated film. I like “Clannad” very much due to its arts are very beautiful and I think the story is romantic, and sometimes touching. I always think that there is a meaning from every of its stories.

Let me briefed about the story of “Clannad”. Tomoya Okazaki, a third year high school student who dislikes his life. Tomoya's mother (Atsuko) died when Tomoya was young, leaving his father (Naoyuki) to raise him. After the accident, Tomoya's father turned to alcohol and gambling, and held frequent fights with his son. One day, Naoyuki, again arguing with his son, slammed Tomoya against the window, dislocating Tomoya's shoulder. Ever since then, his father has treated Tomoya nicely, but distantly, as if Tomoya and he were strangers rather than a family. This hurts Tomoya more than his previous relationship with his father, and the awkwardness of returning home leads Tomoya constantly to stay out all night. Additionally, the injury disables Tomoya from participating in his basketball club, and pushes him to distance himself from his school and other activities. Thus his delinquent life begins. Tomoya's good friend Youhei Sunohara, who got thrown out of the soccer club for a dispute, is also a delinquent and often hangs out in his dorm room with Tomoya doing nothing much.

In the animation series, the story opens on Monday April 14, 2003 at the beginning of the school year. When Tomoya meets by chance Nagisa Furukawa, a soft-spoken girl one year older than he is who is repeating her last year in high school due to being sick much of the previous year. Her goal is to join the drama club which she was unable to do due to her sickness, but they find that the drama club was disbanded after the few remaining members graduated. Since Tomoya has a lot of time to kill, he starts to help Nagisa in reforming the drama club. During this period, Tomoya meets and hangs out with several other girls who he gets to know well and help with their individual problems.

The girls who are know Tomoya are Kyou Fujibayashi, Kotomo Ichinose, Fuko Ibuki and Tomoyo Sakagami.  Kyou Fujibayashi, a girl from another class who can be violent and has a bad attitude most of the time, but is very thoughtful toward her friends and otherwise is a good cook. She has a younger twin sister. The next one is a genius girl named Kotomi Ichinose, who is a very quiet but strange girl. She can be found almost every day in the library alone during school hours reading very complex books. The fourth girl is Fuko Ibuki, a childish but antisocial girl who carves wooden starfish to distribute to others as a present, inviting them to her sister's wedding in return. The last girl is Tomoyo Sakagami, a transfer student who is rumoured to be a former delinquent. She wants to become the student council president in order to preserve the cherry blossom trees on the hill path to school. I like all the girls above as each of them has their own characters. For me, I think the prettiest girl is Kyou as I think she has the shadow of Ayuzawa Misaki of the anime series “Maid-Sama”. Both of them are very good in studies and sports, but the only different is that Misaki does not cook and Kyou is very good in cooking.

Fuko Ibuki is a very cute little girl and among all the stories, I found her story is the most touching. I even was sobbing a bit while watching her story! That is the reason I said this anime series is touching. As for Kotomi and Nagisa, both of them are very gentle and soft girls I think. This is the type of girl that the boys would like to protect them. As for the last girl, Tomoyo, she is a very strong girl I think. She always resolves her own problem. In the OVA of S1, she is in love with the protagonist, Tomoya-kun, and they are a pair.

I think Tomoya Okazaki is a very lucky boy. Although all the people assume he is a delinquent, he is not bad at all. On the other hand, he always helps his friends, therefore all the girls in the anime have fall for him.  But he only chosen the one that he loves. Well, I am not going to tell you who he loves; you have to watch it by yourself! :P

Ok, let me give you more information about the some of the characters of the “Clannad”. They are Ryou Fujibayashi and Youhei Sunohara. Ryou is Tomoya's classmate and class representative. She is Kyou's younger twin sister. Unlike her older sister, Ryou is timid and does not cook well (but is otherwise good at chores). Ryou is very keen about fortune telling, but her predictions, while incredibly specific, always manage to be either somewhat skewed or extremely wrong. She has a crush on Tomoya-kun.

Youhei is Tomoya's friend and also a delinquent. He entered the school on an athletic recommendation in soccer, but was kicked out of the soccer club after being involved in a fight. After this incident, he became lazy, becoming the only student with a higher absence rate than Tomoya. He is left handed when it comes to sports and fighting (this is only mentioned in the anime), but he writes with his right hand, hinting that he is ambidextrous. He and Tomoya are known as the "Dirty Pair" in school. His hair is naturally black; he bleaches it blond. He has a sister named Mei. Youhei is a comic relief character; as a recurring gag, he often gets punished or beaten up by various characters due to his behaviour, including Tomoyo.

