A DRAMA REVIEW: "ZETTAI KARESHI"

Plot: (spoilers!)

Riiko Izawa has never had a boyfriend and she has been rejected by every boy she has ever had a crush on. When she returns a lost cell phone to an oddly dressed salesman, she mentions wanting a boyfriend so to thank her, he directs her to his company's website. When she visits the site, Riiko finds it's a site to create your own lover. Thinking its a game, she customizes and accidentally orders one. The next day, her new lover arrives. Following the instruction manual, she kisses him to wake him up and configure him to be in love with only her. She names him "Night." Three days later, she is shocked to learn that she only had him for a free trial. The salesman, Gaku Namikiri, tells her that she must now pay 100,000,000 yen for Night, or they will waive the fee if she helps them to collect data about how women think and feel to help perfect future models.

 

Riiko must keep Night's true nature of not being human a secret from everyone around her. She also finds herself in a love triangle between Night and her childhood friend Soushi, who declares his love for her out of fear he will lose her. As the series progresses, Night begins to develop real human emotions, enabling him to truly love Riiko but also resulting in system malfunctions. When Riiko almost loses Night due to the malfunctions, she realizes that he is the one she really loves. She apologizes to Soushi, who moves to Spain with his brother. As the series ends, Night begins to grow sleepier and sleepier. The problems developed by his exceeding his abilities eventually causes his machinery to stop working, resulting in his "dying." Before he died, he writes a letter to Soushi to tell him whats happeningand asking him to take care of Riiko. Soushi gives Rikko time to grieve, then returns to Japan to be at her side again.

I SAY:

How awesome could it be if you have a boyfriend who would fetch you right after work or school and gives you a big hug right before he heads home, who delivers you food during lunch time, who cheers for you whenever you feel helpless and vulnerable, whom you consider your handy-man, the one who knows how to cook your favorite dish not to mention being able to have an ideal lover with a model's body, cool attitude, charismatic face and has a brain  of the same size as Einstein's - whatever you ask him he sure knows the answer. The type of boyfriend who completely understands a woman's need, desires and dreams. The type of boyfriend who would want no one but you and just you alone - the sort of one woman man. The kind of boyfriend who lives not only to protect you but who lives only for you. The kind of man who values you and can be miserable without you. Someone who inspires you, who tells you that he cares, so you feel secured and don't have to try to read his mind (guy's heads are hard to crack you know!). A man who does not ask you to do things that will get you in trouble, someone who'll be proud of you no matter what, who'll say "iloveyou" and that you are beautiful every chance he could. Someone who'll never be uncertain of his feelings for you. Huh, without a doubt just fantasizing for a android manufactured boyfriend ups each girl's happiness I bet. 

Yet all those are just too good to be true. And I also doubt if there could still be men like that nowadays. If there are, maybe only a handful of them I suppose. Still, that does not mean there aren't any decent guys out there. If the guy you seem to like has enough traits that you've grown to like other that the larger-than-life characters such as Tamahome, Kenshin, Hotohori or Kakashi, then these ideal dudes won't need to stay onscreen anymore. That guy you happen to like just might be the underappreciated guy all this time. But c'mon, admit it! Most of the time we girls swoon over having that type of boyfriend who does not cheat, flirt or play over our emotions. I for one wished countless times of this already. After watching the Jdorama "Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend)" originally written by my all time favorite anime manga writer Yuu Watase, I was amazed and had cried a river after watching the end of the story. (FYI: I don't usually cry over this kind of thing, but this ones an exception.)

Suddenly after watching it, a thought came across my mind. Wouldn't it be cool if it really happened in real life? Being able to purchase a life size machine manufactured perfect boyfriend and be programmed to do whatever you desire for a boyfriend?

