The Holiday Bug. More Than One Kind.

I intended to finish a few more posts before the New Year, but sadly, I've been totally kaput. I've been sick since the 26th and haven't even felt like watching anime, much less writing about it. That gives you a fairly good idea of how crappy I feel. >.<

In other news...

The remaining episode summaries and final review of Noein will be up shortly after New Year's Day. Gah, what a drag that was to sit through. -_-'

I also have a new addition to my collection, Trinity Blood. Thus far, it has a lot of premise and has already met most of my expectations. It's quite violent though, quite unncessarily. So, if things get any messier than they have in the first four episodes, the show won't be getting a posted review from me unless the story proves to be exceptional enough to overshadow the gore. In either case, don't hold your breath for that one.

I might also dive into an episode or two of Haibane Renmei. Yeah, I've been trying to set aside time for that one since last month, but I got sidetracked by Fairy Tail and the Zanpakuto arc in Bleach, among other things.

Yes! Bleach is coming to "Tracks"! :D Not the whole series (sorry). I've been watching since episode 1, but for now, this blog will focus on the new story line that starts from episode 230, with the appearance of... Well, more on that later. ;-)

That's all the news for now.

Hurrah for Holiday loot! Boo to Holiday sickliness!

Take care, everyone! ^_^/~

Happy Holidays Everyone!

A Very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Holiday Blessings To All! ^_^

Sia: Breathe Me

This is one of those songs that I can't help but play over and over. I first heard it on Lush, an internet radio station streamed on one of the Soma FM servers. It's also featured in the show "Six Feet Under", though I've never watched it.

So many great artists are overlooked by mainstream broadcasts, and I cannot stress enough how important it is to support internet radio. But enough of that for now.

Who's The Crazy Guy On The Piano?

I'm curious as to what I look like when I'm playing the piano while deeply immersed in a song (though not all that keen on seeing it). This next piece reveals a part of that image, but it probably doesn't come close to the full picture. I imagine it's quite a strange scene. O_O

This was inspired by, as well as an attempt to capture, the physical and mental state into which I fall when (unsuccessfully) following Sia's "Breathe Me" on the piano.

Haiku!

Haiku! (What? Bless you!)
No, seriously. (What? Haiku?)
Yes. It's all Haiku!

After not having written poetry in any standardized format whatsoever in ages, I picked up my copy of "Patterns of Poetry" for the umpteenth time - I must sit down and read this thoroughly one day soon. Lo and behold, tonight's random arrangement (oxymoron intended) is Haiku, a 3-line poem where lines 1 and 2 have 5 syllables, and line 2 has 7 syllables. Haiku is derived from Japanese verse, quite appropriate considering the blog's main theme.

A Temporary State of Chaos

There was brief implosion of this blog's markup which wreaked havoc on the layout. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Fortunately, I had a backup of the code and everything has been reverted to Wednesday night's saved state.

I'm still working on the film strip menu and the shop sections. I WILL make that silly thing work properly if it's the last piece of JavaScript I ever customize! >_>

Expect more hiccups, hopefully minor from hereon, until both panels are completed.

Thank you,

JM ^_^

A New Look

Yep, I've given the site a new look, changing nearly the entire layout from both the inside and outside (while maintaining the use of natural green and olive color schemes).

I've tested the site's download time, rendering, and formatting on the latest versions of Safari, FireFox, and Internet Explorer. All images and markup code should be loading optimally on the average system, with the exception of very old hardware and browsers, and some integrated graphics chips.

One remaining issue is the rotating set of images not showing in some versions of IE. This may be due to an IE security feature (eg. not loading the JavaScript), or something inherently wrong with the code. As for the rest of the design, all the sidebar, widget, and blog panels should have properly-rendered transparent backgrounds; and there should no longer be any misaligned or off-screen panels.

If something looks out of place or does not render correctly, please leave a comment regarding the issue, or send me a message through any of the community links.

ps. If someone out there can figure out how to fix the JavaScript rendering on IE, your advice would certainly be welcome! :D

Later folks! ^_^

Noein: Episode 17 Summary and Afterthoughts

The Magic Circle Project's experiments are to go on as planned, with a blackmailed Mayuzumi back on the team. However, with the possibility of a catastrophic effect, Uchida and Kooriyama continue to observe Shinohara's actions. Meanwhile, strange creatures that look like seahorses appear to be keeping an eye on Haruka.


Yuu pretends to study when his mother is around, but his notebook reveals a wandering mind and an affinity for birds.

