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?

The Prince & Princess Of Power: He-Man & She-Ra

Long before I've known the anime characters we know today, they are the first superheroes I've loved were He-Man and She-Ra. They are twins both gifted with super powers to defend their kingdom.



He-Man's alter ego is Prince Adam. He is the defender of Eternia. He is the son of King Randor and Queen Marlena. Once he helds up his sword which is known as the "Power Sword", he is given superhuman strength and becomes the most powerful man in the universe. He is also highly resistant to damage. He also have Super Breath and telepathic abilities. His close friend and companion is his tiger named "Cringer". Only a few knows his secret identity such as the Sorceress, Man-At-Arms and Orco. Together, they defend Castle Grayskull from the evil Skeletor.



On the other hand, She-Ra's alter ego is Princess Adora, the twin sister of Prince Adam. She owns the "Sword Of Protection". When she transforms, she has superhuman strength and is highly resistant to damage. She also possesses superhuman speed and agility, a healing touch, as well as the ability to speak with animals telepathically. Same thing with He-Man, only few know her such as Light Hope, Kowl, Madame Razz. Together with the group "The Great Rebellion defend Eternia from Hordak.

Love this anime!

Monday, May 18, 2009

The One-Stop Gadget Character: Doraemon

Doraemon is an anime shown in GMA 7. Although I've seen the episodes a lot of times, I still enjoy watching it because it gives comic relief.

Doraemon is the titular robotic cat sent back in time by Sewashi to aid Nobita. He possesses a fourth-dimensional pocket from which he can acquire various kinds of futuristic tools, gadgets, and playthings from a future department store. Doraemon originally had ears but they were bitten off by a robotic mouse in the 22nd century. As a result, he developed a morbid fear of mice despite being a robotic cat. He also has the tendency to panic during emergencies, characterized by him frantically trying to pull out a very much-needed tool from his pocket, only to produce a huge assortment of unrelated household items.


Nobita is the main character of the series and the center of the story. He is a fourth grader in Tokyo's Nerima Ward and an only child. He wears glasses, a red or yellow polo shirt with a white collar, and blue shorts. Nobita's character flaws are endless: he is lazy, uncoordinated, dim-witted, frail, plain-looking, unlucky, and bad at sports. Nobita's typical day consists of arriving late on classes, scoring zeros in his tests, getting lectured by his teacher, being bullied by his classmates Gian and Suneo, falling into curbside rain gutters, being chased by dogs, and getting scolded by his mom for his sloth and poor academic results.


Shizuka, usually called Shizu-chan is the smart, kind, and pretty neighborhood girl who is the object of Nobita's affections. She takes baths several times a day. Nobita often disrupts her in the bath due to some misuse of Doraemon's gadgets, resulting in Nobita's head getting dunked. She is also known for taking piano lessons unwillingly, which is sometimes used as an excuse for declining to hang out with Nobita. Her true passions are sweet potatoes, which she'd rather keep to herself out of the knowledge of others, and the violin, in which her playing is as atrocious as Gian's singing. Due to Doraemon's intervention, Shizuka will become Nobita's wife in the future timeline.


Takeshi (Damulag in Filipino-dubbed version), usually known by the nickname "Gian" from English word "giant", is the big, strong, and quick-tempered local bully. His nickname may be derived from giant. He is known for his confidence in his terrible singing voice. He regularly subjects the neighborhood children to horrendous singing recitals, which is sometimes combined with his equally bad homemade dinner. He also frequently steals other children's toys and books under the pretext of "borrowing" them, unless the toy is damaged. This is how most fans considered Gian to be a major antagonist mostly to Nobita and his friends.


Suneo is the fox-faced (inherited from his mother) rich kid who loves to flaunt his material wealth before everyone. He is often seen with Gian, serving as Gian's lackey while they bully Nobita together. Some of the stories start with Suneo showing off some new video game or toy which evokes Nobita's envy. He has an extensive knowledge of science, and is a talented artist and designer.

This anime is really cuddly and cute!

Monster Busters: Ghost Fighter

I've seen this anime a lot of times already, I know you do as well. This was first aired in IBC 13 then GMA 7 re-aired this show in their anime block. This is the story of men who are given the task to solve cases which is reported to the Spirit World. These cases were caused by monsters. The main characters showed their spiritual abilities which I must admit made a craze in our TV habit. I'm referring to Ghost Fighter.





