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Removal of Fever Bug Virus in Progress.

Please await the updates for AFA X.

Thank you for your patience.

How to Deal with Racial Slurs... Otaku Style

Taken from the Sankaku Complex Article

Okay, so we know that the whole Racist War that exploded across the internet between Japan and China that increased rapidly via the incident involving the Chinese Fisherman and the Japanese Coast Guards.

Ever since then, it seems all there were between Japan and China were Racist articles by activists protesting in their respective countries or going on a rampage. Frankly speaking, it's rather demotivating and tiresome for the eyes to say the least, seeing such blatant stupidity being plastered everywhere in cyber space.

Then finally something awesome came out of it! ♪(ﾉ´∀｀*)ﾉ Using the Chinese propoganda, 日本鬼子 / rìběn guǐzi (read as “nihon onigo” in Japanese),

Japanese otaku have fought back against Chinese propaganda by turning the favourite anti-Japanese insult of the Chinese into a moe character.– “Japanese devils” (literally, “Japanese devil children”) which is a traditional Chinese racist insult towards the Japanese, having come into common currency during WWII and been maintained by anti-Japanese propaganda -- with something that only the Otaku can do;

Moe Art

Japanese artists on 2ch decided to use moe to appropriate the term and “turn the Chinese into moetards,” creating “Hi-no-Moto Oniko” based on an alternative reading of the 日本鬼子 characters – the characters for Japan, 日本, mean “origin of the sun” (Hi no Moto) and 鬼子 can be rendered into a female name, “Oniko.”

Frankly speaking, this etched a smile on my face. Finally there are people who can take something so negative like as a racial slur into something we all come to know and love; Art. And I had so much fun reading some of the response from the opposing side. 2ch really can do something positive when they put their minds to it (￣▽￣)ノ＿彡☆バンバン！!

This is way more effective than any nuclear bomb you can drop on any attack haha. Read and view the rest of the awesome collection of the moe art in the actual article HERE.

Keep up the awesome work moe artists!!

Futari Goto

"Fine...but you owe me BIG time."

hey guys~♪(ﾉ´∀｀*)ﾉ

This entry shall be dedicated to my current fandom; Aragaki Shinjiro x FMC from the PSP game, Persona 3 Portable. I've been meaning to sketch a few shots of these two for a while now but I've been preoccupied with my other drawing work. What with major cons are close and whatnot.

But today I got up early (i woke up before my alarm rang..mmheh. haven't done that in a while.), so I decided to do some leisure sketches to warm up before continuing my Angel Beats! products.

The first one above was done last. actually. ( ﾟ ﾍ ﾟ ) I aimed to do a detailed sketch as fast as I can and timed myself while I was at it, thus all those anatomy and lighting mistakes. Overall in all I finished it in 2 hours and slightly more (ﾉ´∀｀*)ﾉ But this is my favourite of all the sketches I did since I love drawing Shinji in his butler suit and that expression hoho so cute.

well enjoy the rest :D

ohooo~ Shinji's sleeping face ;9



drawn in a set. :3 inspired by a scene made in a fanvideo of this coupling.

sketch of their first encounter. Not to fond of this one mmhheh.

random Shinji lawl 8D

Lemon Tea Part 2

Disappointed and rather exasperated with their motions, the Penguin started to lose focus and motivation in her everyday routine. She wasn't much up to looking forward to a day that would end with her feeling as small as a mite next to her idols' lectures of commitment and what-should-you-be-doing talks at the knock on her front door.

But she loved them too dearly to push them away from visiting her and plus, loving someone is all about sacrifices. If she had deny them from visiting her, it's like taking the easy way out. And the Little Penguin never takes the easy way out.

So she decided to confront them.

As usual, the Baroness came and visited the Penguin, along with her daughter of course. They entered and had tea.

Then as predicted; the mention of switching passions. But unfortunately, what the Penguin thought would be a rational and problem-solving discussion turned to an ugly mess. The Baroness accused her of being far too narrow minded and that she will definitely regret leaving her tea making hobby. It turns out the Baroness herself has felt that regret.

Peacocks were born royalties and as a result of their high ranking status in society, they had a strict upbringing. The Baroness herself had an interest in tea making and often requested to make it her specialty. But this notion was denied by her father, who insisted that making tea was not for the likes of them but rather for the common folk. Sad and disappointed, the Baroness pushed her emotions deep under and never spoke of it again.

And everytime she frequent the Penguin's Cafe, she's often filled with nostalgia and a sense of content with the sip of that tea. And because she was so close to the Little Penguin, it was as if she, in her own way, achieved what she has always dream to do.

But with her switch in priorities, the Baroness felt that same pang of regret overwhelming her once again. As if she was denied of her dream all over again. She was forced to count her misfortunes again and again.

The Little Penguin didn't seem to grasp that particular frustration that the Baroness held against her. The Society now is no longer divided into ranks as it was before. The Aristocrats and the Common Folks now can mingle and socialize. What both sides had with restrictions no longer exists. Why didn't the Baroness simply pick up tea making now? After all, one is never too late to learn. That was something the Baroness told the Penguin herself over and over.

But her plea fell on deaf ears.

"You will look back when you're older and you will wish you didn't do this."

"Maybe, but it is a risk I was willing to take with this choice."

"Mark my words. You'll end up like I said you would. Like me!"

......... futile.

"But I'm not you." was what the Penguin thought of replying. But saying that probably wouldn't have made a difference.

The Baroness left in a huff. Disatisfied that her argument didn't reach its destination and even had setbacks in form of the Penguin's replies. She slammed the door behind her with a loud thump. Her daughter trailing not far behind her.

