Thursday 2 January 2014

Happy new year!

Hello there again! I want to wish all of you a happy new year! I am really curious how this year will be. 2013 was a wonderful year for me, and I am sure it was for many!

- Kurosumi



Monday 16 December 2013

Learning Japanese

Hello there! I am studying Japanese these days and with pride I can say I mastered Hiragana! I can read and write, but my vocabulary still sucks.  The good news is, I have made some Japanese friends from a penpal website who I converse with! I make alot of mistakes bit it's  ok ╮(╯_╰)╭

-Kurosumi



Thursday 12 December 2013

かわいこちゃん

That is a Mentos ball ( Mint candy ). I was playing around with it and drew a face on it. I thought it looked cute so I wanted to share it with you ^^ 

Can someone give it a name? (Place it in the comments!!)


Wednesday 11 December 2013

Decorating my phone

Today I decorated my phone ^u^ Because I found the black colour dull, so I added some stickers and accesoires to it!! The dice is from a game shop who sold old games ( my favourite shop btw). I like decorating phones because they often are dull when sold. In S-Korea and Japan the phones are so adorable , I wish they sold the same kinds here in Europe :l.

Share your phone in the comments! I am really curious :)


-Kurosumi


少女漫画 10 Shoujo Manga

 Since I've been young I was reading those good ol' romantic manga. Everyone loves a cliche plotline at times, but did you know there were Shoujo manga with original and exciting plot lines which you could enjoy for weeks? I've put up 10 manga's ranking from 10 to 1 just for your reading pleasure( Randomly ranked ). I love original plots and deep character backgrounds, so I mostly feel something for older manga's because I personally find them better than the ones of today.

Disclaimer: This is my personal list, opinions may vary. This list is based on story quality, character depth and bishounen  heroine/hero qualities
Also; I'm not good at reviewing, and this is not an actual review


 桜蘭高校ホスト部 (Ouran High School Host Club)
 Has been made into an anime
 Has been made into a drama 
series                                     

Ouran High School Vol 1 cover.jpg
                           
                                        Summary
Haruhi is a poor tomboyish student at a school for the ultra-wealthy, and is able to attend because of a scholarship, but is unable to even afford a uniform. One day, she stumbles across the peculiar but very popular Ouran Host Club. She tries to leave, but accidentally breaks a vase, and is unable to pay for it. She's told that she'll have to stay and do odd jobs. That is, until they decide she would be more valuable as a club member. Not realizing she's female due to her appearance, they fix her up and give her a male uniform. . .



This manga is a cliché but it is still one of the best clichés ever. It has absolutely everything you want for:
- Strong heroine? CHECK
- Reversed Harem? CHECK
- Cute and hot guys? TRIPLE CHECK ALL OVER DAT

I absolutely recommend the manga AND the anime if you haven't watched it yet. It's adorable, and the character development and background are quite decent for a cliché manga! 



 フルーツバスケット (Fruits Basket
Has been made into an anime


Fruits Basket Manga

                                          Summary
The enigmatic Sohma family shares a great secret, its members are possessed by spirits of the Chinese Zodiac, and when they are hugged by members of the opposite sex, they transform into their Zodiac animal! Tohru Honda, an orphaned high school freshman, is given lodging in the Sohma household in exchange for taking care of household chores. The humble Tohru is quite grateful for the Sohma family's generosity, and the longer she stays with them, the more they realize what a blessing she is in their lives, as well.

So, I've read this manga when I was younger and I was hooked by the storyline. It had an original storyline, but the typical love triangle. We have a bad-ass kitty cat boy who doesn't show his honest feelings, and the silent rat who never talks about his feelings either. Furthermore, the heroine is your typical shy, caring and loving girl who would never do anything bad to anyone. Tohru (Heroine) is a really kind girl, but I dislike heroine's without flaws because it makes it harder for me to live into the story. The thing what hooked me was the secretive mist that first hung around the plot. It was a mystery why the Sohma family did not live with the other part of the family, or why they were the 'chosen ones'. I really like this manga, it has plenty of comedy but it is not as comedic as Ouran High School Host Club. The romantic moments in this manga are really cute though. I recommend this manga for a boring sunday evening, it's really adorable! 


