Bollywood Girl's Guide To Life

Hot Chocolate Adventure in London

2010-12-13T06:35:00.000-08:00

With Christmas right around the corner, I decided to escape the present buying frenzy with a much welcome distraction – of the chocolate kind. The Chocolate Festival was on at the South Bank, with a wide selection of chocolate covered everything. Two of my friends from Japanese class joined me on what has now become known as the ‘hot chocolate adventure,’ but more about that later. Our first stop was the festival where there were many stalls selling chocolate beer/champagne, cakes, pastries, chocolate dipped fondue to DIY chocolate making kits.

We started off at the Rococo chocolates stand, trying out the chocolate coffee beans. I have previously bought boxes of their distinctive fish patterned gift boxes as presents for friends but I suddenly realised I have never eaten any of their chocolates myself! So it was time to break that tradition. Next my two friends tried drinking Chocolate stout, which had a surprising reaction. We then went from stall to stall tasting the various samples. It took me a while to realise my friend had a clever plan, I would be the guinea pig trying out the samples first before she ate them. (I might add that said guinea pig, had no idea she was the guinea pig at the time.) Blissfully ignorant, I ate whatever I was handed. The strangest tasting item was the chocolate bean, chocolate on the inside, but looked a bit like an almond on the outside.

It was then on to the DIY chocolate making stall. Here I tried raw cacao, the natural form of chocolate, which was surprisingly not as bitter as I had imagined. My highlight of the festival had to be the chocolate covered pretzels. Tiny savoury snacks dipped in milk and white chocolate. Seriously moorish. We then headed over to a tent which housed chocolate ‘art’ including a mini steam train made of chocolates. If Willy Wonka was ever let loose on the set of the Railway Children, this is what he would make. Alongside the train were equally edible looking high heels and a candle! The last item I ate at the festival was a chocolate heart, which as I later discovered (to my peril) was mixed with chillies. Oh my God, now that was certainly a surprise! It tasted like ordinary chocolate at first, but 30 seconds later I was hit by a burst of chillies. I now fully understood my friends’ guinea pig strategy.

Afterwards we headed over to Artisan du Chocolat, a speciality chocolate shop which make a seriously good hot chocolate. We wanted to try the matcha hot chocolate but it had already sold out. Ever since I started Japanese classes, me and my classmates have been trying out various Japanese inspired things. The matcha green tea hot chocolate had been a big hit with my friends from class on a previous visit receiving a big thumbs up. This time we opted for the regular hot chocolate, a deliciously rich concoction which comes with choccie nibbles which you can sprinkle on your drink and two chocs which you select from the display. As I have been reading up on the Victorian era lately, I opted for the flower infused chocolates of Violet and Rose which were popular at that time. They also do a chocolate version of the Japanese tea ceremony for two, but this will be explored on another visit. We left feeling blissed out on chocolate. Death by chocolate has never been this tasty.

Special thanks go to Wenting-san for photography and to Jugjit-san for the hot chocolate recommendation.

An Ouran story...

2010-04-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

My very wonderful manga-partner-in-crime, Sarah, recently told me the news that Ouran High School Host Club will soon begin its final story arc. "Oh no!" was my initial reaction with my hands at the sides of my cheeks in true Twins fashion. Anyone else out there who is a long time manga addict will openly admit that the thought of a favourite series ending will often grip said fan with feelings of sadness. But even good stories must come to an end, and this reminded me of a surprising 'Ouran moment' that I had earlier this week.

I walked into a department store on London's Oxford Street on the hunt for a new bag for work. You know how women sometimes squeal at the sight of a new coveted designer handbag - well, that's not me. My squealing only happens in a manga shop. Normally, I bypass the whole handbag section but necessity is a fine beast. My favourite piano bag has finally fallen apart - manga and Japanese drama fans might have already picked up on the little clue in the last sentence, but it was the bag from the Nodame Cantabile series. I have had it for years but its beyond repair now and is resting in Handbag Heaven. It was so a part of me that my dad could spot me from far away and whenever I remarked that he has good vision, he would smile and say that whenever he saw a piano bag, he would always know it was me. But anyway, I digress, back to the story...

There was me in said department store and I was looking at the 'flashy' (or should I say normal designer handbags) to see what all the fuss was about. But I have a confession to make. Sorry girls, but I just don't get it. Designer handbags all look the same to me.

I then looked at my H.Naoto bag and I thought of Tamaki and I realised what the problem was: they all lacked character. It reminded me about the story from Ouran when the Twins, Hikaru and Kaoru were fighting and trying to er... not be twins. But Tamaki (who is normally an idiot)said that their contradictions were okay because they had character. And I had never realised how important such a thing was until now.

Which made me even more happy with my punk rock bag that I walked out of the shop proud to be just that little bit different. Nevermind the handbag, I was amazed that something Tamaki said actually had some wisdom in it (for once.)

Studio Bones: Sword of the Stranger interview with Masahiro Ando and Masahiko Minami

2009-12-07T10:41:00.000-08:00

If you are an anime fan, than studio Bones will need no introduction. But for those who don’t know their Naruto from their Bleach, this is the anime studio behind Darker Than Black, Cowboy Bebop and the phenomenal Fullmetal Alchemist. A little while back I interviewed Masahiro Ando, the anime film director behind samurai flick, Sword of the Stranger, to find out about the new movie. I also had a quick chat with Masahiko Minami, the head of studio Bones to find out how the internet is bringing anime studios and foreign fans closer together. Below is a sneak peek at what they had to say:

Talking about the movie Ando said, “ I really wanted to get across the world of the middle ages, I wanted to create that world on screen- The way of living and the way of dieing.” But making his directorial debut was no small challenge. He went on to say:

“It was the first time that I had directed so everything was a challenge for me. It was pretty nerve wracking! It’s much harder to make a film because with a TV series you’ve got 26, 52, or in my case, 13 episodes to get it right. You can try things, if it doesn’t go right, you can try it again. There’s trial and error involved. But with a film, if you get one shot wrong, you’ve spoilt the film really, so you have to concentrate a lot more on the background animation and be a lot more careful with a picture film.”

Although studio Bones is more well known for TV anime, the head of the studio, Masahiko Minami, has said he will be involved in the live action movie adaption of Cowboy Bebop (which will star Keanu Reeves.) Here, he talks about how the internet is changing anime and the reason behind simulcasting FMA Brotherhood:

“It’s a good project for us as creators to get everyone watching it through a simulcast. In the case of FMA it was previous work so it was easier to do it that way but I think it will be harder with an original work. For a new work, it would be more challenging but we would like to give it a go and get everyone all over the world watching.”

Minami did indicate at London Expo that the studio is working on a new robot anime with an American producer but the details are yet to be officially revealed. You can read the full interview on the Anime UK News website by clicking here.

Miyavi rocks London

2009-10-08T10:34:00.001-07:00

There are gigs and then there are GIGS, and leaving the Islington Academy on Tuesday night, I felt that I had just seen and been a part of something special. Rewind a few hours earlier and I had joined the long queue of j-rock fans, dressed in punk rock and Gothic Lolita gear to see Miyavi. Picture neon pink, gothic fashions and amusingly, even steam punk anime kids wearing vintage oversized goggles. His fans are as diverse as the man’s music himself.

When Miyavi appeared onstage later that evening, at first all we saw was a geisha’s pink parasol. A quick flip around revealed Miyavi hidden beneath, mixing traditional with modern, which is what makes him so interesting. Launching into some of his classic tunes and awe-inducing guitar solo’s, the samurai rocker was on a mission to rock London. It was the anthemic songs like Freedom Fighters and tracks from This Iz Kabuki Rock that got the kids (and grown ups) jumpin’. I was squished into a 20 row moshpit, but it was ace! Miyavvi knows how to rev up a crowd, his poise and swift hand movements were more reminiscent of a traditional Japanese dancer than a rocker. It’s near impossible not to fall under such a magical spell.

One surprising element to the show was the fact that he spent just about the same amount of time talking to the audience as he did singing. You get the feeling that things have changed for Miyavi. Gone are the once famous dreadlocks and piercings’, but the person standing before us still embodies that punk-rock spirit. The move from a big label to going independent has been hard, but despite the challenges he said:

"Even if my wings are clipped, even when it’s tough, I won’t give up my dream"

And I must confess, this admission of his made me like him just that little bit more. Nobody ever talks about the other side of dreams: that times can, and will be, hard. Often, this is something that is left unsaid, but here was Miyavi admitting these things, openly and honestly to his fans. And I found this admirable. If I learnt anything from Miyavi that night, it’s to keep believing in my dreams, no matter what life may throw at me. Miyavi has this incredible fighting spirit, if he’s going to fight for his dreams, then I will too!

Married life has changed him, he says he can no longer go clubbing. Surprisingly, he even tells people that they don’t have to join his fan club, whispering that it’s expensive. He would rather people come and see him live. Later on he says that it doesn’t matter where you were born, it doesn’t matter the colour of your skin, music can pass any barrier. And it shows. In the audience that night, along with us Brits, were many people who had travelled from across Europe just to hear him sing. A love for music had brought us all together. Miyavi rocked London, and London most certainly rocked back!

From FMA to Ouran Host Club, Vic Mignogna talks about playing the Host Club king

2009-07-24T01:09:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I attended the London Film and Comic Con and was lucky enough to interview FMA's Vic Mignogna about being Edward Elric and playing the delightful Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club.

In the interview he talks about FMA (Full Metal Alchemist), an anime show which has been hugely successful the world over. There was a comical moment in the interview where I asked about how he felt about the transition from playing an alchemist to suddenly being the Host Club king.

That was when Vic told me the surprising story about how his best friend had seen Ouran and told him that he is Tamaki, pictured above. This made Vic curious about the character and he then went on to check out the show - however, he didn't know whether to be flattered or offended! For those who haven't seen Ouran High School Host Club, the character Vic play's, Tamaki is er... how do I say this... a bit of an idiot. (But he is a lovable idiot.) I have been reading Bisco Hatori's manga for a very long time and somehow Tamaki has won me over. He is kind and loyal and protects his friends, even though he also gets them into all sorts of foolishness too. But from just talking with Vic, it was clear just how much he cares about Tamaki.

He did make the surprising revelation that he doesn't think he is as smooth as Tamaki, which made us both laugh. Whether you are an FMA or Ouran fan, please do check out the article here

London anime expo: Code Geass, gaming and Take That karaoke! (Naruto style)

2009-06-04T05:18:00.000-07:00

How on Earth do I describe this year’s London expo? Picture a car crash scene of gaming cosplayers. Imagine a walking Death Note. Chuck in a troupe of all-singing, all-dancing Naruto fan boys doing Take That karaoke, and you have the most surreal expo I’ve ever been to!

I would like to say this was a one off occasion, but anyone who is a regular at expo will tell you, this all passes off as worryingly ‘normal...’

The day really started for me when I met up with my friend Meg, a J-rock cosplayer. Last year I bought a Gackt CD in Tokyo but due to my journalism commitments, the CD has been gathering dust for the better part of a year. This meant Meg had the great honour of being the first person to hear the music direct from Tokyo. As she returned it to me, I casually asked who she was cosplaying as. She gave me a big hug and put her head on my shoulder. Turns out she was Gackt. Oops, my mistake! My excuse was I haven’t seen Moonchild. I really am a bad fan girl. Sorry Gackt....

So here is a picture of Meg dressed as you-know-who getting cuddly with Miyavi. The Kabuki rocker acquired a large army of fangirls throughout the day.

Forget the free huggers, this year I even spotted a ‘free kisses’ sign. On another note, even anime fans are feeling the credit crunch pinch. A Light cosplayer manged to halve the cost of a Death Note wallet with some very clever haggling. I had only done a little bit of Pocky shopping before I was, rather unwittingly, kidnapped by the Gothic Lolita group. It happens...

Escaping into the hallway, I came across some rather surprising cosplayers. Proving you can cosplay just about anyone or anything (phone box, anyone?) I stumbled upon no other than J.D and Turk from Scrubs. They were my favourite cosplaying duo this expo.

As I'm still suffering from the shock ending of the anime Kuroshitsuji, here's a picture of Grell, the chainsaw swinging Grim Reaper of death.

After taking some pictures of Code Geass cosplayers, (the top photo), I narrowly escaped being run over, when a runaway Dalek zoomed past. Doctor Who wasn't joking, they really are dangerous! Out in the forecourt, the largest gathering of people dressed as games characters took place, with 376 games fans dressing up as Lara Croft, pointy eared elves and every one's favourite plumber, Mario!

Code Geass: Friendship, betrayal and the end of Rebellion

2009-03-01T01:58:00.000-08:00

It took me a long time to decide on a picture that represents Code Geas: Lelouch of the Rebellion, despite a huge cast, I wanted to select an image that represented what the show meant to me. In the end, I choose this simple image of the two best friends turned enemies, Lelouch and Suzaku, because despite the epic storyline about justice and politics, Code Geass for me, was fundamentally a story about friendship, betrayal and atonement. This post will look at the friendship between Lelouch and Suzaku and asks the question: Can enemies ever become friends? It will also contain spoilers for the ending, so if you don't want to know how the series ends, turn away now.

Code Geass follows the story of Lelouch, a high school student in Britannia who inherits the power of Geass from a mysterious witch called C.C. Lelouch uses the power of Geass, the ability to control others, in order to create a peaceful world in which his sister Nunnally can live. In order to do this he becomes Zero, a masked hero (or villain, depending on your interpretation), the leader of the Black Knights, a rebellion group who are trying to reclaim Japan from the clutches of the Empire of Britannia. Doing so, however, brings him up against his childhood friend Suzaku.

As young boys, Lelouch, the thrown away prince from Britannia, vowed to destroy the empire whilst Suzaku wanted to change the world from within, by joining the Britannian army. Years later the two become enemies, as they are not always aware that they are in fact fighting each other.

But the path of friendship is never a smooth one. Lelouch, as Zero, offers Suzaku a chance to join him but their conflicting ideologies mean fate takes them down different roads. It's not until the start of the second season, R2, that we learn that Suzaku sells his best friend to become a knight of Britannia. But sadly, this becomes the first of many betrayals for Lelouch as the series progresses.

So what is the meaning of friendship if it only leads to betrayal? Lelouch begins to loose his faith in people, seeing them as pawns for battle. However, in a touching scene further into the series, Lelouch asks a young C.C how to heal the pain one feels inside. And her surprising response is with the help of allies, her alternative name for what we would call friends.

In a heart breaking telephone call, Lelouch calls Suzaku and begs him to protect his sister when he realises he cannot, and despite the increasing space between them, he agrees if Lelouch meets him in person. But this encounter leads to another betrayal, Lelouch betrayed a second time no longer believes in friendship and with a fierce determination finally conquers Britannia but at a price- losing the trust of his sister. Alarmingly, Lelouch becomes Emperor after killing his own father, but instead of creating a better world he appears to be following in the footsteps of the father he despised, making a world full of fear.

But it's not until the shock ending that the truth is finally revealed. Emperor Lelouch has ordered the execution of his former Black Knights, but before this can take place a masked man appearing as Zero kills Lelouch. In flashbacks we find out the truth- Lelouch tells Suzaku that in order to create a unified world, he must become the enemy of the world. Only after he is gone will there be the peaceful world that he wanted to create. With tears in his eye's, Suzaku, dressed as Zero, kills his best friend. Lelouch's final words to his friend are that Suzaku can no longer exist, he must live on as Zero.

The series in no small way, blew me away: The bond of friendship that bound Lelouch and Suzaku to the tragic end. Suzaku's struggle to isolate his conflicting feelings for his childhood friend, as he tries to stop feeling nostalgic about Lelouch. Of hope and of sacrifice, and Lelouch's realisation that he must sacrifice himself to create the better world that he wished for. That even when he was feeling hurt, the one person he could talk to, was his sworn enemy.

Lelouch and Suzaku are only one small part of the Code Geass story, but over the last few days watching this series has made me rethink about the nature of friendships. Friends do betray each other and the longer two people know each other, the more they will know how to hurt the other and be hurt themselves.

But it's that basic understanding that can change a friendship, in essence change enemies and save friends even if you can't forgive. Although much of what Lelouch did would be considered unforgivable, the showdown between the two at the temple, saw an angry Suzaku demand that Lelouch continue until the very end, which he does. No one would want their best friend to become their enemy, but Code Geass paints an interesting portrayal of how two best friends who walk down opposing paths can one day become friends again.

Need cheering up from the Credit Crunch?

2009-01-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

A little video I stumbled across today for anyone who needs cheering up from the Credit Crunch blues. Its a song called Namida from a band called 2BACKKA, which also happens to be the ending theme tune for the anime series I last blogged about.

The video tells the story about a young man who is trying to find a job who is given a helping hand by his sister and letters of encouragement from his mum (who also sends box fulls of oranges from their home town.) The guy even dyes his hair back to black in the hope that it will help him fit in at interviews. But in the end he realises it is better just to be himself, so he dyes his hair back to normal. And was much happier for it!

It's a nice video about accepting yourself as who you really are, even if it means standing out and being a bit different from everyone else. I remember going through the interview process very well and my worries about thinking that I have to look a certain way to fit in. I think everyone feels that kind of pressure at times.

But watching this video made me realise it's best to just be yourself, even if that means changing your hair colour for a second time!

If you are job hunting at the moment, I wish you all the best of luck.

Revenge Anime: the Skip Beat effect

2009-01-17T12:42:00.000-08:00

If the person I loved asked me to ditch everything and move to Tokyo, I would be on the first plane out of here! I'm a hopeless romantic, hopeless being the key word here and Kyoko from Skip Beat is no different. When her childhood sweetheart, Shou, leaves to become a rock musician, he asks Kyoko to come with him.

Anywhere Shou would go, Kyoko would surely follow. Giving up school she worked numerous jobs supporting Shou as he reached for his dreams, doing all these things as an expression of love for him. All until the day she finds out that he simply invited her along as a sort of personal servant. Yeah, Shou's really that horrible.

Overhearing the conversation, Kyoko rightly loses it and as she is being chucked out the building, Shou says that if she ever wants to get back at him, she will have to enter the entertainment industry and become a star like him.

And this is where the real story starts. Kyoko wants to be an idol out of revenge, but she is so hurt by Shou's betrayal that she loses her ability to love others. Despite her many failures, Kyoko eventually gets her first break and learns about how to survive in showbiz and understands how important it is to love yourself.

Skip Beat takes the traditional 'boy verses girl' storyline and gives it a very interesting twist. Kyoko is not the lovey dovey heroine that you find in all girl's shoujo manga, but show's what would happen when the love runs out, something that doesn't really appear that much in manga, when I think about it.

I must admit, I really hated Shou at first, but after I got the Skip Beat bug and read the hundred or so manga chapters out there, I'm finding I really like him. (This blogger quickly dives behind the sofa before people chuck cyber rocks at her.) Perhaps I'm just a fangirl who likes J-rockers or maybe I can understand Kyoko's idealised notion of love. But even naive girls have to grow up sometimes. Kyoko eventually realises how tough the world is but she doesn't give up no matter how many times she fails.

