Nutritional Diary 2012.08.27

It has been a full eight months since I pledged to become much healthier this year.

So far, a lot of things have stood in my way… that includes the officially launching of my very own series from Oh No! Manga and making a life-size version of Rei’s sword for my cosplayer.

With all that going on, you can probably guess why I haven’t been updating my nutritional diary. I mean, for goodness sake, I didn’t do my walks for a whole month! And with habagat, I wasn’t exactly keen to go outside either.

I dreaded having to step on the scale. I would be happy if I was able to maintain that five pound weight loss.

I couldn’t believe what I saw… I had lost 10 pounds since the beginning of the year. Ten Pounds!!! I still can’t believe it! I thought my pants were much looser than before but I didn’t think it would be 10 pounds less of me!

I think I may have overcome my proverbial wall. Now that I’m back to my old schedule of walking 3 times a week, maybe I’ll be able to lose even more and get to 20 pounds by the end of the year.

But I wonder if that’s possible with me working on a new webmanga? Guess I’ll just have to keep working hard on choosing my food and drinks as well as maintaining my exercise routine!

Nutritional Diary 2012.03.06

I was expecting this to happen sooner or later, but I was hoping it would be much later than right now.

After losing 7 pounds, I’ve hit my plateau. Argh! How can this be when I’m still so for from my target weight?! It’s so frustrating that I might just give this up altogether!

I have to admit though, most of my clothes are now quite roomy. My nephew told me that it’s probably because muscles are developing at this point, so less fat and more muscles mean no weight loss. He probably has a point, but it’s still annoying to see my numbers on that scale to show absolutely no difference in more than 2 weeks.

I suppose I need to be more careful about what I eat from now on. I still snack on occasionally after all, and my sisters sending me a box of chocolate for my birthday is not helping… Turtles chocolates! My favorites! Uhuhuhu~

I will try increasing my walks for this month though. Last week, I’ve walked every other day without fail unlike my usual once every 3 days. It’s making me very tired though, and it’s also making me sleep more. Not good, seeing I have a ton of work to get to.

In other news, I’ve created a community blog for my fellow Anime Illusions member on blogspot. So there might be a lack of the usual music and movies posts here as I will be posting them there instead. You can still expect the typical random updates on this site, but the reviews will be on A.I. from now on.

Hope this won’t cause too much trouble for anyone! Thanks for understanding!

Farewell, Kaname~ Greetings 2012!

I had such a great Christmas dinner and thought to myself: “Vampire Knight’s so depressing these days, and it’s kinda affecting my mood and my blogging! I think I need to start the new year with a new series that’s bright, colorful, and cheery!”

Enter UtaPri! Short for Uta no Prince-sama!

I guess my blog’s layout is extremely shocking compared to my last one, but hey! It makes me smile looking at the silhouettes of Strish from their cover song “Maji Love 1000%”! Because their action for 1000% is the “ok” hand sign, and it’s a reminder that someway, somehow, everything will turn out ok!

…eh, maybe that line was taken from Card Captor Sakura’s “Everything will be alright”, but it’s very true~ So onwards 2012! Let’s hope I can get myself to blog more often this year than last year! Everyone cheer up! And have a great day ahead! Yes, yes!

Butterfly Comb

I finally for my bluetooth working on my new PC! I have so many photos in my phone that I want to post here that I don’t know which to show first!

However, I am currently swamped with work and drawing and manga, so I will start with something simple:

This is a hand-carved, pine wood comb I bought from Hua Mulan in SM Annex. Apparently, natural materials such as wood, ox horn, and goat horn make excellent combs because the mainstream, plastic types will cause hair static.

I’m not sure what else the girl was saying, but my sister swears by their product! I wasn’t really interested in buying one until I saw this.

<_< >_> What? I really like butterflies long before I met Yuuko-san!

So far, it does make my hair more manageable than usual. My hair is very hard to tame, so that says a lot! Plus, I comb my hair more often now, because I like poking the butterflies on the comb. ;u;

Simple pleasures… we must treasure them daily~ Just like my lovely Kaname-sama layout~~ ♥

DBSK: Why Did I End Up Falling For You?

