Pandarific!!

Just some clarification for the sake of it, don't want you to get confused with the Disney version yeah? Decided to watch it today, i only heard about it ...i forgot how i heard about it already haha, but anyway i was really excited about it, after all, i LOVED the Disney version. The cinema was full of chinese people because well it's a mandrin show, and thank God for subtitles!! I had to tell myself at the beginning that i should not think of the Disney version and compare this with it. So, what can i say? i enjoyed the movie very much!! Although i was reading the subtitles, i managed to laugh at the jokes too! i get chinese jokes! nah, it's not your all american jokes kinda thing, these kinda jokes can only happen in chinese movies, don't ask me why. Note that i'm not talking about what's happening in the movie, well i'm afraid if i do i'll get carried away and give out all the spoilers. Sorry guys, i just can't be trusted with that much of power....lalalala.

But here's what i enjoyed, 1. the array of characters in the movie, they really a good combo of those, from the evil bad guy, not so evil bad guy, funny guys, damsels in distress, random white guy, Mulan (duh) she's the strong heroine la and the hot guy! 2. They didn't go the western style of intepreting love, meaning, scenes where there's a passionate kiss and then the characters sleep together, if they did this, i think it would have spoilt the whole movie, cause, well chinese people aren't western people. (not trying to be racist or classifying people) 3. I love mulan so i'm basically a fan of it by default.

There are of course some demerit areas such as, why didn't they show mulan's battle strategies a little more elaborately? And the singing part, well a bit fake how they magically had the strength to get up you know. Oh and i read somewhere that no one found out mulan was a girl till after the war, but in the movie, of course they found out before the war ended.

I think Mulan and the other princess and some servants are the only girls in the movie, the rest is full of guys. It is a war movie after all. For me the war scenes we good, i dunno, how are you supposed to comment on how good or bad a war scene is anyway? lol. Although, how the good guys horses always seem to be in perfectly good shape is hard to believe hehe. okok, this is not a really good review since i'm not actually telling anyone much about the movie, it's just that i want you to watch it for yourself and i don't want to spoil anything! Sorry people!

Today is the day it's released and i got to watch it! wow it feels kinda cool to be able to watch a movie on it's premeir date. And i noticed something today, the new moon ad in the newspapers is a bit different from the rest, normally they would put on the poster, RELEASED TODAY, but on the New Moon Ad, it RELEASED TODAY! notice the exclamation mark at the end? it's like the cinema's are so excited that it's released, of course la, they know it'll earn them big bucks.

So about the movie, to sum it up,

New Moon = Guys taking off their shirts, seriously it feel like the whole movie is just an excuse for them to show off their bodies and to get girls to go "oooh" and "ahhh". 2 scenes involving taking off shirts, countless scenes with shirtless guys and 2 very lame attempts to make the guys look cool and collected.

I wasn't all hyped up about the movie, i went to watch it because it's a so called 'must see' movie and i've already seen the first one so might as well la. Oh yes, i forgot, i get to critisize it too =). If you ask me which was better the movie or the book, i would say they're at the same level, the movie did have if i'm not mistaken all the important parts, reading the second book was a chore to me honestly. Mei Xian and i were laughing at parts where the movie director wanted girls to melt at the sight of a shirtless Edward or Jacob, when Jacob took off his shirt i went "swt", seriously. To me it looked like he was waiting anxiously to take his shirt off. Edward unbottoning his shirt and taking it off looked like he was about to star in a porn movie or something, he has got to wear his pants higher! And the warewolf pack, i dunno, did they tear off all their shirts after transforming countless times, i guess fans can argue that they don't wear their shirt because they would need to transform at any time and it would be a hassel if they tore all their shirts....then what about the pants dudes? Alice, i just love her character, happy, powerful and cute. The rest of the cullen pack had barely 5 lines in the whole movie, ahh well i guess that's why there wasn't much fuss about them. The jokes weren't funny, i don't know why people were laughing, and finally when i went out of the cinema i saw the sign "did you leave anything behind?" and i replied "my sense of humour" because well, the show kind of took that away temporarily, it's not funny, no, i guess they do try but let's just give them a clap for that eh?
Other lame scenes include, the one where Edward first appears and they made it slow motion, his hair was flying at just the right height and it's just the typical 'here comes the hot guy scene'. An irritating scene would be the one where Edward leaves Bella and she just sits by the window while the camera rotates and shows the months passing by, not only is it annoying, it makes you head spin and you can totally predict that they're just gonna turn another round around her. A scene that did not make sense was the one where she returns after riding with the biker guy, in real life, when you hop on a strangers bike, you don't get home safe and in one piece.

Now for the good points. Fight scenes were good, i reacted when the fight ended and it seemed like it was the end for Edward, the graphics for the warewolves are nicely done and it blends in well with the movie. They looked like a mix of bears and wolves, but then Jacob just looks like a wolf to me. Dakota faning was in the movie! but as mean little jane, wow i didn't expect her voice to sounds like that though. Love the italian scene and the cars ahhh, ferari, and in the classic yellow too!