How to cut the cost of Christmas

2008-12-12T03:10:00.000-08:00

I swung by Oxford Street on my route home after work yesterday and unsurprisingly the street was packed with shoppers dashing around to find the perfect Christmas present. Zipping in and out of shops, the main thing I found was how expensive everything was, even with the VAT reduction. It can be a challenge to find a thoughtful gift, and usually the perfect gift = expensive present in most people's minds but there are ways to have a cheaper Christmas without being a Scrooge.

It was with that thought in mind, that I co-wrote an article called Ten ways to cut the cost of Christmas which ran in The Independent recently to help shoppers find thrifty ways to save some money during what is the most expensive time of year. This year, shoppers will be forking out £400 each.

The article gives a range of tips including how to make the most of cashback, using online vouchers, redeeming loyalty points and a whole bunch of other ways to save some cash, so do check it out!

The end of Nabari: Finding hope in despair

2008-11-07T23:09:00.000-08:00

Once in a while, an anime show comes along that changes the way I perceive anime. Over the summer, Nabari no Ou has earned it's place alongside Kino's Journey and Last Exile as one of the best anime shows I've ever seen. Whilst the anime ended a while back, I have only just seen a fansub, and felt I had to write about the ending. Many of those who have followed this series to the very end have felt a certain affinity to the two main characters, Miharu and Yoite and it was with a little sadness that this story finally drew to a close.

Yoite throughout this series has wanted his existence to be erased and only Miharu, the keeper of the Shinrabanshō, has the ability to grant Yoite's wish. The final episode finds Yoite in a church wishing that he had never been born because of all the suffering his existence has caused others. But it is Miharu who says that, how would this make the others feel? All the people who he has met and those who have tried to help him, even at the sacrifice of their own lives.

Yoite decides to live on, making the most of the remaining time he has left.Miharu offers to erase the Kira technique but Yoite realises if it wasn't for the Kira technique, he would never have met the people he now knows. The Shinrabanshō tries to force Miharu to use her power, but Miharu defiantly says he wished the Shinrabanshō never existed and with that the cycle of bloodshed that has plagued the world of Nabari comes to an end. This decision surprised everyone, but perhaps only a child like Miharu could have the courage to throw away the power that the adults would use.

When the final scene of Yoite's departing comes, it is a sad one. Miharu leaves the room to get a drink and when he returns, Yoite has gone. Somehow, I had always thought that no matter what, Miharu would save Yoite, as this is what would happen in a typical anime. So it surprised me that the series ended this way. In a way, the series gave some kind of dignity to Yoite's death, but that scene has remained at the back of my mind for a number of week's now. Picking up the scarf that Yoite had been making for him, Miharu promises that he will never forget Yoite.

Perhaps that is the duty of those left behind.

How to cut your food bill in half

2008-11-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

Over the summer I wrote an article about how families are changing their shopping habits in order to beat the rising cost of food inflation. At the time, this was just another of my stories for my final university project, but if you had asked me a couple of months ago, I would never have imagined that it would end up in The Daily Telegraph newspaper. The article ran a few days ago and looked at how to cut your food bill in half. It was the cover story on the personal finance section. I was so surprised when I found out! It was a big achievement for me.

The article looks at two families, the Parry family in Wales and the Morgans in London as they changed their shopping habits over a number of weeks in an attempt to save money. Using a combination of tactics such as switching supermarkets, using up store cupboard ingredients and even skipping the supermarket altogether resulted in both families cutting their food bills in half.

With food prices going up, it can be hard for families to think up new ways to save money, but both families showed that with a bit of planning and a little ingenuity, there are big savings to be made.

Learning from their examples, my own family decided to ditch the supermarket once a month and this saves us £50. Which might not sound like much but add that up and over a year that's a saving of £600.

If you want more inspiration on how to save money on your weekly grocery shop, check out the article above.

London anime expo: cosplay, fan girls and Heroes

2008-10-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

"I love you!" said the Nabari no Ou fan before glomping me big time. A confession of love was not what I was expecting at this years expo, but as any convention junkie will tell you, at expo, anything goes. I decided to cosplay as Yoite from this modern day ninja series because a)Yoite rocks and b)his cosplay is dead cheap: hat, gloves and a scarf. Aside from this fan girl, no one else knew who I was. It's one of those anime's that nobody in the real world knows about, but out in cyber space, it's super popular.

I took my mate Sarah with me, her knowledge of anime dates back to 1996, when her brothers would get her to watch the likes of Guyver and Tank Police. In two words: retro anime. This time around Code Geass and Vampire Knight cosplayers were the most popular. I've been fangirling Vampire Knight Guilty, so I simply couldn't resist taking the picture above of the blood thirsty Night Class.

There were some rather amusing moments, especially when Sarah asked me what Yaoi was. (Crikey! I didn't see that one coming!)She later spotted two people chained together and asked what that was all about. How on earth do I explain the plot of Loveless, without it sounding somewhat... dodgy? I made up some random explanation about magic, it being a murder mystery and avoided that whole Neko thing, but I don't think she was convinced. Especially when I dropped my lunch and ran over to take their picture.

I've also realised I'm a useless cosplayer. Every time someone took my picture, I wore a cheesy grin. Yoite doesn't smile. Ever. Flashbacks of cosplaying Light sprang to mind. Here are some really good Death Note cosplayers who did things properly:

When you are in the anime/manga/cosplay world, you have a habit of running into the same people. Eagle eyed blog readers will recognise the lady below as Chun-Li from my Guinness Book of Records photo's.

The cosplay that made my day was this one below from Prince of Tennis. I had given up hope of finding one, but in the last half hour of expo I spotted her flame coloured hair.

And er... here's that guy from Heroes. I was too lazy to get an autograph, so here's a paparazzi shot instead.

Credit scoring: what you need to know

2008-10-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

This week I have two articles in the Independent on Sunday, the main one takes a look at credit scoring and the surprising ways that people can damage their score. I spoke to a number of interesting people and I was surprised to learn that anything from missing payments on your mobile phone bill to mail order catalogues could effect you in the long run. The most surprising discovery were credit cards. Even if you no longer use your flexible friend, if you don't cancel it, it will still show up to credit agencies that you have access to large amounts of credit.

As a result of my article my mum said that she would be cancelling her credit card properly as she had no idea that this would effect her credit score. Now my mum isn't big on personal finance, my parents told me to, " Stop talking about the credit crunch," while I was doing my MA project, so the fact that she has changed her approach to money by reading something that I have written is an added bonus. There are also some tips in the article about how to improve your credit score, for those who want to know.

With so many people spending money in the run up to Christmas, it can be easy to forget about household bills, but the most important thing I learnt was that it's important to stay on top of your bills. It may not sound glamorous but is a sound way to keep your finances in check.

I also wrote another piece on packaged current accounts about whether paying a monthly fee for a bank account is worth those extra benefits.

My article in today's Independent on Sunday

2008-10-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

Some of you might not know but I'm currently on work experience at The Independent on Sunday, and an article I wrote jointly with another journalist on tax self-assessment is in today's newspaper.

Researching the story, I realised just how complicated tax is but my challenge was to make the subject more understandable as well as explaining how you can save money on tax. It is my first article for the newspaper, but I have learnt a lot from Julian, everything from nailing quotes, to getting past press officers and chasing a story when the clock is ticking! More of my articles will be appearing next week.

Life in the blogosphere: One year on...

2008-10-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

Amazing as it may seem but it's now been a year since I first invaded the blogosphere. A year is a long time out in cyberspace, a long way from my first entry which I first did as part of my journalism course. So I thought I would take a step back and have a look at the kind of impact that this blog has had in my life.

If you scroll back to my very first entry you will find that it was all about Tokyo tribes, it was a time in my life when I had desperately wanted to go to the neon city. I never imagined that a year later I would have visited the place that has played a pinnacle role in the world of anime and manga.

In that year, I made my journalism debut for The Daily Telegraph while still a student and somehow without realising it, I have achieved some of my own dreams. What I didn't realise back then, is that there are always new dreams to replace the old. These are uncertain times, but my blog while mostly factual, also served as a way to tell my observations on the world.

Putting my blog into Technorati, I discovered the other people who have commented on my blog - everything from reporting on cosplay, feminism in manga to the rise of the super geek!

I have been kicked off the computer repeatedly for blogging too much and local journalism took a whole new meaning for me, when I blogged about the Harrow gas explosion, my first real experience of citizen journalism.

I blogged about the anime shows that have been hijacking my world. Writing about the credit crunch in the UK and America. But amazingly if anyone is wondering what entry got the most hits, it was my review of J-rockers An Cafe that really got your attention! No one was more surprised than me...

I also met some rather interesting people in cyberspace. Random Curiosity who fed my need for more Nabari no Ou. A christian evangelist on the 'what if' possibility if Fight Club's Tyler Durden was real. Lots of people who commented on my money posts and not forgetting the anime and manga fans from across the globe who dropped by, even just to say, "We love Fruits Basket too." To the 10,000 people who have visited my blog in this year, wherever in the world you may be reading this, thank you!

Because it's so easy to forget that a blog is more than just about the writer, it's also about the readers too. I hope you will join me again in another crazy year and although I don't know what the future has in store for me, I promise to make it an interesting journey.

Eat out on the cheap! - Money off vouchers

2008-09-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

As the credit crunch grips a hold on the country (and people's wallets) many are now ditching meals out to eat at home instead. But it's still possible to eat out on the cheap, and besides, who doesn't like money off! Recently, I've been searching the web for freebies but what I found were some rather nifty money off vouchers. Well, they are almost free...

Ever since I got back from Tokyo I've been craving Japanese food, so anime fans will be glad to know that Yo!Sushi are currently promoting a September Special and are knocking a third off your food bill if you spend a tenner instore. Check out their website here. A good excuse to practise your chopstick skills, watch the conveyor belt go round and round and pretend that you are really in Tokyo. Almost!...

If you are a pizza fan then head over to the Pizza Hut website where you can get a whopping 50% off your food bill. It's my brother's birthday's soon so I'm planning on taking them here. Sign up, select a restaurant and halve the cost of your meal when you eat in.

Lately, I've noticed that even fast food has gotten even more expensive. So if you like hamburgers, you will be happy to know that if you go to the Burger King website you can pick up £30 worth of vouchers.

With rising food inflation, you may also want to know how you can get food for free. A new discovery for me is the Food Freebies website which list lots of special promotions. Current offers include money off vouchers from Heinz, tea/coffee and chocolate.

Supermarkets start price wars as food inflation hits a 16 year high

2008-09-18T04:42:00.000-07:00

Supermarket own brand goods will rival brand name products as consumers feel the credit crunch pinch instore.

Recent findings from MySupermarket.com have revealed that shoppers will face more than a £1,000 rise in their food shopping bill at supermarkets this year. On average food has gone up over 12% according to The Grocer magazine in the last year, but new figures released yesterday now show that food inflation currently stands at 14.5%.

However, all that could soon change, as two of the major supermarkets, Asda and Tesco head towards a supermarket price war.

Asda has cut the price of 5,000 everyday products whilst Tesco has announced they will be releasing a discount range of 350 products as an alternative to well known branded goods. This has been seen as a move by the big supermarkets to win back customers who have switched to discount supermarkets such as Lidl and Aldi.

According to a recent Which? survey, the discount supermarkets are considerably cheaper on price, with a 15% difference in price between Lidl and Tesco on a selection of 15 products.

Sainsbury’s also introduced their own ‘feed the family for a fiver campaign’ with recipes for those on a tight budget, recognising the needs of families who need extra help during the credit crunch.

The recent move shows that competition for customers is no longer just between rival supermarkets but also instore as well.

Summer anime that you might have missed

2008-09-12T07:25:00.000-07:00

With the autumn anime season just around the corner, I thought I would take a look back at some of this summer's shows worthy of a second look:

Shion no Ou
"Where are the ninjas?" shout people on You Tube who have mistaken this series for the similarly titled Nabari no Ou. Shion might not have sneaky ninjas but it does have a clever plot revolving around murder in competitive chess. Okay, don't roll your eye's just yet, it really is an interesting series. It follows a young girl Shion, whose parents were murdered when she was just a child, as she competes in a chess tournament. Chuck in a whole load of dubious characters, including a cross dressing boy who enters the female championship and you have a thrilling series. Shion might not make chess sexy, but your eye's will pop out of your head when the murderer's identity is revealed.

Chiko, heiress of the Phantom Thief
Part DNAngel and part Indiana Jones, Chiko is an action packed adventure if ever I've seen one. Focusing on a young girl Chiko, who is suddenly 'kidnapped' by the legendary theif, Twenty Faces, (imagine a svelte version of Phantom Thief Dark, minus the wings), and Chiko's globe trotting adventures begin as she joins Twenty Faces gang of thieves. I'm really liking this series - there is the mysterious Twenty Faces, Chiko's murderous aunt who wants Chiko's inheritance and a darn good action storyline in the background. Half way through the series, I wasn't expecting most of the characters being killed off, I've not seen that many deaths since a boy named Light went crazy with that notebook. Twists and turns, there are a plenty, even I don't know how this series will end.

Natsume Yuujinchou
Natsume has always seen spirits, or youkai, ever since he was a young boy, but everything changes when he inherits the Book of Friends, which previously belonged to his grandmother. She like Natsume could see spirits and stole their names thereby making them her lackeys. The spirits aren't pleased with this and come after Natsume to get their names back. Enter a fat cat, Nyanko, who wants the book for himself, and you have quite possibly the most amusing series I've seen this season. Natsume decides to release the spirits, and one by one, he learns about himself and the kind of person his grand mother was. This is a slow paced series, but its chilled out, laid back charm is what makes this series so special. At times poignant, it pulls at the heart strings with it's tales of friendship, abandonment and compassion. The strange relationship between Nyanko and Natsume, as Natsume puts it, of "master and pet" has kept me laughing for a number of weeks now. Not your average anime, but if you want something that isn't going at 100mph, check this anime out.

Itazura na Kiss
Young Kotoko has been in love with Naoki since the first day she saw him at school, but there's a big problem- Kotoko is in the worst class in school and frankly the aloof Naoki just doesn't date dumb girls. But when Kotoko's house collapses (yes, as unbelievable as this sounds, this is an anime after all, so let's put reality on hold) she and her father move into Naoki's house as it transpires that their fathers are old friends. A light romantic comedy, along the lines of Lovely Complex but even more funny. It follows their relationship as they grow up, through high school, university and onwards, looking beyond the conventional high school drama. Itazara plays on the awkwardness of relationships and even after you've got the guy, there are scheming women (and men) to worry about.

Manga Olympics

2008-08-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it had to happen, as the Beijing Olympics draws to a close, I thought I would take a look at sporting events - albeit the manga way!

It happened by chance, earlier last week I was typing away at a journalism article when my little brother remarked that, "Volleyball is cool." Now, this isn't the normal kind of ranting I would expect from my Dragon Ball Z loving little bro' so I turned my head with much surprise to investigate what he was watching.

This is when I discovered that he had been stricken by a case of Olympic fever. Over the next couple of days, the same pattern followed and I decided to join my brother on the couch watching athletes strut their stuff and debating, rather cruelly, who would make it first to the finish line.

The most gripping final for me was the high jump, you could really see the tension on their faces, and in less than ten seconds, a dream is made or forever broken. That joy of clearing the bar and the utter despair when they realise they haven't.

I kept thinking, will he make it over the bar? The tension...! Sitting at the edge of my seat, this somehow reminded me of the manga Hana Kimi, about a guy called Sano who gives up the high jump after an accident and his subsequent journey back into the sport. I remember holding my breath at the high jump scene where the characters in the manga (and readers alike) both waited to see - did he make it? For anyone who wants to know, you can check out the Hana Kimi J-drama here.

So this got me thinking about that other genre in manga - the sports manga!

There's Crimson Hero, about a fledgling girls volleyball team who want to make it to the championship finals. It focuses on one girl, Nobara, as she tries to encourage the other girls on and as a team they face many challenges and defeats on the path to their goal. And unlike most fluffy shojo manga's, these titles often deal with the hopelessness of realising that perhaps you're not good enough to make it and finding the courage and strength to say, screw it, I'm going to try anyway!

And that's one of the key features of a sports manga: determination to succeed against the odds, that Tohru Honda style gusto to, "Never give up," which makes this genre so interesting.

Surprisingly, there's usually always one outsider in these stories who doesn't play ball with his team mates, such as Echizen in The Prince of Tennis, who is frankly a bit of a brat, but likable nonetheless as his cocky attitude gets his team mates to really face up to the challenge and show him what they can really do.

Now, I was never any good at sports, but suddenly the Olympics and manga alike, make sports just that more exciting. It was a road running manga, whose name escapes me, which got me back into running this summer. So the next time you are in the book store, take a look at the sections you often walk past, after all inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places.

Fruits Basket: Momiji & the nature of dreams

2008-08-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

(BIG SPOILERS for the manga): Have you ever thought what you would do if your dreams never came true? I know this is a heartbreaking question, but one that volume 20 of Fruits Basket poses. Momiji, the often happy rabbit, has to face this reality.

With the end of Fruits Basket almost in sight, the storyline has started to draw to a close, and Momiji is freed from his curse. But it's a mixed blessing: freedom is accompanied with a sense of loneliness.

Anyone who has read Furuba will know that it is Momiji's dream to be re-united with his family. Children born with the zodiac curse are either rejected or over protected by their parents. Momiji's mother rejects him and forgets about her son.

After the curse is broken, Momiji changes his route into school one day so that he can walk past his mothers house. They talk about family vacations and Momiji realises they will find their happiness - without him. It's a sad realisation. Me, like many other Furuba fans have been cheering him on, but as hinted in an early volume, Momiji acknowledges that even though he is free from the curse there are still some dreams that don't come true.

In the face of such sadness, Momiji resolves that he will find his happiness somewhere in the future and one day find a family that can accept him. With that, he waves goodbye to his mother and walks on.

Reading this, made me think about the nature of dreams. Momiji was secretly in love with Tohru but he looses out to another. I thought - Is this how it works? If one person achieves their dreams, does that mean someone else has to fail? I don't know the answer...

But it has made me wonder...

All around me, I see people trying so hard. Everyone on my journalism course has the same dreams, but what would we do if we don't make it? For a lot of us, that is something, honestly, we don't want to think about. But no matter what the future will hold, we still continue to do our best.

Like Momiji, I believe that we can't throw away our painful memories, that one day there will come a time when they will hurt less and we will be grateful for keeping them. Happy times comfort us, but sad times can teach us something we never knew.

I once read an interview with the Fruits Basket creator, Natsuki Takaya, around the time the series ended in Japan. They asked her who did she think was the most successful character. Takaya-sensei replied that out of the boys she thinks it was Momiji. It took me a while to realise what she meant. It takes a person of great courage to walk away from a dream and still have faith in this world. When dreams fall apart, I have seen it break people. But Momiji is strong and chooses to believe in the world even though the world has not given him what he always wanted, and that, I think, can offer people hope.

Momiji will try his best to find his own place in this world, after all, isn't that something we all have to do?