DBSK’s どうして君を好きになってしまったんだろう？or "Why did I end up falling for you?" has been stuck on my playlist on continuous repeat that I think I need to post about it again.

The moment I heard this song, it made me think that the lyrics sounded so sad despite the beautiful melody. Mind you, I’m not fluent in Japanese at all, so I was surprised when I read the translation of the lyrics…

それでも君が僕のそば離れていっても
永遠に君が幸せであること
ただ願ってる
たとえそれがどんなに寂しくても
（切なくても）

But, even though I say that I need you close to me
I just pray that you will be happy forever
No matter how lonely that makes me (or how sad)

Translations and lyrics from DBSKer

For those who don’t follow my art blog, I drew a fake screenshot of Vampire Knight’s Kaname and Yuuki. Please check it out too when you have time!

Devious Journal Entry

I’ve been much more active in Deviant Art lately… mainly because the haphazard life of a free-lance artist needs much more care and attention than I thought.

I found out that merely posting that you are opened for commissions does not mean people will start falling in line right outside your doorstep. For someone like me who has only 20,000 pageviews in 4 years, the forums turned out to be a huge help. You can offer your services there and find people who are looking for artists to commission.

My persistence with the forums paid off, as I’ve had 2 commissions so far. A third one is on the works, which is taking more time than I thought.

That’s another thing I learned about these commissions: people are willing to wait for their artworks. It’s a good and bad thing as you get to work on your own time, but tend to slack off whenever something grabs your attention.

Needless to say, this artist needs more discipline. But it’s admittedly a huge relief from commercial works with deadly deadlines.

In other news, I won second place in the Thou Shalt Honor Fella Contest! This gives me a 6 months premium subscription on Deviant Art and an official Fella Plushie! x3 I’m not sure when I’ll be getting my plush, but like my commissioners, I’m willing to wait. :D

In case you’d like to commission me too, I’m having a Commissions Sale for the month of September. It’s called the Faux ScreenShot Project, in which fake screenshots will be made for only US$7 a piece. The catch? They’re in smaller resolution; 700 x 525 pixels to be exact.

More information can be found on my Deviant Art. For now though, here is a sample of what I can do on such a small canvas:

Faux SS 02: Rima by *kurohiko on deviantART

*cough* Just in case you know someone who'd like to see their work turned into an anime screenshot, please do point them my way. You don’t need a Deviant Art account to commission me, but you do need a paypal account. ^_^

Of Similar Worlds: Twilight and Vampire Knight

I’m probably going to get flamed for comparing the two fandoms which people either love or hate, but this was something that I’ve noticed ever since I’ve read the second part of Vampire Knight. Similarities between the two series go beyond the fact that they exist in Vampire Worlds, and this was confirmed when I finally sat down to watch the first movie of the Twilight Saga.

I’ll try to explain this as best as I can without spoiling too much about any of the series, so please hear me out before commenting anything hateful in my blog.

Symbolism

The original covers of the Twilight Novels, particularly New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn have photos of a rose, a red ribbon, and a white king (or white queen?) chess piece respectively. These symbols have appeared numerous times in illustrations made by Hino. However, the red apple which became a signature illustration of Twilight, has never appeared in Vampire Knight as of yet.

Setting

Set in modern day, peace and harmony reign the two worlds so different from the ignorant human race. In Twilight, we see them as Vampires and Werewolves while on Vampire Knight, they are known as Vampires and Vampire Hunters.

The Werewolves and Vampire Hunters will kill any vampire who dare to hurt the humans, but their origins are somewhat different. Werewolves in Twilight are from people who descended from wolves while Vampire Hunters are said to be humans who ate the flesh of a Vampire Ancient in order to attain the powers to kill vampires.

Twilight's Volturi has a Vampire Knight counterpart known as the Vampire Council of Elders. Similarly, Twilight's werewolves are ruled by the Alpha Male, which is the same for Vampire Knight's Hunters' Association.

