Ouran High School Host Club Episode 9: A Challenge from Lobelia Girls' Academy! The girls' academy musical theatre Zuka club offers to "rescue" Haruhi from The Host Club. So our protagonist has to make a difficult decision: Will she abandon the boys for the girls?
If I were in her shoes...
There's no way I would leave Ouran Academy - much less The Host Club! Especially after the boys went to the extent of dressing as ladies to entice her to stay! That's incredible loyalty. They really showed her they care about her and want her to stay in the club.
Even Kyoya dressed up!
The Ouran Host Club is like a family. Their genuine love for each other - particularly Tamaki & Haruhi - is what makes this anime so great! As soon as I finished it, I thought: "I MUST read the manga!"
I suppose that's what anime is for, right? Well done!
Back in April, Girl Gone Geek put together a bucket list of characters, she'd like to cosplay in the future. (Check it out!)
I was inspired to do the same thing! Below are a few characters I'd like to cosplay!
Poison Ivy & Harley Quinn (The New Batman Adventures)
I love this dynamic duo! Not only are they beautiful, they are the epitome of supervillainesses. They're resourceful, intelligent, independent, charming, and fun! Personally, they remind me of myself and my partner-in-crime, Sandy. She's not particularly geeky, but I'm sure I could put her in a Harley Quinn costume and drag her to Dragon-Con.
Revy (Black Lagoon)
Is it obvious now that I have a thing for bad girls? Revy is as bad as they come! With a loud, foul mouth, short shorts, and a gun in her hand, Revy is my number one reason for watching Black Lagoon.
This is a pretty simple cosplay outfit, too. Most of it I could buy at the mall.
A Bleach Captain
None of these specifically. I would like to cosplay as the captain of my own squad - maybe an imagined Squad 14 or the successor to one of the above captains. Of course, I'll need a cool zanpakutō!
Launch (Dragonball)
Another great best friend cosplay that could work alone as well. Since I prefer the "bad girl" look, I would probably be blonde Launch and carry a gun. For those unfamiliar with this #throwback character...
The most dangerous sneeze in the world.
Rule 63 Tomoe (Kamisama Hajimemashita)
I read some fanfiction about Tomoe having a little sister that looked just like him. This intrigued me. I imagined her looking a lot like this:
Regardless of whether the Kamisama Hajimemashita reference sticks, fox spirits are throughout anime and their usually really cool characters.
In a Facebook group, a question arose about the accuracy of cosplay. Is the goal to be most like the actual character or is it okay to put your own spin on it? What qualities do you look for in a character when choosing who to cosplay as? Is it only about the costume or does personality fit into it?
So, I've started watching two anime series: Blue Exorcist& The Devil Is A Part-Timer. I didn't choose either anime for this reason, but I notice a common supernatural theme: The Devil.
Blue Exorcist is about young man training to become an exorcist and avenge the death of the his father - or, more precisely, the man who raised him. His actual father is... the devil. Yes, young Rin Okumura is the literal spawn of Satan. (Yet, surprisingly, he's quite the good guy!)
The Devil Is A Part-Timer is about Satan, his most devoted servant, and the only human who can stop him from taking over the world living surprisingly normal, part-time lives in our world while trying to return their more mystical world. This devil is also an astonishingly nice guy.
It's aspects like demon heroes that make me appreciate foreign media. A sympathetic devil is not something The United States would easily accept. Surely, numerous religious groups would protest these shows if they were American-made.
Personally, I try not to allow my religious convictions to keep me from enjoying a narrative with a different perspective. In doing so, anime like these often open my mind to possibilities like: What if the devil had a chance to live a normal human life? Would he embrace the opportunity? Would the world embrace him? Should they?
Also, I must admit seeing the devil working at (essentially) McDonald's is spiritually gratifying!
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Death Note is about a straight-A, high school senior named Light Yagami, who - through arbitrary circumstance and a Shinigami's boredom - comes across a mysterious notebook called a Death Note. Light learns that if you write someone's name (and envision their face) in the Death Note, that person will die. He then proceeds to use the Death Note to kill heinous criminals, to whom he feels deserve capital punishment, in an effort to create a better world...and be regarded as a "god" of this new & better world.
Unfortunately for Light, the police notice the several dozen criminals meeting an unfortunate demise and come to the conclusion that, somehow, someone is responsible for this. They hire the legendary, world-famous detective, known only as L, to solve this mystery - along with a task-force of the police's best officers (which includes Light's father).