Nabari no Ou: thoughts on oblivion

2008-08-09T02:30:00.000-07:00

Well, its not often that an anime sweeps me off my feet but Nabari no Ou, Ruler of Nabari, has done exactly that. It's a modern day ninja story, between our real world and the 'hidden' ninja world, called Nabari. A young boy, Miharu, discovers that he has the power of the hijutsu Shinrabansho inside him, which has made him the target of ninjas from the hidden world, each seeking him out for their own agenda, because whoever has the hijitsu will control Nabari. He learns that his classmate and teacher who were always pestering him to join the ninja club are in fact real ninja's and swear an oath to protect him.

But Nabari is a world of secrets and no one is as they seem. When a rival ninja appears, he warns Miharu that even the people he calls his friends want to use him. The power of Shirabansho is so great, that it will grant it's owner their most desired wish, all they need is to desire it. But Miharu desires nothing, living a life of indifference, wanting to return to his once normal life. But all this changes when he meets Yoite, a powerful enemy ninja, who uses the forbidden Kira technique to kill. Yoite sacrifices a small part of his life every time he uses the technique and he is now running out of time. Miharu asks Yoite what it is that he wishes for and Yoite replies that he wishes he had never existed, never revealing why.

Initially, Miharu is blackmailed by Yoite but Miharu realises they have the same eye's: a painful loneliness of sorts. Miharu is spurred on to help him as Yoite chases oblivion. The duo and rival ninjas fight it out to find the forbidden scrolls that could help Yoite and control the hijitsu within Miharu. But in the world of ninjas there are secrets, lies and betrayal.

As the series progresses we learn more about the others: An immortal seeking death, a ninja who cannot kill because of past sins and a brother who becomes a traitor to protect his sister from an awful truth. Every characters has a place or purpose, even when they think they don't. Despite his wish to be erased, Yoite confesses he does not wish to die. His nature is contrary. I find myself wanting to understand him, but I can't.

Watching episode 18, I keep thinking the bond between Yoite and Miharu is a shared understanding. Yoite's desire to disappear and Miharu's own observations a few episode's back that if he himself was to disappear, then none of the suffering he has witnessed would happen. I find those thoughts so scary, but perhaps that's why Miharu is the only one who can understand him, only someone else who can walk to the edge of oblivion can truly understand.

And that is what Yoite represents, the very dark part of the human soul. With the ninja villages wanting the power for themselves or claiming it for the better good of the world, Miharu wants to use this power to save just one person instead. But we know, this like everything else worth saving, must come with some price. Miharu has said for so long he wants to save Yoite, but when the moment comes, Miharu hesitates, fearing the consequences for himself and his attempt fails.

There is so much about this series that is wonderful, the art, the storyline, the duplicity of human nature. I kept thinking, what is it about this series that is drawing me in? And I realised it's the darkness in the characters hearts. None of them are perfect, everyone is flawed, no one more so than Yoite, throwing his own life away for some unknown reason. It's both wanting, and not wanting, to be saved. There isn't a real good or evil character in this series, Nabari explores both sides of humanity. But it's not always deep and philosophical. In one comedy moment Miharu finds Yoite hidden in a small gap in the wall. He asks him what he's doing there and Yoite says he's hiding. So Miharu squeezes himself into the small space and decides to join him. This is exactly what makes this unlikely duo so entertaining to watch. It's that simple understanding, or perhaps acceptance.

At a heartbreaking scene at the end of episode 18, Miharu holds a weak Yoite in his arms on a snow covered bridge. Yoite is begging for his existence to be erased, and whilst Miharu says he will fulfill Yoite's wish, his heart says that he doesn't want him to disappear. Even I don't know what Miharu will do, but it will be a painful choice to make.

Old School Anime: Captain Harlock

2008-07-25T02:40:00.000-07:00

Ever since I watched the Galaxy Express 999 Movie which I blogged about on the Nakama Britannica blog, I have become fascinated by old school anime. One of the characters featured in the movie is Space Pirate Captain Harlock, protector of the Earth from space.

He is also the inspiration for Alex Rowe, the silent and brooding character in the brilliant Last Exile. Needless to say, this sparked my curiosity and I have been watching the Captain Harlock anime series. Its dated by modern standards but the storyline is engaging enough to keep me coming back. The people of Earth are a prosperous society and mining food and materials from other planets means that the people of Earth no longer need to worry. Unknown to them an alien race is intent on conquering the planet, but the pleasure seeking humans do not take the threat seriously. After astronomers are mysteriously assassinated, one astronomer seeks to change things, but he is hunted down by the Mazones, leaving his son Tadashi wanting revenge.

After warning the Prime Minister he realises the futility of the situation and feeling that the government no longer protects the people of Earth, decides to join Captain Harlock and his crew to fight the battle in space. Tadashi feels out of place among what seems like the laziest crew around, but his curiosity about the captain keeps him interested. When he asks Harlock what it is he fights for, his cryptic answer is liberty. Pressing further, he is told by another space pirate that part of liberty is freedom and, much to Tadashi's annoyance, this also includes the freedom to keep secrets.

The series has some really cheesy parts, but its humour and Harlocks sense of justice and 'protector of the little folk' routine are enough to keep me watching. I'm also watching the movie version called Arcadia of My Youth, which explores Harlock's back story in an alternative setting. What I find interesting about the whole Captain Harlock saga, is that the studio have created a character that they use in a number of different series, the opening above is from Endless Odyssey, a more darker take on the space adventure. Even though the Captain Harlock series is 30 yeards old, there is something in old school anime that has captured my imagination and while there continues to be such gems forgotten in the anime attic, I will continue to explore and seek them out.

Ayabie: Meet my new favourite band

2008-07-22T02:31:00.000-07:00

Whilst in Tokyo, I stumbled across a HMV on the twelfth floor of a department store in Shinjuku. I wanted to know more about new J rock bands that we in the West might not know about and one of the bands suggested to me was Ayabie, who on first inspection appear to be a rock band, but also do pop songs with a funky edge.

I picked up their new single, Mikazuki no Kiseki, and it wasn't until I returned back to London did I hear it and realise just how good they are. Surprisingly, the b-side to the single is very catchy, what I have now termed as 'supper happy music' which has yet to leave my cd player. As the cd is in Japanese, I have no idea what the track is called but its the kind of song that can lift your spirits so easily. If you like An Cafe, you will most certainly like this. Above is their TheMe song with Aoi wearning oversized arm warmers for the novelty value!

Talking more to the sales assistant, I came across an unusual problem. The girl who could speak English knew very little about Visual Kei music. We then had a three way conversation between me, the English speaking girl and their J-rock expert. It was quite the experience, but with a little help from Google, we understood each other and they managed to suggest a bunch of cds worth investigating.

The sales assistant asked how did I know so much about J rock and I explained to her that J rock is very popular in London.(As it turned out, I actually knew more about J rock than her.) I explained that every time a Japanese band plays London, it always sells out, it seems the Japanese are not always aware of just how well their music sells overseas. Walking around the store I realised that most of the music was foreign and only a small section was Japanese.

My most surprising discovery was a hip hop style cd, which had Gaijin in retro poses on the back on what turned out to be pizza music- literally music to listen to whilst eating pizza. I was equally baffled and in awe at the sheer audacity of the idea and walked away thinking, only in Japan...

Tokyo Stories: Getting lost in translation

2008-07-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

A lot of the interesting things that happened on my Tokyo trip were the incidental moments, things that frankly, got lost in translation with often humorous results, so I thought I would mention a couple of those here:

Music transcends barriers

As many of you will know, I'm a Gackt fan, and as any Visual Kei fan will tell you, designer h.Naoto often designs many of his sometimes down right crazy outfits. It was whilst in Harajuku that I stumbled across the designers boutique where I bought a punk rock tie. On returning home, I realised it goes with nothing that I own but hey, let's get back to the story. Taking my purchase to the counter, I am ever thankful that I decided to wear my An Cafe t-shirt that day.

The cashier immediately saw my t-shirt, her eyes lit up all sparkly, like they do in manga and she started talking in Japanese to say what I later figured out to be, "I love An Cafe too." I then said I saw the band in London and used that universal phrase understood by all An Cafe fans: " I love An Cafe. Miku rocks." Which was followed by a thumbs up. As I began to leave the shop she then gave me a map with all the local hang outs and explained where else I could also explore. I understood none of it, but it was the thought that counts.

(Trying to) order in Japanese

For much of my trip, we had our translator Phil, but one evening three of us decided to venture off on our own and order dinner. Standing outside a restaurant with fake plastic food in the window, we finally realised our dilemma. How the heck were we going to order food? I was amazed to learn that another traveller (I use that term lightly, tourist would be more accurate, but traveller makes me feel more like Kino, so please indulge me.) Mike had the exact phrase in his phrase book which said, "I would like a table for three people." Amazed at our sheer luck we were then about to go in. But after standing outside the shop window for five minutes and looking very gaijin, I took the lead and went in.

If your Japanese sucks, resort to plan B:

Hand movements.

Holding up three fingers, I said, "three people," and then slowly said, "English menu?" Which did the trick and we were carted off to our table.

Now... what you get on an 'English' menu can be equally baffling as Japanese. We went to an Italian style eatery, but reading the menu we came across a dish entitled Seafood spaghetti which said, and I'm not making this up:

Spaghetti with seafood and a selection of stuff.

Mike gallantry ordered it, simply to find out what the mysterious 'stuff' could be.

When a soda, may not in fact be a soda.

Another quirk about Japanese culture is ordering drinks. I ordered a melon soda which turned out to be a neon green concoction, the kind of stuff that you would see in a mad science laboratory billowing creepy smoke. And in case you are wondering, it tasted nothing like melon. This then started my craze to buy strange drinks such as one called Pocari Sweat or fizzy drinks which never tasted like what they claimed on the tin. It was a good way to loose change in those vending machines, but Grape Fanta, tastes nothing like grape. My hunt continues...

McDonalds: Japanese style and eavesdropping

Okay, at the start of my trip, I had promised myself I would not eat in a McDonalds. After all, I hadn't travelled half way across the world to eat in a McDonald's, right? But with a hungry tummy in Akihabara, I caved. I know, I'm weak. Walking up to the counter, I said "chicken burger" and the chirpy sales assistant flipped over the Japanese menu to reveal English underneath. Wahey! I thought.

The chicken burger turned out to be teriyaki style in a nice bun, nothing like the fast food we get in the UK. It was when I went to throw away my rubbish that I got confused. Japan is big on recycling, and chucking what into where was mind boggling. After five minutes of standing like a zombie a college guy offered to help. I thanked him as without his assistance I would have been standing in front of the bin for ten minutes, defeated by a recycling bin no less! He asked where me and my Australian friend were from. Saying London, he said my accent sounded British and it was then I realised that he had moved near to us to listen to our conversation, to practise 'understanding English.' It then made me realise how eratic my conversation had been:

Journalism. Robots. How the English dub has messed up Death Note. Fansubs: YouTube or Veoh. Dreams. Why doesn't Grape Fanta taste like grapes? L has his own TV show. I can't talk and eat at the same time (But damnit! It wont stop me trying anyway!)

Feeling embarrassed but thankful, I walked away. After hearing that conversation, he must think all foreigners are weird.

Akihabara Tech: Break dancing robots and Otaku

2008-07-14T01:12:00.000-07:00

Being a self confessed geek, I was more than a little curious about exploring Akihabara, an area of Tokyo famed for anime/manga goods and what would be my elusive search for a Maid Cafe.

Anyone who reads manga will know about Otaku, or extreme geeks, which carry a negative connotation in Japan, but in the West, especially America, Otaku are becoming more accepted due to the wealth of spending power they have to buy goods.

My general impression of Otaku was what I had seen in anime and manga: spectacle wearing men with bad taste in clothes and socially withdrawn. But that was before I fell in love with Genshiken and started to appreciate the finer side of being geek. For the first half of my trip to Tokyo I had not seen anyone who looked like an Otaku, but that all changed the second I left Akihabara station. I resisted the urge to take out my camera and take pictures, but on the surface all those stereotypes appeared to be true.

It wasn't until I started talking to a sales assistant in one of the many technology stores did I see a different side to Akihabara culture. When I spoke about the Otaku stereotype, even the sales assistant couldn't pinpoint the exact reason why people would buy robots/figures with such enthusiasm but he was surprisingly protective of Otaku culture.

Oddly enough, I saw very few women in Akihabara, but I am told there is another area in Tokyo that caters for female Otaku, which I will discuss in another post.

It was whilst in a robot shop, I met an expert in robotics. In the West, we generally get the impression that every home in Japan has a robot, but this is not the case. Robots as I found out are still really expensive. He showed me a yellow robot sitting behind a case worth £3,000, this robot had appeared on the cover of many newspapers a few years ago, but even today only a few people can actually afford them.

This is where I saw the break dancing robot pictured above. Those who do own robots, mostly buy them for the fun element, and this little robot stole the show, bopping away in Michael Jackson style. I only spent a few hours in Akihabara, but it is definately an area I would have liked to explore in more detail.

Studio Ghibli Museum: reliving childhood the anime way

2008-07-11T22:52:00.000-07:00

My very first introduction to anime was through a Studio Ghibli film, Howl's Moving Castle, so it was with much delight that I visited the museum which was designed by Hayao Miyazaki, the famous director behind many of the studio's works including Spirited Away.

Entering the building the first thing you realise is that the museum was fundamentally created for children, with portholes grown ups have to peer down to see and elaborately constructed toys with devices that whizz and twirl.

It soon became a game of figuring out which anime's the figures and toys came from, a huge furry cat bus was by far the most impressive 'exhibit' and I say that casually as there was an army of kids playing with it, sticking their heads in and out of the windows. Whilst there are some exhibits behind glass, majority are on display so that you can touch and feel them, it felt more like being in a toy shop than in a museum.

Walking around the many rooms, there were many sketches and animation cells on the walls in a replica studio, early sketches of Howl and Kiki at different stages of the animation process so that you can follow the early pencil sketches right the way through to the end images inked in striking colours. A lot about anime is watching the final end product so it was nice to see the bits in between.

One of the perks of visiting the museum was that you get to see a mini film made by the studio and the one I watched was a humorous tale of pond life, with a water spider and a creature that lives beneath the lake. With no words and relying on vivid colours and sound effects, it was an interesting experience, watching anime in its simplest form.

And no visit to a museum would be complete without a visit to the museum shop, where there were DVDs, plushies and even Studio Ghibli cookies! Overall, it was a pleasant experience. Too much about adult life is about being grown up, but the true joy about this museum is that wandering around it doesn't take long before you are behaving like a kid again, with that childish curiosity that adults sometime loose when they grow up. And that, by far, is not a bad thing at all.

Tokyo Nights: Shinjuku night life, decadence and Host Clubs

2008-07-11T02:53:00.000-07:00

Tokyo is a mesmerizing city, blinding neon, bustling with energy and activity, with a culture both exotic and alien. I've just come back from Tokyo and I'm already missing the city, being back feels a little strange, when you've seen how different other cultures are around the globe, it somehow made me realise how small my world really is. I guess you can say I'm a little stricken by wanderlust.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be writing about Japanese culture as there is so much to write about but today I will kick off with my first impressions of the city.

Leaving Narita airport we drove across the Rainbow Bridge heading towards the city and unlike the bright and glistening portrayals of Tokyo, my first impression was to see a city in smog. Seen from a distance Tokyo can look like any other city. It wasn't until nightfall when someone flicks on all those neon lights that you really notice the spectacle that is Tokyo city - that's when the city comes alive.

This photo was taken whilst walking the streets of Shinjuku littered with cafes, karaoke places and er... host clubs. Because there is so little space, all the buildings tower upwards. It was a Friday evening, the one night of the week when the whole of Tokyo comes out to party with an incredible amount of zeal. Drinking, singing, eating are a typical night out and it wasn't long before you couldn't walk a corner without seeing someone passed out on the street. Needless to say, I saw the very decadent side of Tokyo first and it was a shocker!

In the heart of Shinjuku there were people everywhere and everyone from the business salarymen to the rocking teens looked slick. Many of the younger kids looked like they walked straight out of an MTV video. Later on, over the next couple of days I realised that the space outside the station is the place where the kids hang out to look, well... cool.

On that first evening by some bizarre coincidence, I ran into someone I knew who had moved to Tokyo. He took us to a salaryman pub which was quite the experience. Out on the street there were well dressed pamphleteers handing out leaflets who turned out to be hosts. Like most foreigners, I'd always thought that host clubs were aimed at men, but to my surprise, these were aimed at women with many posters of pretty boys covering the nearby walls. Aside from hosts, the other frequent sight in Shinjuku are game centres, imagine London's Trocadero on a bigger scale, these venues are 24hour places, just like the manga cafe's. Walking back to the hotel, I noticed a baseball centre, where you can play baseball any time and this made me realise that the concept of time in this city is a warped one, should you ever need to whack a few balls at 4am, you can do this in Tokyo and surprisingly, many do.

Neon Tokyo: The Anime and Manga Dream

2008-07-03T00:13:00.000-07:00

Regular readers of my blog will know that I have wanted to go to Tokyo for three years now. Later on today I will be jumping on a plane at Heathrow, hoping to finally turn a dream into reality.
In the twilight hours of tomorrow morning my plane will be touching down in Tokyo or, “The land of GazettE,” as my friend so aptly puts it. To be honest, I’m both excited and just a little bit nervous about it too. It’s finally happening, and I’m aware that my perception of Tokyo will change forever.

Tokyo, as any anime or manga fan will tell you, is the spiritual home and some might say playground of many fictional hero's and villain's. One way or another, these mediums invariably shape the way we view the city. Hachi, from the NANA manga series, looks down the railway tracks to the sparkling metropolis off in the distance believing that if she could just get to that city, all her dreams will come true. Hopes and dreams are a powerful currency, which bring the two Nana’s together in a chance meeting, yet Hachi soon realises that life in the big city is not at all what she had expected it to be.

Then there are the cyperpunk images of Neon Tokyo, flickering under fluorescent lights. Akira and Ghost In The Shell invite us to the future, a world straight out of a science fiction movie with the promise of technology and just that hint of destruction, with tales of humans flawed morality. For a while now I have been wondering, just what does Tokyo mean to an anime fan? And this is by no means an easy question to answer, but after much thought, my conclusion is that Tokyo offers possibility: freedom from the everyday life, an escape from the 9 to 5 job and perhaps as one Studio Ghibli fan once told me, “an opportunity to dream.”

And I’ve noticed that, the older you get, the fewer dreams you are allowed to have. Maybe they get traded in for reality or perhaps kids are grudgingly told to grow up or perhaps, as I rather suspect, kids feel they have to grow up to be well... more adult. And somehow, it got me thinking back to how I got into anime in the first place, watching Howl’s Moving Castle in what I would call a posh cinema. The adults didn’t get the movie, but the kids loved it, and before I had even known it, that magical spell of anime had worked its magic on me. Even if it means, these dreams get confined to within the pages of a manga book or exist only within your TV set, I think its still important to have a place to dream.

