Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Blog Movement

Guys, I have a new set of blog sites... Here they are:

http://lovefrancine143.blogspot.com/
http://francineescapades.blogspot.com/
http://themusicofglee.blogspot.com/
http://couchpotatomadnessbyfrancine.blogspot.com/
http://itsmefrancine.blogspot.com/

You can drop by and read through them. Comments will be highly appreciated. Have a great day!!! =)

Friday, June 5, 2009

The Top Celebrity 100


Forbes Magazine already released the Top 100 Celebrities In The World. And the winner is... it's none other than the wife of Mr. Smith, Lara Croft herself, Angelina Jolie.

Jolie was declared as number one and she dethroned Oprah Winfrey which is the top celebrity for two years. Jolie raked in $27 million in the past 12 months thanks to a movie schedule that included Kung Fu Panda, Wanted and the not-yet-released spy thriller Salt. Even more impressive: The publicity she garnered following the birth of her twins, as well as the consistent headlines she grabs for her philanthropic efforts and her relationship with actor Brad Pitt, who ranks No. 9 on the list.


Another thing that surprised me is the inclusion of our boxing champion, Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao, the only Filipino in the list. Imagine, he ranked number 57 outbesting other international names such as The Jonas Brothers (rank 60), Daniel Radcliffe (rank 70), Nicole Kidman (rank 74), Heidi Klum (rank 78) and Alec Baldwin (rank 91). That only proves how rich he is already.

For the complete list, you can visit www.forbes.com.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Format Changes

From now on, my blogs will be divided into topics. You can also visit the following Blog Threads:

OPM Updates - www.itsopm.blogspot.com

International Music Zone - www.internationalmusiczone.blogspot.com

Fire Soul's Haven - www.firesoul04.blogspot.com

Couch Potato Section - www.couchpotatosection.blogspot.com

Feel free to visit and add in comments! Have fun and enjoy!!!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Thank You From Your Anime & Cartoon Friends!


Super Sentai, Cartoons and Anime Month is over. I must say I'd really enjoy reminiscing my childhood days. Listing all my favorite children shows releases the tension and as I watch even their opening themes, I feel younger again. I hope that all these shows will be reaired and I would weatch for it, that's for sure! Thanks to all the comments especially to bluedreamer27! See yah all as we blog more next month!

Make Way For The Soldiers Of Peace & Love: The Sailor Wariors

When I was in elementary, I remember that I would rush and be in front of our television before 6:30 PM every Saturday to watch the Sailor Warriors. They are girls wearing sailor-themed dresses and they use different items to transform themselves into heroes that defend the Earth from evil beings who tries to bring chaos to Earth. This is a story of love, courage, believing in one's self, and most of all, friendship. This anime has a lot of opening based on the seasons.

Sailor Moon



Sailor Moon R



Sailor Moon S



Sailor Moon SS



Sailor Moon Stars




The story is divided into five seasons or arcs, namely:

The Dark Kingdom Arc - the first season of Sailor Moon. The first five sailor warriors were introduced; Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus together with Tuxedo Mask. They fought with the Dark Kingdom led by Queen Beryl, Queen Metaria, The Shitennou or the generals (Jedaite, Nephrite, Zosite and Kunzite) and the DD girls. This arc showed the first death of the Sailor Warriors except for Sailor Moon in episode 45.



The Black Moon Clan Arc - was an evil organization originating from the planet Nemesis in the 30th Century. Led by Prince Dimande, they attacked Crystal Tokyo using the Evil Black Crystal and pursued Chibiusa to the 20th Century Tokyo, unaware that they were being manipulated by their sorcerer, Wiseman. Some of the other characters in this arc are the Blue Saphir, Green Emeraude, Crimson Rubeus and the Ayakashi sisters (Koan, Berhier, Calaveras and Petz). But before the Black Moon Clan, the sailor warriors first battle with the Makaiju Aliens. This is where Chibiusa first appeared in the series and eventually became the Black Lady because of Wiseman.



The Infinity or The Death Busters Arc - in this arc, the outer sailor senshis were introduced; Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto. Here, the Death Busters are after the pure hearts who can give them the three talismans. The Death Busters group is led by Professor Tomoe, Kaolinite, Mistress 9 and The Witches 5.