The Penguin was left with feelings of disappointment and sadness. Disappointment that the Baroness refused to listen to her opinions or even take them into consideration. Sadness for having the one person she looked up to since her childhood to think so little of her abilities and her self-worth.

Quietly in the silence of the night, the Little Penguin cried bitter tears. Tears no one saw and sobs that no one heard filled her little home as she wept alone.

Lemon Tea Part 1

Once there lived a penguin. She wasn't a special penguin or exceptional in any areas but she wasn't below average either. She was basically nothing remarkable in any way. But she did have something inside of her; an enormous belief in charting her own course.

You see, she lived in a world filled with so many types of animals with many talents. There were the Wise Wolves; always filled with leadership, the exquisite Cats; with beauty and curves like no other. There were even the Song-filled Crickets; always in a symphony with the singing birds and spreading beautiful music wherever they went.

But the one that the penguin looked up to the most were the Majestic Peacocks.

Like the peacocks in our world, they were utterly a sight to behold. Their long feathers with all colors of beautiful gems strung together, their dainty heads and beautiful green crowns were made as if to compliment every single attribute they had on their bodies. But unlike the peacocks in our world, they had big wings. Large, strong wings that spread out elegantly when opened. Needless to describe, this made them one of the highest animals to soar in that world.

Long has the little Penguin dreamed of the day she too will be as elegant and awe-inspiring as them. Both beautiful and kind those peacocks were, they often stop by the Penguin's little home on their commute to their grand parties or royal obligations for a small chat or a cup of lemon tea at her humble Cafe in the pit stop island in between the Palace route and the Main Land.

With every stop the peacocks bring, it filled the Little Penguin's firm belief that she too one day will be as majestic and be able to serve in the Royale Palace across the seas and maybe inspire other animals as the peacocks had inspired her.

Of course, she was thankful for being born into what she is. She never once wished that she was a peacock or any other animal. She was an optimistic child, believing that there was a reason to everything. If the High Heavens wanted her to be a peacock, then she would've been so when entering the world. But no. She was a penguin. And she was more than happy to make things work for her.

So the Little Penguin worked hard in polishing in the one skill she has that no other animal has; swimming. You see, on land, our Little Penguin can't elegantly or fast for that matter. But once she entered the endless place of the liquid filled land, no other animal can match. She was graceful, and elegant. She knew this to be her greatest attribute and spent every waking hour polishing that skill. After all, the Royale Palace was preparing for the hunting season in the underwater palaces; It was the perfect time for her to catch the eye of the King and earn her spot in the Royale Palace.

Her friends, the Peacocks, the Wolves, the Rabbits, even the grouchy Ground Moles gave their fullest support. The Penguin never felt happier or blessed with such supporting individuals in her life.

But as her passion for swimming grew, her passion in making tea lessened. It wasn't as if she came to hate making tea, its just that she now knew where her main focus in life lies at; Swimming. As the days went by, her time in making tea lessened.

After a few moons, her decided to give her Cafe to the Honey Bears who do well with creating masterpieces to fill the hungry tummies of the by-stoppers on the Island. She focused her time solely on her skill in swimming and made her occasional living by selling the treasures she find on her daily commute in the underwater towns. She still makes tea, but only for her close friends when they came to visit her or when she felt like indulging in some.

The Little Penguin felt that it was the first time in her life that she found her reason in living. What she was born to do. Why she was born. She felt so filled with Life and was living her days to the fullest and she was as chirpy as any little Penguin in her position would be.

But not everyone was as enthusiastic about her drastic change in focus as she was. The Peacocks weren't against her passion for swimming but they harbored an opinion that she was the better tea brewer they had in that Region, so seeing her handing her tea and Cafe over to the Honeybears irked them. But they said nothing of it since they thought it was better not to.... though that motion didn't last long.

On one of their visits to the Penguin's home for a cup of tea, The Baroness Peacock and her daughter, the Little Penguin's two most loved individuals in her life, stated their opinion and slight frustration regarding the Penguin's lack of commitment to her tea making skills as they admired that skill of hers rather highly. The Penguin, rather taken aback simply explained about her new found passion with Swimming and that she was certain that this was her path to thread. The Baroness and her daughter said nothing more at the subject.

But the Baroness and her daughter started to frequent the Penguin more and more. And each time, relaying their frustrations over and over. The Penguin, taking high regard to her idols' opinions, was more than happy to make as much tea for the two as they wish if they had miss it that much, but apparently that wasn't enough for the two.

Ikebukuroers

Art, concept, CG done by: yours truly, Reryu
Linearting: Sakura0104

TA DAAAAAA!!! a week filled with no sleep and hand trembling first time CG that it feels like a test of courage emotions paid off!! :DDD what you think? (*≧▽≦)♪

well initially I was in doubts with my badge making skills since my first attempt before didn't end up as nice as I wanted them to be ( ﾟ ﾍ ﾟ ) But I braved myself once again to pick up my faithful tablet and to tell you the truth, I'm pretty much happy with the result! honestly I thought it'd end up worse than this LAWL.

frankly speaking I had fun doing this batch of badges ♪(ﾉ´∀｀*)ﾉ especially Shizuo and Izaya's matching badges lawl (and no I don't support the ShizuoxIzaya shipping). I prefer their relationship to remain enemies because that's what makes DRRRR! tick lawl.

I had my doubts with Mikado's design since his was the last to be made of all 5 and I had NO FREAKIN' IDEA how to do his pose... (ﾟｰﾟ)(｡_｡)ｳﾝｳﾝ The pros and cons of Mikado is one and the same; he's too plain LAWL. Though I love him for that （￣ー￣）ニヤリ

whereas Anri and Kida's design went smooth sailing. They're not the easiest to do (especially Anri when it comes to inking her) but their certainly not the hardest. I enjoyed Kida's color selection especially.