The Characters

Both series have teens as their main protagonists. However, the similarities do not end there:

Bella Swan/Cullen and Yuuki Cross/Kuran

The main heroines of both series; not only do they share hair styles and hair colors, but they also have very similar problems: loving two boys at the same time and refusing to choose one over the other. They also act differently when they are with one or the other boys they are choosing from. Bella is more like her human-self when she is with Jacob, which is the same with Yuuki when she is with Zero. The girls do not act like themselves when they are with the one they “truly” love.

As much as I like love triangles, the angst flowing from these two princesses made their respective series somewhat redundant and predictable. However, there is one thing they do not have in common (as of yet)… Bella has chosen Edward, and from what I gather from the fans, she will stay with Edward. Yuuki, on the other hand, still hasn’t chosen what she truly wants and stays with her Ancestor, Kaname for the time being.

There was also the fact that Bella insistently wanted Edward to change her into a vampire. Although Yuuki only wished to become one in order to stay by Kaname's side and/or help Zero, she was also very persistent with Kaname regarding her forgotten past.

Last but not least? Both girls are extremely tempting and tasty. This goes for vampires and werewolves/vampire-hunters-who-are-also-vampires.

Edward Cullen and Kaname Kuran

One thing struck me as the most obvious about these two: their Family Names. “Cullen” and “Kuran” are very, very similar in the way they are read. Although Kaname was revealed to be the ancestor of the Kuran Family and Edward was only turned by Carlisle, the two long for their demise and live only for the one they love. Both boys also seem very distant and have a tendency to fall into mood swings whenever they are with Bella and Yuuki.

Edward confessed to Jacob that even if Bella chose Jacob over him, he would not kill Jacob, because he doesn't want to make Bella miserable. The same promise was mentioned by Kaname, who couldn't bare the thought of Yuuki hating him.

There was also the fact that Edward did not wish to change Bella. Kaname wanted to keep Yuuki "in her box garden" for as long as he could. Edward asked Bella to marry him first before he would change her... Kaname did not mention the same but asked Yuuki to be his lover before he would reveal everything about her past to her.

There were some parts of Eclipse that made me think Edward is similar to Zero Kiryuu as well. For one thing, both characters wished to be apart from the one person they loved because they thought “she would be better off without me”. Both were, of course, coerced to return by the ladies, but I will not spoil any more than that.

Jacob Black and Zero Kiryuu

Both Jacob and Zero are childhood friends of Bella and Yuuki respectively, but these two do not have the same personalities at all. In fact, Zero is much sadder and angrier than Jacob who smiles a lot more. However, it was their lines that caught my attention.

Jacob wanted to stop at nothing to keep Edward from turning Bella into a vampire. This was the same for Zero until it was later revealed that Yuuki is actually a vampire to begin with. Although Jacob openly confesses to Bella about his feelings for her, Zero is more reluctant to do so, but appears to be incapable of hurting Yuuki and, quite possibly, will wait for her to return to him as well.

Rosalie Hale and Ruka Souen

Similar in appearance and in attitude, both Rosalie and Ruka do not like nor do they accept the main heroines of their series. Blonde, beautiful, and regal, both characters come to terms with the heroines as the series progresses, and eventually end up as friends.

Carlisle and Esme Cullen; Haruka and Juuri Kuran

Parental figures of the male protagonists, Carlisle and Haruka share a common compassion over humans, while Esme and Juuri are both passionate individuals. Esme and Juuri have also had the same hair styles and hair colors, just like their “daughters” Bella and Yuuki.

Carlisle may also share some similarities with Headmaster Kaien Cross. Although Kaien is far more out-going when he’s relaxed, the two are quite fearsome and capable when threatened or serious.

Publication

Both Twilight and Vampire Knight were first published in the year 2005. While Twilight has ended in 2008, however, Vampire Knight is still an on-going series. The tiles of each publication rhyme too.

Authors

Stephanie Meyers and Matsuri Hino both have three syllables in their first names and two syllables in their family names; fives syllables each in total.

Conclusion

I am not an expert on Twilight or Vampire Knight, and while these similarities may be purely coincidental, it is still quite interesting to consider. And please take note that I am not accusing one or the other of plagiarism. I was a huge fan of Vampire Knight, but I did not like reading Twilight at all. Now that I’ve written the similarities down, I begin to wonder why I loved one series and hated the other.

