Monday, March 28, 2011

Manga News! Sailor Moon Comeback

Guess what??? I just found out some *wonderful* news through a post by Naija Barbie!  And it's pretty obvious from the title of this post what that news is, but I'll go ahead and say it anyway:  SAILOR MOON IS MAKING A COMEBACK!  This article from MTV Geek reports that Kodansha USA has announced and confirmed that the original Sailor Moon manga by the great Naoko Takeuchi will be re-published in newly designed volumes and will include extensive bonus material by Ms. Takeuchi.  And to make things EVEN BETTER, the original Codename Sailor V manga will also make its U.S. debut alongside the Sailor Moon re-launches!


Manga illustration of Sailor Moon flanked by Sailors Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, and Mars.  My childhood heroines~
I'm super excited to hear that one of my first manga, and the one that spawned my first-ever anime series is going to be re-launced/re-released!  I never did get my hands on the bulk of the original Mixx Entertainment/Tokyopop manga volumes with the exception of the first one, so I'll definitely be striving to get these new volumes.  And how awesome is it that WE FINALLY GET CODENAME SAILOR V TRANSLATED????  I've been wishing so. very. HARD to someday have the chance to read Codename Sailor V someday, and now I'll be able to do that!  Minako/Mina/Sailor Venus is one of my favorite characters, and I think a lot of people either don't know or forget that she came before Sailor Moon.  I'll be sooooo happy to see that distinction made, and happy for another generation of fans to be inspired by the series like I was as a kid.

The release date for this re-launch of the series is currently set for September 2011, so you can bet that I'll be keeping close tabs on that one!  I *do* need to plan and budget for this, after all.   If you love Sailor Moon too, then please consider supporting the re-launch and purchasing the volumes when they come out, okay?

And I still have that "fun" post coming up; I just need to snap a few photos and then I can finish putting it together.  Hopefully that'll be something to look forward to by Thursday.  ^  ^

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

A Few Words...

I have another post coming up tomorrow/this week, but I want take the time to say GOD BLESS YOU, to all those who have prayed for Japan and donated to the many organizations and services that have set up donation funds to aid relief in Japan.  Please also consider giving what you can to victims of other disasters as well, even as we keep Japan in our hearts and prayers.  Even if it's a couple dollars or even some change, YOU'RE STILL MAKING A DIFFERENCE~  Good things will happen because of it, for sure!

Image (c) by Robert Troutman.  Borrowed from GlobalGiving.Org.
Now, I promise I'll get that post I mentioned up ASAP (just need to snap a few photos) that should be fun to read!  So please look forwad to it!  And as always, stay safe~

Friday, March 11, 2011

The Earthquake & Tsunami in Japan

I'm still adjusting to finding a posting schedule that's consistent and works with my personal schedule, so it's been awhile since my last post. I'll try to post more often, I promise~

But I felt it was important to acknowledge the terrible earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan yesterday (which was actually today for them). I'd like to express my deepest sympathy at this horrible and unfortunate event.  I actually feel physically ill at the thought of the situation, I'm so sorry, and I have tears in my eyes as I type this.  I'm saddened to hear of the tremendous losses being suffered, and my prayers go out to those affected and their families.

I'm also very thankful that my three good friends (Theresa, Heidi, and Alex) who are living and teaching in various areas of Japan are okay and weren't in the immediate areas of effect, as well as my friends Ayumi, Eimi and Tomohisa, who was DRIVING while the earthquake hit. That must've been really scary for him, poor guy.  D: But I feel like I can't begin to express how glad I am that my friends are all safe as far as I know. I still have some Japanese friends to check up on, though, so I'm also praying that they're safe. >_<


Some of the damage caused by the combination of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. From Hot 'N Current.
After reading various reports and seeing photos and videos of what I know is just a small portion of the aftermath, I'm fervently hoping and praying for the best possible recovery from the damages caused by these disasters for everyone involved. If you have any friends/family in Japan, then you also have my prayers for them and their safety.  And if you can, I hope we'll all be able to do something to help soon~

Sunday, March 6, 2011

On Hataraki Man

Hello!  I hope this evening has been enjoyable for everyone!  This time I want to talk about a series I recently finished watching,  titled "Hataraki Man" (which is written as 働きマン in Japanese).  Before I begin, though, I'd like to put out a WARNING; this post may contain information that can be considered SPOILERS, so if you're watching or would like to watch Hataraki Man and don't want to be spoiled for any of the events that occur in the series, then please skip this postYou have been warned.  ^  ^

Cover page of the Hataraki Man manga series, featuring the heroine, Hiroko Matsukata.

Based on a manga by Moyoco Anno, "Hataraki Man" is an 11 episode anime series that follows the life and blossoming career of Hiroko Matsukata, a 28-year-old journalist whose job leaves little to no time for nurturing her relationship with her workaholic boyfriend.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Dream Rooms & A Little Music

 Good evening! I hope today was a good day for everyone! With spring around the corner, I've been planning my Spring Cleaning. Yes, it's getting to be that time of the year that appeals to many of us as a time to start over, clean out closets, and re-organize our lives. Or it might just be me. ^ ^

Well, with my mind on fresh starts, I've been dreaming/thinking a lot lately of my ideal room! The room I currently live in isn't exactly up to what I'd like to have in a room (although I'm very thankful for the privacy it affords and that I have a room to call (mostly) my own!), so I actually dream about moving out to a place of my own someday soon.  Anyway, it's a pet project of mine to someday have a bedroom that looks exactly the way I want it to.  So this is something I will think about and plan sometimes.

I'm quite fond of furniture and home decor items from Ikea, so I went loooking for bedroom designs that utilize those items.  Take a look at some of my favorites!  These are in no particular order:

From Home Klondike
This room has a bright, airy feel to it, and the light wood and pops of pink give it a great vibe that I really like!  I'd *love* to have that many drawers to stash my clothing and other belongings in~  Check out the wonderful closet and wall mirror behind the bed and the fluffy rug on the floor!  So cute, I think!