The Dream or The Dead Moon Circus - The Dead Moon Circus is led by the twisted Zirconia, in command by the absence of the dark Queen Nehellenia who is trapped within a mirror. Zirconia is searching for the legendary Golden Crystal, which will allow Nehellenia to break free of her entrapment and take over the Earth. They are the only group of villains with two subordinate groups: the Amazon Trio and the Amazoness Quartet. Pegasus was also introduced in this arc.



The Stars or Shadow Galactica Arc - The fifth and the last season of Sailor Moon series. Comprised of Sailor Senshi from throughout the galaxy, its objective was to collect Sailor Crystals. All members are identified by the golden bracelets they wore on their wrists. This where the Sailor Starlights made a debut.



Since were done with the different arcs and archenemies of the Sailor Warriors, it's now time to showcase the protagonists of this anime.



Sailor Moon (Usagi Tsukino) - a carefree schoolgirl with an enormous capacity for love, transforms into the heroine called Sailor Moon. At the beginning of the series she is portrayed as an immature crybaby who hates having to fight evil and wants nothing more than to be a normal girl.[6] As she progresses, however, she embraces the chance to use her power to protect those she cares about. She has different transformations using her pam and different kinds of brooches in the course of the series.



She is the the one finishing the enemies either using her tiara or a wand. Her attacks are for mostly for healing and purifying.



Sailor Mercury (Ami Mizuno) - A quiet bookworm in Usagi's class, called Amy in the English adaptations of the series. Highly intelligent, with a rumored IQ of 300, she can transform into Sailor Mercury, acquiring power over all phases of water. Ami's shy exterior masks a passion for knowledge and for taking care of the people around her. She hopes to become a doctor one day, like her mother, and tends to be the practical one in the group. Secretly, she is also a fan of pop culture and romance novels, and becomes embarrassed whenever this is pointed out. Her attacks include Bubble Spray, Bubble Spray Freezing, Shine Aqua Illusion, Aqua Rhapsody and Aqua Mirage.



Sailor Mars (Rei Hino) - An elegant miko (shrine maiden), called Raye in the English versions. Because of her work as a Shinto priestess, Rei can sense and dispel evil even in civilian form. When she transforms into Sailor Mars she can also manipulate fire. She is very serious and focused, but although easily annoyed by Usagi's flightiness, cares about her very much. Rei is portrayed as boy-crazy in the early anime, but is uninterested in romance in both the manga and live-action series. She attends a private Catholic school, separate from the other girls. Her attacks include Fire Soul, Fire Soul Bird, Burning Mandala and the Flame Sniper.



Sailor Jupiter (Makoto Kino) - Very tall and strong for a Japanese schoolgirl, she can transform into Sailor Jupiter, attacking with lightning and with some control over plants. Both Makoto's parents died in a plane crash years ago, so she lives alone and takes care of herself. She cultivates her physical strength as well as more domestic interests, including housekeeping, cooking, and gardening. She wants to marry young and to own a flower-and-cake shop. Her attacks include Sumpreme Thunder, Supreme Thunder Dragon, Sparkling Wide Pressure and Oak Evolution.



Sailor Venus (Minako Aino) - A perky dreamer who acted on her own as Sailor V for some time. Called Mina in the English versions, she has a companion cat called Artemis who works alongside Luna in guiding the Sailor Senshi. Minako transforms into Sailor Venus, Soldier of Love, and leads Sailor Moon's four inner guardians. She also dreams of becoming a famous singer and idol and attends auditions whenever she can. At the start of the live-action series, she is already these things, but has poor health and separates herself from the other Senshi. Her attacks include Crescent Beam, Crescent Beam Shower, Venus Love Chain, Venus Lovely Shack.



Sailor Uranus (Haruka Tenoh) - A good-natured, masculine-acting girl, called Amara in the English anime. Haruka, of an age with her partner, Michiru, transforms into Sailor Uranus, Soldier of the Sky. Before becoming a Sailor Senshi, she dreamt of being a racer, and is skilled at driving. She tends to dress and, in the anime, speak like a man. She is so friendly and genial that nearly everyone she meets is attracted to her. When it comes to fighting the enemy, however, she distrusts outside help and prefers to work solely with Sailor Neptune and, later, Pluto and Saturn. Her attacks include Eartth Shaking and the talisman sword.