Now that makes me a little bit desperate perhaps, don't you think? Haha.. But then again, we can't defy God's creations we just have to accept the fact that nothing is perfect - even if such a robot boyfriend existed such as that in the story. How can you live a normal life with a programmed lover if you can't have kids with him, grow old with him and die with him? He's only a machine Although I really longed for it to happen but it's just a product of Watase's imagination - a woman's desperation to find the perfect boyfriend. Despite that, I still adore most of Watase's master pieces such as Fushigi Yuugi and Ayashi No Ceres. I admire how she does the twists and turns of a story wherein you really get to have a roller-coaster ride that's worth it. I also like her drawings especially the leading men - when I stared at Night's picture, it reminded me of Tamahome of FY and Toya of Ayashi No Ceres. Here in "Zettai Kareshi", it only reflects every woman's wish but it shouldn't let it blind us to the fact that everything is platonic. To say that a perfect boyfriend is possible is an understatement. There can never be an ideal boyfriend in real life. If there is, it will seemingly be a never-ending quest for that perfect man. 

Come to think of it, it would be better that no one has yet invented a "manufactured life size perfect boyfriend." It's funny because it is just like saying men are for sale. Haha.. It is better off that it hasn't been invented because life would be boring and everything is fake, materialistic and superficial. It's better off this way that we live with imperfections for it makes life worth living. Such imperfections like feeling hurt when your boyfriend forgets your monthsary or feeling broken when he cheats on you and all other painful experiences we get from an imperfect boyfriend. It's all okay because from it we learn to be more cautious and stronger. We undergo pain, loss and resentment but each teardrop and heartache teaches us to move forward. As the famous saying goes "From every wound there is a scar, and from every scar there is a story. A story that says you survived." Although the truth is, it still is very tempting to purchase Nightly Series 01 though, that is if I have the money. Haha.. after all each machine has an expiration date, so just to have it temporarily would be okay with me. With only one condition though, to keep it as a secret so that no one will know he's a machine operated boyfriend. Bwahaha.. joke! :)

 Zettai Kareshi TRAILER

 Zettai Kareshi OST

FAKING IT!

No secrets and lies can be kept forever; it’ll always seep out to reveal the truth. Just like the famous movie line “Walang aso na maikukumkom, lalabas at lalabas din ito kahit na anong pigil mo.” It’s a reality check that sooner or later all the whiffs of pretensions and lies will die out and truth lives. No matter how we hide our secrets, no matter how we vindicate it, it’ll always be a fiasco and we will soon come out in the shadows of our stigma. 

Yes, we can try to lie honestly by cloaking ourselves to deception, pretensions and to squirm ourselves for uttering that perfect lie. Just like in the fields of LOVE, no matter how we prevent ourselves from forgetting the feelings that we’ve always wanted to stay forever. But still, we can never ever deny the fact that sadly, not all things workout the way we expect them to be. We try to bury those feelings for that soul who we loved so much but it seems irrelevant since we will never let go of the feeling, especially if we are still expecting something to happen. That we still pretend that that person still loves us when in fact they don’t love us anymore. We still fake ourselves in this idiosyncratic matter when we know that it is time to leave the dream world behind. 

Lying honestly in order for us to forget the love we had for the one who we love the most is the toughest one to fake. Truly, holding on is the better than letting go for holding on comes easily, we don not need to learn it. “Letting go has never been easy, but holding on can be as difficult. Yet strength id not measured not by holding on, but by letting go.” But then again, how to lie honestly is easier than anything else. I mean, yes we can do the pretending circumstance specially when we are in the hot seat already because we have our CANDID FRIENDS to kick the day right. First of all, there will really come a time when a branch of our life ends and it is the perfect moment to move on and grow. For in the middle of the turmoil, there will always be JESUS who will keep our hopes burning still. He will always give us the wake up call that it is time to set free, bask under the sun and to remember that we still have to believe in ourselves for confidence is what we need to have for us to vanquish the universe. 