Keeping his enemies close, Light also joins the task-force to find the mysterious murderer known as Kira (which, in reality, is Light himself). The great minds of Light and L compete in a sophisticated game of cat-and-mouse that makes Death Note a must-see for anime fans!
Death Note is a fantastic series, but what blew my mind? It wasn't until the last episode that I realized: Light is a sociopath!
I'd been cheering for him the entire time! Every time he was backed into a corner, I'd sit on the edge of my seat hoping he'd find a solution! Then, at the very end, I realized something that was evident from the beginning yet I ignored: the protagonist and his cause are utterly immoral!
Go Light! Kill those criminals! Become a god! Woo!
I recently read an intriguing article on io9 that lists 10 reasons the audience would root for amoral protagonists. Without spoiling the story, Light did some pretty awful things, but he meets a few of the article's listed criteria.
"1) Make their ends noble (or neutral) even if their means are evil":Light's ideal world without violent crimes was a noble cause. However, he chose immoral means of achieving this goal.
"3) Someone or something they care about": There were moments when Light showed us he wasn't a complete monster. There were people, such as his father, that he cared about.
Furthermore, I think audiences appreciate strong skill regardless of the morality conflicts. Though Light was a sociopath, he was undeniably good at what he was doing! It was fun to watch him think his way out of sticky situations. After all, the good guys are measured by the strength of the bad ones, right?
Among the many things I found interesting about Sword Art Online, I found the marriage concept interesting. Players who got married in the game gained access to their spouses weaponry; they shared useful items in the game.
Anti-climactic, I know. How is that any different than couples sharing assets in real life? That's what I found interesting! The game was surprisingly realistic in that way. The idea of people joining together not only in real life but in their virtual lives is interesting.
I recently came across a Mashable article about people combining their virtual worlds - not through online games - through social media. It's apparently a growing trend for couples to blog together, have joint Instagram accounts, etc. However, some people are not so open to that concept.
No one wants to be Scumbag Steve and Stacy...
Personally, I have mixed feelings about this.
On the one hand, it's kind of sweet that couples want to share a typically private part of their lives with each other. (I mean, they do that in every other form of life, right?) Also, as a friend of newlyweds, a joint social network is a great way of watching a real-life love story unfold.
On the other hand, it is a little creepy. Perhaps it's unsettling because it is so uncommon, but the idea of a joint social network sounds like a couple smothering each other. It's a subtle sign that these two individuals no long exist; there is only "the couple". It's disconcerting to friends who were there before "the couple" existed.
How much do you want to bet DJ Jazzy Jeff doesn't hang around as much anymore?
What's the proper etiquette for this? Is it too soon to join accounts if you're not married? If the relationship doesn't work out, what happens then? Is it something to put in a prenup? This is far too complicated for me.
Social media is an extension of yourself, of sorts. It often represents the way you want others to see you. (Whether accurate or not.) I suppose sharing an online medium with a romantic partner is a way of publicizing the way you want others to perceive your relationship... No different than being in a public space in the real world...
What do you think? Should couples share social networks?
The article goes into the various reasons why Superstar Beyonce Knowles should not be considered an inspiration for today's young women based on the way she puts herself out there. I'm sure Beyonce fans - who oddly don't have a name like Little Monsters or Beliebers - were outraged by the article, but I can see where the author's head is.
Honestly, although I've been a Beyonce fan once or twice in my life, I've never considered her an inspiration. Here's a list (in no particular order) of 10 people/characters that inspire me!
Paul Lynde
In a previous post, I mentioned how much I love game shows. One game show I simply had to watch growing up was (the original) Hollywood Squares because of its center square: Paul Lynde.
At a time when being homosexual was controversial (even in Hollywood), Paul Lynde made no secret of his sexuality in a humorous way then even the biggest homophobe could laugh at. Although, he never officially came out, he still had the courage to at least address the issue. Furthermore, the media had enough respect and admiration for Paul Lynde that they avoided outing him in order to preserve his career.
His courage and wit make him an inspiration in my life. His death in 1982 was a true loss in Hollywood.
Fun Fact: American Dad's Roger the Alien was based on Paul Lynde.
Conan O'brien
From Saturday Night Live to late night television, Conan O'brien has been a funny man for decades now. Not only is his career admirable, but the personality that gave him such success is something to be admired.