Oh and those who are interested in owning these babies, please head over to the さくら の ショップ's page HERE to pre-order and purchase them. Your support would be a tremendous source of motivation for us!

well all in all, I'm satisfied but I can't sit down and rest just yet! I've still got a whole line of product design to be drawn all lined up perfectly for me to do ｶﾞ━━Σ(ﾟДﾟ|||)━━ﾝ!! Though I'm loving every bit of it. Nothing beats being productive and seeing your fruits of labor bear fruit!

Next up, ANGEL BEATS! (*･∀･)／♡＼(･∀･*)

Pushing Forward

Man....

These past few days has been productive for me. Focusing on getting 9 seperate designs and 2 types of products for printing next Friday kept me busy enough. not to mention with my parents leaving for a few weeks to go abroad, makes me and my older sister incharge of the household. needless to say things can get pretty packed most of the days. If I'm not around the house helping out, I'd be at my laptop along with my tablet, scribbling away whilst my random rock music blasts in the background till 5 in the morning.

but man oh man.....

Reading Bakuman never ceases to give me the needed kick in the butt. Just finished reading chapters 104 & 105 and man.... I thought I'm hardworking already but Mashiro-sensei really REALLY is the exemplary example when it comes to portraying a hardworking mangaka. I've always thought the Ashirogi Muto duo has always strived to push themselves forward more than anyone in the series (yeah well... i mean they -are- the main characters) but man oh man.... the few latest chapters really made me believe that is so.

Just when I thought "hey, not bad. being productive today. proud of me" then I see Mashiro-sensei timing his sketches and I'll feel like................................"okay back to the drawing table" lawl!

in fact I don't even have to read Bakuman to feel like that. :D I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by hardworking peers that always strive to be their best even though (to me) they are at the spot where I feel like they can at least ease up a little. (i mean they're super good. I worship them lawl).

Anyways I'll be attending Animangaki and AFA X with a few new products <3 All I can say now is that they are DRRR! products ;D so please do look forward to them <3 Until then, Jya ne~!

Throwing vending machines never felt so light

Guess whooooo? 8D

lawl a W.I.P of my DRRR! products in the making ;D will post up a few when I'm done with them

Btw, addicted to the band RADWIMPS now D: darn. they've got good stuffs

P.S... I Love You : Part 3

Read Part 1 & Part 2 first?



Situation #3 : Sacrifices

For the final part of this post, I'd like to share about a fictional relationship. Yes, a relationship of two fictional characters portrayed above by the multi talented illustrator, Runia on Pixiv. Meet one of the Canon pairings of Persona 3, Aragaki Shinjiro and the Female Protagonist (known famously as Hamuko or Minako). I thought they are the perfect example for me to use to portray the importance of Sacrifice in a relationship.

The two are one of the better preferred pairings by many fans compared to the other cast of available men for the Protagonist. In the game, when you play as the female protagonist, you may choose 1 out of 3 men at the end of the game and majority of fans prefer this coupling right here. Initially I was surprised as well, but when I decided to experience the game myself, I understood why.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Aragaki Shinjiro had the least amount of time to spend with the Protagonist (one month to be exact) compared to the rest but it seems that his bond was the deepest. He was portrayed as a street thug initially, often gruffy and fouled mouthed, he uses these attributes to push away others as a fear of hurting them. He left the S.E.E.S group when an accident occured with his Persona, causing him to accidentally kill a by stander. this bystander later revealed to be a member of S.E.E.S' family member. That member is Ken Amada.

Blaming the accident purely on himself, he left S.E.E.S and wandered on the streets for a few years until he was forced back in by his childhood friend and ex-S.E.E.S comrade revealed that Ken Amada voluntarily joined S.E.E.S. Though this did little to his scary demeanor and attitude to life.

He started out being cold to the Protagonist but as she gets to know him more, she shows different sides of him and even come to slowly but surely rely on the Protagonist for emotional support and comfort. She helped him regain his ability to interact with his comrades and this influence his look about his own life as well. The once ready to throw his life away Shinjiro was now looking for ways to stay by her side longer. But things didn't go exactly as planned when he was shot twice when protecting Amada.

He ended up comatose up till the end of the game where he regain consciousness and his memories of the Protagonist. But he was far too late in reaching her when he dashes to her side at the school rooftop, only to know that she will compensate saving the world with her own life. As they exchanged their final words, her tiny life slips away from the her body that was in his arms.

[/SPOILER END]

You see, the main difference I spotted with Shinjiro compared to the other male choices wasn't that he had better lines or he was better looking (in fact, he may well be at the bottom for looking presentable), it was that during his brief relationship with the Protagonist, it was he who strived the hardest at leaving his comfort zone for her. He cooked for everyone even though he found it annoying, he was concerned on her well being more than his when he thought he was dying. These are all signs of commitment. He did these things not because he enjoyed it, but he did it because he wanted her to be happy.

Whilst yes, the Protagonist may have given up the most important thing to save the world but it's the why that's important. She did it to save the world that he was in. She did it for him.

They both understood very well the meaning of Sacrifice and in turn that made them understand what Love truly is. That and nothing else made them one of the strongest couple I've ever seen on any fictional material I've stumbled upon thus far.

Sacrifice in a relationship doesn't have to be dramatic all the time in real life. You don't have to end up with 2 bullets in your chest to proof your commitment. It's in sacrificing the things that you love the most for the right things that proves whether you are truly committed of not.