 ラブ★コン (Lovely Complex)
Has been made into an anime
Has been made into a drama series



Lovely Complex
                                  SummaryKoizumi Risa, current height 170 cm. Her last name is translated to "small river". A girl taller than most other girls her age.  Otani Atsushi, current height 156 cm. His last name is translated to "big valley". A guy way below the average height of a high school boy. Because this, they had bad blood towards each other. Later on, Koizumi Risa and Otani Atsushi start relying and helping each other with their own love affairs. As love failed for the both of them, a bond of friendship was formed. Along the bumpy (and comedic) road of friendship, Koizumi Risa fell in love with Otani Atsushi!...Go figure!
Can Koizumi Risa, the tallest girl in the school, make Otani Atsushi, the shortest boy in their class/year, fall for her too? So much ups and downs, twists and turns, and drama and love, in LOVECOM. Lovely Complex.


This is a total love comedy, you will seriously laugh a lot when you read or watch this manga/anime! This is absolutely adorable, yet sometimes frustrating. This manga would be my number one when it comes to comedy because everything is just hilarious! The heroine is a crybaby. If you would have all the tears she shed, you would get four earth destroying tsunami's. But that shouldn't be something to make you stop reading this because this manga rocks just like its anime. I recommend this one for extreme crack comedy and tear-shedding moments. 


 그놈에게 바치는 장미 (He's dedicated to Roses)  


He Dedicated to Roses

                        Summary 
"If you were a girl, we would never have met."
"Well- to...to be honest with you- I AM a girl-"
Plain as a girl, but HOT as a guy.
Choi Ida wants no more then to relieve her stress and anger when she is off work as her alternate male identity Choi Yodah. Her job? A slave to the popular rich girl, Mimi, at both school and home.
One day in the park, free from Mimi, she meets Kang Naru, who kisses her as Ida, not as Yodah).
Then, one day, Kang Naru meets and falls in love with Ida's alter ego, even though he thought 'he' was a boy!
But can Ida keep up both of her lives without getting caught?


What can I say? You shouldn't expect only Japanese manga on my list because the Korean version of manga (manhwa) is also gaining reputation. This manga doesn't really contain much comedy, but you'll love the heroine because of her strength. This is not the kind of manga where the heroine is weak and the man has to save her, as the cover image suggests, no, this girl can kick guys' asses. She is a total bad ass. She comes from a family who has a debt to a rich girls' family so now she is the maid of this rich girl.  As you might guess, she is treated as bluntly said, crap, and is living a double life as a boy. She fights constantly to relief her stress but one day she finds the dude she's looking for. This manhwa is one of my favourite manhwa of all times, it's cute yet has the drama side to it what makes it so appealing. Conspiracies against each other, gang fights and romantic love scenes are what makes this manwha so special. I recommend reading this manhwa!


 電撃デイジー (Dengeki Daisy) 

Dengeki Daisy Manga

                             Summary 
No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.” Teru, who lost her only remaining relative, her older brother, is cheered on by a mail from an enigmatic person, DAISY, who she can contact via the cellphone her brother gave her. One day, through an unexpected incident, Teru ends up working as a servant for the delinquent school janitor, Kurosaki. But this scoundrel, Kurosaki is really…!?

A short summary for a beautiful story which isn't finished yet (12/11/13). It was made in 2007 and it is still hitting high views every month on every online manga website. The manga is absolutely adorable, and has an original plot line. The heroine is stubborn but sweet and kind. She cares about people while she has no one who cares about her. No one, except Daisy, her virtual friend who responds all her text messages. She doesn't know who or what he/she is, but she shall go through alot. Conspiracies and secrets unfold whilst this young lady follows her own instinct. A very good manga (too bad I suck at reviewing) this manga is just beautiful!
I recommend this manga. 




 가면속의 사랑 (Love in the Mask)

Love in the Mask

                                  Summary
Suh Hyun-bin grew up under the cruel hand of street gangsters, but after her little brother dies, Hyun-bin runs away and is taken in by a rich family to be trained to become a bodyguard. However, she must hide that she is female, and pose as a man. And so, for eight years, she grows up as a cold, male, bodyguard. It looks like she will be this way forever--until a fateful encounter with Lee Yun-ha shakes her very foundations, and leaves her conflicting with herself, as her feelings of love clash against her feelings of duty.