First, one of the reasons I find Conan O'brien so funny is that he acknowledges his hits and misses. He knows that all of his jokes aren't going to land - at least not the way he wants them to - and he's not afraid to point it out. In fact, he's very transparent with his audience.
Second, the way he handled the Tonight Show incident with NBC & Jay Leno was very admirable. Not only did he stand his ground on not moving the show back an hour, but when he left NBC his fan rallied around him (myself included), pledged our allegiance to #TeamCoco, and he didn't let us down.
Thanks to TBS, Conan was back on late night television, funnier than ever, within months of leaving NBC.
His humor and tenacity makes him one of my most inspirational people!
Bethenny Frankel (of The Real Housewives of New York)
It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, but who doesn't love The Real Housewives? The Real Housewives of New York was the first one I ever saw and it had me absorbed in the drama. The cattiness of wealthy/powerful women can be appalling! However, there always seem to be one woman on those shows who rises above the immaturity and tells it how it is. On RHNY, that housewife was Bethenny Frankel.
Along with seeing through the mess the other women made all the time, Bethenny is also a self-made success. She comes from a hostile family environment and continues to be a lovely, classy, sane successful woman.
Overcoming obstacles and remaining her wonderful self makes her an inspiration to me!
L (of Death Note)
Aside from being one of the greatest anime characters of all time, L is an individual whose mere description is something to model yourself after!
He's world-renowned, brilliant, and not self-righteous. It took a lot for the protagonist, Light, to gain L's trust (for good reason, as his eventual trust was misplaced), and no one ever learned his real name.
His intrigue and logical talent makes him inspirational!
Vegeta (of Dragonball Z)
At first glance, this one is a stretch. How could that foolishly prideful prince be inspirational? Beneath his hard exterior, Vegeta has a heart and beneath his pride is a lot of will.
Vegeta taught me at a young age to always give everything my best and always think highly of myself regardless of the accomplishments of those around me. He "takes orders from no one" and acts for what he deems important.
"You may have invaded my mind & my body. But there's one thing a saiyin always keeps: his PRIDE!"
Oscar Wilde
Much like Paul Lynde, Oscar Wilde was gay when being gay wasn't the most popular thing to be. (In fact, it was illegal in his day.) Oscar Wilde was a skilled writer, a man who made his way through the world exploring many different things, and maintained an enviable level of style!
When a homosexual relationship he'd been having came to light and he was facing prosecution, he never denied being gay. Instead he made the argument that it shouldn't matter who he loved and brought humor to the courtroom.
Aside from being courageous, Oscar Wilde also has an interesting world view as you can tell from the many quotes we see from him today.
"Children begin by loving their parents; after a time they judge them; rarely, if ever, do they forgive them."
Tupac Shakur
I once wrote a five-page paper about how misunderstood Tupac Shakur is, so forgive me for being brief here. Unlike 99.99% of the rappers today, Tupac tried to make statements through his rhymes. He grew up living a hard life and watched those around him live just as hard; he hoped to inspire change as well as entertainment through his lyrics.
Growing up listening to his music & over time realizing how educated he really was, inspired me to examine the content of the music I was listening to. So often people are more concerned with a dance-able beat than a world-changing rhyme when it comes to rap. While his contemporaries rapped about shootings and riches, Tupac spoke the way he felt about serious issues facing the African-American community at the time.
(Confession: I seriously cannot listen to Brenda's Got A Baby. It makes me uncomfortably sad.)
Olivia Munn
I know Olivia Munn wasn't the first woman to trailblaze her way into the Geek world, but she was my inspiration when I began to embrace the geek in me. Before any bimbo in glasses called herself a geek, geeks were typically young men who were interested in science, technology, comic books, etc. As you can imagine with any male-dominated group, women were not exactly welcomed with open arms.
Women like Olivia Munn and Morgan Web actually made female geeks look right. It was okay - even a little sexy - to be interested in things boys were interested in. In short: We don't all have to be Barbies to be cool or attractive!
Plus, she often pointed out the juxtaposition of her being a hot chick, a geeky boy's holy grail, who was geeky herself.
Whitney Cummings
Whitney Cummings is one of my favorite comediennes! She's relatable, beautiful, and out-spoken. I love the way she blurts out the truest things unapologetically. She's also the creative mind behind two hilarious shows: Whitney (which I'm almost certain is based on my life somehow) & Two Broke Girls.