I say this because by the time I reach Tokyo, my whimsical dream will end and sometimes you only realise you wanted that dream to continue forever when you have already woken.

I recently met a man who lived in Japan for a year and when I told him I was going on an anime and manga tour his response was, “You won’t see the real Tokyo!” I have no idea what ‘real’ Tokyo is like. But I’m quite happy to see the fake Tokyo, the one inhabited by cosplay kids and lived out in manga cafe’s, perhaps if I look closely, I can find the real beauty hidden underneath.

Getting more for your holiday money

2008-06-25T03:42:00.000-07:00

In just over a week I will be in Tokyo and like most other holiday makers I'm doing everything last minute, but you can still get a good deal on your holiday money.

I spent the better part of this morning researching currency rates and I was surprised to find that the rate can vary a lot. Most people don't bother to check the rates before buying and this can really leave you out of pocket.

1) Go for a 0% rate - I wanted to go for a 0% commission rate to maximise the amount of money I get back. Although my own bank, Nationwide, does do this, even 0% offers do vary their exchange rate so do shop around.

2) Compare exchange rates - I then checked out Marks & Spencer and the Post Office and here I discovered the difference between the three above would mean 4,000 yen, about £18, between the highest and lowest figures, which really surprised me.

3) Watch out for hidden extras - If you order a low amount of currency most providers will charge a delivery fee, so find out before hand if there are any hidden costs.

4) Online versus offline - Putting a call in to the Post Office, I then discovered that there is a big difference in the rates they use to calculate the currency, depending on if you order online or over the phone. I found that if I placed the order over the phone I would be charged the branch rate which is much lower. So watch out, it pays to ask more questions! In the end, I decided to go with an online rate as this would give me more currency and it would be delivered free of charge to my door.

5) Ask about their returns policy - One last thing, check out their returns policy, some places wont exchange coins or notes with low denominations. Not that I expect to be bringing back any cash from Tokyo, but its worth remembering to spend your small coins whilst you are out there. Mine will be going into those weird vending machines for random anime toys! Only in Japan...

For more info, check out these articles on foreign currency and how to save money on your holiday.

Young people: beware the debt trap

2008-06-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

A new report today has revealed that two third of young people feel they are being urged to get into debt and this is by far a common situation that I can sympathise with.

The number of times I've walked into high street shops to be offered a credit or store card, and I'm not the only one, 77% of the 16 to 24 year olds surveyed said they have received credit offers in the post.

Not too long ago a pre-paid credit card dropped through our letter box and it just goes to show what clever tactics that companies and banks will use to get you hooked on credit.

But it's not just credit cards, 80% also had an overdraft facility and others also had taken out personal or student loans or store cards - all before the age of 25.

Not sure what to do about it? Here are some of my tips:

1) Avoid temptation - If you are stopped in a shop, smile and politely say no. Just last week a sales assistant was trying to convince me to take out their store card while I was paying at the till. If you feel the sales assistant is being pushy, try the following: "No thanks, but I prefer to live within my means." This usually gets them to stop and think about what they are really doing - trying to get you into debt.

2) Store cards/Credit cards - Know the difference - I once nearly signed up to a store card only to realise moments before I signed on the dotted line that what she was in fact selling me was a credit card.

3) Junk mail really is junk - If you don't like the letters coming through your door, complain. Ring the company or bank up and tell them you don't like being sent these things through the post. But make sure you speak to a manager or senior person, someone with the authority to take your name off their mailing list. If they prove to be unhelpful say you want to make a complaint and ask to be put through to the relevant person, this usually gets people to change their tune.

Send it back or if you think leaving a pre-paid credit card in the home is too much temptation, cut it up immediately and chuck it in the bin.

4) Remember why they are calling you - If they can keep you in debt longer, the more money they can make from you. It really is that simple. So do yourself a favour, if you ever feel like you are being pushed into something, just walk away, as credit can easily spiral into large debts.

Supermarket shopping gets even more expensive

2008-06-23T01:27:00.000-07:00

According to an article in the Daily Express today, the cost of grocery shopping has gone up by 12% over the last year.

This with the recent news that Chancellor Alistair Darling is telling families that pay increases will be limited this year and salaries could even fall in a bid to keep inflation under control.

What this means is less money to spend on goods that are becoming even more expensive.

So what can consumers do about it? Check out my blog entry about how to cut the cost of your grocery bill for practical tips on how to save money.

Next look at where you waste money, we Brits waste £10bn on food that never gets eaten so check out my tips on how to stop wasting food.

My family spends nearly £70 a week on food at the supermarket and above is a photo of some of the food we bought yesterday. I'm going to see how much money I can save my family over the next couple of weeks by being more thrifty at the supermarket. I will keep you all informed on my progress.

End of cheap mortgages

2008-06-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

As if the credit crunch wasn't bad enough, it looks like the end of cheap mortgages too. Halifax, one of the biggest mortgage providers in the UK have pushed up their rate for fixed mortgages and the new rate is now 6.99%.

The Halifax were the last of the big four banks to increase their rate, and when you realise that these banks control 50% of the mortgage market, it can only mean bad news for people trying to buy their first home.

A couple of weeks back, anyone trying to get a foothold on the property ladder would need to raise 13% of the total value for a deposit, considering most Brits struggle to save £3,600 for a cash ISA, the dream of owning your first home is now further away for most young people.

But I'm determined to get on the property ladder and plan to save my deposit the old fashioned way, by stashing my cash into my ISA. If I've learnt anything from the current housing market, it's that there are no such things as cheap gimmicks!

Cost of living up 26%

2008-06-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

With inflation, fuel prices and weekly groceries ever increasing, it was no surprise to find out according to a YouGov survey that the cost of living is going up.

Mortgages, household bills, cost of rent has all increased and with recent forecasts about the economy it looks like we will be forking out even more money in the months ahead.

The Government thinks inflation will hit 4% before the end of the year, but for most people, when you take into account the amount we are all spending on food this is more likely around 5%.

Needless to say we will be spending more on essentials and less on luxuries as the credit crunch grips a hold on people's wages.

Narration of Love at 17: love in an everyday world

2008-06-16T09:30:00.001-07:00

Dealing with love can be painful, confusing and perhaps even lonely, that's what surprised me the most about Narration of Love at 17. A Korean manwha series and an old school one at that, even New Kids On The Block get name dropped - remember them? If you can look past the dated artwork, there is a real gem hidden underneath.

But that's what makes this series so very special, it deals with the other side of love that you don't see in manga these days. Written in the early nineties the story follows a young high school girl, Seyoung, who never gets to act in her school drama club. One day, the leading lady quits the club to take up a staring role on TV and Seyoung is suddenly thrust into the limelight, only to have her moment in the spotlight stolen from her.

But the drama in the school play is only secondary to the big issue in her life, the fact that she's in love with her childhood friend, Hyunwoo, who doesn't notice her feelings. Then there's the captain of the drama club, Yunho, who any girl would fall head over heals for, but not Seyoung.

There are no robotic boyfriends in this manga or space hopping saga's, what makes this series so very enjoyable is the fact that it's about ordinary people living their everyday lives, making mistakes and overcoming regrets. When the promises of love fail to deliver, what do you do next? What can you do?

It's the little things that make this series so special. On a trip out to an amusement park, Yunho doesn't wear his sunglasses because he doesn't want to look like a gigalo. Or those crazy high school dares that classmates do to relieve the stress and angst of teenage life. And the realisation that even though you have lots of friends around you, sometimes you can still feel you have no one to talk to.

Narration of love at 17 is all these things. Those awkward moments, hurting the people around you to protect yourself. The portrayal of love in this series is perhaps the most honest version I've ever read, no cute fluffy romances here. Even by the end, Seyoung is perhaps the only heroine who doesn't get the guy, but accepts that life is always changing and sometimes things come to an end, even feelings. Because sometimes in life there is no dramatic ending, life continues just like it always has, with the Earth rotating on its axis.

Anime Life in London

2008-06-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

There was me thinking my life would calm down after sports reporting for Sky News, but as soon as my placement finished I got a call from another journalism student who wanted to interview me about anime.

So over the last two days I have been involved in filming a mini documentary of anime life in London, where I interviewed cosplayers, anime fans and took my camera woman extraordinaire, Yin, on a whistle stop tour of anime London.

It was nerve racking being infront of the camera talking about anime, even though it's a subject I love, but the idea behind the film was to introduce new people to the delights of anime and manga and to explore the wonderful and weird world of fanculture.

We went to Hyde Park, a fave venue for Deviant Art cosplayers and then on to Tokyo Toys for quite possibly the funniest segments of the film, taking a cheeky look at plushies, those scantily clad figures and Pocky.

The Pocky proved to be an interesting talking point, my friend couldn't believe that Pocky was that important. But talking to the sales assistants, they informed us that Pocky was in fact the best selling item in the store, (who would have thought?)

Just for the fun of it, here's a quiz where you can find out - What flavour Pocky are you?

We then went to a nearby park where I talked about how to read manga and the popularity of anime conventions. It has been a fun two days and I will most certainly write a shopping guide for anime fans in London, as I've learnt, there is much the capital can offer.

New season anime: Allison and Lillia

2008-06-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

As the new season of anime in Japan is hurdling ahead at full steam, I thought I would talk about a series that has really caught my attention, the rather wonderful Allison and Lillia.

Telling the story of Allison, a gung-ho fighter pilot, and her sidekick friend, Wil, the story starts on a war torn continent, where the two conflicting countries are divided by a river. The duo meet an elderly man who claims to know off a treasure that could end the war, he is then kidnapped by suspicious men and Allison takes off in hot pursuit, draging Wil along for the ride.

This action adventure story may be a little more slow paced but it is full of countless charming moments as Allison inadvertently (and sometimes intentionally) lands her friend into trouble. Timid Wil eventually gets used to his troublesome friend and as fly into enemy territory they meet Ker Benedict, a soldier on the enemy side and that's when things really get interesting.

It's impossible not to compare this series to the seminal Last Exile as similarities are everywhere: children pulled into conflict, politics of warfare and the sort of guardian role that Benedict ends up taking over the young kids. But that's where the similarities also end, Benedict is not as jaded or brooding as Last Exile's Alex Rowe,(not that's a bad thing)and the story is much more light hearted as the main characters, including a girl named Fi, find themselves launched into one adventure after the nest.

It may be an old fashioned piece of storytelling, but as the series is based on novels penned by Keiichi Sigsawa (creator of Kino's Journey) there are a number of twists along the way. Judging by the quality of this series, it's a real shame that more of his novels aren't translated into English.

Now, you may well be wondering, just who is this Lillia girl anyway? That was the same question I was asking myself when I started watching this show. The series is divided into two halves, the first focusing on Allison and the second on Lillia, but I'm not about to ruin any surprises for anyone.

Allison and Lillia is a lovely story, heart warming and fun. It's great watching the book-sh Wil being pulled out of his safe sanctuary to explore the world with his meddling friend, and just like Wil, it doesn't take much to be pulled along into the story wondering, where will they go next? Joining Allison and Lillia on their journey has so far been a wonderful experience. It goes to show, not all anime needs to be philosophical or complicated. Sometimes, it's great to watch a show simply because it's fun. For now, that's more than enough for me.

Gadgets and girls

2008-06-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today, my article about Gadgets for Girls: What do women want? appeared as the top story on the Sky technology page.

I recently interviewed a very interesting lady called Genvieve Bell who researches trends on the way women are influencing technology and there were some surprising findings.

She has spoken to many women around the globe and increasingly women want more from their gadgets, more than just pink phones. Women are also big online gamers where games have really taken off in Asia. Also, I was surprised to learn traditionally feminine styled phones are now being bought by men.

By about lunchtime I learnt that the page had already had 11,000 hits which was very flattering and it was good to see that the article had started an active discussion on the website.

Would you quit your job over Facebook?

2008-06-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm currently on work experience at Sky News and over the last few days I have been writing for the technology page, below is one of the stories that I have recently written.

According to a recent survey 39 per cent of young people aged between 18 to 24 would quit their jobs if websites such as Facebook and YouTube were banned.

More than 80% of those in the age group now use these sites on a regular basis. I remember working in an office where the main topic of conversation was always 'what's happening on Facebook?' so the survey result was a reflection of changing times.

I was interested by the fact that so many people would quit their jobs and the article has sparked some debate on the Sky website.

On another note, I recently wrote another story about the popularity of Sniff, an application that can find your friends instantly using mobile phones, which can also be used on Facebook. You can read the full article here.

London for free

2008-06-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

"But London's so expensive!" said my best friend when I tried to invite her out for a night out on the town last night. And this wasn't one of my always broke university friends either. With a little help from my other best friend, Google, I decided to find out about all the free things you can do in London, here's what I discovered:

1) Swapping shopping for culture - Now that I'm on my new budget, my shopping habit has resorted to 'window shopping' instead. I found this great website called London Is Free which lists everything from free exhibitions, theatre to dance tickets. Currently there are free tickets for Summer Festivals happening across the capital and tickets for TV shows.

2) Museums and concerts - There are more than 200 museums in the capital and many of them including the British Museum, Natural History Museum offer free exhibitions for the budget culture vulture. Also, even if you haven't listened to much classical music, check out the Royal Opera House and the National Theatre for free lunchtime concerts.

3) Grab some freebies - The good thing about the net is that there are lots of freebies online , including dvds and gift packs, perfect for an evening in. The internet is also good for another thing: competitions. Currently, I'm trying to win an iPod Nano. Wish me luck!

4) Make the most of staying in - Tonight I'm having a movie and popcorn evening with friends, the hardest part is deciding what to watch. The boys want Fight Club and the girls want 10 Things I Hate About You. We could have a real fight on our hands! Here are some of the other suggestions that friends have done:

- A hot pot evening - Rather than doing all the cooking, invite friends over for dinner but each guest has to bring their own dish.

- Nineties TV marathon - Remember My So Called Life or Freaks and Geeks? Dig up an old TV show you haven't seen in ages and re-live an old teenage crush.

- Cake bake - Tired of watching the same old soaps? Grab an old cookbook from your local library and make something tasty. Over the last few week's I've made an ice-cream cake, flapjacks and chocolate brownies. Yum!

Students bake their way to business success

2008-06-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

Having empty pockets and no cash is a normal situation faced by most students but at the University of Westminster’s Harrow Campus, there has been a recent flurry of activity as students have been running their own stalls selling everything from cosmetics, clothes and even doughnuts!

The woman who started the trend is Jo Michael, a second year film student, who showed up on Valentines Day with a stall selling roses, sweets and chocolate cake in a bid to raise money for her student film.

I asked Jo to reveal just how she persuaded cash strapped students to part with their money:

“It was mainly just having the confidence to convince people that they needed and wanted cakes, roses and bundles of love on Valentines Day. We made sure we were quite loud and took a tray full of cakes to our lecturers. We ensured that everyone we knew including friends, lecturers, even security staff who passed our stall bought a cake.”

So what did she learn by running a business? Laughing Jo said:

“When we were selling the cakes I felt a bit like a grocer at a market stall, I may have looked and sounded a bit stupid, but it sold the cakes. We raised a total of £420.”

Next to follow in Jo’s footsteps was fellow second year film student, Natalie Paleomylites, whose cake bakes are a regular fixture at the campus. Natalie said:

“We decided to sell cakes, cookies and sweets as the university does not sell a great amount of these products, so we believed we would be able to sell them successfully.”

Natalie has the following tips to say to other would-be entrepreneurs:

“Try and establish what your customers want. Buy more than you think as we sold out quite early in. Also, do not be greedy with your pricing and remember it is a university and we all are skint so be fair. Offer a variety of products to cater for all needs. Be confident when selling, call people over and display your products in an inviting way. Make sure you advertise, it helps, and try to get your customers to advertise for you. Cheeky but it works. We raised £153.72p.”

Would she do it again?

“Definitely, I would do it again. It felt good to know that we were helping our group and the sweet tooth’s of the students.”

Penny pinching your way through the Credit Crunch

2008-06-01T00:55:00.001-07:00

The summer sales have started earlier this year as shops on the high street cut prices to lure in more shoppers, as retailers have one of the worst years on record. But that need not be bad news for consumers, with some savvy money tips, consumers can penny pinch their way through the credit crisis:

1) Analyse your lifestyle - Sit down with a sheet of paper and write down all your expenditures to figure out where your money is going. It would be helpful to pull out bank statements for the last three months and with a highlighter look at your big expenses. Add up how many times you actually take cash out of the bank, and jot down the cumulative total, as people often withdraw more than they realise.

2) Budgeting for people who don't budget - Sometimes people don't want to budget because it's an indication that they don't have money. But work out how much you need to live on every week and with the information above, start thinking about where you can make cut backs. I decided to rent movies instead and limit the amount of cash I took out of the bank every week.

3) Save first, spend later - With the current crisis, it's helpful to have some money in an emergency account. Move some money into a separate account when you get paid before you go shopping. Or the other way is to cut back on incidentals, basically the small item you buy everyday, which may not seem like much, but add up in the long run.

Just to get you started, here are some tips:
Take a packed lunch with you, ditch your morning coffee, instead of going out in the evening or grabbing an expensive take away, buy a few groceries from the supermarket and watch an old DVD you haven't seen for a year.

4) Smarter spending - Once you've sorted out your finances and figured out where you can cut back, now look at how you can become a smarter shopper. Before you even dash out to the sales, check what you currently have in the house, if you already have 15 tops, do you really need another one? Draw up a list of what you would like and then eliminate non essentials that perhaps you can do without.

5) Summer sales - Once you have a shopping list of what you need to buy, try to stick to this list, sales have a way of making you spend more money than you need to. Check out the websites of the stores you intend to visit before you head out the door, as some of the biggest discounts can be found online.

From deviantART to the world: adventures in a digital age

2008-05-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

Recent readers of my blog will know that I have been putting up pictures from the London anime expo, but what they don't know is that, over the last few days an interesting story has occurred because of my photo's which I will share with you.

I also put a few of my photo's on deviantART, an online community for artists. One recent picture was of a girl dressed as a cat boy, pictured in the previous post. Three hours after posting the picture, I got a message from the girl to say it was her in the photo. Everyone says that the world is a big place, but I now think the digital world is a small one. I never thought that the girl I snapped would one day get in touch and so quickly too! It just goes to show how small the digital world really is.

And the story doesn't end there. I have lots of comments on my photo's, two people have favourited my photo's, one person is from America and the other is in Austria. I only put my photo's up because I thought it would be fun, never did I imagine that I would hear from people across the globe.

The lady in Austria says's they hardly get cosplay over there, so I have promised to post up more pictures. I jokingly said I've accidentally become a cosplay photographer, but if my photo's makes other's happy, then I will continue to snap my camera.

Just today three people pictured in the Vampire Knight group photo got in touch to say they like my photo. That photo is two posts below and the kids are wearing black and white outfits. They were eating rice balls by the riverbank, but they kindly let me snap them.

It's amazing how taking one photo can link you to other people in the world and for that reason alone, I will keep on taking pictures.