Things I've learned from this Couple:

1. Love is never a feeling. It's a commitment.

2. Always focus on the 'Why' instead of the 'Who'. Often times people fight because they think assigning the place to blame will make the problem go away; it doesn't. Focusing on the person's intentions also tend to make you see things in a different perspective.

-----------------------------------------------------------

These are my views on Love. The pointers that I've shared here today are not only derived from my own observation but also by the many books that I've read regarding this matter so do know that the things that are said here are not mine alone, but by many who have spent years of their lives in attaining them and I hope you have found them to be of your benefit.

These are merely penny for thoughts for you to ponder by the next time you come across topics concerning today's topic. Am I in love or is this infatuation? Am I committing enough to say that I love this person? Am I putting the other party first before myself? Am I doing enough to say that I'm improving myself? Am I stepping out of my comfort zone and etc.

So my only advice with these last 3 posts is that; the next time you're open your mouth and you are about to nonchalantly use those 3 words however you deem fit, I hope you'll remember what you read here and rethink your actions. Because sometimes, words don't physically hurt you but they stay with you. They can make or break a person, like explained in the 1st Couple's situation. People may not remember what you say or what you do to them, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Words are powerful indeed so use them wisely.

Last but not least, thank you for reading one of my longest posts till date. :D I hope you have learned a thing or two, as much as I have during my observation periods.

Until my next post, I love you all. :3 I bid you all a goodnight.

P.S... I Love You : Part 2

Continued from the previous post: P.S...I Love You : Part 1

Next Post: P.S...I Love You : Part 3



Situation #2 : Love Often Comes Softly

This next featured couple that I'll be talking about is living proof that True Love exists and it'll last as long as you want it to, as long as you do it right.

She was the popular yet sweet one. He was the quiet admirer. Both were good friends, as in genuine friends. The type of friend you'd call 4 AM in the morning if you need help or the one that you'll know won't leave you out to dry in dire situations. He had feelings for her, but she had no clue. Despite his strong affections for her, he decided to hold off his confession for her until he graduated from his studies. [Note: Priorities]

They were both students abroad at the time so while he waits for Graduation Day, he had to play the role of the best guy friend that lifts her back up whenever she was left devastated by other men. Everytime a guy breaks her heart into pieces, he will be the one she called and ask for advice and comfort. He tells her often that there will be someone better whilst secretly hoping that the said someone will be him someday.

Graduation Day came and he invited her to attend. She recently going through a giant hurdle in her life then, so she refused; saying that she'll meet up with him after. But for the first time in years of being friends, he demanded her presence there. Curious as to why the sudden change in attitude she attended anyways. He proposed. Nothing romantic, he proposed her from behind a cushion in fact.

At first she was going to promptly reply "No". It was at the tip of her tongue but it never came out. She thought about it. He was a good man. Not much of a looker, but kind and sweet. He also proved to be a good son by sending money monthly to his father in his hometown without fail. He was also a good Muslim and a good friend. But she just didn't feel anything for him in that way.

Her heart was telling her no, but somehow her head is telling her that he'd make the perfect husband. And plus noticing his ears all beet red just like the cushion he held in front of his face as he said those words made her realize that this wasn't an easy task for him to do. He was way out of his comfort zone that his comfort zone was practically no longer visible to him. So she told him that they'll try dating first, if they manage to initiate sparks in the course of the time they were dating, she'd marry him.

Today, 22 years and more than a dozen children later, they're still going strong. He still buys her a bouquet of roses and customary chocolates every Valentines. She still irons his clothes and gaze at him with genuine feelings. I'm not going to say that they ended 'Happily Ever After' since that does not exist in relationships. They do fight once in a while, but when they do they learn from them and emerge stronger than they were before. Anyways, a relationship without conflicts would mean something is seriously wrong there.

Things I learned From this Couple:

1. Infatuation doesn't have to happen first for a relationship to work. Sometimes using your head more than your heart is better. That's not to say you don't need your heart. Feelings like empathy or intuitions are not something your head can produce. Finding a balance between your mind and your heart is the right way of doing it. Moderation in everything.

2. The price of Delay Gratification. Sometimes when you pay up now, Life rewards you 10 times more later.

3. A good person will make a good spouse. When choosing a partner, take into consideration of how he treats others other than you. If he's courting you, he's sure to be sweet and nice, but he cannot hide his true nature with his habits and others.

P.S... I Love You : Part 1

Art not mine lawl. Found it randomly over various DRRR! fansites.

Hey there! ♪(ﾉ´∀｀*)ﾉ Its quite a big gap between my previous post and this one. Much has happened in between then.

If you're wondering if the title signals that I'll be blogging about my all-time favourite Love Story of the same title....you guessed wrong. (sorry!) Though the title was derived from that said movie's awesome soundtrack which is also by the way, looping in the background as I type. Today I'm here to blog about my views about Love.

As the title suggests, saying "I love you" to someone has been taken lightly by many and often left unnoticed of the gravity it brings with. So what does saying "I Love You" really mean when you say it to someone?

In the recent weeks, I've had the front row seat to view Love or in this case, non-platonic relationships in a rather interesting perspective from various cases, both in fiction materials and also real life situations. From a decent age, I've been educated by my parents that Love is always misconceived as being a feeling entirely. When it is in actual fact a commitment. So what is it you feel when you're in the courting stage then you ask? that burning desire to claim your person of interest entirely or that shot to the heart when you first laid eyes on he/she or many more examples that are often used to portrayed love throughout the years by media and the public? Well, apparently that, ladies and gentlemen would be the feeling of Infactuation.

