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Hey guys,
Don't know if you had the chance to check out the latest Naruto - Episodes #119/120!! In my opinion, Kakashi Chronicles has proven itself to be one of the best, if not THE best, short story arcs so far! I think I've seen it like 3 times already  If you haven't seen it, you should see it right now! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! |
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Written by Walfisch
 Aoihana is now the third Yuri-centric series I have ever watched, with Strawberry Panic and Maria-sama Miteru being the other two. Strawberry and Maria-sama both share many similar characteristics that seem like they were produced by the same studio. Both are centered on Catholic all-girl high schools. Both shows' central protagonists usually come from middle-class upbringings and become engulfed in high society through the friends they meet, and eventually their primary love interest. However, even though Aoihana centers on all-girls schools as well, so far I have noticed many positive differences that make it stand out against the other two Yuri-centric series.
 One of the positive differences that are very refreshing is that there isn’t a strong emphasis on high society and being proper that the prior series featured so prominently, with no long explanations as to why the schools are so prestigious and how the students came from old money, etc. So far I have viewed 3 episodes, and I have yet to hear a “gokigen'yō” (extremely formal greeting) uttered by any character to one another or a nun. It is very easy to relate to the daily lives of the characters in Aoihana since they both live at home rather than in dorms and commute to school via trains. This seems more realistic than the typical story plot of everyone being chauffeured to school from their uber-mansion, with the commute to school acting as another location for the story to further itself. Returning back to the living at home aspect, both female leads go to completely different schools, with the more gregarious girl attending the pristine Catholic school, while the more princess-like, reserved girl attends a more contemporary Japanese all-girls academy.
 One aspect that I will point out is that even though the two previous shows are considered Yuri, they come off as being more shojo-ai than Yuri since there is not a huge amount of girls being sexual or physically active in the show. However, Aoihana certainly does deserve its Yuri title, not just with the intimate, risque scenes within the show's opening animation, but by the third episode one of the lead characters receives her first kiss from a senpai. The kiss comes after she has gone on a date with the upperclassman whom she had become attracted to within the first week of school. Though the actual kiss was not shown on screen, the setup and monologue during the kiss was sufficient enough to get the point across, and being tasteful at the same time.
Speaking of tasteful, I find the character designs for the show to be very pleasing on the eyes without coming off as too sexual or moe. The facial designs remind me of Eureka Seven and Bounen no Xamdou, with the nose being very soft and the hair more natural and contemporary rather than being crazy and ostentatious. Since the show focuses on the dynamic of high school-aged girls dealing with same-sex intimate relationships, having the character design done in this style does give a more genuine feeling, which is in contrast to a show like Ouran Host Club or a Holic designed show with ultra slim silhouettes and big eyes. Along with the character design, the overall art style of the show is done tastefully in relation to the subject matter at hand. Within the first episode, there are certain scenes that look almost like watercolor and not oil based, and give a gentle aura to the scene when the dialogue isn’t heavy.
Even though I’ve only been able to watch a few shows, Aoihanadoes bring something different to the collection of Yuri and shojo-ai titles that are starting to become popular outside of their domestic market.
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by this author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Crunchyroll.com and/or its affiliates.
Written by M.Harajima
 Mahjong is a very well-known game all over Asia and while you wouldn't imagine your friends playing, within the last few years there has been a surge of the younger generations learning and even mastering this game that originated in China. Mahjong tournaments are held all over the world, bringing the best players against each other as seen in the most recent episodes of Saki. Tournaments of this caliber take place in varying cities throughout the world. While it is safe to assume Saki is one of the stronger players on the team, it made me wonder if such a person could actually exist.
Jenn Barr is an American who stumbled upon mahjong while a student at Tokyo's Sophia University. Unlike Saki, she didn't grow up playing mahjong but learned the tricks of the trade upon arriving in Asia. She not only learned the rules of the game but was able to master it and passed the Japan Professional Mahjong League test which makes her one of the first Western mahjong pros. This exam consists of a written test and an interview where the passing rate is quite low. She appeared in the popular English magazine "Metropolis" in Japan and on japantoday.com. Jenn has mastered it so well that she has opened her own mahjong parlor in Hachioji (currently being renovated), running her own mahjong website, and being an advocate for the game.
