Ono Natsume-sensei is starting a new series called Tsuratsurawaraji ~Bizen Kumada-ke Sankin Emaki~ (つらつらわらじ 〜備前熊田家参勤絵巻〜) on Morning 2. The premise amuses me quite a bit.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-11-22/ristorante-paradiso-ono-starts-tsuratsurawaraji-manga

And then we have this most bewildering news. Volume 12 of Matsushita Yoko-sensei's Yami no Matsuei will be released on Jan 19. Rumour (unconfirmed at the moment) has it that the manga volume will contain some revision to the magazine serialization (ah, that was so long ago, back when Yuki Kaori-sensei's still serializing her manga in Hana to Yume), as well as new material. Well, I've drifted away from YnM a long time ago. Still, it's good to know Matsushita-sensei is working again.

http://www.hakusensha.co.jp/shopping/sinkan/index.html

Katanagatari CM clips are now streaming on the official site; they look quite good. One episode per month is quite a painful wait though. In any case, Iwasaki Taku (Kuroshitsuji, Persona -Trinity Soul-, Witch Hunter Robin) will be responsible for the soundtrack, so I'm looking forward to it. Hmm, but the cast still hasn't been announced yet, which is unusual...

http://www.katanagatari.com/

Durarara!! CM clip is also streaming on its site. The OP song is playing in the background, but it's a bit difficult to hear with all the talking.

http://www.durarara.com/

Talk of a Trigun movie has been going on for years, but now we finally know it will be in theatres on April 24. A 37-second teaser of Trigun: Badlands Rumble has been posted on its site, and my, isn't that nostalgic? The visual looks more or less like the TV series back then; it's the same staff and cast. (Ah, Hayami Sho speaking in Kansai dialect again, and Onosaka Masaya occasionally being cool again! They were the major reasons why I watched the TV series a long time ago.)

http://www.trigun-movie.com/

Originally I wasn't that interested in So-ra-no-wo-to, but now that I realize Oshima Michiru (Nabari no Ou, Le Chevalier D'Eon) will be responsible for the soundtrack and Kalafina for the OP song (the song title will be 光の旋律 Hikari no Senritsu, single to be released on Jan 20), my curiosity is perked. It looks like it might be another Natsume Yuujinchou or Tegami Bachi, which translates to high quality heart-warming series.

http://www.sorawoto.com/

Speaking of Kalafina, FictionJunction will be responsible for the OP theme of Ookamikakushi, titled 時の向こう 幻の空 and Nanri Yuuka for the ED theme 月導-Tsukishirube-. Adding the fact the the original character designer is Peach-Pit and original concept by Ryukishi07, this series seems to be the one not to be missed in the upcoming season.

http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/okami/

Bungaku Shoujo website has also posted a teaser, but there isn't much to it; we only get to see Tooko-sempai.

http://www.bungakushoujo.jp/

Zigzag[noir] (Zigzag's shareware game subdivision) has just announced a new project on the blog, titled Danse Macabre ‐死の舞踏-. Who would've thought this game, which they've mentioned on April Fool, would actually be made? The game is billed as a "gothic horror that takes place in a boarding school". It makes my heart flutter to know they are returning to the gothic route once more (Yachokitan immediately comes to mind). In any case, 子路ヒエラ will once again be the artist responsible for the character design and CGs.

My latest discovery in the music realm is Mitose Noriko. I admit that I was interested in her work mainly because Kuroyuri Shimai's LISA has composed a song for her in one of Noriko's album, Yoruoto Hyouhon, the cover art of which I really like. Her voice (and also her style) reminds me of stained glass -- crystalline yet mutable, at times dark as the night, at other times sacred like stained glass in a church. She will be participating in the upcoming C77 Voltage of Imagination album, Kusoh Katsugeki.

http://www.snowblanc.net/

The MV for Tokyo Jihen's upcoming single 能動的三分間 is up on Kronekodow. The song is written by Shiina Ringo, and in terms of style, it's closer to her recent solo album, Sanmon Gossip. In the MV, all the members did a little Michael Jackson slide as a tribute to his passing.

http://www.kronekodow.com/

The following is my little reminiscence.

Faye Wong is one of the few Chinese female vocalists I happen to like, and one of my favourite songs by her is 情誡. This song in itself means a lot to me because it was this song that inspired me to delve into the darker side of human nature in my writing. Recently I was listening to the song again (and finally locating the lyrics as I should've done long time ago), and now that I'm older, I have a better understanding of the meaning of the song. The song paints a vivid picture of what romance in the modern age is (or is not).

