Dong Zhi Festival

Hey there Earthlings! I'm officially back from my Hong Kong trip for 1 week since and I've encounter some technical difficulties to log on with my internet. It seems that my internet just died on me all of the sudden!!! Anyway, December 21st which falls on Sunday was "Dong Zhi" festival, which marks the start of the Winter Solstice festival that is celebrated by all Chinese. It's also so called "Chinese Christmas", quoted from Sandra xD.

Traditionally in China, during "Dong Zhi" this signified that it is time to get ready for the winter. the Chinese will often stayed at home with their families or relatives to make "Tong Yuen" with their children. Tong Yuen is basically a chinese desert stuffed with sugar inside and coated with "luo mi" flour. Of course in our contemporary world, it has become so commercialize in China today especially during the season that the ingredient inside has ranged from black sesame, red bean curd, peanut fillings... etc. It is served while its hot so that it warms the body on cold days. It is believed that as a new year is approaching, eating something sweet and round will bring a smooth year ahead.

Come to think of it, we missed out making our "Tong Yuen" last year, since I'm in London during "Dong Zhi" festival. T__T saddddd. Gaah, it's all in the past and I can enjoy it right now, so it doesn't really bothers me now >=)

Tong Yuen"s" well prepared and ready to be boil cook!
wrapped with sugar inside

Boiling!

With pandan leaves and piping hot ginger and sugar blend syrup to accompany the tong yuen, but of course its up to you to suits your own preference. Once the balls starts to float, it signals that is ready to be serve!!!

The world-renown home-made "tong yuen"

It taste awesomely sweet xD

Anyway, happy belated Dong Zhi everyone!
blame my internet for the late post wtf!
Bon Voyage

Puppy Doggy

Wakakaka... I've successfully blogged 6 anime reviews continuously, and I'm still not done with today's blog entry! Speaking of TODAY~! Do you know it started rain here at KD since 5 in the morning... stopped while... rain again... stopped again... rain again and again and again! Did not expose to any sunlight, it was cloudy all day long a good sight of a gloomy day, but my feelings is a rather contradictory to today's weather cause I get to watch BOLT in 3DDDD~!!!



Bolt face was quite huge! It must be that 3D effect wtf, well that's what I thought at first but thats not the case however, Bolt's face is really damn big. Anyway, who cares when he's seriously cute right?... xD. Bolt's puppy eyes and naive characteristic makes me felt for it instantly! Gosh, I wonder what type canine he is. To be honest, all the characters, i mean animals involved in this movie like the kitty, hamsters...etc are super cute! including those dumb pigeons, their stubbornness makes them so FUNNY~ xD

After the movie, we head to Sushi Zanmai. Nice ambiance but strangely it reminds me of Sushi King where the conveyor belt is sosososososoosososo super empty!!! It moves round and round, circle and circle and passed through our table infinite times with always the same 3 plates wtf!

Oh oh... A short pre-review of Nodame Cantabile! You can watch it either in anime or tv drama, every minute its worth watching! It's a must watch show! I finished watching its 23+1(special edition episode) and it's second season which its set in Paris, 8 episodes released so far, I can tell it has not end yet (a good sign)! If you're interested in the instrument piano, violin, cello... or orchestra, conducting or simply a music addict this show highly recommended for you. A blend of sense of humor which makes this comedy the utter perfect show for everyone!!!!! even if you hate music! ;D

I'll be going for my medical checkup like in 10 hours so good night! ;D

Steam Boy

Anime Review

The Word Expo is here! Set in the 1866, where exhibition like this is a show off of varies inventions created by geniuses around the world! A simple exhibition like this turned out a war whenever evil revolve and begotten many challenge for James in this chaotic event in Steam Boy.




Storyline:
Victorian England, 1866 - It's days before the first ever World Expo and amidst the excitement, young genius, James Ray Steam unexpectedly receives a mysterious package from his grandfather in America which holds a secret invention - a metallic sphere known as a Steam Ball. With enough energy to power an entire nation, the Steam Ball could be an astounding miracle for mankind - or a weapon to destroy the world.

But Ray received the package for a reason, and as he learns that anything this powerful has to come with a price. In no time, Ray finds himself in the middle of a nefarious scheme by the O' Hara Foundation, headed by the diabolical Archibald Simon, who will do anything to get his hands on the Steam Ball.

Very soon, Ray becomes embroiled in a vicious battle against pure evil - an evil that will stop at nothing and sacrifice all mankind for the sake of himself. Can this young inventor beat the odds to win the war and save the rest of the world from certain annihilation?

My End Verdict:
Ahh... when I first watch this anime, the word that really burns to my mind was the word - "World Exposition" which is held at least once every 5 years. I cant wait for the next which is located in ShangHai~ Ahh... my Papa's place haha. Ok, back to anime related statement - I never thought it would turn out this way seriously... overly dramatic at times but overall a great anime.

Rating: 4.3/5. Must watch~!

Gankutsuou

Anime Review

What happen when you brought back home a stranger that you thought he was once a Mr.NiceGuy turns out to be your parents past "nightmare"? Discover the true power of friendship and betrayal, and unfold many "skeleton-in-wardrobe" secrets and lies of a the family of this young bachelor, Albert de Morcerf all here in Gankutsuou / The Count of Monte Cristo.





Storyline:
Tired of his boring life in Paris, Albert de Morcerf, the son of a wealthy aristocrat, decides to journey to the moon with his friend Franz.

While enjoying the carnival in the moon city of Luna, Albert meets a rich and powerful man whom the locals refer to as the Count of Monte Cristo. Living in luxurious hotels, surrounded by beautiful women and bodyguards, the Count easily fascinates the impressionable youth with his enigmatic charm.