One thing is for certain though… I am losing interest in Vampire Knight, because of the amount of fan-bashing and storyline angst. I really just want Yuuki to choose Kaname or Zero and let it be the end of it.

And no, I don’t think I’ll ever convert to Team Edward or Team Jacob. Vampires just don’t sparkle in my book.

Welcome, Kaien…

I have never done this before, and I hope I wouldn't have to again any time soon...

Ichigo, my PC, had been failing in his performance as of late. After a few system checks, it appeared as though he had a worm infestation I just could cure. And so, before the worms reach my files, I decided to reformat him and re-install his entire operating system.

It was a fairly complete success. So far, Kaien is performing very well. His reaction time is much faster than Ichigo’s, but I suppose that’s mainly because not all of his programs have been installed as of yet. I have to say, it wasn’t too bad for a first timer like myself… But I am wondering whether or not I should have wiped the entire HD clean before re-installing everything.

Well, it’s a bit too late for that now. If I want to do that, I’ll have to wait until the next reformat.

Ichigo was 5-years-old before he was turned into Kaien. I’ll miss him dearly, but it was time for him to go.

On another note, I was able to find an English copy of Paint Tool Sai. Everyone on Deviant Art has been talking about this program for a while, so I thought I might check it out. Now if only I can find some tutorials on this program so that I won’t have to go in blind.

Artist for Hire

Because I am now a starving artist, I've decided to put up commissions. For now, these are the services offered, but I will update my Deviant Art Commissions Information if I think I can handle any more.

Yes, I'm serious... even if it is April Fools today. xD;;;

Portrait Commissions: US$15 ($7 for each additional character)

* waist up
* full color
* minimal to no BG only

Samples:

Chibi Commissions: US$10 ($5 for each additional character)

* full body
* full color
* minimal to no BG only

Samples:

Color Commissions: US$10-20

* price depending on difficulty
* lineart must be provided in high resolution
* minimal to no BG only

Sample:

If interested, please send me an email with the following information:

Name:
E-mail: (your PayPal email)
Commission Type:
Description of character:
Art style: (you can choose any style from my gallery)
Link for reference of character:

RULES

- I reserve the right to post commissions on my websites.
- Sketching will begin only after the commission has been paid either in 50% down payment of preferably paid in full (PAYPAL ONLY).
- Please give at least 15 days before issuing a follow-up.
- Corrections will only be entertained during sketching stage.
- The final artwork in its highest resolution will be emailed to the commissioner in JPEG format (unless requested otherwise).
- No hentai, yaoi, or yuri.
- Allowing the artist a bit of leeway for the poses is preferred.

If you have any questions, comments, requests, and suggestions, please do let me know~ ^_^ Thank you very much!

Alice in Wonderland

13 years after Alice Kingsley's first encounter with the strange white rabbit in a waistcoat, Alice has grown to be a beautiful young lady, who is soon to be engaged to Hamish Ascot. The death of her father has led to the Ascot to take over the Kingsley's family business specializing in foreign trade.

Alice is troubled and unsure about Hamish's proposal and is troubled by her "visions" of the white rabbit running around in the engagement party. She decides to follow the rabbit, leaving Hamish without an answer.

The white rabbit leads Alice to an all-too-familiar rabbit hole. Peering closely from the edge, Alice falls into the hole and enters Underland, the real name of the world "Wonderland" that she stumbled upon when she was much younger.

I was able to watch this film with my siblings last Sunday. I must admit that I enjoyed seeing Wonderland as if it were depicted in the real world, but my siblings were confused with the details since they couldn't remember what happened in the animated film. I've been reading mixed reviews about the film too, but I think Tim Burton did a fantastic job. I don't recall seeing the White Queen in the animated film, but Anne Hathaway just blew me away... Even if the ending of the film made me think the White Queen is practically a damsel in distress sort of ruler. -_-;;; I kinda wish the White Rabbit was a lot cuter, but Johnny Depp being the Mad Hatter made up for that very nicely. I mean, how could you possibly go wrong with Johnny Depp? Really?