Also, I have now introduced an audio button in my blog. If you click on the Listen Now button at the top, my blog will come to life. You will hear an American man talking, which is quite funny, especially as I am a British woman. So far I have figured out the software can't pronounce Japanese words such as Gackt. Let's hear him say that again... Gackt! I've also added an email button at the bottom of each post, so if you like my blog entries, please email them on to friends.

At the end of the day, I would like more people to both read and listen to my blog. Whether it's about money or to learn about a little thing called anime and manga, you never know who might be listening or reading your words. That is, after all, the magic of the internet.

Cosplay Photo essay

2008-05-26T00:39:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would put up some more cosplay pictures taken at the recent anime expo. It can be quite difficult putting together an outfit. I met Mystique, pictured below right, earlier on in the day as she was trying to put on the wig which proved to be a bit of a challenge.

I did run into quite alot of people I've seen at Deviant Art cosplay meets including Teal Pirate from Organisation 13, Samsara16 and her Soubi, Manga Girl and Chun-Li from the Guinness Book of Records meet. These cosplay picnics are even more insane than expo, which may be hard to believe and generally involve meeting at Hyde Park, heading over to Tokyo Toys for Pocky, gaming in the Trocedero and then China Town for some grub.

One of the perils of cosplay is getting glomped big time by other cosplayers and the tightest hug I got was from this little Ritsuka:

Cosplayers are very good at bringing their characters to life, no one did this better than this Hunny from Ouran Host Club, who was bouncing around full of happiness.

I nearly got run over by this skateboarding Sasuke from Naruto but I was impressed by his customized skateboard - I think Sasuke would approve, every emo kid needs some trendy wheels!

Cosplay photo's at London Expo

2008-05-25T06:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was that time of the year when I head over to the ExCel centre in London for the big anime expo which happens twice a year. There were plenty of cosplayers dressed up as characters from Death Note, Ouran High School Host Club and Bleach which as ever included an impressive array of costumes.

Lots of manga, merchandise and anime was on sale as the cosplay kids danced on the DDR machines and battled it out on the computer games screens. It was a good excuse to eat lots of Pocky (not that you need one) and a chance to hug your favourite manga characters. How could I not resist the urge to glomp a super happy Hunny from Host Club with her pink Bun Bun? There were some pretty outrageous costumes but my favourite had to be a hoodie wearing Pikachu in shorts! Surely something you don't see everyday.

Credit crunching on the web

2008-05-22T01:53:00.000-07:00

There has been lots of coverage about the credit crunch on various websites so for today's blog I thought I would do a round up of the best guides I've seen so far.

Kicking off is the MSN Money guide which lists 22 different tips on how to survive the credit crunch

Next up is Moneyfact's Credit Crunch Daily Tips on how to save money on a daily basis with lots of easy to use tips like ditching your morning latte to having fewer nights out. Practical tips that we all know that can make a difference.

Handbag.com has a fashionable way to beat the credit crunch with tips on how to be fashionable on a budget and a handy section on things to buy which cost under a tenner.

The Daily Telegraph has a wide variety of tips to help save those pennies along with suggestions including growing your own vegetables and looks at how to audit your own lifestyle.

And if you haven't read my own suggestions on how you can beat the credit crisis, check out my recent blog entry.

Nodame Cantabile

2008-05-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Recently, I've become addicted to the Nodame Cantabile drama series. There's a manga and anime series too but what I love about the drama is the way the story sometimes strays from the original, which creates lots of surprises!

Now whilst everyone says Nodame, a piano student who lives in a room full of trash, is the heroine of the story, personally I think the real hero is Chiaki, Nodame's neighbour and sometimes cook.

Due to a fear of flying he is stranded in Japan away from his favourite teacher who lives in Europe. Disillusioned with music, Chiaki has an arrogant personality and thinks all the other students at the Music Academy are rubbish. But the girls and boys at the school let him get away with it because, well... he's rather hot!

Whilst he learns to play piano, his real dream is to become a conductor and he is put in charge of the student orchestra, which basically comprises of all the worst students in the school, where he learns how to get on with others and the true meaning of how to play music from the heart.

Add to the drama, a suspicious teacher who plays truant so that he can go to host clubs, a timpanist with the biggest Afro you've ever seen and a flashy violin player who wants to rock the orchestra and you have the most charming drama I've seen in a long time.

Then there's the strangely odd Nodame herself who never plays the piano properly, but is a big fan of a fictional anime series, so how could I not warm to someone like that?

It's about hopes, dreams and friendships and watching them grasp the possibilities and fears of youth is both endearing and compelling. I've never been a classical music fan but if music is food for the soul, then Nodame Cantabile will most certainly be an enjoyable feast.

Can eating out really be cheaper than eating in?

2008-05-19T03:57:00.000-07:00

I found an interesting article on the web about Americans opting to eat out rather than eating in as rising prices mean that it's now cheaper to eat at a restaurant than at home. Which really surprised me, but I couldn't help thinking that whilst this might work in America, could it really work here in the UK?

The last time me and my family went out to a restaurant, the bill came to £50($100) to feed five of us, which was a rather pricey evening meal. And I can't help but wonder whether the rise in food inflation in the UK will have a knock on effect to the cost of dinning out, especially as many chain restaurants have fixed prices.

Add this to the large portion sizes which critics have blamed for the increase in obesity in the States and you have a growing problem. The last time I was in America, the ethos I experienced was that 'bigger is better.' Walking into a fast food joint my younger brother ordered a large sized drink which turned out to be about four sizes bigger than the large size we get in the UK. The whole incident resulted in laughter as we watched him contemplate how on earth he was going to drink it all. It did raise a question as to whether bigger really is better especially with teenage obesity rates heading the same way as in America.

Mind you, if food was cheaper I would probably be tempted to eat out more often, but then again, there's nothing quite like a home cooked meal.

Budget beauty buys for the holidays

2008-05-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

With the summer holiday season just around the corner, many stores have already introduced mini versions of products aimed at globe trotters and handbag ladies who want sleek beauty products on the go. But whether you're jet setting abroad or want to de-clutter your heavy handbag, here are my tips to help you along the way:

1) Decant into pots - You don't have to buy new products, head to Muji instead and get a collection of jar and squeezable bottles and decant your favourite products to take with you. Even cheekier, go to department stores and nab free samples. Next time you go on holiday, nab a couple of those shampoo/shower gel bottles you find in hotel rooms, they are the perfect size for holidays.

2) Overhaul your handbag - If you have everything including the kitchen sink in your handbag, it's time to give your handbag a makeover. Tip everything out and wipe the inside and out with antibacterial wipes.

Next get all you cosmetics and chuck make up you have had for more than two year (six months for mascara) and divide the remainder into two piles, what you use everyday and stuff you only use occasionally. Anything, you seldom use, leave at home and take the other one's with you.

Not sure what's enough? Think minimal - powder foundation, lip balm, lipstick/gloss, mascara and that's it.

3) Mini make up - If you plan to buy new make up, opt for mini versions or multi purpose make up that do more than one function such as lip gloss/blush. I'm currently loving the Mini Borjois range where a tiny lipstick can fit on the end of a mobile phone strap which costs £3.50. No need to buy a full sized version.

4) Basics over luxury - Drugstore brands like Vaseline and Nivea are just as good as the more expensive brands, even check out supermarket own brands which are just as good. Follow the above tips and this way you won't have spent all your money before you have even set foot on the place.

Supermarket shopping gets more expensive

2008-05-17T00:48:00.000-07:00

I knew that food prices were really rising the moment my mum came back from the local shops complaining that the price of meat is going up. I came across this interesting article on food prices which had some unconventional suggestions such as baking your own bread.

The article went on to say basic food stuffs are up 20% on this time last year with the biggest increases seen on dairy and wheat products, with fruit and vegetables not too far behind. Shoppers will need to be that more savvy the next time they push their trolley around the supermarket if they really want to get some deals.

The Government states food inflation is around 6% but the article states that prices in the supermarkets are actually up between 40-80% depending on what you buy. So this week, I will be exploring my local area to see what I can save.

the GazettE: Music, drama and growing up

2008-05-16T01:58:00.000-07:00

After a week's absence to focus on uni work, I'm back to blogging and a good place to kick things off are with this pretty awesome band, the GazettE, who will quite possible steal the title of my 'new favourite band' from Hyde and company.

What I really like about them is how emotive their songs are and I adore their fashion style, rather tempted to steal Ruki's flamboyant jacket. But this got me thinking about what music means to different people. On a forum I noticed other GazettE fans saying that the people around them think this is all 'just a phase' and they will grow out of it. Well, by that definition, I've been in a phase for the last two years, but I'm okay with that.

People are inspired by different things and music has always had a profound effect on me, it's seen me through some tough times and on a certain level I think music can help people relate to the world. I've lost count of songs that I've heard where I suddenly thought, oh! That's what I'm feeling!

And the GazettE do that surprisingly well. Reading the other posts I realised for a lot of teenagers, music is important, it was for me and I remember watching the kids at the recent An Cafe gig, thinking how lucky they must be to have discovered Visual Kei music at that age.

Music has a way of shaping things, it can help to create your identity and as people get older, music can fade into the backdrop, but sometimes, as I found recently, it can come bursting to the very front. Music has a way of saying the things you can't really say in words. Perhaps people need to justify the way they feel, or at the very least acknowledge that this is something real. That makes music so very powerful. In some ways, no matter how old we get, a part of us is always 17 and that's why no matter what changes happen in my life, there is always a little space for music on my bookshelf, even when my words fail you, music can speak volumes instead.

Would you throw away £10bn a year?

2008-05-08T03:08:00.000-07:00

Amazingly, that's what us Brits do! According to a Government report, British households throw away £10bn worth of food every year. An average household wastes £420 whilst those with kids throw away £610 a year. Which is a heck of a lot of money if you ask me!

So here are my tips on how not to throw away good money:

1) Write and stick to your shopping list - Now that we know how much food goes in the bin, it makes even more sense to stick to a list when we go food shopping. Think of it this way, by not buying food that you will only throw away, you have an extra £600 to go in your ISA. Now isn't that a good incentive?

2) Check the expiry dates before you buy - Whenever I went food shopping as a kid, my dad would always ask me what's the expiry date on any products for the fridge and with hindsight, I can see why. Remember supermarkets put the items that are about to expire at the front, so pick your food from the back of the shelf as this will give you three or four more days to use it. A cheeky tactic, but it works!

3) Smaller portions - The sure fire way to cut waste is to cook less, my family has been doing this recently and the portions are just the right size to fill us up.

4) Reuse leftovers - If you do cook more or make a large dish, freeze the rest for another day, or re use vegetable or meat in salad, pasta or stir-fry dishes.

5) Use a Post-It note - Stick a brightly coloured Post-It note on the fridge listing what is about to go off and aim to use those ingredients in your dinner, solving food waste and that time honoured dilemma of, "What should I cook tonight?."

6) Fruit bowl - Even healthy people with good intentions can get bored with eating fruit so apples and pear can find their way into the bin. So buy fruit which haven't ripened yet (such as green bananas) and allow them to ripen naturally in your fruit bowl.

Tips to beat the credit crisis

2008-05-07T04:38:00.000-07:00

As consumers start to feel the impact of the credit crunch, the financial sections of newspapers and websites are brimming with tips on how to survive the credit crisis, so today's blog is all about the practical steps you can take to stay on top of your finances:

1) Budget wisely - If you've never stuck to a budget, now's the time to start. All it takes is a little discipline to live on an allocated amount of money each week, which will not only make you a good saver but also make you a much more thrifty spender.

2) Save more money - The easy way is to put your £2 coins that you get in change straight into a jar when you get home. It's the way of saving without really saving and you may think £2 is a small amount of money, but it all adds up very quickly.

Try to put money into your ISA as all the interest you earn will be tax free. It helps to have a savings goal, start with £50 a month and aim to increase this the following month. Having a target will spur you on.

3) Curb your spending - When you walk into a store ask yourself do you really need this? Then think have I already got something similar at home? Chances are you probably have so walk away.

4) Pay off as much debt as you can - As lenders are cracking down on credit cards, now's the time to beat that habit for good. Focus on clearing your most expensive debt first and paying the minimum on the others. Once the biggest one is cleared, move on to the next one.

5) Emergency savings - If you do one thing, make sure it's starting an emergency savings account, preferably an easy access account in case you need to get to your money in a hurry. No one knows what will happen in the future but having a little money tucked away will give you peace of mind.

For more tips, check out this credit crunch survival checklist.

What is kindness?

2008-05-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, I was on a bus on my way into university and I saw a lady who was shaking as she got off. I asked her if she was okay and she didn't respond. As the bus doors closed she collapsed on a grassy area by the bus stop. I yelled to the driver to stop the bus and jumped off to help her.

She assured me she didn't need an ambulance and I helped her to where she worked. After a while she calmed down and was better. Leaving her with her colleagues, I turned to say goodbye and as I did I was embraced in a hug. All I could think was, 'Oh, I'm being hugged.' Walking me to the door, her colleague said, "Thank you for your kindness." It took me a second for it to click but then I thought, so that is kindness.

To be honest, when I was on that bus, I didn't think if I get off I'm going to be late for class, I did it instinctively without really thinking, I couldn't do nothing. But there were twenty people on the bus and I was the only one who stepped off. Afterwards, I dunno, I kept thinking, if that happened to me, I would hope that someone would help me.

And this got me thinking about what kindness really is. I'm reading volume 21 of Fruits Basket and Yuki comments that Tohru is always kind to him. Always smiling. But it wasn't until Kakeru notices that her smile was a painful form of kindness. Not a smile for oneself, but a smile worn for others. This is why I think there are many forms of kindness, some types we can't always see.

Brits waste £314 in unspent loyalty points

2008-05-05T03:55:00.000-07:00

Supermarkets and stores are constantly reminding us about their loyalty card schemes but I recently learnt that us Brits waste £314 on unspent loyalty points, vouchers and credit notes.

The article went on to say that eight in ten of us don't bother to use up these points which can account for £4.3bn worth of freebies every year. Many of us have a loyalty card, some of us even having three or four, so I was more than a little surprised by these findings.

For the last few years I've been following my friend's lead and using my points for gifts and presents at Christmas time and frequently buy products on triple points evenings to get the most back.

So if you have a loyalty card, you may well have free money sitting in your wallet, so make sure you spend it.

Hana Kimi: The manga soundtrack to my life

2008-05-03T23:47:00.000-07:00

For the last two and a half years I have been reading the Hana Kimi manga and yesterday I read the very last volume with both feelings of joy and a tinge of sadness.

Hana Kimi was the first manga series that I started following and has had a rather bigger impact on my life than even I could have imagined.

It introduced me to J-rockers Hyde and Gackt, started my fascination with all things Harajuku as well as giving me the confidence to change things; if Sano was going to fight back, then so was I!

It was Sano's words that he won't loose anymore that spurred me on when I lost my job. It was Doctor Umeda's advice on friendship that taught me sometimes people have to overcome their hurdles on their own. Hana Kimi saw me through my crush on a guy, realising that my friends weren't really friends, but most importantly it gave me a reason to change.

Hana Kimi was the manga equivalent to the soundtrack to my life. Okay, I have never cross dressed (wait... I have... I've been Light from Death Note) and snuck into an all boys school (now that I haven't done) but each volume is sprinkled with memories that mean something special to me.

Which is surprising given that Hana Kimi is a fun comedy, shockingly racey at times and still manages to chuck in a bit of Boys Love and get away with it!

So much about life is about bad memories but as Mizuki decides to leave the school, she is surrounded by friends who support her and only want her to be happy.

So it was much sadness that I read the last book, but as the manga is a romantic comedy, it wasn't long before I was laughing and thought, you know what, this is actually a good way to end things.

It's going to be strange not having Hana Kimi in my life but I can honestly say, my journey in manga has been fun!

How to save money on food as prices go up

2008-05-02T22:59:00.000-07:00

Many newspapers have recently been talking about food inflation and the rising costs of food, so today's blog is all about how to save money on the weekly food bill:

1) Go for own brands - Often cheaper than more famous brands, start swapping food to a cheaper brand every week and see if you notice the difference in taste.

You don't need to swap everything, but build in swaps along the way, taking a closer look at the prices on the shelf.

2) Only bulk buy if you will use it - This is the famous pitfall of the, "But it's cheap," syndrome, only bulk buy if you really will use it, otherwise, it's not worth spending the money.

3) Look in the cupboards - This is the sure fire way of saving money, my family only go shopping every fortnight. Why? Because you are guaranteed to have unused food in the freezer and cupboards, so we take a week out and use up the remaining food before the next trip to the supermarket.

4) Cheap supermarkets - Don't overlook those smaller supermarkets like Lidl which stock foreign brands and are often cheaper, they are extremely good for chocolate and other treats and if you are a chocoholic like me, check out Poundland which sell cheap chocolate too.

5) Your local store - Supermarkets may make you think they are the cheapest place to buy food, but I've noticed that our local newsagents stocks certain products like bread and biscuits at a cheaper price than our usual supermarket.

For more information, check out this article on how to
save money on food

London Votes: Boris or Ken?

2008-05-01T23:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I returned tired from two weeks up in Scotland, only to be dragged out of the house to go and vote in the London Mayor election. Apparently my family were waiting for me to come home, before they all go and vote. Enquiring as to why they were waiting for me, my mum said that its because I studied politics so local politics would be of interest to me.

Great. I knew that one day doing politics would come back and bite me.

So making it to the polling station with half an hour to spare, the attendant asked whether I needed to know the instructions. I said I studied politics, so I knew the drew. She smiled and as I walked away to cast my vote her colleague said, "Great, so there will be at least one clean vote."

Politics as personality

There has been much debate in the papers about the two candidates but what strikes me about this race was that how similar their policies are and I don't think people will be voting on these, this time, it's politics as personality.

Does London want the clumsy one who appeared on Have I Got News For You or the other one who maybe anti-semantic.

At the end of the day, it's all about who we think will do a better job, now, this is no guarantee that they will, but this all part of the fun and perils of local politics.

Local politics

The last time we had a local election in my hometown, it was buzzing with excitement, politicians paraded the streets and a couple of party representatives knocked on my front door.

This was in the run up to the London anime expo and I had dyed my hair bright red to look like Kira/Light from Death Note. A humbly dressed Conservative lady asked if I was going to vote after a ten second stare at my hair, the look on her face was... what's the word? Priceless.

Apparently, I was giving the impression that I might be a Labour supporter, but you can learn a lot from a persons reaction, just as she was judging me, I was judging her. When my brother came home and saw my hair, he was rendered completely speechless, which was a first, he later told me, I looked like a wannabe teenage punk rocker, which in hindsight was probably true.

London finds out today who their new Mayor will be, but like many things in this world, politics is all about who people think you are, not who you really may ve.

Military reporting in Scotland

2008-05-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

For the last two weeks I have been up at a Navy base in Helensburgh, taking part in Joint Warrior, a major multinational military exercise involving 17 NATO countries with 70 aircraft and 36 warships.

I wrote news, features and commentary pieces about a made up ‘international crisis’ writing copy for broadsheets, tabloid, propaganda publications and the web as the crisis escalated. It was an amazing experience and the closest thing I’ve ever had to war reporting.