It is in human nature to fake and to lie for in these instances we gradually move and grow into any dimension in life. Best of all, we change a lot to realize the essence of life as well. We really have to let go of the baggage we carry in our hearts because in the end these things will not matter anyway, especially so if it was not destined to be kept forever. The right way to lie honestly is sometimes the best remedy to patch up our lives again. It is a fact of life that one of these days, all of the people that we know will vanish or change forever and we just don’t know when it will happen and why. We are all ephemeral creatures of God. He is the one who will decide when we will disappear for it is He who knows what is best and that every little thing that happens has a reason. It has and will always be that way. 

Indeed, the choice to let go always and has been difficult where we carry a big responsibility for it is a conscious decision that we have to chose. 

FAKING sometimes is the best way to survive a fiasco. We human beings are all warriors of love and we have to learn how to fake it, how to pretend and how to lie honestly for us to win this fight for survival. And if we FAKE IT then we will know that inch by inch we are over with our broken hearts, fiascos, etc. and we can finally say that it is time for a change even if it started out as a fake one.

An Advice for Girls on the First Date

Ever heard of the saying, “First impression lasts?” 

Well then better get a hold of that for many people believe that first impression is everything. When trying to hitch that perfect-hot bud guy or that long time crush of yours you better need to work out that good impression. That means you have to look your best and avoid doing something that might turn him off. Although first dates sure are nerve-racking, stressful and yes, a little bit intimidating but if you want it all to be perfect and want to end up getting hooked with that deathly gorgeous dude, then bring out that superwoman in you. Remember, confidence is the key here, so play your part well. 

But before going to that first date, try to wear your best. Kick your outfit up a notch in such a way that is not too revealing, but dress appropriately wherein you try to augment much of you’re best features, for instance if you have nice broad shoulders, try wearing a low, off-the-shoulder neckline or better yet if you have a body of a siren then try wearing a formfitting dress. But remember to dress in such a way that it correlates with the location of said date. Dress according to the occasion they say so. Just be sure you balance the proportions of your body well. 

Aside from getting that perfect dress, the make-up will also matter. To release your inner temptress, you could try enhancing your best feature, say you have beautiful eyes, and try putting on deep black eyeliner and a stylish twist of dark silver eyeshadow are some of the hot shades this season. Also if you have the lips of Angelina Jolie try puckering up a sexy hue of lipstick that compliments your skin color or better put on some creamy pinch of lipgloss, not goeey but just of the right amount. A little bit of perfume sprayed all over your body, paired with gorgeous accessories, a 1-minute tousled updo and to top it all up a pair of sexy stilettos to give you a flattering look. 

Since dating is all about the “getting to know stage” where both entities try to assess each others compatibility, now having that perfect look must also be paired with an upbeat storyteller. But you must not monopolize the conversation. Just don’t try to talk excessively that might reflect how hysterical you are of getting for a second date. Now if you ace on that there is no doubt that you are going to get a second date for sure. But that doesn’t mean you get all the talking done, how will you get to know your date that way? So, paying attention also is necessary and more than that you need to notice their body language, their eyes and facial expression too for this will tell you if the date is in progress or a failure. Then again, don’t try to overanalyze every detail to such a point that it will ruin the date, just work the basics: be natural, be yourself. 

Other than that, for safety tips though, avoid drinking alcohol for it might lead to hurdles which will impair your judgment eventually you might go overboard which will eliminate the possibility of a second date. You’ll either get yourself in danger such as getting yourself raped by the guy. Just like my brother said as an advice for his little sister, “temptations are very inviting, so be cautious.”