Ciel in full Sherlock Holmes mode graces the new cover of GFantasy. Extra gifts include Kuroshitsuji calendar seals, a Pandora Hearts SD book cover, and a Torikago Gakkyuu poster. Pandora Hearts is featured in a colour spread. This month's issue contains new chapters for Kuroshitsuji, Pandora Hearts, Umineko ep 2, Higurashi Kai Minagoroshi-hen, and Durarara!! Nabari no Ou is taking a break this month, but it will return in the next issue.

In the next issue of GF (out on Dec 18), Nabari will be featured on the cover. Extra gifts of the month include a Nabari book cover (to celebrate the release of vol 12; the alternate cover will apparently feature the Shimizu siblings, does that mean they won't be on the tankoubon cover itself?), the 2010 calendar, and a Durarara!! anime poster. Umineko ep 2 will be featured in a colour spread.

New releases of the month include Zombie Loan vol 12, Pandora Hearts comic special 2010 calendar (this one came out on Nov 14), Higurashi & Umineko ~When They Cry... collection~ comic special calendar (also out on Nov 14), Albzroze Cat vol 1 (a little something I've been following on Gangan Online; a new chapter has just been released today)

And now that we are approaching the end of the year, there are loads of upcoming releases.

Nov 27: Kuroshitsuji vol 8 (William is on the cover), Pandora Hearts vol 10 (It's Glen!)

Dec 22: Umineko ep 2 vol 2, Higurashi Kai Minagoroshi-hen vol 4

Dec 26: Nabari no Ou vol 12, Durarara!! vol 1

Extra: I saw the ad for the Kuroshitsuji playing cards (ah, Queen Victoria is also in there). Very pretty; the artwork is all new, drawn by Toboso Yana-sensei herself.

Some news on Durarara!! anime. A 12-minute perfect guide is currently streaming on the official site. It features new footage as well as seiyuu interviews (the part where Ono Daisuke kept repeating "Durarararara..." and slapped himself is quite amusing).

The OP and ED themes for the anime have been announced. The OP song will be called 裏切りの夕焼け, sung by Theatre Brook; the ED song will be called "Trust Me", sung by Matsushita Yuya 松下優也 (those who are familiar with Kuroshitsuji might recognize the name; yup, he's the actor who plays Sebastian in the Kuroshitsuji stage musical).

Last but not least, info on DVD vol. 1 has also been released. The limited edition will include, amongst lots of other things, an extra novel written by Narita Ryohgo, just like what they did with Baccano! Ah, wonder what the novels will be about...

http://www.durarara.com/

And just so you know, Baka-Tsuki is currently translating the novel (as well as Baccano! novels) into English.

Watched Up. I was a bit teary throughout the whole movie. In a way, I've expected that.

Happy (or not so happy) Black Friday!

( Much ado about writing, again. )

Some insects have delicate, transparents wings, such as cicadas, dragonflies, and glasswing butterflies. Their wings give off an illusion that they are made of glass, and the skeleton of their wings look like veins. Beauty in fragility, like glass and crystal and tears.

Hmm...

( Aoi Bungaku. )

Tale of Tales of "The Path" fame has released a new game called "Fatale", which is based on Oscar Wilde's play Salome. Needless to say, I'm very interested in the game.

http://www.tale-of-tales.com/Fatale/

And here's Emily Short's column, talking about the game.

http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2009/11/column_homer_in_silicon_the_gr.php

Disney's A Christmas Carol... Seeing as how Gary Oldman and Colin Firth are in it, I kind of wish the production company had forgone the whole 3-D nightmare and let the actors shine instead.

Sherlock Holmes will be out on Christmas day. Huh, Holmes has become a kind of action hero (I know he can box and fence in the books, but still)...

The trailer for Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones does look quite lovely indeed, in a eerie kind of way.

Am still waiting for the HP6 and Up DVD to be released.

A while ago, there's this little doujin VN event called Girls Party that promotes yuri/shoujo-ai games. There is this one game called private canvas which I find quite interesting. It's very short, but it contains two stories. The art is quite nice; it conveys well the delicate, glass-like, water-colour aesthetics one might find in shoujo-ai manga (Maria-sama ga Miteru and Aoi Hana immediately come to mind; the other one I quite like is Fujieda Miyabi's Chatting at the Amber Teahouse).

http://www42.tok2.com/home/girlsparty/

Been busy all day, so only now do I have time to say a little something. Happy Hallowe'en!