I even had the opportunity to travel up to the Highlands to Loch Ewe and visited two mine sweeping vessels, the HMS Shoreham and HMS Whaley to learn more about how the Navy fights war at sea.

To get to the ships, we had to travel by a dingy and wear dinbins which are yellow waterproof suits, a life jacket and a helmet. An officer warned me that if you get splashed too much, your life jacket will inflate. Ten seconds later, my jacket inflated and I looked like one of those hip hop gangsters in puffa jackets that you see in slick MTV videos. Well, if I fell off the boat now, I’d have no problem floating.

Once onboard we met the captain and I interviewed a diver to find out more about mine sweeping, he really wanted us to understand what it was like to be a diver and the tour of the ship ended in the decompression chamber. It was an eye opening experience and I learnt so much.

Producing the articles made me realise the varying roles the media plays during times of war and the different players who try to influence the media and the reality of correspondence reporting. I even had my first stab at broadcasting, doing a TV interview.

Travelling back, we drove past Loch Ness, Nessie unfortunately wasn’t home. I spent my birthday today traveling back to London, on a National Express coach no less, and it was nothing like the song by The Divine Comedy!

I learnt so much, both from the hands-on reporting and talking to the other journalists to find out about how their careers develped. Special thanks go to Andy, Kevin, Ben and Tim who answered all my troublesome questions, no matter how nosey I was! It was a great experience and I would love to do this again.

Godchild: Murder, decadence and Victorian London

2008-04-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

Recently I've become addicted to the Godchild manga series about a nobleman, Earl Cain, who becomes head off the cursed Hargreaves family after the apparent death of his father.

But his father is very much alive and leads Delilah, a secret society bent on causing destruction in London.

Cain, the handsome but eclectic noble (he collects poisons) finds himself investigating mysterious deaths as he tries to uncover the truth about his family.

Godchild is a dark, Gothic tale about the more sinister world of the upper class and is a gripping read, both with its fascination with death and the story's re-working of well known nursery rhymes.

As villains go, Cain's father Alexis is an excellent puppet master pulling the strings behind the scenes whilst his half brother, Doctor Disraeli, takes much pleasure in inflicting cruelty.

As manga's go, this series has one of the best endings, both flamboyant and menacing, sad and hopeful, Godchild delves into the more murky side of friendships, revenge and betrayal and asks if hate could ever be something else.

I will miss this series, only Godchild could make the bourgeois world of the wealthy so entertaining and suitably devilish.

Saying Goodbye to dEUS

2008-04-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

The moment I realised that journalism had taken over my life was when I opened up the Metro newspaper to discover that one of my favourite bands, dEUS, are playing London tonight - and I didn't even know anything about it!

It was too late to buy a ticket and I stumbled off the tube train absentmindedly, a little taken aback by the shock, but on reflection, it was only then I realised how much my life has moved on.

My journey with dEUS began when I was 17 and a decade later I still love their music, being a teenager was tough but music gave me something to believe in and dEUS's music somehow found it's way into my cynical teenage heart and stayed there ten years later.

Not many bands can make you believe in the world that much more, but dEUS have this very special charm, although they have a different musical style with every album, they always somehow still manage to, "Sound like dEUS."

Walking around London, I felt a little saddened by my own realisation, Tom and his music was always there, even when sometimes my own friends weren't, I hope that one day I will see them play, but I feel that my own life may be moving in another direction.

The road ahead is full of promise, even I don't know where the future may lead, but I wish for a little kindness on my journey.

Switch: When manga goes NYPD Blue

2008-04-14T08:51:00.001-07:00

Anyone remember NYPD Blue?

I'm showing my age here, but the manga Switch has a similar feel to the TV show as the series follows two rookies working for the Narcotics Control Division in Japan, as they bust some drug dealers in this visually impressive gritty manga.

Let's start with Kai Eto, the childish looking new recruit who arrives late on his first day on the job just as his colleagues are about to bust a bad guy.

This earns him the nickname, 'Good for nothing,' from Hal Kurabayashi, his cigarette smoking, dead pan talking partner, as the unlikely duo try to stop the distribution of Dragon Speed, the new drug being trafficked by the Ryugen syndicate.

Before you even get to the end of the first chapter, you find out Kai has a very violent side and this is only the first of the many surprises hidden in the manga as the duo encounter turf wars with the local police.

Switch packs more than a few punches along the way as Kai and Hal go undercover in the celebrity world to track down the Ryugen, but these guys are more than a match for our heroes.

Slick, engrossing and fast paced, Switch is a detective mystery that keeps you hanging until the very last page, it's been a long time since I've read a manga this good never has there been a manga so street and so good!

It's a Host Club thing!

2008-04-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, I just wanted to do a post with the words HOST CLUB in my title just to see how many people visit my blog - did I lure you?

I've been reading the recent manga scanlations for Ouran High School Host Club and although it's a fun and silly manga today's post is about the surprising things I've learned from this series:

1) Good friends will always be there for you - Tamaki, the self proclaimed Host Club king is frankly a bit of an idiot, but he's a foolish idiot, so we forgive him!

But when the Newspaper Club at the school try to tarnish his name (naughty, naughty - bad journalists!) his club mates protect him as he was the one who brought them all together.

2) You shouldn't hide who you really are - Tamaki teaches Hunny that no matter how much he tries to hide his love for fluffy toys and cakes by doing martial arts, he would only be lying to himself, so Hunny embraces his cute side and is more happier for it.

3) Being different builds character - The twins, Kaoru and Hikaru, have always been in their own world and being the same causes a big fight between the twins, but as they start to embrace their individuality they realise that no matter how they try to show the world they are different from each other, they will always be twins and that is something they should feel proud off.

4) Try new experiences - One of Tamaki's motto's which I have recently adopted, is to explore the unfamiliar and to do more of the things that make me smile.

5) People aren't there to be used - Kyoya, who runs the Host Club behind the scenes has always thought that people are there to be used, or to make profit, but Tamaki competes against him in a race to remind him that sometimes its good to do useless and foolish things with nothing to gain.

Kyoya comments that he already knows this, otherwise how else could he hang out with them?

Given the club's outrageous antics, Kyoya has a point.

6) Host Club is the ultimate Cosplay Club - Seriously, to end on a light hearted note, even rich boys do cosplay (although some will deny it.)

Don't believe me? Just type cosplay and Ouran host club into You Tube and this is what you get.

Credit crisis hits UK consumers wallets

2008-04-11T02:43:00.000-07:00

Consumers in the UK could soon be strapped for cash as the effects of the credit crisis starts hitting our wallets and here's what you can do about it:

Today's cover story in The Times focuses on how the effects of the credit crisis will hit millions of families

Homebuyers
Normally a cut in interest rates will bring the cost of mortgages down, however, many banks have decided to increase fees and charges which will see most mortgages going up, especially those on variable rates which will see a rise in demand for fixed rate mortgages.

Holiday makers
Anyone going abroad this summer will get less for their money, especially if you are heading to Europe as the pound slumps against the Euro, so make sure you get your currency commission free.

Savers
So far, banks are keeping current interest rates, but this could change by the end of the month, so keep an eye out on Best Buy savings tables and look at online accounts which often have higher rates than branch accounts.

Drivers
Cost of buying fuel is going up but drivers can check petrol prices in their area to find the cheapest deal at a local petrol pump.

My work in Zest

2008-04-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

A couple of months back I went on a three week work experience placement at Zest magazine to learn more about how a magazine is put together and the work I did is now appearing in the current May edition of the magazine.

Turning to the back of the magazine, I sourced the celebrity quotes for the Fit and Famous page which focused on the model, Heidi Klum, and this was where I learnt that research skills are vital for a journalist.

It was a lot of work finding good quotes but it was nice to see a celebrity who is actually happy with her body image and has a healthy appetite towards food.

If you squint, you will see my name along the right hand margin, seeing my name in print again is a great feeling and I am really proud of the work I have done.

I also compiled The Life Workout, which is a three page special on a particular theme, this issue it's about how to boost your brain power.

This involved finding brain teasers, looking at recent medical studies, sourcing copy and interviewing a life coach on how to remember names.

Smart spending to encourage saving!

2008-04-10T00:48:00.000-07:00

As my blog mostly focuses on saving money, today I thought I would look at the opposite side of the spectrum - spending:

1) What do you spend your money on? - Most budgets just look at the basics such as rent, electricity, food but it's always worth customizing your budget to reflect your life.

If you have a big hobby, put that on the list and if you are a student, don't forget all that cash that goes on stationary and books, anything that's a big expenditure, jot that down too.

2) Where can I get a better deal? - Now create a new column on your piece of paper and think, where can I get a better deal? if you buy a lot of books, a recent find has been The Book Depository, which often undercut Amazon prices and gives free delivery which will save a few quid each time.

3) Explore the alternatives - Keep going through the list with more ways to get things cheaper, love labels? check out TKMaxx, buy a lot of DVDs? hire them instead or start your video club amongst friends if you all have the same tastes.

4) Rank your shopping list - Start prioritising your spending, putting the most important item at the top with an 'A' - often you will find the things further down are less important and perhaps things you can live without, so shop online instead and you can save even more money, freeing up time on the weekend for more fun things.

5) Build up the piggy bank - Take all the cash you have saved and put this in a piggy bank, every time you don't buy a magazine or resist that takeaway, put the cash you would have spent into the bank and see how much you can save, last month by doing these hidden savings, I raised an extra £50.

Wasting food costs Brits up to £400 a year

2008-04-09T05:49:00.000-07:00

You may be surprised to learn that chucking leftover food into the bin costs British household's on average between £250 and £400 a year.

Today's blog happened by accident, as I'm home at the moment my mum was telling me to get off the computer and do something 'useful', what actually transpired to be: "Go cook lunch", as we all often waste food, today's blog is all about what you can do with your leftovers, so here is my recipe for spicy chicken bolognese:

Put two tablespoons of oil into a wok and dice up one small onion adding 1/2 teaspoon of chili and a 1/4 spoon of turmeric and garam masala followed by half a red pepper and cook for a couple of minutes.

Now peel and chop some button mushrooms, vegetarians can also add courgettes, carrots and chickpeas instead of meat and cook for five minutes.

In goes two chicken breasts to feed three very hungry mouths and cook for another five minutes until the chicken is tender.

Now cook the pasta according to packet instructions, I find boiling a kettle full of water first and adding this to the pot first speeds up the cooking time and remember to add a pinch of salt.

Here's where I cheat and add a jar of Dolmio Spicy Bolognese sauce and if you like things extra spicy just chop up and add some fresh chillies to the mix.

Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for five minutes adding some fresh coriander leaves towards the end to give the recipe an extra kick.

Hey presto! Spicy chicken bolognese, for more information on what to do with your leftovers, click here.

Shopahalics get out of debt guide

2008-04-08T00:18:00.000-07:00

If you're finding that credit cards and wanting the new 'It' handbag is taking over your life, then this guide is for you, to help you on the road to financial freedom:

1) Reality check - Okay, lets do the scary part first, open up all those letters from the bank and the credit card companies and jot down on a blank piece of paper everything you owe, sometimes you have to see the bigger picture, before you can take action.

2) Tackle your debts - Before you even think about saving, make clearing your debt your top priority as the interest on your cards will cancel out any interest on your savings.

Now put your debts in order, start by paying off the most expensive debt first whilst paying the minimum on the others and when the first card is cleared, move onto the next one.

Alternatively, transfer all your cards to a 0% credit card, this way you will be paying off the actual amount rather than just the interest.

3) Make a budget - Write down all your essential expenditure like gas, electricity, rent, travel, food, card repayments and minus this from your monthly wage - what you will have left is your monthly budget, divide this by four and now you will know how much disposable cash you have per week.

Leave all your credit cards at home and pay for everything with cash, this will give you a real sense that you are actually spending your money.

4) Cut back everywhere - Think of all the ways you can save cash: borrowing magazines/books from friends rather than buying them, only having one evening out per week, breakfast at home and taking a packed lunch to work will all help to save cash.

5) Get all the freebies you can - Now that you are on a budget, grab all the freebies you can, a friend of mine always gets samples from the beauty counters from department stores, even carrying a small pot in her handbag, so that if they say they don't have samples, she will squeeze the cream into her container.

I know this is cheeky but its saving her a fortune on skincare, also check out the internet for free samples too.

6) Swap shopping for culture - Instead of shopping, look at whats happening in your city that's free, London is free is a great website for free and fun things to do, so see whats happening in your own city.

Counting the cost of Loyalty Cards

2008-04-07T03:42:00.000-07:00

Gone are the days when shoppers were just loyal to their one favourite store, open up your purse or wallet and most likely you will find two or even three cards, but do these cards offer value for money and how you can make loyalty cards work for you?

1) Avoid points temptation - If you always buy from a regular store, a reward card could be good for you if that's where you spend your money anyway, but don't be too tempted by points alone, look at how much you are spending first and look online for promotional vouchers which can cut the money you spend in the first place.

2) Supermarket sweep - Food shopping is usually one of the biggest bills of the week and with food costs increasing, its worth having one or two 'loyalty' cards for the different supermarkets and check out My Supermarket first to compare the cost of your weekly shopping at the different stores and then take your card with you on your trip.

3) What will you use your cards for? - One of my friends who has a Boots card uses her card for a specific reason, rather than spending the points during the year, she uses her points at Christmas time combined with the 3 for 2 deals on presents to reduce the cost of Christmas shopping.

If you have a Boots card, it's also worth bulk buying essential toiletries at their triple-points weekends to get more points on the things you most frequently use.

4) Coffee addicts - Keep your eyes peeled for loyalty cards in places you wouldn't think to find them, both Caffe Nero and Starbucks have cards too if you simply have to get coffee on the run.

5) Student discounts - Student discounts seem to shrinking but students who use their NUS card to claim discounts can save money at places including Amazon and Superdrug.

6) Beware the loyalty credit cards - I was once nearly sold a 'loyalty' credit card in a shoe shop, of all places, so be wary of anyone approaching you with a clipboard, they are usually only after your money!

Store cards often have higher rates than bank cards, these cards are okay for people who can pay off their balances on time, but if you are prone to overspending, keep away, these are an easy way to rack up even more debt.

China Comics Now: Rebellion, gangsters and philosophy

2008-04-06T00:10:00.000-07:00

Although I've read lots of Japanese manga and the Korean equivalent, manwha, I must confess I know almost nothing about Chinese comics, so it was with more than just a little curiosity that I visited the Manhua - China Comics Now exbibition yesterday.

Comics by their very nature are a visual art form but what I saw were very stylised images: glossy rich colours by Benjamin depicting rebellion gothic-rock style, pictured above, to super cute bubblegum pop characters, all the way through to the more gritty underworld of Hong Kong gangsters.

Reading the comics with english translations, I quickly discovered stories about dreams, hopes, fears and trying to make your way in a world which is not only unfair but also unkind, what might appear to be a childlike story can turn out to be a discussion about philosphy and the meaning of life.

Whether its a story about a boy who wishes he could fly or the fable like re-telling of the Tower of Babel, nearly all the comics deal with freedom, choice and dealing with life's unexpected moments.

With such rich art work and intriging storylines, it did make me wonder why we don't see these books alongside Japanese manga in bookstores, because I think these books would make a welcome addition to any manga fan's bookshelf.

Money and happiness: Can money make you happy?

2008-04-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

There was an interesting article in the Metro today about the new findings from the Office of National Statistics, that despite the fact that we have more money than twenty years ago, we do not appear to be any happier for it.

So today's blog is an exploration about whether or not money can actually buy you happiness and here are some thoughts on the subject from over the years:

Wants and needs

As reported in Newsweek, economists claim that money can buy you happiness but apparently we get less happiness from satisfying needs than wants and the surprising revelation that Americans who earn more than £5m per year are in fact not that much happier than those who earn $100,000 a year.

The article also points out that:

'...An expanding paycheck, especially in an expanding economy, produces expanding aspirations and a sense that there is always one more cool thing out there that you absolutely have to have.'

So no matter how much we have, we are always left wanting even more.

Can money make you happy?

Another survey by University College Berkeley, which followed high earning MBA students found that if you value money, then it will make you happy.

However the researchers also suggested that everyone should consider the following:

"Will having lots of money impact your well-being enough to justify you spending 12 hours a day, every workday, doing something you hate?"

Money and fame

You only have to take a look at car-crash celebrities like Britney to see that despite her success and wealth, her life is leading her down a bumpy road and that not even money can protect you, if you are your own worst enemy.

The grass is always greener...

But taking a look at an old article in Forbes magazine it's all about us wanting something our neighbour has and the power and security that money can bring.

Materialism

After much contemplation, I remembered something the singer from the Bluetones once said on the subject of money, that you can still feel miserable in comfortable surroundings, an image of a sulking singer in a plush room sprang into my mind, but I do think he has a point.

I remember an old friend who got a rich boyfriend and suddenly all she talked about was his money (not even the boyfriend got a mention, just the cash), or the old work colleague who always dropped hints that he has rich friends and somehow I kept wondering, is it really that simple?

Perhaps it's all too easy to think you can find happiness at the bottom of your wallet.

Budget troubleshooting

2008-04-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started this blog, a number of people have asked me: "Isn't it hard sticking to a budget?"

The short answer is yes, but if you are trying to take control of your finances, don't give up just yet, I will be talking about why you should keep trying along with some of my tips on how to stick to your budget in today's blog:

1) How do I budget? - Everyone overspends on things that they don't really need, so by setting a limit on your spending, you will encourage yourself to be more savvy with the money you do have, whilst stashing away cash for a rainy day or pay off a debt.

Here's how to budget, if you've never done one before, it's basically about spending less and getter more value for your money on what you do buy.

2) Costly lifestyles - If you are always in the red every month, it's a sign that you are living beyond your means and if this has become a regular thing for you, chances are you may be dipping into your savings to pay for your lifestyle or borrowing money (either as a loan or a credit card)which is the quickest way into further debt.

Re-prioritise how you use your money, instead of shopping, start using that money to pay what you owe and once that's done, move that money into a separate account to save for the future.

3) The power of advertising - A friend of mine who has recently gone on a budget has said instead of going shopping, she now goes window shopping, which may not sound fun, but everyday we are bombarded with images of things we are told we should own.

So what do you do when you see something you really want to buy? Take the three day test, walk away and if you still decide you need it after the cooling off period, only buy it then.

But not until you see if you can get it cheaper online, or double check at home to see if you already own something similar.

If you still have doubts about whether you should buy it, think about how many hours it would take to pay for it, spending money is easy, but earning it, well... that's a different story.

4) Reward yourself - When I was re-paying my student loan, I would reward myself for sticking to my budget by giving myself a little treat on the weekend, such as a slice of cake or a book from a second hand bookshop, building small incentives along the way will keep you going until you reach your target.

5) Social dilemma's - This is the quickest way to blow your budget so limit evenings out to once a week and look for cheaper alternatives such as a popcorn and movie evening or a hot pot dinner where all the guests bring along one dish to eat.