Wishful Thinking

Haay.. another coochie-coo moments, a time to indulge my duper cheesiness of cloud nine memoirs. Today I got the chance to watch yet again a very addictive anime. After 9 years I think I am still in love of the Japanese Anime "Fushigi Yuugi" of Yuu Watase and it feels like an aphrodisiac just like watching "Ghost Fighter" for the third time yet still doesn't fail to amaze me. The inner child in me has awaken as always. Maybe just because I missed Tamahome and Hotohori- sort of! Hahaha .. I am desperately itching for a guy like them in real life. Sad thing is that I only see them in my dreams. I sometimes even wished that I would get married to Tamahome whom I had the biggest crush among all animes I've watched other than Vincent of "Ghost Fighter"or Rukawa of "Slam Dunk" or maybe Hatake Kakashi of "Naruto." Hahah..For 20 years now I still am hunting that guy, a guy who's got the same skills, poise, unassumingness, wackiness, sweetness and spontaneity as Tamahome's or Hotohori's. It seems as though they are an epitome of my ideal kinda guy who I know would be impossible to find unless if that same book Miaka read really did existed. If that's the case, I would defintely find that book, open it, read and become the "Priestess of Suzaku" which is so cool. I get to have 3 wishes granted and be with Tamahome as well as my other 6 ravishing guardians biting to there awesomeness. I would really love him to bits with that raw charm he possess. Damn, Tamahome's so flaring hot. Hehe.. that blue haired dude never fails to make me go gaga. I could still remember how artistic I was way back grade school years just to have sketched those dramatic eyes of all seven guardians of Suzaku especially Tamahome's. Everytime I have snapshots of it on my head, it gave quite a jump in my heart and here we go again - I swoon over my wishful thinking for the nth time. I still laugh about how I fight for my life against my brother holding the remote control just so that I could have the chance to see Tamahome's beautiful face on that big TV screen and go on contemplating every juice of the story. I could still laugh about it today till my sides ache. I am still crossing my fingers up to now - wishing, praying, and hoping that someday I get to meet my own Tamahome too. Seeing him on screen after 9 years sets my heart a - flutter, twisted my stomach and sank my heart. But the thing is, everything in the television is idealized, scripted and planned. Everything is set to perfection and most of the time ends with a happy ending. I confess, I am a big fan of happy endings, who wouldn't? I've read a lot of books (not the law books- I have to take a break from that yet.. I have a handful of novels from science fiction, bibliographies, historical books to mystery) to which each earning its own special place in my heart. A heart that still has that same excitement as a little kiddo longing for her own fairy tale, prince charming and a happy ending. Yet again, snapping back to reality.. I have to say it was quite a ride - another list added on my wishful thinking.

SOUL SEARCHING

Weee! I can't wait for the semestral break to come. Yup, I will surely spend the whole week or so on soul searching and so many stuffs to think over with. These past months it seems like my mind is playing tricks on me. I might opt to take a rest from law school's harshness or maybe travel to a place I can discover and find a job, those sorts of stuffs. I have lots of plans to fulfill and sometimes those plans seems unreachable not because I don't want to but maybe because there are those who don't seem to agree with what I want out of life. Sigh.. I want to go out from Iligan City and find a better job, travel and explore what life has yet to offer me. Iligan City is such a small place for my big dreams. I want to step out from my comfort zone and try to prove something of which others looked down on me just because I can't be any better than them which is not true at all. Iy's just that I want to do things I love while I am still young. I don't want to grow old not having been able to do what I love to do. I don't want to be barred from doing something just because of a hotly contested case that I am JUST a female, I am JUST a Christian or maybe JUST because I am the youngest among 6 broods. Why does it always have to be like that? It's like saying that being a female hinders you from the things you want to do. Time has changed already and gone are the days when a girl's life was spent cleaning, cooking and taking care of the kids. I already belong to an era were women have already been empowered and have already been more successful in all walks of life as compared to some men. In fact, according to the Center for Women's Business Research, a whopping 10.6 million firms all over the world are at least 50% owned by a women. I really hoped that my family would be able to understand my side. Yes, danger and temptations are very inviting but I don't wanna say that women are vulnerable, weak or desperate just because we women can't protect ourselves which is ofcourse not true. And although I get the point that my family only wants to protect me from danger and all those sorts but I just hope that soon enough they'd be able to trust me, listen to me and believe in whatever I want to do. I know what's wrong and what's right because I am of the right age to think for myself already. Although sometimes trying to choose what's wrong and what's right can be a little vague but life's like that. Mistakes, failures, fiascos are part of the journey God planned for us to go through. Usually others are weakened by the existence of such perplexities in life but people like me see it as something that fuels the passion to continue living, to search for happinness, to learn and to savor for contentment. Caution is never wrong but rather it makes you wiser but living in a fear is a waste of what could have been if you had only took the first step. I don't want to regret doing something I want when I grow old. I want to see my true self grow and be not confined of something I loved to do.I want to be free, to teach myself to be independent and be not too clingy. I don't want to hide something I wished to do jus because others have been too narrowminded not to have seen what it can do good to me. They have judged it already without even understanding my side. I really hope that my family will get used to the idea that "You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence- Abraham Lincoln." Thus, for semestral break is a time for soul searching. A time for solitude is a time for guided independence. A time to think straight and to do what's right.  