Satisfied with the introduction of the “Clannad”?! Nope?! Here come some peeks of the anime series below.

 

So, if you are interested to catch the “Clannad” after my long information (if you don’t mind)! :P You may click the respective links below of the anime or manga series of “Clannad”.

“Clannad” Anime Series/Film  
“Clannad” Manga Series

Enjoy watching and/or reading!!! :D

Kanojo wa Uso o Ai Shisugiteru Romance Manga Gets Film

Kotomi Aoki's romance between band's secret composer & high school girl

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The April issue of Shogakukan's Cheese! magazine is announcing on Saturday that a film adaptation of Kotomi Aoki's Kanojo wa Uso o Ai Shisugiteru manga has been green-lit. The front cover of the magazine does not specify if the adaptation is anime or live-action.

The story centers around Aki Ogasawara, a "sound creator" who composes for the popular band Crude Play and earns over 100 million yen (about US$1.3 million). Despite this, he conceals all of this and calls himself a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training).

Seeking a life outside of music, he begins seeing a high school girl named Riko Koeda. However, what Aki does not know is that Riko is actually a huge fan of Aki's music. Even with his girlfriend, Aki cannot escape the world of music.

Aoki launched the manga in Cheese! magazine in 2009, and Shogakukan is publishing the manga's eighth compiled book volume this month.

Twilight's New Moon: The Graphic Novel Listed by Retailer

Young Kim already adapted Stephenie Meyer's original Twilight vampire novel

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The online retailer Amazon.com lists New Moon: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1 by Twilight novelist Stephenie Meyer and artist Young Kim. Amazon.com's listing includes an October 30 release date and a story description that matches the plot for New Moon, the first sequel to Meyer's Twilight novel:

In the first installment of New Moon, Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires: the Volturi.

Kim already adapted the original Twilight novel into two graphic novel volumes (pictured right). Both volumes debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Sellers List for hardcover graphic novels. The first volume stayed on the list for at least 32 weeks, while the second stayed for 14.

Ryuji Gotsubo, the creator of the Sasameke manga, illustrated the covers of the Japanese edition of New Moon and the other Twilight novels. He judged a New Moon art contest on the Pixiv website with Evangelion character designer/manga creator Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and Metal Gear game creator Hideo Kojima.

Yen Press, the publisher of the Twilight graphic novel and the publisher that Amazon.com lists for the New Moon graphic novel, has not yet responded to ANN's request for comment on Monday.

Crime and Punishment Manga Gets Live-Action Show

The screen adaptation of Naoyuki Ochiai's Crime and Punishment: A Falsified Romance manga will be a live-action television series which will premiere on April 29.

Kengo Kōra (Ohisama, Gokusen 2) will star as the college dropout Miroku Tachi, while Asami Mizukawa (Nodame Cantabile, Dark Water) will play Echika Ameya. Masatô Ibu (Maison Ikkoku - Apartment Fantasy, Nodame Cantabile) will play a public prosecutor. Tetsushi Tanaka (Mahō Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto) will also act in the series. Ai Hashimoto will play the leader of a paid dating group named Hikari Baba, and Shota Sumetani will play a money smuggler named Shōta Someya.

In Fyodor Dostoyevsky's original Crime and Punishment novel classic, a poor student struggles with his decision to kill a pawnbroker and the resulting consequences, while the rest of society reveal themselves in how they react to the crime. Ochiai re-imagines the psychological drama by putting a young hikikomori (shut-in introvert) man and an enkō (paid dating partner) girl at the center of the crime in modern-day Japan. A college dropout named Miroku meets a high school girl named Risa and devises a terrible plan.

Jmanga.com Lists New Releases, Requests International Feedback

New manga from Harlequin, ALC; Tweet asks for feedback on international releases

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JManga.com, a platform for reading legal manga online, listed 14 more manga releases on Tuesday. In addition to continuing series, the new releases include several Harlequin romance novel adaptations, as well as Love My Life, a yuri title published in association with ALC Publishing.