The drama. Oh the drama, the sad story of Suh Hyun-Bin yet the most romantic love story ever. It's beautiful, my first manhwa I ever read.  This story is something everyone should've read because the heroine is a strong woman with almost no tears. Hyun-Bin grew up as an orphan and lost her little brother. She is taken away by a rich family to be trained as Yae-ha's body guard (the rich girl). Yae-Ha isn't a bitchy rich girl, no, she thinks of Hyun-Bin as her big brother. This story is awesome, and it has so many frustrating moments because you want to know what happends. Luckily the manhwa is done with scanlating and now you can enjoy it without waiting for the next chapter.
This manhwa is a MUST-READ for everyone!!!


 ベルサイユのばら (Rose of Versailles)
Has been made into an anime

RoV illustration.jpgOscar, the story's central character and a creation of Ikeda, is a girl raised by her father as a man, who commands the palace guards at Versailles. Her beauty, ambiguous sexuality, and noble spirit makes her a shining figure in the eyes of both men and women, but herself is often torn between her chosen life of service and duty to her class and country, and her own heart and desires. She lives a splendid life as a noble among the opulence of Versailles and as a close confident of the Queen. But this cannot blind her keen senses and compassion to the appalling poverty endured by the French people. Oscar's struggle with this duality in her world and within herself is the center about which the story turns.

This story is old. This story is a legend amongst  the Shoujo manga! This manga has often been named as the best Shoujo manga of its times, and I think it deserves that title. The manga was made in 1972/1973 and it had been transformed into an anime. The anime is also as great as the manga. It is truly a must-read for everyone who loves romantic and dramatic love stories. It also has alot of action, conspiracies, jealous ladies etc. The story is set approx. 10 years before the French revolution. It's beautiful and the historic facts are accurate!
MUST. READ.

 バサラ (Basara)
Has been made into an anime
Basara

                          Summary
Born under a prophecy that will liberate and unite Japan, Sarasa has had to take her brother Tatara's place as the "Boy of Destiny." Fighting for the oppressed, Sarasa journeys across Japan to gain allies and defeat her enemies--all while keeping her identity a secret!







Just like Rose of Versailles, this manga is not a young one. It is 23 years old (1990) and is still one of the best Shoujo manga's ever. A dramatic love manga where the heroine Sarasa loses her brother because of a prophecy. She promised her twin brother to take over his place if he would ever leave this world and so she did. She fights, meets new people, has romantic moments and has the most complex fate ever. Plot twists are breakfast for Sarasa, and the friends she meet all have a deep background, no all the characters in Basara have a deep background. The character development and the background are both impressive.
In short; this manga is a must-read for people who love a shoujo manga that has MORE than only a romantic side. This is an adventure of a young sweet girl who fights to create a new world for her people. It's beautiful!




 ガラスの仮面 (Glass Mask)Has been made into an anime
Has been made into a drama series

Glass Mask
                                       Summary
Chigusa Tsukikage holds the rights to the play “The Crimson Goddess,” a lost masterpiece that many would love to see brought back to the stage. Tsukikage, however, won’t allow the cherished work to be diminished by an actress who isn’t worthy of playing the title role. Fortunately, she has found two young actresses that just might be worthy: Maya Kitajima and Ayumi Himekawa. Though both actresses are exceptionally talented, only one can win the coveted role.


This manga is still not finished after +/- 30 years. I really love this manga because of its 70's nature. The clothing and the way they are drawn really attracts me. I love old manga's just because of their dramatic nature. Every picture is dramatic and it shows something really deep. The poses of the characters are perhaps some people don't like it, but I love it! It's romantic, dramatic and thrilling!