This is perceived many by relationship researchers (yes, there are people work day and night to specialize in this), as the number 1 reason for such high divorce rates that graced most parts of the world in our generation. Why would that be, you might wonder? Well, as we go back to the topic of Love being a commitment, we see that the word commitment defined by most sources would be:

"Commitment would mean performing your duties and responsibilities long after you lose the feeling of wanting to perform them."

Meaning, loving someone would mean that you do the things you do to provide and support (in all definitions) even when you don't feel like it anymore. Doing them long after the infactuation dies out. Even when you have to do things that are uncomfortable for you so that you can do right by your partner. Even if it would mean to do something for your partner just to see them happy, or it would result in them being happy but not necessarily with you. That, is the ultimate demonstration of Love.

So why bring this up you ask? Well, I'll share with you 3 couples and their stories that has happened to me in the recent weeks that has shaped my guides and principles in making the right decisions when it comes to relationships; platonic or non-platonic alike.

Situation #1: Victim Ego vs Doing What's Right

Recently an affiliate of mine went through some rough spots in her relationship with her "other half". Even though the relationship was started not too long ago, they got into fights often and being on of the people both parties opens up to gives me a huge look inside what was going in their relationship. They fight big and very frequent too.

One party will always on the offense while the other will remain on defense but often times, after the offense party has said his piece, he'd end the conversation dead right there and leave, leaving the defense party with multiple severe damages to her self esteem, emotional and mental stability. They meet often but usually they fought through the phone so it was easy to end conversations in a way. And being close to both of them leaves me with the tiring task of lifting either parties back on their feet. Usually then they get back together again after the offense party does his customary apology by saying 'he didn't mean it' or that 'he let his situation the better of him then'

As the offense party is often the man of the relationship, it really didn't sit too well with me. Not just that he was on the offense, but also how he was when he was on offense. He often use vulgar words to name the girl but always rationalize it by saying it was a 'heat-of-the-moment' thing. If he can verbally abuse the lady whenever he is in 'the-heat-of-the-moment', what would stop him from raising his hand to his wife and child later on? Abusers are often derived with lack of control in anger and vulgar words. Now this is not saying the girl has no faults, absolutely that is not the case here.

Everyone has flaws. And the main flaw that the girl has done was that she made herself a total doormat with him. (Note that she is no way like this with other people. In fact she was absolutely the dominant one every where else.) She gave him one too many leeway and space that it crippled him to the point of him being fully dependent on her in making any decisions. And that, resulted in him blaming her when the wrong decisions were made and with her blaming him for his inability to make a decision at all, much less the right one.

Both of them loved each other without a doubt, but obviously here, the feeling alone was not sufficient for the relationship to work. After things go too much for her mental state to handle, she told him that it was over.

Right now, it's been less than 2 months since she made her decision and she is slowly coping with it. She has always been great at masking her true feelings which is my ultimate worry, but so far she's been truthful about her progress. She's slowly regaining her confidence and self esteem and seems much healthier emotional and mental wise compared to the last few months of the relationship.

The guy, however turn completely wimp, if you'd pardon me saying. The once proud man is now messaging her dozens (literally) of messages a day to convince her of his regrets, (sometimes even literally beg her to return to him once more) and even calling her during the wee hours of the morning. She tried to rationally discuss with him about the outcome but he is incapable of concentrating on whatever it is she has to say to him because he argues that "he doesn't know where to put his pride if he has to tell his friends that their relationship is over." and many more voided arguments regarding how he feels as oppose to how he should be concerned of the effects the relationship has damaged her with.

Things I learned from this Couple:

1. Infatuation or the "feeling" of love is not enough in sustaining a relationship. Tremendous effort and principles play a vital role in helping you through the rough patches.

2. Relationship is a two way street. It's not enough if only one party fulfills the needed commitments and requirements, it has to be equal efforts from both parties.

3. Sometimes the ultimate act of love, is helping the other party grow, even if it means he/she going through extremely difficult situations. As long as it doesn't effect his/her life literally or against the law, it will help him/her grow. Character building requires a few tears and sweat. Without character building, you cripple the one you love the most. The bigger the pain, the bigger the victory.

4. Never make courting your number 1 priority. Having something else to focus on keeps you living if the said relationship doesn't work out. But if you make him/her the center of your universe or you'll have a difficult time getting back when it all goes supernova. Set your priorities straight. If you can prove that you can take care of yourself, then it'll give you the confidence to take care of someone else.

Continued in the next post: P.S...I Love You : Part 2

Kitty Cat Charms

*Credit of the photo book photos to their rightful owners. Found most of them through Image Google since my camera and phone camera are giving me probs lawl. ( -- ε -- ;)

Cover of the book that has brought me joy just by flipping through the pages.

Books have always been a huge part of my life and continue to play such a role even today. I used to occupy my childhood days with reading encyclopedias as long as I'm not out causing mischief. My first passion were animals and in the 3rd grade I aspired to be a veterinarian and I often read books and drew animals as a way to express it. And my supporting parents made sure I was often surrounded by pets to practice and expose myself to them at a young age.

Though as soon as I hit 12 years old, my passion and aspirations changed altogether with the appearance of Manga in my life and soon abandoned my veterinarian ambition for ink, paper and adventure stories. My aspirations have took a different turn but my love for animals remains, especially for cats.

Ever since my passion for Manga kicked off, I cease to buy books that are not drawing or Manga related (with the exception of Self Motivation books since I can't function without them), and yesterday I broke my 7 year record by purchasing a Rachael Hale Photobook titled "101 Cataclysms: For the Love of Cats" for a whopping RM16.90 bargain only. I fell in love with the first turn of the page and immediately proceeded to the counter for payment.