Noein: Episode 16 Summary

Haruka momentarily escapes Noein by entering another time stream through an ouroboros. Noein catches up to Haruka and tries to convice her that she should forget about Karasu, that he is only an illusion. She fervently rejects the idea, recounting all the times Karasu had saved her. As Haruka recalls how she met Karasu, she shifts through timespaces to visit some of the events in her past. However, Karasu is no longer there. She inadvertently merges with herself at the test of courage in the cemetery, and her memories of the Dragon Knights and of Noein start to fade.


Tobi fears that their presence and Noein's interference in the past has started to influence the timeline.

Noein: Episode 15 Summary

Kooriyama tries to arrest Karasu, to no avail. Uchida, on the other hand, suspects that Karasu and Tobi are from the future. Tobi leads Uchida, Karasu, and Kooriyama to the source of the distortions he discovered in Haruka's timespace.


Haruka's father gets a threatening phone call from Shinohara, who wants to put him back to work on the Magic Circle Project.

If You Can Read This

Then everything hasn't quite exploded... yet.

Thank you all for your visits and your messages. I apologize for another delay in posting more reviews and summaries. I've run into a few major obstacles with some CSS and transparencies not working properly, or at all, on Internet Explorer (which is about as useful as a bucket of camel spit). If you insist on using IE, well, I can't help you there, but please bear with me as I iron out, stamp, bash in, and wrestle with the numerous kinks that Microsoft's horrid browser throws my way. In the meantime, I recommend using FireFox instead.

Finished layout or otherwise, there will be more updates on Sunday evening!

Have a great weekend, everyone! ^_^/~

Construction Ahead!

Do not adjust your monitor. What you are experiencing is a temporary shift in my mental state. I'm making a few several changes to the layout of this site.

Please watch your step and look out for falling branches.

Thank you for your patience. ^_^

Fairy Tail: First Impressions

Here we are with my first look at the crazy and fun semi-epic adventure that is Fairy Tail. I was hesitant to follow this series, as I had heard that it is indeed quite goofy, but I'm glad I started it.


Natsu and Happy pose for the opening sequence.

In a succinct and elegant manner, the narrator's introduction provides some background information on the Kingdom of Fiore and opens the door to a world of unbridled magic.

Noein: Episode 14 Summary and Afterthoughts

Tobi and Atori stay in the spare room at the Haruka's house under the guise of a non-profit organization studying birds. There, Tobi observes the increasing instability forming in the timespace.

Haruka finds herself in a dimensional loop, wherein she repeatedly witnesses a quarrel between her parents prior to their divorce. Each time the event repeats, something different happens, and the animosity between her parents gets worse. Haruka becomes intent on finding a past where her parents were never separated; but the Wanderer tells her that the timeline she seeks does not connect with hers and that her past cannot be changed.


Miyuki, back in her younger days, with what is supposed to be a broken phone. Haruka only realizes much later that she herself caused the phone in her mother's past to ring.

Noein: Episode 13 Summary and Afterthoughts

Fukurou is dead by Noein's hands, and Karasu has been badly hurt. Tobi is the only one with the ability to heal him, but she must find a source of Layze in order for Karasu to regenerate.

Atori is still alive, but he has lost all memory of his life as a Dragon Knight. Some fragments of hist past remain, though. He mistakes Miho for his sister, and makes a promise to protect her.


Yuu thinks Karasu is dangerous and tries to pull Haruka away, but she refuses to leave Karasu's side.

Fairy Tail: Episode 1 Summary and Afterthoughts

The land of Fiore, as envisioned by cartologists from ancient times.

The following is a condensed reiteration of the narrator's introduction in Fairy Tail:

While magic items are frequently used, sold, and purchased by the commoners of the Fiore Kingdom, there are those for whom magic is at the core of their occupation. These people are called wizards, and they undertake various tasks commissioned by the guild to which they belong.

There are several guilds throughout the land, but one in particular is known for fostering and producing wizards of legendary stature. The name of this guild is Fairy Tail.

Noein: Episode 12 Summary and Afterthoughts

Though she readily displays her anger and talks about killing Karasu, Kosagi can't hide her true feelings. Her attachment to Karasu and her resentment for his betrayal of the Dragon Knights are at the root of her internal conflict.

Haruka is once again visited by the Old Man, who finally reveals himself to be a time wanderer. He subtly warns Haruka that what she sees may turn into reality simply because she witnessed it, and that she must be careful of what timespaces she creates or finds herself visiting.


The episode is quick to foreshadow Fukurou's death in Haruka's dream. She is neither able to stop the fight nor save Fukurou.