Yuki Kaori - Angel Sanctuary, vol. 13-16 (Eng. trans.)

I probably shouldn't be posting reviews right now, given that I'm in a grumpy mood and it always leaks through and makes things sound worse than they are. But Yuki Kaori rocks, and while I may not be squeeing, possibly talking about insane angels will cheer me up somewhat.

Again, I read these vols. a long time ago, but decided to reread so that I could finish the series with some vague inkling of what the various plot twists were. Alas, this seems to be a futile effort, since I've read the entire thing in a few weeks and I still can't figure out how she got from vol. 1 to here. But hey, I'm not complaining, given the amount of crack put in!

( Ginormous spoilers of DOOM! )

Thanksgiving weekend

Weekend almost over, yay! Normally I do not cheer the end of a long weekend, but this year, I so am.

Too many people, too much driving, too much wrangling for parking spaces, too much attempting to be on time and not and forgetting assorted things. Also, I didn't even have that much good food, and considering all the nasty parking, I didn't even get that many good bargains.

I have instead overcompensated by spending entirely too much money. Sigh. Must budget better next week.

Loot includes:
- Samsonite luggage set consisting of a wheeled carry-on bag large enough for more-than-overnight-less-than-a-week trips and a duffle bag. $70! I am actually proud of this one.

- Um. Too much yarn. In my defense, some of it is for Christmas presents. Maybe Christmas presents for next year, considering the rate I finish things, but still! Also, I wandered into my local yarn store today to find some gorgeous colorways of self-striping yarns for 70% off! Four dollar yarn! 100% wool! Soft! Beautiful colors! I got Cognac and Lilac Blossoms.

- I bought Angel Sanctuary 13-16 (Eng.) and Nana 16 (orig.) from Kinokuniya. I probably should have waited for AS, but I wanted to read more.

- I nearly bought Night of the Beasts, which I saw advertised in Her Majesty's Dog. I managed to resist and only ended up getting a new Judith Ivory (ok, not new, but a reissued Judy Cuevas I've never heard of) and Rent and Pride and Prejudice (I am strangely fond of Keira Knightley in this one!). I probably shouldn't have gotten anything, but the DVDs were $8 each, and I know they will be comfort movies.

- Have spent too much money on food that wasn't even that tasty. Sigh. Weekend will be over after classmates visit, but hopefully that will be less expensive and more fun, given that it is hot pot, and it is perfect weather for hot pot.

In other news, it's grey and rainy here, and it finally feels like November. Ugh. I think I will curl up on the couch with rats, knit a scarf and watch Rent and sing aloud at the top of my lungs later tonight.

Hatori Bisco - Ouran High School Host Club, vol. 01-03 (Eng. trans.)

So I've been mainlining the anime of Ouran High School Host Club like mad, and I love it!

I read vol. 1 of the manga a few months ago, when the anime first came out and everyone was squeeing about it. I didn't really like it, so I never read the others until today. I think I was very boggled by the humor of the manga; sometimes humor works better for me in print form, and sometimes better animated. I'm not quite sure how my brain parses it, but Ouran definitely worked better for me as anime. Part of it is pacing -- I don't pace myself well in manga, so I often miss punchlines and dramatic moments if it's not emphasized by the panelling. Also, the panels themselves are so incredibly busy that I end up skimming the entire thing out of sensory overload.

The anime, on the other hand, has funny blinking arrows and sound effects and still frames, all of which serve to pace the entire thing better, leave times for breathing, cue me in on when I should be concentrating.

Also, I suspect that I'd find the episodic nature of the manga much more accessible if I'd been reading it in monthly installments intead of as volumes.

That said, the manga and the anime are amazingly similar; there have been a few divergences in plot and story, but I suspect that some of the things in the manga will end up in the anime anyhow. I was a little sad to see that Renge's role in the manga isn't quite as large, and I miss having the music and etc. tell me when something's supposed to be serious and what something's a joke.

Not sure if I'll keep reading the manga right now, though I suspect I will pick it up once I finish the anime, just to get more of it.