BEING PREGNANT WHILE PREGNANT

Today, I had spent enough time browsing the internet since I wasn't able to do so for a week being troubled of the super perplexing exams we had at law school. Suddenly, I was surprised to have gone through a certain article about a woman being pregnant while pregnant. Isn't that supposed to be very far-fetched? It's just like saying getting yourself pregnant while having menstruation which is definitely quite bizzare. It's like a double pregnancy yet it's far different if we say the babies are twins since their not really twins in this case. In superfetation, babies are born a week a part which only happens rarely. Medical experts call this uncommon medical condition as "superfetation" wherein it is the formation of a fetus while another fetus is already present in the uterus. It is said to be very common among animal species such as rodents and marsupials but is extremely rare in humans. It made me remember some cases such as that of Court of Appeals versus Jenny Cagandahan with regards to certain rare medical cases. But this case about double pregnancy is quite strange wherein multiple ovulation takes place. ABC news recently reported that said medical case had only recorded ten cases, dubbed superfetation in human mothers.  This has been one of the many medical issues that have been debated for quite some time now because other medical experts pertain to it as just a mere suggestive case of  twin pregnancy.

Time Magazine just posted an article about a woman named Julia Grovenburg wherein she had discovered that she was carrying two babies that seemed to be of different stages of development to which it prompted the Doctors to suspect that this was a rare case of multiple conceptions or superfetation. Mrs. Grovenburg is expecting two babies but not twins.

In an interview at Greater Baltimore Medical Center at Arkansas Dr. Boyle told ABC News that: "When the woman had her ultrasound initially, they saw one sack, one baby developing, and that baby had a certain gestational age; then they noticed a second heartbeat in a child that was much, much younger developmentally,". But being pregnant with this sort of condition actually endangers the health of the babies more particularly the second conceived baby that might be born prematurely or be exposed of the risks of lung development problems.

This is quite an interesting phenomena wherein it had also questioned some portions of the Bible beginning at Adam and Eve's existence which has something to do with superfetation cases and labeling it as an original sin because sometimes one might question that for a time, the said mother could have engaged on sex with another man bearing another child while already pregnant with another man as well. These things have quite stirred up my curiosity such as questioning the Bible as well. You might find it interesting as well by clicking at: http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/bb940516.htm.

Gees..  although I might say DNA Tests are the best method so as to prove if said child is your very own baby but according to Philippine Jurisprudence, DNA tests are designed to disprove any signs of filiation of the father and child. Thus, using DNA tests can't impugned the legitimacy of the child if that's the case though.  This is quite ironic yet I appreciate having read an interesting article after being tortured of an exam that we had on Constitutional Law to which my professor gave us an examination extracted all from the 2008 Bar Examination. It was really really hard and I couldn't imagine our Professor did that to us. Really, I was a little pissed off since my mind went blank at that instance yet I still tried answering hoping to at least have additional points if so. I only hope all of us will pass. Sigh! 'w'..