SayakaSU

"In Tokyo's downtown district of Ikebukuro, amidst many strange rumors and warnings of anonymous gangs and dangerous occupants, one urban legend stands out above the rest - the existence of a headless "Black Rider" who is said to be seen driving a jet-black motorcycle through the city streets. Mikado Ryuugamine has always longed for the excitement of the city life, and an invitation from a childhood friend convinces him to move to Tokyo. Witnessing the Black Rider on his first day in the city, his wishes already seem to have been granted. But as supernatural events begin to occur, ordinary citizens like himself, along with Ikebukuro's most colorful inhabitants, are mixed up in the commotion breaking out in their city." Durarara!! (in Japanese, デュラララ!! ), often shortened to DRRR!! , is an Action, Comedy, Mystery & Supernatural light novel series written by Ryohgo Narita , that adapted into a 24-episode-long anime in the beginning of 2010 to ...

J-Pop, short for Japanese Pop, is a music genre that is quite popular, along with K-Pop (Korean Pop) and C-Pop (Chinese Pop). I have already written a blog post about J-pop girl groups and artists, which you can find under the "Music" category, but where are the guys? Thus, it is time to check out some famous J-pop Boy Groups and Artists! EXILE: First up, EXILE. They are a boy group consisting of 19 members. They used to be known as the J Soul Brothers but they changed the name in 2001. The leader, stage name Hiro, formed the group with a bunch of other performers after leaving his former group Zoo (a pop group which split up in 1995). In total, they have sold over 25 million records in Japan alone. Arashi: Arashi is known to be one of Japan's most famous and appreciated boy bands. The group has 5 members and was officially formed in September 1999. Their debut single sold close to a million copies. Arashi has also recieved over 60 awards and 26 nominations th...

Japan has many, many islands. There is one island though called Tashirojima , known as Cat Island , that really stands out; as you can tell from the name, the island is filled with an extraordinary amount of cats! This island is perfect for all the cat lovers out there, because here lives God-knows how many cats. The island is inhabited by humans as well, but the population lies only around 100 people or so (the number has decreased with the years, being at 1000 people in the 1950s). Tashirojima is a small fishing island in Ishinomaki , Miyagi Prefecture, off the coast of Sendai - only 1.2 square miles in area. It has become known as "Cat Island" due to the large stray cat population that thrives as a result of the local belief that feeding cats will bring wealth and good fortune. The cat population is now larger than the human population on the island. There are no pet dogs on the island due to the large cat population. But, fun fact, this is not the only cat i...

We all can get real grumpy every now and then, but it feels best to say things out loud sometimes. The problem is ofcourse that everyone can hear you and gets what you are saying, but if you used Japanese to express your anger, no one would understand a word (unless you are in Japan or speaking with a Japanese person)! So, to keep it direct, in this short [but hopefully educational] blog post, I will teach you 5 simple but effective Japanese phrases that you can use when you are angry. A pretty good trick to use when you need to blow off some steam but still don't want people to understand you! 1) ほっておいて。 (Pronounced as "Hotte oite."). This translates into "Leave me alone". Very useful if you want to, well, be left alone and when you are being highly annoyed or disturbed by someone. 2) だまれ！(Pronounced as "Damare!"). This translates into "Shut up!". This conveys your anger good but it is a really harsh phrase. So, you can also sa...

Kiss Him, Not Me! , known in Japan as Watashi ga Motete Dousunda , is a Romance, Comedy & Shoujo 14-volumes-long manga series written and illustrated by Junko , published by Kodansha year 2013. The manga also won "Best Shoujo Manga" at the 40th Kodansha Manga Awards. It got its own anime adaption in 2016, airing between October 6th and December 22nd, with 12 episodes. "Kae Serinuma is a second year high schooler and an avid fujoshi who secretly ships her classmates, Igarashi-kun and Nanashima-kun. The death of her favorite anime character causes her to become stressed and locking herself in her own room for a whole week - and she loses weight rapidly. Now that Serinuma has become an attractive girl to her classmates, her snarky kouhai Shinomiya-kun, and her senpai Mutsumi, how is she going to deal with them ...with her constant BL-filled, fujoshi mind?!" Kae Serinuma is the main protagonist of the series; a 2nd-year student who is a full-fledged otak...