Yusuke Urameshi (Eugene in the Filipino-dubbed version) - He becomes a spirit detective after he dies and is revived by Keiko's kiss. His main attack is the Rei Gun (Spirit Gun in the English anime) where he can manipulate his Reiki (spiritual energy) and fire it into a projectile.


Kazuma Kuwabara (Alfred in the Filipino-dubbed version) - Although human, Kuwabara has high Reiki sensitivity; he is able to manifest a Rei Ken (Spirit Sword in the English dubbing); a type of Reiki that normally takes on the shape of a glowing sword.


Kurama (Dennis in the Filipino-dubbed version) - Kurama is a demon with the ability to summon and control plants. Kurama has a wide variety of techniques, because of his ability to control a wide variety of plants, including the often seen Rose Whip.



Hiei (Vincent in the Filipino-dubbed version) - He specializes in the Jagan (Evil Eye") skills, as well as swordsmanship, and can move at superhuman speeds.

Genkai (Master Jeremiah in the Filipino-dubbed version) - The aged Reiki fighter who rigorously trains Yusuke in the Spirit Light Wave Fist (Spirit Wave in the English anime). Though her manner is often gruff, she cares for Yusuke and the others, and constantly tries to help them grow stronger. In the past, she was feared as one of the most powerful human fighters in both Ningenkai and Makai.

This anime will always be remembered by anyone because of the different techniques shown.

Friendship Put To Test: The Story Of Miyaka & Julie

I first saw this show in GMA 7, I can't get enough of waiting every Friday night just to watch this anime. It is the story of two friends who were transported to another place and time after their encounter with the book entitled "The Universe Of The Four Gods". A story of frienship, love, betrayal, bravery and their quest to complete all the Celestial Warriors to summon the Gods and grant them their three wishes. This is Fushigi Yūgi.


Miyaka Yuki and Julie Hongo were best friends who are getting ready for their entrance exam. They went to the national library and there they saw the book that transported them to ancient China. Miyaka was chosen to be a Priestess of Suzaku (Phoenix God) and was given the task to find the seven Celestial Warriors so that Suzaku can grant her three wishes. As the story goes, an incident happened to Julie that made her think that Miyaka left her because of a man. This resulted for Julie to accept the task to be the Priestess of Seiryu and fight Miyaka literally in a battle and in love. Miyaka was able to complete the Celestial Warriors as stated in the prophecy.

Tamahome - the first of the seven Celestial Warriors of Suzaku whom Miaka meets, comes into the story when he saves Miaka and Yui from slave-traders. Tamahome appears the strongest member of the Suzaku warriors. He is an adept martial artist, proficient unarmed and with weapons, and street fighter in addition to being able to channel his ki into energy blasts. When emotionally motivated, he is able to use his ki to increase his strength, speed, and reflexes in combat. Tamahome is also experienced in fencing thanks to being trained by Tokaki.


Hotohori - the fourth Emperor of Kōnan, Emperor Cai Pi has a reputation for his beauty and his narcissism. As one of the Celestial Warriors of Suzaku, he is able to summon a sword; as such he is a powerful swordsman and has been additionally trained in martial arts since childhood.


Nuriko - first appears disguised as "Kōrin" in Emperor Hotohori's harem, which Hotohori never visits except to welcome new maidens. "Kōrin" was in fact Nuriko's younger sister who died at a young age; he began behaving and dressing like her to keep her memory alive. Nuriko possesses superhuman strength and is later granted a pair of bracelets that transform into strength-increasing armbands by Taiitsukun.


Chichiri - a wandering monk, has trained for several years with Taiitsukun, the creator. He variously wields a shakujō staff, kasa hat, and kesa mantle to fight and employs various magical techniques taught by Taiitsukun, the first of which was the ability to form a barrier around himself.



Tasuki - is the former leader of the Mount Reikaku bandits. Extremely quick and agile, he particularly enjoys joking around with Nuriko, Tamahome, and Chichiri. Tasuki's primary weapon is a flame throwing Tessen, an iron fan used for fighting which is eventually upgraded to become a diamond fan that could only be used by Tasuki by Taitsukun. Additionally, he is skilled in judo, archery, swordsmanship, and is briefly capable of using ofuda. As a Celestial Warrior, he possesses superhuman speed and known as Genrou ("Phantom Wolf") because of his wolf-like appearance.