Hmm, it seems that the anime adaptation of Ookamikakushi (the Peach-Pit x Ryukishi07 game collaboration) will be airing this coming January, much earlier than anticipated. Now I finally understand why there are so few watchable series this season; companies are saving up the interesting series for the winter season.

http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/okami/

( KHR latest chapter spoiler. )

Title: Carve Thy Name upon My Nape (1/4)
Author: Belladonna
Pairing: Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter
Fandom: Harry Potter
Genre: Angst in the form of fragments
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter and its characters are not mine.
Summary: Like smoke it cannot be captured; like blood it cannot be washed away. This is the reality for one healer and his nocturnal patient.

( It might have been an Arabian night; it might have been a tale from an Arabian night. )

The very first issue of Rakuen is out today! It seems Rakuen will be released 3 times a year, so the next issue won't be out till February next year. For me, the highlight of Rakuen is definitely Nakamura Asumiko-sensei.

http://www.hakusensha.co.jp/rakuen/

Betsu Hana: Yuki Kaori-sensei's Guignol has restarted in this issue. Also in this issue is Glass Mask, as well as a Glass Mask calendar (I bet Glass Mask fans have been waiting for something like this for a long time). As for the next issue (out on Nov 26), there'll be new chapters for both Guignol and Glass Mask, in addition to a set of New Year greeting cards (a shame Yuki-sensei won't be drawing one; hmm, now here's a thought, Yuki-sensei going for the traditional Japanese style, which probably won't happen).

La-La: Vampire Knight is featured on the cover, and Ouran a colour spread. Natsume is taking a break this month. In the next issue (out on Nov 24), Natsume will be featured on the cover, and Kaichou ha Maid-sama will be featured in a colour spread to celebrate its upcoming anime adaptation. And of course, there will be new VK and Ouran chapters. The gift of the month will be the 2010 calendar.

Meldoy: Ooku (i.e. Ooku - The Inner Chamber; the English translated vol. 1 is out BTW) is featured on the cover, and Himitsu is starting a new arc. In the next issue (out on Dec 28), Himitsu will be featured in a colour spread.

New releases: Ouran vol. 15, Ouran official guidebook, Ouran novel vol. 2, Himitsu vol. 7 (truth be told, I didn't think Himitsu would run for this long; I'm pretty sure it won't turn into another Kaguya-hime (20+ volume...) though), Kaine bunko edition, Earl Cain bunko edition vol. 2.

November releases: Boys Next Door bunko edition (ah, my heartache) and Earl Cain bunko edition vol. 3. Both will be released on Nov 17.

December releases: VK fans can rejoice. VK vol. 11 will be released on Dec 4. Guignol vol. 3 will be released on Dec 18.

Assorted news: Ooku will be adapted into a live action movie; I can't say I'm surprised. Shimizu Reiko-sensei is currently holding an art exhibit featuring Himitsu.

Hallowe'en is upon us, so I figure I should talk about something more Hallowe'en-like (just kidding).

Discovered this site that sells gothic-themed fragrance the other day. Although I'm not really into perfume, I really like the content in the site. What I love most about it is that they transform literary characters and paintings into perfume, and they include a segment of the prose or verse in the description of the perfume. Their Lovecraft Collection makes me chuckle; their Ars Draconis collection conjures up countless possibilities in my head.

They even have a line of perfumes they called "Literary Vampire"; each perfume is based on a particular vampire in literature. So we have Mircalla (from "Carmilla"), Lord Ruthven (from Polidori's "Vampyre"), Perle Von Mauren (from Carl Jacobi's "Revelations in Black", one of my favourite vampire short stories), Countess Dolingen of Gratz (from "Dracula's Guest", the omitted chapter from Stoker's Dracula), and so on.

They are presenting a scent-and-art series based on Neil Gaiman's short story "Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot". 15 different perfumes and 15 tarot cards.

Maybe I should get myself a bottom of Belladonna.

http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/

Speaking of vampires, ever since Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has proven to be a success, there is suddenly an influx of old classics being given the horror genre twist. We have Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, Mr Darcy, Vampyre (which I'm really curious about), and Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter. And of course, Dacre Stoker, the great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker, has just released an official sequel to Dracula, titled Dracula: The Un-Dead.