The verdict? It's not a guy movie, if you're anti twilight don't let your friends pull you into watching the movie, if you're a twilight fan, go nuts then, especially if you're into the main guys. I would buy pirated DVD or watch it when it comes out on Astro. Rating 5/10

It's out on Youtube and soon it'll be on Animax! Check it out friends!

I went for this exhibition yesterday with esther and pauline, wanted to go with a few more people but it just didn't work out, oh well, i still had lots of fun and learned loads of things. I actually bought the tickets in advance in college that day and sadly i couldn't get a discount....darn..it costs RM25 for adults and RM20 for kids. For the price we pai, i would say that it was worth it because there really are a lot of things to see, about 188 exhibits and video's all around, one documentary to watch in the mini theatre. My fave inventions are the wind measuring tool, humidity measuring tool, the emergency bridge and parachute. Of course i found the Mona Lisa fascinating, got to see so much more into the picture that i wouldn't have noticed at all. Take for example the background, the chair she was sitting on, the cloth she was holding to cover her lap and the veil she was wearing.

After the exhibition, we just went around the other areas of the science centre and there was a science show, i don't know if it was for that particular group of women,but we just randomly sit la, thanks to pauline. The stuff they showed us we all learned in science already, haha the funniest thing was the guy asked everyone "what do you see on the whiteboard" people said "nothing" because i suppose they thought there was supposed to be a picture, but i said "paper" and i was correct! hehe. I'm suspecting the show was only for that group, so while the guy was talking, esther and I were busy taking pictures of ourselves. haha cam whore! That's all i guess, just a few details if you're interested in going to see the exhibit yourself.

ANIME FESTIVAL ASIA 2009
THE ULTIMATE ANIME EXPERIENCE AWAITS YOU!

Anime Festival Asia 2009 expects to draw regional fans with top names from Japan confirmed.

Programme packed line-up targets anyone interested in Japanese Popular Culture by offering a wide showcase of the hottest trends from Japan.

“Anime Festival Asia is geared towards bringing together the community to celebrate all things they love, and to provide a platform for the regional and local anime generation to gain direct access to very exclusive content never before available in this part of the world. This is an exciting time for us; as we look to bring new dimensions to the festival this year! !”

Special Guests this year include:

K-ON! ANIME SEIYUU EXPERIENCE
The voice actresses of K-ON! will make an appearance for the first time overseas. The cast will be doing a live dubbing a scene from the animation, in addition to a Question and Answer session on the main stage.
http://www.afa09.com/k-on_experience.html

MAY'N
“持ってけ!” One More Time!
The singing voice of Sheryl Nome from Macross Frontier will return to Singapore for AFA this year with new songs and a brand new performance experience, featuring first ever live performances from the latest Macross Frontier Movie.
http://www.afa09.com/i_love_mayn.html

ICHIROU MIZUKI
ANIKI: The Legend returns!
Our Aniki is back to Singapore as “The Most Famous Japanese in the World.” Aniki is back for more new performance this time! Anison spirit (魂) burns once more!
http://www.afa09.com/i_love_mizuki.html

HATSUNE MIKU
Special Appearance!
The World Most Popular Virtual Idol, Hatsune Miku to perform LIVE in Singapore for its very first overseas appearance. Not to be missed!
http://www.afa09.com/i_love_miku.html

SHOKO NAKAGAWA
Anime Superstar – First concert in Singapore!
Multi-talented (Actress, Cosplayer, Voice Actress, Illustrator, Manga-ka, Idol, and Blogger!) Get ready for the ride of your life!
http://www.afa09.com/i_love_shokotan.html

YOSHIKI FUKUYAMA
1st Overseas Unplugged Concert!
Member of JAM Project. Guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Yoshiki Fukuyama will be performing the first time ever in Singapore!
http://www.afa09.com/i_love_fukuyama.html

DANNY CHOO
The Blogger of “Best Japan Blog” of 2009 (July 2009 Forbes Magazine) will appear at Anime Festival Asia 2009 and will also speak at Asia Animation Conference 2009.
http://www.afa09.com/dannychoo.html

KANAME☆
Renowned Cosplayer
Kaname☆ will be one of the judges of AFA Regional Cosplay Championship and will conduct a closed door Cosplay Panel Session at AFA09.
http://www.afa09.com/highlights_kaname.html

Exciting and Exclusive Content at the Festival also include:

I LOVE ANISONG 4+ HR MUSIC CONCERT PLATFORM
FEAT. Ichirou Mizuki, Shoko Nakagawa, Hatsune Miku, Yoshiki Fukuyama and MAY'N!
http://www.afa09.com/i_love_anisong.html

AKB TOWN
Akiba Town brings Akihabara right to the shores of Singapore with a market place that retails all things anime and Japanese related! Get ready to indulge yourself with a wealth of very exclusive items, brands include Bandai, COSPA, Bushiroad, and more!