Mitsukake - the healer of Suzaku's warriors. He is soft-spoken and one of the most serious of the Suzaku Celestial Warriors. Mitsukake's fighting abilities are limited to his own strength, but as a Celestial Warrior, he possesses incredible healing powers at the cost of exchanging some of his own life force. He uses this ability frequently to heal minor injuries, but after healing life-threatening injuries, Mitsukake requires an entire day to regenerate his life force.


Chiriko - the youngest and the genius among the seven Celestial Warriors of Suzaku. Aside from his incredible intelligence, Chiriko also employs a leaf flute against his opponents.

In the course of the story they were able to summon Suzaku. Julie also realized the truth and once again reunited with her best friend, Miyaka.

Friday, May 15, 2009

The Flaming Dragons Of Recca

When GMA 7 aired the anime show, Flame of Recca every afternoon, I used to stick in front of our television every afternoon. Even when I'm going to work, I always take an airconditoned bus it's because I know that their television if not playing a movie, they stay tuned to the Kapuso network and that is when I get to watch this show. Flame of Recca is a story of a man named Recca Hanabishi gifted to control the power of fire and his flaming dragons and his struggles to fight his half-brother named Kurei.



The story evolves around Recca Hanabishi who aims to be a great ninja and serves a loyalty to Yanagi Sakoshita, a teenage girl who can heal any kind of physical injury and which Recca also consider his princess. One day, Kage Hoshi, which was revealed later as his mother, attacked Recca with the intention to test if he can withhold the power of the flames. Recca was able to pass the test. Along the way, Recca met different characters that joined his quest to defeat their enemy named Kurei. Their group was known as Team Hokage and the other member are:


Fuko Kirisawa (Aira Kirisawa in Filipino-dubbed version) - a tomboyish teenage girl, is Recca's childhood friend who has always aspired to defeat him in battle so that he would serve her as her ninja. She initially gets irritated by the fact that Recca chose to become Yanagi's ninja just because he wanted to. For this reason, she decides to accept the aid of Kagerō, who offers to lend her Fūjin (a powerful madōgu that controls wind) in order to enable her to defeat Recca. In actuality, Kagerō implanted a stone in the Fūjin that allowed her to brainwash Fūko, but Recca manages to defeat Fūko and destroy the sphere. Fūko ends up being friends with both Yanagi and Recca after the incident, and she also keeps the Fūjin and wields it throughout the rest of the series.


Domon Ishijima (Max Domon in Filipino-dubbed version - Domon is Recca's schoolmate who is known for his prowess in physical strength and in fighting (he is referred to as Ogre by other students that he has defeated in fights). Like Fūko, has always wanted to defeat Recca, and the reason behind this is that Fūko told him that he could only challenge her if he manages to defeat Recca. He is unable to defeat Recca despite his numerous attempts, and he eventually aids the latter in defeating and rescuing Fūko when she is brainwashed by Kage Hōshi. Afterward, both he and Fūko join forces with Recca and remain allied with him throughout the rest of the series. However, he is never able to do so, and ends up befriending and joining forces with Recca. Domon wields the Dosei no Wa ("The Ring of Saturn"), a madogu which enhances his physical strength. Later in the series, he also wields the Kuchibashi Oh ("Beak King"), a super-sharp snapping claw on an extendable chain, and the Tetsugan ("Iron Ball"), which transmutes his entire body into a living iron golem for brief periods.



Tokiya Mikagami (Dylan Mikagami in Filipino-dubbed version) - second year student at Nashikiri High School, and he wields the madōgu Ensui ("Dark Water"), a sword that utilizes water to create it blade and is capable of creating and controlling all three states of water (liquid, solid and gas). He is often referred to as by his last name, though his companions have made up nicknames for him, such as "Mi-chan" or "Mī-bō". Despite the difference in his age in the anime and manga, Tokiya wanted to take Yanagi from Recca because she looks exactly like his sister, Mifuyu Mikagami, who was murdered in front of his eyes when he was young. He uses the Hyōmon Ken style which was developed specifically for the Ensui and the Hyōma En (a madogu that also controls water, but focuses more on water in its solid form). Tokiya joins forces with Recca in attempting to rescue Yanagi from Mori Kōran's mansion, and he continues to be part of their team throughout the rest of the series.
Kaoru Koganei was once a member of Kurei's Uruha, but later, he becomes a member of Recca's team in the Ura Butō Satsujin. He wields the Kōgan Anki, a puzzle-like weapon that has five different forms. In the manga, the weapon also has a mysterious sixth form: 'Mu'. He likes Yanagi.