• Girlfriends Vol. 2 by Milk Morinaga
• The Perfect Girlfriend Vol. 2 by Wataru Akiduki
• Morita-san wa Mukuchi Vol. 4 by Tae Sano
• LOVE MY LIFE Vol. 1 by Ebine Yamaji
• Cousin Vol. 1 by Ryo Ikuemi
• BROCKEN BLOOD Vol. 1-3 by Etorouji Shiono
• Daniel and Daughter by Mayu Takayama and Lucy Gordon
• The Celebrity Doctor's Proposal by Masami Hoshino and Sarah Morgan
• Million Dollar Men Vol. 1-3 by Kanako Uesugi and Leanne Banks
• The Seduction Bid by Kazuko Fujita and Amanda Browning
• Angus's Lost Lady by Kazuko Fujita and Marie Ferrarella
• In the Arms of the Seikh by Kaori Himeki and Sophie Weston
• Backwards Honeymoon by Ritsuka Amane and Leigh Michaels
• Blue Moon Bride by Kako Ito and Renee Roszel

JManga.com is currently only available in North America, however a post on the company's official Twitter feed stated, "If you would like to make #JManga available worldwide, RT, like, or reply to this post!" No other details on plans to make the site available worldwide were immediately available.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Love is in the Air! It's the Valentine's Day!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

情人节快乐！！！

You’re the only one that I See – Rhapsody in Heaven

Konnichiwa minasan! Happy 2012!!! Sorry that I did not blog for any manga/anime series or TV series of Korean/Japanese lately. The reason is that I was having some personal problems in those time. Anyway, I wish I could get over it soon! J

So, today I would like to share a Japanese manga series with you which I had finished reading in last month. No doubt, it is another shoujo manga series as you know that I like shoujo manga very much. Hehe! :P This is another romance shoujo manga series by the author, Minami Kanan (author of Honey x Honey Drops & Kyou Koi wa Hajimemasu).

The title of the manga series is called “Rhapsody in Heaven” a.k.a. “Kyouso Heaven”.  This manga series has 3 volumes, which is 17 chapters plus another side story. I think I started to like the author of Minami Kanan. All her manga series is that the main male character likes the girl at his first sight and the girl later only falls for him. Of course, all the main guys of the series are very Hot and SEXY!!! :P

The story is about a school-girl named Miyu, gets admitted into the Tenkai Academy on a swimming scholarship. She meets a guy named Suzuki Aoi at the school swimming pool and he is the vice president of the student council of the school. However, she finds out the secret of his and he wants her to keep the secret just between 2 of them.

Title        : Rhapsody Heaven / Kyouso Heaven
Genre      : Comedy, Romance, School-life, Shoujo, Sports, Smut
Author     : Kanan Minami
Volumes  : 3 or 17.5 chapters
Status      : Completed
Story        :
Tsukasa Miyu gets into Tenkai Academy on a sports recommendation with her swimming. On her first day of school, while she is swimming in the school pool without permission, she happens to meet a very handsome boy and he kisses her! At the school entrance ceremony, after being notifies about the disbanding of the swimming club, she pushes her way into the student council room with her good friend, Hamano Kaichi. Then she sees the same handsome boy who kisses her the other day in the room, his name is Suzuki Aoi.
Miyu is charmed by Aoi day-by-day. However, she is shocked when she has been told that the disbanding of the swimming club is the order of the President of the student council named, Tenryuuji Noa, and Aoi has a hand in it too.
Miyu then starts to date with her good friend Kaichi but she cannot forget Aoi. Aoi then confirms his truth feelings to her and she wants to tell Kaichi who her truth love is, but Kaichi and Noa try to break the relationship of Miyu and Aoi…..  

Characters Description:

Tsukasa Miyu

A very sun-shine girl. Very good in swimming, enters Tenkai Academy in sports recommendation.

Suzuki Aoi

A student with full of mysterious. The vice president of the student council of the Tenkai Academy. A very handsome guy.

Hamano Kaici

A very good swimmer. A good friend of Miyu since elementary school. Enters Tenkai Academy in sports recommendation like Miyu. Loves her since elementary school.

Tenryuuji Noa

The President of the student council of the Tenkai Academy. A very rich girl, very persistent about Aoi.

Well, I like this manga series very much due to the art is very beautiful and the story is nice too as it is very interesting and sometimes very funny. FYI, this manga series has some adult contains. :P The guy in this story, Aoi is very SEXY!!! J

Anyway, let us take a peek of some previews of the “Rhapsody in Heaven” of the manga series here.

Well, if you are interested to read this manga series, please click on the “Rhapsody Heaven” to join the romance world. I wish you would enjoy as much as I do!!!

Enjoy reading and/watching!!! ^.^