Sailor Neptune (Michiru Kaioh) - A talented violinist with some precognition, called Michelle in the English anime. A year older than most of the other Sailor Senshi, she can transform into Sailor Neptune, channeling the power of the ocean. She worked alone for some time before finding her partner, Sailor Uranus, with whom she fell in love. Michiru is elegant and personable, already well-known for her music as well as her painting, but has given up her own dreams for the life of a Senshi. She is fully devoted to this duty and willing to make any sacrifice for it. Her attacks include Deep Submerge and Submarine Reflection.



Sailor Pluto (Setsuna Meioh) - A mysterious woman, called Trista in the English anime. She appears first as Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of Time, who has the task of protecting the Space-Time Door from unauthorized travelers. It is only later that she appears on Earth, living as a college student. She has a distant personality and can be very stern, but can also be quite friendly and helps the younger Sailor Senshi when she can. After so long at the gate of time she carries a deep sense of loneliness, although she is close friends with Chibiusa. Her well-known attack is the Dead Scream.



Sailor Saturn (Hotaru Tomoe) - A sweet, lonely young girl whose name remains unchanged in English (though pronounced slightly differently). Daughter of a possessed mad scientist, she is sickly and weak as the result of a terrible lab accident in her youth. After overcoming the darkness that has surrounded her family, she is able to become the Soldier of Silence, Sailor Saturn. She wields forces of destruction so powerful that she is rarely called upon to use them, and unlike the others, her Senshi and civilian personae seem somewhat disconnected. She is often pensive, and as a human has the inexplicable power to heal others. Her most noted attack is the Silent Wall.



Sailor Chibi Moon (Chibiusa) - The future daughter of Usagi and Mamoru, Chibiusa travels from the 30th century to seek help to save her parents, then later to train with Sailor Moon to become a soldier. She learns to transform into Sailor Chibi Moon. At times she has an adversarial relationship with her mother in the 20th century, as she considers herself more mature than Usagi, but as the series progresses they develop a deep bond. Chibiusa wants to grow up to become a lady like her mother. In the English adaptations, she is called Rini, and her alter ego is called Sailor Mini Moon. Her attack is the Pink Sugar Heart Attack. In the Black Moon Arc, she was turned into a Black Lady by Wiseman and fought the Sailor Warriors. With her pure heart, she is the only person who can summon Pegasus.



Tuxedo Mask (Mamoru Chiba) - A student somewhat older than Usagi, called Darien in the English adaptations of the series. As a young child he experienced a terrible car accident that robbed him of his parents and of his knowledge of who he is. During the series he has some precognitive ability, including dreams that inspire him to take on the guise of Tuxedo Mask and fight alongside the Sailor Senshi. After an initially confrontational relationship, he and Usagi remember their past lives together and fall in love again. His noted attack is his rose.



Sailor Starlights - the group itself is composed of Sailor Star Fighter, Sailor Star Healer and Sailor Star Maker; when in civilian form they go by the pseudonyms Kou Seiya, Kou Yaten, and Kou Taiki respectively. They disguised themselves as male pop stars (The Three Lights) in order to hide their true identities as they search for their lost princess, Kakyuu. It is unknown whether they have civilian identities on their own world or what they might be called there.



Luna, Artemis and Diana - Luna first appears in the first episode or act of every version of the series. In the Silver Millennium, she was a servant to Princess Serenity, sworn never to leave her side, as well as an advisor to the Queen. Artemis is the companion to the leader of the Guardian Senshi—he trained Minako Aino as Sailor V, and remains by her side when she takes on her proper role as Sailor Venus. Diana is the third of the feline characters to appear, serves a a guardian to Chibiusa and the daughter of Luna and Artemis.

They are really the soldiers of love and peace!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

The World Of Cephiro & The Magic Knights

If there is one show that made me glued at 1000 A.M. every Sunday in ABS-CBN, that would be the story of three girls that were given elemental powers to fulfill the prophecy, to bring peace and order in the chaotic world of Cephiro. This is Magic Knight Rayearth.