Bongcheon-Dong Ghost is a short, South Korean horror webtoon (a type of digital comic) created by Horang August 23rd 2011. In July 2011, artist Horang published the short webtoon " Ok-su Station Ghost " on Naver Webtoon (a webtoon portal). This webtoon included 3D-like effects, including in a scene in which a ghost´s hand appears to jump out of the screen as if to grab the viewer. Horang followed this webcomic up with "Bongcheon-Dong Ghost" later that month. An English fan translation and video dub were created in August, as the webcomic quickly went viral internationally. Some people also recorded themselves reading the story and putting it up on YouTube for people to see their reactions. If you are too scared to read the story on your own, I recommend searching up PewDiePie's video of reading Bongcheon Dong Ghost. SPOILER. Set in Bongcheon-dong, Seoul, the webcomic shows a student walking home from school late at night meeting a female ghost who wa...

Switched is a J-drama consisting of merely 6 episodes, based on Shiki Kawabata's 2014-2015 manga series Sora wo Kakeru Yodaka . This short series premiered on Netflix August 1st 2018. I've always stuck with Korean dramas and never really given other countries' dramas a chance because I'm so used to K-dramas and am afraid of having too high expectations and being let down if I go out of my comfort zone... and that's exactly what happened with Switched.   The plot of this drama revolves around how depressed high-school student Zenko Umine (actress: Miu Tomita ) commits suicide, with fellow student Ayumi (actress: Kaya Kiyohara ) seeing her fall from the school roof top to her death and then passes out herself. When Ayumi wakes up, she finds herself in Umine's body, while Umine is in Ayumi's body. The story follows the twists and turns of the character Umine and the reasons why she committed suicide, while social anxiety and depression are underlying...

I love movies and series; they influence me so much, especially after I've watched it. This movie that I am going to talk about is a beautiful one that I have been rewatching over and over again ever since I saw it for the first time, and it still affects me and touches my heart. It is Kimi No Na Wa ! Kimi No Na Wa, known as Your Name in English, is a Japanese, animated romantic fantasy drama film from 2016. "When Taki wakes up, he has a feeling that he has dreamt something important. He was in an unfamiliar room and in another body - a girl's body. In another part of Japan, Mitsuha dreams about another life, a life as far away from her little hometown as possible. She wishes she was a handsome boy from Tokyo. A dream that comes true when she falls asleep. Suddenly, Mitsuha is living Taki's life in Taki's body and vice versa. When they wake up, they have returned to themselves, but when night falls they swap bodies again. While they are, a bit clumsily,...

"Death City is home to the famous Death Weapon Meister Academy, a technical academy headed by the Shinigami - Lord Death himself. Its mission: to raise "Death Scythes" for the Shinigami to wield against the many evils of their fantastical world. These Death Scythes, however, are not made from physical weapons; rather, they are born from human hybrids who have the ability to transform their bodies into Demon Weapons, and only after they have consumed the souls of 99 evil beings and one witch's soul. Soul Eater Evans, a Demon Scythe who only seems to care about what's cool, aims to become a Death Scythe with the help of his straight-laced wielder, or meister, Maka Albarn. The contrasting duo work and study alongside the hot headed Black☆Star and his caring weapon Tsubaki, as well as the Shinigami's own son, Death the Kid, an obsessive-compulsive dual wielder of twin pistols Patty and Liz. Soul Eater follows these students of Shibusen as they ta...

I made a guide recently where I talked and explained about some of the most common honorifics used in Japan, like -san, -kun or -chan. This is Part 2 of that post! 1. " Jiisan/Baasan ". Jiisan or Baasan is used when referring to one's grandfather or grandmother. It can also be used to older adults you are acquainted with.   2. " Dono ". This one is barely even used these days in Japan, but I felt like, why not write it down anyway. Dono roughly means "lord" or "master", a title that has almost gone out from daily conversation, but when it is used, it's usually as a joke expressing an exaggeration of age. 3. " Senpai ". It is the equivalent of "senior". It is used in school, for classmates in higher grades, or all people with more experience than you at work, club, or just about any type of group. 4. " Kohai ". It is the equivalent of "junior", so, opposite of Senpai. It can appear kind ...

When reading manga, watching anime or talking with Japanese people, we come across these things called honorifics, such as -san, -kun, -chan and much more. Most languages already use Mr, Mrs, Dr, etc. but in Japanese, it is a bit different. For someone who does not know about them or how to use them, it can become very confusing and difficult to understand. But don't worry! Here is a guide where I'll explain 6 common Japanese honorifics. 1. " San ". It is most likely the most common honorific, as it means something like "Mr." or "Mrs". San can be used for anyone, since it is a title of respect between equals. 2. " Kun ". Kun is used to address young males. It is also used by males of the same age and status. 3. " Chan ". This one can be used in a lot of ways and to a lot of people, such as children, close friends or lovers. It is most commonly used for and between girls. You never use it to someone superior to you thou...

