Due to a recent chapter of Naruto...

Even though I told myself I would never...NEVER (I mean)...write about Naruto in this blog, I still find myself doing so after the latest chapter in the manga. This come because Kishimoto Masashi has decided to finally reveal the answer to one of the biggest questions and controversies - the identity of Tobi.

Tobi, currently one of the main antagonists

Now, I won't spoil it and reveal the answer to all of you, but let's just say I wanted to believe it would be someone else, and I've entertained some pretty wild guesses as to who it might be. I've denied the possibility of who he actually is due to the fact that there was evidence to contradict that outcome.

Who is the man behind the mask?

Anyway, with this new revelation comes more questions. How will Kishimoto explain how this character is Tobi...and then more importantly, why he became Tobi?

At the very least, right now the manga is not about Sasuke...

To Aru Majutsu no Index

Not too long ago, I first watched a certain anime about a certain young high school student that seemed to have the worst of luck. He then met a certain young girl who was running from a certain group of magicians through a certain city entirely devoted to science. The series was called To Aru Majutsu no Index (A Certain Magical Index).

The story is set in a time where supernatural powers can be gained through science. One of the leading places where this power development occurs is Academy City. Here, esper powers are commonplace and those who possess these powers are ranked on a scale of 1 through 5, with five being the highest. There are only seven level 5's in the city. People who are "power less", level 0's, still exist in the city but are rare.

Anyway, enter Kamijou Touma, one of those level 0 power less people in Academy City. As he is going through an unfortunately hot day without an AC or power in his fridge, he comes across a young girl dressed in a nun's outfit named Index. Index is being chased by magicians because she is in possession of 103,000 magic books...and there the story begins.

I found the anime to be very engaging, but while the anime has technically ended for now after its second season, the light novels in which it premiered continues beyond where the anime ended. Right now, I've found myself hooked on reading some of these light novels. Hopefully soon, I'll get to the parts beyond where the anime covered.

Iria: Zeiram the Animation

For most my life now, anime and Japanese culture has been a huge part of my life. Aside from Sailor Moon (which my sister watched every morning it was on), my first exposure to the world of Japanese anime was a short series called Iria: Zeiram the Animation.

Iria: Zeiram the Animation, my first real anime!

The movie was about a young female bounty hunter named Iria. Together with her brother and another bounty hunter, they go on a rescue mission, but encounter an "indestructible" alien creature called Zeiram. Iria manages to escape, but her brother is assumed to be dead. Iria then embarks on a quest to find out what happened and if he may be still alive.

The series was part of a six-episode OVA that I watched when the Sci-Fi channel originally had its AniMidnight program. After watching the show with my father, I got hooked on anime. I found that the stories more engaging and the art more beautiful, far better than any American cartoon at the time. So as far as I am concerned, Iria is what started my anime addiction.

Hashimoto Miyuki

So far I've posted a lot of things that I have gotten into recently (like new anime and new games I've picked up). So far, I don't think I've visited any of my current favorites.

Anyway, following along those lines, I love Japanese music. The words being sung sound so much sweeter and more beautiful when in Japanese rather than English. I think a lot of it has to do with the way the Japanese language is structured. As far as favorite singers go, I have quite a few: Chelly (who sang some songs for the Guilty Crown anime), Asakawa Yuu, LiSA, Toyama Nao, but by far my most favored singer is Hashimoto Miyuki.

Hashimoto Miyuki

Hashimoto Miyuki debuted with Koko ni Iru kara, an ending theme for the Girls Bravo anime. However, the first time I heard her music (not counting another special circumstance) was the song Innocence which was the ending for the Shuffle anime. At the time, I didn't pay much attention to the song (after all, I skip over credits or don't pay too much attention to them). Later, when I heard Nerine (a character in Shuffle!) sing a song, I was curious to see if there was a full version and what the lyrics were. What my search for that song found was a full version sung by Hashimoto Miyuki. The song was In the Sky, and it was the ending theme for Nerine's route in the Shuffle! PC game that the anime was based on. Ever since then, I have been hooked on her music.

Innocence

Currently, my favorite song is sung by Hashimoto Miyuki. That song is Especially, one of the insert songs for Da Capo II. Since the time I started listening to her music, I have collected all of her albums. Her first album was Lovey-dovey and it contains Innocence from the Shuffle! anime. Her second album is Prismatic Colors (my favorite of her albums) and it contains Especially. Her third album was distributed through iTunes and is called Secret Masterpieces. The fourth album, Brilliant Moment, contains Natural Tone from the Shuffle! Memories anime. Double Flower is her fifth album and it contains Here to Stay from Akane Iro Somaru Saka PS2 game. Her most recent album is Espressivo.

Cover of Prismatic Colors, her second album

Because Espressivo was released in 2010 and it has almost been 2 years since an album of hers was released, I am anxiously awaiting another album to add to my collection. I do know that she is still active as a singer. She still does songs for animes and games through Lantis - one of which was a collaboration with other Lantis singers in Super Affection for the Carnival Phantasm anime. I also do hope one day to see her perform. She has done a few live performances (I subscribe to her website so I often see updates on where she will be performing).

Hashimoto Miyuki Website

 Lastly, I do hope one day to meet her. Her music has always been a bright point in my life so I would at least like to thank her personally for all the happiness she has brought into my life through her music.