Cephiro is in danger of being destroyed because Zagato abducted Princess Emeraude and was kept in his secret domain where no one can come closer. Because of the prophecy written in Cephiro, Emeraude summon three girls from Tokyo. They are Fuu Hououji, Umi Ryuuzaki and Hikaru Shidou. They were welcomed by Master Clef and he explained to the girls their mission, however, Master Clef wasn't able to explain everything because they were attacked by Alcyone, one of Zagato's loyal servants. That is where their quest began, to find the legendary element named "Escudo" that became their weapons and the Rune Gods (guardians of Cephiro) only to find out in the end that their mission is to kill Princess Emeraude because they've discovered she has fallen for Zagato, hindering her ability to pray solely for Cephiro's well-being and that is stated in the law of Cephiro.

In the second arc, the girls went back because three planets have the intention of conquering Cephiro and the Pillar must be chosen before the whole planet gets destroyed. Eventually, Hikaru is chosen to become the new Pillar. However, she rebels against the Pillar system, deciding that the fate of the planet should not be the responsibility of only one person, effectively preventing that person from ever being able to live and love freely.



Hikaru Shidou (Lucy in Filipino-dubbed version) is an eighth-grade girl, small for her age and often teased for her boyishness. She is headstrong, determined and loyal. She is the Magic Knight of Fire. She uses fire-based spells, such as Arrow of Fire (Honoo no Ya) and Crimson Lightning.

Umi Ryuuzaki (Marina in the Filipino-dubbed version) is the only child of a rich family. She is quick-tempered and at first uncaring, though perhaps the best-suited for the task at hand, but is also the most reluctant. She is the Magic Knight of Water. She uses water-based spells called Water Dragon and Azure Hurricane.

Fuu Hououji (Anemone in the Filipino-dubbed version) is the voice of reason. She is also highly intelligent, though this goes more for booksmarts than streetsmarts. She often has moments where she doubts herself, but ends up coming out strong in the end. She is also in love with Ferio. She is the Magic Knight of Wind. Her spells, Winds of Protection and Winds of Healing, are air-based and are mostly healing and defensive in nature, though she has some offensive attacks, such as Emerald Typhoon and Emerald Cyclone.

Clef is the chief of all sorcerers in Cephiro, and was formerly Princess Emeraude's attendant. In the anime, he is turned to stone by Zagato shortly after being introduced to the three girls in the first episode, although he fights the spell and communicated with them through Mokona. In the manga he is referred to as Guru Clef and is not turned to stone. He also leads all of Cephiro until a new pillar can be found. He and all other magicians used their willpower to create a castle to hold the inhabitants of Cephiro.

Mokona is a seemingly intelligent rabbit-like creature with a gem on his forehead. It travels along with the three knights and helps them to find their way to find the runegods.

Ferio is a warrior whom the Magic Knights first meet in the Forest of Silence. A tough young man wielding a sword taller than he is, he quickly develops a soft spot for Fuu, which by the second season has evolved into love.

Presea is the top blacksmith in Cephiro, known there as a Pharle or "artisan." She is one of Clef's students and seems to have a crush on him. She aided the Magic Knights by making their legendary swords of escudo.

Alcyone is an ice sorceress who tutored under Clef and was brought up to attend to the Pillar. However, she fell in love with the high priest, Zagato, and for this love became his servant, although the affection is entirely one-sided.

Ascot (アスコット ,Asukotto?) is a Palu, a young child with the unusual ability to summon monsters, whom he considers to be his friends. Although hideous, they have no ill will, but villagers still fear them. Thus, Ascot was driven away until Zagato offered to give him and his friends a home in exchange for serving under him. In the anime, he destroys Presea's house with his monsters, and essentially causes her death; later, he confronts the Knights again (their first encounter in the manga), but Umi slaps him for using his friends and causing them pain. This causes a change of heart in Ascot, and he then forsakes Zagato. In the second series, he has used the power of his own will to make himself into an adult because of his love for Umi. Also, he still summons monsters but has learned other spells from Clef to avoid using his friends as living weapons.

Caldina is a dancer who speaks with an Osaka accent wears extremely skimpy clothing, and has an endless passion for money.

Lafarga is the Captain of the Guard and charged with protecting the Pillar. Although Cephiro is mostly peaceful, he kept himself busy slaying the occasional monsters that would appear. In his takeover of the country, Zagato hypnotized him into trying to kill the Magic Knights as a last-ditch effort to stop them before they challenged him personally, but the girls managed to bring him to his senses. He goes against Zagato roughly at the same time Hikaru must meet Rayearth, and she in fact manages to summon her Mashin while trying to help Lafarga fight Zagato. In the second part of the story, he is romantically involved with Caldina.