More books for me to check out in my next visit to the bookstore.

Nakashima Mika will be releasing a new single titled 流れ星 on Nov 4. I was kind of surprised by it because she's just released the Candy Girl single at the end of September.

Kojima Mayumi has also (or should I say finally?) been busy, with a new single due out on Nov 11, titled Arabesque. It will be her second single of the year. The release date for the album, however, is pushed back to Jan 20, 2010.

Tokyo Jihen has announced that a new single named 能動的三分間 will be released on Dec 2, and an album is currently in the work. Then from March to May, they will be holding a national live tour, their first since "Spa & Treatment" in 2007 (probably because Shiina Ringo has been busy with her 10-year anniversary in 2008, then her solo work in 2009).

Oh, and I've heard that Ali Project will be releasing a compilation album in January under the Lantis label, but it's not officially confirmed yet. If this is indeed the case, it should be interesting to see which songs will be included. I, for one, would love to hear the song they did for Zone-00 image album; the song is called 輪廻闇妖散華 by the way. There's a sample of the song up on Nico; I have a feeling I would absolutely adore the full version.

Kalafina will be releasing their latest single, progressive, on Oct 28. The song is not related to any series or show, and I think that's a good thing for Kalafina as a music group.

Onto something anime related.

Bungaku Shoujo drama CD 1 has been released, and apparently they have used the songs in the image album for the drama CDs.

Annabel's Light of Dawn, i.e. The Book of Bantorra ED single, will be released on Nov 6. Ah, it's so great that we get to hear Annabel more often; the new binaria single is simply lovely.

But that's not all.

Canaan Inspired album (i.e. image album) will be released on Nov 11. It will feature songs by Faylan and Annabel. There are 10 tracks in total, 5 songs per singer. What's more is that four of Annabel's songs will be composed by myu (the remaining one is composed by Nanase Hikaru, originally as a BGM of the series), though My Heaven won't be included. There is Faylan's mind as Judgment ~Ballad~ though.

http://www.lantis.jp/new-release/data2.php?id=6872733544473de8ef15a16ed3fe5ed6

(On a side note, I'm still waiting to see if Lantis will actually release the ga-rei Zero soundtrack. I've just finished watching the series recently, and I really quite like the music. Oh well, at least there's the image album.)

(Further side note: I just realize the OSTs for ga-rei zero are bundled with the DVDs, just like Kara no Kyoukai.)

Been ridiculously busy lately. The not-so-nice part is that when I'm extremely busy, I would feel an incredibly powerful urge to write stories, but that's another story.

The city is decked with red and orange and gold right now; soon it will be white and grey. Spring always fills me with nostalgia, but autumn has a special place in my heart.

At last, Umineko made it onto the cover of GFantasy. It's Maria with lots of pumpkins, just in time for Hallowe'en. Extra includes a Umineko poster, a two-side underlay (one side is Higurashi, the other side is Umineko). New chapters for the following series: Kuroshitsuji, Nabari, Pandora Hearts, Higurashi Minagoroshi-hen, Umineko EP 2, Durarara!!. Zombie-Loan is still in hiatus.

In the next issue (out on Nov 18), Kuroshitsuji will once again grace the cover of GF in anticipation of vol. 8. Pandora Hearts will be featured in a colour spread. Extra gifts include a Kuroshitsuji calendar seal (I don't know what that is either) and a Pandora Hearts book cover.

New Release: Pandora Hearts ~odds and ends~ artbook (Sep 26), Pandora Hearts Official Animation Guide (Sep 26).

Upcoming Releases: Zombie-Loan vol. 12 (Oct 27), Kuroshitsuji vol. 8 (Nov 27), Pandora Hearts vol. 10 (Nov 27).

Umineko EP 4 is currently serialized in Gangan ONLINE.

Umineko EP 3 has just started serializing in Gangan Joker, and Higurashi Matsuribayashi-hen is also serializing in Joker. And there is also a favourite of mine, Bungaku Shoujo.

I'm indulging in some lovely M3-24 music right now. This is the first time I listen to Mamyukka's Evilz (fairy tale but with a Hallowe'en twist; think The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline), and I like it so far. Hmm, looks like this is a new group. Wonder what their other CD Honey Pop sounds like...