Rachael Hale is best known as an animal potrait photographer and looking through the pages, I can see why. 101 Cataclysms is not simply a cat photo book filled with cute cat pictures, but rather their artistic beauty and character as well. Her ability to make the cat look Angelic or Cheeky or even Sensuous astounded me. It has even inspired my parents and me to go out looking for a kitten of our own today!

Anyways enough with me rambling, here are some previews of the book. I fully recommend this book if you see it anywhere in bookstores. (I bought mine in Borders MidValley Gardens). Especially to all cat lovers and enthusiasts out there! Enjoy!

The cheeky Scottish Earfold Kitten, Merlin dozing off after a play day with his wizard's hat.

The feisty 11 year old Birman Cross, Saasha. This is one of my favourite in the entire collection.

2 year old Ragdoll Cross, Honey portrayed her namesake with this shot with bees. Ms. Hale picked out bees that died naturally in the hive and use adhesive to attach it to Honey's fur. I love reading the notes about each photograph.

A cute shot of 2 year old Domestic Shorthair, Guiness, who according to Ms. Hale was incredibly tolerant of having his vision temporarily obscured with his beanie.

A characteristic potrait of Charlotte, 8 year old Red Self Persian. Despite her snotty image portrayed above, Ms Hale describe her as "A fluffy bundle of cuddles and cat kisses." and "The most affectionate feline with the cutest squeak of a meow that melts your heart"

Fearless and in fact keenly, 2 year old Domestic Tabby, Cougar enjoyed his shoot with him in a tub of warm suds.

Two steps back for a leap forward

Well, Raya has calmed down now and a lot of people are moving back to their respective states to resume working life and the roads are starting to clear up.

Over the month of Raya alot has happened but not so much recently especially regarding some significant matters with my family. As a result of the recent series of events, I've decided to move back to my humble hometown of Ipoh as soon as I can. I don't mind, in fact I'm looking forward to being in the same roof with my sisters again until I go study abroad next year or so. :D

Though my only worry is that I can't get enough money for my yearly trip to Anime Festival Asia in Singapore. I planned to work extra hours when I get back but as the situation demands I can't do that at the moment. I've already forked up 80% of the needed so it's just a few hundreds more. Well I guess I'll just scrape my way through. >:3 Though that's a definite "no" to the concert though. .___. I really wanted to go since I've never been to a concert before and this time they managed to bring in SCANDAL, one of my all-time favourite bands. At first I thought it was possible to go for one day (since it's a 2 day concert) but I guess next time..huh. X"D

Ah, and my efforts to submit an entry to the OTACOOL 4 contest is apparently extinguished since I'm only returning to KL by Monday so only then can I scan my illustration which would leave me less than a day (since I'll be working for the last time at my part time), to CG it and for a completed piece according to my track record that's not going to happen haha. I've tried to locate a scanner to use here (since I use B4 paper) but the cheapest costs up to RM5000+ alone so I guess not now. So for now I'll be relying on the printing shop I've always frequent for scanning TwT

BUT NONETHELESS! none of this dampens my spirits in doing my best! >8D FIGHTO FIGHTO OOOOOOOUUU!!!!!! *slaps tummy*

Daruma Doll Effect

Do I have the best group of friends in the world or what?

Just when I'm down face flat on the ground, I'm picked back up and kicked in the butt to run again. This is why I feel I have the best people around me physically and spiritually TwT They make me into an invincible Daruma Doll; just roll myself back up when I'm turned upside down~

I LOVE YOU GUYS. LIKE. ALOT RIGHT NOW. TwT

Mmhehs and urghs.

My current desktop. Wallpaper courtesy of Danny Choo from his Wallpaper Pool.

Don't ask. Just feeling below the weather by alot of things (mainly just a few). I'm not the sort of person who likes being shoved and pushed around by people who don't care the effect it has on me. -___-;;;

Anyways, my desktop wallpaper right now describes my current fandom: Rillakuma. No, I'm not kya-kya-ing over it like some twitchy 6 year old but I find myself drawn to them everytime I see one. I think it's my female instinct taking over. My phone wallpaper is the face of Rillakuma as well. What is happening to me /orz. Though it does have a calming effect on me.... (I need it so bad right now).

Well with AFA X coming around the corner and their official announcements of what and who will be available, everyone's bustling around for money and whatnot. Not to mention the concert this year provided all 5 sensational favourites JAM Project, Aniki, SCANDAL, Angela and MAY'N. Don't even say about the concert, I'm still struggling to come up with accommodation and traveling fees. And I'm already skimping out on the food by smuggling in instant noodles. Not to mention the TTGL Fanbook printing.

Nonetheless, I proceeded to ask my manager at my part time place for more hours when I get back in order to make some extra bucks. And I'm prepared to sell off alot of items in my closet in order to scrape whatever little I can. >___<;;; I don't mind working hard. I have no frets about that, I'm not under the weather about the money (well kinda, but that's not the main reason). I'm just a little down with the people I thought would support me in working hard when their half heartiness in supporting me. Oh well, I guess they're all just pieces of the puzzle for me to solve, as Danny Choo would say. Things could be worse.

>_______< *slapself* RIGHT! No more sulking around~! Shall do my best to make money and at least have some extra cash to spend if I can't make enough for the 2nd day concert. いつもどおり、がんばります！SCANDALまっててね！

Practice makes perfect

CG practice. Lineart NOT mine. MACCO (c) respectively.

after my long abandoned hope for CG style of coloring determination these past years, I decided to give it another shot. Partly inspired by my fellow peers after signing up at Pixiv, I downloaded the program SAI and decided to dig up for some linearts in my reference folders (since I do everything traditionally and I don't photostat them anymore, I don't have linearts of my own to kill) and stumbled upon the awesome MACCO's lineart of Hatsune Miku and Rin. Check out MACCO's awesome gallery at Pixiv here.