Before leaving for home, Albert promises to introduce the Count to the Parisian high society. However, unknown to him, his father once framed the Count out of jealousy and took his fiancee as his own. And now, Albert's world is about to be shattered, as the Count of Monte Cristo returns to wreak vengeance on those who had betrayed him to his doom...

Media:
Opening theme: We Were Lovers - Jean-Jacques Burnel
Closing theme: You Won't See Me Coming - Jean-Jacques Burnel

My End Verdict:
A rather unique technique used for its graphic! *applause* Gankutsuou showed the dark side does pay where all hands stained with unforgivable sin shall be punish in one way or another.

Rating: 4.5/5 Loves it =D

Cowboy Bebop

Anime Review

Some cowboys ride horses, some cowboys ride electrical bulls, but Spike however drives spaceships and aircrafts when space travel becomes a common activity in the 21st century.

Spike Spiegel

Storyline:
Space travel has arrived in the 21st century. But even as humanity spreads out across the solar system, so too do the dregs of society: crooks, drug dealers, hackers, and terrorists who have turned the lawless frontier into their haven. Pursuing these outlaws is a new breed of "cowboys" - bounty hunters lured by the promise of quick fame and fortune.

Meet Spike Spiegel, jazz lover and Bruce Lee devotee. Together with his partner Jet Black and the motley crew of the spaceship Bebop - Faye Valentine, Ed and Ein the data-dog - they're the unlikeliest bounty hunters to roam the outer reaches of space, tracking down dangerous criminals and chasing the ever-elusive dream of getting rich...

Media:
Opening theme: Tank! - Seatbelts
Closing theme: The Real Folk Blues - Mai Yamane

My End Verdict:
This is somewhat akin to Black Cat where bounty hunters sweep the badies away for fast cash! However, Cowboy Bebop has a unique and distinctive features that creates a clear cut distinguish between Black Cat.

Rating: 4.1/5. Go watch =)

Yu Yu Hakusho

Anime Review

Storyline:

Fourteen-year-old Yusuke Urameshi is every teacher's nightmare. He does badly in school, skips class a lot, and always argues with his teachers. On top of that, he's also the undisputed brawler around who is good at nothing but picking fights with rival Kuwabara.

However, Yusuke's life is forever changed one day when-much to everyone's surprise-he sacrifices himself to save a young boy from getting hit by a car.

Impressed by Yusuke's selflessness, Koenma, the 700-year-old ruler of the Spirit World, restores him back to life and appoints him a "Spirit Detective".

Aided by new companions, Yusuke now has the unenviable job of preserving peace in the human world, as he takes on a host of demons and ghosts in this action-filled anime adventure!

My End Verdict:

Based on Yoshihiro TOGASHI's best-selling manga series, this anime packed with action throughout the seasons! I'm not really into this kind of anime but Dragon Ball is an exception cause its my childhood addict! haha

Rating: 3.9/5

Flame Of Recca

Anime Review

Storyline:
Ninjas. Recca Hanabishi has always had an extreme obsession with them. But like any other regular high-school student, becoming a ninja is impossible - that is, until he meets Yanagi, a girl with mysterious healing powers, and discovers his true identity in a confrontation with a Dark Priestess.

His dream comes alive when he learns that he's actually a descendant of the Hokage Ninja clan sent to the present 400 years ago - but along with this comes great danger and responsibility. As Recca discovers his powers and how to use them, he faces an impossible battle against the notorious Uruha organisation to save both himself and his "princess", Yanagi.

Media:
Opening theme: Nanka Shiawase - The OYSTARS
Closing theme: Love is Changing - Nishida Hikkaru

My End Verdict:
Flame of Recca almost has a similar concept with the anime Yu Yu Hakusho. Its like the same story but different version? Anyway, it's worth watching if you have the SPARE time.

Rating: 3.1/5

Ranma 1/2

Anime Review

The crazy advanture of a typical teenage martial artist begins after he accidentaly felt into a cursed spring during training in Jusenkyo. The outcome of the curse is worse than it sounds when he discovers something unsual which is about to change his life forever!

The cast!

Clockwise: Ukyo Kuonji, Ranma (felamle form), Ranma (male form), Akane Tendo, Shampoo, Ryoga Hibiki

Storyline:
16-year-old martial artist Ranma Saotome is stuck with a peculiar curse after falling into an enchanted spring - whenever he gets wet with cold water, he changes into a girl! His father suffers from an even worse fate - he turns into a big fluffy panda whenever he touches cold water. Their only consolation is that upon contact with hot water, the curse is reversed and they revert to their original forms.

Ranma is engaged to Akane Tendo, another martial artist who hates all boys, including Ranma (although Ranma is now technically half a girl). As Ranma and Akane bicker their way to true love, more complications arise when the head bully of the school, who has a crush on Akane all this while, falls for the female Ranma. And the story just gets better - Shampoo, a young girl who was defeated by Ranma's female form, seeks her out for revenge while unknowingly falling hopelessly for the male Ranma. Of course, she ends up plunging into another cursed pool, and turns into Ranma's worse phobia - a cat!

The plot gets more complecated as more characters are introduced in the later seasons/chapters, but nevertheless there's more exciting and even more compelling wacky storyline to be unfold.

My End Verdict:
Ranma 1/2 is an old anime created in the 1987 captured the hearts of many children that makes this anime so popular that it still live in the hearts of children today. A mixture of a daily student life and martial artist with the added secret ingredients of comedy element to it never fails to bring laughter to viewers.

Rating: 3.8/5