Recca in the course of the story was able to acquire the powers of the eight flame dragons.The Flame Dragons are entities that manifest themselves in selected Hokage leaders, each dragon possessing its own unique flame abilities/techniques. Each dragon is an embodiment of the soul of a previous Hokage leader who died without being able to fulfill his/her mission.



Nadare is the first Flame Dragon with the power to produce fireballs. She is the friendliest of all the dragons and is often used by Recca along with Saiha.


Saiha is the second Flame Dragon with the power to produce a blade of fire. He is the dragon most used by Recca.

Homura is the third Flame Dragon with the power to create flame whips and enhance his master's strength.
Setsuna is the fourth Flame Dragon. He can burn anyone who looks in to his eye. He is a cruel, sadistic ninja who lives only to kill. He dislikes Recca and won't hesitate to kill him whenever opportunity arises.
Madoka is the fifth Flame Dragon with the power to create barriers. He is a chubby ninja who speaks politely, but is rather sarcastic.

Rui is the sixth Flame Dragon who has the power to create illusions. She is a beautiful kunoichi who is not afraid to use her body as an advantage in combat.

Koku is one of the creators of madōgu, and a Hokage Flame Master before Ōka. He and his rival Kaima competed to create madōgu, but he is forced to kill his rival once the latter succumbed into further madness. When he becomes the seventh Flame Dragon, he often materializes into human form, who is often portrayed as perverted but also very wise. Koku's power takes the form of a giant, concentrated laser beam.

Ōka (Obeshi) was the sixth generation leader of the Hokage clan during the Eiroku period. He is married to Kagerō and took Reina as his consort, and is the father of both Kurei and Recca. He loves both women and both of his sons equally, and his only regret is that he failed to save Princess Sakura and the Sawaki Clan from destruction. He is later killed by the soldiers of Oda Nobunaga, but his spirit lives on as the eighth Flame Dragon Resshin. Recca uses Resshin's power to save Yanagi's soul from the Tendo Jigoku.

I really love this anime!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

The Best Samurai Kid: Yaiba

I used to watch this anime in ABC 5 every Saturday about this kid who amused me with his crazy antics and his way of being the greatest samurai ever. I'm talking about Yaiba.



Yaiba Kurugane is the main protagonist of the show. He is the Thunder God incarnate, and later acquires the legendary Dragon's Orb. Since he fights without the Thunder Orb in the socketed Thunder God's sword, he was able to be spared the same fate of being possessed by the sword's owner that had befallen Onimaru. Aside from his skills with the sword and his keen senses, he is also able to converse with animals.

For a while, Yaiba was fighting without any orbs. While this left him vulnerable because he had no divine assistance, it also let him master several techniques. The Senpūken (Whirlwind Sword) in which he spins the sword like a lawnmower blade by twirling it on his fingers in the hole that the orbs would usually go in. The Kaminari Giri (Lightning Cut) in which he executes a downward slash in a furious zigzag pattern and finally the "Yaiba Windmill Slash" in which he executes a full body vertical spin motion in the air by sticking his sword between his feet and then uses the momentum to create a buzzsaw-like effect.
It should be noted that there is one other technique, which is called "The Wave of Wind Thunder". This technique can only be used along with Takeshi Onimaru, for both Thunder God and Devil Wind Swords are needed in order to execute the technique. It is the resulting combination of Yaiba's "Lightning Blast" and Takeshi's upgraded Devil Wind Slash "Tornado Ripper". They used this move against Kaguya-hime.

Together in his quest to find the powerful orbs are Sayaka Mine (Yaiba's love interest), Kenjuro Kurogane (Yaiba's father), Musashi Miyamoto (Yaiba's teacher), Jubei Yagyu (owner of the overextending sword), Kagetora (their tiger friend) and Shonosuke (their vulture friend).