If your friends keep pushing you to come out, be upfront and say you can't afford it or that you are trying to save money and suggest one of the ideas above.

If you would like to know more about successful budgeting, check out these handy tips.

ISA countdown: What you need to know

2008-03-31T22:56:00.000-07:00

The deadline to put your money in a tax-free ISA (Individual Savings Account) this year is fast approaching, ending at midnight this Saturday 5 April, so today's blog is a guide to how to get the most out of your ISA.

ISAs were introduced back in 1999 by the Government to encourage more people to save money, anyone over 16 can save £3,000 in a mini cash ISA whilst those aged 18 or over can invest £4,000 in a mini equity ISA or £7,000 in a Maxi ISA which involves stocks and shares.

From April 6, new changes will mean you can invest more in these accounts and the names will be simplified and the limits raised so you can save £3,600 in a cash ISA or £7,200 in a stocks and shares ISA.

Why have an ISA?

Quite simply, ISAs come with a tax free wrapper, meaning you will pay no tax on your savings, in other words, the taxman will not get a penny of your interest meaning ISAs are now a good place for long term savings.

If you haven't used up your allowance so far this year, it's not too late to save money but before you sign on the dotted line, here are a couple of questions to ask your bank and why:

Can I withdraw money from my ISA?

Some banks will try to persuade you to take a fixed rate ISA, where your money will be tied up for between one to five years and if this is the case, you wont be able to get your hands on the money until the term ends.

Whilst fixed ISAs do give a higher rate it's worth considering your own needs first, if you don't need the money for a year, it's worth considering this option, however, if you feel you might need to access your money at short notice, opt for a variable interest rate which will pay a lower rate of return but you will be able to get your hands on your money when you need it.

Will I be penalised for taking money out of my account?

Some banks will allow you to make withdrawals without any penalty, but find out if there is a limit on the number of free withdrawals or if you need to give notice to take money out of your account.

What is the interest rate?

If you've had your ISA with the same provider for a long time, chances are your interest rate has become uncompetitive, so it is worth shopping around and remember to check out Best Buy tables on the internet and in the weekend newspapers.

What is your online interest rate?

It's worth asking this as the higher rates of interest can often be found online, as more and more people do online banking.

Does this ISA include a bonus?

Walking around the banks this week, I've seen many posters offering high interest rates, but when you read the small print, you find out there is an added bonus for a short period of time and then it reverts back to a lower rate.

To find out more information check out this article about your ISA options.

How to beat the rising cost of living

2008-03-31T11:24:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of weeks there has been numerous reports about the rising cost of living as daily basics such as bread, milk and eggs are going up which will hit families on middle or low incomes worst.

As rising inflation will make daily essentials more expensive, here are some of my money saving tips on cutting the cost of household expenditure:

1) Budget more wisely - As basics become more dearer, people will have less money to spend on luxuries and treats so setting a weekly budget will help streamline your finances and prioritise your spending by making you look for more ways to save money.

2) Do you really need it? - When you go grocery shopping, write a list of everything you need, now go through the list and delete anything which is more of a luxury instead of a necessity.

Everyone impulse buys and supermarkets use all kinds of ways to get you to spend more: moving things around, so you have to look everywhere for what you really want, placing more expensive goods at eye level within easy reach are only a few tactics, but knowing the psychology of supermarket shopping will help you to keep your well earned cash where it needs to be... in your wallet!

3) Slash your grocery bill - There are many tips and tricks to save money at the supermarket such as buying supermarket own brands and shopping in the evening to pick up last minute late deals.

Also check out a My Supermarket which will compare the prices of your weekly shop to see which will be the cheapest.

But one of the sure fire way to save money is to go food shopping once a fortnight and use up the items stored in your cupboards or freezer in the week between, most people tend to accumulate items that they rarely use, so by doing this my family's food cost has gone down £80 every month.

4) Where can you buy cheaper? - Whatever you plan on buying, always think where can you get the lowest prices, most items are market up on the high street so to get a better deal go online and use price comparison sites such as Kelkoo or PriceRunner to get the lowest price.

5) Use vouchers - If you are planning on buying online, check out MyVoucherCodes and grab an online voucher which will save you even more money.

The Anime theme tune showdown!

2008-03-30T01:28:00.000-07:00

Many people get into Japanese music by listening to the songs played on their favourite anime shows, it was Full Metal Alchemist which introduced me to L'arc en Ciel and a number of other great bands, so today's blog is all about the best anime tunes out there.

Playing in the video above is the song, Let Me Be With You, by ROUND TABLE featuring Nino, it's one of those super happy songs that was used for Chobits and has been used on so many fan videos on You Tube.

Other favourite's include the Paradise Kiss opening, Lonely in Gorgeous, quite possibly one of the best dance tunes out there and Okina Reika's, Tsuki no Curse, used in Loveless is also a great theme tune.

So what is it about anime soundtracks that make them so compelling? Usually, I find the unique mix of songs express the different emotions in a series, one of the best one's I've heard so far is the, NANA 'Best of,' soundtrack and the video for A Little Pain by Olivia Lufkin is below.

Music evokes emotions and some of the most powerful songs can make you feel both happy and sad, it's also a good way to check out another culture, even if you can't understand the words, a good song will convey the feelings the singer is trying to express, that in essence, is the power of music.

Korean Punk girls and J Pop boys

2008-03-29T00:56:00.000-07:00

Ever since I got into J rock, I somehow accidentally ended up liking Korean girl punk outfit, Shorty Cat, whose video, With The Punk, is above.

Think punk with a cheery poppy vibe, which has filled the girl band gap since I stopped listening to the likes of The Donna's and Sleater Kinney.

Although the Koran punk scene is limited compared to their Japanese counterpart, it's interesting to see how punk has developed around the world, away from Punk's spiritual home in London.

Switching over to pop, another group I like are the, KinKi Kids, for their super happy music, all their hits chart at the top spot in Japan, and whilst I'm not a chart follower over here, I must confess the light, bright feel of their song, Brand New Song, (below) is simply addictive!

Miku, UVERworld and the other side of J music

2008-03-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

I can't even remember the last time I bought an English cd, ever since I fell into J rock I have never looked back, so today's blog is all about the best bands and artists coming out of Japan, some you will know about and others you probably should:

I wouldn't be blogging about J rock if it wasn't for An Cafe's Miku, ever since their London gig I've had Orange Dreams on replay, it's the song that was written for ex band mate Bou and although it's a sad song, when you listen to it, it's somehow uplifting, this song always cheers me up when I'm down.

That's the great thing I realised at the An Cafe gig, it doesn't matter that I don't understand Japanese, music is something you feel with your heart, music is borderless.

Another band worth checking out is UVERworld, their video Chance is at the top of this page, rock music doesn't have to be all angsty and depressing, in the same way An Cafe makes J rock fun, UVERworld makes rock interesting, a techno/emo feel with a hard rock edge.

Another artist worth checking out is Mika Nikashima whoose song Glamorous Sky, was written by Hyde of L'arc en Ciel fame and is a powerful song used in the NANA movie.

If you prefer more Gothic music then Miyavi may be more your thing, Neo Visualizm is a great song and although Miyavi is a bit of a cheeky chap, music has become a lot more exciting with him around.

He is also part of S.K.I.N, a Japanese super group including Gakt, which makes British artist's celeb collaborations pale in comparison - Simon Cowell take note.

Lastly, to prove that all music doesn't need to be so dark, check out Home Made Kazoku's Nagareboshi (Shooting Star) in this video below, they are the Japanese 2Pac and the song is about aiming high to achieve your dreams, who needs Britpop when music is as aspirational as this:

An Cafe fashion style

2008-03-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

At the recent An Cafe gig in London, I noticed that Miku has started a trend amongst his fans to wear palmwarmers and fingerless gloves, so today's blog is all about An Cafe's colourful style and how you can re-create the look at home:

Palmwarmers - Miku wears black one's as seen in the Kakusei Heroism video but he also wears white and black striped one's.

Similar one's can be found at Camden Market, pictured below, but a friend of mine makes her own, the easy way to do this is to buy a pair of fashion tights and cut them at the ankles and below the knee.

Bright clothes - Most Visual Kei bands wear Gothic clothes, but An Cafe's clothes are bright and funky, think red, pink, yellow t-shirts, hooded coats and sequins worn over ripped jeans.

Scarves, bandanas - Another Miku thing is to wear bandanas in his hair, you can either buy a ready made one like the silver one below or buy fabric and fold it up before tying it in your hair.

Rock hair - By far the hardest bit, be patient with your hair straighteners and use putty or wax to get that manga hair look, if dying your hair is a bit scary, add coloured hair extensions in your hair for a flash of colour.

Tastful bling - Less chav and more narrow chains with small pendants with musical instruments or small crosses, the look is more understated than all out bling.

Skinny ties - Think narrow styles, like those worn by indie boys, made in shiny fabric like satin in bright colours such as red paired with a stripy polo shirt.

Diamante - Miku wears diamante hair slides in his straight hair in a criss cross fashion which can easily be bought in chemists or Accessorize.

Waistcoats - This look has been done to death by Kate Moss, but this is one for the boys, wear over a long sleeved round neck top or a white shirt teamed with multiple chains.

Be an individual - Most important is to be individualic with your style, don't follow the herd and experiment with different colours, if you've become used to wearing black (like me) neon pink can be a bit scary, but if Miku can do it, so can you.

If any other An Cafe fans have their own suggestions on how to get their look, please leave a comment below, I would like to hear from you!

An Cafe in London

2008-03-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

Last night, I saw J-rockers, An Cafe, perform at the Islington Academy.

Imagine rock mixed with power pop, with rocking guitars and a funky keyboard, if you can picture that, you are half way there.

Visual Kei is not just about the music, it's also about the clothes, Miku wore a neon pink hooded overcoat, mixed in with a bandanna and green earrings, which somehow strangely suited him.

Miku apologized saying that he can't speak English properly and said, "I love you," to the audience, which was greeted by a deafening roar, but turning around I was surprised to see it wasn't the fan girls screaming- it was the fan boys!

Miku was bouncing across the stage, cheering the audience on to sing along, the highlight was seeing Miku pull out pink and white pom pom's and do a little routine, he was quite possibly the cutest cheerleader in the world.

By the end of the evening, Miku says he wants to see the audience smile, but there wasn't any more room on people's faces to widen their smiles.

Miku clearly carries the band, his happy-go-lucky attitude refreshing, and despite the language barrier, he wants everyone to have a good time, but that's the power of music, even in Japanese, it can move you and get you jumping around.

Waving goodbye to the audience, Miku is both timid and an extrovert, saying he will come back to play London again, but unknown to Miku, he has already won the hearts and minds of everyone in the audience.

Exploring Trinity Blood: Vampires, politics and despair

2008-03-24T23:48:00.001-07:00

Anyone missing the demise of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, should give the manga, Trinity Blood, a whirl.

Set in the distant future, after Armageddon has destroyed the earth, a new conflict emerges between vampires (the Methuselah) and humans (called Terrans), but in this world there is a twist, the Vatican has become a military power house, often the last line of defense between the two factions.

But what makes this world interesting is the role of the Vatican with it's internal conflicts, rivalry and power plays.

All this before you meet the main character, Abel Nightroad, who on the surface appears to be a destitute travelling priest, but is in fact the Vatican's secret weapon against the vampires: a Crusnik, a vampire that feeds on other vampires.

And this is where things get really interesting, chuck in a mechanoid gun friendly priest, Tres, and a rather feisty nun, Esther, and you have a rather amusing trio who naturally always find themselves in trouble, often due to Abel's clumsiness but who cares, it makes for an amusing read!

Trinity Blood is part Gothic adventure series and part comedy but whilst the manga pulls a few surprising punches along the way, it is easy to get swept along with the story.

But if this story appears to be just light hearted fun, you would be deceived, there is a much darker story lurking here.

Abel, who is ashamed to admit to Esther what he really is, hides the truth from her, but at the end of volume 4, a scared Esther calls Abel a monster when she sees him in his terrifying Crusnik form, which leads Abel to despair.

A little while back I found out that the man who wrote the original novels, Sunao Yoshida, had died a few years back, apparently he was a lot like Abel, kind hearted and generous, the kind of person I would have liked to meet one day, as I don't think there are enough of this kind of people in the world.

Here's to hoping that I will meet more Abel's in this world, one day.

Feminism in manga: the NANA effect

2008-03-24T00:37:00.000-07:00

Many of you may have noticed, but I'm a bit of a NANA fangirl, I really like the way Ai Yazawa portrays her heroines as independent women rather than being docile.

Chasing the future

Both Nana's in this series move to Tokyo to make a new life for themselves, earning their own money and realising that behind the glamour of Tokyo, real life can be tough sometimes, but in the face of such harsh choices, decisions will have to be made, and this is where NANA really excels, in showing not only the problems life can throw at you, but also the consequences that you will have to live with.

Hachi (Nana Komatsu), once a boy-crazy pretty girl becomes pregnant and in the process, the friendship between the two friends slowly changes, but to Hachi, Nana Osaki now seems further away as her musical career takes off, but despite this, Hachi still supports her friend, even though they are far apart.

Kindred spirits

Friendships between female friends can be volatile due to jealousy, envy and rivalry and whilst most shojo manga is often light and fluffy, NANA often shows that people do make mistakes and handle situations badly, a lot like real life if you think about it and that is what I think sets this series apart from other manga's.

The Nana's world changes and this I think is experienced by many women in their twenties as their lives change too due to careers or marriage which often call friendships into question.

But ultimately, Hachi believes in Nana O and this I think keeps their friendship going and that in this fickle world of revolving friendships is commendable.

The manga has been said to inspire a new generation of women in Japan, and honestly, I can see why.

More than just Rock 'n' Roll

And whilst I no longer where my punk rock make up or diamante collar, there is still a little punk rock spirit in my heart.

Since I started this series, I have also read Kamikaze Girls and been listening to more J-punk records, what I now call the NANA effect in my own life.

There are plenty of women who are all about using others, mistakenly thinking this is independence, but it's not, reading NANA just makes me want to make my own way in this world and that isn't a bad thing at all.

So many female friendships are about rivalry and outdoing each other to prove, 'I'm better than you,' that I sometimes do worry if people really know what it means to be a friend.

But I think there is hope in NANA, as women live out their twenties all over the world, even when their lives change before their very eye's, mistakes will be made but we will carry on our struggles, moving forward to the future.

After all, isn't that the purpose of youth?

What's in your handbag?

2008-03-23T02:38:00.000-07:00

Following the example of the very fabulous InsideMyBag website, I thought I would share the contents of what's inside my anime handbag with you:

Death Note handbag - For those who don't know, the villain/hero on my handbag is Light from the anime series, Death Note.

Out of all the bags I've owned, this is the one I've got the most attention with, it's not designer, it's dirt cheap, and yet I've had a girl shout, "That's a cool bag," behind me on the Underground escalator, it took me a few seconds to realise, wait... she's talking about me, but this was the first of many comments.

Meiji Chocolate Almonds - I was in Chinatown yesterday, so I had to cave into my weakness for Japanese chocolate, not too sweet, these almonds are totally moorish.

Meiji Strawberry chocolate - This is by far my favourite chocolate, but I don't always find it, it's chocolate with a thin layer of strawberry nougat in the middle, very yummy!

Face Stockholm Glitter Stick in Silver - I'm a glitter girl at heart, good for times when you need a little sparkle in your life, or quick make up on the go when out clubbing.

Kiehl's lip balm - If it's good enough for the A-list, it's good enough for me, an ultra moisturising lip balm.

Clinique lipgloss - A lovely chocolate coloured lipgloss with a hint of glitter.

Manga travel card holder - A groovy little cover for my Oyster card, makes touching in and out, much more fun!

NANA manga - No anime handbag would be complete without a manga, I'm reading the heartfelt series about two girls with the same name, because every girl is a little punk rock at heart.

Loveless Cosplay: The trouble with being a cat boy

2008-03-22T01:04:00.000-07:00

Dug up a long forgotten photo on my digital camera the other day taken at a Deviant Art cosplay meet.

This was our Loveless group, that's me on the far right, strangely, on the photo the top looks blue but its actually green.

I'm dressed as the angsty cat boy, Ritsuka, and on my left is Soubi(I really wanted to steal her furry coat), then my evil brother Seimei (Meg pulled him off wonderfully, looking rather sinister) and at the far end is another Ritsuka.

It was both fun and troublesome being a cat boy, the ears (I assure you there are two) took ages to put on and running through Hyde Park I did get some funny looks but the best reaction was when I stopped to ask a roller blading dad and his son for directions, they acted very normally, even though I know I must have looked odd.

Walking around, we did get a few smiles from Japanese people and whilst sitting down to eat in a restaurant it was problematic sitting on my tail, cat boys don't have it easy, I assure you!

But this is all part of the cosplay experience and whilst sometimes people will make snide comments, most people just smile at you or do a double take.

It's almost like putting on a costume and being someone else, I had a hard time being angsty though as I smile a lot but being a little aloof was fun.

UK households have more debt than USA

2008-03-21T01:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's Metro ran an interesting story about how the credit crunch is expected to hit Britain worser than America, as Britain has a stronger link between house prices and consumer spending.

The article pointed out that the levels of household debt is also higher for the UK, running at around 175 per cent of disposable income compared to 128 per cent in the States.

So how do debt levels fair across the pond? A recent article looking at money in your thirties, stated that 9 out of 10 thirty somethings owe money and although this age range has fewer student loans to repay, the debt is often higher at $13,000 compared to people in their twenties who owe around $9,200.

The main reason behind this is that those who took smaller amount of loans in their twenties paid their loan back quickly, whilst the 30 year old's were still making payments on large loans.

Bearing in mind that most UK female students will take 16 year to repay their student loans compared to 11 years for men, and the picture we are now seeing in America is something we will soon be seeing over here - a generation of thirty somethings burdened with debt.

Add credit cards into the equation and 50% of American 30 year old's fail to pay off their credit cards by the end of the month and the future looks like a bleak one.

So here are some tips on how to manage your debts:

1) Make debt your top priority - The wide screen TV can wait, focus on paying off the remainder of your debts, focusing on the most expensive first and working your way down.

2) Stop living on credit - Really resolve to start living within your means and pay off your cards.

Once that's done, start saving and if you see a top that you really want to buy, save up for it first before buying.

3) Tighten your purse strings - Getting out of debt takes work and you will have to forgo some luxuries if you really want to make it work, so become more disciplined with your wallet and re-evaluate your lifestyle to see where you can save money.

4) Learn to budget - This will not only help control your spending but make you more savvy about where you spend your money and get more for less.

Cosplaying into the Record Books

2008-03-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I headed down to the Millennium Bridge in London where the, 'Largest gathering of people dressed as games characters,' took place to set a new world record for the Guinness Book of Records - Gamers Edition.

I was surrounded by the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog, Chun Li, Lara Croft and even the ghosts from Pacman!

An army of eighty cosplayers dressed up in mostly home made costumes braved the cold weather to take part in the record.

Kim Harman, 19, who travelled all the way from Devon to be here today to transform into Chun-Li from Street Fighter said:

" I think she was the first female games character who wasn't a damsel in distress, she's independent, I'd like to be more like her."