スキップ・ビート!(Skip Beat!)Has been made into an anime

Skip Beat!
                                    Summary
Kyouko Mogami lived solely for her childhood friend Shoutaro "Shou" Fuwa. She follows Shou to Tokyo so that he may realize his dream of becoming a famous singer. When his dream is realized, Kyouko overhears the truth behind his decision to bringing her with him: he was using her as a maid.
Shocked and enraged, Kyouko swears to take revenge by outdoing him in show business. With a new look and a new attitude, she joins LME, the agency where Ren Tsuruga (Shou's rival and the #1 actor of LME) works, in the hopes of achieving her goal of destroying Shou's pride.
Along the way, she discovers her true self, makes new friends (and enemies), and finds herself at the heart of some interesting situations that will change her life, and the lives of all others involved, forever.


Skip Beat! Is still ongoing but the story is worth mentioning! A comedic yet dramatic plot turns this manga into one of all the Shoujo fans' favourites! Kyouko is strong-minded but has gone through alot. With only revenge on her mind she enters the showbiz world in order to take her revenge. It's cute, and has adorable romantic moments. What I love about this manga is that the romance is not rushed, it takes time before the two of them realise their feelings for them. I should also add that this manga has a typical love triangle, which also adds up to this story!




So this was my 10 Shoujo-manga-that-I-like-post! Hopefully you found this a bit useful since I'm not that great at reviewing manga. However , I can assure you that these 10 manga's are absolutely great! If you'd like to add more manga's to the list, just comment! :)



Tuesday 10 December 2013

黒墨 , What does it mean?

Hello there! A quick post because my friends asked me what 黒墨 meant. It means Kuro Sumi.
Kuro stands for black, and Sumi is ink in Japanese.
Sumi is not the ink used in pens, it's the ink that is used for Japanese calligraphy. Like the picture next to this text. I used this name because it sounded nice actually x') Hopefully y'all understand it now!

- Kurosumi


入れ墨 Tattoo ideas(?)

Hey there! Here I am again writing my second post of my blog and it's immediately going to be about one of my favourite things; tattoo's. Like I mentioned in my first post I would love to have a tattoo when I'm old enough ( I have to wait one year (u_u))

So today I'm going to look at a few tattoo's I simply find beautiful.


1. White tattoo


I personally find the white tattoo really attractive on people with a tanned skin because it simply pops out without being extravagant. It also is something that people take who have a responsible job f.e. a teacher. It is something I might end up doing because it looks classy. But the downside is that it fades away quite quickly, and if you have a fair complexion, you wouldn't be able to see it at all.




2. Japanese tattoo


Japanese tattoo's. One of the most taken tattoo's across the globe. These tattoo's are not just tattoo's, they are a century-old tradition that the Japanese have been following for centuries (logic). However these days tattoo's has been branded as trashy, and are seen as rebellious behaviour under teenagers. However, tattoo's are still a tradition for some people in Japan...


ヤクザ (Yakuza) The Japanese Mafia


The Japanese Mafia has been a great subject in movies, and in the movies they always had those full-body tattoo's. This isn't just fiction, the full-body tattoo's were and are still a tradition in modern-day Yakuza (Mafia). There is gender equality when it comes to tattoo's, the women also took tattoo's. I personally love the Yakuza tattoo's because it tells a whole story on their body and that it simply looks awesome as hell. I won't ever take a full body tattoo because I want to become a lawyer, but that doesn't mean I won't admire its beauty!


3. Chinese/Japanese calligraphy 

These tattoo's are often used as people's first tattoo's because of their simplicity and beauty. Japanese and or Chinese calligraphy are famous around the globe. But that's not the only famous thing around the world, the translation fails (mostly Chinese) always give people a good laugh. Before you take a Chinese or Japanese tattoo (or any other language you don't speak) please check the translation x'D.

This might be something I would love to have on my back or arm. I don't really like leg-tattoo's but that's just my opinion.





4. POP-art tattoo's


You know what pop art is. Those typical American images you would see around the 60's and 70's (not sure). Those comic books with beautiful young blonde women and those strong husky men. Tattoo's of a comic book? Why not. I have not seen many people with pop-art tattoo's but these are the tattoo's who only use primary colouring, which make them stand out. The colours are vibrant and they usually don't have a back story to them. But they are beautiful to look at.

I won't personally take them, but they look refreshing to me!



I will end this post for today because I have to take a siesta! I really love sleeping. See you guys next time with some more stuff!

- Kurosumi





Kurosumi. Powered by Blogger.