"When Subaru Natsuki leaves the convenience store, the last thing he expects is to be wrenched from his everyday life and dropped into a fantasy world. Things are not looking good for the bewildered teenager; however, not long after his arrival, he is attacked by some thugs. Armed with only a bag of groceries and a now useless cell phone, he is quickly beaten to a pulp. Fortunately, a mysterious beauty named Satella, in hot pursuit after the one who stole her insignia, happens upon Subaru and saves him. In order to thank the honest and kindhearted girl, Subaru offers to help in her search, and later that night, he even finds the whereabouts of that which she seeks. But unbeknownst to them, a much darker force stalks the pair from the shadows, and just minutes after locating the insignia, Subaru and Satella are brutally murdered. However, Subaru immediately reawakens to a familiar scene - confronted by the same group of thugs, meeting Satella all over again - the enigm...

What is the Chinese Zodiac? Known as Sheng Xiao in China, the zodiac consists of the 12 animal signs designated to the 12 earthly branches in China, including Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Each of the animal signs is related to the Chinese lunar calendar, based on a twelve-year cycle. Last year was the Year of the Pig, beginning from February 5th 2019 (Chinese New Year) and running to January 25th 2020; this year, it is the Year of the Rat.   What is the origins of the Chinese Zodiac?   The first mention of the zodiac can be found in the Book of Odes. At one point, the poem in Shijing Xiaoya Jiri says: "Auspicious Geng Wu is a good day for horse hunting". This was the first juxtaposition of the Wu character and the Horse. The method of counting years using the Chinese zodiac originated during the time of the Southern and Northern dynasties (240-589 AD). Yu Wenhu in his biography discussing the Northern dyna...

Kuroshitsuji , also known as Black Butler , is a famous Shounen, Fantasy, Historical, Action anime and manga series that premiered in autumn 2008. The first episode was released October 3rd 2008 and the last episode at March 27th 2009. The series have sequels, but I will be talking about season 1 (which has 24 episodes) and the main character of the first one, which is ofcourse Ciel Phantomhive . "Young Ciel Phantomhive is known as "the Queen´s Guard Dog", taking care of the many unsettling events that occur in Victorian England for Her Majesty. Aided by Sebastian Michaelis, his loyal butler with seemingly inhuman abilities, Ciel uses whatever means necessary to get the job done. But is there more to this black-clad butler than meets the eye? In Ciel's past lies a secret tragedy that enveloped him in perennial darkness - during one of his bleakest moments, he formed a contract with Sebastian, a demon, bargaining his soul in exchange for vengeance upon t...

There are many styles of street fashion in Japan, created from a mix of both local and foreign labels. Today I wanted to mention Harajuku and the fashion around it. First of all, Harajuku is a district in Tokyo, Japan and the district is an important centrum for teenage-adolescence fashion and several trends begin in many of the designboutiques that exists here. And that's where Harajuku Fashion comes in. Harajuku style is basically a playful, colourful mixture of girly and punk, popular among Japanese teenagers. The name is Harajuku because this street style was mainly formed around the Harajuku district in Shibuya, Japan. The style is, by nature, unique and always changing, the possibilities are endless with this type of fashion. Here are also some pictures to get the idea. If you are interested in Harajuku fashion, there are many online and real-life stores all around specially for this. Or, you can simply create your own style of it; after all, the Harajuku styl...

I wanted to discuss the anime Violet Evergarden for a minute because it is the latest anime I've watched but it has already earned a Top 3 spot in the list of my favourite animes of all time. Why and how? Well, let me tell you everything about this beautiful anime (with no spoilers ofcourse)! Violet Evergarden is a 13-episodes-long anime adaption from early 2018 by Kyoto Animation , based off of the light novel series [with the same name] that was written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase . The story follows an orphan who was brought up on the battlefield; a very young and talented female soldier with no individual emotions or actions. She was simply named "the weapon", only made to fight. Though, Officer Gilbert Bougainvillea is the only one who sees her as a person and not a tool. He takes her under his care, names her Violet and truly watches over her, trying to give her the life she was missing, letting her grow up as normally as she can (u...