Raijin-ken (Lightning God Sword) - Yaiba's sword, Raijin-ken has an orb within it marked with the kanji for "Thunder". Throughout his adventures in Japan, Yaiba finds several other orbs in search of the Dragon God's Orb, which are listed as follows:

Water - This orb allows Yaiba to control water by swinging his sword and can shoot water from the tip of the sword. It was found in Lake Biwa.

Gold - Allows Yaiba to transform into different people and objects. He earned this orb from the Tanuki in Shikoku.

Fire - This orb allows Yaiba to shoot balls of flame from his sword. It was found on Mount Aso.

Big - Let's Yaiba grow huge. The first time he used this orb, he grew large enough to leave the atmosphere. However by the time the orb runs out of power, it turns black and Yaiba becomes exhausted because he used up all his stamina. It only takes time to recharge the orb before he uses it again. It was found in Nara.

Darkness - This orb is the most dangerous of all. It can suck up anything on its path including the user as an act of desperate measure. When Yaiba use it for the first time, he got sucked into the orb along with Jubei. But they got out from the orb successfully. It was found in Niigata.

Ice - This orb allows Yaiba to shoot ice from the tip of this sword. It also allows him to freeze water into ice. It was found in Hokkaidō.

Attack - This talking orb contains all of the powers of the six other orbs from Water to Ice. Whenever he uses it, the Raijin-ken changes its shape; turning into the Ryūjin-ken. This also happened when he used the orb on Onimaru's Fūjin-ken when the Raijin-ken was swallowed by Kaguya-hime. The orb has 3 abilities: One, Yaiba can now fly while holding the sword. Two, it can create a powerful energy shield that can block projectiles. And three, he can summon the Dragon God by activating all of the orbs, including the Attack Orb as well to unveil its ultimate power. It was found in Tōhoku.

Hopin' that it will be air again on television!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Extraordinary Mutants: The Uncanny X-men

They're not ordinary people but they live in the ordinary world. People mock them and wants them to be eliminated. They are the mutants, of course, because of their mutant powers, I became a fan viewer every Friday night. They are the Uncanny X-Men.



The X-Men is a group of individuals who have special abilities. Because they are not comfortable living in the society, they were taken by Professor X in his home to train and help them develop their powers. The team aims to unite the mutants and the human beings and live in just one world as normal.

The cast of the Uncanny X-Men that was shown in ABS-CBN are the following:

Cyclops (Scott Summers) - He is gifted with optic energy beams since birth. forcing him to wear specialized glasses at all times and a specialized visor in combat. His powers may have led to his inhibited, meticulous character. These same qualities, however, have made him an ideal leader for the X-Men.


Wolverine (James Howlett) - more known as Logan, he possess the Adamantium, a laced skeletal structure with retractable claws. He is also capable of regenerative healing factor. He also has superhuman senses through smelling.

Rogue (Anna Marie) - she is the mutant who can absorb memories, skills, and powers through skin to skin contact. The longer the contact occurs, the longer Rogue will retain the abilities or memories. If she maintains contact for long enough, the absorption is permanent.

Storm (Ororo Monroe) - Her abilities include Weather manipulation, Flight, Energy perception, Ecological empathy,Resistance to the effects of the weather and extreme heat and cold, Latent natural magic abilities.

Beast (Dr. Henry Philip McCoy) - a mutant who possesses ape-like superhuman physical strength and agility and oversized hands and feet, though he otherwise appears to be a normal human being. Throughout his history, Beast undergoes progressive latent transformations to his physiognomy, permanently gaining increasingly animalistic physical characteristics. These include blue fur, feline facial features, pointed ears, fangs, and claws. His physical power increases to even greater levels, as do his senses. The best thing about him is his intelligence is same as a genius.


Gambit (Remy LeBeau) - he has the ability to charge matter with explosive bio-kinetic energy. He is also a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, strategist, and thief.

Jubilee (Jubilation Lee) - she has the ability to project pyrotechnic energy plasmoids and to explosively charge objects.

Jean Grey (Jean Grey-Summers) - the wife of Cyclops. She has the abilities of Telekenesis and Telepathy. In the story arc Phoenix Saga, there was a scene that she turned into Phoenix which grant her the ability of Pyrokenesis and Healing Factor.

Professor X (Charles Francis Xavier) - the founder and leader of the X-Men. He is capable of telepathy, mental reading and control. His intellect is same as a genius.

The Uncanny X-Men for me is the best than the other X-Men series we have today!