So far it's hardly progress and was experimenting with more of a cellshading thing but...... I dunno :"/ I find my color selection to be too dull for the skin.... it's not "popping" enough for me. And I'm kinda having trouble with maintaining a paint style for the eyes. But I guess nothing is achieved overnight or with just one try so I'll do my best to increase practice time. (￣ε￣ ;)

Anyways hope you guys are spending your Eid celebration happily and safetly!! :D Can't wait to see my girls when I get back to KL. <3

Collecting Life's pieces of puzzles

"Life is a jigsaw puzzle. You don't know whats going to go where, you don't know where the pieces are but you do know that you need to keep looking for the pieces and figure out where they go. All events that happen to you is a piece of your puzzle. if you are stuck in a rut at school or work and keep asking yourself the "what if" question then its a sign telling you that there are no more pieces of the puzzle to be found where you are."

-Danny Choo

Those were the words that I read on one of Danny Choo's post regarding Living Life to pursue a Passion on his utter famous blog. I now have new found respect for Danny Choo (not that I didn't before) but more so as he's proven to be more than a pop icon in the Otaku Community.

In his post "Pursue Your Passion", Danny talks about living more than today fulfilling the puzzle that Life has given each of us, some sort of what we were born to do; our destiny, so per say. How when you hit a brick wall of repetition and void-ness in our lives that we must reach beyond what we feel is comfortable for us so we can reach out and be more than we are today.

It's funny... the things that I read in that post were things that I know consciously and subconsciously. But it suddenly I see them in a whole new light.

うん！なんか今・・・ドンドンがんばれなくちゃ！

Piling Up

It seems that hampers are all that are occupying my days that it's sending my drawing works to take a back seat (￣ε￣ ;)

Well, usually every year when hamper season comes along, I and my sister would gain at least RM500+ per person. We get paid RM5 for each hamper we do. We were overjoyed this year when our father agreed to raise our pay to RM8 each but it seems that this year we're getting less orders of the hampers than we usually do (￣Д￣ ;)

But I guess I can't really complain. As of now I'm a few dollars richer than I was before I came back to Ipoh. I just hope I can get enough for the printing of the Fanbook by October is all. (.___.;;) I guess I'd have to count on my part time job... which will pay less than 50% .. darn lawl.

But on the bright side, I'm getting great ideas for the Fanbook illustration and also for my submission for Otacool 4. ヾ(●⌒∇⌒●)ﾉ So I just have to work it out so I have enough time to put it all down on paper~! よおおおおおし！がんばります！

Hopefully I get to do an entry for Raya, but until then, Selamat Berpuasa to all my Muslim friends and Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all~! (*≧▽≦)~♪

19際

Yes.. I can feel my youth slipping away from me as I type... (ﾉ￣∀￣*)ﾉ

Anyways, yesterday my 19th birthday came and passed without a hitch. I actually forgot about it to tell you the truth until my mother wished me at 12:10 AM. It was basically a very normal day for me since it was a weekday and I told my mum that a birthday party wasn't necessary, though that didn't stop her from organizing a small get together this Saturday with my granduncles. （￣ー￣） Oh well, I guess I can't complain since I haven't seen my granduncles in a while and I kinda miss them.

Well mostly I don't have much to report to tell you the truth. After showering and whatnot, I came down to do some hampers (it's festive season and festive season means hamper making time for our family.) but my sister and my mum went out to the bank so after copicing till 3PM or so, I napped on the floor until 6PM or so.

I was mostly online tough on my Facebook account and it was fun, receiving all the birthday wishes. And I was really touched by the number of wishes I get... well it's mainly because of the Birthday Notification that they did I believe but I was really touched nonetheless. In fact it kind of made me tear up at the fact of being remembered. I guess everyone wants to know that they exist somewhere in the minds of those they know huh...

Well other than that, my uncle dropped by and hang around for a bit later that night. He gave me RM30 for my birthday gift! YAY! ♪(ﾉ´∀｀*)ﾉMy mum bought me the Glee soundtrack which I wanted. Though she wasn't suppose to give me a present since I got my present in advance this year when she bought the second hand mint green PSP for me. Thats my mum. Always the giving person. Oh and my dad treated me to a late night street stall burger (my favourite :9 ) and free ice-cream~

So overall, I'd say that it was a breezy birthday for me. I kinda liked it being slow and steady like that. Well I guess party's over and it's back to work. Hampers are starting to pour in (so is the money) and I'm busier than ever preparing alot of things for this year's Anime Festival Asia 2010. Not to mention I'm already late in the season for scouting colleges for next year and so on. Overall, a special thanks to those who wished, called and hugged me on my birthday. I loved every single one of it. Thanks from the bottom of my heart! Love you guys! (*≧▽≦)~♪

All pumped up! (photo heavy)

hey guys! ♪(ﾉ´∀｀*)ﾉ

A few weeks back, I decided to do a mini Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Fanbook to dedicate to my favourite series of all time and this past week, I've been busy drafting them all up! (*≧▽≦)ノ♪

There's a high chance the book will be available in AFA2010 so keep you eyes peeled as i'll announce them here when it's done!

I was planning on showing the drafts to my friend, Germaine who is also working on her drawings for the Fanbook so I took photos of them using my handphone and camera so pardon the slight blurryness. I'd scan them but I drew them all on a B4 manga paper and my scanner is A4. I guess time to buy a bigger one D: ANYWAYS! The previews:

The draft for the cover featuring Nia

close-ups

Nia's skirt. Was pretty proud of the way it turned out

an illustration featuring Kinon and Yoko in the Goverment Uniforms

close-up of Kinon

close-up of Yoko

A piece inspired by Episode 27 and the Song "Futari" by Yuya Matsushita. Nia and Simon

Had fun doing the roses, her hair and the hairpins

Viral with Sunflowers

Close-up. Wanted to recapture his expression in episode 26.