AFA REGIONAL COSPLAY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Hosting the first ever Regional Cosplay Championship in SE Asia, top cosplay teams from SE Asia will convene to compete and be judged by celebrity judges from Japan, including famous cosplayer KANAME☆
http://www.afa09.com/afa_cosplay_championship_09.html

MOE MOE KYUN MAID CAFE
Take in the cozy ambience of a traditional bistro as we re-create the special atmosphere found in maid cafes all around the world and just for a special moment, let your troubles all go away.
http://www.afa09.com/afa09_maid_cafe.html

SEE YOU THERE THIS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY!!!
More details at: http://www.afa09.com
Email us at: contact@afa09.com

The Storm Warriors is an upcoming 2009 Hong Kong martial arts/wuxia film, produced and directed by the Pang brothers. It is the second live-action film adaptation of screenwriter Ma Wing-Shing's manhua Fung Wan, following the 1998 film The Storm Riders. The Pangs have stated that the film is not a direct sequel to The Storm Riders, but more of a stand-alone film with a separate storyline.

Synopsis

Evil warlord Lord Godless desired to conquer China. He imprisoned a large number of martial artists and tried to make them subjugate. Among the prisoners were Cloud and the martial arts elder statesman Nameless. Wind came to the rescue. The trio was badly wounded by Lord Godless's evil martial arts attack. Chu Chu was also knocked out when she blocked Cloud from Lord Godless's strike. The remaining martial artists sacrificed their lives to save the trio, in the hope that the trio would beat Lord Godless one day and save the country.

Chu Chu was badly wounded and stayed unconsious. Cloud was filled with remorse and vowed to take revenge. Wind chose to take the evil way to quickly boost up his martial arts skills, so that he could protect the people. During his training, he met the girl who changed his life, Dream. Meanwhile, the troop of Lord Godless came to attack. Wind's training was interrupted when he tried to save Dream from Lord Godless's assault. After some killings, Wind disappeared...

Lord Godless took The Emperor in captivity and stationed his troops in Heaven Cave. Cloud arrived alone and started a combat with Lord Godless. Lord Godless had the upper hand. Suddenly, the half-evil Wind appeared and joined the battle. Durng the fight, they inadvertently discovered the secret of the sovereign.

The real intention of Lord Godless's invasion was related to an ancient tomb, a forbidden ground buried with the Royal Family's secret. The truth was finally revealed. At last, how would the battle end and who would eventually rule China?

[Taken from Wikipedia]

Just thought of giving a little background for people who don't know anything about this upcoming movie. The One Academy is having a contest for those out there who love to draw. All you have to do is create your very own comic hero!

That's all...really! And you can actually win scholarships to study in The One Acedemy or prizes worth more than RM150,000!! (now i really wish i could draw to save my life) Be creative, go crazy if you must, but come up with your very own unique comic hero who will shine in the Storm Warriors world!

There are 2 categories available: Under- and Over18
Summarised Instructions: Create your comic in an A3 art size artblock. It must be related to the Storm Warriors movie. All forms of art medium are allowed. Entry forms can be downloaded @ http://www.toa.com.my/tsw
Deadline: 11 December 2009, 5pm

If you need more information just clicky click on the image above *points up* or go the The One Academy website http://www.toa.edu.my/index.php or the link direct to the contest page http://www.toa.edu.my/tsw/

I would encourage anyone who can draw to give this competition a shot, after all what have you got to loose right? no entry fee, check! And you never know, you could actually win something in the end! Plus, wouldn't it be cool to actually create a comic character that can do all sorts of stunts, the girls/guys go nuts for and at the end of the battle your character still has every single strand of hair in place? dude that rocks!

*Looks around for cosplayer* Hey you there! Yes you! Heard about the Gempak Starz 2009 cosplay competition? no? Well as you can see from the image above (click to enlarge) it's:

Most popular is really self explanatory.

Best Prop, If you made/have and awesome, jawdropping prop you'll most probably win this category.

Best craftsmanship, this refers to the props *nods head*, so pay attention to detail people! detail!


So if you are a cosplayer or you know anyone who would be interested in joining the contest do tell them about it!!

The episode is called Grandfather II, it was basically centering around nate's mothers side of the family. The political one. Overall i think this is quite a good episode, better than the last for me, the last was just a tad bit boring. So here are a few thoughts of mine about the episode:
1. Chuck Bass was the mediator, the parent of the episode. Seriously, i'm not kidding! He was actually counselling and advising Serena on how she should treat her friendship, and he sounded so insightful, a bit out of character, but it may just be that he's growing up and he is after all now an owner of a hotel!

2. Nate, he was totally in political mode here today, pretending to be nice, backstabbing is grandfather, his friend. In the end he sacrificed himself and it was supposedly all for his innocent cousin. I find Nate's character very confusing, one minute he's the moral character, the nice decent one, the next he's pulling all this stunts out of nowhere. Hate towards his grandfather? but it wasn't even him who pulled the whole fake drowning thing, he just pretended to. Well if he was trying to get everyone to not trust his grandfather, it worked all right, even though he didn't exactly plan everything.

3. Chuck and Blair are so perfect together, though it looks like chuck is really doing all the work, being an understanding boyfriend and all, blair always does something to disturb the peace between them.

With all this drama in the episode, totally worth watching! ps, was the Dan and Olivia thing just a filler to put them in for the sake of it? lol.