Phil Simms, 22, spent two weeks with very little sleep making his costume of Tails from Sonic the Hedgehog, here's what he had to say about the day:

" Tails is my favourite character, I've had a very good reaction from people today, the best thing about Tails is that I have two tails, so I get to fly home!"

But the show was stolen away by 24 primary school children who all dressed up as Mario from Super Mario Brothers wearing identikit red caps and dungarees.

The article about today's event will soon be appearing on the Anime UK News website.

Sort out your finances

2008-03-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

With many worries that a recession may be heading our way after the American credit crisis, today's blog is all about what practical steps you can take to take control of your finances:

1) Deal with your debts - More credit card companies are refusing new application as the credit crunch continues, so now's the time to focus on clearing those debts once and for all.

If you are using a high interest credit card, switch to a 0% interest credit card and start paying off your debt.

When you get paid, transfer as much money as you can to pay off your debts before saving any money, as the interest on credit cards often outweigh the interest on savings accounts, that's why it's important to deal with debts first.

2) Become a competitive saver - Do you know the interest rate on your savings account?

If it's been so long ago that you can't remember, check out a comparison website to see if you can get a better deal elsewhere.

Chances are that great savings account three years ago has now become uncompetitive and although the Bank of England has reduced the interest rate, the more savvy savers can still find a good return on their money.

3) Saving made easy - If a recession does hit, it will pay to be more clever with your spending, so look at where you can save money now.

Here are a few of my suggestions:

- Only go food shopping once every fortnight and use up what you already have in the fridge or cupboards.
- Jot down your grocery shopping list and then eliminate the items that are more 'wants' than 'needs.'
- At the supermarket, pick supermarket own brands over more expensive goods.
- Chuck all your loose change into a money box at the end of the day.
- Cancel any direct debits that you no longer use.
- Ditch breakfast on the run and eat at home.
- Limit how often you eat out and take a packed lunch to work.

4) Curb your spending - Many people impulse buy, so ask yourself the following two questions before you part with your cash:

Do I really need this?

Have I already got something similar at home?

The reality is that we only wear 20% of our clothes so exercising a little will power will keep the money in your wallet.

5) Keep a spending diary - If you really have no idea where your money is going, start a spending diary.

Writing down every single thing you buy for a week will make you more aware of just where that money really goes, but take this one step further and jot down what you were feeling at the time and what you were doing at the time, will help determine you money triggers.

Many people spend cash out of boredom or spend more when out with friends, so if this is you, find a cheaper hobby or go shopping by yourself.

For more information, check out this article on how to recession-proof your finances.

How to save money for an emergency

2008-03-16T00:56:00.000-07:00

If you're wondering why you need an emergency account to begin with, consider this, what would you do if you lost your job tomorrow?

Scary thought, isn't it?

Do you have any savings to fall back on? If this was to happen to you, what would you live on? If you have children, how would you run your household?

So today's blog is all about ways to save more and what to do with your money when you have saved it:

1) Pay yourself first - As soon as you get your monthly wage, move some money into a separate account, if you are a single person, the minimum you need to save is three months wages, if you have children, double that.

Transferring money is the simplest way to do this, it may take a while to save it, but the point is, if you don't have any emergency funds, start doing something about it immediately.

2) Where can you cut back? - Write down where you spend the most money, if you're not sure, check your bank balance, you will soon find out at which shops you spend the most.

Take into account 'invisible' transactions, by this I mean cash you take out which seemingly gets spent on things you can't remember buying, the most likely culprits are: eating out, socialising, magazines and your hobbies.

3) Give up an expensive hobby - Pick one hobby that you can live without for three months and save the cash instead, or reduce the number of nights out and have cheap nights in with friends instead.

If the thought of abandoning your favourite shop is too much, limit your visit to only once a week and set a limit on what you can spend, doing this will be hard at first, but the long term benefits is that you will be better prepared for the future if something goes wrong.

4) What are your special talents? - Good at cooking or DIY? Turn this into a money making hobby: become a handyman on the weekend, take a second job or bake cakes for special occasions.

5) Where to save the cash - Once you have the cash, save the money in a separate account from your day to day account, otherwise you might spend it, remember it has to be an easy access account in case you need to reach it in a hurry.

Online accounts work well as it is easy to transfer money between accounts if you need to, but if you know that you are a spendthrift, get a branch account with no card or cheque book, where you will have to walk in to a bank to withdraw the money.

The other option is putting the money in an ISA, which will pay you tax free interest, but keep the account variable rather than fixed in case you need to withdraw the money in a hurry.

6) What is an emergency? - Be absolutely clear what an emergency really is and write this down, such as losing your job, or the threat of becoming homeless, shoes or a holiday do not qualify I'm afraid!

Once you have reached your goal, keep adding a little bit extra every month to top up your funds.

For more advice, check out these tips on how to save money every day.

5 Steps to beating the Budget

2008-03-15T00:29:00.000-07:00

Many people will be hit by this year's budget and its not just the smokers or the drivers who will be effected, no matter if you are a winner or a loser this year, a little financial planning can only be a good thing so today's blog is all about thrifty ways to save more:

1) Be picky about the car you drive - 2010 may seem like a while away when the new, 'showroom tax,' on cars will come into effect but buying a brand new car will set you back £550 in tax for the first year alone, while the most polluting cars will pay a shocking £950, according to a Guardian article.

And if you think this ruling won't effect used cars, think again, expect to be taxed £455 in 2009, so if you are buying a car this year, don't just think about the cost of the car itself, but also how much it will cost to run the car in the following years.

2) Quit smoking - If you kick the habit, you can expect to be £3,000 richer every year says an article on the Sky Money website along with being healthier and cutting the cost of life insurance, saving this money into an ISA will make you richer.

3) Keeping costs down - It's time to become more money savvy on the things you do buy, check out online price comparison websites like Kelkoo and Pricerunner before you hand over your cash to make sure you are getting the best deal.

4) How much will the budget cost you? - Don't think this weeks Budget will effect you? Try out the BBC's Budget calculator to be sure.

5) Save more - If the results from the above calculator mean that you need more money, prioritise saving to the top of your, 'things to do,' list.

Many of us do not save enough money and chances are with this year's Budget we probably all need some extra cash for the year ahead, so put as much as you can into your ISA allowance, direct debit regular installments straight into your account after pay day, before you get the chance to spend it!

For more tips on beating the budget, check out this Budget survival kit.

Come back tomorrow to find out how to save for an emergency fund - you never know when you might need a little bit extra cash!

The Skint person's guide to saving money

2008-03-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

Quite often I hear a lot of people saying that they don't earn enough money to save a little cash at the end of the month, so today's blog is all about how to save money even when the purse strings are tight:

1) Where do you really spend your money? - Everyone wastes money, cash has this way of slipping through our fingers but paying by debit card means when your bank balance arrives in the post, you can see exactly where you have spend all that cash.

So grab last month's bank balance and trail through it with a fine comb, where are you spending the most, what can you give up for a while or eliminate altogether?

2) Savvy money swaps - Once you have figured out where you can save money, now look at where you can spend less on the things you do buy.

Supermarket own brands can be just as good as over-priced brands so the next time you go food shopping, look at the price labels on the shelves and try a cheaper product.

3) Only go food shopping once a fortnight - When was the last time you checked the kitchen cupboards? If it's been a while, chances are food is piling up, so for the last month my family only went food shopping every other week (except the occasional fresh ingredient's) and used up the food in the fridge instead, saving us £90 so far.

4) Are you a reluctant saver? - For just one day, try spending no money at all, this is not as easy as it seems, a friend of mine thinks we are programmed to spend, but I disagree, more to the point, I think we are programmed not to save.

Once a month give yourself a, 'no spend,' weekend and take advantage of free activities in your local area, be it a visit to a free museum or explore the local park.

5) Saving made easy - Every time a friend of mine got a £2 coin as part of her loose change, she would take it out of her purse and put it in a money box, by the end of the year she has saved up £200.

For more tips on how to look rich on the cheap check out these cheeky suggestions by other money savers.

What the Budget will mean for you

2008-03-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

If you are a bit mystified by today's budget , here's a simple guide to the key facts and how they will effect you:

Savers
As predicted, the Government will be encouraging more people to save, with ISA limits increasing to £3,600 on cash ISAs.

Home buyers
The Government wants to encourage more people to take fixed rate mortgages to help people on to the property ladder and sites to build 70,000 more houses have been identified.

Car drivers
Darling will postpone the 2p increase in petrol costs until October this year with a 0.5p per litre increase from 2010.

Smokers
The cost of a pack of 20 cigarettes will go up 11p from 6pm tonight.

Pensioners
Winter tax allowance for the elderly will rise from £200 to £250 and more pensioners will not have to pay council tax.

What to watch out for with 0% credit cards

2008-03-11T03:18:00.000-07:00

Despite the current credit crisis many credit card companies and banks are still trying to lure customers to their 0% credit cards, but an excellent article on MSN Money recently pointed out we need to watch out for the debt traps associated with these cards.

So why do people use 0% cards in the first place? Often many people think it's a good place to keep their debt, with no interest for a limited amount of time, but many people are now finding that these cards are in fact extending their debt rather than solving them, so today's blog is all about what to watch out for and how:

1) Always pay on time - Missing even one payment could revert your card back to a higher interest rate, you won't know this unless you read the small print and most banks are relying on the fact that you wont.

2) Never take this card with you when you go shopping - Don't let the 0% card lull you into a fake sense of security, debt is still debt and the last thing you want to do is increase it.

3) Why are you spending so much in the first place? - Take a good look at why you are spending beyond your means - what's your lifestyle like?

Your bank statements won't lie and if you want to beat your debt, this is the first place you need to look, pinpoint exactly where you are spending the most money.

4) Where can you cut back? - Everyone overspends on one thing or another so giving up a hobby or two for a while will save extra cash you can put towards clearing your credit card debt.

5) Have a goal - Setting yourself a target is a good way to focus on beating debt, so set yourself a realistic deadline for when you want to be debt-free and write up an action plan of the steps you need to take every month to get there.

Things to do on a rainy day

2008-03-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

Over here in the UK we have braced ourselves for bad weather, so today's blog is a list of the random things I've been doing today:

1) Read the newspaper
2) Find out how to play Sudoku
3) Attempt and fail at the Sudoku puzzle in the newspaper
4) Watch manga music video's on You Tube
5) Enter lots of competitions
6) Read manga scanlations online
7) Eat an extremely large amount of chocolate
8) Read some fanfiction
9) Watch far too much day time TV
10) Play the 'Rainy Day' song by Guster that appeared in Life As A House

Star Project Chiro

2008-03-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

Ever since I read Bring It On and Chocolat, I have been a big fan of Korean manwha and Star Project Chiro is no exception.

Telling the story of a pretty girl, Eun-Yo, with an arrogant personality who gets blackmailed by, Nan Lee, after she burns his house down, and has to do whatever he says to pay back her dedt.

Nan Lee, is a famous celeb who runs an entertainment company and he has promised Eun-Yo he will make her a star to pay the money off faster.

It all seems fine, until the biggest surprise is revealed in volume two, the star he is creating is actually a boy, so Eun-Yo must put on weight and cut her hair to pull off the look.

And surprising she actually makes a good looking boy, who looks exactly like the leading male in Bring It On, but you won't hear me complaining, and the manwha finally starts to pick up it's pace with some hilarious results.

But this is what I love about Korean manwha, all the pretty girls are actually crazy loud mouthed women and you will find no wallflowers here, just girls who kick butt!

Nodame, the French adventure!

2008-03-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

In my last part of my trilogy of blogs on that wonderful manga series, Nodame Cantabile, I will be focusing on the duo's escapades in Paris.

Today, while I was out shopping, I kept being drawn to Nodame style clothes and Chiaki style jackets, I actually rather like that classical image; smart and sophisticated!

I also ended up buying all things French; baguettes, cakes, perfume and other nick nacks, the manga has taken on a life of its own in my world.

I even bought my very first classical music CD.

Nodame made me laugh a lot with her selective phrases in French directed at Chiaki like, 'he's my husband,' and Chiaki still claims that they are not a couple, but somehow this has become a running joke in the manga.

But as Chiaki makes his debut concert, it is Nodame who has a crisis of confidence- she is not sure why she is in Paris.

And having had a similar experience myself a few years ago all I can say is that, sometimes there are tests in life to see if you really want to achieve your dreams, sometimes you have to loose faith, to realise whats truly important.

The book ends on a cliffhanger so even I'm not sure what happens next but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Nodame.

Anyway, I'd just like to say a big thanks to all those Nodame Cantabile fans out there who have been reading my blog over the last few days (especially those in Japan).

Arigato and thank you for reading my musings on a surprising manga.

Chiaki's choice: talent, luck or fate?

2008-03-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I have been moved by any manga, but Nodame Cantabile, has taken up a special place in my heart.

On seeing Chiaki's conducting, a reporter from a classical music magazine comments that most people don't always know what to do with their talent and Chiaki is no different.

How best to use your talents?

Today I realised that I hadn't been aiming high enough and I changed my mind, there are also areas in my life that are counter productive and I have decided not to waste time on these things.

You will sometimes find the most supportive people in the most unlikely places and I realised I had been wrong about a few people - what they really want is for me to succeed, I had been too blind to see it.

Chiaki's not sure whether to stay in Japan or go abroad, but after Nodame cures his fear of flying, he suddenly realises that he wants to take her with him.

Whilst talking on the phone she tells Chiaki that even though they will be going to different countries she hopes that one day they will appear on the same stage, not realising that he's behind her!

In this day and age when people have selfish dreams, Nodame has a shared one and even though this is make believe, I still hope there are more people in this world like that.

Nodame Cantabile: Hope, pain and music

2008-03-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

There's a scene in the classical music manga, Nodame Cantabile, where a reporter is looking at the young composer Chiaki and even though he is so full of talent, he carries a sense of hopelessness with him.

The reporter wishes that Chiaki will realise that to survive in music, you need both talent and luck, and he wonders whether Chiaki will grasp this.

And I found myself contemplating this same fate, thinking have I really understood this myself, and at a sad point in volume eight, I realised my mistake.

I didn't grasp my dream when I had the chance and it slipped through my fingers like a rivers stream.

For not having the confidence to grab the future with both hands, for not realising what was really being handed to me.

Like Chiaki, for not realising the good intention of the people supporting me.

To the one out there reading this, can I say I'm sorry?

It is after this very concert that the auditorium is filled with praise and clapping, but Nodame sits in the audience crying, only later do we realise why, she is helping the one she loves reach his future, even with the possibility that she may not be a part of it.

Nodame doesn't represent a selfish love, just a kind one.

Music can turn such pain and loss into hope.

Manga as therapy

2008-03-05T13:49:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just need a really good laugh and a funny manga is a good place to start.

Here are a few of my top recommendations:

Chocolat - Kum-ji fakes her way into a fan club for a band she doesn''t even like in order to meet her real heroes.

A side splitingly funny look at fandom, Korean style, full of angsty pop stars, rivalry, fan club wars and the surprising revelation that fanboys do exist!

Ouran High School Host Club - Haruhi breaks the Host Clubs expensive vase and ends up becoming their dogsbody, where she finds out just how different the super rich are from every one else.

A hilarious romantic comedy about class, wealth and eating a lot of cake (okay, the last one's just about Hunny) but a refreshing manga nonetheless.

My Heavenly Hockey Club - Roped in to joining the boys Hockey Club, Hana, would like nothing better than to get extra sleep, but she is soon dragged across the country to hockey matches, which for one reason or another, where they never actually play.

The manga which just pretends to be a sports manga is a slapstick comedy, perhaps the only time you will ever see a bear in goal.

In praise of Bollywood bad girls

2008-03-04T11:59:00.000-08:00

Recently, my mum has got me addicted to a couple of Indian drama shows called, Father's Dream and The Story of Every House.

It was only after watching about four different series did I notice a pattern emerging here.

The fabulous vixens are dressed immaculately in stylish clothes with the most elaborate make up that make the heroine's look like wilting wallflowers!

I asked my mum why the bad girls all look so, er... hot and her response was this:

" Because they are rich and powerful, they can do whatever they want!"

This is feminism gone astray, but with women this devilish and sneaky, I have to confess I rather like them, they know what they want and like hell are they going to let some man/husband/goody two shoes get in their way.

If you've never watched any Bollywood drama's the kind of story lines you can expect to see are: family betrayal, scandal, murder and greedy and jealous relatives.

The essential message, if you want to be philosophical, is that no matter their class or status, ultimately power and money corrupts and no one's downfall is quite as beautiful as these vampy Bollywood babes.

Easy ways to save big

2008-03-03T05:08:00.000-08:00

You don't need a complicated master plan to save money, here are some nifty ways to save that little bit extra cash:

1) Shop online - Comparison websites can easily find you the cheapest deals, but if you only buy books and CDs online, why not try grocery shopping, this way you only buy what you need without the added temptation of those extra goodies.

2) Get real about your targets - If you don't save on a regular basis, aiming for a big goal can be tough, so become a regular saver gradually, so if you spend £900 every month, aim to reduce this by £100 next month and so on.

But don't push yourself to the extreme either as this will set you up for failure and when you reach a new goal give yourself a reward for all your efforts.

3) Piggy banks - I know I've mentioned this before, but this is by far the easiest way to save money, a friend would put any £2 coins she got back in change in a jar and by the end of the year she had £200.

4) Become a swapaholic - Next time you buy toiletries, swap the item for a cheaper version, most of the time you are paying for expensive packaging and classics often work just as well as luxury brands.

5) Car boot sales - This is the quick way to raise cash and declutter your home, simply grab a box and fill with items you no longer need - be ruthless, if you haven't used it in a year, you're not likely to use it again, no matter how much you originally spent on it!

If manga characters came to life...

2008-03-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

It would probably go something like this...

In my head I've been writing a Fruits Basket fanfiction called, The Secret Life of Yuki, where we find out what Yuki gets up to after the manga books close and all his fans are asleep.

I would picture Yuki being a bit EMO but still polite, but I don't think he'd be friends with Kyo in real life, after all cats and rats aren't supposed to get along anyway?

He would always give autographs to his eager fans, Kyo wearing cool shades would snub 'em, he's a celebrity you see.

Hatsuhara would be a total club kid, unwittingly dragging poor Yuki along to Tokyo's cyber clubs and Shigure... well, he would be just Shigure (bone idle and lazy.)

Which somehow, beings me to George from Paradise Kiss, if he walked in to my life I would most likely be swept off my feet, not that I would mind, he's a super stylish guy, but that's the great thing about manga: endless imagination!

Who would I most like to meet in real life?

Perhaps Kio from Loveless, he would annoy me no end, but I think he's a very loyal guy and so accepting - I think the world needs more people with open hearts.

If I ever met Kino from Kino's Journey, I would ask her just why she travels and what it means to be free.

But the most surprising person from a manga I would like to meet would be Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club, an idiot he may be, but a kind hearted fool at that.

Maybe I will start writing that fanfic one of theses days...