Sunflowers

pish posh talk

Have you ever got the feeling of when a series of peaceful days hits you, you can't help but feel something big is going to happen soon? Haha or maybe it's just me ;;;

Well anyways, it's been a month since I started my new part time job at a close by Juice Shop and things are pretty much going well (too well that one might say that it leaves you rather gray), though not that I'm complaining. I tend to enjoy slower or lazier days since I'm not into hectic ones. And I think things are about to get slightly more rushed right after Ramadhan month is over.

Well as of right now, I'm in my hometown of Ipoh for the Ramadhan month and Aidilfitri. And not to mention, I took a week of early since my dad is participating in the Foreign Student Exchange Program as a Host Family so we're housing one of the Japanese Students for their one week stay. We just had the pleasure of meeting the girl who is staying with us, Yamamoto Mizuki-san today and she seems friendly enough. It's refreshing to have someone to converse in Japanese with. It sure puts all that Intensive Japanese Classes to good use.

Other than the usual humdrums or life, I'm currently also focusing on improving my skills in CG and increasing my work pace for Le Noir and a small personal project for AFA2010. I wish I can scan some WIPs, but since they're all on B4 paper and my scanner is A4........ mmheh lawl. maybe its time I start drawing in my PC straight...? or not. haha we'll see.

I'm also considering full time courses for my Japanese to speed up the process of me studying in Japan.... but so far intakes are for next year so that leaves me another 4 months or so to collect some extra cash and finish my manga projects. Yikes! Lets just hope I make it!

bbbaahh~! Ishould really try and go back to sleep again. Its actually 2 AM already and I need to get up by 6 AM tomorrow lawl ;;; I bid you all good night!

self motivation

Reprograming yourself to not say "I wish.." or "if only..." is so darn hard. Even if it's a "I wish I'd improve faster". *slapself* Sometimes I wish my brain stop thinking and focus more on the doing :P Oh well. Puasa month coming = money making time and less sleep time. Can't wait.

The Spiral of Evolution

"Life truly is like a Spiral of Evolution..." was what I thought as I was rewatching the 27th episode of my ever favourite series, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. What started out as a mere fangirling session between me and my good friend, Germaine, turned out to be somewhat of an 'Aha' moment instead. Germaine, who shared my passion in FUNimation's English Voice Casts brought along her 2 Disc Tengen Toppa DVD set she just bought recently over to my place to watch together. Since we were both fans of Yuri Lowenthal, who played Simon. But aside from our gleeful laughs and fangirl screams that occupied every scene with adult Simon and Viral, we also started discussing about the core values and the concept of Gurren Lagann; The Passion of Believing in Yourself.

One of the scenes that became subject of conversation was the scene in episode 27, in the final battle where the Anti-Spiral, shocked by the immense powers of the Gurren Brigade questions Simon regarding their growth in power. Simon's reply left an everlasting impression to me and even managed to teach me something new... or rather remind me of it. despite the fact that I have watched the series up till the 7th time already.

"We are evolving and growing stronger than we were in the minute before. With one revolution, we shall move forward a bit! That is what a drill is!"

To strive for the better... to strive on improving yourself with every passing minute... was something I never thought of possible doing. Since lately, when I start to get the feeling of Time passing by so painfully slow that it just weighs down my morale to do anything at all and as a result, my productivity rate would decrease rapidly and to which I would start blaming everything else around me but me. Be it uncommitted members of the team, Finance, Family problems or anything that my overly creative brain can come up with. But excuses are just there to shade you from you acknowledging on what you should really do; own up to what you need to do and do it. Simon's quote made me reprogram what I believe to be true when it comes to mistakes: that you can't make them. When all I needed to do was learn from them, and grow stronger than I was before, like a drill.
ヽ(ｏ`皿′ｏ)ﾉ That scene alone left me all pumped up and ready to fix my mistakes and work better.

Then, another scene in episode 26 also lighted up my idea light bulb where Kamina woke Simon up from the Delusion Labyrinth and he says:

"Don't be caught up with the 'What Ifs', 'Should Be's and 'Could Be's. The only thing you need to have is your belief in yourself and in what you do."

I was almost tearing up when he said that. It was like he was lecturing me about my actions and decisions. Sometimes as human beings, we tend to complicate alot of things with the "What Ifs' or 'Should Be's like Kamina says. When all we have to do is simply believe in ourselves and what we do best and when we achieve that, that's when we start to do things the right way and things start to roll in Life. Sometimes I guess something so simple needs reminding of from time to time.
（￣ー￣）

"Life is a Spiral of Evolution". It all comes down to how well we improve everyday and how we learn to live by falling down or making mistakes, getting back up and running forward again. Just like how with ever turning of a Drill, it's powers are multiplied.

Grah! I feel so refreshed!! Watching Tengen Toppa never fails in being therapeutic and educational for me. Even after 7 times of watching it all over, it never fails to send me to school. (*･∀･)／♡ And I'm loving every bit of it. I think the quotes mentioned in this post will be my daily anthem and my motto for self improvement and Belief. To Strive higher everyday! Pierce any Ceilings limiting my skies! And if I'm lucky enough, I'll achieve them with the help of my comrades. ♪(ﾉ´∀｀*)ﾉ

So a special thank you to Germaine for reminding me of what's important today and lending an ear to my worries today. You will forever be one of my life's Kaminas (*≧▽≦)~♪ Love you hun!