I love her style and her sense of humor. I also admire the way she's put her creativity out there for the world to see. That's what makes her an inspiration!
After I read the Beyonce Is Not A Role Model article, I immediately went to Facebook to find out who my inspirational people are. (Sadly, I couldn't think of them all instantly.) These are the ten people I chose to call inspirational. I hope by sharing they can be of inspiration to you, too!
Recently, I began watching my latest anime addiction, Sword Art Online, and its premise has me thinking...
SAO is set 20 years in the future where a popular new MMORPG - much like World of Warcraft - has just been released. Of course, this is the future, so video games are much more than a television and a controller. This game uses software that connects to your brain for true virtual reality.
It's all fun and games at first. However, it is soon discovered that the players cannot log-out and they must complete the entire game to return to the real world. Oh! And if you die in the game, you die in real life!
If you were the main character, Kirito, what would your next move be???
Join a guild OR Remain a solo player?
To Join a Guild...
My first instinct told me to join a guild. There's safety in numbers, right? Maybe; maybe not. What defines a guild in a game like WoW or SOA is skill.
You don't want some moron whose going to abandon the plan and just run into danger in your guild, do you?
In this case, most of the players were beginners (with a few beta testers like Kirito in the mix as well) which offers a pretty level playing field. But beginners are dangerous in matters of life-and-death!
This thing has no time for your learning curve.
Also, although these are completely different circumstances and everyone has abilities they don't have in the real world, it's important to remember that your guild members are still human. They still experience happiness, anger, sorrow, envy, and other human emotions; they can still walk the line between good and evil...
...Or Not to Join a Guild?
There is great honor in deciding to take on your fears alone as a solo player. Fortunately, Kirito is a good enough player to survive - at least thus far - on his own. As a solo player, he doesn't have to protect a less skillful comrade or worry about being player-killed by an evil teammate.
However, it has to be a little lonely and more difficult on your own, right? Not only must you face the terrifying bosses and fall into horrifying traps alone, but you can't rely on a buddy to heal you or share objects. It's just you, your objects, your skill, and the hope that all of that is enough.
Don't weep for Kirito, though. He manages to make some friends along the way, and I'm certain he's somewhat enjoying this experience as well.
Aside from Toonami back in the day, I'd have to say InuYasha was the show that got me into anime. The story of a girl and a demi-dog-demon falling in love in search of sacred jewel shards and peace from the evil Naraku somehow spoke to me.
What made InuYasha such a great love story was InuYasha himself. Unlike many anime men (Tenchi, Goku, Tomoya, etc.), InuYasha is not generally kind. Instead, his demeanor can be rude, apathetic, and harsh. After all, he originally wants to use the sacred jewel to become a full demon...
This hard outer-shell makes it that much sweeter when his true feelings for Kagome begin to surface.
This is a pattern when it comes to my favorite anime romances. The romances I can watch over and over all involve a couple who have to discover that they are capable of love before jumping into a relationship.
Example?
Take the classic Dragonball Z rivalry: Goku vs. Vegeta! Although Goku had to learn what women were first, he knew what love was and that he was capable of it...
Vegeta, however, was more focused on physical strength and pride to even fathom an insignificant thing like falling in love. Likewise, everyone around him knew him to be a pig-headed, arrogant jerk, so no one saw love as an option for him either. But Bulma was able to open his eyes a little so that he could "see what life had to offer him."
She had him at "Hey, Homeboy!"
This character development is irresistible in romantic anime relationships because it is a sign of hope. It says: Even the biggest jerks in the universe are capable of love. I'm not sure how good of a message that is, but... it is certainly entertaining!
Lately, I've been hooked on the fairly new anime Kamisama Kiss (Kamisama Hajimemashita). Similar to InuYasha in a lot of ways, the story follows a young girl named Nanami as she goes through life as the newest land god. Along the way, she builds romantic feelings for her familiar, Tomoe - a fox yōkai who must obey her every command.
Now that's how you seal a contract!
The two get off to a rough start, but things change and it's fun to watch the development. If you like InuYasha, you will love this show!
It sounds strange, but those slow-burning, twisted romances are the best. Sure, guys who are looking for love are great, too. (And by no means do I think rudeness is a way to a woman's heart.) However, there is value to keeping your heart off your sleeve! Only allow those one-of-a-kind girls into your heart, and hold onto them!
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