Emeraude is the current pillar of Cephiro. Little else is revealed concerning her nature until the climax of the first series, although she is highly loved by her subjects. She is the one who summon the Magic Knights to kill her.

Zagato is the primary antagonist of the first season, his younger brother is Cail Lantis When he is first introduced, he is seen as a terrible villain who has kidnapped the beloved Princess Emeraude, watching cruelly as Cephiro crumbles without its pillar.

The Three Mashin (Rune Gods) are the three legendary guardians of Cephiro. Umi's is Celes (also known as Selece, Seles or Ceres in early translated versions), who first appears as a large blue dragon; Fuu's is Windam (Windom in the official English release of the manga), a great four-winged bird; and Hikaru's is Rayearth (Lexus in the OVA series), a wolf with a mane of fire. The three are old and ancient, and are in fact mecha used by the Magic Knights to help them combat Zagato and ultimately kill the Pillar.

In the second arc, new characters were introduced:

Lantis is Zagato's younger brother, is a powerful Cail or Kailu (magic swordsman) who journeyed abroad for a great deal of time and returned to Cephiro after meeting Eagle in Autozam. Lantis has returned (and first appears) in season two, wanting to get rid of the Pillar System because of what happened to Zagato and Princess Emaurade.

Eagle Vision is a well-known and respected commander from Cephiro's neighbouring country, Autozam, a technologically advanced world reliant on the mental energy of its citizens for its power. It is clear right away that Eagle is an enigmatic and forceful tactician, and though a gentle and chivalrous gentleman, he is the leader of Autozam's invasion of Cephiro. His father is the President of Autozam. When Lantis visited Autozam in the past, he and Eagle became close friends. It is often speculated amongst fans whether Eagle's love ever develops into something more.

Lady Aska is the First Princess of the country of Fahren, and the head of the Fahren invasion force that attacks Cephiro. Her ship is the Dome, an immense dragon-shaped vessel. She laughs constantly and arrogantly, and tends to refer to herself as "we" instead of "I". She is very young, self-assured, and appears fairly bratty (she wants Cephiro so her every whim will become reality and in the anime version, she wants to become pretty to impress Sanyun), but can use all the legendary forbidden spells of the Royal Family, including the ability to conjure up creatures that she draws on ceremonial paper and then uses to attack.

Sanyun is Aska's loyal servant and childhood friend. He's much more thoughtful and studious than Aska (though he really doesn't look it) and hopes to one day assist her in ruling Fahren.

Tarta is the hot-headed princess of the planet Chizeta, which sends its forces to conquer Cephiro and expand its territory. She is especially good at sword combat and can summon the djinn Rakoon. She wants to rule Cephiro as the Pillar to give a better life quality to the people of Chizeta, since their planet is too small.

Tatra is Tarta's calm and seemingly airheaded older twin sister who, when focused, is in fact a formidable warrior. She can conjure the djinn Rasheen to do her bidding and go into battle for her, or choose to use a whip against her enemies. According to Tarta, Tatra is in fact the best fighter in Chizeta.

Nova is introduced as the daughter of Lady Debonair and is an anime-only villainess. She is rather slender with pink hair and elf ears, and appears to be close in age to the three heroines. Throughout the series, Nova gives the impression of being an unstable character, often switching between expressing affection and giving death threats in the space of a heartbeat.

Debonair an anime-only character, is the head antagonist of the second season who awaits the day when Cephiro will crumble due to lack of support from princess Emeraude. Debonair was, in fact, called into being by the darkness in the hearts of Cephiro's citizens, and as such has tremendous power that she wants to rule over Cephiro.

I will always remember this anime!!!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Daisuke Niwa Or Dark: Which Is Which?

I got hooked up every Saturday afternoon in TV 5 because they aired a marathon of DN Angel which was originally aired in QTV 11.



Daisuke Niwa is a 14-year-old boy who has a special genetic ability: whenever he sees or thinks about his crush, Risa Harada, he turns into the infamous phantom thief Dark. Satoshi Hiwatari is a student at the same school as Daisuke and the Harada twins, as well as the Commander of the police force who is heading the investigation on Dark. He is also member of the Hikari family, a clan of artists which has opposed the Niwa family of thieves for centuries.

Is Daisuke Niwa good or bad? What do you think?