Anyway, people, go watch the film! I'm sure you wouldn't regret it~ ♥

Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes, that is Rei Ayanami on my banner. Apparently, almost everyone in the family thinks she is "my most favorite character ever!" What's a gal gotta do aside from cower and cave in?

Besides... I kinda like this better than my Kaname one... What do you guys think?

Art Journal; Year 2003-2009

Kurohiko's Art Journal by ~kurohiko on deviantART

Do you think I improved?

I honestly don’t see a lot of changes, haha! That is very bad. No progress means I’m not developing my skills at all. Oh la la~ I should explore more this year!

Hopefully 2010 will be a lot better~

Coffee Break; Posting from the Office

Dear goodness gracious I am so tired. @_@

You may have noticed that Mote-Mote’s page 4 was up during the night of the 15th instead of midnight. Ahaha! I’m so behind now. Page 5 is still on the inking stage, so I really need to pick up the pace!

I guess I can cram a little on Saturday. The next page has a lot of background detail into it, so it’s taking a lot more time.

These are the moments when I wish I can just use photographs for backgrounds instead of having to draw them frame by frame. Ahaha~ Laziness is in my DNA. xD

On to some celebrity gossip, I’ve been catching up on Chico and Delamar’s Top 10 thanks to the podcasts posted by Blue Ritz. I’m so glad Chico and Delamar mentioned this site, because it really helps me concentrate at work… minus the occasional laughing-like-a-madwoman moments with which my boss and colleagues reach for the phone to call the Mental Institute. ._.;;; Heh.

And I wonder if Misha Collins is really in Vancouver, Canada? He recently tweeted a post office box address for people to send their ticket stubs from his New York screening. He’s also asking for applications for treasurer, which requires a lock of hair for species verification. What. In any case, I hope I can send him a letter to request for an autograph when I move to Canada.

Shush. I already know I’m a dork. I do not need to be reminded. xD

Finally, I must rant about this:

Oyasumi, Kaname-sama by ~kurohiko on deviantART

Stupid me flattened my layers for this illustration, ARGH!!! Now I can’t change the stuff I wanted to change..! *SOB*

I guess that’s what I get for coloring until 2 in the morning. T_T At least it turned out ok, and I’m honestly quite happy with it.

No one is allowed to wake Kaname-sama up. Is that clear? >/

EDIT: Oh right, Misha, you really did give the wrong address. How in the world could we have missed that? Hee~! You’re so adorable. x3

My First Doujin is Now Online!

After several weeks of procrastination, I’m finally able to post Mote-Mote for the world to see!

Well, ok, I posted page 1, working on the next page… but haha, after 6 months? I dare say it’s quite an achievement! And you know, it’s pretty therapeutic to draw characters that already exist in an anime… designing structures is not as difficult as starting from scratch.

Admittedly though? I’m already thinking about drawing originals again. I can’t decide whether I should continue A.illusions after Mote-Mote, or draw the 2nd Chapter of Karma. Either way though, I’m really psyched up!

Now if only I was so sick for the past week that I had to stay in bed most of the time, I wouldn’t be panicking about not making my next deadline, which is on December 10, 2009..! Yikes… x.x;;;

I’m pretty ok now, almost fully recovered from fever, though I still feel like my brain is running only on minimum requirement. 4 days of high fever can do that to people I guess, haha! I had to miss 4 days of work and did my best to recover in two more days, and still I feel light-headed. The doctor knew I didn’t want to have my blood taken, so he gave me a powerful antibiotic instead.

My antibiotics, Floxa or Ofloxacin, look like blood tablets from Vampire Knight, I kid you not. x.x;;;

There’s a lot of pending work here in the office though, and we have visitors, so I can’t really slack off at all! Wish my brain would switch back into high gear, but I only have 2 tablets of Floxa left, so I’m hoping as soon as I finish those, everything will be back to normal again. Because I really need to let my mom stop worrying about me… it’s not good for her to worry so much. :x

Thank God the fever’s finally broken, and hopefully, I will never get that sick ever again! Too much pain not to be able to sleep when your body so tired. x.x;;;