 I have been introduced to mahjong a number of times but have never had the desire to learn the game until Saki came along. Watching her and her teammates play is like watching any pro playing their best at their game. There is such poise, strength, and ease in their movements and choices of play that you want to become like them. To understand the game a bit more and understand the calls Saki and her teammates make in the anime, I began to take an interest in learning the game. I’ll give you a very simplified version.
I'm sure you have all played gin rummy growing up and this is probably what it's most similar to, and like gin rummy mahjong can be played with different rules depending on who you're playing with but we will play the Japanese way as in Saki. Tiles are either "pin-zu" (dots), "sou-zu" (sticks), "wan-zu" (characters), or Honor tiles.
Pin-zu (dots)
Sou-zu (sticks)
Wan-zu (characters)
Honor Tiles
There are 136 tiles and each player starts with 13 tiles while a winning hand will consist of 14 tiles. A winning hand usually consists of four sets of threes and a pair. A set is a group of tiles that are identical and can consist of 3 or 4 tiles. A set of three is referred to as a pung and a set of four is a kong. These terms are called out when you are taking a tile that was just discarded to complete your pung or kong.
Pung
Kong
A run consists of 3 tiles that are sequential in number. When taking a discarded tile from a player to complete a run, chow is called. A chow can only be called by taking the tile that was discarded to the person sitting to your left and no one else. These are some basic terms that are heard in Saki and you'll know when they have a winning hand when a tsumo or ron is called out. Tsumo is winning the hand by drawing the final tile yourself and ron is winning by someone else's discarded tile. Another term that we often hear is riichi which means the player is waiting for one more tile before they have a winning hand.
These are just a few of the terms that we often hear in Saki and while learning how to keep score is probably the hardest part, it shows you how talented Saki is when she can consistently maintain a score of plus/minus zero. With practice and dedication, you can become the real life Saki too!
Written by H.H.
 I have been in one of those relationships where I am irrevocably in love with my boyfriend and am certain he is my soulmate. But now I am one of those jaded people sitting in a café wondering whether the person in front of me sipping a latte has the potential to be the next. In life, we usually are not serendipitously placed next to the one we are to walk side-by-side down the aisle of marriage with. With so many people surrounding us and the world getting bigger and bigger, the idea of a one true soulmate becomes more and more ephemeral. However, the silly romantic notion of a soulmate, as antiquated and anachronistic as it is, is precisely what makes love and life and getting to know another human being meaningful.
In the Korean drama, Soulmate, the role of destiny is highlighted through the lives of four couples. Many of the couples may have started out in the drama as inseparable and meant-to-be but slowly destiny creeps inexorably onwards and creates new alignments.  The series opens with a comedic situation between Soo-kyung and Phillip, who just got engaged. Soo-kyung was forced to say yes under public circumstances, and we can clearly see how humiliated she felt with Phillip’s proposal in a subway car. Then, we meet Min-ae and Ryo-hei, who seem to have an open relationship due to Min-ae’s successful and aggressive seduction of many men. Soon later, we are introduced to another unlikely couple, Dong-wook and Yu Jin, who met via an arranged marriage set up by parents. In this case, we can already foresee trouble with Yu Jin being very timid and innocent next to the high-spirited, playboy Dong-wook. Although the series starts off with each couple paired up together, as time winds forwards their relationships unwind as each of them finds their true Soulmate. The mystery is in who will end up with who. You'll have to watch this well-acclaimed series to find out!
The drama has gained recognition even though its cast is not “famous,” because the audience can empathize with the surprising twists and turns in their romantic relationships. For me, the important takeaway message is to never give up on love and never stop until you find your Soulmate.
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by this author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Crunchyroll.com and/or its affiliates.
Aoihana ©T,O/A, Shangri-la © 2008 Eiichi Ikegami/KADOKAWA SHOTEN/SHANGRI-LA Partners, Eyeshield 21 ©KOME STUDIO・VILLAGE STUDIO/SHUEISHA・TV TOKYO・NAS, Dr. Gang and Soulmate © MBC America, All Rights Reserved, Saki © Ritz Kobayashi/Square Enix, Kiyosumi High School Mahjong Club, Hyakko © 2008 Haruaki Katoh, Flex Comix Inc./Project HYAKKO
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